Synopses & Reviews
Geared toward the modern-day pilgrim who is looking for inspiration and a few spiritual tools for the road, The Art of Pilgrimage weaves stories, myths, parables, and quotations from famous travelers of the past with practical suggestions and contemporary accounts of people traveling the sacred way today.
The Art of Pilgrimage is a guide for the armchair traveler curious to know what it means to travel with a soulful purpose and travelers ready to embark on a sacred journey. A journey that depends on the kind of deeply held intention that transforms even the most ordinary trip into a pilgrimagea subtle or life-altering move from mindless to mindful, soul-less to soulful.
For travelers the world over, The Art of Pilgrimage will be a valuable guide, treasured gift, and source of lasting inspiration.
Review
"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
Review
If Phil Cousineaus fine book were to have the influence it deserves, tourism might cease to be an environment blight and become and educational blessing. San Francisco Chronicle Book Review
Review
A must read before a trip. Escape
Synopsis
For the intrepid traveler, there are more resources than ever before. But what about the traveler who is at a crossroads in life, longing for something else, neither diversion nor distraction, beyond escape and mere entertainment? What about those eager for a journey that is personally meaningful? For millennia this cry has been answered by pilgrimage, the transformative journey to a sacred center. The ancients referred to this path as the Way of the Pilgrim, an acknowledgement of travel for the sake of devotion, commitment, even penance to a holy site, a destination that blazes with meaning -- in short, a journey of risk and renewal. The Art of Pilgrimage is a guide for travelers ready to embark on a sacred journey and for armchair travelers curious to know what it means to travel with soulful purpose. Geared toward the modern-day pilgrim looking for inspiration and a few spiritual tools for the road, it combines stories, myths, parables, and quotes from famous travelers of the past with practical suggestions and contemporary accounts from people traveling the sacred way today. Not a guidebook to holy sites, this book is designed to help travelers focus on the purpose and intention at every satge of their journey no matter where they are going. The Art of Pilgrimage includes stories of traditional pilgrimages such as those to Canterbury or Jerusalem, but also ones to Shakespeare's home, Graceland, or the Field of Dreams in Iowa. Phil Cousineau recounts anecdotes from his own travels covering over 50 countries and offers readers the advice he gives when leading tours for the Joseph Campbell Foundation.
About the Author
Phil Cousineau is a bestselling author, editor, photographer, award-winning documentary filmmaker, adventure travel leader, and independant scholar who lectures around the world on a wide range of topics from mythology, mentorship, and soul. His books include The Art of Pilgrimage, Soul Moments, Riddle Me This, and The Soul Aflame. A protege of the late Joseph Campbell, Cousineau is also the author of The Hero's Journey: Joseph Campbell on His Life and Work. He lives in San Francisco, California.