Not Enuf Souls
In the midst of writing my latest novel—Otzi’s Odyssey - The Troubled Soul of a Neolithic Iceman, I came upon an announcement (shown above), stenciled onto a sidewalk in Manhattan. As I took the photo, I paused to dwell upon its message, causing me to wonder:
When is that moment when an embryo is ensouled?
Does this once unencumbered soul, decide upon its mother and father, or its gender before ensoulment takes place?
If, as this message suggests, there were not enough souls, what happens to the void it creates and how is such a vacuum filled?
These questions stimulated a trove of ideas, allowing me to build the world where our hero—Bhark, struggles to earn his redemption among the four demonic realms of Gehenna.
The quote above, by the Austrian philosopher Rudolf Steiner, has encouraged me to consider the following eternal questions regarding the journey of the soul:
Does our biography conclude upon our death, or will it continue upon our arrival into the spiritual realm?
Where do we dwell during our time between death and rebirth?
Whom do we meet at this in between time, and what agreements do we take on?
How is the moment of our rebirth decided upon?
Is there a purpose we are destined to pursue when born again?
Since the passing of my son earlier this year, writing has since become my spiritual practice, a place where I can assemble the mysteries of the ethereal puzzle, and in turn, build a story around these perplexing questions.
I would love to hear from you and your thoughts on what’s posted here.