* Please note that registrations between now and the start of the Pilgrimage may not receive the Pilgrimage Packet prior to the start of the Pilgrimage.*
Please email dawn@veridtas.org if you’d like to register this weekend.
What do you seek? What can you no longer ignore? What is your “Holy Grail?”
Around 1200 AD, the world was in a dramatic and changing time, not unlike where we find ourselves today. A great labyrinth was laid in the floor of the majestic Chartres Cathedral. And, only a few years before, the earliest story of Parsifal was written in France by Chrétien de Troyes. At first glance, these things might not seem to go together… a story about a young man (a fool no less!) named Parsifal, who becomes a knight of King Arthur’s Court and embarks on a quest for a Grail, and a meditative path in an important Medieval cathedral. What could a story of a fool possibly have to say to us today?
It turns out, a lot, as Lauren Artress shows us in her latest book, The Path of the Holy Fool. She knew that a “fool” in the 1200s was not what we think of now. Then, a fool was accountable, humble, just. A fool cared. Parsifal didn’t begin as a fool. He began his foray into the world naïve, isolated and self-absorbed. But on his quest to find the grail he grew to understand that world with all its complexities. He became a fool. One who has the self-awareness, imagination and courage to trust what emerges along his path. His story serves as a template for all who yearn to step forward to nurture a life-enhancing vision for ourselves, our communities and the world we live in today.
Lauren seamlessly links the themes and path of Parsifal’s story with the path of the labyrinth. She shows us how to envision the labyrinth as the grail. And how the Grail castle of Parsifal’s world can become our imaginal world, the invisible but felt liminal space that labyrinth walkers often speak of. The place where we come to ask questions.
That is the world … this rich, evocative and imaginative space … into which you are invited for this weeklong online pilgrimage.
With “The Path of the Holy Fool” as your map and Lauren Artress, Judith Tripp and the Veriditas team as your guides, you can think of this journey as a quest for your grail. This is your journey. And the question is…what do you seek? What can you no longer ignore? What is your grail? Perhaps, manifesting your life’s true purpose, your “next act.” Or a deeper knowing of the Divine. Recovery from loss, pain and grief. The embrace of transformational change. A spark for new and creative pursuits.
Whatever your grail…or even if you are not yet sure what your grail is…what better place to begin on the quest of self-discovery? Where better to, as Lauren says in her book title, ignite your visionary powers?
In seeking answers to your questions, this journey invites you to lean into your creativity and imagination. During the week, seminars, meditation, journaling. small group time, discussions, images, SoulCollage® and more will help you explore the concepts of Parsifal’s story through the lens of your own life.
We will meet each morning Monday – Friday from 9:00 am – 12:30 pm Pacific time, opening with a meditation led by Judith, followed by a two-hour seminar with Lauren exploring concepts and lessons drawn from The Path of the Holy Fool.
We will also embark on a virtual journey to Chartres Cathedral. On Wednesday in the early evening, we will meet and virtually immerse ourselves within its walls. Through a flow of images we will enter, meditate and move through the cathedral’s crypt making our way up to the Chartres Labyrinth before walking our handheld labyrinths together. For those who have been to Chartres with Veriditas, the rich cache of images will deepen your memories and reignite your experiences of peace, beauty and renewal. For those who have not, this will be a moving and memorable introduction to this amazing place.
It is highly recommended that you read The Path of the Holy Fool, a gift you will receive upon registration, before attending the pilgrimage.
The Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress
Lauren is the grandmother of the modern day Labyrinth movement and is the Founder of Veriditas. She is the author of: Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Tool (Putnam/Riverhead Books, New York), The Sand Labyrinth Kit, (Tuttle Publishers) and The Sacred Path Companion: A Guide to Walking the Labyrinth to Heal and Transform (Riverhead, 2006), and The Path of the Holy Fool: How the Labyrinth Ignites Our Visionary Powers. In May of 2006, Lauren's rediscovery of the labyrinth was honored by Grace Cathedral and she was designated Honorary Canon, a lifetime title.
Connie Beall
Connie Beall, LMFT, has been facilitating SoulCollage® workshops and retreats since 2013. Her personal deck of SoulCollage® cards numbers over 350 and she uses them daily. A Veriditas trained Labyrinth Facilitator, Connie loves to integrate the process of SoulCollage® with labyrinth walks.
