A young woman from Northern Ireland has spoken about how turning to spirituality "saved her" following a turbulent time in her life.
As more people in Northern Ireland consider themselves non-religious, many might also start to turn towards other forms of spirituality.
Kirsty Lynch is one of the young women here who follows alternative spirituality, and she says it all started a few years ago when she went through a difficult time: “I had endured a bad relationship, and after that ended, I started buying crystals, and reading up on it more.
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“I had a car accident less than six months after that break-up, and I took a complete mental breakdown because I was in one bad situation after another. I became homeless and lost my car. That was when spirituality saved me. I was open to whatever was going to help me, and that’s how I started to go down that road.”
When asked why she started to believe in the crystals and spiritual practices she started taking part in, the 28-year-old says: “I believe in signs, and when I asked for them, I got them.”
Some people here might see these signs, which came in the form of animals or number sightings for Kirsty, as proof of their religion, but Kirsty says spirituality taught her to believe in her own power instead.
She said: “There are a lot of people who say when they pray, nothing happens, whereas I don’t really pray to someone above. Spirituality teaches you that there are gods out there, but you are the centre of your own universe.”
And she adds that, without this thinking, she might not have made it through that difficult time: “I probably wouldn’t be here otherwise, because I had to learn that I had to save myself, that it was up to me.”
While she was raised Catholic, Kirsty says she now doesn’t identify as any religion, but that many people she knows follow both traditional religion and alternative spirituality. She said: “A friend of mine prays constantly, but she still believes in crystals, and you can find a way to intertwine the two in a way that works for you.”
She speculates on why it is mostly the younger generation who are moving away from the religious practices that have been so popular here in NI. Kirsty added: “With the older generation, there was a lot more that tied them to their religion growing up than there is now.
“There are a lot more of the younger generation who are following their own path now, and I think it’s easier for them to see spirituality on social media instead of only knowing the religion they grew up in.”
Kirsty spread the word on social media when she launched EVOLVE, a group for women to come together to share in spiritual practices and learn from one another. The group, started by the Castledearg woman, brought together women from all across Ireland last year, and Kirsty says she was surprised by the number of older women who came along.
She tells us: “There were more women in their 20s than any other age, but the oldest woman there was 50. I think women of all ages are starting to bring spirituality in their lives, even if it’s in a smal way.”
Kirsty says she wants her own children to get to choose what they believe in once they grow up.
The mum-of-two said: “My children are not going to be labelled with a religion. When they get old enough, they can label themselves as whatever they want to be.
“They are starting to take an interest in my crystals, and I will guide them, but I’ll never push anything onto them. I have rosary beads and a crystal under my children’s pillows for protection, so I’m intertwining the two for them, and not forcing anything.”
For Kirsty, it’s not a matter of choosing one or the other. Spirituality definitely has a place here in NI, but that doesn’t mean the religion our parents and grandparents grew up with will become a thing of the past.
Kirsty reminds people they can become spiritual while keeping their religious beliefs, saying: “If you want to bring spirituality into your religion, then you should do so.”
As she sums up: “You can carry your crystals and your rosary beads in your pocket. You have to find your own path when it comes to what you believe in.”
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