Elyn Aviva, PhD, MDiv, is a cultural anthropologist and author whose work combines academic research, spiritual exploration, and firsthand experience at sacred sites worldwide. A pioneer in contemporary pilgrimage studies, she earned her PhD from Princeton University and has spent decades exploring Western esotericism, Kabbalah, geomancy, shamanism, and comparative religion. She has authored and coauthored 18 books, including Living Sacred Geometry, and contributed her expertise to the Smithsonian Channel’s Sacred Sites documentary series.