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Chapter 2
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The Labyrinth §
The next morning
as I worked on the newsletter, the phone rang. It was my friend
Luke, who had been a priest in the Catholic church for 17 years
before recognizing that he had a different path to take. We
talked about upcoming plans for our walk on the Labyrinth at
Grace Cathedral in San Francisco. The Labyrinth is a sacred
geometrical pattern found on the floor of Chartres Cathedral
in France, and copied for use by pilgrims in the United States.
Luke had been a customer at the
bookstore for years, and the way he and I became friends was
another coincidental occurrence. I'd read an article about the
Labyrinth located in San Francisco a couple of years before,
and felt immediate excitement, sensing this was something I
had to learn more about.
The Labyrinth is a circle about 40 ft. in diameter, with a
path that leads through a maze-like pattern to a central space
that looks like a flower. The six petals or stations in the
center represent the inner portion of oneself. I remembered
that Luke had talked about the Labyrinth once when he came into
the store, so I called to find out more information from him,
and when I expressed interest in walking on it, he offered to
take me. That was the beginning of a special friendship that
involved pilgrimages to Grace Cathedral and beyond.
I recalled our first venture to the Labyrinth. It was a Monday
morning when Luke came to pick me up, and as we were pulling
out of my driveway, he commented that he'd wished we had asked
our mutual friend Helen to join us. "Why not try now?" I said,
and jumped out of the car to call her. Helen was a wonderful
friend who worked spiritually with people to help ease their
suffering. She was a minister and clairvoyant who had helped
many. She was also a lot of fun. As the phone rang, I thought
if it was right, she would be there.
"Hello?"
"Helen, it's me. What are you doing right now?"
"Well, nothing really. Why?"
"How would you like to go with Luke and me on an adventure
for the day?"
She paused and then said, "I'd be delighted. When must I be
ready?"
"Now!"
"Oh, my" she said. "Give me 10 minutes."
We did, and then picked her up with only cryptic details of
what our adventure entailed. We drove up the Peninsula to San
Francisco in perfect weather. The rain had cleared from the
past two weeks' storms, and now the sky was crystal blue as
only it could be in northern California. I remember thinking
that I could always tell when our football team, the 49ers,
was playing at home. The sky was a color here that it wasn't
in other cities, and you could see the difference on TV.
When we arrived at Grace Cathedral, a parking space miraculously
appeared, so that we had only a short distance to walk to the
main entrance of the Cathedral. Stairs were not always easy
for Helen, as she had a troublesome case of arthritis. As we
walked into the vestibule of the church, we could see the Labyrinth
lying in repose, beautifully placed behind the pews. It fit
perfectly in the space provided. We walked through the magnificent
cathedral and found places to spend alone with our thoughts
and prayers, preparing for the experience of the Labyrinth.
In reading about it, I learned that the Labyrinth was an ancient
tool for finding oneself. It contained a vibrational field that
emerged through walking the geometric pattern. Different than
a maze, there was only one way to go into the center of the
Labyrinth and one way to come out. The path was clearly defined
on the purple and gray carpet that lay on the floor of the Cathedral,
and individuals had reported many different reactions to walking
on it, from deep insight to euphoria, depression and anxiety,
deferred understanding, tears, laughter, joy, sorrow and bliss.
People moved at varying paces…some slow and reflective, others
quick and purposeful, a few dancing and swaying. There was no
right or wrong way to engage in the process.
We wanted to prepare ourselves for a sacrament. As we saw it,
the Labyrinth was truly a sacred reminder from the ancients
to remember who we were. After our individual prayer time, we
approached the Labyrinth as we felt moved to walk it. Without
shoes, the texture of the carpet was evident, and as I walked
the first time, I felt the presence of calm and connection in
the face of a much larger unfolding mystery we call life, and
was awed by the forces we don't understand, that effect us in
spite of our ignorance.
As we completed the process, we took time to sit and digest
what we'd received. Leaving the Cathedral, we had lunch at a
wonderful place on the ocean's edge. It seemed fitting to end
the walk with a ceremonial luncheon and good conversation. Each
of us had been deepened and had questions answered. Helen felt
she had lost her way, because she became disoriented in the
process of walking the Labyrinth, and Luke told her this happened
sometimes when people release themselves to the process. We
drove back on the coastal route, and the water reflected in
places like a jewel twinkling in the sunlight. Thus began our
monthly adventures to the Labyrinth as a threesome.
Returning to the present, Luke and I confirmed our arrangements
for a trip to the Cathedral the following Monday, I decided
it would be wise to go back over my notes from each of our previous
walks to see if there were further clues related to the Holy
Grail. I had a habit of writing down whatever was presented
after walking on the Labyrinth, and in pulling out the calendar
from the past year, I thumbed through each month since we started
our journey. There in my November notes was inscribed, You must
uphold the sacred in a profane world…not exclude humor or take
yourself so seriously.
The Cathedral had stained glass windows, and in the first
few panels were also embedded words that would leap out to me
and make a phrase as I put the disconnected pieces together.
Nations among Freedom employ Love. In the last entry from January,
I received Maintain After the Rapture. I wasn't able to see
how these applied to the present directive, but knew from past
experience that things had a way of tying together, so no clue
was ever wasted.
The phone rang. One of my subscribers was calling to see if
I'd completed the newsletter. I told her I'd gotten momentarily
sidetracked but would get it out before spring was over. She
paused for a moment and then continued, "you know…this newsletter
means a lot to people. I don't know if you really get how much
the ideas contribute to their lives…and I just want you to know
that. You really are a vessel of light." I thanked her and chuckled
aloud. "Yes…and a reluctant one at that!"
She said a few more encouraging words and we hung up. I thought
about how well meaning people were, but sometimes the pressure
caught me in a rebellious space that didn't want the responsibility
for making things clear and lighter for others. Yet, as I thought
about it, what was the idea behind the Holy Grail? In fact,
weren't those words, a vessel of light, something I'd read in
conjunction to it? Coincidence? Synchronicity?…in front of our
faces all the time…we just need to pay attention.
As I rummaged through my notes for some of the articles, I
found a notice for a lecture later in the week, titled After
The Rapture, to be held at a local bookstore. Another tie in…this
time to my Labyrinth experience. I jotted down the details on
my calendar and made a mental note to be there. The newsletter
was shaping up, and as the afternoon was winding down, I decided
to go for a walk.
Walking was a wonderful way of clearing the cobwebs. It revitalized
and renewed me, and I enjoyed the seasonal variety of trees
and flowers in my area. It was also a way of distilling thought.
Taking the time to move my body and allow my mind to follow,
instead of the other way around, gave a different perspective.
There seemed to be partnership that wasn't always evident, especially
since I spent so much time in front of my computer. A walk of
two or three miles gave me just what I needed.
The next day, I had brunch with my friend John, who'd been
in my dream a couple of nights before. Aside from being a brilliant
software engineer, he was an accomplished musician, artist/photographer,
gourmet cook, and had a keen interest in religion. John had
done a lot of inner work, trying to reconcile his fundamentalist
Christian roots with an emerging awareness of unity through
Buddhism and other mystical traditions.
After a delicious meal of crab soufflé and chilled melon, I
told him about my exploration of the Holy Grail, and asked what
he knew about it. He went over to one of the bookshelves housing
rare editions of ancient manuscripts, and thumbed through several
until he found what he thought might interest me.
"Here's something you might be able to use. Looks like there
is a tie not only to Hermetic tradition, but shades of the Grail
in India, China and Ethiopia. In fact…it says that the Grail,
as it moved through the ages, became adapted to Christianity
and was the underpinning of the Knights Templar. Interestingly
enough, they were organ-ized in approximately 1111 and were
later hunted down…disbanded and were found amidst the Gnostics."
John handed me the book, and as I read, I thought the correspondences
were really intriguing. There were tie-ins to the Ark of the
Covenant and a physical Grail that may have ended in Ethiopia.
The date 1111 seemed somehow timely, what with so much recent
interest in 11:11. What I thought would be an intriguing little
hunt seemed to have become a multi-pronged search.
I had heard of the Gnostics and the Knights Templar, but had
no idea what they were. The Ark of the Covenant had also floated
around in various things I read, but I knew very little about
what that really meant either. 11:11 was a phenomenon that had
begun to occur when digital clocks became popular, and I knew
there was significance related to timing and an awakening it
supposedly represented. Could it have something to do with the
Grail? I didn't know.
After brunch, I went to the bookstore for the Sunday shift.
This was my place of repose…one of my sacred spaces. Everyone
who came into the store commented on the feeling of its being
a place of renewal in the midst of chaos…a sanctuary in an ocean
of activity. I agreed. Often there were serendipitous meetings
or gatherings with interesting people who happened to converge
at the same time. We'd had many a glorious discussion group
that developed spontaneously, and in review, I acknowledged
how many of my friends I'd met through the store.
I thought perhaps someone would come in who had more knowledge
about the Grail. At this point, I was thoroughly engaged because
it was like a detective story. I was looking forward to what
the next clue might be. The day went along without much activity,
and I became engrossed in some of my regular chores. The phone
rang, and it was one of our customers who called periodically
with interesting bits of information related to where the world
was going. I told him about my quest and he said I ought to
check it out on the Internet. Of course! Why didn't I think
of that? I finished up the day and headed for home, eager to
get on the Net.
As I typed in my password, I wondered if there was a forum
I hadn't seen about the Grail. Scrolling through the various
offerings in the Metaphysical section, there it was…The Grail
Quest, with about 49 messages. How strange we are, I thought.
We only see what we want to see, and as many times as I'd logged
on to the forums, I'd never noticed that one. Starting at the
top, there were interesting messages…some reiterating what I'd
already found, but one in particular intrigued me. Someone referred
to a book tying the Labyrinth to the Grail, only available to
members of a secret society. How fascinating, especially since
I was planning to go with my friends to walk it the next day.
After checking out what was available, I left my own message
asking for any information that would add to what I already
knew, and then moved over to the section on Labyrinths, where
I left a general message asking if anyone knew about the connection
between the two. There were enough authorities in the field
who checked in…someone was bound to know something.
That night I had another dream. In it I saw a vision of a cup
outside my window. It was resting in midair, and was the form
of a Silver Chalice. At first I didn't give it much attention,
but realized that I must look carefully, because it wouldn't
always be there. As I viewed it in the dream, I became filled
with light, to the point where I knew I could fly, and gradually
I lifted off the ground and moved gracefully around the room,
doing somersaults in the air and swooping down between the furniture…never
hitting anything. Gently I landed on my feet and knew that I
could do this at will as long as I remembered the message of
the Grail.
In the dream, there was another person doing yoga, who was
rolled up like a pretzel on a bed, and she was so intent in
her practice that she didn't see the Chalice…for she was facing
the wall. I sensed I didn't have to be involved in a complex
process, for through the Grail I would gain everything I needed.
Waking, I jotted down my perception of the dream. It seemed
to clearly indicate that when I looked at the Chalice and concentrated
on its content, I was transformed into something no longer earthbound.
It was on the other side of the window, signifying to me that
it was not in the same realm as I was. Therefore, I couldn't
find it in physical reality, but there was a window that would
allow me to view it, if I would look. Also, I had to be aware
of when it was there, for it wasn't always evident. This implied
the need to pay attention to my intuition, which was the bridge
between the two worlds. The scene with the person doing yoga
on the bed seemed to indicate that we have to be careful not
to get lulled by the various disciplines we are involved with
to the point of missing opportunities that are presented through
a different view.
At 10:00, Luke arrived. We picked up Helen and then headed
for San Francisco. It was May, when the weather would alternate
between hot and cool. Weather could be 80 degrees on the peninsula,
while the city was blanketed in fog, driving the temperature
down to the high 50s or low 60s…so in summer, going to San Francisco
always required taking a jacket, just in case. This day was
no exception. As we drove north, the fog crept over the coastal
mountains, significantly cooling everything. Down-town San Francisco
was immune to dense fog for the most part, and as we climbed
Nob Hill, the weather was glorious with the fresh blue sky I'd
come to associate with the city. Again, we found a parking space
close to the entrance of the church and proceeded in our normal
fashion to ready ourselves for the Labyrinth experience.
Helen and Luke walked first this time. I felt the need to walk
later, as something was bubbling under the surface, and I looked
up at the stained glass windows. Open to Light's Radiance, streamed
down upon me and I jotted it in my Daytimer so I wouldn't forget.
As my friends completed the Labyrinth, so did others who had
been walking it. I moved forward and took my shoes off as requested,
and placed each foot upon the path for another round of insight.
As I walked, I held the Holy Grail within my consciousness,
open to whatever it might want me to know, and as I moved thoughtfully
along the path, I had the insight that I needed to clear the
way…to make of myself a perfected vessel and attune to the light
that was presenting itself on earth now. This was not a request…it
was a mandate, and I was being told to refine my ways, as it
was a requirement for the continuance of life. Some were called
to act as forerunners, but what was given would apply to all
life and would become more evident as we moved into the new
millennium.
I felt responsibility for what I'd heard and sat afterward
in quiet contemplation, trying to digest the implications, and
then sought out Helen and Luke who were ready to make our customary
browse through the church gift shop.
"Well," Luke asked, "did you get an insight?"
"More than I wanted…how about you?" He nodded. "Mm-hum. Helen
did, too."
She looked at me seriously. "They aren't fooling around anymore,"
she said. "We don't have time."
I knew what she meant. This was a very different feeling from
our past visits, and from the response of my two friends, each
of us was being pushed to make adjustments in our lives that
would allow for attunement to something greater.
"Well, I certainly didn't expect this." Luke shook his head
in wonder. None of us were novices in the presence of Spirit,
each having our share of experiences, and tests of faith. The
intensity of this time period had come upon us suddenly, however,
and I don't think any of us was prepared for the urgency of
the directives we were given.
"What did you get, Luke?" I asked.
"Well…I'm told that I must change my patterns of eating. As
I perceived the message, I have to eat food that is consciously
cultivated."
Helen chuckled. "Yes…they told me that, too. In addition, I
have to stop smoking, because it's blocking my metabolism and
interfering with the proper function of my liver."
Helen was of an age where cigarettes had been the "in" thing
to do. It was a pastime that she thoroughly enjoyed and had
tried repeatedly to give up because of pressure from her family
and younger friends. Now, she seemed to have a different perspective,
and was quiet as she reflected upon the full meaning of this
directive for her.
Luke was equally still. He loved good food and at times tended
to binge on his favorite "goodies." Now he was being directed
to be aware of his eating habits, and to eat only what was raised
consciously.
"Well," I said to them both, "if I'm supposed to be open to
the light now available, I assume what you've been told applies
to me as well." They both nodded. We were all quiet. As we drove
out of the city towards the coastal route, fog covered the entire
road.
"I think we'll take 280," Luke said. "We can't see anything
on the coast route today."
We came back to the Peninsula, and stopped at a favorite outdoor
restaurant, since the weather was warm and the food was generally
well prepared and top quality.
"What do you make of it all," I asked?
Helen, who had been especially quiet, spoke.
"I see this as an absolute directive. I've known that something
big was happening behind the scenes…I've had the feeling in
my readings and in my meditation. I've been agitated and unable
to sleep, and felt as though I was revved up at a high rate
of speed. It's been uncomfortable because something is in the
process of shifting. It's as though it's happening, and somebody
forgot to tell us so that we'd have enough time to pack all
our belongings in leisure. Now, we're given 24-hours notice.
Do you know what I mean?"
We did. Both of us had also noticed that things seemed to be
speeding up, and I had even commented at an earlier get together
that we all knew things were going to heat up in the '90s, but
nobody knew how fast it was going to happen. Now we were in
the midst of it.
By 1992, we were still crossing the threshold, but by 1995,
everything began to move much faster. We had been preparing
for the long-awaited shift of the ages. It seemed intriguing
in the past as we used to speak of it, but now it was urgent
and uncomfortable, for the immanence of change was upon us.
"So, what are you both going to do," I asked?
They looked at me and answered simultaneously, "What we've
been told!"
Luke added. "I'm going to do it because I know it's right,
and when I got the insight, I could see the purpose for the
directive. It isn't something unreasonable. I saw the whole
food chain and the compromises that we are making in relation
to it. There is no more communion and no dignity. The plants
and animals are being treated like non-entities. They are merely
numbers in some game of accounting.
"There is indifference to them as living creatures, and they
are being housed in pathetic conditions. We are eating animals
that have been raised on fear and antibiotics!
"Vegetables from commercial farms are raised in the same framework
of chemicals and pesticides, so we are eating produce that looks
bigger, but has very little vitamin content in relation to the
vegetables raised without artificial fertilizer. It's no small
wonder there are more cancers and immune-deficiency diseases.
We are slowly destroying ourselves through our indifference
to our food sources."
Luke was not one to go on about things at this length as he
was a pretty practical individual. Obviously, something had
touched him deeply and made an indelible impression. No one
said anything for a while, and when the waiter came to ask what
we'd like, we all ordered organic greens.
Helen commented about the body being a temple. "I know now
why I'm being asked to stop smoking. I could see how the cigarettes
are interfering with the natural repair process in my body.
It is constantly stressed, having to work overtime to try to
rid the toxins I keep sucking in. Golly, I never saw that before.
It's as though my body is this wonderful being that's trying
so hard to support me, and I'm unconsciously putting something
in it that is keeping it from doing its job. Things are beginning
to break down, and it doesn't have the reserves to keep up with
the demand. For goodness sake, I just never realized what I
was doing!"
She shook her head and looked down at her hands. "I think it's
part of what's contributed to the arthritis. That and coffee.
I could actually see how the things that I put into my mouth
were being absorbed by my body. It wasn't a pretty picture,
I'll tell you! Oh, my." Again, she lapsed into quiet and it
was my turn to speak.
"You know, when I got that I need to be a clear vessel, I could
see myself as a cup, and I could see the importance of the quality
of my choices. Things I take for granted like water and air
are important. A vision of how much we compromise ecologically
came home to me as it did to both of you. It was as though the
contaminants keep us from being tuned to something that is important.
Part of this has to do with refinement. I am just not quite
sure about all the details."
After lunch, Luke dropped us off. There were calls waiting
for me on the answering machine, but I felt I needed the rest
of the afternoon to myself. I was tired, and wanted to close
my eyes for a few moments before I tackled anything. Reflecting
on the past week, it seemed that an awful lot of information
was coming in with a strong sense of urgency. I wondered why.
Slowly, I let go of my thoughts and drifted into sleep.
Dreaming, I found myself confronted by two cups. One was leaden
in color and the other was a brilliant silver. As I moved closer,
the leaden one seemed lifeless and austere. Its contents were
murky. The other, of brilliant silver, resonated a tone that
was reminiscent of sounds I'd heard when certain bells were
played in cathedrals…it was beautiful, melodic and inviting.
Also, a radiant light shone from it that seemed to have no source.
It was very bright, yet comforting, and clear liquid streamed
over the sides, positively affecting everything it touched.
The leaden cup was isolated, however. It was unable to benefit
from the other cup's presence, because it had been weakened
by its contents and couldn't be attuned.
©
Kathleen Jacoby, 2000
The third chapter of our exclusive three-part extract from Vision
of the Grail will be published in April. If you cannot wait
to read the rest of this exciting and illuminating spiritual
odyssey, copies of Vision of the Grail can be purchased by mail
direct from the author. To order, send a check for $17.95 plus
shipping and handling ($2.00 for US orders, $4.00 for Europe
and $6.00 for Asia) to: Kathleen Jacoby, 336 Midvale Ave., San
Mateo, CA 94403. Checks should be made payable to Kathleen Jacoby.
For further information, you can email Kathleen at KathleenEJacoby@AOL.com
PLEASE NOTE: Due to high demand, only 120 copies of this book
presently remain in print, thus copies will be allocated on
a first-come-first-served basis. To order from Amazon, click
here.
 
Kathleen Jacoby is a professional numerologist with
over 20 years experience. She has a worldwide clientele, and
is author of the booklet, Where You Live Is What You Learn;
How The Number of Your Residence Affects Your Life. In
addition to her work in numerology, she is also a Spiritual
Life Coach, writer and columnist. She has authored Vision
of The Grail, a spiritual adventure at the dawn of the
21st Century, and is editor of a quarterly newsletter, Seasons
of the Soul.
Kathleen hosts a weekly chat on AOL about life's perplexing
questions. She has been co-host of a weekly radio program,
The Millennium Cafe, interviewing people on the cutting edge
of thought, and is past Executive Director of three foundations
dedicated to research of peace, prophecy, and cycles.
She brings a varied and expansive background to all her endeavors,
and continues to develop new projects that benefit many. Kathleen
is currently preparing a workshop on the power of prayer and
the spoken word with a book to follow.
Special Offer for Year 2000! Kathleen has produced a new
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plus $2.50 for shipping and handling to: Kathleen Jacoby,
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know more about Kathleen's work, you can e-mail her at K92237@AOL.com
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