Celtic Pilgrimage

The Spirit of Sacred Pilgrimage Captured in Celtic Music

"an adventure in sound to remind us of the sacred road we all travel."

"Aine Minogue.... a breath of fresh Eire." ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY

Few events change one's life as deeply as a sacred pilgrimage - a journey that recharges the spirit, returns us to wholeness of mind and body, and brings clarity to our relationship with the divine. On Celtic Pilgrimage, Irish harpist Àine Minogue uses instrumental music, songs and rich lyrical poetry to capture the full emotional spectrum of a pilgrimage. From the initial fears of unknown territory and the longing for home to the new perspective and the rediscovery of joy we gain when the journey is complete, these 11 moving selections lead us on an adventure in sound to remind us of the sacred road we all travel.

With Eugene Friesen on cello; Steve Gorn on Bansuri flutes; Scott Petito on keyboards, bass, and guitar; percussion by Chris Carey; and overtone singing by Baird Hersey. Produced by Scott Petito and Aine Minogue.

"A Healing Journey through Sound to the Sacred Sites of the Celts" Spirituality and Practice

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The Gathering 5:19

Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI)

The preparation begins; soon we will tread unknown ground
as all gather in the moment, suspending fears to the sound of drumming.
We chant, summon the forces of the universe to work. 
Everything is taking its right place.

Blessing 8:08

Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI)
Verse lyrics, traditional 

The moment for leaving has come, those who love us, bless us.
We will be missed; the pull of separation tears us.
Together we will take flight, harness the strength of the path 
we have chosen, as our course unravels before us.

Across Distances 4:47

Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI) 

Distances deceive us, as unknown spaces fill with questions.
The journey is hard, we have travelled far, 
blistered and torn, the familiar leaves us, as we face ourselves.
We walk unsteady ground, each alone and afraid

Sanctuary 5:56

Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI)
Verse lyrics, traditional 

The heat is relentless, there is no end and our will is tested.
We find the coolness of sanctuary, rest because we must rest,
the journey has been long, our bodies and minds are worn.
We surrender ourselves to the world.

Theme from Ravel's "Pavane poure une Infant defunte" 1:24

Our place is acknowledged, we are no longer here,
we are each other, one and the same.
We must die in order to become, to take our place.
We bathe and prepare for a new beginning.

Be Still 4:11

Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI) 

We wake, see the world and the ground shifts with possibilities.
Our belief is returning, stronger with purpose
we regain our strength, play new music. 
The path is clearing, a new direction being plotted.

The Retelling 5:06

Traditional, arranged by Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI) and Scott Petito (Spotted Music, ASCAP)

We look to the ancients, those that have travelled before us.
The story remains unchanged, but the message shines clear,
meaning has been made from the pieces, reassembled.
We have discovered ourselves, the creativity that binds us

Alchemy 6:23

Traditional, arranged by Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI)

Magic fills everything, flooding our journeys.
We have seen from our knees, what the world can teach us.
We become bold, little matters as we laugh 
celebrate loudly, dance together, suspended in that very moment.

New Light 4:25

Traditional, arranged by Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI) Additional sections by Áine Minogue. 

We are new pilgrims, on new paths that lead to unknown places.
The journey stretches before us and we look to the world for the hope that it holds.
Nothing is ordinary, as we see with fresh eyes,
secure our footing on the path and look to the light.

Mathair 3:50

We reach for our mothers, each different, each the same.
We speak of ordinary events, passing our history
to the next traveller, who prepares for a different path.
Our story is a simple one.

Blessing 2:26

Áine Minogue (Little Miller Music Company, BMI)
Verse lyrics, traditional

Liner notes poetry by Richard Jones

Produced by Scott Petito and Áine Minogue
Recorded and mixed by Scott Petito
Assistant engineer: Beth Reineke
Recorded at NRS Recording Studio in Caskill, NY

Chris Carey: Drums and percussion
Eugene Friesen: Cello
Steve Gorn: Bansui flutes, soprano sax
Baird Hersey: Overtone singing (track 2 & 11 'Blessing,' track 8 'Alchemy')
Scott Petito: Bass, keyboards, piano, guitar, loops
Beth Reineke: Chant Vocals (track 10 'Alchemy')
Leslie Ritter: Harmony Vocals (track 10 'Mathair')

All songs published by Little Miller Music (BMI) for Aine Minogue except "The Retelling," published by Little Miller Music (BMI) and Spotted Music (ASCAP) for Scott Petito.

SPECIAL THANKS

To Scott (Petito), for being such a wonderful co pilot and co creator and for making this so easy.
To Brian (Meyers) for ongoing support and suggestions.
To Justina Golden, for sharing her beautiful chant work with me especially
Ave Virgo (13th Century), Track 10 ('Mathair').
To Eugene (Friesen) for such generosity at the microphone.
To the wonderful Welsh poet Richard Jones for his creative tune naming on a hot dusty day on the Camino de Santiago in Spain.
To Seong Chong - for helping me to put into words the pilgrimage experience so that others might understand.
My son, William, for introducing me to 21st century music, especially 'Tool,' and for being the most worthy of fellow pilgrims.
To family, friends and fellow pilgrims; people who have been kind enough to make suggestions, send music, articles, books and to share their own pilgrimage experiences with me.... I thank you most sincerely,

Aine M.

1 The Gathering
Aine Minogue: Harp
Scott Petito: Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
Eugene Friesen: Cello
Steve Gorn: Bansuri Flutes
Chris Carey: Drums & Percussion

2 Blessing
Aine Minogue: Vocals & Harp
Baird Hersey: Overtone Singing
Scott Petito: Bass, Keyboards, Loops
Chris Carey: Drums & Percussion

3 Across Distances
Aine Minogue: Harp
Eugene Friesen: Cello
Steve Gorn: Bansuri Flutes

4 Sanctuary
Aine Minogue: Vocals
Scott Petito: Bass, Guitar, Keyboards
Eugene Friesen: Cello
Chris Carey: Percussion

5 Solo
Eugene Friesen: Cello

6 Be Still
Aine Minogue: Vocals & Harp
Scott Petito: Keyboards
Eugene Friesen: Cello
Steve Gorn: Bansuri Flutes

7 The Retelling
Aine Minogue: Harp
Scott Petito: Bass, Piano, Keyboards
Steve Gorn: Bansuri Flutes
Chris Carey: Drums & Percussion

8 Alchemy
Aine Minogue: Vocals
Baird Hersey: Overtone Singing
Beth Reineke: Chant Vocals
Scott Petito: Bass
Steve Gorn: Bansuri Flutes & Soprano Sax
Chris Carey: Drums & Percussion

9 New Light
Aine Minogue: Harp
Scott Petito: Keyboards
Eugene Friesen: Cello

10 Mathair (mother)
Aine Minogue: Vocals & Harp
Leslie Ritter: Harmony Vocals
Scott Petito: Guitar, Keyboards
Chris Carey: Cymbals

11 Blessing (Reprise)
Aine Minogue: Vocals & Harp
Baird Hersey: Overtone Singing
Scott Petito: Bass, Keyboards, Loops
Chris Carey: Drums & Percussion

Coffey, Thomas F. (trans)  The Miracles of Saint James, NY, 1996

Frey, nancy Louise  Pilgrim Stories, Berkeley, 1998

Kendrick, T. D.  Saint James in Spain.  London, 1960

Melczer, William (trans.)  The Pilgrim's Guide.  NY, 1993

Mullen, Robert  Call of the Camino, Scotland, 2010

Rudolph, Conrad  Pilgrimage to the End of the World.  Chicago, 2004

ARTICLES ON THIS SITE:

Celtic Pilgrimages
http://www.minogue.com/articles/celtic-pilgrimages/

Introduction to the Pilgrims' Museum in Santiago, Galecia, Spain
http://www.minogue.com/articles/pilgrimage-introduction-pilgrims-museum-santiago-galecia-spain/

Classification of Pilgrimage Sites: (STRICTLY FOR EGGHEADS)

http://www.minogue.com/articles/classification-of-pilgrimage-sites-strictly-for-eggheads/

Blessing 

May the long-time sun shine on you, 
all love surround you
and the pure light within you 
guide you on your way.

Chorus:
Akal, Akal, infinity,
Akal, akal no end.

Be Still

Strong, stark and beautiful, the wildness of a rose
The truth in shadows hiding where all men fear to go
Humility of Reason, the silence of the stones
Summerlands are calling, the Wise Men coming home

The mysteries of sorrow you count upon your beads
The ashes of frustration, the Good Men wisely heed
Hear the Gods wild laughter, as they recount your schemes
Still and stark and wild now, the madness of your dreams

Glimmer in the Shadows, Serenity imposed
While out across the darkness, the heavens still unfold
Fear recites her vespers, so courage comes to call
The balm of hope awaiting with her Alabaster Jar

Sanctuary

In paradísum : dedúcant te Angeli
in túo advéntu suscípiant te Mártyres,
et perdúcant te in civitátem sánctam Jerúsalem.
Chórus Angelórum te suscípiat,
et cum Lázaro quondam páupere aetérnam hábeas réquiem.

Alchemy

'Si eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Am bothan a bh' aig Fionnghuala
'Si eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Eilean nam bothan nam bothan
Am bothan a bh' aig Fionnghuala

Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo
Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo
Cha d'thuirt an dadan a' seo
Bheireamaid greis air an tarrainn

Spirituality and Practice Review

Celtic Pilgrimage: Aine Minogue A Healing Journey through Sound to the Sacred Sites of the Celts

Aine Minogue was born in Ireland and began playing the harp at the age of 12. She now lives in Massachusetts and has seven solo albums to her credit.

This CD was inspired by her trek to many sacred sites in the lands of the Celts. The ultimate spiritual pilgrimage we all take is the one from birth through life to death. But the Celtic people also have a long and illustrious tradition of sacred journeys to places where the two worlds meet.

Those on pilgrimage in this tradition not only are blessed by the places they visit but they send out blessings as well. This reciprocity is mirrored beautifully in Aine Minogue's music and lyrics on this graceful and touching CD. She invites us to listen to her musical diary which expresses many of the devotional aspects of her pilgrimage. One of our favorite selections is "Blessing" where she sings: "May the longtime sun shine on you, all love surround you and the pure light within you guide you on your way." The melody is as sweet as the sentiments.

Minogue conveys all the delights and mysteries of a sacred journey where one must deal with great distances, tests, seeing with fresh eyes, magic, and the nurturing Sprit who sustains us on the ever twisting path.

Review by MyShelf.com

Suzie Housley Celtic Pilgrimage by Aine Minogue

"May the longtime sun shine on you all love surround you and the pure light within you guide you on your way

The words that are listed above hold a haunting meaning of a time that has long since passed. Each one is filled with heartfelt emotions that will fill your innermost spirit. Through the enchanting voice of Aine Minogue these words magically take shape and transport the listener to a far off land.

The theme upon which Celtic Pilgrimage is based centers around a centuries old pilgrimage journey. It speaks of those who have traveled far to find the meaning to their existence. Often the journey to find oneness is filled with many obstacles. Once the destiny is reached, the world rejoices at this newfound sense of self discovery.

Each one of the eleven tracks is pure poetry to the ears. From the moment you press play you will be lost in the hypnotic voice of Aine Minogue. I first discovered her through her through her earlier audio, Celtic Meditation Music (also reviewed on Myshelf.com). I knew immediately that I had found an artist whose voice would repeat itself countless times in my head. For her soothing tone generates a sense of calmness to your day.

Celtic Pilgrimage is for those who have a true appreciation for the best in Celtic music. Once you hear Aine Minogue at her finest your world will be forever changed. Her voice is one that mesmerizes the listener. Talent such as she so effortlessly exhibits is a breathtaking experience. With each word that she sings it is as though you are receiving a special gift from Heaven.

Very highly recommended.

Review by Music Design

Aine Minogue has two distinct gifts that become immediately evident when listening to her albums. First is her skill with the harp; she has a gentle, graceful touch that fits perfectly within the theme of Celtic mysticism. Second is her voice, which is delicate and pure, lending an ethereal edge to her music.

CELTIC PILGRIMAGE was inspired by the spiritual sites of the British Isles, like Ireland's Newgrange and England's Glastonbury. Much of the music is soft and reflective, featuring piano, keyboards and percussion alongside her signature harp and voice to create an atmosphere of serenity. A few of the songs do raise the tempo a few notches to add a little bit of a tribal flair; these songs add drama to the album and fit well with its theme of embarking on a journey.

Whole Music Experience

Global Music Consciousness

Mesmerizing soprano vocals and shimmering notes of a Celtic harp float off of Aine Minogue's lastest recording, Celtic Pilgrimage. The contemporary Celtic harp and vocals find themselves embedded in a lush sound scape of cello, bansuri flute, drum & percussion, guitar, keyboards, bass, piano, overtone singing and chanting. And the main focus is the process of a spiritual pilgrimage starting with the call to the quest, the home sickness one feels on route, blistered feet, and the redemption at the end of the journey. All of this captured in compelling music.

I have taken inner pilgrimages, but never one in the physical world. Yet, thousands of people each year embark on one spiritual pilgrimage or another in various parts of the world. Most of the major religions, if not all of them, have some sort of pilgrimage. These can be found in Europe, Asia, the Americas and beyond with each pilgrimage testing the body, mind, and soul. Sometimes healing on deep level takes place, and other times, a change of heart is the reward.

Aine captures the essence of a pilgrimage through a collection of songs. The opening track, The Gathering possesses a Medieval atmosphere with its pounding drum and minor chords. Later on, Alchemy which arrives midway through the recording, overtone vocals and chants join with wind instruments and bass. Then on the last track, those haunting overtone vocals return closing out the journey. The traveller who departed not too long ago has now arrived back home a transformed person.

Whether listeners entertain the ideal of a pilgrimage or not, will immensely enjoy Aine's musical offering. The liner notes further highlight the timeliness of this recording. Its lush acoustic arrangements are appreciated by this reviewer. This wondeful recording also assists with deep meditation or relaxation at the end of a long day.

World Music Central

Áine Minogue has been studying and playing the harp, the national symbol of Ireland, since she was 12. Her albums feature ethereal vocal and instrumental Irish and Scottish traditional music as well as original compositions full of Irish mysticism. Born in Borrisokane, County Tipperary, Ireland, to a large musical family, Áine was introduced to all types of music and instruments at an early age. She has toured extensively as a harp player, composed soundtracks for television and has four solo recordings, in addition to her numerous collaborations.

Irish harpist and singer Áine Minogue has been exploring the mystical side of Irish music for many years. Even though she became popular in new age music circles, her highly melodic music has always included authentic Irish folk and sacred music elements. On Celtic Pilgrimage Minogue paints a portrait of the feelings pilgrims experience during their trips, the initial fears of venturing in unknown lands, the longing for home and the joy of completing the journey. On Celtic Pilgrimage, Minogue is accompanied by virtuoso flutist Steve Gorn, innovative cellist Eugene Freisen (who has performed with Paul winter for many years), Scott Petito on various instruments, and percussion by Chris Carey. There is also dreamlike overtone singing by Baird Hersey. Áine Minogue was born in Borrisokane, County Tipperary (Ireland). She currently lives in the United States. Buy Celtic Pilgrimage.

celticradio.net

Aine Minogue's latest CD "Celtic Pilgrimage" combines Aine's beautiful voice and mystical harp talents to create a true Pilgrimage into the Celtic world. Inspired by the spirtual sites of the British Isles, Celtic Pilgrimage will take you away into the timeless world of Aine Minogue. 5 Mystical Stars for Celtic Pilgrimage!

Pilgrimage - personal musings....

The everyday pilgrimage
The carrying of the series of annoyances, trifles and existential longing
that make up our everyday lives....

"We are willing to serch for hope." (6. Be still)

"Magic is everywhere." (8. Alchemy)

"We keep each other moving forward." (9. New Light)

"We seek resurrection from our own ashes." (10. Mathair)

1. The Gathering

The journey begins; the forces are marshalled, the good wishes of the universe invoked.
Excitement, fear; consideration of the foreign nature of what lies ahead. The chants are recited to ward off difficulty. The drums are sounded.
Fears arise for our safety on the journey, but it is early days yet and encouragement rules the day. Besides, there is still much to be done in preparation. The frenetic idea of how the world is to manage in our absense courses through us as we madly prepare the world for our absence:)

2. Blessing

The moment for leaving has come. Those who love us the most wish us well and bless us.
We take flight in the strength of their blessing.
The joy in new adventure; the joy in being loved,
the sure knoweldge we will be missed.
The fear beneath the excitement.
The pull of separation.

'BLESSING' (LYRICS)

May the longtime sun shine on you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you on your way

Akal, Akal infinity,
Akal, akal, no end
(Akal means 'infinity')

3. Across Distances

The initial excitement dies down.
The journey must be met, one step at a time,
across distances and ultimately alone.
There are unfilled and unknown spaces; quesions. Life is now one great unknown, divorced from the habits of everyday life and loved ones.
Across these distances, we meet ourselves.
And on it goes, and on it goes....

4. Sanctuary

The journey feels relentless and wearisome.
We rest because we must rest.
There is no going on.
We leave the heat and seek the coolness of sanctuary.
We hear the familiar.
We are comforted.
We expect our Will to be restored, but find ouselves one step closer to surrender...

5. Solo

Having found sanctuary, we escape all means of escape.
The road has been long; the sense of will strong but diminishing; strength is gone.
Having sought refuge and sanctuary, forced to surrender - we die and we Become....
We die in order to Become.
We are exactly the same.
just facadeless....

6. Be Still

The bigger picture begins to emerge.
We begin to see the world differently.
We are willing to search for hope.
We come to believe in the possability of the impossible.

'BE STILL' (Lyrics)

Strong, stark and beautiful, the wildness of a rose
The truth in shadows hiding where all men fear to go
Humility of Reason, the silence of the stones
Summerlands are calling, the Wise Men coming home

The mysteries of sorrow you count upon your beads
The ashes of frustration, the Good Men wisely heed
Hear the Gods wild laughter, as they recount your schemes
Still and stark and wild now, the madness of your dreams

Glimmer in the Shadows, Serenity imposed
While out across the darkness, the heavens still unfold
Fear recites her vespers, so courage comes to call
The balm of hope awaiting with her Alabaster Jar

7. The Retelling

We look to the ancients;
all those who went before.
We strip down the message...
the message is always the same,
the guidance consistent.
We retell the story, but we say nothing new.
We create nothing new in the retelling. But in putting the pieces together differently, we find the creativity Of our lives.
Our perspective (attitude) is of value.
It is something to be guarded.

8. Alchemy

All manner of things have assiled us.
We have been brought to our knees.
Everything is bigger than us;
bigger even than our perspective.

Magic is everywhere;
realized gracefully through eros,
reminding us that we are on the earth.
We learn to endure.
Being in the body for the journey has taught us.
Alone, we have little to do with the magic, but together, through eros, energy, groudedness - magic is created.
We laugh at the combination of our pains...
For, there is little that matters.

Together, we are bold yet humble, less afraid.
Facadeless, more sensible.
It is easier to laugh.
So much to not take seriously,
so much more to laugh at.
Almost everything means nothing.
So much is surreal, so what matter.

Yesterday's spiritual awakening is today's ego trip.
We learn to laught at ourselves.
We're never going to be home....
We dance in love.
We try to stay out of our own way.

9. New Light

We belong.
We have a right to be here in this strange and beguiling offbeat interconnectedness.
We keep each other moving forward.
The pilgrimage is never going to end.
The miracle is in the everyday, when after long miles, and blistered feet, we remember to look up and are moved to tears by the sight of the beautiful, often in its ugliest form;
It comes in waves and overwhelms us.
Too much for the heart to hold,
we continue to surrender.
We must face our heads downward again,
because the road beneath our feet is unsure and
this is a pilgrimage after all....
We try to remember to look up more often - to the light -
without loosing our footing.

10. Mathair (means 'Mother')

We need more than our loveliest of fellow pilgrims....
We reach for the old, the familiar, the transcendant - the Mother.
We seek resurrection from our own ashes.

11. Blessing (Reprise)

LYRICS FOR BLESSING

May the longtime sun shine on you
All love surround you
And the pure light within you
Guide you on your way

Akal, Akal, infinity,
Akal, akal no end.

The song now becomes ours.
We learn to bless everyone.
It gives us reason to be.

'All else if folly but to love....' Peig Sayers (The Islandwoman)

POETRY

Please see 'liner notes' for this album for poetry about the journey of pilgrimage by the wonderful young Welsh poet, Richard Jones.

ACHAAN CHAH (Buddhist Monk)

The tree has its own pace
Your job is to dig a hole, water and fertilize it,
and protect it from insects,
But the way the tree grows is up to the tree….

Love After Love

by Derek Wolcott

The time will come
When, with elation
You will greet yourself arriving
At your own door, in your own mirror
And each will smile at the other’s welcome

And say, sit here, Eat.
You will love again the stranger who was your self.
Give wine. Give bread. Give back your heart
To itself, to the stranger who has loved you

All your life, whom you ignored
For another, who knows you by heart.
Take down the love letters from the bookshelf

The photographs, the desperate notes
Peel your own image from the mirror,
Sit. Feast on your life….

~~Buddha

We are what we think.
All that we are arises with our thoughts
With our thoughts, we make the world

The Guest House by Rumi

This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.

A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
As an unexpected visitor.

Welcome and entertain them all
Even if they're a crowd of sorrows
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.

The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.

Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.

Home (from Benedictus) by John O'Donohue

Home is where the heart is. It stands for the sure centre where individual life is shaped and from where it journeys forth.

What it ultimately intends is that each of its individuals would develop the capacity to be at home in themselves. This is something that is usually overlooked but it is a vital requirement in the creativity and integrity of individual personality. It has to do with the essence of a person; their sense of their own inner ground.

When a person is at home in his life, he has always a clear instinct about the shape of outer situations; even in the midst of confusion he can discern the traces of a path forward.

When one is at home in oneself one is integrated and enjoys a sense of balance and poise. In a sense that is exactly what spirituality is; the art of homecoming.

The Journey by Mary Oliver

One day you finally knew
what you had to do, and began,
Though the voices around you
kept shouting
their bad advice--
though the whole house
began to tremble
and you felt the old tug
at your ankles.
"Mend my life!"
each voice cried.
But you didn't stop.
You knew what you had to do,
though the wind pried
with its stiff fingers
at the very foundations,
though their melancholy
was terrible.
It was already late
enough, and a wild night,
and the road full of fallen
branches and stones.
But little by little,
as you left their voices behind,
the stars began to burn
through the sheets of clouds,
and there was a new voice
which you slowly
recognized as your own,
that kept you company
as you strode deeper and deeper
into the world,
determined to do
the only thing you could do--
determined to save
the only life you could save.

Pilgrimage

A journey, esp. a long one, made to some sacred place as an act of religious devotion:

any long journey, esp. one undertaken as a quest or for a votive purpose, such as to pay a journey to a sacred place or shrine.

A long journey or search, especially one of exalted purpose or moral significance.

People of all faiths through the centuries have made pilgrimages to the holy sites of revered figures. Their motivations are as various as their numbers are vast. Some seek healing, blessing or forgiveness of their sins. For others the journey is an expression of gratitude for an answered prayer.

In the Middle Ages, Catholics undertook pilgrimages on behalf of loved ones who had died, hoping to shorten their time in purgatory. Prisoners of those times were sometimes made to go on pilgrimage as a way to atone for their crimes and thus re-enter society. Buddhists or Hindus still undertake pilgrimage in order to gain merit for a favorable rebirth, and the Hajj, or pilgrimage to Mecca, is required of every Muslim with the means to make the journey.

In any tradition, pilgrimage honors the sacred and powerful nature of places. It provides a direct means for the pilgrim to connect to miraculous events and holy persons. Often physically and emotionally taxing, pilgrimage is a humbling and transformative rite of passage. Although not a common religious practice for American Christians, pilgrimage is making a resurgence in the modern West.

In Ireland it has never really gone out of fashion. The three patron saints of Ireland, the well known St. Patrick, St. Brigid and St. Colmcille, each have their own pilgrimage sites, some dating to pre-Christian times. The tradition of climbing the mountain Croagh Patrick, often barefoot, has never waned. People continue to visit the site of Patrick´s Purgatory. The pilgrimage sites of St. Brigid, a very complex ¨saint¨ connected to the Celtic Goddess Brigid, are numerous, if not as well known. Brigid´s wells can be found throughout Ireland, containing waters that are believed to have curative powers. St. Colmcille was himself a pilgrim monk.

People still go on pilgrimage walks in his honor, re-tracing his steps across Ireland. Originally I envisioned Celtic Pilgrimage as a sort of travelogue, a musical diary. But as often happens when one undertakes a journey, preconceived notions must be abandoned and the path itself becomes the destination. I find that although the outer pilgrimage is complete, my inner pilgrimage has not ended. Will it ever? I invite you to follow the footsteps of the countless pilgrims that precede us and to begin your own sacred journey.

"May the long-time sun shine on you

all love surround you

and the pure light within you

guide you on your way"

FUTURE EXPLORATION

Details on various Celtic Pilgrimage sites will be explored in this section including

El Camino DeSantiago (slideshow now in 'slideshows' section)

This album focuses on the 'inner' journey of pilgrimage. The music on this album is an expression of the internal journey while walking 'The Camino,' a 500 mile pilgrimage route through Northern Spain which ends in Santiago. The last 200kms of the walk run through the province of Galecia, a Celtic region of Spain.

Camino de Santiago (click here for slideshows) • flowers of the Camino • doors of the Camino • Signs on the Camino • The Way (El Camino de Santiago) • Churchs on the Camino • The Journey of the Camino • • (click here for equipment list for the journey) (click here for links to Camino web sites) OTHER SITES: Croagh Patrick (Ireland)
Stonehenge (England) (slideshow coming soon)
Iona (Scotland)
Lourdes (France)
St. David's (Wales)
Avebury (England) (slideshow coming soon)
Skellig Michael (Ireland)
Newgrange (Ireland) (slideshow coming soon)
Lindisfarne
Fatima (Portugal)
Loch Derg (Ireland)
Glastonbury (England) (slideshow coming soon)
Guadalupe (Spain)
El Camino DeSantiago (slideshow coming soon)
a 500 mile pilgrimage route through Northern Spain that ends in Santiago. The last 200kms of the walk run through the province of Galecia, a Celtic region of Spain.

Visiting holy wells - Bridgit, Patrick types of pilgrimage sites. What makes a site holy?