What is the Great Smoking Mirror? The simple answer is that it is the reflecting surface of our Inner Spirit. But the complex answer is that it is also our willingness to explore the depths of that Inner Spirit, challenged by our ability to see into it and face our strengths as well as our weaknesses.

Why does it smoke? It "smokes" or clouds over to mask the fears and Shadows within us. It hides them, a safety mechanism that allows us to hide from ourselves...our true Self. We have to be willing to reflect on it long enough to let those clouds pass so we can see more clearly.

How do we get to this Great Smoking Mirror in the first place? Well, to get there the path is fraught with unknowns. We cannot know the answers until we arrive so we must face many internal challenges, fears, and demons to pass the many gateways that appear along the way. It's much easier said than done, until we learn the "how" of this journey. We need skills to get us there...meditation, prayer, visualization, learning to journey shamanically. These are tools, and when applied they bring forth the skills we need to develop.

Spirit Lodge offers a meditation room where several different visual options are available to open you to this experience as well as other experiences...the basic tools of the trade if you will. We offer exercises, guidelines to Dancing the Wheel, lessons on spirituality and insights into development in a very extensive Library. It's there for you as are the different forums to discuss your challenges or share your experiences.

Accepting that we are all blessed with Spirit Guides that will step forward when we open to them will serve this need as well. They are our greatest teachers, and they too know the way. Opening to our own Inner Spirit, stepping aside and taking the role of Witness will allow it to show you all these things. It is the Great Smoking Mirror, it is the reflection of who you truly are...it is said "we are always in the process of BE-ing, Be-coming who we truly are...a work in progress. It is the spiritual journey of the Inner Spirit to make its way to our conscious awareness, and the physical journey of the mind to accept that. In union of that acceptance we have the whole of our being.

Our weaknesses reflect the things we need to learn to overcome to become stronger. Our strengths reflect the abilities we have to bring forth the courage needed to overcome the weaknesses. When balance between these two polar opposites is achieved we are centered and able to open to the growth we need. The Great Smoking Mirror reveals all. Spirituality teaches us how to embrace the many dimensions of life and look beyond the physical reality in a fascinating path of discovery of other realities that contribute to the whole of our expanding consciousness and evolution.

How long does it take for those clouds to pass? This depends on you. Are you willing to get to know your Guides?...that takes a little time. Are you willing to build on your spiritual foundations to better understand the process?...that takes time. Are you willing to set aside your impatience and be patient while allowing things to develop?...that takes time. Can you speed any of this up? Yes, but only superficially. You can do what many call soul-searching, that's a mental process that brings up emotions and sensory feelings, but it's not in-depth because it lacks the spiritual perspective that brings forth experience and lends wisdom as a result. We need the spiritual foundations to effectively soul-search. Is one trip enough? No, you see throughout our lives we return to the Great Smoking Mirror time and again. It is a lifetime of reflections that are constantly changing to show us what we need to see so we can understand the Path of Destiny we are walking...our purpose in life.

And what will we see when the Mirror clears? Will we see our Shadow? Will we see our Light? Will we see a monster looking back at us? Will we see a being of Light reflecting our goodness and connection to the world? What else is revealed, will we be enlightened? Is it all a waste of time? If so why do so many others make that journey? These are the intimidating unknowns for it shows us all these things and much more. These questions, however, are the seeds of curiosity that, when they sprout, encourage us to satisfy a hunger for nourishment and explore things deeper to find our answers.

Spiritual perspectives hold that nourishment but where do we find them? We have a lot to explore before we find a way we can understand and accept. So where are those maps? Which is the right map for us? We find that answer by exploring different traditions and insights they bring until we find one that feels right. That's where we begin to map out our process.

How often do we need to seek the Great Smoking Mirror? We make this journey each time we choose to grow, each time we prepare to experience a set of lessons, and each time an assimilation process is undergone. It is a before and after process that we undergo throughout the course of our life...much like the before and after glance into the mirror each time we shower or begin our day. Time and time again we return to our Great Smoking Mirror. It is a Mirror that shows us our truths as they stand at the time.

The Great Smoking Mirror serves our needs. If we have grown from our experiences and lessons the reflection we see changes and becomes much clearer. If we have refused to accept those lessons then it reflects that too and begins to cloud again. Fear is a sturdy challenger though, and facing our fears isn't easy. A beginning exercise to open you to this process is posted in the Library under "Mirror Exercise" and it is one that brings quick results so you may want to explore that technique for starters. To step into the Great Smoking Mirror takes one deeper and that takes time, it requires dedication, the development of skills, and the will to succeed.

***You are cordially invited to visit our spiritual study center at: www.spiritlodge.info for workshops, seminars, certified courses, resources and more.***

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