Can anyone be a pilgrim?

Monks, sandals, religious conviction…no you don’t need any of it to take a journey of spiritual significance. And ‘spiritual significance’ can have a wide definition. The recent TV programmes featuring celebs with very wide and differing reasons for undertaking a pilgrimage could be evidence enough of ‘anyone can apply’. What seems clear is this is more than a walk. So, yes, the good news is, anyone can do it and furthermore they can do it anywhere. Over the years, we have walked the Sherbourne Valley as a celebration of a route and it’s wildlife, as a prayer for the city, as a lament for the loss of habitat and for many other reasons, alone or with a group. All of these have been good because they have been intentional and we’ve adopted a few ancient practices to help us on the way, nothing too extreme, no hairvests and we tend to take more than a staff or rather, things other than a staff! Though we did once walk barefoot, the last section from the river representation to the Cathedral which seemed highly significant at the time and of great relief to our tired feet. If you want to try ‘pilgrimage’ whatever that means to you join one of our intro sessions, they are less than 3 miles and usually end with cake!