I went to a temple dedicated to Shiva this morning--the divine masculine creator. I had a moment of primal fear when I saw the bare-chested temple priests, ashes streaked across the forehead, looking like something from an Indiana Jones movie. I felt like my Jewish grandmother was accusing me of idol worship from her grave. Sharing with the group, I was encouraged to look beyond mysurface fears to a deeper level of spiritual meaning for myself. The truth is that I am terrified of communing with Source; I am afraid I might vaporize in the face of the vast, mysterious ocean that is Spirit. I've learned that feeling fear is part of growing closer to G-d. Now my journey is committing to facing my fear. It may feel like I'm losing part of myself, but on the other side is greater fulfillment and more joy.