Cygnus Review - Spring 2021

Spring 2021, Issue 2

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

Spring Awakening SUPPORT IN TIMES OF ISOLATION from Pierre Pradervand, Cuong Lu and Gemma Polo Pujol

Plus!

❖ A Covid Warning from

Dr Joseph Mercola ❖ A New Book from Vex King ❖ Angelic Interventions ❖ Awakening Through Nature ❖ Directory of Cygnus Cafes

EDITOR’S LETTER

It Starts with Beauty

I

was reading a high-profile journalist a couple of weeks ago and she was writing about the strange circumstances around our Covid communication. Apparently some people consider it insincere or hollow to start emails, letters or other messages with “I hope you are well in these unusual times”.

Of course it can become a cliché or rote phrase but what else can you do? It’s not insincere and is meant well; we do care and want to know. I have said this often, but this pandemic has shown that the Cygnus community is full of people who care deeply and genuinely, and I am always bowled over by people’s generosity and considerateness.

This lockdown has touched people in so many different ways, and they vary wildly. For people with children who have been homeschooling, it’s been frantic, stressful and physically exhausting. For others it’s the boredom and the lack of variety – I call it the “beigeness” – of shops, museums, gyms, swimming pools, restaurants and pubs being shut and the same stuff endlessly happening in the same space.

I believe though that this beigeness is primarily down to a lack of human contact. At first during lockdown we marveled at how much we could do

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via alternative means and especially how Zoom and other video links might mean that we could work remotely almost indefinitely. Now the pendulum has swung the other way: of course we can do a lot remotely and that’s wonderful, but I think we are all missing direct human contact and face-to-face communication.

Without doubt humans are social creatures. People take the pressure off each other and support each other; the best way of showing our love for each other is being in the same space, talking directly and being able to hug each other.

Here must be a lesson to take from this: that when it’s safe, we need to be together as much as possible and that so much can be achieved through community. Other than that, we all need to learn our own more specific lessons. If there’s ever going to be a time for transformation, this is it, both on a large and small scale.

For me it’s something of the messiness of life. When I was first reading spiritual titles my intention was to arrive at a place of bliss and joyful self-realization. If I just got everything right, and worked hard on my curriculum, everything would feel perfect. Now I know that’s not true, and many books in this magazine will gently point this out: we will never reach pure joy and live entirely without pain and sadness. Instead, it’s how we embrace them, include them and even process them.

I think this has been the lesson for many of us. Pain can come out of nowhere and bad things happen to good people. That hurts at first, if you have a very idealistic outlook, but it’s hard to deny, especially now.

So, at a very fundamental level, I just look for beauty, joy, whatever causes me pleasure. My heart stirs most when I pass the white blossom halfway down the hill from where we live. Its beauty knocks me sideways. It convinces me that beauty is not just natural selection but is something so utterly transcendent and transforming that there has to be a thread to it all.

It’s not chaos or random or some relentless genetic process unfolding.

“There is a meaning to it all, even if I don’t quite know what it is.

So I try and stay in a place of trust and be patient.”

Its beauty is there for the good of all life. I have learnt to find beauty and just take it from there.

There is a meaning to it all, even if I don’t quite know what it is. So I try and stay in a place of trust and be patient. It will all make sense, it will all click, even if that’s at the moment of my very last breath.

P.S. Thanks for your patience recently when the supply of books has been so difficult. The ports are a mess and books that come from abroad have been delayed and even lost in the confusion. I hope that this will start to ease now, but it will continue to be an issue for a while longer. We will ensure though that you always get your books.

Adam

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BY DR JOSEPH MERCOLA & RONNIE CUMMINS

T

he hour is late, but there is still time to turn things around.

We stand at the crossroads— will we choose dictatorship, offered to us by our transhumanistic, technocratic “overlords,” or freedom and democracy? I invite you to join us in the fight for our lives and the lives of future generations. Join us as we educate and organize for a healthy, equitable, and regenerative future.

By thinking and acting locally— buying local foods and products, and engaging in local politics and local organizing—we start to cut off the lifeblood of individuals and companies that are pushing us in the wrong direction. As David Klooz warns in his book, The COVID-19 Conundrum: “If the COVID-19 hoax does not convince you to divest from the politicians and the corporations they serve, including divesting from big-business’ goods and services, nothing will. Special interests just beta-tested turning entire nations into virtual prisons. If people allow it this time, their ability to do it again and to an even greater and more disruptive degree is all but guaranteed . . .”

Forget top-down authoritative solutions. It always ends up biting us when we look to federal politicians to do something good for us, as lobbyists and lawyers—whose pockets are far deeper—are always working to make things better for the elites, not the general population…

While world leaders have been warning us of a “dark winter” with rising death tolls, hold on to hope.

The way we end the pandemic fraud and stop the Great Reset is by shining the light of truth and creating greater

The Truth about Covid-19 transparency. If enough people end up understanding what’s really going on and what the goal of this “Reset” is, leaders won’t be able to implement it.

The technocratic elite need us all to passively acquiesce, because there are far more of us than there are of them. Again, that’s what the pandemic measures are achieving. We’re growing to accept work and travel restrictions. We’re growing to accept government telling us where and how we can celebrate holidays, and with whom. All of this would have been unthinkable pre-2020. But we cannot let this acceptance continue to grow.

Slavery is the most profitable business in the history of the world, and with modern technology, complete control is now possible. Any and all rebellion can be quenched. Technology also allows a much smaller group of people to wield tremendous power over the masses.

That said, it’s crucial to realize that we are actually financing and helping build the very control system that is meant to enslave us. We work for companies that are building the system.

We buy products from them, and we allow them to collect data from us that they sell and utilize against us. If we stop buying their products and giving them our private data, they cannot build it. So stop giving them the means to enslave you. Stop being an enabler of your own doom. Instead, be part of the solution and shed light, share information, and seek out and develop alternatives to the control structure being erected all around us.

We’ve done this before. The organic movement, for example, was built by average people who decided to put their time and money into a food system that aligned with their basic values. As a result, we have options today when it comes to food. It’s not all GMOs and fake food. If we want to live free, we now have to act on that wish, carefully reconstructing how we live and interact in order to minimize our contribution to the transhumanist technocratic control system.

Don’t listen to nonsense about asymptomatic transmission, the PCR pandemic, and all the false stats used to scare you. Seek out the truth, take control of your health, and have frank and open discussions with family and friends to help show them the way out of fear, too.

From Dr Joseph Mercola and Ronnie Cummins’ new book The Truth About COVID-19 (Chelsea Green Publishing) and is reprinted with permission from the publisher.

THE TRUTH ABOUT COVID-19 by Dr Joseph Mercola and Ronnie Cummins

Essential Spring reading

Dr Mercola is the author of Cygnus bestseller EMF*D and many other instructive titles about health self-care. As you would expect, this book is a warning about Covid-19 and a call to be sceptical about some of the accounts we are being fed from the mainstream. It contains 37 pages of notes and references. The authors call this “the fight of our lives” against manipulation by big business and media companies.

Cygnus doesn’t endorse this book but the information is well backed up and it’s important to make space for voices like this who aren’t urging insurrection but just encouraging us to make up our own minds and take control of our own destinies. At least with Dr Mercola we are getting an alternative narrative from a trusted source. DUE IN LATE APRIL 224pp, 229 x 152 mm, Hardback, 2021, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 310102 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.11 ❖ Member Price: £14.50

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BOOK REVIEWS – Oracle Decks THE JOURNEY TO ENLIGHTENMENT TAROT by Selena Joy Lovett and Daniela Manutius-Forster

ARCHANGEL ORACLE CARDS

by Diana Cooper

Diana is one of Cygnus’s most popular authors and if anyone knows about angels and how to communicate with them, it will be her. There are 44 full-colour cards here that each depict an angel, archangel or seraphim. They are not all the traditional orthodox angels. They are beautifully illustrated in a flowing way and the colours are striking but not intense. Angels can manifest in all sorts of ways and these are of course androgynous and of all shapes and skin colour. The guide book will either help you find the right angel to reach out to, or to interpret the significance of a particular card if it turns up regularly. These beings are there to offer their help when called upon and, especially in these times, they will help you travel more quickly and more surely on your spiritual journey.

112pp, 48 cards, 138 x 98 mm, Book and Deck set, 2021, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 310109 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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This colourful new deck offers an exciting and innovative way of interacting with the Tarot tradition. The intricate symbolic artwork of the cards will lead you onto a journey of powerful self-discovery and deep alchemical transformation. Whatever your question, the cards will bring the insights you need, encouraging intuition, selfawareness and self-healing, and helping you to release your emotional blocks. The cards are stunning, and the wise guidebook gives further advice on diving into your psychological depths. As you embark on a journey of self-understanding and self-fulfilment, this deck will help you connect deeply to your soul and guide you in the direction of your dreams.

144pp, 78 cards, 135 x 96mm, Book and Deck set, 2021, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 310150 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

THE SACRED CREATORS ORACLE

by Chris-Anne

This is a new edition of the classic creativity and inspiration deck first brought into the light by the author on Kickstarter and then published in the mainstream by Hay House. It consists of 67 cards in lovely bright watercolour with a simple slogan and enigmatic design that will inspire new energy and perhaps new direction in the creative spirit. Plus a small guidebook.

The statements include Move Beyond Intention to Belief, Find Your Sacred Flow and Accept and Receive. This would make a great gift to an artist you know or someone who is just starting on the creative path. Or, of course, for yourself. It’s not earth-shattering wisdom in the cards but the deck is genuinely uplifting: a simple way to help on the quest, to break through a block or to have fun amidst all the daily drudgery.

64pp, 67 cards, 134 x 83mm, Book and Deck set, 2021, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 310110 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.11 ❖ Member Price: £14.50

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WORTH BY BHARTI DHIR

M

y guardian angels were clearly at work when driving home for the first time from Leicester University. The road was dark and rain was coming down in sheets. I was in a line of cars travelling along a narrow country road near Oxford, when I saw a car starting to overtake on the opposite side of the road. To my horror, I realized it was going to hit the two cars in front of me. I was so busy being anxious and afraid for the occupants of the cars in front that I didn’t realize they’d swerved violently into a hedge to avoid being hit. Now, the car was coming straight at me!

I froze.

Then I felt my steering wheel being wrenched to the left at the last second before impact. The oncoming car wrecked my bonnet, but I was okay. In the melee that followed – with drivers running over, questions being asked and recriminations mixed with apologies being uttered from the driver who’d caused the crash – I remained in a confused daze.

The police later told me that it was a miracle I turned when I did, praising me for my quick thinking and judgment. If I hadn’t turned at that precise time, I’d have been hit head on, and with the speed the other driver was going, I could easily have been killed, apparently. If I’d turned too quickly, he’d have undoubtedly crushed or killed me, as the impact would have been on the driver’s door.

It was then that I praised and thanked my guardian angel, because in my heart I knew that all I’d done was freeze in shock – it was them who’d saved me, not me. Perhaps they’d even saved the other driver, as it was a miracle none of us were hurt that day.

Another example of being protected was when I took to walking in the early hours of the morning.

I needed to meditate and tune in to guidance, and the only way to make the time to do that, given my existing schedule, would be at the beginning of the day. I’d leave the house at 6 a.m. and begin my walking meditation by meandering

Angelic Interventions past a quiet industrial yard and a patch of woodland that led to a grid of suburban houses. This particular circular route was well-lit – it was often dark when I’d begin the walk – and I loved to immerse myself in the peace and silence, watching the sky lighten as dawn approached and the sun rose over the rooftops. I’d tune in to any spiritual messages that might come in and give thanks for all I had.

This was a time to be with myself, with my God and my angels, before the responsibilities of the day took hold. And I always felt safe.

After seven months of these earlymorning walks, I began to get an eerie

feeling and a message coming through: Don’t do this walk, it’s dangerous. I decided maybe it was just me and that I was making excuses, but then the sense of danger intensified and the messages became more insistent. I felt my guardian angel telling me, ‘Don’t do this. Don’t go there.’ Yet still I ignored it, because I’d set myself the task of walking 3 km every day and there was no reason to feel unsafe that I knew of.

I’d always felt protected, and walking the more isolated parts of my route – past the small wooded area with a path shrouded by trees and bushes – had never bothered me before.

Then a severe chest infection left me unable to go outside for three weeks. And it was then that I heard a woman had been raped in the early hours of the morning. And guess what – she’d been attacked in that exact woodland location that I walked past every morning….My heart went out to her and her family, and I finally understood why I’d received that premonition. And because I hadn’t listened, my body had done it for me.

Since that time, I’ve called upon angels to help me many times during prayers to God. While strong messages still come in to protect me, I’ve begun to see that I can reach out for help for other reasons, and that the angels will listen. © 2021 by Bharti Dhir. Reprinted in arrangement with Hay House UK.

WORTH

by Bharti Dhir

Kyle Gray has praised this book highly, calling Bharti a “living angel” and saying he’s “honoured to know this amazing woman”.

Bharti was born in Uganda where she was abandoned just after birth and then adopted by another local family. She had to leave Uganda along with most of the Asian community and came to England. She suffers from epidermolysis bullosa, a debilitating skin condition, and from systemic lupus. Yet she now works as a social worker specializing in child protection and has a daughter of her own. The account is compelling and exciting. Above all it is inspirational: many of us suffer with smaller doubts and insecurities which are completely valid, but when you read of the sheer will of a person to survive it can give us courage to change. It’s uplifting to read the words of someone so positive and resourceful.

272pp, 216 x 134 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 310113 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price:£7.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Death & Life After Death WHEN IT’S TIME TO SAY GOODBYE

by Angela Garner

This is a practical and compassionate guide to managing the end-of-life transition of a beloved animal companion, both to help the pet and the human family members. Angela Garner is a former nurse and animal bereavement specialist who lives in Devon.

The publisher is Findhorn Press, so I can’t imagine a better book on the subject to take full account of the spiritual aspects of our relationships with other beings of whatever species. The book is packed with stories that will fill your hearts with love. Many are sad but they still remind us of the bonds with our pets that can last after the animal is no longer in this incarnation. It’s truly a delightful book and it even has charming little line drawings of dogs, cats, horses and rabbits. DUE IN LATE APRIL 192pp, 216 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2000, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 310142 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

WHEN I WAS SOMEONE ELSE

by Stephane Allix

French journalist Stephane Allix experienced a powerful vision of a dying German soldier, along with glimpses of other moments in his life. When he researched this soldier – Alexander Herrmann – he found out that he had indeed lived and a lot of the vision details corresponded precisely to his life. Stephane then took it upon himself to make connections to the soldier’s living relatives and to explore more of the documentary evidence. The text throws up all sorts of amazing discoveries about synchronicity, reincarnation and crossing the veil between life and death. He is shocked to find out that Alexander was part of the infamous Totenkopf Brigade of the SS, and it dawns on him that something he had been born to do was to help this soldier find healing and forgiveness. DUE IN LATE APRIL

This book came out a few years ago but it’s one of Inner Traditions’ most popular titles and we have never featured it in the magazine. The author is a doctor with more than 25 years’ experience and of course he witnessed hundreds of occasions when patients came back from clinical death. This piqued his interest and led him to investigate further via interviews with survivors, meetings with mediums and even trying electronic communication with those deceased. He became convinced that death is not the end of conscious life and he goes on to distil the evidence into 7 themes, starting with the simple fact that more than 60 million people have reported an afterlife experience. If we relax a bit more about death, we can live life with more confidence and have a more peaceful transition.

160pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2015, RRP £11.99

❖ Code: 310140 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

MY DESCENT INTO DEATH

by Howard Storm

This compelling account was first published in 2000 and since then has sold more than 70,000 copies. It tells of how the author fell ill in Paris in 1985 and had a near-death experience (although it was also so much more than that) when he fell into darkness only to be pulled back into the light. The book includes descriptions of the teachings he received from Christ and the angels while he was in this other place and they are immensely encouraging and instructive. The experience changed his life – beforehand he was an atheist and afterwards he became a pastor in Ohio. The book also contains paintings of his experiences in those other realms. 184pp, 217 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2008, RRP £10.99

392pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 310103 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

SEVEN STEPS TO ETERNITY

by Stephen Turoff

IT TOLLS FOR THEE

by Tom Morton

192pp, 216 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2000, RRP £10.99

265pp, 215 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 310135 ❖ Non-Member Price:£13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

Stephen Turoff started his career as a carpenter but soon realized that he wanted to focus fully on spiritual work. Now, with over forty years’ experience, he is one of the best-known psychic therapists in the world, working with the Power of Light to raise consciousness, bring inner balance and well-being. In this classic book, first published in 1989, he reports his clairvoyant communication with the soul of a young soldier who was killed in the Great War. It is a remarkable story - not the tale of the soldier’s tragically short life on the physical plane, but about his soul’s subsequent journey into the afterlife. It is an enlightening account of the various stages we go through to develop spiritually and a testimony to life beyond the illusion of death – filled with insight, spiritual wisdom, and delightful humour. ❖ Code: 310104 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price:£7.99

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7 REASONS TO BELIEVE IN THE AFTERLIFE by Jean Jacques Charbonier

This is a highly unusual and important book. It narrates how Tom Morton’s close encounter with death led him on a fascinating journey into the world of the dead and eventually to becoming the only independent funeral celebrant on the remote Shetland islands. Tom speaks about his discovery of the importance of ritual, humour, and the empowering act of finding words for something beyond language itself.

This is also a very practical guide on how to prepare and plan funerals for yourself and your loved ones. It suggests how we can mourn together in a way that feels appropriate to the personality and beliefs of the one who has passed on. Ultimately, this is a guide to celebrating and reclaiming the end of life which enables us to cultivate a healthy attitude to our own eventual demise. ❖ Code: 310149 ❖ 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

AN EXTRACT AND NEW WORDS FROM GEMMA POLO PUJOL

O

ne summer I took my children camping to a place in the Pyrenees where there is a man who is in love with the stars. He has installed a huge telescope in the middle of this valley and managed to negotiate an agreement to keep this place free of light pollution. With some other families, we booked to spend two hours looking at the universe through his telescope. On this clear night we were able to see galaxies.

I remember being struck by the fact that we are made of the same elements as these stars. The miracle of the whole pattern of life, from just being energy for millions of years and then cooling down bit by bit and becoming this smaller mass on Earth, then dissolving back into the universe. It was not possible to observe the sky without relating to the mystical experience.

What happens to us when we look through a telescope is similar to what happens to us in the meditation hall.

We come to meditation with a narrow mindset and yet at some point we get to understand that we can only experience it when a quantum leap happens, a falling into. The more I walk this journey, the more I see it’s as if the only thing that’s in my hands is to be open to finding a path back to what there was before I existed. Of course, we have daily situations that we struggle with and we are part of this coming and going of everyday life, but if we see everything that we are asked to live in the light of the stars, then it is a completely different experience.

Making peace with the unknown Many times, we hear this as if it means that there are no problems. We move between the ultimate and the relative quickly as if it’s black and white.

But how can we fully embrace the relative? How can we fully embrace the ultimate? Can we find a place that links everything, when we see these ups and downs not as fixed but as waves in the sea?

I close my eyes and see St Francis of Assisi walking naked into the street and saying: “If life is just this coming and going then it’s not for me. There has to be something else. We are spirit and soul.” What else is there? What is there within that knows a completely different frequency? When we really look at the sky, it’s almost scary. We have to jump into our minds and

name the constellations in order to feel safe, because if we really look, it’s overwhelming. There is a change of frequency because we are looking at something that we have no control over.

(An edited extract from There is Light and only Light) I think of this current situation with the Covid pandemic as another change of frequency that we have been dropped into. The scale and the repercussions of it are too much for our minds. And, as with our inner journey, it is not about running away or trying to fix anything, but rather finding a way to flow with the scary waves of the unknown.

For me, the long days of lockdown have been both a blessing and a challenge. At home, after adjusting to having the children home from school, we found our way together, enjoying the garden, exploring cooking outside on the fire, remembering to look up at the stars. It has been very sad, not to be able to spend time with my mum or visit my 96-year-old grandma. My usual nomadic way of life, travelling and offering retreats around the world, has changed into hours of prayer, both alone in silence, and shared with others, meeting in virtual circles, with students from all over the world.

Can we look at the current situation in the same way we look at the night sky, with a sense of wonder at the great mystery? We do not know why we have been put into this situation. Can we accept the invitation to cultivate our ability to embrace everything just as it is? Letting even these circumstances become fertile ground for our journey.

THERE IS LIGHT AND ONLY LIGHT

by Gemma Polo Pujol

The words that you will find in There is Light and Only Light are soft hands, offering the encouragement and support that we all need. This is a spoken book, a flow of wisdom born from silence and connection to accompany you on your inner journey. Woven into the teachings, Gemma’s own spiritual journey is unveiled, from the silence of the caves, to living in India for a decade next to sages, passing through being a Catholic nun, a dedicated Zen practitioner, and a mother. This book endorses again and again that it is worth listening deeply, following your call and enjoying the journey through all the landscapes of your humanness into ease and fulfilment. These teachings are truly inspiration and I’m pleased to include this book again.

152pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 300248 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Health

MEDICAL MEDIUM REVISED AND EXPANDED

by Anthony William

VIBRATIONAL NUTRITION

by Candice Covington

There is now a new and expanded version of the bestselling title Medical Medium available, and the original paperback will be phased out.

The downside is that this new hardback is 50% more expensive, although it is more than 100 pages longer. I thought it best though to include it here to let you all know as it is still one of our most popular books. In this exhaustive but user-friendly guidebook Anthony tells us the root causes of many ailments that the medical establishment has trouble understanding and goes on to suggest all-natural solutions and healing plans that will help us return to health. And here is even more crucial information.

Candice points out to us that food is more than just nutrition and calories and that it’s also energy and information – qualities that are much harder to measure by conventional means. She encourages us to calibrate out own reactions to a long list of foodstuffs.

This is very much a new approach to food that has not been attempted very often. It includes looking at the colour of the food (and its correlation with different chakras) and even the dreams we might have about food. Everything in the book is positive and a joyful approach to eating is nurtured.

This is an ideal book for anyone who has a more intuitive relationship with food or who is interested in energy medicine.

DUE IN LATE APRIL

One in four women experience pelvic floor dysfunction, and many people believe that this is a problem only faced by women who have children. The truth is, it can happen to anyone at any age for any number of reasons, from diet and exercise down to your footwear. So much of the female anatomy is undiscussed in public and therefore unattainable, but Kim Vopni has created the ultimate user’s guide to your vagina. It is in depth and coherent, while being accessible and relatable to every woman. It will enable the reader to introduce proactive measures against pelvic floor weakness as well as reactive ones. So many people are embarrassed or afraid to seek help, but this book will tell you everything you need to know. It covers the lot!

496pp, 244 x 201 mm, Hardback, 2021, RRP £29.99 ❖ Code: 310161

240pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99 ❖ Code: 310136

208pp, 215 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99 ❖ Code: 310152

❖ Non-Member Price: £21.10 ❖ Member Price: £18.99

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

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

ENERGETIC CELLULAR HEALING AND CANCER

by Tjitze de Jong

This is another essential book from Findhorn Press, by an author who lives within the Findhorn community. Tjitze is a teacher, therapist and energy healer from the Brennan tradition.

He specializes in working with cancer although the techniques he describes could apply to any illness. He advocates that patients recognize self-limiting beliefs that they have picked up during their lives, and then engage with deep inner work to release those beliefs. The final section of the book contains advice on how to prevent illness, covering nutrition, mental techniques and chakra and aura exercises.

DUE IN LATE APRIL 256pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99 ❖ Code: 310141

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

THE AYURVEDIC RESET DIET

by Vatsala Sperling

CURING THE INCURABLE

by Dr Jerry Thompson

160pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

496pp, 215 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

Based on the ancient wisdom of Ayurveda, this easy-to-follow guide details how to rest and gently cleanse your digestive system, lose extra pounds, and reboot your body and mind.

Dr Sperling begins by sharing a simplified introduction to the healing science of Ayurveda and explains the spiritual, mindful relationship to food at its heart. Offering step-by-step instructions for a full 6- or 8-week Ayurvedic reset diet, as well as a simplified 1-week programme, she details what to eat and drink and provides recipes and meal prepping tips. This guide provides everything you need to know to heal your digestive system, prevent chronic ailments and rebuild your sacred relationship with food. ❖ Code: 310134 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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YOUR PELVIC FLOOR

by Kim Vopni

There have been many books written recently by survivors of serious diseases (mainly cancer) but few which deal with the experiences of survivors as a whole. This new book is written by a GP with several decades of experience. It’s full of inspiring illustrative stories highlighting the hard-won experience of people who have recovered against the odds from diseases which they were not expected to recover from. This is then accompanied by scientific commentary from the author. The book balances guidance on healing techniques with advice on healthy living that will help prevent disease. The three main sections are on food, mind and spirit and toxicity. ❖ Code: 310106 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price:£10.50

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

AN ARTICLE FROM OUR FRIEND PIERRE PRADERVAND

I

t is my deep conviction that any meaningful religious or spiritual approach must also really address the key issue of today - and that is a world that works for all. Disparities and inequalities in income and opportunities have become so huge, environmental degradation is advancing so rapidly, that unless we create a world that works for ALL, it will soon work for no one, not even the super-rich in their private, computer-protected suburban citadels.

Eckhart Tolle, echoing Isaiah, has said that loving your neighbour as yourself means that your neighbour IS yourself, and that RECOGNITION OF THIS ONENESS is love. This is meaningful spirituality, or true religion – the original meaning of the word religion is to create links or bridges.

A great source of inspiration for me in this area of what a meaningful spirituality for today might look like has been the Indian teacher and activist Vimala Thakar.

Born in 1920 into a Brahmin family, she very early in life manifested a passion for spirituality and started visiting ashrams. At 19 she spent a year in a cave meditating.

Following that experience, she went to the opposite end of the spectrum and joined the land distribution movement inspired by Gandhi and then led by Vinoba Bhave, travelling the Indian countryside for eight years.

Then a major event occurred in her life. At 40 years of age, she met the legendary Krishnamurti. He encouraged her to teach, and she left the field of social activism, writing to her friends in the movement that ‘the only salvation for mankind appears to be in a religious revolution of the individual’. Yet, 18 years later, the same Vimala returned to activism with the aim of aiding the poor and disenfranchised and healing the environment. She is the only major example I know of a person with that path: from meditation to activism, to teaching, and back to activism.

The clue, I believe, lies in her reply to the well-known American

When contemplation and action meet Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield, who questioned her about returning to her earlier love: “I am a lover of life,” she replied, “and as a lover of life, I cannot keep out of any activity of life. If people are hungry for food, my response is to help feed them.

If people are hungry for truth, my response is to help them discover it. I make no distinction between serving people who are starving and have no dignity in their physical lives and serving people who are fearful and closed and have no dignity in their mental lives. I love all life.”

In our dualistic approach to existence, we are so fond of making

comfortable little categories: inner and outer, meditation and activism, spirit and matter, individual and collective, my neighbour and myself, etc. There has yet to be a true blending of the two, a real integration of spirituality and social action. I have met many social activists who were angry, selfrighteous, full of judgement and even cynical and hateful, and I have known supposedly spiritual people who were indifferent to the needs of the poor and the real suffering of the world. To claim to be spiritually minded and yet be indifferent to the intense suffering of the poor, who are poor because of an economic system we keep in place by our votes, is a grave and dangerous illusion. And to be a social activist without an understanding of the spiritual laws which ultimately run the universe is to court personal and collective disaster.

As Vimala states, “A tender loving concern for all living creatures will need to arise and reign in our hearts if any of us is to survive. And our lives will be truly blessed when the misery of one is genuinely felt to be the misery of all. The force of love is the force of total revolution. It is the unreleased force, unknown and unexplored as a dynamic for change.”

I truly believe that love is the most powerful force in the universe, and that it can be applied to every single situation that needs healing on the planet. http://pierrepradervand.com/

THE GENTLE ART OF BLESSING

by Pierre Pradervand

One of Cygnus members’ favourite titles is now available again, having previously been published in our own Cygnus edition. We are excited about the changes it could bring you.

You will find that The Gentle Art of Blessing is the perfect way to develop an awareness constantly centred in love. When you bless all those you meet in their total happiness and true integrity, without the slightest concern for their appearance, expression, race, class, gender, or any other label, when you wish them the very best from your innermost being, it will be impossible for your heart not to expand. From a narrow cubicle, it will become a temple without walls.

DUE IN LATE APRIL 224pp, 216 x 139 mm, Paperback, 2010, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 280257 ❖ 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 – Magic & Witchcraft REBEL WITCH

by Kelly-Ann Maddox

Rebel Witch does not seek to tell you what to do or aim for on your witchy path. Rather, it will spark inspiration and encourage you to create a truly authentic practice that reflects your unique experiences, tastes and personality. It’s about trying things out, swerving the stuff that feels dry and dusty, and choosing only what makes your heart dance. If you’re at the beginning of your journey, Kelly-Ann covers all the craft basics, from energy raising and shadow work, sacred space creation and receiving signs to casting spells, holding rituals, scrying, potions and much more. And if you practised the craft for years, you’ll find a myriad of ways of being inventive and shaking things up. It’s an attractive and beautifully packaged hardback

A new book from a favourite Cygnus author, following his recent reissue When The Last Leaf Falls. Kristoffer is a prolific and skilful writer about many aspects of paganism and spiritual practice, especially relating to the Welsh and the Druid traditions – he is Chief of the Anglesey Druid Order. The witch goddess Cerridwen has her origins in Wales and Kristoffer has gone through many ancient manuscripts to find out more about her and her tradition. The text is rich on her bardic and poetic traditions through ritual and song and the effect is inspirational and transformational. It’s an opportunity to rejuvenate your magical and ritual practices and the author gives much advice on sigils, visualization and creating an altar. DUE IN LATE APRIL 336pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £17.99

263pp, 240 x 155 mm, Hardback, 2021, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 310129 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.88 ❖ Member Price:£12.50

URBAN FAERY MAGICK

by Tara Sanchez

THE MAGIC OF CONNECTION

by Michelle Welch

288pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £15.99

216pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.99

THE ART OF CELTIC SEERSHIP

by Caitlín Matthews

MYTHOLOGY FOR A MAGICAL LIFE

by Ember Grant

194pp, 222 x 140mm, Hardback, 2021, RRP £12.99

312pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 310153 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price:£10.99

Tara lives in Cheshire and like Kristoffer Hughes, the author of Cerridwen (above), she is also an important part of the Anglesey Druid Order. In the last magazine there was a lot of interest in Finding Your Elvenheart and here is another book about the otherdimensional beings we share this space with. We are told that the Fae prefer wild and uncultivated land but here Tara reassures us that they can also make their homes in the cities and thus many of us can develop strong relationships with them. She tells us stories of her own encounters with them and describes some of the beings she has got to know. She also gives us many exercises we can use ourselves, including ancient rituals, which will likewise help us to learn from the Fae. DUE IN LATE APRIL ❖ Code: 310130 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price:£10.99

In the ancient realm of the Celts, seership opened windows into the otherworld, awakening the gléfiosa, or ‘the bright knowledge’ - the essence of true vision and wisdom. This Caitlín Matthews reissue reveals many ways to kindle that bright knowledge and describes the tools and techniques of the druids, bards and seers of old. It explains how we too can draw inspiration from the natural world and open ourselves to developing our prophetic and visionary powers. Her practical exercises include calling upon your ancestors, working with your dreams, cultivating a connection with the faery folk, experimenting with trance states, entering into the consciousness of the stones, trees and other natural features around you, asking a question of the universe and listening to the reply, and reading omens and signs in the symbols you encounter through the day. ❖ Code: 310146 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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CERRIDWEN by Kristoffer Hughes

This book is all about how you can transform and transmute negative energy in ways that support your personal spiritual journey and how spirituality and intuition can help you heal your inner wounds while staying connected to the people you love. Michelle guides you through dozens of exercises and gives detailed practical instructions for using meditations, mantras, crystals, herbs, and oils for embracing our connection to one another and live a more empowered life.

You will also discover techniques for working with ascended masters, archangels, tarot cards, and spells. The Magic of Connection shows the steps for transmuting energies so you can become a grounded source of love and light. ❖ Code: 310126 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

This book relates to magick but can be used in any aspect of spiritual practice. It features twelve amazing myths and accompanying spells, meditations, affirmations, and hands-on activities. There is a rich store of wisdom and guidance contained in the world’s myths and it makes perfect sense to put this towards your own spiritual development. Discover what the story of Cupid and Psyche can teach you about the journey of your soul. Explore how trickster folklore can inspire you to seize new opportunities in your life.

Learn how to embrace your deep, primal self with the Maid-of-the-Wave’s tale. Even the days of the week are, of course, named after mythical beings, gods and heavenly bodies, and this can help us on a daily basis with our life’s orientation. There are all sorts of correspondences through myth that can enrich our sometimes mundane lives. ❖ Code: 310159 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price:£10.99

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

FIND YOUR LOCAL CYGNUS CAFÉS

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 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, 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 DEVON, Paignton Marian Davies 07791 263 840 maridavi100@gmail.com E AYRSHIRE, Kilmarnock Anita Neilson 07778 923380 anitaneilson61@gmail.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

LANCS, Lytham, St Ann’s PERTHSHIRE, Crieff Simone Qualter & Andy Cowgill Rebecca Dearman 07928 632 976 07483872183 simonequalter@yahoo.co.uk RHONDDA, Pontypridd LEICS, Coalville Louisa Mills Cheryl Colpman cygnuscaferct@aol.co.uk 01530 831 798 cheryl@cherylcolpman.co.uk RICHMOND UPON THAMES, Surrey LINCOLNSHIRE, Horncastle Liz Sokoski Melissa Bay 07432 585693 07989 508391 countrygardenpets@tiscali.

ROSS-SHIRE, Conon Bridge co.uk Shenagh Leiper 07721 656 668 MANCHESTER, Sale leipershenagh@gmail.com Rosemary Plunkett 0161 962 4123 SHROPSHIRE, Ironbridge rosieglow3@icloud.com Romella Jones 01952 881 151 MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, cariadtherapies@outlook.com Woolton Pamela Langley SOMERSET, Taunton 0151 421 1772 Robin Littman pamelalangley@hotmail.com 01278 671 679 Robin@resource-me.com MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, Thornton S GLOS, Thornbury Sue Massey Trisha Seward 0151 924 6240 01179 621661 suemassey60@yahoo.com trishaseward@talktalk.net

E SUSSEX, Bexhill on Sea Carol Sargent MIDLOTHIAN, Edinburgh 01424 217 630 Tabora Green mail@youniquewellbeing.co.uk 01835 268546 CHESHIRE, Chester trueharmony@hotmail.co.uk Lynn Alexander E SUSSEX, Eastbourne 01244 951 753 Valerie Abl N LONDON, lynn@lynnalexander13.plus.com 01323 726 652 Enfield/Waltham Abbey valerie@talentshift.co.uk Chrissie CLEVELAND, Saltburn 07845 019398 / 07935707538 Kathryn Luczakiewicz E SUSSEX, Hove 01287 204 400 Simon N YORKS, Selby info@saltburnwellbeingcentre.

01273 220 159 Val Turner co.uk info@tolcentre.com 01757 701 571 valdert@btinternet.com CORNWALL, Port Isaac ★ NEW FIFE, Markinch Ann Fanstone Amy Thomson N YORKS, Whitby 01208 880 300 07775 877114 Daphne Wright fanstone@phonecoop.coop heartholistictherapiesbyamy@ 01947 602 425 gmail.com daphnewright05@gmail.com

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 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

“We hope you can all keep meeting remotely and, if not, that you can get together again soon.

Please keep your physical distance from each other and stay safe. With all our best wishes...”

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

11

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

A Guide to Starting a Cygnus Café

W

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

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

❖ Many groups take a little

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

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

❖ Most of our groups run in what

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

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

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

❖ When getting down to

❖ Gradually most groups

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

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

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

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

❖

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

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

vicky@cygnus-books.co.uk

12

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

HEALING IS THE NEW HIGH BY VEX KING

A

s I write this book, we’re all going through something that none of us has ever been through before. The coronavirus pandemic has changed the whole planet, and all of our lives, in just a few months. And so, inevitably, I’m imagining how this time will impact us in the future.

Will it add new layers of trauma to many of our lives? How will the uncertainty, and the undercurrent of instability running through all of our choices and actions, affect how we come to see the world?

I’ve no doubt that living through such a challenging time has reignited memories of past trauma for some.

Even those of us who were pretty lucky, and who weren’t out there providing medical care or witnessing tragedies every day, and who were on lockdown in not‑too‑tiny homes with people we were happy to be locked in with… even we will almost definitely carry new trauma with us as a result.

Right now, as I write, we’re in crisis mode. We’re dealing with it.

We’re getting through the days and doing what we have to do to adapt and make our lives work in this pared‑down world. Getting used to standing on taped lines on shop floors, and crossing the street to avoid being too close to other people.

Getting used to the reality that we can’t just go and visit our parents, or siblings, or friends – and that getting together with people now happens on Zoom. In some parts of the world, people are adjusting to having to fill in a form every time they want to leave the house. And a vast number of us are trying to manage life‑changing loss of work.

We’re dealing with it. And later on, we’ll hit a point when we have to deal with it in a different way, and process the fear that this experience might have filled us with.

Wherever you are, my heart goes out to you. I hope that you and your loved ones are as safe and well as you can be.

But there’s also a part of me that already sees the light that will come from this. Our society has been forced

Closing Thoughts to change, and we’ve been forced to reflect, and whatever happens, the impact of this will be lasting. We’re not going to go back to the way we were before; at least not exactly.

And it’s interesting to be on lockdown in this unprecedented situation and to be writing a book about trauma.

To be calling friends and hearing their anxiety and fear, seeing their tears on video chat… and then to hang up and write about healing practices, and reconnecting with ourselves fully after trauma, and freedom.

To be on lockdown while writing about inner freedom – is there irony in that? Or is there some kind of fateful purpose? It feels somehow that this book had to be written

during a strange and uncertain time.

It’s enabled me to reconnect with some of the complicated feelings I’d left behind, and I hope that’s reflected in the form of empathy and understanding in these pages.

I hope this book can help you as you move on with life. Writing it has definitely helped me to accept where I’m at right now, and to appreciate the people who are here with me.

I hope you take strength and positivity from these pages. And confidence. I hope you feel more confident that you can, and are, recovering. Heal. Feel your own power. I completely believe that you can, and are, healing.

I won’t count the number of times I’ve said that this is your journey and your healing work. To be done on nobody else’s schedule. But what I haven’t said – and it’s something that I also know to be true – is that although this journey is profoundly personal, it also benefits everyone.

The more people who accept themselves, and know how to care for themselves and heal from challenges and trauma, the better. Because each one of those people, including you, will go out into the world and radiate more love, kindness, hope, and positive innovation.

People who accept themselves can accept others. And that can change the world. © 2021 by Vex King. Reprinted in arrangement with Hay House UK.

HEALING IS THE NEW HIGH by Vex King

This is a book for the younger generations, for young people who are new to spiritual practice, who are just starting on the path and need some wise support. These people are vital to our futures and they are the ones who should make the world a better place for all humanity and all life. Vex is a British former record producer whose first book – Good Vibes Good Life – was a Sunday Times bestseller and sold more than 250,000 copies. This title includes many techniques that Vex has developed for self-healing, for example working with subtle energies within the body and rewriting many unhelpful and limiting beliefs we might have. DUE IN LATE APRIL 304pp, 178 x 127 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 310116 ❖ 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

13

BOOK REVIEWS – Personal Development RAISE YOUR VIBES!

by Athena Bahri

As we all know too well from experience, when we feel energetically low and depleted we are prone to physical illness as well as negative feelings such as anger, anxiety, sadness or loneliness. Thankfully, we each have the power to raise our energy vibration and Reiki master Athena Bahri shows us how. Her immensely practical guide to energy self-healing combines simple Reiki techniques with vibration-raising tools ranging from crystal and lunar rituals to sound healing and chakra balancing. A comprehensive and easy to use guide to energetic self-care, Raise Your Vibes! will teach you proven methods to overcome physical pain, let go of stress, anxiety and grief, improve the vibe of your surroundings at work and at home, and manifest the changes you need in your life.

THE GREATEST SECRET

by Rhonda Byrne

Rhonda has already achieved unprecedented success with her 2006 book The Secret, and her life became a kind of dream. However people stay restless even with all the positivity in their lives and she found herself seeking more. Here are the results of that search in this follow-up title.

Like its predecessor it contains many quotations, although now most of the voices are contemporary and they lean towards the non-dual field, from wise people like Alan Watts, Mooji and Rupert Spira. The book is beautifully presented in a gift hardback format. A lot of what’s inside will be very familiar to Cygnus readers but the millions of Rhonda’s followers can’t all be wrong and there’s much that’s of benefit in here. It would make a lovely gift for someone not so far along the path of self-discovery.

252pp, 207 x 164 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP £16.99

304pp, 200 x 145 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 310107 ❖ Non-Member Price:£12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

A HEALING SPACE by Matt Licata

WHERE WONDER LIVES

by Fabiana Fondevila

❖ Code: 310155 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

Depth psychologist Dr Matt Licata asks the big question: Is healing a matter of making everything alright, of making bad things go away and of solving a problem? We have all been here long enough to know that these things don’t happen. He explains that healing is more realistically making ourselves free and brave enough, flexible too, to welcome everything, the “full catastrophe”. This is without looking away or avoiding, because there is a part of us that is often out of the spotlight that wants to maintain everything just as it is. This is a self-help book that has no answers, but which pushes you gently to witness all the soul’s vastness and wonder, and he does this via fresh tools and techniques and fascinating stories. In the tradition of Thomas Moore, we are encouraged to treat this as a gentle alchemical process.

This is a lovely bright positive book by an Argentinian storyteller, teacher and ritual maker. Unexpectedly it has a foreword by the Benedictine author Brother David Steindl-Rast, who calls it a “Book for Dancers”. It also has praise from Thomas Moore, author of Care of the Soul, Robert Moss and the bestselling author Matthieu Ricard, so you can tell this book is serious and has integrity. It’s a perfect spiritual personal development book based on a fantasy map which you can work your way through however you choose It makes reference to Native American rituals, to the work of Joseph Campbell and to poets like e.e. cummings. It’s the sort of book you can use to kickstart your life.

DUE IN LATE APRIL

240pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.99

224pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.00

SUPER ATTRACTOR

by Gabrielle Bernstein

SETTING BOUNDARIES WILL SET YOU FREE by Nancy Levin

❖ Code: 310158 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

The newest book from bestselling author and thought leader Gabrielle Bernstein lays out the essential methods for manifesting a life beyond your wildest dreams. Gabrielle takes you on a journey to rediscover your Super Attractor self through honing your connection to the ever-present universe.

Accepting you are a Super Attractor means you’ll be able to tap into an infinite source of abundance, energy, joy and well-being. You can decide today to recalibrate your energy and with Gabrielle’s unparalleled guidance you’ll be able to make a conscious shift to a refreshing new life path. Previously in hardback, this is now in paperback.

256pp, 215 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 310112 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

❖ Code: 310143 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

This book will resonate with many people.

Anyone who has ever gone out of their way to make someone else happy; anyone who is forever trying to please other people before pleasing themselves; anyone who’s never felt good enough to be loved. This boundary-less position we can put ourselves in is a dangerous one, because when you deny your own needs for so long, eventually they can manifest in hurtful ways. This book will help you stop saying yes to others’ wants and needs before your own, make you the centre of your own universe, stop you being the person everyone needs you to be and start you being who you want to be. Once you get comfortable being uncomfortable and realise that you have been crossing your own boundaries all this time, you can start to breathe easier and live life more fully.

256pp, 215 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 310128 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖Member Price: £7.99

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Consciousness – BOOK REVIEWS THE WISDOM OF A BROKEN HEART

by Lars Muhl

DIVINE MASTERS ANCIENT WISDOM

by Kyle Gray

236pp, 174 x 110 mm, Hardback, 2021, RRP £16.99

288pp, 210 x 150 mm, Hardback, 2021, RRP £14.99

This is the timely and profound message of Lars Muhl’s new book: through understanding the deeper meaning of the pain suffered by so many of us, we are given a unique opportunity for spiritual growth. Arranged in verse form, it contains the essence of the secret teachings taught

by Yeshua (Jesus) the Nazarene and Mariam (Mary) Magdalene 2,000 years ago. Its topics range from the deep energetic exchange that occurs between two lovers (with visualizations to meet Yeshua if you identify as a woman or Mariam if you identify as a man), to using numerology, mantras, song and dance in order to reach divine awareness. Ultimately, it’s a complete guide to living the Law of Light for the benefit of yourself and the wider world. DUE IN LATE APRIL ❖ Code: 310154 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

It’s always exciting when a new book arrives from Kyle Gray with his brand of positivity and youthful energy. This is about the Ascended Masters, who are – as most Cygnus readers must know – great beings on higher levels who can advise and help us. Thus they include Green Tara, Horus, Babaji, Kuthumi and Brigid, among others.

Many will be familiar to followers of the writings of HP Blavatsky, who first introduced this concept in the west. Kyle tells us the history and gives a description of each master. He then describes how to align with their power, and he gives us activations and visualizations for contacting them. As ever, this book is straightforward and practical, and it joyfully offers us the way into a more realised life.

DUE IN LATE APRIL ❖ Code: 310117 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

CONSCIOUSNESS RISING

by Nicky Sutton

ASK YOUR GUIDES

by Sonia Choquette

304pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

336pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

Books that guide the reader through the spiritual awakening process are very useful and here’s another good one. Nicky experienced strange phenomena all through her youth but it wasn’t until her late twenties that a major life crisis blew her life open.

Everything became strange and unfamiliar, but it was the beginning of her breakthrough.

So this is the book she wishes she had when she was first starting on this wonderful yet challenging path. It is full of exercises like Pendulum Practice, Third Eye Activation and The Soul Retrieval Process.

Since the early days she has picked up many skills in guiding others towards self-realization and her YouTube videos have been watched more than twelve million times. ❖ Code: 310114 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87❖ Member Price: £7.99

We’re all spiritual beings with a spiritual support system on the Other Side, which oversees and helps guide our lives from the instant we’re born to the moment we leave our physical bodies. Disconnection from the spirit world is a Western soul disease, says Sonia Choquette, and industrialisation and intellectualism have snatched our centre of awareness from our hearts and planted it squarely in our heads, where our egos reign over us with threats of isolation and annihilation. This fascinating and inspirational book provides all the information you need to help you connect with your spirit guides so that you can enjoy all the love, abundance, and joy you’re entitled to! This is a new edition of a book first published in 2008. ❖ Code: 310111 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

BEING RAM DASS

by Ram Dass

SHAMANISTIC MYSTERIES OF PERU

by Vera Lopez & Linda Star Wolf

488pp, 236 x 174 mm, Hardback, 2021, RRP £23.99

240pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.00

This is the autobiography of one of the great heroes of the spiritual revival and most generous teachers of the last sixty years. He died less than a year and a half ago but so many of us still owe him so much. Much of his teaching was autobiographical anyway and his life was pretty much an open book but here are many more stories and this time they are not always so spiritual. On the other hand perhaps they all are! There are lots of pictures too – this is an immense treat for those of us who are fascinated both culturally and spiritually by the great leap forward that took place in the 1960s. He writes about Allen Ginsberg, Sharon Salzberg and Alan Watts. And of course there is much about his guru who he always called Maharaj-Ji, and all the other great teachers he crossed paths with. It includes a foreword by Anne Lamott. ❖ Code: 310157 ❖ Non-Member Price: £17.76 ❖ Member Price:£15.99

The Andes Mountains of Peru are rich with ancient shamanic traditions, sacred places, and wisdom passed down from the Inca and safeguarded for generations by the Q’eros nation. Vera Lopez and Linda Star Wolf take you on an intimate journey through these sacred sites, temples, and power places. They explore the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people and share initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place. Both an adventure story and a practical guide, this book shows how the Andean way of life and shamanic tradition can offer an antidote to the modern epidemic of Soul Loss by connecting us back to our authentic self and the universal principles of love, reciprocity, and gratitude. ❖ Code: 310139 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

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NATURE BASED AWAKENING BY DAYTON MASON

I

t can be difficult to share one’s Awakening to Consciousness, oneness, enlightenment or whatever you want to label it.

In the past, there was much ego still involved. People like to play guru or make a business out of enlightenment. However, as I write these words, I am compelled to share a possibly unique perspective, of a new movement in mass awakening. It’s a movement that is being initiated by the Earth and it comes from the heart of our collective being.

For a long time, before awakening to consciousness, there was a huge sense of an “I”, on a spiritual path of meditation, past life regressions, chakra and kundalini work, etc. There was no shortage of endless retreat hours, concepts, directions or a guru-student hierarchy. Our group had many experiences of altered consciousness, and the “effects” of enlightenment, but never the actual awakening to consciousness itself.

When I found out my wife was pregnant years ago, I knew deep down that the time of long hours of daily meditation and retreats in far off places were coming to an end. I also felt like it was time to move on.

After leaving that path, I stopped searching for spirituality. The “I” went through a shift of uncertainty, but not disparity. It was like a quiet dismissal of the “grasping” aspect of spirituality.

Eventually, everything settled and I became very grounded. I was internally guided to just “be” in the forest. My ego had a hard time with this at first; there was no meditation or technique

With Guidance from Trees for a “me” to do. I gave up feeling that I knew the right direction, or if there even was any. There was a complete trust-fall into the universe, and in my sacred connection to the Earth. There was a feeling of safety, that I could let go of the whole process effortlessly.

I didn’t care what happened to me: I certainly didn’t care about attaining any spiritual state, finding the truth, or “trying” to make things happen. I had been searching too long already, and it hadn’t gotten me an inch closer to reality.

Eyes open, gazing outwardly, a slight smile from the joy of being with the trees, in the stillness and silence, sitting alone. Over the course of a 3-day period, there was an immense opening, and expansion of this beingness, which was all encompassing.

My own self, consciousness, purebeingness became anchored in this mind-body I had been calling Dayton.

This pure-beingness had truly been the real me all along, but it wasn’t in the forefront of the mind-body experience.

It was muted, being overshadowed by the illusion of individual self and ego.

The world became illusory, transient.

There was only eternal consciousness that remained, and the world was this consciousness.

In my experience, the Earth is awakening consciousness in the mind-body of human beings through resonance. The recent subtle shifts in the Earth’s biosphere have made it simpler than ever for people to awaken to consciousness. Nature is becoming the midwife of the evolutionary process. It’s really not about “us” as individuals. It’s about the mind-body playing its part, like the strings of a guitar, being strummed as a chord, in tune, and resonating from the body of the instrument. It takes alignment.

That support is here and now. Having a spiritual path can set the stage for awakening to occur, but what is truly necessary is the willingness to explore the possibilities of an endless unity consciousness, minus the egoic desire for that to happen. It’s tricky, but if we are truly ready in our journey as individuals to give up the illusion of a separated self, it will happen naturally and effortlessly, and with divine timing.

Please visit the author’s website naturebasedawakening.com to read more about his awakening and the gifts of Nature

THINK INDIGENOUS by Doug Good Feather

There has always been a lot of interest in Native American spiritual beliefs on the part of westerners. Partly I think because of the voices that came through in White Eagle and other channeled beings and partly because it’s always been recognized to be close to the earth and nature, and free from establishment rigidity. The author of this book is Native American and these teachings, which are the result of a Vision Quest he went on, are meant to be shared with people from all cultures. His vision is known as the Butterfly Prophecy and it shares characteristics with many other visions right now. It says that Grandmother Earth is bringing balance to the damage humanity has done, that elders of all beliefs are working together to heal and raise humanity’s vibration and people of all backgrounds can come together to share this work. It’s a profound and refreshing book.

DUE IN LATE APRIL 176pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 310125 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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Self Help – BOOK REVIEWS REAL CHANGE

by Sharon Salzberg

THE ESSENTIAL GUIDE TO TALKING THERAPY by Karin Blak

240pp, 217 x 149 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP £18.99

295pp, 215 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.99

I only received a sample of this book quite recently. It’s a hardback and it’s been out for a few months so I thought I probably wouldn’t include it. Then I flicked through it a bit and I realized I loved it. Sharon is pretty unique in this field: what she writes is “proper” Buddhism, no question about it, based on decades of practice, but she has a tremendous skill in relating the teachings to real social and personal issues. There’s no remoteness or monastic quality to what she writes. Real Change talks about life under Covid isolation, under uncertainty and anxiety, and as a result I think her teachings are invaluable. It’s about relating lovingkindness meditation to making a change in the world. I believe she’s the guide we’ve been waiting for. ❖ Code: 310121 ❖ Non-Member Price:£14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

During her 15 years as a therapist, Karin Blak has found that, due to a lack of understanding of what therapy is, people often wait unnecessarily until crisis point to seek help. Here she offers a definitive guide to understanding talking therapies, clarifying questions, misunderstandings, myths and grey areas. Karin compassionately guides the reader through their journey from beginning to consider therapy, to finding the right therapist, preparing for the first session, knowing when to end therapy, and when to return. Each section of her book contains insightful case studies showing examples applicable to real life and encouragements on how to cultivate your own ideal therapeutic experience. ❖ Code: 310147 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

GETTING THROUGH IT

by Alexandra Chauran

MEDITATIONS FOR THE SOUL

by Neale Lundgren

216pp, 204 x 134 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

217pp, 178 x 126 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

Alexandra has spent years developing the best strategies for getting through incredible hardships and reveals here personal details of her own courageous battle with cancer and other devastating life events. Getting Through is filled with exercises and meditations designed around the KüblerRoss 5 stages of grief that show you how to work through the worst that life can throw at you. She guides you through traditional and alternative methods of healing and shows you how to recover your emotional and physical strength, and ways to find your new normal. Her uplifting words will support you in staying positive in the face of difficult times and will give you the courage to navigate life’s greatest challenges. ❖ Code: 310115 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £ £8.99

“We are always seeking for what brings joy and fulfillment to the very fibre of our being” writes teacher and former Benedictine monk Neale Lundgren in his introduction to this beautiful and immensely practical book on to living in the present moment. He guides us through simple yet deep meditations and dozens of awakening exercises, designed to help us become more present to our inner and outer worlds. This book is all about helping you reconnect to your soul and strengthen your personal sense of purpose in life. The practices within can be used by anyone regardless of their spiritual or religious background. With breathing exercises, visualizations, affirmations, and more, you will learn to incorporate ancient spiritual technologies even in the midst of a busy 21st century life. ❖ Code: 310122 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

THE SOUL-SOARING VIRTUES OF SEPARATION by Amy Ransom

SUCCESS IS NOT A FLUKE

by Alon Ulman

320pp, 198 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £10.99

336pp, 233 x 158 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.99

Separation of any kind is a difficult journey to go through and causes a whole range of conflicting emotions. This book is a helping hand and guiding voice through those tough times, allowing you to transform from an undesirable state into an empowering one. It is not pushy or demanding, it does not tell you what to do and instead encourages you to feel your own way through. Everyone’s circumstances of separation are unique, but this is a guide through the universal pain that is caused. This book is helpfully split into eight simple parts: assertiveness, motivation, insight, self-expression, uniqueness, independence, awakenings, new beginnings. Everything is very gentle, light and easy to dip into when you feel the need for a little extra support. ❖ Code: 310119 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

Do you ever feel like you’re living one day to the next? Getting through, each hour, each moment, telling yourself if I can get to this point, I’ll be happy. But, once we get to that stage, we create yet another list for ourselves to achieve, making happiness and success an ever-elusive thing. Ulman argues this can’t be right. He believes that if you just ask yourself the right questions, you’ll find the right answers. This book lays out a roadmap for you to follow to get to those questions, to help you elevate life through conscious effort. This book will teach you that success has clear rules; ordinary people can achieve extraordinary results; and that success can be learned. Most people are not living the life they could be living, but with this guide you can begin to believe in yourself and live more powerfully. ❖ Code: 310151 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

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BOOK REVIEWS – Closer to Nature

THE WISDOM OF WOLVES

by Elli H Radinger

Written by a self-confessed “wolfaholic” who gets withdrawal when she hasn’t been around a wolf for a while, this book is an extended love letter to these beautiful animals which seem to know a way of getting into our hearts, despite their fearsome reputation. The arc of the book covers her three big wolf moments: her first “kiss” from a wolf when she starts working in a research institute in Indiana, her first encounter with a wild wolf in the snows of Minnesota and her first glimpse of a wild wolf in her native country. The narrative is wonderful and full of lovely stories but of course there is plenty here about what we can learn from wolves and their everyday behaviour.

256pp, 196 x 128 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 310101 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

CRYSTALS AND NUMEROLOGY

by Editha Wuest & Sabine Schieferle

SELF-SUFFICIENCY BIBLE

by Simon Dawson

This book brings together two ancient and powerful practices, numerology and crystal healing.

If you are a beginner or intermediate in one or both of these, this book will help you combine the two to create a much more powerful and divine experience. Beginning with a short introduction to both practices, you are then taken through an examination of the numbers 0 to 9, as well as the crystals that are associated and paired with each number. Finally, you are given a set of affirmations that can be used with both number and crystal. Highly recommended.

DUE IN LATE APRIL

“This book is a doorway to awareness of the flow of present moment. It does it in the most enjoyable way I know: through the garden and the green world.” With these words, Joann introduces her truly unique guide for exploring the natural world as a resource for deepening mindfulness and awareness. Here you will find dozens of awarenessboosting activities rooted in sensing the wonder and magic of nature. And a large section on Plant Correspondences as Mindful Focus features 52 plants and herbs commonly found in any garden - from apple to basil and sunflower - demonstrating how you can mindfully connect in every week of the year.

Self-sufficiency is a means of taking control of our lives and safe-guarding for the future. This new, fully updated edition of Simon Dawson’s sustainability classic will show you how to do that wherever you are. You’ll find all the practical information and expert guidance you need on every aspect of self-sufficiency, from gardening and baking through health, beauty and cleaning to foraging and livestock, whatever your needs, circumstances and resources. In our current era of pandemic and environmental crisis, this book if for anyone who wants to be more creative, resourceful and independent, to single people as much as to large families, and to parents looking to teach their children basic life skills.

160pp, 191 x 146 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

272pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £15.99

348pp, 220 x 154mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 310144 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

❖ Code: 310127 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

❖ Code: 310148 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

CRYSTAL PRESCRIPTIONS VOLUME 8

by Judy Hall

WILD THING

by Mike Fairclough

296pp, 189 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £13.99

160pp, 196 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £10.99

Judy Hall is our favourite UK-based crystal teacher and author and we are always happy to feature her books. Volume 8 in the increasingly popular Crystal Prescriptions series, this book is subtitled Crystals for Prosperity An A-Z Guide and it takes the reader around the core processes of harnessing crystals to manifest an abundant life in every way. It examines karmic debts, ancestral and familial ingrained attitude, and how to transmute them. Prosperity is a hot topic during uncertain times, but it tends to focus attention on money, or the lack of it.

Of course we also know that prosperity isn’t just about money and this book will examine other ways of enriching your life. ❖ Code: 310120 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

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GROWING MINDFUL

by Joann Calabrese

By using what the author calls your natural resources – your playfulness, your imagination and creativity – you can release negative thinking, embrace the unknown and become the playful, care-free and adventurous being you once were. These gifts that we see so prevalent in children are so easily lost in adulthood when you’re paying bills and saving for holidays and working nine-to-fives. But by following Fairclough’s simple tips and ideas to fuel your creativity, you can open yourself up to the wildness in your nature. Nothing here is groundbreaking, but actually it’s much better than that. It is like talking to a particularly inspired old friend, easy to follow and a joy to read. ❖ Code: 310108 ❖ Non-Member P rice: £7.76 ❖ Member Price:

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FROM THE PROLOGUE AND POSTSCRIPT TO “WAIT” BY CUONG LU

E

very sixteen hours, a woman in America is shot and killed by a current or former intimate partner. Suicides account for 60 percent of all gun deaths.

Violence on the streets is an everyday reality; too many people are living in war zones with weapons obtainable just outside the door.

Every time I hear another story about this, I cry, and it triggers the haunting question: Why? Most US teens fear a shooting could happen at their school, and most parents share their concern.

I wrote this book to save lives.

If you have the feeling you want to hurt someone, Stop! If you want to hurt yourself, Stop! Wait! Every life is precious. Don’t kill others or yourself with bullets, words, rage, or ignorance.

Defuse the bombs in your heart.

Allow me to help soothe your pain and the fear you feel so strongly. You’re angry now, but if you kill yourself or others, you’re also killing me. I am you, and I’m tired of dying. I want to stop suffering, and I want you to stop suffering. We can stop all the needless killing if we slow down and take the time to understand each other. Even if you have just one more minute to live, you can live it peacefully. You can be the one to turn the tide, to help create a world where people stop killing each other, where love and happiness thrive.

Until We Meet Again

There is so much violence in the world and in our own minds. When we’re in despair, we can’t see the beauty of life.

But love is possible and it’s available to all of us.

The day I completed writing this book, I heard on the news about a massacre in Christchurch, New Zealand. He shot them when they were praying. Prayer is an expression of love. When we pray, we are in love.

These victims were killed when they were expressing their love through prayer. And the shooter? He was not in love. He was in hatred and confusion.

He thought there was something righteous in killing. But in killing, there can’t be anything righteous.

He killed others, and then he killed

To Those in Despair himself – his own life and future. I send my love to all the victims. I know they are all in love now, still in the loving hearts of everyone. We share the same faith. We believe in love.

I send love to the killer too. I want him to understand that we can live together. We cannot hate each other, because deep inside, we are each other.

We all want to be happy and we all want to be safe. None of us want to be hurt or killed. No one wants to lose someone they love. No one wants to suffer. You are not different from the men, women, and children you shot.

You shot and killed yourself.

I have been consumed by hatred and know how dark it is. The more you hate, the more you turn away from life’s light. In New Zealand, we lost fifty uncles and aunts, sisters and brothers. We must work together now so we don’t lose any more family members – people, animals, trees, plants, Mother Earth. Our wise friends in New Zealand enacted legislation immediately to try to prevent another slaughter.

Let us say, together, “I don’t hate you. I do not want to destroy you or exploit you. No matter where you come from, no matter what you believe in, no matter what you’ve done, we all forgive, accept, and love you, because you matter. And you are us.” Hatred cannot win. Only love can make us whole and bring us together. If we act from the depths of our love, we can overcome all obstacles. Together, in love, we can put an end to greed, hatred, and delusion, and put an end to violence.

Love is the way. Love is the only way to happiness. Let us discover love in ourselves, then in others, and expand the circle wider until we see love everywhere. Love is already there – we only need to notice.

From Wait: A Love Letter to Those in Despair by Cuong Lu © 2021 by Cuong Lu. Reprinted in arrangement with Shambhala Publications, Inc. Boulder, CO. www.shambhala.com

WAIT: A LOVE LETTER TO THOSE IN DESPAIR

by Cuong Lu

This is a book for these demanding times. Cuong Lu is a Buddhist teacher who was ordained by Thich Nhat Hanh.

He fled from his native Vietnam in 1975 and while he was on the deck of a ship waiting to leave he saw a man shot dead in front of him by a stray bullet. He knows about pain and suffering and his advice, contained in several short chapters, is poetic and pithy, like all good Buddhist writing. He shows us a path to peace and ways in which we can all feel our commonality rather than our divisions.

He is now married and has three children and his guidance is based on everyday life and not just life in the monastery. The book is a small hardback and would make a great gift.

144pp, 185 x 133 mm, Hardback, 2021, RRP £13.99

❖ Code: 310131 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

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BOOK REVIEWS – Western Wisdom THE LOST PILLARS OF ENOCH

by Tobias Churton

THE MEANING OF MARY MAGDALENE by Cynthia Bourgeault

336pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £18.99

256pp, 217 x 141 mm, Paperback, 2013, RRP £15.99

ASTROLOGY FOR MYSTICS

by Tayannah Lee Mcquillar

APOSTLE TO MARY MAGDALENE

by Julie De Vere Hunt

Tobias Churton specializes in these esoteric histories that shine a light on periods in spiritual history or in the history of human development when amazing discoveries were made or when humanity made a giant leap in consciousness. His books are always easy to read, with plentiful illustrations, and they are also scholarly without being academic. This is an investigation of the possible Jewish and Egyptian origins of the famous story by the ancient historian Josephus that all the knowledge of an even older unified science-religion was carved on two ancient pillars. He then traces that knowledge as it gets passed on through history via great figures like Pico della Mirandola, Giordano Bruno, Isaac Newton and William Blake.

Intriguingly Josephus claimed that one pillar is still standing in the land of the Sirius worshippers. Intriguing and fun. ❖ Code: 310137 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price:£11.99

It’s rare for Cygnus nowadays to review an astrology book, but that’s mostly because fewer of them are published, at least by a fairly high-profile publisher. This title is fascinating though because it covers the houses in the chart that are connected to the water signs – the 4th, 8th and 12th.

Thus it becomes a guide to exploring and developing your mystical and spiritual talents using astrology. These houses are ruled by Cancer, Scorpio and Pisces and they cover the deepest and darkest parts of your psyche. However there are great treasures to be found on the ocean floor if you are willing to dive deep. The writing is straightforward and easy to understand, and it is also full of many insights. It is also a call to rebellion and recalibration – how is it that these generations allow such contamination to pure water?

DUE IN LATE APRIL

In the last magazine we did very well with Mary Magdalene titles but we also did well with Cynthia’s most recent title, The Eye of the Heart. Consequently it made sense now to showcase her best-known book, which is about Mary Magdalene and was published in 2010. Cynthia is a Christian and a scholar, so this book is thorough and careful about the source material, which includes very little in the Bible itself: there is though much to be gleaned from legend, art and newly discovered documents. It’s a great sourcebook on the actual facts, as it were, but as ever she is inevitably drawn to the importance of Mary and the hopes she carries for the rejuvenation of an out-of-touch Christianity. Mary is also available to all people of all beliefs, as an example of feminine wisdom and of a non-dual approach to the spiritual path. ❖ Code: 310160 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price:£10.99

We have featured Julie’s most recent two books in the Cygnus Review but not the first in the trilogy, so we are remedying that now.

People are fascinated by the mysterious figure of Mary Magdalene and at the same time scholars are finding out more about her.

So – whether it’s a mythical perception or a tracing of the evidence of her life – Mary is a vital figure in western culture and someone who can do wonders for the rejuvenation of Christianity. This is an A-Z account of what we do know about her from the evidence of the New Testament and the so-called Gnostic Gospels.

Julie also comments on and interprets the information based on her own inner voice and on access to the Akashic Records. There are some amazing revelations and positive statements about this towering figure.

100pp, 234 x 157 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 310105 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

176pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 310138 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

PRIESTESS OF LIGHT ORACLE by Sandra Anne Taylor

This is a deck of 53 cards which shows many facets of feminine spiritual energy. Every figure shows a woman priestess in a different context and setting apart from one – The Divine Masculine – which contains a more androgynous figure. The priestesses come from many spiritual traditions – Indian, Native American, Moslem and Western Pagan to name just four – and the cards are entitled Bright Heart Light, Divine Mother, Harvest and Hidden Knowledge, for example. With a deck as fascinating and beautiful as this you can almost do what you want with it, and of course there are suggestions for divination. But you can just use the cards for inspiration, whether you draw them randomly or going by what moves you. It’s ideal for anyone discovering their feminine side or the feminine side of spirituality.

DUE IN LATE APRIL 112pp, 53 cards, 138 x 98 mm, Book and Deck set, 2021, RRP £17.99

❖ Code: 310124 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.77 ❖ Member Price:£11.50

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Various – BOOK REVIEWS THE DHARMA OF POETRY

by John Brehm

This title has many similarities to one of our bestselling books of recent Cygnus Reviews: Poems to Make the Soul Sing.

It’s more of a book about the act of writing and reading poetry, even though it does include many poems by great names such as Issa, Elizabeth Bishop and Robert Frost.

It’s a charming book, just the right size to slip in your pocket, and the cover is lovely.

The content is calm and wise and all in all it’s a spiritually comforting book in every way which reminds you of what is beautiful in life. If we fully enter a poem it can feel like we are in meditation, where we are paying quiet attention to just what is.

There are also five invaluable writing prompts plus several specific meditations that relate to poetry.

172pp, 165 x 114 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.50

❖ Code: 310123 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

RADIANT REST

by Tracee Stanley

Tracee is a yoga teacher with more than 20 years’ experience and here she introduces us to Yoga Nidra, which is an excellent technique from the eastern tradition to rest and relax while your consciousness remains awake. This is something that’s vitally important in these difficult times, when sleep might be difficult and stress is everywhere.

It’s not just about preserving energy – in these states we can also inquire deeply into ourselves and a Yoga Nidra practice can be the key to profound transformation. This very practical guide contains six guided practices, with shorter versions of each for those who have less time. You also get access through the book to a set of audio meditations which enable you to take everything deeper. In this space between dreaming and waking, true miracles can occur. DUE IN LATE APRIL 216pp, 222 x 150 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 310132 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price:£10.99

GRIEVING IS LOVING

by Joanne Cacciatore

EVERY DAY IS A POEM

by Jacqueline Suskin

112pp, 178 x 128 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

256pp, 204 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £17.99

Dr Jo is the author of Bearing the Unbearable and this book is subtitled Compassionate Words for Bearing the Unbearable. So it’s a collection of short extracts from the previous title plus quotations and other brief aphorisms, all designed to be glanced at to help you live with your grief. There is also much new material she has written.

The book itself is a nice size and can be carried around on your pocket or in a handbag or other small bag.

Dr Jo lost her newborn daughter at birth and this led her to become a trusted grief and trauma counsellor. Her hope is that it will make you feel less alone, because our culture has a tendency to make the bereaved feel isolated. It’s an immensely wise and compassionate book. In the end, grieving is indeed loving. ❖ Code: 310118 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

The Dharma of Poetry is about the power of reading poetry to help transform our lives. This book is about writing poetry, about how the act of creativity can help us clarify our minds and find a little bit of peace. It’s an interactive book, full of tips and exercises on how to write your own poetry. There are also a few spaces to write those poems. It’s colourful and well-designed and it asks to be used as an inspirational tool. What you learn goes beyond poetry and into a life of vivid aliveness, where there is joy and beauty in every day.

Sections of the book include Use Your Senses, Use Your Memories and Use Your Pain. It’s a wonderful tonic when – because of all the restrictions – we need to look a bit more closely at what’s close at hand to find positivity. ❖ Code: 310156 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.88 ❖ Member Price:£12.50

THE LITTLE YOGI DECK by Crystal McCreary

With the simple shuffle of a deck, kids can bend, balance, and breathe right into their very own yoga practice. These 48 color-coded cards will encourage mindfulness and also help build resilience off the mat. Customized poses on the cards include The Wet Noodle, Toe-ga and Grasshopper Flow and the cards are organized into eight categories: anger, worry, excitement, sadness, joy, jealousy, shame, and peace.

Sometimes our emotions are too much to handle, and we need help understanding and processing what we are feeling. This deck teaches children how to recognize and navigate these big emotions by introducing yoga and mindfulness as tools they can use to feel calmer and more in control. It’s a vital resource in this and any future lockdowns.

12pp, 48 cards, 179 x 127 mm, Book and Deck set, 2021, RRP £19.00

❖ Code: 310133 ❖ Non-Member Price:£14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

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

21

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HEALING, COACHING AND READINGS “POWER OF EIGHT” HEALING GROUP in Killay, Swansea is looking for extra members who meet on a Tuesday evening.

It would be an advantage to have read Lynne McTaggart’s book of the same name.

Call Richard on 01792 521391 most evenings.

THE BEST READING I’VE EVER HAD. ‘You get straight to the point with helpful, meaningful messages.’ ‘I totally agree with everything, I couldn’t be happier.’ ‘Spectacular—it’s all true.’

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ASTROLOGICAL CHILD PROFILE – UNIQUE GIFT Beautifully presented in a luxury silver hardback cover, this detailed 45 plus page report will help all parents to understand their children better. Tel: 01540 661828 CLAIRVOYANT, PAUL offers spiritually guided consultations in Brighton & Eastbourne and also by telephone. My work always helps those ready for change. Please telephone Brighton 01273 602929 for further details.

I WORK WITH GALACTIC BEINGS, MASTERS, ANGELS AND SACRED GEOMETRY, clearing and healing deep energy imbalances, with intuitive guidance to ease the healing process, as described in my website: Kennaelizabeth.net ANGELIC GUIDANCE WITH MICHAEL Welcome positive change into your life. Please telephone Eastbourne 01323 365751 for further details. mikeallone@talktalk.net

PERSONAL ON YOUR OWN? The Free Spirits Club exists for people seeking new friends, pen pals or romance.

Call Rebecca, 07521 965669 www.freespiritsclub.co.uk hello@freespiritsclub.co.uk

RETREATS WANAM CARA RETREAT CENTRE, Scottish Highlands, Inverness. Residential workshops and retreats in Shamanism, Buddhism, Meditation, Yoga Training, Healing Arts, Creative Ecology & Working Retreats.

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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

ONLINE HOMEOPATHY Homeopathy is a holistic therapy that works really well online. I offer Skype appointments throughout the UK, with remedies posted to your door. Take back control of your physical, mental & emotional wellbeing this 2021. To find out more & book a free introductory call, visit:

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EFT Zoom, FaceTime, WhatsApp personal sessions.

This quick and effective “tapping” technique releases emotional pain and anxiety. Enjoy life more! ANNE TODD, 17 years experience 07909 581837 www.annetodd.co.uk email: todd_anne@hotmail.com

NEW LIGHT HEALING: POWER OF 3 Divine Feminine Support package Open Tri-HeART Chakras: Sacred and Cosmic Enhance energetics /psychic abilities Reduce health and psychological disorders www.allonus.co.uk info@allonus.co.uk

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