A Piece of Your Soul?
I took my first intentional journey into the underworld last week, on November 1st, the festivals of Samhain and All Saints' Day, and during a Scorpio moon, to boot. (That's where I've been, for those of who have been waiting for new blog entries.) It was quite an experience---too much to detail here, but I do want to talk about the price of the fare to get there. It cost me a piece of my soul.
This probably is frightening to a lot of people, this idea that pieces of one's soul can be offered up, and that someone would be willing to do so. Or, if not frightening, you might be wondering if it is even possible.
Approaching this as a psychospiritual event, I can say that it is possible, and that willingness to do so is a fitting sacrifice. Remembering that the word "sacrifice" originates in the meaning "to make sacred," giving up a piece of soul makes the whole all the more sacred.
After all, we unconsciously give up bits of our souls, our selves, everyday both willingly and by default. It happens when we tell those little white lies in order to hide who we really are, what we really feel or believe or think, or to save ourselves embarrassment. It happens when we pretend to be okay with something that really hurts us inside. It happens when we experience a shock or a trauma and try to contain it by keeping it all to ourselves.
It happens when we fail to question reality and authority, and when we believe our voice won't make a difference or feel too disempowered---or worse, too apathetic---to shout out that the emperor has no clothes. It happens in so many little, unnoticed ways.
And what are we making sacred then? Wouldn't it be better if we were more conscious and intentional about paying the price with a piece of our soul?
This probably is frightening to a lot of people, this idea that pieces of one's soul can be offered up, and that someone would be willing to do so. Or, if not frightening, you might be wondering if it is even possible.
Approaching this as a psychospiritual event, I can say that it is possible, and that willingness to do so is a fitting sacrifice. Remembering that the word "sacrifice" originates in the meaning "to make sacred," giving up a piece of soul makes the whole all the more sacred.
After all, we unconsciously give up bits of our souls, our selves, everyday both willingly and by default. It happens when we tell those little white lies in order to hide who we really are, what we really feel or believe or think, or to save ourselves embarrassment. It happens when we pretend to be okay with something that really hurts us inside. It happens when we experience a shock or a trauma and try to contain it by keeping it all to ourselves.
It happens when we fail to question reality and authority, and when we believe our voice won't make a difference or feel too disempowered---or worse, too apathetic---to shout out that the emperor has no clothes. It happens in so many little, unnoticed ways.
And what are we making sacred then? Wouldn't it be better if we were more conscious and intentional about paying the price with a piece of our soul?
Dr Deah's Musings
Copyright 2005-2006 by Liminal Realities
a personal growth education venture
Deah Curry PhD, publisher
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