SOULFUL JOURNEYS
Today we explore journeys to places that move your soul, both because of their intense physical and spiritual beauty.
Photo: James Wheeler. Old Growth Temple Angkor Cambodia
Cambodia is a place of startling beauty, brutal history, and resurrection. It is a country emerging from the shock of genocide, so the people and culture are finding new footing. Cambodia survived its atrocities, in large part, due to a culture of forgiveness and the willingness to rebuild.
Photo: Trey Ratcliff. Angkor Wat Temple Complex across a lake in Cambodia.
The landscapes are magnificent, with rivers, lakes, and waterfalls, glorious coastlines with white and gold sand beaches, and island retreats. Amazing wildlife and domesticated beasts roam freely through cultivated green fields, rice paddies, and exotic jungles.
The monsoons wash everything to a fresh colorful vibrancy each season.
Photo: Jean-Marie Hullot. Statute of the God King Angkor Cambodia.
Explore the overgrown ruins of one of the largest civilizations of all pre-modern time that existed over 800 years ago. Wander though ancient temples and architectural masterpieces.
Take in the markets, then perhaps a sunset boat cruise on the Mekong River so you can see the Royal Palace and French Colonial époque riverbank architecture as night falls.
Create a visual journal as you take a special journey with Damien Lovegrove, an award winning UK photographer, this coming summer (07.28.14 to 08.06.14) on the Cambodia with Love and Lovegrove tour.
It aims to “quench the thirst of your artist photographic soul.” It promises to introduce you to techniques, lighting, scenery, people, colours, and textures that you didn’t know existed, with a combination of guided journeys along off-the-beaten-paths and tutorial sessions.
Photo: Courtesy of Intrepid Travel. Cambodia.
The photography course will include work with landscapes, local models, a special character nude shoot, some jungle moments and ancient monuments, aiming to capture the special light of Cambodia as well as the soulful beauty of the Khmer people.
Photo: Courtesy of Karma decay. Norway.
Take a different kind of incredible soul journey this summer, uncovering the mysteries of ancient Nordic civilizations, traveling across three Norway, Denmark, Sweden and Finland. The Northern Mythology Tour, led by whole food guru Don Tolman is where you can get in touch with your inner Viking.
The Vikings achieved greatness and changed the world within a very short period of time. Whether real or mythical, they left an important legacy for us all.
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This tour is designed around a soulful connection to the universe and to each other. It is scheduled so that your arrival day in Denmark corresponds with the Full Moon and the season of the famous annual Midnight Sun.
Photo: Courtesy of The Right Perspective. Iceland.
The Vikings were voracious explorers. You will follow in their paths -- you will board and sail a Viking ship, and head off to visit the ancient sites, including burial grounds, with Viking King and Queen’s graves, as well as recently excavated Viking ships.
Photo: Courtesy of Terii’s Cycling Babble. Uppland Runestone.
While they are mostly known for their brutality, the VIkings also dished out incredible wisdom.
They used ‘runestones’ (standing stones carved with a sound alphabet) to tell stories of their explorations to Jerusalem, Greece, and England.
Photo: Courtesy of HD Wallpapers. Vikings.
Ancient lore has suggested that the Vikings used special crystals and had beautiful shamanic practices. Communication with the spirit world through their gods was a very strong part of the lifestyle. Think the almighty Thor, the devilish Odin, and the ever-sexual Freya.
This Nordic journey will also include a special regression ceremony to connect people with their Viking past. And, your time will be dotted with fairy tales and folktales, history and mystery.
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Photo: Steve Carter. Calanais, Lewis.
Join Spiritual Quest Journeys on a mystical journey of the magical Hebrides Isles of Iona and Mull. Explore sacred Neolithic and Bronze Age sites and holy places, dating back over 5,000 years, on these remote islands, where ancient Celtics and Druids built stone circles, stirred iron cauldrons, conjured, and pondered the universe.
Photo: Courtesy of Get Back To Me.
Experience this land of myths and legends, unexplained mysteries, bluebell carpeted islands, steeped in history and soaked with ancient wisdom and magic. Step through the mists of time and experience deep transformation. Explore sacred sites and holy places. Immerse yourself in ancient Celtic and Druidic heritage.
Dowse, then attune to the major leylines in these areas. Leylines are alignments of geographic and historic points of significance, with masculine and feminine earth energy currents, such as the one running north/south, called the Callanish line, on the island of Iona.
Photo: Elizabeth Burnett. Iona Abbey on the Isle of Iona.
This island was once a centre of Irish monasticism for four centuries. Visit the Iona Abbey, with its beautiful acoustic chapel.
Photo: yaruman5. Ruins of Iona Nunnery.
St. Columba established a monastery here in 563AD that was eventually destroyed by the Vikings. The Benedictine Abbey was established just over 800 years ago, complete with nunnery gardens. Today Iona is still known tranquility and natural beauty.
Photo: Courtesy of Sveltucho.
Scotland boasts the oldest surviving goddess tradition. Mt Schiehallion, to the north, is considered to be the protective guardian and source of power -- a fairy-mountain and portal into the inner Earth.
Visit the Fortingall Yew, believed to be the oldest tree in Europe, at 5,000 years old. It is at the entrance into the magical valley of Glen Lyon. It was a seedling when the stone circles were formed.
Photo: Courtesy of Rosslyn Chapel.
This tour also includes time in Edinburgh and a visit to Rosslyn Chapel, Gilmerton Cove, and Temple.
Rosslyn Chapel, made famous by The DaVinci Code, is a remarkable building full of secrets, with every square inch of surface covered in ancient carvings and fascinating esoteric symbolism.
Photo: Courtesy of Photopedia. Knights Templar.
Temple was once the main preceptory or headquarters of the famed Knights Templar. Gilmerton Cove, holds a mysterious system of secret passageways and ‘rooms’ carved out of the rock under the main street of Gilmerton. Who knows what was hidden here -- and by whom? Who knows what souls and spirits remain?
Photo: Courtesy of Rosslyn Tours.
Read more about Beautiful Journeys, as they relate to Arts/Design, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Place/Time, Mind/Body, and Soul/Impact in our posts throughout this week, including Beautiful Journeys in Film Now, Epic First Ever Journeys, Juniper Journeys, and Mind-Blowing Journeys.
Get busy and enter the BN Competitions, Our theme this week is Journeys. Send in your images and ideas. Deadline is 12.08.13.
Photo: Courtesy of InterActiveMediaSW.
Also, check out our special competition: The Most Beautiful Sound in the World! We are thrilled about this effort, together with SoundCloud and The Sound Agency. And we can’t wait to hear what you’ve got!
