Purpose is something we all seek on the heroine’s journey, especially at breaking points when we may wonder where our lives are headed and what really matters. This is the central theme in today’s episode with Ruby Warrington, author of Material Girl, Mystical World and founder of The Numinous, a wonderful online resource that helps bridge the gap between mystical and mainstream.

Ruby covers the definition of dharma (or “purpose”) and how we find our own, as well as how to strip away the layers of conditioning that can leave us feeling stuck. In sharing her journey of coming out of the spiritual closet and finding her dharma, Ruby also provides practical advice for enhancing our personal and professional lives.

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Highlighted Excerpt:

Ruby: I found myself freelancing in New York, at the epicenter of a hub for this burgeoning spirituality scene, or what I call Now Age wellness, which was essentially what I was tapping into with my intuition... that there was a market for a magazine like The Numinous that presented all these new age subjects, but modernized and updated.

Majo: Is The Numinous still feeling like a side project at this point?

Ruby: It took me a year to begin working on it because I had no idea about online publishing, and I had no funds to do a print magazine... I was also still very fearful of how I would be perceived if I started writing about these subjects, because there can be a lot of cynicism and ridicule around many of them. So I was kind of fearful about coming out of the spiritual closet, as it were.

I also wanted to have some time to establish another income stream for myself. So yes, I set myself up as a freelance journalist. And that’s how I’ve been paying my rent up until quite recently!

I launched The Numinous in the summer of 2013 and it very much felt like a side project then. It has slowly been transitioning to become my main gig. Getting my book deal in 2015 marked a real turning point for me, in terms of thinking like, Okay wow, I’m creating something that people are taking notice of, that could potentially have an impact in the world.

Majo: It sounds like you found your dharma in The Numinous. Can you share with us what that means?

Ruby: So the concept of dharma– there’s a whole chapter on it in my book, and it’s actually the chapter I’ve had the most vocal response to. People have reached out and said things like, “Wow, reading this has really got me thinking about what I’m doing with my life, and the kind of changes I might need to make to feel like I’m leading a more purposeful or meaningful life.”

The concept of dharma appears in many of the more ancient spiritual traditions, and it essentially speaks to the idea of our life purpose or our soul purpose, as well as how we are of service in the world. It also speaks to the fact that once we are able to find and fully live in alignment with our life’s purpose, then in some way we will automatically be of service to the world.

Majo: There’s so much talk around passion... “Find your passion, live your passion”, etc. Is dharma similar to passion?

Ruby: Certainly your passion can be a clue or a signpost to what your dharma might be. But your dharma is essentially the thing you can’t not do. It’s the purest expression of you showing up and contributing in a way that’s a real expression of your natural talents, interests... in a way that feels almost effortless to you.

Show Notes:

Ruby as a girl: A talkative child who was enamored with the idea of expressing herself through words. [2:10]
Finding independence after high school, dreaming of working in fashion during her college years, and her first job at a print magazine. [6:29]
On landing her dream job and everything she thought she’d always wanted, and the stress, confusion, and anger that quickly followed in the form of an existential crisis. [9:44]
The critical point in Ruby’s journey that reshaped her future: taking up a new passion project after much self-reflection. [13:26]
On the imbalance that comes when we neglect our sense of mystery and wonder, Ruby’s vision for The Numinous, and how the universe intervened on her behalf. [18:45]
Establishing herself as a freelance journalist, turning points on the path to achieving her vision, and coming out of the spiritual closet. [22:48]
Diving into Ruby’s book, Material Girl Mystical World, and the concept of dharma. [25:40]
Spiritual tools and techniques that help strip away layers of conditioning to reveal our true purpose. [29:54]
Bonus story: Ruby gets personal and emotional about her hair – a metaphor around connecting to the inner, divine feminine. [35:55]

Subscribe and listen to the full episode here (you must subscribe to receive latest episode).