Phases of Descent to Soul - Metamorphosis

#4

Metamorphosis

This is the fourth part of a five-part Musing

“The Descent to Soul is a psychospiritual expedition into one particular precinct of the underworld — the precinct I call Soul Canyon — and, if fortunate, the eventual emergence from those depths having been radically transformed by an encounter with soul. My names for the five phases of the Descent are Preparation, Dissolution, Soul Encounter, Metamorphosis, and Enactment.

The fourth phase, Metamorphosis, is the shape-shifting of your ego in light of and in accordance with your revelation or vision. To become a true adult, the ego needs much more than a spectacular vision, much more than a cognitive revelation, much more than a blueprint for a mature human. The ego needs to actually be reshaped, reconfigured, metamorphosed. The dismembered adolescent ego must be re-membered into its adult form. This re-memberment takes place in part as a result of your efforts to embody your mythopoetic identity — your new ego, your new self — by showing up in the world as the person who occupies the unique eco-niche that you do. Metamorphosis, however, does not require you to engage in acts of service (which is the “ of the next phase). There are many other ways to support and intensify the soul-directed refashioning of your ego. In fact, this shape-shifting will take place even without your cooperation — possibly even in the face of your active resistance.

Metamorphosis takes place while you are metaphorically on your way up from the depths of Soul Canyon on your way to the Rim on the opposite side of the canyon from which you descended.

Metamorphosis, it should be noted, can take a while. You wouldn’t want to rush it. Plan on a couple years though it might be quite a bit less.”

Content from SoulCraft Musings, Animas Valley Institute