Periodically, I find my way to Michael Meade’s work. Often, because I wish some depth and some broader horizon perspectives. Because I’m sorting experience and wishing meaning that lives beneath the convenience of the surface. And often, I find my way to Meade’s work because I’m trying to make sense that embraces broader range of awareness and reality — I’m trying to track avoided fears, old patterns, new invitations, and surprising openings, that are part of soulful living.
Recently, I participated in Micheal Meade’s program, The Soul’s Great Adventure. He shared many stories and points of view that I found as helpful guides:
- Maps define the world; many of the maps of emotional landscape given to us no longer depict enough reality.
- It is helpful to look at so many of contemporary circumstances as initiatory ordeals for the human species (more than personal affronts).
- Initiatory ordeal is meant to create goo (sometimes seemingly unbearable), just as when caterpillar surrenders to the goo of becoming butterfly.
- It is important to learn to look beyond symptom (and the symptom fix); nearby often lives a deeper unity of necessary unfolding and integration.
- The soul often requires outer drama to reflect and activate the more deeply interior of the soul.
- Embrace of the stuckness (rather than rejection) attracts the help needed and the help so seemingly nonexistent.
Something quite rich in all of this. For the broader existential experience in me and common among so many peoples. And also rich for the experiences closer in, dear and tender.
I’m grateful to have had many guides in my life that have pointed to the great journeys. I’m grateful to be able to guide groups and teams in similar spirit.