Sacred Journeys -
Spain/France & Scotland
Pilgrimage to the Seven Sacred Shrines of the Goddess & The Knights Templar
Past Tour -
October 14 – 25, 2006
Tour Leaders: Mark Amaru Pinkham, author of Guardians of the Holy Grail, researcher, teacher, and Templar Knight; he is the Grand Prior of The International Order of Gnostic Templars. He has a special affinity to both the Druids and the Knights Templar, tracing his Sinclair ancestry back to Prince Henry Sinclair and beyond. Andrea Mikana-Pinkham, is a Lady Knight Templar, Fisher Queen and the Co-North American Commander of The International Order of Gnostic Templars. Her greatest passion in life is to assist others to travel to and connect with the transformative energies at sacred sites around the world. Learn more about Mark & Andrea on our About Your Tour Leaders page.
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Tour Description
Join this Pilgrimage of a Lifetime to the Seven Sacred Shrines of the Goddess that were once patronized by the Knights Templar.
Gothic cathedrals built by the Templars and their Masonic students currently mark these exquisite shrines.
When visited in sequence, the energies emanating within them can enliven the seven principal centers of spiritual wisdom within the human body for transformation and realization!
Pilgrimage Sites:
SPAIN
Santiago de Compostela: St. James de Compostela
FRANCE Toulouse: Cathedral of Notre Dame la Dalbade
Orleans: Sainte-Croix Cathedral
Chartres: Chartres Cathedral
Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral
Amiens: Amiens Cathedral
SCOTLAND
Edinburgh:
Rosslyn Chapel
At each shrine, participate in the sacred rites once performed there by the
Templars to awaken Gnostic, or intuitive awareness within, and immerse yourself
in the resident Goddess energies that have pervaded these holy places since the
days of the Celtic Druids.
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NOTE: We will not be offering this pilgrimage again soon, so please take advantage of this auspicious opportunity now!
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Tour Leaders
Mark Amaru Pinkham is a noted author, researcher, and Templar Knight, as well as the North American Grand Prior of The International Order of Gnostic Templars, and Director of both The Mysteries of the Goddess Wisdom School and The Seven Rays of Healing School, headquartered in Sedona, Arizona. He has a special affinity to both the Druids and the Knights Templar, tracing his Sinclair ancestry back to Prince Henry Sinclair and beyond.
Throughout this Sacred Templar Journey, Mark will share cutting-edge information from his fourth book, Guardians of the Holy Grail: The Knights Templar, John the Baptist, and the Water of Life, as well as fascinating esoteric teachings from his other books, The Return of the Serpents of Wisdom, Conversations with the Goddess, and The Truth Behind the Christ Myth. He will include a presentation of the history, practices, and teachings of the Druids, the Knights Templar, the Holy Grail, as they relate to the various pilgrimage shrines.
Andrea Mikana-Pinkham is Co-North American Commander of The International Order of Gnostic Templars. With her husband, Mark Amaru Pinkham, she teaches and facilitates classes, seminars and healing retreats in The Mysteries of the Goddess Wisdom School and The Seven Rays of Healing School.
Andrea has also worked in the holistic healing & personal growth field for many years. In 1988 she began her journey with Reiki, a hands-on natural healing system. In 1991 she became a Reiki Master Teacher in this healing modality and founded a system that synthesized older and newer systems. Since then she has taught in the U. S. and South America. She has also been a Spiritual Counselor since 1987, working with individuals and groups to assist people in their re-empowerment of Spirit and to further open to Unconditional Love and planetary peace.
During the pilgrimage, at each cathedral and/or shrine, Andrea and Mark will lead special ceremonies and meditations to connect with the specific energy at each site, for spiritual awakening and transformation.
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Day 1 Depart New York
Day 2 Arrive Santiago de Compostela
Day 3 Santiago de Compostela
Day 4 To Lourdes
Day 5 To Toulouse
Day 6 To Orleans
Day 7 To Chartres/Paris
Day 9 Paris
Day 10 To Edinburgh
Day 11 Edinburgh
Day 12 Return to New York
Day 1 - Sat, Oct 14: Connect from your home city to New York/Depart New York
We depart today like many thousands of pilgrims who, since AD813, have made the long journey to begin their pilgrimage in Santiago de Compostela, Spain. The route that we will follow over the next two weeks was the most important pilgrimage of the Middle Ages. Our journey begins in New York City, where you connect from your home city to our international departure. In flight overnight.
Day 2 - Sun, Oct 15: Arrive Santiago de Compostela (D)
Arrive Santiago de Compostela, situated in the northwest of Spain in the region of Galicia, a cultural and scientific meeting point since the Middle Ages. Clear Immigration, Baggage Claim and Customs and meet our local tour representative for our transfer to our hotel. Free time to rest and relax before our late afternoon Introductory Meeting to discuss the important aspects of our pilgrimage and how we can best be prepared to connect with and integrate the energies at the seven sacred shrines that we will visit during our journey of initiation. Followed by our Welcome Dinner. Overnight Santiago de Compostela.
Day 3 - Mon, Oct 16: Santiago de Compostela: Cathedral of St. James de Compostela (B/L)
Santiago de Compostela, in northwest Spain, emerged centuries ago as one of most important pilgrimage destinations in Europe, even rivaling Rome at times. Pilgrims who were unable to travel to the Holy Land to pay homage to their Christian faith often chose to go to Santiago instead. The story of Santiago de Compostela begins with the Apostle James, or St. James the Great, who undertook missionary activity in the Iberian Peninsula. James was the brother of John the Evangelist - the brothers were converted to Christianity by St. John the Baptist. After his martyrdom in Jerusalem, James’ body was believed to have been transported back to Spain in a stone boat for burial, but the site of his grave became lost in the following centuries. Then, in the 9th century, his remains were reputedly rediscovered in a field by a monk who had been guided by a star. A church was built to secure the sacred bones and the town that grew up around it was called Santiago de Compostela (St James of the Field of the Star). A small shrine was built here in his honor and he was raised to the status of patron saint of Spain.
In the morning we visit the Cathedral of St. James de Compostela, the Moon Oracle, associated with the color red and the 1st Chakra (survival), the center of birth/death and the female generative energy, and the Degree of the Raven. The vast interior is preserved almost in the original condition, although the interior has been completely excavated and numerous pre-Christian burials, as well as the vestige of a Roman temple, were found under the south transept. As we gaze at figures of the great initiates Melchizedek, Abraham, David and Moses, we may feel the vibrant energy pouring forth from them. On the central column of finely carved marble we see the seated figure of the Apostle St. James. In the Chapel of Relics we view an artifact of overwhelming significance: a jeweled reliquary containing the head of St. James the Less, brother of Jesus, and considered only second in importance to the remains of St. James the Great. The skull is pierced in the area of the temple, in the same manner as that of the supposed skull of St. John the Baptist, which we will view later in Amiens Cathedral in France.
Louis VII of France, St. Francis of Assisi, King Robert the Bruce and Earl William Sinclair of Scotland all made the arduous pilgrimage to this Romanesque cathedral. The symbol of the pilgrim became the scallop shell, something that arose from the story of how a horse and rider plunged into the sea when the body of the apostle first arrived in Spain; miraculous intervention saved the rider's life and as he emerged from the sea he was seen to be covered in scallop shells which fell away as he rode off into the distance. The scallop design symbolizes a single point at the base of the shell, Santiago de Compostela, and the many routes that pilgrims come from or go to.
Like thousands of other seekers have done before us, during our first initiation ritual we begin our pilgrimage by placing our fingers in the five well-worn hollows on the Tree of Jesse, the centerpiece in one of the main porticos, remembering that Gnostics before us gathered here to experience the enlivening of their spiritual energy, Kundalini, at the base chakra in order to enable all the energy centers of the spiritual body to be able to synthesize the higher frequencies that were further awakened during the pilgrimage.
Afterwards, we enjoy a group lunch at a local restaurant. In the afternoon you have free time to rest and integrate and/or return to the cathedral on your own for meditation. Dinner on your own. Overnight Santiago de Compostela.
Day 4 - Tue, Oct 17: To Lourdes (B/D)
We check out this morning and depart by motor coach, along the northern coast of Spain for our full day trip over the Pyrenees and into France. Lunch on your own en route. We arrive Lourdes, in the foothills of the French Pyrenees in the afternoon. It was here in 1858 that Bernadette Soubirous witnessed 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary at the Grotto of Massabielle (“old rock”). Since then many miracles have happened here, as people have visited and used the healing waters of the Grotto, the heart of Lourdes. The grotto cave is made up of three unequal openings: the largest one has become a place for celebrating Mass. Above, and a little to the right, is a gothic-like crevice where the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to Bernadette. There is a statue representing Our Lady of Lourdes, dressed in white with a rosary beads on her right arm and two yellow roses on her feet, just as she appeared to the young Bernadette. At the back of the Grotto, to the left of the altar, is the flowing spring that Bernadette discovered on February 25, 1858. In order to make the healing waters available to everyone, it is now piped to the baths. After we check into our hotel, you have free time to visit the Grotto to explore and meditate. Group dinner. Overnight Lourdes.
Day 5 - Wed, Oct 18: To Toulouse: Cathedral of Notre Dame la Dalbade (B/D)
In the afternoon we visit Notre Dame la Dalbade, the Mercury Oracle, associated with the color orange and the 2nd Chakra (sexual energies, regeneration), and the Degree of the Hidden One, the Occultist, symbolized by the Peacock. Medieval cathedrals are called in France "notre dame" -- literally, "our lady". They are venerations of the ancient Great Goddess's majesty. The Dalbade part of the name of the cathedral is derived from the whitewash, or “albade” which was used to cover the first Romanesque church erected here in 541. After being destroyed in a fire in 1442, it was rebuilt and the red brick replaced the characteristic whitewash of the past. But it was dedicated to Our Lady in White, linking it to Mary Magdalene, Patroness of the Knights Templars. Each of the pillars in the colonnade is adorned with the distinctive eight-sided cross patte of the Templars. Historical documents offer evidence that between 1128 and 1132 Raymond Rater of Toulouse granted the land, houses, and the church to the Templar Order.
Our second initiation ritual will focus on enlivening the energies of the sacral chakra, which can cause increased activity in the dream state, as well as enhanced awareness of unconscious needs, heightened sensitivity and sharpening of the psychic senses. Afterwards, we return to our hotel. Group dinner. Overnight Toulouse.
Day 6 - Thu, Oct 19: To Orleans: Cathedral of Sainte-Croix (B/D)
During our third initiation ritual we will focus on our self-expression as warrior Knights, using our inner strength and moral courage to represent the forces of good in the world, just as the Templars did during their heyday. We will harness the potent energies available in this sacred site to enliven the 3rd chakra energies, the storehouse of universal life force, to face any difficult challenges that we may have in our lives at this time, to use the rightful sense of power and responsibility that will lead us to a growing sense of self and ability to overcome all obstacles. Later return to our hotel. Group dinner. Overnight Orleans.
Day 7 - Fri, Oct 20: To Chartres: Chartres Cathedral; to Paris (B/L)
After breakfast we depart by motor coach to Chartres, where we explore world-famous Chartres Cathedral. Said to be the capital of the ancient Druid world, the cathedral sits on the site of an important Druid mystery center, and has been dedicated to Alchemy and the Divine Feminine since Celtic times. One of the most famous Gothic cathedrals in all of Europe, it is located on a leyline linking Glastonbury, Stonehenge and the Pyramids of Egypt. Built using the principles of sacred geometry, this pilgrimage center was the Sun Oracle, the Male sulphur energy that balances the moon energies at St. James de Compostela, and is associated with the color green and the 4th Chakra energies (heart center of love and devotion). For our fourth initiation ritual, we walk the famous Chartres Labyrinth, an ancient goddess tool for transformation. Unlike a maze, the labyrinth has only one path. Walking its winding course to the center quiets the mind. This process involves three stages: purgation – a letting go of distractions as you walk in; illumination - receiving what you came for upon reaching the center; and union - a joining with the sacred as you complete the experience and walk out. This original labyrinth is almost 40 feet in diameter, with 12 circles, 11 courses (or circuits), and 10 labyres. The axis mundi of the Cathedral passes over the Labyrinth, symbolizing the way to God/Goddess here on earth.
If time allows we may also have time to meditate with the Black Madonna of the Pillar in the main cathedral area, and/or visit the Black Madonna of the Crypt, who reflects the Hecate and Persephone archetypes. The crypt, a symphony of sacred geometry, is reputed to be an ancient temple of the Great Goddess. This present statue, a replica of the original one that was burned in a fire, carries the image of the Chartres tradition relating to the pre-Christian image of the Virgin Who Will Give Birth.
Day 8 - Sat, Oct 21: In Paris: Notre Dame Cathedral, Sightseeing in Paris (B)
This morning we visit Notre Dame Cathedral, built to honor Mary Magdalene, the Mars Oracle, associated with the color blue, the 5th Chakra (communication), and the Degree of the Pelican. In Grail symbolism the Pelican is the bird that wounds its own breast to feed its young. Standing on the Ile de la Cité on a site that was sacred to the Celts, and where the Romans worshipped Jupiter and Mars, the cathedral is in the center of the land that eventually became the capital of France. Here we find a direct connection with the Sinclairs, the builders of Rosslyn Chapel, which we will visit in Edinburgh at the end of our pilgrimage. The coat of arms of Paris contains the Sinclair engrailed cross, denoting the fact that the Sinclairs (or St. Clairs as they were known in France before migrating to Scotland) supported the Capetian dynasty against their enemies.
Notre Dame is one of the supreme alchemical temples in all of Europe. One of the carvings on the north portal is in fact a key to the entire progression of the ancient pilgrimage route that we are now following. On a sarcophagus that represents an episode in the life of Jesus Christ, there are carvings of the seven symbols that represent the seven planetary metals: Sun – gold; Mercury – quicksilver; Saturn – lead; Venus – copper; Moon – silver; Jupiter – tin; and Mars – iron. With regard to alchemical precepts the virtues of the planets descend. As stated by the great alchemist Fulcanelli:
“ Experience teaches us that Mars can easily be converted into Venus, but not Venus into Mars – Venus being a lower sphere. Similarly Jupiter is easily transmuted into Mercury, because Jupiter is higher than Mercury. Saturn is the highest, the Moon the lowest. The Sun mixes with all of them but is never improved by the inferior ones. Further you will note that there is a great correspondence between Saturn and the Moon, with the Sun midway between them. There is also a correspondence between mercury and Jupiter and between Mars and Venus. In the midst of all is the Sun.”
It appears that this alchemical way of grading the planets is why the pilgrimage of initiation begins at St. James de Compostela, the Moon Oracle, and ends at Rosslyn Chapel, the Saturn Oracle, the oracle of awakening.
In our fifth initiation ritual we will connect with the energies of the throat chakra, to connect with the energies that will support us to speak our truth for our own spiritual growth, as well as to serve the upliftment of consciousness. Afterwards we return to the hotel. Lunch on your own.
In the afternoon we have a sightseeing tour of Paris, including the Arch de Triumph, the Eiffel Tower, The Louvre and St. Denis, the first Gothic cathedral and an important repository of Templar knowledge, and other famous sites. Return to the hotel. Dinner on your own. Overnight Paris.
Day 9 - Sun, Oct 22: To Amiens: Amiens Cathedral (B/L)
After breakfast we depart in our private motor coach to Amiens, an hour north of Paris, where we visit the Cathedral of Amiens, the Jupiter Oracle, associated with the color indigo, the 6th Chakra (clairvoyant abilities), and the Degree of the Eagle. Renowned as the most beautiful example of Romanesque Gothic architecture in the world, the cathedral was built to house the relic reputedly holding the head of St John the Baptist, which is on display in the ambulatory. As the Patron of the Order, this relic was of particular importance to the Knights Templars.
During our sixth initiation ritual we will further enliven our third eye and our pituitary gland to gain and/or enhance our clairvoyant abilities and bring balance and harmony to our energy system. As with the initiates who have been here before us, in this degree represented by the Eagle, we will have the “higher vision” and be more easily able to communicate with the unseen spiritual worlds.
Day 10 - Mon, Oct 23: To Edinburgh, Sightseeing Tour (B/D)
We transfer this morning to the airport for our flight to Edinburgh, capital of Bonnie Scotland, the land of heather, Templars, tartans, and kilts! Upon arrival we meet our local tour representative and transfer to our charming hotel in the heart of downtown, a part of an expansive terrace, overlooking the city. Designed by architect William H. Playfair, this Georgian hotel has retained much of its original charm and character. The spectacular views over the Firth of Forth, its outstanding cuisine, delightful surroundings and private, landscaped gardens make a truly enjoyable setting. Lunch on your own.
In the afternoon we enjoy a Sightseeing Tour of Edinburgh along the famous Royal Mile, a wide street that runs from Edinburgh Castle, perched high on a plug of volcanic rock, to the Palace of Holyroodhouse, home for centuries to many of Scotland's ruling families. We visit the Castle and Palace, as well as St. Giles Cathedral, the most romantic church in Scotland, dating from the 12th century, with a visit to the Thistle Chapel, built in 1911 for Scotland’s order of the chivalry, the Most Ancient and Most Noble Order of the Thistle. Late afternoon return to the hotel. Group dinner. Overnight Edinburgh.
Day 11 - Tue, Oct 24: In Edinburgh: Temple and Rosslyn Chapel (B/L/D)
We depart this morning for an exciting full day steeped in Templar lore and mysteries! Our first stop is Balantrodoch, the ancient Templar outpost, now known as Temple. Our local guide Jim Munro will meet us here. Jim is a Freemason and Templar, with a great wealth of information and a great heart to share with us. There are many Templar gravesites to explore. Mark and Andrea will offer a ceremony in the old chapel to connect with the past Templar Grand Masters. We then continue to the village of Roslin for a light lunch at a local hotel.
After lunch we visit world-famous Rosslyn Chapel, site of the Saturn Oracle, associated with the color violet, the energies of the 7th or Crown Chakra (spiritual enlightenment), and the Degree of the Father. Rosslyn is the famous Templar stronghold founded in 1446 by Sir William Sinclair, third and last Sinclair Prince of Orkney. Many experts today believe it is possible that many Templar relics and documents, including the Holy Grail and Head of John the Baptist may have been hidden in the vaults below the chapel by Sir William. It is the belief of many Sinclairs that the Chapel was not built as a place of worship, but as a sacred repository for secrets that were brought back from the Holy Land by Hugh de Payens
There are many symbols that were built into the Chapel that are a key to the esoteric history of the Knights Templar and Freemasons, as well as the mystery of the Holy Grail. Mark will share cutting-edge information about these numerous hidden mysteries from his fourth book, Guardians of the Holy Grail. Niven Sinclair, one of the descendants of Sir William Sinclair, has shared with Mark and Andrea that Rosslyn Chapel was dedicated to the forces of Nature and to Mary Magdalene. Additionally, he believes that in the future it will become a center of world peace. During our time here, Mark and Andrea will lead the group in a special ceremony to pray for world peace.
As with the pilgrims who have ended their pilgrimage here before us, we gain insight into the spiritualization of death, recognizing ourselves as immortal spiritual beings. During our seventh and final initiation ritual we connect with the Seat of the Soul, through the pineal gland and the crown chakra. In the past, initiates who reached this level were known as “The Father” because they knew the workings of time and had gained a Gnostic understanding of the karmic patterns set forth by Father/God. As we have enlivened our Kundalini energies to help them move from the base of our spine, through all of the energy centers to the crown, we now experience our own unique “Awakening.” Later return to our hotel. Celebration and Farewell Dinner. Overnight Edinburgh.
Day 12 - Wed, Oct 25: Edinburgh/New York, connect to your home city (B)
Transfer to the airport for international flight to New York. Connect to your home city.
NOTE: This itinerary is subject to change due to conditions beyond our control.
Tour Includes:
Roundtrip international flights New York City/Santiago de Compostela, Paris/Edinburgh, and Edinburgh/New York City
Tour transportation in Spain, France and Scotland
Roundtrip transfers between airport and hotels
Accommodations in First Class hotels, including daily breakfast
Additional meals, as per final itinerary (vegetarian always available)
Hotel taxes & service charges
Baggage handling at hotels
Sightseeing tours in Paris and Edinburgh, including entrance fees
· Escorted throughout
Added Features:
Travel with other like-minded people
Hosted by Mark and Andrea Pinkham, North American Directors of The International Order of Gnostic Templars
Lectures/Discussions regarding the pilgrimage shrines facilitated by Mark and Andrea Pinkham
Includes a 7-Chakra Initiation for spiritual awakening and transformation through ceremonies & meditations at cathedrals in Spain, France and Scotland
Visits to Lourdes
Welcome and Farewell Dinner Celebrations
Tour does not include:
· Airfare to New York City (ask us for a quote from your home city)
· Cancellation & Medical Insurance (ask us for a quote)
· Meals not included, as indicated in the itinerary
· Cost to obtain valid passport
· Any items of a personal nature such as laundry, drinks and telephone calls. Any item that is not specifically detailed on our web site or in the final trip itinerary
USD $3895.00
(including airfare from New York)
USD $1095.00
USD $110.00
U.S. Air Taxes
USD $138.00
Fuel Surcharge (imposed by the airline)
USD $70.00
Sacred Earth Journeys, Ste 220 - 133 E. 8th Ave. Vancouver,
B.C. V5T 1R8 Canada
Tel: (604) 874-7922, Toll Free 1-877-874-7922 www.sacredearthjourneys.ca