https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 20:39:48 +0000 Soul Age - Michael Teachings Channeling - Q & A en https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/341/quick-summary-of-soul-ages Wed, 29 May 2013 14:49:31 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 341@/channeling/discussions THE APPROXIMATE AGE OF THE SOUL CAN BE DETERMINED BY ITS PERCEPTION OF ITSELF AND THE WORLD AROUND IT.

THE INFANT OR “FIRST-BORN” SOUL PERCEIVES ITSELF AND THE WORLD AROUND IT SIMPLY AS “ME” AND “NOT ME”. IN THIS CYCLE THERE ARE NO RACIAL MEMORIES. IF “NOT ME” IS PERCEIVED AS HOSTILE AND UNKIND EARLY IN LIFE, WITHDRAWAL OCCURS, AND A CONDITION KNOWN AS AUTISM OFTEN RESULTS. IF THIS PERCEPTION OCCURS LATER, THE INFANT SOUL MAY REACT WITH UNCHECKED VIOLENCE: SADISM, MURDER WITHOUT VISIBLE PROVOCATION, ACTS OF UNBELIEVABLE CRUELTY. THE INFANT SOUL TRULY DOES NOT KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RIGHT AND WRONG ACTION, BUT IT CAN BE TAUGHT THE LAWS OF COMMON SENSE AND DECENCY.

THE BABY SOUL PERCEIVES ITSELF AND THE WORLD AROUND IT AS “ME” AND “MANY OTHER MES”. THE BABY SOUL FORMS STRONG BELIEFS EARLY IN CHILDHOOD, BORROWED FROM THOSE AROUND IT, AND THESE ARE LITERALLY UNSHAKABLE AND INCORRUPTIBLE. THE BABY SOUL IS NORMALLY AGREEABLE, A PILLAR OF THE COMMUNITY — UNTIL AN OPPOSING VIEWPOINT IS EXPRESSED. THEN, INWARDLY THE BABY SOUL IS BEWILDERED — BAFFLED BY THE DIFFERENCE. OUTWARDLY, IT WILL EXPRESS ANGER, HOSTILITY, NEGATIVE EMOTIONAL ENERGY, BELLIGERENCE.

THE YOUNG SOUL PERCEIVES ITSELF AND THE WORLD AROUND IT IN QUITE A DIFFERENT MANNER THAN IN THE PRECEDING CYCLES. IT PERCEIVES ITSELF AS “ME”, AND IT PERCEIVES YOU AS “YOU”, BUT IT PERCEIVES “YOU” AS DIFFERENT FROM “ME”, AND EXPERIENCES THE NEED TO CHANGE YOU — TO BRING YOU AROUND TO ITS POINT OF VIEW.

THE MATURE SOUL: THIS IS THE MOST DIFFICULT CYCLE OF ALL, FOR THE MATURE SOUL PERCEIVES OTHERS AS THEY PERCEIVE THEMSELVES. BECAUSE OF THESE PERCEPTIONS, THE MATURE SOUL WILL OFTEN SEEK TO SEVER RELATIONSHIPS, SEEMINGLY FOR NO REASON, OR BY THE SAME TOKEN, SEEK TO PERPETUATE OUTWARDLY INAPPROPRIATE RELATIONSHIPS. IF YOU AND I ARE BOTH MATURE SOULS, WITHIN THIS FRAMEWORK ARE ALSO YOUR EXPERIENCES OF ME. IN OTHER WORDS, WHILE I AM EXPERIENCING YOU, YOU ARE ALSO EXPERIENCING ME, AND AT THE SAME TIME, YOU ARE AWARE OF MY EXPERIENCE, AND UPON THIS DEEPER AWARENESS, YOU AND I WILL BASE ANY FUTURE SOCIAL INTERCOURSE.

THE OLD SOUL PERCEIVES OTHERS AS A PART OF SOMETHING GREATER THAT INCLUDES ITSELF.

THE TRANSCENDENTAL SOUL EXPERIENCES OTHERS AS ITSELF. TELEPATHIC RAPPORT AND PSYCHIC UNION OCCUR. THESE EXALTED SOULS SELDOM SEEK REINCARNATION IN THE PHYSICAL BODY. IF THEY DO, IT IS USUALLY BECAUSE OF THE SPIRITUAL AND/OR PHILOSOPHICAL ENNUI EXISTING ON THE PLANET, AND THEN THEY NORMALLY PRECEDE THE DESCENT OF THE REALIZED MASTERS BY LESS THAN ONE HUNDRED YEARS. THE TRANSCENDENTAL SOUL CAN ENTER THE PHYSICAL BODY AND DISPLACE AN OLD SOUL AT ANY TIME DURING THE LIFE CYCLE. IT HAS HAPPENED THAT THE PRESENCE OF THE TRANSCENDENTAL SOUL ALONE WAS ENOUGH TO PROVOKE THE NEEDED SPIRITUAL, PHILOSOPHICAL, OR CULTURAL REVOLUTION.

THE INFINITE SOUL PERCEIVES THE TAO.

Love & Sex

THE INFANT SOUL PERCEIVES LOVE ONLY IN THE FORM OF LUST. IT PERFORMS THE SEX ACT WITH ALL THE FRENZY OF A WILD ANIMAL, COMPLETELY DEPENDENT UPON SOME INNATE ESTRUS LOST TO HIGHER CYCLES. IT IS POWERLESS TO CHANGE THIS.

THE BABY SOUL VIEWS ITS OWN SEXUALITY WITH A VAGUE UNEASINESS, AND IF THE CULTURE FOSTERS SUCH, WILL THINK OF IT AS SOMEHOW SHAMEFUL. THE BABY SOUL WILL BE EMBARRASSED BY OVERT DISPLAYS OF HONEST SEXUALITY, AND IT WILL STRIVE TO KEEP THE OTHERS AROUND IT BOUND DOWN BY ITS OWN REPREHENSIBLE MORAL CODE. BEHIND CLOSED DOORS, THE BABY SOUL IS MORE OFTEN THAN NOT QUITE AS PRUDISH AS IT IS IN PUBLIC, AND SELDOM SUSTAINS ANY SORT OF SENSUAL PLEASURE. NOT HAVING EXPERIENCED SUCH, IT NATURALLY DOES NOT “BELIEVE” IN THE EXISTENCE OF THE EXPERIENCE.

IF THE YOUNG SOUL’S OWN PERSONAL OPINION OF SEX IS RATHER LOW, IT WILL DO ITS BEST TO CONVINCE THOSE AROUND IT THAT SEX IS EVIL AND SHOULD BE ESCHEWED. RENUNCIATE MONKS AND NUNS ARE QUITE OFTEN YOUNG SOULS. THEY RENOUNCE LOUDLY AND TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO REMIND THE WORLD AROUND THEM THAT THEY HAVE RENOUNCED. ON THE OTHER HAND, THE YOUNG SOUL CAN BE AN EQUALLY ZEALOUS PROPONENT OF TOTAL SEXUAL FREEDOM. THE YOUNG SOUL PERCEIVES LOVE AS EROS, SOLELY PREDICATED UPON THOSE EXPECTATIONS IT HAS OF THE OTHERS AROUND IT. IF THE OTHERS FAIL TO LIVE UP TO THOSE EXPECTATIONS, THE YOUNG SOUL CAN HATE WITH EQUAL ZEST. SEXUAL CONFLICTS CAN BE AGONIZING IN THIS CYCLE — EARLY TRAINING VERSUS INTERNAL URGE.

WITH THE RIGHT PARTNER (ANOTHER MATURE SOUL WHO HAS BECOME CENTERED OR AN OLDER SOUL) THE MATURE SOUL CAN BE AN ARDENT LOVER. THE LOVE IS DEEP AND LASTING, FOR AGAPE IS POSSIBLE DURING THIS CYCLE IF THE INNER CONFLICTS ARE RESOLVED. WITH THE WRONG PARTNER, THERE IS APATHY, IMPOTENCY, FRIGIDITY, INFIDELITY. THIS SOUL HAS MORE OF A TENDENCY TO “MATE FOR LIFE” THAN ANY OF THE OTHER CYCLES, PROVIDING A COMFORTABLE MATING OCCURS.

THE OLD SOUL IS CASUAL ABOUT SEX IN THE EARLIER LEVELS BECAUSE EROTIC LOVE BEGINS TO LOSE ITS CHARM. IN THE FINAL LEVEL, THE OLD SOUL OFTEN DOES NOT PARTICIPATE FOR LACK OF PURPOSE (SEX ADDS NOTHING TO ITS LIFE). THE OLD SOUL IS INTENSELY SENSUAL, HOWEVER, AND DOES ENJOY CLOSE PHYSICAL CONTACT. THE OLD SOUL IS USUALLY AN EXPERIENCED AND EXCITING PARTNER FOR A SOUL IN AN EARLIER CYCLE, BUT CAN BE A VERY DISAPPOINTING LOVER BECAUSE OF ITS NONCHALANCE.

NEITHER THE TRANSCENDENTAL SOUL NOR THE INFINITE SOUL PURSUES PHYSICAL UNION. QUITE OFTEN, HOWEVER, THE HIGH CAUSAL BODY OR THE HIGH MENTAL BODY DISPLACES AN OLDER SOUL, AND AT THE TIME OF THE MANIFESTATION, THE SEXUAL ACTIVITY CEASES. THESE SOULS ARE NOT CHALLENGED BY MAYA.

Higher Education

LET IT BE KNOWN THAT INTELLECT IS NOT A FACTOR IN ANY OF THESE CYCLES. INTELLECT IS A PRODUCT OF CULTURE, AND EVEN FIRSTBORNS AND INFANT SOULS CAN BE TAUGHT TO READ, WRITE AND COMPUTE ARITHMETICALLY. INFANT SOULS RARELY SEEK HIGHER EDUCATION UNLESS FORCED. THEY ARE BEWILDERED AND HOSTILE IN STRANGE SITUATIONS.

THE BABY SOUL OCCASIONALLY SEEKS HIGHER EDUCATION — DOES WELL IN SMALL, CONSERVATIVE LIBERAL ARTS COLLEGES, TRADE SCHOOLS — LEARNS “PROPER” SUBJECTS, IS OFTEN THE “GOOD STUDENT”.

THE YOUNG SOUL ALMOST ALWAYS SEEKS HIGHER EDUCATION, USUALLY GRADUATE DEGREES. THE YOUNG SOUL IS A TIRELESS WORKER FOR ITS CAUSE, AND WILL GO THROUGH UNBELIEVABLE HARDSHIP TO BRING THIS CAUSE TO BEAR: EDUCATION CAN BE AN EXAMPLE OF THIS.

THE MATURE SOUL ALWAYS SEEKS HIGHER EDUCATION, ALTHOUGH NOT ALWAYS IN AN INSTITUTIONAL SETTING. IT IS OFTEN TOO UNCOMFORTABLE IN A SCHOOL SETTING. THE MATURE SOUL MAKES MASSIVE CONTRIBUTIONS TO KNOWLEDGE, BOTH PHILOSOPHICAL AND SCIENTIFIC. KARL MARX, ALFRED ADLER, FRITZ PERLS, SIGMUND FREUD, IMMANUEL KANT, ARISTOTLE, AND ALBERT EINSTEIN WERE ALL MATURE SOULS.

THE OLDER SOUL USUALLY ENJOYS HARD, MANUAL LABOR, BUT SELDOM WORKS AS AN ARTISAN. IT MAY OR MAY NOT SEEK HIGHER EDUCATION. IF PRESSURE IS EXERTED BY THE GURU, IT WILL, OR IF IT SENSES THAT ITS TASK SOMEHOW INVOLVES THE NECESSITY FOR OBTAINING THE PROPER CREDENTIALS.

THE TRANSCENDENTAL SOUL SELDOM “SEEKS” ANY SORT OF FORMAL EDUCATION, ALTHOUGH IT WILL GO ALONG WITH WHAT IS FORCED UPON IT CHEERFULLY UNLESS IT INTERFERES TOO GREATLY WITH ITS PURPOSE. THEN THE TRANSCENDENTAL SOUL WILL GENTLY BUT FIRMLY BALK.

THE INFINITE SOUL HAS DIRECT ACCESS TO ALL KNOWLEDGE AND HAS NO NEED FOR EDUCATION OF ANY TYPE.

Religion

THE INFANT SOUL ADOPTS THE RELIGION OF ITS PARENTS WITHOUT MODIFICATION, ALTHOUGH ITS INTEREST IS CURSORY AND ITS UNDERSTANDING POOR.

THE BABY SOUL TENDS TO BE FUNDAMENTALISTIC IN ITS RELIGIOUS BELIEFS. PERSONIFICATION OF THE GODHEAD IS THE STRONGEST IN THIS CYCLE. THE BABY SOUL BELIEVES IN THE FORCES OF EVIL.

THE YOUNG SOUL, IF RELIGIOUSLY INCLINED, TENDS TOWARD ORTHODOXY IN THE EXTREME. IT WILL CAMPAIGN TIRELESSLY AGAINST ALL RELIGIOUS REFORM. IF THE YOUNG SOUL IS ATHEISTIC, IT WILL BE EQUALLY AS TIRELESS IN ITS EFFORTS TO WIPE OUT THE ORTHODOXY OF OTHERS.

RELIGION BECOMES SELF-MOTIVATED IN THE MATURE SOUL CYCLE. THE MATURE SOUL SEEKS QUIET FAITHS — QUAKERS, UNITARIANS, BUDDHISM.

THE RELIGION OF THE OLD SOUL IS EXPANSIVE AND INCLUDES UNORTHODOX RITUALS. GROVES OF TREES BECOME CATHEDRALS, AND THE PRESENCE OF THE REALIZED MASTERS IS OFTEN FELT BY OLDER SOULS. THE SYNTHESIS IS PERCEIVED IN THE FINAL CYCLE, AND OLD SOULS SELDOM CLING TO DOGMA.

THE TRANSCENDENTAL SOUL PERCEIVES THE SYNTHESIS AND TEACHES IT AS SUCH — [it] WILL NOT ESPOUSE POPULAR DOGMA AND DOES NOT AFFILIATE WITH ORGANIZED RELIGION.

THE RELIGION OF THE INFINITE SOUL IS THE LOGOS.

Miscellaneous

OLD SOULS ARE GARDENERS. YOUNG SOULS WITH FABULOUS ESTATES PAY THEM WELL TO EXERCISE THIS INBORN TALENT. THE MONEY THUS GAINED IS USED BY THE MID CAUSAL BODY TO PERPETUATE ITS INFLUENCE ON THE PHYSICAL PLANE.
MANY NURSERIES ARE SCHOOLS RUN BY MID CAUSAL TEACHERS. THE TEACHING THERE IS NONVERBAL AND EXTREMELY SUBTLE, BUT IT IS EASILY RECOGNIZED.

WINE MAKING IS AN ANCIENT ART. MOST VINTNERS ARE OLDER SOULS AND MANY HAVE BEEN VINTNERS BEFORE.
OLD SOULS ARE CASUAL COOKS: THEY USE RECIPES AS GUIDELINES RATHER THAN THE GOSPEL. THEY TEND TO USE SPICES AND HERBS FREELY, AND WILL CUT MOLD FROM CHEESE AND ROTTEN SPOTS IN FRUITS.

MATURE SOULS MAKE FINE CHEFS: THEY ENJOY PRECISION COOKING AND GOURMET DINING. THEIR HOLLANDAISE SAUCE DOES NOT CURDLE — IT WOULD NOT DARE. WINE FETISHES ARE AT THEIR HEIGHT IN THIS CYCLE. A MATURE SOUL WOULD NEVER SERVE A ZINFANDEL WITH LOBSTER. AN OLD SOUL WOULD NOT HESITATE A MOMENT, IF ZINFANDEL HAPPENED TO BE HIS FAVORITE WINE.

EARLY CYCLE YOUNG SOULS TEND TO ADHERE TO THE FOOD PATTERNS LEARNED IN CHILDHOOD. IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS CYCLE, EXPERIMENTATION IS RAMPANT, BUT THE APPETITE IS GENERALLY POOR. LATE CYCLE YOUNG SOULS CONTINUE TO EXPERIMENT WITH FOOD, AND FOREIGN FOOD FETISHES OFTEN DEVELOP. RACIAL MEMORIES ARE STRONGER NOW AND THE DEJA VU DRAWS THEM TO CERTAIN TYPES OF FOODS.

INFANT SOULS AND BABY SOULS COOK AND EAT TO SURVIVE AND THE FOOD IS USUALLY TASTELESS AND OVERCOOKED. THE BABY SOUL IS FEARFUL (OF ALMOST EVERYTHING) AND HER KITCHEN IS USUALLY ANTISEPTICALLY CLEAN.

MOST SHAGGY DOGS BELONG TO OLD SOULS. BABY SOULS DO NOT LIKE LONGHAIRED CATS AS A GENERAL RULE. YOUNG SOULS OFTEN OWN STATUS PETS, SUCH AS OCELOTS AND LHASA APSOS. INFANT SOULS ARE OFTEN BITTEN BY DOGS WHO HAVE NO PREVIOUS HISTORY OF BITING, SIMPLY BECAUSE OF THEIR INORDINATE FEAR. OLD SOULS BEGIN TO RELATE TO WILD ANIMALS AND OFTEN HAVE AN AFFINITY FOR ALL LIVING CREATURES. THE PETS BELONGING TO MATURE SOULS WILL MOST OFTEN REFLECT THEIR OWNER’S PERSONALITIES: MANY WINNERS OF OBEDIENCE TRIALS BELONG TO MATURE SOULS. YOUNG SOULS RIDE THE RODEO, MATURE SOULS RIDE TO THE HOUNDS, OLD SOULS RIDE THE TRAILS. MOST BABY SOULS AND INFANT SOULS WOULD NOT BE CAUGHT DEAD ON HORSEBACK. ALLERGIES TO ANIMALS ARE DENIALS.

SOURCE: Michael Teachings Transcripts]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/299/benefit-of-knowing-soul-age-levels Mon, 27 May 2013 15:09:08 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 299@/channeling/discussions Discussion of soul level knowledge and benefit of knowing whether we are First, Second or Fifth Level of any role.

THE ONLY BENEFIT WE CAN SEE IN KNOWING THE AGE OF ONE’S SOUL IS TO HELP THE STUDENT UNDERSTAND PERCEPTIONS AT VARIANCE WITH ONE’S OWN. PERHAPS ALSO TO UNDERSTAND REACTIONS AND DRIVES, IT IS VALUABLE. TRADITIONALLY, THE STOIC HAS ALWAYS REPRESENTED THE EYE IN THE HURRICANE. AT LEAST TO US, IF THIS IS NEGATIVE, OUR PERCEPTIONS ARE QUITE AT VARIANCE.

AS WE HAVE TOLD YOU BEFORE, THE GOAL OF ACCEPTANCE IS IN ITSELF A POWERFUL EXALTED GOAL FROM WHICH SPIRITUAL ENLIGHTENMENT CAN SPRING. WITH THIS THERE IS NO NEED FOR A SWITCH IN OVERLEAVES — MERELY EXTINGUISHMENT OF THE NEGATIVE POLE, WHICH IN THIS CASE IS THE DESPERATE NEED TO BE ACCEPTED UNIVERSALLY BY OTHERS. IN EXCHANGE FOR THIS YOU COME INTO THE POSITIVE POLE, WHICH IS OF COURSE, THE UNQUALIFIED ACCEPTANCE OF OTHERS, JUST AS THE NEGATIVE POLE OF THE GROWTH GOAL INVOLVES TREMENDOUS SCATTERING OF ENERGIES AS THE SOUL RUSHES FROM SCHOOL TO SCHOOL SEARCHING FEVERISHLY FOR THAT ILLUSIVE “WAY”.

SOURCE: Michael Teachings Transcripts]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/259/soul-age-levels-of-old-souls Sun, 26 May 2013 16:04:26 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 259@/channeling/discussions My question is about levels of soul ages. In describing them, it's often descriptive about what type of lives people live - as well as the positive and negative pole. But is there an actual curriculum? I seem to remember there was a piece on mature souls, how levels mapped to exploring various cardinalities of relationships. But never saw anything for the old soul. 

MICHAEL: In the Old level, the final one for the fragments of the physical cycle, the seven levels are similar to what has gone before, with the exception that all is now turned more inward. The first level is still concerned with the energy of the Mature cycle and its emotional character. It has finished the 7th level Mature as a pulling together all of the lessons of that level, but it has no real experience with the Old level energy as such just yet. The several lifetimes that are necessary to adjust to the new energy allow the fragment to become comfortable in its space there. 

Then it comes to the second level, a time of diving into the work of the Old level but stepping back often because of its unfamiliarity. This is a dramatic, often wearying number of lives as the fragment learns to find its balance once more. 

The third level is one of interior activity, weighing and measuring, putting things in perspective, ready to launch fully into the choices of the Old level. 

The fourth is one of outward activity, fully into the energy of the Old soul experience, fully concerned with taking care of the lessons that are wrapping up the cycle. These experiences can include setting out to bring the knowledge of the Tao within the framework of the individual role. Even those who we characterize as those in the waking sleep feel the urge to honor truth, as nearly as they can understand it, by exploring the terrain. For those who are awake, it is a time of activity with a purpose. 

The fifth level of Old is sometimes thought of as a not-quite-here kind of experience. Fragments make choices that may seem quite outlandish to others, and what is more, they do not seem to mind at all that they are perceived as strange or odd. The pull of the finish is beginning to tell on them. Spiritual elements are very strongly pursued, the matters of the physical plane become uninteresting. These fragments may find familial connections difficult, economic responsibilities even more so. Relationships are probably much less intense as the Old fragment tends to work its single-minded way towards the end. 

The six level is the time of freeing itself from all karmic responsibilities. Every karma ribbon will be burned before the end of the lives in this level. This leads to this level being somewhat long for some fragments, necessitating many lives in order to meet and finish all karmic agreements. Since the physical problems of geography, age, and so forth can be a very real deterrent to two fragments meeting to conclude these matters, there is an effort between lives to come to agreements that will balance these karmas with honor on the astral. 

The seventh stage of the Old level is turned toward the end. Old fragments in general find it difficult to get very concerned about such things that Mature fragments get incensed over. And those who are in the final lives of the cycle are even more distanced from these concerns. The fragment is turned in, aware of self-karmic needs, lessons relating to the individual's mastery of the physical plane. Self-awareness is the lesson here, acceptance is the goal, no matter what the chosen 'goal' has been. The lesson of Acceptance, of Agape, is the final work of the fragment on this plane. When this lesson has been fully acknowledged, the fragment is ready to cycle off. 

Channeled by Nancy Gordon

]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/213/difference-between-7th-level-young-and-1st-level-mature Sat, 25 May 2013 06:31:48 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 213@/channeling/discussions Is there any noticeable difference between seventh-level young and first-level mature?

We would notice it, but you probably wouldn't very much. It's like the difference between a thirteen-year-old girl and one who is thirteen and a half. At first-level mature, there is more interest in orienting life around relationships. Of course, everyone has relationships. Young souls have relationships and can be very devoted partners. However, in the young cycle, life tends to focus more on the lessons of the outer world. At first mature, echoes of that continue, but one transitions to the possibility of life being more internally oriented.

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/125/soul-age-and-skid-row Mon, 20 May 2013 15:05:31 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 125@/channeling/discussions How about skid row bums?

MOST OF THOSE WHO ESCHEW LIFE FOR ALCOHOL ARE MID CYCLE MATURE SOULS IN REJECTION. HOWEVER, SOME VERY HEAVY “SOCIAL DRINKERS” ARE MID CYCLE YOUNG SOULS IN DOMINANCE.

Are hoboes Old Kings in either Stagnation or Retardation?

MOST HOBOES ARE OLD KINGS IN EITHER STAGNATION OR RETARDATION.

SOURCE: Michael Teachings Transcripts]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/117/soul-age-and-crime Mon, 20 May 2013 14:51:02 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 117@/channeling/discussions Is the prison population mostly Baby souls? The Mature cycles commit the crimes of passion (murder, etc.)

OLD SOULS RARELY COMMIT VIOLENT CRIME; THEY SIMPLY DO NOT CARE THAT MUCH. INFANT SOULS ALMOST NEVER COMMIT PREMEDITATED CRIMES. MOST OF THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS CONCERN STRIKING BACK AT THE HOSTILE ENVIRONMENT. BABY SOULS OFTEN COMMIT GROUP CRIMES SUCH AS THE KU KLUX KLAN WAS FAMOUS FOR, AND MOST OF THEIR CRIMES ARE DIRECTED BY PREJUDICE. THE SMART CRIMINALS ARE REALLY YOUNG SOULS IN THE FIRST CYCLE. THE CRIMES OF PASSION FALL IN THE LATTER PART OF THIS CYCLE AND IN THE MATURE CYCLE. OLD SOULS ARE NOTED FOR BAD CHECKS.

SOURCE: Michael Teachings Transcripts]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/90/manifesting-soul-age-at-35 Mon, 20 May 2013 02:42:01 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 90@/channeling/discussions I would like to know about the manifestation at age 35 — the breakthrough that occurs then.

WHAT WE HAVE SAID IS THAT THE ROLE IN ESSENCE MANIFESTS AT APPROXIMATELY THIS AGE. YES, SOME BREAK THROUGH MUCH EARLIER, PARTICULARLY IF THEY GO THEIR OWN WAY EARLY IN LIFE. LONERS BREAK THROUGH FAR MORE EASILY THAN THOSE ATTACHED TO LARGE “CLOSE” FAMILIES: THESE TAKE MUCH LONGER. IF YOU DO NOT MANIFEST AT THIS STAGE IT IS UNLIKELY THAT YOU WILL LATER. HOWEVER, WE KNOW OF A FEW SOULS WHO HAVE NOT. HAVING YOUR ROLE MANIFEST AND SEARCHING FOR ENLIGHTENMENT ARE QUITE DIFFERENT. BABY WARRIORS DO NOT SEARCH BUT THEY DO MANIFEST. THERE IS NO MAGIC AGE FOR BEGINNING TO SEARCH — WE ARE NOW WORKING WITH AN OCTOGENARIAN WHO HAS JUST BEGUN.

SOURCE: Michael Teachings Transcripts
]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/71/soul-age-and-eyes Sun, 19 May 2013 18:38:27 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 71@/channeling/discussions Does soul age manifest through the eyes?

INFANT SOULS MANIFEST FEAR. THIS CAN BE SEEN IN THEIR EYES. THIS FEAR IS OUT OF PROPORTION TO THE SITUATION. THE WHOLE BUSINESS OF LIVING IS FEARFUL TO THEM. BABY SOULS ARE GUILELESS, AND THIS SHOWS IN THEIR EYES. YOUNG SOULS ARE IN A STATE OF UNREST. THIS OFTEN SHOWS UP IN ERRATIC EYE MOVEMENTS: THE INABILITY TO HOLD EYE CONTACT FOR LONG — BUT THEN THE MATURE SOULS FIND IT DIFFICULT TO MAINTAIN EYE CONTACT BECAUSE OF DISCOMFORT. OLD SOULS HAVE A DIRECT, PENETRATING STARE ABSENT IN EARLIER CYCLES. WISDOM IS REFLECTED THERE.

SOURCE: Michael Teachings Transcripts]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/66/are-we-required-to-finish-the-soul-ages Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:18:35 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 66@/channeling/discussions Q: Are we required to finish all the soul ages?

A. It's not so much that it is a requirement as that it simply doesn't work not to. If you are twenty-five, you cannot skip over twenty-six to get to twenty-seven. It is not that it is prohibited; there's just no way to do it.

Let's say someone is second-level old, and at the moment is feeling, "I've had it with the physical plane! I want to finish this up and cycle off now. I don't want to have to go through third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh old." That would be like dropping out of school, which you are certainly welcome to do, but then you haven't finished school, and this whole thing is school. Eventually, in the school of life, you will jump back in.

There are periods when incarnating as a human is more difficult, and this is a very pressurized time. Almost everyone is feeling the heat; it's not easy. It may comfort you to think about not having to come back, but after you complete this lifetime and take as long a vacation on the astral plane as you want to, you will eventually feel called back if you are not done, and it will not always be this difficult.

Theoretically, if you still feel the way you feel now after you complete this lifetime (in other words, after you die), you could take a thousand earth years off. The reason you would probably not actually do that is because you've been working on things with other souls with whom you'd probably like to finish. If you have started a particular monad (a lesson, or compact unit of experience) with someone, you would probably want to do the other half of that with that same soul; if you wait a thousand years, that soul may not be available to do that with you. However, you certainly can take as much time as you need between lives to be ready to come back.

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/65/entities-and-soul-age-progression Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:16:39 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 65@/channeling/discussions Q: Do souls of some entities (spiritual families) tend to move slower through the soul ages than others?

M. We have not observed entity-wide patterns. We see a wide range within entities based on personal preference. Factors include how many lifetimes a soul has, their average length, and the average length of time between lifetimes. Souls take as few as forty and as many as a couple thousand lifetimes; if the latter, a lot of them would likely be very short.

Those who complete the physical plane in, say, forty to eighty lifetimes are probably more engaged behind the scenes on the astral plane, helping others a lot between lifetimes, while souls who are doing five hundred to a thousand lifetimes are working more actively on the physical plane (in cooperation with those who are not as externally active). Ultimately the experiences of all souls are pooled. Therefore, as an individual fragment, you do not feel that you have to experience everything, because you know that especially your entity mates will cover some of those bases and will share the stories with you. Basically, you live the lives that interest you to live. Sometimes, one thing leads to another, so it's not always planned out at the beginning; you may end up discovering something that you want to explore more, so you do.

Every soul is different. Some want to be sure to visit most of the main cultures while it is incarnating, while others are happy to stick with one or two they feel an affinity for.

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/64/how-soul-age-influences-a-role Sun, 30 Oct 2011 16:13:35 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 64@/channeling/discussions Q: Are there predictable ways that soul age influences the expression of a role?

M. Yes. We went through the soul age levels one through seven and spoke about how they correspond with the seven roles; let's do that with the soul ages themselves:

The infant cycle is number one, the server soul age. Therefore, servers who are infant souls are in their element. They hit the ground running. You could say that servers are fully functional during the infant cycle. They grow the most easily throughout the physical plane because of being the number one role. They have the fewest requirements for fulfilling their essence; one can serve anywhere. They continue to blossom and expand their essence throughout all the soul ages, but in infant soul societies, servers are the bedrock.

When societies move from hunter/gatherer (infant) to agricultural (baby), they begin to build towns and create more complex societal forms. Artisans, the number two role, excel at creating new forms, so they are in their element in the baby (second) cycle.

The number three soul age is young, and the number three role is warrior. This is an easy correlation to see. Warriors are about productivity, competition, adrenalin, excitement, and challenges. Young warriors are often on top in a young soul society; they are best equipped to take full advantage of that cycle.

The number four soul age is scholar. That may at first seem counter-intuitive, because one thinks of mature souls as being highly emotional and dramatic, which is the opposite of the stereotype of the scholar. However, if you think of the mature cycle as an assimilative cycle, as a time when people are integrating the outer world with the inner world, then it makes more sense. And, contrary to the stereotype, mature souls are not necessarily overtly more dramatic than anyone else.

You might say that because of the focus on relationships, there's more potential for drama, because relationships can be volatile, but they are volatile at any soul age when people are confronting the issues of self versus others. At every soul age, there are abundant relationships, not just mate relationships, although most humans mate, but siblings, parent/child, friendships, community relationships, etc.--these are always operating. Humans are social animals. The only way you are not going to do relationships is if you are a hermit, which you are not going to do very often, because it would limit your growth.

However, if you are a young soul married couple, although your relationship may be very important to you, you may not have time to study the relationship itself in great depth. You might go to a marriage counselor, read some books, or whatever, but if you do that it would be more "in your spare time" because what is more interesting to you as a young soul is what you are achieving, maybe in career or maybe in other ways. And there is certainly much merit to focusing on what you are doing in the world; there's nothing wrong with that.

However, when you are a mature soul and you are in a relationship, it is easier to see it as a laboratory for learning about yourself, which all relationships are. So the mature cycle is really about learning. There is a deepening, a ripening, of self. The interest here in community is not so much that suddenly there are communities, because there were always communities, but in the mature cycle, communities, like relationships, become laboratories for learning about self. Therefore, they come under the scholarly microscope, whereas maybe they were taken for granted earlier.

Baby souls create solid communities. Young souls tend to challenge them in order to venture into new territories and start bigger cities. Mature souls may miss that warmth of feeling connected to the more intimate community, but want to do it in a new way; they don't want the rigid communities of the baby soul, where everyone knew what was expected, because that is no longer interesting. Like the scholar, the mature soul looks for what is most interesting.

The old soul age is fifth, and five is the sage number. Sages seek wisdom, insight, understanding, and perspective; they want to see how everything fits together. They ask why rather than what. "What?" is a scholar question. "Why?" is a sage question. Old souls are also philosophical. Having completed the mature cycle, the old soul feels it has a pretty good handle on self, and now there is curiosity about self related to the cosmos.

Six is the priest number, and that is the transcendental age; we mentioned that it is usually priest souls that are displaced by transcendental souls. The whole concept of being transcendent is a priest idea. Priests want to be in the body in a transcendent way, and transcendental souls want to harmonize societies, help the disenfranchised, and bring everyone on board.

The seventh soul age is the infinite, correlating with the role of king. Kings pull it all together. At the seventh level of a soul age, you pull it all together and look forward to what comes next. The infinite souls known in recorded history, Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, and Lao Tzu, brought to bear a comprehensive view of everything: they exalted the life force energy itself, endeavoring to make people ready for something completely new.

Since most souls do not experience the transcendental and infinite stages on the physical plane, in a way the physical plane doesn't quite have a place for priests and kings. They find their greatest manifestations off the physical plane. It is their job to bring the higher energies into the physical plane, but they are not in their element in any of the five soul ages commonly experienced.

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/63/number-of-lives-among-soul-ages-and-levels Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:57:22 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 63@/channeling/discussions Q: Do the number of lives vary among soul ages and levels?

M. Yes. Sixth levels typically take the most lives, followed by third; first and seventh levels tend to be quicker; the others vary. Young and mature cycles tend to take more lifetimes.

Also, some souls naturally enjoy the focus of a particular age and therefore invest more lives there. So if you have a particular interest in the inner world, you may take more lifetimes in your mature cycle.

This is the opposite of what many students assume--that the soul would want to get through it all as quickly as possible. However, if the soul truly had that attitude, it might not bother to begin a cycle of incarnations at all. If you love travel, you are not motivated to get it over with as quickly as possible. You would probably budget your time to spend more time in the destinations you like, so it is not a race. As the saying goes, it's all good.

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/62/how-does-soul-age-rank-in-importance Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:49:32 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 62@/channeling/discussions Q. How does soul age rank in importance compared to the rest of the Michael teachings?

A. It is of equal importance to the other overleaves, and of less importance than role, essence twin, and primary and secondary casting.

All the categories in the teachings are useful, because they provide ways to understand the forces at work in human lives. The concept of soul age is certainly useful for students if one does not create a hierarchy of lesser and greater. With its vocabulary, you can more easily accept the differences among people rather than judging them. For example, a young soul may manifest more outward vitality and derive more pleasure from accomplishing things that are of less interest to you if you are mature or old. However, if you use the vocabulary to be dismissive, as if being young was, itself, a negative thing, then you are misusing the information.

Enlightenment, however you define it, does not necessarily accompany an increase in soul age. It springs from a desire in anyone to embody more light, to vanquish ignorance. An old-soul culture may not necessarily be more pleasant to live in than a young-soul culture. It all depends on the choices made by those who make up the culture.

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/61/older-and-younger-soul-art Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:47:29 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 61@/channeling/discussions Q. How does art differ between older and younger souls?

A. Old souls tend to make very good artists, even the roles not associated as much with artistic expression. For example, old king and warriors who have accomplished a lot in more typical king and warrior realms may now turn to one of the arts as a new challenge, and can bring a powerful sensibility to it.

The nature of art is not truly different from one soul age to another. The older ages might add layers of subtlety or complexity, but not necessarily, although the whole perception of what art is becomes expanded for old souls, since everything is seen as being interrelated.

Usually, the biggest issue for old-soul artists is simply whether they finish their art. Certainly, they often do, but old souls may not feel so invested in the outcome, and may just enjoy the process, so finishing, although that may be quite fulfilling, may seem less pressing. Therefore, there tends to be less finished work in the old cycle.

The journey through the physical plane starts without structure. One is gradually built and comes to its height in the young cycle. Then, it gradually dissolves and the journey returns to the place it began, enriched. It is like the ocean starting placid in the infant cycle, forming a wave that crests in the young cycle, and then dissolves again at the shore in the old cycle.

Humanity as a whole has been in the young cycle for quite some time. It is gradually approaching mature-soul consciousness. However, for the foreseeable future, the focus of the world will be continue to be more on the late-young desire to get it right in outer form. Certainly, there is a growing sensitivity to those who are different, who are not part of the clan, and that is helped by the increasing number of mature souls. Still, the overall focus is late young, which might be stated as "We've accomplished a lot, but now we have to figure out how not to destroy everything." That should keep everyone busy for a while!

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/60/difference-between-manifested-and-true-soul-age Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:40:44 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 60@/channeling/discussions Q. What is the difference between manifested and true soul age? 

A. Your true soul age is the highest age you have experienced in any lifetime and therefore, your potential now. It probably will not change during your lifetime. If it does, it would probably only change by one level. (Each soul age has seven levels.)

Manifested soul age is what your outer life is concerned with at the moment. As we mentioned, when you were born, you could do nothing but manifest at first-level infant. Then, you retrace the steps back up to your true soul age, if you choose to. Your current step is your manifested age. An analogy is that many people do not manifest the full maturity available to them by reason of their physical age, but that is their potential. 

At any given time, about two-thirds of people are not fully manifesting their true soul age. They may manifest it in some aspects of life but not as a whole. There is nothing wrong with that, because there's nothing wrong with any soul age. However, you may feel more integrated if you manifest your true soul age, especially if you are ready to move up a level. 

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin

]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/59/soul-age-and-spiritual-advancement Sun, 30 Oct 2011 15:33:23 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 59@/channeling/discussions Soul age is not the same as spiritual advancement, although the two may go hand in hand. Of course, it depends on how you think of spiritual advancement. Probably a good way to define it is the ability one has to stay consciously connected to the whole while dealing with the transience of the physical plane, especially when negative things happen. The more you are able to allow love, truth, and beauty to continue to flow through you when that is not easy to do, the more spiritually advanced you might be said to be.

Everyone is a mixed bag in this regard. Probably no person is able to stay completely centered in every circumstance, and what pulls you off course may be different from what pulls someone else off course. However, the more practice one has in staying centered, the easier it is. Some souls have practiced this diligently over many lifetimes. Others have not paid that much attention to what might be called spiritual practice even if they are older souls. The main correlation between soul age and spiritual advancement is that over time, souls tend to get better at staying centered under increasingly adverse circumstances *if* they have chosen to practice that.

Spiritual practice, as it is normally understood, is not a requirement in the curriculum of being human, although many are drawn to it at some point, because spiritual skills can make your path easier.

Spiritual advancement suggests the development of traits such as kindness, generosity, thoughtfulness, insight, integrity, and the desire to do the just and fair thing, even when it is personally "inconvenient." These are all potentially part of what we have called "true personality," qualities that allow essence to shine through personality. False personality consists of traits that block the manifestation of essence; they include egotism, selfishness, judgmentalness, and greed. True personality can manifest in the youngest soul, and there is no guarantee that it will manifest in the oldest, because people are always making choices.

Movement through the ages adds layers of sophistication to the soul, but it does not necessarily increase kindness, for example. If the soul has been practicing kindness, it will be better at continuing to be kind under adverse circumstances as an older soul. Having more experience, older souls are less likely to be surprised; there are fewer entirely new situations than for younger souls, who are thrown off balance and revert to automatic behaviors more easily because they are less experienced. However, there are radiant, kind, warm-hearted infant souls, and vindictive, hateful old souls (and, of course, vice versa).

To some degree, the same things are true of individuals as they age through one lifetime, no matter what soul age they are. Even a seventh-level old soul during its last lifetime must still manifest first-level infant at birth, because that personality has just been born and the body is helpless. It typically takes twenty-five to thirty-five years to have enough experience and for the body to mature enough to accommodate the old soul's potential sophistication, and it may never happen.

Channeled by Shepherd Hoodwin]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/53/old-soul-terror Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:59:27 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 53@/channeling/discussions Q: How does an Old soul learn through terror?

A: Terror is a highly subjective term and one person's impression of it can vastly differ from that of another. We will say up front then that one size does not fit all in this context.

We have said previously that old souls evolve by facing their fears, so we'll offer a variation on that to explore how old souls learn through the terror of self-deception. This, however, should not be confused with the self-deception that can plague the artisan.

It might be helpful to show the dualities that are symbolic in each soul age:

Infant Souls: Life/Death

Baby Souls: Right/Wrong

Young Souls: Win/Lose

Mature Souls: Love/Fear

Old Souls: Truth/Illusion

Since Old souls don't like to get mired down in the incidental details of life, they prefer to see the larger perspective, or the blueprint, if you will, of how the world is pieced together to create the whole. In order to burn away the fog of self-deception, Old souls shine their rays of truth on everything they encounter, so it is terrifying for them to realize they have been duped at their own game.

Self-deception can often lead the old soul to mistakenly support an unjust cause, adopt harmful belief systems, or be led astray by an errant philosophy. This psychological terror then impels the old soul to see beyond the illusions and parlor tricks in life and look for the trapdoor that's hidden beneath the magician's table.

The challenge of introspection can also reveal many inner demons that the old soul might want to avoid or forget. Refusing to accept negative aspects of either past or present personalities, however, can lead to an internal form of self-deception. Growth comes from accepting unsavory parts of self that, while they may be terrifying to look at, have played an integral role in the overall development of the soul.

CHANNELED BY: David Gregg]]> https://www.michaelteachings.com/channeling/discussion/52/infant-soul-societies Sun, 30 Oct 2011 13:53:12 +0000 Soul Age ubiquitous 52@/channeling/discussions Q: I'm curious about "family life" on earth when infant souls were the only ones here. How were the families structured, and how did they interact with one another? How did the dynamics change when baby souls began to incarnate? Did baby souls choose infant soul parents and then seek to structure them?

MICHAEL: If you start to feel uncomfortable in any way, remember to connect with nature; that should stabilize the higher energies.

Infant soul families were, as you might expect, focused on survival. There were many crises related to childbirth, health in general, and food supplies. However, you might be surprised at how loving and close-knit these families often were. Many modern complications had not yet set it. It was rare, for example, for there to be domestic violence, beyond a swat to a child to teach it not to do something. Most did not understand paternity, so families were not "nuclear" in the way that is defined today. Instead, there were small clusters that joined together as units, typically three adult males and three adult females, along with all the females' children. If someone wasn't getting along well in one cluster, s/he might migrate to a nearby one, but generally, these were stable units. Sexual play was mostly kept within one's cluster, and same-sex play was not uncommon.

Infant soul societies, especially in the earlier stages, tend to be peaceful. Cooperation is the norm, because without it, survival is compromised. There is not a lot of individual identity. Finding your individual fulfillment would be a foreign concept. If one cluster had extra food, it freely shared it with others if they needed it. There wasn't much understanding of food storage, so they would eat more when they had more and try to gain weight for the lean times.

Moving toward the baby soul level, these clusters started to make alliances with other clusters. The beginning of the baby soul cycle is marked by the formation of larger groupings that individuals would identify with. So, loyalty is no longer primarily to one's cluster but to this larger grouping, with or without a strong leader. The transition is gradual and slow enough that both parents and children make it together. However, it does occur that a 1st level baby soul is born to 7th level infant souls, and the baby soul child is driven by a desire to organize into larger groupings that the parents respect but don't necessarily take part in.

CHANNELED BY: Shepherd Hoodwin]]> en