Caroline Ormrod is one of the Companions of the Silent Eye working through the first year of the three-year journey towards the real nature of the individual Soul. I am delighted to be her supervisor for this process. Her brief and light-hearted bio is appended to this post. Recently, along with her weekly email ‘journal’ of progress and experiences, she sent me a short article she had written inspired by the upside of what we are all going through with the Covid-19 virus and its imposed social isolation.
In this, she used the words ‘I-soul-ation’ (to replace isolation), and ‘In-soul-ation’ (to replace insulation). I asked if she would consider contributing it to our weekly cycle of posts here on the Silent Eye. She did this with gusto, and also provided the photographs and quotations used here.
I hope this gives the reader as much inspiration as it did me. Our thanks to Caroline for this important contribution to the Silent Eye’s Work.
Here is her article…
The Gifts of I-soul-ation and In-soul-ation
During this time of global uncertainty, we are being gifted a brief glimpse into possibilities and the wonder of the Universe. Many of us are in isolation, insulating ourselves from the daily habits and interactions to which we have become accustomed. Now, we are being required to slow down and reassess, to connect with and re-experience our Selves; to take into account the words of Ralph Waldo Emmerson who warns ‘But your isolation must not be mechanical, but spiritual, that is, must be elevation’. (see Ref 1, below).
The act of isolation is becoming one of i-soul-ation in which ‘I’ gets to tear off the mask of our habitual being and dive down deep into that which makes the ‘I’ unique – the purpose and goal of your Essence. Isolation is alternatively, ‘the condition of being alone, especially when this makes you feel unhappy’ and ‘the fact that something is separate and not connected to other things’. (Ref 2)
However, neither of these definitions is ever true. Although we may physically be separated (and, therefore, the ‘other’ may not even exist), we are intimately connected, not only to each other, but also to the whole world and Universe, as the spread of the C-19 virus demonstrates. Just as we cannot see the threads that connect us to each other – or even, really, see each other at all – in times of isolation, the threads are present and gifted to us, just as they are present in our connection with our Soul. This gift of i-soul-ating is donating time, space and direction to our ultimate goal of soul-connection.
We have been offered a choice here – we can buy into the propaganda which declares that isolation is horrific and we should be struggling and unhappy with the situation or we can be proactive and productive and buck that perspective by utilising this time offered to refine and condense our Selves into ourselves.
Similarly, the act of insulation, in-soul-ation, asks that ‘I’ find that which warms and comforts the Soul; in reality, that ‘I’ who finds warmth and comfort from the Soul like a big thick blanket and a cup of hot chocolate on a cold winter’s day. Insulation is ‘the act of covering something to stop heat, sound, or electricity from escaping or entering, or the fact that something is covered in this way’. (Ref 3) These aspects that we are stopping are our energies, our life resources that, although they may be invisible (like the threads joining us all), are vital to our survival, not only physically, but our whole being on all levels, especially those that access hope, faith, joy and love. By in-soul-ating, we invite our Soul to join us in our daily physical lives, to merge with the already-well-practiced physical being who feels disconnected and alone.
(Above: Figure 5 Photo courtesy of Kristie Virgoe)
We are back-end co-ordinators – and, if you are reading this, then you are too, whether you recognise it immediately or not – and we are being called to our Work at this time. We are being offered an opportunity, not only to i-soul-ate and in-soul-ate personally and individually, but also to support the whole population of the Earth, all her beings and the larger, wonderfully expansive and giving Universe of which we are a part. In i-soul-ation, we move inside to explore our gorgeous inner Soul; in in-soul-ation, we encompass that energy and allow it to expand into the farthest reaches of our Cosmos, insulating all. We are being summoned by the words of George Bernard Shaw who said ‘I am of the opinion that my life belongs to the whole community and as long as I live, it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can’. (Ref 4)
It is time for us to practice our own privilege.
(Above: Figure 6 Photo courtesy of Ramona Thiessen)
Author’s Bio:
Caroline Ormrod is an eternal student, questioning and exploring all aspects of this marvellous universe in which we live. She is proud to be a Companion in The Silent Eye School of Consciousness, having graduated from, among other things, the Servants of the Light New Main Course and achieving a Masters’ in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology from the Sophia Centre at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David. Mother of four home-schooled young adults, Caroline enjoys spending time with her family, writing and editing and contemplating the mysteries of the Universe. During this time of i-soul-ation and i-soul-ation, Caroline is reviving her love of yoga and keeping the candle industry strong and vibrant!
Caroline lives in Canada and is currently anchoring an etheric ‘Indigo Energy Tsunami’ at 1:00 p.m. E.S.T. to in-soul-ate the world. All are welcome to take a seat, light a candle and send prayers, love, grace and gratitude to all the beings of our planet, to our beloved Mother Earth and out into the magnificent Cosmos.
References:
[Ref 1] Ralph Waldo Emerson, Self-Reliance, Essays: First Series (1841), [accessed March 30, 2020] https://emersoncentral.com/ebook/Self-Reliance.pdf p. 16. [1] (Cambridge Dictionary Online, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/isolation, accessed March 25, 2020).
(Ref 2) (Cambridge Dictionary Online, https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/isolation, accessed March 25, 2020).
[Ref 3] (Cambridge Dictionary online https://dictionary.cambridge.org/dictionary/english/insulation accessed March 25, 2020).
[Ref 4] George Bernard Shaw, As referenced to a private conversation with Professor Henderson and quoted in Edwin Björkman, ‘The Serious Bernard Shaw’, The American Review of Reviews (1911), 43: 425 [accessed March 30, 2020] https://todayinsci.com/S/Shaw_GeorgeBernard/ShawGeorgeBernard-Quotations.htm
©Stephen Tanham
Stephen Tanham is a Director of the Silent Eye School of Consciousness, a not-for-profit teaching school of modern mysticism that helps people find a personal path to a deeper place within their internal and external lives.
The Silent Eye provides home-based, practical courses which are low-cost and personally supervised. The course materials and corresponding supervision are provided month by month without further commitment.
Steve’s personal blog, Sun in Gemini, is at stevetanham.wordpress.com.
Thank you, Sue x
Thank you, Sue! 🙂
Well, I can’t pretend to have understood all of that but there’s something maybe chiming. I am trying not to feel guilty about how much I am enjoying this period of ‘isolation’. The last couple of weeks have made me feel the way I imagine it must feel in a decompression chamber (about which I know nothing). I worry about family and friends and we keep in touch but I realise that I actually feel relieved at not having to keep in touch with other people in my life, not having to do things I feel are expected of me. Then, I feel selfish about this and yet I think, I hope, it is good for me right now. We are living in strange and bewildering times but I feel something good must come out of it all. It may only do so for me on a personal level. That’s when the guilt creeps in!
I’m sure Caroline would say that’s the essence of it, Mary – not to feel guilty about having ‘quality time with your Self’! Steve
Thank you for your comments, Mary. Yes, I agree with Steve and I think you’ve got it down pat! I feel much as you do; I am enjoying my time ‘away’, the change in my schedule and the ability to explore aspects of my Self that I normally do not have the opportunity to do; I have plenty to keep me occupied (makes me wonder how I ever managed everything when I was working), much of which I would have probably put off in ‘normal’ times. Personally, I think this time of ‘i-soul-ation’ and ‘in-soul-ation’ is something of a gift, providing time to self-reflect and (re)learn who I am and who I want to be. Yes, there are ongoing, long-term challenges, however, maybe we will come out of this with a new perspective and a more optimistic way of interacting with each other and our beautiful planet. I feel that in-soul-ation and i-soul-ation will help us manoeuvre this period. When the guilt starts creeping, take a deep breath, let it (the guilt and the breath) go, and come back into the moment now. I will be doing the same – finding the beauty and connection in the moment.
In light,
Caroline
Thank you, Caroline – and Steve – for the reassurance and lessening of the guilt.
For us, this doesn’t substantially change the way we lived before. It has, however, made the world more threatening. For us, going out is a life and death decision. Both age and underlying physical issues lead us to understand that neither of us would survive the disease. Life has taken us inside ourselves for quite a while. We are not sociable. To be fair, Garry was never particularly sociable unless he was working, but there was a time — a long time ago — when I was outgoing and had lots of friends. I wonder what became of that me? One of the things about aging is how many of us are forced inward.
I don’t mind the isolation because we accepted it a long time ago, but I do mind the physical threat. For all of my generation, there is some serious angst involved in this.
I sympathise with all of that, Marilyn. My mother is in the same position, which is why we’ve ‘plucked’ her from Bolton to come and live with us in the country for a while. I’ll pass your comment to Caroline as I’m sure she will want to respond. She’s in the process of setting up a WordPress account. Thank you for commenting and stay well! Both of you 😎
Thank you, Marilyn, for sharing your experience. I hear that your experience is challenging and fearful. In my opinion, and not meaning to downplay its effects, the virus itself itself may not be the immediate danger but instead, it may be the fear that it has sparked that is threatening. My own experience with fear is that it stems from my own habit of imagining a future, usually negative, possibility. I am learning, through i-soul-ation, to stay in the moment where I am aware of a sense of calm and well-being, the connection with my soul. We are all in this together. This, for me, is the key to in-soul-ating. When I can find that peace in the moment, I am one less person adding to the global energy of fear that is blanketing the Earth. When I can take it one step farther and share my moment of soul connection energetically, I am breaking the thread of fear and allowing a new energy to envelope our world. In this situation, in-soul-ating is my answer.
I believe that in practicing i-soul-ation and in-soul-ation, we can proactively align with our higher Selves, regardless of age, health or circumstance, and allow ourselves to flow with the energies of our lives in this moment.
In peaceful light,
Caroline
P.S. By the way, I expect the extrovert you were still resides within…maybe she’s just waiting for permission to communicate with you (and others) again – maybe via the internet for now.