On the Threshold of the Camino

Last night, we all gathered in Lugo and met in person as a group for the first time. After all the news of travel difficulties and with Covid still a factor, I felt that our all being there, and with our bags, was our first Camino miracle. We had a lively gathering dinner together in the traditional Galician style with 9 different family style dishes. Jose performed a miracle of his own, with a majority of the dishes being vegetables! The city of Lugo was alive with people as it is the weeked and the city is hosting a music festival! 

This morning, we had a very leisurely morning with people having breakfast on their own. Some decided to join in the yoga class later in the morning. Those of us who had not done yoga together since March 2020 ended the class in tears of joy. The yoga teacher had a hard time keeping herself together for much of the class!

After a free morning in the city, we all gathered in the afternoon for a walk with Jose and a ceremony by a river. We walked on top of most of the wall surrounding Lugo and learned that it is the only remaining fully intact Roman wall in Spain! We then began walking along the Camino primativo, which is a different camino path than the one we will be walking most of the time, the Camino Frances. Jose pointed out some points of interest, including the aforementioned music festival, and we ended at a lovely park. 
Here is where we transformed into peregrinos (pilgrims). We gathered in circle and participated in a sacred despacho ceremony, blowing our prayers of gratitude and intentions into leaves and flower petals. When done, we poured the prayers into the river which we will be walking along tomorrow. Some of us chose to swim in the river. When our time in the park was complete, we gathered together in ritual and experienced our rite of passage into being pilgrims. Each of us crossed over a bridge, tossed our old roles into a stream, and then Jose gave us the scallop shells which show that we are now pilgrims. 
Joyfully, we walked together back to the city, the early act of the music festival now playing.

Everyone is now in the city preparing for our first day on the path tomorrow! Already, our group feels connected, and we cannot wait to see what the path will bring to us!

Copyright 2022 Nancy and Hugh Murray

Nancy C Murray is a practitioner of shamanic energy medicine, Reiki master joy professor and spiritual leader. She leads public and private yoga classes and healing sessions, transformational courses, and also retreats and spiritual journeys