She Who Came Before: A Journey of Remembrance

Eastern Scotland ~ May 1 - 11, 2026

An Intimate Pilgrimage for Six Women Who Are Ready to Encounter Her

Monette Chilson will guide you on this journey into the story beneath the story we’ve been handed about our spiritual heritage. Monette has spent the last decade and a half in devotion to the integration of our herstory into our deepest spiritual knowings, authoring books on sacred feminine archetypes including Sophia and Lilith, anchored by her 30+ year yoga practice. She has led workshops, shepherded an online community and written curriculum to support this work. After spending a month in Scotland each year since 2022, she has developed a deep reverence for the Celtic and Druidic influence on Scotland’s earth-honoring spirituality that lingers even in its Christian manifestations. The friendships she has forged during this time will give us unique access to sites and experiences not available to the public.

May 1-5: Edinburgh & Roslyn

Flying into Edinburgh, we will wait for our group to arrive and will be transported together by a private driver to Roslyn Castle, where we will be staying in a beautifully restored section of this 1305 castle built next to the famous Roslyn Chapel in Roslin Glen. Note that we will be arriving on May 1, the portal to Beltane, the Gaelic festival ushering in summer. If there is a Druidic ceremony within the glen while we are there, we will attend.

Staying here gives us 24-7 access to the glen for communal or individual sacred explorations or rituals in this mystical forest containing relics of its Druidic roots, including carvings of spirals and faces in the stones. During our time here, we will tour Roslyn Chapel (of Da Vinci Code fame) with a guide to help us integrate the meaning of the myriad of mysterious symbols found in the chapel and its crypt.

We will also travel back to Edinburgh for one day (only a seven-mile journey) for a workshop with Allyson Shaw (author of Ashes & Stones: A Scottish Journey in Search of Witches & Witness) and to pay homage to the witches at the small memorial to them known as the Witches Well. We will have high tea together at The Witchery during our day there.

May 5-11: Pittenweem, Isle of May, Dunino Den & St. Andrews

We will be based in two charming houses in the coastal fishing village of Pittenweem for this portion of our journey. From here, we will venture to nearby towns on foot via the coastal path; by ferry to the Isle of May, a National Nature Reserve with archaeological relics of both Christian and pre-Christian spiritual activity; and by bus to St. Andrews and to the nearby pagan site of Dunino Den.

At our home base in Pittenweem, we will spend time in the cave known as St. Fillan’s Cave, but which my research more accurately identifies as the Cave of Mary Magdalene, where her devotees met in the Middle Ages. Additionally, we will have a private tour of the Pittenweem Priory (dating back to the 12th century), one of the oldest continually domiciled residences in Scotland, by my friend Jane Forbes who lives there. This is not a publicly available tour. Jane will let us descend into the cave via a secret staircase in her garden. It is believed that women who were accused of witchcraft in Pittenweem were held in the cave while awaiting trial.

Staying right on the coastal path between villages, we can walk to St. Monan’s in one direction and Anstruther in the other direction, each a 30-40 minutes walk. This is a very accessible, flat route to take in the expanse of the North Sea and the rugged coast. There are spots to collect shells and wonderful cafes and tea shops in both villages. A longer, two-hour walk will get us to Crail past a spot to search for hag stones and retreat to the idyllic Crail Tearoom.

Our final day of the pilgrimage will be spent in deep integration of the wisdom we have cultivated—of the burning times, the erasure of our sacred herstory and the celebration of the earth-based spirituality that is our birthright. As a group, we will decide where we want to ceremonialize and close our time together.

What’s Included

• 10 days & nights immersed in the mythic herstory of eastern Scotland

• Curriculum guide full of context and curiosities about the lands, the legends and the sites we’ll be exploring

• Three pre-pilgrimage classes (Mondays February 3, March 3 & April 7 @ 7 pm ET)

• Private transportation for our group from Edinburgh Airport to Roslyn Castle

• 4 nights accommodations in the restored portion of Roslyn Castle (our group will be the only ones staying in the medieval castle)

• Admission to Roslyn Chapel

• Private tour of the chapel and the surrounding glen with a guide versed in its mythic, sacred significance and Druidic roots

• Workshop on the history and persecution of the witches by author Allyson Shaw

• High tea at the Witchery in Edinburgh with time to wander around the historic parts of the city.

• Private transportation from Roslyn Castle to the coastal village of Pittenweem

• 6 nights accomodations in private rooms spread between two charming homes in Pittenweem

• Boat trip to the Isle of May National Nature Reserve to spot puffins, seals and more while exploring the island known as a spiritual center since Bronze Age Celtic and Pictish had a healing shrine here.

• Breakfast foods will be available in our cottages, purchased from the local bakery and grocer upon our arrival with input on preferences from the group.

• Transportation via bus to Dunino Den and St. Andrews.

• Private transportation to the Edinburgh Airport.

• Rituals and practices around the sites and their lore to help us excavate & integrate Her.

What’s Not Included

• Roundtrip airfare from your home to Edinburgh

• Lunches

• Most dinners (3 dinners catered in at our house included)

• Spending money

Investment

$3,400 (single room 7 days / shared room 3 days)

$4,000 (single room all 10 days)

Questions? Email Monette.