Goddess Pilgrmage to India 2025
November and December have been intense in my life, how about you?
I completed the work and graduated from a Master's Program, bought a house and moved my family into a multigenerational home (my 83 year old mom, me, my 18 year old daughter, 2 dogs and 1 cat). I got pneumonia, then a pleurisy, then a severe reaction to the steroids, whew.
I had to stop a 40 day Sadhana at day 38 because I was too sick to do the practice. I couldn't hike or walk due to breathlessness, and I couldn't do pranayama or meditate to calm my nervous system. Even asana wasn't accessible. It was a walk through some scary territory which demanded that I surrender to the reality of what was happening, and let go of expectations I had for myself. What a powerful practice that was. In many ways it brought me closer to the Goddess than I have ever been, as there were moments where I wasn't sure I would make it through to the other side. I am happy to say that I am finally feeling mostly human again, and able to look forward to the coming year of practice and preparation to lay all of my experiences and feelings down at the feet of the Goddess in her home, the temple spaces that contain her fullest Shakti.
This is the journey of the Goddess. One that is full of twists and turns, one that is unexpected and uncontrollable, one that has no way to predict what lies ahead, but moves forward anyway from a place of knowing that what is right will carve its own path, and it is our work to receive the guidance and walk. Our pilgrimage is destined to be a true journey of the unexpected in the land where the impossible always breaks upon the horizon of the possible. As Andrew Harvey says, "India is our mad mother, and we come to her to be made sane." Our trip is a purposeful pilgrimage to the motherland of Tantra where we will be visiting the Temples of some of the most POWERFUL GODDESSES of the Shakta Tantra tradition, and embarking on a truly devotional and heart opening journey together.
Here are the most important details and links:
Dates are official: January 18-31, 2025
Price is set: $3500 for the 2 Week Itinerary: Registration is $575 which is applied to your trip balance. Click HERE to register NOW.
Here is a list of Trip Details and Temples we will visit (with links when available).
Our friend Nitya Beaulieu will be offering support to schedule Ayurvedic Pancha Karma Add-Ons to begin at the completion of our trip (February 1, 2025) for more information, contact her directly: nitya.om@gmail.com
To prepare you for this journey, Swathy and I are offering 6 classes to provide history, mythology, culture and practice support.
Class 1: January 20 11 AM EST
Purpose & Practice of Pilgrimage
Class 2: March 3 11 AM EST
Mythology of the goddesses 1
Class 3: May 5 Time TBD
Mythology of the goddesses 2
Class 4: July 21 Time TBD
Mythology of the gods
Class 5: September 15 Time TBD
Temple Etiquette + White Saviorism + How to be a culturally aware traveler.
Class 6: November 9 Time TBD
Initiation into Chamundeshwari Advanced Practice + Tripura Sundari (these practices will prepare you for the practice we will do together on the journey, and you will be highly encouraged to do at least a 10 day sadhana prior to our journey).
The cost of this series of classes is included in your trip registration! All classes will be recorded and emailed to registrants who cannot attend in person.
Our trip is 1/2 full, and I have spoken to many of you who are interested. If you are hearing the call, I encourage you not to wait to register. Registration will close on February 15, 2024 due to the complexity of reserving accomodations in India. This is not a retreat, so in true pilgrimage fashion, we will be traveling to multiple locations on our journey. All reservations will be arranged in person in India by Swathy in Spring 2024. Last minute registrations will not be available for this trip.
If you have questions, curiosities, or desires and want to talk more about it, please feel free to reach out to me or Swathy (swathymadhukar77@gmail.com). If this pilgrimage is calling you, we hope you will put your trust in the Goddess to lead the way, and take the next steps.
Many blessings and deep pranams,
Kelly & Swathy
