Maybe it begins as a dream, a vision, a nagging sense that something is missing or out of balance, that you have lost something. The call, barely discernible amid the daily sensory orchestra, pulling at you as you drive to work, stalking as you attempt sleep, softly caressing your cheek as you walk numbly through the day, finally building to a crescendo that will not be ignored.

The call to action and adventure beckons. You find yourself enrolled in a hero’s journey of mythic proportions, a classic shamanic journey or spiritual quest. Call it what you wish – the destination is always the same. The road home to your authentic Self.

A recurring dream of mine would place me as a visitor in a home where I once lived in reality. As I made my way through the house, I would turn a corner and come upon a whole new wing and the house would keep expanding with lots of new rooms. Upon awakening, a sense of joy would be flowing through me. Homes typically represent our identity in dreams and I came to understand these dreams were showing me an internal expansion was underway.

Thresholds

Before my move to Maine nearly four years ago I had a recurring vision of a white gate (always open) and an arbor abundant with flowers during guided meditations that were part of the work in my artist community. It turned out to be both a metaphoric and literal manifestation of the journey I would undertake and an ushering into a new world.

In her new book, The Second Half of Life: Opening the Eight Gates of Wisdom, cultural anthropologist Angeles Arrien, Ph.D., says “When you find the courage to change in midlife, a miracle happens.”

In the Forward to the book, late Irish writer John O’Donohue, writes of Arrien’s work, “The assumption behind her work is that a human life can be understood in terms of a narrative of its thresholds... There are times when life sharpens, things come into focus and, gradually, you become aware that you are standing before a threshold. There is no way back to where your were before, and there is no way out but through... If people were to take this book up, work with it and act on its invitations, it would lead to huge cultural change. People would suddenly come into possession of their creative agency, potential, and responsibility... In a time of anxiety and creeping despair, Dr. Angeles Arrien has offered us a necessary gift, a gift that finds the missing bridge between the inner life and the outer world. Use it deeply!!”

Both gates and thresholds, writes Arrien, serve as symbolic passageways into new worlds, promising the possibility of a new life, experience or identity. “To thresh” literally means to pound cereal grain to remove the husks and separate out the seeds. Figuratively, the threshing floor is where we tread, turn, twist, or flail as we do inner work. In our later years it is the place of the soul’s own threshing, where what is no longer necessary or aligned with our essential nature is released and discarded.”

This brought to mind how once I arrived in my new home I repeatedly heard, mostly from folks who I came to understand represented threshold guardians, how Maine is a place that separates the wheat from the chaff.

Mentors and Allies

In ancient times an ailing villager seeking the help of a shaman would first be asked when he or she had stopped dancing, singing or telling stories, as explained by Gabrielle Roth in her book Maps to Ecstasy. These are the things that help keep us anchored in the natural world, channeled to wisdom of the past and in touch with our divine natures.

When setting out on a serious quest it is always wise to have a benevolent mentor or teacher to guide us and provide support.

Holistic practitioners such as therapists, acupuncturists, energy and light workers are among the countless professionals we can turn to help fortify us for the rigors of the journey and to open the door for healing the wounds we experience along the way.

Their treatments can also provide a crucial reminder, mimicking how our minds and bodies feel when in a healthy natural state, serving as reminders so that we can achieve those states on our own again, once we have moved beyond the instability of our compromised form. After all, the nearer we are to transformation, the more unstable we appear, like a caterpillar who has dissolved into chrysalis before emerging as a butterfly.

Tests and Foes

As we make our way in new worlds, we will find that plenty of “adversarial” characters will naturally come our way. But things may not always seem as they appear. While our trials may seem harrowing at times, we need to remember that everything that comes our way is there to bring us into alignment with our authentic nature and highest Self.

We will encounter plenty of obstacles that we will need to negotiate or navigate around.

These challenges are where we will be confronted with our egos and shadows. Where we will be broken down and asked to face the truth of our self and our fears before we can begin the process of building back up. From here we realize we have experienced and lived a transformation, an awakening, to our authentic nature.

As we are stripped of our ego, we may become acutely aware and intolerant of the egoic behaviors of the people who cross our path, leading to conflict. Although it may seem counter intuitive, the more we can allow and surrender when we are at our most vulnerable and trust, perhaps even turning an adversary into ally, the smoother our journey may be.

Compasses and Maps

No two journeys are ever the same; they are as individual as we are. But each of us contains an inner compass that always knows our true North. One way we can access it is through being present and aware of our breath. Yoga and meditation practice are two of the best ways to access the moment.

Another is to feel what Eckhart Tolle in his book A New Earth calls “space consciousness” or the sense of “being” in our bodies, as opposed to the idea that we are our bodies or forms. When we are centered and grounded in the present moment, we are at one with our own divinity, a universal intelligence, what some may call God.

At the time of our birth the planetary positions provide a natal chart or map that we may find helpful to follow. We can calculate our personal numerology based on our birth date and name. And our own bodies reflect a personalized map of who we truly are. This becomes apparent in the one of a kind patterns on our palms and fingers. While many may not put any credence in these maps and symbols, they are ancient and have guided many.

A palm reader once startled me when she saw so much on my hand - she was able to tell me things about my life known only by me - so many symbols - a writer’s fork, humor loop, mystic cross, intuitive droplets, Rajah loop and an eagle, among others. Our dominant hand, the one we write with, represents our own life while the other represents our ancestors. There is so much present with in us. It is only necessary to look and welcome and the truth will be revealed.

Uncovering Truths

The single most astounding realization experienced on my personal journey is that everything “learned” has been a reminder of what I already knew. Perhaps it is the remembering of the knowledge we each carry that ultimately transforms us, maybe it is the influence of others and the choices we make in response, it is ultimately up to us, the choices we make, the turns we take, each leading us closer to our truest self.

The Return Home

A key component of most journeys, which can come about willingly or unwillingly, is the road back or the return home. When we, or a character in a book or movie, literally return to the point of departure - usually our actual home.

It is here we can more clearly reflect on our adventures and experiences in the new world, review what we learned and decide if we will recommit and return to the new world or return to our old life, changed.

This is also when we get to take an accounting of our former life. To determine if all the stories we have about it are real or made up. Taking pause to decide if we will re-engage in our old world or get closure before returning to the new world.

To paraphrase the spiritual teacher Ram Dass, if we wish to see how truly enlightened we are we should go spend a week with our parents.

At the moment, I have returned to my place of origin. And while there are many things that bring me comfort here - things that have not yet materialized for me in Maine, I have faith the elixir is still within reach.

© 2009 by Teresa Piccari

Teresa Piccari is a writer and teacher living in coastal Maine. She is the proprietor of The Village Scribe, a writing and editing business located at The Wellness Center, 71 Elm, in Camden. She runs The Ducktrap Writers Roundtable. She teaches writing workshops including Creative Writing, Mythic Structure, Writing & Healing and Memoir. Correspond with her at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 207.344.7070.