The Journey to the Sacred Garden: A Guide to Traveling in the Spiritual Realms

by Henry Barnard Wesselman

At the heart of spiritual awakening lies the discovery that each of us can achieve the direct, transformative connection with the sacred realms—a connection that defines the mystic. The Journey to the Sacred Garden guides us along a well-traveled path into this extraordinary experience and includes an experiential audio download of shamanic drumming and rattling, providing us with an effective, easily learned technique for expanding awareness and shifting consciousness safely. The first goal: to find our Sacred Garden, a place for personal empowerment; as well as physical, psychological, emotional, and spiritual restoration. Once there, we learn through direct experience that the garden can be used as a gateway into the other levels of the inner worlds.

Anthropologist Hank Wesselman, Ph.D., reveals that our garden operates by four primary rules:

Everything in the garden is symbolic of some aspect of ourselves or our life experience. Everything in the garden can be communicated with, enhancing understanding. The garden can be changed by doing work. When you change your garden, some part of you or your life will change in response.  

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Religion

156 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Cody · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not a fan. Very woo-woo, not a lot of concrete information. Very little of the book is written about actually entering a trance state, most of it is about the author's personal beliefs about the "lower world" and "upper world" and the spirit guides (author's words not mine) that are apparently waiting to meet us there. He also uses the term shaman in a non-culturally specific way, which is...not a good look for someone who is apparently an anthropologist. I picked this up for the included CD of drumming and rattle playing, honestly.

[Steve Woods · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a terribly iuseful book. While I am sympathetic to many of the ideas raised here it comes across to me as being just abit far out there in some respects....maybe I just haven't got that far yet. There isn't much meat in it, just a lot of west coast new age stuff. Looking to plug into the martketplace and make a few dollars. I will check the other work he mentions to see if it offers anything more substantial. there is certainly something here for me in this particular path, I am still feeling my way. This particular gut doesn't inspire trust or confidence in me.

[Melvin Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a super fast read. Nothing I didn't already know before I'm afraid. It comes with a CD with both drumming and rattling, which some day I will need to listen to.

[Luci · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pop shamanism for the beginner. Comes with a CD which is pretty much useless. Attractively packaged, though!

[Molly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Content was reasonably good, if a basic intro. The problem was that this is basically a companion booklet to a CD, which, obviously, was not part of the kindle edition. I wish it was more clear and that Hay House would not sell it as a digital book when it is meant to go with a CD—or, they should have a companion link where you can download the tracks referenced. As it is, this felt like a partial product and was disappointing in that respect.

[Sunil Rajasekar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an interesting and thoughtful read. Wesselman does a great job blending shamanic tradition with a more modern, accessible approach. I appreciated how he focused on personal experience rather than trying to push a specific belief system. The concept of the “sacred garden” as an inner space for healing and insight was simple but powerful along with breathing and visualization techniques.

[Angela Balacco · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bland and very basic.

[Joel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For such a quick read, this book has much to share!

[Patricia Meier · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely little book packed full of wisdom

[Lourdes Cambridge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I MET HANK WESSELMAN AT A MUTUAL PRESENTATION WITH OLGA KHARITIDI MD. I LIKED HIS APPROACH. HE WAS NOT DIGGING INTO THE PAST...PIGGY BACKING...WITHOUT PRIOR AUTHORIZATION. HE WAS MORE LIKE A TIME TRAVEL PRAYER...SINGING BLESSINGS INTO ONCOMING TIME. HUMANITY HAS NOT MADE THE MOST OF ITS SACRED OR SECRET GARDEN YET. THE WORKERS HAVE BEEN VERY SUBSTANDARD LTD. HANK'S APPROACH IS A LITTLE MORE CO-CREATIVE, WELL MANNERED, RESPECTFUL AND REFRESHING.

[Bridgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd already read most of this information earlier, but I got a few good ideas. My experiences in journeying are a bit different than what's written here.

[Karen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the idea about having a Sacred Garden. It's fun.

[Natalie Englund · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Wonderful Guide

An easy to read, simple to understand guide. The chapters are short, so they're easy to digest. The journey music is a wonderful addition.

[Walford · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short introductory work but the device of the sacred garden I haven't encountered elsewhere and find very useful and rich.

[Sandra Tisiot · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

AMAZING- I can't wait to read the rest!