Nature and the Human Soul

Addressing the pervasive longing for meaning and fulfillment in this time of world crisis, “Nature and the Human Soul” introduces an innovative developmental psychology that shows how fully and creatively we can mature when we allow soul and nature to guide us. Bill Plotkin presents a model for a human lifespan rooted in the patterns and rhythms of nature, a template for individual development that ultimately yields a strategy for cultural transformation. It describes how to raise children who are in love with life and learning, how to help teenagers develop personalities that are both authentic and socially engaging, how to grow into a fulfilled, soulful adult contributing unique gifts to the greater world, and how to mature into a genuine elderhood of wisdom and cultural leadership.Psychologist and wilderness guide Bill Plotkin guides every reader, stage-by-stage, on the journey toward wholeness and active, contributing engagement with the world.
He goes on to describe the archetypes and the 8 corresponding stages, which are: Innocent (infancy, early childhood), Explorer (middle and late childhood), Societal Entrepreneur & Wanderer (early adolescence, late adolescence), Soul Apprentice and Artisan (early and late adulthood), and Master and Sage (early and late elderhood). Based on the 15 per cent of Western people who exhibit exemplary development, these descriptions offer insight into discovering your potential. They help explain conflict and confusion in our society and point the way to assisting children and adults move through the phases for better lives and a better world.

Author Biography

Bill Plotkin, PhD, founder of Animas Valley Institute, describes himself as a “psychologist gone wild.” A cultural visionary, author, and guide to the entwined mysteries of wilderness and psyche, he’s been blazing new trails for decades. His ecocentric re-visioning of psychology invites us into a conscious and embodied relationship with soul and with the more-than-human world. His other books are Soulcraft and Wild Mind. He lives in southwestern Colorado.