ARTICLES:
SUMMER SOLSTICE by Cathy Pagano from Wisdom of Astrology Newsletter
THE LABYRINTH AND RECOVERY WORK
by Judith Medeiros
SOLSTICE EVERGREEN by Cris McCullough
CHARTRES CATHEDRAL AND THE CHARTRES LABYRINTH
by Judith Medeiros
WALKING THE PATH OF THE SOUL by Cris McCullough
BECOMING A KNOWER IN A SEEKING WORLD; Harry Potter's Journey
by Cris McCullough
LABYRINTH; OVER AND UNDER VIEW by Vici Williams
Cathy Pagano
Wisdom of Astrology Newsletter
Summer Solstice & Sagittarius Full Moon 2008
Happy Summer Solstice!
The Sun goes into Cancer for the Summer Solstice this year on Friday, June 20th at 7:59 pm EDT and 4:59 pm PDT. The sun has reached its highest elevation in the sky – its most northernly position – and now it will 'stand still' for three days before beginning its journey back south.
The Sabian Symbol for the Sun at Summer Solstice is: On a ship the sailors lower an old flag and raise a new one. This symbol speaks of establishing new loyalties and priorities, marking a turning point in the cycle of the seasons. Pluto exactly opposes the Sun just before the Summer Solstice, increasing our awareness of the need for transformation this Solstice.
Solstice means "sun stand still" and so for this moment in time (the other moment is the Winter Solstice in December) the Sun stops and contemplates its child – the Earth. What would the Sun say to us at this point in our history? Perhaps: Think globally, act locally!
Jean Houston, the great psychologist, social artist and activist says "We no longer have the luxury of sloth. We need a new mind to create new possibilities in this time of whole systems transitions." We each need to become social artists and bring a new vision for social change to our world. We need to create new patterns, new visions in which we all share the world equally and in peace. And remember, peace needs to be active, loving, imaginative, potent, dynamic, green, growing and sexy.
So at this Summer Solstice, which evokes the Sacred Marriage of Heaven and Earth, we need to 're-member' the beauty and magic of the Earth, to see the spirit in the material aspects of our lives. On this longest day of the year, step into the Light. Feel its potency, its warmth, its life-giving power. Rejoice in the Life the Sun gives to us and to our Mother Earth and be grateful.
And then take one more step. Into Faerie!
Faerie is that realm of awareness that was potent at the morningtime of the world. Step into this place of magic and beauty, see the great natural beauty of our world and let yourself experience the mysteries of the Unknown. June 24th was known as MidSummer's Night – and Shakespeare, the great Bard, described this night as full of mischief, delight and magic.
If we are ever going to stop the environmental destruction, we need to reawaken our ability to 'see' the spirits of the Earth and know that we are all connected in a live web of wonder that is our ecosystem. We cut off our own life when we continue to disregard our environment. Take time to enjoy these days and nights of the Solstice, and allow the magic to come back into your life. And then find ways to preserve and expand the beauty that fills you for your community. The Hero's Journey says that after we discover the treasure (often our unique purpose and talents) we must finish the journey by bringing those treasures back to our community. It is TIME!
One of the myths about Summer Solstice is that the Winter/Holly King and Summer/Oak King fight for the love of the Flower Queen. If you want to read a story about it, go to: Summer Solstice Story
Now for the Full Moon in Sagittarius. The chart of the full moon is similar to the Solstice Chart, with the exception of the Moon's placement. In the Solstice chart, the moon has moved into Capricorn, conjoined with Jupiter. So the Moon's qualities evoke her aspect as Hera/Juno, as Queen and wife to the King of the Gods. The Sacred Marriage is mirrored in the heavens this Solstice night. Relationships are important this year – not just our romantic relationships, but our connection to 'all our relations' – family, friends, foreign 'others', animals, plants, and most especially the Earth.
This Sagittarius Full Moon supports our taking that 'leap of faith' we've all been struggling with. Can we let go of our fear of the Unknown and trust in our vision that we CAN create a better world?
The full moon is conjoined with Pluto, taking on the lunar qualities of Persephone, who is wed to Hades/Pluto. (Another Sacred Marriage!) Persephone represents the aspect of lunar consciousness that reflects the Unconscious and brings back insights to enrich our lives. Persephone descends into the depths so she can bring back new riches from the underworld. To have a balanced life, we need to descend to the Unconscious periodically. (We do it nightly when we sleep.)
Continued at: Wisdom of Astrology/Sagittarius Full Moon 2008
www.myspace.com/cathypagano
Have a magical joyous Summer Solstice,
Cathy Pagano
310-741-7013
(Cathy is a wonderful friend and a gifted psychic, I suggest you check out her listing. C.)
THE LABYRINTH AND RECOVERY WORK
by Judith Medeiros
The Labyrinth can be a helpful spiritual tool for those who are dealing with recovery work. Walking the labyrinth can help to quiet the mind, open the heart, encounter a new and refreshing clarity. During a quiet, meditative walk one can focus on an aspect of healing, such as the Serenity Prayer, or working with the 12 steps.
The Labyrinth is a unicursal walk: a well-defined pathway that winds its way to the center and back out again. There are no "tricks", no wrong turns or ddead ends as there are in a maze. Many people in recovery describe their lives before sobriety as being in a maze, feeling confused and bewildered.
Also, being "wrong", dealing with the consequences of "wrong" decisions is something that can haunt and discourage a person struggling with recovery. There is no "right" or "wrong" way to walk a labyrinth. The labyrinth just requires one to put one foot infront of the other and follow the path.
The three "R's" of walking the labyrinth are; Release, Receive, Return. The labyrinth walk then becomes a metaphor of the journey to recovery. Walking to the center is the release process, letting go, purgation. It is a time to quiet the mind, release expectations and shed anxieties and doubts. The turns in the labyrinth may bring up feelings and thoughts of the transitions and changes in our lives. They may bring up anxiety that we have lost our way, but be reminded that the movement is still towards the center, a central goal, one step at a time. Reaching the center of the labyrinth is time to receive, to feel the illumination that comes as a gift to an open mind and heart. Take time to meditate, pray, feel the stillness. Give thanks before starting the return journey. The return walk is a time to feel the union, the integration of what was experienced; the calm, the peace, the insights. Becoming aware of the presence of the Divine at work in us brings a sense of confidence, a time to connect with "authentic self".
Pause after stepping out, knowing that all the energy that has been coiled up in one direction has been unwound and released. Pause, give thanks, rest.
SOLSTICE EVERGREEN
by Cris McCullough
When I first discovered the power of the Wheel of the Year I had already had one child and was carrying my twins. I belonged to a women's study group that gathered in community to re-discover the ancient power of the Earth and our deep rooted connection to Her. That was over 20 years ago, and here we are today, finally listening to Mother Earth's cries and pains as She continues to adapt to our needs and ways.
The Solstice, I learned, was far more ancient than Christmas. In fact it was and is the root of the Christmastide tradition. It celebrates the return of the Light! Not a small thing, that.
Consider our ancestors, huddled close in the dark and freezing winter. Survival was tenuous at best. Harvest had come and gone and, by December life was looking a bit bleak. Then the holy ones would call for a celebration....look there they would exclaim! According to our siteings the Sun is indeed rising....it is coming back and with it will be food and warmth and another year to live on this wondrous planet! And there in the dead of winter The People would feel brave enough to celebrate the return of Life itself! They would risk what few stores of provisions they had to share in feasting and revelry. They would light Beseeching Fires to encourage the Light to return and give Thanks to all that was holy for their joy. They would mark the time at their sacred sites with simple labyrinth forms engraved on the walls and, at first light on Winter Solstice morning, the sun would illuminate the center of the spiral, marking the time, again and again...year after year.
I find this story to be very powerful. So, when my children got to that age of excitement over Christmas and all that the holiday would bring, I got into the habit of returning their focus to the origins of the time. We would mark the astronomical event as it came around. We would pay attention to the sap rising in the Maple trees, taking out our stethescopes and putting them against the trunks on Solstice Day, and yes! you can hear the sap rise!
We would make much of the sacrifice of the Tree, name it, sing songs around it and on each Sunday of Advent, get and give a little present to each other and stretch the time.
We would study the celebrations of the Light that happened world wide, in different cultures, relishing their diversity and wondering at their similarities. Working with children in this way promotes tolerance and understandings of the ties that bind all human beings the world over despite the differences in the kinds of celebrations each religion chooses to follow.
The labyrinth circle became a vessel to hold the joy and the promises for the year to come. As we joined hands with our loved ones and danced the Solstice to Light, we shared something deep and ancient in us all.
Blessings upon the Yule...the Wheel of the Year that keeps turning tomorrow.
To view streaming video of the 2007 Solstice event as it took place at New grange in Ireland on Dec. 21, go to www.heritageireland.re/en/solstice2007
Rising, Rising The Earth is Rising
Turning , Turning, The Tide is Turning
During Solstice, ancient people ritually said goodbye to people, relationships and experiences that were passing away and opened themselves to receive the goodness Life had in store.
Solstices brought the Divine Male and Divine Female into balance. Lugh, the Sun God of the ancient Celts becomes The Dreaming God with the Summer Solstice, returning to the womb of The Eternal Mother, who is free to give the gifts of abundance and growth to her children. After a brief time of rest (last Summer Harvest at Lammas until now) She again gives birth to Him on the Winter Solstice.
The plants of Winter hold significance for their power to conqueor death.
*Evergreens were used to decorate homes during this time, whether the palms of Egypt or the pine of Germany.
*Mistletoe grew on the Sacred Oaks, the "cathedrals" of the Druids, and was harvested with a golden sickle, representing Life in the deepest part of darkness.
*Holly had spines to catch the evil spirits, sickness and bad luck and hung over doorways.
The words "Holly" and "Holy" are both related to the word "Halle" from the Old English for "Health"
CHARTRES CATHEDRAL AND THE CHARTRES LABYRINTH
by Judith Medeiros
The origins of Chartres perhaps go back to a Druidic tradition and a pre=Christian virgin-mother cult. Gallo-Roman Chrtres was built on the Eure River. The evangelization by the first Christians probably occured during the 4th century. Among the first bishops; St. Adveninus (mid 4th century), St. Martin (5th century), Solemnis and St. Lubin. There were probably several primitive churches at Chartres before the reference to the one destroyed by the Duke of Aquitaine in 743.
Cathedrals were dedicated to Mary since Carolingian times. Devotion to Mary grew in the Western Church. Chartres became an important pilgrimage shrine, the eartly palace of the Queen of Heaven. In 876, Charlemagne's grandson, Charles the Bald, presented the sacred relic, "Sancta Camisia", to Chartres. This is the Nativity Veil of the Virgin sent to Charlemagne from Emprress Irene of Byzantium.
The first church from the 4th century was burnt in 743; the second was burnt in 858; only the crypt is left, known as St. Lubin's chapel.
In the 980's, St. Fulbert, a scholar from Reims Cathedral School, came to Chartres and established the Chartres Cathedral School, one of the foremost scholastic institutions of medieval Europe for the next two centuries, until the founding of the University of Paris. St. Fulbert became bishop of Chartres and began rebuilding the church after the fire of 1020. He received magnificant gifts from the sovereigns of Europe and was able to rebuild from the lower church: an abulatory built around the crypt opening into three large barrel vaulted chapels; then the upper church.
The Romaesque Cathedral was destroyed by fire in 11 94; only the north and south towers, south steeple, west portal and crypt remained. The Sacred Veil of the Virgin relic was the sole treasure to survive. All peoples, aristocracy and peasants alike, helped to rebuild the church in 25 years. Many donations were made by royalty; the merchant brotherhoods donated forty-three windows, their "signatures", in more than 100 scenes of their occupations. In 1260 the Cathedral was consecrated "the Cathedral Church of the Assumption of Our Lady."
There were many additions to the Cathedral. In 1507 the new stone steeple for the North Tower was built after the old wooden steeple had burnt down. The taller of the two spires, in Gothic style, is a sharp contrast to its Romanesque counterpart. After building the northern spire, Jean Texier (Jean de Beauce), built the choir screen around the chancel, with forty niches containing statues telling the lives of the Virgin and of Christ. And in 1753, an attempt to "modernize" the choir began, with the Baroque "Assumption High Altar", completed in 1773.
During the French Revolution, the wooden statue of Our Lady of the Crypt was burnt in front of the Royal Portal in 1793, and the Cathedral was rededicated as the "temple of reason". By 1795, the danger passed, and the Feast of the Assumption was celebrated in 1800.
During both World Wars of the 20th century the windows were dismantled piece by piece and removed for saftey.
The circular design of the Chartres Labyrinth is from the tradition of the Knights Templar. Legend says that the design was part of King Solomon's temple, carried back to France by the Templars. This style is associated with the Freemasons, the guilds that built the Gothic Cathedrals in Europe. These Cathedrals were created according to the methods of applied sacred geometry. The labyrinths were strategically located in geometric patterns that related to the whole of the Cathedral.
Rhe Chartres labyrinth,located at the west end of the nave, was laid into the Cathedral floor between 1194 and 1220. It is approximately 42 feet in diameter; the total walking path is 861.5 feet in length; there are 11 concentric circles, the 12th being the center. The center, a six-petaled rose shaped area, is about 9 feet in diametere. The rose is the symbol for the Virgin Mary; Notre Dame Cathedrals celebrate Her Presence.
During the Middle Ages believers were to make a pilgrimage to the Holy City of Jerusalem once during their lifetime. The 12th century Crusades made travel dangerous. Walking the Labyrinth in Cathedrals became the pilgrimage; the labyrinth was the "Chemin de Jerusalem", the Road to Jerusalem; the center was called "The New Jerusalem". Many pilgrims followed the labyrinth route on their knees as a penance,echoing the Way of the Cross.
Summer Solstice at The Healing Co-Op
WALKING THE PATH OF THE SOUL: The Healing Labyrinth
by Cris McCullough
On a beautiful Summer Solstice evening, thirty very different individuals have gathered to mindfully walk the ancient pathway of the Labyrinth. They are joined only by their curiosity, many have never done a "walk" before.
The gentle strains of calming music play in the background. Candles glow ephemerally in the drawing dusk. To the observer, the walkers seem to be engaged in a type of cosmic "dance"; meeting, passing, going in different directions, at times on parallel paths as they move rythmically towards the heart of the labyrinth. The Labyrinth experience is powerful because it mirrors the dance of life. Goals or intentions are set and it may seem that they are unattainable or deliciously close. We persevere.
For each the search is different. Some seek the healing of the body, a release from physical pain or at least an understanding of the "why" of it. Others seek a release from emotional trauma; abuse; the pain of abandonment, anger, or fear. There are those on the path of forgiveness; for themselves or from themselves towards others. There are those on the path of prayer for others or for the world. Some participants are seeking insight, inspiration and clarity. Some use the Labyrinth as a tool for team building of the non-violent resolution of issues. For others it is simply a meditative walk. There are many reasons to walk the sacred Labyrinth path.
The Labyrinth, then, is both a private act as well as a communal event. Participants who have completed a walk have described their experiences as "feelings of connectedness", "release", "becoming un - stuck", "gaining a flash of insight and clarity", "I can feel again!".
How does the labyrinth work to open hearts, minds and souls? One line of exploration takes us deep into our collective past. The Labyrinth form is reflected in our organic surroundings. The curves of the nautilus shell or the simple spiral of a fiddlehead fern, the gentle curve of the ear and more complex pattern of our brains all reflect the turning labyrinthian path. A more scientific exploration leads us through the various frequencies of our brain as it cycles through stages of awareness.
The Labyrinth is an ancient pattern which seems to have arisen spontaneously the world over during the cultural shift from hunter/gatherer society to agriculturalist society. Interestingly, we can trace the beginnings of this pattern back through time, to inscribed meander patterns which are found on many artifacts that represent the Great Mother or Goddess. Noted archeologists such as Maria Gimbutus associate this symbol with water, the sacred feminine, and peace oriented matrilineal societies .
You may be most familiar with the term "labyrinth" as describing the underground lair of the Minotaur, a bull headed beast slain by the ancient Greek hero, Theseus.
Through the passage of time, one can find the form on coins in Crete, as decorations on pottery in ancient Italy, woven into baskets by the Hopi and as illustrative carvings in India . Eventually the pattern evolved into the complex eleven circuit labyrinth pattern found on the floor of Chatres Cathedral in France during the Middle Ages. Chatres was part of a complex of great chuches which arose during the Middle ages dedicated to the Great Mother, Mary, all of which had labyrinths inlaid in their floors or inscribed on their walls. During the Middle Ages, pilgrims and penitents would flock to these churches to walk the path on their knees as part of a symbolic journey to Jeruselum.
Interest in the labyrinth and its use for healing began in the early 1990's when the Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, from San Francisco's Grace Cathedral, began leading pilgrimages to these sacred sites in order to explore the healing powers of the Labyrinth form. It is now beginning to make its revival in hospitals, churches, hospices, schools and other places of healing. The Labyrinth can be used for team building and focus in corporations, to promote non-violence in schools, to assist in healing when used by therapists and as a way of connecting to Spirit when used in a religious setting.
The Labyrinth is a simple unicursal walk towards a center of stillness. One travels a winding path drawn on a floor or on Mother Earth, in and back again. Unlike a maze, which is a puzzle meant to confound and challenge the individual for fun,the labyrinthian unicursal path has only one way in and one way out....one can never get lost. The journey itself becomes a living metaphor representing all the paths towards healing and wholeness, physical, emotional and spiritual that a human being may travel.
From a scientific standpoint, walking the Labyrinth seems to invoke brain synchrony, a balance between the right and left hemispheres of the brain (the intuitive and logical sides). As one walks the Labyrinth, the brain cycles from Beta to Theta states, moving from calm into a type of trance state which allows the person to participate in a deep sense of stillness and centeredness. Here all opens into clarity.
In order to heal fully, to begin a process of personal meaning, one must "embody" an experience. Through this act of walking meditation one is literally balancing the left and right hemispheres of the brain by following the many turnings creating a meditative experience that can lead to peace and insight.
Walks can have different themes or intents, held singly or communally, dedicated to celebrate Earth changes or personal growth. The Labyrinth makes its resurgence during a difficult time in our history . Perhaps its re-emergence offers opportunity as a guide for human beings to reconnect to the Universal Source a s we progress towards our next stage of Spiritual evolution.
The Labyrinth offers a powerful process for integration, healing and awareness. It is a creative process which moves the individual to explore their own personal soul map and can become a bridge to greater awareness.
Becoming a Knower in a Seeking World
by Cris McCullough, MA
"Am I meant to know, and not to seek? Did you know how hard I'd find that? Is that why you made it this difficult? So I would have time to find out?" Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
I took three days off this summer to devour the latest Harry Potter book (so who hasn't?) and I just want to let you know that, if you choose to read further, I won't be a "spoiler".
Out of 759 exciting pages, the above quote just seemed to jump out at me, especially in light of the work I do as both a labyrinth facilitator and a counselor/advisor.
There is a big difference between knowing and seeking and it is here, in that betwixt and between, that we human beings seem to choose to live.
The ancients called the time of Betwixt and Between, this twighlight of the worlds, this razor’s edge between sand and sea, a magical place. In these more holistic times, one could say it is the place of process. Everything and anything is forming. There are always distractions constantly creating the chaos...our emotions, other’s dramas, possibilities, seeming mistakes. Yet, out of the chaos, something is trying to emerge, that is Ourselves.
Interestingly, the author J.K. Rowlings offers us Harry’s journey in seven books and, much like the seven turnings of the Cretan Labyrinth, these books give us a tale of an individual growing into awareness of their knowing, becoming whole, one level of awakening at a time.
In Book number one, Harry finds his talent as a Seeker, a special position in the wizard’s game of Quidditch, on which the success of a game can hinge. If the team’s “Seeker” catches the game piece called a “Snitch” the game is ended and the team wins! Harry finds some fame and comfort in his talent, which connects him to a long dead father and makes him special in the eyes of his peers. But Harry, in this first book, also becomes a Seeker on a larger journey which unfolds to help him integrate his past with his present and future.
Like Harry we all have a talent to be Seekers. Being human we are always seeking an answer to some problem or other, either within or without. The path of Seeking is filled with distractions and we find ourselves, like Harry, getting frustrated in our quest for the truth about our selves, our past, our connections and ultimately our future.Seeking is the easy part of our journey. We can use it as an escape, the distraction of a pity party, or even an excuse not to stay in the NOW. “oh, I’m sorry. Can’t stick with this relationship (job or fill in the blank), I am trying to find Myself.” Seeking for something, whether it the Sorcerer’s Stone, or our destiny, is a doing. Action is distraction.
As Harry proceeds through his adventures, or turning points, he adds layers of complexity, not only to his life but to his being. As in a Labyrinth, Harry has been set a goal by his mentor Dumbledore, and as he turns here and there he finds that sometimes his goal seems impossibly out of reach...at other times, so close. He meets others on his path, coming and going, and has to choose how to react to them. He walks a cosmic dance with his friends and family, all moving, all seeking their own destiny.
Harry proceeds through turnings until he finally reaches the heart of the matter,the Center of the Labyrinth,and comes into his Knowing. Only in stillness can we allow ourselves to Know, to really hear what we are to do or be. Harry’s journey is like a Labyrinth walk. It can be difficult, a challenge, but it gives us time to find out that ultimately the answers to all our questions is already known within us. We, Human Beings (not Human Doings) already Know everything there is to know if we can just find the stillness within.
Harry finds three important secrets to becoming a Knower on his long journey.
1) Connection: Harry allows himself to come out of the isolation and dysfunction of his Muggle world and allows himself to become friends with House Elves, Mudbloods, Wizards and all other sorts of individuals. In his innocence and desire to belong he allows a web of support to be woven around him through his love and acceptance of others. His friends, teachers, mentors and even enemies bask in the openess of his acceptance and compassion.
2) Trust: Throughout his long Quest, Harry has his doubts...about himself, his talents, even his right to exist. Against every challenge he must learn to Trust his Heart.
3) Action: Once you Know that you Know you must act with courage and resolution upon the Knowing.
Again, I don’t want to give any of the plot away but in summation it can be put this way. To Seek is a way of dissonance while To Know is a state of coherence. The more we become One with our inner Selves, in right relationship to our world from our center, the closer we move to a state of Knowing and Being which brings us naturally to the answers we Seek.
LABYRINTH: AN OVER AND UNDER VIEW
by Victoria Williams, MA
The labyrinth is one of the most profound and ancient of Mysteries,containing a multitude of myths and sacred practices whose origins date back at least twenty five thousand years, to the images of the meander and the spiral found in Paleolithic carvings the world over. And the way to untangle a mystery's secrets, as any reader of detective stories knows, is to find and follow clues. Happily for us, the famous Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur gives us a most significant clue- literally. Ariadne, the Mistress of the Labyrinth, gives Theseus a "clew"-a ball of golden thread with which to find his way through the labyrinth. This clew urges us to follow the thread that weaves back through myth, prehistory, archeology, religion and art, all the way back to the Goddess. There, we find that the Mysteries of the Goddess and those of the Labyrinth are as intimately connected as Mother is to Child through the umbilicus-the original thread and clew shared by all living things.
Underlying the Theseus story are much older myths, some which are recorded, and some we can only guess at... myths about descent,death and resurrection,and about the sacred marriage. The earliest written version of this myth comes from Sumer, and was recorded on clay tablets in the third millenium BCE. It tells the story of Innana, Queen of Heaven and Earth, her husband Dumuzi, and the descents they each made to the Underworld. In Dumuzi, who was known as "the wild bull", we see the origin of the Minotaur, the half man, half bull whom Theseus slays. Innana's and Damuzi's story reappears in the Babylonian myth of Ishtar and Tammuz, the Egyptian myth of Isis and Osiris, and a host of other mythologies. Remnants of this theme can be found in Celtic myth (an oral tradition whose tales were written down and reinterperted by Catholic monks centuries later) and in what we can piece together from the symbols, art and artifacts of the Neolithic and Paleolithic periods. For many thousands of years, people recreated the dynamic movement of nature and the cycles of life, death and rebirth in images of whirling spirals, meanders, crosses, wheels, chevrons, and zig-zags, and in animal, plant and bird carvings. And, lastly, the turning wheel of the year and the cycles of the seasons were reflected in the spinning, twirling dance of the crane, whose reappearance every spring was a cause for great celebration. This oldest of birds, whose image appears throughout history coupled with the bull, lent both its name and its famous dance-the Geranos, or Crane Dance- to the dance done in the Cretan Labyrinth.
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