What we call the beginning is often the end. And to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from.
T.S. Eliot
There is a path that we walk each time we encounter change, whether this is through loss, bereavement, or another ending. It's an eternal upward spiral that gives us an opportunity to recognise who we are, and to come face to face with our essential selves.
We continue to repeat the same lessons until we finally learn them. The route map highlights the milestones along the way and shows us what we can expect.
Knowing this affords us comfort and helps us to understand the purpose of each stage. The journey never ends but continues so that we can become who we were always meant to be.
The word essence describes our unique blueprint, what makes us individual, and where our greatest gifts are to be found.
Connecting with our Essence is the outcome of navigating change and transformation, as well as a deep seated urge which leads us to experience fulfilment and a sense of purpose.
Our Essence is our soul signature, as unique as we are. No-one else in the world shares the same Essence. It's what we are here to uncover and, most importantly, to share with the world. Our journey through all the stages of the Essence Map is intended to reconnect us to our truth.
The foundation of everything I do is the Essence Map. It's been my companion for over 15 years. It emerged following a series of personal losses and shifts that enabled me to see patterns and cycles of change.
A framework began to appear. I had plenty of opportunities to test my theory and uncovered an upward spiral of change, each instance teaching me something new about myself, peeling back another layer, and connecting to something deeper within me.
Some time later I came across Joseph Campbell's Hero's Journey. While some of the phases had different names, I found that I could overlay my Essence Map on to it.
The Essence Map became my route map through life. It explained the challenges I was experiencing, guided me through the ebb and flow of life, and showed me how to handle each phase. I added more detail to it with each ending and new beginning.
Although the map was intended to illuminate our individual journeys, it also now fits the path we're taking as a global collective.
In this resource I want to share with you what I know about the Essence Map and the overarching message that, whatever your circumstances, there is always light at the end of the tunnel.
But, mostly, the map is about that lifelong journey we take back to our selves, to our truth, and to who we truly are.
The stages
The Essence Map is an upward spiral. We are not going around in circles — each time we travel the map we emerge changed, with a deeper understanding of who we are.
The End — a pivotal moment. Loss, bereavement, relationship breakdown, redundancy, health crisis. An ending is the start of a new chapter. It is the catalyst.
The Void — the in-between space. We can't go backwards or forwards. It is a sacred time of regrouping, healing, and recalibration. We are being remade.
Flow — within the Void we are nudged toward creative expression. Photography, making, writing, music. In the act of creation we catch our first glimpses of Essence.
Letting Go — an essential companion to the Void. We declutter, physically and mentally, making room for the new. We cannot take everything with us.
The Beginning — a new life emerges, gradually. We may not recognise it until we look back. We are the same but different, forever altered.
Essence — our truth, our superpower, our unique soul signature. Each ending brings us a step closer to knowing who we really are, and living that truth.
Oneness — as we reconnect to our own Essence, we begin to see our connection to others, to nature, and to the cosmos. What begins as a personal journey becomes a universal one.