practicing pilgrimage at home and abroad
Sometimes we find ourselves in these dark places, as with dark nights of the soul. At other times we choose to enter the unknown on our search for the Sacred. Either way, though unexpected, one thing is certain—hidden treasures can often be found in our places of darkness if we engage them with openness and curiosity. In today’s episode, I explore this topic and more with depth psychologist Vanya Stier-Van Essen.
I’m in the final stages of preparation for my upcoming Creation Pilgrimage in the Pacific Northwest, fully immersed in the revelations of creation and the creativity it inspires. As image-bearers of the Divine and co-creators with the Sacred, we are hard-wired to create. And just as creation can be seen as theophany or God-showings, tapping into our own creativity has a way of revealing what’s hidden deep within and illuminating the path we should take.
Below you’ll find 3 creative practices to spark your journey within in your pilgrimages both at home and abroad. However, one thing should be clear as you approach these practices: They are not meant to be planned out as if striving for perfection; the point of these exercises is to listen deep within, follow your intuitive impulses, and let your response flow freely as you work in tandem with the Sacred Guide.
While pilgrims have set out on soul-stirring journeys in search of transformation and Sacred Encounter for thousands of years, the pilgrim isn’t simply a person on a physical journey. The pilgrim lives within each one of us and accompanies us on our journeys at home, too.
Which type of pilgrim are you, and where is the Sacred Guide leading? Begin your exploration by seeing if you align with one of these seven pilgrim archetypes:
A pilgrim with no destination in mind, the Nomad is a wanderer, compelled to leave what is known behind even if it means there’s no clear path ahead.
Fueled by a certainty that something more awaits just beyond the horizon, the Seeker’s quest is to follow the Light, knowing that it always leads to Life.
Rooted in the Old English word fær, meaning “journey” or “passage,” the Wayfarer is the traditional pilgrim following the well-worn path of those who have gone before him.
A pilgrim in spirit and a visionary at heart, the Pioneer sets off down unmarked paths and blazes new trails, unafraid to encounter the wilderness of the unknown on his search for the Sacred.
A sojourn is a temporary stay, and the Sojourner is a pilgrim in a liminal place—a traveler in between one season of life and the next.
The Voyager is one who, as the Celtic tradition of peregrinatio tells us, wanders for the love of God, setting out into life’s tumultuous seas, like St. Brendan the Navigator and St. Columba of Iona, with faith as his guide.
Learn more about these pilgrim archetypes and incorporate them into your daily pilgrimage practice with the Pilgrim Archetype Deck in the Journey Shop. Along with an archetypal image, each card contains a guiding quote, a description, a shadow side, and rich symbolism to further unveil the journey’s invitation. In addition, each card provides invitations for spiritual practice, with unique breath prayers and opportunities for imagery work through the practice of visio divina. Use these cards as icons, meditations, and guides to summon your inner pilgrim, uncover your current journey, or discern the path ahead. Visit the Journey Shop »
To be honest, before then I feel like I had rarely heard (and even more rarely used) the term. But now, with some guidance from the work of Campbell (among others) and a little Jungian insight, archetypes fascinate me. I love anything that can give me more insight into my True Self (which is a token desire of my key archetype—more on that below), and so when I stumbled across the book, Archetypes: Who Are You?, by spiritual teacher Caroline Myss, I immediately put it on hold at the library. I picked it up just as I was finishing Barbara Brown Taylor’s Learning to Walk in the Dark, and its ideas have captivated me since.
“The idea of the archetype originated with the great philosopher Plato and is at the core of the influential Swiss psychiatrist Carl Jung’s analysis of human behavior,” it says on archetypes.com, the site that accompanies the book. “Simply put, an archetype is a pattern of behaviors that, once discovered, helps you better understand yourself and others. Archetypes are the blueprints of your soul.”
While I’m enjoying the book, I’m even gleaning more from the site that goes along with it. At archetypes.com, you can even take a free quiz to discover your top three archetypes. I took the quiz recently and received these results (which couldn’t be closer to the truth):
Once you take the quiz, you can further explore your archetypes, discovering the family within your archetype, your archetype’s shadow sides, and even find tips for everyday life with your archetype in mind. You can also meet people with similar archetypes who are also seeking to know more of themselves since its a social network of sorts. I haven’t used that part of it yet, but I have a feeling that if I did, it would leave me feeling a whole lot better than many late nights on Facebook.
One thing is certain: I’m pretty hooked!
So, who are you? Take the archetypes quiz at archeytpes.com and then come back and share your results in the comments!