pilgrim
Written by Sally Dukes
my memoir, drummer girl ” (released March 17, 2026) is a story about my pilgrimage to find my truth. Many of us confuse travel with pilgrimage. A journey involves a set plan, a beginning, a specific goal, and an outward destination. Pilgrim is driven by a force from within, perhaps unrecognizable, but compelling enough to make it impossible to look away. The embers burn deep. Although consciously connected to the place for reasons unknown, the pilgrim follows.
Only when I started collating what I had written did I realize that the call is always the same, just the context is different, and the horizon is far beyond my awareness. Having had a near-death experience as a child, I was drawn to that myriad of clear lights at the end of a long, dark tunnel, that purple swirling energy field of love, and the restoration of stillness, silence, and divine serenity.
I witnessed it several times along the way. But it wasn’t until one evening, while meditating, that I experienced a vortex of purple energy enter the meditation hall through a closed glass window and shimmer along the walls just outside of my line of sight. I recognized its existence. It was from the other side. I realized that this was my calling. But to what extent it was unclear.
My first destination was India. In the city of Varanasi, Hindus come to die on the banks of the Ganges. This place was and continues to be a sacred resting place. Here it is believed that a person receives salvation when he dies. The cycle of life and death is not hidden here. The cries of grieving widows shatter the silence of the smoke-filled shore, but death on this sacred shore is seen as an event to be celebrated.
I have always been fascinated by the Taj Mahal since I was a child. I opened the folded part and used it. World Book Encyclopedia Check out the fascinating photos of this majestic mausoleum. It was magical and mysterious and I wanted to see it in person. The day I arrived in Agra, I sat in stunned silence as I gazed at what I consider to be one of the most beautiful sights I have yet seen. There were workers doing maintenance on one of the exterior walls at that time that day. A block of soft, pure marble rolled to the ground, glistening in the sunlight, and I ran to retrieve it. It was a gift and a sign. I now have a small piece of this sacred space created by Shah Jahan for his beloved Mumtaz Mahal. The love of life and the love of death are intertwined, symbolized and embodied in stone.
Pilgrims often abandon themselves following instinctive urgency, not necessarily rational decisions. Meditating in a forest monastery on the outskirts of Rangoon, Burma came from a deeply buried calling. It was personal. I was drawn to the need to create a safe space for self-reflection and exploration. 90 days of silence. 90 days of Buddhist training. What would be a better way to recover numous?
As I arrived, took my vows, and unpacked my meager belongings, I wondered how and why I got there. That first night, hungry and alone, I sobbed into my makeshift pillow. Day after day, week after week, month after month, I had no choice but to follow the protocol of meditating, meditating, meditating. Even after rigorous practice, I was unable to discover or recover from the countless things. In fact, I seem to have drifted even further from my truth. The incredible lessons learned from this lonely period did not become apparent until much later in life. The pilgrims knew, but I didn’t.
Pilgrim went to Zurich because he was interested in Western psychology. Alone, I wondered why I had to leave my beloved home, with its stone fireplace roaring, and walk the cold cobblestone streets of the gray city. The drive was from inside. Pilgrims were seeking wholeness and healing. Her truth is countless. As fall turned to winter, the pieces began to come together. Pilgrims knew best.
When you set out as a pilgrim with trust in your pocket, you will return wiser and wiser. Pilgrims wandered in the dark, relying only on the North Star, with their eyes fixed on distant knowledge. A trip to New York, a life in Hawaii, graduate school in California, raising children, and cancer all shaped her life. These continue to be the small steps that bring me back to myself and the realization that when searching for my truth, I only need to pause long enough to look within.
Greece, the final home of the pilgrims. The Meltemi winds blow fiercely into my garden, and the giant cypress trees dance to the rhythm of the summer gusts, patterning the well-worn patio with sun and shadow, light and darkness, life and death. And it is clear that in this movement, this very simple act of nature, one cannot exist without the other.
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Sally Dukes has been published in the Journal of Sandplay Therapy (volumes II, III, and IX) and speaks nationally as an educator and psychotherapist. A successful business owner and dedicated healer, Sally expanded her career through academic pursuits through the practice of psychology and meditation. Through her research, she has developed an understanding of the myths that can unconsciously cast a shadow on a person’s personality. As a psychotherapist, she paid close attention to her clients’ stories, witnessed their pain and joy, and served as an unbiased mirror for them. As an educator, she taught middle school students to give voice to their emerging selves. As an independent editor, she helped writers better align their messages with their hearts.
Real healing doesn’t come with pills or prescriptions. It happens when our stories are heard and our humanity is recognized and respected. Sally Dukes believes in the power of storytelling as medicine. Her memoir Drummer Girl (March 17, 2026) is her story, and it’s true. Learn more about Sally and her work below. www.sallydukes.com
Source: Spiritual Media Blog – www.spiritualmediablog.com
