Rock Cairns

[Sue Kenney]

Andrea,

I am pleased that you have been inspired by my story.

There is a great deal of power in stones. I left hundreds of stones on the
Camino, but there was one stone I felt compelled to bring home with me. For
most of the pilgrimage, I had an injured knee and felt that the weight of my
backback was hindering my ablilty to cope with this setback. A fellow pilgrim
told me to think about putting the weight of my backpack into the stone. I was
desperate to try anything. Soon, the load mysteriously lightened and to my
amazement my knee "healed". That stone is on the night table beside my bed so
at the end of each day I am reminded of my own ablility to create and open
possibilities in my life.

Buen Camino,

Sue

Andrea Innes-Michailov wrote:

> This is so important.  I have had a hard time explaining to others, let
> alone myself WHY I need to do this pilgrimage.  Your news about the cairns
> put it in perspective for me.  I need to make this pilgrimage to leave my
> sorrows behind.  What a beautiful thing, what a hopeful thing.  Thank you
> for sharing that special piece.
>
> By the way, "cairn" (I believe) is a gaelic word.  Can anyone say what it
> means? (probably means "pile or something)...I happen to live in Kearny, NJ
> which was a scottish settlement years ago.  Kearny and cairn are certainly
> related somehow.  Perhaps that is not a coincidence either!
>
> Andrea
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Road to Santiago Pilgrimage [mailto:GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU]On
> > Behalf Of Sue Kenney
> > Sent: Tuesday, January 22, 2002 12:40 PM
> > To: GOCAMINOaPETE.URI.EDU
> > Subject: Rock Cairns
> >
> >
> > Wondering if anyone can enlighten me about the significance and history
> > of the rock cairns along the Camino. I was told these stones were
> > sometimes referred to as "sorrow stones. At the monestary in Samos, the
> > Mother Superior told us to carry a stone and place your anger or fear
> > "into" a stone.  The same can be done by putting your sorrow "into" a
> > stone. The stone is then placed on a rock cairn,  with the intent that
> > you leave some of your sorrow behind.
> >
> > I was so impressed by this idea that each day I left a little of my
> > sorrow on the Camino, as well as a little of the sorrow of many people
> > in my life. After 29 days of this, I didn't have a lot of sorrow left to
> > deal with when I came home. Upon my return I told my friends and family
> > what I had done for them. I noticed they began to believe that some of
> > their sorrow was gone, left on the Camino. What a wonderful gift.
> >
> > It's my understanding the Inuits and the Vikings had a similar ritual.
> >
> > If anyone can help me to understand more about this I would be very
> > grateful.
> >
> > Sue
> >