Have you ever wondered what really happened to the flower children and activists of the 1960s? The popular media would have us believe that they all outgrew their alternative lifestyle and became stockbrokers. Not true. Living with Spirit, Journey of a Flower Child, describes an ongoing wave of transformation and spiritual awakening that has continued to grow exponentially to the present day, as we approach the prophesied year 2012. Peggy Kornegger’s journey, from flower child to feminist activist to spiritual seeker, has given her a unique perspective on this phenomenon. Her experiences—swimming with wild dolphins and whales in the ocean, traveling to sacred sites such as Tulum and Machu Picchu, and studying with Maya elders in Guatemala—have all contributed to her metamorphosis. “Living with spirit” is the thread that runs throughout the book—how she has experienced it and how everyone can.

The following excerpt is taken from the book Living with Spirit, Journey of a Flower Child by Peggy Kornegger. It is published by Dog Ear Publishing (November 2009) and is available at www.amazon.com and other major online booksellers.

Introduction: Awakening Spirit

I am a child of the 1960s. I was a part of the political and social awakening of that era. Spiritual awakening came later for me, but it was grounded in the flower-child perspective of that time. Many of my generation have been moved by a force and a vision much larger than our own individual lives. Gradually, we have begun to recognize that there are codes for transformation in our own cells. As we, and ultimately all beings on the planet, awaken, these inner codes shine like stars and fill us with light—and with a sense of connection to something greater: God, the Divine, Great Spirit, whatever language you wish to use.

I have been on a journey of spiritual discovery for many years now, traveling to distant sacred sites to learn from wise elders, taking workshops with teachers at various spiritual centers, and opening to my own inner guidance. I am not a shaman, but my life is filled with mystical experiences. I am an ordinary person who has chosen to follow a spiritual path—and become an everyday mystic.

I work as an editor in Boston and live in an apartment just outside the city. I spend a minimal amount on clothes and other necessities; my priority is to save money to pay for the trips and teachings that feed my soul. These soul-ful experiences have changed me from the inside out. My daily life is infused with a higher vibration, and I see the world differently now: the “ordinary” has become “extraordinary.”

Every morning as I meditate and do yoga, I consciously connect to the web of life all around me and send out a prayer of gratitude for the blessings of a new day. Over the years, I have learned that it is the simplest of things that bring great happiness: a robin singing as the sun comes up, yellow marigolds catching the morning light in my flower garden, ripe red raspberries for breakfast. There is magic in just being alive, no matter where I am or what I’m doing. It’s all part of what I call “living with spirit.”

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What is spirit anyway? Some people might say spirit is “zest for life,” or joie de vivre. Others might say it is the soul, or inner being, which is eternal. Still others might call it the living energy or underlying intelligence of the universe. And some might say spirit refers to angels, or beings from dimensions beyond the physical plane. Spirit can also be synonymous with God/Goddess/Light, a divine presence in the world. I would agree with all of these definitions. Spirit is multifaceted.

What, then, does living with spirit mean? Once again, there are multiple possibilities. I can think of several that make sense in my life: 1) living joyfully, with an open heart; 2) living aligned with the higher self, or soul self, and knowing your life purpose; 3) living intuitively, moment to moment, trusting in synchronicity and your inner voice; 4) living with awareness of guides, angels, and nature devas—the so-called invisible realms; 5) living with a deep sense of oneness, connected to the universal Spirit as it manifests in all things.

Many of us are becoming aware of these various levels of spirit, but we don’t always have words to describe what we are experiencing. Western culture doesn’t encourage such awareness. In fact, spirituality is often ridiculed, except when it fits tightly, and controllably, within the confines of organized religion. Speak with spirit guides, listen to angels, seek solace in the silence of nature or the splendor of the stars, and you are labeled “odd.” Give credence to intuition and the truth of the heart, and you are “irrational.” Western “civilization” believes in science more than spirit, in facts more than feelings. As a culture, we are divorced from our souls. Yet, it is our souls that are connected to the greater meaning of the universe. It is our souls that hear the music of the spheres and know that this one life we are living now is just a small part of a much larger picture.

So many people suffer from alienation and confusion at this time on planet Earth. Yet we carry a higher wisdom encoded in our very DNA, and those codes are gradually being activated. Ironically, it is in these dark times of world dis-ease and political turmoil that the shift to a more multidimensional awareness is occurring. The old age is coming face to face with the new. For some, change is frightening; for others, it is relief. But change is here. How we experience it is up to us. View the world with fear, and fear will be at the doorstep every time you open the door. See everything with the eyes of love, and beauty will unfold before you everywhere you go.

All of us, flower children of all ages and generations, chose to be born during this key transitional period. In many of the teachings of the indigenous peoples of the Earth, it is foretold that at this critical time on our small blue planet (approaching the year 2012 and thereafter), we have the opportunity to become conscious spirit, living in human form. We can open our eyes and see the oneness everywhere—trees, animals, rocks, planets, people, insects, flowers—we are all part of one another. And we can live that truth, creating a heaven on Earth, with the help and guidance of wise teachers from all times and dimensions.

Those teachers, from Buddha to the Beatles, have said that love and compassion are the guiding forces of the universe. Living with spirit means living with love in every circumstance. Choosing with the heart, not the head alone. The head gives us information related to the ego, which can be useful, but only if aligned with the heart’s wisdom. The heart is connected to the higher self, which hears the guidance of the angels and other spirit helpers. The head only knows this lifetime; the heart can connect us to all lifetimes and teach us our divine purpose for being.

My personal journey of awakening, of learning to live with spirit, has been lifelong. It is an ongoing process of opening to the unknown and reaching for the stars. I do specific spiritual practices every day to remind myself to shift into a higher perspective, to live every moment with love, gratitude, and humility. I continue to learn to trust my intuition, see oneness instead of otherness, and walk on the Earth with peace in my heart. I may falter or make mistakes, but I know I can always take a deep breath and begin anew. Each day is a fresh opportunity to grow, to see more clearly my reasons for this lifetime, and to understand how I may be of service to others.

Because I have learned so much from other people who have written about their spiritual journeys, sharing my own experiences became for me a way of giving back. In fact, as the framework for this book took shape within me, it became a compelling force that I needed to “give birth” to. Chapter titles and even whole paragraphs would pop into my head at odd times and places. Sometimes I would leave the house to walk across town and have to stop every block to scribble words on scraps of paper in my backpack. I started carrying a small notebook with me everywhere to capture those moments of inspiration. I think my higher self and spirit guides were working overtime to keep me on course with the writing!

My story as I tell it here begins chronologically, but then chapters move back and forth in time, reflecting strands of perception rather than discrete, sequential events. Through the years, I have come to see “reality” differently—as fluid rather than fixed, as co-creation rather than backdrop. For me, one of the greatest universal teachings is that the present moment holds all time and all truths. It vibrates with the energy of spirit.

All of us are playing our parts in this time of transformation; all of us have wisdom to share. We are fellow travelers, learning step by step to live fully with spirit. I write here as one cell of consciousness among many. Within spirit, my voice merges with all voices, and together we move forward. My hope is that our collective awakening will bring about a world of harmony and joy.

May all beings live in Peace.

May all beings live in Love.

May all beings live in Light.

Namaste.

Copyright © 2009 by Peggy Kornegger

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the author.

Peggy Kornegger is a writer, editor, and lightworker who lives in the Boston area. Her writing has appeared in a wide variety of spiritual, feminist, and political publications, including Spirit of Change, Bay Windows, Sojourner, Second Wave, Sinister Wisdom, Plexus, and the anthology Reinventing Anarchy.