Cygnus Review Autumn 2019

Autumn 2019, Issue 3

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Cygnus Review HEAL YOUR BODY ❖ FEED YOUR SOUL ❖ FREE YOUR MIND ❖ LOVE YOUR PLANET

Voices of Hope & Transformation ❖

The Initiation of a Female Brazilian Shaman

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The Tarot Court Cards as an Insight into the Personality

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Krishnamurti for the 21st Century

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Articles by Fay Johnstone, Pierre Pradervand & Jean Haines

EDITOR’S LETTER

Lessons from History

O

ne of my favourite quotations is from the Sufi mystic Rumi:

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing and rightdoing, there is a field.

I’ll meet you there.”

We need to have a sense of right and wrong but we don’t have to deploy it too often. Most of the time we should avoid making judgements.

People do things that affect us but attributing particular motivation to them rarely makes sense. The same goes for deciding that they are being inconsiderate towards us. That doesn’t matter. It is what it is and surely it’s easier to attribute the best motive to them, whether conscious or unconscious. It was the best outcome for us, even if we can’t quite work out how. And that’s it. It might be hard but we have to accept what seems unjust or unfair. If it doesn’t work at first, we just keep trying.

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I am talking about the smaller issues, the everyday situations, but when it comes to the bigger issues we do have to resist when we know something is wrong and can see it causing harm and suffering. Recently I was at the Jewish Museum in Berlin and there was a display of photos from Nazi times of signs put up across Germany in the 1930s on the edge of various villages and small towns which said things like “Jews, there’s nothing for you here” or “Jews not welcome in this town”.

These would often be rural locations without any Jews within 50 miles.

It seems so petty and banal, but out of these ignorant and aggressive acts came an escalation in persecution and eventually the so-called Final Solution in which millions were murdered in a welter of evil. It never ceases to defeat my mental capacity to consider how countless citizens went along with this process and let this happen to their neighbours in a blind conspiracy of heartless violence.

People could have and should have resisted, have decided that this was wrong and they were going to stop it happening.

Another favourite quotation comes from Ram Dass, the legendary spiritual teacher, or rather from his guru Neem Karoli Baba. I mentioned it in this letter in Winter 2016, nearly three years ago, but it always occupies my mind: “Love everyone and tell the truth”.

So even if you feel that the truth is you don’t love everyone, you still do it – you still apply love to all life and in every situation. It’s like a classic Zen koan and feels like a contradiction, but you stick with it and never let go.

Underneath it all we are all still sparks of God and there is Good in all of us, and even if you look at another person and think you have nothing in common with them, you have everything in common with them because you come from the same place. The people on the street outside the Jewish Museum were probably German but the evil

from 75 years earlier had nothing specifically to do with them. If there’s any burden of guilt we carry it all as humanity, and we learn from what happened then as humanity, not as citizens of any country. Meanwhile I watch the sparrows flitting about on the pavement, searching for scraps of food. Do they know that they are German, or have any concept of identity? No, they are just life unfolding.

We almost always know what’s right; we just can’t quite put it into action. Or it seems too daunting or tiring. The challenge in our lives is doing it: getting past the resistance coming from that part of us that is afraid, from the ego that hates change. It’s painful to swim against that ego tide, but it’s what we must do, if we want to change the world.

I always mention Glastonbury Festival after I have been there in June….because I love it. This year there was a ban on the sale of singleuse plastic bottles, and it worked.

We did it, and maybe next year we will show that we can change in another way. Glastonbury is the most inspiring crucible for humanity that I know of. The world can be improved – there is evidence of that everywhere.

Adam

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PAINT YOURSELF POSITIVE BY JEAN HAINES

The Power of You

Y

ou are unique, an original.

There is no-one else in the world like you. And that is quite a powerful thought. Only you can be you. This is why it is important that you make your own decisions in life.

Art gives me the courage to rely on my own decisions. It has aided me over the years to understand what works in my paintings and why I have come to trust my instincts.

I have had to find my personal style in painting. Despite the hurdles I have had to face, over the years I have evolved not only as an artist but as a human being too, learning mainly from the progress I have made in my form of creating.

Painting is a daily routine that acts as a form of energizing positive therapy.

In art, we all start out as beginners.

We may be born with natural talent, but for many people painting is a skill

at which they gradually improve. I can relate this knowledge to life: we start out as babies and are influenced by many things as we grow into our adult lives.

We can be scarred by bad experiences, too; but we must learn to let go of these or they can badly affect out futures.

We should hold onto everything we can attribute to positive influences, in order to make the best of ourselves in every possible way. A positive attitude gives us power, which is why this chapter is called ‘The power of you’.

How do you find your style as an artist? By knowing what you like. By seeking art and artists whose work you enjoy or admire. By taking time to study art, either in books, online or by visiting exhibitions. However, you do not need to aspire to be a great artist to benefit from time spent creating.

Far from it. The purpose of this book is to look at ourselves and find a way, via painting, that can add to who we are, enhance out time when creating and affect our lives positively once we put our brushes down.

We can use painting as a way to strengthen our characters and change our outlook on life. Your opinion matters. Not necessarily to others, but certainly to you. Understanding that your viewpoint has value should be a big boost to your level of self-confidence.

Look at the two paintings of poppies on this page. Take time to decide which painting you prefer, and then list the reasons why one appeals to you over the other. Perhaps you prefer the bold strength of colour or the sense of movement in Taking Heart (above) or the soft flow in Facing the World (right).

Please take note. There is no right or wrong in art.

Copyright Search Press 2019

PAINT YOURSELF POSITIVE by Jean Haines

Essential Autumn reading

This newest book from internationally renowned author and artist Jean Haines takes the reader on a journey through painting. It focuses on how to use painting to enhance and improve your life.

Whether you are a total novice or already a regular painter, Haines’s guiding hand will show you new and wonderful ways to use a little watercolour and a few brushes to distract you from the stresses of modern life and improve your outlook on life. It won’t take long once you start painting for you to find a new creative outlet in your work that increases your self-confidence and leaves you feeling energized. This beautiful book is a perfect gift for a friend, yourself or anyone looking for a rewarding and life-improving hobby.

128pp, 281 x 219 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 290342 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

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PLANTS THAT SPEAK BY FAY JOHNSTONE

I

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An Extraordinary Nature Walk break open and be part of this beauty that surrounded me, to know what it was that I needed to do to keep expressing myself in this way and getting to know the natural world more intimately.

I felt so much love for this beautiful world and what it manages to create, and gratitude for being there in the moment experiencing it in this way. It was a blessing. I also felt a reminder of a message which comes through often when I am with nature beings and the spirits of the land.

“We love you! Love yourselves the

way we love you!

“We are all connected. There is no separation. Every piece of me shines out through you. Every fragment or lost piece of you can be found in aspects of me (nature). We are all part of the greater whole and we each encompass all of these parts. What you see outside you is a reflection of what plays out inside you. What you see out of balance in the world arena around you is also what you sense to be out of alignment within your body and soul.”

There it was: such wisdom…gentle and yet so persistent. It was on repeat for me the entire weekend every time I took a breath of air or stepped outside.

I thought about Trump, Brexit, homelessness, war, alcoholism, the food industry, environmental issues and more. I found myself considering each issue as outside me, something separate, so I tried to turn it around. Where could I heal myself? Where could I heal my relationships? Where could I heal my connection to others, to alcohol, to food, to the environment and so on.

It was a clear and encouraging reminder that as we heal ourselves, we are healing the planet. In this time of political and environmental madness, we need to do exactly that. Dive into our hearts with authenticity and find ways to soothe, forgive and heal the pain that we carry individually so that collectively we can all thrive together on this magical earth.

PLANTS THAT SPEAK, SOULS THAT SING

by Fay Johnstone

More and more people are forging closer relationships with nature which lead them to connect with the spirits of plants. Plants have a lot to offer towards the health of our bodies and our minds, and they can even be allies in our shamanic practices. The book is packed with practical blessings, meditations and rituals, which will help deepen the plant-human relationship. In these troubled times this can be a source of deep encouragement and spiritual support. At Cygnus we always like to support works that dive deep into plant consciousness and we are happy to feature again this amazing book to go with this new piece

by Fay Johnstone.

164pp, 227 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290355 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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Copyright Fay Johnstone

recently spent a peaceful weekend on retreat in the Scottish countryside. I had no particular agenda, just a keen desire and intention to connect on a deeper level - not just with my heart and the innermost workings of my being, but also in a more meaningful way with the natural world that was bursting into life around me.

With this intention in my heart, I walked casually through pathways mown into a field. It was hard not to relax in the summery atmosphere and I began to feel aware of the natural world coming to meet me.

The wind softly touched my skin, and there was a dampness in the air from the recent summer shower. I became conscious of all the birds chitter chattering away in the air around me; it was like my ears had been switched on. There were more sounds beneath the top notes of the bird song: low murmurs from the cattle in the surrounding field, gentle movements of trees and branches, leaves rustling and creaking.

I passed hawthorn trees laden with their bridal blossom and there was a heady scent in the air. Other trees were proudly showing off their canopy in full leaf, bright green and bursting with life and vigour. The colour seemed brighter, more alive than it had before.

At first glance, it would have been easy to dismiss this ordinary field, because there was nothing of spectacular interest to see, no monument or hill to climb, or stream to paddle in. I was simply walking in a field and yet it was alive, and as my heart opened to the joy of its welcome in bird song, gentle breeze, summer growth, blooms and soft green carpet, I felt the natural surroundings reach out even further to me and touch my heart.

I started to sing, as I often do when out with nature and brimming with joy at the feeling it brings me.

I simply couldn’t help myself and allowed my feet to drum a beat, moving my body with a gentle sway, feeling the movement of the land flow through me, move through my body in the way that I could express it.

I wanted to know everything, to

Meditation & Relaxation — BOOK REVIEWS A LITTLE PEACE OF MIND

by Nicola Bird

SATTVA by Eminé and Paul Rushton

“There’s nowhere to get to, nothing you need to change…” This compact little book is a gift for anyone who is done coping with the stress and anxiety plaguing their lives and ready to start living freely. Nicola Bird experienced severe anxiety and panic attacks for over 20 years; trying everything from medication to yoga to counselling to keep her fear in check. Finally she developed a unique method that helped her understand the human mind and changed her relationship with anxiety forever. In her book, Nicola opens up about her experiences and shares the simple ideas that helped her realise her own innate mental health and wellbeing. At the heart of her philosophy and understanding, you’ll discover the peace of mind that has been eluding you all this time.

Eminé and Paul are the co-founders of This Conscious Life, an online journal that celebrates the joy of living consciously.

Together in this book they offer a complete lifestyle prescription for balance and peace in the hectic modern world based on the Ayurvedic teachings of Sattva. Sattva embodies unity, harmony, purity, vitality, clarity, gentleness and serenity. As you learn this ancient, holistic wisdom you will discover the way to turn off your busy mind and the noise of the outside world to live in harmony with the seasonal cycles. This really is a wonderful and heartfelt guide that will help to ease the strain of life, work, and technology. If you are experiencing any level of burnout or want to learn more about living a simplified life, Sattva will remind you of your natural state of being.

224pp, 194 x 126 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

272pp, 217 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

LIVING A LIFE OF HARMONY

by Darren Cockburn

SITTING STILL LIKE A FROG ACTIVITY BOOK by Eline Snel

❖ Code: 290305 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

The subtitle of this book is Seven Guidelines for Cultivating Peace and Kindness. British author Darren Cockburn brings his 20 years of meditation and mindfulness together to bring you the most essential guidelines to help you find inner harmony and balance in today’s modern society. These seven easy-to-practise guidelines help us gain deeper understanding of the universal process of life as well as provide a set of tools to help us deal with life’s ups and downs more skilfully. Cockburn’s style is very clear and he brings a true authority to these teachings, drawing from deep religious and current scientific study. This book gives you a simple yet powerful compass to direct you to a peaceful mind and harmonious living.

❖ Code: 290309 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.98 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

This companion activity book to Snel’s bestseller Sitting Still Like A Frog is packed with 75 mindfulness games for kids (ages 4-8) that will entertain while teaching them awareness and attentiveness. Where Sitting Still Like A Frog is the ideal book to read with your child and share together, this activity book is designed specifically for your child to explore on their own and develop their mindfulness skills independently. In this book they’ll find fun yoga exercises, meditation stories, cut-out posters and cards, colourful stickers, kid-friendly recipes and audio downloads of guided yoga and meditation. This truly is a beautiful and delightful activity book that will introduce a world of calm and peace to your child or grandchild.

100pp, 281 x 218 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.00

192pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290312 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

THE LITTLE BOOK OF BEING

by Diana Winston

THE FLOWER FIX by Anna Potter

Do you recall, as a child, being enthralled by a drifting cloud? Or feeling a sense of total ease and contentment in your surroundings?

This is “natural awareness” and while it is innate in all of us as children as adults we may have lost the simple connection of “beingness”. Diana Winston has been teaching mindfulness since 1999 and in this book she breaks down her decades of experience in bite-size chapters that help teach and guide you to uncover your natural awareness. The Little Book of Being will offer you clear, concise ideas about being fully present in your state of mind and in this way experiencing ease, joy, and unconditional love. With glowing praise from authors like Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, and Daniel J Siegel, it’s clear that Winston has unique knowledge and insight into the practice beyond mindfulness.

Written by Anna Potter, the Instagram sensation and founder of the UK-based flower shop Swallows & Damsons, this gorgeous guide to the world of modern flower arrangements offers 26 tailor-made combinations of flowers to bring a floral boost to your home. Each arrangement gives step-by-step instructions, as well as a list of the equipment, flowers and foliage needed to create the look. Beyond that, Potter has created an introduction to basic flower arranging including notes on how to use colour and a seasonal flower glossary. Potter aims to share the inspiration of flower arranging and how it can bring the peace and beauty of nature into your home. The full-colour photography courtesy of India Hobson is stunning and the book itself is a lovely large format that would bring a world of elegance to your home even when sitting on a coffee table.

180pp, 204 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

208pp, 254 x 199 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £20.00

❖ Code: 290317 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

❖ Code: 290331 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

❖ Code: 290341 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

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BOOK REVIEWS — Nature & The World Outside THE ROCK BALANCER’S GUIDE

by Travis Ruskus

You are probably not familiar with rock balancing. It is the practice of piling up stones in natural settings, creating everything from simple towers to amazingly elaborate and apparently gravity-defying edifices. People balance rocks for fun, to challenge themselves and as a way of being mindful, connecting to nature and focusing on the present moment. Travis Ruskus is a professional rock balancer, artist and meditation instructor. Here Ruskus brings rock balancing to the mainstream for the first time. With 40 spectacular colour photographs of the author’s own balances, as well as technical and philosophical advice on approaching rock balancing, this book is everything you need to explore this oddly beautiful and fulfilling practice.

208pp, 198 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290351 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.98 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

THE REAL PLAY REVOLUTION

by Ash Perrin

Today’s children are likely to spend many hours staring at screens. Ash Perrin and his “Flying Seagull Project” are determined to offer alternatives with what they call Real Play.

Ash, also known as Bash the Clown, calls himself a professional noise-maker, promoting the idea that there are no limits to being happy and feeling confident. Play, laughter and being silly are great ways to connect with feeling good. The project’s work in hospitals has shown that laughter is the best medicine and the same is true at home, where busy stressed parents are encouraged to create a Kids Comedy Corner, invite friends, dress up, choose music and food and then have fun telling jokes. Put on overalls and splash paint around, dance, be a zombie. Begin a play revolution that parents as well as children will love.

192pp, 216 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290344 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

WILDING by Isabella Tree

HEALING EARTH by John Todd

384pp, 196 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

256pp, 229 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £19.99

With their family farm at Knepp pushing them to the brink of bankruptcy, Isabella Tree and her husband made a spectacular leap of faith: they decided to step back and let nature reclaim the land. In this book, Tree tells the remarkable story of how letting nature take control led to Knepp becoming a hub for wildlife and biodiversity. The Knepp Project has become a leading light for conservation in the UK, demonstrating how letting nature take a driving seat can restore the land and wildlife and reverse the cataclysmic decline that has affected species across Britain in the past five decades. Personal and inspirational, Wilding is an astonishing account of the beauty and strength of nature, when it is given as much freedom as possible. ❖ Code: 290329 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

This is a wonderfully inspiring and reassuring book by a renowned pioneer in ecological recovery and sustainability, who has taught and mentored well-known environmentalists like Bill McKibben and Paul Hawken. The 16 chapters tackle various projects he has initiated around the world to tackle specific issues, but the lessons can be applied to all sorts of localized problems. The book is full-colour and packed with plans, drawings and photographs that illustrate his practical approach to healing polluted waterways, creating wind and solar powered boats and repairing landscapes devastated by mining. It’s a refreshingly hopeful and proactive book, that can break the chain of impotence and despair holding so many of us down. ❖ Code: 290337 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.65 ❖ Member Price: £14.99

MAGICKAL HERB ORACLE by Cheralyn Darcey

This is a lovely boxed set of 36 cards and a 120 page colour illustrated book. Each card has a quality on it together with a plant or herb that epitomizes that quality. Thus there is Acceptance/ Valerian, Attraction/Parsley, Repair/Comfrey and Protection/ Echinacea. The deck isn’t British but at least 80% of the plants grow here and practically 100% of them are familiar to us all. I can think of many uses for these cards: divination according to the quality of the plant, putting the card on your altar to bring through its magic and appreciating the beauty of the whole image on the card for energy and inspiration. The book is also a treasure trove of information: every entry has the oracle meaning, botanical description, magickal correspondences and a spell for that herb. This is a wonderful product and I can’t recommend it too highly.

120pp, 36 Cards, 140 x 100 mm, Boxed Set, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 290324 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

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CAN THE MIND BE QUIET BY KRISHNAMURTI

Krishnamurti (1974) Copyright the Estate of Mary Zimbalist. Copyright The Krishnamurti Foundation

A

t Cygnus we feel that it’s time to read Krishnamurti again.

There’s still unreleased material from him, and here is the latest book painstakingly put together from his writings and dictations.

His stern but loving approach is unique among spiritual teachers and, while in a way you have to be “ready” for him, his unwavering integrity is always encouraging and inspiring.

Other teachers might suit at other times, perhaps when you are feeling vulnerable and uncertain and would like something more comforting, but I feel that when I read Krishnamurti, and I make that effort, I am drinking from some kind of pure source. I don’t mean to make his teachings sound remote or elitist. Far from it – I think his commitment to education and to founding schools clearly shows this isn’t true. His refusal to take refuge in religions or systems – “Truth is a pathless Land” – makes me feel that he is making an effort to help me, that he is doing the work to an extent on my behalf. Of course there’s always a lot of work to do, but with Krishnamurti I feel I am a bit further up the mountain.

Here is an extract from Can the Mind Be Quiet, published this month: “We must live at peace with each other and therefore we must understand how this belief which divides comes about. Deep down, inwardly, we are frightened, and not being able to resolve it we project an image of what we call God. We have created it.

We create God in our image and to that we cling desperately because we suffer, because we are at war with each other and in ourselves, and because life is so uncertain. And ultimately there is always death. So we cling to the image we have made, the symbol, the thing made by the hand or by the mind. What is important is not what you believe in but why you believe; and if you go into it deeply you are bound to find that we all want a great sense of inward security. We all want inward peace and a feeling of

A Teacher for the 21st Century deep, quiet, imperishable clarity. So thought invents various formulas, images and speculative hopes. Thought divides itself as the permanent and the impermanent. Being in itself impermanent it invents a permanence.

Thought divides the world into nationalities, into groups, into individuals opposed to the community, and so on, endlessly. This division goes on both outwardly and inwardly. It is a kind of game played with ourselves and this game leads to great horrors, brutality and violence.

“So you see how thought breeds hatred and arrogance, and you see how thought creates the image of what it

calls God and love. These opposites are the product of thought and in this human beings are caught endlessly. All this has nothing to do with love, has it? You know what we mean by that word? To be kind, to be gentle; love has no fear; love is not jealous. Love is not a thing of thought. A thing of thought has in it a duality, one opposing another, but as love is not put together by thought, it has no opposite. This is a great thing to understand. Spend some time, as you do with geography, observing all this. Learn about it as you would learn cricket. Then you will see for yourself that any form of belief becomes totally unnecessary and you can live without any formula.”

And finally, from the foreword by Terence Stamp: “I often wouldn’t really get what was being said, but unbeknownst to me I was being refined. In later conversations the same thing would happen: we would start off talking about material things like shirts and shoes, and yet a shift would occur. His tone of voice would not necessarily change, but something subtle would take place. I can only liken it to Cole Porter’s lyric, ‘How strange the change from major to minor.’ It took me maybe 15 years to understand sayings like: ‘When the eagle flies it leaves no mark,’ and ‘The observer is the observed.’

“I might not have been sure about what he was saying, but there was always this shift.”

CAN THE MIND BE QUIET? by J. Krishnamurti

In these newly published personal accounts, the renowned teacher Krishnamurti once again displays his timeless teaching style and profound wisdom, addressing vital questions about the nature of the lived experience, how to find fulfilment and the details of self-inquiry. His captivating prose turns stories of real life encounters with spiritual seekers all around the world into fable-like dialogues, as poetic as they are deeply inspiring. It includes a foreword from Terence Stamp where he discusses his first encounter with Krishna and the life changing effects this humble, yet remarkable man had on his life. This is a must read for all spiritual seekers looking to be inspired, challenged and provoked to search within themselves.

288pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 290350 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

Essential Autumn reading

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BOOK REVIEWS — Esoteric Traditions

THE ENERGIES OF CROP CIRCLES by Lucy Pringle

WISDOMKEEPERS OF STONEHENGE

by Graham Phillips

OPENING THE AKASHIC RECORDS

by Maureen J. St. Germain

The Energies of Crop Circles delves deep into these mysterious formations to discuss the physical, psychological, and energetic effects they have on people and animals. It is full colour; packed with the author’s own photos. Lucy Pringle is regarded as a leading authority on the effects of electromagnetic fields on living systems and here she lays out her research on the formations. She explores the relationship between crop circle formation and consciousness, highlighting “intention” as a key factor in crop circle manifestation.

Grounded in scientific research, this book begins to bring understanding to the power and significance of crop circles.

Graham Phillips is an unsung national treasure and his enthusiastic detective work across the British landscape has shed light on many legendary mysteries, like the location of the Ark of the Covenant and of King Arthur’s tomb. In this learned but enjoyable book, he examines the civilization of the megalith builders, and the structures they left behind. There is so much we don’t know: where did they come from, how and why did they build these structures and where did they go? It’s an encouraging story, as Phillips uncovers evidence of the incredible learning of these people and the possible health cures that they discovered.

Graham Hancock calls this “an enchanting, thought-provoking and important read”. It discusses the evidence that humanity’s development owes everything to viruses from distant parts of the cosmos. The authors provide a vast amount of evidence to back their thesis, but at no point is the text overwhelmingly intellectual. As they point out, this will have a huge effect on our understanding and will transform our culture. Life did not originate in non-living elements on the earth but rather from life in other parts of the galaxy. Thus life might well be widely dispersed across many planet and solar systems, and once again earth is by no means unique.

The Akashic Records, as most Cygnus members surely know, are a vast domain of energetic imprints, a living vibrational field where all possible futures are stored. By accessing it, we can orient ourselves better to the environment around us and even discover our soul’s purpose. This book is an intoxicating ride through the cosmos via many dimensions which also gives us the tools and techniques to access all this invaluable information. Maureen makes the process simple, using diagrams, charts, photographs and several exercises. Ultimately the work you do on your own evolution will help with the Earth’s ascension. This process works.

256pp, 241 x 168 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £25.00

288pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £16.99

144pp, 228 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

176pp, 228 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290314 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.65 ❖ Member Price: £14.99

❖ Code: 290315 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

MARY MAGDALENE REVEALED

by Meggan Watterson

The subtitle of this book says it all: “The First Apostle, Her Feminist Gospel and the Christianity We Haven’t Tried Yet”. Meggan is a Harvardeducated theologian, a feminist and a passionate teacher and workshop leader. Many of us suspect that Christianity and the sacred texts have so much more to offer us but that it’s being lost in the curricula of established religions, and this is the ideal book that will reconnect us with the loving heart of Christ’s teaching. At the centre of it all is of course Mary Magdalene, and at the centre of this text is her Gospel, the only one that was written in the name of a woman. It offers a compelling introduction to the riches hidden in the story of Christ and the Magdalene.

264pp, 235 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 290307 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

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OUR COSMIC ANCESTRY IN THE STARS by Chandra Wickramasinghe et al

❖ Code: 290320 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

❖ Code: 290319 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

ONLY A THOUGHT AWAY

by Patrick Mathews

Through his work as a medium, Patrick Mathews has come to see that Heaven is not a far-off place but is all around us. Loved ones in spirit are always close offering help and guidance, and by developing a sixth sense anyone can open up to making connections with them. The author gives examples of people he has worked with to develop confidence in their sense of having a bond with a departed loved one. When a close one dies grief is experienced in different ways and to different degrees. It is helpful to know these states and also know practical guidelines to deal with them.

This book will be of great interest to anyone wishing to feel more closely connected to a loved one in spirit, regardless of their spiritual beliefs.

240pp, 203 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

❖ Code: 290340 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

BOOK YOUR AD TODAY ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Email: advertising@cygnus-books.co.uk ❖ More information: www.cygnusreview.com/pages/advertising

HAVE YOU BEEN AVOIDING THE TAROT COURT CARDS?

Copyright Ethony Dawn

A

lot of Tarot Readers find the Tarot Court cards confusing. Because they represent people, they are left questioning who exactly is the card talking about? To answer this question, many resort to throwing additional cards in hopes of finding clarity, instead of diving deeper into the card in front of them.

To become a skilled reader you need to go deeper into the Tarot Court. I was forced (in a good way) by my first Tarot teacher to learn every single card inside and out. This allowed me to nail down the Tarot Court from the beginning. So if you have been avoiding getting your hands dirty with the Tarot Court, I encourage you to start now.

The Tarot Court are my favourite part of the deck because they represent many of the personality archetypes that we embody in life, what we can learn on our journey, and the people we have relationships with (whether they are functional or not). Through the progression of each suit, we can learn to use the strengths of that suit, and how to master that part of ourselves. The Suit of Cups is our journey to becoming emotionally intelligent. The Swords is the journey into discovery and critical thinking.

The Pentacles is how to master the physical world and be in one with our bodies. And the Wands is our personal power and creativity.

The Major Arcana cards represent energies that are bigger than us. They are universal archetypes that cross time, geography, religion. They are often external forces or structures in readings. The Minor Arcana (excluding the Court) represents how the bigger themes in the Major Arcana are reflected in our everyday life. These are the ways in which we move through the world - the lessons we learn, reflections of our past and present, and what could happen in the future.

The Tarot Court cards are about strategies for dealing with the Major and Minor Arcana. They are the people in our lives and the beliefs and ideas that we hold about the way the world works and how we move

Insights from Ethony Dawn through it. They represent the beliefs we have about ourselves and the masks we show the outer world.

They can show us where we are regarding maturity level or understanding of a specific lesson.

They can instruct us on where we need to develop our relationships, helping to build acceptance and bring people together instead of pushing them apart. They also can show us where our strengths are and how we can navigate through challenges and obstacles.

Let’s look at an example of how this all works together. You may have pulled The Empress in a reading.

She is the energy of creation and abundance, birthing new things, and

harvest. When you pair that card with the three of Pentacles, you’ll be seeing that combination as a physical creative space. People coming together to create something, peer-review, a master teaching a young student how to build something. The Three of Pentacles is the creative force now expressing itself in an everyday way.

A Tarot Court card will further define what is happening in the Three of Pentacles card. Who is the master, who is the student? Is someone being stubborn? Is someone not open to constructive criticism?

When you ask better questions, you can understand actions and motivations more accurately. You can get to the root of what is really going on and pull back the masks that people wear.

So if you want to delve deeper into the Tarot Court here’s a technique can you practice. Imagine yourself embodying that Court archetype.

Mimic their body language if you were them? How would you react if you were that person to the cards around them? What would you do as that Tarot Court card to move forward?

What would your next move be, not as you, but as that person?

I hope you enjoy diving into the Tarot Court as much as I do! The more skilled you become with them, the richer and more accurate you’ll find your readings.

Ethony is the author of Your Tarot Court, and you can find her at ethony.com.

YOUR TAROT COURT by Ethony Dawn

This is one of the most informative tarot books I have read for some time. People tend to treat the court cards as poor relations within the deck but in fact the archetypes in these cards offer huge potential in terms of insight into people’s personalities, their more public faces that they show in daily interactions.

Ethony is a young reader and teacher who discusses the tarot in a more contemporary way, for example in terms of gender and social hierarchy. Getting to know the court offers a great opportunity for self-analysis and self-knowledge. Her book goes through every card, with illustrations from two decks, and it also includes exercises and space for self-questioning.

I think this book could do wonders for our tarot reading skills.

264pp, 230 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290336 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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9

BOOK REVIEWS — Health MEDICAL MEDIUM CELERY JUICE

by Anthony William

The Medical Medium is back in this fifth instalment of his bestselling series. This time Anthony William has turned his attention to the “most powerful medicine of our time” - celery juice. The list of ailments that celery juice can help with seems unending. In this book, William, the originator of the global celery juice movement, introduces you to celery juice’s incredible ability to create sweeping improvements on every level of our health. You’ll get instructions on how to make the juice, how much to drink, when to drink it, and what to expect as your body begins to detox.

With a star-studded list of endorsements, it’s absolutely worth exploring the benefits of what Anthony calls “one of the greatest healing tonics of all time”.

256pp, 239 x 199 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290301 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.98 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

ENERGY WELLNESS FOR YOUR PET by Cyndi Dale

If you’re looking for a way to enhance your pet’s wellness and strengthen the bond you share together, then this is the book for you. Bestselling author Cyndi Dale has created a comprehensive guide covering the chakras and subtle energy systems for a variety of animals, from dogs and cats to snakes and fish. Using intuitive pet communication and energetic assessments of chakras and symptoms, you can fully support your pet’s development in every stage of life. With 12 full-colour illustrations and Dale’s clear writing and guidance, this book can help you to understand the foundational energetics of your pet and to create a happier relationship between you and your companion animal.

220pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 290318 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.77 ❖ Member Price: £11.50

BODY THRIVE by Cate Stilman

What an insightful read! When you’re ready to find a healthier way to balance your mind, body and spirit, and live a happier more fulfilled life then Body Thrive has to be your go-to. Cate uses the techniques from Ayurveda, an ancient Indian medicine system, and from Yoga teachings to develop an incredibly perceptive approach to maintaining a constant state of positive wellbeing. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking to improve their lifestyle habits as Cate has such a unique view of the inner workings of the mind and I found myself being pleasantly surprised over and over again! NYT bestselling author Mark Hyman calls this “the next frontier of Ayurveda” and Vasant Lad says “this book will change your body, mind and consciousness”.

336pp, 229 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290334 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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ANYTHING CAN BE HEALED

by Martin Brofman

One of the best and most practical healing manuals of recent years has been republished with a new jacket and with extra added material. This includes a foreword by Anna Parkinson, an extra appendix and a full-colour chakra reference chart. In 1975 Martin Brofman healed himself of terminal cancer in his spinal cord, and from that point he wanted to share his technique with the world. It’s a simple approach that combines Western psychology and the Eastern chakra system. The book is richly illustrated and patiently lays out every aspect of his approach. When we recognize the divine and the healing potential in all of us, anything CAN be healed.

228pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290313 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.98 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

THETA HEALING: DIGGING FOR BELIEFS by Vianna Stibal

Much of the literature on beliefs and emotional states focuses on the how: how beliefs and emotions work within psychology, sociology, neurology, etc. In this new book, the founder of Theta Healing Vianna Stibal goes beyond how to answer why we have particular beliefs and how we can change them. This book is ideal for those familiar with Theta Healing who are ready to dig deep within themselves to identify core beliefs and then learn the approaches to change them. Stibal identifies the five vital steps of digging for beliefs, when it is appropriate to change a belief or to use it for positive change, and most importantly the common mistakes made in digging work and how to avoid them. This book is the final word in Theta Healing and will enable you to utilize the life-changing tools for healing yourself and others.

224pp, 229 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290311 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.98 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

NATURAL COMPRESSES AND POULTICES by Christopher Vasey

In this little guide, Christopher Vasey has collected natural compress and poultice treatments for over 70 common ailments and conditions from headaches and asthma, to shingles, bronchitis and acne.

Each entry details what type of compress or poultice to use, whether to use it hot or cold, where to apply it to the body, and for how long. Vasey also spends time exploring the physiology behind why these age-old remedies are effective and how they trigger the nerves and affect the body’s internal chemistry. This is an indispensible complement to your home’s first aid kit. Perfect for bumps and bruises and so much more, you will learn the hands-on way to bring relief and healing to yourself and your loved ones.

144pp, 209 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290322 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

BOOK YOUR AD TODAY ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Email: advertising@cygnus-books.co.uk More information: www.cygnusreview.com/pages/advertising

FIND YOUR LOCAL CYGNUS CAFÉS E SUSSEX, Eastbourne Valerie Abl 01323 726 652 valerie@talentshift.co.uk

SOUTH LAKES, Cumbria Catherine Hunt 07957 861408 hello@ primewellbeingfoundation.com

N YORKS, Scarborough Helen Marriott 01723 381 118 info@fountainscourt.com

STAFFS, Stoke-on-Trent Nathan Smallman 07724 189 988 nathan.smallman@btinternet.com

ISLE OF WIGHT, Shanklin Kate Stuart 07957 909 566 redfox_1@btinternet.com

N YORKS, Selby Val Turner 01757 701 571 valdert@btinternet.com

STAFFS, Tamworth Jo Greaves 07738 216429 jo.greaves2017@gmail.com

KENT, Ashford Sylvia Nichols 01233 626 206 viastjames@icloud.com

N YORKS, Whitby Daphne Wright 01947 602 425 daphnewright05@gmail.com

SURREY, Caterham Chris Osborn 01737 551 459 chrisosborn612@gmail.com

LANCS, Lytham, St Ann’s Simone Qualter & Andy Cowgill 07928 632 976 simonequalter@yahoo.co.uk

NORFOLK, Kings Lynn Amanda Rowe 07786 066761 info@hectorsbarn.co.uk

SURREY, Guildford, Shere Linda Sewell 07850 839 472 lindasewell@hotmail.co.uk

LEICS, Coalville Cheryl Colpman 01530 831 798 cheryl@cherylcolpman.co.uk

NORTHANTS, Irchester Karen Holton 07980 770 893 klholton@live.co.uk

W MIDLANDS, Wolverhampton Jas Bassi 07830 019 513 Info@jasbassi.com

DEVON, Barnstaple Mrs Viv Easton 01271 375 303 easton866@btinternet.com

LINCOLNSHIRE, Horncastle Melissa Bay 07989 508391 countrygardenpets@tiscali. co.uk

RHONDDA, Pontypridd Louisa Mills cygnuscaferct@aol.co.uk.

W SUSSEX, Bosham Kathryn Bingham 01243 572 109 office@thehamblinvision.org.uk

★ NEW DEVON, Churston Morag Noades 07969 374491 cheyne10@hotmail.com

★ NEW LONDON, Hackney Therisa Jones 07811376369 tierra_is@yahoo.co.uk

DEVON, Paignton Marian Davies 07791 263 840 maridavi100@gmail.com

MANCHESTER, Sale Rosemary Plunkett 0161 962 4123 rosieglow3@icloud.com

E AYRSHIRE, Kilmarnock Anita Neilson 07778 923380 anitaneilson61@gmail.com

MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, Woolton Pamela Langley 0151 421 1772 pamelalangley@hotmail.com

CLEVELAND, Saltburn Kathryn Luczakiewicz 01287 204 400 info@saltburnwellbeingcentre. co.uk

AVON, Bath Mari Batholomew 01225 840 889 mari@sulis-health.co.uk

CORNWALL, Port Isaac Ann Fanstone 01208 880 300 fanstone@phonecoop.coop

BEDS, Luton Jenny Martin 01582 415242 jennym4759@yahoo.co.uk

CORNWALL, Penzance Anthea Tounsend 01736 719 606

BERKS, Upper Basildon Lynne Mitchell 07770 278 080 lpmtll@gmail.com BRISTOL, Bishopston Jane Stott 07788 418 078 janestott070@gmail.com BUCKS, Milton Keynes Nikki Brown 07972 257 004 nikki-nutrimed@hotmail.co.uk CEREDIGION, Llangrannog Amanda Painting 01239 654 699 amandapainting@gmail.com CARMARTHEN Dorothy Morris 01267 267 652 dorothy_morris@hotmail.com CHESHIRE, Chester Lynn Alexander 01244 951 753 lynnalexander@talktalk.net CHESHIRE, Sandbach Karl Grey 07450 499 284 karlgrey@hotmail.co.uk

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MIDLOTHIAN, Edinburgh Tabora Green 01835 268546 trueharmony@hotmail.co.uk

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CORNWALL, Truro Jane Goodall 07967 201 929 janegoodall@live.co.uk CUMBRIA, Penrith Jackie Lewis 07799 884452 stellapolarisbb@gmail.com DERBY/NOTTINGHAM David Steare 01332 661 102 david.steare@ntlworld.com

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ROSS-SHIRE, Conon Bridge Shenagh Leiper 07721 656 668 leipershenagh@gmail.com SHROPSHIRE, Ironbridge Romella Jones 01952 881 151 cariadtherapies@outlook.com SOMERSET, Taunton Robin Littman 01278 671 679 Robin@resource-me.com S GLOS, Thornbury Trisha Seward 01179 621661 trishaseward@talktalk.net

W SUSSEX, Horsham and Haywards Heath Judy Sharp 01444 459 433 judysharp123@gmail.com WILTS, Salisbury Jane Wainwright 01722 413 902 janesnowflake@gmail.com WIRRAL, Merseyside Carol Carter 07807 077966 carolcarter100@btinternet.com WORCS, Tenbury Wells Hilary Foxwell 01584 819 010

We are never alone; we may be lonely, but we now know we are not alone, wherever we are!

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11

❖ Dates & times are on our website: www.cygnusreview.com/pages/cygnus-community-cafes ❖ Contact: vicky@cygnus-books.co.uk for more information

A Guide to Starting a Cygnus Café

W

e know that we have many members who are interested in starting Cygnus Cafés in their community, and that they have questions, both about how to get started and also how they want their group to run. Below is a mini-guide to running a Cygnus Café to give you a taste of what you can expect – if you would like to start your own Café please do get in touch. ❖ The starting point for setting up a group is the purpose

of a Cygnus Café, and that is creating a space for you to meet people of like mind in your own locality. Nowadays it is often the case that you might find you can only get so far by yourself using a book. Sometimes it can be a great help on your spiritual journey to share issues that feel unresolved, with others of like heart.

❖ Many groups take a little

while to gain momentum, and this is normal. We suggest you avoid the temptation of trying to find a perfect arrangement. ❖ Setting up for the

meeting we suggest that the host prepares the room in the most appropriate way, arranging the seating so that everyone has eye-to-eye contact. Meetings generally begin with everyone taking turns to say their name and where they are from and, if they wish, a mention about something they may want to talk about later. ❖ Many groups have found it

❖ Most of our groups run in what

we would call an unstructured way, they have no agenda and allow the magic of the moment to provide the topics spontaneously, depending on who wishes to share their recently experienced insights or share their current concerns of the heart.

very helpful to keep the level of the meeting at a higher level by setting the intention of the group to the highest good at the beginning of the meeting.

So that, whatever happens, the highest good may come out of it.

❖ When getting down to

❖ Gradually most groups

practicalities the first thing you need is a space, generally meetings are held in members’ homes or quiet rooms in cafés or community spaces. Any room hire costs etc. are shared by the participants on a donation basis.

We advise avoiding noisy venues or spaces that have no door, as this helps a great deal. You need a safe space where you know you will not be interrupted. ❖ When thinking about when and how often to hold

your meetings, consider the needs of the group when deciding what is best for (most of ) you. Some groups choose mornings, others evenings, some even choose a weekend. Larger groups sometimes choose to have two meetings in a month, once in the evening and once in the morning, to match the different lifestyles. Most meeting last for around 2 hours and our advice is to stick to the same day every month, week or fortnight to allow people to organise their diaries.

begin to observe how Cygnus Cafés can grow in depth as participants feel more comfortable and they can share their vulnerabilities and “soft spots”. This gives others the confidence to share their concerns or doubts.

❖

We love hearing from our members and finding out what you are up to at your café meetings. Please send your comments, thoughts and updates to editor@cygnus-books.co.uk so that we can include them on this page.

❖ For meeting support you can contact Vicky Hartley at Cygnus on

vicky@cygnus-books.co.uk

12

BOOK YOUR AD TODAY ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Email: advertising@cygnus-books.co.uk ❖ More information: www.cygnusreview.com/pages/advertising

A MEDITATION AND A BLESSING BY PIERRE PRADERVAND

Copyright Pierre Pradervand

W

e live in a world of growing complexity not to mention complications. If I did not have a few good friends to help me, I could easily become a Neolithic caveman in the computer field. In almost every single area, especially health and medicine, we are faced with contradictory information, most of it claiming to be backed by some solid authority. Just filling out numerous administrative forms is sometimes a real headache. The average person on the street finds it more and more challenging to have a meaningful opinion on issues like artificial intelligence or the 5G system which is slowly invading our countries. You name it.

Yet for someone on the spiritual path, one of the most beautiful discoveries is that everything becomes inwardly simpler and simpler as she or he progresses in their quest.

The complexities of social relations just vanish in the discovery that the essence of every being is divine.

Personally, my most frequent reply to numerous questions is simply “I don’t know”. And my growing human ignorance of all I supposedly “should” know or understand is replaced by the quiet assurance that the only thing I really need to know is that we live in an infinitely benevolent universe which supports us every moment and the only thing I really need to master is unconditional love and forgiveness.

A very precious discipline that will help you possibly more than any other one is to make regular pauses of a few minutes during the day. To begin with it may be only two or three, but the benefits of the practice will rapidly encourage you to make pauses more and more often. There are so many ways to use these breaks, I am not even going to attempt to suggest a specific manner.

Just listen and ask Spirit: “What should I do with the gift of these few minutes?” And the reply is sure to come. And above all, remember that you are never alone. There is a higher guidance which, unbeknownst

‘It’s becoming clearer every day that either we create a world that works for ALL... or it will soon work for no one’ to many of us, accompanies us along the way. As a passage of the book of Exodus states: “I shall send an angel before you to guard you on the way and lead you to the place I have prepared for you”. Just trust in that guidance, and if you are sincere and persevere, the result is certain.

It is all so simple, friend.

Pierre is the author of The Gentle Art of Blessing and 365 Blessings to Heal Myself and the World

A Blessing for Commitment to a Win-Win World That Works for All It’s becoming clearer every day that either we create a world that works for ALL, animals and nature included, or it will soon work for no one, starting with us humans. As citizens of the world – and we are, whether we know it or not, such citizens – this should be one of our very top commitments.

We bless ourselves in clarifying our vision of a world that works for all and in our deep commitment to making it come to pass.

WORKING WITH CHAKRAS FOR BELIEF CHANGE

by Nikki Gresham-Record

This is an exceptionally good book, which presents a wise and radical new approach to healing via the chakras. Nikki, who lives and works in West Sussex, starts by describing her own path to becoming a healer, along which she manages to heal herself of lupus and other health issues. Her own system, which she has called Healing InSight, includes techniques drawn from qigong, kinesiology and belief realignment. The book is in colour inside and the pages for each chakra are coded according to that chakra’s colour. It’s packed full of useful and easy-to-understand information which personally I am impatient to start using. It’s not just a matter of physical healing: the curriculum includes a life-review process that can transform your life on every level.

304pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 290321 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.22 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

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13

BOOK REVIEWS — Spiritual Teachings THE ESSENTIAL PATH

by Neale Donald Walsch

WISDOM FROM YOUR SPIRIT GUIDES

by James Van Praagh

128pp, 190 x 127 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £9.99

184pp, 216 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

Known for his popular books on modern psychology and practical spirituality, here the author sends out a challenge to each of us to examine who we are and how we choose to live our lives. The state of our planet and our collective view of humanity is directing our future. If this future looks less than satisfactory the answer is to change our beliefs and so create a better future. The problem is that most people don’t understand this problem and think it is caused by others, which leads to social alienation. It is time to ask if there is something we don’t understand, the one thing that would change everything. By offering information about what’s going on and suggestions on how to experience the possibility of change, there is hope that we can become awakened and so begin to reverse our unhelpful choices. ❖ Code: 290346 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

THE RITUAL OF WRITING

by Andrew Anderson

In this highly practical and compact book, practising Druid and creative writing teacher Andrew Anderson brings together the art of writing and pagan spirituality. Writing is already one of the strongest ways we can express ourselves and when it is approached as a ritual Anderson believes it can inform our spiritual practice. Anderson’s focus is to give the reader hands-on guidance and writing exercises to help them develop their skill as well as build a more confident writing voice.

This book’s tone is spiritual, but Anderson’s creative writing knowledge and step-by-step advice is critical for any budding writer. It is a delightful balance if you want to develop your writing ability and in the process discover a deeper connection to the Universe.

128pp, 216 x 141 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £8.99

❖ Code: 290326 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

THE SEVEN ELEMENTAL FORCES OF HUNA by Susanne Weiki

Huna is a way of life that originates in ancient Hawaii, based in the energies of nature, the source of all life. In Huna there are seven elemental forces of nature alongside seven qualities of power, each governed by a Hawaiian goddess. They are described then brought together in a power circle with a ritual to follow. A further range of rituals and exercises help gain better access to the energies and integrate them into daily life, with emphasis on integrating with nature and living more naturally. We are also introduced to elemental beings such as fairies and gnomes who have their own intelligence and wisdom as well as great power. Real life accounts record different people’s experiences of becoming aware of nature spirits, which then encourages and develops a deep connection with the natural world at many levels.

128pp, 191 x 146 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290316 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

14

There is a team of spirit guides that you are always in contact with, so you may as well make the most of this supportive relationship. In this book, bestselling author James Van Praagh helps you discover where these guides come from, how to make contact with them and how they can best help you. As ever, there are many wonderful and heartwarming stories, plus practical exercises that will help you in the process. It’s not a heavy or profound book but it’s one that will encourage people – maybe those who are just starting on the path or who urgently need to start relating to their guides – to start to explore what might be the most important relationship of their lives. It’s very “California” but James is such a good teacher and warm writer that it never stops being a deeply nurturing text. ❖ Code: 290310 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

GODS AND GODDESSES OF WALES

by Halo Quin

Cygnus has its roots in Wales and we feel it’s important to offer this book to our members.

With its main source in the Mabinogion, it provides information on all the traditional deities and wonderful stories about them and their adventures. As the author (who lives in the heart of West Wales) is a practising witch, it also includes exercises that we can use to connect with them and include them in our personal spiritual practices. The book covers Merlin and Taliesin, Elen of the Ways and Ceridwen. It can also be used as a point of departure and it directs us towards the source texts, because the text can only skim the surface of all the myths and legends that originate in the land of the Druids. It’s an entertaining and educative text that will help us connect with the energies in the forests and mountains around us.

120pp, 215 x 139 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £6.99

❖ Code: 290327 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99

EMPOWER YOUR LIFE WITH SOPHROLOGY by Philip Carr-Gomm

Sophrology is a set of exercises based on yoga that can be used for relaxation, resilience and enhanced self-esteem. It is most popular in France and Switzerland and in those countries it has been used to train Olympic athletes, as well as to help teachers and pupils in schools and to ameliorate symptoms for cancer patients. The exercises involve breathwork, active imagination and scanning the body. This is one of the first mainstream books on the subject and it is beautifully laid out in colour and with many illustrations and diagrams. The exercises are easy to learn and can be carried out quickly and with minimal inconvenience. The author has a practitioner diploma in sophrology, as well as being the current Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids.

144pp, 235 x 190 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290302 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

BOOK YOUR AD TODAY ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Email: advertising@cygnus-books.co.uk ❖ More information: www.cygnusreview.com/pages/advertising

Psychology & Consciousness — BOOK REVIEWS ALREADY HERE Dr Leo Galland

In Already Here, Dr Leo Galland, a world leader in integrative medicine, shares his experience of a profound loss - the death of his special needs son Christopher at 22.

After his death, Dr Leo began to receive communications from Christopher’s spirit, which not only showed direct visual evidence that our souls do go on, but also revealed new perspectives on everything from the concept of timelessness, to the notion that the universe is, fundamentally, an act of love.

The book takes its title from Christopher’s final message in which he describes Heaven as an “eternal present” where everyone is together, even those of us still living earthly lives.

“Lighten up”, Christopher says. “You’re already here”. Previously featured in hardback.

160pp, 216 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £11.99

❖ Code: 290304 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

THE POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY OF SYNCHRONICITY by Chris Mackey

This book is a new and heavily updated edition of the author’s previous Synchronicity, and it includes all the latest research on the subject. It’s an autobiography, self-help book and manifesto all rolled into one. The author is an Australian clinical psychologist, but he also discusses his own descent into a kind of mentally ill condition, in which he tests his own theories on synchronicity and its power to guide us through the process of “going within”. His story is amazing and inspirational and forms a powerful manifesto for an optimistic Positive Psychology which uses synchronicity in an imaginative and constructive way. Every journey is different but the message from this one is that it’s better sometimes to trust your own intuition than follow voices from outside.

288pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290352 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

GENERATION Y, SPIRITUALITY AND SOCIAL CHANGE edited by Justine Afra Huxley

THE ULTIMATE COLIN WILSON

by Colin Wilson

Colin Wilson arrived in the public eye in 1956 with the publication of The Outsider, which made him Britain’s best known existentialist. However he developed from there to become one of the most erudite and open-minded authorities on the occult and supernatural. This is a revised and updated version of the classic selection first published in 1985 and it showcases Wilson’s own choice of what he believed to be his key works. There are added chapters containing key post-1985 writings. All in all, it’s an inspiring and thought-provoking work in its own right, full of wise insights into the world beyond the material, plus a starting-point for exploring his broader body of work.

336pp, 234 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 290345 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

EVERYTHING IS HERE TO HELP YOU

by Matt Kahn

Since the original publication of this book in hardback, Matt Kahn has become a big name in healing and spiritual guidance. This brave and ambitious book cuts straight to the chase and guides us through the perennial quest for living at the soul level and not the ego level. By redefining our understanding of the spiritual journey from the point of view of the soul, Matt breathes fresh life into all aspects of the healing journey to usher in a revolutionary and loving approach to personal growth. It’s very focused and quite intense, but it’s written with a warm and patient voice and I found that it drew me in when I read a little bit every day – the wisdom then shines through brightly. He also includes energetically charged mantras that will liberate our spiritual potential.

224pp, 217 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £11.99

❖ Code: 290306 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

HOW TO HAVE MEANINGFUL CONVERSATIONS

by Sarah Rozenthuler

In this book you’ll meet young people from different backgrounds who are practising their spirituality in many different ways: within traditions, between them, outside them, and all three at the same time. This collection of stories and interviews with young adults shows the multifaceted, globally minded views of the next generation in regard to faith and spirituality. Organized into seven themes covering sacred activism, complex identities, protecting the earth, challenging orthodoxy and more, the hope and aim of this book is to give young readers strength in hearing how their peers are meeting global challenges and to give older readers clear insight into what is needed and how they can participate in today’s changing society.

Who doesn’t struggle with having the big conversations in life? Whether you need to learn how to communicate relationship matters with your partner or you want to know how to discuss your career with your boss, this book will give you the know-how to achieve your goals. Rozenthuler brings together real-life case studies and examples with a straightforward 7-point plan to help you grow in confidence and achieve lasting results. This vitally important and useful book will inspire and enable you to have honest, meaningful discussions in your personal and professional life. We all could benefit from reading this book and pushing ourselves to learn how to express ourselves effectively so that we never miss an opportunity or fail to communicate what matters most.

288pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £16.99

256pp, 204 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290325 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

❖ Code: 290353 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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15

MY FIRE INITIATION BY XamAM ALBA MARIA In this extract from her forthcoming book The Voice of the Four Elements, XamAM Alba Maria describes her second attempt to firewalk:

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In the Centre of the Circle Through his intermediary, I was able to see everything I needed. Everything I wanted.

As I danced, I saw once more, in vivid images, the different struggles waged by duality on various planes of existence. I dissolved into Masters and into doubles of myself. How many Masters are dedicated to our planet, dedicated to protecting our Pachamama, our generous Gaia! So many loving beings trying to bring Light, Healing and Consciousness to our human race! The drums sent me back to an ancient time, and I no longer felt my physical body. My feet seemed to no longer exist.

Shaman Alba Maria (XamAM) lives in and warmly welcomes seekers to her Terra Mirim Centre of Light Community in Bahía, Brazil. Here you can stay, immerse in Shaman School, explore Shamanic Community Weeks and work directly with her.

Her website xamam.org is regularly updated with messages from her and details about her work worldwide.

Her next trip to Europe will be between May and July 2020.

WILD MERCY by Mirabai Starr

Mirabai has translated and edited classic texts by many of the great mystics including St Teresa of Avila and St John of the Cross, but she has also had a long-standing experiential interest in spiritual mysticism since she was a young girl. Leavened with stories from her own rich and varied life, Wild Mercy talks about the great female mystics of history, and how they changed Mirabai’s life. There are also meditations, prayers and exercises that will enable their power and their energy to change ours too. These include medieval abbesses like Hildegard of Bingen, bodhisattvas like Quan Yin, and contemporary teachers like Gangaji. There can be no doubt that we need to intensify the current of feminine energy running through this world and here is the perfect inspirational manual.

240pp, 216 x 133 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290356 ❖ Non-Member Price: £ 12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

BOOK YOUR AD TODAY ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Email: advertising@cygnus-books.co.uk ❖ More information: www.cygnusreview.com/pages/advertising

Copyright XamAM Alba Maria

Months after this first attempt at passing through the embers, I received a message in meditation: I would find someone who would call to me; in this summons, the mention of the Fire Element would be the signal for me to agree to participate. I waited, knowing that the best thing to do was to relax and trust that the meeting would take place at the preordained time.

Some days later, I met a woman who was talking to me about rituals.

As I asked her about the elements, she invited me to attend a Fire Ceremony.

My body almost trembled; I felt my Guidance say, “With her you will perform the ritual you are waiting for”.

I accepted the invitation with a joyous heart. (…)

I noticed I was a little scared, and at the same time understood my anxiety.

I had never seen that place; did not know those people. The past was calling to me, but I had to live in the present. There, in that moment. (…)

The bonfire solemnly crackled its love song. The flames blazed inside my heart. I heard the sound of drums and a powerful song echoed within me. I felt the force, or the frequency, of that sound. Strong and powerful as the moment demanded, gentle enough for me to bear. We danced without ceasing for two hours. Sweat poured down my body and my eyes could no longer see the crackling fire. Now, for me, there was only light. A large ball of light in the centre and continuous, sequenced sounds. I remembered a distant time when it had been revealed to me that Fire was my Element of Healing. I dedicated myself to him every single day of my life. Whether it was lighting bonfires, dancing for the Sun, or celebrating dawn in the wee hours of the morning and at dusk, when the sun took its leave giving way to the first stars. Singing to the lightning and thunder was my way of paying homage to the pulsating energy that Fire made me recall and experience.

Suddenly, there was silence within me. I was called to the centre of the circle, near the fire. I looked at the woman in front of me. I thought I was dreaming, for she was me, and I was her. I heard myself speaking strong words coming from another reality in which sounds decidedly came from the imaginary, from the formless, from All and Nothing. The coals were like a carpet, crackling. She (I) looked into me, into my eyes, took my hands and kissed them. In an attitude of profound reverence, she went toward the Fire uttering completely creative sounds, which could only be understood through the softening of the heart — no mind could have deciphered them. There I was, in total surrender. The sky was clear, without a single cloud. I went through the embers with the help of that indigenous woman, Mistress of the Elements, Fire — me. Everyone was silent. From that moment on, I also belonged to the Tribe of the Firebirds.

Diaries, Dreaming etc — BOOK REVIEWS

MOONOLOGY DIARY 2020

by Yasmin Boland

FACE YOGA

by Danielle Collins

THE INNER WORLD OF NIGHT DREAMS

by Marc J. Gian

The Moonology Diary is back for a second year and it will steer you through what promises to be an extraordinary year, potentially full of massive transformations and seismic personal shifts. Yasmin Boland is an award-winning astrologer/moonologer, and her astrology columns are published all over the world. This is a pocket diary that is also a guide to working with moon energies.

The entry for each day carries the phase of the moon plus its position in the heavens. As you go through the year it offers advice relating to every new moon, depending on which sign it is in. It also includes short chapters on various subjects at the start specially written for this edition.

In this fully illustrated guide, Face Yoga expert Danielle Collins has distilled her decades of knowledge to show how by applying the principles of facial exercise, massage and acupressure you can smooth and tone your skin.

Combining practical exercises, health and lifestyle advice, and wellness tips this handy book is an essential read for those who wish to look and feel their best.

Danielle’s methods are tried and true and the benefits of incorporating facial exercises into your daily routine will not only help you glow outside, but will also support your overall wellbeing.

Face Yoga is absolutely something we should all be looking into adding to our fitness, mindfulness or yogic routines.

I’m not usually one to delve too far into these types of books, but the author seems to have hit the nail on the head with this one. The writing style is clear and the colour illustrations are a wonderful addition. It’s captivating and enlightening and focuses on the mind and body: the ultimate guide into understanding the value and meaning behind your dreams. I can’t recommend this book enough.

Marc J. Gian reveals the secrets behind our dreams and examines the inner workings of our mind to help us grasp what might be reflected back into our conscious realities, and he does this with an enormous amount of grace and intricacy. I don’t think you could want more from a dream guide.

264pp, 195 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

168pp, 170 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

144pp, 235 x 190 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290308 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

❖ Code: 290349 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

❖ Code: 290303 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

LIMINAL DREAMING

by Jennifer Dumpert

There are dreams that take place in deep sleep but then there are also visions, snippets and brief fantasies that happen on the edge of sleep. Those from the moments when you are falling asleep are more familiar but you can also receive material while waking up.

We can create a dream practice that doesn’t involve putting a light on and rousing ourselves from deeper slumber. This exploration at the edges of human consciousness is a rich hunting ground for creative and spiritual visons of all kinds. She teaches techniques such as Yoga Nidra and also suggests plants and herbs that will help with the process. It also includes an exercise workbook.

182pp, 227 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290335 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

EVERY DAY MATTERS 2020 by Dani DiPirro

Designed as a resource for enriching daily life, this bestselling illustrated holistic planner will guide you on a journey of awareness and fulfilment as you go about your everyday activities. It’s all too easy to become overwhelmed with multiple thoughts each day as our to-do lists grow, so positivity blogger Dani DiPirro insightfully presents one life-enhancing theme a month to focus on within this diary. Each week-to-view spread then features an inspiring quote that encourages reflection on the theme and an exercise to further your overall well-being. This allows a seed of inspiration and awareness not just to be planted but also to grow substantially, so that positive action can become an integral part of daily life. It’s in both its usual formats: larger format spiral bound and pocket-sized.

POCKET: 176pp, 148 x 100 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £7.99 ❖ Code: 290347 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99 DESK: 176pp, 247 x 167 mm, Spiral, 2019, RRP £12.99 ❖ Code: 290348 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

Essential Autumn buy!

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BOOK REVIEWS — Buddhism IN LOVE WITH THE WORLD

by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

In 2011, following an ancient Tibetan tradition, eminent teacher Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche walked through the gates of his own monastery and disappeared into the night. This was in the Indian town of Bodh Gaya, where the Buddha himself achieved enlightenment. He told no one where he was going – if indeed he knew himself – and thus embarked on a four-year wandering retreat.

This is an extremely rare and intimate account of a Buddhist monk’s inner wrestle with internal mind states that includes a vivid description of him nearly dying of dysentery as he meditated alone in an ancient burial ground. You rarely get teachings like this which are explained for the lay reader but which provide a compelling insight into transformation and maybe even enlightenment. The novelist George Saunders calls it “One of the most generous, beautiful and essential books I’ve ever read.”

288pp, 204 x 136 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290328 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

THE MEANING OF HAPPINESS

by Alan Watts

It’s wonderful that a new generation is discovering Alan Watts. He writes with knowledge and wisdom about religion and spirituality but the books are always so entertaining and make you feel refreshed and ready to continue on the road to self-realization. This is a new edition of his second book, first published in 1940 and including now a new foreword by his daughter Joan. Drawing on Eastern philosophy, Western mysticism and analytic psychology, Watts demonstrates that happiness comes from accepting both the outer world around us and the inner world inside us. It’s amazing that a man of only 24 could write with such style and confidence. The book is described as “pathbreaking” by Maria Popova, creator of the renowned Brain Pickings blog.

256pp, 203 x 133 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £13.99

❖ Code: 290339 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

LIVING BEAUTIFULLY

by Pema Chodron

The subtitle reads “with Uncertainty and Change” – again it’s a Buddhist master using her decades of hard-won wisdom to help us with challenging and painful situations.

Pema is best-known as the author of the groundbreaking classic When Things Fall Apart, and this is an elegant new edition of a book first published in 2012, with flaps and beautifully uncut pages. These are of course difficult times. Why not, when everything seems unpleasant and threatening, cling on to what seems safe and familiar? This book explains with generosity and elegance how, by stepping into the unknown and fearlessly embracing what is best called groundlessness, we can live a more vibrant and joyful life.

160pp, 209 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290333 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

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AWAKEN EVERY DAY

by Thubten Chodron

The writing style of these 365 meditations is so eloquent that you can actually feel your body relaxing…I also found myself nodding in agreement every other minute. It’s relatable, insightful, and, most of all, deeply spiritual. Who doesn’t want that? Thubten Chodron is a Buddhist nun who founded Sravasti Abbey, a monastery in Washington state, and her Awaken Every Day is the ideal guide to understanding our deeper thoughts, behaviours and actions.

This Buddhist reflection of “inviting mindfulness and joy” carries a strong and successful message explaining how maintaining positivity, both towards yourself and others, is beneficial to balancing a healthy mental and emotional life.

400pp, 178 x 128 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290330 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

FALLING IS FLYING by Ajahn Brahm and Chan Master Guojun

Ajahn Brahm is one of my favourite authors and his books – such as Don’t Worry Be Grumpy – are entertaining yet profound explanations of spiritual issues and mind states. Sure, he’s a Buddhist abbot in Australia, but the teachings are universal and primarily Buddhist influenced, rather than Buddhist in themselves. Here he gets together with a teacher in the Chinese Zen tradition to discuss adversity, everything falling apart and how you deal with disaster.

In Ajahn Brahm’s case it was being expelled from his beloved Buddhist tradition because he ordained women as nuns who would be on an equal footing with their male counterparts. These wise teachings are also sometimes laugh out loud funny, but more than anything they will inspire us to deal with the most challenging situations with courage and equanimity.

152pp, 204 x 129 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £11.99

❖ Code: 290332 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

CONTEMPLATIVE CAREGIVING

by John Eric Baugher

John has been a contemplative educator, social science researcher and end-of-life caregiver for more than two decades. After losing his mother to murder when he was a young man, he has spent his life studying the penal system, and contemplating issues around imprisonment. Ultimately he has found peace from his past in the spiritual work of caring for those nearing death and recognizing the humanity of all people. In this book he shares his experiences and how to find compassion and spiritual growth through end-of-life care. His message of living well in whatever our circumstances and releasing ourselves and others from unnecessary suffering is poignant and beautiful.

240pp, 226 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 290338 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.77 ❖ Member Price: £11.50

BOOK YOUR AD TODAY ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Email: advertising@cygnus-books.co.uk ❖ More information: www.cygnusreview.com/pages/advertising

Divination — BOOK REVIEWS

GUARDIAN ANGEL READING CARDS

by Debbie Malone

This deck is easy to describe and encapsulate. It’s larger format than the other decks in this Review and each of the 36 cards has a picture of a beautiful scene with humans navigating their lives and an angel by their sides who is helping them in the situation depicted. They are created in a classic light-filled, beautiful “angel style” and the angels themselves are different races and genders. Included are the Angel of Adventure, of Imagination, of Music and of Success. The author Debbie Malone is a former Australian Psychic of the Year and her advice in the book is generous and inspiring. Pick a card and take guidance from that angel: at random and you might realize what you need in this moment, or choose one and read what Debbie says about that divine being. Or just draw energy from the image on the card – take it with you or put it on your altar for assistance from your guardian angel.

84pp, 36 Cards, 193 x 137 mm, Boxed Set, 2018, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 290323 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

THE ANCESTRAL ORACLE OF THE CELTS

by Caitlin Matthews

This reissue from Caitlin Matthews is a means for communicating with our ancient ancestors using archetypes from the Celtic world. It includes 40 full-colour cards and an 88-page guidebook. Please bear in mind though that you don’t have to have Celtic ancestry to make the most of this connection.

Caitlin is one of the UK’s foremost experts on Celtic spirituality, the Grail and the Arthurian myth, so this deck is founded upon a profound knowledge of Celtic culture.

Archetypes on the cards include The Tracker, The Weaver, The Druid and The WayShower. The images on the Divine Ancestor cards are taken from the renowned Gunderstrup Cauldron. The insights you can get from these cards include help with decision making and insight into our sometimes hidden motivation.

88pp, 40 cards, 272 x 123 mm, Boxed Set, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 290354 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

CHAKRA WISDOM TAROT

by Tori Hartman

This most recent deck from the bestselling author of the Chakra Wisdom Oracle, Tori Hartman, combines the power of tarot with the wisdom of the chakras. Through combining these two systems, each card offers a window into understanding: aligning who we are (the internal) with the world in which we live (the external). Where the Chakra Wisdom Oracle deck simply looked at setting intentions, with the tarot deck you can both read the cards and fine tune your awareness in order to find out exactly where you are in your personal manifesting process. These cards will clearly reveal your future path as well as offer a visionary road map to manifesting your dreams.

112pp, 78 Cards, 175 x 127 mm, Boxed Set, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 290343 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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BOOK REVIEWS — Super Bargains!

Don’t miss out on these fantastic last minute deals!

CHAKRA MEDITATIONS by Swami Saradananda

This vibrant 49 card deck is an invaluable companion for any yogi looking to tap into their full potential energy. There are 7 cards for each of the 7 main energy centres of the body. Each card offers a practical guide to rebalancing your energy, guiding your meditation, and visualizing your balance. The accompanying booklet describes each chakra’s healing function and how to tell if your chakra is out of balance at any level. These cards are indispensible for every level of yoga practitioner from novice to expert, looking to enhance their mind-bodyspirit balance and be in touch with their fully energized self.

I LOVE MY JUICER by Natalie Savona

This is the complete juice book. It’s in a nice larger format and has vibrant colour photographs of all the drinks. The various recipes are divided into themes, including detoxification, immunity boosting and skin maintenance. There are instructions on how best to prepare the drinks, plus a great deal of health advice and tips relating to the best use of all the different fruits and vegetables. The author trained at the Institute for Optimum Nutrition and is now a post-doctorate researcher at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

176pp, 243 x 190 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £12.99

16pp, 49 Cards, 143 x 105 mm, Boxed Set, 2019, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 280223 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.66 ❖ Member Price: £6.00

GOOD MOOD FOOD by Natalie Savona

SHAME by Dr Joseph Burgo

❖ Code: 290150 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.77 ❖ Member Price: £7.00

Although it contains over 70 recipes, this is much more than another cookery book. The food we eat gives us energy and profoundly affects our moods. Unbalanced blood sugar and hormone levels in particular are well known aggravators, but they can respond well to correct nutrition. Stress and anxiety compound a bad situation so practical advice on breathing, exercise and sleeping well are included alongside dietary recommendations. There is a chapter on female hormones which can be responsible for mood swings, particularly around PMS and the menopause. Vitamins, fats and supplements are covered in depth and suggestions for an eating plan supports the message that a solid nutritional framework is necessary to support a long-term sense of good mood. The final analysis of a healthy balanced diet is reduced to four factors: freshness, variety, food in a natural state and plenty of fluids and fibre.

Shame has been pushed to the sidelines in Western culture over recent decades. It is easier to speak of embarrassment or low self-esteem, but shame still plays a crucial role in our development and daily life. It is something that can define a person’s sense of self. Throughout history shame has been a civilizing influence on society and only recently have people fought back against the toxic aspects, such as stigma. Drawing on 35 years’ experience as a psychotherapist, Dr Burgo recounts many stories of guilt, remorse and other emotions that contribute to shame, and he looks at how different people have used their sense of shame as a positive tool for self-knowledge. The book contains a survey to assess your own score when it comes to shame. Using this score, the chapters become a guide to supporting areas that show up as needing attention and exercises to help learn from these.

320pp, 155 x 233 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £14.99

320pp, 135 x 215 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 290152 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.77 ❖ Member Price: £7.00

ATTRACTING ABUNDANCE by Jane Struthers

SPIRITUAL SCIENCE by Steve Taylor

❖ Code: 290154 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.55 ❖ Member Price: £5.00

Our universe is already filled with the desire of our hearts and we can attract these desires into our lives by purposefully focusing on them.

This beautiful cosmic themed deck includes four suits that help you focus on particular areas of your life: love and relationships; career and prosperity; health and wellbeing; and spiritual growth. Accompanying the cards is a guide explaining the ways to conduct readings and set your intentions using the cards. Whether you are looking for focused mediation guides or a way to harness positive energy in your life this deck will inspire you and help you become more in touch with the limitless potential of our universe.

This fantastic title by Steve Taylor looks at spiritual science, or is it rather scientific spirituality? As Gary Lachman says on the cover, “Materialism is dead. It just doesn’t know it.” The text is not light and it rewards close reading – Steve is a Senior Lecturer in psychology at Leeds Beckett University – but it’s a book we can all learn from, because the tide is turning and we need to be better informed. Spirit matters. This is an intelligent and highly instructive book that offers a new and integrated vision of the world.

272pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 280447 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.66 ❖ Member Price: £6.00

16pp, 52 Cards, 143 x 105 mm, Boxed Set, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 290149 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.88 ❖ Member Price: £8.00

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ADVERTISING

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NOTICEBOARD & ADVERTISING

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RETREATS GREECE Findhorn-inspired community-based summer holistic holiday Centre combines healing retreats, creative arts workshops, workcamps and living-in-community weeks with lush forest, gorgeous beaches and Greek vegetarian meals.

Also, August Family Fortnight. www.kalikalos.com, Email: info@ kalikalos.com, Tel: 0208 816 8533 HEALING RETREAT FOR MIND BODY AND SPIRIT in the beautiful Pennines of West Yorkshire, search online www. thursthousefarm.co.uk or call 01422 822 820 or 07759 619 043 ANAM CARA RETREAT CENTRE, Scottish Highlands, Inverness. Residential workshops and retreats in Shamanism, Buddhism, Meditation, Yoga Training, Healing Arts, Creative Ecology & Working Retreats. To request a brochure, tel. 01463 711702 email: welcome@anamcara.org visit: ww.anamcara.org

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I WORK WITH GALACTIC BEINGS, MASTERS, ANGELS AND SACRED GEOMETRY, clearing and healing deep energy imbalances, with intuitive guidance to ease the healing process, as described in my website: Kennaelizabeth.net

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ANGELIC GUIDANCE WITH MICHAEL – Welcome positive change into your life. Please telephone Eastbourne 01323 365751 for further details. mikeallone@talktalk.net

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SEASONAL ALIGNMENT

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ONE-DAY WORKSHOPS IN KEW, SW LONDON

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Part of the day is spent in Kew Gardens

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These are ‘Nature-Bathing’ days to re-charge our batteries

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AUTUMN 19/10/19 • WINTER 18/01/20 • SPRING 18/04/20 • SUMMER 27/06/20

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Pioneer of Sound Healing & Family & Ancestral Healing

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