Hello there, 2014!

Everyone (well, some people) expected the world to change dramatically on 12/21/12, and were disappointed when there was no angel chorus and no apocalypse and not even a good thunderstorm . . . And 2013 was no walk in the park, was it? Lightening strikes aside, I believe the world can and will be a better place, and that we are in the midst of making it that way. 

Life is like a labyrinth. There is one way in to the center, and that way twists and winds and sometimes brings you to an unexpected place. Then you arrive at the center where it is calm and serene, but that is a small space and you are there for a short time before stepping back out onto the path. Which still twists and winds and even if it is more familiar than it was on the way in, you may become disoriented and not know just how close you are to the end. Then, suddenly, you are stepping out of the labyrinth, wondering at how much quicker it was to get out than to get in. 

Those are the three levels to a labyrinth walk: Release, Receive, and Return. Or, Purgation, Illumination, and Union.

On 12/21/12 we stepped into the labyrinth and began to walk, letting go of all the old paradigms and systems and beliefs that no longer served our highest interests. During 2013 we twisted and turned and didn't always know what we were doing or where we were going; but as it is impossible to get lost in a labyrinth, we were safe and always heading in the right direction. Release.

The December solstice brought us into the center of the labyrinth. We celebrated and lit candles and gathered with loved ones. Some of us brought Nature into our homes in the form of a tree. We took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Receive.

As we move into the new year of 2014, we are back on the winding path. But this time there is familiarity, a sense of having been here before. You feel more free, released of constraints.That which you've been hoping, dreaming and yearning for all these years is finally within your grasp. You may not be able to put a name or label on what it is you want, but you feel it and it is being magnified. Now is the time to open your eyes and your heart, and make each step one that brings you closer to Love. Return.

"There's nothing you can sing that can't be sung."(Beatles) So whatever it is, sing it out. Do it with a spirit of lovingkindness. Know that what you do is for the good of all, even if that isn't obvious. Allow that even if you don't understand the Big Picture, there is one, and you are part of it. Walk with a light heart and a helping hand (and I don't just mean those who are obvious "helpers" like nurses and firefighters, but those who keep the world running from behind the scenes, like  dish washers and office managers). 

That sounds vague, but the details are in you. Each person's path is slightly different, like in the labyrinth: This one walks close to the edges of the path; that one treads on a fragrant plant, releasing a lovely aroma, and another picks their way, carefully avoiding the muddy parts. Some stride through purposefully, others meander. Look at what you are doing now and keep doing it, but with a new light shining on your busyness. 

I believe in World Peace and Unlimited Abundance and that may sound like a pipe dream or the answer to a beauty contest question, but I hold that in my heart and it lets me smile and have patience and cultivate compassion. These beautiful states are mirrored back to me by most people I come in contact with every day; these reflections strengthen my faith that harmony is within the grasp of all on Earth.

Peace.

Walking in Circles

I step into the labyrinth as the church bell towers strike nine.  The slow, even count echoes my footsteps; or is it the other way around?  The chimes turn into a melody, and I walk on to the sound of “Holy, Holy, Holy”.  Yes, it is.  The sun is warm and the air is soft.  As I turn right and head toward the strip of woods the ground grows hard and cold, no grass growing in the deeply shaded area.  I continue around and step into the sunshine, where the grass is thick and soft, warm beneath my bare feet.  A small brown and orange butterfly flits across my path to settle on a tiny yellow flower.  I carefully step around her and continue my circling.  As I walk along the paths edged with old brick, I try to empty my mind of all but sound.  The church bells fade into silence and the birds take over, chirping and tweeting their secret messages to each other.  Cars going by on the road make a sound like the wind through trees, and again I am in the sunny section of the path, soft grass and warmth on my shoulders.  Ah, the center.  Here is where I pause and gaze up into the tree tops, spring leaves rustling softly, sun on their tops and their lower branches in shadow. I return to the path, retracing my steps, circling the labyrinth’s center in small circles, then larger, then, surprisingly, another small circuit close to the middle before widening out again.  Slow steps in rhythm with my breath.  Clover, wild strawberry, packed dirt, soft grass; beneath my soles each step takes a different tone.  I start to wax poetic in my mind: Life is sometimes cold and hard, then the next step takes you into the sun, with soft freshness to carry you forward . . . then I turn off my brain and return to my senses.  The spring air is fragrant with green, the dog rests patiently in the sun, hidden animals scurry beneath the trees, and my feet touch the Earth.  Oh, how quickly the return trip seems, always shorter than the walk in to the center.  I step out of the labyrinth and go up to the ancient pin oak, pressing my palms on her rough bark.  I know her roots are spread wide beneath me, echoing her branches, holding her deep into the ground.  I pat her mossy surface, and call to the dog.