Eagle Stones

My central symbol for this pilgrimage has been the labyrinth. A unicursal shape where you enter, wind along a path to a center point and then emerge along the same pathway, exiting where you entered. There are many twists and turns along the way.

May 2013 was the opening of the Eagle Nest Labyrinth in South Surrey, BC. I was part of that. It lives in a forest on a cliff overlooking the sea. At the opening eight or more eagles spiralled above, delighting in their own air labyrinth

There is a bench with a stone that says “as above, so below; as within, so without”. In a workshop I took at Findhorn, the facilitator quoted those words when describing an exercise. I took it as a sign I was on the right path. It has been useful to reflect on the words during this journey through diverse natural and historic sites contrasted with the current day to day lives of people.

Near the end of the tour of the ancient stone sites, the guide took me to see a Pictish Stone in Strathpeffer. An eagle and a horseshoe shape are carved on the front. There is a lot of speculation about the Pictish culture. Some say it disappeared. Others say it was assimilated. A mystery. Yet the stone remains centuries later.

Now these eagle stones are part of my story. I have touched them both and they represent how my past and present relate on two continents. Stone has a permanence through time and the engraved symbols, whether words or images, travel with them. In both instances a handful of people had an intention to create something lasting in a specific place. It begins with a clear vision supported by imagination, commitment, skill and stamina. And the eagle herself represents the ability to fly high and gain perspective.