I often get asked when I started my spiritual journey. The answer to that is… as far back as I can remember.
I have always had a very strong spiritual connection from a very young age. I was brought up in an Anglican household, but my parents were not overly religious, but they did the “right” thing, and made sure we knew the Christian Story. We went to Sunday school, and sometimes we even went to church on religious days. We were all confirmed at 16, and it was a big deal…a new white dress, a big family lunch afterwards. It was never dogmatic, but we never really questioned things either. It’s just what we did. My grandparents and parents were brought up that way… and so were we.
As a young child, I was fascinated by church and bible stories. My best friend growing up came from a very religious family, and I remember being jealous of her, that she got to go to church EVERY Sunday, and that she and her family had a special connection to God, that my family didn’t have. I prayed (and still do), multiple times a day.
As I grew into my teens, I did start to question things though. I couldn’t understand, why going to church separated some people from others. The concept of a God and a heaven that only accepted people that went to church once a week, just didn’t sit well with me. From a very small child, I have always known that “my” God is an extremely kind God, not one of fire and brimstone, and certainly not one to forsake anybody. It was inherent in me, this was something I was just born knowing, so subsequently, as I got older, I started questioning so much that was being fed to me.
Through the years, I read anything and everything relating to spiritual matters, and I felt that I had finally started finding answers that made sense to me. I was told for the first time, about 25 years ago, that my life path involved Spiritual work. I never really did anything about it, other than read more, for the next 15 years. I think I was a little lost, as to where to even begin. Then 10 years ago, my Spirit Guides basically held a “tribunal”, and I was very sternly told off, for not having made this my path. When I mentioned that I wasn’t sure where to start, I was told in no uncertain terms, that healing was my gift. Initially I was a little thrown off guard. I had heard over the years, people referring to themselves as having” healing hands” and I had never thought about myself like that. But when I looked back, I began to see a pattern. People always came to me for advice, and I was an exceptionally good listener. I always attracted men who were, to put it bluntly… a little “broken”. I booked my first reiki course a week later. The minute I walked into that first class I knew I had found what I had been searching for. It literally changed my life.
One of the very first things I learnt in that class was that this IS a gift… but a gift that every single one of us possesses, we have just forgotten how to use it. This was an eye opener for me, as I had always put “healers” on a pedestal, as if they were somehow imbued with powers that only a few get gifted. What a wonderful thing it was to be made aware, that each and every one of us, has that gift inside.
After that initial course, I hit the ground running. I opened up a practice, and started studying anything and everything. I still feel like I have only touched the tip of the iceberg and I am continually studying new modalities, so I have more to offer my clients and students. If you had to ask me what I am most passionate about when it comes to my practice – it isn’t actually a favourite modality… Its mentorship. I love seeing that lightbulb switch on behind people’s eyes, when they realise the power within them, the magic we all hold inside, and the incredible abundance the Universe wants us to have.
One of my favourite stories is a male client that came to me for a session – he was an admitted sceptic but he was open to trying Reiki. I told him prior to starting the session that most people just relax and actually fall asleep. He laughed and said “That won’t happen with me”. Within 5 minutes he was snoring on the bed – he came for one more session, and then sent his wife to actually do my reiki course as I think he wanted it on tap! She was a journalist and an even bigger sceptic. She now has a thriving reiki practice and he gets sessions whenever he wants them!!!
For anyone who is feeling stuck or a little lost, I highly recommend looking outside of the box and delving deeper into your magical, spiritual side. Once you dip one toe into that water, the rest seems to follow, naturally,
Angela Whitehouse is a holistic practitioner and teacher. She runs an Holistic Healing and training Centre in Blairgowrie, Johannesburg. Her sessions and courses include Reiki, Colour Therapy, Crystal Healing, Tarot, Access Bars, Spiritual, Psychic and Mediumship development. She has been practicing for 9 years and teaching for 4.
084 588 5312