Yeats reflects upon the cyclical nature of life and the transience of human existence. He presents an image of life running from the cradle to the grave and then, inversely, from the grave back to the cradle. Human thought and action, like thread wound on a spool by a fool, seems ultimately meaningless or transient, unraveling as mere “loose thread” (181). Yet even when life’s tangible markers (the cradle and spool) are gone, and one’s existence is reduced to a mere ethereal shade, Yeats holds onto the hope of finding true and “faithful love” (181). This love, unlike the transient threads of life, remains consistent and unwavering.

This chapter explores the nature of the soul’s journey beginning with life and extending into death and the stages of existence beyond. The chapter introduces the “Daimon,” a spiritual being intrinsically linked to humans that exerts influence from the 13th Cycle. The Daimon helps shape human existence from physical formation in the womb to moments of premonition and fate. Alongside the Daimon, comes the “Ghostly Self,” an immutable representation of an individual’s essence.

Upon death, individuals encounter an ethereal gathering with kindred spirits. Following this encounter, they witness a series of spiritual awakenings and returns.