Sacred soil…

Wow…has it really been a month since I last wrote.  Launching our new web site – www.spiritsleaves.com – demanded much more time than originally anticipated.  But, the time spent was clearly worth it – many new spiritual sojourners visited with us and shared their desires.  As they say “all goodness.”  

Now where did we leave off? 

Oh yeah… I had just finalized my reservation to “escape” to the Isle of Iona in Scotland http://www.isle-of-iona.com/ http://www.sacredconnections.co.uk/holyland/iona.htm .  The hope was that this trip would offer the precise meditative elixir that would control and manage the anger and frustration that seemed to keep cropping up in me…and that seemed to be driving my daily decisions and actions.  Hmmm….that anger and frustration is exactly what drove me to this trip??  Wonder what that’s all about??

Anyway…once the “go” decision was made, my head turned into a super highway of incessant chatter.  Why was I taking this journey?  What would it be like?  Did I really have the ability (skills) to actually find my way to Iona – after all, past trips over the years had allowed me to go from point A to point B with little to no connections.  The Iona trip, though, required 5-6 connections just to arrive on the Isle.  I also wondered:  What would the experience be like once I arrived?  Would all the trouble I’d gone through to get there really be worthwhile?  And, what about The Whidbey Institute – a group I knew little about; possibly people with different needs who viewed the world in a very different way from me – all pushed together for so long a period of time?  What had all my anger and frustration driven me to do?  I guess I should have tried harder to integrate those words (principles) I’d learned while in that sacred space for all those years (Blending words with reality – 8.12.11)?

The day finally came.  There was no turning back!  Even inside me I could hear and feel those words being shouted at my soul – physical me singing to spiritual me – change was clearly on the horizon for the both of us…and, again, there was no turning back…and no guarantees.  

Despite initial incessant questioning of my journeying skills, traversing and trekking to my final destination – Iona– was relatively smooth – likely made easier by so many helpful encounters with fellow travelers.  Initially, the final ferry ride to the Isle also seemed uneventful…until the Isle finally came into full view.  The sheer isolated beauty of the Isle overtook me. My mind raced to thoughts about what a pivotal role Iona played in spiritual history.  The crumbling remains of the nunnery, new restorative work on the Abbey, the burial site for so many kings – the current and the past converging – all converging on this tiny little island.  I felt lightheaded.  Knowing what an impact this little island had on the lives of so many – changing their lives for eternity right on that very soil – caused me hesitancy.  If my feet hit that soil, would my life (and attitude) also be profoundly changed?  Once again, my path was laid…there was no escape for me.  I had to be coaxed to move forward…to place one foot in front of the other…to take the risk and move in the direction of that off ramp onto that soil.  Could I do it?  At this point, did I really have a choice!!??  There was a LOT of water – very cold water at that – between me and the mainland!!

More soon…until then remember place one foot in front of the other…and travel gently with a light heart!

 

Blending words with reality…

Initially, exposure to a way of thinking (or thought process) that so naturally aligned with what one has innately felt and attempted to use as a life guide…made sense. 

So, the next 5 years became filled with all activities that supported the initial experience.  Every opportunity to hear and learn more about what seemed to offer and support a common sense approach to life and living was unearthed.  Weekly participation – attendance, ushering, reading, meditation, and much more – absorbed hours in this sacred space I’d found.  The ultimate goal seemed obvious – more deeply imbed or integrate the words that filled this sacred space into actions and daily life.  Great concept…but, how was I to do this?  Where was would I start? 

Then…without warning…the reality of life and living hit hard – graduation, new job, divorce, death, job loss, financial strife…every possible facet of turmoil, frustration and confusion became the daily diet.  Basic life principles (through words) that appeared to have resonated and that seemed to have deeply saturated and integrated daily life and my state of being – and which I thought had stuck – were suddenly being put to the test – and even became lost to me.  Those words (principles) no longer seemed useful or capable of withstanding the scrutiny of daily, intense living.  Events happened around me (including entering my soul mate’s path – more on that soon)…that I could not sense, see, explain or even get a grasp on.  Daily drifting, floating, bouncing became the norm.  Clarity was missing…the way back to that peaceful place those initial words ooffered/provided was out of reach – no matter how hard I reached or how deeply I dug!

Despite the many unrecognized (and unacknowledged) blessings filling my life, anger and frustration took charge – those attitudes became the drivers controlling daily decisions and actions – both personal and professional. 

Then one day after having devoted several years to one employer, employees were asked (read: “forced”) to take time off – using their own accumulated vacation time – during the first week in July.  This mandate seemed deplorable at the time (now it seems more the norm).  Also, being asked to take vacation in July – when one already resided in one of the most beautiful summer (and winter) places on earth – seemed ridiculous!!  So, again, in a fit of anger the search for a place to travel began.  The next day, a brochure “randomly” arrived in snail mail announcing an upcoming nature workshop on the Isle of Iona (http://www.southernhebrides.com/iona.html) sponsored by The Whidbey Institute (http://www.whidbeyinstitute.org/ ).  Without scrutinizing the brochure details, I convinced a fellow traveler to join me…and signed up.  Within several days, the trip package of information arrived by mail.  I carefully reviewed it…and quickly learned that this “vacation” was not going to be a simple “get from point A to point B and relax.”  Instead, this trip was predicted to be a journey – one that required coordination and the use of planes, trains, buses, ferries, etc. to simply find one’s way to the Isle.  Once there, settling into Isle life was highly encouraged…as access to other locations was not going to be routine and would actually require more planning and coordination (tidal waves, schedules, etc.).  It also became clear rather quickly that the Isle (and surrounding area) was not going to be a place where one would journey to indulge in fancy shopping or general sight seeing.  Occupying 1.5 by 3 miles – and completely surrounded by water – the Isle offered few convenient methodes of escape – either from others or from oneself!!

Lordie…what had I gotten into…???