Undertaking a pilgrimage to a special place is an invocation. It makes a statement that you wish to blend your personal presence with another presence, creating a unity that brings meaning and fulfillment. In this handy and helpful resource, Brad Olsen demonstrates his respect for sacred places in North America. The author is a contributing editor for World Explorer and executive director of World Peace Through Technology, a nonprofit organization dedicated to bridging the Digital Divide. He also runs a popular travel website.
While crossing the continent, Olsen had a bumper sticker on his car: "World peace cannot be accomplished by force, it can only be achieved by understanding." The quotation is from Albert Einstein. Another key to the author's orientation as a seeker of sacred places is his dedication of the book to the Canadian First Nation People, the indigenous Hawaiians, and the Native Americans of the United States: "We have much to learn from your traditions and wisdom, such as our relationship with the planet and who we are collectively as a people. Hopefully, we'll learn to co-exist in harmony and respect with all living creatures and ourselves once again."
There is a home-made quality to this paperback that is very appealing. It comes through in 30 handcrafted maps, 45 black-and- white photographs, and 24 line drawings. Olsen has a broad and eclectic understanding of sacred places, which explains why he includes sites as different from each other as Monument Valley (a healing place with deep spiritual meaning for the Navajo Nation), Graceland, the Sabbathday Lake community of the Shakers, the vortices of Sedona (a popular New Age spot), the birthplace of Martin Luther King, Jr., El Santuario de Chimayo (considered the Lourdes of America), and Walden Pond. The book is filled with fascinating archeological, geological, and historical material. These 108 sacred places in the United States, Canada, and Hawaii offer ample opportunity for questing by spiritual seekers.
