In a recent Master Key Experience (MKE) Webinar, Mark challenged us to embark on a new adventure, the Silent Retreat.

Charles Haanel talks a lot about the power of the Silence as a way to connect with Infinite Intelligence, The Divine.

“Realize that the Silence offers an ever-available and almost unlimited opportunity for awakening the highest conception of Truth. Try to comprehend that Omnipotence itself is absolute silence, all else is change, activity, limitation. Silent thought concentration is therefore the true method of reaching, awakening, and then expressing the wonderful potential power of the world within.” 

Charles Hannel, The Master Key System 21:28

Well, I have done my own version of a Silent Retreat, and I want to share with you My Magical Silent Day.

In the fall of 2022, I walked a Camino Pilgrimage, solo. It wasn’t a Silent Retreat and I did talk to people every day, but most of my walking time was silent.  In MKE lingo, you could call it a “walking sit” I guess.  In all, I walked about 400 km in Northern Spain and Portugal.  It was the most amazing experience.

At the time I was studying The Greatest Salesman in the World Part Two.  At the time of my Magical Silent Day I was studying Vow Ten, which is about prayer, and Emmett Fox’s discussion of The Lord’s Prayer.

Here’s what Og Mandino says about prayer, with his vow: ”Always will I maintain contact, through prayer, with my creator.”

“Never forget that the greatest talent God has bestowed on me is the power to pray. I can always light up the lamp of faith in my heart with a prayer and it will lead me safely through the mists of doubt, the black darkness of futility, the narrow, thorny ways of sickness and sorrow, and over the treacherous places of temptation.” 

Og Mandino, The Greatest Salesman in the World Part Two, The End of the Story.

And Emmet Fox says this about the Lord’s Prayer:

“The Great Prayer is a compact formula for the development of the soul. It is designed with the utmost care for the specific purpose; so that those who use it regularly, with understanding, will experience a real change of soul.

The only progress is this change, which is what the Bible calls being born again. It is the change of soul that matters. The mere acquisition of fresh knowledge received intellectually makes no change in the soul.

The Lord’s Prayer is especially designed to bring this change about, and when it is regularly used it invariably does so.  The more one analyzes the Lord’s Prayer, the more wonderful is its construction seen to be.

It meets everyone’s need just at his own level. It not only provides a rapid spiritual development for those who are sufficiently advanced to be ready, but in its superficial meaning it supplies the more simple-minded and even the more materially-minded people with just what they need at the moment, if they use the Prayer sincerely.”

Emmet Fox, The Lord’s Prayer

The study of the book and the prayer together is very powerful!  I do not consider myself “religious” but through the study of the Master Key System, I know the power of connecting with a higher power, whether you call the power Infinite Intelligence, Universal Energy, or God.

Back to my story:

As I said, I walked on my own quite a bit during this pilgrimage.  The day I am describing was to be my last day alone prior to meeting a friend to walk the last week together.

The Universe conspired to give me a special experience.  I did not meet a single pilgrim on the day of walking.

In fact the only people I talked to were the ladies at the two coffee shops where I stopped.  Even the cafe con leche was magical :).

As I walked, I contemplated prayer.  My own version of Og’s Tenth Vow of Success: “I pray, with faith and gratitude, for guidance to live my dharma.”

Walking the Camino is part of my dharma, my DMP.  More on that here.

The faith and gratitude came in as I looked for signs along the Camino pointing the way.

This particular stretch of the pilgrimage did not have a corresponding map on the app I was using.

There were some written directions, but I decided to put that away so that I could literally walk with faith and gratitude.

A Silent “Thank you”

Yellow arrows mark the path of the Camino de Santiago.  Whenever I saw a yellow arrow or other sign I said a silent “thank you.”  When there was no marking, I relied on faith.  Soon I would see a yellow arrow – thank you.

And once, as I stood looking confused, a lady leaned out of her second floor window, shouting to get my attention and pointing the correct way to walk.  That was guidance from above, from a ‘higher power’ showing me the way.  Again, thank you!

As I walked I also thought of the Lord’s Prayer, and the passages of Emmet Fox.  I trusted my intuition and practiced faith and gratitude.

The day was indeed magical.  I was rewarded with ripe grapes, light rain, fragrant roses, beautiful views, and blessed solitude.

When I arrived at my destination, I met some lovely people, but that is a story for another time.

How can I practice these concepts every day?  I can look for signs, trust my intuition.

I can listen, in the silence, for wisdom from a Higher Power.  I can follow the signs with faith and gratitude.  I can find the magic and enjoy the journey.

If you have not yet done a Silent Retreat, take my advice and do it on your own terms.  Maybe you too will experience a Magical Silent Day!

For more information about the Master Key Experience, go here. The next course begins in late September. Give yourself the gift of Silence.