Phil Cousineau

An accessible companion to Homer's Odyssey that illuminates its timeless lessons on change, resilience, and the search for home, written by acclaimed mythographer and cultural historian Phil Cousineau. For nearly three thousand years, Homer's Odyssey has captivated audiences with its tale of Odysseus's perilous journey back to his family after the Trojan War. It is a story of perseverance, transformation, and the longing for home. In The Wisdom of The Odyssey, cultural historian Phil Cousineau distills the epic into twenty-four chapters that mirror Homer's original books and reveals why readers from around the world deeply identify with the poem to this day. Readers follow Odysseus through his ordeals and changes of heart, as he's sustained not only by cunning and grit but by love for his wife, Penelope; his son, Telemachus; and the island of Ithaca itself. The Greeks believed love to be wiser than wisdom, and here it emerges as the force that prevents despair and inspires renewal. In his delightfully strange world of monsters, tricksters, and sorceresses, Homer reveals what it means to be human. This is the essential odyssey, an exhilarating Greek puzzle box that contains stories within stories within stories. Timed for release with Christopher Nolan's much-anticipated 2026 film adaptation, this companion volume offers both newcomers and longtime readers a way into the epic's enduring themes of memory, devotion, and beauty. Each chapter concludes with reflections and practices that connect the myth's lessons to our own lives, such as the ancient Homeromanteion, a form of bibliomancy using Homer's poetry. By illuminating how Odysseus learns, adapts, and ultimately restores his home, Cousineau shows how this timeless story is more relevant than ever, and how it can guide us toward resilience, meaning, and a richer inner life.

A guide to spiritual pilgrimage and the healing powers of immersion in sacred places• Takes you on a mystical journey to the sacred Greek island of Poros, a site of pilgrimage and healing for more than 3,000 years, and presents its mythological, literary, historical, and cultural heritage• Examines pilgrimage, sanctuary, and asylum under the god Poseidon, the ruling spirit of the island, and how these have been practiced through the millennia• Explores ancient healing traditions, including dream incubation of Asklepios, and using sacred art and ritual to connect with our visions and the divineExplore the reawakening of ancient Greek healing practices by taking this journey of transformation, myth, and divine presence to the sacred island of Poros, a site of pilgrimage and healing for more than 3,000 years.This book examines pilgrimage, sanctuary, and asylum, the duties of Poseidon who was the ruling god of Poros. Edward Tick rediscovers asylia, the original practice of sanctuary that provides safety and inspiration while facilitating healing and connection to divinity. He explores “crossing the strait” as safe passage between the visible world and the invisible realms of the sacred. Drawing on ancient traditions Tick shows how we know ourselves, our destinies, and our connection to the divine through dreams, visions, oracles, and synchronistic events. He continues his decades-long revival of Asklepian dream incubation and other modern versions of ancient rituals while providing a deep dive into the sacred history of Poros and how it can bring transformation and serenity today. He also reveals life-changing mystical experiences his travelers and he have had over 40 years of pilgrimages, including encounters with animal guides, higher powers, and oracles, as well as examining the physical and spiritual restoration of Poseidon’s sanctuary and contributing to its literary and mythological legacy.Passage to Poros offers wisdom for anyone seeking healing, sanctuary, spiritual presence, and reconnection with ancient and eternal forces.

La Odisea Ol mpica lleva al lector hacia un viaje m tico desde los antiguos JuegosOl mpicos hasta los modernos, contando historias de dioses, atletas, y entrenadoresen todo su esplendor. Pero sus fabulosas medallas de oro s lo constituyen una partede la historia. La aut ntica fascinaci n del autor y eterno atleta Phil Cousineauest en lo que Jesse Owens llam la "vida interior" del atleta, la misteriosa fuentedel instinto de sobresalir por un ideal que est m s all de uno mismo, que es m sprofundo que el de ganar -trascendiendo el g nero, la raza, la nacionalidad, yquiz s incluso la l nea entre lo humano y lo divino.Para explorar este territorio tentador, Cousineau intercala la mitolog a, lareligi n y la historia del deporte, citando desde Homero a Whitman, desde JimThorpe hasta Babe Didrikson, y desde Yeats hasta Yogi Berra. Su llamamientopara reavivar el antiguo ideal griego de la integraci n del cuerpo, la mente y elesp ritu nos recuerda que los Juegos proporcionan met foras maravillosas sobrec mo emprender cualquier empresa: con pasi n y compasi n, concentraci n yjusticia, y con un sentimiento hacia el juego sagrado del coraz n de la vida.

The Spiritual Traveler’s Travel Guide“A must read before a trip.” -Escape“One of the greatest travel books I have ever read.” -Peter Feibleman, author of Lilly: Reminiscences of Lillian Hellman#1 Bestseller in Atlases & MapsThe classic guide to making travel meaningful. The Art of Pilgrimage is a travel guide full of inspiration for the spiritual traveler.Not just for pilgrims. We are descendants of nomads. And although we no longer partake in this nomadic life, the instinct to travel remains. Whether we’re planning a trip or buying a secondhand copy of Siddhartha, we’re always searching for a journey, a pilgrimage. With remarkable stories from famous travelers, poets, and modern-day pilgrims, The Art of Pilgrimage is for the mindful traveler who longs for something more than diversion and escape.Rick Steves with a literary twist. Through literary travel stories and meditations, award-winning writer, filmmaker and host of the acclaimed Global Spirit PBS series, Phil Cousineau, shows readers that travel is worthy of mindfulness and spiritual examination. Learn to approach travel with a desire for risk and renewal, practicing intentionality and being present.Spiritual travel for the soul. If you’re looking for reasons to travel, this is it. Whether traveling to Mecca or Memphis, Stonehenge or Cooperstown, one’s journey becomes meaningful when the traveler’s heart and imagination are open to experiencing the sacred. The Art of Pilgrimage shows that there is something sacred waiting to be discovered around us.Inside find:Inspirational stories, myths, parables, and quotes from many travelers and many faithsHow to see with the “eyes of the heart”Over 70 illustrationsIf you enjoyed books like The Pilgrimage by Paulo Coelho, Unlikely Pilgrim, Zen on the Trail, or Pilgrimage-The Sacred Art, then The Art of Pilgrimage is a travel companion you’ll want to have with you.

For nearly three thousand years, King Sisyphus of Corinth has been one of the most compelling characters in world mythology. The iconic image of Sisyphus putting his shoulder to the boulder and pushing it to the summit of a mountain in the Underworld is recognizable the world over. To many poets and philosophers, from Homer and Aeschylus to Lucille Clifton and Albert Camus, the rebel hero has been a powerful symbol for hard-earned wisdom and the struggle to transcend suffering, while more skeptical commentators have interpreted Sisyphus' defiance of the gods as futile and doomed. In this mythopoetic novel, Phil Cousineau reimagines Sisyphus as telling his own tale through notebooks he kept while enduring his notorious punishment, which include surprising revelations about the self-sacrifice he made for his fellow Corinthians, his bold fight against the injustice of the gods, and the unbounded love for his wife and sons that earned him a second chance at life. The Lost Notebooks of Sisyphus is a timeless allegory that helps us come to terms with own daily struggles and shines new light on Camus' existential conclusion that, "We must imagine Sisyphus as happy.""A glorious saga. A tale for the ages told with uncommon depth, poetry and grace. To understand the myth of Sisyphus is to know that the long-haul matters and that there is a kind of nobility in our suffering and a deeper meaning in our perseverance. We need this book to correct the shallow misconceptions about Sisyphus and initiate us into in the mysteries of this archetypal story." "Phil Cousineau is a devoted voyageur and writer. It has been a pleasure to read his great adventure about Sisyphus. I am happy to spend time with his always amazing work."

Find Hope Even in the Darkest Times with This Collection of Poems, Prayers, and Inspirational Quotes“Have Hope is an essential companion to turn despair into hope, and put belief into action toward creating a better future.” —Becca Anderson, author of The Book of Awesome Women #1 New Release in Spiritual Meditations A life-affirming collection of 365 poems, prayers, and meditations that can support you through any trial and that you can carry with you wherever you go. Inspirational words to help you navigate life's challenges. Reverend Maggie Oman Shannon, M.A., spiritual leader of Unity Spiritual Center of San Francisco, is the author of nine previous books that explore cross-cultural forms of prayer and spiritual practice. Now, for those of us dealing with events such as the global pandemic and with personal battles of life comes her latest book, Have Hope. Daily affirmations for every need. Have Hope offers you daily affirmations and a hope-filled moment from history for each day. Now more than ever, we need inspirational words that can help create moments of peace. Through the everyday stress of your life, Have Hope is the perfect collection of prayers, meditations, and inspirational quotes that you can turn. In Have Hope, Reverend Maggie Oman Shannon provides: A collection of 365 daily affirmations for every occasion Wisdom from every era and every major faith tradition Ways to find hope through daily inspirational words and insightful meditations If you enjoyed books like Prayers for Calm, I Really Needed This Today, or This Just Speaks to Me, then you’ll love Have Hope. Also, you will want to read and own Maggie Oman Shannon’s Prayers for Healing.

For nearly three thousand years, King Sisyphus of Corinth has been one of the most compelling characters in world mythology. The iconic image of Sisyphus putting his shoulder to the boulder and pushing it to the summit of a mountain in the Underworld is recognizable the world over. To many poets and philosophers, from Homer and Aeschylus to Lucille Clifton and Albert Camus, the rebel hero has been a powerful symbol for hard-earned wisdom and the struggle to transcend suffering, while more skeptical commentators have interpreted Sisyphus' defiance of the gods as futile and doomed. In this mythopoetic novel, Phil Cousineau reimagines Sisyphus as telling his own tale through notebooks he kept while enduring his notorious punishment, which include surprising revelations about the self-sacrifice he made for his fellow Corinthians, his bold fight against the injustice of the gods, and the unbounded love for his wife and sons that earned him a second chance at life. The Lost Notebooks of Sisyphus is a timeless allegory that helps us come to terms with own daily struggles and shines new light on Camus' existential conclusion that, "We must imagine Sisyphus as happy."I am Sisyphus, King of Corinth, great-great-grandson of Prometheus, great-grandson of Deucalion and Pyrrha, grandson of Hellen and Orseis, son of Aeolus and Enarate, husband of Merope, father of Glaucus, Ornytion, Almus, and Thersander, and grandfather of Bellerophon, slayer of the Chimera. I am a champion of navigators, sailors, athletes, merchants, poets, and playwrights, and an enemy of tyrants, despots, bullies, ruffians, and demagogues. I honor the gods and goddesses by building splendid temples, holy shrines, and sacrificial altars worthy of their glory. Many men deep am I, as my mentor, the deep-browed, long- bearded, wise-counseling Alexandros of Milos described me. What I am not is a scoundrel, as scandalmongers have impugned across the centuries while exonerating the cruel gods who condemned me.

An Incredible True Story About Family, Love and Forgiveness“This is one of the most moving and, ultimately, hopeful books I have ever read." —Jean M. Bartunek, PhD, professor of management and organization, Boston College and former president of the Academy of ManagementFinalist 2021 Eric Hoffer Award#1 New Release in Mennonite ChristianityAfter being publicly humiliated in front of her entire close-knit Mennonite community, Marlena Fiol didn't know how she would recover. Follow her journey from an abusive upbringing in Paraguay to escape, love, and loss in the United States and finally on to forgiveness and reconciliation.Discover a story of healing and personal transformation. Marlena's childhood was full of contradictions. Her father was both a heroic doctor for people with leprosy and an abusive parent. Her Mennonite missionary community was both a devoted tribe and a controlling society. And Marlena longed to both be accepted in Paraguay and escape to somewhere new. In Nothing Bad Between Us, follow Marlena's journey as she takes control of her life and learns to be her authentic self, scars and imperfections included.Uncover inner peace-and inner strength. Nothing Bad Between Us is a story of brokenness and eventual redemption that taps into our collective yearning for healing and forgiveness. As you read Marlena's story, you will:Learn how to forgive yourself and others without giving up your personal growth and self-confidenceDiscover that transformation and redemption often exist even in the most broken parts of who you areFind out how to stand in your power, knowing that vulnerability won't lead to your downfall, but to increasing courage, connection, and authenticityReaders of memoirs about family, self-healing, and the strength of a woman like The Glass Castle, Love Warrior, and Leaving the Witness will be captivated by Nothing Bad Between Us.

Through the hundreds of people Adrienne Duffy has guided toward the realization of their full potential, and in the hundreds of workshops she has facilitated, one message has emerged universally over others: “We want something in addition to the achievement of goals and results. We are people who aim high and take risks, but we also long to have meaning and to be grounded. How can we create a more centered, purposeful life and workspace, in this era of constant change, chaos, and minute-by-minute progress?” Soul Sense is the answer: Listening to your Soul Call, stoking your Soul Fire, and practicing Soul Care brings depth, growth, and balance. Soul Sense can be thought of as common sense seasoned with the sixth sense. It is what is known as good, and right, and just in one’s personal and professional life, while embracing the powers of intuition that transcend such definitions. Soul Sense is logical and instinctual, practical and untamed. Tuning into and trusting your Soul Sense brings increasing fulfillment to your life, and to the lives of those around you. The courageous choice to honor your Soul Sense, ultimately, is up to you – and it is Duffy’s joy and intention to lead you toward this profound gift. Your Soul Sense awaits….

The Accidental Aphorist is comprised of hundreds of reflections and aphorisms, maxims, pensees, fulminations and regrets, amusements, which have been gleaned from almost forty years of the author's notebooks. The far-ranging themes include the writing life, creativity, love, death, travel, art, soul, mythology and legend, movies, politics, mentorship, and sports. These coruscating passages are the sparks and threads that have led Phil Cousineau to write over 40 books, more than 25 documentary scripts, two dozen televsion scripts, and have inspired hundreds of his popular writing workshops and retreats.Writing with the same admixture of philosophical inquiry, aesthetic curiosity, wacky word-play, quick-witted word portrait, and irreverent humor that is threaded through all of his work, Phil Cousineau has created a modern chrestomathy that reflects his dual passion for learning and teaching. The Accidental Aphorist: A Curiosity Cabinet of Aphorisms, Maxims, Epigrams, Pochades and Pens es, Gnomic Sayings, Laconics, Notebook Jottings, Back Thoughts, and Afterthoughts, is meant to stoke and provoke, jolt and cajole the idling imagination.

The Accidental Aphorist is comprised of hundreds of reflections and aphorisms, maxims, pensees, fulminations and regrets, amusements, which have been gleaned from almost forty years of the author's notebooks. The far-ranging themes include the writing life, creativity, love, death, travel, art, soul, mythology and legend, movies, politics, mentorship, and sports. These coruscating passages are the sparks and threads that have led Phil Cousineau to write over 40 books, more than 25 documentary scripts, two dozen televsion scripts, and have inspired hundreds of his popular writing workshops and retreats.Writing with the same admixture of philosophical inquiry, aesthetic curiosity, wacky word-play, quick-witted word portrait, and irreverent humor that is threaded through all of his work, Phil Cousineau has created a modern chrestomathy that reflects his dual passion for learning and teaching. The Accidental Aphorist: A Curiosity Cabinet of Aphorisms, Maxims, Epigrams, Pochades and Pens es, Gnomic Sayings, Laconics, Notebook Jottings, Back Thoughts, and Afterthoughts, is meant to stoke and provoke, jolt and cajole the idling imagination.

Phil Cousineau illustrates how myths are the stories of real life whether people are conscious of them as myths or not. He shows readers how, by becoming aware of myths in both their historical and present form, they can read the world better, with a deeper understanding of work, love, creativity, and spirituality. The book retells classic myths such as Eros and Psyche and provides new accounts of more contemporary mythmakers such as Jim Morrison and Vincent van Gogh, illustrating how these legends have affected history, culture, and individuals. The timelessness of myth is conveyed through Cousineau's discussions of the mythology of travel, mentors, cities, baseball, and vampires.

Mythologist and adventurer Phil Cousineau theorizes that riddles are proverbs turned into questions. He believes telling riddles is a lost folk art. This eclectic collection of brain twisters from Leonardo da Vinci to Lewis Carroll is designed to bring the practice back to the living room. Cousineau invites readers into the “peripatetic, poetic, and sweet” language of riddles.

A captivating, multidimensional collection of writings on the soul--from creation myths to beat poetry, religion to rock-n-roll. "Inspiring, often mind-blowing, sometimes even a little scary."--Los Angeles Times