Journey of the Spirit
The Journey has begun...
February 14th kicked off our journey with a Mardi Gras Celebration.
Weekly discussion groups have been meeting since February 21.
Journey of the Spirit Trip Tik
What does it mean to journey with Jesus and one another?
Thoughts by Marilyn Rampley as we begin our Journey of the Spirit
When I’m on my journey there is no one there but me….
When I’m on my journey spirit colleagues there will be…
An archetypical story of journey involves leaving home, slaying dragons and demons, and returning home blessed with power and insight. Joseph Campbell describes this journey in his introduction to The Hero with a Thousand Faces:
A hero ventures forth from the world of common day into a region of supernatural wonder: fabulous forces are there encountered and a decisive victory is won; the hero comes back from this mysterious adventure with the power to bestow boons on his fellow man…and improve the world..
This story or myth pops up in cultures all over the world. We are all familiar with it, as we’ve heard the stories of Odysseus, Jesus, the Buddha, Luke Skywalker, the characters in O Brother, Where Art Thou?, The Lion King and maybe even Harry Potter. I was reminded of the story as I began studying to become a celebrant.
The story never fit for me. It feels so masculine. It’s not my story.
About fifteen years ago I read a book by Carol Christ that used feminist literature to name a common women’s story of spiritual journeying. Although I don’t remember all the details of the books, the metaphor has remained, for it does name my journey. That title is Diving Deep and Surfacing.
When I was 30-ish I began looking inward, deep within. I listened to the stories of other women who were doing likewise. I dreamed and thought and studied and read and prayed as I named my own journey. It was about finding my own strengths and insights within. It was about identifying with the feminine face of God. It was about using new symbols and motifs that connected me to my deeper self and to the Divine.
As we journey together, we will travel both by ourselves and with spirit colleagues. Some will travel outward, others inward. Paradox abounds. Bon voyage!