Anam Cara

“A friend … awakens your life in order to free the wild possibilities within you.”

The Anam Cara is a Celtic notion of Soul Friend, and is brought out beautifully by John O 'Donohue, an Irish Poet and Philosopher.

                     

Some excerpts:

"In the Celtic tradition, one of the fascinating ideas is the idea of soul-love; and the old Gaelic term for this is Anam Cara.  With the Anam Cara you could share your inner-most self, your mind and your heart.....it was an act of recognition and belonging. When you had an Anam Cara, your friendship cut across all convention, morality, and category. You were joined in an ancient and eternal way with the “friend of your soul.” 

It did not set limitations of space or time on the soul. .... it allows understanding to dawn, you are without mask or pretension.......  and understanding is precious. Where you are understood, you are at home. Understanding nourishes belonging. When you really feel understood, you feel free to release yourself into the trust and shelter of the other person’s soul… 

But being an anam cara requires of a purposeful presence — it asks that we show up with absolute integrity of intention. 

It altered the meaning of identity and perception... the world of your intellect takes on a new tenderness and compassion… You look and see and understand differently. Initially, this can be disruptive and awkward, but it gradually refines your sensibility and transforms your way of being in the world. 

The anam cara perspective is sublime because it permits us to enter this unity of ancient belonging."