Definitions HQ

Soul (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠a clearly demarcated functional complex of the psyche that can best be described as a 'personality'.

The Soul (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not something attached to an outside: it has an autonomous inside and a life of its own, not just an ego-consciousness.

The Soul (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the only experient of life and existence — we can know nothing objective about it, since all knowledge of it is itself psychic, yet it is the only immediate experience we have.

The Soul (n.) served ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠unconditionally de-individualizes a man as surely as the world does: Prometheus, giving himself wholly to her, loses the persona and with it the corrective of external reality.

The Soul (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠blessed not because she is in God but because God is in her — God in the soul ranks higher than the soul in God.

The Soul (n.) began ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠as several autonomous complexes — the primitive has many souls — and dwindles with culture into a mere term for the totality of psychic processes; yet Nature herself does not bother in the least about our theory of the unity of the ego.

The Soul (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠both receiver and transmitter: an organ for perceiving the unconscious, which conveys its forces to consciousness as symbols — shaped energies whose affective power equals their spiritual value.

The Soul (n.) once ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠lived in the diaphragm and the heart, wherever passion made the blood boil; only the first philosophers moved reason up into the head.

The Soul (n.) as ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠an immortal figure within is constellated by the overvaluation of material objects without — a compensation for the extraverted West.

The Soul (n.) was ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠for centuries the object of every doctrine and never got a word in — it seemed so completely known that no one thought it needed observing.

The Soul (n.) seems ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠normally to belong to the primitive, and its loss is sickness — children may not be struck lest their souls feel insulted and depart; spirits, by contrast, normally should not be near him.

The Soul (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in every old language, moving air or twinkling motion — Gothic saiwala akin to aiolos, 'iridescent'; psyche also 'butterfly'; anima from anemos, 'wind' — the cold breath of the spirits.

Soul (n.) at ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its root means something quick-moving and changeful of hue, like a butterfly reeling drunkenly from flower to flower, living on honey and love.

Soul (n.) lures ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠inert matter into life with a cunning play of illusions — snares and traps so that man should fall, reach the earth, and stay caught.

The Soul (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not won by robbery and violence; its conquest is a work of patience, self-sacrifice and devotion.

The Soul (n.) holds ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠within it flocks of cattle, sheep and goats, the birds of the sky, sun, moon and stars — "thou thyself art even another little world."

The Soul (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠the depth from which highest and lowest both come, either wrecking the frail vessel of consciousness or carrying it safely to port, with little help from us.

The Soul (n.) moves ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠not in a straight line but circles around a centre; divinity consists in being attached to the centre.

The Soul (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠lavished on God and denied to man — yet God himself cannot thrive where man's soul goes hungry.

The Soul (n.) keeps ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠its hunger even in the hermit who has every means of grace: what he still lacks is the immediate experience of spiritual reality — and only a numinous vision, uncreated by himself, sates it.