by François Capmeil

The Camino de Santiago, is the ancient Catholic pilgrimage route to the Cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, in north-western Spain. Legend has it that the bones of the apostle St James were brought by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain, and are buried under the cathedral of Santiago de Compostela.

The Camino trail has been an important Christian pilgrimage route for over 1000 years. There are many routes to Santiago de Compostela, starting from a variety of points, from as far away as Belgium to as close as 120km from Santiago. The most popular route is the ‘Camino Frances’ which starts on the other side of the Pyrenees in St-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France. This route is 798km long and passes along the top of north-western Spain. Some walk the whole route and some just part of it.

I knew that the pilgrims who visited Mont-St-Michel in Normandy would often continue to Santiago. Would the energy lines that we found in Normandy be also present on the ‘Camino Frances’?

When the time came to travel to Europe, and we found we could spare 8 days, I began exploring our options, as we had too much luggage to carry while walking the Camino.

Searching the internet, I found an Irish company offering a way to walk part of the ‘Camino Frances’, with luggage assistance. We chose one of their options: to do the last 120 kilometres and to have our luggage and hotels taken care of by that company. This means walking about 20 to 25 kilometres per day, for 7 days.

There would be no option to fail, no taxi to catch on these small paths between villages. So we decided to start walking regularly to reach the level of fitness required. Starting 2 months before leaving, we walked 7 kilometres around our suburb every 2 days. Finally, two weeks before going we did a 25 kilometre walk without any detrimental side effects.

The plan was to fly from Paris to Santiago, then take a bus/train east to Sarria, then walk back west from Sarria to Santiago in the 7 days.

We wanted to…

• Feel and experience the ley line energies we have felt and enjoyed at Mount St Michael in both Cornwall and Normandy, Le Mans, Bourges and Nevers where the Michael and Mary lines cross.
• Enhance our spiritual connection, by communing with sacred sites, reducing mental chatter and self-talk while walking silently, and getting time for introspection.
• Enjoy time away from the madness of modern life, and have a closeness with nature as well as experience some great outdoor exercise.

We first arrived in Santiago de Compostella (Spain) in the middle of a warm sunny day. Standing on the Cathedral steps, I looked at the faces of the pilgrims climbing the final steps of their long journey. One face particularly caught my attention, that of a man in his 30s walking with difficulty, but his smile betrayed his joy of finally completing his pilgrimage. I lost sight of him in the crowd as he walked up the last steps to the Cathedral, but I recall his face well.

The feeling on this man’s face really inspired me as it showed the power of the human spirit. Little did I know that I was going to be tested as well.

We stayed in a hotel very close to the cathedral and enjoyed the atmosphere. We visited the crypt where the relics of St James are kept.

I cannot say if they are real, but the energy in that little crypt was amazing, my pendulum almost flew away from my hand.

The next day our driver came to pick us up for a lift to Sarria, about 160km by road, but only 125km by walking through the fields and meadows.

In Sarria we prepared our gear for the next day, all ready to leave the next morning at 7:00 for a 22 km walking journey. I had a cough for a while but I did not think much about it. During the night I got really sick, and could not sleep at all, coughing continuously.

When 5:45 came, time to get up, I was a wreck. There was no option to call in sick. So at 7:00, after breakfast, we set off in the dark, under a light drizzle. Other people were on the path already.

I had carefully prepared my maps, but I found them unnecessary as each turn is well signed with yellow painted arrows clearly visible at every turn. Walking slowly to conserve energy we climbed out of the Sarria valley, into another valley, then another, almost ad infinitum.

After about an hour’s walk, we found an inn on the path and stopped to refresh and take stock of the situation. People of all nationalities were there, having breakfast, tea, or simply stamping their Camino passport.

Two brothers were helping a family member in a wheel chair, one pulling, the other pushing, all three laughing.

There is an energising feeling walking on the path. Everywhere I dowsed I could get golden energy with my pendulum. The path is so picturesque that it looks like a ‘Middle Earth’ set for the movie ‘Lord of the Rings’, with old growth trees, and stone walls covered with moss and lichen.

The light drizzle kept us cool, so we walked on. Gradually my cough decreased in strength and I was happy walking, but at a very reduced pace. We stopped frequently. Leaving at 7:00, we arrived in Portomarin, our destination of the day, at 3:00pm after 22km. That is not a record, but we arrived happy and actually exhilarated, with only a few sore muscles.

On the way we met many people, some in groups, some loners. We would stop to let the groups pass by. I often tested the line with my gold pendulum.

For example, when there was a choice of direction, my pendulum most often responded on the correct choice, except for a few times. That puzzled me, as the indicated path did not have that warm gold energy, the other side did. So I kept testing.

What happened was that the old path must have gone the other way, and they both rejoined after a farm, etc. So the pendulum was correct, the path was probably altered to meet some farm requirements.
We were glad to be in Portomarin, a small village on a big artificial lake. My guess is that the village would be ‘dead’ without all the pilgrims coming through.

The small church at the centre of the village has the wonderful warm energy we have come to expect from old churches in Europe, a Roman style church of the 12th century.

An energy line comes in at 45 degrees to the entrance, then turns back straight at the fonts and down the centre, crossing a water line over the altar. We loved the energy of that little church. Pilgrims would come in and out with big smiles on their faces. In the village the energy level is palpable; every one has a smile on their faces.

The next day same scenario, depart 7:00 for a 25km walk. The landscape every day is different. Today the path follows the main road a lot of the time.

I could not get any energy reading from the walking path at all. Then I tried to do a reading in the middle of the road, and there was the energy line. The road must have been built over the ancient pilgrim way and a new walking path was created on the side of the road.

We only reconnected with the energy when the walking path left the side of the road. This got me thinking about the relationship between humans and the line. Did the line draw people to itself, which created the walking path, or do people by walking draw the energy line in?

The road and walking path described above would be no older than 50 years. Millions of pilgrims have walked the path during that time… but the line has not moved from the centre of the road.

Perhaps the number of pilgrims is not the determining factor. Many people walk the Camino for sport, or with a group where everybody is talking and laughing very loud. My guess is that the line requires a conscious involvement from the part of the walker, to be drawn to respond.

This is what we were trying to do, but it is not easy. Just when you think you are still and focused, some distraction comes and you are back thinking some un-related thoughts.

Days followed days, and the mesmerising feeling associated with walking the path overwhelmed us. We lost track of the world, our worries and everything associated with what we call our ‘modern life’.
My cough soon stopped, my legs felt less sore at the end of the day, and I found it easier to be still while walking. It is a different way of being which comes with benefits.

Gradually, as we got more acquainted with the energy of the line, we got sensitized to it. The breath became deeper and freer. The energy drew us into the many little churches dotting the path. Sitting there in silence, my heart felt like bursting out.

We saw beautiful cobwebs loaded with dew shining in the rising sun.

We saw valleys shrouded in mist before entering them, small villages with overfilled corn granaries, cows crossing the path, gorgeous beds of wild purple flowers.

We crossed little rivers on very old arched bridges.

We ate wild raspberries and cherries from the side of the path, perhaps like pilgrims did hundred of years ago.

Finally, we reached Santiago, the cathedral, the steps. It was a different Santiago than the one I visited a week earlier because my awareness had changed and I saw things with new eyes.

I now know, and understand the joy on the face of the man I saw, the first day I arrived, because I felt it.

François