Many years ago, I learned a song whose lyrics seem to capture this season of my life: "I'm an old woman, I'm a new woman, I'm the same woman, just deeper than before."

As I reflect on my month-long sabbatical, those words feel especially true.

My journey to England with Mary Reed, Lisa Dewey, and Emily Hayward is still difficult to put into words. Some experiences live beyond language, and this was one of them. From the moment I boarded the bus in Portland on September 24 until I returned on October 4, I felt carried by something larger than myself.

Our retreat group included fourteen women and one man, most of whom I had never met before. Yet by the end of our time together, they felt like old friends. We stayed on a working farm surrounded by sheep, goats, cows, horses, tiny piglets, and a pair of particularly enthusiastic roosters. The food was wonderful, the weather seemed to bless us at every turn, and the countryside felt both peaceful and alive.

The intention of the retreat was beautifully simple: to bring love to the land and receive love from the land in return.

Our pilgrimage began on the evening of the Harvest Moon near Avebury. Standing on a ridge, we watched the sun setting in the west while the full moon rose in the east. Cows wandered through the fields around us as day and night briefly touched. In that moment, it felt as though heaven and earth had come together.

One of the places that touched me most deeply was Avebury. Unlike many sacred sites, the ancient stones are not hidden behind barriers. You can walk among them, place your hands upon them, and simply be present. The largest stone, known as the Guardian, stands watch at the entrance to the field. There was something profoundly moving about standing beside stones that have witnessed thousands of years of human history while feeling completely grounded in the present moment.

We also visited Stonehenge, where we sat on the grass before the stones as Mary and Emily offered a channeling and light-code transmission. Whether one understands such experiences literally or symbolically, what mattered most was the sense of connection, wonder, and shared sacred presence among our group.

Throughout the week we journeyed to Glastonbury, the ruins of Glastonbury Abbey, Chalice Well, Bath, the Cotswolds, and other sacred landscapes. Each place seemed to offer its own form of wisdom and invitation.

Perhaps my favorite location was Stanton Drew. There was an aliveness there that is difficult to describe. The stones seemed to hum with a subtle vibration, and once again we found ourselves sharing the space with cows grazing peacefully around us. It was one of those moments where the ordinary and the sacred felt inseparable.

As a bit of fun, I later checked my ancestry results and discovered that approximately 40% of my ancestry traces back to England, including southern England and Somerset, the area that includes both Glastonbury and Bath. Perhaps that explains why I felt such a strong connection to the land. Or perhaps some places simply call to us for reasons beyond genealogy.

Leaving was bittersweet. I was saying goodbye not only to new friends but also to a landscape that had somehow become familiar in a very short time. I would return in a heartbeat.

As I continue to reflect on the experience, I find myself carrying home a deeper appreciation for the sacredness that surrounds us every day. The stones, the fields, the animals, the people, and the moments of silence all reminded me that Spirit is never far away. It is present in every landscape, every relationship, and every moment when we pause long enough to listen.

And perhaps that is why I return home feeling not like a different person, but like the same person... only deeper than before.

Join me next Sunday as I begin a new series Cultivating the Inner Harvest: What Are We Harvesting from the Seeds We've Planted in Consciousness?

See you on Sunday!

You are a blessing in my life,

Rev. Patricia Bessey