The Wordcatcher, Phil Cousineau, in a North Beach cafe session.

COUSINEWS: Phil Cousineau's News

The Purpose of a Sacred Journey

September 7, 2011

Tags: pilgrimage, pilgrim, journey, Greece, Phil Cousineau, Sacred Earth Jouneys, The Art of Pilgrimage

Finding Meaning in the Myths and Mysteries

Imagine your first memorable journey. What images rise up in your soul? They may be of a childhood visit to the family gravesite, the lecture your uncle gave at a famous battlefield, or the hand-in-hand trip with your mother to a religious site. What feelings are evoked by your enshrined travel memories?

The word "pilgrimage" derives from the Latin peligrinus, meaning foreigner or wayfarer. It refers to the journey of a person who travels to a shrine or holy place.

The pilgrim’s motives have always been manifold: To pay homage, to fulfill a vow or obligation, to do penance, to be rejuvenated spiritually, or feel the release of catharsis. The journeys all begin in a nervous state, in deep disturbance. Something vital was missing in life: Vitality itself may be lurking on the road or at the heart of a distant sanctuary.

The ritual act of pilgrimage attempts to fill that emptiness. It can happen halfway around the world as easily as it can just down the road. On the small group travel programs that I lead to sacred places around the world, we take the role of the pilgrim to heart.

My next group journey is to Greece in June 2012. You're invited to join me on this adventure to explore the myths and mysteries of ancient Greece. We'll hear the stories and experience the legends of the ancient gods and goddesses on-site, and discover meaning in them together.

To learn more, contact Sacred Earth Journeys. For details on itinerary and cost, vist the Greece tour pages. Feel free to share the Facebook invitation with fellow pilgrims and friends.

Click here for more information on making travel more meaningful, please check out The Art of Pilgrimage.

Event Links & More

Books by Phil Cousineau

Nonfiction
Phil Cousineau grew up in a family where they took the dictionary with them on vacations. In WORDCATCHER, Cousineau writes about these family origins of his love of words, and describes more than 300 of his favorite words and the fascinating stories behind them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
As indispensable as forgiveness has been to the healing process throughout history, there is another equally profound action that is needed for ultimate reconciliation, which Arun Gandhi, grandson of Mohandas Gandhi, calls “the other side of the coin.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
This book is a brooding, daring, exploration of the secret strength of storytelling, in which Phil Cousineau addresses the central theme which runs through all of his work, the transportive power of words. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Cousineau writes, "Creativity is as natural as breathing. To create is to grow, which in turn makes us feel vitally alive." ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"If Joseph Campbell, the Dalai Lama, and Bill Moyers were to have collaborated on a book about journeys...I suspect it would look very much like THE ART OF PILGRIMAGE." ~Austin American Statesman ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Discover the meaning of tea through the eyes of tea lovers from eight countries around the world. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Huston Smith In Conversation with Native Americans on Religious Freedom ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Rekindling the True Spirit of the Great Games ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Conversations with Huston Smith on the Spiritual Life ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Power of Ancient Stories in Modern Times ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Readings from Socrates to Ray Charles ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Travel Stories ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stories of Synchronicity That Illuminate Our Lives ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Modern Book of Hours ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poetry
Poems ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Poems ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A Rhapsody on a Theme of Famous and Infamous Last Words ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Basball Haiku ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~