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Spirituality, unlike religion, cannot be easily classified. By its very nature, it has no fixed doctrine. It is both universal, coming from a source of spiritual light that fills the entire cosmos; and it is personal, as each one of us gives it a unique flavour. Yet we can also see people drawn to expressions of spirituality that share much in common.
The Cathars were probably the most serious threat to the Catholic Church's hold over people's faith during the Middle Ages. Their spiritual movement stretched from the Languedoc region of southern France, across Italy and eastwards to their original homeland, Bulgaria, where they were known as Bogomils.
At Spirit of the Rainbow we seek to be both intellectuality rigorous and open to our intuitive senses. These can complement each other in bringing a light to our spiritual exploration as we delve into ancient mysteries.
The Promised Land made its second major appearance in Scripture with the story of the Exodus when Moses led his people from slavery in Egypt. Crossing the desert, they faced many hardships as well as experiencing miracles
Historically women have faced systematic discrimination from religious authorities, denying them opportunities to preach, conduct rituals and hold leadership positions. Women have responded in different ways.
In the year 1209, Pope Innocent III’s crusade against the “heretical” Cathars of southern France was launched. At the same time, the pope blessed Francis of Assisi’s proposal for a new religious order, to be guided by a “Rule”,
In our book Riverlution, where we explore the natural spiritual evolution of humanity, the section on womankind discusses the damage done by, "what may be called 'the war on women' – that is the widespread and systematic repression of women and all they stood for that has lasted for centuries". The age-old discrimination against women is a story sadly all too well known. Was it a war? In this article, we will be focusing on womankind’s search for a spiritual voice.
The image of the crucified Christ is central to traditional Christian thinking. It lies at the heart of the doctrine that Jesus saved humanity from sin by his supreme sacrifice. In the Christian Bible, the story of Jesus reaches its climax with his crucifixion and resurrection. So deeply embedded is this idea, that the Cross has become the symbol of Christianity.
Even as we reach the end of the first quarter of the 21st century, our understanding of our human story is deeply influenced by our Victorian forebears. For them, our evolution was a more or less straight-line progression from primitive ape-like creatures to advanced modern humans, replete with all sorts of technological inventions which we have continued with till the present day. This has shaped the way we look at ancient peoples, who were thought to have lived in a world of ignorance and superstition, devoid of the benefits of modern civilisation.
A characteristically 21st century phenomenon has been the manifestation of the many-coloured splendour of genders, sexes and sexualities. Yet we have also seen a backlash from some religious conservatives. They view anything outside of the traditional world of the heterosexual male or female as the work of the devil. Striking therefore, that the Cathars, for all their austere medieval outlook, would have seen sex and gender in almost exactly the opposite way spiritually
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In the industrialised world, people have come to rely almost exclusively on their intellect to discover and produce things – from new planets to smartphones – and it has resulted in some marvellous inventions and scientific breakthroughs.
The role of Cathar women has suffered two fates: to be demonised by their opponents and idealised by their supporters. Where does the truth actually lie?