Bats flapped overhead as I made my way deeper into the cave. A rope handrail helped me navigate steep steps. The air got hotter and steamier as I descended. No wonder the Maya believed caves were the gateway to the underworld. The winding trail finally opened into a large chamber and I saw the … [Read More...]
The Holiest Rock on Earth
It is the holiest rock on Earth, and I touched it. Its surroundings have changed over the past 3.000 years, but the rock has been there since the beginning of time, and it is one of the focal points of many Holy Land tours. One Jewish tradition is that the rock is the place where the world was … [Read More...]
Malaysia’s Batu Caves – Rapture in a Hindu Temple
Some of the best advice I’ve ever been given about how to benefit from visiting sacred places came from Dr. Jean Shinoda … [Read More...]
Understanding the Power of Sacred Places
Since the beginning of time, people have been going on pilgrimages to sacred sites for healing, inspiration and … [Read More...]
Kenya: The Witch Doctor Is In
The witch doctor sat with human skulls at his feet. My guide said they were the bones of his father and grandfather who … [Read More...]
Hunting Tigers in India
The man with the sickle was passing sheaves of long grass to the thatcher on the roof, but the dozen tourists on the … [Read More...]
Climbing a Mayan Pyramid in Belize
Belize is so rich in ancient Maya archaeological sites it has been suggested that the entire country should be listed as … [Read More...]
Hidden Treasure in Australian Rainforests
When the first European explorers came to Australia in 1788, they viewed the aboriginal residents as so uncivilized that … [Read More...]
Transformed by a Maya Medicine Woman in Belize
The Maya medicine woman smeared a handful of green, aromatic mud onto my forehead, binding it with a strip of cloth, as … [Read More...]
Holy Wells and Healing Water
To the modern, rational mind, the idea of miraculous cures from holy wells sounds, at best, illogical. But with so many … [Read More...]
Swimming With Dolphins in Orlando
Discovery Cove in Orlando, Florida, is an all-inclusive getaway that truly is a world all its own. Unlike so many theme … [Read More...]
Secret Sacred Sites
Can You Keep A Secret? It’s risky to write about little-known sacred places. I worry about bringing them to the … [Read More...]
Stone Circle Magic in Ireland
Stone circles are enchanted places. Across the British Isles are numerous groups of ancient standing stones associated … [Read More...]
Why I Believe in Fairies
Maybe it’s Shakespeare’s fault, or perhaps the brothers Grimm are to blame, but fairies – like witches – have an image … [Read More...]