CAMINO LESSONS
Losing Twenty-First Century Fears on an Ancient Pilgrimage Trail
CAMINO LESSONS: LOSING 21ST CENTURY FEARS ON AN ANCIENT PILGRIMAGE TRAIL is a spiritual adventure, the travel memoir of an unprepared woman of almost sixty attempting to realize her improbable big dream: walking a 500-mile long pilgrimage trail, the Camino de Santiago, so that her life “will not be forfeit”. Once she makes the commitment to go, she receives help she could not possibly have imagined. Profound lessons come with each step forward. On the Camino, she becomes a citizen of the world and comes to know there is a Divine Source guiding her path.
Dear Reader,
This is the story of my Camino de Santiago pilgrimage: a 7-week-long walk across northern Spain, following in the footsteps of centuries of pilgrims. And it only took me ten years of constantly felt passion before I finally allowed myself to experience my “crazy” pilgrimage big dream!
There are many reasons people choose not to pursue their dreams, their passions. Usually “lack of time”, “lack of money”, and “other obligations” are given as the reasons for not following one’s deep desires. Perhaps, hidden underneath the “time/money/obligations” issues lies the real reason: fear.
For many of us the fear of trying something and failing is enough to stop us dead in our tracks. True for me! Among my many other pre-Camino fears were: fear of asking for help, fear of losing my way, and a fear that my under-exercised body would not be able to do the 10 to15-miles-per-day walks. While on the Camino I developed a profound fear of running out of money. Then there was the big fear others had for me: fear of traveling solo.
In Camino Lessons: Losing 21st Century Fears on an Ancient Pilgrimage Trail, I have shared my fears, antidotes to my fears, my discomforts, my excitements, and my learnings before, during, and after my pilgrimage. Through the pilgrimage I grew to see myself as a part of the larger Divine whole. I began to notice all the support coming my way: financial, the “right” people, perfect synchronous experiences, and opportunities to learn (and re-learn) powerful personal lessons. My Camino experience felt blessed.
Whether you desire to walk the Camino de Santiago, to switch jobs, to begin a relationship, or ____, my stories of losing fears are applicable and helpful. My hope is that this book will offer you a measure of relief from your own fears – especially those fears associated with pursuing a big dream – while also allowing you to laugh along with me at my misadventures in fear-conquering.
Buen Camino!
Deborah Terra Weltman
Who is Deborah Weltman?
Deborah is a native of St. Louis, Missouri. She is an interior decorator and owns a picture framing business, but her passion is writing. She is currently working on: a 2nd memoir, a young-adult fiction series, and a how-to-decorate book, plus… more card decks, and a monthly E-newsletter.
What gives Deborah joy is creative work of any kind, especially work that inspires personal and spiritual growth, that makes a positive difference. She adores magical places, and learning to see from new perspectives. Her favorite “reads” are fables and folk tales, works of historical fiction – either past or future – and hero’s quest tales!
Deborah’s currently-available writings include:
Books:
Camino Lessons: Losing 21st Century Fears on an Ancient Pilgrimage Trail is Deborah’s 1st memoir. It tells the tale of her Camino de Santiago pilgrimage experience, her personal “hero’s journey”. Camino Lessons tells of the difficulties, the extreme joys, and the needed learnings (about trusting others, the Divine, and herself) that she (the hero) received on her pilgrimage. Deborah shares her own Camino lessons to help others move forward on their own “hero’s journeys”.
NEW
Pilgrimage Cards
Experiential learning and soul encouragement cards (a 74-card deck) offer daily growth opportunities through Divinely Guided prompts. Perfect for receiving wisdom. Perfect as you set out on pilgrimage, or as you begin any new and personally meaningful endeavor.
What if…? Cards:
“A Seeker’s Guide to Internal Paradigm Shift, What if…? Cards” is a (75-card) deck of practical divination cards, designed to guide and bless your day, to assist you in tackling BIG questions, to encourage you to test out new ways of thinking and being… so you can become your Best Self.
“A Seeker’s Guide to Money and Abundance, What if…? Cards” (a 75-card deck), explores the myriad reasons why money flows away rather than towards so many of us. The cards offer practical advice as well as teaching stories from many who are “comfortable”. The cards pose questions that direct the reader to explore and repair the sources of their money issues.
Asking “What if…?” is an experiment in adjusting your perspective, a way to flip into a new understanding! Use the cards to guide your day, to get Higher Guidance on specific questions, to reflect and journal, or to begin a discussion. Deborah says she can tell when a person pulls a card that offers them perfect guidance because the person is so often moved to tears.
More "What if…? Cards" are coming. The topics: “Love” and “Creativity”.
E-Newsletter: The Encourage-Mentor
Begun during the COVID pandemic, Deborah’s monthly e-newsletter, The Encourage-Mentor, provides a format for creative folks to encourage and up-lift one another (to uplift us all) through the arts. Each month the Encourage-Mentor showcases arts on a specific topic. Deborah announces the topic for the coming month and asks readers to share their creative work, in any form, on that topic. The newsletter has hosted works of musicians, calligraphers, essay and story-writers, poets, fiber artists, print-makers, photographers… All types of creative works are sought. To view past issues and subscribe, click on this link.
Guided Meditations - My Gift to You
Optimal Health
Allow the bubbling Energies of Optimal Health to swirl through your body, removing stuckness and pain… and to bless you with well-being. Before you begin, take a minute to do some gentle stretches. Then get comfy (either sitting or lying down), close your eyes, relax and listen.
Pilgrimage to Essence of Self
Set off on a symbolic journey to discover your core self, to lose fears, to release old hurts, and to become aware of your gifts. Have a pen and notebook handy for afterwards, to write what you learned. To begin: get comfy (either sitting or lying down), close your eyes, relax, and listen.