The Lady and The Unicorn

It is wonderful how the Universe mirrors our thoughts.   More than once in my life I would start having a phrase roll around my mind and darn if it doesn’t show up in something I read or find soon after.

A few years ago there were people in my life who were unhappy with some choices I was making and the direction my life was going. I couldn’t follow their advice for I had experiences I knew I needed to explore.   I kept thinking “but I must follow this thread and see where it goes”.   I have no idea why I was calling it a thread.   Of course my answer came just a few weeks later.

I went back to reread some of the wonderful books written by Robert A. Johnson, an interpreter of Carl Jung and a very wise man.   He has made Jung more accessible for modern life.   I highly recommend all of his books. (this might just be a thread for you)   I decided to read Johnson’s autobiography Balancing Heaven and Earth: A memoir of Visions, Dreams and Realizations An interesting play on Jung’s biography Memories, Dreams and Reflections.
Half way through the book I was astonished to find the following line:

 To possess the absolute certainty that one is doing the will of God requires coming into relationship with the slender threads.

I couldn’t believe it.  This quote confirmed what I had been thinking for weeks. I typed it up and stuck it on my refigerator for months.  It validated my idea that the path I was walking didn’t come complete with neon signs and GPS.   I was following something far more subtle and unknown.   So I take my own advice and keep following my threads.   Sometimes it is a line in a book, a chance remark by a friend, a book mentioned in a bibliography or random search on Google.   Whatever it is that catches my attention is a thread.   So I follow it.  I see where it leads and where it wants to be woven into my life.

My life tapestry is far from complete but the threads I follow are slowly weaving a lovely pattern.    I’m starting to see some flowers and birds take shape in a corner.   I hope that my life tapestry will someday resemble the enigmatic “Lady and the Unicorn” tapestries I saw in Paris in 2007 and it was definitely a pilgrimage. The room was electric with their powerful story of the five senses and finally the ultimate decision to follow the soul’s desire.   Those are the threads I want to weave with my life.