A Guiding Star
Pinwheel Galaxy, photo by Laurel Pepin
Dear Soul Friends,
Tomorrow, January 6th, is the Feast of Epiphany. It is also known as Three Kings Day—the day we celebrate the arrival of the wise men who followed a star to Bethlehem to offer the Christ Child their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
I have always loved the story of Epiphany. As a child, I wanted to be one of the three kings because they followed a star from the East and wandered through the wilderness to find their way to Bethlehem. I was awed by their willingness to trust the light before them. What would it be like to follow a star? What would it be like to wander through a foreign land using the stars as my guide? I loved looking up at the sky on winter nights and wondering where they would lead me. What kind of soul journey would I embark on?
While soul journeys are often pilgrimages to sacred places, the story of Epiphany is also a metaphor for the inner soul journey—the journey of prayer and contemplation, meditation and quiet listening. This is often a spiral journey, much like the pin wheel galaxy in the photo today. There are times when we feel deeply connected to Holy Presence and other times when we feel far away and lost in a sea of darkness. Like the wise men, the interior soul journey is one of trust and courage, persistence and faith, reverence and love.
There is a tradition in my church to offer star words on Epiphany Sunday. Baskets are filled with paper stars with a word on the back, such as, love, gratitude, hope, rest, imagine, savor, play, listen, heal, generosity, wonder, nurture, justice, peace, and others. As the baskets are passed through the pews, each person picks one star and is encouraged to use the word as their soul word for the coming year. Sometimes the word does not make any sense but other times it is the perfect word for the year.
Finding a star word can also be a contemplative soul practice.
Take a moment to be still and quiet. Ask for a word that will guide you in the coming year. Read a list of star words on the internet or write your own list. Is there one that jumps out at you? If nothing happens, wait. A word will come to you in the next few days. Trust what you hear and then see what happens. As the days pass, notice how the word guides you. If you ever feel caught in darkness, try remembering your word. It has a way of reconnecting us to our souls and Holy Light.
In closing, I offer you my favorite prayer for Epiphany. It was written by St. Columba, the Celtic Saint who started the Celtic Christian mission on the Isle of Iona in the sixth century. He knew all about following a star and trusting the guiding wisdom of his inner soul light.
May his words encircle and bless you.
Be Thou a bright flame before me,
Be thou a guiding star above me,
Be thou a smooth path below me,
Be thou kindly shepherd behind me,
Today, tonight, and forever. Amen.
Deep peace to you,
Susan
