HINENI Podcast has taken a turn upward...

What happens when a pilgrimage through the ancient deserts leads you somewhere unexpected: into the heavens?

After years of traveling through Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Sinai, and Egypt, I've come to recognize a fascinating thread connecting the traditions I've been studying and practicing: astral wisdom, ascent mysticism, and divine encounter.

From the lunar priestesses of ancient Ur to Enoch's heavenly journeys, from Jewish throne mysticism to the celestial mysteries of early Christianity and the Prophet Muhammad's Night Journey, the ancient desert world was filled with people who looked toward the heavens and wondered whether human beings could enter them.

Who were these extraordinary travelers? What did they believe existed beyond the visible world? How did they prepare for encounters with divine beings? And what might their experiences reveal about the relationship between humanity and the cosmos?

In this opening episode of Pilgrims of the Heavenlies, I share the personal pilgrimage that brought me to these questions, introduce some of the remarkable people and traditions we'll encounter along the way, and explain why I've come to believe that the ancient heavens still have something extraordinary to teach us.

Our journey begins where mine did: in the desert.

From the sand to the stars.