“Explanation by the physical sciences of the ultimate origins of and reasons for our life may not be such a good way to go. … The creation myth of random events in unimaginable space keeps the Western soul floating in a stratosphere where it cannot breathe. No wonder we look to other myths, like that of Plato’s Er, the book of Genesis, and the Kabbalist Tree. Each of these gives a similar mythical account of how things are: They found us in myths, and the myths unfold downward into one’s personal soul.”

James Hillman, The Soul’s Code, 1996  

Plato’s Myth of Er in The Republic describes the steps each soul takes, guided by the beings, with the choices each soul has made before his birth into this world. Then each of our souls is guided by a daimon – the guardian spirit – to that particular body and place, these parents and circumstances, by Necessity, and none of us has an inkling of this because it was eradicated on the plains of forgetting. 

Forgetting our origin and our planned map of experience, we start our journey as if we came to this plane with bare hands. We are not even aware that we have lost our memory. 

Trying to make sense of the notion that our ancestors were walking apes never appeals. For we know we must be more than that. However, turning to myths doesn’t seem to give us the answer, either. 

What is lost seems our connection with something greater or sacred, called divine. We simply have forgotten for some unknown reason.   

Are we growing upward? For what purpose, when we don’t know our purpose of being here? 

That our head comes first into the world when we are born has a symbolic meaning. Our connection with the divine or the upper world from which the soul embarked on his journey has been probably maintained through the soft spot on the head for a while until the baby reaches a certain age.

We are growing downward. The connection with the divine is slowly closed until the closing of the head’s soft spot that hardens into a tightly sealed skull. We take the steps of gradual descent. Maybe the reason why newborn babies are taken special care of by parents or communities is we know deep down that these souls came from so far away.  

Hillman’s comparison of the newborn soul’s journey with the zodiac cycle symbols provides us with surprising insight. Starting from the head of the lamb – Aries – and finishing at the last sign of Pisces – symbolized as the body part of feet -, the ultimate achievement or growth downward is strikingly similar. 

Pisces has no feet. The soul finally being able to plant his feet firmly on the ground means his triumph in human life. Starting his journey from heaven, he has finally made his growth downward on Earth. 

Our life on Earth is a decision made by our soul. Although our purpose or plan has been forgotten when we enter this Earth plane, we have an innate nudge that guides us to fulfill our plan. In our dark times when we feel lost, this knowing would relieve us from a seeming burden.

We didn’t appear here by chance. We have well arrived downward to stand tall on the ground with our own feet, having our roots in heaven. Also, as Plato calls it in the myth of Er, we have our guide or a guardian spirit or daimon, assigned to each of us as our inner compass to always come back on track. Isn’t it wonderful?

Jay