Circleway, the Story of the Women's Dream Quest is a book about a beloved spiritual gathering for women that began at San Francisco's Grace Cathedral in 1987. Judith Tripp, MA, MFT, who shepherds this gathering introduces us to the psychospiritual exercises, songs, meditations, and experiences of the Quest. She examines the elements that go into creating this overnight workshop that make it an experience that speaks to diverse women from all over the country. Judith shares her rich and eclectic spiritual life opening a window to the soulful creative process she uses to bring forth an ecumenical and welcoming celebration of the sacred feminine . . The Labyrinth, a symbolic pattern which is embedded into the floor of Chartres Cathedral in France and duplicated in churches, retreat centers and community gathering places throughout the world, is central to the Women's Dream Quest. Brought to Grace Cathedral by The Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress, the labyrinth has been the circular centerpiece of the Women's Dream Quest since 1993. The Labyrinth becomes a container for creating a sacred circle while it provides a path to walk in meditation during the Quest. On the labyrinth through music, meditation and ritual, women enter what Judith calls "The Land of the Soul". Judith weaves elements of Eastern meditation, Jewish chant, American Indian lore, Christian mysticism and ancient pagan practice into the Quest and helps us to think about how such a weaving can bring us to the heart of human connection in our increasingly fragmented world. Through description, story and songs, Circleway describes how women meet in the circle on the path of the labyrinth, questing their dreams. As author of Entering the Healing Ground Francis Weller states, In a time of increasing reliance upon technology and speed, it is refreshing to be offered the gift of this book. Judith Tripp invites us into a rhythm that is familiar to the soul, a mood that reminds us of our need for rituals that connect us to the sacred, to one another and to the earth. This is a beautiful book, elegant and wise, filled with images and stories that reconnect us with the rich legacy we have inherited from ancient times. Through her poetic language, the mystery of the labyrinth comes alive and we are taken into the heartbeat of the Dream Quest. Circleway awakens our sensitivities to the beauty and vitality of the sacred feminine, helping us to see through the myopia of modern culture's obsession with patriarchal power. Read this book and enter into the realm of the soul.
About the Author: Judith Tripp, the author of the new book, Circleway, The Story of the Women's Dream Quest, has been a transpersonal psychotherapist for 29 years. She leads the Women's Dream Quest at Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and around the country as well as Pilgrimages to Avalon, a yearly tour of the sacred sites of England. She regularly teaches at the Veriditas programs in Chartres, France which focus on the labryinth. Judith is an accomplished flutist and has recorded two CDs- homage, Solo Flute in Celtic Sacred Sites and To Bless the Walk, Solo Flute on the Chartres Labyrinth. She also recorded the vocal album, Return Again, Songs from the Women's Dream Quest. Judith's work both as a therapist and as an artist relies on her rich spiritual life. A longtime student of Buddhist meditation, Indigenous traditions, Mystical Christianity and depth psychology, she seeks an inclusive and heart-centered spirituality. Her devotion to the sacred feminine colors all of her endeavors. Implicit in her work is of a well woven and loving wisdom. During the last 15 years, she has found the Chartres Labyrinth to be the perfect symbol of her spiritual quest. Judith grew up in San Jose, CA when it was a small town, attended the University of California at Santa Cruz in its heyday as the Oxford of the west coast and studied the Sociology of Knowledge. She became a special education teacher learning the lessons of simple love and returned to John F. Kennedy University after the birth of her daughter in 1977 to pursue a counseling degree. She was awarded two master's degrees and was licensed as a MFT in 1983. In the 1980s Judith founded the seminars, Awakening to the Heart of the Feminine and Women's Mountain Pilgrimages. She also helped to organize the conference Toward the True Meaning of Peace in Costa Rica in 1989 which featured the Dali Lama. The 1990s saw Judith discover her Celtic roots in what has become a yearly pilgrimage to Glastonbury, England and to rediscover her love of Chartres, France where she is lucky enough to teach each year. Judith lives in beautiful West Marin in a house adjacent to 3000 acres of open space. She works in San Francisco and comes home to her quiet sanctuary with it labyrinth. The publication of Circleway marks a culmination of her life work. It includes her teachings on the sacred feminine, her music and her love of the circle.