A week in a monastery

My partner and I had decided to spend a week in a monastery, remaining silent for five days. Upon arriving at our chosen place, we were immersed in another time and another life, accompanied by Benedictine Sisters who devote their lives to prayer and to others.

I was impressed by their dedication to maintaining in our world the presence of a Christian tradition where the example of the life of Jesus Christ is the model that leads them to give of themselves for a cause that transcends them.

I have often heard people speak of unconditional love, service, and self-giving, but I have very rarely seen people embody it in their daily lives as they do with such constancy and discipline that command admiration.

I felt deeply welcomed into their community. In the texts they read or sing, there are often references to welcoming the poor, the destitute, those who suffer and are rejected. The Heart of Christ is the refuge where everyone can find their place, their dignity as human beings, and the comfort they need. They strive to uphold the message of Jesus Christ in its purest sense: "Love one another."

One evening, we had dinner with people who, like us, were staying at the monastery but were not nuns. One of the women began to speak to us, and I felt embarrassed because I didn't want to abruptly interrupt our conversation, but I also wanted to preserve the silence my partner and I had been living in for several days. The person speaking understood that we wished to remain silent and ultimately remained silent until the end of the meal. Once dinner was over, we had to take the empty dishes back to the monastery kitchen. As we returned the trays and were about to leave, the woman who had begun speaking during dinner was next to me, and I said, "Good evening." She didn't respond, and I felt her lack of response was a rejection.

This incident struck a chord within me, and when I returned to our room, I turned over in my mind every aspect of the situation I had just experienced. I've often noticed that during periods of silence, incidents that may seem trivial can suddenly take on great significance. During my inner reflections, I suddenly realized that this woman hadn't rejected me, but that her non-response was a way of saying, "I understand your need for silence, I respect it, and you don't even need to say goodnight." Something shifted within me, and I felt my heart open; I perceived the respect and love that reigned in the space we were in. My feeling of rejection had disappeared and given way to a feeling of gratitude. It was as if a wall had collapsed, the wall formed by the deep conviction of the wounded child within me who still believes that the world doesn't want him because he felt abandoned when he was at boarding school. Something had melted inside me and given way to a love for others and for life. A phrase came to me spontaneously, and I repeated it internally like a mantra: "Thank you for welcoming me."

It was as if I perceived the hidden side of monastery life and understood the true meaning of what these Sisters seek to bring into being. It is possible to be loved because we are simply human, because we are alive. There is nothing to prove, nothing to achieve to be recognized, and as it is stated in the rules of Saint Benedict, which apply to all who come to the monastery: "All guests who arrive will be received like Christ."

The fact that this incident took place within the monastery grounds is significant. The place evoked vivid memories of my childhood boarding school. On our first day at the monastery, a rash appeared on my body. These manifestations on my skin were the mark of an instinctive rejection of what I had felt in the past as imprisonment. These rashes faded as our stay progressed, indicating that my initial reaction had given way to a much calmer feeling.

I probably unconsciously chose to spend a few days in a monastery in order to revisit the feelings that persist within me and are associated with memories of my childhood and certainly, more profoundly, with memories of past lives. Staying for several days in a Catholic institution helped me reconcile myself with the outward and official forms of Christian and Catholic tradition by perceiving their deeper meaning. The fruits of this tradition are still alive today and continue to resonate with precious spiritual values throughout the world.

Remaining in silence during our stay reflected a need to break away from the rhythm and routines of our Parisian lives, but it was also an opportunity to remain present to ourselves without interference from the outside world. It was a way to experience intensive meditation for several days, as we had done many times in India.

But I hadn't realized that the sisters aren't truly silent. I thought monastic life automatically implies respect for silence. They are, in fact, very active, dedicated to their respective tasks, which require a great deal of interaction with each other and with the people who come to the monastery. Lunch is spent in silence, but one of the sisters takes turns reading aloud excerpts from the newspaper La Croix (a Christian daily) and from magazines or books related to topics that concern them. Even during religious services, there are few moments of silence, as most of the time is devoted to chanting and prayer. On the last day, the Sister in charge of the guesthouse told us that my companion and I had brought them silence, reminded them of its importance, and uplifted them. I never expected to receive this recognition from people dedicated to religious life.

Astrology was also present throughout the stay. Certain texts read or sung evoked in me connections with the meaning of astrology and its symbolism.

The phrase that most touched me was one the Sisters used to address God: "Raise me up to serve you." I believe it sums up the attitude astrologers should have if they wish to serve the people who consult them. Astrology can help elevate us when it is understood in its spiritual and transcendent dimension. And by rising up, we can transmit what is most precious in astrology, the words that can touch the depths of beings and influence their destinies.

During the last night we spent in the monastery, I reviewed my professional past, with its difficulties and accomplishments. I revisited my childhood and felt the journey of my soul through the situations that have punctuated my life. I thought back to the astrologer I met when I was 23 and the influence he had on my existence. I felt how one encounter can tip a life in one direction or another. I felt that every decision we make has a much greater significance than we consciously perceive. Every choice we make, every situation we experience can alter our existence. The fulfillment of our destiny seems very uncertain if we consider the very limited awareness we have of the processes at work in our lives, but it obeys laws that most often escape us and that can trigger encounters and events that continually put us back on the path to the realization of our essential being. When a being possesses a deep and intuitive understanding of the challenges of human life, they can guide another being to reveal their more or less dormant abilities and open new doors. This is where astrology finds its full meaning and where the astrologer becomes an initiator through the messages they convey.

In the texts the Sisters read or sang, the idea of spiritual combat was very present. It takes courage and perseverance to embody values that allow others to draw inspiration from them and align their lives with who they are deep down.

I see the book I am writing as a series of meditations on the planets, attempting to illustrate how each archetype can inspire us and help us get closer to the quintessence of existence.

Fundamentally, nothing is trivial, nothing is useless in our lives. Everything we experience is there to help us reveal who we are; everything is much more important than we believe. The Sisters I met constantly remind themselves, through their songs and prayers, of the presence of Christ in their lives. Similarly, if an astrologer wants to help others realize their potential, it is necessary to maintain and cultivate the connection to their Higher Self through meditative or spiritual practices accompanied by psychological work that allows them to identify and erase the veils that limit and imprison them.

What I wish to convey in my book is how astrology can help us (re)discover the spiritual heart of existence that gives meaning to everything we experience. Astrology can thus help elevate us to serve others and life.

Pierre Mevel