Listen carefully to all the signs that lead you to your soul
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When psychiatrist C.G. Jung talked about the soul, he referred to that part of ourselves that contains all of the answers we are looking for, but that are only good to us and nobody else.
Our soul is the only source of information that can tell us which path to take; therefore, we all have to follow our journey and call.
Independently of how successful other people’s lives seem and how much you would like to replicate their success, you have to discover your very own roadmap.
Who knows the way to the eternally fruitful climes of the soul? You seek the way through mere appearances; you study books and give ear to all kinds of opinions. What good is that? There is only onw way and that is your way. You seek the path. I warn you away from my own. It can also be the wrong way for you. May each go his own way.
An excellent way to find your very own calling and what your soul is telling you is to go deep into your psyche, listen to all the suggestions and pay attention to external signs that align with what is going on inside of you and that take the form of synchronicities.
The Gothic Mode is an excellent starting point.
What the Gothic Mode is and where to find it
It all started with English Literature in the late 17th century, although we could discuss that it already started with the Germanic tribes known as the Goths many centuries before.
But let’s keep it simple.
If you want to know more about the difference between Goth and Gothic you can watch my YouTube video:
Gothic Literature set roots in that powerful little country known as the UK and that impacted the world in many ways.
Its personal terrors, gloomy descriptions, inspired by its gloomy landscapes, and the impact that the industrial and scientific revolution had on its people were some elements that came through its literary production.
Centuries later, we still feel the Gothic is very much alive in many other ways, not only in this specific genre, but its elements can also be present in other genres and in non-fiction. We can even see the Gothic in our routines, in our transitions, in our losses, and in our despair.
It is certainly a mode.
Using the Gothic as a tool for self-help
Those things that we fear but are drawn to are deeply connected with us and rooted deep in our souls.
Whenever the world fails us, we go to the spaces where we find comfort. For some of us, this space is the Gothic, as it offers great ways for self-analysis and an invitation to self-reflection that you cannot find anywhere else.
After closing my in-person language school, I underwent much pain transitioning from one mental space to another. The only way I found comfort, as I have always done, was by going back to reading Gothic books, watching TV productions with Gothic elements, talking about it on my YouTube channel, and experiencing it in my own dark, cathartic writing.
It was there where I unavoidably kept bumping into the concept of the Shadow, which led me to Jungian analysis.
The more I investigated, the clearer it became to me that my soul was screaming something to me that I was blindly ignoring. As difficult and scary as it seemed, I had to take this call seriously and investigate further for my own benefit but also for the benefit of my students and clients.
More than a genre
Our creations are always enlightening pieces of information that tell us about our deepest desires and darkest thoughts.
Gothic literature, whether you read it or write it, is a fantastic tool for self-discovery.
But not many people know where to go to access it without getting lost or feeling overwhelmed.
That’s why, a year ago, I created my own online magazine, You Are Gothic But You Don’t Know It. Creating this magazine on a daily basis hasn’t just helped me organise tons of content I had scattered all over different folders, books, and documents for my personal journey. It has also helped me connect with my audience and figure out ways of assisting them.
Creating monthly awareness, tapping into your critical thinking and expressing your inner thoughts is a great way to keep you balanced.
You shouldn’t wait to be on holiday to connect with yourself by reading that book you’ve been meaning to read all year and you have kept postponing. You shouldn’t put yourself second or for the next day to listen to the voice inside your head claiming your attention.
You can do this regularly by having access to content that resonates with you like my online magazine, my Medium articles, my videos or my personal blog.
In my last blog entry, for example, I talked about How to Use Fate and Destiny to Create your Own Hero’s Journey to which one of my followers replied to me:
That's why it's recomendable to visit your channel and blog, to be able to elude reality and find good recommendations and entertainment.
Javier Villaverde on Facebook.
We might all be different, and our souls need different things, but we all share common fears, worries and needs to escape our own personal realities in similar ways.
The Gothic Mode is probably the healthiest tool to elude your reality, like Javier, because as you visit that space, you are also tapping into that part of your psyche that has been screaming at you for your attention. It is the screaming of your soul.
Starting Your Personal Journey
We are constantly reinventing ourselves, overcoming loss, and facing illnesses and professional challenges. Some people transition more gracefully than others, but at the end of the day, we all have to find strategies to come out, at least balanced, on the other side.
One of the first things I found out I needed to do when I struggled with my transition was to reconnect with myself by creating self-awareness.
I had been trying to cover my external needs for a long time and in the process I had been neglecting what my soul was telling me.
My answers had been there all along. They had started as scary films when I was little, Gothic literature when I learnt more about it at university and has continued evolving into the Gothic Mode as I became a researcher.
I have discovered much about myself in the process and I have been able to help my students discover much of what their souls are telling them to.
When what is going on inside becomes real on the outside, we can work with it later on either in therapy or in our coaching sessions.
Final Thoughts
There is still a long journey to help people understand Gothic Literature to its full potential.
The soul is that part of us that we don’t always listen to and that can get triggered by being exposed to Gothic literature and other Gothic productions.
Understanding the full potential of the Gothic Mode is a great tool for self-discovery.
Before you go out into the world, take an inner journey to listen to who you really are through your favourite genre.
Have you ever thought of the Gothic this way? Let me know in the comments.
Thanks for reading!
Do you need help to get clarity during your work, personal or professional transition process, or do you want to start a literary project but don't know how?
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