Excellence Reporter: Daniel, what is the meaning of life?

Daniel Moler: Growing soul. But, what is soul and how do we grow it?

We often think of the soul as an individual thing, a part of our personal identity. However, in the shamanic arts there is another interpretation. Soul is not just expressed on the personal level, but the transpersonal level as well. For the individual, the soul that eternal self within us that is connected to all creation.

Yet, soul is not so limited. Shamanic practitioners connect with what is often called the “soul realm,” a dimension invisible to the naked eye yet permeates the world of matter. It infuses the world with life and imagination, a bridge between our physical existence and the higher vibrations of Spirit: the source of all Creation. The soul realm is where our dreams inspire us, where our ancestors guide us. It’s where the shaman journeys to acquire the medicine that she brings back to the community. 

To have “soul” is to invoke this creative essence into our lives. Just as a jazz musician surrenders to the power of the music, allowing the music itself to guide the composition, so we too can surrender to the magic of the world around us. Soul exists both at a microcosmic and macrocosmic level, in every moment. Soul is ever-changing, ever-evolving.

As we grow and learn new things, have adventures, as well as implement change to our communities, the soul of the world benefits. We add to the building of soul on Mother Earth and her children. Art, music, poetry, dance, love . . . all of these things are the soul food which feeds the expansive progression of the universe.

We are the universe, disparate parts of a greater cosmic body expanding itself to new vistas. Soul is the connective tissue of that body and it is our job to add to it, to enliven it, and to nurture its growth in ourselves and in all beings. 

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~Daniel Moler is a writer, artist, shamanic practitioner, and sanctioned teacher in the Pachakuti Mesa Tradition, a cross-cultural shamanic lineage. He is the author of Shamanic Qabalah: A Mystical Path to Uniting the Tree of Life and the Great Work from Llewellyn Worldwide, Machine Elves 101, RED Mass, as well a contributor in Ross Heaven’s book on Peruvian healing Cactus of Mystery and Llewellyn’s 2020 Magical Almanac. He has published fiction and nonfiction works around the world in magazines, journals, and online, including: GrahamHancock.com, Positive Health Magazine, Cannabis Culture, The Tattooed Buddha, Sacred Hoop, A Journal of Contemporary Shamanism, and more. Visit Daniel online at www.danielmolerweb.com.

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