The first of the Voyage of Life paintings by my fellow Imbolc-born Aquarian Thomas Cole (1801–1848)
The first of the Voyage of Life paintings by my fellow Imbolc-born Aquarian Thomas Cole (1801–1848)

“In your Anam-cara you discovered the Other with whom your heart could be at home.”

~ John O’Donohue, The Confessions of St. Patrick (Introduction)

On this notion of our soul-deep yearning for our anam cara, our true soul friends and believing mirrors,  Carla Woody, of Kenosis, shares:

“We all need allies — fellow travelers on the path — to connect with deeply. This is especially so when words don’t express what takes you beyond the everyday life to the one that has no form.

Yet your allies do understand and can add their own stories that place you on common ground…”*

I’ve surely found this to be the case and am ever-grateful for my ‘inner circle’ of Anam Cara — the soul friends,  kindred-spirit peeps, and dear mentors and ‘believing mirrors‘ who are and have long been devotedly (and resiliently!) walking between the worlds and living the The Way, as it’s sometimes called.

Light in the Crypt of St. Wystan Church, Repton, U.K. [Photo via TripAdvisor]
Light in the Crypt of St. Wystan Church, Repton, U.K. [Photo via TripAdvisor]
This is the path that John O’Donahue referred to when he wrote that, “The normal way never leads home,” and Joseph Campbell hinted at when he spoke of the “uninterpreted path” of the real-deal Hero and Heroine’s Journey.

Because it is a Great Work experiment in transformation — the deep remembering of other ways of being, seeing, and doing than we were ingrained with and conditioned in — each of us will very sincerely say without hesitation how vital our Anam Cara, our soul friends and kindred-spirit path mates, are to us.

“Formally or informally, the anam cara listens deeply to us and assists us in kindling our own inherent wisdom and self-knowledge.”

~ Frank MacEowen,  The Celtic Way

An illuminated Way ... [Image shared in an e-message from the University of Spiritual Healing & Sufism]
An illuminated Way … [Image shared in an e-message from the University of Spiritual Healing & Sufism]
So often along the way, we extend a hand, light a lantern, listen, lend our presence, offer a genuine welcome, exchange a perspective, pass along an inspiration, share gems and laughter, or just talk about being called to Life on the Path in all of its rewards and core-deep challenges.

It’d be too crazy-depressing or overwhelming otherwise!

These exchanges, my Anam Cara, are among the reasons I was able to find my way at all through the ego-stripping initiations and long dark nights that unfolded, and managed to experience joy and wonder along the way, so the well of my gratitude and appreciation for my Allies on the Path runs very deep.

And it’s precisely why I feel as devoted as I do to being Anam Cara and believing mirror, and holding the lantern for others, too.

How about you — are you feeling the Anam Cara Peep Support, those dearly appreciated ‘believing mirrors‘, or are you seeking for these beloved Allies on your Path?

If the latter, consider an anam cara spiritual-direction (or intuitive-insight dialogue) session. You’ll find more about that here.

Love,

Jamie

* Read the full “Reflections on Fire and Allies” from Carla Woody here.