In the fine wine-making, the short decantation process is needed when opening an old bottle of wine. Simply put, it is pouring wine from a bottle into a decanter, a glass vessel specially prepared for this purpose.
Why?
There are two main reasons.
First, if we suspect that there is naturally occurring sediment, we gently pour the wine into the decanter so that the sediment remains in the bottle.
Second, if we know that the wine has matured in a barrel and then in a bottle, or we know it is rich in tannins (astringent substances), we decant it to let it breathe for a while.
Wine enclosed in a bottle has a different pressure than its environment outside the bottle. Decanting, or aeration, allows it to equalize the pressure and get rid of the undesirable aromas that we could experience tasting in an old wine immediately after opening the bottle.
What does it have to do with the Soul?
In old scriptures, wine is often referred to the Soul, in a symbolic way. When we live long enough to get tired of this material reality and social paradoxes we gather sediment in the form of many sentiments and resentments. Life tastes more and more bitter, we become astringent (sour, bitter, acrid, sarcastic, tart, snappy, incisive, even vehement and aggressive).
When we want to open up to the more 'spiritual' way of living, the first process is to encounter the Shadow-Self, and go through the Dark Night of the Soul. It is the process when all old odours in us - that are unpleasant - pungent and repulsive - have to evaporate, while we are opening up to a greater reality.
Almost every path and school of some spiritual inclinations tells about the importance of breathing. Through deep, long and conscious breathing we clear the whole mind-body-spirit system, piece by piece, moment after moment.
Then our Soul can embrace the greater reality, that is not constrained and contained only to a small single bottle.
So, this - in short allegory - is the decantation of the Soul.
As Above so Below.
Let your Soul breathe.
(and drink only fine wine ;)
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Read more about Shadow Work here.
