There comes a point in many lives when the regular books stop working. The entertainment still entertains, but something in you is hungry for more. You're seeking fiction that doesn't just pass time—you want fiction that speaks to the journey you're on.
This is spiritual fiction. Not preachy, not didactic, but stories that somehow know what you're going through and light the way forward.
What Makes Fiction Spiritual?
Spiritual fiction isn't about religion (though it can include it). It's fiction that:
- Addresses soul questions — Who am I? Why am I here? What does it mean?
- Models awakening — Characters who wake up to larger realities
- Honors mystery — Not everything is explained; some is held in reverence
- Explores consciousness — The inner world is as real as the outer
- Integrates light and shadow — Spirituality includes all of us
The best spiritual fiction avoids the trap of making characters too enlightened. Real spiritual journeys are messy, include regression, require facing our worst selves.
The Resonance of African Spirituality
Different spiritual traditions offer different maps for the journey. African spirituality—with its emphasis on ancestral connection, communal identity, and the living presence of the spiritual world—offers something distinct.
Resonance by Sitreyah Kotelo emerges from this worldview. The protagonist's spiritual journey isn't about ascending to higher planes—it's about descending into ancestry, integrating what was rejected, finding wholeness through connection rather than transcendence.
Stages of the Soul Journey in Fiction
Joseph Campbell's hero's journey is one map, but spiritual fiction often follows its own pattern:
- The Call — Something disrupts ordinary consciousness
- Resistance — The old self fights change
- Descent — Facing shadow, trauma, the rejected parts
- Death — The old identity must die (symbolically)
- Rebirth — New consciousness emerges
- Integration — Bringing the gift back to ordinary life
- Service — Using what was gained for others
Good spiritual fiction doesn't rush these stages. It lets readers accompany the character through each, finding their own experience reflected.
Finding Your Spiritual Fiction
What speaks to you depends on where you are:
- Early awakening — Books that validate the questioning
- Dark night — Books that accompany without false comfort
- Integration — Books that model bringing wisdom home
- Service — Books about using gifts for collective healing
Resonance speaks particularly to those exploring ancestral connection and healing inherited patterns—those who sense that their spiritual journey includes their lineage.