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ยป Home ยป Turning Inwards

What is Ensoulment? (12 Deep Changes That Happen Within You)

by Aletheia Luna ยท Updated: Aug 21, 2025 ยท 114 Comments

Image of a tree and the cosmos symbolic of ensoulment
Ensoulment mystic wanderer image

The great malady of the twentieth century, implicated in all our troubles and affecting us individually and socially, is โ€œloss of soul.โ€ When the soul is neglected, it doesnโ€™t just go away; it appears symptomatically in obsessions, addictions, violence, and loss of meaning. โ€“ T. Moore

What is at the root of all our suffering?

This is a question that has haunted the minds of humanity since the dawn of time.

What weโ€™ve learned from religion and spiritual traditions alike is that the core of our torment is rooted deep within human beings.


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It is a canker of the Soul. A fragmentation of the psyche. A disturbance of the mind. A severance from nature. A desecration of the very world around us.

All of this pain is rooted in the loss of Soul.

This is why Ensoulment โ€“ being in the soul or living in alignment with the Soul โ€“ is so critical.

Table of contents

  • What Happens When We Are Severed From the Soul?
  • What Actually is the Soul?
  • What is Ensoulment?
  • 12 Deep Transformations That Happen When You Become More Ensouled
  • Four Sacred Paths of Ensoulment
  • Conclusion

What Happens When We Are Severed From the Soul?

image of a person with a bandage over their head and a black butterfly on their mouth symbolic of soul loss

When we are cut off from the Soul, we are cut off from each other and the world.

It is then that we collapse into a state of fundamentalism, cold rationalism, and mechanistic reductionism that sees the world/others as an object to be used and discarded.

When we are severed from the Soul, human beings become deranged.

Illnesses of every kind begin to emerge, starting within the body as chronic illnesses and eating disorders โ€“ ending with mental illnesses, existential crises, paranoia, hatred, suicide, murder, and the psychotic abuse of our most innocent members of society.


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For humanity to heal, we must reconnect with the Soul. We must become Ensouled. For us to reverse, in whatever way possible, the direct path of self-destruction weโ€™re forging right now, we must be initiated onto our Soul’s path.

Ensoulment is the answer to Soul Loss, which is the most severe pandemic of all time, afflicting all people of all races and countries. 

Humanity has lost its Soul, and without a move toward Ensoulment, what hope is there for our childrenโ€™s children to survive in a world that is being laid to waste as we speak?

What Actually is the Soul?

Image of a pure white light symbolic of the soul

We all possess a Soul. On a fundamental level, Soul is our animating essence โ€“ it derives from the Old English word sฤwol, which means โ€œspiritual and emotional part of a person, animate existenceโ€ (1).

Through the ages, thanks to both religious and wider spiritual influence alike, the Soul has been understood as the indwelling spark of Divinity we all carry. 

In a nutshell, Soul is your innermost essence or Spirit embodied in earthly form. To use a simple analogy, Spirit is like pure light, whereas Soul is the kaleidoscopic, multi-colored lens through which Spirit shines.

Your Soul can also grow and expand throughout life.

In the words of poet Kahlil Gibran,

The soul walks not upon a line, neither does it grow like a reed. The soul unfolds itself, like a lotus of countless petals.

The Soul is paradoxical in nature and is both wholly human and wholly Divine.

Ever heard the expression, “He’s a lost soul,” or “She sold her soul”? The Soul can become sick, lethargic, and lost. But there is another part of the Soul, the Divine part (the “Immortal Soul”), that can guide and support us.

What is Ensoulment?

Image of a woman standing on a beach alone

There’s a part of every living thing that wants to become itself: the tadpole into the frog, the chrysalis into the butterfly, a damaged human being into a whole one. โ€“ Ellen Bass

The word Ensoulment is composed of ‘Ensoul,’ which means to endow or imbue with a Soul, and the suffix โ€˜ment,โ€˜ which means action or process. So, Ensoulment quite literally refers to the process of being infused with Soul.

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Ensoulment is about learning how to live more in alignment with your Soul by listening to its authentic wants, needs, and values. It’s a path of embodying your most authentic Self.

Another synonym for Ensoulment is Soul recovery or the shamanic notion of Soul retrieval; however, Ensoulment is more of an ongoing philosophy and lived experience than a single shamanic ritual.

Note on the traditional meaning: Originally, Ensoulment was a term with religious connotations, referring to the moment in which a fetus gains a Soul. But thatโ€™s not what weโ€™re talking about in this article. Instead, we have intentionally redefined and reimagined Ensoulment to mean the ongoing experience of Soul Initiation. 

12 Deep Transformations That Happen When You Become More Ensouled

Image of a woman standing in the sunlight with a veil symbolic of ensoulment

The sole purpose of human existence is to kindle a light in the darkness of mere being. โ€“ Carl Jung, Psychiatrist & Ensouled human being

Soul Loss looks like anxiety, depression, addictions, narcissism, violence, and abuse of all kinds. 

Ensoulment, on the other hand, looks like openness, warmth, creativity, compassion, connectivity, joy, and a purpose-driven life.

To summarize, here are twelve transformations that often happen when you start to become more Ensouled:

  1. Living more in the present moment.
  2. Receptivity, humility, and openness.
  3. Creativity and living a life of rich self-expression.
  4. Having a strong sense of meaning and purpose.
  5. Knowing and honing your unique spiritual gifts.
  6. Feeling more connected to and led by your intuition.
  7. Greater ability to let go and surrender to a Higher Power.
  8. Moving toward internal integration and Wholeness.
  9. Experiencing more signs, synchronicities, and doors opening.
  10. Feeling connected with other people, the world, and Life itself.
  11. Heartfulness (awe, reference, wonder, enchantment, devotion, compassion).
  12. Orienting to the mysterious, the numinous, and the magic within and without you.

Ensouled people live with a great sense of creative meaning and purpose, are connected to their hearts, and feel a stronger connection with the Divine.

This journey isn’t something we can quickly “achieve” in the traditional sense. It’s not a linear path. It’s a spiralic, ebbing and flowing journey. Itโ€™s a movement of nature: organic but powerful. There is no single โ€œfinish lineโ€ โ€“ Ensoulment is an ever-deepening process of illumination, growth, and interconnectedness.

Four Sacred Paths of Ensoulment

Image of a rock doorway leading to the cosmos with a person standing shining a light symbolic of ensoulment

The doors to the world of the wild Self are few but precious. If you have a deep scar, that is a door, if you have an old, old story, that is a door. If you love the sky and the water so much you almost cannot bear it, that is a door. If you yearn for a deeper life, a full life, a sane life, that is a door. โ€• Clarissa Pinkola Estรฉs, Writer, Analyst & Ensouled human being

How do we become more Ensouled? Thatโ€™s the next reasonable question. The answer is that there are different types of doorways, all with their unique potentials, gifts, and capacities. 

Iโ€™ve spent over a decade exploring paths of Ensoulment. Here’s a sample of some of the most powerful paths:

Physical/Earth-centered Paths:

Image of a man sitting with the fire beneath the stars

The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond, and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.

โ€• Daniel Defoe
  • Dancing
  • Singing
  • Solitude
  • Drumming
  • Nature walking
  • Gardening
  • Plant Medicine
  • Ecotherapy

Emotional Paths:

Image of a beautiful pink flower symbolic of the heart of what is a mystic

Love is the nature of the soul.

โ€“ John Oโ€™Donohue

Let yourself be silently drawn by the strange pull of what you really love. It will not lead you astray. โ€• Rumi

  • Devotion
  • Self-love
  • Contemplating beauty
  • Heart-centered meditation
  • Inner child work
  • Caring for a family/other beings

Imaginative Paths:

Image of a vibrant sky symbolic of soul work

Music and art and poetry attune the soul to God. 

โ€“ Thomas Merton 
  • Writing/Journaling
  • Drawing/Painting
  • Crafting
  • Music-making
  • Ritual
  • Mythology/symbology
  • Vision quests
  • Shamanic journeying

Mental Paths:

Image of a boat with a lantern on the lake at sunrise with stars in the sky

Knowledge is the food of the soul.

โ€“ Plato

Quiet the mind, and the soul will speak.

โ€• Ma Jaya Sati Bhagavati

  • Prayer
  • Chanting
  • Silence
  • Lectio Divina
  • Meditation
  • Reading books
  • Dream work
  • Mindfulness
  • Shadow work

Of course, not all of these paths lead exclusively to Ensoulment. 

Gardening, for instance, can easily become a mindless chore if it lacks a sense of heart and soul. Another example from the above list is chanting, which can become a dead droning of empty words if it isnโ€™t first imbued with deep feeling and intention.

In summary, whatever we do with depth and focus can be a path of Ensoulment (i.e., Soul Work) โ€“ itโ€™s all about your heartโ€™s inner attitude and the meaning you infuse into what you do.

Essentially, Ensoulment is inner archaeology โ€“ it helps us to go back to the root of our being. Choose what resonates with you and leave the rest.

Conclusion

Image of a hand holding a crystal ball

Ensoulment is essential because you and I โ€“ and Mother Earth at large โ€“ crucially and desperately need it.


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Weโ€™re suffering from pandemic proportions of Soul Loss thatโ€™s only getting worse, putting us on the fast track to the sixth mass extinction.

Weโ€™re not only destroying Mother Nature and the ecosystem, but weโ€™re also experiencing large-scale cultural collapse that is undermining the fabric of our civilization.

We need to think bigger as a race. Whatever we do canโ€™t merely be for the individual โ€“ we donโ€™t have that luxury. Our efforts must be directed toward the Whole. And that starts at a root level: becoming reconnected to our Souls again.

Being true to who we are means carrying our spirit like a candle in the center of our darkness.

โ€“ Mark Nepo

What does living an Ensouled life mean to you? What are the biggest struggles or blocks you face? I welcome you to share below. You never know who you may reassure or comfort by doing so.

Whenever you feel the call, there are 3 ways I can help you:

1. The Spiritual Wanderer Course: Need "big picture" direction, clarity, and focus? Our Spiritual Wanderer course is a crystallization of 10+ years of inner work, and it can help you find your deeper path and purpose in life as a spiritual wanderer. You get 3+ hours of audio-visual content, workbooks, meditations, a premium test, and more!.

2. Shadow & Light Membership: Want weekly intuitive guidance to support you on your awakening path? This affordable membership can help you to befriend your dark side, rediscover more self-love, and reclaim inner wholeness.

3. The Alchemical Soul Work Workbook: This powerful psychospiritual tool helps you turn inner blockages into breakthroughs using the ancient wisdom of spiritual alchemy. Through guided prompts and deep self-reflection, youโ€™ll gain clarity, dissolve emotional pain, and reconnect with your Soulโ€™s wisdom. Transform confusion into clarity. Live a more authentic, ensouled life.

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About Aletheia Luna

Aletheia Luna is a prolific psychospiritual writer, author, educator, and intuitive guide whose work has touched the lives of millions worldwide. As a survivor of fundamentalist religious abuse, her mission is to help others find love, strength, and inner light in even the darkest places. She is the author of hundreds of popular articles, as well as numerous books and journals on the topics of Self-Love, Spiritual Awakening, and more. [Read More]

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  1. April brandi says

    February 10, 2025 at 8:00 pm

    Love this thank u ๐Ÿ’“

    Reply
    • Aletheia Luna says

      August 21, 2025 at 12:33 pm

      Thanks April. :)

      Reply
  2. Tabbitha says

    November 01, 2024 at 10:56 am

    Literally EVERYTHING that you write resonated well within my soul! You are documenting all the things I have overcome and then some, as if we were one in the same!! โœจ๏ธ

    Reply
    • Mateo Sol says

      November 01, 2024 at 12:29 pm

      That’s so wonderful Tabbitha, I’m happy you feel so seen in what we’re sharing ๐Ÿ˜Š๐Ÿ’œ

      Reply
  3. Christina Smith says

    September 18, 2023 at 1:25 am

    This is crazy. I seriously thought I was reading a book of who I really am. Thank you so much for sharing. It’s nice to know I’m not crazy. I have come to know that I have been in shadow work since I was 6. Just a year ago I “Awakened”. Again thank you.

    Reply
    • Mateo Sol says

      September 19, 2023 at 6:45 am

      We’re so happy you resonated with this Christina! ๐Ÿ˜Š

      Reply
  4. AnonymousPerson says

    June 29, 2023 at 5:04 am

    Considering it’s easier for me to connect with the Divine Masculine, I’m considering just reading Divine Feminine books. So I just googled stuff like, “Divine feminine books,” “Sacred feminine books,” and “Goddess spirituality books,” for some insights on it, and there are some lists out there for people to read, if anyone is curious. Right now I’m reading Women Who Run with the Wolves, by Clarissa Pinkola Estes, simply because the Huntress archetype of the “7 feminine archetypes” (look it up if you don’t know) seems to be the feminine archetype I relate to the most. Though, also perhaps the sage and the mystic may be a close second, though I’m not sure about the order of influence. For some reason, this article strikes me as something that would lead me to recommend such books to people, and I’m not sure why. I just get this “yin” instinct from this article somehow, more than usual, for some reason.

    Reply
    • Aletheia Luna says

      June 30, 2023 at 12:57 pm

      Yes, that makes sense AnonymousPerson โ€“ ensoulment deals with the soul, which we could say is the ‘yin’ aspect of our being, whereas spirit is the ‘yang’. Both soul and spirit are two sides of the same coin. Thank you for sharing these thoughts and reflections. :)

      Reply
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Aletheia Luna and Mateo Sol are psychospiritual educators, authors, guides, and the creators behind lonerwolf.com, which has reached millions worldwide since 2012. With over 30 years of combined experience, their work has been featured in publications like The Mindโ€™s Journal, Wake Up World, Tiny Buddha, and more. Their mission is to help seekers overcome soul loss and live a more purposeful, ensouled life. Start here ยป

 

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