The Book of Love (51 page)

The old man shrugged. “Do you think you are the only one he speaks to?”

His reply threw Maureen. It was not what she expected. “Is that the answer?”

“It is the only answer I shall give you. Come now, my child. And bring your friends. We have sacred work to do.”

Maureen gestured for the others to come inside, and they followed Destino into the cathedral. They were all surprised when they saw that the labyrinth was still covered with chairs. “But I thought they opened the labyrinth on the summer solstice,” Maureen said.

Destino shook his head sadly. “No. This is a great sacrilege, a terrible lack of understanding that causes this…I shall never get used to it and I have seen it for more years than I can tell you. You see, they—the Church—will allow the labyrinth to be opened on certain days of the year, but theirs will not be the hands that do so. Ours must be. It is our duty to remove the chairs. But do not regret it. It is sacred. You shall see.”

Destino gestured to Roland and the two of them demonstrated the technique for moving the chairs. They were attached in rows and were bulky, if not as heavy as they looked. But moving them without scraping the floor and causing further damage to the ancient stones that made up the labyrinth was tricky. Destino showed them where to place the chairs, behind the additional pews and along the sides of the nave.
They worked together in pairs: Maureen and Bérenger, Tammy and Peter, Roland and Destino. The labyrinth was forty-two feet across, and the job of removing the chairs was somewhat daunting. But as they began to remove them and the labyrinth came into view, Maureen and the others began to understand what Destino meant when he said that this was a sacred duty. It was liberating, and the metaphor of releasing the labyrinth from that which attempted to obscure it was powerful and felt by each of them.

It was cathartic. Maureen thought for a moment about that word.
Cathar-tic.
Pure and purifying, through the true teachings of love.

Roland looked up at his comrades as they worked and grinned at them. “One for all and all for one. That is our motto, is it not?”

As they performed their sacred task in harmony, a group of enthusiastic students on a pilgrimage from Belgium entered the cathedral and asked to help. They pitched in, obviously feeling the same euphoria that came with releasing the spirit of the labyrinth on this, the longest day of the year, when there was more light shining through these special windows than at any other time. There was a sense of community and solidarity as the labyrinth was eventually cleared. Everyone stepped back to admire the handiwork of the master craftsmen who had installed this work of spiritual art eight centuries ago. Destino gestured that they should allow the students to walk the labyrinth first, as he had a few details to show them before they entered.

Turning from the west-facing entrance of the labyrinth, Destino hobbled with his funny, ancient gait away from the labyrinth and toward the western door, stopping abruptly in the aisle of the nave. He pointed to the ground, indicating that he was too old to kneel and stress his weary joints, but that they should all look to the floor. Embedded in the stone was an iron plate.

“Madonna Ariadne,” he said by way of explanation, indicating that there had once been an iron ring here. Destino gestured to the stained glass window that was aligned with the iron ring, the window nearest to the entrance of the labyrinth.

“There were one hundred eighty-six stained glass windows here
when the cathedral was completed in the thirteenth century. Do you think it is by chance that the one nearest the entrance of the labyrinth tells the story of Mary Magdalene? Do you think also that it is a coincidence that this window has twenty-two panels? Come.” He gestured, and the five of them followed to get closer to the magnificent Magdalene window. Destino explained that stained glass windows were read like books, but in a very specific manner. The reader begins at the bottom left corner and reads the images from left to right, working upwards one line at a time. The bottom row of the window had three images, all of them showing men carrying jugs and pouring water.

“Water bearers? Is that a reference to Aquarius?” This was Tammy.

Destino shrugged. “Yes. And no. Everything in Chartres has layered meanings. Everything. And often there are several explanations, all of which relate to each other. You cannot grasp all the lessons here at once. This is the home of layered learning, and the more you come to see the art that is here, the more veils will be uncovered. Every inch of this monument was considered by the men and women who created it. And yes, I said women. For this place…it is a monument to love, a temple. Can you not feel it? And to give it this feeling, there had to be balance in the design and the building. But to your question…yes. Aquarius. Because it heralds that we enter the Aquarian age, perhaps? But think deeper.”

Peter offered up the Church explanation, which he had read last night while poring over the literature from the cathedral. “It says that the water carriers who helped to build the church, by supplying the workers with the water they needed from local wells, were the patrons who paid for this window and that is why they are depicted at the beginning of the story.”

Destino nodded. “Yes, yes. But there is a flaw in that version, no? You see, the men and women who worked as water carriers, they were the poorest of the people. They had no skills or artistry, and were unable to work on those details of this holy temple. All they could do was to carry the water. Now I do not diminish their contribution, for every person who used his hands and hearts in the building of this place is
equally blessed. No man’s job was more exalted than another. The poor, illiterate girl or boy who carried water was equal in the eyes of God to the educated man who was the architect. This is not the point. The point is that the water carriers did not have the wealth to donate such an elaborate window. That explanation is preposterous. And as you are a special group of seekers, I will expect you to interpret this. Go on. I’ll wait.”

And he stood patiently, staring up at the window, determined not to say another word until one of his students proved worthy of his time with a correct answer. They discussed it aloud, together.

“The man in the middle is actually immersed in water,” Bérenger observed. “The underground stream, secret knowledge.”

Destino nodded. “Yes. More.”

“The
wouivre
,” Roland offered. “Water sometimes represents the telluric current which runs through the earth, and it is strongest here in Chartres as it runs from here all the way to the Languedoc.”

“Yes, yes,” Destino encouraged him. “We will see more of this current very soon, as midday approaches.”

“Water carriers. They could be symbolic of…cup bearers?” This was Tammy.

“And another way to interpret
cup
in our esoteric world”—Maureen this time—“is
Grail
.”

Destino beamed at her. “We in the Order have always called it the Grail window. Now, see here. It is commonly believed that Madonna Magdalene is washing Jesus’ feet with her tears, that she represents the unnamed sinner from the gospel of Luke. But this is a true blasphemy, to call our Lady a sinner. Instead, she is anointing the feet of her beloved with oil, and the symbolism of her unbound hair around him shows that they are preparing for the bridal chamber, which occurs in the gospel of John. For anointing the feet is the beginning of the
hieros-gamos
, the preparation of the bridegroom by the bride. It is the first step in the sacred marriage, which is why it is the first window in the Magdalene’s story.”

Maureen and the others were certainly aware that Mary Magdalene
was not the unnamed sinner in Luke’s gospel, and that the Church had combined these stories in the sixth century to create a vision of her as a repentant prostitute. But outside of Matilda’s autobiography, they had never heard this specific accounting of the anointing with spikenard as a ritual for the bridal chamber.

“The next windows show Magdalene’s presence and participation in resurrection. For it is love that is the key to life over death, and here we are reminded that love comes in many guises, and all of them are strong enough to conquer death. See here first, she is present at the resurrection of her brother, Lazarus. Above that, she is the first to see the risen Lord, and here he is telling her that it is her mission to inform the others of the Good News, and that it is now her responsibility to spread the word of the Way of Love. If you look closely, you will see that she carries a scroll, a symbol of her authority given from him, as she approaches the others to tell them that she has the Book of Love and will teach from it. And here above, you see her on the boat, heading for France. This central diamond depicts the blessed Saint Maximin establishing the first church in Provence. But look to this final window, for it is most important. This represents the earthly death of Madonna Magdalene. You will see at her feet there are three mourners—one older man, a woman, and a younger man. Her children. Standing over her is Maximinus, her great companion who loved her beyond all, and he reads from a book that rests upon a golden stand. I should not have to tell you which book this refers to. It is visible in the connecting panel, where our Lady is mourned and buried. Here at her feet are representations of the sacred lovers, Veronica and Praetorus. The Roman Praetorus is depicted in priestly dress to show you that he has converted to Christianity. Now, do you see this other man here, he who carries the cross? You will not guess who he is, so I shall tell you. That is the formerly wretched Roman centurion called Longinus.”

Peter jumped at this. “Longinus Gaius? The centurion who stabbed Jesus with his spear?”

“The same accursed Longinus. As you must know from your recent studies, he became a devoted Christian at the merciful hands of Ma
donna Magdalene, and he served her until her death. Longinus is the perfect example of how the most desperate of lost souls can be redeemed through love that does not judge. He earned his place of honor in the telling of this story.”

Destino pointed to the final panel at the top of the window, which showed Jesus in heaven, awaiting the delivery of Mary Magdalene’s pristine soul. “Here she is, her spirit painted in white to show her holiness, carried aloft by angels to be reunited with her only beloved.”

Maureen was crying again. The window was beautiful to her beyond words, depicting as it did the version of Mary Magdalene’s story as she knew it to be true, knew it from the Arques material and from everything she felt in her own heart and spirit. Destino put his hand on the back of her head in a fond, paternal gesture. “Now, my child, you see how we pay our homage to the ladies of the labyrinth before we begin our walk. I believe we are ready. You will go in first, and the rest of us will follow. Go. Your Creator awaits you.
Solvitur ambulando.
”

Destino had explained that there was no right or wrong way to walk the labyrinth, there was just your own way. But there was an etiquette, and that was to allow the person ahead of you ample time to get into the maze before following him or her. If you passed someone on a circuit coming in or out, you stepped aside silently and allowed the other to pass. When there were multiple people walking at once, the labyrinth became a type of dance with a communal spirit. Each person had his or her own journey, and yet each journey intersected with others along the way. The labyrinth was filled with metaphors for life’s pathways.

Maureen approached the labyrinth, awestruck by the artistic beauty and geometric perfection of the structure. Destino had encouraged her to remove her shoes, advising that the sensation of her feet against the stone was an important part of the ritual, and that she would be wise to observe it. All five of them removed their shoes and left them along the edge of the labyrinth. Maureen entered first, staring down as she walked, observing the elegant twists and turns along the path. She looked up periodically, marveling at the way that light from certain stained glass windows fell upon the labyrinth. She was certain that
none of it was accidental. As several wise men had already pointed out, every inch of Chartres Cathedral had been carefully considered.

The light continued to swirl around her, and the specific, magical indigo colors that shone from the enormous western rose danced across the floor, causing Maureen to feel dizzy as she took another turn in the circuit. Her vision blurred as she caught a glimpse of the pile of empty shoes that littered the edge of the labyrinth.

Empty shoes.

Maureen was suddenly overwhelmed by the symbolism as she contemplated the women in this great story that was unfolding through history. Mary Magdalene, Matilda. Both women were left behind for many years following the deaths of their beloved partners. They were left to continue the work, to carry on and ensure that the message would continue. They both faced the challenge of filling those empty shoes. And yet both had been forgotten by history for their true contributions, which were of inestimable value to humankind. Which was the greater tragedy? Maureen knew what each of these women, noble and loyal and full of faith and love, would say. They would say that facing the empty shoes was far harder than any other challenge that their eventful lives had presented to them.

She reached down to touch the copper amulet around her neck with the inscription from the gospel of Luke, “Mary hath chosen the better part, and it shall not be taken from her.” Perhaps this was the true meaning of “the better part.” It was a choice to carry on against all odds, to ensure that the sacred teachings endured, to be the living embodiment of the Way.

As she had this thought, Bérenger Sinclair entered the labyrinth, passing her at a turn in one of the circuits. He looked at her in that moment with so much love that Maureen stopped walking for a moment. Here was one of the lessons for her in the labyrinth, and this was the reminder to enjoy the great love that had been given to her while she was able to do so. Here, now, and without fear.