All’s Well: Where Thou Art Earth and Why, by John Lefebvre (John Lefebvre Press), 196 pages — A freewheeling rollick through the history and future of our species, All’s Well. Where Thou Art Earth and Why blends philosophy, metaphysics and ethics into an original and lyrical meditation on refining our place in the universe. 150 generations out of the caves, we think we know our place in the vastness of the cosmos. Only 100 years ago we hardly knew that our Sun is just another star. Today, we still believe we’re the most intelligent beings to exist. Yet simple arithmetic suggests there are at least 10 trillion thoughtful species elsewhere. We’re not alone in the universe, just lonely: when we sufficiently mature, others may be in touch. All’s Well suggests that this maturation will be deeply rooted in our acknowledgement that — at our core — we are vessels of consciousness, astonishment and love. With this positive summary of the human condition, Lefebvre argues that the United States’ foundational ideals form the correct basis for a set of Universal Rights and Responsibilities, excepting that they never were, and still are not yet, universal. Moreover, says Lefebvre, when those with privilege accept accessible freedoms while being careless with those who have not been so fortunate, they have not earned such freedom but are merely taking liberties. Even these liberties come with responsibilities: to protect all humans from deprivation, and all the natural bounty from degradation. To accept that these responsibilities have no borders, and to act accordingly, has never been more pressing. Interweaving small, autobiographical glimpses of Lefebvre’s remarkable life and career, All’s Well is nevertheless a story of us all, providing a rare and lyrical perspective on humankind-and what both parts of that word truly mean.
American Freemasonry: Its Revolutionary History and Challenging Future, by Alain de Keghel (Inner Traditions), 216 pages — Freemasonry bears the imprint of the society in which it exists, and Freemasonry in North America is no exception. While keeping close ties to French lodges until 1913, American Freemasonry was also deeply influenced by the experiences of many early American political leaders, leading to distinctive differences from European lodges. Offering an unobstructed view of the American system and its strengths and failings, Alain de Keghel, an elder of the Grand Orient de France and, since 1999, a lifetime member of the Scottish Rite Research Society (Southern U.S. jurisdiction), examines the history of Freemasonry in the United States from the colonial era to the Revolutionary War to the rise of the Scottish branch onward. He reveals the special relationship between the French Masonic hero, the Marquis de Lafayette, and the Founding Fathers, especially George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, including French Freemasonry’s role in the American Revolution. He also explores Franklin’s Masonic membership, including how he was Elder of the lodge of the Nine Sisters in Paris. The author investigates the racial split in American Freemasonry between black lodges and white and how, unlike French lodges, women are ineligible to become Masons in the U.S. He examines how American Freemasonry has remained deeply religious across the centuries and forbids discussion of religious or social issues in its lodges, unlike some branches of French Freemasonry, which removed belief in God as a prerequisite for membership in 1877 and whose lodges operate in some respects as philosophical debating societies. Revealing the factors that have resulted in shrinking Masonic enrollment in America, the author explores the revitalization work done by the Grand Lodge of California and sounds the call to make Freemasonry and its principles relevant to America once again.
The Angelic Origins of the Soul: Discovering Your Divine Purpose, by Tricia McCannon (Bear & Co.), 528 pages — Your Soul is a divine light originating within the Angelic Orders of Heaven. The Tibetan Book of the Dead speaks about the seven Lokas, or dimensions, the Soul travels through after death, while the Egyptian Book of the Dead refers to the Soul becoming one with the ever-renewing phoenix. Yet what is the phoenix but a symbol of our own Angelic Twin who resides in the highest realms, the essence of our Soul? In this book, Tricia McCannon explains how to discover the angelic realms where the highest parts of yourself reside and become the catalyst for your own path of ascension. Exploring the Soul’s angelic origins, the Nine Orders of Angels, and the multi-dimensional landscapes of Heaven, McCannon takes you on the journey each Soul makes as it descends from the higher vibrational realms to arrive in the world of form. Drawing from the perennial wisdom of the Gnostics, Tibetans, Egyptians, Buddhists, Hindus, Hebrew mystics, and the ancient Mystery traditions, she looks at what our ancient ancestors have to say about the nature and history of the Soul. She reveals how, once embodied, the Soul loses its ability to vibrate with the highest celestial levels causing it to forget its purpose. She addresses how our illusion of separation from Divine Oneness arises, causing us to move away from the Light and become wrapped up in the Shadow of fear and suffering. She explains the six stages of Soul Evolution we must pass through to heal the wounds of separation, reawaken to higher vibrations, and remember our Soul’s purpose, the reason your Soul chose this incarnation. McCannon shares stories from those who have returned from the Otherside, tales of revelation, temples of learning, and crystal cities of light. Presenting the great Course Curriculum of the Soul, the lessons we must master to complete our missions on Earth, the author shows that by remembering our divine essence we can move beyond conflict and struggle to embrace the love and joy that reside eternally at the core of our being.
Angels on Earth: Inspiring Real-Life Stories of Fate, Friendship, and the Power of Kindness, by Laura Schroff & Alex Tresniowski (Howard Books), 320 pages — From the #1 New York Times and international bestselling authors of An Invisible Thread comes a heartwarming and inspiring book about the incredible impact that acts of kindness from strangers can have on the world around us. One day in 1986, Laura Schroff, a busy ad sales executive, passed an 11-year-old boy panhandling on the street. She stopped and offered to take him to McDonald’s. Twenty years later, at Laura’s 50th birthday party, Maurice Mazyck gave a toast, thanking Laura for her act of kindness, which ended up changing the course of his life. In that toast, Maurice said that when Laura stopped on that busy street corner all those years ago, God had sent him an angel. Laura’s invisible thread journey has deepened her belief that angels–divine and otherwise–are all around us. After An Invisible Thread was published in 2011, readers from all over began sharing with Laura their own stories about how chance encounters with strangers have changed their lives. From a woman who saved a life simply by buying someone a book, to a financier who gave a stranger the greatest gift of all, to a teacher who chose a hug over discipline and changed a lost boy’s future, Angels on Earth introduces remarkable people whose invisible thread stories will move, surprise, and inspire readers. Angels on Earth sheds light on how everyone can live happier, more purposeful lives through sharing random acts of kindness.
The Art of Connection: 7 Relationship-Building Skills Every Leader Needs Now, by Michael J. Gelb (New World Library), 280 pages — These days, it’s often easier to avoid face-to-face contact in favor of technological shortcuts. But as Michael Gelb argues in this compelling, entertaining book, the meaningful relationships that come from real interaction are the key to creating innovative ideas and solving our most intractable problems. In The Art of Connection, Gelb offers readers seven methods of developing this essential rapport in their professional and personal lives. Each chapter covers specific techniques and illustrates them with memorable stories, relevant scientific research, and hands-on exercises that allow readers to apply their new skills. Most important, Gelb reminds us that developing rapport with others is not just a business tool to enhance productivity but a valuable end in itself. He guides us to cultivate the skills we all need to deepen our relationships, broaden our humanity, and transform our lives. Michael J. Gelb has pioneered the fields of creative thinking, embodied learning, and innovative leadership. He leads seminars for organizations such as DuPont, Merck, Microsoft, Nike, YPO, and the London Business School. He is the author of fifteen books, including How to Think like Leonardo da Vinci, Brain Power, and Innovate like Edison.
Becoming Supernatural: How Common People Are Doing the Uncommon, by Dr. Joe Dispenza (Hay House), 384 pages — The author of the New York Times bestseller You Are the Placebo, as well as Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself and Evolve Your Brain, draws on research conducted at his advanced workshops since 2012 to explore how common people are doing the uncommon to transform themselves and their lives. Becoming Supernatural marries the some of the most profound scientific information with ancient wisdom to show how people like you and me can experience a more mystical life. Readers will learn that we are, quite literally supernatural by nature if given the proper knowledge and instruction, and when we learn how to apply that information through various meditations, we should experience a greater expression of our creative abilities; that we have the capacity to tune in to frequencies beyond our material world and receive more orderly coherent streams of consciousness and energy; that we can intentionally change our brain chemistry to initiate profoundly mystical transcendental experiences; and how, if we do this enough times, we can develop the skill of creating a more efficient, balanced, healthy body, a more unlimited mind, and greater access to the realms of spiritual truth. Dr. Joe Dispenza first caught the public’s eye as one of the scientists featured in the award-winning film What the BLEEP Do We Know!? Since then, his work has expanded in several key directions that reflect his passion for exploring how people can use findings from neuroscience and quantum physics not only to heal illness but also to enjoy a more fulfilled and happy life. Dr. Joe is driven by the conviction that each one of us has the potential for greatness and unlimited abilities.
Big Love: The Power of Living with a Wide-Open Heart, by Scott Stabile (New World Library), 240 pages — What happens when you fully commit yourself to love? Endless good, insists Scott Stabile, who found that out by overcoming plenty of bad. His parents were murdered when he was 14. Nine years later, his brother died of a heroin overdose. Soon after that, Scott joined a cult that dominated his life for 13 years before he summoned the courage to walk away. In Big Love, his insightful and refreshingly honest collection of personal essays, Scott relates these profound experiences as well as everyday struggles and triumphs in ways that are universally applicable, uplifting, and laugh-out-loud funny. Whether silencing shame, rebounding after failure, or moving forward despite fears, Scott shares hard-won insights that consistently return readers to love, both of themselves and others. Scott Stabile’s inspirational posts and videos have attracted a huge and devoted social media following. His previous works include Just Love, Iris, and the Li’l Pet Hospital series. Scott also wrote the feature film The Oogieloves in the Big Balloon Adventure, an eye-opening experience he writes about in Big Love. A passionate speaker and love advocate, Scott runs daylong empowerment workshops nationally and internationally. He lives in his home state of Michigan with his partner. “I look to Scott for wisdom and leadership and he has delivered both with Big Love. This book opened my heart and mind and I’m forever grateful,” says Glennon Doyle, author of #1 New York Times bestseller Love Warrior.
The Black Arts, by Richard Cavendish (Tarcher Perigee), 368 pages — The Black Arts is a fascinating and wonderfully readable exploration of the practice, theory, and underlying rationale of magick and occultism in all its branches, including witchcraft, spells, numerology, astrology, alchemy, kabbalah, tarot, charms, and summoning and control of spirits. This edition features a 50th anniversary introduction by historian of alternative spirituality Mitch Horowitz, who frames the book for a new generation of readers. Richard Cavendish (1930-2016) was a highly regarded and widely published British historian of magic, myth, and the occult. Educated at Oxford, Cavendish is best remembered for The Black Arts (1967) and for editing the acclaimed 24-volume Man, Myth & Magic: An Illustrated Encyclopedia of the Supernatural, published from 1970 to 1972. “In The Black Arts, Cavendish captures the human striving and universality behind the magical search. He also demonstrates virtuosity for explaining ancient and more recent rituals, rites, and esoteric philosophies with splendid clarity … It stands nearly alone as a simultaneously comprehensive and inviting guide to the world of pre-modern esoterica.” — Mitch Horowitz, from the new introduction
The Collected Letters of Alan Watts, by Alan Watts, edited by Joan & Anne Watts (New World Library), 616 pages — Philosopher, author, and lecturer Alan Watts (1915-1973) popularized Zen Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies for the counterculture of the 1960s. Today, new generations are finding his writings and lectures online, while faithful followers worldwide continue to be enlightened by his teachings. The Collected Letters of Alan Watts reveals the remarkable arc of Watts’s colorful and controversial life, from his school days in England to his priesthood in the Anglican Church as chaplain of Northwestern University to his alternative lifestyle and experimentation with LSD in the heyday of the late sixties. His engaging letters cover a vast range of subject matter, with recipients ranging from High Church clergy to high priests of psychedelics, government officials, publishers, critics, family, and fans. They include C. G. Jung, Henry Miller, Gary Snyder, Aldous Huxley, Reinhold Niebuhr, Timothy Leary, Joseph Campbell, and James Hillman. Watts’s letters were curated by two of his daughters, Joan Watts and Anne Watts, who have added rich, behind-the-scenes biographical commentary. Alan Watts is best known as an interpreter of Zen Buddhism in particular and of Indian and Chinese philosophy in general. He earned the reputation of being one of the most original and unfettered philosophers of the 20th century. He was the author of more than twenty books, including The Way of Zen, The Wisdom of Insecurity, The Meaning of Happiness, Psychotherapy East and West, The Book, This Is It, The Joyous Cosmology, In My Own Way, and Tao, the Watercourse Way (with Chungliang Al Huang). He died in 1973.
The Cultured Cook: Delicious Fermented Foods with Probiotics to Knock Out Inflammation, Boost Gut Health, Lose Weight & Extend Your Life, by Michelle Schoffro Cook (New World Library), 224 pages — Transform everyday foods into mouth-watering superfoods. Detailing everything you need to begin fermenting in your home kitchen, The Cultured Cook offers recipes and tips for making vegan, gluten-free foods even better for you. From delicious plant-based yogurt and cheese, to basics such as sauerkraut, pickles, and kombucha, to tempting desserts — even ice cream! — you’ll discover ways to add fermented foods to every meal. Your body will enjoy the benefits of probiotics, as well as the increasingly recognized prebiotics, to supercharge your health. Michelle Schoffro Cook, Ph.D., DNM, DHS, ROHP, is the author of twenty books, including the international bestsellers 60 Seconds to Slim, The Ultimate pH Solution, The 4-Week Ultimate Body Detox Plan, and Be Your Own Herbalist. “Dr. Michelle Schoffro Cook offers appetizing ways to get the most power from the probiotics and micronutrients found only in fermented plant foods,” says John Robbins, author of Diet for a New America and president of the Food Revolution Network.
Daring to Rest: Reclaim Your Power with Yoga Nidra Rest Meditation, by Karen Brody (Sounds True), 248 pages — What if you could reboot your health, tap into your creative self, reclaim your wild nature, lead from your heart–and still feel well rested? As modern women, we’re taught that we can do it all, have it all, and be it all. While this freedom is beautiful, it’s also exhausting. Being a “worn-out woman” is now so common that we think feeling tired all the time is normal. According to Karen Brody, feeling this exhausted is not normal–and it’s holding us back. In Daring to Rest, Brody comes to the rescue with a 40-day program to help you reclaim rest and access your most powerful, authentic self through yoga nidra, a meditative practice that guides you into one of the deepest states of relaxation imaginable. It’s time to lie down and begin the journey to waking up. Though it comes from the yogic tradition, yoga nidra doesn’t look like a typical yoga class — the entire practice is done lying down. As you listen to a guided meditation, you’re gently taken into complete inner stillness, effortlessly releasing into a healing state that works on both cellular and subtle body levels. With Daring to Rest, Brody presents a comprehensive yoga nidra program that unfolds in three phases: rest for physical exhaustion, release for mental and emotional exhaustion, and rise for tuning in to the “life purpose exhaustion” that can come when we’re not in our full power. Each phase includes a downloadable yoga nidra guided meditation and supportive practices. This is a book about yoga nidra, a meditation practice that helps with relaxation, sleep, rest and healing.
The Enchanted Tarot: 25th Anniversary Edition, by Amy Zerner & Monte Farber (Race Point Publishing), 208 pages — Since it was first published in 1992, the beautiful Enchanted Tarot deck has become a firm favorite with tarot readers around the world. Whether you’re new to the cards, or a more advanced reader, this elegant collection has something for you. Experience the reassuring accuracy of the cards, and the extraordinary images created by award-winning artist Amy Zerner. These miniature works of visionary art weave a richly detailed fantasy world that is impossible to resist. The accompanying book by Monte Farber offers you guidance derived from your dream and waking states of mind and your resulting state of enchantment. Used regularly, The Enchanted Tarot will give you access to the wisdom of your Higher Self, offer you guidance for every day, and illuminate your life. So, whether you want to do an instant tarot reading to help with daily decision-making, or use it for a full forecast of your year, The Enchanted Tarot can help. Complete with 78 stunningly beautiful standard-size tarot cards (3.3″ x 6.5″), a 208-page book, and a beautiful tarot bag, the 25th anniversary edition of The Enchanted Tarot is a beautiful keepsake for tarot lovers everywhere. Amy Zerner and Monte Farber are a best-selling husband and wife team whose many projects have sold millions of copies worldwide. Their expertise and straightforward but lighthearted approach to oracular wisdom is highly sought after, and Amy’s work is in the collections of numerous corporations and prominent individuals like Shirley MacLaine, Oprah, and Martha Stewart. Together they have been guests on morning shows like ABC TV’s Eyewitness News Sunday and FOX TV’s Good Day in New York, L.A., Atlanta, and Detroit. Join them at www.theenchantedworld.com.
From Psychic to Soul: Discover the Psychic Within!, by Diane Lewis (Ozark Mountain Publishing), 100 pages — From Psychic to Soul reveals that everyone is psychic and that knowingly or not, we already use our abilities. According to author Diane Lewis, we can expand on these talents using her easy-to-understand, real-life examples. Throughout the book, Diane also introduces little-known concepts and teaches us what our soul really is along with the theories that surround it. Diane Lewis is a psychic medium who discovered her abilities at a young age. Today, with over 25 years of experience, her true talent lies in her ability to help people by connecting them with the spiritual realm and leading them to uncover their own inner greatness. She uses her gifts in private intuitive readings, medium readings, public presentations, and workshops. Visit her at www.dianelewis.us.com.
Heal Yourself–Heal the World, by Deborah King (Beyond Words/Atria), 256 pages — Deborah King, spiritual leader and New York Times bestselling author of Be Your Own Shaman, inspires and teaches her proven method of LifeForce Energy Healing in this definitive and accessible book that will forever change the way you connect to your energy. What’s standing between you and the life you were meant to lead? The answer lies in your energy field and how you manage it. When our energy pathways are blocked by suppressed feelings, pain, and trauma, we weaken both our personal and universal energy fields, hindering our ability to live our best lives. LifeForce Energy has its origins in the living force that Hindus call prana, the Chinese call chi, and the Japanese call qi. This primal force is connected to your spirit as well as to your physical, emotional, and mental self. It is, in fact, the substance of spirit, what Master energy healer Deborah King calls “LifeForce energy.” Now, using the simple techniques and powerful teachings in Heal Yourself–Heal the World, you can finally clear past trauma from your energy field, connect with authentic emotions, and clear, charge, and re-balance your chakras. Within Heal Yourself–Heal the World you will be able to explore the origins and benefits of energy healing as well as learn self-healing practices and techniques, moving you from basic concepts to hands-on learning to, ultimately, whole world healing.
Holy Rascals: Advice for Spiritual Revolutionaries, by Rami Shapiro (Sounds True), 232 pages — God is real. Everything we say about God is made up. Holy Rascals is a rousing call to anyone ready to go beyond “isms” and ideologies, and live in the world as a liberating force of justice, compassion, and joy. “Holy rascals are spiritual culture jammers who use humor, play, creativity, and critical thinking to reveal the human origins of religions–and how religions mask their true origins behind the conceit of divine origins,” writes Rabbi Rami. Here, he illuminates:
- The making of a holy rascal and the great task of “freeing religion from the parochial and for the perennial”
- The art of “hacking the holy,” or pulling back the curtain on religion’s fear-based mechanisms of control
- The provocative tools and one-of-a-kind practices of the holy rascal, with guidance for creating your very own “rascally” ways
“Holy rascality is about rekindling spiritual creativity and critical thinking,” explains Rabbi Rami. “It is about freeing the human capacity for religiosity — the capacity for making meaning — from the confines of brand-name religion. Holy rascals are playful and lighthearted. While our task is serious — the liberation of humanity from the madness of unhealthy and harmful religions and religious beliefs — our attitude is not.” Holy Rascals brings you Rabbi Rami’s one-of-a-kind inspiration, humor, and practical insight to help you on your mission.
The Integrity Advantage: Step into Your Truth, Love Your Life, and Claim Your Magnificence, by Kelley Kosow (Sounds True), 224 pages — Are you ready to open up to new levels of self-trust and self-love, to get where you want to go? You vowed to speak up at work, and then sat silent in the meeting yet again. You told yourself “this time the diet is going to stick,” only to watch the scale inching up. You felt that something just wasn’t right about someone that — until you learned the hard way that your instincts were right. “Every time you bite your tongue,” teaches Kelley Kosow, “you swallow your integrity.” Before Kelley Kosow was a renowned life coach and CEO, she constantly second-guessed herself, let her “to-do” lists and others steer her dreams and passions, and played it “small and safe.” Inspired by the groundbreaking principles of her renowned mentor Debbie Ford, who hand-picked Kelley to be her successor, The Integrity Advantage is Kelley’s step-by-step guide for facing the fear, shame, and false beliefs that cause us to lose our way. Through life-changing insights, true stories, and proven strategies, this book will show you how to live on your own terms — according to you — from the inside out.
The Intelligence of the Cosmos: Why Are We Here? New Answers from the Frontiers of Science, by Ervin Laszlo (Inner Traditions), 192 pages — For the outdated mainstream paradigm the world is a giant mechanism functioning in accordance with known and knowable laws and regularities. The new paradigm emerging in science offers a different concept: The world is an interconnected, coherent whole, and it is informed by a cosmic intelligence. This is not a finite, mechanistic-material world. It is a consciousness-infused whole-system world. We are conscious beings who emerge and co-evolve as complex, cosmic-intelligence in-formed vibrations in the Akashic Field of the universe. Ervin Laszlo and his collaborators from the forefront of science, cosmology, and spirituality show how the re-discovery of who we are and why we are here integrates seamlessly with the wisdom traditions as well as with the new emerging worldview in the sciences, revealing a way forward for humanity on this planet. They explain how we have reached a point of critical incoherence and tell us that to save ourselves, our environment, and society, we need a critical mass of people to consciously evolve a new thinking. Offering a guidepost to orient this evolution, Laszlo examines the nature of consciousness in the universe, showing how our bodies and minds act as transmitters of consciousness from the intelligence of the cosmos and how understanding science’s new concept of the world enables us to re-discover our identity and our purpose in our world. With bold vision and forward thinking, Laszlo and his contributors Maria Sagi, Kingsley L. Dennis, Emanuel Kuntzelman, Dawna Jones, Shamik Desai, Garry Jacobs, and John R. Audette outline the new idea of the world and of ourselves in the world. They help us discover how we can overcome these divisive times and blossom into a new era of peace, coherence, connection, and global wellbeing.
The Joy of Living: Postponing the Afterlife, by Barry Eaton & Anne Morjanoff (Rockpool Publishing), 224 pages —The Joy of Living is a story that touches the soul and gives us heart-warming, fascinating and deep insights on the hard road from diagnosis to treatment and eventual survival from throat cancer. Barry Eaton, an Australian-based author and radio presenter, describes the careful preparations he made for his journey, using his experience and understanding of the spirit world to deal with and survive the ordeal. Balancing holistic and spiritual methods with modern medicine, he found the means of coping as well as developing a deeper understanding of his life’s purpose. Barry tells his story in his own inimitable style as a broadcaster, sprinkled with amusing anecdotes and recollections. Dealing with customary fears surrounding cancer, Barry’s story unfolds with insights from his partner Anne and son Matthew, as they support him through his emotional roller-coaster journey. The Joy of Living demonstrates how taking some responsibility for your own healing in a confident and meaningful way can turn a potentially fearful experience into a positive outcome.
Leopard Warrior: A Journey into the African Teachings of Ancestry, Instinct, and Dreams, by John Lockley (Sounds True), 256 pages — A shaman is one who has learned to move between two worlds: our physical reality and the realm of spirits. For John Lockley, shamanic training also meant learning to cross the immense divide of race and culture in South Africa. As a medic drafted into the South African military in 1990, John Lockley had a powerful dream. “Even though I am a white man of Irish and English descent, I knew in my bones that I had received my calling to become a sangoma, a traditional South African shaman,” John writes. “I felt blessed by the ancient spirit of Africa, and I knew that I had started on a journey filled with magic and danger.” His path took him from the hills of South Korea, where he trained as a student under Zen Master Su Bong, to the rural African landscape of the Eastern Cape and the world of the sangoma mystic healers, where he found his teacher in the medicine woman called MaMngwevu. In traditional African healing circles, the leopard represents intuition, instinct, and harmony with nature and the spirit world. As John Lockley writes, “A leopard warrior is a spiritual soldier who mirrors the natural world and directs their gaze inward to answer the call of their spirit.” With Leopard Warrior, he brings us an inspiring call to action — showing how we can bridge the barriers that divide us, embrace the gifts of our ancestors, and reclaim our rightful place as compassionate caretakers of our world.
Making Friends With Death: A Field Guide for Your Impending Last Breath (To Be Read, Ideally, Before It’s Imminent!), by Laura Pritchett (Viva Editions), 216 pages — Death is a great and grand mystery, and the actual act of dying is the last physical act of our lives. We can do it well, like a graceful well-rehearsed piano solo — or we can do it like that first awkward dance with a middle-school crush. But if anything deserves our full attention, some preparation, or some renewed clarity, death might be it. In this light-hearted, irreverent exploration of the one thing that is certain in all lives, Making Friends with Death offers a look at all the uncertainty that precedes this final act. A compelling mix of practical how-to advice and personal narrative, this book encapsulates our greatest quest–to make peace with death. Pritchett offers up wisdoms she has gleaned from all sorts of places, including a decade of traditional research and a lifetime of other related, but less formal, pursuits (digging up a dead body, watching her dog be necropsied on the lawn, hosting Death Cafés, and confronting the grim reaper himself). Making Friends with Death broaches the sacred and the scary with warmth, research, and humor. Interspersed with a variety of workbook-like exercises, this book will prove to be the go-to companion for anyone who would rather be able to greet death as an old friend, rather than a spooky stranger.
Meister Eckhart’s Book of the Heart: Meditations for the Restless Soul, by Jon M. Sweeney & Mark S. Burrows (Hampton Roads Publishing), 240 pages — Meister Eckhart (1260-1328) was a priest, a mystic, and nearly a heretic (he died before the Church court’s verdict). In the 20th century, the Roman Catholic Church rehabilitated him and the late Pope John Paul II spoke of his work with fondness. However, what makes him of particular interest is the fact that he has influenced a wide range of spiritual teachers and mystics both inside and outside the Christian tradition. Erich Fromm, Eckhart Tolle, Richard Rohr, D. T. Suzuki, and Rudolf Steiner have all credited Eckhart as being an important influence on their thought. In addition, his work has influenced the development of 20th century American Buddhism and the Theosophical tradition. Eckhart wrote at a time — much like our own — when society appeared to be coming apart at the seams. In the midst of all that chaos and uncertainty, he captured the many forms and stages of the love of God, the mystic path, and the journey of transformation — in language so startling that he, too, was often accused of heresy. Now, seven centuries later, this fresh, stunning rendering of his work translates the essence of one of Christianity’s greatest poetic and spiritual voices. Here is a book that conveys the heart of Eckhart’s teaching on what it means to love God and embark on an authentic spiritual journey — a journey that is characterized by mystery, paradox, and an embrace of the unknown.
Perceptual Intelligence: The Brain’s Secret to Seeing Past Illusion, Misperception, and Self-Deception, by Brian Boxer Wachler (New World Library), 280 pages — Is it okay to fantasize during sex? When should you follow your intuition and gut feelings? Why do we gravitate to products endorsed by celebrities? Why does time seem to go by faster as we get older? Why are some athletes perpetual winners and others losers? Why do some people see Jesus on a Cheeto? Exploring the brain’s ability to interpret and make sense of the world, Dr. Brian Boxer Wachler describes how your perception can be reality or fantasy and how to separate the two, which is the basis of improving your Perceptual Intelligence (PI). With concrete examples and case studies, Dr. Brian (as he’s known to his patients) explains why our senses do not always match reality and how we can influence the world around us through perceptions, inward and outward. Fine-tuning your PI elevates your game so you can have what you want in life: better job, better relationships, better sex, more success, more happiness. Without this book you will have a hard time achieving these things because you will keep repeating the same patterns. By reading Perceptual Intelligence you elevate potential success in every area in your life. And there is an amazing chapter on sex! Do get it now!
Proof of God: The Shocking True Answer to the World’s Most Important Question, by Ptolemy Tompkins & Bernard Haisch (Howard Books), 256 pages — Ptolemy Tompkins, collaborator on the New York Times bestselling Proof of Heaven and Proof of Angels, has teamed up with renowned astrophysicist Bernard Haisch to prove God’s existence and show that His work is evident in the world around us. Is there a God? If so, does God care about us? Or is human life a mere accident of physics? For centuries, these fundamental questions have been integral to every culture and religion the world has known — and have not been answered, save by faith. When it comes to finding answers about how the universe came into existence, “God” is simply another theory. A theory that, many say, is no longer needed. In Proof of God, writer Ptolemy Tompkins (Publishers Weekly calls his writing “inspired”) has joined forces with internationally acclaimed astrophysicist Bernard Haisch to demonstrate that not only is God real, but that it is science itself that proves it. Structured in seven compelling chapters examining core features of our universe (Gravity, Mass, Energy), Proof of God blows up the misconceptions put forth by recent “anti-religion” bestsellers. Written in simple, easy to understand language, it shows believers that far from being an enemy of their faith, science is, if anything, its greatest justification. Above all, it is a deeply personal narrative about a scientist’s journey to understanding how God’s fingerprints are all over our universe. In Proof of God, a committed seeker and a spiritual scientist come together to present a view of creation that makes it not only possible, but essential, to accept both science and God as true.
School of Awake: A Girl’s Guide to the Universe, by Kidada Jones, illustrated by Koa Jones (New World Library), 168 pages — The one and only girl’s guide to greatness. Do you believe in wishes? Did you know you are made of stardust? Have you ever been curious about how you fit into this big old universe? Kidada Jones invites you to join School of Awake, where you will explore our amazing world while getting to know and love your authentic self. Kidada understands the challenges you face and offers dozens of ways to keep it real and navigate the world without losing sight of what’s important. Experience the light within you through colorful illustrations, fun facts, mystical, heart-centered activities, and timeless wisdom. Explore dozens of ways to be yourself and cruise through the world without forgetting what matters most. This unique introduction to mind, body, and spirit consciousness overflows with empowering advice for becoming your best self. It will fill you with a sense of being connected to the entire universe while standing firmly in your one-of-a-kind beauty. Each page brims with powerful, positive energy to help you move through your life with joy and love. This is not like any school you’ve ever attended — or any book you’ve ever read!
The Super Natural: Why the Unexplained Is Real, by Whitley Strieber & Jeffrey J. Kripal (Tarcher Perigee), 384 pages — Whitley Strieber (Communion) and Jeffrey J. Kripal (J. Newton Rayzor professor of religion at Rice University) team up on this unprecedented and intellectually vibrant new framing of inexplicable events and experiences. Rather than merely document the anomalous, these authors — one the man who popularized alien abduction and the other a renowned scholar and “renegade advocate for including the paranormal in religious studies” (The New York Times) — deliver a fast-paced and exhilarating study of why the supernatural is neither fantasy nor fiction but a vital and authentic aspect of life. Their suggestion? That all kinds of “impossible” things, from extra-dimensional beings to bilocation to bumps in the night, are not impossible at all: rather, they are a part of our natural world. But this natural world is immeasurably more weird, more wonderful, and probably more populated than we have so far imagined with our current categories and cultures, which are what really make these things seem “impossible.” The Super Natural considers that the natural world is actually a “super natural world”–and all we have to do to see this is to change the lenses through which we are looking at it and the languages through which we are presently limiting it. In short: The extraordinary exists if we know how to look at and think about it.
Things That Join the Sea and the Sky: Field Notes on Living, by Mark Nepo (Sounds True), 264 pages — The Universe holds us and tosses us about, only to hold us again. With Things That Join the Sea and the Sky, Mark Nepo brings us a compelling treasury of short prose reflections to turn to when struggling to keep our heads above water, and to breathe into all of our sorrows and joys. Inspired by his own journal writing across 15 years, this book shares with us some of Mark’s most personal work. Many passages arise from accounts of his own life events — moments of “sinking and being lifted” — and the insights they yielded. Through these passages, we’re encouraged to navigate our own currents of sea and sky, and to discover something fundamental yet elusive: How, simply, to be here. To be enjoyed in many ways — individually, by topic, or as an unfolding sequence — Things That Join the Sea and the Sky presents 145 contemplations gathered into 17 themes, each intended to illuminate specific situations. The themes include: Unraveling Our Fear, Beyond What Goes Wrong, The Gift of Deepening, The Practice of Relationship, What Holds Us Up, Right-Sizing Our Pain, The Reach of Kindness, Burning Off What’s Unnecessary, How We Make Our Way and many more. For those interested in either beginning or expanding their own journaling explorations, this reader also provides a guide to the practice of daily writing, with 100 compelling questions to get us started. “Joy is the sea that holds all,” writes Mark, “the Unity of Being where feelings don’t separate, but surface like waves to remind us we are alive.” Here, he helps us swim in those waters until we are held in the mystery of their buoyancy.
The Transformative Power of Near-Death Experiences: How the Messages of NDEs Positively Impact the World, by Penny Sartori & Kelly Walsh (Watkins Media), 256 pages — Near-death experiences (NDEs) are often transformative, not only on an individual level, but on a collective level too. This book contains a selection of inspiring stories from ordinary people who have had extraordinary experiences that have changed the course and direction of their lives and opened each and every one of them to the power of divine love. Recent years have seen a dramatic change of attitude towards NDEs. Unfortunately, the ongoing debates about NDEs have detracted greatly from the very important transformational effects that NDEs have and how empowering they can be for the whole of mankind. The NDE instils knowledge in those who experience it that we are all interconnected and part of one great whole. This book aims to inspire people from all walks of life, creeds, cultures and faiths to the transformational power of the message of NDEs and show how the love experienced during the NDE has the capacity to heal minds, bodies and souls. Penny Sartori, Ph.D., RGN, is an expert in NDEs, having been an intensive care nurse for 17 years and having undertaken the UK’s first long-term prospective study on them, for which she was awarded a PhD. She wrote the bestseller The Wisdom of Near-Death Experiences (2014), which was serialized in the Daily Mail, and she lectures both nationally and internationally. She currently teaches at Swansea University. Kelly Walsh is the founder of the Positivity Power Movement and Love Care Share charitable foundation. Her life’s work has been inspired by an NDE she had in 2009 following a suicide attempt and subsequent spiritual experiences she has had since.
White Spirit Animals: Prophets of Change, by J. Zohara Meyerhoff Hieronimus (Bear & Co.), 368 pages — Beautiful rarities of nature, all-white animals are held sacred by many indigenous cultures and offer deep wisdom to all who will listen. In addition to the White Buffalo, there are other revered white animals, such as the White Wolf, White Lion, White Elephant, and White Bear. Each of these White Spirit Animals belongs to a species at the apex of their ecosystem, meaning the environment in which they live will unravel without them. Speaking through ancient and modern prophecy and the many humans who communicate with them, these White Spirit Animals are urgently calling to humanity to restore balance and protect our animal kin, ourselves, and the earth. Combining sacred elder lore, science, and her own telepathic dreams, Zohara Hieronimus looks at the special role played by White Spirit Animals in spiritual traditions and prophecy around the globe, where they are seen as guardians of animal wisdom, each with a special purpose and gift. She reveals how they have collaborated with humanity since the last ice age, inspiring spiritual practices and conferring shamanistic powers, and are considered the stewards of the great spiritual transformations that occur during transitional times. Sharing the waking vision of White Spirit Animals that called her to write this book, and their message of CPR for the Earth — conservation, preservation, and restoration — she explains how to use shamanic dreaming and trans-species telepathy to communicate with these great spiritual teachers. Exploring each one of the major White Spirit Animals — White Buffalo, White Lion, White Elephant, White Wolf, and White Spirit Bear — and the cultures in which they are honored, the author shows, for example, how the White Buffalo is called a harbinger of peace and abundance by many Native American tribes and the White Bear, the great earth healer, teaches us about nurturance and patience. As a bridge between the spiritual and physical worlds, between humans and animals, White Spirit Animals are calling us to open our hearts to the wild, to the sacredness of the wind, the water, the earth, and dream a new world into being to heal our own personal and collective wounds and restore the Earth to balance.
Yoga Nidra Meditation: The Sleep of the Sages, by Pierre Bonnasse (Inner Traditions), 160 pages — Known as the “yoga of conscious sleep,” Yoga Nidra is an ancient Indian practice that allows you to consciously explore the states of wakefulness, dream, and deep sleep as well as your own psyche by combining deep relaxation with attentive awareness. Stemming from Hindu, Buddhist, and Tantric philosophies, the practice — which could be called the “sleep of the sages” — centers on techniques for putting the mind and body to sleep while keeping your consciousness alert. Through Yoga Nidra you can directly observe and understand specific physiological, emotional, and mental processes within yourself as well as experience moments of great inner tranquility, joy, and well-being. Providing a step-by-step guide to Yoga Nidra, Pierre Bonnasse offers a full range of practices focused on the time of awakening and that of going to sleep, yet adaptable to any time of day or night. He details the simple postures of Yoga Nidra and includes preparatory techniques that work with breath and guided meditations to help you become an attuned observer of your inner world. Offering tips for withdrawing the senses and maintaining awareness in the liminal state that precedes sleep, the author explores how all practices in this discipline begin with a phase of relaxation and observation of breathing, followed by immersion into a very subtle awareness of the physical, energy, and mental bodies. He explains how Yoga Nidra sessions allow you to discover “that which is held on to,” making it is easier to let go and become free from all states and processes. A session can explore different states of consciousness as well as your senses, desires, and fears. The higher states of more advanced sessions focus on the energy body and its components: the chakras, nadis, and pranavayu, the vital breath and autonomic functions of the body. Including four complete sessions as well as pointers for creating your own, Bonnasse shows how Yoga Nidra offers positive, stabilizing, and therapeutic effects for the body, emotions, and thoughts. It is the ideal practice for getting rid of stress, anxiety, and the fear of death the source of all other fears. Connecting Indian and Western philosophical ideas, the author shows how sleep can be an opportunity to practice a form of yoga that changes not only our nights but every minute of our days.
