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A women-led pilgrimage reached Lorton near the end of a 500-mile journey aimed at strengthening the connection between people and the Earth.

The Great Mother March began in Asheville, North Carolina, in March and concluded in Washington, D.C., after 32 days. The group arrived at its final destination on Earth Day, April 22.

Two days earlier, the Workhouse Arts Center hosted the travelers during an evening stop in Lorton. Participants worked on a community art canvas, a typical evening activity during the pilgrimage, and rehearsed choreography for a “flash dance.” About two dozen women later performed the dance beside the Tidal Basin in Washington.

Walkers joined and departed throughout the trip depending on their energy, schedules and weather conditions. Many took rest days, but three core pilgrims, ages 22 to 68, covered most of the route—sometimes walking and sometimes skipping—and traveled as many as 27 miles in a day.

Participants came from across the country, including artists and life coaches who emphasized creativity as part of their spiritual practice.

Megan Keeliher of New Hampshire described herself as a life coach, doula and practitioner of Ayurveda, a traditional Indian system centered on diet, herbal remedies and lifestyle. She called art “sacred” and spoke of using it for healing and as a means of finding a better way forward.

Organizer Whitney Freya of Oregon traveled with her daughter, Riley Ferre. Freya said the march was not expected to produce immediate solutions to current problems. Instead, she described it as a model for gradual change through direct, respectful encounters.

“We don’t expect an instant change,” Freya said. “But it’s about a way to meet this needed change, modeling step by step, face to face interactions.”

She said the pilgrims encountered mutual respect along the route and handed out hearts in an effort to lighten the atmosphere.

The women’s stop followed another recent pilgrimage through Lorton. On Feb. 8, Buddhist monks taking part in a 120-day, 2,300-mile Walk for Peace from Texas to Washington stopped for lunch at Hoa Nghiem Pagoda.

Together, the visits made Lorton a late-stage waypoint for two long journeys to the nation’s capital—modern versions of a practice historically associated with spiritual devotion, respect and dedication.