Cygnus Review Spring 2020

Spring 2020, Issue 1

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

Thriving as an Empath

Advice and Support from Bestselling Author Dr Judith Orloff A TRIBUTE TO RAM DASS (1931-2019) Guidance from Ysanne Lewis on what 2020 has in store

Plus!

❖ A 2002 Poem and Letter

from Ann Napier ❖ Dr Joseph Mercola writes on the Dangers of EMFs ❖ The Living Wisdom of Trees

by Fred Hageneder ❖ Directory of Cygnus Cafés

EDITOR’S LETTER

The Bigger Picture

I

am going to say a bit less on this page today because there are two points I need to make at the end, and also because I have written another page later in the magazine about Ram Dass, who is one of my heroes and who has sadly passed on.

I do though want to pay tribute to someone else I cared for deeply, Ann Napier, who put this magazine together for so many years. Every month she would compose a letter for Cygnus and she became a spiritual writer of great depth and clarity. I thought on this occasion we could include one of her letters from the past. I asked her husband Geoff for some guidance and he suggested the words we have reproduced on page 9.

Quite simply I can’t believe that she was able to come up with something

so profound often twelve times a year.

I have looked through our archive in the office and the sheer variety is astonishing. As for myself, I only have to do the same thing as her four times a year and yet I find it next to impossible not to repeat myself.

After a few years I can’t deny that I still feel like an impostor and that I am merely keeping her seat warm.

I was lucky to meet her quite a few times and she had an energy that I have rarely seen in anyone else. She was an ordinary person (whatever that means) but somehow, through her connection to something greater and through sheer effort, she was able to come up with a deep wisdom that I know I have never come close to expressing.

She and Geoff created something amazing, a nexus of energy that still exists, one of great power. Those of us who find ourselves part of Cygnus know that it’s open to anyone, that it’s open to any belief as long as that belief is generous and does no harm, and that it can support us on what can feel like a lonely journey. I know I do repeat myself on this subject, but here goes: I can never really pin down what Cygnus is and how it works, but there’s something there that’s beyond the magazines we produce and the books we sell, and it makes us all a bit stronger and a bit braver. We can also reflect on the progress that the spiritual movement has made, and which Cygnus has played a part in.

I think we have increased awareness of climate change and been involved in constructive solutions to it. I also think that true spirituality has always

I hope we all go on for many years standing up for what we believe in accentuated feminine energy. My biggest wish would be if we could also ignite a spiritual renaissance in society – we just have to keep trying.

I want to thank you all for your support and encouragement, and for the commitment you show to Cygnus. None of us can take any particular credit, yet all of us can share in the credit for it. I am really moved when I hear you say what Cygnus means to you and thank you for going to the trouble of telling us.

I hope we all go on for many years standing up for what we believe in – not being pulled along in the mainstream and settling for all the distractions and the half-truths that are fed to us. There is a bigger picture: the song of a single tiny bird is more meaningful than any mobile phone can ever be and love is the most important energy in the universe.

Thanks again.

Adam

MEET THE TEAM Publisher

Etan Ilfeld

Editor

Adam Gordon

Art Director

JUST A COUPLE OF HOUSEKEEPING POINTS:

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WHAT YOU CAN’T SEE CAN HURT YOU BY JOSEPH MERCOLA

A

conservative estimate is that 3 percent of the population has electrohypersensitivity, which means they experience palpable symptoms–headaches, insomnia, fatigue, heart palpitations, sensations of skin prickling–when they are exposed to EMFs. The rest of us can’t feel EMFs. But that doesn’t mean that the EMFs you are exposed to aren’t causing damage.

The wireless industry and the government agencies that are supposed to regulate this industry want you to believe that the science is settled and wireless exposures are safe. Unfortunately, this message is not reality. EMF damage can manifest in myriad ways that include many conditions that are occurring in ever-increasing amounts, such as decreased sperm counts, impaired sleep, anxiety, depression, Alzheimer’s disease, and cancer.

I first heard the concerns that cell phones might be harmful more than 20 years ago. At the time, I agreed that it made sense, but I failed to take any action. The truth is, I simply didn’t want to believe this to be true.

As far as I could tell, the science was ambiguous at best.

And even if it were true, I figured my healthy diet and lifestyle would be more than enough to compensate for these relatively “inconsequential” exposures–sadly, one of the more foolish professional assumptions I have ever made. Hard to believe it, but I fell for the wireless industry’s propaganda.

I now see that unless you take serious action to lower your EMF exposure, you will not be able to achieve full health, no matter how

The Truth on EMFs carefully you eat or how strategic you are in your life-style choices.

I suspect many of you are in the same boat as I was, and you shouldn’t feel bad. After all, the wireless industry has far greater resources at its disposal than the tobacco industry ever did.

THE THREAT WILL ONLY CONTINUE TO GROW

I understand that the news I’m delivering may be disheartening.

After all, cell phones and Wi-Fi offer incredibly useful conveniences. And they are ubiquitous: Few of us are ever more than a few feet from our cell phones at any given time–even during sleep.

We spend most of our working hours an arm’s distance away from a computer that is connected wirelessly to the Internet. We live in homes, neighborhoods, and cities that are in direct and constant contact with

Courtesy of Hay House 2020

EMF*D by Dr. Joseph Mercola

these fields through electrical wiring, microwave ovens, cell phone towers, and Wi-Fi. As society adopts ever more wireless technologies, we are increasingly bathed in high intensities of EMFs. Some EMFs are emitted by devices we own and use ourselves, but even if you refused to ever buy a cell phone or wireless router, you would still be exposed to ever-increasing amounts of EMFs thanks to the growing number of cell towers, wireless hot spots, and satellites that are used to broadcast these signals.

To make matters worse, with the advent of 5G (or the “fifth generation” of cell phone technology) that is rolling out as I write this, your EMF exposures – and the health and environmental ramifications they bring – are about to increase exponentially. By the time this book is in your hands, you will likely have access to 5G if you live in a large urban area.

Some of the EMFs that 5G will use require new technologies to transmit and receive signals. This means we are about to experience an explosion in new antennas. And all the signals from all of those additional antennas and base stations will be layered on top of the EMF swamp that we are already swimming in.

These new EMFs have never been tested for long-term safety on humans, not to mention microbes, insects, animals, and plants. This means we are all participants in a massive involuntary public health experiment. Once you read this book, however, you won’t be an unwitting participant–you’ll know what you’re being exposed to, as well as what you need to do to protect yourself.

Essential Spring reading

Dr Joseph Mercola is an authority on alternative health and in this ground-breaking book he offers a new understanding of how electro-magnetic fields impact our body and mind. With the advent of 5G wideband technology he believes the danger is greater than ever and that they are an enormous threat to our health. He explains what EMFs are, how they work, how they damage the body, that the science proves that EMFs are dangerous and how companies and government agencies conspire to hide these facts.

He considers EMFs the cigarettes of the 21st century and that waiting for the telecommunications industry or the government to protect us will be a long wait. A challenging read but also empowering, it allows us to make choices that will lead to improved health and shows how to curb EMF exposure and reduce the risk of further damage.

306 pp, 229 x 152 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 300120 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Personal Development THE ART OF EXTREME SELF-CARE

by Cheryl Richardson

IT’S NOT YOU IT’S ME

by Camilla Sacre-Dallerup

176pp, 215 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £11.99

192pp, 195 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £9.99

FIVE TRUE THINGS by David Richo

LOVING OUT LOUD

by Robyn Spizman

Cheryl Richardson’s rich and fruitful life has been a direct result of practising extreme self-care during the past 20 years. Even though it is 10 years since this book was first published the concept of self-care remains controversial and in this revised and updated edition Cheryl shares new resources including books, websites and podcasts. The self-care practice forces us to make choices and decisions that honour and reflect the true nature of the soul. We learn that when we take care of ourselves deeply and deliberately we naturally begin to care for others in a healthier and more effective way. This book is designed to help us practise by taking small steps every month, and the 12 chapters offer guidelines and suggestions for getting and staying on track. ❖ Code: 300109 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

Bestselling author David Richo’s new book Five True Things gets straight to the heart of the matter. These five basic truths are: 1 Everything changes and ends 2 Things do not always go according to plan 3 Life is not always fair 4 Pain is part of life and 5 People are not loving and loyal all the time. As a practising psychotherapist he sees these five stages with his clients again and again and explains how struggles and disappointments arise when we oppose these challenges. He guides us through the different stages of acceptance that will reduce the stress that arises when we resist reality – the truths we often wish weren’t so. But when we are open to them, we become the compassionate and wise beings we were meant to be.

❖ Code: 300148 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

Robyn Spizman wants to share the magic of loving life and each other, to show that when we feel connected we learn to feel openly and without regret. Many of us may not feel comfortable with public displays of affection and in this reader-friendly guide Robyn shares creative ideas and insights to awakening kindness in our lives. When we can proclaim out loud that we cherish or care about someone, we engage with life and begin to recognize the power of words spoken with a generous spirit. Our actions become more selfless and accountable. If we all do one kind thing a day we have the potential to leave things better than we found them, to create a warm and loving life.

272pp, 202 x 129 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

128pp, 171 x 108 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 300157 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

THE EVOLUTIONARY EMPATH

by Stephanie Red Feather

DO THE WORK YOU LOVE

by Joe Barnes

306 pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.00

190pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300126 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

The author, who is a student of Linda Star Wolf, wrote this book for those who have been called too sensitive, or emotional, who feel ‘different’. She explains clearly what an empath is not – having ability to feel empathy is not the same as being an empath, it’s not something you can turn off and on, and it’s a choice you’ve made at soul level. It’s the ability to absorb the energy of other beings, of having a very open personal energy field, of being open-hearted and over-giving, and because of these traits she dedicates a chapter to the importance of radical self- care. She gives practical exercises, with downloadable audio tracks, to help people reclaim their identity for she believes empaths are here on a cosmic mission, here to raise the collective vibration of humanity and the planet. ❖ Code: 300137 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

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Camilla Sacre-Dallerup is a life coach and hypnotherapist, who used to be a professional dancer. She won Strictly Come Dancing in 2008 and she is now head judge on Dancing with the Stars in New Zealand. This is a bright and breezy self-help book that can help you fall in love with yourself, and as such it’s ideal for young people who are new to personal development and spirituality. Exercises include Cutting the Cord Visualization, My 7-Day Self-Care Plan and A Love Letter to Myself. There are also many stories and anecdotes from Camilla’s thriving practice that will inspire you to make the effort and put the energy back into your self-development. It’s all about reinvention and making a fresh start, and would make a great gift for the New Year – either to yourself or to someone else.

It’s never too late or early to try and figure out what you want to do with your life. This fantastic book guides you step-by-step to discover what your marketable passions are, so that you can find a career that is both financially viable and emotionally fulfilling.

It’s broken down into three paths, for the Adventurer, Strategist, or Grinder, so that you can choose a way to either ease into your new career or take an educated leap into the unknown and land on your feet.

This book is a wonderful gift for a graduate or for someone thinking about a career change. It could even be great if you’ve just retired and are wondering how to continue to make some money and do what you love in your own time. ❖ Code: 300146 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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REMEMBERING RAM DASS

I

was very sad when I heard about Ram Dass’s passing last month and I am not totally sure why. He was 88 and had lived a rich and varied life. He was deeply spiritual and had earned insights, which would surely have kept him unafraid of the death of the body. Finally he was one of the pioneers of working with dying people, along with Elisabeth Kübler-Ross and his friend and colleague Stephen Levine, and I believe he was in some sense closely acquainted with death. He memorably described it as like “taking off a tight shoe”. Because he had had a devastating stroke a few years before, and because he was 88, I feel he would have welcomed taking off that shoe more than most people.

I can only conclude that you feel a sense of loss when any great soul is not around anymore. It was comforting to me before that Ram Dass was somewhere on this earth, living and breathing and being a participating human being like everyone else, albeit on the other side of the planet in Hawaii. He meant a lot to me: I felt formed in many ways by him as a spiritual being. I am convinced he was the person who I had never met (although I had been to many of his talks) who meant the most to me.

This isn’t a conventional obituary, not in the slightest. I suppose my aim is to encourage you to check him out, or to investigate for yourself some of his teachings. Although academically he was highly skilled, his books and talks tend not to go deep in terms of concepts. He felt like a reassuring friend, someone whose voice I just loved to hear, in a very similar way to Wayne Dyer, who I likewise wrote about here, after he died in August 2015.

Of course, he was more than “reassuring”: I used to listen to cassette tapes of his talks all the time when I borrowed them while working at Watkins Bookshop in 1990 and 1991.

He would tell the same stories on a regular basis and come up all the time with the same one-liners (of course, why shouldn’t he?). Sometimes the

One of the greatest teachers of our times stories weren’t his: there was one about aikido and a drunken man on a Japanese train that came, I think, from Peter Ralston. But to me it became Ram Dass’s story, and then it became mine. There’s also that account that I feel drawn to include almost every time I write something in the Cygnus Review, where his guru tells him to love everyone and tell the truth, no matter how contradictory it might seem, especially when it feels like the truth is that you don’t love that person.

There are his other classics: that in ageing and death we are just “walking each other home” or that taking on human incarnation was like wearing a particular choice of suit.

He achieved that insight when he was tripping on LSD, when his name was still Richard Alpert and he was a Harvard academic. Psychedelics had a huge influence on him and I remember finding all those stories immensely fascinating when I was younger. But then he also told us that that spiritual work led to much greater bliss and higher states than drugs. It’s great to hear that from someone who knows.

What do I like most about him?

That he wasn’t afraid to talk about and confront death and that gave me a wonderful set of resources that I have used in my own life. That he loved to talk and hang out in front of an audience, and his joy communicated itself to me, even when he was endlessly repeating his “greatest hits”. And finally that he was always so good-natured. That even comes across in his books. He was a great advert for the spiritual life. He kept being that guy – always exploring and always reassuring us that things are ok. I think his teachings work even if you aren’t spiritual and you have no interest in anything metaphysical: they are just good practice, good mental hygiene if you will.

He encouraged me and led me on and gave me teachings that will always stay with me, and for that I am immensely grateful to Ram Dass.

Go well…

OF GOD AND GIN by Sally Burnley

This is a refreshing and uplifting book, told by an everyday suburban acupuncturist and homeopath. Except maybe she isn’t! It’s an account told in a humorous and homespun way of how a lawyer via yoga became a mystic and a healer, and it encourages all of us that we are doing the right thing and includes stories that help us make sense of it all. Along the way she meets Thich Nhat Hanh, Ram Dass and Ayya Khema. It also includes many meditation techniques and more advanced Buddhist practices. It’s both ordinary and “out there” plus it’s really well-written.

I can thoroughly recommend it, because it makes the quest seem everyday and totally transcendental at the same time, and you can’t get more inspirational than that.

254pp, 198 x 160 mm, Paperback, 2017, RRP £11.99

❖ Code: 300142 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

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BOOK REVIEWS – Health CAMEL CRAZY

by Christina Adam

This book is truly fascinating - Christina Adams is the award-winning author of the memoir A Real Boy, the story of her autistic son and how she fought to give him the chance of leading a full life. In this new book she is a mother on a mission to obtain the camel milk which has dramatically reduced her son’s autism symptoms. We follow her on this journey through the Middle East to Amish country, and in the process we learn about and grow to love these gentle and responsive animals. She meets their keepers, and from their varied and diverse backgrounds we learn how important these animals are to indigenous cultures around the world and how they represent freedom to these pastoralists. The author certainly makes a compelling case for the benefits of camel milk – read it and find out for yourself.

Now in paperback, this expertly researched and reader-friendly guide is a life-saver for understanding the ketogenic diet. Drs DiNicolantonio and Mercola team up to clarify how dietary fats affect our bodies and how you should be eating for optimal health.

They cover all your burning questions about which fats make you lean and which don’t, the best lesser-known oils and supplements to be taking, and the role societal evolution plays in our diets.

Dr DiNicolantonio is a cardiovascular research scientist and doctor of pharmacy. Dr Mercola is a physician and New York Times best-selling author. Together their expertise and experience will teach you how to perfect your fat intake and optimize your health.

272pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

304pp, 226 x 170 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 300108 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

GOOD SUGAR BAD SUGAR

by Christopher Vasey

THE SUGAR BRAIN FIX

by Dr Mike Dow

176pp, 210 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

338pp, 235 x 160 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP £21.99

WHEN ANTIDEPRESSANTS AREN’T ENOUGH by Stuart J Eisendrath

THE FIT VEGAN

by Edric Kennedy-Macfoy

272pp, 217 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.99

272pp, 215 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300127 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

Of course, we all know that there are good sugars and bad sugars in our diets, but sugar is a critical factor in everything from weight control and diabetes to cancer, depression and dementia. In this book Christopher Vasey takes you on a journey through all things sugar. He teaches what bad “fast” sugars are actually doing to our bodies and health, how we can benefit from eating more good “slow” sugars and how to get off the path of sugar addiction that more of us are stuck on than you might think. Thoroughly researched and authoritative, Good Sugar Bad Sugar is a book everyone should read. You’ll learn about what you’re putting in your body and then find the tools to take full ownership of your own health. ❖ Code: 300124 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

Rick Hanson, author of Buddha’s Brain, calls this an “authoritative guide from a world-class expert”. It also carries endorsements from Jon Kabat-Zinn and Matthieu Ricard, plus a foreword by leading teacher Zindel Segal. It has to be the go-to book for using mindfulness and meditation to alleviate more demanding mental illness when, for whatever reason, you don’t want to take medication, or if you want to supplement medication or therapy with other useful techniques. And this makes it a very important and useful book. It’s well-written with clear advice and effective exercises, with many stories and illustrations to underline its points. The author is a senior clinician and research psychiatrist at the University of California who has suffered from depression himself. ❖ Code: 300131 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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SUPERFUEL

by Dr James DiNicolantonio and Dr Joseph Mercola

In this thoroughly revised and updated edition of Diet Rehab, Dr Dow takes a deeper look at how sugar affects brain chemistry. Recent studies have shown that, even though sugar releases serotonin in the brain, it also shrinks the brain, leading to depression, memory loss and other problems. Thus we are addicted to the substance that’s actually weakening our brains. Still, we can do something about this: the book outlines a 28-day Mediterranean diet plan which gradually detoxes, and it also includes other techniques that will naturally boost brain health. The author is a New York Times bestselling author and a staunch advocate of whole foods. The book is easy to read but packed full of the latest science. ❖ Code: 300115 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

Want to be fit, eat good nutritious food and be vegan? This is the book for you. Take a look at the cover: the author, a former fire-fighter, whose job required peak physical strength, looks fit, content and has a huge pile of food in front of him – which is reassuring. This is not a diet book but a plant-based lifestyle guide. He’s also spent many years in the gym, as a bodybuilder and later as a personal trainer, and he has condensed this knowledge into a 12-week fitness plan, which can be used anywhere – whatever level of fitness you’re at right now.

As a former committed carnivore he wants to encourage us to say Yes to creating filling, nutritious meals, eating real food that gives us energy, and doing simple, speedy effective workouts that get us fit fast. ❖ Code: 300111 ❖ 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

THE TIME SPIRIT OF 2020 BY YSANNE LEWIS

T

he planetary cycles are our companions in life. “As above so below”.

Each one of us has a Spirit, a Soul: so does the Cosmos. The word cosmos means “order” and I believe there is some comfort in the thought there are noticeable alignments between our inner timekeepers and the macrocosm, with timing playing its part in change and growth.

The tapestry of the heavens and the cycles and patterns woven throughout it inspire awe and, when we feel connected as part of this whole, we gain understanding of meaning, purpose and direction. We feel isolated and lonely when we mismatch ourselves with people and places, becoming off kilter with nature and our rhythms.

Time spirits reign over time periods: aeons, astrological ages and when the Game Changers – those slower moving planets – ingress into new portions of the zodiac. Compare this to a changing stage-set in a drama with different characters having their cues. New dialogues and pathways emerge with endings and beginnings.

So, here we are NOW in 2020, astrologically the year of restructuring and transformation – the keywords of the planets Saturn and Pluto. They form a conjunction on 12th January in Capricorn, which is our inner and outer “parent” and authority, and the wisdom of experience. Authenticity provides clarity: let’s not forget that this word links with author – the authoring of our lives. What new script can serve us to release old stories? Fear creates habits which pull us back and has never been a good adviser.

Silent moments of grace are available to us this year and it is vital we take pauses to be open to them.

These gaps are sacred and, as sacred is linked with the word sacrifice, we may have to sacrifice some habits to align with a core level shift.

We have had a lunar eclipse in Cancer on January 10th. This eclipse allows us to birth a new sense of self-nurturing. This evolves into nurturing others and our goals in healthier ways. Look back to July 2019 for connections: 2020 is a unique

Celestial Influences year for patience and growing up a bit! Self-responsibility now becomes paramount, leading to more freedom.

Another game player, Jupiter – our largest planet – in its 12-year cycle through the zodiac is in Capricorn this year. With Jupiter being our inner teacher time is needed to digest and establish firmer foundations in our beliefs. Not small issues, yet timely!

Rebellious Uranus, in its 84-year cycle, entered earthy Taurus recently with inevitable earth changes. The weather can be likened to Earth’s emotional body. Uranus is the disrupter - the lightning rod - and the myopic vision we have long carried regarding mother Earth is being rightly challenged. Within us we are experiencing breakthroughs and some

earthquakes. Our bodies are from nature, though our souls are from elsewhere, giving us signs to change entrenched patterns. Pauses and rest are vital this year, only our brains don’t know this! Our bodies and hearts do. “When we don’t find time for re-creation, sooner or later we will be obliged to find time for illness.”

A major message from Life is to restore fractured areas of our inner sanctum, filling it with hopeful, loving, innovative approaches. Fresh air – reinventing ourselves where needed – is available with this planetary timing.

The magician within is very active now and magic never far away. Appreciating beauty and honouring the simple things in life help our wellbeing this year.

Hope is stronger than changeable optimism. In the Greek myth, when Pandora’s box was opened and the problems of the world spilled out, one thing remained – HOPE. Feeling hope in our hearts and breathing in its energy will lighten our path as we step over new thresholds.

Ysanne Lewis is a London based and international Timing Adviser, Astrologer, Speaker and Author of 40 years’ experience.

She acts as a navigating bridge between the maps of the heavens and our inner landscapes. Consultations are for individuals, relationships, timing for social and business events, children’s birth charts and for relocation.She is the author of “The Time Catcher: how to time your actions to turn challenges into opportunities” http://ysanne.com/books/the-time-catcher/ Contact info@ysanne.com www.ysanne.com

SANCTUARY OF YOUR OWN by Caroline Dow

Caroline Dow believes that any space can be transformed into a personal haven and this book starts off with a great Joseph Campbell quote ‘Your sacred space is where you can find yourself again and again’. In this book she shows how we can use this space to express our individuality and personal interests, a space that is sacrosanct to us regardless of our spiritual background.

She believes everything hinges on the stimulation of the five senses and she shares tips for designing our own altars by incorporating different colours, textiles, crystals and botanicals, giving examples from cultures around the world. Sanctuary of Your Own helps us fashion a perfect space where we can feel safe, relaxed and rejuvenated.

288pp, 203 x 133 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 300160 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

ORDER & CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Website: www.cygnusreview.com ❖ Twitter @CygnusBooks ❖ Facebook @cygnusbookclub ❖ Instagram @cygnusbooks

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BOOK REVIEWS – Buddhism & Esoteric Religion

THE COURSE IN MIRACLES EXPERIMENT by Pam Grout

CONSCIOUS CONFIDENCE

by Sarah Mane

If you have always wanted to access the essential message of A Course in Miracles but found its size too daunting, this book is a modern-day rewrite by Pam Grout, best-selling author of E-squared. It is a reworking of the 365-lesson workbook, which is the text at the heart of the Course, and helps to further illuminate it. Each entry has a humorous title like ‘The Ego Is Not My Amigo!’ and is a blend of eternal truths, pop culture and personal anecdotes that make this a relatable, fun book to read. A Course in Miracles seems to be entering ever further into the mainstream, and it’s an excellent vehicle for moving from personal development into a profounder spiritual practice.

This is a fascinating self-help book which counterintuitively uses the power of the Sanskrit language as a tool for self-development and confidence boosting. Australian author Sarah Mane is a leading authority on Sanskrit, and she has practised meditation for many years. Sanskrit is known as “the language of enlightenment”, and through its very sounds it is supposed to empower us. Through the Sanskrit roots of various English words relating to success, we can draw greater confidence into our lives. The book includes exercises plus many teaching stories, not just from the eastern tradition. And in addition we learn a bit of vocabulary from one of the world’s most important languages.

416 pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

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

❖ Code: 300110 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

❖ Code: 300123 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

A Theology of Love sets out to re-envision the central tenets of Christianity away from our fear-based mindsets and to see that we are all extensions of a loving God of infinite love and light. It’s primarily based on the much beloved and endlessly influential A Course In Miracles.

Many people find the central teachings of Christian theology challenging but have found inspiration and renewed faith after reading ACIM. Many of us long to be able to re-visit Christianity and Richard Smoley offers a vision for the future of spirituality that means we can perhaps return to the stories and lessons we recall from past times.

240pp, 227 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 300139 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

WELCOMING THE UNWELCOME

by Pema Chodron

In this first book of new teachings for seven years, Pema Chodron offers fresh wisdom and powerful insights that will help us through these troubled times. She is world-renowned and much loved as the author of When Things Fall Apart, and 22 years after that title, she has more to say on how to deal with internal challenges when the world outside gets difficult. With all her years of monastic training, her words are always pertinent and her advice useful. This book is like balm to a troubled soul. She helps us to find common ground in a polarized world. Chapters include How You Label It Is How It Appears, Cool Emptiness and The Fine Art of Failure.

160pp, 217 x 138 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 300134 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

CHRIST POWER AND EARTH WISDOM

by Marko Pogacnik

TRUE VIRTUE

by Sister Annabel Laity

280pp, 216 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

176pp, 202 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

First published in 1999 by Findhorn Press, this is an overview of the task that humanity faces: to overcome the division between heaven and earth, spirit and matter. Marko Pogacnik is an artist and geomancer who has written several books about earth energies. Here he describes a Fifth Gospel that has been woven invisibly into the four canonical gospels. It delivers precisely the message needed to help humanity live more positively, no longer obstructed by misinterpretation, because Christ is an ally in this process. The text includes the author’s inimitable drawings that give a sense of the energy streams all around us. There is also a new Postscript that brings the message into the present day. ❖ Code: 300101 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

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A THEOLOGY OF LOVE

by Richard Smoley

This is the extraordinary autobiography of the first Western woman to be fully ordained as a Buddhist nun by Thich Nhat Hanh. From her childhood in Cornwall to a Tibetan nunnery in India to California via Greenham Common she quietly became a pre-eminent Buddhist teacher. The life may be simple but the living conditions were often harsh: Sister Annabel writes about the dharma life in the same way that she seems to live her own life – with mindfulness, compassion and love. The stories and anecdotes are true inspirations, whether you follow the dharma yourself, are a woman struggling on the spiritual path, or simply enjoy a wide-ranging life story. A must-read. ❖ Code: 300135 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

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

ANN NAPIER: A LETTER FROM 2002

W

hatever the months that come may bring, we intend to make the following thought our daily meditation: However things may appear on the surface, what we are facing is not an outer process, but an inner one. It is an initiatory test or a ‘growing pain’, through which we will find our way, not with the tools and weapons of the outer human being – worry, fear, defence, attack; condemnation, blame, anger, self-preservation – but by yielding to the promptings of the inner Human Being, whose compassion, harmlessness, acceptance, humility and trust are infinite and never-failing.

In the mystery schools of old, candidates were often placed, for initiation, before some great fear or temptation, and the test for them was always: would they react from the lower mind or the Higher? If they succeeded in choosing the wisdom of the Higher mind as their guide, then they would then find themselves admitted to a higher level of vibration than any they had previously experienced, a level on which that which was previously dark became abundantly clear, and on which all sorrow turned to joy.

Many of these initiates must have thought, at the time, that they had achieved something permanent by passing tests like these, Well, perhaps they had, but not necessarily in the way they had imagined, not in the sense that they would never have to go through such tests again. For, in a way, they were only a kind of ‘Trial Run’, a means of etching into their soul-memory a certain energy pattern that could be re-activated later, perhaps in some other incarnation, in a test presented by Life itself.

Life is the only real initiator. And at this time, after many centuries of preparation – if what many spiritual teachers are saying is true – our greatest teacher, Life, is presenting the whole human race with an initiatory test, and therefore, with a choice. Here is a poem about it, which we hope will help you find your way through the labyrinth.

How clear the air!

Your friends are, truly, all around.

Helping higher powers abound.

It only seems as though it’s night.

The test is: will you see the Light, And in It trust, though all seems grey, And keep faith in the coming Day? This is the narrow gate my friend, The journey’s start, the journey’s end.

The Initiation THE NARROW GATE Life’s burdens, be they big or small, Are not supposed to be a wall Impassable, unfair, un-meant, But by the hand of Love are sent, To balance, test and purify, And help us through the needle’s eye.

At dark times, then, when you’re alone, Don’t let yourself be turned to stone.

But look within, and see what’s there.

How bright the light!

You will pass through?

Then leave behind The outworn clothing of your mind: Attachments, fears, obstructions all, That keep you in illusion’s thrall.

‘Surrender’ is the password here: To Life, to Love, to Wisdom clear.

You think that this will be hard to do?

A burden that’s too great for you?

Then just have courage! Do your best!

And higher powers will do the rest.

The smallest effort to choose Love Is met with help from Those above.

For thus we carry out life’s task: Through choosing Love, to break the mask Of separation, death and fear Imprisoning those dwelling here, So that, as One, we may ascend To Life abundant, without end.

Ann Napier

FIERCE FEMININE RISING

by Anaiya Sophia

Many people involved in spiritual work can feel feminine energy coming through and recognize its value now that we are further into the Age of Aquarius. We need it to come through to counterbalance domineering and individualistic masculine energy. However feminine energy can be fierce (see Kali) and we need to distinguish between personal anger and the redemptive universal feminine, that is available to men as well as women.

In this passionate book we are given many techniques to help us control our sacred rage, to – as the author says – “embrace our inner Kali”, because when we allow the flow of the fierce feminine within us, we each become an active agent of world change. It’s truly inspiring and uncompromising.

256pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300155 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

ORDER & CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Website: www.cygnusreview.com ❖ Twitter @CygnusBooks ❖ Facebook @cygnusbookclub ❖ Instagram @cygnusbooks

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BOOK REVIEWS – Healing AWAKENING YOUR CRYSTALS

by Sharon McAllister

THETA HEALING by Vianna Stibal

Crystals can support and enhance our lives in many ways and in this book Sharon McAllister, an experienced holistic therapist and crystal-healing trainer, shares her detailed knowledge to guide us in awakening their full powers. She focuses mainly on eight key crystals although more than sixty additional gemstones are described to give a full overview of the myriad possibilities that they offer. To enhance your personal journey of self-discovery she sets out various healing solutions in a practical form for a variety of everyday health and well-being challenges. She reminds us that when we feel a connection with a crystal, we did not choose it – rather it chose us.

This book is a new, revised edition of the ground-breaking classic Theta Healing, a revolutionary technique developed in 1995 by Vianna Stibal that allows the person being treated to enter into a state of deep meditation to tap into their own brain’s Theta waves. This is a process that until recently was believed to be accessible only in deep sleep and yogitype meditation. By entering the deepest layers of subconscious thinking we can identify and correct limiting beliefs and enable life-changing shifts in our behaviour, thus enabling deep emotional and sometimes miraculous physical healing.

320pp, 229 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £17.99

176pp, 213 x 170 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 300117 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

CRYSTALS FOR ENERGY PROTECTION by Judy Hall

CHAKRA EMPOWERMENT FOR WOMEN by Lisa Erickson

❖ Code: 300136 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

Crystal guru and Cygnus favourite Judy Hall has written a timely book on how to protect our energy field in an age where we face challenges on a daily basis that can leave us feeling depleted, whether they be environmental pollutants or toxic relationships. Crystals can help protect us from the damaging effects of these stresses and Judy presents simple and effective ways to boost and protect our personal energy field. She shows us how to work with a wide range of crystals sourced from across the globe as tools for enhancing positive energy and repelling negative energy, for chakra balancing, to make crystal essences and more. Includes a colour insert.

352pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 300118 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

This book focuses on the challenges that women can face in owning their power and maintaining their physical and emotional health. By using the twelve chakra tools based on the female energy body and our life phases, we can learn to move past trauma, find our inner strength and balance our work and family commitments. Each chapter focuses on a new chakra tool, showing us how to use it in our daily life for long-term growth and to support our journey to recovery using the energy of our new empowered self. It includes an 8 page colour insert for clearer guidance. The foreword is written by Cyndi Dale, one of the leading chakra experts of our times.

288pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 300133 v ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

THE HEALING MANTRA DECK by Matt Kahn

This elegant deck from the bestselling author of Everything Is Here to Help You includes 52 cards, each of which has been charged with a channeled mantra, encoded with healing energy. Mantras include The Light is Always within Me, My Choices Determine How Brightly I Shine and There Is Nothing to Do But Wait. Each card has a beautiful geometric drawing on it and is coloured in soft pinks, turquoises and other soothing shades. Choose one at random so that you energize yourself intuitively for that day or go through the deck one card a week to overhaul your body and soul. Repetition of the mantra will enable that energy to become encoded in your outlook and your soul to be reminded of its perfection.

Boxed set, 52 colour cards 138 x 101mm + 55pp guidebook, 2019, RRP £17.99

❖ Code: 300113 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.00 ❖ Member Price: £13.50

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FIND YOUR LOCAL CYGNUS CAFÉS

★ NEW ABERDEENSHIRE, Cruden Bay Donia Keith 07955 146326 donia@liferoute.co.uk AVON, Bath Mari Batholomew 01225 840 889 mari@sulis-health.co.uk BEDS, Luton Jenny Martin 01582 415242 jennym4759@yahoo.co.uk 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 1st Wednesday of every month 2-4 plus 3rd Friday 7-9 pm Amanda Painting 01239 654 699 amandapainting@gmail.com CARMARTHEN Dorothy Morris 01267 267 652 dorothy_morris@hotmail.com

CORNWALL, Port Isaac Ann Fanstone 01208 880 300 fanstone@phonecoop.coop CORNWALL, Penzance Anthea Tounsend 01736 719 606 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 DEVON, Barnstaple Mrs Viv Easton 01271 375 303 easton866@btinternet.com ★ NEW DEVON, Churston Morag Noades 07969 374491 cheyne10@hotmail.com DEVON, Paignton Marian Davies 07791 263 840 maridavi100@gmail.com E AYRSHIRE, Kilmarnock Anita Neilson 07778 923380 anitaneilson61@gmail.com

CHESHIRE, Chester E SUSSEX, Bexhill on Sea Lynn Alexander Carol Sargent 01244 951 753 lynn@lynnalexander13.plus.com 01424 217 630 mail@youniquewellbeing.co.uk CLEVELAND, Saltburn E SUSSEX, Eastbourne Kathryn Luczakiewicz Valerie Abl 01287 204 400 01323 726 652 info@saltburnwellbeingcentre. valerie@talentshift.co.uk co.uk

E SUSSEX, Hove Simon 01273 220 159 info@tolcentre.com

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

★ NEW FIFE, Markinch Amy Thomson 07775 877114 heartholistictherapiesbyamy@ gmail.com

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

ISLE OF WIGHT, Shanklin Kate Stuart 07957 909 566 redfox_1@btinternet.com KENT, Ashford Sylvia Nichols 01233 626 206 viastjames@icloud.com

N YORKS, Whitby Daphne Wright 01947 602 425 daphnewright05@gmail.com NORFOLK, Kings Lynn Amanda Rowe 07786 066761 info@hectorsbarn.co.uk

NORTHANTS, Irchester LANCS, Lytham, St Ann’s Karen Holton Simone Qualter & Andy Cowgill 07980 770 893 07928 632 976 klholton@live.co.uk simonequalter@yahoo.co.uk NEW PERTHSHIRE, Crieff LEICS, Coalville Rebecca Dearman Cheryl Colpman 07483872183 01530 831 798 cheryl@cherylcolpman.co.uk RHONDDA, Pontypridd Louisa Mills LINCOLNSHIRE, Horncastle cygnuscaferct@aol.co.uk Melissa Bay 07989 508391 RICHMOND UPON THAMES, countrygardenpets@tiscali.

Surrey co.uk Liz Sokoski 07432 585693 MANCHESTER, Sale Rosemary Plunkett ROSS-SHIRE, Conon Bridge 0161 962 4123 Shenagh Leiper rosieglow3@icloud.com 07721 656 668 leipershenagh@gmail.com MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, Woolton SHROPSHIRE, Ironbridge Pamela Langley Romella Jones 0151 421 1772 01952 881 151 pamelalangley@hotmail.com cariadtherapies@outlook.com MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, Thornton Sue Massey 0151 924 6240 suemassey60@yahoo.com MIDLOTHIAN, Edinburgh Tabora Green 01835 268546 trueharmony@hotmail.co.uk N LONDON, Enfield/Waltham Abbey Chrissie 07845 019398 / 07935707538

SOMERSET, Taunton Robin Littman 01278 671 679 Robin@resource-me.com S GLOS, Thornbury Trisha Seward 01179 621661 trishaseward@talktalk.net

SOUTH LAKES, Cumbria Catherine Hunt 07957 861408 hello@ primewellbeingfoundation.com STAFFS, Stoke-on-Trent Nathan Smallman 07724 189 988 nathan.smallman@btinternet.com STAFFS, Tamworth Jo Greaves 07738 216429 jo.greaves2017@gmail.com SURREY, Caterham Chris Osborn 01737 551 459 chrisosborn612@gmail.com SURREY, Guildford, Shere Linda Sewell 07850 839 472 lindasewell@hotmail.co.uk W MIDLANDS, Wolverhampton Jas Bassi 07830 019 513 Info@jasbassi.com W SUSSEX, Bosham Kathryn Bingham 01243 572 109 office@thehamblinvision.org.uk 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

S YORKS, Doncaster Sandra Edwards 07773 173 919 sandra579@btinternet.com

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

ORDER & CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Website: www.cygnusreview.com ❖ Twitter @CygnusBooks ❖ Facebook @cygnusbookclub ❖ Instagram @cygnusbooks

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❖ 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

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THRIVING AS AN EMPATH BY JUDITH ORLOFF

Courtesy of Sounds True 2019

S

elf-care is essential for all empathic people. When you mindfully and lovingly practice it each day, your sensitivities will flourish.

The self-care practices, perspectives, and meditations I present as daily offerings in this book will support you in being a compassionate, empowered empath without shouldering the suffering of others or trying to “fix” them. All people deserve the dignity of their own paths. Day by day, I’ll offer gentle reminders about how you can be loving without becoming codependent or a martyr.

As a psychiatrist and empath, I am fierce about my own self-care practices and teach these principles to my patients. I feel so strongly about them because I want to keep enjoying the extraordinary gifts of sensitivity – including an open heart, intuition, and an intimate connection with spirituality and the natural world.

Shallow emotional waters don’t appeal to me. I love going deep – and my sensitivities take me there.

Still, a big challenge for all sensitive people is how to be compassionate without absorbing the stress of others and the world. We don’t have the same filters as most people. We are emotional sponges who feel everything and instinctively take it in. This differs from “ordinary” empathy, where your heart goes out to others in pain or happiness, but you don’t take on their feelings.

We empaths are helpers, lovers, and caretakers who often give too much at the expense of our own well-being. Research suggests that our mirror neuron system (a part of the brain responsible for compassion) is hyperactive, which can burn us out. This is not how I choose to live, I want to be loving, but overhelping or absorbing someone’s distress just puts me on sensory overload, which is painful to my sensitive body and soul.

It also doesn’t serve the other person in any lasting way.

To stay healthy and happy, you must be prepared with effective selfcare practices so that you’re ready to deal with stress. Throughout the book, you’ll learn to keep yourself

How to reframe for self-care balanced and whole by trusting your intuition, setting boundaries, and protecting your image.

The secret to an empath’s wellbeing is to break the momentum of sensory overload before it consumes you. The strategies and attitudes that I’ll share, which have been lifesaving for me, will quickly bring you back to center when you are overwhelmed or emotionally triggered.

THE SACREDNESS OF TIME Time is precious. How you spend your days profoundly effects your energy level and well-being. Time gives us an opportunity to grow. It’s up to you to use it well. I urge you to open your arms to the flow of time rather

than fearing and ignoring it. Being mindful of time lets you reclaim it by being proactive in choices.

The average sixty-year-old has lived for about 2.2 billion seconds. Every moment we’ve been given is holy: the pain, the bliss, and all that lies between.

Framing time this way helps you experience the wonder of life, whether you’re folding laundry or meditating on a Himalayan mountaintop. It also allows you to be discerning about who you spend time with so that you can choose nurturing relationships.

The ancient Greeks had two concepts of time – Chronos and Kairos – which can help you wisely channel your sensitivities. Chronos is clock time, which is measured in seconds, minutes, months, and years. This is the material realm of to-do lists, deadlines, nine-to-five jobs, and social obligations that can feel overwhelming if you don’t have skills to override stress. But Chronos is also a place of amazement, beauty, and fun if you manage your schedule well and create room for those incredible experiences.

In contrast, Kairos is sacred time, a nonlinear awareness that is an empath’s truer home. It is the infinite realm of the soul, the zone of divine timing where everything happens in perfect order. You can reach this state through intuition, meditation, silence, observing synchronicities, and other practices I’ll offer. Thriving as an Empath will help you balance your time-bound and timeless selves so you’re not cornered by the clock.

THRIVING AS AN EMPATH by Judith Orloff

Respected in the fields of psychiatry and intuitive development Dr. Judith Orloff is the well-known author of the Cygnus bestseller The Empath’s Survival Guide. Thriving as an Empath is her new book of 365 daily passages guiding us through the year and the seasons. It’s an invaluable extra resource in our armoury to help us deal with daily overwhelm.

Reading these meditations and tips can set the tone for how we will face the day, outlining ways to attract positivity and deflect stress. Throughout the book she shares her strategies for breaking the momentum of sensory overload before it consumes you. As Judith states “Time is precious…time gives us an opportunity to grow…It’s up to you to use it well”.

400pp, 237 x 160 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 300130 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

ORDER & CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Website: www.cygnusreview.com ❖ Twitter @CygnusBooks ❖ Facebook @cygnusbookclub ❖ Instagram @cygnusbooks

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BOOK REVIEWS – Eastern Wisdom A FIERCE HEART

by Spring Washam

AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI

by Paramahansa Yogananda

186pp, 216 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £11.99

527pp, 183 x 127 mm, Paperback, 2010, RRP £5.99

Spring Washam is the founder of the most diverse and accessible meditation centre in the US. This inspirational book, which is both memoir and instructional, is woven throughout with stories from her life, her community and the teachings of the dharma.

Through her personal revelations we learn that we need to embrace it all, that heartbreak and loss become the fuel for transformation and that by learning to use every challenge we cultivate a fierce heart.

In the words of Alice Walker “A Fierce Heart is a book whose time is the eternal now…made beautifully accessible, by the wild and determined spirit of a no-nonsense female teacher, a bodhisattva, brown as Earth, real as oxygen”. ❖ Code: 300119 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

GRAVITY AND GRACE

by Peter Sterios

Peter Sterios is an internationally recognized yoga teacher with over four decades of experience. This is his personal story guiding us to a more present, thoughtful relationship to yoga, useful for beginners and advanced students alike. The depth of his experience is felt on every page as this is not a book of techniques but a distillation of practical principles. As in life, we can create flow where once there was resistance - what matters is the internal experience, the energy flow in the body. This book makes it clear that each pose will present everyone with different blocks or hurdles that need to be addressed: some physical and others rooted deep in our psyche. It prepares us for the ultimate solo journey towards the inner teacher we all embody.

240pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 300128 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

Yogananda was the first great master of India to live in the West for an extended period.

Sent by his guru to America in 1920, he was to introduce tens of thousands of students to the science of yoga and the subtle mysteries of reality. Yogananda’s story is interwoven with reflections on the religious and scientific foundations of both Eastern and Western culture, and with descriptions of his meetings with such spiritual leaders as Mahatma Gandhi, Babaji and Rabindranath Tagore.

In his introduction to the book, W. Y. Evans Wentz says: “His life document is one of the most revealing of the depths of the Hindu mind and heart, and of the spiritual wealth of India, ever to be published in the West.” This is the mass-market Indian edition of the book. ❖ Code: 300154 ❖ Non-Member Price: £4.50 ❖ Member Price: £5.00

THE LIFE OF YOGANANDA

by Philip Goldberg

Through his extremely popular book Autobiography of a Yogi – a staple on the backpacking trail and gateway for many into the life of spirit – Paramahansa Yogananda is one of the world’s best-known Indian teachers. We know much about his life from the book, but it tends to gloss over his career and mission once he came to America and started to set up the SelfRealization Fellowship. This new title thoroughly and entertainingly fills the gaps and acts as a tribute to this remarkable man. More than a compelling biography, it also works as a guidebook for how we too can live, based on Yogananda’s experiences.

We can glimpse aspects of Yogananda’s interior life and see some of the struggles and controversies he was involved in. Reading it, though, I was more than ever convinced of his greatness.

360pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 300116 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

MUDRAS FOR MODERN LIVING by Swami Saradananda

I love this deck – if you would like a simple and extremely effective way of improving your wellbeing, energy and outlook this is for you. The cards are divided into 7 colour-coded sections: for general health, for focusing the mind, and for the different physical, emotional and spiritual benefits.

Since ancient times yogis have used precise hand and finger gestures, called mudras, for physical and mental healing and spiritual enlightenment.

This deck draws on this ancient art form and offers 49 mudras and hand exercises suited to our modern way of life. They are safe to incorporate into a daily routine, whether that may be sitting at a desk or on a bus or walking to work. Best of all they are easy to perform and once you feel comfortable practising them, they can be further enhanced if built into contemplative activities like meditation and yoga.

Boxed set, 172 x 125 mm, 49 colour cards + 64pp guidebook, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 300143 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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The Currents in Nature – BOOK REVIEWS THE ANCIENT MAGICK OF TREES

by Gregory Michael Brewer

MOON POWER

by Jane Struthers

288pp, 228 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £19.99

176pp, 205 x 151 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

NATURE SPIRITS AND WHAT THEY SAY by Verena Staël von Holstein

MOON GARDENING

by Matt Jackson

238pp, 232 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

160pp, 235 x 190 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

NATURE SPIRITS OF THE TREES

by Verena Staël von Holstein

KINDNESS FOR ALL CREATURES

by Sarah C. Beasley

232pp, 233 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

224pp, 226 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

Specifically designed for pagans, this is a lovely practical guide to tree identification and lore. Including over 100 common trees in North America and Europe, The Ancient Magick of Trees provides detailed information about the mythology and symbolism of trees as well as an abundance of exercises and meditations to do while out in nature. This is a great book for tree enthusiasts or those who may want to learn more about the folk traditions and remedies associated with particular tree species. Come to this book with an open mind and heart and it will truly enhance your magickal practice and understanding of your relationship with trees. ❖ Code: 300125 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

Verena has been able to perceive spiritual beings around her for a long time. She can understand what they say and is able to dialogue with them. In this book, first published in 2004, she is able to offer 37 conversations with 17 nature spirits, including beings from fire, air, water and stone, plus even glass, salt and paper.

They explain the work they do with nature and how they would like greater contact with human beings. They dwell all around us and we need to listen to what they say – we can help them and they can help us. This is a charming book that should appeal to the Cygnus Community: the spirits correspond closely to the concept of elementals that are common to many belief systems. ❖ Code: 300102 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

This is the follow-up to the author’s previous Nature Spirits and What They Say, first published in English in 2009. Then she spoke to the spirits behind rocks, fire and water, and now it’s those connected to 38 different species of tree. Again the conversations are relaxed and easy to follow, and they offer insight into the trees’ role in nature and their relationships to the elementals around them.

Of course we also get a unique perspective upon pressing environmental issues through these beings, plus an insight into humanity: there are tree characteristics that correspond to qualities in the human soul, for example the horse chestnut and stability. So many people have an affinity with trees and there are very few books like this where we can hear their voices. ❖ Code: 300103 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

The sign the Moon occupies when we are born describes everything we find familiar: our habits and our instincts. Moon Power guides us through the lunar cycles so we can discover the lunar phase that was operating at the time of our birth. From relationships to health and our work environment we can not only work with those energies but also know when the Moon isn’t going to cooperate. All big decisions have auspicious days and this will help you find yours. It’s an immensely user-friendly and beautifully illustrated book that can potentially help with job-hunting, finding a relationship and even buying a property. ❖ Code: 300104 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.77 ❖ Member Price: £11.50

Matt Jackson is a professional gardener with over 20 years’ experience most notably at Sissinghurst Castle in Kent.

In this book he shows us how to reconnect with nature and the lunar cycle with easy to follow projects – perfect for the gardening beginner. Although moon gardening and biodynamic gardening recognize the significant influence of the moon, they are in fact quite different. Any location will respond to the influence of the moon whether it is a simple potted plant, a balcony, vegetable allotment or elaborate garden. If you only have limited space or no garden at all just the windowsill - fear not this book is for you too! There is a brilliant section on pots and containers for, as Matt Jackson wisely points out, microorganisms are not aware of your acreage. ❖ Code: 300159 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

Animals are considered sacred in Buddhist philosophy and human beings, motivated solely by our concern for the well-being of our own species, have been missing the truth that all living things are interdependent.

Of particular relevance to the Buddhist perspective on pets are the Six Perfections, Buddha Nature and Compassion. The Six Perfections embody a set of qualities we can draw on for our journey into compassion, and the chapters in this book focus on each one: generosity, discipline, patience, diligence, concentration and wisdom. Although this book focuses mainly on cats and dogs, the most common house pets in the West, the same guidelines can also be applied or adapted, for example, for hamsters, birds, snakes or fish. ❖ Code: 300141 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

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THE LIVING WISDOM OF TREES BY FRED HAGENEDER Yew has been confusing for botanists since the beginning of plant classification. Its leaves are needleshaped but it cannot be called a conifer because conifer means “cone-bearing”, and yew does not produce cones but red, fleshy fruits. Furthermore, the tree has no resin. And while it is still common to list seven or eight species of yew globally, yew experts know that all evidence points to all yews being but regional varieties of a single species: the European or Common yew, Taxus baccata.

Yews are densely-branched trees.

As solitairs their width is often greater than their height, which rarely exceeds 50ft (15m). However, extensive mixed forests with yew trees growing as straight columns reaching a height of 70 to 100ft (20–30m) and more cover vast areas in northern Turkey and in the Caucasus Mountains (Georgia, southern Russia)...

Yews can send down so-called interior roots which can be observed inside the hollow (or hollowing) trunks of many ancient yews. At first, a tender root grows downward through the crumbling old hardwood which is being decomposed by fungi. But over centuries, this new “root” can grow into a handsome new trunk that stands inside the hollow shell of the old one, and ultimately will take over the tree completely, thus renewing the tree from inside out. Yews grow extremely slowly – at about half the rate of many other European tree species.

Slower-growing even than the protected trees in parks and churchyards are those in the wild – in forests or rocky areas, such as southern France. As trees in general die when they have outgrown themselves, slow growth is a recipe for long life, of which the yew, indeed, is a master.

The age of yews cannot be assessed easily, mainly because the trunks of almost all old trees eventually become hollow. This is not a sign of weakness or final decay: a hollow tube is much stronger and more flexible (for example, in high winds) than a solid one – every engineer knows this, and trees know it too. But unfortunately, the hollowing process destroys the

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to be 1,500 years old. And Professor Pridnya, curator of the Caucasian Nature Reserve in Georgia, attests that yews can live longer than 2,000 years.

Practical Uses

The multi-faceted Yew Tree “rings” that help us to discover trees’ ages. Furthermore, an interior root which grew for centuries in the hollowing old trunk will eventually develop into a firm new trunk that slowly takes over the supply of the crown. Many centuries later, when the old shell will have withered away, nobody will be able to guess that the apparently young tree had an entire lease of life before, and thus is at the very least a millennium older than its girth would suggest.

Nevertheless, there is a yew in Borrowdale (Cumbria, England) that has been proven dendrochronologically

All cultures have appreciated the qualities of the slow-grown, hard but flexible, fine-grained and waterresistant yew wood, also called “iron wood“ because yew fence poles are said to outlast metal ones.

When the original yew foundations of some buildings in Venice were replaced in the 1950s, the refurbished yew beams could still be sold to the building trade. The oldest man-made artefact (a spear between 200,000 and 300,000 years old) is of yew; so are the oldest wooden musical instruments. In ancient Ireland, household items, such as bowls and spoons, were often carved from yew.

The yew longbow goes back at least 5,300 years (one was found with the so-called “Alpine iceman”), but made political history between the 13th and 16th centuries when skilled, professional archers won crucial battles for the English against Scotland and, particularly, against France. The yew stands of the British Isles were soon depleted, and the English monarchs began to import yew wood, first from Ireland and Spain, then from all across the Continent. The yew populations of Europe never recovered from this period of intense trade.

THE LIVING WISDOM OF TREES by Fred Hageneder

There has always existed a symbiotic relationship between trees Fred Hageneder and humankind and in ancient times our ancestors recognized this vital balance. Many cultures see everything in creation as imbued with spirit. Fred Hageneder is a leading author in ethnobotany and is a member of an international group of scientists who since 2013 The have been supporting guardians around the world to protect their Living natural refuges from land grabbing and destruction. In this Wisdom fascinating book he celebrates over 50 species from around the of Trees world, presenting a unique insight into their rich lore and profound spiritual wisdom. Each entry includes line drawings of the tree, a sprig or its fruit, along with its botanical characteristics, place in myth, healing characteristics and practical use in society. It’s a great introduction to trees and their energies. with illustrations

by Lizzie Harper

A Guide to the Natural History, Symbolism and Healing Power of Trees

224pp, 234 x 153mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 300151 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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Esoteric Teachings – BOOK REVIEWS

THE WONDER OF UNICORNS by Diana Cooper

In this updated book worldrenowned teacher Diana Cooper engages with those magical creatures from the angelic realms: Unicorns. Absent from the Earth since the time of Atlantis these heavenly beings are returning to guide us and enlightenment seekers will find the meditations and rituals Diana describes a useful tool to connect with their unicorn. These beautiful creatures work with the soul and included are many stories from people who have engaged with these spirit guides. As she says, “If you often think about unicorns and you have a desire to help the world, a unicorn will soon be with you”.

This was first published in 2008: unicorns are everywhere now so we can see that the author was ahead of the curve.

240pp, 228 x 150 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 300138 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

LLEWELLYN’S LITTLE BOOK OF UNICORNS

by Angela A. Wix Think of unicorns and chances are images of them with sparkles and rainbows will pop into your mind. However although we tend to associate unicorns with joy and happiness, legend tells us that unicorns are in fact evasive creatures. They can often be a metaphor for your own search for magic in your life and a belief in the very real and vibrant power you hold within yourself. We can learn what beckons them into our realm and cultivate those pleasures and inside this magical book you’ll find a myriad of techniques and exercises – crystals, mindfulness practices, essential oils and chakras – that will help you connect with your unicorn.

240pp, 165 x 125 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 300156 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

ANCIENT TEACHINGS FOR MODERN TIMES

by Peta Morton

The subtitle of this book is ‘The way to a rich and deeply satisfying life’ and that is exactly what Peta Morton sets out to do in this engaging and refreshingly practical book. It can be read in a linear fashion or dipped into: as she says herself if you read it with an open and questioning mind the right words will find you. It’s fun to read and has many interesting quotes, not all of which are esoteric, and each chapter includes exercises that incorporate the action or thoughts that she is discussing. If you want to embark on a journey of self-discovery this simple guide will help to clear the path to a happier and more peaceful life.

“Until you make the unconscious conscious, it will control your life and you will call it fate.” CG Jung 248pp, 215 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £11.99

❖ Code: 300158 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

THE ANGEL EXPERIMENT

by Corin Grillo

When a friend offered author Corin Grillo a session of angel healing, she was doubtful, but she left that initial reading with renewed energy and a rare sense of calm, peace, and hope, and she resolved to keep talking to and studying angels. She soon learned that they were powerful warriors ready and waiting at all times to hear from us.

The results were undeniable and, as she began offering her 21-day workshop to others, any remaining scepticism on her part was gone.

You too can learn from her lessons and be inspired by her stories.

Grillo offers a variety of techniques for various life challenges and the specific angels to be approached.

Why not galvanize your own life and be guided by the most powerful energies in the universe?

224pp, 208 x 134 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300129 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

CHIBI ANIME ANGEL CARDS by Dawn Brown

Angels work as messengers to remind us of our inner divinity and, once asked for help, their transformative powers can take us on a deep spiritual journey. This 44-card colour angel deck is special as it depicts the Archangels (the 11 angels of the Tree of Life) in Chibi Anime form, but including all their characteristics, such as element and cardinal direction. These images, which can disarm us with their inherent ‘cuteness’, actually help esoteric knowledge to seep into the subconscious. They talk directly to us, to our inner child perhaps, helping us internalize on a deeper level for insight and transformation. The descriptions in the accompanying booklet will help to interpret these images.

128pp, 142 x 102 mm, 44 cards, Boxed Set, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 300121 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Going Beyond THE HIDDEN UNIVERSE

by Anthony Peake

Popular author Anthony Peake is known for his work on altered states of consciousness and for explaining these mysteries by seeking scientifically based answers.

Human consciousness when acting collectively can create something both greater than, and external to, the individuals involved. He quotes author Richard Cavendish’s suggestion that the human mind can bring about the existence of entities by the act of thought alone and that this fits with quantum physics. He explains that the whole concept of mind-created entities is far more complex than any explanation involving either a materialist-reductionist dismissal or the spiritualist’s blind belief. From otherworldly visitors to angels, demons and poltergeists he explores these encounters many of which occurred via ayahuasca or LSD or during lucid dreaming or NDEs.

Colin Wilson brings together his existential, psychological and occult ways of thinking in this his final book to produce one of his most important works. He explains that in order to understand the nature of freedom we first need to look carefully at the ‘mechanisms of despair’, the destructive states that boredom and lack of purpose can produce, and the immense importance of not attaching too much to temporary setbacks. He recognizes that consciousness is intentional and that when you ‘see’ something it doesn’t just happen: you have to direct your attention towards it. This in turn produces moments of Peak Experience or ‘power consciousness’. He goes on to highlight the Peak Experiences of many artists including Dostoevsky, Blake, Yeats and van Gogh.

200pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

272pp, 215 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300145 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

A PRACTICAL INTRODUCTION TO NUMEROLOGY by Sonia Ducie

APPROACHING DEATH

by Renee Zeylmans

136pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £8.99

160pp, 233 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

WISDOM OF SOULS

by The Newton Institute

THE QUANTUM AKASHIC FIELD

by Jim Willis

312pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

176pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300147 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

This is an accessible guide to the ancient metaphysical science of numerology that shows us how working with numbers can allow us to access and open up new perspectives that will challenge and transform all areas of our life. The book is based on esoteric numerology, which Sonia herself teaches and which encourages us to open our minds and make contact with our inner self. Each chapter guides us through key ways to identify our gifts, strengths and skills through the numbers in our lives. There is also a substantial Q and A section in which the reader can find out more about the origins of numerology and its potential for divination. I can’t imagine a more approachable and to-the-point introduction to this rewarding subject. ❖ Code: 300144 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.11 ❖ Member Price: £5.50

Following in the footsteps of Dr. Michael Newton’s bestselling books Journey of Souls and Destiny of Souls, this book shares more stories of healing experienced by real people under hypnosis. There is much that takes place in between lives and Dr Newton was the pioneer in shining a light on these realms. Here you will discover what it’s like to take an astral journey to the realm of spirit, where loving guides and beings of light await to provide instruction and warm encouragement. Compiled by members of the Newton Institute, these stories provide profound insights and lessons that will help you release traumas and connect to your own inner wisdom. ❖ Code: 300132 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

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SUPER CONSCIOUSNESS

by Colin Wilson

This beautiful book gives vital advice on approaching the death of relatives, friends and loved ones. Renee’s husband died prematurely and, once she had finished raising their three children, she dedicated her professional life to helping those dealing with death and grief. It’s full of stories about the moment of death and some of the transcendence and wonder of these moments. The author makes it clear that the companions to those who are dying can see the experience as reciprocal – it’s not merely “what can I give them” but also “what can they give me”.

Every death is different so there is no common approach, but there is a lot of practical information about death, plus suggestions and contemplations from many traditions that can help us come up with a meaningful death. ❖ Code: 300105 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.77 ❖ Member Price: £11.50

This is an entertaining account of the author’s exploration of the Akashic Field. Jim Willis shows us how we can gain awareness of this quantum-based reality through conscious out-of-body experiences. Although these experiences feel supernatural, they are rooted in simple, scientificic principles: that you don’t have to be spiritual to experience them and that in fact this can get in the way. He outlines a process for journeying through universal consciousness: we can even bypass our senses while awake and aware yet still engage with extrasensory travel.

And fortunately for us he is a disciplined journal-keeper and he entertains us with many accounts of his astral encounters. ❖ Code: 300122 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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Oracle Decks – BOOK REVIEWS

THE STARSEED ORACLE

by Rebecca Campbell

Rebecca Campbell is a rising star in the spiritual world. This alluring new deck is for Starseeds: souls who have a longing for the mysterious and unknown. The 53 cards feature evocative and ethereal landscapes in blues and pinks, including imagery from planets, star formations, portals, Ancient Egypt and stone circles.

You feel called to these enigmatic locations and they evoke subconscious feelings that might surprise you. Maybe they are the places of your true origins.

The book included will give you further nudges based on the card you chose that will help you connect with your inner guidance and true cosmic nature. Finally the book will give you a Starseed call to action that will attune you to what you are truly called to do in this incarnation.

Boxed set, 53 colour cards, 140 x 100 mm + 135pp guidebook, 2020, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 300112 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.11 ❖ Member Price: £14.50

THE DIVINE ANIMALS ORACLE

by Stacey Demarco

The Snow Leopard – the cover animal on this magical deck – gives a good sense of the mythic yet contemporary feeling imbued in these cards. The author Stacey Demarco, passionate about animals and their inherent spiritual energies, uses the myths and goddess or god associated with each to show how we can work with that energy in the form of rituals, meditations and divination. The description of each card is broken up into separate segments, firstly the name and message of the card, then the myth and magical energies we can work with and, equally important, the scientific animal information and its United Nations status at the time of writing. Stacey would like us not only to work with their magic but also remember how humanity has made life difficult or impossible for them – that part of our connectedness to them includes our reaching out and doing what we can to protect them.

180pp, 140 x 104 mm, 44 cards, Boxed Set, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 300140 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

THE BLIND SPOT ORACLE CARDS

by Teal Swan

Internationally renowned author and celebrated spiritual teacher Teal Swan is back with this comprehensive and diverse oracle set, which includes a 200-page book, 78-card deck and even 49 temporary tattoos. The cards have sigils on them, featuring an enigmatic parchment-style backdrop, that have an energy which can help you overcome blind spots in your life and outlook. Teal also suggests spreads which will enable you to tackle bigger issues in a more in-depth way. And when you really want to imprint a particular image and make the most of its energy, you can apply the temporary tattoo. Teal is a teacher who can transform lives and this oracle set is ideal for any fan of hers who is ready to change from the ground up.

Boxed set, 177 x 118 mm, 78 colour cards + 200pp guidebook, 49 Temporary Tattoos, 2020, RRP £30.00

❖ Code: 300150 ❖ Non-Member Price: £19.98 ❖ Member Price: £17.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Life Stories BRAVE, BEAUTIFUL AND BARING IT ALL by Rhyanna Watson

FIRST WE MAKE THE BEAST BEAUTIFUL by Sarah Wilson

160pp, 200 x 145 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

320pp, 201 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

LIFE AND SOUL

by William Roache

TREE WISDOM

by Vincent Karche

240pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

224pp, 196 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

Rhyanna Watson is a yoga teacher, wellness trainer and social media sensation. She believes in fitness from the inside out and wants to encourage us to develop this for ourselves rather than focus on the external, as most people tend to do nowadays especially when they engage on social media. It was only when Rhyanna went through a very dark phase in her life and hit rock bottom that she realized that nobody could save her except herself. This meant looking inwards, letting go of the past, and choosing to believe and invest in her own dreams. It is a compassionate book and you will feel encouraged to get out of your usual thought patterns and realize that everything you ever needed has always been inside of you. It also includes photographs of Rhyanna in bold and beautiful yoga postures. ❖ Code: 300149 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

William Roache MBE is best known for playing Ken Barlow on Coronation Street for nearly 60 years. But away from the cameras he has also built a reputation as a man in search of great truths and the meaning of life. This is the person we meet here, talking openly about his journey, the meditation techniques, diet and exercise routines that continue to keep him healthy, active and youthful. William speaks openly and honestly about how his lifestyle gave him the strength to live through recent events, including the deaths of his wife Sara, and close friend Anne Kirkbride, as well as a harrowing court case. A gentle and honest insight into the true world of someone we all feel we know well. ❖ Code: 300106 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

Sarah Wilson, best-selling author of I Quit Sugar, is a name usually associated with “clean living” and “vitality”. This book, however, deals with her struggle with anxiety and how painful, extremely private and lonely it is. Freud believed anxiety attunes us not just to external threats but also to internal threats and the need for growth; the author likewise believes anxiety is a sign we need to move on and change our lives. The fact that she lost everything at several stages in her life to her anxiety means that she has little attachment to material outcomes, which means she has been able to rebuild her life many times because she felt that she had nothing to lose. It’s sobering but inspiring, and full of invaluable stories and resources that can help all of us in this most debilitating struggle. ❖ Code: 300152 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

There are a few tree books in the Cygnus Review this season, but each one is subtly different and it’s very hard to leave any of them out. This one is written by a young French former opera singer and now forester and retreat leader. It will not be much help in identifying trees, but a huge help in relating to them as spiritual beings and appreciating the support and guidance they can offer to the soul, whether that soul is troubled or not. Vincent talks about his own life and the healing he received from being in the trees in the wilds of northern Canada. He also gives tips and exercises we can all use to deepen our relationship with the forest. I can highly recommend this to anyone who feels the call of nature in their life. ❖ Code: 300153 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

THE LIGHT SEER’S TAROT by Chris Anne

This is a 78 card deck by Chris-Anne, a deck creator and designer, who believes the Tarot can be used as a profoundly healing tool that enables us to explore the light and shadow in our lives. The traditional archetypes and symbols have been reimagined as young and relatable characters who are confident and take responsibility for their own sunshine and light. She expressly wanted to create a positive deck that would uplift whilst also inspiring one to do the deeper healing work if this was needed. The accompanying guidebook is a useful reference point and Chris-Anne suggests different techniques to encourage and guide us in developing our own unique conversation with the cards.

Boxed set, 78 colour cards, 135 x 82 mm + 184pp guidebook, 2019, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 300114 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.11 ❖ Member Price: £14.50

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PERSONAL HI, I’M A 56 YEAR OLD YOUNG-AT-HEART MAN, OHAC, professional and long time Cygnus member. I’m looking to meet a similar lady (aged 40 to 50) for friendship, wining and dining, holidays and maybe more. 07526 267751

Jacqueline is a qualified Heal Your Life Teacher and Coach in the Louise Hay philosophies.

This powerful two-day workshop, facilitated by Jacqueline Duffy, is based on Louise Hay’s best-selling book ‘You Can Heal Your Life.’ Louise’s book has sold over 50 million copies worldwide and it has helped millions of people make positive changes to their lives. This is an interactive workshop and a safe space for participants to let go of limiting beliefs and create the life they really want. This workshop will help you: • Discover more about yourself and have fun • Identify and transform negative beliefs, become more self-aware and develop resilience • Recognise resentments and old fears that may hold you back • Let go of negative emotions blocking you When:

Saturday 7th and Sunday 8th March 2020 – 9.30 am - 5pm Saturday 27th and Sunday 28th June 2020 – 9.30am - 5pm Where: Capel Manor Gardens and College,

London Borough of Enfield EN1 4RQ Investment: £280 Contact:

Mobile:

admin@jacquelineduffy.co.uk www.jacquelineduffy.co.uk 0795 8200444

Spiritual Journeys on foot through beautiful West Wales, steeped in Celtic lore. Time in nature to come home to yourself, to relax, to allow for change. Small groups. More information: Email: hello@guidedpilgrimage.co.uk Web: guidedpilgrimage.co.uk

COLOUR PSYCHOLOGY TODAY The latest bestseller from June McLeod available now.

Online and all good bookshops.

See the website for latest colour news and information www.colourpsychologytoday.com

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

23

Pioneer of Sound Healing & Family & Ancestral Healing

IF YOU THINK AND FEEL LIKE A SUCCESSFUL SLIMMER, YOU WILL ACT LIKE ONE!

Weekends & Week Intensives

Jill Purce HEALING VOICE

Magic of the Voice, Overtone Chanting, Mantra, Sacred Chants & Living Mandala Ceremonies.

Weekends London Feb 22-23, May 16-17, June 6-7, July 4-5 HEALING VOICE Res WEEK Intens.Nr Glastonbury-Apr 24-May 1 Continuous chant / living Mandala / theme: Healing of White Tara

HEALING FAMILY & ANCESTORS

RESONANT FAMILY CONSTELLATIONS Find the keys that set you and your family free.

Turn clamorous ancestors into powerful guides.

Constellations Lon Feb 15-16 Mar 14-15 Apr 4-5. Res WEEK Jun 19-26 healingvoice.com 0207 435 2467 info@healingvoice.com

CREATED AND VOICED BY

DEBORAH BROMLEY

From the internationally renowned Hemi-Sync® label, this innovative 12 track album of hypnotherapy and meridian energy techniques will transform your thoughts, emotions and revolutionise your eating habits. You can create the slimmer and healthier body you wish for using this powerful album and the companion book.

BUY NOW IN CD OR DOWNLOAD FORMAT FROM $78 www.hemi-sync.com in the Weight Control category

Become a Cygnus supporter Cygnus is on a journey of transformation. At its heart is a group of supporters who share our vision. Help us realise the potential of this growing community – join Cygnus today for £25 (UK) and £35 (overseas)

Become a Cygnus Supporter and enjoy: Guaranteed copies of Cygnus Review, four times a year – Carefully selected titles, tried, tested and reviewed just for you Free subscription to Watkins Mind Body Spirit Magazine – delivered with your Cygnus Review Discounted entry to a number of events throughout the year Access to the Cygnus Café network – Meet up with local Cygnus supporters for mutual growth and support 10% discounted Member Price on all Cygnus books* – Save even more off your favourite books, DVDs and resources

FREE GIFT

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BECOME A memberships MEMBER FOR LESS THAN A CUP OF COFFEE PER MONTH We are now offering direct debit memberships, giving you the chance to pay monthly, quarterly or annually for your membership.

Join online, by phone or by post www.cygnusreview.com or call 02078 594 375

* Please note the 10% discount is already calculated into the printed Member price.