The Journey

In pilgrimage, one’s inner journey reflects the outer journey.  There are as many ways to make a pilgrimage as there are pilgrims, but a thread of sacred intent weaves through them all. Author Sally Welch says it thus: The essence of pilgrimage is made in a spirit of searching, with an openness to what the journey can teach.

Clunyclams600We will be walking a traditional pilgrim route, an early stage of the famed Camino de Santiago de Compostela which winds its way from various points in Europe, gathering momentum as it crosses from France into Spain, and onwards to Santiago de Compostela. The road of St James, or the Milky Way as it is often known. The symbol of this pilgrimage is the scallop shell. Today, as in the Middle Ages, thousands of people walk the route each year, guided by a series of emblems which mark the route and point the way. Our feet will be joining their footprints.

The Paris to Chartres route is an early stage of the Camino, chosen because of its personal significance to us. We will be walking from Notre Dame de Paris to Notre Dame de Chartres, culminating with a walk on the labyrinth before we make our way to the High Altar. It is a pilgrimage to the Divine Mother.

Before leaving Paris, we will visit three places, the Basilica of Sacre Coeur on Montmartre,  the Tower of St. James, and Notre Dame,, where we will light candles to set our intention and dedicate our journey to Mother Mary, who represents the Divine Feminine.  Very early Tuesday morning, we will set out from the heart of Paris, walking towards the Porte d’Orleans, and out into the countryside.

We will walk for three days, hoping to arrive in Chartres on Thursday afternnon, where we will be met by a dear friend and spiritual mentor, Rebecca Rodriguez. We have been invited by Veriditas to join them in their special evening labyrinth walk that evening. We’ll spend Friday in the spectacular cathedral, enjoying and appreciating its treasures and beauty before heading back to London via Paris on Saturday aftenoon.

We are honored and blessed to be supported on this pilgrimage by many friends in various way. Some are lighting candles, some have given small tokens to carry, others are holding us in prayer.  Our altar tonight, as we prepare to leave at dawn tomorrow, reflects the love and support of dear friends.

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We ask you to keep us in your hearts as we journey….

9 Replies to “The Journey”

  1. Dear Kimberley and other pilgrims,
    I’ll be thinking of you today. I am in the Chalice Well today working at their healing weekend and I will ask the waters to cool and quench you on your journey.
    Lots of love to all,
    Karin

  2. Dear Kimberly,
    dear Lisa,
    how I can feel with you. In 2003 I made the same way with Gernot Candolini and a group of mostly Austrians. We started a Tuesday from Notre Dame too and arrived three days later (Thursday) Chartres via Rambouillet, Epernon, Maintenon.
    On Wednesday I will visit some labyrinths near Würzburg together with Els and we will send our good thoughts to you.
    Keep on walking
    Erwin

  3. Kim and Lisa
    I will be painting a eagles crest labyrinth tomorrow with Dhyana Raynor..
    we will dedicate the days work, and most especially the painting of the rosette to your awakenings…

    As we are painting on poly canvas, we will be painting two coats, the paint actually looks crisp when wet on the first coat, then gradually gets cloudy… the second coat is what makes it all crisp clear.

    Walk in Peace!

  4. Hello Kim and Lisa,
    here we are: Els and me.
    We walked 10 times a labyrinth those days, thinking of you and we left our gifts and good wishes at the centre.
    How are you today?
    Keep on walking!

  5. Dear Lisa, Kim, and all who have replied and have held your pilgrimage in prayer and light,
    I was reading some of Kim’s back posts, and have (perhaps) come to my own epiphany. There have recently been very rich posts on the Veriditas listserve, there’s been this pilgrimage thread, and there’s been my going to spiritual direction today (I, too, am a spiritual director as well as an advanced labyrinth facilitator). My life has been too ‘busy’ to ‘worry’ about weight control. I had lost a large amount of weight in the past and a very serious traumatic episode occured, and that’s all it took. I am moved beyond saying by Kim’s search for ‘vitality’ and her “going forward” shoes. I’m wondering, having had my own health wake-up calls, and supposedly folliowing a spiritual path, if it might not be time to move forward again, and go on this journey. You can comment here, or go to my Facebook page (I’m not sure whether it’s listed as Bonnie Odiorne or Writing Center…. I’m about to go to direction, and we will what Spirit will tell me.
    Blessings Lisa and Kim. I checked the blog to see if you made it?

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