Pilgrimage in the Modern World

Every year, thousands of pilgrims gather at the Neolithic Stonehenge monument in Wiltshire, England to celebrate the summer solstice. Thousands more trek to Nevada's Burning Man Festival to burn a towering effigy and the hopeful ill journey to Lourdes, France seeking a cure as they have for centuries. Although pilgrimage may seem an antiquated religious ritual, it remains a vibrant activity in a modern world of gadgets and instant gratification. As increasing numbers of us seek refuge from the demands of modern life and its electronic distractions, venturing to a sacred place in search of spirituality has never seemed more appealing. That pilgrimage continues to exercise such a strong attraction is testimony to the power it continues to hold for those who undertake these sacred journeys.
 

Pilgrimage is broadly defined as an outward journey of a religious or spiritual nature, typically to a shrine, temple, site or rite of significance to those of a particular faith or belief system. There are pilgrimages associated with all the world's spiritual traditions. Perhaps best known is the Hajj, an annual journey to Mecca considered one of the five pillars of Islam. Another famous pilgrimage is the Camino de Santiago, a journey made by Christians to the shrine that houses the remains of the apostle Saint James in Galicia in northwestern Spain. Jews make pilgrimage to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, while Tibetan Buddhist, Hindus and Jains circumambulate Mount Kailash, the holiest mountain in the Himalayas. Every 12 years, Hindus in India gather at one of four sites along the Ganges river in what is known as the Kumbh Mela, considered the single largest gathering of human beings in one place on the planet.
 

The purposes for undertaking a shamanic or religious pilgrimage traditionally range from fulfilling a spiritual vow, finding or deepening one's faith, seeking a remedy for physical or spiritual problems, requesting guidance from spirits or deities of Nature, undergoing initiation rituals, paying homage, to realigning with one's innermost purpose and passion. For many, pilgrimage is a way to mitigate and resolve karma, the sum of a person's actions in this and previous states of existence, viewed as deciding their fate in future existences. Undoubtedly pilgrimage benefits those best equipped to receive its effects, pilgrims with a developed meditation ability, an unfolded responsiveness to the inner world and a receptive vision.
 

Since ancient times, sacred sites have had a mysterious allure for billions of people around the world. Legends and contemporary reports tell of extraordinary experiences people have had while visiting these places. Different sacred sites have the power to heal the body, enlighten the mind and inspire the heart. A growing body of evidence indicates that there is indeed a concentration of holiness at pilgrimage places, and that this holiness or field of energy contributes to a wide variety of beneficial human experiences. The value and benefit of pilgrimage is often only revealed long after the physical journey is over. The pilgrimage never ends. To learn more, look inside The Art of Pilgrimage: The Seeker's Guide to Making Travel Sacred.

"The Shamanic Drum" July eBook Sale

Mark your calendar! I am taking part in the 14th annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale, taking place Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 31 2022. For the entire month of July, all of my ebooks are 50% off list price: The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming, I Ching: The Tao of Drumming, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits, Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide, The Great Shift, Riding Spirit Horse: A Journey into Shamanism and Shamanic Journeys: An Anthology. Choose from multiple file formats including .epub, .mobi for Kindles, and PDF. Click on the following link to my Smashwords author page and you will receive the 50% discount automatically by adding my books to your cart: Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale.
 

Why does Smashwords call it "Summer/Winter"? Here in the Northern hemisphere, it's mid-summer. Readers are loading their e-reading devices for summer beach reading and long-awaited vacations. South of the equator, readers are now in the middle of winter. They're ready to curl up in front of the fireplace and enjoy a great read too! Smashwords is the world's largest distributor of indie ebooks. They make it fast, free and easy for any author or publisher, anywhere in the world, to publish and distribute ebooks to the major retailers and thousands of libraries. The Smashwords Store provides an opportunity to discover new voices in all categories and genres of the written word.

Black Horse Symbolism

I recently did a deep meditation, seeking guidance regarding a life-changing decision. I closed my eyes and stilled the chatter of my mind by focusing on my breath as I inhaled and exhaled. The first image that popped into my mind was the spinning vortex of a tornado in the distance. Tornadoes tend to represent worry and anxiety, spinning out of control. Tornados are a sign you must slow down and regain clarity and calmness in your life. Since tornadoes destroy everything they come in contact with, dreams and visions about them could represent your unacknowledged desire to carve a new path for yourself.
 

Next, I saw the Tashi Gomang Stupa, located about two miles from my Crestone, Colorado home. Since the time of the Buddha's death around 483 BCE, Buddhists have constructed stupas to contain the relics of enlightened teachers. A stupa is an architectural rendering of the Buddhist path, the stages and aspects of enlightenment. When a great Buddhist teacher leaves his or her physical existence, the body that remains is considered to be permeated with the very essence of awakened mind, possessing tremendous intrinsic power and blessings. The appropriate vessel for containing these relics is a stupa.
 

Each stupa is designed according to ancient sacred geometry; situated on land selected for its beneficial properties and graced with the sanction of the elemental forces. Through its design and contents, a stupa is regarded as having the power to transmit the essence of awakened mind, on the spot, to anyone ready to receive it. The Buddha said that whoever sees the stupa will be liberated by the sight of it. Feeling the breeze around the stupa liberates by its touch. Having thus seen or experienced the stupa, by thinking of one's experience of it, one is liberated through recollection.
 

Atop the golden spire in the center of the 42-foot-tall bell-shaped stupa, I saw a winged horse wind vane spinning in the wind. The wind vane represented my unsettled emotions; the weather of my mind. One cannot forcibly subdue an emotional struggle by an exertion of the will. If you attempt to force stillness upon restless emotions you will only create deep inner conflict. Equanimity must develop naturally out of the tranquility of a meditative state. I focused on the stupa and it instantly brought me calm and clarity.
 

The Black Horse
 

The next imagery that I saw was a galloping black horse. Black horses are messengers and carriers of positive, mysterious energy. Seeing a black horse in your meditation means there is an energy that is about to enter your life. This energy will have a positive effect on your life, though it may not be obvious at first. This energy can come into your life in a myriad of ways. It could be a person, a career change or an unexpected event. Actually, it could be anything. The key here is that the sequence of events that will be set into motion by this energy will have an overall positive effect. If you see a black horse, be on the lookout for something extraordinary on the horizon.
 

Black horses symbolize the ability to overcome obstacles and come out on the other side. It is also widely known to be a symbol for death. This does not always mean death in the literal sense; in this case it means leaving behind things which no longer serve you. The black steed symbolism is both death-defying and death-seeking. In other words, it is symbolic of death and rebirth. It signifies the closing of one door and the opening of another. It can also symbolize the need for you to take a leap of faith. Trust your intuition even if you can't see the reason or the result.
 

If a black horse appears in your life, you may need some reassurance that you are powerful enough to take on any challenge that comes your way. While many people hold on to things that no longer serve them out of fear, you must be brave enough to take the power and do what you need to do in order to come out on the other side. A black horse is an omen of powerful and courageous transformation. The notion of death and rebirth portends that the black horse will bring an end to things and relationships which no longer serve you. In doing this without fear or hesitation, the horse is transforming and creating a better version of you.
 

Horse medicine teaches you to be true to your authentic self. Though you may be quite attached to your plans, ideas, self-image, social position, security and relationships, it is time to strip away old ideas and habits; eliminate the outmoded or worn out. Dive into the problem without thought of immediate gain or purpose. This is the end of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one. Now is the time for bold action.