4th Day of Christmas: On Journeying together.

A mini retreat on journeying together, sharing solitude and wisdom, and finding archetypal meaning within.

Chairs in waiting. © A. Furchert 2023.

Dear fellow pilgrim,

Thank you so much for journeying with us through this threshold time. And welcome on this fourth day of Christmas, and the first Saturday on our journey.

The nice thing about this journey to the heart of Christmas is, that you can begin any time. It is not important when you begin, but more that you begin with an open heart and a willingness to follow where it leads you. Together we are walking the “paths untrodden,” of “which we do not know the ending,” wondering how to unpack the heavenly gifts offered to us at the wayside.

So for all of you who just arrived in our midst - welcome - feel free to use this fourth day of Christmas as your personal mini retreat. You can find all our previous posts right here in our virtual sanctuary and also always at the bottom of our emails.

In my letter yesterday I did something I am not the most fond of: I asked for help. And I shared my vulnerability. And your response to my quest has warmed my soul and broken me open in gratitude.

So today I want in gratitude to gather together some of your insights here, so all can benefit from them, followed by a reflection on archetypal meanings, a carol you shared and as always a blessing at the end:

Thank you, Bill, dear friend, for suggesting I not teach, but ask. And thanks to all who shared your insight yesterday about our journey, your hopes, your wisdom, and thus helped to shape this journey going forward.

Thank you, Cindy, for reminding us that we are journeying into “the space between.” Thank you, Donna, for reminding us of the feast of light and the Underground Railroad of escape, following the north star: “Our plight is not so desperate, but spiritually our needs are the same, for deliverance and liberation, and we trust each other for help along the way.”

And thank you, Carol, for reminding us to not be afraid of the darkness we encounter because we are not alone. The fiery mystery draws us in, and helps us “rekindle the sparks that are ours to catch on this journey, so we may tenderly share and care for others’ flames,” though we are scattered across the globe. Together, we hold each other up so that we can serve as a light to the world.

“May we receive and may we realize more deeply and profoundly how not to be afraid of whatever darkness we encounter. We are not alone. We are to become the Light of the world…”

Communion and solitude

An open door into a monastic gathering space. Stadtkloster Segen, Berlin. © A. Furchert 2023.

Thus, the first heavenly gift, dear friends, I encountered here, is this gift of communion. Though we walk this path to our heart’s heart, we do not walk it alone. Each of you is a participant and a teacher. And what wonderful people are with us on this journey:

We are nurses, spiritual directors, counselors, psychiatrists, academics, retired teachers, palliative care givers, pastors, mothers, fathers, grandparents, learners and leaders.

Each of you carries the longing for the heavenly gifts and each of you has tasted the gifts of God. Each of you carries Divine knowledge, each of you follows the star. We come from different paths and walk different ways, and still, we are on the same path home. And I am humbled you would keep up with my stumbling efforts to grasp the mystery every single year.

The three kings, says Hildegard, (and I now translate freely and into modern language), symbolize the well-educated, cosmopolitan mind, filled with all sorts of worldly wisdom and knowledge. But then a star arises, just as the sun awakens, like a guide from beyond, pulling them on a journey towards their "heart's knowledge."

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We are the wise men and women on the journey towards Divine light, we are journeying together. We are on our journey together towards “epiphany,” which is towards unfolding Divine wisdom within.

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Being reminded that I am not alone on this journey, but that we indeed venture together, has awoken my soul very profoundly for our path ahead.

Thus, dear friend, leaving a comment or responding to the email is indeed what carries our journey here. It is what turns these 12 Days into a movement, a communion of fellow travelers across the globe seeking for the living light.

You can enter our sanctuary, where we walk alongside each other every day, by clicking on the comment section which brings you to the online post. You might be prompted to finish setting up your account or profile. This is a great chance to let us see you (do give us a picture!) and what you wish to share about you.

Practice: Exploring Archetypal meanings