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Posted by Kimmy Sophia Brown
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Sometimes I’m astounded by how the universe leads me to
exactly what I need to read at certain intervals in my life. Crossing to Avalon, subtitled, “A
Woman’s Midlife Pilgrimage’, by Jean Shinoda Bolen, was truly nectar for my
soul.
The genesis of Ms. Bolen’s journey began almost like the
plot of a mystery novel. She received an invitation in the mail from a woman
she had never met who had read her book, Goddesses in Everywoman,(which
I also recommend, by the way). This woman suggested an itinerary visiting
spiritual sites in Europe, including the cathedral at Chartres, France, the
cathedral in Glastonbury, England, Findhorn and the island of Iona in Scotland,
and several other locations. The benefactress who would later join Ms. Bolen
and two other women during the pilgrimage covered travel and lodging fees.
Ms. Bolen ponders legends and then posits possibilities.
The Legend of the Holy Grail depicts the story of the wounded king and his
ruined kingdom. She observes that present times are seeing an awareness of
Goddess consciousness emerging, especially in regard to the Earth as Gaia,
which is the name of the Greek goddess-mother of the earth. The patriarchal
philosophies that have dominated the world thus far are floundering not only
for lack of recognition of the feminine counterpart of everything, but also
because of desperate need of it, (whether they realize it or not). Ms. Bolen
explains that for the world to truly heal, its male and female aspects need to
co-exist in equal union.
Ms. Bolen, a psychiatrist and Jungian analyst, is the
author of several books that teach about
using archetypes, legends and myths to better understand ourselves. She
cites common threads among the lives of historic figures, ordinary people and
mythological beings. In Crossing to Avalon, she pays particular
attention to the visions of tenth century monastic figure, Hildegard of Bingen.
Hildegard coined the term, veritidas,
which is a combination of the words truth
and green. She likened spiritual
maturation to greening – suggesting
that a human life that is moist, fluid and alive spiritually reflects God’s
qualities -- in contrast to dry, deadened and arid points of view, which she
undoubtedly encountered in the clergy of her day.
Ms. Bolen’s narrative explains about the epiphanous
moments she had in various physical locations that suggest that there are
meridians passing through the earth that are something akin to spiritual
bloodstream flow. People built towers, cathedrals and temples on consecrated
ground, and their subsequent usage by people over the centuries has given them
powerful atmospheres.
Ms. Bolen’s intelligent, honest and warm tone impresses
me, I want to know her. I won’t attempt to recount her journey and revelations
in this short review, but I will include this quote from the book that to me
summarizes the essence of the book.
“We need time out of our everyday, outer-directed lives,
and not just at major life transitions, when it is most advisable, but
regularly. I think metaphorically of how necessary it is that we have
“diastolic” time. For it is during diastole that the heart relaxes and fills.
During systole, the heart contracts and sends a powerful stream of lifeblood
out. For the heart to work and provide sustenance to the whole body, it must
relax and fill. And so must we.”
Ms. Bolen’s pilgrimage taught her life lessons that she
beautifully conveys in Crossing to Avalon.
I highly recommend this book as a resource to women and men who seek guidance
from the Divine Source and who wish to be a part of the maturation of humanity
in this age. (Published in 1990 by Harper Collins.)
(photo by Christine Krieg)
