When people find out I’m a travel writer who focuses on pilgrimages to places of power, they frequently ask me, “What are the most powerful places on Earth?” Because there are more than 1,000 major power centers around the planet, it’s hard to find anyone truly qualified to answer that question, but … [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 had also been witch doctors, and he receives messages from their spirits to help him diagnose his patients' ailments. I was on my first African safari, and meeting a medicine … [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...]
Durian: the World’s Most Repulsive Fruit Moves Upscale
KUALA LUMPUR - “No Durians Allowed” has long been the rule in hotels, taxis, tour buses and airplanes throughout … [Read More...]
People In The Outaouais Are As Colourful As Their Autumn Leaves
I was startled to realize that the woman in the striped dress was a mermaid. Then I chuckled when I noticed her right … [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...]
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 … [Read More...]
Memories of Route 66 still live in St. Louis
It happened more than 60 years ago, when Bobby and Cynthia Troup were driving to California. Bobby was a composer and … [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...]
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...]
Vision Quest Rock Paintings of the Stein
An ancient power spot in a wilderness near Vancouver, BC is easier to find now that the area has become a provincial … [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...]
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...]
Rediscover the Goddess in Brittany
There are more than 30 prehistoric sites and over 3,000 ancient standing stones near the city of Carnac in the northwest … [Read More...]