A few pieces of vocabulary before we dive in. **Don’t get to Dogmatic in the vocab – as these definitions are a point where science and metaphysical understandings have many grey areas… as it’s difficult to “Prove”, except through one’s own experience. So rather than look for Proof outside of you, look for it WithIN you.
Ego:
The conscious mind, the part that you identify with being “You”. It’s all about what “You” Need, or think you need. Without being in service to something, it’s always going to be aimed in a SelfCentered Only sort of way. (The Ego is not naturally Aware of The Soul, as its about keeping you alive and wanting to stay alive – earthly survival & thrival based)
Conscious Mind:
Everything inside of your Awareness (perceptions, sensations, feelings, thoughts, memories & fantasies).
Consciousness:
On a personal level, it is your Awareness OF your conscious mind and its various levels of input and processings. On a Collective Level its a representation of the totality of all Consciousness. All Things in existence have a part to play in Consciousness / The Whole / The Ocean; though not all things are conscious of it.
Soul:
Each soul is personal, an individuated aspect of consciousness / like a little drop of Life within you like taking a drop from the ocean – it’s from the same source and may have different aspects).
The soul records the consciousness, everything you think, say, or do. It all creates a vibration that has a – or + charge What we experience on the physical level, is a reflection of what is going on a soul level.
Spirit:
The Spirit is a universal force that interconnects and extends into all things. Spirit is what connects you to something greater than yourself. (It is NOT only selfCentered)
Karma:
The energetic consequences of the energy we have been engaging in for a milenia, as souls / Consciousness.
Click here to Watch this video for a simple explanation… and/or read on for more depth.
The soul is an individuated aspect of consciousness, like a drop of the ocean. The soul records the consciousness, everything you think, say, or do – It all creates a vibration that is – or +. What we experience on the physical level, is a reflection of what is going on a soul level.
The Soul is personal, belongs to you (It can be SelfCentered) It is indwelling from birth to death. Has an independent identity (like a drop of ocean water – it might have something in it that isn’t in the next drop of ocean water)
The Spirit is a universal force that interconnects and extends into all things. The Root of “Spirit” translates to Breathe or Wind. It’s part of how you think, say, feel & act. It’s shiftable – slowly, by meeting and transmuting your Karma.
Spirit is what connects you to something greater than yourself. (Is NOT selfCentered) Spiritual disconnection happens when we do not Feel with our Bodies, when we are disconnected from ourselves. By reconnecting with your body and your emotions, you can restore the connection with spirit that nourishes the Hope & Trust that our Soul needs, to keep doing the work of Transmuting our Karma.
One way to perceive the differences between Soul & Spirit is to compare a person to a Vehicle:
In this analogy, The Vehicle that is the Body, the Soul is the Engine, the Driver is Spirit & the Passenger is the Conscious Mind. (The point of the drive is that the driver and the vehicle are transporting the passenger to a destination to serve a function – like a taxi driver taking a Dr to a hospital for an emergency).
**now at a certain point this analogy breaks down, because it’s not quite that simply nor quite that concrete. We are talking about energy, DNA and karmic contracts after all!
The deeper you go into the soul work, the older the “stuff” is, where unconsciousness ancestral patterns lay. Middle layer is the subconscious – all the memories you’ve gotten from this lifetime (remembered or not). And in the top layer is the things you are consciously aware of.
When you get down through all the layers, you begin to experience the bliss of pure Soul energy.
This deep inner world is where all your power IS. That is where you can effect the deepest most long lasting change, on a physical, HERE AND NOW Way, as well as Karmically.
(As a side notes: many people live good and useful lives without ever questioning life to this level, and that is just fine! For others, everyday life without spiritual meaning can start to seem rather dull, boring or pointless. A feeling of dissatisfaction and sense that something is missing is often a sign that you are ready to start on your Spiritual Journey. To align your Soul and be connected with the spirit of life! In doing so, you orient yourself towards your authentic Purpose.)
Ego is our human ability to turn our service / Actions towards something. The something, being dictated by what we CHOOSE, or ALLOW. (**See “The Art of Contemplation” video) There comes a time when we have healed enough and oriented our soul and its work enough , that we begin to see our Soul & Ego as partnership dance.
Think of it like this… The Soul is the Deva of our physical Temple (our Body) and IF we assign the Ego as the temple Caretaker, then we can working in Unity. We honor our own Soul, when we Remember What We Are Here For and devote ourselves – put the Ego to work.).
Simply put, the Soul is here for specific work and it needs the Ego to be In Service to it, to achieve it’s Mission.
Much Love from The Mountain at Nemeton! If you are intrigued and want to delve deeper into your own personal potentials, keep a look out for the next round of InnerCartography Courses running Fall of 2021. In the mean time, Join us in the MWM & Nemeton Community Discord Space, to get to know the Community and ask questions (just look for the #innerCartography channel): Follow this Link to Join us.
Outdoor Rugged 
Indoor Nerdy
(Nature teaches quite elegantly, if we just shut up and listen)
Mountain Woman Medicine 