2024: The Year of Pilgrimage
Happy New Year, friends. 2024 is going to be one for the books.
For about a year now, I’ve been fantasizing about going on an epic journey, a year of going on pilgrimages.
With any trip, the initial calling is usually met with a plethora of excuses as to why this is absolutely absurd and should maybe be left for another year. I lovingly put those thoughts aside, and yesterday I booked the flight for the first leg of my trip. It’s happening, people!
Why
Before I get into where I’m going, I want to dive deeper into why on earth I would do such a thing. A year of pilgrimage?! It does sound exhilarating, and I have to admit, it does have a ring to it. But the simple fact is that pilgrimage can be deeply confronting, physically challenging, and sometimes just downright uncomfortable. The question remains: why would anyone walk a pilgrimage? Much less a year of pilgrimage?
I started Lotus Compass because I believe in the transformative power of pilgrimage. It’s a journey that leads you closer to the truest version of yourself. It’s not easy, but it shows us what we’re made of and opens us to beauty, magic, and purpose. These qualities are always present, but often in our daily lives, we miss them. Pilgrimage is an opportunity to slow down and remember who we are at our very core.
I’ve walked a few pilgrimage routes up to this point, all of which along the Camino de Santiago: el Camino Frances, el Camino del Norte, and el Camino Primitivo.
My aspiration for this trip is to better understand pilgrimage, what it means to walk a pilgrimage, and what it means to be a pilgrim. The qualities I’d like to bring to this journey include curiosity, reverence, determination, a sense of humor, and care.
Where
Here’s a list of possible pilgrimages/locations, categorized by tradition and non-traditional pilgrimages:
Traditional Routes:
Kumano Kodo, Japan
88 Temples, Japan
St. Olaf’s Way, Norway
Camino Portugues, Portugal
Camino Francés - Leading a group trip
Bodh Gaya, India
Pilgrimage route in the UK TBD
Non-traditional Routes:
The Black Forest, Germany (ancestral pilgrimage)
Silent meditation retreats
Call for Route Options
If you have any ideas of certain pilgrimage routes that are not on this list, please let me know! If you’re interested in keeping up with the journey, please sign up for the Lotus Compass newsletter, and if you’d like to walk a pilgrimage with me, apply for the Camino Mindfulness Pilgrimage! There may still be space, depending on when you’re reading this.
I hope this article leaves you inspired and hopeful for what 2024 will bring. While we can’t control the ever changing nature of reality, we can choose to follow our inspiration and be present with whatever arises on our journey.
Big hug,
Jamie
