Jean Houston, the best-selling author of books about the power of myth, shows us how animals, and dogs in particular, can help restore us to our natural condition of oneness with nature. Animals have always been a focus of our spiritual yearnings-from the Egyptians, who sculpted humans with animal heads, to ancient humans who painted magnificent tableaux of animals in the caves of southern Europe, to honor those "still part of the sacred flow of Nature." Today, as technological change isolates us, many seek to reconnect with spirit and nature. The mystic path, once the province of the few, has now become the quest of the many. Houston, who has spent a lifetime bridging these two worlds, shares stories of her life with dogs and how they have shown her and can show us "who and what we really are." She illustrates the stages of the classic mystic path, which include awakening, purification, and illumination, with sacred dog stories that show how animals, by naturally being part of the "greater life," can reflect hidden aspects of this path toward oneness. Inspiring and humorous, Mystical Dogs will appeal to both the mystic and the animal lover.