Tap
into Your Soul’s Wisdom
“Journal
writing is a voyage to the interior.”
Christina
Baldwin
I
attended a zoom presentation last night with Dr. Michael DeMaria about therapeutic
journaling. He uses journaling, not as a diary of his day, but as a means of revealing
the inner workings of his psyche, his soul. He said that human beings are not
one individual, but “a crowd.” All the parts of us that have ever been—infant,
child, pre-teen, teen, young adult, and others—are still there within. Even though
we may have forgotten much of events that happened when we were children, they're still
logged into our psyche-banks. We may have an emotional response to something today
that originated in an early childhood trauma, but we may never connect the dots
between the two. Journaling is one way of getting to that original trigger so
that it can be healed.
He sets
the stage for journal writing by creating sacred space. Since this is soul work,
it must be treated as such. He lights a candle, gathers icons that have meaning
for him, such as “spirit animals” (in my case, it might be an eagle feather, or
a Virgin of Guadeloupe statue). He adds sound makers, such as rattles or
Tibetan bells. Others might light a stick of incense; whatever speaks of sacred
space to you. Since writing in a journal is different from chronicling one’s
day, begin by inviting your soul to inform you, and then record in your journal
whatever comes without censorship. As Dr. DeMaria says, “the soul is a child
of nature” and contains the wildness. Accept whatever it
brings even if what it brings is an affront to the ego/personal.
DeMaria
describes the unconscious mind as an ocean, and our egos as corks floating on
its surface. There is so much more to us than the cork that we identify with.
It’s possible to be swamped by that ocean, but important to keep in mind that a
cork does float—it stays above the waves. Adding visual images to your journal will
enhance the message, and don’t be afraid to doodle in the margins, paint, draw,
add pictures, and anything else that speaks to you. This is your journal, after
all. It is not meant for publication and if what you write is too raw, you can
always tear it out and ceremonially burn it.
“No rules.”
Just write at least one line each day. According to Michael DeMaria, that one
line often exposes a thread that brings with it a line of memories, thoughts,
ideas. You can then zoom in and zoom out—look closely at what comes up, but if
it feels too painful, zoom out until you can approach it confidently.
I have kept journals intensively
in certain periods of my life. They helped me sort things out. They helped me
understand myself at a deeper level. Sometimes now, I go back and read an entry
and am amazed that I somehow resolved whatever issue I had at the time—or that
I still struggle with it. Either way, journaling—not from the worldly point of
view, but from the soul’s point of view—will guide you in the way of wholeness.
Your own inner wisdom can be tapped into because your soul is part of the world’s
soul and has access to all the wisdom you will ever need. It’s all there—inside
you.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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