Overview: Pilgrimage is one of the oldest forms of sacred journeying. But how does it fit into the 21st century and, more importantly, how is it relevant to our tech-heavy super-busy lives? This book is a blueprint for understanding how going on a pilgrimage will spiritually fulfill and, ultimately, transform you.

Verdict: In what is a rather resplendent new prose from author Thea Prothero, Pagan Portals - A Guide to Pilgrimage allows us to discover how this ancient practice can be traced through history and how it still plays a significant role in the many paths of faith today.

Here within these 104 pages, we find stories of modern pilgrimage, words of wisdom from literature, meditations, and tools to inspire you towards taking your first physical steps on your journey.

As she herself says, “Simply put, a pilgrimage is a journey to a specific destination. This destination is usually somewhere of meaning, such as a place of spiritual or religious significance, or a site associated with an important or meaningful event, or of importance to the pilgrim.”

“There are dozens of reasons people go on a pilgrimage; to seek meaning in their lives, to deepen their relationship with their belief system, or the hope of achieving personal transformation.”

“It may even simply be to step away from their everyday lives and to spend time away from technology and to get fitter.”

As I think we all by now, journeying to a place of special significance plays a part in almost all cultures and religions. The goal may be a site given prominence by particular events, the shrine of a saint or other significant figure, or a remarkable geographical feature. Pilgrimage motivated by religious belief is still very much alive in the twenty-first century.

It usually involves, as noted: Journeying, alone or in a group; Reaching a destination; Encountering special rituals, objects and architecture; Enjoying particular experiences and benefits; and Returning home, of course.

For some people pilgrimage acts as a rite of passage, for others it involves seeking spiritual or material rewards, but what author Thea Prothero brings forth here is soulful book that showcases a genuinely impassioned, and innate sense of the sacred.

Combining historical information along with practical advice and insightful thoughts, she documents her very own, and deeply personal pilgrimage to Iona, whilst at the same time revealing the conversations she had along the way with pilgrims from different faiths.

About the Author - Thea Prothero is primarily a Nemophilist and a Heathan/Druid. Her passion is walking in the wildest remotest lands, places that still make the gods tremble, and she loves the challenge of finding connection through nature to divinity in its many forms. She also enjoys writing, reading, taking photos, tending to her allotment, and spending time with her family. She works in education and lives in the south of the UK.

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