Pilgrims to the Field of the Stars
by Marcos Cajina
Little could I have imagined that what then seemed a friendly farewell to the MSIA group in a little church in St. Jean Pied-de-Port would turn out to become an opportunity to prepare for the visit of the Traveler, initiates and ministers to Spain in 2017. You see, I always wanted to set foot the “Camino” (a.k.a. The St. James Path) in the French part of the Pyrenees, and walk across the steep hills that separate France from Spain on my way to Santiago de Compostela where the path ends. Interestingly, “Compostela” in Latin means Field of the Stars. However, when John Morton called out my name and asked me to step forward facing the group on the France trip in 2015, I thought he was just being nice and wishing me a happy return home. It was not until a year later that I understood that Spirit had set me off on an incognito mission to help prepare the visit of those called forward to do Light work as ordinary pilgrims heading to the Field of the Stars.
As I contemplated the wrecked Roman portico that symbolized the entry door into Spain across the Pyrenees, I wondered what it would be like to climb the steep hills on a cold rainy day. I gazed at the distance between where I was standing and where the group was going next to do more Light work. In the solitude of the little village, confined by breathtaking rock formations, I walked down an empty street. It was raining. Some snowflakes started to land on my woolen hat. Nobody seemed to care as the streets were deserted. How odd I thought, for a place well populated with pilgrims from all over the world.
Standing alone in communion with nature, I felt mesmerized by the beauty and the energy of the place when my taxi silently pulled me out of my contemplation. An hour had elapsed since I waved goodbye to our group and it seemed only a moment ago. It only took a few minutes to find myself heading to the top of the mountains, following the old trails of courageous pilgrims who centuries before had found a path to traverse the perils of the devilish summits and the dangers of deep valleys to reach Compostela. Spirit wanted to start my incognito mission straight away by placing columns of Light all along the way across the mountains, which kept me busy for the next two hours until I reached the town of Pamplona, where I arrived just in time to take the only train running to Madrid that day because of a general strike.
Now it is 2017, and if you are a pilgrim of light and love, a warm welcome to Hispania. Hispania or modern Spain was the western end of the Roman Empire. It also was the home of the most prolific scientific and philosophical era of Islam, with sages of the stature of Averroes and Maimonides who lived in the city of Cordoba in the Al-Andalus region. In Spain centuries ago, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and the Esoteric lived in peace—in addition to the enduring impact that the lives of mystical giants such as St. Theresa of Avila and Juan de la Cruz has had on many Christians.
Please beware that I am not a tour guide, nor did I pay a lot of attention at school in history class. What I have noticed is that the St. James Path is omnipresent in the minds and hearts of pilgrims who have completed the path, arriving at Finisterre, a village which is the western end of Europe. Finisterre in Latin is Finis Terrae, which means the end of the world, where the tomb of the apostle James was officially established circa 849 A.D. near the Finisterre Cape. The road to Finisterre could be found from anywhere in Europe by looking at the stars of the Milky Way. People believed that the world ended there and that the Atlantic Ocean was “the tomb of the sun.” Possibly these geographical and astronomical facts helped reinforce the magnetism that the Jacobean route has left in millions of pilgrims who walked its trails.
Since 2016, MSIA has been preparing a fascinating tour around Spain and Portugal. I will not disclose the details of the trip, but I can share the exquisite care, loving, and attention to detail put out by those actively working behind the scenes. A place is being prepared for you to live, to love, to learn, to laugh, to listen to your heart, and to leave a legacy of Light.
As an appetizer, suffice it to say that the Spanish part of the tour will end in the city of Santiago de Compostela, with the celebration of J-R’s birthday. The celebration will take place in a breathtaking hotel right next to the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The cathedral is the ending spot for many pilgrims who were enraptured by the magnificence of the cathedral, dropping to their knees and crying in gratitude after weeks of walking journeys. Not too far away from the cathedral, MSIA has organized the Passage into Spirit PAT 8 retreat. So you can go to the end of the world (Finisterre) not too far from where the tomb of the apostle James is believed to be, and participate in Passage into Spirit in a city called the Field of Stars (Compostela). How cool can that be!
Welcome to Hispania, pilgrim of Light and love.
