Greetings Walking Awake Friends, 

As I sit here and type this, I am finding myself wondering how each of you are doing and how the seasonal shifts and gifts might be appearing in your corner of the world? Here in the UK the temperature is slowly beginning to drop, leaves are one by one floating down from the trees and suddenly, it’s feeling as if autumn is just around the corner. If you are available, it would be lovely to catch up with some of you for a time of casual sharing on our next Walking Awake to the Rhythm of the Earth Zoom on Saturday, August 31st at 11:00am EST (scroll down for invite and passcode).

In just under two weeks, Nick and I will be meeting a new set of Iona pilgrims in Glasgow as we head off together on our third and final pilgrimage adventure this year. It has been a wonderful year sharing special time with beautiful people in these ancient and sacred places.

Immediately following Iona, we are super excited to be traveling to Ireland! We’ve both been in the past, though never together. We’ve been promising ourselves a shared Ireland adventure for years and the time has finally come. In a way, we have our Walking Awake friends to thank for the inspiration of this journey as many of you have shared your interest in a future Walking Awake trip to Ireland. This journey will definitely be a time of personal enjoyment including sharing a few of our favorite sites with each other and visiting several dear friends along the way. And also, a bit of a ‘scout out’ of activities and stops to include in a possible 2026 Walking Awake pilgrimage to the Emerald Isle (If a 2026 Walking Awake pilgrimage to Ireland is of interest to you and you would like to be amongst the first to receive information on this pending journey, do let us know!). 

After Ireland, we will both return to the States to co-lead our annual Walking Awake into the Celtic New Year weekend retreat at Kirkridge Retreat and Study Center (scroll down for more information). We've also arranged to lead an afternoon salon-type gathering at Casa Colum at Columcille Megalith Park focused on Weaving the History, Myths and Mysteries across the Blue Dragon’s Back (scroll down for details). It's been a couple of year's since Nick has been back to the States with me so we are both looking forward to sharing time with our family and friends. We hope to see some of you then.

In other news: You may have noticed my invitation in our Lughnasadh newsletter to partake in a NEW Going Deeper Walking Awake program. If you would like to learn more about it, I have included a link to a descriptive document within this email. The deadline to express your interested in this new venture is September 1st.

An update on our Orkney Odyssey, April 2025: Those who have already registered have expressed interest in an add-on trip to the Isle of Skye. I am currently researching and considering this as a possiblility. As we mentioned in our previous email, we do not see our Orkney Odyssey as an annual Walking Awake event therefor, if you have been thinking about making the journey to Orkney (and perhaps, Skye) with us as your guides, you may wish to consider securing your place soon.

And last but not least, in August, 2025 we will make our annual pilgrimage to Iona with a new twist as we will be based at the charming Argyll Hotel on Iona where our guests will enjoy the comfort of lovely breakfasts, delicious evening meals, ensuite accommodation, and welcoming hospitality. Nick and I are really looking forward to staying at the Argyll and sharing this summer-time pilgrimage with new and old Walking Awake friends. 

Well, that's it for now! We look forward to seeing some of you soon whether in person or on Zoom.

Lots of love from Scotland,

Denise (and Nick)

*The photos featured are from my recent walk near our home in Scotland during which I checked in on the progress of our hedgerow elderberries. Though not ready to harvest during this first harvest season, they should be perfectly ready to forage in late September as we enter the spoke of the second harvest on the Wheel of the Year at the Autumnal Equinox.

Saturday, August 31st, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST

Saturday, October 5th, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST

Saturday, December 7th, 2024 at 11:00 AM EST

For those who are new to our (free) Walking Awake to the Rhythm of the Earth Zoom offerings we often host a very informal gathering in which we set a theme (shared close to the scheduled date), open and close with a reflection and then provide an open sharing space for our Walking Awake community. Above is the schedule for the rest of this year. These are offered as a drop-in-as-you-can opportunity and all who receive our newsletters (as well as your family and friends) are always welcome to attend.

Link: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/84140711115?pwd=U2NZeHVmRFhIM3Y0NUxsY0JrZ0Judz09 

Meeting ID: 841 4071 1115

Passcode: 963396

Columcille and Iona: Weaving the History, Myths and Mysteries across the Blue Dragon’s Back

While we annually offer pilgrimages to Iona, we believe this particular journey may feel uniquely inviting as our Iona accommodation for this pilgrimage will be at the charming and cozy Argyll Hotel (which includes all breakfasts, gourmet-style dinners and ensuite accommodation).



Whether you have been to Iona on your own before, have joined us on one of our past Iona pilgrimages, or if you have never been but have always dreamed of walking on Iona's sacred shores, we hope you will consider joining us in August 2025!

For more detailed information and to register, click here.

*Please note: As the Argyll Hotel has also listed this pilgrimage on their website, we believe there is a strong possibility that this event may sell out quickly therefor, if you are considering joining us, you may wish to secure your place early.