How simple metaphors like soup or crossroads unlock profound inner wisdom

One of my clients recently completed a graduate degree and was feeling overwhelmed about his career path. He needed to support his family financially, yet he also wanted to stay true to himself and his passions. In our session, he described feeling like he needed to cross a “bridge” to find work aligned with his heart.

However, the metaphor that spontaneously arrived was quite different: it was a bowl of soup. This unexpected image immediately gave him an “ah-ha” moment. He realized that the soup was telling him he didn’t need to “go somewhere else” (cross a bridge) to find his right work. He already had everything he needed to offer his gifts to the world. With a chuckle, he said, “I’m ready to serve.”

Another client, an 80-year-old woman who lives alone in a house she’s owned for over 40 years, was facing a crossroads in her life. She had many decisions weighing on her, including whether to sell her home and move into an apartment as her son suggested.

The image that spontaneously appeared in her session was, fittingly, a “crossroads.” However, this crossroads wasn’t a place of confusion or urgency. Instead, it presented itself as a spacious, safe place—a place where she could gather with loved ones, rest, and celebrate beauty.

The crossroads spoke to her, saying:
“I am the crossroads. I’m a safe place; you don’t have to go anywhere. I see you wondering about the larger questions—health, money, your home and living situation. What I would like you to do is be here now and celebrate this spacious place.”

Hearing this shifted her energy completely. It gave her the calm and clarity to make decisions aligned with her heart, rather than being driven by fear or other people’s expectations.

I also turn to metaphor to resolve my own challenges. This year has been incredible for me, but with all the good flowing in, I’ve felt increasingly stressed about not having enough time to juggle everything.

The metaphor that emerged for me was “bouncing a ball.” The image showed me that I was learning how to bounce the ball consistently. Sometimes I hit it too hard (overworking), and other times too soft, causing me to “lose it” for a day. The image reminded me that learning to dribble the ball with steady rhythm is an act of self-care—an expression of love and tenderness toward myself. It’s not about perfection, but about consistency.

The Transformative Power of Simple Metaphors

The shift that occurs when we step into a healing metaphor is visceral, not cognitive. We don’t just think about the metaphor—we feel what it’s like to be a tasty bowl of soup, a spacious crossroads, or someone steadily bouncing a ball.

Each metaphor is unique to the individual and exactly what they need in the moment. These metaphors don’t come from the rational mind; they arise from the shamanic field, a space of deep inner wisdom.

Interestingly, the metaphors that emerge are often simple and unassuming. Your rational mind might expect something slick or profound, but metaphors like a bowl of soup or dribbling a ball are lighthearted and humble. Yet, simplicity is where their power lies. They cut through the complexity and noise created by the thinking mind and bring us back to what truly matters.

That’s the wisdom of metaphor: profound shifts emerge from the simplest of images.