Vision quests or solo quests into nature are a powerful way to mark life changes and shift us into a place of self-knowledge and more ideas about our purpose in life. A vision quest involves going into nature alone, often with the support of a community to which you return. Ceremony and fasting are used to connect with a state of emptiness that makes space for a new personal journey to be birthed. Vision quests and other rites-of-passage have been found in nearly every tradition, culture and religion worldwide. A vision quest can help you tap into the unseen wisdom all around and inside you and your own intuition.
I was fortunate to have a small group of men friends who helped me pull my own vision quest together. So that’s why I found myself on the side of Mount Worchester for a three-day stint, with only water, a tent and a sleeping bag. It was a mostly rainy three days at the height of blackfly season and I was alone, lost among the early summer greenery of my own little world. Hoping and praying for a new beginning. Mathew 13:45 – 46 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking beautiful pearls, who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he had and bought it.” We see Jesus winding up to deliver yet another attempt to describe the kingdom of heaven to his struggling followers: “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like …well, this is my own experiential version of this parable. June 5, 1992 Vision Quest It was the afternoon of the second day. I was out exploring the hillside above my encampment. There were several huge glacial erratics up there. Those huge stones you sometimes find in the woods and wonder where on earth they came from. Somehow, they struck my fancy and I was climbing around on top of them, bug netted against the swarming hordes of blackflies. I was practicing listening for my inner voice and I felt a nudge to go visit another rock which was over by the stream’s edge. I went and walked and felt all around it except for the back corner by the stream where dark spruce trees pressed up against the rock and made it difficult to get to. I turned to leave after this, but I felt a nagging sense of incompletion. A voice in my head said; “Johnny, you haven’t checked out that back corner of the rock.” After a brief argument with myself, I overcame my internal opposition and struggled through the spruce branches to discover that the huge rock shelved back to create a shallow cave. I hunkered down to get a better look inside the cave and saw that the whole bottom of the rock here did not touch the ground and within the dark gap thus created there was a beautiful white egg-shaped quartz stone the size of a football siting vertically, imprisoned between the rock above and the ledge below. I immediately wept, not really knowing why, only that the whole experience felt like a gift of some kind. It was the afternoon of the third day, I was coming back from doing my stone pile safety check for Eric, and I didn’t come out at my encampment. I came out right at the huge rock which held the secret prize. I felt that darned inner voice again telling me to go over and take a look. It felt very scary to go there on this dismal day with dark clouds and mist swirling ghost-like through the trees. But, I did go, pushing through the wet spruce branches and sitting down again at the entrance of that dark cave to have a look. This second time I personally identified with this beautiful white stone imprisoned forever within these tons of overhanging rock. Tears came for a long time at the sight of it. Suddenly a new thought came to me; “Maybe you should rescue it.” I was sure that this was impossible. The stone was clearly caught vice-like between the tons of rock above and the rock below. Still the thought persisted. After a brief fantasy of me reaching under all those tons and disturbing the delicate balance only to be crushed. I decided to accept the challenge. I reached my arm in gingerly all the way and touched the stone. It was cold, wet, and smooth to the touch, and … it moved slightly. I got it to fall over on its side and using both arms managed to drag it out and into the light. After the first glow of success I feel remorse, like I’ve done something here which will haunt me the rest of my life. Thief in the night or savior, you take your pick, but I have this wonderful stone which I carry down to my purpose circle feeling like Jason with the golden fleece. I go to my tent exhausted and take a nap. ~~~ Sometimes you have to go to places you don’t want to go to finally feel the raw emotion of a child desperately trying to hold a family together. The hopelessness, the fear, the longing for a better world. Sometimes you need to drop the pursuit of perfection and accept the broken parts. Sometimes you have to ask for help. And sometimes you will, most unexpectedly, find your way home. Guitar Instrumental: Coming Home |
ArchivesCategories |