Current events continue to challenge us. Each day tends to bring yet another instance whereby our world seems a little less safe… a little less certain. There is a growing sense of insecurity, which can promote a feeling of vulnerability and helplessness. So much of what we see and experience today is out of our control. For the most part, all we can do is watch it play out, and knowing it is time-limited, cultivate patience and perseverance. Each in our own way, we do what is within our power to mitigate the damage. Yet still, it breaks the heart and tries the soul.
C.S. Lewis wrote, “you do not have a soul, you are a soul, and you have a body.” In Celtic thought and tradition, the soul does not dwell inside as experienced in western culture. But rather the soul surrounds the body, protecting and nurturing our spirit–because it is of The Spirit. Thus, helping to maintain a balance, both within and around ourselves.
This is what allows us to connect more closely with others; be it friends, family, or strangers. It applies to various entities of nature as well, which bless us with reciprocal gifts of knowledge and healing. For soul calls to soul, allowing for a joining; promoting a sense of oneness with all things living.
However just like the heart, the soul too can break or crack under certain circumstances. And we feel this breach deeply. For all its inherent strength, the soul knows fragility as well. Whether it be from a personal loss or a death, illness, or the traumas which accompany everyday life.
The soul feels as deeply as the heart. Day after day of unsettling headlines also has an effect. This touches us more that we realize or admit to. It is a constant bombardment which causes minute cracks in what is otherwise a protective sheath.
Our ‘job’ then, is to recognize that damage exists, and take steps to heal it. Lest the soul break off in pieces, allowing for illness and emotional disruptions to ensue. For the soul connects body and mind. It also connects us to the God-in-all-things! And therein lies our hope… and our healing.
Hence, in Celtic thought we ‘sing our souls home’. How? First by turning inward, ‘listening’ to our heart; acknowledging there is a need. And then, turn our eyes outward that we might seek and connect with the God-in-all-things.
Oh yes, there is more of the Divine around us than generally realized. And this soul-to-soul joining with that Presence is both the answer and ‘cure’ as it were.
Souls heal when and where there is connection. Amongst the hearts of those we love. In the pink, orange hues of the rising sun bringing promise… the violet shades of the setting sun bringing rest and ease. The smile of a friend; an out-stretched hand in welcome or understanding. Wherever there is shared fellowship – there is healing.
In the lilt of a tune, hummed or sung… an instrument, with notes resonating in the air. Contemplating, meditating, noticing that beauty of nature which resides within our corner of the world… be it tree, bush, or flower.
In the giving of thanks for the simple and mundane so often overlooked, and yet so much a part of our daily lives.
A spark of the Divine is present in just about everything. The meal we cook for ourselves or family. The work of our hands doing something delightful and enjoyable. A good book or that favourite television show – both of which take us out of ourselves for a brief span of time. And of course… always in prayer.
Whatever feels healing or soothing to the soul, is what’s right. We all respond differently. There is no one way for everybody. We are each of us unique in what feeds and nurtures our souls to wholeness.
Wherever we look there is a touch of the Spirit amidst the God-in-all-things. Thus, allowing for that connection, wherein we find healing and nurturance for the soul which is hurting or struggling. This becomes visible to the eye that can see with the heart; taking in and absorbing the oneness of soul with Spirit.
And as we know, ultimately the Divine always wins out… overcoming and conquering the darkness – in time.
Our part is to bless and nurture the souls around us, as well as our own.
And some days, that is enough for us to do in order to make a difference – in our own lives, and in those around us.
God love, bless… and guide your soul’s journey.
“May you recognize in your life the presence,
power, and light of your soul.
May you realize that you are never alone,
that your soul in its brightness and belonging
connects you intimately with
the rhythm of the universe.
May you have respect for your individuality
and difference.
May you realize that the shape of your soul
is unique,
that you have a special destiny here,
that behind the façade of your life
there is something beautiful and eternal happening.
May you learn to see your self
with the same delight,
pride, and expectation
with which God sees you in every moment.”
(J. O’Donohue)