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Herstory
Wanderers are often seen as vagrants in modern society. The homeless person, the world-traveler with all her belongings on her back, those whose feet begin to itch when a place begins to feel too familiar, as well as those who may wander not in body, but in spirit—the Dreamers, the Poets, the Artists, life-long students of spirituality—devotees of that which cannot be Seen. They all live their lives somewhat outside of the cultural norm.
We only need think back to the forced homelessness and persecution of the Jews and the nomadic lifestyle of the Gypsies in World War II to understand the negative connotations associated with wandering. Even Christ and his disciples were wanderers, often eyed with suspicion as they journeyed from town to town in the hills of Palestine to carry the blessings of the Divine Beloved to every man, woman, and child. They were often assumed to be beggars, people who could not be trusted. Before Buddha could teach others how to walk the path to enlightenment, he left the walls of his palace to tread the dusty roads. He knew he could never be the leader his people needed if he did not see how they lived their daily lives.
It has long been in our blood to roam. In the Neolithic time period, prior to the beginnings of agriculture, our ancestors roved the continents looking for the next resting place, a temporary home where they could find plentiful food and water to refresh and nurture their bodies. Wandering was a way of life, it was a requirement for survival.
Now we fetter ourselves with supposed necessities for living—our houses and belongings, our jobs, and our obligations. The more we acquire the more difficult it becomes to wander. We have too many responsibilities, too many people or things we think will fall apart without us.
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Meditation & Participation
No matter how we feel the need to wander, we never need a goal or a destination. We leave the four walls of our house and journey to other towns, other countries to see what lies beyond our familiar borders. We must lose sight of what is known in order to awaken to new wisdom and understanding. Whether you are leaving for shores distant and unknown, or daring to reach out to new experiences and people, summoning your bravery to let go of your fears, the voyage is about passage—about finding your edge and then pushing it as far as you can go.
There are times when we all feel completely and utterly lost. Our feet become heavy, rooted to the ground. No matter which way we turn we are frozen by the sheer unforeseeable nature of the crossroads with which we are presented. Our work is to loosen the fear that paralyzes us, or to strap the fear onto our backs and move forward. To put one foot in front of the other and know that we are the only person in this time and place who can take this journey.
You may feel as though you are always moving as you go about your daily life. Santes Crwydrwyr wants you to pause and observe the sources of your constant motion. Do you feel lost within the hectic pace of your schedule? Caught in a whirlwind with too many pressing tasks to accomplish and choices to make? Remember, to wander is not about maintaining or achieving a certain pace, nor is it about motion, or even about destination.
Perhaps the wandering you need to do today is to sit quietly, eyes closed, to tune into the journey occurring within the self. Where are you going? How can you change the way you are getting there? If you cannot reduce the amount of what you must do, try to slow down as you are doing it. Appreciate your body’s movements: walk slowly, rolling from heel to toe. Stand tall, and relax your neck and shoulders, feel each muscle tighten as you walk. You may choose to participate in a labyrinth meditation in a garden or church. Here we can wander without leaving home.
We can choose how to walk through the path of life’s little journeys. If we can learn how to do this for the small things, we also teach ourselves how to move through the large.
It is important to all human souls to wander, to journey. If we stay in one place—whether physically, mentally, or spiritually—our bodies, our minds, our souls eventually wither. Wanderers carry all their worldly possessions on their backs. They pare down to the necessities, nothing is extraneous. If began a journey today and could only take what you could carry on your back, what would you take with you? Ask yourself what parts of you need to wander right now, where and how do you need to stretch and play? Sometimes we may stumble on our road, coated in grime and dust. Our only task at these times is to get up, brush ourselves off, and continue down the path. Bravery is in taking on the journey to the unknown, remaining open to whatever comes along the way.
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