The Soul’s Code

James Hillman

(My note: This passage of the book is translated by me from the original Czech version, so there might be some mistakes. The page may not match the original either).

2. chapter, Growth aimed downward, page 50

“Plato’s story of the descent is his myth about Er, which comes from the last chapter of his Constitution:

All souls reside in the mythical world, where they came from previous lives, and each has its lot that it must fulfill. This lot is also called the destiny of life (Moira), which is somehow typical of the character of a particular soul. For example, he says the myth, the soul of Ajax, a fierce and powerful warrior, chose the life of a lion, while Atalanta, an agile young runner, chose the lot of an athlete and another soul chose the lot of a skilled craftsman. Oddysseus’ soul, remembering its long life of trials and hardships, put aside its ambition and sought to live a long time in the privacy of a man living in private and not manifesting itself to the public – and could scarcely find him lying somewhere and not noticed. 

And then, without looking back, the soul proceeds under the throne of Necessity, which is sometimes translated as the wedge of Necessity.”