The Camino ~ A Journey of the Spirit
By: Shirley MacLaine
Ultreya is my new favorite word. It is a Spanish word, derived originally from Latin.
I love how it sounds and the definition makes me like it even more. In the book it was defined as: Moving forward with courage. I think most of us do this every day.
I had a coupon for a free book at a used bookstore. There were many great books to choose from, but I was drawn to this one. I have been interested in the Camino trail, thinking I would maybe one day like to hike it, and the title - A Journey of the Spirit - was quite inviting as I feel I was needing this lately. I finished the book quite quickly but have been trying to write this post for almost a month.
This book was published in 2000 and starts with the story that led Shirley MacLaine to make the pilgrimage along the Santiago de Compostela Camino in Spain at over the age of 60.
From the jacket cover it is explains a little about the journey.
Many, many pilgrims from all over and for many centuries have made this trek. People like St. Francis of Assisi, Charlemagne, Ferdinand, Dante and Chaucer have been said to walk this trail.
It is a 500 mile trek across highways, mountains, valleys, cities, towns and fields. It is not only extremely physically challenging but also mentally and spiritually. It is said that the 'Camino' lies directly under the Milky Way and follows ley lines that reflect the energy from the star system above it.
This book is an interesting read, especially growing up knowing Shirley as a Hollywood actress and activist. If you read her biography or look her up on Google you can see she has lead quite an interesting life.
I did find some parts of the book a bit hard to completely grasp. Shirley experienced many visions during her walk and some weren't as clear to me what she was experiencing and you have to let yourself be very open minded. In many ways though I felt an understanding and connection to what she was saying and explaining from many of the yoga books I have read.
It is incredible that this trail has continued to be active and hiked for many centuries and that people along the trail will be there to help and support you. It is also incredible to think of the history that has taken place along this long and arduous trail. After reading the book and researching more, I'm not sure I'm yet up to the task. I too may need another 20 years to be ready.
Here are some quotes I took away from this book:
"If one does not feel love for animals and birds and fishes or feel cool breezes upon the skin, one never knows the God within. Without knowing that, one cannot really love another."
"Remember the trail enables you to recall who you are. You are the repository of many experiences along the road of time. And as you move forward, you are in effect going within, which you would term going backward in time. In truth, you are seeking to travel forward to the beginning. Ultreya....have courage, because all roads lead to the beginning. You will see some of that in due course. Thus you must travel your road, out of time, until you make the symmetrical loop of understanding what went before. All lines loop back to the beginning."
"I remembered what a great teacher had told me about fear: "Never ask yourself what it is you fear -instead, ask yourself what it is that concerns you. A fear thought, put out, will return, because all energy returns to the sender. Any energy always makes a loop until it regains the source. A concern thought will return also. At that moment discern why you're concerned.""
"When I stopped, I listened to the sounds of nature. Then I learned to see the sounds and hear the colors. Was this freedom? No, it still wasn't. Real freedom would be to walk without shoes or a backpack or a staff or food or water , and mostly without thoughts. The thoughts were what created pain and anxiety and suffering."
As I go through this book and read the passages that I have left markers in, I see that I would benefit from re-reading much of this book and probably get even more out of it. It is interesting because whoever read it before had underlined many passages that I would not have.
