Pilgrimage
pilgrim
a person who undertakes a journey to a sacred place as an act of religious devotion
any wayfarer
On the Way of Saint James to Santiago de Compostela
People have journeyed to holy places, gathered, prayed, and held ceremonies since the beginning of time. A pilgrimage is a walking spiritual practice. And while some traditions have always encouraged it, many westerners are re-discovering it. Yet just as in prior centuries, today’s pilgrims walk for healing, devotion, redemption, or adventure.
For Tibetans, pilgrimage refers to the journey from ignorance to enlightenment, from self-centeredness and materialistic preoccupations to a deep sense of the relativity and interconnectedness of all life. Martin Gray
The oldest pilgrimage site on the planet is thought to be Mount Kailash in Tibet. For over 15,000 years, people have believed that circling the mountain along a 52-kilometer trek will bring them good fortune. Most people take about a month to complete this pilgrimage on foot.
Pilgrimage is a powerful metaphor for any journey with the purpose of finding something that matters deeply to the traveler.
The Pilgrim is a poetic travelLer, one who believes there is poetry on the road, at the heart of everything. Phil Cousineau
Here, I invite you to view my Saint James’s Way adventure in Portugal with Findhorn friend Carla, at the very start of the Covid-19 pandemic Spring 2020.
Camino 2020 (English)
Compostelle 2020 (Français)
And you? Have you ever been to a Holy Site or on pilgrimage? Please leave a comment and tell us where you went, why, and the pearls you found along the way.
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