"Imagination animates the soul, lighting the way as we walk toward spiritual maturity."
~ Lauren Artress
Imagination might be the most powerful tool we have in making sense of the complex world and times in which we live. What is the nature of the imagination? What does it ask of us? How can we use it as an inner compass?
What would our lives look like if we used our imagination to direct our energy and passion towards the longings of our Soul? It is easy to fall into focusing on the repetitive negative images and stories we so frequently see and hear in our fear-injecting culture. We have to consciously learn to reawaken and nourish the imagination in both the personal and collective realms to create a world that we want our children to live in.
In this pilgrimage we will focus on nurturing a connection with our interior world by following the symbols and the shimmering images flowing just beneath our conscious minds. Through the labyrinth and SoulCollage® this creative landscape reveals itself and gives us practices to befriend, strengthen, and bring clarity to the imagination.
The Chartres Experience
What better place to feel nurtured than the sacred space of Chartres Cathedral? We begin with a reception to meet each other followed by an opening ritual and orientation to the program. Then each day, there is a morning seminar, a small processing group, and an experience of what Chartres has to offer. On Tuesday afternoon, there is a tour of Chartres Cathedral. Then, on Wednesday, there is an orientation to the labyrinth followed by a once in a life-time candlelit labyrinth walk with medieval music on the Chartres Labyrinth. Thursday afternoon is a tour of the Crypt , and a closing celebratory reception and dinner are on Friday.
Recommended Reading
- From What Is to What If: Unleashing the Power of Imagination to Create the Future We Want by Rob Hopkins
- Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice by Lauren Artress
- The Path of the Holy Fool: How the Labyrinth Ignites Our Visionary Powers by Lauren Artress
- SoulCollage®Evolving: An Intuitive Collage Process for Self-Discovery and Community by Seena B. Frost
- Meeting Your Soul on the Labyrinth: SoulCollage® and the Labyrinth as Pathways for Transformation by Catherine Anderson
Accommodation
Our block booking to reserve a room at the Hotellerie St. Yves where the program is held is now closed. To book a room, please email annika@veriditas.org who will enquire about availability. Alternatively, here is a list of hotels close to the Cathedral.
Catherine Anderson, Faculty
cathy@catherineandersonstudio.com
The labyrinth Catherine constructed in her backyard in 2007 has been an important element in her mindfulness and creativity practices and Catherine loves showing others how the labyrinth can support us in quietening our mind and uncover our creativity. She is the author of Journaling the Labyrinth Path, a book of finger labyrinths, quotes and journal prompts inspiring you to find your unique work in the world, and Meeting Your Soul on the Labyrinth: SoulCollage® and the Labyrinth as Pathways for Transformation.
Catherine uses the labyrinth, SoulCollage®, expressive arts, poetry and mindfulness as pathways for self-discovery and as ways of uncovering meaning and purpose in life. Her personal journey of self-discovery has taken her from a career as an attorney to photography-franchise owner, to creativity-workshop facilitator.
Photography is another creative passion for Catherine and her book The Creative Photographer won a Silver Nautilus Award in the Creative Process Category in 2012. As a SoulCollage® Facilitator Trainer, Catherine loves teaching others how to facilitate workshops using the SoulCollage® process which uses images as a form of “soul language” to access our inner wisdom.
As a life-long learner, Catherine has been fortunate to train with Jean Houston, Seena Frost, Lauren Artress, Jan Phillips and many other wise teachers. In addition to her work in the US, Catherine leads creative pilgrimage retreats in South Africa, France, Italy, Mexico and Portugal.
www.CreativePilgrimage.com
And co-taught with:
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), The Sacred Path Companion: A Guide to Walking the Labyrinth to Heal and Transform (Riverhead, 2006) and most recently, The Path of the Holy Fool: How the Labyrinth Ignites Our Visionary Powers (Rose Petal Press, 2020). In May of 2006, Lauren's rediscovery of the labyrinth was honored by Grace Cathedral and she was designated Honorary Canon, a lifetime title.
