By: Leila Briggs
I recently joked with a friend that knowing the difference between the soul and spirit is much like a sommelier knowing the various notes within a wine. Over a decade ago I would have told you, they were one in the same; but as time has passed I have learned, at least for me, that’s not the case. Everything from the knowledge they hold, to communication, means of travel, and even practical purpose is completely different between the two.
As always feel free to ask questions in the comments below! This is a huge topic and it invokes deep questions!
Soul
The soul is all about the bigger picture! It’s connected to the collective meaning humanity as a whole and the universe a whole. It is also connected to your “purpose.” This makes sense when you think about it. If it is connected to the collective then of course it will help determine your role within the collective.
At the same time, it is the most removed from the human experience or the “daily grind.” From this perspective the translation of purpose can be very confusing or even mundane to the human ego.
It’s important to note, the combination of the soul and ego can be pushy, especially towards growth. The pair does not always take into account the trauma the human body may accrue. In this way the soul is most innocent in its’ function. It just can’t perceive trauma as a “bad or hard” thing because almost always trauma equates movement or growth energetically and/or spiritually.
Keeping in mind the soul is connected to the collective, it is then capable of pushing the synchronicity of the physical world around you. The more expression your soul is given, the more it aligns your growth within your physical world. Please don’t confuse this with control! When your soul is at the forefront, you physically have the least amount of control. Oftentimes we confuse synchronicity with control and one can start to expect certain outcomes.
The soul, out of the two, is the most infuriating to communicate with! Imagine standing next to someone whose house is on fire. You are watching it burn down. You are watching them lose their entire life. You scream to them, “You have lost everything! You will be homeless – what will you do?!” And they respond with a smile, “Well I am certain this has happened for a reason because God always has a plan.” This is what it is like to communicate with the soul. It loves to say, “Just relax, breathe, go with the flow, there’s a reason.” Obviously, this has benefits and drawbacks in physical life. Discernment then becomes a much-needed skill when dealing with the soul i.e. Is this a moment where the physical body needs to act or is it safe to allow?
The access to your soul energetically or within your energy body is through the heart and high heart chakra. You can gleam the surface of the soul by being within the heart chakra. Much like staring into the surface of a crystal clear lake. You can see features of the soul, some may be distorted; but you get the gist. The high heart chakra is the equivalent of standing in the water! Totally immersed and a active part of the structure. (This is why gridwork is so intimately connected to the high heart and soul work.)
Interestingly, not everyone’s soul is awakened. This is an odd feature to me. We know everyone has a soul. Sometimes it is tucked behind a closed door. Not everyone is called to work with the soul, open it or even bring it forth into his, her or their, daily life. There’s no amount of work that will open it either. It works with a larger picture. Thus it’s triggered by the Divine, collective, Higher Self or a collection of the three.
Even more interesting, the soul lives on and continues growth, movement and ascension without the body. It continues the journey! This is not the same thing as "a spirit" or ghost.
Next blog we discuss the Spirit!
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