Guidance or Influence?
Posted: 28 Jul 2026 17:32
Hello Oracle forum members, I hope everyone is keeping well.
I regularly read the 973-eht-namuh website and check-in to the forum, however it never fails to surprise me to find how much time passes between my posts, and that they are so few and far between given the amount of time I spend here reading everyone's thoughts.
Like many here, I have found myself on an enriching, if sometimes rather lonely, journey following my spiritual awakening many years ago. I enjoy quietly exploring and learning more about life, consciousness, spirit and reality, making necessary evolutions and changes in my personal life, while my friends and family happily go about their business.
Recently however, I am often finding myself in situations where people are asking me about 'spirituality', an umbrella term I somewhat dread to hear as it encompasses so much, and who am I to direct someone's spiritual path? One of my foundational pillars is to respect everyone's free will. I don't mind giving a hint or a nudge here and there if someone outright asks me about something in particular, but in the back of my mind I am always considering a "line" that shouldn't be crossed.
As an example, this post was inspired by a conversation that I recently had with my barber. I have known him for many years and would consider him a friend, however despite many regular conversations, 'spirituality' and the esoteric is something we have only briefly chatted about a handful of times. He was genuinely curious following his recent psychedelic experience and he didn't have another client after me, so the conversation became much longer than expected. We talked about many different subjects; I explained that I've read extensively about esoteric traditions, religion, symbolism, metaphysics etc - all the usual stuff - while also exploring psychedelics and altered states of consciousness. And while I value that exploration and don't regret it, the questions occupying my mind have changed as time goes by. I am less interested in acquiring another piece of hidden knowledge or another belief system, and more interested in whether that knowledge is changing who I am.
In the end, I wasn't trying to convince him of anything or introduce any esoteric concepts, I just found myself talking more about qualities like patience, kindness, freedom and inner peace. I'm always comfortable talking about my own experiences. I'm much less comfortable telling someone what their experience should be.
I know that it is his decision whether to dive into the rabbit hole. I know that seeking certainly had its place in my own journey to make me who I am today. Without that curiosity I wouldn't have encountered many of the ideas and concepts discussed on this forum. However, at the same time, I am also well aware of the many pitfalls on the spiritual journey. Part of me wants to answer honestly when someone sincerely asks. Another part of me worries about placing ideas into someone's mind before they're ready to explore them for themselves. I often find myself wondering where this line is between offering guidance and unintentionally influencing another person's path in ways I can't fully understand.
I'd be interested to hear how others here approach this. Do you have any personal principles or 'rules' when discussing spirituality with friends or family (or Oracle forum members!)? At what point do you feel you're helping someone explore their own path, and at what point do you risk leading them onto yours?
I regularly read the 973-eht-namuh website and check-in to the forum, however it never fails to surprise me to find how much time passes between my posts, and that they are so few and far between given the amount of time I spend here reading everyone's thoughts.
Like many here, I have found myself on an enriching, if sometimes rather lonely, journey following my spiritual awakening many years ago. I enjoy quietly exploring and learning more about life, consciousness, spirit and reality, making necessary evolutions and changes in my personal life, while my friends and family happily go about their business.
Recently however, I am often finding myself in situations where people are asking me about 'spirituality', an umbrella term I somewhat dread to hear as it encompasses so much, and who am I to direct someone's spiritual path? One of my foundational pillars is to respect everyone's free will. I don't mind giving a hint or a nudge here and there if someone outright asks me about something in particular, but in the back of my mind I am always considering a "line" that shouldn't be crossed.
As an example, this post was inspired by a conversation that I recently had with my barber. I have known him for many years and would consider him a friend, however despite many regular conversations, 'spirituality' and the esoteric is something we have only briefly chatted about a handful of times. He was genuinely curious following his recent psychedelic experience and he didn't have another client after me, so the conversation became much longer than expected. We talked about many different subjects; I explained that I've read extensively about esoteric traditions, religion, symbolism, metaphysics etc - all the usual stuff - while also exploring psychedelics and altered states of consciousness. And while I value that exploration and don't regret it, the questions occupying my mind have changed as time goes by. I am less interested in acquiring another piece of hidden knowledge or another belief system, and more interested in whether that knowledge is changing who I am.
In the end, I wasn't trying to convince him of anything or introduce any esoteric concepts, I just found myself talking more about qualities like patience, kindness, freedom and inner peace. I'm always comfortable talking about my own experiences. I'm much less comfortable telling someone what their experience should be.
I know that it is his decision whether to dive into the rabbit hole. I know that seeking certainly had its place in my own journey to make me who I am today. Without that curiosity I wouldn't have encountered many of the ideas and concepts discussed on this forum. However, at the same time, I am also well aware of the many pitfalls on the spiritual journey. Part of me wants to answer honestly when someone sincerely asks. Another part of me worries about placing ideas into someone's mind before they're ready to explore them for themselves. I often find myself wondering where this line is between offering guidance and unintentionally influencing another person's path in ways I can't fully understand.
I'd be interested to hear how others here approach this. Do you have any personal principles or 'rules' when discussing spirituality with friends or family (or Oracle forum members!)? At what point do you feel you're helping someone explore their own path, and at what point do you risk leading them onto yours?