Labels and Spirituality

Brighstone Churchyard- Photo by Me-Lisa

Ahhhhh labels! How I dislike them!
 I have never really been a label person in any part of my life but especially not in my spiritual life. I have in the past called myself one thing or another but none of those labels fit me, none of them felt right to me. I'm not in any way Wiccan and I can't even call myself a Pagan. Most people would say that I was the later but I can't use that name. It came from the Latin word Paganus which means land dweller or of the land. My beliefs come from before the invention of Latin, and before the (bloody!) Romans! So to me, personally it doesn't suit me.
 I believe that everything has a spirit, the rocks, the ground beneath our feet, the rivers and oceans, the trees and plants, the weather, the sky, hills and mountains, light and shadows, the birds and other animals. I don't call myself an Animist though, again a label that doesn't fit with me.
 I feel that I am spiritual and not religious. Religion seems to me to be a set doctrine that you need to follow, being spiritual means that I can work out my own path, find my own way to get to the same place that everyone else is heading to.

Totland- Photo taken by me-Lisa

 I also honour and respect my/our ancestors. I do ancestral work and part of that is tracing my family tree. I have now managed to go back many many generations to trace my lineage and I am very proud to be here because of them. I give them offerings, visiting their graves or burial sites where I sit and give thanks and my love to each of them. Another part of this is making sure that I respect the land and area where they are buried, removing any rubbish that has been dropped by other people. We need to tread more lightly on the land and take responsibility for these areas as well as our own. If we all did our bit this world would be a better place.
 When I visit the beaches near me along an area called 'Back of the Wight' which is the are that goes from the southern tip to pretty much the western tip of the island, I also show my respect. I have in my ancestry a vast number of mariners and a large number of them worked off of this area. Many were lifeboat men who risked their lives to save other people and a few lost their lives doing so.
 The sea is an important part of my life, I feel that I have salt water coursing through my veins. So whenever I am near it I feel alive and connected to those mariner ancestors.

Dragon Tree- photo taken by me-Lisa

 I am very lucky to live on this island where the majority of my ancestors lived. Some came from further afield such as Dorset, Wiltshire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall, Yorkshire etc and some even further afield from other countries but mostly from here. I wouldn't feel right if I didn't honour them.
 I also believe that we all have spirit guides, whether you call them angels, teachers, guides, or if they come to you in different forms such as fae, animals, people, voices, feelings, etc. To me they come in many different forms and we can all communicate with them.
 When we create something, whether it is a meal, a garden, a painting, story or anything else I think we are connecting to our spirituality, we show our intent and at the end we (usually) have something to show for it. We put in all our love and joy into this creation and people then enjoy it.
 When I am out in nature I tend to talk to the animals I come across, even if it's a simple "Good morning" or "Hello beautiful". I take time out and watch them, noticing their mannerisms etc. I touch trees and flowers and as I've said in previous posts I also take note of the passing seasons and when what plant/animal is doing what and when. It's amazing how much you will learn by doing that even in your first year of doing so. I take photos and make note of things I see. hear, feel, smell.
 I know I have slightly drifted off of the label part but I can only really tell you what I am and there is no one word for that in my eyes other than spiritual.
 How do you class yourself? What labels do you give yourself?

Chale Beach-photo by me-Lisa