What is a unalome?

Pronounced: \ˈyü-na lōm \

Traditionally a unalome is a symbol that represents one spiritual path, but I am coopting it to represent one’s path of healing. One of the beautiful concepts about the unalome is that everyone’s symbol is different as it is a reflection of one’s experience. The symbol, typically, has 3 parts: origin, wandering, and the path.

In a spiritual context the stages represent one’ spiritual path. The origin displays one’s expanding awareness and consciousness while being brought up by one’s family. The Wandering displays one’s veering away from what they have been taught and exploring other beliefs or alterations of the family’s beliefs. These steps move one forward, but do not completely capture what one is looking for, so the progress winds and twists as it gets closer and closer to the path. The Path represents when one understands their spiritual purpose and is unwavering in their dedication. A dot or dots at the end typically represent the completion of one’s path… but when is anyone really complete?

In a healing context, I have coopted the origin represents a person gaining awareness of the trauma they want to heal, gaining understanding and knowledge. The Wandering represents trying out different healing modalities and ways of being in order to help heal. The Path represents when one finds and understands the mix of modalities and ways of being that work for them to help them maintain balance.