"To heal from our traumas, from soul loss, we must restore the conditions which
offer something alluring and compelling to coax the soul back home. In other
words, what reconstitutes the psyche after trauma, in addition to understanding
what happened, is reestablishing our place within the wider cosmological
context. We must be restored and re-storied to complete the rough initiation
that was precipitated by the trauma. In other words, we must return to our lives
as vital and engaged participants in the deep song of the world."
After studying initiation practices in various cultures, Francis Weller
distilled a set of variables that must be in place in order for a successful
transition from youth to adulthood. "These same conditions," he says,"are what
help us restore the psyche after trauma."
