The Soul Code

“[An] acute and powerful vision . . . offers a renaissance of humane values.”—Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul and The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life Plato called it “daimon,” the Romans “genius,” the Christians “guardian angel”; today we use such terms as “heart,” “spirit,” and “soul.” While philosophers and psychologists from Plato to Jung have studied and debated the fundamental essence of our individuality, our modern culture refuses to accept that a unique soul guides each of us from birth, shaping the course of our lives. In this extraordinary bestseller, James Hillman presents a brilliant vision of our selves, and an exciting approach to the mystery at the center of every life that asks, “What is it, in my heart, that I must do, be, and have? And why?” Drawing on the biographies of figures such as Ella Fitzgerald and Mohandas K. Gandhi, Hillman argues that character is fate, that there is more to each individual than can be explained by genetics and environment. The result is a reasoned and powerful road map to understanding our true nature and discovering an eye-opening array of choices—from the way we raise our children to our career paths to our social and personal commitments to achieving excellence in our time. Praise for The Soul’s Code “Champions a glorious sort of rugged individualism that, with the help of an inner daimon (or guardian angel), can triumph against all odds.”—The Washington Post Book World “[A] brilliant, absorbing work . . . Hillman dares us to believe that we are each meant to be here, that we are needed by the world around us.”—Publishers Weekly

“[An] acute and powerful vision . . . offers a renaissance of humane values.”—Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul and The Re-Enchantment of Everyday Life Plato called it “daimon,” the Romans “genius,” the Christians “guardian angel”; today we use such terms as “heart,” “spirit,” and “soul.” While philosophers and psychologists from Plato to Jung have studied and debated the fundamental essence of our individuality, our modern culture refuses to accept that a unique soul guides each of us from birth, shaping the course of our lives. In this extraordinary bestseller, James Hillman presents a brilliant vision of our selves, and an exciting approach to the mystery at the center of every life that asks, “What is it, in my heart, that I must do, be, and have? And why?” Drawing on the biographies of figures such as Ella Fitzgerald and Mohandas K. Gandhi, Hillman argues that character is fate, that there is more to each individual than can be explained by genetics and environment. The result is a reasoned and powerful road map to understanding our true nature and discovering an eye-opening array of choices—from the way we raise our children to our career paths to our social and personal commitments to achieving excellence in our time. Praise for The Soul’s Code “Champions a glorious sort of rugged individualism that, with the help of an inner daimon (or guardian angel), can triumph against all odds.”—The Washington Post Book World “[A] brilliant, absorbing work . . . Hillman dares us to believe that we are each meant to be here, that we are needed by the world around us.”—Publishers Weekly

In his bestselling The Soul's Code, James Hillman restored passion and meaning to the concept of identity, arguing that each of us is born with an innate character, the "daimon" or "spirit" that calls us to what we are meant to be. Now, in The Force of Character, Hillman brings the idea of character full circle, offering a revolutionary new vision of life's most feared and misunderstood chapter: old age. "Aging is no accident," Hillman writes. "It is necessary to the human condition, intended by the soul." We become more characteristic of who we are simply by lasting into later years; the older we become, the more our true natures emerge. Thus the final years have a very important purpose: the fulfillment and confirmation of one's character. Contrary to the current genetic determinism that sees increased longevity as a wasted aberrance created by civilization, The Force of Character presents an explosive new thesis: The changes of old age, even the debilitating ones, have purposes and values organized by the psyche. Memory for recent events may falter, offering more place for long-term recollections. A heart condition in later life brings an opportunity to remove blockages from constricted relationships, while changes in sleep patterns allow the old to experience the profound elements of nighttime that we usually overlook. As Hillman says, "Aging makes metaphors of biology." In this empowering and original work, James Hillman resurrects the ancient, widespread, and socially effective idea of the old person as "ancestor," a model for the young, the bearer of a society's cultural memory and traditions. America disregards old people who aren't young-acting and young-looking. We don't realize that "oldness" is an archetypal state of being that can add value and luster to things we treasure, places we revere, and people's character. When we open our imaginations to the idea of the ancestor, aging can free us from convention and transform us into a force of nature, releasing our deepest beliefs for the benefit of society. For all who read it, The Force of Character will be a seminal, life-affirming experience.

With this book James Hillman initiated the "soul movement" in psychotherapy more than fifty years ago. Soul and suicide are dominant issues of this new millennium; soul because it cannot be reduced to genes and chromosomes; suicide because it raises fundamental religious, political, and legal conflicts. As Hillman writes in the Postscript to the second edition: "The individual consists of more than his or her personal individuality. Something besides 'myself' inhabits the soul, takes part in its life and has a say in its death...We need a...definition of self as the interiorization of community. Suicide, literally 'self-killing, ' now would mean both a killing of community and involvement of community in the killing."Hillman's book tries to carry Jung's ideas of a soul-informed psychology into the most wrenching agony of therapeutic practice: the suicide of the patient. It goes to the heart of therapy. Since we are each in a silent therapy with ourselves, the issue of suicide reaches into the heart of each of us. Suicide and the Soul resurrects "soul" from its reliquary in spiritual churchiness and instills the idea with the passion-laden daily life of soul food, soul music, soul brother, soul sister, and soul death.This new edition is introduced by the eminent psychiatrist and pioneering social critic Thomas Szasz

The Soul Code - 33 Days is a channelled book. The message is an affirmation for each one of us: we are not alone. We all have a coherent connection to our higher selves. This is the part of us that waits to be discovered and incorporated into our daily experience. It is here we find guidance and support. For 33 days, questions are asked and answered. Information is revealed that helps us make sense of lives, as well as the lives of those around us. We are all asking the same questions. The answers resonate and bring clarity. The information is profound, grounded, and concise. The message is clear and uplifting, supporting who we are doing in this present moment.

Light Codes for the Soul takes you on a journey to reconnect to the sacred, sublime you. As you navigate this series of channeled, high-vibrational energies, you can connect fully to All That Is, engage with empowering healing frequencies and awaken your authentic self. In this unique book, the universal, multidimensional energy of Light Language is consolidated and condensed, making its divine wisdom available to you through Light Codes. Through the symbols, stories, and messages in these pages, you can further your self-discovery and heal your mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual bodies. With these Light Codes as guides, we can travel to that far-away time when a primordial spark ignited the "great soul wound" of humanity. In that moment, our souls were fractured, so it is there that we must find the root of our confusion and emotional pain. It is there that we can rediscover the deepest part of ourselves, connect with our individual truth, and see with clarity the stories which shape and color our lives. Light Codes for the Soul is a gift of self-love and care that can bring you profound healing. It is a roadmap that shows you the way home: back to the spiritual wisdom, truth, and energy that feeds you, body, mind, and soul.

Tracy Kidder's "riveting" (Washington Post) story of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and has become essential reading for understanding the history of the American tech industry. Computers have changed since 1981, when The Soul of a New Machine first examined the culture of the computer revolution. What has not changed is the feverish pace of the high-tech industry, the go-for-broke approach to business that has caused so many computer companies to win big (or go belly up), and the cult of pursuing mind-bending technological innovations. The Soul of a New Machine is an essential chapter in the history of the machine that revolutionized the world in the twentieth century. "Fascinating...A surprisingly gripping account of people at work." --Wall Street Journal

The novel begins at the Library at Alexandria in ancient Egypt, when a mysterious inscription is found stating an enigmatic riddle about the Soul. In current times, at a major Medical Research Center in North Carolina, a part of the brain is found to have 'blank' tissue in a DNA test. Incredibly, an ancient language Code is found within this tissue. And importantly, this Code always disappears upon the donors death! The Centers relentless geneticist Dr. Eric Rhodes, struggles to make sense of this Discovery, theorizing that it may be related to Human Spirit (ones Soul). In order to prove this theory, he search's for a key to the Code within the Dead Sea Scrolls in Israel. After much trial and error, he finds an ancient document by a librarian at the Library at Alexandria, pertaining to "The Place of the Cure of the Soul!" This leads to the translation of the Code, revealing the central regions of the Soul. Meanwhile, a evolution zealot seeks to stop Eric after realizing that he is about to unravel the Code. He directs his operative to 'barbeque' Eric as the Code is being solved. When Eric's 'head' thuds to the table, the afterlife of ones 'Soul' is observed while in Heaven. Awakening from his coma, Eric prepares a major Paper describing this Discovery, the Code and its translation. Together with his lover, Dr. Janice Westphal, they announce this momentous Discovery at a Conference where he reveals 'A Window on the Soul.' Later, after speaking with many groups on finding the Code and the 'Window on the Soul, ' and much personal turmoil, Eric finally expresses his special 'knowledge' about Eternal Life and Heaven. In his understated way, he does this quietly, within his church and with various other groups. The story ends with Eric contemplating his 'connection' to the unsolved 'riddle.'