The Soul’s Journey
Have you ever noticed the many pathways you have taken to get to where you are now, even if now you still feel you have many miles to go? The twists, the turns, and even turnarounds, have led you here. Along the way you have discovered your likes and dislikes, and things you never could imagine you would end up doing. You have fallen off bikes, scraped your knee, and persevered. You don’t even remember packing a bag for this adventure, yet you have everything you needed to make the climb even in moments you had no idea how you would get to the next lookout spot. All along these pathways you have walked are part of something bigger, and more magical than you might have first expected. They make up the Soul’s journey. A journey which the Soul takes to discover lessons, mystical mysteries, and to enlighten the human to its true potential. The Soul loves it, even when the human ego might find fault with its questionable paths and illogical compass. This is because the soul knows its purpose is not what is found at the “end” of its quest, but the journey itself.
A Shamanic Perspective
As a Shamanic Practitioner what I see commonly is humans questioning themselves, their choices, their decisions along their journey when the trail gets a little muddy or it begins to storm, causing a lot of worry, anxiety, and self judgment. When really the medicine that would quiet their busy mind would be to take a deeper look into the symbolism of their journey, how all of the experiences shaped the person they are today and from a shamanic lens retell the story. The journey plays an important role in shaping the soul, as it provides multiple invitations for the person to expand and explore outside of their comfort zone while also evolving beyond their weaknesses or challenges. The story is how we create balance between our ego (in a healthy way) and our Soul.
This is how a person begins to not only understand who they are but to feel beyond that, to begin to truly know their soul and its many gifts and medicine. The story we tell to others and ourselves about our journey is important, it is related to our energy, our power, and our essence. I invite you to take a look at the stories you hold around your journey. What symbolism is hidden within your triumphs and or mistakes, and what symbols feel clear and others still unknown? Allow these to be a mirror to understand the ways of your soul and how it speaks to you. How can you become more aware of these symbols in the future, to remind you who you are, and why you are here? These symbols help us to see beyond what our story looks like in this physical realm, and can show us a new perspective from the non-physical or spirit realms. Symbols aren’t always just written in plain sight, they can be living symbols found within nature like the animals, seasons, and elements. When you make these connections you will find that your connection to your Soul’s journey and the spirits that reveal these symbols to you become more clear.
Know Thyself
In order to truly know your Soul, you must take the pieces of your journey, the telling of your story and use them both to understand who you are and why you’re here. Shamanically we would call this practice “Knowing Thyself.” This comes with many pieces that are accumulated within the soul such as knowing your physical body (the chariot to your soul), your essence (the felt energy and breath of your Soul), your mind (the virtues and passions of your Soul), your heart (the aura and frequency which your Soul radiates), your spirit guides (mirrors and guardians of your soul), your ancestors (protectors and memory of your soul), and your medicine (the gifts your Soul brings often adjacent to your wounds). Knowing yourself does not come in one night, remember the purpose of the journey the soul takes, but we must not forget this should always be a focus as it can influence your peace, power, and protection greatly. Your inside impacts your outside, so knowing your soul can assist you in accomplishing what you desire to create and experience in this physical world.
As long as you are “doing the work” to keep discovering who you are, the pieces of your journey, and the way in which you view your story, you will not only come to find who you truly are but the makings of your Soul. It’s not always easy work to look within, and go deeper. Although our shadows aren’t always pretty at first sight, this can change as you continue to understand both your light and darkness. In shamanism we always take a look into the light and dark, because if we didn’t we would not be well equipped with the tools to manage the darkness of the world that reveals itself at times.
The initiation, you are ready
If you are looking to discover more of your soul, you are ready the initiation has actually already begun. Now it’s time to go all in. Some shamanic wisdom for your journey, give yourself space as you go. There is no rush, and the space given to integrate everything you learn and discover about yourself will actually benefit you the most in the long run. Continue to practice grounding. There is a lot of processing for the mind to reach the understanding of the Soul, and grounding can help the mind connect these pieces with your body. Being grounded will promote a healthy balance of the growth and expansion of your mind, body, and spirit. Allow in and receive support as needed. Lean on your clan, community, ancestors, spaceholders, spirit guides, mentors, and loved ones. You are never on this journey alone and it will be important for you to remember this as you go.
Briöna Jolie
Briöna Jolie is a shamanic practitioner and soul mentor. Using her gifts Briöna guides souls to heal themselves and reclaim their magick, medicine, and power as she works besides the animals, nature, and spirit. If you feel called to welcome her support along your journey, feel free to reach or explore the many offerings on her website.
