The Wizard of Oz – allegory for the awakening journey
As I overheard some children discussing the classic movie The Wizard of Oz the other day, I was struck by how it illustrates an awaking journey.
Dorothy starts out running away from the woman who wants to put her beloved dog down for biting. In doing so she misses her opportunity to take shelter in the storm cellar as a tornado approaches. Running into her home to escape the storm the entire building is carried up in the tornado to touchdown in Munchkinland. It’s at this point Dorothy’s life moves from black and white into technicolor where she meets a good witch and the Munchkins both of whom celebrate Dorothy for killing the wicked witch. Dorothy sets off to find the all-powerful Wizard of Oz to help her get back home. Her adventure has her picking up other lost souls along the way who are also searching for something they feel they are missing. Through many trials and tribulations, they end up in the magically city of Oz and find the all-powerful Wizard is nothing more than a man who ended up in Oz on accident much like Dorothy. As he explains, all the things the ragtag group were hoping the Wizard would give them already reside within them. He offers to return Dorothy home by riding in his hot air balloon. As they set off, Toto again escapes and Dorothy chases after him being left behind. Glenda the good witch reappears just when Dorothy feels all hope is lost. She tells Dorothy that she always had the power to return to Kanas with the help of the ruby slippers but needed to find that out for herself.
We all know this movie so well but I’m guessing very few of us have given thought to it as an allegory to awakening. Most of us begin awakening because we are trying to escape suffering of some sort and things usually must get pretty bad before we surrender. I don’t mean give up but rather surrender our need to control the outcome, destination or even the process. Once we surrender, even if it’s just a fraction of a second, then we can be transported to our own technicolor land where everything is wonderful and weird, and we feel like we don’t know the rules or what is expected of us. This is where the magic begins if we allow it.
Once on the yellow brick road we find many wonderful things along with things that scare us or push us out of our comfort zone. We also meet others on the journey who sometimes travel with us for a while. We travel along not knowing exactly where were going or how we’ll get there. There’s usually some preconceived notion about the where.
When we start out, we tend to be a bit disoriented and scared. We look for all the things we think we lack outside ourselves rather than turning within for the answers. Sometimes we find paths and teachers who bring us closer to that which we seek but awakening is the journey within. Healing ourselves and facing our limiting beliefs, shadow selves other muck keeping us from knowing our true nature. Just when most of us are ready to give up our higher self, source, a guide, an angel or some other being of light speaks to us as Glenda did to Dorothy, that we have everything we need to get to where we want to be, our spiritual home. As Dorothy says, “There’s no place like home”.
Once we get a glimpse of ‘Home’ we are forever changed. With that deep inner knowing permeating our being we are able to be more grateful, generous, and joyous. Life goes from black and white to technicolor even when we return to Kansas.
Frequently Asked Questions About The Wizard of Oz and Spiritual Awakening
Is The Wizard of Oz a spiritual allegory?
Yes, The Wizard of Oz can be understood as a spiritual allegory for the awakening journey. Dorothy’s path reflects the movement from unconscious living, through surrender and inner testing, toward remembering one’s inherent wholeness and inner authority. Like many spiritual myths, the story uses symbolism to describe an inner transformation rather than an external destination.
How does The Wizard of Oz represent spiritual awakening?
The film mirrors common stages of spiritual awakening: the desire to escape suffering, the loss of familiar structures, disorientation in a new inner landscape, and the search for guidance outside oneself. Dorothy’s realization that she always possessed what she was seeking reflects a core truth of awakening—that wisdom, courage, and belonging are discovered within, not granted by an external authority.
What does the yellow brick road symbolize spiritually?
Spiritually, the yellow brick road represents the unfolding path of awakening itself. It is not linear or predictable, and it includes both wonder and challenge. Along the way, we encounter teachers, companions, fears, and tests that help reveal our limiting beliefs and forgotten strengths. The road does not lead us to wholeness; it reveals what has been present all along.
What does “There’s no place like home” mean in spiritual terms?
In a spiritual context, “home” symbolizes inner alignment and remembrance of our true nature. Awakening is not about escaping life or transcending humanity, but about returning to ourselves with greater awareness. Once this inner home is recognized, life may look the same externally, but it is experienced with more clarity, gratitude, and ease.
Why does spiritual awakening often begin with surrender or suffering?
Awakening often begins when familiar coping strategies stop working. Moments of suffering or loss can soften our attachment to control and create an opening for deeper awareness. Surrender does not mean giving up; it means releasing the need to dictate the process so transformation can unfold naturally from within.