THE PEARL AND THE HUT VOLUME II

Belkalopolos presents a spiritual and psychological guide for adult children of divorce.

“Pearls,” in the nomenclature of the text, are children whose parents have divorced. Where the previous volume in this series centered around children and young adults, this installment moves further into adulthood. There are many issues Pearls may face later in life; whether harboring distrust in relationships or attempting to normalize “overwhelming feelings and situations,” Belkalopolos asserts that each individual in the category faces challenges. Much of the book is inspired by the work of thinker Rudolf Steiner, whose movement of anthroposophy was based around the concept of the human soul. Many of Steiner’s concepts, such as his six basic exercises of anthroposophy, are included. The work also draws on an assortment of other sources, with case studies and illustrations providing context. From Carl Jung’s theories to images of the symbol depicting the eye of the Egyptian god Horus to ways in which one can bring “consciousness to sound,” the material is expansive. The Pearl’s spiritual development is the name of the game; the reader is encouraged to not let the dark forces of the world “dissuade us from actually exploring and experiencing our full soul capacities.” Lengthy statements such as “Pure intellectualism today will bring a deadening, egotistical expansion of personal influence through materialistic, nitty-gritty, earthly thinking” can prove challenging to parse. Nevertheless, the text holds a great deal of insight; if the Pearls of the world lack the “trustworthy experiences” others often find in stable families, a deep dive into concepts of the soul might just be of benefit. Among esoteric terms like “north lunar node” there are also practical recommendations, such as Steiner’s six basic exercises, which consist of simple yet potentially mind-expanding activities (such as focusing on an object for five minutes). The work ultimately proves to be both vast and valuable.

Dense with terminology and ideas, much of value is offered here in the form of heartfelt guidance.