Recently I had the opportunity to spend a day with Poet David Whyte. Sponsored by Wisdom Ways, his topic was "The Pilgrim's Way: Setting the Direction for a Future Life." During the day, we were guided "to examine the great questions of human life through the eyes of the pilgrim."

I was first introduced to David Whyte in the early 90's. He was the keynote speaker at a retreat I attended. I was immediately moved by the passionate way he used poetry to describe and relate to what we all have in common: the need for meaning and purpose.

On this November day, David first invited us to consider the names we have been given throughout our lives: newborn, toddler, teen, young adult, adult and so on; the names given us by our family, friends, enemies and the nicknames that, by their very nature made us feel good - or bad - about ourselves. There are those names given us by the business world - employee, manager, unemployed, assistant, etc. Certain names stay with us all our lives - daughter, son, parent, mother, father, cousin, friend. And there are those yet to be known names we will live by in the future.

David Whyte then challenged us to consider letting go of all these familiar names and claim the name of "Pilgrim."

A pilgrim is a traveler to a holy place or some site of special significance. Pilgrim comes from the Latin words per (meaning "through") and ager (meaning "land, field"), which were combined into the adjective pereger, used to describe a person traveling abroad. Eventually, this developed into peregrinus. In Old French, the word became peligrin, which was borrowed into English around 1200 as pelegrim or pilegrim, finally transitioning into "pilgrim" in modern English.

In Whyte's context, a pilgrim is someone on a journey. The goal of a pilgrimage is to return home. Coming home may also mean returning to one's true self. It's a powerful metaphor! In the course of our day together, David shared his personal pilgrimage to Camino de Santiago.

For more than 1,000 years pilgrims have traveled along the many Caminos (roads) to Santiago. The Camino de Santiago (the Way of St. James) is a large network of walking and cycling paths which converge on Santiago de Compostela in northwestern Spain. The needs of the modern Camino traveler are basically the same as they were for the medieval peregrino: support for food, lodging and direction during this 30 to 35 day trek. While the medieval peregrino undertook this journey for religious purposes, modern day peregrinos may travel the Camino for religious, spiritual, historical, and cultural reasons, even for sport. I suspect, for some, those reasons change along the journey.

Taking such a pilgrimage can be exciting and self-fulfilling, but we don't necessarily have to leave home to be a pilgrim. Many of us find ourselves taking periodic inward pilgrimages, allowing ourselves time to self-reflect and re-evaluate our own path - whether it relates to our profession, our health, our relationships, or personal interests. While it is true that "getting away" from our familiar sights and daily routines provides the potential for a fresh perspective, there are other ways to allow for renewal as well.

This happens whenever we give ourselves quiet time to let our imagination run wild or when we deliberately change the direction we drive to work each day. Repositioning our bedroom furniture or taking a different biking or hiking path are all simple acts that create an instant "new view" of the world. Even a tiny shift in how we see things, can lead to profound new insights and self-awareness.

In Feng Shui, the thoughtful act of setting an intention and deliberately bringing something into our space to support that intention sets in motion a focused journey of re-assessing "self." This gives us the opportunity to re-evaluate our current path in life. That brave act begs the questions: Does this continue to be the best way for me? Am I being beckoned in a different direction? What personal or professional new name am I drawn to? Writer? CEO? Wife? Singer? Parent? Artist? Philanthropist? Poet? Caregiver? Healer? Am I brave enough to claim it? And to think of this from a different prospective, consider this question: What name(s) do I identify with and continue to hold on to in order to avoid loss, grief or risk?

The decision to become more of who you are, that is, to step into your next best on this planet, is a transition point. According to Whyte, at transition points, we become the pilgrim, drawing deeply from our own internal resilience as we recognize the necessity to follow a certain star - our star - not seen or perceived by anyone else. 

These are the times, he reminds us, we must "tap into the necessity for hardiness, for shelter, for risk, for companionship, for vulnerability and the absolute need to ask for help at these transition points, combined with an ability to recognize when it is being offered and the humor, humility and open hands necessary to receive it."

While I found myself relating deeply to these words on a personal level, I also found myself thinking of those on the east coast who, because of "super storm Sandy," become pilgrims of survival through circumstances beyond their control. Whyte's words below have echoed in my ears in the days and weeks that have followed as the news revealed the almost impossible circumstances in which many have found themselves:

"A pilgrim is someone dependent on friendship, hospitality and help from friends and strangers alike; someone who has to ask for visible and invisible help; someone for whom the nature of the destination changes step by step as the end of the path approaches, and someone subject to the vagaries of wind and weather along the way."

During this time of bringing loved ones together in the spirit of gratitude, perhaps we can take a moment to assess the personal names we each bring to the table. Do they continue to serve us? Are they in our best interest? The best interests of those around us? Do the names we claim represent our highest good? And do they allow us to grow?

And while remembering those on the east coast, as well as those who are displaced anywhere in our world, in any way, we can take pause to check the status of our own internal resilience and our ability to offer hospitality to all - including ourselves - whether in the form of a helping hand or a kind word.

Let us remember that, as much has been given us, much will be expected from us, and that true homage comes from the heart as well as from the lips, and shows itself in deeds.

Theodore Roosevelt 

Many blessings,

Hinda Abrahamson

"A mind that is stretched to a new idea never returns to its original dimensions." 

 Oliver Wendell Holmes

Certified in Western Feng Shui, Traditional Compass Feng Shui and Fashion Feng Shui, Hinda is a founding member and President of the Feng Shui Institute. Through her practice, Intentional Spaces, she helps you explore ways to create a balanced and harmonious environment that reflects your individual personality, life style and personal goals.

 For residential and business consultations, speaking engagements, or customizing a workshop for your group, contact Hinda at (952) 938-0894 or email:

Hinda Abrahamson 

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"You see the world differently

 when you see the world." 

Each of these, in its own way, can

support mindfulness and intentionality

as we navigate life's journey.

I hope you encounter a new idea, a new resource or a new viewpoint. Perhaps some small insight will answer an unspoken question, provide a helpful tip, motivate or inspire you,

or simply give you a moment to escape from the day's demands.