Return of the Doves

I humbly offer the ‘Spirit of Iona and the Divine Feminine’, together with ‘Historic Iona’ as a personal tribute to Iona.

The content is an expression of my deep appreciation and gratitude to the Spirit of Iona, and to ‘The Pink Lady of Dun-I’. The Pink Lady is a beautiful guardian spirit of the ‘Well of Eternal Youth’. The Well of Eternal Youth is a Holy Well located on Dùn-Ì, the highest elevation point on the Holy Isle of Iona, Scotland. Gratitude to the Divine Feminine Spirit of Iona for the healings and for the inspiration and communion. You are eternally a part of me.

Return of the Doves refers to my belief that part of Iona’s sacred purpose and mission has always been, and continues to be, that of a beacon of light that uplifts and educates the human spirit. And that a deepening of our individual and collective experiences of the Divine Feminine can be visually perceived as a ‘Return of the Doves’.

In 2012, through a serious of synchronistic occurrences, starting with a near-death experience (or, as Margaret Fields Kean prefers to call it, a ‘whole-life experience’), I was called to look deeply into the sacred feminine aspects of Iona’s history and to share those discoveries and my personal experiences on Iona with all who feel a special connection to that Sacred Isle.

My hope is also to give an opportunity for those who have not experienced Iona to have a taste of her uniqueness through this tribute to her Spirit. 

The Holy Isle of Iona is a uniquely special island situated off the west coast of Scotland. Through the ages, Iona’s story has included being a place where sacred texts for educational and devotional purposes were created. Holy concepts and life-affirming guidance and teachings were offered to the people. Community values, practices and principles supported the finest expression of community living with shared goals, and love for the Divine spark in all of life.

This special jewel of an island radiates deep peace and wisdom. She is the essence of joy and rejuvenation. Iona, in so many ways, is the “Peace that passeth all understanding”, the Peace and Wisdom of the Divine Feminine Spirit, of Dove, of Love.

And WE are the Doves, individuals and communities re-awakening to the divine feminine aspects of ourselves and all of Creation. The necessary balancing is at hand. The pendulum is shifting. The ways of truth, love, peace, and justice are stirring to the forefront. New generations are rising to seek truth and justice in their world. They, too, are the Doves returning, remembering who they are, strengthening and quickening a return to the ways of Spirit, to a path of peace and goodwill to all: a balanced path, a sustainable and an equitable path.

There is a pure essence of hope, healing, and joy available to all who step foot on Iona. It is a magical place.

May hope, healing, and joy infill and enfold your days. 

So, why ‘Return of the Doves’?

Several years ago, I was organizing my writings about the transformative and healing experiences that I had experienced on Iona over several trips there. I was immersed in writing and researching. I was planning to write a book. 

Then one night, I had a dream that showed me the words ‘Return of the Dove’ and I just knew that I was being given the name of the book. 

The only thing was that I had no idea what the words, ‘Return of the Dove’ meant or how they related to the book I was writing about Iona and the Divine Feminine. 

The words sent me off in a research direction that I had not anticipated. 

I began to read and explore everything I could about the iconic Dove, and I began to see that the relationship of the Dove to Iona’s Spirit was deep and profound beyond all imagining. 

It became clearer and clearer to me that as I was writing about Iona and the Divine Feminine essence of her Spirit, there were even more ancient connections to the Dove that were awaiting my discovery.

I had already been fascinated and intrigued to read about the many ways that Iona’s name is related to the Dove. See ‘About Iona’.

And I had written about my experiences of the Divine Feminine on Iona, specifically about my experiences with the water guardian/goddess spirit at the ‘Well of Eternal Youth’ on Dun-I: the ‘Pink Lady of Dun-I’.

…and about Sacred Waters and Holy Wells

I had also researched and written about the Goddesses of antiquity and their connection with Iona and Iona’s neighbouring ‘Isle of Women’.

And after all that reading, research, writing and reflection, I came to understand that the words from my dream, ‘Return of the Dove’ had sparked an opening in my mind that facilitated my awareness that it is us, that we are the doves that are returning. 

We are the doves returning to fulfill the promise of peace on Earth and goodwill towards all.

It was during the final days of my research on the Dove, that I read William Sharp’s book, written under the pseudonym of Fiona McLeod: ‘Iona’, 1910. 

There were so many beautiful things written in that book of visions that served to confirm my feelings about the Dove and Iona. It was the last key to the mystery of my dream. 

Here is the piece that jumped off the page to me:

And so I came to understand and believe that all of the writing and research that had evolved from my near-death experience in 2012 had a purpose. And that purpose was to recognize, celebrate, honour and embrace the divine feminine ‘Spirit of Iona’. 

I came to also believe that in bringing ‘Return of the Doves’ here in this website format, that many may resonate with the message, and may (as I did) experience a great upliftment, an enlivening of purpose, and a remembering of our own individual relationship to the Divine Feminine and to the Dove of Peace. And that it will live strongly within each of us.

So …. Who are the Doves anyway?

We are the doves returning. Each of us. We are the Doves, bringing on the wings of our love, the ways of Truth, Beauty, Justice, and Peace.