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why the camino?

  1. J

    Called to the Camino

    I know there are many reasons for persons to walk the Camino. Some have religious reasons and consider themselves pilgrims in the way that ancients who walked it must have. Has any had or have know someone who has had a "calling" to walk it? I am a retired pastor and have considered walking it...
  2. Anniesantiago

    Intentions before and after question

    I have a client asking this question, and aside from a regular confessional at Santiago, I've never heard of this. Help? She has heard there is meeting with a priest to discuss and name her intentions for making the walk, and then following up with a priest at the end for accountability and...
  3. RachelNZ

    Is the camino a ritual for all spanish people?

    Hi fellow pilgrims, Is the Camino a ritual for most Spanish to do at least once in their lifetime? I do remember hearing this when I walked a couple of years ago. I have to write an essay for university on a ritual and I'd like to write on this topic as I have a lot of insider knowledge on it...
  4. B

    The Camino and discernment/insight/life decisions

    I'm looking forward to my camino in September as a time when I will be able to think, listen, and pray about some opportunities and possible new directions in my life. For me, it is an opportunity for discernment and I hope for some new inspiration or insight as I consider some big life...
  5. alexwalker

    Religious, doubter, seeker, atheist, don't care, tourist, or whatever? Why are you walking?

    From ancient times, the Camino was for devouted pilgrims in faith, seeking relief from their sins at the tomb of Saint James in Santiago. These days, people walk for many reasons, as reflected in the heading of this thread. Why is it that an ancient pilgrim path of faith in rural Spain has...
  6. hfenton

    Is Something Missing?

    While the topics discussed on the Camino Forum are myriad it appears, given the history of the Camino through the centuries, that something is missing from the Forum. There are discussions about the many different Camino routes; the best time to walk them; recommendations for albergues...
  7. Robo

    Thru Hikes v Camino - Motivations?

    OK, let's keep this a civil discussion :cool: Neither is better than the other OK. And they are quite different things, I think ?;) Though that 'infamous' blog post "The Camino Sucks" perhaps didn't appreciate that they are like apples and oranges. :rolleyes: Let's not get into those types...
  8. A

    Opinion on Son walking the Camino

    Hi Just wondering if anyone has experience of the following. My wife and I have walked the CF in stages since 2017 and personally I have found it a profound experience. I have spoken to my oldest son about it and suggested that he should try it sometime as I believe he has the personality...
  9. BombayBill

    An Atheist Embraces the Camino

    I think some people may avoid the Camino as they feel it is a religious or spiritual journey that they can't participate in. I am a lifelong atheist and this is what I learned. Those long days walking forced me to reflect on things in my life where I could have done better and what was...
  10. DuaneS

    Camino Frances a Second Time

    I completed the Camino Frances from SJPDP in Apr/May of 2017. Lately I've been reminiscing about those times, and am really craving to hit a trail again whenever things start improving, likely in the spring I hope. I live in Spain part of the year now, so I can basically just watch the weather...
  11. jungleboy

    What does the 'spirit of the camino' mean to you?

    I searched for an existing thread like this and although I found a few that mention the camino spirit, I didn't find one where different people explained what it meant to them. The spirit of the camino is a feeling experienced on the trail that can be hard to define or to explain to...
  12. David Tallan

    Thoughts on "The Camino provides" and similar sayings

    I was listening to a Camino podcast recently and, as these podcasts are wont to do, common Camino expressions were brought up for discussion. You know the ones I mean. "The Camino provides." "The Camino doesn't give us what we want. It gives us what we need." And similar expressions. And I got...
  13. Robo

    David is Back! "Why do people walk the Camino"?

    Please be aware of Rule # 2. No Discussion on Religion. So maybe watch.........and don't comment? :cool: As it does come up! Mods please delete if you feel this video is a problem.
  14. Lexicos

    Is the Camino an addiction, an obsession or something else?

    No to the first one. It takes too long, it’s too hard and it requires too much planning. It’s not an addiction. It’s not in the category of gambling, alcohol or drugs. And it’s certainly not “God’s heroin.” That’s taking poetic license to an extreme. Is it an obsession? It can be. If you are...
  15. Lexicos

    Trying to understand

    I’ve been trying to understand why the Camino has such a lasting impact. It’s a key I think to understanding other things. What do we learn? What do we see? Why is it such a milestone? What is it about the Camino that has such a big impact and leaves such a lasting impression and, for many of...
  16. F

    Why Pilgrimage?

    Why pilgrimage? The advent of Covid 19 has brought this question to the fore. Do I not find spiritual satisfaction during my daily walks in nearby parks, natural reserves and even urban areas? The answer is: yes, it is true that I usually do experience some overwhelming and inspiring...
  17. B

    Qualifying for Compostela: purpose

    I hope to complete my CF this spring, and my thoughts are turning to whether I might honestly apply for a compostela, assuming I make it. It's not a question of distance /stamp rules, but of meeting the requirements about purpose. I started my Camino for no reason other that a friend asked me...
  18. S

    'Addiction'- an appropriate word for wanting to walk the Camino again (& again)?

    It is with hesitation that I write on a topic that has been bothering me over many years of forum membership, and that is the equating of the desire to walk the Way again with addiction. I live in a country that, in rural areas, as well as major cities is bedevilled by the social and personal...
  19. Sue127

    Have you been sponsored?

    Hi, I wonder if this is thought of as an 'OK' thing to do when walking the Camino. I'll be starting my first - Camino Frances - at the end of May and wondered whether anyone else has used this personal experience of walking as a way to also fund raise for charity? Last year, my husband and I...
  20. Kathy F.

    Is there a Place in the Modern World for "Pilgrimages"?

    This may relate to the never ending debate on what exactly makes a pilgrimage a pilgrimage, but I need to get some opinions. In our day and age, many see themselves as "spiritual" rather than "religious." Is there a place for a pilgrimage route like the Camino de Santiago? Do we just call it a...

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