The Undending Quest

The Unending Quest

"I watch the star to guide me home,

I found my soul and spirit's rest,

I travelled far across the foam.

There is no ending to my quest."

___ Caitlin Matthews, "The Celtic Book of the Dead"

Our spiritual quest leads us on many a long voyage, across unknown seas to distant and unguessed-at destinations. Like the heroic voyagers of Irish tradition who took ship to the furthest shores of the Blessed Isles, looking for the Land of Women and the Land of Heart's Desire, we too strike out into unknown seas.

To all spiritual quests there are two main features: the outward voyage, on which all is strange, new and frightening; and the homeward passage, on which there is time to consider all that we have experienced and to make sense of it. It is in that context that the epic of Troy makes sense when that other wily mariner, Odysseus, makes his own epic journey home. The manner in which we make our own spiritual homecoming is very important, since the return is a critical stage of our progress. Whatever beckons us from home will surely lead us, as we return with our spiritual luggage. Once home, we must unpack everything, retaining what is useful to us and freely giving away what does not serve.

The spiritual quest is unending. It may lead us to revisit old destination, but we will disembark as different people at each step as we progress on our meandering and fruitful voyage.

"Chart the major island landfalls of your own spiritual quest to date. Note any recurring patterns and check the usefulness of the spiritual baggage you have acquired on the way."

[From: "The Celtic Spirit" by Caitlin Matthews]