The Soul's Code: In Search of Character and Calling

Plato & the Greeks called it daimon, the Romans genius, the Christians guardian angel. We speak of heart, spirit & soul. To Hillman, the acknowledged intellectual source for Th Moore's bestselling Care of the Soul, it's the central & guiding force of his compelling "acorn theory"--in which each life is formed by a unique image, an image that is the essence of that life & calls it to a destiny, just as the oak's destiny is written in the acorn. In this new look at age-old themes, Hillman provides a radical, frequently amusing & accessible path to realization thru an array of examples. He urges readers to discover the blueprints particular to their own individual lives, certain that there's more to life than can be explained by genetics or environment. As he says, "We need a fresh way of looking at the importance of our lives." What The Soul's Code offers is an inspirational, positive approach to life--a way of seeing & a way of recovering what has been lost of our intrinsic selves.

Epigraphs in Lieu of a Preface

In a nutshell: the acorn theory & the redemption of psychology

Growing down

The parental fallacy

Back to the invisibles

Esse is percipi: to be is to be perceived

Neither nature nor nurture-something else

Penny dreadfuls & pure fantasy

Disguise

Fate

The bad seed

Mediocrity

Coda: A Note on Methodology

Notes

Bibliography

Index