Returning From Camino

[This title is the Second Edition published 29 June 2019.] "My only regret when I made the film 'Walking the Camino: Six Ways to Santiago' was that I hadn't found a way to address what happens when the pilgrims finish walking. Thank goodness Alexander is addressing this very needed and vitally important topic. I am sure this book will bring much peace, comfort, and reassurance to many a pilgrim upon returning home. I wish it had existed when I walked my first Camino!" -Lydia B. Smith, Producer/Director of Walking the Camino, www.caminodocumentary.org This is the original Guidebook for pilgrims returning home from the Camino or any pilgrimage. We usually spend weeks deciding on footwear, clothes, gear, blister prevention, travel details, and maps. Preparing oneself to return home is just as crucial. The return is not 'post-Camino' or pilgrimage. Like a sign in Spain, "Our steps end. The Way goes on." Table of ContentsI. Gifts and ChallengesII. Before You LeaveIII. As You Walk IV. Arriving at The Cathedral - ShrineV. Once Walking Has EndedVI. Traveling Toward Home VII. HomecomingVIII. Living Your Own StoryIX. Aiding Integration X. Closure: Fire, Gathering, Service XI. A Classic Rite of Passage ResourcesThe front cover is the work of Marc Heffner, artist and pilgrim. For more see his website, www.caminoestrella.com Alexander leads an intimate band of pilgrims each year on a 55 day Camino as an intentional rite of passage. He is an author, speaker, and ritualist with a background in cultural anthropology, Jungian psychology, and Christian/mystical spirituality. The book is dedicated to all returning from pilgrimage and to Joseph Campbell, the great mythologist, who taught Alexander in college and who significantly influenced his life and work.