Pool of the Black Star a spiritual oasis

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This article was published 28/12/2013 (4358 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Pool of the Black Star at the Manitoba Legislative Building was opened to people hoping to get in touch with their inner spirituality Friday night.

Fourteen men and women circled the edge of the black star, sitting in meditative positions with their eyes closed.

More than three dozen others sat along the borders of the perfectly circular room, with their eyes closed, inhaling the scents of sandalwood and frangipani from the Nag Champa incense that filled the room.

Sarah Hauch, a teacher of Hermeticism, led the meditation.

“Draw in the magic of this building and every beautiful being in here,” said Hauch, as she circled around the black star. “I invite you today not to walk in as your human self, but to be here in your absolute divine self.”

Marta Stanczyk, 44, went to the event because she was curious about the practice.

“I’m interested in the spiritual aspect of life and I just wanted to come and see what it was all about,” Stanczyk said. “I’m hoping to achieve some cleansing and peace and just more experience.”

Friday was the first time the Pool of the Black Star hosted a Hermetic meditation, but considering the history of the room, it could be the first of many.

It was almost seven years ago Frank Albo, a professor from the University of Winnipeg, who specializes in religions of the ancient Near East, published a book detailing the secret spiritual history of the Manitoba Legislative Building.

One of his most interesting conclusions was the Pool of the Black Star was designed to be a Hermetic temple.

“If you think about this building as being a temple, and if you now have a ton of people in here that are all going to say an intention and use their will to say, this is what I want for the city of Winnipeg, that energy, those ideas are going to be circulating throughout this whole building, which is very cool because the leaders of our city work in this building.” said Hauch, who organized the event.

The event began with a short meditation to get some energy flowing in the room. Participants introduced themselves then discussed meditation, spirituality and Hermeticism. Then the real meditation began, with everyone joining in. The night ended with everyone lighting candles and placing them on the black star to represent their wish for 2014.

Aimée Astarra Teyolia, 30, said when she meditates she tries to be at peace with herself because when she does, she believes that it spreads to the outside world.

“I think that’s the biggest act we can do for this world right now, and that’s one of the biggest ways we can bring peace and wholeness and balance,” she said. “Whenever I can get together with a community of people to do that it raises everybody’s ability to do it and we support each other.”

Teyolia said it’s a place meant to enhance meditation because of the way sounds interact in the room.

The sound aspects of the room is something Albo discovered in his research of the building. If you divide the length of the legislature by the height of the dome, the musical fifth is achieved, which is also known as the Hermetic constant.

veronika.gorlova@freepress.mb.ca