Insights and Answers: The Path of the Soul

by Rachel Rowlson, CCSW, LMFT, CHT

Dear Readers: My father passed away on Thanksgiving Day of 1999. The next Easter weekend he began writing to me about his post-death experiences and giving wisdom he is learning on his side of the Veil. The following is one of his letters, one written before September 11, 2001. I found it to be a great help as I try to understand what is happening in our world today and what I can do to help. I hope you derive as much benefit from this letter as I have.

The Path of the Soul

Dad: Rachel, today we will discuss how a soul knows the truth of its own path. The soul comes to Earth already deeply entrenched in learning the lessons necessary to move closer to ALL consciousness. We are here to open our hearts to compassion and sharing. Many feel that Earth is really the Hell described in the Christian Bible. It is not. Earth is a home of choice, but not between good and evil, right or wrong. If you are on Earth, you are already past those lessons. You are here to learn that no group is separate from another - that you are all brothers and sisters of the Light.

What you hate the most is your finest teacher. Can you see in your hatred the body of your fears and prejudice? No, the lesson is not "to turn the other cheek," but to find more of yourself in what you hate or what even mildly irritates you. Hate = Hallowed And Thought Energy. Hate = Heaven's Angels Teach Evolution (of soul). No, not all that happens or could happen is to be tolerated. And, yes, there does exist that which is evil. Some on Earth believe hate is necessary to fight evil. Here, I have learned another way of handling such a powerful emotion. Hate creates blocks in our capacity to most effectively create positive change. Hate is an extreme. Extremes create destruction. By honoring that which we hate as a powerful teacher, by choosing understanding and compassion, we are best able to discover what will motivate the hated to change, how to best thwart evil intention without becoming the same and unleashing the parts of our own psyches that are too easily captured by the hatred. Sometimes violence is necessary. I will forever be proud that I helped to stop Hitler. Yet, you know how seriously my time in WWII affected the rest of my life. Too many personal atrocities were committed by both sides. Too much cruelty is acceptable in the hearts of some soldiers. This is how war can warp the psyche. The emotional state necessary to be a good soldier often brings out the base nature of individuals.

Your purpose is to see your own shadow self and to grow past it. We grow past our shadow selves by honoring what we find and giving thanks for the awareness. Awareness is supposed to be a change agent, not an excuse.

Remember, Squirt, love always heals but love is not synonymous with passive acceptance. In life you will get what you allow what you accept or tolerate. It is more an issue of developing awareness sooner, if possible, and stopping the unacceptable before it gains too much energy. How many lives would have been saved if the threat of Hitler had been recognized earlier on? Some may read the above and believe victims are being held responsible or blamed for being hurt. No, awareness comes in stages. No child is responsible if sexually abused by an adult. A child cannot know how to stop such attacks. But when grown, the child is often aware of what happened and how debilitating it was. The responsibility then is to use the experience of the sexual abuse to get help and not become a perpetrator. This is only one example.

Remember - I started this discussion/ discourse stating that extremes block growth. Do not use this example or any other as reason to believe all who have been abused in any way have the capacity to understand or develop awareness. Many need help to push past base feelings and to understand. Some are never capable of understanding. The job of those who do understand is to educate and bring awareness to others of the impact of thoughts, needs and actions. We do this best through compassion and understanding, not through anger and hatred. Yes, much is expected of Earth level souls. But only because most are capable of much more growth than is achieved.

I watch with pride as you find your way to the Light, my daughter.

With Love, Dad

Rachel Rowlson integrates 20 years experience as a psychotherapist with a lifetime of training in metaphysical concepts and healing modalities in her work as a healer and intuitive counselor as well as in her writing and workshops. Send questions to 109 Breakers Place, Cary, NC 27511. They will only be answered in this column and may take several months to be printed.