I love the work of Joseph Campbell who wrote ‘The Hero’s Journey’. He outlines the internal journey a person must go through to successfully navigate the transitions of life. Most of our fairy tales are built on such a journey, and, whilst the characters are different, the process is always similar.
A spiritual awakening is likened to the hero’s journey. Ultimately, awakening for us all is a process. Below is a road map outlining the six stages of a spiritual awakening.
1. Activation
This often results from a life event that stops you on your path and invites a new direction.
The event could be:
- the death of a loved one
- a chronic illness
- the end of a long-term partnership
- falling in love
- the end of a career or job
- a pandemic, or
- the displacement that follows an ecological trauma (like a bushfire or flood event).
The activation could happen instantaneously or over a longer period of time (weeks or months). Whatever the situation may be, it is a catalyst for change and growth – if the invitation is accepted.
Finally, your soul has awakened from its holding pattern and your nervous system is enlivened. You will find that you have the available energy to make those decisions that have been in your ‘too hard’ basket for so long. Whilst this extra fight/flight energy might not be sustainable over a long period of time, it does allow for a more focused approach and can serve as rocket fuel for your transition.
2. Bliss
3. The Dark Night of the Soul
Even though you have woken up and can now see and feel your future, there are still demands in your life, which appear to still have power over you. This can feel like a drop in your energy or the bursting of your own love bubble. It is common to feel a victim to these lower energies and you may want to go back to the way things were, back to your eagle-eye view. However, you won’t know how to anymore. Everything has changed. You are too awake to go back to your former holding pattern, and your soul would not allow this anyway. Your soul likes being awake.
It is important to remember that this ‘dark night of the soul’ is not a permanent state.
Emotions that no longer serve you are coming up in order to be cleared. It was the second stage of awakening (Bliss) that opened the doorway for this emotional progression and if we can see this phase as a time of clearing, and not as a time of difficulty, we will be divinely supported to surrender feelings much faster. The key is to allow the process of ego death – to get out of your own way.
4. The Long Sleep
5. Integration
6. New Life
Good morning! One day you wake up and have only a distant memory of how your life used to be. It may seem like a past life as you embrace each new day. Your love of life has returned. There will still be ups and downs but nothing compared to life in the Matrix.
Give thanks you survived and are so much the wiser for the journey.

Melanie Spears
In all of my work, my intention is to help people find the inspiration to stop, smell the roses, and take stock of what is truly important, in a world that appears to be turning in an ever-increasing pace.
Gratitude is the Beginning…

Melanie Spears
In all of my work, my intention is to help people find the inspiration to stop, smell the roses, and take stock of what is truly important, in a world that appears to be turning in an ever-increasing pace.
Gratitude is the Beginning…
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