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About this trip-
If you’re new to our work, we condemn JKR and her transphobia. Read more about it here.
After over a decade reflecting on this series, we have decided to bring together a small group of pilgrims to a castle in Scotland for our final Harry Potter pilgrimage. Join Casper ter Kuile and Vanessa Zoltan in commemorating the end of the Harry Potter and the Sacred Text podcast on this special trip. Casper and Vanessa will gather a group of pilgrims at the beautiful Atholl Palace Hotel, for a memorable four-night, five-day retreat, reading Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows through the theme of transformation.
The pace of this pilgrimage will be slow, with one optional hike. The rest of the time will be filled with class discussion, delicious meals, opportunities for quiet reflection, and craft and singing circles. Atholl Palace Hotel has beautiful gardens, an indoor pool, a spa, and plenty of gorgeous woodland grounds to enjoy. A short walk away is Pitlochry, a lovely village, and from Pitlochry, a two-hour train ride will take you to Edinburgh, where you can explore all the Harry Potter sights before or after we gather.
During class, we will focus on the last book of the series with our eye towards transformation, asking ourselves questions like: what in your life do you want to transform and what do you want to let go of? How do you know when transformation is ready to take place? How do you prepare yourself for transformation individually and in community?
This trip is perfect for the long-time fans of the podcast as a way to get a sense of closure around the project coming to an end, or anyone who has derived significant meaning from the text and is looking for a community of like-minded individuals to celebrate its gifts and lessons with. We can’t wait for you to join us!
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We will spend most of our time enjoying class time discussion, eating delicious meals, and partaking in quiet reflection within the stunning nature of the Scottish countryside.
There will be one optional hike and we recommend that pilgrims participating in the hike prepare for the possibility of varying temperatures by equipping with layers. We won’t rush our hike, but we expect to embark upon the elevation changes that the landscape provides.
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The full tuition of the trip is as follows:
$4,250 USD for a Private Room
We will meet in Scotland after lunch on March 9th and end programming before lunch on March 13th. Specific meeting time and location will be offered privately to pilgrims upon registration and payment.
Each pilgrim is responsible for handling their own travel expenses and arrangements prior to our meeting on March 9th and after we say goodbye on March 13th.
Trip Faculty
Casper ter Kuile
Faculty Leader & Chaplain (He/Him)
Casper brings new possibilities for community and spirituality to life. He's the co-creator and founding co-host of both Harry Potter and the Sacred Text and The Real Question, and a board member of Not Sorry.
Casper is the author of The Power of Ritual (HarperOne, 2020) and the co-founder of Sacred Design Lab, a soul-centered research and development lab. A graduate of Harvard's Kennedy and Divinity Schools, he served as a Ministry Innovation Fellow for Harvard Divinity School from 2016-2021.
Casper's at his happiest when he's harmony folk singing, keeping his tech sabbath, or stopping for a tea break on a long country walk. Originally from England and Holland, he lives with his husband in Brooklyn, NY.
Vanessa Zoltan
Faculty Leader & Chaplain (She/Her)
Vanessa is the CEO of Not Sorry Productions. She hosts three of our four podcasts: Harry Potter and the Sacred Text, Let’s Ask Taylor Swift, and Hot & Bothered. She founded Common Ground Pilgrimages in order to travel with brilliant faculty to beautiful places and talk about books with amazing pilgrims. It was a great trick she pulled off. She is also the author of the book, Praying with Jane Eyre.
Vanessa was trained as a non-denominational chaplain at Harvard Divinity School. She is a proud California girl who currently lives in MA with her gorgeous, blended family.
Fun Fact: Vanessa taught both ninth and eleventh grade English before becoming an author and podcaster!
Vanessa will serve as chaplain for this trip.
Julia Argy
Logistics Coordinator (She/Her)
Julia is a writer from Massachusetts. Her debut novel, The One, was published by Putnam in April, 2023. She graduated from Harvard University with a degree in Statistics, and from the University of Michigan’s Helen Zell Writers’ Program with an MFA in Fiction. She works as the Director of Pilgrimages at Not Sorry.
Julia will serve as logistics coordinator for this trip.
“It is our choices, Harry, that show us what we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
— ALBUS DUMBLEDORE