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On this episode of Living Myth, Michael Meade uses the ancient metaphor of the pearl that begins as an irritant inside an oyster, that grows from within to become the treasure worth diving deep to find. “When the world fragments and falls apart on the outside, the underlying unity of life has to be found in the depths of the individual soul. Soul is the missing ingredient that has to be found again or the Spirit of life itself can seem to drain from the world. The iridescent pearl can symbolize both the life trying to grow from deep within us and the mysterious force that begets all of life to begin with.

An old Latin word for pearl means “unique,” attesting to the fact that no two pearls are identical. But also pointing to the fact that no two souls are the same as each soul born is unique and valuable in its own way. Those who claim to be perfect and have no visible defects are like manufactured pearls. Their glow does not come from the mystery that turns blemishes into beauty or inner wounds into gifts. Those who desire pearls must dive into dark waters and risk the isolation and confusion of the depths. Similarly, those who would find the inner pearl of the self must enter the deep waters of soul and face the darkness found within. They must crack the hard shell of the little-self and come to know themselves from the inside out. Ascent and upward movement can eternalize, while the downward movement of conscious descent personalizes and makes things real.

Finding the inner pearl of the soul requires great vulnerability, thus many fear and avoid the cracking and breaking open process. Yet, each time the shell of the little-self opens further, the inner radiance and iridescence of the soul can shine through. The deeper the connection to our inner self becomes, the stronger our connections to both nature and the divine also become. When the inner pearl of the soul becomes revealed, something also comes alive in creation. That's how things change here on earth, from the inside out, as the revealed value of the individual soul contributes great value and vital energy to the transformation of life trying to happen on Earth.”

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