I’d like to begin this blog post by returning to the notion of ‘pilgrimage’, so as to re-enliven it and re-centre it at the heart of Wild Church. For me, to pilgrimage is to journey with intention and wakefulness, curiosity and wonder. “As pilgrims we learn to celebrate the beauty and the bounty of the earth and develop a sense of gratitude for all the gifts of life that we receive. The Sacred Earth is a gracious host to all pilgrims.” … says our fellow pilgrim Satish Kumar. In Wild Church’s current form our pilgrimage is one through the rhythms of the river and the rhythms of the year. Meeting on the first Sunday of this month, as the first faces of spring reveal themselves from the dark soil of winter, we walked together in reverence along the wild river from Buckland-in-the-moor. The river was particularly wild and vibrant because of the heavy rainstorms, which I had worried we’d be walking in, but it was nothing of the sort. The weather gods held back their rain and instead stretched out the most vibrant rainbow I think I’ve ever seen right across the River Dart, and shone sunshine for us as we walked. It felt to me like a sort of divine affirmation of Wild Church…
Meeting in the church at Buckland, we brought our voices into chant before settling them into silence, and then set off together on foot towards the river. In our pilgrim community today we were blessed to have a little one with us – a life of only 7 months – someone I felt particularly joyous to be walking with. Along the way we stopped for a moment’s pause and a small ceremony of participation in the festivals of Candlemas and Imbolc. Lighting candles – or attempting to at least – we spoke or held in our hearts blessings for the life birthing around us and in us. And then we carried these blessings back to the river and continued along our way, on the route back, with some in gentle conversation and others in continued silence. As we clambered into cars to drive to the nearest café for lunch, the weather gods let go and the skies tumbled down once more.
This time in Buckland was the 2nd to last location on Dartmoor – the last location will be Hembury woods where we will cross the edge of Dartmoor on foot into Buckfastleigh. Dartmoor has a wild and strong spirit, and Wild Church has felt totally at home there. I am curious to see how it will feel to step out of Dartmoor once again and return to less outwardly wild parts on our journey towards the sea. But the excitement of Dartmoor is simply transformed into excitement for what’s ahead… including the potentiality of Wild Church Canoeing… watch this space!
Written by Beth, photos by Sam
