A Pilgrimage to Holy Europe with Aki Cederberg

Welcome to Occult of Personality podcast, now, in episode number 231, I’m thrilled to bring you a brilliant interview with author Aki Cederberg about his recent book, <i>Holy Europe</i> (<a href="https://arcanaeuropamedia.com/products/holy-europe" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://arcanaeuropamedia.com/products/holy-europe</a>). You can find Aki online at <a href="https://www.akicederberg.com/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">https://www.akicederberg.com/</a>.<br /><br />“Part travelogue, part memoir, and part spiritual autobiography, <i>Holy Europe</i> is the story of one man’s quest in search of the holiness that still abides in the land of his birth: in sacrificial groves and grottoes, sacred trees and ancient monuments, runestones, and inspired works of art and architecture created by the visionaries of recent centuries. These are the reservoirs of an age-old tradition of holiness that could rejuvenate European culture, opening the hearts and enlivening the spirits of her wayward sons and daughters.”<br /><br />I am really quite impressed by Cederberg’s work in <i>Holy Europe</i>. Through his travels and writing, he has delivered a spellbinding tome that documents his pilgrimage to pre-Christian holy sites. This activity serves as a way to recollect, remember, perhaps resurrect even, the traditional spirituality and religion of Europe prior to the advent of Christianity. Most of all, I was touched by Cederberg’s sincere spirituality and efforts to cultivate moments of sacred participation through offering, prayer, sacrifice, and presence. He records these sublime moments in the book and allows readers to share in the beauty and sacredness with subtlety and brilliance. Even if you don’t identify as a pagan, this book is so unique and beautiful that all who appreciate the sacred will enjoy it.<br /><br />“A true pagan spiritual tradition is not a written collection of dogma. It is not a creedal religion or ideology, which one can choose, adopt, or purchase. It is a whole world in which one lives. It expresses a people’s relationship to nature, the holy, and its own self. A spiritual tradition is remembering and knowing… In the end, what separates our native traditions from others is love. Contrary to other religious and magical traditions, where action is often based on some kind of antagonistic dualism, we approach the holy with devotion, generosity, and sacrifice… The holy powers are not strangers to us. They are our kin, our