This is a stunningly beautiful volume about the spiritual practice of questing, which also engenders devotion, attention, and transformation. Jennifer Westwood has gathered individual accounts of 25 journeys to sacred sites including Mount Kailash in Tibet, Santiago de Compostela in Spain, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, Chaco Canyon in the United States, Croagh Patrick in Ireland, and Skikoku in Japan. In addition, she has included excerpts from the writings of pilgrims of all eras and places.
In all the world's religions, pilgrimage "springs from an inborn yearning for an encounter with the divine." Hindus, for example, are convinced that once a person turns 50, it is time to go on a pilgrimage. Islamic believers try to read "the signs on the horizon." Christian visitors to sacred sites look for "communitas," a spiritual solidarity with others. Buddhists honor relics containing physical traces of the Buddha.
"Sacred Journeys" contains over 100 full-color photographs and illustrations of landscapes, ceremonies, talismans, and sacred shrines. There is also valuable information for those who want to go on a pilgrimage to one of the sites covered in the book.
