practicing pilgrimage at home and abroad
Sometimes we find ourselves in these dark places, as with dark nights of the soul. At other times we choose to enter the unknown on our search for the Sacred. Either way, though unexpected, one thing is certain—hidden treasures can often be found in our places of darkness if we engage them with openness and curiosity. In today’s episode, I explore this topic and more with depth psychologist Vanya Stier-Van Essen.
Disruptions in our journeys can lead to disorientation and uncertainty, but that doesn’t mean that our journeys must be placed on hold. In fact, not knowing where we’re headed often allows more space for the Sacred Guide to enter in. Here are 7 reasons why uncertainty is actually good for your journey:
If so, it’s likely you’ve been creating mini altars of your own whether you were aware of it or not—little vignettes that house hopes and express longings. You’re not alone, after all; Seekers of the Sacred have been creating altars to mark experiences of Sacred Encounter and symbolize their Sacred Search for millennia.
The word “altar” literally means “high place,” and it is these high places that we as pilgrims journey toward, whether we’re walking the storied road to the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela or journeying to new places of awareness right at home.
For the pilgrim at home, altars are representations of the Sacred stirrings that are happening within. Just as the altars or Ebenezers created in Biblical times were expressions that “something Sacred happened here,” the altars we create today remind us that “something Sacred is happening here”—both in our travels and in our everyday lives.
Creating a mini-altar at home to accompany you on your journey can remind you what it is that you seek and hold your intention on your behalf as you go about your day. Create your own home altar by following these three steps:
Spiritual director Kasey Hitt and I talk about the messages of dreams and how they are considered “unopened letters from God,” making dreamwork a valuable and often underutilized spiritual practice.
Eckhart, however, wasn’t throwing in the towel on his spiritual journey. Instead, his desire was to be rid of his own limited notions of God to make room for the true Mystery that is the Divine. This is the beginning of the mystical journey, and today author and minister Amos Smith shares with us his insights on the mystical path and how it is an everyday journey that can lead to both inner and outer transformation.