Something big is happening in our world. Seismic shifts in our emotional and spiritual being are causing profound transformation in our identity, in who we are and how we present ourselves. In my last column I wrote that during this intense period we should “expect the unexpected”.

Within the past few weeks, I suspect most of us either have been, or know someone who is, experiencing significant life changes. Job loss, financial troubles, relationship endings and, in my case, massive health changes are symptoms of the relentless wave of renewal affecting us all. To understand this phenomenon more deeply, we can find some clues in the one of the most recent expressions of dramatic change - the sudden death of pop icon, Michael Jackson.

The emotional outpouring following Michael’s passing reminds me of the enormous grief initiated by the death of Princess Diana. In both cases, even though these massive celebrities were already global figures, their passing activated something within the global human psyche so that we no longer see them as human beings but as carriers of a soul essence. Their impact is so great because we respond to their essence from our own inner soul essence. Although I’ve always been a fan of Michael Jackson’s music and was an admirer of Princess Diana, in the years before their passing I had paid little attention to either. Then suddenly their dramatic demise activated both an immense curiosity and a great sense of loss within many of our hearts.

What Is An Icon?

In the days following Princess Diana’s death, (when I lived close to her home in London), I was amazed by the depth of emotion being publicly expressed. A man whose wife had recently died after 32 years of marriage said it was the first time he had cried in decades. Similarly, another man shed tears he hadn’t been able to express at his own father’s funeral. It became clear to me that, particularly in Britain, Diana’s death had opened the heart chakra of the nation and caused a return to feeling, not traditionally a feted British characteristic.

In the days following Michael Jackson’s death, (when I now live relatively close to Los Angeles), I sense a different type of activation taking place. His passing evinces to me the original meaning of the word “icon” – a symbol. Just as religious icons are worshipped for the qualities they represent such as peace, love or forgiveness, modern day “icons” are adored for the qualities we see in them or project onto them. In the case of Michael Jackson, the eternally youthful star, one of the most dominant perceptions of his essence is of childlike qualities such as joyous expression, wonder and innocence. Whether or not in time these prove to be accurate of Michael the man, they are undoubtedly true as emblems of Michael the icon. They activate within us a time of reflection, a return to our younger days, a review of the meaning of innocence and its presence or lack in our lives.

A Return To Innocence

To put this into a wider context as part of the development of the universal human psyche, we are individually being invited to look at how we’re honoring our own innocence. As I recently lay in my hospital bed for the second time in three months, I looked at how for many years I’d ignored my own sensitivity, purity and need to feel safe. It’s interesting how much we unconsciously cast aside our sense of innocence with the passing of childhood as if it’s no longer appropriate for our adult selves. We unconsciously accept that “maturity” brings with it a certain insensitivity, toughness and cynicism. We become emotionally reckless, putting ourselves in dangerous situations that do not honor the pain and fear we still feel inside but try to override.

All of the conditions in this world that some call “evil” are caused by a loss of innocence. It is only with a hardened heart, far removed from the core of purity inside each being, that humankind can perpetrate the emotional and physical atrocities that it does. And so, if we are to evolve consciously and significantly in this time of radical transformation, we must start by returning to our soul essence and nurturing it.

How To Honor Your Innocence

Where in your life today have you dishonored the purity and integrity inside you? Is your career the highest expression of your dreams? Does your relationship feed your soul and nurture your sensitivity? Do you surround yourself with people who see the best in you and encourage the fullest expression of your soul essence? You can easily see the answers to these questions in your current life situations. How at peace are you? How tired, jaded or disillusioned are your actions? How much wonder do you experience on a daily basis?

The return to innocence, even though it is our original state, is usually a difficult one because, as a civilization, we have cultivated the apparent sophistication of “worldliness”. From an early age, we teach boys to stifle their emotions and girls to seek protection from these same males. We place achievement above reflection and tend to value conformity over creativity.

This is why we invest so much power in our icons. We revere those who are brave enough to hold onto their dreams, shine their lights brightly, (which is why we call them “stars”) and express their greatest essence and wonder. We consciously or unconsciously recognize they are plugged into the flow of life which radiates through their natural gifts and talents. Yet, as history shows us over and over again, this is too much responsibility for any one person to carry. Our “icons” are as human as we are. They have agreed at the soul level to manifest our unfulfilled dreams but it invariably takes its toll on them.

And so, if we are to evolve and learn the lessons that this extraordinary time is trying to teach us, we must begin by getting in touch with our purest essence and honoring it. It’s only by reclaiming our brightest light, nurturing our tender spirits and expressing our unique greatness that we can become truly fulfilled. Then we can appreciate the beauty, power and genius of our icons without expecting them to carry the impossible burden of our unfulfilled dreams. This is the time for us all to become “icons” or symbols of grace in our own lives.

Caroline Reynolds is the author of “Spiritual Fitness – How To Live In Truth and Trust”. She is also the creator of Vibrational Meditation and has several meditation CD’s. To find out more, visit www.carolinereynolds.com