“The greater the love, the deeper the sorrow—and the longer it will take to work through it. That’s the deal.” -C. S. Lewis
Life-death-rebirth transitions are passages which bring about physical, emotional, and spiritual maturation. Many of us have difficulty accepting or moving through loss of any kind— let alone the kind that unravels us to our core, and challenges us to find the spiritual strength to live in the midst of such devastating pain.
Learning how to lean into such pain and let go in a positive way creates new space for healing and a renewed sense of your life. As the Buddhist nun, Pema Chödrön states, “To live is to be willing to die over and over again. From the awakened point of view, “that’s life.” Seeing these life-death-rebirth cycles, as spiritual beginnings rather than painful endings teaches you how to fully live. Just as you know light through darkness, so can you know life through death.
During these dark moments of the soul, I find solace in knowing that we are all here for a purpose, a soul mission. Some of us complete our soul’s purpose earlier than others; therefore, our time in a physical body is shorter. Yet, we all originate and return home to our eternal divine source regardless of our chronological age.
As part of our soul blueprint, not all of us intend to be born or live an extended physical life. Some of us are only here for a short time to ground our human experience through the birth or physical process. We come to Earth to acquire whatever spiritual information we need for our continued soul progression. For example, it’s like stopping for a layover when traveling by plane to an eternal destination.
Our soul blueprint impacts the choices we make before we are born―such as choosing our body, gender, parents, and the genetic and environmental circumstances―of our physical life. We are responsible for these prior choices and how they affect our current choices while living on Earth. The conscious awareness that we made such choices before we were born can empowers us to make choices during our lives that help us shift to a higher soul vibrational frequency.
Each person’s soul journey is unique; yet, we are energetically connected to others for our personal transformation. Ultimately, we cannot know another’s soul journey, even when that person is as close to us as a child, spouse, or parent. It’s essential that we acknowledge that whatever choices they make are part of their soul’s path—even when that choice is to transition early through death. We can celebrate and be grateful for the precious time we’ve had with them, even if it’s only a few years, months, or moments. Regardless of the length of time we’ve spent together physically, our love and connection transcends the physical universe, and energetically resides in the eternal space of the soul.
A sacred practice that helps you transmute loss or pain into a spiritually transformative experience is a ritual of release. You can create a personal ceremony to bless and release any residual feelings of loss. Possible ceremonies may include a private prayer service, writing down on slips of paper what you’re releasing and burning them, or the creation of a picture scrapbook or journal honoring the person one you’ve lost.
Rituals of release can also include making a picture scrapbook, using old photos in a collage about the past, journaling, or simply lighting a candle. You can use photos from your childhood, textured papers, and inspiring quotes to create a visual journal that depicts self-healing. Such rituals of release transform any emotional release into a positive, creative energy. Practicing a ritual of release can jumpstart transmuting stuck energy into a positive healing experience.
There is no preparation you can undertake for the life-shattering loss of a loved one. It is an unfathomable pain that penetrates your life and pierces your heart. However, you can choose to honor your soul connection with your loved one by transforming your loss into love. You can channel the energy released at your loved one’s death by putting their powerful light to positive use. You can become more kind and compassionate partners, patient and tolerant parents, attentive and caring friends and co-workers. Most of all, you can fiercely love those family and friends you cherish and send love out into the world for the betterment of humanity.
