Pilgrimage, all year round

The sun's path determines the rhythm of nature and... of the pilgrim. Geoffrey Chaucer already wrote about this in his Canterbury Tales (1387 - 1400):

"When April’s sweetest showers downward shoot,
The drought of March is pierced right to the root
Through every vein with liquid of such power
And virtue that it generates the flower; (..)
On pilgrimage then folks desire to start."
(translation: Evan Mantyk)

(from: Canterbury Tales - stories shared by pilgrims on their way to the shrine of Thomas Becket in Canterbury, England.)

On the even older, large tympanum of Vézelay, the rhythm of the seasons is depicted by the associated works on the land and by the signs of the zodiac. This also symbolises the connection between earthly life and the universe.

Next, we follow the seasons and the middle half-arch of the tympanum, around Christ and his apostles.

Winter
(longest night, solstice around 21 December)

In the middle of winter, no work is done on the land. On the tympanum, we see two people indoors. The one on the left is sitting by the fire, holding a hand above it to warm himself. Outside, it is silent. The fields are bare and frozen, but deep underground, new life is sprouting. Above Vézelay, large formations of cranes fly back to their breeding grounds in the north.

The hearth warms the home and is a beautiful symbol of familiar life. Does that continue unabated in winter, now that we seem independent of the land? Or is winter for us too a good time to pause for a moment, to listen to a voice deep inside. Perhaps you hear, at first very softly, a call to leave your comfort zone and set out on a journey?

Zodiac signs: Sea goat, Water-Bearer, Two fish.

Spring
(night = day, equinox around 21 March) 

The name of the season refers to rebirth, renewal, resurrection, regrowth. The power of the sun becomes noticeable. New life emerges everywhere: plants cautiously poke their heads out, vines sprout, swallows return and build their nests. On the tympanum, a bull with a fish tail runs and swims... A powerful symbol of transformation.

During the Easter Vigil in the basilica, the brothers and sisters of the Fraternités Monastiques de Jérusalem sing the Exsultet (Rejoice!) to celebrate the resurrection of Christ.

The next morning, while it is still dark, an Easter fire is lit among the vineyards near Vézelay. Shortly afterwards, the horizon in the east begins to glow and the first birds can be heard singing. Pilgrims walk in a circle around the eternal hill to the monastery of La Cordelle, talking, praying, singing and sometimes dancing. After all, it is a feast day. The feast of resurrection, return and new life.

Other pilgrims are already on their way south, like migratory birds in reverse. Along the way, more and more pilgrims will join them, travelling together to Santiago de Compostela.

Zodiac signs: Ram, Bull, Twins.

Summer
(longest day, solstice around 21 June)

The earth is bathed in the full light of the sun, everything grows and flourishes. Sometimes it is too much of a good thing: the heat scorches the land, followed by destructive downpours. On the tympanum, a farmer brings in his first harvest. Outside, at the bottom of the hill, juicy cherries are being sold.

In the basilica, around noon (solar time), the sun traces a path of light from the statue of the prophet John (the Baptist) to the altar. Often, a spontaneous, silent ritual takes place, with people standing still in the light, meditating there, then moving on to the next spot of light, and so on, nine times (see the video on the right).
It is reminiscent of labyrinths in cathedrals, such as in Chartres, where believers who were unable to travel to Santiago, Rome or Jerusalem made a symbolic pilgrimage on the spot.

Is your journey meaningful? What is growing and flourishing within you? What 'harvest' are you reaping?

Zodiac signs: Crab, Lion, Virgin.

Autumn
(day = night, equinox around 21 September) 

Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season. Apples, plums, grapes and nuts are harvested and processed. Days and nights are in balance. Time to strike a balance. On the tympanum, you can see two bowls. The connecting rod has disappeared, but this clearly depicts a set of scales. The weighmaster wears a remarkable crown. Is it the archangel Michael, weighing the souls of the dead? (His name day: 29 September, shortly after the equinox.)

Trees are changing colour. Cranes are flying back to their wintering grounds in the south. Sometimes they circle around as if they need to re-determine their course, chirping loudly.

There are still pilgrims on the road, but most are also returning to their wintering grounds. A good time to strike a balance. What did the journey bring you? What treasure are you taking home with you? What does that mean for the course of your life?

Zodiac signs: Scales, Scorpion, Archer.

Winter
(longest night, solstice around 21 December) 

It is winter again. The circle is complete, but the end is also a new beginning. On the tympanum, this is represented by a man and a woman: the old year carries the new. It is the eternal cycle of nature, of life, death and return.

After returning home, you may experience how powerful the familiar can be: your old routines, the expectations of those around you, the temptations of our consumer society. There is a good chance that, despite your journey, you will fall back into old habits and start repeating the same cycle.

On the other hand, there is the pressure of the economy: growth, growth, growth, as an end in itself. Preferably expressed in a straight line sloping upwards, as if we want to leave 'our' planet.

Perhaps we can learn something from medieval thinking about cycles, the interconnectedness of all that exists, and the importance of transformation? On the tympanum, the latter is represented by two spirals on Christ's robe. The spiral is a beautiful, ancient symbol of harmonious development.