Pilgrimage has been an enduring expression of reverence and devotion within spiritual and religious traditions since earliest times. Within the Hindu tradition, it is called tīrtha-yātrā, which literally means “undertaking a journey to river fords.”[1] Rivers and fords are considered natural places imbued with much power. Groves, caves, hilltops and mountain peaks are other equally important […]
Sacred Sites
Coyolxauhqui: She Who Is Adorned with Bells by Anne Key
One of the most fascinating deities of pre-Columbian Mexico is Coyolxauhqui. At first glance, a deity named “She Who is Adorned with Bells” might seem to be a dancer, until we read that warriors wrapped strings of bells around their calves before going to battle. Then we see Coyolxauhqui (Nahuatl: coyolli = small metal bells) as a […]
Rediscovering Sacred Scotland by Mary Petiet
A long time ago in a land far away, I journeyed to small hidden church in the Scottish countryside. There I found a sacred grotto, a place where the goddess still dances in the hills above St. Andrews and the sea. I wrote about the experience for Motherhouse of the Goddess a few years ago, […]
SHEELA-NA-GIG by Carol P. Christ
On a trip to Ireland several years ago, I was fortunate to have been able to see the Sheela-na-gigs in the National Museum of Dublin. Two of these Sheelas including the one removed from the Seir Kieran Church of County Offaly, pictured below, are currently on display. They stand at the doorway of a room […]
For La Virgen de Guadalupe, on Her Day {Anne Key}
It was a cool late spring morning in Mexico City. I was up early, and the streets were still sleepy. The peddlers hadn’t even taken up their usual spots on the stairs down to the metro. I hopped on the metro easily, somehow missing the morning rush. The stop for the Basilica de la Virgen […]
Meeting Maman Brigitte on Death’s Doorstep {Kimberly Moore}
Haitian Creole – Mesye la kwa avanse pou l we yo! Maman Brigitte malad, li kouche sou do, Pawol anpil pa leve le mo (les morts, Fr.) Mare tet ou, mare vant ou, mare ren ou, Yo prale we ki jan yap met a jenou. English – Gentlemen of the cross (deceased ancestors) advance for […]
Living in a Sacred Landscape {Jude Lally}
As the sun slowly descended below the peaks of the Isle of Rum the land enters into the gloaming. At this point of the wheel of the year, just passed Beltane and approaching summer solstice, twilight in these north western latitudes of Scotland lasts for many hours after the sun goes down. Twilight paints the […]
Sacred Tour of Mexico City with Anne Key and Veronica Iglesias
Tour sacred sites in and around Mexico City with Veronica Iglesias and Anne Key, both priestesses and scholars of Mesoamerican culture. Learn about thirteen of the Nahua Goddesses, participate in rituals, a temazcal (a Mexican sweat lodge), enjoy guided tours through world-class museums and shopping at an art bazaar. Plus lots of wonderful surprises! Some of […]
The Goddess Dances at Dunino – the Hill of the Seven Daughters {Mary Petiet}
No one knows who the seven daughters were, but the goddess still dances above the sea at Dunino. The road curves up and out of the Scottish town of St. Andrews, leaving the harbor below to the left. A small, unobtrusive sign appears on the right, pointing down a narrow lane. Dunino is very easy […]
Kwan Yin in Nature by Sandy Boucher {Guest Post}
My own first strong awareness of Kwan Yin in the natural world, came on a beach on an island in the South China Sea. The tiny island is called Putuo Shan, or holy mountain, and is dedicated to Kwan Yin. It has been a pilgrimage site for hundreds of years, a place where people come […]
