Today was my first day of living into the spiritual practice of the Lord's Prayer, as offered by Kathleen McGowan in her book, The Source of Miracles. Early this morning, I decided to begin the practice with a walk at a labyrinth about 10 miles from here that is outside and made of rounded stones with sand, and is a replica of the Chartres labyrinth complete with the rose of the 6 petals in the middle of the labyrinth. I spoke the prayer as written in Kathleen's book before I started into the labyrinth, and then once I reached the rose, I moved around the petals saying the lines that correspond to each petal, and focused on the first petal of "Faith" that correspond to "Our Father, in Heaven, May Your Name be Hallowed." Much of the petal of "Faith" focuses on our divine mission and our willingness to commit to fulfilling that sacred mission.
Now I have experienced high levels of resistance to, actually rejection of, anything to do with Christianity, "Our Father" languaging, Jesus Christ as a God, the patriarchy, and the Church. So I do not undertake this practice lightly. Even considering the Lord's Prayer has brought up for me all the reasons I left the Christian church in the first place. It has been thirty-five plus years since I was an acolyte in the Episcopalian Church and involved in the teen youth group. This all said, I trust Kathleen and her heretical approach to Christianity, Jesus Christ, and more importantly, Mary Magdalene. Out of this trust, I decided to be open to the Lord's Prayer and experience it for myself. Yet, as I said the Prayer out loud for the first time, and especially with focusing on the the first two lines which include the words, "Our Father", I seriously questioned and doubted both the prayer and myself as I spoke these words. I was very nervous that I was giving away my power and stepping back into the patriarchy. I felt strange, challenged and even anxious.
However, as I moved through and around the labyrinth, I received very clear ideas on how to lead my local pilgrimages in the new year. While I had already had the idea of focusing the pilgrimages on the 6 local labyrinths, I wasn't sure how I was going to do this, or what the context for these pilgrimages would be. It became crystal clear to me that it will be a weekly pilgrimage over 7 weeks, that focuses on the teachings of the rose of the 6 petals, and complete with the teaching of Love, as in the center of the rose, returning to the first labyrinth that we visit. It also seems appropriate to start and finish with a Chartres labyrinth that has the rose of the 6 petals in the middle.
Moreover, I have had a great day today. I have viscerally felt as though I have aligned with a loving force much greater than myself, and that Love is now working through me. In one day. I worked with Kate all morning as we deepened our collaboration and creation of Women Owning Wealth; I got to have some amazing conversations in the afternoon; and then I went for walk at one of my favorite trails that is most like the woods for me, with its deciduous trees, a creek, and wide open fields. In my conversation with a dear friend and co-creator, Ingrid, I shared that I felt as though I had just conceived and am now newly pregnant with multiple babies - the book I am going to write, leading sacred pilgrimages in both Europe and locally; the Cornwall tour with my father in June, Women Owning Wealth with Kate - at least these are the babies/projects that I am aware of right now! While each baby is its own unique and complete creation, they are each intimately related to each other, and the health, well-being and growth of one both affects and contributes to the health, well-being, and growth of all the others. During these next 9 months, I am going to grow and nurture these projects and give birth to a beautiful book, a successful business, an engaging tour, and both local and international pilgrimages.
Ingrid and I also talked about the balance and necessity of both the masculine and the feminine. It is no longer an either/or, or one or the other, or even one over or on top of the other. It is the sacred marriage of the masculine and the feminine that is necessary for the healing of our planet, our world, our lives, and our hearts.
As I walked, I reflected that I had just declared my multiple pregnancy. As I felt and accepted this, I realized that today I had also spoken the Lord's Prayer with intention for the first time. I had said a prayer that invoked the sacred masculine through the profound words, "Our Father". I had invited the divine masculine, Our Father, to assist and support me to live true to way of Love and to fulfill my sacred mission. In saying the Lord's Prayer, I had both invited the masculine energy of providing that which I asked for, and I had received it. Within 6 hours, I declared that I was pregnant.
This may be some of the magic and the mystery that Kathleen was referring to when she talks about the power of the Lord's Prayer. In her words, she says that this prayer is "now, as it was when Jesus lived, the incorruptible formula for personal and global transformation."
Both the synchronistic recognition of my "pregnancy", and my moving forward with, committing to and "owning" my projects - my babies - is the first miracle I have received in the sacred practice of the Lord's Prayer. Kathleen says in her book that the Lord's Prayer is the "most powerful tool for changing your life - and changing the world - that you will likely ever encounter." That's a hefty claim, and I'm open to the possibility that there may actually be some truth in it.
The journey continues...
Suseya!
Sarah
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