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Iona Pilgrimage
Pilgrimage has a long, rich history among those seeking to live a conscious spiritual life. To be a pilgrim, a soul traveler, means to follow in the footsteps of people across all continents and centuries who have traveled with spiritual intent and attention. Different from a travel tour, pilgrimage encourages spiritual/ psychological experience and insight, rather than mere sightseeing, and provides the possibility of personal renewal and transformation. A pilgrimage is taken at the urging of the soul which hungers for sacred encounter, especially in times of personal and professional transition. There is a long-held belief that pilgrimage is a way to participate in the flow of energy between the visibile and invisible worlds. While the Divine energy is always present, there are places, like Iona, where the presence of the Holy seems especially acute because it has been so honored for so long by so many. Pilgrimage provides the opportunity to experience places long deemed sacred, trusting that to do so will deepen one's experience of the sacred in everyday life.
Our pilgrimage theme for 2010 will be Celtic Spirituality and Jungian Psychology: sources of Nourishment for the Modern Soul. We will draw from the ancient well of Celtic sprituality and the modern well of Jungian psychology. Both perspectives stress the pervasive presence and power of the Numinous/Holy, the interconnection and sacredness of all creation, the integration of opposites, and expansive inclusive images for God to speak of one's relationship with the Divine. Both honor the transformative power of thin places where matter and spirit converge, where the imaginary curtain between the visible/invisible, conscious/ unconscious is especially transparent or thin. The larger goal will be to assist participants to recognize and honor the sacred in the ordinary and to overcome the "splits" which are the source of much of our modern dis-ease and divisions--personal, collective, religious, social, and political.
Our daily rhythm will consist of presentations and discussions led by Jerry Wright on the pilgrimage theme; morning and evening prayers in the beautiful Iona Abbey which is known for its innovative and inclusive liturgies; extended guided silences; meditative rituals at the sacred sites; ample time for personal reflection and solitude; and time to explore the history and landscape of the holy island. Varied religious and spiritual backgrounds and perspectives will be honored which will enrich our pilgrimage experience. There will also be opportunities to take a boat trip to the unique island of Staffa with its famous Fingal's Cave; to join the Iona Community in an all-day pilgrimage walk around the island; and to participate in the islander's social life at the weekly ceilidh or Scottish party/dance.
Our accommodations on Iona will be the hospitable St. Columba hotel located a short distance from the Iona Abbey. The hotel has become famous for its delicious, nourishing meals, much of which comes from their organic garden nearby.
The island of Iona, situated off the western coast of Scotland, has been a destination for spiritual pilgrims for centuries. Long experienced as a place where the veil between the visible and invisible world is very "thin," Iona retains a historical and spiritual importance beyond all proportion to its size, which is three miles long and a mile and a half wide. Founded by the Irish monk, St. Columba, in 563 A.D., the Iona monastery is remembered as the cradle of Christianity for much of Scotland and northern England. Rooted in the Celtic spiritual tradition, Iona graciously receives pilgrims from diverse religious backgrounds. The Iona Community is an ecumenical Christian community, founded in 1938 by the late George MacLeod. Consisting of members, associative members, and friends, the Iona Community is scattered throughout the world and is committed to the "rebuilding of the common life," bringing together work and worship, prayer and politics, the sacred and secular. Every Wednesday the Community organizes a pilgrimage walk around the island, pausing at the places of historical and spiritual significance for reflection, prayer, and rituals to honor the land and ancestors, and opportunities to reflect on the journey of one's own life.
Pilgrimage Leader: Jerry Wright
Jerry Wright is a Jungian Analyst in Flat Rock, NC. In addition to his private practice, he offers lectures, workshops, and retreats on topics/themes related to the integration of Jungian psychology and spirituality and serves on the faculty of the Haden Institute for Spiritual Direction and Dream Leader Training. An experienced pilgrimage leader to sacred sites in Ireland and Iona, Scotland, he is especially interested in the experience of thin places and thin times, those numinous (holy, sacred) encounters in the outer and inner world.
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