Most of you who are reading this are pretty clear that you are not your personality. Spiritual experiences bring the realization that we are not just physical beings, but spiritual beings in a physical body. The human vehicle that Consciousness/Spirit is inhabiting includes, a mind, conditioning, an ego, and a personality. This human vehicle is programmed to behave and respond to life in a certain way.

Part of this programming is the ego, which every human being has. The ego gives us the sense that we are an individual. Without this, we wouldn't answer when someone called our name or be able to function, so the ego serves the Creator, the Oneness, by creating the illusion that we are separate individuals rather than all One, as we are in truth. In addition to giving us the sense of being separate from other human beings, the ego creates certain desires within us as humans: the desire for money, power, security, safety, recognition, comfort, superiority, and so on. These desires actually stem from the sense of separateness, and they cause us to feel the various human emotions: anger, hatred, greed, lust, jealousy, pride, shame, guilt, fear, hopelessness, depression, resentment, envy, and sadness.

But each of us also has other desires and drives that are unique to us, which also are programmed into us. These desires and drives are reflected in the personality, and they can be read in the astrology chart. For instance, Aries represents a drive to pioneer, lead, initiate activity, and try new things, and these drives are reflected in a personality that is courageous, bold, and independent. The programming represented in the astrology chart determines, to a large extent, the personality, which is different from the ego.

The personality is the costume we wear. This costume is unlike anyone else's costume, and we don't lose it (our personality) once we awaken and realize our true nature. The ego, on the other hand, is what prevents us from experiencing our true nature. As we evolve spiritually, the ego falls into the background and Essence expresses itself through our personality more. When that happens, our personality becomes more loving and likeable. Our costume becomes colored by the love, peace, contentment, and wisdom of Essence. On the other hand, when the ego expresses itself through our costume, it (our personality) is colored by the self-interest, drives, fears, and other emotions of the ego.

The experience of our true nature is an experience of emptiness, of no qualities, no gender, nothingness. The Nothingness needs a costume to be seen and heard and felt! How can Nothingness be seen and express itself in the world without a costume? It needs some clothes, so it takes on programming (a personality, as represented in the astrology chart) to give it some clothes. And since it makes no sense for the Nothingness to look the same and have the same expression in every human being, each person is given unique programming/clothing. What fun it is for the Nothingness to play with itself in all these different forms! It really doesn't know how this is all going to go—how all these expressions of itself will play and what they will do together. That's really fun too.

Gina Lake is a spiritual teacher who is devoted to helping others wake up and live in the moment through her many books, counseling, and intensives. She has a master's degree in counseling psychology and over twenty years experience supporting people in their spiritual growth. Her website offers information about her books and consultations, free e-books, book excerpts, a free monthly newsletter, a blog, and audio and video recordings: http://www.radicalhappiness.com.