Soul Plans and Political Divisions

(Featured photo by Sujitabh Chaudhary)

A friend insists she chose her quirky sense of humor in her Soul Plan. Doesn’t that seem kind of … frivolous? Don’t we have weightier things to design for our lives here?

Our sense of humor is as individual as we are. It’s a valuable tool for how we experience life. It shapes if and how we can laugh at ourselves (and the world around us), and how we diffuse tension. And it manifests in so many ways. We might relish the slapstick of physical comedy, or appreciate a sly, dry wit—the true impact of which sometimes doesn’t hit us until later. 

I understand humor would initially seem too lightweight to consider at a Soul Plan level. But it makes sense to me that our taste in humor is designed as part of our personalities. And don’t forget, everything is a question of balance. Humor can be used to get through a bad day, or it can be wielded to mask fear or avoid intimacy and the risk of rejection.

It also plays into how we choose friends and partners. A shared sense of humor can be just as important as shared values. And it can inform how we survive tough times. One client shared that her husband’s mobility was severely diminished by a car accident. She said that while she grieved his physical loss, his deep depression was the hardest for her to witness and deal with. She desperately missed the humor that had shaped his approach to life, and their marriage. It led to a whole reckoning of their daily interactions.

Do you believe in Infused Knowledge? The idea that our guides can “download” information to us, either for ourselves or loved ones? Isn’t that the same as channeling?

You’ve likely already experienced Infused Knowledge, but used different language. An intuition to call someone, or a hunch that a herbal remedy might be just what you need, are types of Infused Knowledge. 

The Other Side is breathtakingly adept and nuanced at sharing its insights and resources for the greater good. They can instill an idea or a seemingly random thought in a friend or colleague which has a bearing on your own situation (whether they know it). And it can happen to us when we’re talking to others. I’m not psychic (I’m simply “open” to experiences), but I have found myself talking with clients using language and phrases that are starkly different to how I usually express myself. It was initially a bit startling, but I trust it and lean into it. It has never led me astray. 

When you reference channeling, do you mean trance work? I have witnessed trance work, but I have not engaged in it directly. My understanding is the host releases themselves to a spirit or other entity to temporarily inhabit their physical body, using the host’s voice to relay messages.

Photo by Tyler Casey

How can politics be so different in one family? I look around and see families ripped apart. Why would the spirit world support something that does that so much damage? I’ve had a fraught relationship with my own mom at times. We were just getting back on an even keel, only to find ourselves on opposite sides of a recent SCOTUS ruling. 

That’s a very fair question, especially right now. It’s not that the spirit world champions the pain and division that can erupt through widely different politics. Rather, it honors what we choose to design, and any aftermath of that. The Universe stays the course with us. It also knows that life is a game we can’t lose—meaning, whatever unfolds here, we will be back on the Other Side before we know it, sharing our experiences with excitement. You’ve probably heard the saying: Those who cause us the most pain, are our greatest teachers. Imagine you and your mother exploring your upcoming dynamic: (incorporating extra information you sent)

YOU: I will be exploring a theme of Speaking Out, and finding my voice. I will need you, as my mother, to provide a firm and perhaps rigid authority figure.  In doing so, you will be gifting me an opportunity: to acquiesce in order to feel accepted, or to step outside our patterns of communication and values this time around. 

MOM: I will provide a loving but somewhat controlling upbringing, along traditional gender roles. We will struggle with more than the usual teenager rebellion. 

YOU: Yes. In college, I will explore feminism in a way that feels unsettling and a bit threatening to you. You will apply your old strategies, but they may not work as well. This means we will be in conflict, but I will grow and stretch through it, and will find my voice (some days better than others).

MOM:  A political sea-change in your thirties will see us arrive at a stand-off. I might find myself withdrawing love; it will seem conditional. I will not stop loving you, but I will not express my love as freely.

YOU:  My politics will become more important, as it will be tied intimately to my identity. 

MOM: We will have to decide how to move forward. You will likely struggle with how to keep your distance, while also wanting to care for me in my older years.