Soul initiation and emergence
Sitting beneath a Pohutukawa tree as the moon moves toward its fullness, I reflect on the journey of the past year. I find myself in what feels like a pregnant pause after an intense year of soul work (emergence). The relief of having, for a few months, a 'normal' life—where my days revolve around when I take my swim, what I have for dinner, the "respectable" hour for my daily Gin and Tonic—some part of my psyche is purring.
A respite into ordinary life.
Soul:
The immaterial essence, animating principle, or actuating cause of an individual life.
The spiritual principle embodied in human beings, all rational and spiritual beings, or the universe.
Unlike the state of relaxation I now enjoy, soul initiation is often born from intensity, fire, and pressure. The soul is like a diamond, requiring heat, pressure, and weight to crystallize. The jewel of our diamond soul needs such intensity to penetrate the mantle of our constructed reality. An essential part of mining the soul is realizing that you are not the "self" you think you are; your true nature lies much deeper, with wilder roots.
A reason many avoid the journey into the fires of soul initiation is that there is no retreat or rest—there is no end point where ordinary life resumes. The longing for the 'good life' is destroyed in the ashes of your surrendered identity.
If you give your life over to uncovering a greater "you," everything must be given. No longer are you the director or producer of your reality (stop chuckling, God). You give consent for this power to navigate and unfold your life according to its will. When life is returned to your soul, the purpose of your incarnation takes form. You have an opportunity to live the life you came here for.
Pathways of Soul Emergence:
Outside In (Ready or Not)
This pathway involves external circumstances that create pressure and intensity, forcing the deepest self (soul) to arise through inner crisis and awakening. Sometimes, the soul itself orchestrates external events to instigate this emergence. Examples of this experience include:
A Disruptive Event: A death, the end of a relationship, financial loss, or illness can rupture the fabric of life in a way that cannot return to "normal." These events force an introspective period where prior meanings of life no longer hold. This results in a collapse of some aspect of the self, leading to deep questioning of life’s purpose and an inward search for source.
The Outer Experience No Longer Reflecting the Inner Reality: A common experience during midlife (around age 42), when Uranus, the awakener, pressures the structures of identity. This can feel as though you're living in a constructed world that no longer fits and lacks relevance. The pressure of outer responsibilities (family, mortgage, work) can add a sense of entrapment, but it also propels the soul forward. The influence of Uranus may trigger radical actions (ending relationships, moving countries, coming out) as a response to the cry for authenticity.
Inside Out (Eyes Wide Open)
This pathway is based on choice—consenting to a radical re-ordering of life and a willingness to dissolve identity. Examples include:
An Urgent Longing for Freedom: A hunger to express something deeper within forces the soul forward, through the surrender of body and mind. It feels like an urge to "tear oneself out from the inside." The soul responds to the cry for authenticity, consenting to a greater expression of life. The desperation for authenticity comes with the willingness to have the parts of the self that block it "taken down" or "given up."
The Will to Love: A powerful catalyst for soul emergence, driven by the overwhelming longing to express what lies at the core of the heart (one of the doorways to soul). As the quest for fulfillment in love fails and romantic idealism proves untenable, a pressure grows within. The gap between the wild love at the heart’s core and external expressions of love calls forth the soul, which surrenders to devotion to all life. The love at the core cannot be contained by any form—it is inherently free. As the light of the soul shines through the heart’s surrender, a dedication to incarnational purpose arises, as well as a commitment to serving love (the soul).
Alternative Paths (The Slow Burner)
For those choosing a path of soul emergence, there are conscious steps that can support a gentler landing of soul in life:
Study and Meditation: These practices help establish contact with the soul through sustained intent. When the inner gaze is turned toward the soul, it gazes back, illuminating the mind and inspiring the heart. Studying soul development strengthens awareness of the greater order of life, reminding us that we are not the center, but part of a greater whole.
Service and Dedication: Surrendering personal desire to something greater than the individuated self. Awakening to soul dissolves the illusion of separateness and individual life. Uncovering sacred values within the heart and dedicating one’s life to them creates a powerful portal to soul emergence. What do you hold as sacred? Are you willing to dedicate your life to this?
Deconstructing Identity: Exploring the nature of the constructed self, and the false boundary between "you" and "not you." To collapse a fixed self, which impedes soul emergence, you must embrace the parts of yourself you have rejected. You must become everything.
Creativity and Beauty: These open the door to soul expression. Creativity arises from the invisible realms of the soul and, when channeled, enters the visible world. Likewise, beauty—whether in art or nature—reveals the face of the soul. Find something so enchanting that you are transfixed. How can something so beautiful possibly exist? In that moment, be at one with the creator who is looking through your eyes, loving creation. (Lorin Roche)
Embodiment: This is the anchoring of awareness in our incarnated experience—truly inhabiting our human form: body, mind, and heart. To live embodied is to live as the source that animates life, choosing to live as soul/spirit through our humanity.
Group Soul Initiation
The power of the group accelerates soul initiation. The collective presence brings forth projections of the self that might otherwise remain hidden, reflecting back aspects that obstruct the soul’s emergence. In group containers, the soul of the group itself can act as a powerful mirror, reflecting the light of the individual soul and facilitating its unfolding. When the individual soul surrenders to the group’s collective gaze, contact is made, reinforcing the emergence of the individual soul.
Choosing the Path of Soul
Embarking on the journey of soul emergence is a dedication to living a life sourced from love—the love that animates all of existence. This is a valid and worthwhile journey, but it requires surrendering control and comfort. The choices you make as you live from the soul may seem indulgent or extraneous to mainstream culture, but they are the choices of those willing to choose evolution over safety. Most remain at the edge, distracted from the invisible call that pulses within.
“If you say yes to the call, you’ll feel that you are standing at the window watching a great storm arrive. And you’ll know there is no way to flee this storm: this one has your name written on it. You know you must open the door and walk straight into the tempest”
(Bill Plotkin)
There are hundreds of thousands who have been summoned by their soul to emerge and they await you on the other side of a field of everything you thought you were. See you there?