Embracing the Unfolding Universe: An Exploration of Humanity's Cosmic Role with Dr. Brian Thomas Swimme in conversation with the Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress

The creative energy of the universe has, over fourteen billion years, brought forth a Milky Way galaxy filled with stars, an Earth throbbing with life, and a restless human species in search of its soul, its mission in our universe. Our destiny is to create harmony. We have been born into this evolutionary process to participate in the cosmic act of bringing a fragmented humanity into a vibrant Earth community. Us-and-them categories are no longer viable; contemporary biology has discovered that genetically we are all relatives. Suffused with the energy that constructed two trillion galaxies, we are ready to imagine ourselves as planetary humans. In Chartres cathedral, one of the great spiritual centers of human history, we will feel the reverberations that always accompany the emergence of a new era. In lectures from cosmic storyteller Brian Thomas Swimme, in walking the Labyrinth together, in creative exercises, in dialogue with all, in star gazing within the Milky Way galaxy, in contemplative music, and in imagery the size of a cathedral, we will enter a heart-centered pathway into the next era of humanity's journey.

Come. Join us in an ancient place of refuge and renewal.

The Chartres Experience

Program registration for this Walking a Sacred Path Pilgrimage begins at the Hotelliere St. Yves in Chartres, France at 4:00 pm on Monday, followed by an orientation and opening reception. Each day begins with a seminar led by Dr. Brian Thomas Swimme, followed by a large group conversation with Brian and Lauren Artress, and leader led small group discussions. Participants will experience the sacred space of Chartres through a tour of the cathedral, as well as an unforgettable private candlelit labyrinth walk with medieval music. Participants will also have an opportunity to walk with the public, allowing time for reflection, connection, and community. The program concludes with a celebratory dinner on Friday evening that ends by 10 pm. You may want to plan to arrive a day prior to the start of the program to give yourself time to recover from jet lag, and we recommend planning to depart on the Saturday after the program concludes.

Dr. Brian Thomas Swimme

Brian Thomas Swimme is the Director of the Center for the Story of the Universe and a professor at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco. He received his Ph.D. from the Department of Mathematics at the University of Oregon in 1978 for work in gravitational dynamics. He brings the context of story to our understanding of the 13.7 billion year trajectory of the universe. Such a story, he feels, will assist in the emergence of a flourishing Earth community.

Swimme is the author of The Hidden Heart of the Cosmos and The Universe is a Green Dragon. He is co-author of The Universe Story, which is the result of a ten-year collaboration with cultural historian, Thomas Berry. Swimme is also the creator of three educational video series: Canticle to the Cosmos, The Earth’s Imagination, and The Powers of the Universe. Most recently he co-wrote and hosted the 60-minute film Journey of the Universe, broadcast on PBS television stations nationwide.

The Reverend Dr. Lauren Artress

The Rev. Dr. Lauren Artress is Canon Emerita of Grace Cathedral in San Francisco and author of Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice; The Sacred Path Companion: How to Use the Labyrinth to Heal and Transform; and The Path of the Holy Fool: How the Labyrinth Ignites our Visionary Powers. Her first book Walking a Sacred Path was instrumental in launching what the New York Times named The Labyrinth Movement in May, 1998. She founded the non-profit, Veriditas, the World-Wide Labyrinth Project, in 1996 to “pepper the planet with labyrinths.” With over 6,000 labyrinth sites in the U.S. alone, her nonprofit work embraces the vision to activate and transform the human spirit through the labyrinth experience. Lauren received the Gandhi, King, and Ikeda Peace Award for her work in bringing people together in creative, peace-giving ways. In 2021 she received the Extraordinary Visionary Leader award from Women Creating our Futures. She is on the Editorial Board of Presence Magazine, a publication of Spiritual Directors International. Lauren is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in the State of California.

Logistical Information

Travel to and from Chartres: We look forward to welcoming you in Chartres!  Participants are responsible for making their own travel arrangements to and from Chartres. Most airline flights will arrive at Charles de Gaulle Airport, Paris, France.  You have a variety of options on getting to Chartres from CDG Airport.

We will be creating an online Circle group for participants to be able to connect with each other prior to the start of the Pilgrimage in case you want to plan to share accommodations or transportation to Chartres. An invitation to join the group will be included in your confirmation email when you register.

Accommodation: Veriditas has a block of rooms reserved at the Hotellerie St. Yves for each week that we will be in Chartres in 2025. You will receive a link to book your room after you register for a Pilgrimage.  Most participants find the rooms comfortable and convenient. Each has a small bathroom with a shower. Bedding and towels are provided, but you will need to bring a hairdryer.

Meals: Chartres is a charming, medieval village with many options for eating out from casual fare such as omelettes and soup to fancier formal restaurants. There is also a grocery store in walking distance that sells sandwiches and snacks. Breakfast is included in the cost of your accommodation if you book through our block of rooms at the Hotellerie St. Yves. You are responsible for your own lunches and dinners throughout the week.

Spouse packages (partner/family/friends) are available if they want to come but not participate in the full program. Includes opening reception, closing dinner and cathedral tour. Simply select spouse package when you register.

Cancellation Policy: We understand that life happens! When things don’t go as you planned, Veriditas has policies in place so that you always know what to expect should you have to cancel an event. Please read our updated cancellation policy here.

Travel Insurance: Veriditas strongly recommends purchasing travel insurance to cover your expenses in the event of an unforeseen circumstance that may hinder your ability to attend the program. . Click here for a link to Travel Guard, specializing in insurance for our Chartres programs. 

For additional information on our Walking a Sacred Path Pilgrimages, please click here.