Meaningful Journeys

In this episode, I talk with Marlin about his 2021 book "Astrotourism: Star Gazers, Eclipse Chasers, and the Dark Sky Movement." We delve into the meaning of dark sky and the importance of spending time in places with little to no light pollution. We also discuss Marlin's varied experiences related to celestial events and the awe that results from them.

In this episode, I talk with Dr. Deana Weibel, who is an anthropologist of religion at Grand Valley State University. We discuss her decades of fieldwork in Rocamadour and book "A Sacred Vertigo: Pilgrimage and Tourism in Rocamadour, France." We also delve into the notions of high places, the veneration of women in France, and her new work on space tourism and pilgrimages. Prof. Weibel's book can be found here and information about her space work can be seen here.

In this episode, I talk with Sacha Kraan and Ruben Heijloo about their experiences along the St. Olav Ways. We discuss the beautiful natural landscapes along the paths and what it means to identify as a pilgrim. We also explore their pilgrimage venture Nordic Pilgrim https://www.nordicpilgrim.com.

In this episode, I talk with Sophie Amoros, who translated her mother's (Nadine Amoros') book Between the Lines from French into English. The book is based on the World War I diary of Charles, the grandfather of Nadine, who was a young soldier from Alsace-Lorraine conscripted into the German Army. Nadine also shares about the family's search for a woman named Isabelle who her grandfather fell in love with during the war.

The book can be found on the following sites English :

In this episode, Christian and I talk about his journeys to the California Missions and his strong connection to Saint Junípero Serra, the founder of the first Mission. We also discuss his recently published book Pilgrimage: In Search of the REAL California Missions. Christian has written a number of books, which can be found on his website https://missions17. Additionally, he has been featured in a Knights of Columbus video about his walk https://youtu.be/2I3V9yaQiYs and is actively advocating for the canonization of Pablo Tac change.org/InvokePabloTac

In this episode, I talk with Tom Issit about his book Riding in the Zone Rouge: The Tour of the Battlefields 1919 - Cycling’s Toughest-Ever Stage Race. We talk about the historical race and Tom's cycling journey along the race routes. Tom also shares about his new project related to the Italian Front of the First World War.

In this episode, I talk with E. Moore Quinn and Alison T. Smith about their new book Women and Pilgrimage published by CABI. We spoke about the inspiration for the book and the significance of women's experiences as pilgrims and pilgrimage scholars. 

In this episode, I talk with Gilles Lagin, who is a battlefield guide in France. We discuss battlefield journeys as a type of pilgrimage and the significance of his role as a guide to connect people to the events, and often personal stories, of the past. Gilles' work has also been profiled in Devil Dogs: Hero Marines of WWI https://www.amazon.com/Devil-Dogs-Hero-Marines-WWI/dp/B07MWS8D76.

In this episode, I talk with Sam Ogden about Hellenistic Astrology, astrologically significant sites as places of pilgrimage, and identity integration. Sam's work can be found here http://www.brothermoonhealing.com

In this episode, I walk with Edie Littlefield Sundby about her pilgrimage experiences along the El Camino Real de las Californias mission trail and her book The Mission Walker. Edie has undergone dozens of rounds of chemo and several surgeries as part of treatment for stage 4 cancer. We discuss life, adventure, and the healing power of walking.