The Power of Pilgrimage

What does "pilgrimage" mean to you?

When you hear the word “pilgrimage”, what comes to mind? What do you visualize? How do you feel?

In what ways are you a pilgrim in your own life?

Yesterday while recording an episode of my podcast, the concept of a pilgrimage came up when I asked a dear friend about his preferred method to re-energize.

He mentioned his love of walking every single day, without one set purpose. Maybe to move the body. Maybe to avoid screens. Maybe to feel a sense of renewal. Maybe just to tap into our senses – to really listen to what our ears are taking in.

In Merriam-Webster, a pilgrimage is defined as “the course of life on earth” (!!) Britannica notes that a pilgrim may undertake a journey for a religious motive, while other pilgrims have wandered continuously with no fixed destination. It lists wayfarer as a synonym, defined as a person who travels from place to place usually by walking.

In fact, the word pilgrimage comes from the Latin peregrinus, which means a foreigner, stranger, or traveler (per = through or across, ager = field or land). Look up the word pilgrimage and you’ll see fascinating references across history.

The topic struck a chord with me for a number of reasons.

Pilgrimages are present in almost every spiritual and religious tradition I can think of. They seem omnipresent in ancient texts, which to me is usually a sign that there's some wisdom to be found there. So I thought about why.

First, when I think of a pilgrimage, I think of unity in a shared experience.

It certainly doesn’t have to be with other people, but I immediately think of the huge swathes of people who travel together to Tirupati in India, or the Hajj to Mecca, or the Camino de Santiago in Spain. I even think of a hike with friends to Seven Falls in Sabino Canyon in my hometown.

The journey isn’t necessarily meant to be fast or efficient (though maybe some folks track their “personal best” when doing one of these journeys, I actually have no idea).

Second, there’s an element of wonder and discovery. There’s often a destination in mind, but the focus is not purely on the destination. There’s a sense of spirituality, renewal, personal unfolding. Who you become along the journey. Maybe stopping along the way for food and drink, or a chat, or a rest. Checking in with yourself. Laughing at a silly inside joke or marveling at a landscape in front of us. I think of jumping in a body of water or sitting in the shade along a hike.

Finally, there’s an element of both vulnerability and grit. Doubt and resilience. A sense of “Can I make it to the end? Keep pushing forward. Keep going.” And being seen in these vulnerable moments. Or maybe a fear of being seen, and then handling that. I think of being sweaty and tired in the sun beating down on me in any number of places I’ve been, with tired quads and hamstrings, and getting up to keep going.

And it made me think to myself.

Where am I acting like a pilgrim in life right now?

Versus where am I just charging through life to achieve something? To be efficient? To be productive? To reach the end of the journey?

How can I practice being a pilgrim on a daily basis?

In this very moment, it feels like going for a walk in the nearby park, and then going to a baseball game with a couple friends later this evening.

I see the idea of pilgrimage as beautiful. And I’d like to incorporate it more into my life.