Lemniscates and Sin Eaters

My friend and I were in a shop the other day that specializes in crystal jewelry, incense, new age books etc.  As usual, I found myself in the book section, even though I have a stack of unread books at home.  I was trying to decide between two books to buy, both of which were in the Spirituality/Celtic genre.  One of the books I wanted to buy, and the other book I knew I should buy.  After my experience with the "Book of Kells,"  I bought the latter.

The book I bought is called "Walking With The Sin Eater," by Ross Heaven.  The title sounded strange to me, as I had no idea what a sin eater was, and the description on the back cover didn't explain much.  As I flipped through the book I saw it mentioned Wales and Glastonbury, two of my favorite places.  I also saw that it discussed shamanistic insights and a pilgrimage, and I think these things drew me to the book.  Now that I've started reading it I can barely put it down.

After I do yoga, reiki or meditate, I often find myself in a very relaxed, almost hypnotic state.  When I feel this way I normally pick up a pen and start to write.  I have the urge to write words, but mostly what I end up drawing is the infinity symbol, or lemniscate.  This has also been happening to me when I try to draw a mandala, which frustrates me.  In my head I know what I want the mandala to look like, but all I keep drawing are spirals and lemniscates.

I've tried several times to google the meaning of lemniscate, but I never seem to find anything useful.  Imagine my surprise to find a description in "Walking With The Sin Eater."  The book states that it is a powerful magical symbol often found on the staff of healers.  "It stands for the meeting of souls: saint and sinner, man and God as one."  It is also a sign of direction and purpose.  "It means that its bearer can never be lost because the circles double back on each other.  By following them, the traveler may therefore go as far as he wishes into the worlds of spirit and matter but always find his way home."

As I find myself drawn into the world of alternative healing, this definition hits the mark perfectly.  In fact, I'm embarrassed to admit I had tears in my eyes as I read the passage.  Some would say it is just a coincidence that I keep drawing lemniscates, but I find it an amazing synchronicity with a much deeper spiritual meaning.  I also feel like I'm at the beginning of a "pilgrimage" in my life, trying to find my true purpose and what I am really being called to do.  The thought of "never being lost" is a reassurance that feels very comforting to me right now, as I'm not sure where I will end up on this journey.  Yet again, I am learning that if I give up trying to control things and listen to my intuition, the answers I'm looking for will appear almost effortlessly.