The Call To Quest
by David Raffelock
You’re in your home, going about your normal routine, and suddenly you hear a faint voice: “Look at me!” At first you blow it off as nothing and go about your day. But then, days later, you hear it again. This time you’re curious, so you stop and ponder where it came from. But you don’t even know where to look. Again, days go by, the same routine. “Look at me!” you hear again. The familiarity and anticipation strike, and you notice the general direction it may have come from. So, you go looking. But the voice was faint, or perhaps you were preoccupied and couldn’t fully hear it. Now, the voice gets more and more frequent, and you start catching it throughout the day. So much so that it begins to throw off your routines. You can no longer rest until you know what it is and where it’s coming from. So finally, you drop what you’re doing, and look.
Playing marco polo with that voice, you wander all around. Moving furniture, opening cabinets, putting your ear to the walls. Then finally, the thought comes into your mind – there’s that door in the basement that you’ve never looked in. But fear convinces you that it was just a thought, that the voice can’t possibly be coming from that door. But the voice keeps going, with more frequency, louder and louder. Until finally you open the door to the basement. Louder than it’s ever been, it calls with a deeper urgency. The voice gets louder and louder every step you take down the stairs and up to that door. That’s where it is. There’s no doubting it.
What if I told you that “the cave you fear the most holds the treasure you seek”?
Well, I don’t have to because Joseph Campbell already did. It’s likely not a voice coming literally from your basement, but do you hear a calling to look deeper? That call can present itself in countless ways. Maybe it’s loss or grief, the feeling that things need to change, or a readiness to step into a fuller, more honorable version of yourself. Maybe you’ve had an intention for yourself that some internal dynamic seems to keep preventing. Perhaps everything looks and feels fine, but there’s still the draw towards that voice.
How do you hear it?
Hearing the call to quest is different for everyone. Yet, just like that initial thought of “the door in the basement,” whether we like it or not, we often have an inner knowing. So take a moment to ask yourself: Is there something deep inside, subtle or not, pulling me towards the quest, or am I completely disinterested and just wondering why someone else would do such a ridiculous thing? This clarity is a good first indicator. Fear of the quest is healthy, and if your thought is more than just complete dismissal, it may be time to keep inquiring. The call to quest likely won’t come as a “vision” of you fasting alone in the wilderness. Instead, it’s that feeling that something is on the verge of change within you; something is needing to be unearthed, loved, or addressed, and you can feel it in your bones.
How do you know it’s time?
This is an interesting thought. There is not a specific formula for answering the question, “Is it time, or should I wait?” This is a question for the soul and your inner vision. Oftentimes it’s just your intrinsic “knowing” that tells you. The ceremony is powerful and has a mind of its own (you’ll see!). If logistics seem daunting, trust that it will all work out. There is something that happens when we honor our sense, our inner vision: our call to quest. When you make the commitment to quest, the severance stage begins and your story often begins to unfold, showing you what you need to be bringing into the quest.
What you might experience if you ignore the call
No, nothing absolutely devastating is going to happen – that’s not where I’m going with this. Think back to my metaphor with the voice. If you’re hearing the call, then the call is real. Sometimes inner vision might tell you it’s not the right time, and to wait. If that’s not the case, then just like that voice in the basement, you’ll hear it every now and again. You may learn to live with that voice or even ignore it. You may even notice an unresolved yearning to evolve, feeling stuck in patterns you’ve been ready to let go of, or a general inner lethargy. These are all signs that it might be time to look further into questing.
Do you fear being alone, fasting, or being without the comforts of your routine?
Good. That’s probably where the treasure is! We honor your process of sifting through if the quest is right. It’s a big decision to make the commitment to quest, and we understand that. We’re right here to chat and help you sort through that decision.
