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Becoming a Knower in a Seeking World
by Cris McCullough, MA
"Am I meant to know, and not to seek? Did you know how hard I'd find that? Is that why you made it this difficult? So I would have time to find out?" Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows
 I took three days off this summer to devour the latest Harry Potter
book (so who hasn't?) and I just want to let you know that, if you choose to read further, I won't be a "spoiler".
Out of 759 exciting pages, the above quote just seemed to jump out at me, especially in light of the work I do as both a labyrinth facilitator and a counselor/advisor.
There is a big difference between knowing and seeking and it is here, in that betwixt and between, that we human beings seem to choose to live. The ancients called the time of Betwixt and Between, this twighlight of the worlds, this razor's edge between sand and sea, a magical place. In these more holistic times, one could say it is the place of process. Everything and anything is forming. There are always distractions constantly creating the chaos...our emotions, other's dramas, possibilities, seeming mistakes. Yet, out of the chaos, something is trying to emerge, that is Ourselves.
Interestingly, the author J.K. Rowlings offers us Harry's journey in seven books and, much like the seven
turnings of the Cretan Labyrinth, these books give us a tale of an individual growing into awareness of their knowing, becoming whole, one level of awakening at a time.
In Book number one, Harry finds his talent as a Seeker, a special position in the wizard's game of Quidditch, on which the success of a game can hinge. If the team's "Seeker" catches the game piece called a "Snitch" the game is ended and the team wins! Harry finds some fame and comfort in his talent, which connects him to a long dead father and makes him special in the eyes of his peers. But Harry, in this first book, also becomes a Seeker on a larger journey which unfolds to help him integrate his past with his present and future.
Like Harry we all have a talent to be Seekers. Being human we are always seeking an answer to some problem or other, either within or without. The path of Seeking is filled with distractions and we find ourselves, like Harry, getting frustrated in our quest for the truth about our selves, our past, our connections and ultimately our future.Seeking is the easy part of our journey. We can use it as an escape, the distraction of a pity party, or even an excuse not to stay in the NOW. "oh, I'm sorry. Can't stick with this relationship (job or fill in the blank), I am trying to find Myself." Seeking for something, whether it the Sorcerer's Stone, or our destiny, is a doing. Action is distraction.
As Harry proceeds through his adventures, or turning points, he adds layers of complexity, not only to his life but to his being. As in a Labyrinth, Harry has been set a goal by his mentor Dumbledore, and as he turns here and there he finds that sometimes his goal seems impossibly out of reach...at other times, so close. He meets others on his path, coming and going, and has to choose how to react to them. He walks a cosmic dance with his friends and family, all moving, all seeking their own destiny.
Harry proceeds through turnings until he finally reaches the heart of the matter,the Center of the Labyrinth,and comes into his Knowing. Only in stillness can we allow ourselves to Know, to really hear what we are to do or be. Harry's journey is like a Labyrinth walk. It can be difficult, a challenge, but it gives us time to find out that ultimately the answers to all our questions is already known within us. We, Human Beings (not Human Doings) already Know everything there is to know if we can just find the stillness within.
Harry finds three important secrets to becoming a Knower on his long journey.
- Connection: Harry allows himself to come out of the isolation and dysfunction of his Muggle world and allows himself to become friends with House Elves, Mudbloods, Wizards and all other sorts of individuals. In his innocence and desire to belong he allows a web of support to be woven around him through his love and acceptance of others. His friends, teachers, mentors and even enemies bask in the openess of his acceptance and compassion.
- Trust: Throughout his long Quest, Harry has his doubts...about himself, his talents, even his right to exist. Against every challenge he must learn to Trust his Heart.
- Action: Once you Know that you Know you must act with courage and resolution upon the Knowing.
Again, I don't want to give any of the plot away but in summation it can be put this way. To Seek is a way of dissonance while To Know is a state of coherence. The more we become One with our inner Selves, in right relationship to our world from our center, the closer we move to a state of Knowing and Being which brings us naturally to the answers we Seek.
Christine McCullough, an integrative holistic counselor, certified expressive arts therapist, certified body-talk practitioner, and labyrinth facilitator is at Essential Healing in Middletown, Rhode Island. For more information, visit
www.thelabyrinthladies.com and www.thehealnetwork.com
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