tourism review online magazine - pilgrimage travel in the 21st century

8/7/2019 Tourism Review Online Magazine - Pilgrimage Travel in the 21st Century

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Pilgris qerig the wrld?

Perhps t et, bt sll there

are millions of tourists who

travel each year for spiritual

reasons. Discover the art of pil-

grige, isit Lrdes i Fre,south American temples or

even Armenian monasteries.


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ETHICAL pilgrimge trvel in he 21s cenury

ari l , 2011

The Su mysc Mevlana Rumi wrote sevenetries g, "D't be ssed with the st-ries that come before you; unfold your ownth." His pe brther here i the West,Wlt Whit, pt it this w: "nt Ite else, trel tht rd fr . yst trel it rself."

Together, these musings aspire to the ideaechoed in the work of seekers everywhere,

tht trelers t d deep eig i

sacred encounters:

tHe art of pilgrimage

their jre l the eter wht is trlsacred. What is sacred is what is worthy ofour reverence, what evokes awe and wonderin the human heart, and what when contem-plted trsfrs s erl.

tHe knot of eternity

Surely, a voice whispered to me one night in

the ris f ld stle i Degl. Ireld,

surely there is a secret way. The moon was ris-ig like elesl irrr er the hether hills.The sea slapped at the peculiar basalt rock for-s lg the st. The wid hwled likeGeli pipes. Fr distt frhse ethe sweet smell of burning peat.

I std shierig i the ste rhw f iet hpel. Trig hed, I sw theweathered carving of a centuries-old Knot ofEternity. Each thread wandered far from thecenter, then whorled back in again. The ancientcelts belieed this t be ptet sbl flife's journey, and the desire to return to thesource that replenishes the soul.

Slwl, I fllwed the ld ste pth with ger. ard d rd wet hd, feel-

ing the ancient chisel marks, the abrasions ofwind, rain, and sun, and the tender burnish-ig f e. I thght f ll the trelers whhad come there, step by step, prayer by prayer,and wondered if they had discovered whatthey had been seeking, if their faith had beenrestored.

Slwl, the lit the iet ste. Thenight air stung my eyes. My hand kept movingacross the eternal knot, seeking out the hidden

per beeth the whirlig ste. I the sb-lie et I felt iet presee rise i hert, d i gerps the widigspiral of joy.

pilgrimage as art

This is the path that The Art of Pilgrimagefollows, one carved out by the simple beauty of hdfl f pres, tsks d exerises tht

pilgrims, sojourners, and explorers of all kinds


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he sed fr illei. I eh f s dwells wanderer, a gypsy, a pilgrim. The purpose hereis t ll frth tht spirit. Wht ers ston your journey is how deeply you see, howeel her, hw rihl the etersare felt in your heart and soul.

Kbir wrte, If he t experieedsethig, the fr it is t rel. S it iswith pilgrimage, which is the art of movement,the petr f , the si f perslexperience of the sacred in those places whereit hs bee kw t shie frth. If we re tstded b these pssibilies, we eerplumb the depths of our own souls or the soulof the world.

Whether we re , bsiess trip,r fr-g detre tr, we lk tthe trig es lg the rd s either tr-ment or chances to stretch ourselves.

Bt wht d we d if we feel eed fr se-thing more out of our journeys than the peren-il hlleges d plesre f trel? Whthappens if the search for the new is no longeregh? Wht if r hert hes fr kid fjre tht dees expl?

cetries f trel lre sggest tht whe weno longer know where to turn, our real journeyhas just begun. At that crossroads moment, aie lls t r pilgri sl. The e hse t set t fr the sred grdtheti, the teple, the estrl hetht will sr r hert d restre r sesef wder. It is dw the pth t the deeplrel where e stps d we re seized b themysteries. This is the journey we cannot not

take.

tHe purpose of pilgrims Journey

Igie r rst erble jre. Whtiges rise p i r sl? The be f childhood visit to the family gravesite, the lec-tre r le ge t fs bleeld, rthe hand-in-hand trip with your mother to areligious site. What feelings are evoked by youreshried trel eries?

ardig t the dir, the wrd pilgri-ge deries fr the L peligris, eigfreiger r wfrer. It refers t the jre f

a person who travels to a shrine or holy place.

The pilgris es he lws beeifld: t p hge, t flll w rblig, t d pee, t be rejetedspiritually, or feel the release of catharsis. Thejourneys all begin in a nervous state, in deepdistrbe. Sethig itl ws issig i

life: vitlit itself be lrkig the rd rat the heart of a distant sanctuary.

The ritl t f pilgrige epts t lltht epess. It hppe hlfw rdthe wrld, s it did with er kid priest IkwFther Thedre Wlters f Tled,Ohio, who began leading groups to the Mar-i Shrie t medjgrjje, ygsli, besehe believed that modern people desperatelyneeded a healing vision from the Mother of

Gd. He ls fessed tht he belieed wr-bered tr ight eed the kidesspeople on pilgrimage convey from the sheergrtde briig i their herts.

sacred &personal tours

Pilgrige ls r jst dw the rd,s it did t rried ple I et brie, whhd rehed ise i their ree ede-

ors. They said they had lost their voice andneeded to hear the voice of commitment towrds gi. I respse, the deided treinvigorate their love of literature by travel-ig t the pet Rbis Jeers ste hsei crel, clifri. m ld fried mihelJjg ws der s h stress i edilschool that once a month he would rejuvenatehimself in what he called his nature pilgrim-ges. He wld drie ll ight i his 1970 chl-

lenger into the woods of northern Michigan so


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he ld g trt shig fr few hrs befrereturning home. That brief contact was hisglde e, he sed t shis sred e.

Prip be l, s wschi Gllds rh with illi therpilgris t the Shrie f or Ld f czest-hw i Js Gr mster, Pld. or it be slitr, s with the Wrld Wr II piltI et i Tk i the id-1980s, wh hd jstreturned from a sorrowful visit to ground zeroi Hirshi.

Wht ites the dieret frs f pilgri-ge is itesit f ite, the sls desire trespond to return to the center, whether it por-tends ecstasy or agony. What makes a pilgrim-age sacred is the longing behind the journey,reminiscent of the famous sixteenth-century

wdt f the Pilgri astrer, wh pikeshis head through a slit in the dome of the skyso that he might gaze at the machinery behindthe sun, stars and moon and so unveil the mys-teries f re.

(Extract from The Art of Pilgrimage)

By Phil Cousineau

Phil Cousineau is an award-winning writer and lm-maker, teacher and editor, lecturer and travel leader,storyteller and TV host. His books include Stoking theCreave Fires, Once and Future Myths, The Art ofPilgrimage, The Olympic Odyssey, The Hero's Journey,and Wordcatcher. Phil also led the Land of Myth &Mystery journey to Ireland organized by Sacred EarthJourneys last September.

hp://philcousineau.net

hp://www.sacredearthjourneys.ca
http://www.travelwithachallenge.com/


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The word pilgrim immediately conjures upimages of travel, but it goes far beyond that.Sie the wrd rst ppered i the westervocabulary of 14th century Europe, it has beenassociated with a sense of purpose, a commit-ment not just to wander through life but tofs, wke-p ll tht led t psiehge. mst f ll, it hs et srie, tjst f e d e t reh the pilgri-

ge des, bt hrdship t the hbody and mental wellbeing. Reaching the des- ws seld es, reqirig weeks,months, even years away from family, com-it, lielihd jeg rss esr ets i er f hrs r driigcomfortably to a pre-booked pilgrim hotel, res-ers sered b redit rd!

I the 21st etr, the wrld feels jst sstrongly about pilgrimage travel as it ever has,

bt he the s hged s h sthe stle? Ee with deep ei reessisand readily-accessible medical care in mostwester s t re r ilets, pilgri-age travel holds steady among the already-faithful and those who search for meaning andew dires i their lies. Prtl besethe rigors and dangers of pilgrimage travelhe bee drsll reded d prtlbese lder peple he the e, e,

good health and compelling urge to explore

the wrld, e d we ge 45 d beermake up the vast majority of pilgrim travelers,whether doing so independently or in groups

of varying sizes.

Beig rried t det cthli while Iself Egelil chris, I he hdthe plesre f isig seerl cthli pil-grimage sites in Europe. We lived in Mostar,Bsi d Herzegi fr tw ers, l45 minutes from Medjugorje, visited annu-ll b e illi f the cthli fithfl dthe spiritually curious since 1980. Despite thebers, the sll-sll tw with high-rise

hotels or fast-food outlets is a cheerful, unhur-ried, dg experiee where fellwpilgris strike p erss with strgersand spontaneously share a restaurant table ora countryside hike up one of the challengingppri tis.

Lger estblished, lrger d re -erill sphisted is Lrdes t the ftf the Freh Preees. yerl fr mrh totber the Str f or Ld f Lrdes

is high-prle ple f pilgrige with es-mated 200 million visitors since 1860. With aniredible weekl rster f ies, seriesd eegs, there re ifr etersand armies of volunteers who work diligentlyto make the individual or group pilgrim experi-ee lifee er.

Rtg thrgh dieret lgges t dif-feret es, hrh series re led withspie-glig hir sigig, bt there re ls

rierside d hillside wlks t set the ite-

favorite frencH pilgrimage

destinations: lourdes and la salette

Yearly from March to October the Sanctuary of OurLady of Lourdes is a place of pilgrimage for Europe-ans and others from around the world. Photo credit:Alison Gardner


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Evening candlelight processions wind along paths fromthe Basilica to the Valley of the Apparions.Photo credit: Alison Gardner

sit f the re fsed etbles. agi, peefl, pere tsphere g resi-dets d perfet strgers is essel fe-ture of this bustling but walkable town, even ifthere are too many souvenir shops to qualifyas an exclusively spiritual experience.

Hweer, I trl lst hert t the -titp pilgri shrie f L Slee i theFreh alps (Sred-dess./fre/l-slee-shrie) hrdl kw pred with

medjgrje d Lrdes. It hs l ple fhundred visitors at once for the very good rea-s tht the l ple t st is the eietl-

run retreat center, booked months in advance.aer tw hr drie r pbli bs ride tf Greble rrw rd with dzes fght hirpi res, rrie i dzzlig t-ural surroundings with no town, no shops, anipsig ste bsili (bilt 1852-65) d der hpel, isitr eter sted b wel-coming volunteers and a modern hostel for pil-grims to stay and eat cafeteria-style at sharedtables. The majority of guests are from France,

Pld d Itl, bt Eglish is ls spke.Apart from the daily schedule of spiritualexperiees, wht kes g "Ww!"

Open all year except November, the shrine of LaSalee is located in a high alpine pasture at an altudeof 6,000 feet, about 9 miles from the nearest town.Photo credit: Alison Gardner

many times throughout a visit is layer uponlayer of mountain ranges, the perpetual tin-kling bells of sheep in tiny green fields thatsweep down from the pilgrimage site, anddozens of well-worn ridge-top hiking trailsstraight out of the opening scenes of The

Sd f msi.When we booked this piece of heaven for

three ights, ll the dble "ells" were tke,so we happily booked two single cells onppsite sides f r hllw. I eh sll,immaculate room was a surprisingly comfort-ble sigle bed ( serig there), wrdrbe,desk and chair, and a sink, towels and mirror.Down the hall was a large bathroom of sharedtoilets and showers. We paid under $40 each

fr three els d d d,surely a bargain in either the spiritual or secu-lr wrld!

By Alison Gardner

Editor/journalist, Alison Gardner, is a global experton nature-based vacaons and cultural/educaonaltravel. Her Travel with a Challenge web magazine, is arecognized source of new and established operators,

accommodaons and richly-illustrated feature arclescovering all types of senior-friendly alternave travel.

hp://www.travelwithachallenge.com


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Chrisanity played a crucial role in the devel-opment of Armenian art and architecture. Theclassic style developed in the 5th-7th centu-ries, bt its frther el e t brpthlt with the arb p tht beg tthe end of the 7th century. Armenia becameindependent again at the end of the 9th cen-tury and Armenian art was revived when thekigd ws slidted d l ide-t re-estblished.

I this perid tw Bze ster-ies were bilt the steries f Hghptd Shi. The were iprtt eters flearning, housing some 500 monks, and bearelqet tes t the highest hiee-ment of Armenian architecture. Today theyare visited by hundreds of tourists and pil-grims eager to see and explore the two mon-steries isribed the unEScos WrldHeritge List.

Peple re e srprised b the jes- d seere rhitetre f the ster-ies. The re trl ipressie, sid vrezh, tour guide of AdvenTour, that organizes toursrd arei d Gergi.

Bth steries re exepl explesf the 'ded hll' elesisl rhitetrethat developed in Armenia from the 10th tothe 13th centuries, which blended elements

f bth Bze hrh rhitetre d the

faitH tourism in armenia:

monasteries of HagHpat and sanaHin


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trdil erlr bildig stle f thisregion.

We were frtte tht i Hghpt, thepriest gave us an expert and well-informedtr, sid Jh fr uK wh jied the ade-Trs tr Best f arei lst er. It ws

unique opportunity. We wish we had had moreknowledge of the history of these places, headded.

The str f the i hrh f thelrge fred s plex f Hghpt,dedited t the Hl crss, beg i 966-67and was completed in 991. The central domerests on the four massive pillars in the sidewlls. The exterl wlls re lst erelcovered by triangular niches. The apse con-

tis fres f christ Ptrtr.The building is complete and in its original

form, apart from some 11th- and 12th-centuryrestrs, ildes lrge git thrghwhich access is gained to the church. The planof the gavit, built in the second decade of the13th etr, diers rkedl i stle frthe main church. A large narthex-type build-ig sed fr eegs, tehig d ferrrituals is based on vernacular architecture in

wood, with the roof supported on four pillarsin the centre of the structure.

The Shi mster sists f lrgegroup of buildings on the plateau above theDebet grge. It is skillfll itegrted it theimpressive mountain landscape. The buildingsare laid out on two rectangular axes, with theirfacades facing west.

The main church, built in the 10th century, isthe cthedrl f the Redeeer. The ephsis

of the cross-shaped interior is on the centralnucleus and the harmony between the squarebase and the circular dome. The central domein this case is surrounded by four two-storeysrises r hpels. T the west there is fr-led git bilt i 1181. Its pl istht f rss isribed i sqre. Lighgis by means of an aperture in the centre of the

dome. This is the earliest known example ofthis type of structure, which owes its originst arei pest dwelligs sisg fsquare rooms with four free-standing pillarsspprg the rf d etrl hle t llwsmoke to be dispersed.

The chrh f the mther f Gd (astt-ztzi), lted t the rth f the thedrland connected with it by means of an open-ended vaulted passage, is the oldest buildingi the plex, bilt i 934 b ks eeigfr Bz. The lrge librr (sriptri),built in 1063, is square in plan and vaulted, withten niches of varying sizes in which codices andbooks were stored. At the south-eastern cornerof the library is to be found the small church

dedited t St Gregr the Illitr. The11th-etr ade f Gregr mgistrs islocated between the two main churches. Thedeep niches along the walls and the abundancef light gie this bildig exepl splquality. The cemetery, located to the south-eastof the main buildings, contains the late 12th-century mausoleum of the Zakarian princes.

By AdvenTour

AdvenTour is the pioneer of experienal travel inArmenia and the Caucasus. They create original travelexperiences that provide real-life interacon with thecolorful region and its people. Whether it's a classicalsightseeing or a more acve exploraon, the travelesget up close and personal with places they are explor-ing. More informaon about their tours athp://www.caucasusexplorer.com.

hp://www.caucasusexplorer.com


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Pilgrimage tourism may be one of the earliestand most important forms of tourism. Faithbased tourism exists throughout the world,fr Idi t mexi, fr Isrel t Sdi ar-bi. Fr Biblil es pilgriges he tonly been calls to spirituality but also majoreconomic drivers that impact not only the soulbt ls the pketbk. The Bible speks fsedig t Jersle t lest three es er fr eh f the Biblil hrest fesls.

Likewise the Isli wrld is fs fr theHjj r pilgrige t me.

cities, temples and lenin

For many millennia people have made pil-griges t ies, shries, riers, tis.cies rd the wrld he deelped reli-gious tourism not only at their main centersbut also in places where miracles have beenreprted sh s i F i Prtgl d

Lrdes i Fre.Furthermore, while pilgrimages are usually

associated with religious events or locations,they may also come in the form of visits toplaces where political events have occurred,burial sites of political leaders, or famousets. Fr exple, drig the c-munist period of Russian history there, mil-lis f peple de pilgrige t Leistb d i the uSa illis isit the -

ets tht ptte Wshigt, Dc

Pilgrige tris i ws prllelsother forms of event tourism. While some formof spirituality, wish for divine healing or thank-fulness inspires the trip, in many ways thesepilgriges ls reet f the hrter-iss f ther frs f tris ees. a isi-tor to any of these religious sites will quicklynote that in the modern world of pilgrimagetris (d fr wht we ler friet texts, ls i the iet wrld) the

ples prde sedr idstries. Be these,the souvenir industry or the lodging industry, aseries of dependent industries quickly developaround the site.

spiritual or cognitive travelers?

Sedl, jst s i se ther frsf tris, the isitr (pilgri) st be belieer i the rre. Thirdl there is dif-ference between a pilgrimage, whose primary

basis is faith-oriented, and a trip in which theperss prir prpse is ther the thespiritl rre. These peple be ls-sied s pilgrige bsed tris bt the renot spiritual pilgrims. Thus, entering into theworld of religious pilgrimage sites is an exer-ise i spiritl e rther th gi.

While all pilgrimages are faith-based travel,not all faith-based tourism is pilgrimages.Faith based travel may take place for life cycle

events, for missionary work or humanitarian

iterest prjets d fr religis es

and conclaves.Although from a social psychology viewpoint

pilgriges re bsed e, fith-bsedtourism is big business. To help you deal with thisgrwig trel tred. Here re se essels thelp the busy travel and tourism professional.

pilgrimages are often big business

It is ested tht i the uS le se 25%of the traveling public is interested in some

form of pilgrimage or faith-based tourism.When one adds to this the number of peoplewh trel fr fith-bsed es, dfith bsed ies sh s weddigs, brmitzvahs or funerals, the number becomesextraordinarily large. World Religious Travel isone of the fastest growing segments in traveltd. Religis trel is ested t le fuS$18 billi d 300 illi trelers strg.mjr fith bsed dess sh s Isrel,

Itl d Sdi arbi he deelped lrge

develop your oWn

pilgrimage tourism


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industries that provide services for people onpilgrimage.

group or individual tourism

Pilgriges r s fr f grp rindividual tourism. Especially among youngpeple (wh pse bt e third f thefith-bsed isitrs) there re gret berof people who seek spiritual aspects to theirs. Thik thrgh wht res f rit er he t irese self-awareness or spirituality.

less tHreatened by economic crisis

Pilgrige trel is e less pre t e-

nomic ups and downs in the market place.Bese fith-bsed trelers re iedtravelers they tend to save for these religiousexperiences and travel despite the state of thee. Fith trelers ted t he dieretes fr trel the d trelers fr therreasons. For example, the faith-based travelere trels s prt f religis blig rt flll spiritl issi. Fith-bsed trel pride sted w f ie t lltourism economy.

all ages and all nationalities

The pilgrimage and faith based market hasthe advantage of appealing to people fromrd the wrld, f ll ges d f ll -lies. Tris d trel prfessils shldbe aware that this market might well doubleby the year 2020. To add to this number manyfaith-based travelers prefer to travel in groupsrather than as individuals.

be sensitive to religious needs

Religiously aware professionals will do bestwith this market. From airlines to hotels, thosetravel and tourism professionals who are sen-sie t religis eeds re gig t d beer.Among the things to consider are types of foodsered, tpes f si pled d whe i-es tke ple. as i ther frs f tris itis essel t kw r rket. Fr exple,irlies tht d t er egetri els lse pr f the fith-bsed rket whse

religi hs spei fd restris.

develop your faitH-based tourism

A recent study reported by the AssociatePress fd tht i the Jde-chris wrldIsrel is the ber e preferee f fith-bsed trelers fllwed b Itl d theEngland; however, faith-based tourism doesnot have to be built around a classical pilgrim-age site. There is no doubt that it helps tohe jr religis eter, sh s Jers-lem, Mecca, or Rome most locales will neverhe sh hl sites. Lk f religis eter

des t e hweer tht l -


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not develop faith-based tourism. Florida hasreted its w Bible ld, d lple iesaround the world have found ways to incorpo-rate religious holidays into their tourism prod-

uct.

coordinate WitH pilgrims needs

Spprt idstries st rdite with thepilgrige le d eeds. all t e thespirituality that visitors seek is lost at the levelf spprg idstries. Drig fith bsedtris perids it is essel tht htels drestaurants connect with the arts and cultural

ies t deelp erll fith bsedproduct rather than a mishmash of unrelatederigs.

resources for religious tourism

Be wre f ew d exig resres frpilgrimage and faith-based travel. For examplesthe website Grple. hs whle sededicated to religious travel. Major religiousists ls iti trel eters frpeple f their fith. ather ispir frpilgriges be lled the -fith bsedtreler. Fr exple, the l wrks f J.K. Rwlig Hrr Per, D Brws D viicde, Shkesperes pls he ll retedpilgrimages.

By Dr. Peter E. Tarlow

Dr. Peter E. Tarlow is the president of Tourism & MoreInc, located in College Staon, Texas, USA. He can bereached at his email [email protected] or by telephone at+1-979-764-8402.

hp://www.tourismandmore.com
http://www.spa-resorts.cz/


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For centuries, people from all walks of liferegardless of their religious or spiritual lean-ings, have been making pilgrimages to sacredples. Fr erl s lg, chris pilgris,rih, pr, d sees fs frthroughout Europe have used a network ofpths t jre t Re, lled the vi Fr-cigena.

The vi Frige is Erpes ldest ltrltrde rte dg bk re th 2,000 ers.

I Itl it is elsie etwrk f trils f ietRoman roads and medieval paths that wind theirw fr Switzerld t Re fr 1,000 k.

Unlike its counterpart, the ever-popularci de Sg i Spi, the vi Fri-ge i Itl, reis brel kw. Hweer,this is quickly changing as modern day pilgrimsequipped with new guidebooks, trail maps andGPS deies re rediserig the vi Fri-gena.

Winding from tHe alps to rome

Wht kes the vi Frige extrr-dinary, apart from its religious and spiritualiprte s chris pilgri tril, is thtit crosses through six separate regions fromrther t etrl Itl. Fr Gr S Ber-rd high i the Swiss/Itli alps, the viFrige deseds it the dist Freh

spekig vlle d ast, d thrgh the riepitls f Erpe, Piedt d Lbrd,and meat and cheese heartland of Emilia-Rg. It the slwl libs the apeiesmtis, eterig the distrit f Li-gi f rther Ts. It es sth

thrgh dlg hills f ierds dwhet elds, pss the ediel tws f Ld Sie, befre eterig Lzi, prehistrili held f the rigil Itlis, theEtrss, befre ll rehig the Itlicapital of Rome.

via francigena Walking europes

oldest pilgrimage trail

Via Francigena Sign on Route Napoleon Switzerland


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While se ses f the tril he beelost to modern highways and thus re-routed,other segments include old cobble-stonedRoman roads and gravelly medieval pathsand dirt farm tracks that bypass Etruscanand Roman ruins and hilltop towns. The trail

weaves throughout famous Roman and medi-el tws sh s ast, Pi, Piez, Smiit, S Giig, d viterb whereyou can wander through many of the grandmedieval churches and cathedrals, and gazeupon many of the ancient castles and forts.

finding tHe pilgrims Way

nigg elsie tril i der d Itl

does require an understanding of the nuancesand challenges something modern day pil-grims need to appreciate. When my wife andI wlked the tril bk i 2008, there were fewgood guidebooks, and none in English. Today,there is not only an excellent English guide-bk (d ther its w), bt tw dier-et Itli gidebks, d e i Freh de i Ger. There re ls free dwld-ble rd bks (i Itli l fr w), ps,d ee GPS rdites fr the tehie pil-grim types.

Sigge reis prble i se sesespeill lg the P Rier, the trs l-gest waterway that divides northern and cen-trl Itl, d the regi tht prdes st fthe rice consumed by Europeans. Thus beingequipped with a good guidebook and basicderstdig f Itli is wise. Ee thghthe Itli stte geret hs sperheded pig t istll il sigs lg the

ere rte, the he le it p t the 139ll it thries t rr t thetask.

sleeping in monasteries

ardble d is seeschallenging but a network of religious accom-ds er iexpesie rs with

Quart Castle Valle d Aosta

brekfst t bde pilgris, pprt-nity to sleep in thousand-year-old abbeys andmonasteries. For those looking for somethingmore upscale, staying in family run pensions orbed & brekfsts r the sil gritrisis an excellent opportunity to experience thell ltre, tste se f Itls e isie,and meet some very hospitable locals. There iseven the chance to sleep in an ancient castle.


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This sid, stte d ll thries eto make investments in improved signage andd tht will ssist wlkers i theirjourney.

I sr, the vi Frige prides exepl pprtit t experiee the

contemporary culture, intricate cuisine, andrih histr f Itl, e ftstep t e.mreer, it is e f the wrlds iprttreligis d spiritl der-d chrispilgriges. ad it is sll rs t diser.

By Neville J Tencer

Neville J Tencer is co-author of An Italian Odyssey: OneCouples Culinary & Cultural Pilgrimage. To learn more,please visit www.verderamedia.com

hp://www.verderamedia.com

Monteriggioni Italy
http://www.tourism-review.com/


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From ancient stone circles and jungle-tangledpyramids to gothic cathedrals and mountain-tp shries, sred ples rt s with steris pwer. Sie the begiig f e,

peple he bee isig sred sites fr hel-ig, ispir d gide. mistrewester siests s t sggessthat water from holy wells can cure illnesses

or that ancient megaliths can deliver messagesfrom the spirit world, but the concept of pow-erful places has been known to many culturesfor thousands of years.

tHe first pilgrimages

The oldest known pilgrimage site is MountKailash in Tibet, which has been a holy traveldes fr iprehesible 15,000years. Walking the 32-mile trail around Kailashtkes bt three ds, t ltdes s high s18,000 feet. Bddhists s the ritl ir-bl erses the sis f e lifee, d108 es rd the ti will eble t reh nir.

The rst chris pilgri ws Hele, thether f the eperr f cste. Shetred the hl ld i 326 .e. d ideed(t eessril rtel) f the sitesssited with Jess. B the middle ages,whe cher wrte his cterbr Tles, pil-gris wh ldt ge the lg get Jersle ld sll d pee r seekres b isig shries deted t the rissits. The Beedie ster i mtser-

rt, Spi rted 50,000 pilgris per erduring the Middle Ages, and today it drawsabout 60,000 visitors, eager to see the imagef the virgi mr sid t he bee red bSit Lke.

nrth aeris dt he t g ersest d ples kw fr irles. I chi,new mexi there is dbe hpel where2,000 belieers gregte eh Gd Frid,d 300,000 pilgris e eer er. I small room at the back of the chapel, known

travel to motHer

eartHs sacred places


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s the R f mirles, is hle i the rthrough which people scoop out sand, said tohe re prperes. The wlls f the rre lied with hdreds f leers d pitresfrom visitors thankful for the healing they saythey received.

Ee lser t he is L Ste. ae, bt70 k west f Edt, where lst Jlsannual pilgrimage drew 40,000 visitors, largelyFirst ns, t pr, sig d seek -fort. Although no actual miracles have beenreprted t the lke, pripts desribe feel-ing more calm and content, with their spiritsreewed. visitrs t sred ples eaway feeling inspired, with a greater sense ofpurpose. For millennia it was customary for

nrth aeri e th t g isiqests t pwerfl ples. aer reeiigistrs fr sh, ediie rwise woman, young people would go, alone,to mountains, canyons, caves or other siteswhere the wld wit isits fr thespirits. Rk pigs with iges f spiritisis sll be fd lg the Stei Rierlle er Lillet, Bc, pplr desfr hikers fr ver.

bizarre stories in cornWall

Much more unusual sacred places are fogous(Foo-gs.) These ris ste tels reiqe t crwll, i the sthwester pf Egld. Se peple wh g it fgsexperience headaches, dizziness, messagesfrom spirit guides or a distorted sense ofspe. oe rst skethig iside cr Efogou suddenly became aware she was being

wthed b Ir-ge w. a isitr whtried t eter Bleigh fg sid she fd her

path blocked by boulders which do not exist.oe f the strgest rst-hd reprts bt

a sacred place this writer has ever heard tookple i the Peri ades. a w frOlympia, Washington told me she was walkingrss the i plz f mh Pih whe lrge sper-like bjet terilized ifront of her. An extra-terrestrial being emergedfrom the silver ship and sent her a telepathicessge f prfd, dil le. nei-ther adres hsbd r the ther ebers

of her group saw what she did, but they agreethe experience had a profound impact on her.

nw Reiki Grd mster, she desribes herlife s diided it tw prts: befre d erPer.

Sed, ariz hs bee pilgrige des- sie prehistri es. nt l thell Hpi d nj, bt es fr s frs cd d cetrl aeri wld jr-ney there for healing and learning long beforeErpes ided nrth aeri. Sedsdrll-shped red sdste rks resaid to emit powerful energy partly because


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f their high etr f ge ir.Sdste is ls rih i qrtz, the ierlfrom which computer chips are made.

Added to these geological forces is the humanftr. Sed ws seled b brigils frthe fr sred dires: aphe fr the

Est, the estrs f the Hpi fr the Sth,ypi fr the West d athbss frthe nrth. This sees t be the w with pilgrige sites. The were rst ide-ed s ples f trl erth eerg. I e,the land was developed by adding monoliths,stone circles, shrines, cathedrals etc. Over thecenturies, as people gathered to celebrate orworship at the places, they added their ownh eergies, whih e t -

late and mingle with earth energies.

prepare for tHe sacred Journey

For every bizarre story you hear aboutunusual happenings at sacred places, thereare thousands of disappointed souls who goon pilgrimages hoping for miracles that neverhppe. This writer fesses t beig lilejels er I wet t the se plz i mhPih where fried adre hd her lse

eter with ETs d I l sw trists. oeres wh s pilgriges zzle t be lk f prepr.

Without going overboard, there are severalprl steps tke t ke r pil-grimage experience more meaningful. First,d r hewrk. Ler bt the histrand folklore associated with a place. One of

the ress I ws ed t ters i cter-br cthedrl is prbbl bese I hd rst

red Beket. next, pprh sred pleswith hilit. Isted f brgig it stecircle, stop outside and ask the genus locifor permission before you enter. Know yourres fr gig. If se et were t skWh he e here? hw wld swer? ope r id d hert t thespirit of a place. Meditate, or at least takee t bsrb whteer eergies ight bethere.

Dr. Je Shid Ble, thr f crssigt al d Gddesses i Eerw, re-ommends that visitors go to sacred sites with tde like the Fl i the Trt dek. yhe t ssped r w ril tdewhih sll preets fr g flishand be free to do whatever you are moved todo, whether it be picking up a certain stone,

singing, doing a ritual, walking around in a cer-tain way or lying on the ground. Openness tosynchronicity is also important.

Self-diser is, f rse, the ltegoal of any spiritual pursuit. All transforma- st e fr withi, d pilgrige

is just one of many routes you can take toget there. Bt if dig g r T chi seesless appropriate to your spirit than going on aGddess tr f Trke, the fllw the pththt feels best fr . I the ed, ll spiritlrds led t the se des, idebefll srized b T.S. Elit i hisFr Qrtets:

And the end of all our exploring, Will be toarrive where we started, And know the place

fr the rst e.

By Robert Scheer

Robert Scheeris a freelance writer whose workincludes travel wring and photography, publicrelaons, web design and content providing. He is amember of the B.C. Associaon of Travel Writers andformer president of the B.C. chapter of the TravelMedia Associaon of Canada. For more than two yearshe published and edited the travel magazinePower Trips.

Sacred Earth Journeys is a Vancouver, B.C. companyspecializing Sacred Journeys, Wellness Travel, YogaTours & Retreats, and Wisdom Teachings. Join themfor a life-changing spiritual journey to Egypt, India,Thailand, Ireland, Greece, Mexico, Peru and more!Please visit their website atwww.sacredearthjourneys.ca,email [email protected], orphone (604) 874-7922 or Toll Free 1-877-874-7922.
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