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Author Topic: The concept of pilgrimage  (Read 5594 times)

veggiewolf

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The concept of pilgrimage
« on: August 01, 2012, 08:33:59 am »
While preparing to write a PBP entry, I did a Google search on "pagan pilgrimage" and the first hit was a thread from our old boards: Sacred Journeys and Pagan Pilgrimage.  After reading it, I thought it might be an interesting topic to discuss on this incarnation of the boards as well.

So...

What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?
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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #1 on: August 01, 2012, 09:54:23 am »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939

In 2003, I made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. Even though my faith in the catholic church was already gone by then, walking 800km on a millenium-old trail in the footsteps of millions of faithful was an intensely spiritual experience. I celebrated mass without shame and worshipped in the churches I passed because my catholicism  will always be a part of me and I have nothing against the religion itself. It was one of the most uplifting and humbling experiences in my life and I get weepy just writing this.

I am now a Kemetic Orthodox and am eager to see Egypt again through the eyes of a believer in the faith. I did visit in 1999, but was 'just' a tourist then. Well...an over-enthousiastic student of art-history and archeology with a life-long passion for everything Egyptian but a tourist never the less.
Now, I'm a Shemsu, my religious roots are in Egypt and I feel the need to touch the soil and the history of the country and be closer to the Gods in a way. I want to be in the temples and connect to the millenia of worship at the birthplace of the faith.

Celtag

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #2 on: August 01, 2012, 10:53:33 am »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939

What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?
I think it's going to a holy or spiritual center of your religion or spirtual practice. I myself have never beenb on one, but would love to at some point. When I do go on mine it will be to the British Isles, I hope to hit Wales, Scotland, England, and Ireland. Go see the megaliths, and other sacred Celtic sites.
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Nachtigall

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2012, 11:13:38 am »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939
While preparing to write a PBP entry, I did a Google search on "pagan pilgrimage" and the first hit was a thread from our old boards: Sacred Journeys and Pagan Pilgrimage.  After reading it, I thought it might be an interesting topic to discuss on this incarnation of the boards as well.

So...

What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?

 
The closest to piligrimage that I've done was going to Athens and visiting the sacred sites such as the Parthenon there. Visiting the land, the places where my Gods were worshiped, seeing the statues from Their temples was quite an... intense experience.

Visiting Delphi is in my plans as well, whenever I'll have the occasion to do so.

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2012, 11:40:22 am »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939

So...

What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?

 
Wow, I never thought of this. It's not part of my path, but I'd probably consider going to Egypt on a pilgrimage. Well, I would if things would calm down there! I would guess that visiting ancient monuments would bring me closer to the Netjer. . .

I like the idea of pilgrimage. It's not one of those things that comes up often in pagan circles, it seems.
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Starglade

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2012, 12:52:22 pm »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939


 
Pilgrimage isn't a requirement of Buddhism, as such--not in the way that Jews are more or less expected to visit the Wailing Wall (or such is my understanding, at least--I could well be mistaken and would be glad of any correction to my understanding), or the way that Muslims are expected to go on the Hajj.

That being said, it's certainly common for those who can afford to do so try to visit Sarnath (Deer Park, the site of Gautama Buddha's first teaching). Others of the Tibetan bent may visit Kathmandu, Nepal or Dharamsala, India (the latter being the base for HHDL since his exile in 1959). Some may even climb Chomolungma (Everest) or Kailash, both considered holy mountains.

I personally have no plans to do any of this. Not that I wouldn't love to--but it's unrealistic to do more than dream about it for me.
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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2012, 01:09:38 pm »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939

What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?


I visited Greece back in 2005 with my Classic Civilisation class so we went to most of the major sites on and off the mainland of Greece. I have to admit back then I was also more of a tourist than a firm believer, which is why I would love to go back.

It was eye opening however to see such large and obvious sacred sites to the gods. Beautiful too.

sailor

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2012, 05:10:53 pm »
Quote from: Utusitusi;66947


I am now a Kemetic Orthodox and am eager to see Egypt again through the eyes of a believer in the faith. I did visit in 1999, but was 'just' a tourist then. Well...an over-enthousiastic student of art-history and archeology with a life-long passion for everything Egyptian but a tourist never the less.
Now, I'm a Shemsu, my religious roots are in Egypt and I feel the need to touch the soil and the history of the country and be closer to the Gods in a way. I want to be in the temples and connect to the millenia of worship at the birthplace of the faith.

 
Better hurry up on the Egypt pilgrimage before the stuff is destroyed.

sailor

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2012, 05:15:14 pm »
Quote from: Starglade;66971
Pilgrimage isn't a requirement of Buddhism, as such--not in the way that Jews are more or less expected to visit the Wailing Wall (or such is my understanding, at least--I could well be mistaken and would be glad of any correction to my understanding), or the way that Muslims are expected to go on the Hajj.


 
It's a dream to move to Israel / Jerusalem. Definitely not a pilgrimage for the Wailing Wall though. Now (as in last 50 years) it is common to visit to feel more of a tie, but not as a religious requirement.

NibbleKat

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2012, 05:37:48 pm »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939
While preparing to write a PBP entry, I did a Google search on "pagan pilgrimage" and the first hit was a thread from our old boards: Sacred Journeys and Pagan Pilgrimage.  After reading it, I thought it might be an interesting topic to discuss on this incarnation of the boards as well.

So...

What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?


 I think the idea of a pilgrimage has been tooling around in my head for a while. I like the idea of it. I think it's starting to be one of those things I'm going to put on my Bucket List.  

Part of me would be afraid I'd get to these places I'd like to go (the source of the Seine in France and  Hochscheid, Germany for Sirona) and find that they were below my expectation, which might "mar" the experience.  I am fairly certain that Hochscheid is only a small museum, and the actual place of Sirona's temple complex is now just a depression in the ground.  What would that mean for me if I saved up money to go overseas, floundered with knowing little of the German language in a country totally unfamiliar to me, felt this intense expectation of Something Wonderful... and came upon ... well... not much? Would I feel Her power there? Or be disappointed? That worries me a lot.

I don't know if that's a silly thing, really-- a selfish thing, even -- and it's oddly something I was sitting down at the altar thinking about within the past few days.

But I do like the idea of going, especially with little oddities of my health that keep cropping up (both those goddesses were healing goddesses, you see).  

With Hermes, my other patron-- he's around me so much, and is so world-traveled and everywhere that I don't feel the same way about a pilgrimage for him.  It, to ME,  just wouldn't make sense as much.  He's not tied to a particular place like my goddesses are (rivers/hot springs).
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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #10 on: August 01, 2012, 05:40:43 pm »
Quote from: Celtag;66955
I think it's going to a holy or spiritual center of your religion or spirtual practice. I myself have never beenb on one, but would love to at some point. When I do go on mine it will be to the British Isles, I hope to hit Wales, Scotland, England, and Ireland. Go see the megaliths, and other sacred Celtic sites.

Ooh, I've seen the Mithraeum  at Carrawburgh.  We stumbled on it between Housesteads fort and Vindolanda.  http://lostfort.blogspot.com/2007/07/mithraeum-at-brocolita-carrawburgh.html  People STILL leave coins from all over the world in the little offering bowl at the head of the shrine.

And I got to see lots of altars they found at Chester's Fort http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/daysout/properties/chesters-roman-fort-and-museum-hadrians-wall/ ...and I wish wish WISH I'd known my path clearer when I was there, because I can't remember all of the goddesses and gods that were represented there.  There ARE a few for Coventina there, though. :)
« Last Edit: August 01, 2012, 05:42:00 pm by NibbleKat »
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monsnoleedra

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2012, 06:00:36 pm »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939
.. What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?


To me the notion of pilgrimage implies having some place designated as super holy and demanding one go there at some point in their lives.  As such there is no concept of pilgrimage within the context of my belief and spiritual practice.

That's not to say there are not places I'd love to see.  Desire based upon an interest to see them or a historical interest to see them.  That's not to say I wouldn't feel a spiritual pull at them, when I visited Notre Dame that was a deep spiritual place and historical place all at once.  That I was there with my son only added to the enjoyment of being in Paris and seeing so many places.

But my wish list of places I'd like to visit or see someday is not a pilgrimage in any sort.

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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #12 on: August 01, 2012, 06:24:04 pm »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939
What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?


There are so many sacred sites I want to visit and soak up the atmosphere of millions of faithful performing acts of devotion before me, that I hardly know where to start.

No, scratch that. I have to start from Glastonbury. I've wanted to go there for ages. As a bullied kid, I daydreamed about finding the gateway through the mists and escaping to Avalon. Now I look forward to a place that has been important for all sorts of faiths.
 
Beyond that, I want to visit the island of Tinos around this time of the year, for the great celebratory pilgrimage to the Virgin Mary, and the monastery of St Catherine on Mount Sinai, hoping for a glimpse of where the early church's desert fathers and mothers pursued sanctity.
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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #13 on: August 01, 2012, 07:40:05 pm »
Quote from: veggiewolf;66939
What is the concept of pilgrimage, to you?  Is it part of your religious path?  Have you been on pilgrimage (I know Altair has) or are you planning one?  If so, what do you plan to do?  If not, why not?


I consider visits to sacred sites a form of pilgramage, yep.  
I particularly love Avebury, and have been there several times now.  
But Glastonbury and Stonehenge are also important to me.  
I have also visited some of the sites in Cornwall and Wales and Ireland too.  
I hope to visit many more soon.  
When I get there, I like to dowse for leys (some know them as dragon lines) and take lots of digital photographs  :)  
I would like to produce an album of pictures for each site through the complete turn of the wheel for a year, but as yet, I have not been able to do that.
Maybe one year I will, "fingers crossed"  ;)
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Re: The concept of pilgrimage
« Reply #14 on: August 01, 2012, 07:44:26 pm »
Quote from: NibbleKat;67002
With Hermes, my other patron-- he's around me so much, and is so world-traveled and everywhere that I don't feel the same way about a pilgrimage for him.  It, to ME,  just wouldn't make sense as much.  He's not tied to a particular place like my goddesses are (rivers/hot springs).

 
I get the sense that traveling for the sake of the journey is something he would more appreciate, than a pilgrimage to a specific place.
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