Guidance could also be called coaching or counselling or spiritual direction or transition consulting. As a guide I would work one-to-one with you to offer support to help you to honour your own way.

“One of the prime determinants of mental health is social connectedness. Today, one in four Americans say they have no one to talk with about important matters – a number that has tripled in the last 20 years. Overall, people who are really isolated are at increased risk not only for cardiovascular disease, but for infectious diseases, for diabetes, for strokes, for cancer. They were at increased risk from almost every cause of death.”

Berkman, L. (2008) “Unnatural Causes…Is Inequity Making Us Sick,” in Brown, B. (2010) Presentation at Building SustainAble Communities Conference, November 18, 2010 “Beyond Hips & Knees.” Available [Online]:

http://www.freshoutlookfoundation.org/sites/freshoutlookfoundation.org/

files/events/bsc/2010/Thursday/Thursday_10c.pdf

For example – You might want guidance before, during or after a longer Out There pilgrimage. You might want guidance on a series of 10 Minute Pilgrimages. Or you might want it as you navigate major transitions in your life: births, deaths, marriages, new partnerships, separations, divorces, empty nest, weight loss, becoming fit, winning a lottery, losing something of value – See Transitions below.

From time to time I offer events you can attend to start or deepen your pilgrimage practice. You can also invite me to facilitate pilgrimage in these ways for your group. Check out the Events page for up-to-date offerings and a listing of past events.

Examples:

Miniature Walkshops – Just a few people, short walks, lots of pilgrimage information and attention! Such as “Introduction to 10 Minute Pilgrimage: A Modern Moving Meditation Practice.”

Group Talk Walking – A traditional lecture to any size group with the addition of movement and participation.

Walkshops – More people, pilgrimage practice, a great way to introduce a larger group to pilgrimage.

Custom - Dig deep, be creative,who knows what will emerge . . . .

Hosting - Sometimes I host cool people who come to town or produce events for other organizations or people. See the events pages for current and past events.

Most of the words I offer as support will be available via this website.

Written:

Blog –updated from time to time with stories, offerings, ideas, questions and such.

Articles and Booklets – available on this website.

Books – still in the works. They will be available through this website.

Auditory and Visual:
One-to-one – I offer a free half hour of time (in person, Skype, phone) for anyone wanting to explore using pilgrimage as a way in. The intention is to help discern the next steps in your personal trek.

Video and Audio recordings – you will find free offerings of interesting interviews with other pilgrims, short information-about-pilgrimage videos, and other recordings throughout this site that may catch your interest.

Definitions and Other Resources – I’ve offered a few of my own idea definitions and a list of other resources that you might find helpful too on the Resources page of this website.

When the opportunity arises, I guide groups on a physical Out There or Around Here pilgrimages.

I also offer pilgrimage guidance for individuals, couples, or groups “walking” through transition who want to come to it with creative ceremony and as pilgrimage: weddings, separations, births, divorces, mergers, or whatever in your life is a place of transition for you. I had a “9 months inside, 9 months outside” celebration for my daughter when she was 9 months old!

Here’s how this idea came to me . . . .

Weddings as Pilgrimage
~ Assistance to plan deeper wedding ceremonies when the bride and groom are on a spiritual path in their marriage. ~

This idea literally came to me in a dream. I’d watched “The Bride Wars“ movie one evening with my family. Then, that same night, I had a dream that I’d just started a government job, except I didn’t know what the job was. I was sitting at a multi-station desk cleaning out the items left by the previous incumbent and overheard another employee say to a colleague that the previous incumbent in my job had gone crazy trying to do what was rightfully a chick’s job. (Dream language, sorry women! I do respect you.) I asked that employee, “A chick’s job? What is this job I’m in then?” He said, “Wedding planning.” I said, “The government does weddings?!” And then woke up with the terror of the thought.

That’s when it came to me . . . . weddings as pilgrimage. I realized in my half-awake state that planning weddings as pilgrimage was perfect for me. It draws on my years of event planning experience and my own experience of getting married, twice. (OK. The getting married twice thing is maybe nothing to brag about, but at least I do have personal experience!) I’ve also assisted with the planning of several other weddings.

If I’ve learned anything about primary relationships it’s that they ARE a pilgrimage. They have twists and turns that you might never imagine. If you hold all that gently in the frame of pilgrimage, it offers weddings (marriage, separations, births, etc.) a different kind of container with capacity to navigate the rough spots and the fabulous spots along the way.