Symbolic Journeys of Inner Transformation
Images of transitions, overloads, and a long journey home in the memories of the prodigal son can be interpreted as symbols of deep internal transformation and the challenging path of repentance. These images reflect the heavy and prolonged procession of a soul burdened by past mistakes and passions, striving to return to its source, to its true and purified self.For example, one source emphasizes that returning home is “the great masterpiece of a penitent sinner,” whose journey is marked by numerous trials and internal overload: "He goes further. He not only repents but 'stood up and went to his father.' Despite all the trials, he returns home. The path leading him to his parental home is heavy and difficult—this is the grand procession of a penitent sinner." (source: link txt)Likewise, images of transitions are associated with a knightly feat, where the prodigal son appears as a warrior embarking on a battle against the dark forces within himself. Here, returning home is presented not merely as physical movement but as a spiritual struggle, symbolizing a cleansing through combat and the overcoming of inner demons: "The son is enshrouded by the cross. The son leaves his parental home. But this 'leaving home' is not yet 'vagrancy.' The knight sets out to fight the dark forces; he is in 'dazzling armor,' in 'the helm of the morning dawn'; in his hand, his sword; with his arrows, he disperses the night darkness." (source: link txt)Such symbolic images underline not only the physical distance but also the emotional and spiritual overloads experienced when one becomes aware of their mistakes and chooses to return. The images of a long journey—mentioned as “paths, roads, boundless expanses, deserted distances”—further symbolize the continuous movement of the soul, its striving to reclaim internal harmony and recover the lost wholeness of being: "In 'Unwilling Joy' it intertwines with melodies of bittersweet joy, silence, white death, and blue ships. At first, it is formless and blurry; then, gradually, the fog disperses and its symbolic images are revealed: paths, roads, boundless expanses, deserted distances, the wind, clouds running across the sky—eternal movement, eternal striving." (source: link txt)Thus, these images can be regarded as metaphors for the complex process of cleansing and renewal, wherein the prodigal son (as well as any individual who has encountered temptations and errors) undergoes severe trials and internal overload before finding the strength for the long, yet necessary, return to the origins of one’s nature and to a state of harmonious living.