Spiritual Interests

Things I love, find interesting, want to do, and/or enjoy learning about that have anything at all to do with spirituality:

• Nature
• Autumn, the leaves changing color, and the harvest season
• Holidays (both celebrating and learning the roots of)
• Classical Mythology (not exclusively Greco-Roman)
• Byzantine, Medieval, and Renaissance era Christian art
• Islamic calligraphy and art
• Gothic cathedrals and architecture
• Stained glass windows
• Gregorian chant music
• Praying to ancestors (not as if they are gods though)/talking to deceased loved ones, the idea of ancestor altars
• Goddesses and the idea of the Divine being female, sex-neutral, or both male and female figures, rather than a strictly singular Father figure. Learning more about goddesses, female religious figures, and the Divine Feminine (and its erasure in most mainstream modern religion)
• The idea of the Divine being a spirit, universal force or spirit, everything interconnected, etc. and learning about the nature of the Holy Spirit, Brahman, Shakti, and Unity of the Divine (in otherwise polytheistic traditions or pluralistic faiths, for example, or such as the unity of the Trinity or this view of ancient Egyptian religion)
• Reading different myths and theological texts for different religions
• Reading the Bible specifically, as I am in the process of doing so now, and am thoroughly enjoying it not only from a theological/mythological perspective, but also for its rich historical and literary value
• Learning more about the ancient Hebrews, ancient Hebrew religion and culture, other religions and cultures of the time in the Levant and their relationships with and impact on the Hebrews, and the history of Judaism
• Learning more about the real life of Jesus and his teachings
• Learning more about Gnosticism
• Learning more about Buddhism
• Learning more about Zoroastrianism
• Marian spirituality and theology
• Learning more about the lives and stories of Catholic saints
• Rosaries and prayer beads
• Meditation
• Prayer
• Journaling
• Candles and incense
• Nature based paths and the idea of using natural elements, herbalism, etc. mixed with prayer (not exactly witchcraft, but I suppose doing something similar to what people consider to be witchcraft)