A Great Pilgrimage

When this quote slipped across my screen, I paused. I have a particular love for the term pilgrimage. Its etymology and definition can be summed up as a journey to a distant place for spiritual knowledge and/or edification.

I felt in need of a great pilgrimage, so I sat still for three days, and God came to me.
~Kabir

 Over the years, I've been fortunate enough to go on many pilgrimages. Several of them echoed Kabir's words. Which is likely why I was so drawn to them.

Pilgrimage = journey to a distant place. St. Thérèse of Lisieux is the patron saint of pilgrimages though she never left her home town of Lisieux. Why?

Thérèse exemplified Kabir's words. Repeatedly in her writings and in the stories of her life are instances of her visitations from the Divine, even as she sat quietly in prayer. Often, she was berated for falling asleep during her prayers. Her response was that she was alseep in the arms of God. So deep in conversation that to those around her, she was not awake nor aware. She was far away.

No matter what we choose to call the Divine, we have repeated opportunities to do as Thérèse did. Our focus on the Divine can be so intense that we appear to others to be asleep. We know we are not. We know the dream world through which we are moving is the realm of the Divine.

Sometimes we have the chance to travel in this world as well. To go on pilgrimage. To walk and move in the holy places, wherever they may be. After my first trip to the Holy Land, a friend asked me to describe how the place felt. Was it different from home? My response came in the form of a smile and an enigmatic statement, That's why they call it the Holy Land. When many people's hearts, minds and prayers focus on a particular place, all that graced energy makes the place itself holy. It enshrines the energetics of the land itself and dedicates it to the Divine.

Pilgrimage can take place anywhere. We bring the holy with us as we move through the world. As long as we continue to move with prayerful, holy intent, we carry that energy with us. The pilgrimage blesses both us and the place of our focus along with all those we encounter along the way.

When was the last time you went on a pilgrimage? Where did you go? Did the Divine come to you wherever you were? Why did you consider it a pilgrimage? How were you called to it? How did it bless you? What blessing did you bring to it? What difference did it create in you when you returned?

Ramadan Kareem

This particular New Moon brings with it the beginning of the Muslim blessing month of Ramadan. During Ramadan, all who are healthy and able participate in fasting from first light to last light every day. Experiencing Ramadan during summer in the Northern Hemisphere is long and exhausting.

Iftar, the breaking of the fast, traditionally begins with the eating of three dates at sunset. It is often a widely shared meal. Though I am not a practicing Muslim, I have had the great fortune of being invited to participate in three iftar meals. The first time was in the lower level of a private home with only women. Ten or eleven of us sat on low couches and large pillows scattered on the floor. I was the only non-Muslim woman present. Though I felt the awkwardness of an outsider, the women included me in every part of the ritual, the meal and the conversation. By the end of the nearly 90-minute time together, we were all smiling, laughing and embracing as we went our separate ways.

My other two times were during my time in Egypt. Muslim friends with whom I worked invited me to join their families. I was deeply touched by their offers. For each of those days, I participated in the full day fast: no food and no drink. Not the same as their month-long experience, I realize, but my meager way of honoring their invitation. The warmth and generosity of the people equaled what I had previously experienced and I went home from each iftar with a deeper sense of the blessing of Ramadan.

What celebrations bring you blessing? Have you shared in celebrations with strangers? What blessing have you found in them? Do you choose times to fast, to give something vital and precious up for a time? If so, what have you experienced?

Have I Gone Mad?

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Alice remains one of my favorite characters to follow ~ down the rabbit hole or through the looking glass, either works for me. She moves with cool confidence and commonplace expectation through a landscape of dream and adventure. Her questions reflect the juxtaposed juncture of 'mundane' and 'exceptional.'

Like this one: "Have I gone mad?" She's asking this politely of the Cheshire Cat who occasionally reveals himself to be only a grin. In the mundane world that very action would be the answer to her query!

I love his response: "I'm afraid so. You're entirely bonkers. But I'll tell you a secret... all the best people are." As Alice's Adventures in Wonderland was first published in 1859, it was likely the first book to use the term 'bonkers' to mean crazy. Looking up the word's origin, it is claimed as 'unknown' and has it originating in the 1940s or 1950s. Clearly, most of those looking at its origins have not read Alice..... how sad for them! I digress ~~~

Being bonkers, mad, crazy, whatever term one chooses to use, is a good thing. It describes lightness and play in one's heart ~ a capacity to express oneself in ways that are beyond the normal. All creatives are thought mad at some point or another. All dreamers are too. This kind of madness, though, is both blessing and curse. Name-calling generally leaves one feeling judged and out-of-sorts. Yet it is also a way to explain the feverish directed passion that can overwhelm someone when they catch, or are caught by, the creative spirit.

How do you feel about being called 'bonkers'? Are your creative moments planned? or overwhelming? or timely? Are you glad to be in the company of others with that moniker? or do you steer clear of those with a creative passion bent?

Doom or Blessing

KC, short for Kama Chameleon ~ What WERE her parents thinking, or on, when they named her?, focused on the application she was filling out.

What kind of work had she been doing most recently? Well, KC was what’s termed a ‘seasonal worker.’ It’s funny how that works out because ‘seasonal workers’ fill a multitude of positions: agricultural workers, holiday workers, summer vacation workers; and come from a variety of places: high school and college students, single mothers, undocumented workers, to name a few.

How did she fit into this mix? She was a ‘cafeteria lady’ at the grade school during the school year, working 3-4 hour shifts when students were in school. In the summer, she worked at Jimmie Joe’s General Store at the edge of the city, on the road leading to the lake and woods. She was always up by 5 a.m. to be at work by 6. 

Last week, as she was getting ready to head to Jimmie Joe’s, her phone buzzed. It was a text from Jimmie ~ not the old man who’d started the business, but his daughter who was the current owner/manager ~ “Call me before you leave the house” read the text.

KC called.

“Hey, KC,” Jimmie said.

“What’s up, Jimmie?” KC replied.

“Well, uh, it’s kinda like…”

“Out with it, Jimmie. Are you firing me?”

“Not exactly,” said Jimmie. “It’s just that, well, they started work on the road today.”

“Sure. That was planned. I was about to head out the door to get ahead of traffic when your text came through.”

“Yeah. But what wasn’t planned was the backhoe taking out a piece of the bridge. They have it blocked off.”

“Wow. Really?” said KC. “How long is it going to take to fix?”

“Well, that’s the problem. They don’t know. They’ve already started arguing about who’s fault it is and who’s going to pay for the repairs.”

“That could take a while. So what’s the problem?”

“Well, KC,” said Jimmie. “I don’t need you to come in if no one can go camping or fishing from this direction. The only way out now is across the old Casson Street bridge north of town.”

“Oh. I get it. So no one will be buying stuff at the store, right?”

“Right.”

“Okay,” said KC. “Glad you caught me before I left. I’ll call you later to check on things.”

“Okay,” said Jimmie. “Talk to you later.”

After they hung up, KC stood at the kitchen sink looking out into the yard. She was stunned. She needed the work to make ends meet. What was she going to do now? She turned, grabbed her travel mug of coffee and sat down at the table. Before she could stop them, the tears began. 

“Oh, shit!” KC said out loud. “What am I going to do now?” She put her head down on her arms on the table and let herself cry.

A short time later, KC got up, walked into the bathroom and washed her face. She looked at herself in the mirror and repeated her question, “What am I going to do now?”

She went into the bedroom, pulled out her laptop and turned it on. What was that site her brother kept telling her about? Somebody’s list….? Oh! Yes. Craigslist, right? She typed it in and there was a pause as the page loaded. Like her brother had suggested a half dozen times recently, she now looked at the ‘help wanted’ section. There was one for a part time gardener, two days a week. Another for a line worker at the factory. Another for a companion for an elderly woman. As she read them, she started thinking, “I can do this. And this. And maybe this. I don’t want to do that one.” Soon she began replying to the ads ~ which led her to filling out the application to work as a companion for the elderly. She found her attitude going from frustration and fear to hope, excitement and looking forward to change.

That backhoe’s accident which first looked like it spelled doom, might just lead KC to a new job that won’t depend on the season!

What situation have you experienced that looked bad at first and then turned into something good? How did that happen? Are there other situations that appeared bad that might have a good side to it?

Christmas Night

Christmas night was dark and beautiful. There was a crystal glow around the moon. As I focused my camera and zoomed on it, I held my breath ~ exhaling slowly as I snapped the shot.

Involuntarily, a smile grew across my lips. I spoke quietly to the silvery glow. "You are beautiful tonight, Lady. Thank You for Your beautiful show."

I stood outside in the dark. Inside, family and friends ate, talked and laughed. My sense of contentment overwhelmed any other thought. I walked farther into the darkness, watching the show as clouds scudded across the moon then released Her. Stars winked through the wisps of cloud.

Gratitude washed over me ~ and continues to wash over me as I remember the moment. "Thank You, Lady, for family, friends and love. Thank You for memory and choice. Thank You for all who have passed through my life. Bring blessings to each."

For what are you grateful during this holiday season? Do you take moments to look at the night sky? What feeling does the night bring you?

Unexpected Visitors

Colette Baron-Reid, The Enchanted Map

From the booklet:

“If you expect the unexpected, you’ll be prepared for miracles.”

Detours, surprises, and paradigm shifts . . . expect the unexpected. No matter how detailed your plans are, and how clear you believe the road ahead to be, there are times when the best plans are waylaid by unforeseen circumstances. At first, detours may seem inconvenient, but a surprise turn of events signals that the adventure of life is beginning to get interesting. No one can plan for synchronicity—for fate and destiny to meet—except Spirit, who knows what you can’t comprehend for now. Life is full of surprises, so stay on your toes and enjoy this exciting new adventure you weren’t expecting. There is a plan for your life that may not match up with your agenda.

What irony ~~ looking for a card for my coming week, only to draw Unexpected Visitors. Recent experiences culminated with paradigm shifts ~ unexpected movements rock my world. Awareness blossoms regarding all the changes in the offing right now. Family changes; professional changes; personal changes. Even though I stumble through the newness and feel raw from the transformations, I feel the deep inner peace of blessings on the way.

I see this card as more of a reminder than a response... Remember! it cries. Remember your experiences. Remember how connected you are. So connected that you synchronously pulled the precise card to provide that message!

What unforeseen circumstance has shown up at your door recently? How have you allowed for the synchronicity? How do you deal with the emotional shifts that come with the changes?