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 […]
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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, […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
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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 […]
