Walking the Labyrinth—A Path of Grace to the Inner Self

At the Grace Cathedral on California Street in San Francisco, scholar Lauren Artress oversaw the installation of not one but two labyrinths. Sue Patton Thoele, author of The Woman’s Book of Soul, invited me to go there one fine day a few years ago. I remember squeezing it into my schedule, feeling hurried, and hoping it would not take more than half an hour or so. I am a bit embarrassed to admit this, but I know I am not the only busy life-juggler who has found herself surprised by the Sacred.

When we got there, a magnificent stillness presided over the entire cathedral. We chose the indoor labyrinth instead of the outdoor one, as there was a distinct chill in the foggy air that day. We read the simple instructions and, as told, removed our shoes to tread the path in bare or stocking feet. For my part, I had already begun to calm down, thanks to the peaceful atmosphere. As I walked in the light of the stained glass shadows, my schedule started to seem petty. Suddenly it seemed as if I could give this just a little more time.

Sue, an experienced labyrinth walker, had gone ahead and seemed to be in a reverie, as did the tourists, students, and random folks who populated the nave. I checked the instructions again just to make sure I performed my barefoot ritual “correctly."

As I began, thoughts skittered through my head, and I had to struggle to focus and be in the now. With no small amount of effort, I was able to have an authentic experience. As I walked the winding path, a replica of the labyrinth on the floor of Chartres Cathedral, I felt a growing excitement. This was meaningful; perhaps there was hope even for me and my over-busy “monkey mind.” My breathing relaxed and I had a growing sense that I was going somewhere. When I reached the center of the labyrinth, I looked up at the soaring high ceiling of Grace Cathedral. At that exact moment, the sun struck a stained glass window and a golden shaft of light shone directly upon me. I was mystified, and a beaming Sue, having completed her walk, noticed what was happening to me. I studied the window to see if there was any kind of symbol from which to draw further meaning. To my astonishment, the sun had lit up a window that contained the medieval tableau of a sword in a rock. As a lapsed medieval scholar, I immediately recognized Excalibur of the famous Arthurian legend. Tears came into my eyes, and I realized this was a message. I had often felt a bit guilty for not completing my master’s degree in medieval studies. At that moment, I knew I had to complete that quest. One of my specializations was the Arthurian saga, and here, in no uncertain terms, Arthur’s sword had spoken to me as I stood in the center of the labyrinth. Exhilarated, I retraced my steps, and returned as I entered, brimming with joy. Now, I truly understand what it means to be “illuminated." 

Personal Vision Quest

Carve out at least twelve hours for this day-long journey to your inner self. Ideally, it should begin at first light of dawn and end past twilight. Traditional Native American vision quests lasted up to four days, but this one-day version is still an effective path to self-discovery. Another aspect of this vision quest is that it is safe and easily practiced by urban spiritual seekers who only have the weekends for mystical pursuits and who lack access to mountainous regions.

To ready yourself for your inner work, you should fast with juice, weak tea, and plenty of water. If you have access to a sauna, you can perform a purification to ready your spirit. Pack a bag with a sage smudge stick, matches, water, juice, a blanket, a cell phone, and anything you feel you need for safety of in case of an emergency, such as an energy or granola bar, apples, energy drinks, and so forth. Let someone know what you plan to do, and where you plan to do it, and ask them to meet you at a specified time to bring you home; the last thing you’ll want to do is trek to the bus or drive a car. While Native shamans traditionally sent people out into the wild, it is better to be safe. Select a garden or nearby park. Ideally, your place will be outdoors but if that is not possible, you can choose someplace different to contemplate. Do some research on the place you have selected so there are no surprises that can interfere with your plans.

Draw a circle in the dirt, sand, or grass with a fallen branch or with your feet. Bless the circle with sage smoke and choose rocks to mark the four directions. Now settle into being alone, utterly alone. Pray, meditate, and contemplate for as long as you can without interruption: no food, no books, no cell phone, and no distractions. Pay attention to nature around you and be prepared to receive a visit from your totem animal in the form of a vision. Think about who you are and where you are going, your origins, and your spirit. I recommend taking a journal and making notes, as you feel inspired. Chanting and singing is a good way to open your spirit. No two vision quests will be alike. I cannot predict what will happen to you, whether you will have epiphanies, breakthroughs, visions, or how insight will come to you. What I do know, however, is that you will undoubtedly know yourself better at the end of your vision quest.

If at any time you feel endangered or unwell, end your vision quest. The pursuit of spiritual enlightenment should not come at the cost of your safety. 

The Sukhavti: Buddhist Ritual for Death

A few years ago, I attended a memorial service for my dear friend Duncan’s mother, Maggie. Maggie was an amazing woman. Born into a middle-class Jewish family, she thrived in the hippie years, traveling the world and experimenting with many different religions. Eventually the road took her to Buddhist shrines and ashrams, places of study and meditation. Maggie attended the esteemed Naropa Institute in Boulder, Colorado, and delved deeply into her practice, meditating for hours on end. While in an ashram in Nova Scotia, keeping a vow of silence, she became very ill and died. The occasion of her death was observed by the Buddhist ritual, Sukhavti.

Courtesy of the late Maggie’s son, Duncan McCloud, here is a portion of the prayer from the funeral ritual. It is taken from sacred Tibetan texts and was translated by Maggie herself.

Prayer for Reincarnation

Whose outstanding deeds give endless glory to beings
Whose mere remembrance banishes Death
With love, we speak this prayer for reincarnation and rebirth
May I be free of sadness and misery
May I still feel the love of those I have left behind
May I pass by the demons
May I remember well my faith and consolation
May I see for myself Amitabha, the Greatest Teacher of us all,
Supreme Being Highest and Lord of All
May I see the greatness and the glory.
At the moment of my death, may I receive enlightenment
May I be reborn.

The Sukhavti is a series of little vignettes, stories, and collected memories of the dead. The Buddhists believe in reincarnation, that death is a step in the soul’s continuing journey. The purpose of the Sukhavti is to help talk the newly dead spirit through the bardos, which are a sort of continuum through which the spirit must pass. Safe passage is not guaranteed, for the deceased must get past Tibetan demons of terrible aspect.

At Maggie’s service, to help her through the bardos, people said sweet things, sad things, funny things, and extremely honest things about her. In fact, it is of the utmost importance to be very frank and tell the truth, as the honesty will help the spirit through the bardos.

Steps for a Successful Sukhavti

1. Gather Tibetan temple incense and flowers, and invite people to a room set up for meditation with floor mats and pillows. If possible, invite the newly dead person’s spiritual teacher or someone well acquainted with both Tibetan Buddhism and the subject of the service.

2. Begin with a statement of the purpose of the Sukhavti for those who have never attended one, followed by a ten- minute silent meditation.

3. Light incense and place it together with flowers in front of a photo or image of the newly dead person.

4. Invite anyone who has anything to say about the person to speak, explaining the helpfulness of truth and honesty in aiding the spirit through the bardos. The serene nature of this Buddhist ceremony allows for silence and reflection; speaking should not be forced.

Again, although this method of honoring the dead was unusual to my Western mind, Maggie’s ritual was one of the most meaningful ceremonies I have ever experienced.

In this look at life’s passages, we have made the journey from birth to death and many phases in between. The more rituals you create and perform to acknowledge these phases of human life, the richer your life will be.

Quartz

Entire books could be, and doubtless have been, written about quartz, which is actually an entire family of stones. Quartz is made up mostly of silicon dioxide, making it the salt of the earth. Crystals of quartz can be found in every imaginable shape and shade and quite often even have other minerals encased inside them. Quartz is one crystal embraced by the scientific community and is used in a lot of technology and the manufacturing of products from computers to clocks to power tools. Rock crystal, or white quartz, is commonly available and is a truly terrific healer. Light passes through this stone quite easily, making it a balancer and purifier.

Rock crystal has the amazing ability to vibrate with all of the colors of the spectrum and all frequencies, so it can be healing to all seven chakras. Rock crystal will also facilitate personal growth by amplifying whatever energy is already there. Any problems that need to be worked out will present themselves for fixing. Rock crystal clears away blockages that lead to health problems, as well.

Rock crystal is really great for meditation and can guide you on your quest for greater enlightenment. This rock will help you tune into your own vibration and help exclude any interference, so you can reach a deep level of consciousness.

The following stones are members of the quartz family, and many are explained in their own sections of this descriptionary: agate, amethyst, aventurine, basanite, bloodstone, blue quartz, carnelian, cat’s-eye, chalcedony, chrysoprase, citrine, dendritic agate, flint, fossilized wood, hawk’s-eye, jasper, moss agate, onyx, opal, rose quartz, rutilated quartz, sard, smoky quartz, tiger’s-eye.