Finisterre

[Michael P. Barham]

i think it is mostly fun. . . to burn an article of clothing to symbolize
your experience.

To borrow Christian language, walking the camino is a process of taking off
your old clothes and putting on new clothes. . . the old becomes useless to
you - they don't fit anymore.  Spiritually or physically!!!!!

I burned a piece of a shirt that I wore almost every day on the trail.  I
kept the rest of my clothes as I was still travelling.

The shirt was symbolic for me.  It was somethign I wore every day.  Too big
for me now, useless.  It was a shirt I got when I was youth director at a
Methodist Church, and one of my youth designed it.  After a painful process,
I left the Methodists for the Episcopal Church.  Burning it symbolized that
pilgrimage as well, out of the one denomination into the other.  I kept a
part of it, though, to remind me of my roots and to remind me of where I
came from, and where I had been.

I had some special prayers that I prayed wihle the fire was going - a goot
ten or fifteen minutes with my friend's socks added in.  And we shared a
glass of champaign to celebrate and commemorate and seal the event.

 From what I understand, the ritual is ages old, and Christians continued to
use it from a much earlier pagan ritual.

Would be interested in info about the historical accuracy of knowledge about
pagan rituals at Fenisterre.

peace,
Michael B


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