Blog
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What is a crystal light treatment?
A crystal light treatment offers far more than chakra balancing: it is a transformative encounter with colour, quartz, and the spirit realm. Drawing on years of practice in Coogee and roots in Spiritism, this piece explains the session step by…
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Meditation & Healing: A Spiritist Perspective
Paul McCarthy has been a meditator since 1998 and has been facilitating meditation and healing in the Spiritist tradition since 2010. This post traces the practice behind his meditation training sessions and crystal light treatments — and what it means…
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What is a “sacred travel” consult?
I offer guidance to advanced souls considering using sacred travel to advance their soul’s growth. This post discusses how I approach this issue and when it might be helpful. (3 min read)
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My life in Coogee
A personal portrait of life in Coogee — the morning swims, the art deco streets, the food, and why this quietly extraordinary beach suburb got under Paul’s skin and never let go. (5 min read)
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35,000 words… not
A picture is worth a thousand words — and these are worth thirty-five thousand. A photo essay from forty years of sacred travel across six continents: places, people, and beautiful food.
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How would you describe Australia to a foreigner?
Three Tourism Australia films that brilliantly capture what it feels like to be in Australia — the blue water, the food, the warmth — and why Coogee Beach is the perfect embodiment of all of it. (4 min read)
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Pilgrim, Lightworker, Medium, Meditator, Writer, Foodie, Guide & Coach
Paul McCarthy’s life changed direction when he visited Brasil to acquire a crystal light healing apparatus in 2008. He learned about Spiritism, developed mediumship, learned and then taught meditation and unexpectedly became a pilgrim visiting the world’s holy sites. He…
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Novena to St Ignatius of Loyola
This novena to St Ignatius of Loyola offers nine days of guided prayer, from his dramatic conversion and devotion to Our Lady, through building God’s Kingdom and loving the poor, to the Suscipe of complete surrender. Walk as a pilgrim…
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Aussie music for the walk from Coogee to Bondi
A curated Spotify playlist of 30 Australian songs — from Gurrumul to Kylie, Paul Kelly to Midnight Oil — with personal reflections on each track. The perfect soundtrack for the iconic 90-minute coastal walk from Coogee to Bondi and back.…
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When pilgrimage is not an option
Pilgrimage is a calling — not a requirement. For those who cannot travel to the world’s holy places, there are beautiful alternatives that our medieval kin also relied upon. Here are some thoughts on connecting with sacred places from wherever…
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Bones and holy dust – relics of the saints
Bones, skin and holy dust — the relics of the saints once drew millions of medieval pilgrims across Europe, and they still draw me. Here is why relic veneration is not morbid superstition but a living, cross-religious practice that can…
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I touched the Crown of Thorns
In 2012, I venerated the Crown of Thorns in Notre Dame Cathedral — a relic of the Passion of Jesus that has been kept in Paris since 1239. It was the most intense spiritual experience of my pilgrimage life. Here…
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My Spiritist Meditation Protocol
This practical guide distils a Spiritist approach to meditation into precise steps for posture, prayer, and energetic receptivity. Aimed at meditation teachers, it outlines how to hold group sessions and private healings, close safely, support those who struggle to return,…
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Crystal light treatments for couples
Combining a crystal light treatment and meditation with a partner is an opportunity to give, receive and actively contribute to each other’s soul growth. (2 min read)
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Some inspiring pilgrims
A carefully curated selection of inspiring and uplifting videos about pilgrimage and sacred travel: The extraordinary 14th century story of Ibn Battutah, walking the Kumano Kodo in Japan, a 3 part BBC series about the history of Christian pilgrimage and…
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More inspiring pilgrims
Looking for a more intentional, spiritually rich pilgrimage? This post recommends five deeply loved books on sacred travel—from The Art of Pilgrimage and global histories of holy sites to stories of the Camino, Franciscan Italy, and Marian miracles—offering practical insight,…
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My top ten sacred sites
A suggested list of sacred sites from 17 countries to inspire your travels, including Christian and Muslim holy places and world heritage sites. (2 min read)
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Some reading suggestions
Paul McCarthy has written two books about saints that have inspired him (St Ignatius of Loyola and St Francis of Assisi). He has been working on third book (about St Francis Xavier) for some time. (2 min read)
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Reflections on this year’s pilgrimage to Italy
Reflections written from a hotel near Milan airport on the final night of this year’s pilgrimage to Italy — saints visited, relics venerated, museums explored, and beautiful meals shared across Rome, Assisi, Bologna, Turin and beyond. (2 min read)
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Annecy, France
A detour from Turin to venerate the relics of St François de Sales and St Jane de Chantal in the Basilica of the Visitation — an expensive, time-consuming, and completely worthwhile day in one of France’s most beautiful towns. (5…
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Turin revisited
Turin may be the most beautiful large city in Italy — grand boulevards, magnificent churches, and the shrines of Don Bosco and Dominic Savio. A second visit, this time with the Holy Shroud still not on display and the Middle…
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Materialisation over a relic in the Basilica of San Antonio
A day of prayer and unexpected grace in Padova — multiple visits to the Basilica of Saint Anthony, and a surprising materialisation over a relic of St Francis of Assisi that caught me completely off guard. (4 min read)
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Convent of the Visitation, Treviso
A visit to the Convent of the Visitation in Treviso to venerate a relic of St François de Sales and thank the nuns for praying for a friend’s miracle — leading to an unexpected and moving encounter with his incorrupt…
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Bologna again
Back in Bologna for a second time — revisiting the shrines of St Catherine of Bologna and St Dominic, a superb vegetarian dinner, and street protests about the conflict in the Middle East. (3 min read)
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Pisa!
Pisa rewards the pilgrim as much as the tourist — four remarkable museums, an extraordinary Eucharistic miracle, the church where St Catherine of Siena received the invisible stigmata, and one of the most astonishing pieces of public sculpture I have…
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Chasing Caterina around Siena
A full day following St Catherine of Siena through her city — the duomo, the pilgrim hospital, San Domenico, and the remarkable chapel where she exchanged hearts with Jesus. With local guide Anna Piperato and an unexpected materialisation photograph. (6…
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My first time in Siena
First impressions of Siena — medieval brickwork, a guided tour with the remarkable Anna Piperato, a Eucharistic miracle still unexplained after 300 years, and an evening in Catherine’s neighbourhood chapel. (5 min read)
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Gubbio
A peaceful day in Gubbio — said by some to be second only to Assisi for St Francis — visiting three special exhibitions about Francis and the wolf, and an 8th-century Franciscan pilgrim church still quietly holding its ground. (3…
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Foligno – “where it all began”
A brief but meaningful pilgrimage stop in Foligno — the town where St Francis sold his father’s cloth, setting in motion the events that would transform his life and the world. (3 min read)
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What can we learn about San Francesco from Perugia
Perugia holds an important place in the story of St Francis — he was imprisoned here, and it changed him — yet the city acknowledges him barely at all. A pilgrim’s frustrating and illuminating search for what remains. (5 min…
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Under the Tuscan fog in Cortona
A day trip from Assisi to Cortona in the Tuscan fog — visiting the Franciscan hermitage at La Celle, relics of Brother Elias, and walking 13km with the equivalent of 52 floors climbed. (4 min read)
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Revision line – Veneration of the relic of St Francis… and St Carlo Acutis
A third veneration of the relics of St Francis of Assisi using the guided option — more intimate, more intentional — followed by a visit to the shrine of the newly canonised St Carlo Acutis, whose energy and appeal to…
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Second time line – Veneration of the relic of St Francis of Assisi
A second visit to the relics of St Francis in Assisi — mass in the upper basilica, the Basilica of St Clare, San Damiano, St Mary of the Angels, and 19km of walking through the beautiful Umbrian countryside. (4 min…
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First time line – Veneration of the relic of St Francis of Assisi
The bones of St Francis of Assisi — hidden for 600 years, exhibited for one day in 1978, and now exposed to the world for the first time in a special 2026 exposition. A deeply moving account of joining the…
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On the pilgrim path in Rome
Two days on the pilgrim path in Rome — Trastevere, San Francesco a Ripa, the Station Churches, St Peter’s, the tomb of Good Pope Francis, and a surprise Mass for the Feast of the Primacy of Peter. (6 min read)
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On my way to Rome again
Arriving in Rome for the 2026 Italy pilgrimage — Il Gesù, St Ignatius, a spontaneous confession with a Jesuit, and a first visit to the tomb of Pope Francis at Santa Maria Maggiore. (5 min read)
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Meet me in the library – I love books
Let me introduce myself through my love of books. From novels that survived a flood to saints’ lives, Spiritism, Islamic art and the art of pilgrimage — a tour of a library that maps a life. (15 min read)
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Kyoto — thousands and thousands of blessings
Kyoto — Japan’s cultural heart, with 1,600 Buddhist temples and 400 Shinto shrines — and the final stop on my pilgrimage following St Francis Xavier. Ten thousand torii gates at Fushimi Inari, the Zen stillness of Ryoan-ji, and 1,001 golden…
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The island where God lives
The World Heritage island of Itsukushima — known as Miyajima, “the island where God lives” — where the entire island is considered sacred and the iconic vermillion torii gate rises from the sea. (3 min read)
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Ringing the peace bell in Hiroshima
A visit to Hiroshima’s Peace Park and the Memorial Cathedral for World Peace — 500 metres from the epicentre of the atomic bomb — to fulfil a promise and ring the peace bell with all my heart. (4 min read)
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The lovely town of Yamaguchi
Following St Francis Xavier to Yamaguchi — the quiet city where he preached in the streets, converted Japan’s first Jesuit, and changed the course of Christian mission in Asia. With an unexpected materialisation photograph at the Xavier Memorial Park. (7…
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There is a gift in Kagoshima
Following St Francis Xavier to Kagoshima — where he made landfall on 15 August 1549, the first European missionary to reach Japan. A moving welcome from devoted locals, and reflections on his extraordinary courage and faith. (6 min read)
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My pilgrimage to Japan begins in Nagasaki
My Japan pilgrimage begins not where Xavier landed, but in Nagasaki – the Rome of the East, home of the 26 Martyrs, and where the atomic bomb fell in 1945. Two days of extraordinary pilgrimage, Xavier cake included. (6 min…
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Leaving on Uzbek Airlines
Departing Uzbekistan from Tashkent — the Usman Quran stained with the blood of the third caliph, the Soviet metro as public art, and reflections on a country of extraordinary artistry, kindness and beauty. (5 min read)
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Far from deserted, you can hook up in a yurt if you want to
Crossing the Kyzyl Kum desert on the Royal Road from Samarkand to Bukhara — a holy Islamic site in Nurata, a picnic by a vast artificial lake, and an overnight stay in a yurt under a spectacular Central Asian sky.…
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The holiest place in Samarkand
Shakhi-Zindi — the holiest site in Samarkand, a necropolis of staggering beauty that brought me to tears. A place so sublime Jules Verne reached for his pen and put his brush down in defeat. (4 min read)
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To be in Samarkand
To be in Samarkand — the Mirror of the World, the Jewel of Islam, the Centre of the Universe — on my birthday, and to stand before the Registan at last. A dream fulfilled. (5 min read)
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My introduction to Tashkent
First impressions of Tashkent — a city still finding its feet after Soviet rule, with bare trees hiding its beauty, a sublime Good Friday Mass in a Catholic church, and the best vegan fried noodles. (5 min read)
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Why are you going to Uzbekistan?
Why Uzbekistan? Because a decade ago I saw an image of Shakhi-Zindi necropolis and could not let it go. A brief introduction to this double land-locked country of 30 million people and ancient cities. (3 min read)
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Ending the old and beginning the new with St Francis
New Year in Assisi — a fourth pilgrimage to my spiritual home, deepening connections with St Francis, St Rita, the Portiuncula, San Damiano, and an unexpected materialisation of the Master Kuthumi at the Basilica of St Mary of the Angels.…
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A different take on “The Voice” referendum
A piece provided to various progressive media outlets ahead of the national referendum of an Indigenous Voice to the Australian Parliament advocating public promotion of abstention as a legitimate option for voters. Unfortunately, the piece did not get a run…
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The pandemic opportunity
This is the most extraordinary time to be alive and the opportunity for growth is extraordinary. Twelve spiritual principles for navigating the pandemic with faith, vibration and discernment. Written in June 2020. (5 min read)
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Iran: extraordinary beauty, culture, refinement and hospitality
Six weeks ago I had one of the best holidays of my life — a guided tour of Iran visiting Shiraz, Persepolis, Esfahan and Tehran. Here is what I found: extraordinary beauty, warm people, sublime tile work, and not a…
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Lithuania – divine mercy, the hill of crosses and great cake
Lithuania — green, sunny, beautiful, and filled with extraordinary cake. The original Divine Mercy painting in Vilnius, the Hill of Crosses resisting Soviet bulldozers, and the unexpected connection between St Faustina and St Ignatius of Loyola. (8 min read)
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Դուք սիրում եք Հայաստանը
Eight days in Armenia — the first country to convert to Christianity, and a land of extraordinary beauty, faith, ancient monasteries, and unhealed wounds. Written on the flight home. (10 min read)
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Is the Maltese Terrier nearing extinction on Malta?
Malta is interesting, cultured and devout — but her quieter sister Gozo is the real treasure. On pilgrimage to the relics of St Paul, the chapel of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and a very important question about the Maltese…
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Valetta: European capital of culture or a plastic pig’s arse?
Valletta is the European Capital of Culture for 2018 — so why is its Maritime Museum the worst I’ve ever visited? A day of extremes, from hideous plastic statues to a world-class video art exhibition about migration. (4 min read)
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The perfumed underpass
A stopover in Abu Dhabi — a perfumed underpass, a woman in silver shoes, the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque (the most beautiful building in the world), and the Louvre Abu Dhabi. Some places get under your skin. (5 min read)
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Pilgrimage for the feast of St Francis of Assisi
A parish address for the feast of St Francis of Assisi — on the real Francis, untamed and radical, not the cute garden statue. And why pilgrimage to Assisi is one of the most transformative things you can do. (4…
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Pilgrimage to the shrine of Padre Pio
Padre Pio — the greatest mystic of the 20th century, who bore the stigmata for fifty years and promised to do more good after his death than during his life. A pilgrimage to his shrine in San Giovanni Rotondo and…
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My favourite town in Italy
Assisi — my favourite town in Italy, and the most powerful pilgrimage site I have ever visited. Holy places, extraordinary food, truffle on everything, and the chance to connect with St Francis and St Clare in the places where they…
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Francis of Assisi and the Holy Land
What we owe to St Francis of Assisi in the Holy Land — how his extraordinary visit to the Sultan in 1219, during the Crusades, led to the Franciscans becoming custodians of every major Christian site in Palestine. (5 min…
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Doughnuts with an ultra-orthodox Jew
A walking tour of ultra-orthodox Jerusalem with Kitty — bad wigs, long temple curls, charity boxes on every corner, and the best possible reason to eat doughnuts. (5 min read)
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Taking a tour on pilgrimage is akin to wearing a swimsuit to church
A tour of the holy sites of Galilee — Nazareth, the Sea of Galilee — that left me feeling more like a tourist than a pilgrim. Here is why rushing sacred places in a group is akin to wearing a…
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The doughnut divinity is definitely Jewish
OMG! Jerusalem is life changing — and it has taken me to the point of seriously considering giving up pastry in favour of doughnuts. If you know me well, you’ll understand this is bigger than changing religion. (3 min read)
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Getting into a convent is much easier than getting out
Locked in a convent on the Via Dolorosa in Jerusalem — no wifi, no telephone, and the call to prayer at 4.20am. A Christmas in the Holy Land that took in Bethlehem, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Mount…
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Nailing the poverty of St Francis of Assisi to the cross
A meditation on St Francis of Assisi and the spirituality of poverty — inspired by Gerard Thomas Straub’s book “The Loneliness and Longing of Saint Francis”. Written ahead of a meditation event in Perth on the feast of St Francis.…
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Pilgrimage stops: Collevalenza & Orvieto, Italy
Two pilgrimage stops on the road from Assisi to Rome — the Sanctuary of Merciful Love at Collevalenza, founded by the beatified Madre Speranza, and the hilltop town of Orvieto, whose magnificent duomo was built to house a eucharistic miracle.…
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Pilgrimage Stop: Assisi, Italy
Four days in Assisi with my sister — two holy doors, the incorrupt body of St Clare, the smell of sanctity, and the peace that surpasses understanding. A reflection written as the sun sets over the Basilica of St Francis.…
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Pilgrimage Stop: Cascia
A pilgrimage road-trip from Assisi to the Basilica of Santa Rita di Cascia — venerating the incorrupt body of St Rita, the Saint of Impossible Cases, and discovering the Eucharistic Miracle of Cascia in the basilica’s lower chapel. (4 min…
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Pilgrimage Stop: La Verna, Italy
For two years before his death, St Francis of Assisi carried the stigmata — the crucifixion wounds of Jesus — received at La Verna, a mountain sanctuary less than two hours from Assisi. A pilgrimage to the spot where it…
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Pilgrimage Stops: Venice & Florence
Venice and Florence — two-thirds of the holy trinity of Italian tourism. Beautiful, extraordinary, worth experiencing once — but if pilgrimage is your priority, spend the time in Assisi or Siena instead. (4 min read)
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Pilgrimage Stop: Padova
A day in Padova — St Anthony’s basilica, the world’s oldest botanical garden, and the jewel-box Scrovegni Chapel painted by Giotto. (5 min read)
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Pilgrimage Stop: Bologna
Bologna’s hidden saint, St Dominic’s basilica, and a 4km portico walk to a miraculous icon of the Virgin — pilgrimage in Italy’s most underrated city. (6 min read)
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A most extraordinary story…
Eileen O’Connor, Mary MacKillop, Our Lady of Coogee and a chain of synchronicities — the extraordinary story of a saint-in-waiting at the end of my street. (6 min read)
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Returning a “global citizen” after 3.5 years of travel
After 3.5 years of sacred travel across four continents — what changes, what doesn’t, and why coming home feels like the strangest pilgrimage of all. (5 min read)
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Finding Xavier in Malacca
The church, the relics and the overwhelming energy of St Francis Xavier in Malacca — and what it means to visit the same saint in multiple places across the world. (5 min read)
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On my way to Xavier in Malacca
En route to St Francis Xavier in Malacca — reflections on the journey and why Xavier keeps drawing me across the world. (4 min read)
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Rennes, Mont St Michel and Lisieux
Archangel Michael’s island fortress, the Martin family home in Alençon and St Thérèse’s Lisieux — three sacred stops on one extraordinary day in Normandy. (5 min read)
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Our Lady of Chartres, France
The veil of the Virgin, the labyrinth and 900 years of pilgrimage — why Chartres Cathedral remains one of the most powerful Marian sites in the world. (6 min read)
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Oldest shrine to Archangel Michael in Western Europe
Monte Sant’Angelo — the cave sanctuary where Archangel Michael appeared in the 5th century, and the ancient pilgrimage road that connects it to Padre Pio. (5 min read)
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Singing and dancing in Assisi
A musical theatre production, St Clare and an unexpectedly joyful evening in Assisi — proof that the sacred and the playful are not mutually exclusive. (3 min read)
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Mary’s house in Ephesus
Anne Catherine Emmerich described Mary’s house above Ephesus in exact detail — before it was found. A visit to the site that confirmed both her visions and something extraordinary. (5 min read)
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Seven Sleepers of Ephesus
The cave where seven young Christians slept for two centuries — a rare sacred site where Christianity and Islam share a miracle story, hidden in the hills above Ephesus. (4 min read)
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Spiritual centre of Brasilia
Don Bosco’s prophecy, the Temple of Good Will and the quietly extraordinary spiritual life of Brazil’s planned capital. (4 min read)
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A Call to Loreto
Mary’s house in Nazareth, transported by angels to a hilltop in Italy — the history, the saints and the enduring pilgrimage call of Loreto. (5 min read)
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Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Jasna Gora, Poland
The Black Madonna of Jasna Gora — why this sacred image carries the highest energy of any Marian shrine visited, and what that tells us. (3 min read)
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Gyor, Hungary
Our Lady Consoler of the Afflicted, the weeping icon of 1697, and an unexpected Marian pilgrimage site between Vienna and Budapest. (4 min read)
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Did you see St Ignatius in Vienna?
Two giant Rubens paintings in Vienna’s Kunsthistorisches Museum — and why the miracles of Ignatius and Xavier deserve far more attention than they get. (2 min read)
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Memories of Loyola
The birthplace of St Ignatius of Loyola, the Chapel of the Conversion, and the relic that brought tears — a pilgrim’s account of the Sanctuary of Loyola. (4 min read)
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Mary Help of Christians and the Salesian saints of Turin
Don Bosco, Dominic Savio and the Basilica of Mary Help of Christians in Turin — a pilgrimage to the heart of the Salesian saints. (4 min read)
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After my death I will do more
Padre Pio’s life, stigmata, miracles and his promise that his real mission would begin after his death. (3 min read)
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Doing things backwards in County Clare
St Brigid’s Well, the Cliffs of Moher and the quiet spiritual geography of County Clare — where Ireland’s second saint still draws pilgrims off the tourist trail. (2 min read)
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Our Lady of Knock
The 1879 apparition in County Mayo — fifteen witnesses, a silent vision of light beings and angels, and the extraordinary pilgrimage tradition that has drawn the faithful ever since. (2 min read)
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The intense light of San Giovanni Rotondo
Padre Pio’s home — the incorrupt body in Enzo Piano’s extraordinary basilica, the orbs in the photographs, and the overwhelming energy of a saint still very much at work. (3 min read)
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Our Lady of Pompeii
The Marian shrine Padre Pio prayed to throughout his life — a painting that compels prayer, 900 documented miracles, and a rose that refused to die. (2 min read)
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Walsingham
England’s Nazareth — the Holy House built overnight by angels, five centuries of royal pilgrims, and why Walsingham still draws the faithful from across the world. (3 min read)
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Julian of Norwich
The mystic who wrote the first book in English by a woman — Julian’s near-death visions, her cell in Norwich, and the message that has endured for 600 years: all shall be well. (4 min read)
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Canterbury’s martyr
Thomas Becket, the Archbishop who refused to bend — his murder in Canterbury Cathedral, his canonisation, and why the pilgrimage he inspired outlasted the king who ordered his death. (3 min read)
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Meeting the beautiful saints of Montreal
The Oratory of St Joseph, St Kateri Tekakwitha, Marguerite Bourgeoys and Marguerite d’Youville — a day of guided synchronicity in Montreal. (5 min read)
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Uniting nations?
The UN meditation room in New York, Dag Hammarskjöld’s vision, Bo Beskow’s painting and the question of whether shared silence can unite humanity. (7 min read)
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Mexico’s island of women
Isla Mujeres — the temple of Ixchel, the divine feminine, and the particular magic of a small island dedicated to a goddess. (8 min read)
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Lima, Peru
First impressions of Lima and Cusco — food, history, altitude and the beginnings of a South American adventure. (2 min read)
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More man love at the Merida bus stop
Merida, Quintana Roo and the warmth of Mexican men — a short, funny dispatch from the Yucatan. (3 min read)
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FOR SALE: One of the seven wonders of the world
Chichen Itza — extraordinary, touristy and technically for sale — a wry account of Mexico’s most famous ancient site. (5 min read)
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My five highlights of Arizona
Sedona, the mission of San Xavier del Bac, Organ Pipe National Monument, Ajo and St Kateri Tekakwitha — five reasons Arizona matters. (6 min read)
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Meeting the Virgin of Guadalupe
The tilma of Juan Diego, the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City — and the tears that came without warning. (6 min read)
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Searching for John the Baptist in Egypt
Wadi Natrun — the monastery of St Macarius and the relic of John the Baptist — a desert pilgrimage with an unexpected outcome. (5 min read)
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Serapis Bey and the Temple of Luxor
The Temple of Luxor, the Chapel of Serapis and the ascended master Serapis Bey — a profound spiritual encounter. (9 min read)
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Aswan, Com Ombo & Edfu
The temples of Upper Egypt — Aswan, Kom Ombo and Edfu — a journey through ancient sacred architecture. (4 min read)
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Temple of Isis
The Temple of Isis at Philae — the goddess, the energy, and the spiritual significance of one of Egypt’s most sacred sites. (3 min read)
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St George
The chains of St George in Old Cairo — the extraordinary energy of the relic and the saint who bridges Christianity and Islam. (8 min read)
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I am in Cairo!
First impressions of Cairo — the heat, the energy, the chaos and the wonder of arriving in Egypt for the first time. (2 min read)
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Mary Magdalene in the south of France
La Sainte-Baume — the cave where Mary Magdalene spent her last years, the forest, the relic, and the crystal bowl that came with Paul. (4 min read)
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Dead since 1879
St Bernadette Soubirous in Nevers — her incorrupt body, the compulsion to pray the rosary, and the quiet miracle of a saint who did not want to be seen. (8 min read)
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Musee d’Orsay rehang
A visit to the newly rehanged Musée d’Orsay in Paris — impressionism, the new layout, and personal reflections on what changed. (3 min read)
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The sweetest saint
St Thérèse of Lisieux — her life, her parents Zélie and Louis Martin, her relics, and the extraordinary sweetness of her shrine. (4 min read)
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Paris je t’aime
The Miraculous Medal chapel, Rue du Bac, St Thérèse in Lisieux, and the deep consolation of Paris as a city of saints. (6 min read)
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St Jehanne d’Arc
The life, martyrdom and ongoing presence of St Joan of Arc — burnt at the stake in Rouen, still incandescent centuries later. (5 min read)
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The spiritual and pastry pinnacles of Paris
Veneration of the Crown of Thorns at Notre Dame, the crystal reliquary, the Knights of the Holy Sepulchre — and Jacques Génin’s extraordinary caramel. (3 min read)
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Crystal sound healing course
A crystal sound healing training course in Bali — learning to play the bowls, the science behind the sound, and the personal transformation that follows. Some places for vegetarian food are suggested. (5 min read)
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Gaia and beyond
A wellness retreat at Gaia Oasis in Tejakula, Bali — crystal sound, meditation, writing and the deep rest of a place dedicated to healing. (3 min read)
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Pigs flying over the rainbow and into the heat of Bali
A return to Bali — heat, colour and the familiar magic of the island. (2 min read)
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Love across the ditch
A long weekend in Wellington — meditation, Te Papa, Maori culture, and the strong earth energy of a city that had just had an earthquake. (3 min read)
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Goa and the incorrupt remains of St Francis Xavier
Xavier’s extraordinary incorrupt body, 500 years after death — placed on the relic, blessed in the Church of Bom Jesus, and a warm welcome despite the chaos and rain of Goa. (4 min read)
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Shopping in Israel – the lowest point on Earth
The Dead Sea — impossible floating, stinging eyes, sulphur showers and the AHAVA factory — followed by the bleak heat of Masada. (3 min read)
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Everyone wants a piece of the Middle East
Jerusalem — holy sites for three faiths in a sacred triangle, rosary beads charged on the stone where Jesus was washed, and a surprising willingness to return. (3 min read)
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Pastries in Budapest
The world-class pastries of Deryne bakery, the loving energy of King Matthew’s Church, and a strong recommendation to visit Hungary. (3 min read)
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Nothing is impossible with St Rita of Cascia
A visit to the shrine of the patron saint of lost causes — her incorrupt body, a nun who places prayers under the coffin, and a St Mary MacKillop medal now at home in Cascia. (4 min read)
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Nun Fun in Assisi
Staying in a Franciscan convent, dancing with a groovy nun, and the remarkable Nun Spa built over Roman ruins with a thermal spring. (3 min read)
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A Light Portal over Assisi
An unplanned climb to the hermitage of St Francis on Monte Subasio — and photographs filled with extraordinary spirit activity. (4 min read)
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Zara and Camper are the twin peaks of Barcelona and I defeated both of them
A short, sharp visit to Barcelona — Gaudi, La Sagrada Familia, markets, beach, and a near-miss with a pickpocket at Rome’s Termini. (2 min read)
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Orange for weight loss?
A beautiful day climbing Montserrat — pilgrimage as metaphor, the path now easier than ever. (4 min read)
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Twin flames
James Twyman’s passage on twin souls — the memory of the original flame reignited when two people from the same fire meet. (1 min read)
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Meeting St Ignatius in Rome (…if you want to)
Half a day in Rome — food, Il Gesu, St Peter’s, and an extraordinary beam of energy from a 100-year-old priest. (3 min read)
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Jesus made me cry… then he blew the top of my head off… which was good because I was channeling Barry Manilow
Buenos Aires, Rio de Janeiro and the profound energy of the chapel beneath Christ the Redeemer — with Barry Manilow on Copacabana Beach. (4 min read)
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Orally fixated vegetarians can easily find satisfaction in NYC
A guide to the best vegan and vegetarian restaurants in New York City, with personal recommendations for each. (3 min read)
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Banning public advertising can make a place look affluent
Maine is the second poorest state in the USA but looks affluent — possibly because billboards are banned statewide. (2 min read)
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Ask the angels for help
An encounter with a channelled entity called Gabriel offers guidance on vocation — and three questions worth sitting with. (3 min read)
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James Twyman’s ‘Emissary of Light”
Key passages from James Twyman’s 1996 book — on fear, separation, love, surrender and stepping through the Door of Eternity. (9 min read)
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Is over the moon better than over the south pole?
A quick check-in from Buenos Aires and a flight home over the South Pole — with a haircut, good food and a farewell to travel blogging. (2 min read)
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From crystal sound to crystal light …
A long service leave in Sydney leads to a life-changing encounter with a crystal sharmaness and her bowls — and eventually, reluctantly, to Bali. (9 min read)
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Making love to you is like riding a horse… in Greece
A head injury in Athens leads to guided meditation on Skyros, then the dream of Santorini finally realised — and a deeper healing than expected. (10 min read)
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