Turais Naofa, Sacred Journeys & Pilgrimages .
What I’ve learned and what I wish I’d known before embarking on theses sacred journeys.
To me a pilgrimage is not about travel, or how far we go it’s about how much we learn as we move across sacred lands, sacred places that our soul knows. It’s about deepening our connection with source, with the elements, with our ancestors. It’s about bringing healing to other lifetimes or to our blood ancestors. Journeying to sacred sites with the intention to remember helps us to rekindle our indigenous culture & spirituality .Among the stones, the temples, the mounds , the ley lines, the sacred waters, we find truth, we find codes, activations & transmissions to help us create this new earth. As we drink the sacred waters we drink back parts of our soul.
I have travelled for years but the journey of pilgrimages is a completely different experience . And here is my first reflection I cannot treat a pilgrimage like I did travel. When travelling I might have went for a few weeks or months at a time. Sometimes a one day pilgrimage is enough. If we go with the intentions of ancestral healing, souls retrieval etc that can be a lot for the body , nervous system & soul to integrate. A lot of the time for me , less time is better when it comes to deep pilgrimages. A teacher that I work with advised me that one day in Glastonbury would be enough , I stayed a week and omgoddess my body was shook , very shook , this place had so much ancient memory for me and a lot of energies present that yes one day would have been plenty. This time last year I spent over a month in Scotland and I’m honestly still integrating what happened on the land there. And this is the next reflection . When planning a pilgrimage take time to consider if you will have time and space afterwards to really reflect and integrate the whole experience. If we don’t give our selves time to reflect and integrate we don’t actual get the benefits of the journey.
For me now I know I need to sit and journal for as long as I need before I even think of going to another sacred place. For example if I was heading to say Scotland again I’d plan to go to one sacred place then schedule some time to sit and reflect and rest before even thinking Of going to another sacred place.
For me personally on a lot of the journeys especially to Scotland my higher self was bringing me to places where I had experienced a lot of pain, grief, trauma, persceution in other lifetimes. Sounds silly to do that perhaps? Yes its not always easy as I have learned it can feel dense and heavy but your soul is there to bring healing to these experiences simple with your intention and presence, you will retrieve fragments of your soul back that you lost during these traumatic experiences. When we retrieve these parts of our souls we will feel some powerful , more whole. This for me out-ways any difficulties of a pilgrimage.
Another important reflection is looking at my astrology chart. Going on a pilgrimage when there is alot going on in your chart may not be a good idea. And also looking my astrocartography chart. . This is where planets lie on the earth when You were born . I’ve no lines in Ireland but all of my lines cross at the top of Scotland and two very significant lines going through here too. Stepping close to these lines can bring up a lot. Its really worth looking up. Also in my chart leaving my home country will always feeling like a death experience for me so just knowing this prepares me more for pilgrimages.
I know for alot of awake people now it is difficult for holidays and travel not to become a pilgrimage in some way but I do believe we need time to switch off from all the deep work to allow our nervous systems to relax. I recently went to west cork for a few days and just laid on the beach relaxing and intetentionally did not go near and sites.
Another big learning is knowing which journeys to do solo and which to do in community. For me I spent years doing solo travel, solo travelling versus solo pilgrimages are too very different experiences. For me now there is very few deep pilgrimages I would do solo. We just don’t know the extent of what can arise therefore having friends and community around for support can be esential for someone as sensitive as me anyway lol. Also taking time after the pilgrimage to sit around the fire together and reflect and integrate is good.
For me sacred pilgrimages have completely changed me and massively sparked so much remembrance and power but equally sitting with myself, being rooted and grounded in the one place is just as healing. There is no where one needs to go or be only that place where they feel most at home and at peace. Would love to hear peoples tips on pilgrimage.
Grá Mór Lèan
