Seven Sacred Sites
Former Margaret River resident Serene Conneeley has published a book titled Seven Sacred Sites: Magical Journeys That Will Change Your Life. Ms Conneeley has visited and photographed these sites and written of their beauty and spiritual appeal. Glastonbury and Stonehenge in England, the Camino in Spain, Machu Picchu in Peru, the islands of Hawaii, the pyramids of Egypt and Australia’s red heart of Uluru are all featured.
    She writes of her enchantment with each place, showing her fascination with history, travel, ritual, healing and the myth and magic of ancient places and cultures. 
    “Discover what makes these places sacred, when to go and how to get there, the history of each site, the rituals that were performed there and their cultural and magical significance,” she writes.
    A writer and healer, Ms Conneeley has written for magazines about spirituality, travel, health, news, entertainment and other issues, and has contributed to books on such matters as personal development. She lives in Sydney, and spent about two years writing the book after friends including author and TV star Fiona Horne suggested it when they read emails about her travels. 
    “It seemed I had a knack for immersing myself in a place and finding out what lay beneath it. Perhaps it was because I usually travelled alone. Maybe, as a writer, I see things differently or try to find what’s hidden. And maybe most people would rather experience the nightlife of Paris than get dirty doing ancient rituals with medicine men in the jungle or celebrating Lughnasadh at dawn, shivering and alone in a cold and misty Irish field in the middle of nowhere,” she says.
    The place she loved and returns to most is Glastonbury, where she feels a real sense of homecoming, and where she went on her honeymoon. “It’s the place that most deeply touches my soul,” she says.
    Part travel guide, part history, part spiritual adventure, Seven Sacred Sites will be launched on November 6 at the Mind Body Spirit Festival in Sydney. The book costs $34.95 and is available through Margaret River Bookshop, River Tales Bookshop, Lloyds of Margaret River and Rivive Health Foods. You can also visit www.SevenSacredSites.com.au.