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The prospect of a spiritual journey may evoke high expectations of finding treasures (like “initiation”, “wisdom”, a life of freedom from earthly worries, etc.). Typically, the seeker needs to break into unknown territory (“ the cold in the North“). Overcoming Oneself: A Sobering Experience “ I said, where are we goin’ / he said we’d be back by the fourth / I said, that’s the best news that I’ve ever heard“). He meets his strange companion (“ I knew right away he was not ordinary“), and both turn out to be men of few words (e. (See post on Simon & Garfunkel’s Scarborough Fair for an elaborate song about the soul garment, and here for an overview of related songs.) (Regarding the “ dividing line” we may look at Leonard Cohen’s Different Sides.) Washing his clothes can be seen as a symbol for purifying his state of being: his thoughts, his will, his desires and aspirations. He has to make a clear decision whether he commits himself to the search for light, and accept all consequences, or whether he wants to remain in his dark state. Went in to a laundry to wash my clothes down I hitched up my pony to a post on the right I came to a high place of darkness and lightĭividing line ran through the center of town This may remind us of Parcival’s quest for the Holy Grail: He encounters it early on, but has to complete many adventures before being worthy to receive it. He has become aware of his soul, but is apparently not yet prepared for a lasting connection. If we apply the idea of Isis representing the Divine Soul, we can identify the narrator with a human seeker. So I cut off my hair and I rode straight awayįor the wild unknown country where I could not go wrong Marrying Isis: A Human Seeking to Connect to the Divine Soul Her path culminates in reviving what was lost. Then they had a son, Horus.įrom a spiritual perspective, we can associate Isis with the soul aspect, who loses contact to Osiris, representing the spirit aspect. Isis gathered all the body parts, and finally succeeded in re-awakening Osiris, helped by other gods such as Toth and Anubis. To that end, we’ll view the three figures as aspects of one being.Īccording to ancient Egyptian mythology, Isis’ husband Osiris was killed by his brother Set, and the corpse cut to pieces and scattered across the country. So while there are certainly other valid interpretations, we look at how this setting may correspond to a contemporary spiritual approach.
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The song references ancient Egypt: Isis is the name of a Goddess, and the place where the narrator’s companion dies is the pyramids. Ancient Egypt and a Contemporary Spiritual Path Rather than finding a treasure, he buries his companion, who dies in the cold, in an empty casket. He quickly gets into an adventure with a dubious man, not knowing what it will be about. The narrator marries Isis, but soon has to leave ( “But I could not hold on to her very long”). Dylan introduced Isis as “a song about marriage”.