z12. Manjarin

Discernment

Finding the ability to look below the surface of a situation and feel into its energetic core. To break down the external worldview and be energetically discerning about what are true gifts and what are red herrings.

Notes from Elizabeth's Camino: This was another magical night on the trail. As a group, we decided that we wanted to experience an albergue that was a bit off the normal route that most pilgrims take. We aimed our day’s walking to arrive at a small albergue in an abandoned village high in the mountains, one that had been deserted for over fifty years. Some were a bit nervous about the reports of no running water, no bathrooms and very rustic sleeping accommodations, but the consensus was that it was too much of an adventure to pass up.

When we arrived at the ramshackle buildings, they were colorful and cluttered. Kittens ran around our ankles. It was a place of life among the ruins of the village. We slept in a converted barn. Our generous hosts served us one of the most delicious meals of the trip. We bathed in the well down the road and sat around the outdoor table until the sun went down. Our hosts were Knights Templar, members of an ancient fraternity who have supported and protected pilgrims since the Middle Ages. In ancient times, they looked after the pilgrim’s money so it was not stolen while they walked the trail unarmed and defenseless. Here in this deserted town, hundreds of years later, this small band of men, some elderly like the head of the albergue, who sat at the top of the table and told us of the history of this town, and others, like his son who was busy cooking our supper, gave us all gifts that we had to look below the surface to truly see.

-As we all know, sometimes an offer that sounds just terrible can bring the most incredible gifts, and sometimes that "sure thing" is very much not a gift. Manjarin helps us stay flexible and open to unexpected gifts wrapped up in bad packaging. It also helps us listen to that inner warning bell so we can skip experiences that are best avoided no matter how shiny the packaging.