QUESTS, DRAONS AND THE ORCHID

JOURNEYS
REEL THOUGHTS
Peace & Heroes

THE WAY
Directed by son Emilio Estevez, father Martin Sheen
plays a father who fulfills his son's journey 
on the El camino de Santiago from France to Spain.
The Way is an earnest film that has some splendid
moments.  Sheen must recover the body of his son
who perished on the journey. He decides to complete
his son's quest but he starts the pilgrimage with a 
hardened heart.  The journey and those he meets
on the camino have an impact.
Estevez is a fine director.
FINDING JOE
The documentary explores ideas of Joseph Campbell extrapolated from his life long study of faith, myth, religion, belief and spiritual disciplines.  This 
piece examines the idea of the Heroes' journey-defined as separation, initiation and return. The image of the dragon is used liberally as those "shoulds and shouldn'ts" of behavor and other limits to the human spirit.
 Cleverly filmed sequences help elaborate the occasionally exquisite point being made.  Campbell is not so much found as he is explained.  
He is certainly a man who's words
lend themselves to profound place and explanation.
Campbell fans, or those who feel at home in the deep waters of mixing faiths and human behavior will find 
FINDING JOE of value.
DAY BOOK
The new orchid.

See you down the trail.

CUBA FILE-ST. LAZARO

 A PLACE OF FAITH-

A UNIQUE MIX

       (Rincon Cuba) Twenty miles from Havana, cultures cross
in a unique Cuban practice of faith and healing.

      Tens of thousands of Cubans make pilgrimages to St. 

 Lazarus for healing and acts of devotion.  The church is 

 named for Saint Lazarus (Lazaro in Spanish), a Catholic Bishop.

      The ill, lame and blind, walk, crawl, come by car or buggy.

       Here at Rincon, Cuban folklore has morphed the traditional St. Lazaro.  Babalu Aye, an Afro-Cuban deity in Santeria and St. Lazaro have been blended.  According to Santeria Babalu assumes all the sickness of his people, thus the crutches of the blended St. Lazo/Babalu Aye. 

      Icons of other Santeria and blended Catholic-Santeria saints  are sold in the plaza.  Pilgrims bring them gifts including cigars.  Several of the icons are depitcted with cigars.

     The poor, some of whom have sacrificed to make the pilgrimage beg so they may buy flowers or other gifts to leave for Babalu Aye/St. Lazaro. Others seek healing in a
grotto called the Living Waters.

      Many accounts abound of miraculous healings provided by the water.  Some of the pilgrims bring empty bottles and casks.  Others pray and then anoint or drink.

      The church conducts normal Roman Catholic masses and services.  The Cuban government has never banned the services nor the pilgrimages to St. Lazaro.

      See you down the trail.