“We can plan only so much and then we must let go and trust in Kairos, the old god of synchronicity.” The Art of Pilgrimage, page 116

Phil Cousineau, the author of The Art of Pilgrimage, calls this the Way of Serendipity.

I find this a refreshing quote, and such a refreshing way to be, when I remember it! It’s in many ways very counter-cultural for us in the Western world. It’s a spontaneous way to be and I find it takes a radical trust, in the flow of Life.

I am finding myself, more and more, releasing expectations of the way I think things should go, or how they should be.

This is so freeing, and it truly does make room for me to walk lightheartedly and with a joyful spirit. And, it is definitely a practice and not a destination!

I’m handing over the destination and the details of my pilgrimage to Spirit. As many pilgrims on the Camino have said, I’m Trusting the Camino (to give me everything I need as I go along). Handing this over clears the space for me to walk lightheartedly and with a joyful spirit.

When I don’t hand it over, my mind is filled with details about what I need to do or to pay attention to. When I walled lightheartedly, I am inspired to attend to things as they arise and there’s room for the inspiration to come in.

I was curious about how a virtual pilgrimage would work. In truth, it is very simple. I show up and meditate every day. I check in, and everything I need is given to me in the moment. I’m inspired to any action to take, or any direction to head.

The inspiration becomes the path.

It takes faith in life to move forward when we can’t see much of the path ahead. Our inner wisdom knows the next step, and we discover it by listening faithfully. And then, so often, we see the path only in retrospect. It’s always an act of faith for me, and it feels, lighthearted, joyful, and free.

This morning as I take my first steps, I try on “walking lightheartedly and with a joyful spirit.”

Each morning before I begin my day, I meditate, and those words came to me very clearly in my meditation time yesterday. They felt so resonant, and so personal. I felt known and seen, and this, to me, is what feeling supported by Spirit feels like.

It is grace to be given something of such clarity. It is a gift, generous and invaluable.

And, as it turns out, ironically, it feels not so easy for me to be that way, on the trail, every day. This is probably why it felt so relevant to me.

I believe that we are all, at our core nature, among other qualities, lighthearted and joyful. Many people would describe their experience of me as that. But it has been a long time since I have really felt like that as my “home base” on the inside, as I move through my day-to-day life.

The other day, I heard someone say (it may have been on an audio CD, and I apologize, because I cannot place and credit the source) that we all move through our days with a mantra going through our heads, whether we are conscious of it or not.

I realized that the mantra that goes through my head most consistently is “I have to.” This is in spite of the fact that I have intentionally nearly eliminated that phrase entirely from my spoken language, because I know we are always at choice, even when it doesn’t feel that way. But, still, this mantra thing rings true: I move through my life with my to do list in the front and center of my mind, and in often living in future tense.

This is why it feels like such a miracle to be invited to walk lightheartedly and with a joyful spirit. It feels good. It feels adventurous and fun. And I feel supported.

 

 

 

“What are you listening for now? What do you hear amid the cacophony of your life” The Art of Pilgrimage, page 88

As a pilgrim, I’ve tried to be faithful to listening to “the call,” to how I am being guided to Be on my pilgrimage.

This “call” has been shifting, clarifying, emerging and evolving as I go along. This doesn’t surprise me because that’s the way life is also. How we are guided or inspired to be changes as we go along.

When I first contemplated going on a pilgrimage, there were four words that came to me immediately: Intention, Commitment, Readiness, Willingness. I had no idea at the time how those might play out, only that they felt important.

When I began my pilgrimage, it was clear that the predominant call was to Wake Up to my life. Again, I wasn’t sure what that really meant. That was just the inspiration that was coming through when I invited clarity on what I was being called to.

Then, it was To Walk, which to me means being mindful, attentive, and aware. it means living in the present moment and taking each step consciously and deliberately.

I’ve also been called to let things go along the way, especially beliefs and pre-conceptions about what I need to carry. This has been about trusting that Life will give me what I need as I go along. It’s been about Trusting the Camino.

And now, a new invitation from Spirit came through very clearly in my morning quiet time: Walk Lightheartedly and with a Joyful Spirit.

Although it resonated immediately with me, it did surprise me. I have always thought of pilgrimages as journeys of a serious nature, being characterized by sacrifice and privation.

So, I’m very curious and intrigued as to how living into this new call will unfold as I continue on my pilgrimage.