Soul Igniters

Last week, I wrote a piece on Shadow Surfing and in it I discussed Soul Warriors.  See the piece here:  https://www.solsenseyoga.com/2014/05/08/shadow-surfing/

To summarize, soul warriors are the winds at our back, they help guide and balance us, and sometimes they help us find the right key to open the door into our higher awareness.  Soul warriors are love warriors on our side of the battle.  They are close enough in our consciousness chain and soul development that they serve that role.

Soul Igniters are different from soul warriors.  Soul igniters light a fire of change in our heart by breaking down our fixed identity.   Soul igniters challenge us in ways that no one else can. Soul igniters constantly challenge us to refine our values, to refine how we engage in the process of practice, and to refine our practice.  Though soul igniters have a lasting effect on us they are not people we are meant to endure relationships with.  Soul igniters are the fuel that gives rise to our spiritual awareness and our relationships with soul igniters unleash the dusty layers from our psyche and soul.

There’s a subtle, but very important distinction between soul igniters and soul warriors.  Both kinds of relationships help birth a greater awareness within our minds and spirits, but the paths that these relationships in our lives take are quite different and the effect these kinds of relationships have on our well-being (or mind- body-spirit balance) is also quite different.  Let’s explore this a bit further.

Soul igniters hit us with a speed of force similar to the speed it takes to lift the space shuttle from earth to space –  from zero to 17,500 mph in 8 minutes.  That is an incredible energy force.  When soul igniters cross our path, their presence can feel like what I imagine it feels like to be in the space shuttle moving at 17,500 mph.   It’s intense, jarring, and it can even feel injurious.   The force accumulated, created, and sustained in the relationship is so great, that it doesn’t just guide us, but it propels us into our next stage of development.

Soul igniters have an acute ability to show us our dragons, or the dark spaces in our spirit, and they never let the mirror down.  For this very reason, it’s hard to endure long-lasting intimate relationships with soul igniters.  Some people refer to soul igniters as soul mates, but I don’t like the term soul mate to describe that relationship.   A mate is a companion and a friend and a soul mate is a deep companion and friend on a higher level of consciousness.  A soul igniter fires up the dragons within the depths of our psyche and spirit and vibrates a propelling energy within us to make the leap to change or die.    They are far from a soul companion.  They are fire starters.

We can keep soul igniters in our lives.  We want to keep them in our lives.  Their presence is fundamental to serious, constructive, and healthy change in our life.   Yet, we want soul igniters at a compassionate distance.  Otherwise, we can reel each other into a vicious pain begets pain cycle.    There is a fine balance to traverse here between growth and destruction.

So, soul igniters light the fire of change in a propelling force in our life.  Soul warriors on the other hand guide us along the path of change once we have been propelled on the true path.  Soul warriors play a special role in guiding us along and through the shadow aspects of our life that our soul igniters fired up.  Our soul warriors guide us to the shore of transformation when our solo walk on the true path isn’t enough.  Soul warriors are life partners.  Soul warriors are people we want in our lives in enduring and lasting relationships, whether friendships or romantic partners.  Our relationships with soul warriors are a complement to our human experience.

Soul igniters are great spiritual teachers, but they are not without their contraindications.  Soul igniters are people we don’t want to walk our true path with as close friends or intimate long-term partners.  We love them, but love them from a distance.  We can appreciate their value, but with clear and well-defined boundaries.

We can honor our soul  igniters by looking in the mirror they hold up for us and eat our dragons to cleanse our soul.

Om Shanti Om ~ Athea

Athea