Pilgrimage

I have been a journeying pilgrim for 15 years. Many people ask me what that means exactly.

The Definition of Pilgrim can be ‘a person who journeys to a sacred place for religious reason’, a person who travels on long journeys, a person regarded as journeying through life. One who journeys in foreign lands : wayfarer. One who travels to a shrine or holy place as a devotee.

All these things are true. Fifteen years ago that still, small voice within asked me to let go – of my job in New York City, of my apartment, of my fear and go where I was invited. Somehow, I had the courage to do just that and a few short weeks later – the journey began. From Mount Shasta to the Amazon. From Brigid’s Well to Montsegur.  Pilgrimage is a journey of the heart that invites us to follow the voice within that calls us to another land, a sacred place, perhaps a place our ancestors once called home.

Where have you longed to go?

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Pilgrimage vs. Vacation

For many, vacation is a time to get away from the routines and habits or daily living.  For some it is a break from work or school, often something we do with several family members, and is a period of time when we allow ourselves to play as much as we want, stay up late, drink margaritas, go out dancing – the proverbial “let your hair down” moments of life.

Pilgrimage is often something we do alone. It is an old monastic tradition which allows us to deepen our relationship with ourselves and which makes room for spirituality, intuition, and insight.  It gives us the opportunity to be quiet and listening and who knows what we might hear. Birdsong? Waves crashing against rocks? Our own heart’s deepest need? Our ancestors speaking to us? Pilgrimage is an opportunity for connection with place, with the land, wind and water that embrace us. It connects us in space and time to others who have also walked in these places, on this land, for millennia.

Healing the Old and the New

For thousands of years humans have walked the Earth. For thousands of years religion has played one of the most significant roles in our development. At a time when our world as we know it appears to be collapsing from the destruction of the planet and Her ecosystems, the 6th mass extinction of species, the battle between authoritarianism and a free society has reached a new peak.  In this chaos and confusion many are exploring their histories and beginning to come to terms with the hypocrisy and abuse of power that have mislead so many over generations.  The pain of these realizations can be quite devastating.

Pilgrimage can be a way to unpack these stories – learned, felt and remembered – of where humanity has been and why.  And it can give us the breath we so desperately need to decide consciously where we can go from here. Pilgrimage is a powerful tool for decolonization.

Women and Pilgrimage

Women have been the tenders of water, of earth, of seeds, and of temples for as long as we have been upon the Earth. Women of all walks of life are encouraged to take the leap of faith to follow your hearts and discover the healing you are meant to unwind, the work you are meant to do and to give yourselves permission to step into that fullness without fear. Pilgrimage is one of the spaces where your unique journey is honored and welcome.

Questions? Please inquire.