Carrying stones...

[J.Patrick]

My next Camino is the Norte, breaking off on the Primitivo. I have my own reason for carrying a heart shaped stone from the Mohave Desert, a gift from my brother. My question is, in the absence of an iron cross on the Norte, where to leave it in an intentional kind of special way. I was wondering if those who had done this route before had any places they might suggest, from their own experience of meaningful places, where a pilgrim might prepare her/him self to leave a small carried stone? I'm thinking someplace beautiful, someplace accidentally touching, someplace that answers human longing, someplace that speaks of our interconnectedness, someplace spiritually religious (yes, spiritually religious, as I am aiming for it all). Meet any one of these hopes, and I'll be very grateful. Thanks in advance, kind respondents!

 

[whariwharangi]

Have you considered leaving it in your pack? Then you can return the stone to the desert, where it belongs, when you get home.

Take only photos. Leave only footprints.

 

[J.Patrick]

Yes, thanks, sincerely, and continue with my investigation.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

and continue with my investigation.

You will probably receive several suggestions JP
When I had a similar problem on the VdlP, a perfect location just presented itself.

 

[wayfarer]

You will know the place when you find it J.
Buen Camino.

 

[MCFearnley]

Along my route I picked up stones to represent different burdens I carried and wished to eliminate from my life. Having started my pilgrimage in Ponferrada, I did not pass by the Cruz de Ferro. I had originally though of throwing them in the ocean at Fisterra. However, as I neared Santiago, I realised that I had to let go of these burdens before I reached the cathedral. As I was heading down the hill from Monte del Gozo I passed a sculpture where others had left stones. I left mine there and thus I could enter Santiago unburdened.

Find what has meaning for you or let the meaning find you.

 

[xin loi]

Iron cross ? It's a roman military shrine and a lot of people do NOT bother to carry a rock there. Doing the Norte next year and intend to carry a stone to Finisterre to offer to the old Sun God.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Have you considered leaving it in your pack? Then you can return the stone to the desert, where it belongs, when you get home.

Take only photos. Leave only footprints.

Could not agree more. Leave only footprints.

 

[trecile]

In the couple of days before I got to Cruz de Ferro people asked me if I had brought a stone with me to leave there. The thought to do so hadn't occurred to me. I was only interested in gaining something from my walk, not leaving anything behind.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

...... and continue with my investigation.

I'm surprised that you have not been given any specific suggestions, JP. As Wayfarer said, though, you will know the right place when you encounter it.
I'd like to add that I do not completely agree with the sentiments expressed by some to leave no trace at all. Transferring a small piece of the earth from one place to another can hardly be seen as littering IMHO. And in your case, (as was in mine), it has particular significance associating the pilgrimage with our origin. Elsewhere on the forum, we have had a rather heated discussion about the pile at Cruz de Ferro, and I expressed sympathy with the many members who criticised what is seen by some as just a pile of rubbish. (The lumps of concrete and discarded shoes don't help.) As an ex-geologist, I had taken delight in my selection of a piece of granite a couple of billion years old, characteristic of my region of continental Australia.

I've just had a look at a geological map of your area, (below); Camarillo is top centre. Your best bet would be a sample of the Miocene volcanic rock forming the distinctive hills on the other side of the creek, coloured a deep orange. The key indicates their age being andesite, a "mere" 5 to 20 million years old, (small beer by Australian standards).
Go for it!

 

[GRR]

Here is how that goes ... bring the stone. When the special spot and the stone meet, you will know. Leave it there.

 

[ShellsG]

When I set out on my Camino last year I toyed with the idea of the stone but couldn't really determine what I felt it would mean to me. I almost felt like I was doing it because I felt it was what a pilgrim was supposed to do. I did research and thought on it and decided that it wasn't for me. Along the way I met a lady from Austin, Texas and she was walking and telling the story of losing her 10 year old son and her need to leave her stone, her burden, at the cross. She had a stone she clutched in her fist, she was anxious and tense and she kept saying that she just and to get as far as the cross to leave her stone ..... that was her goal and her intent. While carrying a stone had no meaning to me I could see that for this lady the stone carried huge significance .... but yet I felt sad for her, for all the hope placed in this stone. I so badly wanted it to unburden her as she wanted it to but I couldn't help but also worry that she wouldn't so easily shed this heaviness she carried within her, that she would place this stone and all the energy that went with it, yet the burden would remain. It caused me some sadness.

 

[jgpryde]

Being still a "Peregrino Wannabee" I'm not particularly qualified to speak to the philosophical questions here. I do feel the "Leave only footprints" responses are a little optimistic if not disingenuous. While it's exactly the right advice concerning litter, personal belongings, etc., there is a limit to how little of an impact each pilgrim can make on the Camino.
Every human that enters another land brings with them, and leaves behind, a certain amount of personal biology, not the least of which is the exchange of bacteria and/or viruses during the process of just shaking hands with a local. These will make a far greater impact on society and the environment than a simple stone I would think.
So, as my time to walk approaches, I will consider whether I feel a need to imbue emotional value to a small, inanimate piece of geology. And if so, I will choose wisely and sincerely.

Buen Camino,

-Jason

 

[jgpryde]

I hesitated to reply because one can easily be misunderstood in written messages. @ShellsG has given a very good description of the feelings and beliefs that people associate with these modern camino traditions. I accept that this is the way it is but to me the multitude of artificial stone piles that you see in the camino environment still feels like Japanese knotweed if I may use this comparison ... an invasive species alien to the cultural landscape.

Actually, I read elsewhere that there are signs asking pilgrims to NOT leave stones at these memorials. This could be for the asthetic reasons you mention or there may be safety issues or whatever. In any case, I would not willingly flaunt the local ordinances for the sake of my personal mythology. Thanks for nudging me to look a little deeper. Best, jgp

 

[wayfarer]

There is no problem leaving stones at Cruz de Ferro...In 2012 I spoke with the owner of Albergue Convento de Foncebadon after seeing some photos on the wall of his bar showing a work team with a back hoe clearing the mound of stones around the Cruz de Ferro. I asked if this was seen as a problem by the locals and he told me no, they do a clean up every few years when the mound gets too big but they see the tradition as part of the Camino that brings them a living.
I would prefer to see people taking their rubbish with them than leaving a stone that represents their prayers or burdens no matter how old or new the tradition is. People have been leaving cairns after them in wild, high places since time began, I see it in my own area in the Burren, some there for hundreds of years, some for a few years. Its just people saying I was here, no big deal. Bring your stone if you want, don't if you don't want, more importantly IMO is don't leave rubbish.

 

[Anemone del Camino]

Along with the photo of the backhoe (I assume the picture is the same I have seen and was taken out of a newspaper) was an article that did state that locals hoped this practice would stop as removing the stones, and all the rest of the momentos people have also left, is expensive for the community.

Plus, why would an albergue post said picture if not to educate clients as to them impact of their gesture?

 

[jgpryde]

I guess that refers to the wooden cross at one of the entries to Foncebadón. There is a placard at the foot that names it as “Cruz de Foncebadón” and says in Spanish, English, French and German: “Please don’t leave stones on the cross. Thank you.” Probably because pilgrims mistake this wooden cross for the Cruz de Ferro which is located further along the road in the direction of Santiago.

Yes, I think so. Thanks for the clarification. -jgp

 

[wayfarer]

The photos were camera taken, not copies from a newspaper and there was a few of them.