Soulcraft Musings

Today, January 20, 2017, we inaugurate Soulcraft Musings, a new offering from Animas Valley Institute (see below). This is the same day America inaugurates a new president, a cultural upheaval currently mobilizing thousands of response teams worldwide. On this day we commence our humble project of Soulcraft Musings in support of the deepening, diversification, and flourishing of all life. At this time in the world, may we all inaugurate actions and projects that collectively give birth to a life-enhancing society.

The journey of descent to soul has largely been forgotten in mainstream culture, but there is nothing more essential in the world today. The experiential encounter with soul is the key element in the initiatory journey that culminates in true adulthood. And true adults — visionary artisans — are the generators of the most creative and effective actions in defense of all life and in the renaissance and evolution of generative human cultures.

The encounter with soul is not a weekend workshop but an unfolding journey over many months or years. Harvesting its fruit and feeding the world with its bounty plays out over the rest of one’s life. Every day holds opportunities for each of us to prepare for the journey to the underworld of soul, or, once we have embarked upon the journey, to take our next steps, or to gather its mystical treasures and hone them into practical shapes, or to fashion never-before-seen delivery systems for carrying these gifts to the Earth community.

We, at Animas Valley Institute, would like to gift you with this weekly email of trail markers (cairns) on the journey to soul. These Soulcraft Musings, although each only a couple minutes of reading, will be, we trust, valuable guidelines and support on your journey. Each includes references for further reading, study, and practice. And each features a resonant image and poem.

The central theme that ties together all the Musings is, of course, soul and the human encounter with soul. But even the original depth meaning of the word soul has been lost to the modern mind. What we at Animas mean when we speak or write about soul is not what you’ll find in contemporary religious, spiritual, philosophical, or psychological traditions or in everyday conversation. We’ll explore these and many other fundamentals and principles in Soulcraft Musings.

If you’re already on our list, you’ll receive an email with a Soulcraft Musing once a week. If you’re not on our list and would like to subscribe, please click here.

And please feel free to share Soulcraft Musings widely with friends, family, and colleagues.

In wildness and wonder,

Bill Plotkin

Founder

Animas Valley Institute

In the Fertile Darkness: Steep in the Mystery of Your Deep Imagination, Part I

Friday, March 15, 2024

By Rebecca Wildbear Substack

This is the first part of a two-part Musing (one per week).

I follow a river to the sea this morning. Beyond where the waves usually crash on rocky cliffs, I walk into a magic kingdom that emerges in low tide. This rock village, usually hidden underwater, is now glimmering in the sun. The water and windswept shape of the black rocks, warm tide pools, and communities of snails huddled together enchant me — a pod of pelicans floats nearby.

A cave beckons, and I sit inside and look at the waves. Most of the time, this cave is under the sea. What would it be like to breathe underwater? To be in this cave and feel the waves approaching, filling, and then receding, waiting for darkness to give way to vision.

Just as changing tides illuminate other worlds, darkness can help us see. The dark is a manifestation of Mystery. Unseen powers live in the dark beyond our understanding. Our willingness to widen our perspective can invite revelation.

Mystery knows better than we do who we are and how we are meant to serve. Our journey is an attempt to listen and understand. The Mystery holds a grander vision and wants to show us. Slow down. Turn your sensory, emotional, and imaginal body inward. Hibernate like a bear in winter. Notice what arises in your heart and mind and what images are at the edge. Be present with whatever comes. Drop the storyline and feel the underlying energy. Be curious. Whatever you notice or experience, consider what guidance it may be delivering.

Tuning In

The dark of the night can be scary. Yet the fertile darkness of stepping into the unknown is terrifying. I remember my first three-day solo fast in a Utah canyon over twenty years ago. I could not sleep. Sitting on the rock perch that had invited me high in the canyon, I wondered what I feared. I had been outside at night often, but I was fasting alone in a sacred ceremony this time. I had told the Mystery, the universal consciousness that animates the cosmos and everything in it, that I am willing to let go of my life — my home, profession, identity, and relationships — if that is what is asked. But what if I see something I don’t want to see? Something that overwhelms me or instantly alters my life.

As I remember my love of darkness and longing to listen to what the Mystery unveils, I gaze upward and watch stars flicker in the moonless night. I let go and tune in to my deep imagination.

Our deep imagination comes through our dreams when we sleep. Yet, it also exists in the waking world. Eligio Stephen Gallegos calls the deep imagination “a dimension with its own integrity.” The deepest layers of our imagination bubble up and have intelligence. We can turn toward these unbidden images at the edge of our consciousness.

Next week, in part two, I will share about honoring the deep imagination and loving the world by praying for visions to reimagine ourselves and our world.

Rebecca is the author of Wild Yoga: A Practice of Initiation, Veneration & Advocacy for the Earth. She created Wild Yoga to connect people with the Earth and their souls by encouraging them to explore their dreams, listen to their bodies, and relate to rivers, trees, and animals as conscious beings. Through nature-centered, soul-inspired practices, she helps people deepen their imaginative listening, stretch their awareness, and offer their creativity to the world. Visit her online.

See Rebecca Wildbear’s TEDx Talk: The Visionary Power of Dreams & Nature Click here

To read previous musings click here.