Waymarkers Iona Pilgrimage
July 8-15, 2024
Early Bird Rate: $2600.00 per person (registration before December 31, 2023)
Regular Rate $2800.00 per person (registration after December 31, 2023)
THE 2024 PILGRIMAGE IS CURRENTLY FULL.
If you would like to be added to the waiting list, please email mary@waymarkers.net
What's Included in the Price?
7 nights/8 days of communal lodging at The Green Shed, formally known as the Iona Hostel, Iona's gold-rated Green Tourism facility, which is situated on the northern turquoise shores of the island surrounded by beautiful, black Hebedrian sheep. Participants are lodged together in comfortable bunk-bed rooms that boast of breathtaking vistas of the Iona Sea!
Plentiful and delicious, vegetarian meals created together! This includes daily breakfast, six lunches, and six dinners. In order to keep the costs of this pilgrimage as low as possible, we will cook our evening meals together with a pre-planned menu based on the island's food availability. Buffet style lunch and breakfast will be available daily. Participants are invited to work together on a rotating basis to prep meals and clear dishes as a testament to the pilgrim-community! One evening towards the end of our pilgrimage, we will dine out at a favorite local restaurant as a celebration of our collective and individual journeys. This meal will be a personal expense.
Unique tours that will deepen our sense of place and connection to this sacred, storied landscape. We will tour the Iona Abbey, Staffa Island, receive expert teaching on the island's geography, meet with local artisans, and discover the wildest nooks of the island! While considered a priceless value to the journey, all tours and walks are optional; however, do note that not all are ADA accessible and require a moderately active fitness level.
Rewilding Wonder Yoga Sessions Daily beach-front yoga sessions led by certified yoga instructor Sarah Steinke that will invite an embodied practice to your pilgrimage journey. Previous experience with a yoga practice is not necessary or required.
Daily Circle Sessions facilitated by Mary DeJong where together we will explore the archetypal themes of pilgrimage through the Heroine's Journey; rediscover the rich heritage of Celtic spirituality; recover wisdom and a flourishing imagination through eco-spirituality; and remember our belonging through rewilding prayers, practices, rites and rituals. These sessions will be held in various places including the sacred space of The Byre, roofed walls containing stories, dreams, and laughter; the teal-tinted north beach; St. Oran's chapel; and other powerful places throughout the island. Ceremony and sacred space will be held and engaged together daily to engage the the work of the holy descent that is requisite within the pilgrimage journey.
Personal Time will be held and honored every day, ensuring that your soul can be nourished by silence and the sacred presence of the sea.
Guided Hikes will be offered on most days to assist in getting you off the common trails and to some of the most stunning coves and beaches on the island.
Reflections and resources to guide your pilgrimage planning and integration both before you leave home and upon your return. Upon securing your spot with your nonrefundable deposit, you will communications that provide in-depth information on how best to travel to Iona as well as thoughtful writings and resources on the various stages of the pilgrimage journey.