What Coronavirus is Asking of Us; A Survival Guide for this Time
Never before, in the history of mankind, have we been impacted on such a global level. No war, no virus, no depression – nothing has touched every single person globally in the way that we are now being challenged.
And while not every single person feels challenged or threatened by the virus itself, the response to the perceived threat of the virus does touch on everyone in one way or another. The lockdowns have impacted our economy, food systems, and transport supply chains. Hospitals that were operating at near capacity during “normal” times are now stretched thin in critical care areas, but near empty and furloughing staff in other areas. Our tranditional educational system is shut down entirely; parents, teachers, and most importantly children, are being forced to develop some adaptive strategies in the midst of chaos.
And that’s just on the surface. While some of us are “just staying home,” there’s a whole world underneath that, where families are struggling to survive and the Government systems in place to help, such as unemployment and healthcare, are failing. Mental support systems have shut down, so people that struggled to exist in a “normal” world (used here to denote “typical/expected” versus “ideal”) are floundering in a sea of chaos and stress. No money, food to be bought, bills stacking up to be paid, fear about a virus, and so on, do nothing to alleviate the struggles of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, and more, that already existed.
And the media – oh the media! And our government as well! That they have done the opposite of their responsibilities and what we have entrusted to them. Calm, structured, rational responses in the face of chaos, ensuring the people are getting adequate, appropriate, factual information. This we have not seen. And while some will claim that this was the nature of the deadly virus that came whipping in so fast and furious, I will argue and say that very argument is itself a product of the very narrative being delivered. When we dig underneath the surface, and indeed not very far, we start to see how conflicting the narrative is, how much it doesn’t make rational sense. How much they’re really promoting fear rather than calm rationality, delivered with a moment of pause beforehand. These people we have entrusted with our physical, emotional, and mental welfare are whipping the populace up into a frenzy to the point people are turning on one another in ever greater numbers and with increasing severity.
So I will stop there, as which narrative you believe regarding the Coronavirus is at this point moot, if you can simply see that something profound is happening in our midst. Whether you attribute that to the fact that you believe this virus is deadly, or our government and media are mounting perhaps the largest mind-manipulation operation in the history of mankind, or anything in between, does not matter. Because what does matter, what is clear is that the sheer size and magnitude of what is happening right now indicates this is divine intervention.
Divine intervention happens in exactly this way – it touches everyone. It touches everyone right where it needs to, in the way it needs to. That’s why some are profoundly fearful of the virus itself. Some believe the virus is manmade or genetically manipulated. Others are angry at what they perceive is government ineptitude, overreach, or manipulation. Other see this as a mechanism to surreptitiously insert various agendas into our society. Choose your story; they all have validity in the eyes of the beholder and that is what matters. What is clear is that we are being upended and profoundly challenged. Our deepest fears are being forced to the surface. Other issues that we have with power and authority are being illuminated. What’s more is that all the systems that we’ve placed so much value on and trust in are being exposed in every single way that they are faulty, frail, and inept. All the way from our government to the media, to our healthcare system, our educational system, and the way we care for one another and our planet. The extent and magnitude of this exposure can only be divine in nature.
From now on, none of us will escape doing our work. The illusions have been shredded. Our little (or big) shadows and monsters that we kept locked in the basement, those that we believed to be locked up out of sight, and certainly out of mind, those that have really been running the show the whole time while we dallied in the comfortable daydreams; they have been released. We can see them now. I see some still ducking and covering their eyes desperately, but that can only last so long. We are being shown. And while it is still up to each of us to choose to see, as that is the nature of free will, it is going to become increasingly difficult and painful to choose to remain blind.
So let’s hit a pause button now as I’ve really only been stating the obvious.
What does it mean to move forward? How do we move through this transition?
Every transition has a period of intense chaos, and that is what we’re in the midst of. We’ve had these periods before, on a much smaller scale. Some have experienced few of these, others many. On my own journey and through these periods of turmoil, when I ask, “What can I do?” the answer is ALWAYS – heal yourself.
Below are the messages I’ve gotten through my own divine guides, and which have since been confirmed numerous times in very diverse ways. Many people are getting this same survival guide.
1. The message is clear and unwavering. We need to embrace our own Free Will, which has been a profound gift to us. That means this:
It means each of us taking responsibility for ourselves. Many, many of us, often through no real fault of our own, are children walking around in adult bodies. We’ve suffered trauma, we lacked the appropriate nurturing we needed as children, or we were simply deprived of the process by which a person develops from child to adult, whether through initiation or just simple support of us as a human being first, child second. And while those things are legitimate and real, it is time to line up our survival archetypes – our children, our victims, our saboteurs, and our prostitutes – and say, “Hey. You did a great job of protecting me when I needed it. But I have this now. I need you to take a seat at the back of the bus. You can speak up when you have something important to say, but I’m in charge of all thoughts, decisions, actions, and behaviors from this point forward.”
2. Make a commitment to love yourself (every single aspect of yourself no matter how harshly you judge it), nurture yourself, heal yourself
– AND! –
YOU are now responsible for every single thing you do from here on out.
Whatever you believe, whatever you think, whatever you say, whatever you do. No one can make you do anything, believe anything. No one can heal you. No one can love you in a way that will fix all your broken or fractured pieces, even the people that did the breaking to begin with. EXCEPT YOU. YOU CAN do these things! This means we need to examine and break-down (re-design or re-work) every co-dependent relationship we have. This applies to every single relationship where we’ve given over “authority” (power). Who are the people you trust over yourself? Listen to how you speak. Often we give that power away to our spouses, healthcare practitioners, or our government. Any human that we “worship.” Also examine those you take power FROM; those that you interact with but whom you don’t listen to, give to, those that you are dismissive of or condescending to. Every single one of us have these relationships in our lives. You may have a preponderance of one over the other type, but I guarantee you will find both if you look through a very honest and humble lens. ALSO NOTE that when I say “break down,” that doesn’t mean get rid of the person! The relationship itself, however, must be reworked. Boundaries need to be put into place, energies cleared. Often this involves forgiveness and some sort of gratitude. Expectations need to be examined; what do you expect them to do for you, or how do you expect them to be, act, etc.? What is coming to light right now is how many people are really seeking out father and mother authority figures to help them heal and fill up that which was denied to them as children; this seeking manifests in co-dependent relationships. A sense of safety, a sense of being relevant and worthy. We’ve mistakenly placed this role onto other humans, often humans who are struggling with their own issues.
So you are now taking back your own power, your own authority, your own sovereignty. This involves a measure of trust and a lot of love and compassion for yourself. Trust is a tricky one, and that’s where item 3. below comes in – Prayer.
3. Pray. And while I do not presume to tell anyone how to pray or what to say, I do know this prayer needs to be different, perhaps, than prayers you’ve uttered before. This prayer doesn’t simply say, “Please help me.” This prayer also contains a declaration that says to the God/dess and others that are in positions that they can help us, “I get it now. I understand.” This is a prayer of CO-CREATION with the divine. It says, “I’m no longer a child. I’m a divine being in my own right, one that can and is willing to take responsibility for myself.” I know that this term – CO-CREATION – needs to become an integral part of every aspect of our hearts, our minds, our behaviors and actions.
(See below for an example of my own prayer; you can use it, in its entirety or modified, if you wish until your own prayer emerges from your heart.)
Dear Creator, and all the beings that watch over me, guide me, and protect me day in and day out. I get it. I hear you. Free will – which I have struggled with so profoundly over the entirety of my life – on the one handed wanting complete control, on the other expecting you to cover all the bases for me, making things easy, expecting a safety net – I understand now. I can see where my ego thirsted for importance and control while I allowed my spirit to wither because I resisted that which is my essence. I can see my power – and my responsibilities – and I fully acknowledge each of these. I can see now where I allowed my righteousness to reign and take over connection with other human beings. I can see how I took in from the external world and made it my own, rather than listening to my internal guidance and projecting that out in the world. I gave that external authority power over my thoughts, my actions, my beliefs; I was too lazy to seek out my own knowing, to face what I knew didn’t feel right in my gut, to make amends where possible. I’ve allowed myself to be distracted for a long, long time, with things that do not matter now and certainly will not matter once I leave this world; I’ve been bitter, resentful, angry, jealous and fearful, and I’ve resisted paths I knew I needed to be on. I acknowledge these things and ask for your gift of Grace and guidance as I move forward. Help me to help myself. I will not expect you to hold me any longer; I ask that you teach me how to stand, how to walk, how to speak to others in a way that is kind and loving. I claim my own sovereignty, my own authority, and ask that you be my ever-present advisor and mentor. Please continue to whisper in my ear, keep my eyes clear, and my heart ever open, honest, and humble. With profound love and gratitude to you, and to myself. Amen.
4. On a daily basis, there are a variety of things you need to do. Just as if you’re trying to rebuild your health after a prolonged or intense illness, you need to rebuild your spirit. This becomes a practice that includes compassion and patience (with yourself and others), breathing, taking time to nourish yourself (healthy foods, exercise, sleep), doing things you enjoy, finding quiet time to sit in meditation, prayer, or just to ponder. This also involves baby steps into questioning your responses and reactions to things, your beliefs, and your expectations. Ask honest, challenging questions of yourself. Research and dig to find answers. Be CURIOUS and OPEN. Again, this is a process that takes time, perhaps a lifetime. But every step we take leads to a different world, a world that the divine has given us a glimpse of in the midst of all the chaos. A world that is cleaner, slower and less rushed, a populace that can come together for a common cause. We need this world and we need to keep taking the steps that get us there, even if it feels painfully slow, unsure, and scary. As we come together, the pace will quicken and we, finally, as global community, will reach that for which we have been seeking and yearning.
May we each find our peace and healing. ?
Wishing you all the best.
I would like to acknowledge some of the people that influenced or confirmed the content here outside of my own guides (thank you!); including Caroline Myss, Elizabeth Gilbert, Alex Collier, Daria Justyn, and Jessica Mangum. Along with countless others: friends and confidants, that have sat with me in places of contemplation and discomfort, and those that have offered their own teachings along my path that have integrated in such a way that I can longer distinguish them from my own. My thanks to all those that have offered their own perspectives and insights in an effort to help others along their journey.
? Fauxels via Pixels.com
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Thank you.
YOUR ONE WILD AND PRECIOUS LIFE
The Summer Day
—Mary Oliver
Who made the world?
Who made the swan, and the black bear?
Who made the grasshopper?
This grasshopper, I mean-
the one who has flung herself out of the grass,
the one who is eating sugar out of my hand,
who is moving her jaws back and forth instead of up and down-
who is gazing around with her enormous and complicated eyes.
Now she lifts her pale forearms and thoroughly washes her face.
Now she snaps her wings open, and floats away.
I don’t know exactly what a prayer is.
I do know how to pay attention, how to fall down
into the grass, how to kneel down in the grass,
how to be idle and blessed, how to stroll through the fields,
which is what I have been doing all day.
Tell me, what else should I have done?
Doesn’t everything die at last, and too soon?
Tell me, what is it you plan to do
with your one wild and precious life?
What will you do with your one wild and precious life?
Many people are battling a sort of crazed fear over coronavirus. If that’s you, I’m certainly not here to talk you out of it. I know you probably don’t want me to. But I do want to offer a bit of sanity, if you’ll have it. I offer to you what I learned during a year of living with fear and how that’s impacting my outlook during this period of frenzied chaos. I offer it not to talk you out of your fear, but because we need wise, mitigated responses during this time.
In April of 2018, almost two years ago, my husband and I went out to celebrate our 22nd wedding anniversary. My husband had not been feeling right for weeks, but that after that dinner, he knew something was definitely wrong. Within the week, we knew why he hadn’t been feeling right; he had pancreatic cancer.
I know many of you know the feeling that he and I experienced, because you’ve experienced it yourself, in your spouse, or your children. Terminal illness in ourselves or our loved ones is frightening and devastating, without a doubt. When it impacts your all-day, everyday life, someone you love, live with day in and day out, care for and receive care from … the magnitude seems to become so large, so dense and thick, that it feels impossible to escape. Fear (like grief) is incomparable and unquantifiable. When those things threaten or impact your minute-by-minute life, we resist, we evade, we seek to control the situation in any way we can. Many of you are feeling the threat of COVID-19 in the same way.
But sometimes, there’s simply NOTHING we can do to control the situation. Except … we can. We CAN monitor our responses. How we respond is a choice.
During this time of upheaval, chaos, and fear over coronavirus, we still have control over our choices and actions. Many of our routines may disappear, and our comforts. I’m hearing apocalyptic-type scenarios playing out in people’s minds. But here’s the thing – if we reach cataclysmic proportions, it’s because our response to this drove us to it. It won’t be because of the virus. It is unnerving – I won’t deny that. Some of us are going to lose loved ones; from experience, I can tell you, yes, that’s the hardest thing to go through, ever. And so I understand why people are frenzied and scared. And we do need to take precautions; yes, yes, absolutely. It would be equally stupid to pretend nothing’s happening.
But, even if/when death is staring you in the face, as many in the world know well, there’s no point in panicking. There just isn’t. And the casualties for this virus aren’t that high. Be cautious – yes, please. Be prepared – yes, please. But also – understand that panicking does nothing but take away your precious time. When my husband was sick, we knew the statistics. Very well in fact; I think I now have a PhD in pancreatic cancer. But we made a choice. We pursued every possible avenue of healing, but we also chose to LIVE – to live life, to live with hope and care, consciousness, compassion. He was scared, I was scared, our kids were scared. But we didn’t live scared. We lived with hope.
So I know really, really well what people are feeling. But I also see this time as a period of potential and possibility. Take this time to spend with family, learn something, do the thing you’ve always wanted to do but didn’t have time to. Make art. Be outside. Talk to your neighbor, even if you need to stand outside and 10 feet away while you do. Help tend to the children out of school, even if you help keep an eye out from your porch while they play outside. Tread lightly and with compassion and care. Yes – I do believe our lives with be different after this episode. But I see that the “differences” have the potential to be positive and empowering. As with any transition, there’s a period of chaos. A shaking loose of what doesn’t work, what isn’t needed, baggage that cannot be dragged forward. Our systems and our philosophies are being shaken to the core. The image I get when I journey for guidance is that we’re, individually and collectively, being held upside down by our ankles, as everything we’re carrying that isn’t the essence or core of what we are is shaken right out of our pockets. We cannot carry forward our baggage any longer.
What that means is that we are going to have to cultivate a new way of existing in our world. A new symbiotic relationship with the Earth as opposed to the currently parasitic state we exist in. Many thought we were past the point of no return in our destruction of the Earth. But in just a few weeks time of reduced human activity, we’ve seen a remarkable recovery in our environment. The Earth is capable of healing, as are our systems, and ourselves. Weakness in our societal systems and structures will come to light so that we can forge new or better foundational systems that are sustainable and robust. And we humans have the opportunity to undergo our own personal, internal realignment and revamping so that we initialize philosophies and routines that are nourishing, revitalizing, and inspiring, as opposed to our current go-go-go mentalities that create daily drudgeries, experiences that are lack-luster, unfullfilling, and drain our vitality.
It’s one thing to know these things, but another to feel them – to initiate and manifest them – especially when we’re feeling frightened and unsure. In the midst of panic, how do you recenter? I will be posting guided meditations soon, but one of the easiest, simplest ways is to watch your breath. Become conscious of your breathing, and direct your breath until it’s both slower and deeper. Some other ideasL
- Become aware of your senses. This process helps to ground yourself in your body. Name 5 things you see, 4 things you hear, 3 things you feel, 2 things you smell, 1 thing you taste.
- Journal. Write out your worst case scenarios, your deepest fears. Let them manifest on the page. Then burn that page, get a clean sheet of paper, and write out a new scenario. It doesn’t have to be unrealistic, but it should focus on the POSITIVES.
- Go OUTSIDE. Walk barefoot. Garden. Smell the flowers. Watch the birds. Watch the clouds. Walk amongst the trees. Climb a tree. Hug a tree. Listen to all the sounds. Look for all the colors of the rainbow. Learn to identify what’s in your yard; wild edibles are fun to learn about!
Finally, I just want to share that the guidance I’ve received is that it isn’t the virus we should worry about. Our bodies have been in existence with and developing strategies again viruses for our ENTIRE existence. Whether or not this virus is new, the process isn’t and our bodies know how what to do to heal and develop immunity. Where our attention should be directed is to our RESPONSE. Consider this like a cumulative exam; the virus is providing the framework, the scenario, inside which we are being asked to call-forth, to manifest our soul’s wisdom and stamina. Can we go within and with intention, cultivate calm, trust, and grace in the midst of the storm?
Sending you all much love and well-wishes. ?
THE MYTHOS OF THE LABYRINTH AND ITS APPLICABILITY TO MODERN SPIRITUAL LIFE
The labyrinth is an old structure of varying construction and complexity, but generally is circular in shape, with meandering paths that resemble, roughly, a spiral. Unlike a maze, which has dead-ends or false paths, a labyrinth has a single path to enter which ends in the center, with the same path traveled in reverse to exit. The term “labyrinth” dates back as early as 5th century BC, when the Greek writer and traveler Herodotus described an Egyptian labyrinth situated across from the City of Crocodiles. It has also appeared prominently in Greek Mythology via the poet Homer, when Daedalus and his son Icarus “invented” a labyrinth to trap and hold the Minotaur. Later, it was appropriated by Christians and used as a symbolic journey for those that could not travel to complete the pilgrimage to Jerusalem. Even today, many churches still host labyrinths on their grounds.
“The motif of the labyrinth has a long history. Depictions in rock art may date back as far as 10,500-4800 BCE, and can be found from Nevada to Cornwall, from Lancashire to Spain.“
DR KATY SOAR,
https://folklorethursday.com/folklore-of-archaeology/cretan-labyrinth-myth-history-archaeology/
Today, labyrinths are primarily used as a spiritual tool, whether as a walking meditation or for prayer. Symbolically, the labyrinth is said to represent the journey to the inner self, and the subsequent return to the outer world. My first real introduction to them was via my friend Anna, who had a long-held fascination with them and later built one on her land. When she came to visit me for my first wedding anniversary after my husband’s death, I wanted something different for us to do, something that held meaning. I found a list of local labyrinths and we chose a few to walk.
“The point of a maze it to find its centre. The point of a Labyrinth is to find YOUR centre.”
Author Unknown
I remember that the first labyrinth we walked had a cardinal, which my family associates with “visits” from my husband, sitting on a tree right at the edge, singing loudly. Perhaps that, as well as my wedding anniversary, opened me up to a very particular lesson. As my friend and I walked the labyrinth together, I noticed that it held so many messages related to my journey with my husband, and relationships in general. As we walked the paths, I found that my friend and I were occasionally very close to one another, and then a moment later at opposite ends of labyrinth. Sometimes we walked on adjacent paths going in the same direction, other times we were walking in opposite. And no matter how closely we walked one behind the other, it was impossible for us to both arrive at the center at the exact same moment, although we could choose to wait for the other in that sacred center.
Later that night, we decided on the spur of a moment, after a large dinner with friends at my husband’s and my favorite restaurant, to return to the labyrinth, all five friends walking the paths together. The lessons above were reflected in an even deeper sense, namely that it’s impossible for us to walk the same paths at the exact same time. Occasionally we walked in tandem, sometimes in opposition, sometimes close together in the labyrinth, sometimes far apart on opposite ends. Sometimes someone stopped for a moment to reflect and another would have to scoot around them on the narrow path. One friend insisted on walking across the paths rather than following them, which drove another friend to distraction. Mostly we alternated moments of quiet reflection with uproarious laughter, and finally we gathered in the center together, arriving singly, but waiting there together in beautiful unity.
In the almost year since that day we walked together, I’ve only visited any of the local labyrinths perhaps a handful of times, but they are often on my mind. I’ve walked an approximation of the them on my land in ceremony, and my friend and I talk often about me constructing one here on my land, and then linking ours together energetically (as hers is linked energetically to another friend’s.) We envision a network of labyrinths, linked together in harmony and power, and in which we can meditate in synch. Recently, in working with someone on a shamanic journey, the labyrinth came into play as a wonderfully powerful initiatory and closing location, inside which the journeyer felt safe, empowered, energized and psychically clear.
For me, the impetus to construct my own labyrinth has become stronger and more imperative. There are many considerations including pattern (of which there are many), location, and materials that allow for easy maintenance. I decided, because it’s been awhile since I last walked a labyrinth, to visit one of the local labyrinths, new to me, to see if I might gain some clarity. Below are the notes and insights from my visit.
“…It makes me cry, I want to talk about something I am not sure I can talk about, I want to talk about the inside from the inside, I do not want to leave it. I am so happy in the silky damp dark of the labyrinth and there is no thread”
― Hélène Cixous, The Book of Promethea
When I arrived, I said a small prayer before entering, “Let the wisdom of the labyrinth be known to me. May I be clear and open enough to receive it. May I be humble enough to understand it. May I be strong enough to integrate it and then pass it on.” On my first entrance onto the path, I noticed immediately that I entered on an intermediate circle, which wound progressively outwards to the outer circle, then back to an intermediate path, then circumventing the center (but not arriving at it), moving outward again, and then arriving, quite unexpectedly, in the center. (I would encourage you to trace with your finger the 2-dimensional depiction above for yourself so that you can actually visualize what’s happening.) I wrote:
We are born, we enter at the mid-point, where the inner and outer worlds are evenly matched. But we are quickly taken outward; the ego grows. Larger, larger. Suddenly there is a contraction to the inner, the essence of the self, of truth. Very close to the center but cannot enter, not yet. Taken back out into expansion, where inner and outward are equal, in balance. Suddenly, we are at the center, at the essence, the TRUTH.
Another similar note:
There is process of constant movement: Balance – Expansion – (Re)Balance – Contraction – (Re)Balance.
Later, there’s a specific point of the labyrinth that seemed to trigger a particular response from me on each pass:
In regards to this particularly tight turn, I wrote this:
You are so close to the center, so close to the truth. But then there’s an uncomfortable, painful turn, and you are carried away from the center, sent further out than you care to be. You can’t help but to be lost in your thoughts during that circuit; distracted. How did it get away? It was so close. And then without warning, you’re there. One turn and you’re in the center, in the core of your ESSENCE, and TRUTH.
I made a total of seven passes through the labyrinth, often sitting in the center for some moments to seek guidance and messages. On one, I was told, “Remember who you are. Your strength, your wisdom, your gentleness, your wholeness.” On another, I was instructed to pick up a rock while in the center. I, without deliberately choosing, picked up the white rock on the left in the picture below. I exited the labyrinth and was instructed to pick up another rock from the entrance area. I, again without deliberate thought, “happened” to choose the rough, dirty, oddly shaped rock on the right. If we consider that the labyrinth represents the self, with the outer rings representing our human soul, the inner circle representing our spirit, or innate essence, it’s fantastic to see how the rocks appear to reflect or symbolize this: our human selves are often rougher, dirty, and somewhat oddly cumbersome. Our inner selves, however, are beautiful, smooth and polished. Both, however, are sturdy, useful objects, both made of the same materials.
Some other interesting insights from my day. Time in the labyrinth seemed to pass slowly. I noticed several times that my thinking, time-driven mind, kept getting impatient, saying, “This is taking soooo long, for me to get to the center, and then back out.” Because you never seem to be in the labyrinth where it seems like you should be! Rather resembling, for me at least, the passing of time, and events, during life. Another thing I noticed is that, because the paths were gravel, the faster I walked, the more I seemed to struggle because the rocks kept shifting beneath my feet. My journey was much simpler and more stable, the slower and more deliberately I walked. For me, the lesson reflected in these thoughts is this: the less we rush in life, the less we focus on where we think we should be, and focus instead on the next step, taken with consciousness, the more pleasant, productive, and stable our lives become.
Some other interesting things that happened; about halfway through, sometime during my 3rd or 4th trips, beautiful bells started sounding somewhere on the church grounds. During my fifth pass, an event must have started at the church. Suddenly, what had up to that point been quiet, started to build with car doors slamming, people walking past, in ones and twos to start, but later a large progression as the group moved from one building to another. A very private, introvert by nature, I had the inclination to stop and leave. But, feeling strongly that seven was the number of cycles I needed to complete, I ignored the distraction of all the people and continued walking the path. We must walk our path even when others are observing, even if uncomfortable in being witnessed.
Another interesting event rather resembling the tight, uncomfortable turn I talked about above; on my sixth (next to last) trip through, a neighbor to the church let their dog outside. It heard me walking the path and went absolutely bonkers. The entire trip through was loud with the dog barking and it felt chaotic and decidedly UN-meditative, as the dog was obviously upset by my near presence. This lasted the entire 6th pass. As I exited the labyrinth, the owner took the dog back inside and suddenly all was quiet and peaceful once again. I found it so curious that another example manifested of the “chaos before arrival;” just as with the turn above, just as I was so close to the end, it all seemed to become uncomfortable. But on that final lap, as I arrived at the conclusion, it settled back into place.
Finally, on that last trip, as I was exiting and on the very outer ring, I suddenly heard, for just a few moments, loud and extremely beautiful Gregorian Chanting. It was so sudden and unexpected that I literally stood stock still on the path listening, even after it stopped, hoping that it would resume again. (It didn’t.) What a magical note (no pun intended) to end on!
If you have a labyrinth near you, I encourage you to check it out sometime. It’s a wonderfully peaceful, enlightening experience. If you’ve already had the experience, I’d love to hear more (via comments below)!