Book excerpt: Origin of My Birthplace shows people how to recognize the Source of Life, the Origin of our Birthplace, and how to connect to it. Blackwell's journey to understand life's deepest realities and wonders took him to the Cathedral of Chartres, the paintings of Leonardo da Vinci and Nicolas Poussin, the book of Genesis, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, great literature, and back again to the Cathedral of Chartres and its famous labyrinth. These are some of the greatest, most profound works of art in all of history. Blackwell discovered people of uncommon insight--people who were able to connect the deepest realities within with the most life-generating realities without. With others, he discovered not only that anyone can understand these mysteries, when we do so our lives become more authentic and compelling. We begin to know God and the unfolding of the universe not as second-hand information, but in a direct, primary way.