A ‘peace camino’ is a mindful walk setting the intention to walk for peace in your own way. A walk which brings inner peace spreads peace. Cranleigh House is the base for the Social Enterprise Camino UK and we can facilitate the start of your camino here.
The first path of Camino UK, founded by Katherine Armitage & Stewart Johnston, is the ‘Jesus and Joseph Camino’ which we walked from Combe Martin to Glastonbury, from October 13th-October 22nd 2015. We are currently writing up the way and making a walking map so that other people can follow this special route, for self-healing and for World Peace.
This camino was inspired by the Santiago De Compostela Camino and by the route Joseph of Arimathea and his great nephew Jesus would have taken, by sea, along the Devon coast to the Isle of Avalon, (now Glastonbury). Joseph, according to historical and archaeological evidence was a wealthy merchant who traded with the tin mines in Cornwall and the silver mines in Combe Martin.
The ‘Jesus & Joseph Camino’ follows the South West Coast path for much of the way and part of the Samaritan’s way, from Crowcombe, in Somerset, linking many sacred sites: Cranleigh House, Holdstone Down, Sister’s Fountain at County Gate, St Agnes Fountain and others, all the way to the mystical Glastonbury Tor.
Katherine’s website http://www.caminouk.co.uk

Katherine Armitage and Stewart Johnston were inspired to create and walk the first ‘Camino Jesus & Joseph’, in modern times, having studied the evidence for the visits of Joseph of Arimathea and Jesus to England 2000 years ago. Between 13th-23rd October they made the journey, they could have taken, along the stunningly beautiful Devon/Somerset coastal paths linking the sacred sites of: Cranleigh House, (associated with Jesus and Joseph), Holdstone Down, (The Holy Mountain on Exmoor associated with Jesus channeling energy through the Yogi Master George King on 23rd July 1958 ), Sister’s Fountain (at County Gate), St Decuman’s Well, St Agnes Fountain (Bossington Hill) and many other wonderful places, finishing in The Chalice Well International Peace Garden in Glastonbury, covering the 100 miles in nine days.

Stewart said, ‘Walking along this way, brings peace to the soul. With all the strife that is going on in the world, when we concentrate on something good, like this, it has a transformative power’.
Katherine says, ‘We could see the possibility of translating the idea of the Camino Santiago de Compostela, ‘The Way of Saint James’, in Northern Spain, to our ancient and beautiful paths of the North Devon and Somerset coast, also associated with fascinating religious history, myths and legends and to create a Peace Camino here based on the same principles. People can enjoy this English Camino on so many different levels, it can be simply a hike in nature or, a walk with many deeper connections to the self, to the sacredness of the land and the ‘ancestors’, to the stories of Joseph of Arimathea and Jesus, the choice is down to the walker’.
The events of 2000 years ago deserve to be honoured and recognised in walks that are beautiful and can inspire us to live up to the ideals of Jesus and Joseph of Arimathea whether we consider ourselves to be religious or believe in them or not. Everyone can appreciate the common sense wisdom of the saying: ‘treat others as you would be treated yourself’.
Visiting and walking between the sacred sites, many of which are rather neglected, reenergises the old ways and paths and brings back their power of healing. The old churches are usually built on even older sites and often on ley lines. The ‘altar’ was so called as it was built in a place of high energy which could take people to a higher or ‘altared’ state of consciousness. If we can look past the buildings and feel the power of the land and the connecting energy of these sites, it lends a whole different dimension to the walk. The churches and wells are the outcroppings of a deeper story, which we can all tap into.
This was our first Camino in the UK and we are planning more, to link with other sacred sites.

Stewart and I were given a lift over to Lynmouth this morning. The weather was pretty wet but there was a promise of the sun coming out later in the day for our first walking pilgrimage from Lynton over the Holdstone Down on Exmoor. We stopped for a cuppa in Lynmouth and chatted to some nice people who lived in Brendon.

We decided to take the cliff railway up to Lynton as we really like this naturally powered way to get up the hill. Lovely views across the sea and we saw a surfer out in the grey swell. We passed the scenic cricket pitch in The Valley of the Rocks and took the path round by the cliffs with a stunning view out to sea again. I had so start picking sheep sorrel as there is SO much and at this time of year the leaves are big and perfect to add a wild vibration and  a lemony tangy taste to salads. Then we met up with the capricorn goats, they are rather a smelly but beautiful  troop.

We passed Lee Abbey, looking very well maintained and had a stop by the cafe,  closed, so that Stewart could take his under trousers off, the rain had stopped and we had a great walk along to Woody Bay, picking blackberries  and more sheep sorrel. We met up with a couple from Israel, he is working for a drugs company and is also developing herbal remedies for Cancer. He was fascinated by the sheep sorrel and it’s prolific growth along the path. I said it is is a great remedy, one of the constituents of ‘Essiac or Cassie’ Tea but that it needed to be used in the context of a healthy diet and change of lifestyle. He said ‘No, we don’t educate people we just create products that can help people’. I pointed out how important education is….

So many medicinal and edible plants along the water fall path towards Heddon’s Valley but I learned a really good lesson. When we reached the water fall I saw what I thought was the thin leaved water cress, which I pick in a couple of places in Combe Martin, I picked a piece, ate it and it wasn’t watercress! there are plants which grow in similar places and look like each other but they aren’t the same. It is like a little joke that the Nature Spirits play. I will be looking up this other ‘similar’ plant.

We enjoyed the walk all the way down to Hunter’s Inn and stopped for Soup and Tea, I sneaked some sheep’s sorrel into the tomato soup and it tasted really good… Then we set off up to Holdstone Down, the  views and the colours below us made it worth the steep climb up but Stewart’s boots which he’d been complaining about for a couple of miles were rubbing his toes and by the time we got up to the base of Holdstone Down he decided that he might ruin his feet if he continued.

I remembered a lady, who I thought was called Marie, that I’ve met walking her dog up there a couple of times and she’s said do come and have some tea. I saw the car was in their drive so I said to Stewart maybe if we ask them they’ll give us a lift down  to the village. Not only that they gave us a cuppa and we had a funny time watching their dog Henry trying to climb into a pillow case. Actually her name was Mary and she brought us back down to the village but she said she didn’t even like driving down Buzzacott or  Shute Lane,  that made Stewart feel better for not walking back. So we made it home by 6.30pm, which is what I’d predicted but not quite in this way and gave Stewart’s feet, especially the toes, a massage with calendula oil. We’d had a good day, said some prayers along the way and tested out our equipment for our longer pilgrimage from Glastonbury to Holdstone Down in a couple of weeks. Wahe Guru!

As 2015 gets under way I am using ‘The Release Technique’, also known as ‘The Sedona Method’ to say good bye to ‘old stuff’ & bring myself into the present moment without a trail of emotions jangling along behind me. This technique was used by Lester Levenson to clear himself of everything that held him back from responding to the world with clarity and to become what he termed an ‘imperturbable’ person and to be a winner in all areas of life. He got to a place where he ‘mastered’ the world. Sounds too good to be true? Well, many people  have followed The Abundance Course put together by his friend and follower Larry Crane and found it worked for them. http://www.lesterlevenson.org/about-releasing.php  Check his website for more details.

How many of us have aimed to clear clutter and found that we just can’t get rid of all the old ‘stuff’ that we’d like to? Well, maybe we need to release the internal clutter before we embark on our office or the cupboards in our  bedroom, give this simple technique a whirl and see if it works for you.

At Cranleigh House we are always interested in new ways to improve our spiritual, mental, emotional & physical health in simple, uncomplicated & natural ways. This technique is one that Stewart & I use on a regular basis and we find it helps to clear things as we go through our day.

We’ve already had lots of conversations with people who want to ‘clean up their act’ in 2015 but sometimes it is  hard to know where to  start. What I would recommend is to start something that is manageable and  that you can continue with, whether this is giving up  a habit that is sabotaging your health or taking up a new habit that will enhance your health. For example you can cut down on caffeine or cut out soft drinks such as coca cola or sugary fruit squashes. A good replacement for tea or coffee is a herbal tea that might contain some cocao such as Pukka’s ‘licorice & cinnamon’ blend or ‘Choco’ Yogi Tea, these will give a bit of a lift rather than a strong caffeine hit. As a squash replacement you could try Meridian or Crazy jack’s ‘apple concentrate’ diluted with water or a Herbal fruit tea brewed up with a teaspoon of honey and then chilled in the fridge. This is a great alternative to sugary drinks for children and adults.

From food poisoning to coughs & colds the New Year is coming in with the usual human ups & downs. If you are ‘up all night vomiting,’ as several people seem to be complaining of, then I would recommend Homeopathic ‘Nux Vomica’ or ‘Arsenicum Album’ 6c or 30c I pill 3 times daily for two days.  This is usually available from your local healthfood shop or online from ‘Ainsworth’s Pharmacy’ in New Cavendish Street, London or from ‘Helios Pharmacy’ in Tunbridge Wells Kent, by mail order. Nux Vomica & Arsenicum as remedies can both cause diarrhoea & vomiting so, in Homeopathic Philosophy they can also cure these symptoms. This might sound like upside down, inside out thinking, often there are solutions to problems that we have never considered before but they are worth a try. For a susceptibility to colds & flu you can try Ainsworth’s own ‘Colds & flu’ remedy. This can be taken in a 6c or 30c potency 3 times daily for 3 days or until symptoms improve. Colds & flu are the body’s way of clearing out toxins so it is worth thinking about a New Year detoxification programme. Eating more healthily, cutting down on caffeine, sugary drinks & refined foods. We run a great ‘Cleansing Programme’ here on a regular basis.

George & Matt have been starting our motherearthsminerals basalt winter trials with some small broad bean plants which have been brought on in our greenhouse.

We are getting ready for summer already!

The idea behind this blog is to keep everyone updated with whats happening here at Cranleigh and spread the word! We have so much to offer people whatever your journey we can help you along the way!

Cranleigh  is a comfortable space where you can retreat from the world for a few days or a few weeks. We offer Yoga, Meditation, Retreats & Detox Courses.