The Longest Path

 “Sometimes the greatest distance is back to self.”

I am standing on the side of a small river. Its waters have streamed through its curvy path for eons of time, slowly, steadily, back to the sea. A soft breeze caresses my skin as the sun warms my back. And I watch the water flow by, slowly and steadily following the twists and turns of the old river.

I am standing there, pausing… With so much going on and so many changes afoot, the quietness of this place is comforting. All there is, is the water flowing by, the warmth of the sun, and the breeze that makes the leaves of then trees softly whisper. I listen closely, yet I cannot quite hear what they are saying.

There is something here, although I don’t know what it is… 

I am standing close to the river, far away from everything. I have sought out this quiet place many times before, and as I look around I notice that this so familiar place is somehow different. The light of the sun seems brighter, the flow of the river seems to have a greater purpose, and the quietness seems to deepen. 

And then, somewhat unexpectedly, the stillness becomes so vast that time ceases to exist.

I am standing in my familiar spot close to the old river, finding myself in a place outside of time and space, and everything around me is quiet. And in this space, an anticipation is building. I can feel it as my focus increases and my mind becomes crystal clear…

I am standing on the side of the river of all time, sensing all the times I have been here throughout eons of time…

Then I realize I am no longer alone. An ancient cat has joined me. It is huge, yet to me it is also very familiar as we have walked the path together for as long as I can remember. I greet it, and it greets me. 

From a distance I see a shadowy figure approaching. As it comes closer its shape becomes more defined, almost as if she is materializing out of the energy of nature itself… I look at her — she is the wise woman, the mother and the maiden all at once. She is quite close now, and when our eyes connect, I there is a great recognition… I know her. And yet, somehow, at some level, I do not know her at all.

When she speaks, she speaks softly, almost as if she is singing. Be still and listen… Listen to what she is saying… Listen to her message…

She looks at me and says, often the longest path, is the path back to our selves. That inner path that leads to greater knowledge of self and true authenticity…

Then she turns around and disappears, just like she came. With every step she takes, she becomes more “shadowy” until all that is left is the energy of nature.

The big cat gets up and stretches. It rubs against me one last time, and then walks away on a path that didn’t seem to be there before. It stops and looks back at me, almost calling me to join on this new path. And I know this is the direction I will take. As soon as I have made that decision, the big cat disappears.

I take a deep breath and find myself standing close to this so familiar river. I have no idea how long I have been here. However long it has been, even though my surroundings are very familiar, something has changed. 

I have changed. I have gained a new understanding about myself, and about the river, and the water that seems to have an even greater purpose in its flow back to the sea. 

And I have found a new path, an inner path… A path that may be long, yet it will lead me home…

With the sun on my face, I start walking.

The Labyrinth -- a meditation

I have been following the path for a while now, but I have not paid much attention to where it is leading me. Deep in thought, I have just kept walking, step by step. It has become a rhythm that is comforting to me. Step by step.

I haven’t noticed that the sun has disappeared behind dark clouds. I haven’t felt the wind picking up, the temperature dropping. All there is, is the rhythm. Step by step.

Suddenly the path ends. I stop, and so does the rhythm. I look up and startled, I observe my surroundings. The landscape seems desolate. I shiver. It is cold without the sun shining on my face. Slowly I turn around, the barrenness seems to stretch even further than my eyes can see. Then, my attention is drawn to a pattern that is laid out on the dry soil. I walk over and look at it. It is clear that someone took great care in arranging the stones in this pattern, and I almost expect that person to be there. But a quick glance over my shoulder confirms that I am the only one here. Alone with a pattern made of stones. I start walking around the edge of the pattern, and I find that it is larger than I thought at first. In fact, it is so big that it is impossible to see the whole pattern — impossible to see what it is or what its function might be. I am curious now, eager to explore and to discover what it is all about.

I come to two big rocks and somehow I know that this is where I will find the answer. Between the rocks seems to be the entry way into this elaborate pattern. As I come closer, I notice that symbols are carved on the sides of these rocks. They look ancient, and yet, they are so crisp that they might have been chiseled in the rock only yesterday. I step between the boulders, and I am only mildly surprised when I hear a voice that says: “This is the portal into the shattering patterns, do you embrace the change?”

Without hesitation I answer “Yes,” and I am allowed to continue. The pattern is now a clear path and I follow it. Pretty soon I come to a big crystal that is standing in the middle of the path. When I look around, I see that a number of paths come together here, with the crystal standing in the middle. I count the paths; there are seven. Not sure what to do, which path to take, I focus my attention on the crystal. As soon as I do that, it comes to life. Colors flow within it. I move closer to have a better look. Fascinated, I stretch out my hand and touch the crystal. A sing-song chant bursts forth from it:

“The rut is a route to no change at all.

Just over and over the same words, the same call.

So what does it tell you? What have you learned?”

I ponder the question for a moment as I recall the cold, desolate, barren landscape that my path had led me to. Step by step, in a soothing, unchanging rhythm. What did I learn? What could it have taught me? I look again at the crystal and I see that the colors are changing. And so does its chant. Still in a sing-song way the crystal tells me what my path could have taught me and I listen. And I hear what it is saying... 

Then the colors in the crystal merge into a picture, and it becomes crystal clear to me how I got stuck in my pattern, what the pattern had to offer me, and how, in every situation, I seemed to follow the same pattern. With that realization comes the awareness that I want something new, that I need something different... 

The crystal seems to smile, and when I step back from it, I know which of the seven paths to choose. Without any doubt I move on. This path has unexpected twists and turns. Sometimes it seems to double back upon itself, but I keep going. There is a sense of excitement and anticipation building within me. Finally, I come to a circle of stones. All kinds of different stones form the rim of the circle. For a moment, I think that there may be other paths leading up here too, but I see none. Again, I look at the circle, and I notice a flat stone disc in its center. It seems to emanate light. I walk up to the edge of the circle, uncertain what to do next. 

The light in the center gets stronger and it calls me: “Come, come, enter in...” I step into the circle, and I walk around the disc in the center. Looking at the light it is emanating and how it is still growing stronger. I feel a desire to step into the light, and as I do, the temperature rises and its comfort sparks a new sense of confidence within me. It feels good. This light is now filling the entire circle. I choose one of the stones that make up the rim of the circle and pick it up. I look at its color, its texture. And when I hold it in the light, it shows me the lessons learned. It shows me the patterns shattering. It shows me the changes that are beneficial to me. And I embrace them and accept them.

I know that I am to keep the stone, and as I put it in my pocket, the light disappears. I am in a glen in the forest, the sunlight touches me and warms me. The forest is lush, and there are many paths and trails leading through it.

I smile, and softly humming to myself, I start walking.

From the book: "The Return of the Shaman"