The Soul's Code

Before you were born into this body, before your parents 'had' you, you did some karmic data analysis, and after guidance from your daimon you chose your body and your parents based on your goals for this incarnation. This daimon stays with you throughout your life, and remembers your purpose here and all your incarnations while you cannot. This idea is thousands of years old, and recurs globally in a variety of cultures, and it is Hillman's contention that your daimon (which he renames your acorn, though the pine cone is a common symbol for it as well) contains your purpose--vocation or calling--and it is imprinted in you at a young age. Some are privileged to know from elementary school what their purpose is...Hillman provides myriad examples of savants in numerous fields whose careers had a sense of destiny about them. And it is also Hillman's contention that not knowing or straying from your purpose or calling will disconnect you from your daimon with catastrophic results for your health and contentment. And most of us fumble along, disconnected, living lives "of quiet desperation," never recognizing our immortal aspect. Of course this work comes straight out of the Jungian project of merging esoteric traditions, religions, myths, symbols, astrology, alchemy etc into psychoanalysis. Socrates summed up this book nicely with his admonition: 'Know thyself! '