Walking The Pyramid

I walk the path of the pyramid, ascending to the tier below its apex. Here, I circumambulate the center in a clockwise direction. Then, descending to a lower level, I travel counterclockwise. I then walk several switchbacks down one face of the pyramid and ascend, again, only to follow the path down the next face. In this manner, I walk each angled plain of the pyramid. I then ascend, step by step, to the very top of this monumental structure.

I created a pyramid labyrinth, a 2-dimensional representation of a 3-dimensional structure. I walk its path as though walking an actual pyramid, imagining my ascent and descent throughout the journey. In this way, I conjure within me a psychic and bodily experience of walking a pyramid.

While in Teotihuacan, I walked the Pyramid of the Sun in a similar manner—climbing steep stairs part way up, circumambulating along one tier, climbing again to walk a higher tier, then ascending a final set of stairs to the top. For me, each occasion was a prayerful pilgrimage as I walked with others in sacred intent and paused at each of four corners to honor the directions. Throughout the journey, the energy was palpable, intensifying with my ascent to each level of the Piramide del Sol. At one point, leaning against stones of the pyramid, I felt a heartbeat not my own. And while gathered with other pilgrims at the top of the pyramid, I experienced a rush of pulsating energy rise through our collective body.

Pyramid of the Sun, Teotihuacan, Mexico.

On top of the Pyramid of the Sun, the Pyramid of the Moon in the background.

This year, while friends climbed the Pyramid of the Sun in Teo, I joined them from afar while walking the path of my pyramid labyrinth. They may have been unaware of my presence, but I was with them, sensing our shared journey and singing songs for the ancestors.

There are those who extol the cleansing and healing powers of pyramids and others who hypothesize that pyramids were designed to collect energy. Some speculate that they are portals to other dimensions or worlds. Experts theorize that pyramids are aligned to the movements of the sun, moon, and other celestial bodies. Some suggest they mirror mountains nearby or far away. Whatever their practical, quantum, or cosmic purpose, pyramids are places of power. They ground, energize, and transform pilgrims, connecting them to each other, the earth, and the universe.

For all that is,