It was with absolute surprise, pleasure, humbleness and pride that I accepted a position in the development circle at the Porirua Spiritualist Church this year. It was totally unexpected as I had no idea that they were even considering me.
To start at the beginning … my late mother was a very superstitious woman and being part Māori only heightened that. On top of that she brought us up in a very spiritual way, even though we were all christened Anglicans. We grew up knowing that there was a lot more going on than just plain religion. Not that that took away from the fact that I loved going to church and Sunday School. Even though we were not a church-going family, religion was treated seriously and with respect in our home. When we were younger I remember mum going to the Porirua Spiritualist Church but we were never allowed to go. In later years as adults three of the four of us attended local Spiritualist churches, my sister in Masterton, my brother in Nelson and me in Porirua. I have been regularly attending for eight years or more and am on the committee, also becoming the delegate to the National Council.
Circle was the next step. There is that thing that without an ego you have no idea that you are worthy of taking that step. I was so surprised when Joanne, our circle leader and President, asked me if I would like to join the long established circle. I was honoured to say the least. I have only been with the group a few short months but I am amazed with how much I have learned. It is wonderfully enlightening and so much easier to learn in a small and more intimate group. I am lucky that the five other women in the group are at various stages of their development which gives me a wide diversity of experience to learn from. I am comfortable to ask the odd little questions that everyone must have asked at the beginning of their spiritual journey, knowing that I am safe from ridicule and that I will get an honest answer that will benefit my own growth. It is amazing how what you think is a silly question can bring about so much knowledge when answered with the wisdom of your peers.
If you are offered a place in a development circle, from my personal experience, I say go for it. It is a wonderful thing to do for yourself and no two sessions are ever the same. You may follow the same procedure within an allotted timeframe but what happens in that time can be so different from the last. I am enjoying my Tuesday nights and look forward to them with expectation every week. I feel a great sense of commitment to the group and the teachings that are given to me.
– Jacqui Youle, Porirua Spiritualist Church, 12 October 2007.
Source: Vision, The Magazine of the Spiritualist Church of New Zealand, September-December 2007.