Each soul age level is a particular stage in the realization of that soul age’s perspective. I like the analogy that JP Van Hulle channeled, comparing the levels to going to the beach: At first level, we stick our toe in the water. At second level, we are in the water up to our waist (half in and half out). At third level, we dive in and are completely submerged. At fourth level, we reemerge, fully “wet” with that soul age’s perspective. At fifth level, we splash around and play. At sixth level, others splash us. And at seventh level, we return to the shore.

At first-level mature, for instance, a person is just beginning to see the world in terms of relatedness; much of his perspective is still focused on the outer world, as it was when he was a young soul, although he has a feeling of needing more than worldly success. At second level, a person is drawn more deeply into mature soul perspective, and can compare it to young soul perspective. Then there is a need to reconcile those two views, which can lead to inner conflict: “Which is more important, career or relationships?” for instance. The third-level mature soul is fully enmeshed in mature soul perspective, but doesn’t yet have the ability to confidently operate in it out in the world. He may feel the need to be less public while he discerns and evaluates. (Since the young soul cycle is about success, the third-level young soul may be more active in the world than before, but still without full confidence.)

Fourth level is in the middle—three levels have gone before, and three more are to come. It could be seen as the balance point, the place where the soul feels, “I’ve got it!” He is fully functioning at that soul age’s fundamental perspective—his foundation is in place—and can authoritatively carry it into the world. The fourth-level mature soul feels confident of his abilities in relationships. His relationships tend to be intense and central in his life, which may look at times like a soap opera, as can that of any mature soul, but the drama can be fun, too.

Naturally, once the foundation is in place, the soul wants to expand in new directions, which he does at fifth level, accessing and integrating more peripheral strands of experience. The fifth-level mature soul may have unusual or even eccentric ways of being and relating to others.

At sixth level, the soul “looks at his watch” and says, in effect, “I’m almost done with this soul age, and I need to tie up loose ends, particularly with other people.” This is a busy time for the soul, and can require many lifetimes to complete, particularly if the soul has a lot of karma to repay. Since the mature soul cycle is the most intense soul age to begin with, a person who is sixth-level mature can have a difficult time. After a few lifetimes of repaying difficult karmas, he can look shell-shocked, a little like one of those cartoon characters who keeps getting hit over the head with a frying pan, so that tweety birds are flying around the bumps. It is especially important for those who are at the sixth level to stay up to date with their internal processing of their experiences so that they develop conscious awareness; otherwise, they can quickly develop a large “backlog.” It can also be helpful for anyone who has had a difficult life of paying back much karma to realize that that is just a phase of development—every soul has lifetimes like that—and doesn’t indicate that he is a “bad person.”

Seventh level reminds me of an old McDonald’s commercial, “You deserve a break today….” Especially after the rigors of sixth-level mature, the soul feels ready for less intensity, and although there is still plenty of work to do, there can be a tendency toward complacency or even laziness. At seventh-level, the emphasis is on completing unfinished business with oneself rather than with others. Since seventh level is the culmination of the soul age, the soul wants to review what he has learned during all seven levels before moving on. A good way to do that is to teach it to at least one other person (the cardinal roles may teach it to many).