Earth Sky Walks EarthSkyWalks celebrate the union of heaven and earth in the sacred landscape at key festival times throughout the year. Each walk follows a pilgrimage route which treads on stars brought down to earth, so illuminating a landscape myth or symbolic journey. Join us on these walks and let the landscape speak to you as you nurture the landscape through your own personal pilgrimage.

Pilgrimage is a contemplative and personal journey of changing and deepening experience, so these walks are not route marches or energetic hikes. Almost anyone can take part as our usual speed averages about one mile an hour, with pauses for appreciation of the landscape, silence, and sharing our knowledge and experience of the places we visit.

All these pilgrimage walks, whilst not arduous, do require dressing for all possible weathers, with practical walking shoes or boots, as some of the green lanes can become very muddy. On very hot days, lots of water is essential. There are no shops or pubs on the pilgrimage routes, so please make sure you bring adequate food and drinks for your own needs on the walk.

All the walks are free of charge and we do not expect donations. All walkers take part at their own risk and the organisers, Anthony Thorley and Celia Gunn, cannot be held responsible for participants' safety, health or wellbeing.

We will definitely start off 30 minutes after the meeting-time, so please try not to be late, as you might miss the important car allocation which allows everyone at the end of the walk to get back to their cars at the beginning.

Finally, we are privileged to be able to enjoy this access to our beautiful countryside. Please respect the land and its carers at all times. Follow the Countryside Code and the ASLaN Sacred Sites Charter.

1. The Pegasus Four Springs Pilgrimage at Avebury

Imbolc or Candlemas celebrates the advent of Spring and the quickening of life. The three goddess figures at Silbury Hill each play their part as the Winterbourne becomes the waters of the Kennet at Swallowhead Spring. The Four Springs Pilgrimage traces the symbol of the goddess lozenge as the stars of Pegasus in the Avebury ritual landscape.

You will definitely need waterproof footwear.

Time: 3 hours. Distance: 3 miles.
Meet at Silbury Hill carpark at 1pm.
Sunday 10th February, 2013

2. The Dragon Pilgrimage on the Wiltshire Zodiac

Beltane is the May fire festival that celebrates the sacred marriage and the blossoming of nature. St George's Day, April 23rd, recalls an ancient fertility god and Green Man. We walk from Scales Bridge in the centre of the Wiltshire Zodiac along Dragon Lane to Swanborough Tump and Picked Hill, passing through the centre of the moon.

Time: 5 hours. Distance: 5 miles.
Meet at St James Church car park, North Newnton, near Upavon, Wiltshire, at 11:30am.

St Mary & St John - LamyattChurch

The Cedar Walk - Nr Butleigh

3.The Glastonbury Zodiac Milky Way Pilgrimage

The Glastonbury Zodiac's Milky Way pilgrimage route is a midsummer walk which links seven pre-Reformation churches between Lamyatt Beacon and High Ham, a distance of 21 miles. Much of the route is along green lanes and public footpaths. We walk from the galactic centre stargate between Sagittarius and Scorpius to the opposite stargate between Taurus and Gemini, where in ancient tradition souls incarnate on earth. The iconography and saints of the seven churches reflect the timeless harmony of the soul's journey between life and death and enable us to rediscover new life and creative energies for ourselves. This is a pilgrimage associated with profound personal insights and real changes of direction in people's lives, so be prepared for something special.

We divide the journey into two 10 ½ mile sections over successive Sundays in July. Some cars parked at the end of the pilgrimage will ferry all participants back to their cars at the beginning.

Part   I

Time: 10-12 hours. Distance: 10 ½ miles.
Meet at Baltonsborough Village Hall carpark at 10am for car allocation.
SABBATICAL: NO ORGANISED WALK THIS YEAR

Part II

Time: 10-12 hours. Distance 10 ½ miles.
Meet at High Ham Village Hall carpark, at 10am for car allocation.
SABBATICAL: NO ORGANISED WALK THIS YEAR

CANCELED
4. The Tan Hill   Gaia Pilgrimage

Lughnasadh or Lammas is the fire festival at the birth of the harvest from the great mother of the land, which was celebrated in the cattle fair on St Anne's day on Tan Hill every August 6 th until 1932. We have revived this tradition so as to remember Gaia and our personal responsibilities for good environmental living. On the pilgrimage, we carry fire as we follow the Tan Hill Way along the entire body of the Alton Barnes Goddess, from Martinsell Hill to Tan Hill as she mirrors the stars of the Pewsey Vale Milky Way of the Wiltshire Zodiac. We finish with a fire ceremony on Tan Hill summit at sunset.

Time: 10 hours. Distance: 8 miles.
Meet at Knap Hill carpark, north of Alton Barnes, at 10am for car allocation.

Sunday 11th August 2013
CANCELED

CANCELED
5. The Hermes Pilgrimage at Stonehenge

Samhain or Hallowmass is the fire festival that celebrates the interface of the old and new year, when the veil between heaven and earth is at its most fine: the time of spirits, souls and saints passing from earth to heaven, as remembered by All Saints' and All Souls' Days. We celebrate this Hermetic time with a pilgrimage starting at Wilsford cum Lake, passing along the green lanes of the King's Way and part of the caduceus of Mercury as it enters Stonehenge, centre of timeless mercurial energy.

Time: 3 hours. Distance: 2 miles.
Meet in the lane just to the west of Stonehenge carpark at 11:30am for car allocation.
CANCELED
Sunday 3rd November 2013

We hope you enjoy coming on these pilgrimage walks. We would welcome any comments or suggestions; please email them to our website.

Anthony Thorley and Celia Gunn