Deep Soul Writing Experiences From 'Soul Vows'

Now Featured in the Patheos Book Club
Soul Vows
Gathering the Presence of the Divine In You, Through You, and As You
By Janet Conner

Here are a few quotations from the opening chapters of Soul Vows followed by a few deep soul writing questions to give you a taste of the adventure of Soul Vows. The questions are offered not as a model to follow but as examples of the kinds of questions that can bubble up in soul writing. Address your conversation to the Divine. If you are unsure how to do that, simply write, "Dear Voice," or any other name that evokes the Divine. Write quickly. Don't edit or judge what comes through. And don't be surprised if ideas surface that you didn't even know were inside you! That's the joy of divine dialogue.

"There is a Presence inside you. There is a Presence inside everyone. Though you may have long ignored it, perhaps even willfully turned the other way, that divine Presence is alive and well and growing.... That Presence knows you. It knows who you are and who you long to be….That Presence is now calling you to step into its tender embrace…"

Do I sense a divine Presence inside me? How do I sense it? Have I nourished a loving relationship with the Divine—or ignored it? How do I feel to know that I am being called into this holy embrace? Do I feel honored and excited or scared—or both!

"Soul vows are your grace points. They are how you receive and spread grace."

Grace. Now there's a question! What is grace? Can I even define it? How do I perceive grace? Do I see myself as a conduit of grace? How does that feel? When have I received and spread grace?

"Your soul vows are your how. They describe how you choose to walk this earth—not just at work, or at home, or in a relationship, but in every moment of every day."

Have I ever thought about my how? How am I walking through life? If I look at how I behave, how I think, how I speak, how I treat people throughout the day, what patterns do I see? Is this the me I most want to be? How is this me expressing the Divine?

"You are wired to directly experience your divine Source. That's why, no matter how many books or coaches or teachers talk about how to live an authentic life, a happy life, or one filled with meaning and purpose, there is still a persistent lingering hunger…It's not a hunger for a new way to control your thoughts, shift your emotions, or bring more balance into your life. It's not a hunger for another round on the self-improvement treadmill…. It's a hunger of the heart. It's a hunger of the soul."

Am I weary of attempts at self-improvement? Am I feeling a hunger for something more? Where do I feel it? In my heart? My soul? What am I hungry for? Why am I interested in discovering my soul vows?

"The soul can't be explained or understood. It is, after all, your divine Self, and divinity is wild, untamable, and more vast and magnificent than our minds can grasp. Whatever idea or image you hold in your mind of the soul or the Divine is by definition too small. That's perhaps why we feel so compelled to explore these fields of the soul. We long for the mystery. So acknowledge that you are stepping into a mystery, and although that may feel strange, even a bit dangerous, know that all is well because you are guided and held at the deepest level."

Oh my! Do I sense at the deepest level that I am a divine Self? If I did, what would that mean in my life? What is my definition of God? Am I willing to let go of it? Have I been trying to tame my soul or listen to my soul? If I'm guided and held, then what will happen as I step into a deep exploration of divine mystery!?