Maybe once in a lifetime, we find ourselves seeking spiritual growth mostly when everything we try to do is hard to achieve. Among the many questions that consequently come out are: Who am I? Why am I here? Is there a Higher Power?

Since arguing over these questions surely can bring down a lot of lines, I will present to you some definitions from the common New Age term "Higher Self," which I believe is the very important start of all well being. The Higher Self is your connection to your spirit or spirituality. It is the consciousness of your soul. It is that part of you which is closer to God and has never forgotten its divine connection. It is only concerned and actively interested with how YOU are going to evolve your spirit. Your "Higher Self" does not grieve, feel pain or failure.

I also like what Sanaya Roman teaches and explains in her book Spiritual Growth: Being Your Higher Self (Earth Life Book III). Through practical techniques, Spiritual Growth teaches readers how to move to higher consciousness, to their higher selves, and create a vision of their higher self. Thus it could be a great proposal, or any other book related to personal enlightenment.

For a better picture, think of the "Lower Self" or ego personality as the contrary of higher self. The lower self is encapsulated within its own desires; once a desire is accomplished, other desires spring up. It never stops.

However, spiritual techniques like meditation assist people to switch from Lower Self to the Higher Self, which is used by certain schools of spiritual teaching such as the Golden Dawn and Theosophy.

Golden Dawn

The Order of the Golden Dawn, a magical group which was founded in England by men with backgrounds in Rosicrucian and Freemason societies, flourished for some 40 years prior to 1920. This occult society admitted both male and female members with equal status and now significant proportions of it's senior officers are female.

From the neo-pagan revival to the New Age movement, the Golden Dawn's wealth of teachings still has a profound and lasting effect on all those who seek spiritual enlightenment in the western world. Astrology, tarot, Kabbala and the Egyptian mysteries formed the backbone of their teachings.

Theosophy

Theosophy is a fragment of the ancient wisdom teaching. The masters of Theosophy, located in Tibet and around the world, preserve and extend this ancient wisdom. Periodically they send a messenger ? Helena Blavatsky - to help spread this teaching to all of humanity.

The Theosophical Society is a worldwide association of men and women determined to encourage altruism and compassion. Founded by Helena P. Blavatsky, and several others, it is one expression of a spiritual and educational movement that has been active in all ages. Its objectives are:

? to demonstrate that the oneness of all life is a fact in nature, and to form a nucleus of a universal brotherhood;

? the study of ancient and modern religions, sciences, and philosophies;

? to investigate and share natural truths -- the spiritual, psychological, and material laws and powers found in the cosmos and in the human being.

Alma De la Cruz, a staff mystic employed by http://www.psychicrealm.com, has a profound personal history where she has unabashedly delved deep into the heart of occult mysteries for an extensive period of her life. Her name literally means "Soul of the Cross" in Spanish. Currently she is working publishing a manuscript that delves into the mysteries of Hispanic new age beliefs incorporating old insights with new spiritual methodologies. Check out her bi weekly metaphysical column: http://www.newagenotebook.com where she takes a new twist, incorporating Latin shamanistic philosophies with leading edge occult beliefs.