Natural Law, The Human Soul & Creating Art

The human soul as described across mystic traditions and major religions, is often seen as the eternal, divine essence within each person—our truest self that transcends the body and ego.

In Christian mysticism, the soul is the image of God within us, yearning to reunite with its divine source through love, humility, and inner silence. Saints like Teresa of Ávila and John of the Cross describe the soul as a castle or a flame—mysterious, luminous, and capable of profound union with the Divine.

They seem to describe our experience with the soul as a journey towards union with God, a process involving purification and transformation. They see the soul as capable of great love and capable of experiencing both joy and darkness in its relationship with God. 

In Sufism (Islamic mysticism), the soul (nafs) undergoes stages of purification, moving from ego-driven desires to selfless awareness of God (Allah). The awakened soul becomes a mirror reflecting divine attributes like compassion, mercy, and beauty.

Hinduism describes the soul as ātman—the undying, unchanging self that is identical with Brahman, the ultimate reality. Through self-inquiry, meditation, and devotion, one realizes this non-duality, discovering that the soul is not separate from the universe but its eternal spark.

In Buddhism, while the concept of a permanent soul is not embraced, there is deep reverence for the stream of consciousness (or citta) that carries karmic imprints through rebirth. In Buddhist mysticism, liberation comes from seeing through the illusion of a fixed self and realizing the interconnected, impermanent nature of all life.

Kabbalistic Judaism teaches that the soul (Neshama ) has multiple layers, from the basic life force to the divine spark, and it is sent into the world to refine itself and reveal hidden light. The soul longs to return to divine unity but must first elevate itself through righteous action and mystical awareness.

Across these traditions, the soul is seen not just as who we are, but as what we are becoming —an evolving, sacred presence shaped by experience, reflection, and communion with the transcendent.

Natural law is the idea that there are inherent moral principles—discernible through reason and embedded in the fabric of existence—that guide human beings toward fulfillment and harmony. It teaches that we are not just free to invent our values, but are called to discover them, because they are inscribed into both the world and deeply in the human soul.

Across philosophical and spiritual traditions, natural law and the human soul are deeply connected:

- The soul is seen as possessing an innate sense of the good, true, and beautiful—what some call conscience or inner wisdom.

- Natural law, then, is the external reflection of that internal order: a moral compass rooted in the very structure of human nature and reality.

- When a person lives according to natural law—seeking truth, acting justly, honoring life, cultivating virtue—they live in alignment with the deep architecture of their own soul.

This alignment does not erase individuality. On the contrary, natural law supports each person in becoming more fully themselves —not by indulging every impulse, but by shaping their freedom through self-knowledge, discipline, and purpose. It encourages the flourishing of unique gifts within a universal moral order.

In this way, natural law acts like a trellis: not confining the soul but guiding its growth toward its highest potential.

Our role in nature as humans connects us to natural law because, unlike other creatures, we possess reason and moral awareness, allowing us to recognize and live in harmony with the deeper order of the world.

Natural law teaches that there are objective principles—such as justice, truth, and the pursuit of the common good—woven into the structure of reality, and that by following them, we fulfill our human nature.

This connection reminds us that we’re not separate from nature, but part of it—entrusted with the freedom and responsibility to live wisely and ethically within it.

This connection to natural law and our place in nature helps explain our drive to create art as a uniquely human way of seeking truth, beauty, and meaning—all core principles of natural law.

Art becomes a way of expressing the inner harmony we perceive in the world and in ourselves, and a means of exploring what is just, good, or noble. Because we’re endowed with reason, imagination, and moral intuition, we are naturally moved to reflect the order and wonder of creation—not just in science or ethics, but in visual, musical, and written formats..

In this way, the creative impulse is more than self-expression; it’s a moral and spiritual response to being alive in a world of pattern, purpose, and mystery. It is unique to each individual artist and simultaneously shared among all humans across time.