[excerpt from article published in Of a Like Mind (vol xiv, number 3). p. 26.]
Pilgrimages in search of the Sacred have long been my thing, perhaps because I have learned gradually that the Goddess is ubiquitous, waiting for me everywhere in the deep crevices of my inmost being, in the tiniest and most sublime limits of creation, and in the most tender and terrible of the human condition. Having experienced her in those rare moments of ecstasy or insight, I spend my life acting out of this metaphor of a spiritual quest for the Divine which has been my pursuit since childhood.
Drawn to the central basin
Now, as a life-long seeker, I have formalized the inner search in the design
of the Goddess GATE which is offered in the environs of the Central Basin of
Mexico. To this exotic setting of wide valleys and imminent mountains
sacred to the Goddess of flowing streams and deep fresh pools, I invite
women who, searching the female Divine, are longing for health, wholeness
and holiness. And find her they do through an engagement with the powerful
goddess myths and icons that are rooted in this valley which spans thirty
centuries of culture. Never mind that I, who love the solitude of ashrams
and hermitages, invite people to deepen their spirituality in the largest,
most chaotic city in the world. Never mind that my immersion in the
Christian mysteries is so compelling that I am a Franciscan Sister, and
never mind that I am past my prime, an introvert and sanguine in nature,
having only been drawn to depth through a gift of spiritual awareness. When
the Great Mother finds it is time to take action Watch out! She works
through very unlikely candidates indeed.
The Goddess GATE, like a primitive call through an ancient conch shell, captures my imagination and evolves as if by prior design. Every aspect of it holds great energy, increased selfawareness and spiritual power. It is an expression of my effort to integrate my feminist perspective with my faith by creating a broader framework which affirms the long-repressed feminine Divine.
Opening to the unaccustomed
This women's spiritual quest comes together, working its magic, on the one
hand, by creating a warm cocoon where pilgrims are secure and well cared for
in a warm and joyous environment. At the same time, women, who make this
pilgrimage find that the unfamiliarity that most experience with the
language and culture of Mexico is at first unsettling. It takes us far from
our secure haunts and into the urban explosion that is Mexico City. This is
a gift because the alien, unaccustomed surroundings open us to new spaces
where we feel our vulnerability and where we quickly become a cohesive,
interdependent group.
For more information, visit GATE (Global Awareness through Experience.