Cygnus Review - Summer 2020 Issue

Summer 2020, Issue 2

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

A QUIZ, AN INSIGHT AND A DREAM

by William Bloom

GEMMA POLO PUJOL on her new book There is Light and Only Light Wisdom on our Current Situation from Louisa Crisp and Philip Pegler

Plus!

❖ TIPS ON RESILIENCE

from Michael James ❖ Brand New Anthony William Medical Medium title ❖ NEW BOOKS from Bernie Siegel and Gregg Braden ❖ Directory of Cygnus Cafes

EDITOR’S LETTER

Dealing with New Challenges

T

his is a novel experience for me as editor. I don’t have any particular story to tell or anecdote to relate this time around.

I don’t know if that will make this letter easier or harder to write. For a while a lot of things made much less sense because normality was up in the air, although now there is a “new normal”. That “normal” will change too in due course. So to an extent like a lot of people I am in a coping mode, knowing that there are a lot of variables ahead.

There’s a lot of wisdom in here that’s been contributed by much wiser people than me so I guess I am leaving it to them, because there are a lot of practical issues I need to mention in this letter and there might not be room here for anything else. There’s been a lot of disruption and I am sorry about that. We are all working remotely and for a while we were able to take orders over the phone at our homes. Then at the beginning of April the warehouse we use stopped sending books out so that was the end of us being able to supply books and other product to you.

Thank you for your patience, kindness and generosity through this. Some people have paid but not received their order and please bear in mind that we can always refund

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you. Otherwise we will supply your order as soon as the warehouse starts functioning normally again. There are many cheques that we haven’t been able to bank yet, so that might also look a bit strange on your bank statements.

This Review is being created at the end of April but it’s not being sent out until the end of May, so things might look very different when you read this. We have taken this approach so that there’s a better chance that the books we have listed here can be supplied when you order them, or close to that time. Please go ahead and order and we will let you know when you do so what the lie of the land is. Thank you of course for your loyalty to us.

It might then take a while before these new books get to the warehouse because the supply chain has been broken. Consequently we have included a slightly higher proportion of “classics” at a lower price in this edition, because there’s a stronger likelihood that the warehouse will have stock of them.

So much uncertainty, I know…

Cygnus is still the same though with the familiar indomitable spirit of its members. It will take more than a lockdown to affect that!

My priority then was to bring you some interesting material to read.

There’s an extract from the new book

by Bernie S Siegel No Endings Only Beginnings which I think is perfect for Cygnus and very reminiscent of Wayne Dyer. We have a fascinating piece by our friend William Bloom, who points out an amazing Cygnus-related fact.

William has always been tremendously supportive of Cygnus and I would like to register here my boundless gratitude to him. There’s an article on coping techniques by Michael James, whose book Lighthouse we featured before.

That’s now been reissued in a greatly updated form as an ebook, which I would strongly recommend to you.

Louisa Crisp who owns the Cotswold Healing Retreat near Cirencester has written an article that takes a bigger, more cosmic view of the current situation. Geoff Napier, who lives at

‘These are interesting times... this is a perfect opportunity to make this world a better place.’ the Retreat Centre, has also contributed to it. Philip Pegler has written a lovely spiritual article that goes well with his new book Quiet Courage of the Inner Light. And finally there’s another article by Gemma Polo Pujol, the Spanish spiritual teacher, whose book There is Light and Only Light is now published, and whose teachings I can highly recommend, having worked on the book myself as editor.

So I hope you benefit from the words in here and I hope that, by the time this Review reaches you, these wonderful books are also available for you to read. Thank you again for your support. Please stay strong and healthy. These are interesting times, and although it’s tough for everyone, this is a perfect opportunity to make this world a better place. The Cygnus community are amongst the best people to make these positive changes, but it’s up to us to be active and brave. Good luck!

Adam

MEET THE TEAM Publisher

Etan Ilfeld

Editor

Adam Gordon

Art Director

Karen Smith

Advertising & Sales Reviews

Vicky Hartley

Carl Nordblom & Chari Gutierrez

CYGNUS BOOK CLUB 89-93 Shepperton Road London N1 3DF

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A QUIZ, AN INSIGHT AND A DREAM BY WILLIAM BLOOM First, a bit of pub quiz ephemera for everyone. In October 2016 an Imperial College team undertook a three-day dry trial run for what would happen in a pandemic similar to Covid-19. Those same academics are now advising the government.

Q: What was the codename of that 3-day exercise? A: Exercise Cygnus.

I guess it’s time to actually practise this spiritual stuff. Anne Napier, the founding editor of Cygnus Review, said this. I was sitting in her lounge and she was surrounded by dozens of books as she decided which ones would go in the next edition of Cygnus. Tragically, she was also in the middle of her long battle with cancer, which prematurely and sadly ended her life.

Ann had a fantastic knack of being able to discern which books best caught the mood of her readers. This was partly due to her knowledge and wisdom.

She was deeply familiar with spiritual literature. It was also based in instinct and intuition. She could sense, almost clairvoyantly, what readers needed.

Often she and her partner, Geoff, would drive to their mobile home on the beautiful coast of Wales with a trunk full of books. There with the ocean in the background she would plan the next issue of the magazine.

Her words – I guess its time to actually practise this spiritual stuff – are relevant for all of us during this strange time of the pandemic.

I pray for a graceful end to this crisis with as little suffering as possible. At the same time crises can be useful for us. They can wake us up and bring us home to what really matters. They provide opportunities to put our principles into practice. We are calm,

Three Musings kind and thoughtful, gently radiating reassurance, love and compassion.

Our peaceful and patient prayers, thoughts and vibrations are hugely beneficial to those close and far away.

During these interesting and strange days I have had a fantasy that you may enjoy. I developed this fantasy in my long morning meditations.

In a deep, contemplative state of consciousness, I found myself proposing an idea to two liberated beings or ascended masters, Djwhal Khul (the Tibetan who wrote the Alice Bailey books) and Merlin. My suggestion was that millions of souls not in incarnation could be organised into choirs of healing.

These choirs, each containing thousands if not millions of souls, could overlight cities and trouble spots. They would then harmonise and hum beautiful vibrations of peace, calm and reassurance. In particular

THE UNIVERSE ALWAYS HAS A PLAN By Matt Kahn

these harmonies would be radiated gently into areas where they were most needed – single parents and children in tower blocks, teenagers and young adults struggling with the containment of their exuberant energy; slums and shantytowns; refugees and people caught in war zones. The mass choirs could bring great comfort.

‘All these souls not in incarnation,’ I suggested, ’could be doing something useful and of service right now. It would also be a good training, giving them a taste of how they could be of service in future lives.’

The two ascended Masters were friendly but somewhat surprised that I had the cheek to advise them.

Then within seconds they gave me a thumbs-up, acknowledging that it was a useful suggestion.

In my meditation the next day Djwhal Khul and Merlin returned.

They said they had consulted with Jesus, Buddha, Maitreya and Sanat Kamara, the Ancient of Days. They all thought it was an idea worth putting into practice. We then had a discussion about who would best be able to guide, orchestrate and conduct these choirs. I suggested that it needed to be souls who had experience of mass events and who understood the harmonics of music and contemporary culture. They also needed to be sensitive and compassionate.

I suggested souls like Nina Simone, John Lennon and David Bowie. I wonder whom you would suggest.

So listen carefully now. Catch the subtle vibrations of healing. Choirs of souls have now joined the choirs of angels.

All will be well.

Love.

William

Essential Summer reading

In his latest book, spiritual teacher Matt Kahn presents his 10 Golden Rules, which help us to overcome psychological trappings and transform our lives by the power of acceptance and love. Essentially this is a book about learning how to be compassionate towards yourself and others, by putting your trust in the innate goodness of the world. By overcoming self-sabotage, hardship, and anger, you will find true liberation and the infinite current of unconditional love that nourishes your heart. We also get to know more about the ups and downs of Matt’s own spiritual journey and are provided with the great exercises which helped him to move forward on the path.

Kahn’s language is as usual both encouraging and inspiring, filling you with a sense of compassion and hopefulness.

176pp, 135 x 185 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 300214 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

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BOOK REVIEWS – Medical Medium

NEW TITLE MEDICAL MEDIUM CLEANSE TO HEAL

by Anthony William

This is the most recent book by the renowned Medical Medium, Anthony William, who has taken the world by storm with his revitalising diets informed by the Spirit of Compassion. This time he presents us with a variety of different cleanses, showing how each one can heal you in different ways and suit your own needs for the best possible effect. With the help of this book, we can then find a personalised path which is most aligned with our own bodies, making the detoxifying cleanse a lot more powerful. In that sense, we are shown how we can turn around the negative influence of the nasty toxins hiding in our food and drink and get a chance to start fresh with the help of these natural remedies.

256pp, 190 x 232 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP: £27.99

❖ Code: 300207 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.65 ❖ Member Price: £14.99

MEDICAL MEDIUM by Anthony William

Anthony William was born with the unique ability to converse with a high-level spirit who provides him with extraordinarily accurate health information that’s often far ahead of its time. He has helped tens of thousands of people to heal from ailments and diseases that have been misdiagnosed or deemed to be untreatable. In this exhaustive but user-friendly guidebook he 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. This 2015 title was the start of an incredible phenomenon.

392pp, 230 x 229mm Paperback, 2015, RRP: £12.99

❖ Code: 260111 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

MEDICAL MEDIUM: LIVER RESCUE by Anthony William

This is the fourth in the amazing series from Anthony William, which has been a huge success at Cygnus. Everyone knows that the liver is a crucial organ in the body’s function and we can suffer in so many ways when the liver is not working efficiently. The level of knowledge and insight shown in this text is astounding and it’s essential reading for anyone who suffers from a wide range of illnesses, from bloating to psoriasis and jaundice to hot flashes. There are plenty of tasty and healthy recipes included. High-profile fans of his work include Pharrell Williams, Robert de Niro and Calvin Harris.

MEDICAL MEDIUM THYROID HEALING by Anthony William

Anthony has already written the New York Times bestsellers Medical Medium and Life-Changing Foods and now he turns his attention to all the illnesses, conditions and other phenomena associated with the activity of the thyroid gland. The thyroid is the new hot topic in health but it is not actually the original reason behind symptoms like fatigue, fibromyalgia and depression. Since he was four, Anthony has been aware of his gift to read people’s conditions and more importantly advise them how to heal. The experts don’t know what’s happening – find out the truth here.

278pp, 240 x 196 mm, Hardback, 2017, RRP: £21.99

❖ Code: 270435 ❖ Non-Member Price: £17.76 ❖ Member Price: £15.99

MEDICAL MEDIUM LIFE-CHANGING FOODS

by Anthony William

Medical Medium Life-Changing Foods delves deeper into the healing power of over 50 fruits, vegetables, herbs and spices, and wild foods that can have an extraordinary effect on health. Anthony explains each food’s properties, the symptoms and conditions it can help relieve or heal, and the emotional and spiritual benefits it brings. And he offers delicious recipes to help you enjoy each food’s maximum benefit, from sweet potatoes with braised cabbage stuffing to honey-coconut ice cream.

Expect to get a whole new understanding of why oranges offer more than just vitamin C and a powerful set of tools for healing from illness and keeping yourself and your loved ones safe and well.

352pp, 198 x 234 mm, Hardback, 2016 RRP: £22.99

❖ Code: 270119 ❖ Non-Member Price: £17.76 ❖ Member Price: £15.99

MEDICAL MEDIUM CELERY JUICE by Anthony William

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

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

❖ Code: 290301 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

496pp, 239 x 200 mm, Hardback, 2018, RRP £26.99

❖ Code: 280404 ❖ Non-Member Price: £21.09❖ Member Price: £18.99

With the release of a new Medical Medium title, here are all his books.

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WE ARE PREGNANT WITH AN INTRINSIC GOODNESS

O

ver the years, people who’ve come on my retreats have asked me to put onto paper the words spoken in my Dharma talks, to help them remember the days of connection and keep the momentum of the inner journey. I was unsure because so much of the content of those talks was inspired by the deep connection with those specific people at that specific time.

A couple of years ago I asked Danielle Kerris, an English writer, friend, and long-time participant in my retreats, to play with the idea of creating a book. Since then we have distilled more than 100 talks into the pages of There is Light and Only Light. The book is a call for the human right to spirituality. A way of saying out loud that ‘yes’, we are made for love and connection, and that there are ways of cultivating our inner sanctuary and meeting a joy that is accessible to all.

This journey does not need to be only for spiritual seekers but for anyone who is suspicious of life being confined to what we can touch and see, for anyone with a heart that’s alive, who is ready to dive in and be taken by love into love.

But, how can we meet this place of deep connection? How can we open enough to allow ourselves to be taken by love? For most of us, this is a lifelong journey that we take on as our “work to do” and we dig into our own patterns and layers of protection

By Gemma Polo Pujol with the hope of finding some gold.

Too often, our meditation practice becomes a job that we impose on ourselves and it ends up being added to our “to do list”. Sometimes it gets crossed off at the end of the day and sometimes it remains undone, adding to our frustration and becoming a disempowering task.

The invitation here is to draw from a place of juiciness and pleasure and let this texture lead us into making space in our lives to dive inwards, finding creative and joyful ways to encounter what we naturally love through simple things like being in nature, listening to music, painting, walking, or whatever it is

that organically brings this sense of completion and vitality within.

When our call towards meditation is born from this texture of pleasure and joy, then our life journey becomes an illuminated path.

The ups and downs keep being there, and we might feel more or less uplifted, but somewhere there is fluidity and a deep sense of gratitude colouring all the movements of our life.

My deep wish is that as you pass through the pages of this book, you will find that you can access this inner realm by deeply resting and reclaiming what you love to do, that which naturally brings you a sense of joy and connectedness.

We are all pregnant with an intrinsic goodness. The longing for happiness and completion deeply belongs to us. All we need to do is to support that which is within us and is already moving towards the light. When we dare to slow down and give voice to our deepest longings, many things have the chance to align within and we might start experiencing changes in our life.

It is about tuning in and finding our own unique way to the heart.

As we enter these subtler inner realms our attachment to struggle drops away, and slowly we cultivate the art of listening to our own whispers. We meet a place of trust and ease, and life starts flowing.

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.

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

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

“What we are looking for is nothing new, nothing extra, but something that is intrinsic to us.”

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BOOK REVIEWS – Inspirations EVERYDAY OPTIMISM by Dani Dipirro

Dani DiPirro is the founder of the very popular website and Instagram account @ PositivelyPresent. She believes that if we can learn to focus on what is happening now rather than what has already happened or what might happen, and thus find a way to make the most of every moment, this will lead to a more successful, creative and fulfilled life. Rather than pursuing happiness itself, her goal is to show us why striving to be positively present has the power to be life-changing. She includes easy to follow lists to ensure the guide is simple and practical to use and there are five chapters: Home, Work, Relationships, Love and Change.

You can either read them in order or go straight to the topic you feel you need the most help with.

This gem of a book includes hundreds of inspirational quotes, meditations and practices to enrich your spiritual life and cultivate a state of inner wellbeing.

It both contains an excellent selection of wisdom from spiritual masters of the East and West, as well as a wide range of practical methods, making it a precious little handbook if you’re after insight, contemplation and peace of mind. Although there are 365 of them and you could sit with one for each day of the year, the book is also divided into chapters focusing on specific techniques and teachings which you can consult whenever you need a helpful push in the right direction.

208pp, 200 x 145 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £10.99

208pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £9.99

SHINE BRIGHTER EVERY DAY

by Danah Mor

SIMPLIFY YOUR LIFE by Mary Conroy

This is a large-format full-colour lifestyle book on how to live a healthy and positive life. It’s packed full of invaluable information on nutrition, exercise and selfempowerment, in charts, lists and recipes.

The author has a certification from the world-famous Hippocrates Health Institute and is an Ayurvedic practitioner, so, even though this is one of those more mainstream titles, the health facts are absolutely spot-on. Ultimately it will make a great gift for a friend or family member who is just starting to take a serious look at their life and needs an inspiring and user-friendly book to get them started. There are plenty of fresh ideas and the author is inspirational and full of positivity.

In a time when we’re almost drowned in unnecessary commodities and information, a slightly minimalist attitude might actually be something of a lifesaver. Mary Conroy provides us with tips on how to declutter our homes as well as our heads, showing how a simplified life-style can help us return to mental clarity and stability. As we quickly find out, simplifying our lives can mean anything from reducing our time starring at our phones, to reclaiming focus of our careers and personal relationships. Also, by buying, collecting and consuming less, we don’t have to waste our own as well as Nature’s energy, which should both be good for our economy, but perhaps more importantly for the wellbeing of the global environment.

272pp, 250 x 190 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £16.99

256pp, 197 x 131 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £10.99

GOAL MAPPING by Brian Mayne

THE WISDOM CODES

by Gregg Braden

❖ Code: 300249 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

❖ Code: 300251 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

There are plenty of books these days which focus on mental exercises to gain monetary success, or positive thinking to boost your career. This book however turns such ideas on their head, and instead urges us to use similar practices in order to achieve goals for a healthier, happier and a more creative life regardless of material gain. By means of positive thinking, realigning our emotional responses, and setting up goals for prosperity, wellbeing and joy, we are able to move our lives in the direction we want.

Written in a very user-friendly and accessible style, this is a book which can be used to teach us about ourselves and our underlying wants and needs, as well as a manual for accomplishing our dreams and bringing out the very best in ourselves.

200pp, 234 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 300252 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

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365 WAYS TO BE HAPPY

by Adam Gordon (ed.)

❖ Code: 300253 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

❖ Code: 300205 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

Best-selling spiritual author Gregg Braden is back with a new book in which he casts new light on the ancient mysteries with the use of science and modern techniques. This time he focuses on the great power of words, as in the spiritual use of prayers, mantras, chants and song. Investigating an essential selection of various ‘wisdom codes’ from a vast number of ancient cultures, the author reveals their underlying mystical methodology, enabling you to tap into their transformative and healing energies. Here you can find Vedic mantras for protection, the healing magic of the Hebrew psalms, the Gnostic power of the words of Jesus and much more, all explored in depth from both an esoteric as well as modern perspective.

240pp, 216 x 135 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 300213 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

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THE POWER OF RADICAL GRATITUDE IN TIMES OF CRISIS

W

hen there’s something going on like this current pandemic, with all the scary stories, it’s easy to get swept up in overthinking.

Our mind can become a shakenup snow globe where we can’t perceive anything clearly. So instead we should aim to clear the mind, to pause and let the thoughts settle. Sitting in meditation works, as do soothing activities like taking a warm shower or doing some light exercise.

It’s okay to feel as you do, and if you’re not feeling the best, know that nothing has gone wrong and this storm will pass, as they all do. We’ve read so many books which pile on the guilt by saying it’s wrong to go into negative thinking, that we need to be spiritually “perfect”. They start with a premise that it’s not ok to feel as you feel, which is another way of saying it’s not ok to be you. It’s the opposite of self-love.

Trying to feel grateful isn’t always the first thing to do. Trying to count your blessings when you’re in a whirlwind of stress is difficult if near impossible. People force it, trying to be cheery when they’re terrified. This backfires and they’re left wondering why those “simple” self-help concepts aren’t working. And so, after you have first done those things to clear your mind (and you can find some suggestions in Emotional First Aid), now you may be ready to move to a gratitude list, but in a slightly different way to what you may have heard before.

Radical gratitude means accepting where you are, even if it’s somewhere you don’t want to be. This is how we settle the mind, like a meditation: by embracing rather than resisting.

Radical gratitude means looking for the good in those moods and experiences you don’t like. Many people teach and practise selective gratitude, where you write all the great things happening, but it’s just the beginning of a practice and leaves out a huge part of life experience.

When something has happened, like living in the middle of this world

By Michael James pandemic, our emotional choices are to complain - or to make the best of the situation. This isn’t to say “everything’s fine” in a kind of denial way, but when something is going on, we can’t stop it happening. Yet that is what most people try to do with their minds. This is resistance, and what we resist, persists.

If we are experiencing fear, for example, our options are to accept where we are or to resist where we are.

This is our choice, and acceptance (not resistance) is the route to what we want, which is freedom from fear.

Firstly, we make friends with our feelings. We may want to write lists about what is okay about feeling how we feel: “many people feel this way in

this situation”, “perhaps these strong feelings show that I really value myself ” or even “this fear is evolving me to be fearless”.

(Challenges make us stronger and we create our best lives through challenges much more than in the good times. I write more about this in my book.) You will find your own statements. It takes time to get familiar with this technique, so be patient.

Once we have done accepting our current feelings, we want to look for the positives in the situation.

Is there any good coming out of the lockdown, for example? Are we learning about ourselves? Is it making us more compassionate?

Making the best of the situation helps us feel better. We soften towards the moment rather than fighting it and we are more likely to perceive solutions with clarity.

So it’s win-win.

People have told me they feel guilty about feeling good in times like this, about feeling grateful when other people are unhappy. To which I’d say, what would your unhappiness contribute to others? If you were on a journey with a guide, would you prefer one who was miserable and afraid, or one who was optimistic, clear-minded and sure? And that is why practising radical gratitude is not just a gift to yourself, but it’s the best thing you can do for everyone around you too. It gets you into your power where you are more able to help others.

EMOTIONAL FIRST AID by Michael James

This is a revised and updated version of his earlier book Lighthouse, which Cygnus reviewed in 2016. It includes all the best of his resilience-building techniques. It’s being published by Watkins and has just come out. Because it’s so hard to get physical books out at the moment, it’s only available as an ebook right now. Please order from your favourite online retailer. Unfortunately there are no physical books left – sorry about that. Watkins is also publishing a brand-new book later in the year by Michael called Feel Better No Matter What. I can recommend Emotional First Aid though. ❖ isbn number 9781786784971 ❖ Ebook cost: £4.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Nature

21 RITUALS TO CONNECT WITH NATURE

by Theresa Cheung

NATURE SPIRITS, THE REMEMBRANCE

by Susan Raven

THE LITTLE BOOK OF NATURE BLESSINGS

by Teresa Dellbridge

Bestselling spiritual author Theresa Cheung is back with a new book of 21 rituals, this time dedicated to how we can better connect to the power of the Earth.

Written in her very uplifting and informative style, she brings together science, spirituality and psychology to show how doing these fun and easy practices can bring about a more meaningful and healthier life. The rituals include everything from foraging, herbalism and fruit-mandalas to moon-bathing, star-gazing and simply walking barefoot. Each of the 21 chapters contain clear instructions for the rituals and anecdotal stories as well as ways to overcome possible roadblocks.

Author Susan Raven deeply examines the role of non-human consciousness in nature, showing how the modern materialist outlook falls short in its all too narrow view of the world. As a cure, she revisits Rudolph Steiner’s animistic teachings on the elemental spirits of Earth, Water, Fire and Air, and presents their nature and function within our everyday environment.

These spirits have been neglected and shut out of our modern culture, but are still to be found for those who take time to look. Included are methods to help you to directly meet and interact with these entities, as a means to create a deep and personal relationship with the powers of nature.

Almost all shamanic practices, you’d imagine, are closely connected to the earth and what we call the environment, but this book makes this more explicit than others. The author is a teacher who runs initiatory workshops and, as she describes it, a student of the Earth and Cosmos. The book is full of shamanic ecotherapy practices that will reconnect you with the Earth and which will restore balance to people and planet. These include Karmic Eddy Healing and Working with Visionary Rocks. We don’t need a wilderness next door to be able to connect with nature all around us. The book is a wonderful curriculum that will help in our own self-development as well as making us workers for the Earth.

It is not strange that we all feel somewhat ungrounded today, as modern technology steals more and more of our attention. Like trees, we’re feeling rather rootless and in need of a firmer foundation in the nurturing soil. This book offers practices that if performed mindfully will help with just that: to closely connect with nature and her sublime transformative power. You will be introduced to the blessings of Sun, Moon, Animals and the Eight Seasonal festivals. Each chapter contains advice on how to draw close to nature, including information and simple individual and group practices along with myths and interesting facts to help you ground your practice.

224pp, 196 x 129 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £10.99

176pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2012, RRP £12.99

224pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

264pp, 169 x 132 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP: £10.99

❖ Code: 300250 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

❖ Code: 300203 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

❖ Code: 300235 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

❖ Code: 300242 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

THE TREE ANGEL ORACLE DECK

by Fred Hagender & Anne Heng

FOREST SCHOOL ACTIVITY CARDS

by Jane Worroll & Peter Houghton

144pp book + 36 full-colour cards, Boxed Set, 2020, RRP £16.99

16pp, 48 cards, Boxed Set, 2020, RRP £14.99

This season, after The Living Wisdom of Trees, we have another reissue from Fred Hageneder. This time it’s the Tree Angel Oracle Deck, which is a pack including 36 cards and a small 144-page book. The trees portrayed include Birch, Ash, Holly and Larch – all the trees we are familiar with in northern Europe – and the paintings on the cards are coloured in restful yet energised pastels, mostly green of course!

The tree is depicted on the card plus a representation of its delightful angel. These cards can be used for divination or inspiration, or even to decorate your desk or altar. Consulting with the trees in this way is the next best thing to communing in an ancient grove in the dense forest. ❖ Code: 300234 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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EARTH SPIRIT DREAMING

by Elizabeth E Meachem

This great card deck has been adapted from the bestselling books Play the Forest School Way and A Year of Forest School and is divided into 4 types of activities: Team Games, Forest Crafts, Connecting to Nature and Survival Skills. Not only are the games a great way to burn off energy, they also help children deepen their connection with nature, encourage creativity and help build up survival skills with fun games.

The accompanying booklet explains how to use the deck and gives notes on safety and the Forest School ethos – to give children ownership over their journey so they can follow their interests at their own pace in a fun and stimulating way. ❖ Code: 300245 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

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

COVID-19 A WORLDWIDE OPPORTUNITY TO RELEASE DARK ENERGY

M

any times through evolution when things have been shaken up, the outcome has always been one of immense progression for those who experience it. The memory of the impacts lies in our DNA. For instance, we all carry the memory of the Big Bang and when we first became individually conscious at the time of the Fall tucked away deep inside us.

The corona virus is not one of the major impacts in the universe but it does have huge significance beyond what we can physically see. To explain: There has been dark energy tucked away on planet earth that has felt it cannot be forgiven for previous acts and has therefore decided to try and get the rest of us to join its worldview using force. We have seen this erupt in such things as terrorism, war and individual regrettable actions over the aeons.

In 2012 we hit a 50/50 balance between those who resonate with the Light and those who have not realized the Light is within them.

This means that whoever resonates with the enlightenment process has the opportunity to accelerate on their path very quickly, but sadly those who feel they cannot resonate with the Light within often participate in acts of resistance which may even turn to extreme acts of violence.

There are certain parts of the world that I had always known needed assistance and last autumn asked if there was anything I could do to help, as probably many others have done. I did not realize, until recently when I tuned in again, that those places carried such significant dark energy beneath the surface which related back to a prehistoric age. A faction of life from this time believed it had carried out unforgivable deeds.

The rest of us that patiently held the balance during this epoch didn’t trust the rebel energy afterwards so imprisoned it for its rash acts.

The shame, humiliation, anger, etc., that is buried in those souls is the most unresolved I have ever come across.

As these beings believe they cannot be forgiven they have tried to make their

By Louisa Crisp with contributions from Geoff Napier forceful yet destructive ways dominate on this planet ever since. This unease within them caused an eruption of energy which resulted in the corona virus being released on earth.

For years many of you have been asking for help to release the darkness.

The enlightened ones in spirit are using the energy of these prayers from around the world to release the stronghold of energy that lies under these places.

Our collective response to the Covid-19 pandemic is magnificent.

We are all willingly staying at home (voluntarily imprisoning ourselves), looking after the vulnerable, giving up our jobs, in fact giving up our lives as we knew them, and are holding the balance while these concentrations of despairing

dark energy are releasing and a lighter balance of energy can evolve.

We are isolating ourselves and thus paying our karmic debt. We are keeping a respectful distance from each other rather than invading each other’s space as in those prehistoric times. We are rendered helpless in this situation and dying in numbers through being unable to breathe. Indeed, we are doing the exact opposite to what we did during the pre-historic event millions of years ago. The enlightened ones in spirit, by allowing the dark energy to witness what is going on in this very moment are showing them that we have forgiven and are now giving the dark energy the opportunity to forgive itself too.

Despite what we hear and see on our screens, many of you sense the excitement of large-scale worldly changes. What few see is that the release of this crippling dark energy that has had such a firm grip on the world for so long provides a deeply important planetary moment of healing for us all.

Trust all that is happening. Yes, it’s hard. Yes, we are going without. Yes, there is suffering. However the highest good is coming from all this turmoil at the deepest possible level, through all our unconditional acts, and dark energy now knows it is forgiven and can set itself free.

• If you would like to know more about this please go to the auroragatherings. com website and read a more detailed article in the blog pages, and to contact Louisa Crisp, go to www.cotswoldhealingretreat.co.uk

THE BRIGHT WAY by Diana Rowan

With this book, professional harpist and pianist Diana Rowan wants to help those of us who perhaps feel somewhat stuck and out of touch with ourselves. Relating to the help she found when overcoming the common artistic issue of performance anxiety, she encourages us to realign ourselves with a joyful attitude towards life and make ourselves more attuned to our own creative core. Instead of trying to be too rigid and bothered about how other people perceive us, The Bright Way advises us to invite freedom into our souls and rediscover our innate potential as playful and inspired artists of our own reality. This book is all about finding a way back to a place where you can tap into the natural source of creativity and deeply connect with life.

256pp, 229 x 178 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 300222 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

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9

BOOK REVIEWS – Other Realities SHAMAN by Ya’acov Darling Khan

In his previous book Jaguar in the Body, Butterfly in the Heart, author Ya’acov Darling Khan retold the story of his many initiations into both ancient as well as modern shamanic paths. In this new one, he instead makes us discover our own inner shaman by unearthing the latent energy in our soul and bodies with the methods he has mastered through his training. Exploring techniques such as dance and drumming, ancestor work, journeying into the spirit realm and soul retrieval, the author brings the traditional shamanic wisdom into the 21st century as a vital resource to heal ourselves and the planet. There is a shaman in all of us who was born to play a powerful role in our collective awakening for our future on Earth.

Dr. Silverman is a leading scientific expert on the so-called Shroud of Turin, which is the cloth traditionally said to be the burial shroud of Jesus and which holds an imprint of his face. In this book, we are presented with evidence that this imprint actually was produced by a blast of radiation which the author links to the light of consciousness itself. Similar phenomena have been observed in relation to Near-DeathExperiences and this leads us to reconsider the power of human consciousness and the laws of nature. This is a highly fascinating book which brings together the often separated worlds of science and spirituality in a thought-provoking new way.

304pp, 152 x 228 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

232pp, 153 x 227 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

JERUSALEM! THE REAL LIFE OF WILLIAM BLAKE by Tobias Churton

THE FEMALE ARCHANGELS

by Claire Stone

❖ Code: 300212 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

Now in paperback, this is the most comprehensive attempt to portray the spiritual life and philosophy of the great English artist, poet and visionary William Blake. Blake is of course famous for his poems, including the great hymn Jerusalem, and his iconic paintings, but people have found it hard to get to grips with his esoteric beliefs. Tobias Churton is one of the UK’s leading scholars of western esotericism and there’s much we can learn from this well-researched and entertaining account, which uses previously unseen documents to shed light on his perspectives.

Michael Eavis, founder of the Glastonbury Festival, calls this “one of the most illuminating and enlightening biographies to date”.

400pp, 235 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £20.00

❖ Code: 300244 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

AWAKENING THE ANCIENT POWER OF SNAKE

by Dawn Baumann Brunke

It was while suffering a very painful episode of intense pain, due to a pinched nerve, that the author fell into a dreamlike state of consciousness and a vision of a snake with a severed tail appeared to her. She woke the next morning with renewed energy and no pain, starting a life-long fascination with snakes, which she then went on to study in depth. In this fascinating book, using drawings, photographs and a rich variety of anecdotes, she sets out to explore the ancient power of the snake and how we can use this to delve into unresolved repressed aspects of the unconscious, our shadow, and how the shedding of its skin symbolizes the throwing off of ingrained habits and beliefs. She shares practical techniques to journey with Snake through inner worlds and how we can return to a more balanced consciousness.

Unique and fascinating.

288pp, 241 x 168 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 300226 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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A BURST OF CONSCIOUS LIGHT

by Dr. Andrew Silverman

❖ Code: 300237 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

While tradition tells us that the angels are beyond gender, Claire Stone rather urges us to seek out the feminine energies provided by the archangels in order to reclaim a deeper balance in the cosmic order. In this book we meet the sublime beings known as Lady Hope, Ariel, Lady Mary, Shekinah and many more, and get to know how we may interact with these angelic powers to bring forth love and wisdom for the new age. The author also provides us with rituals of cleansings and working with our shadow, as well as connecting with our individual power animal, in order to make our bond with the female archangels more powerful and solid. Each of the archangels has their own dedicated chapter where we learn of the powers connected to them.

304pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP: £12.99

❖ Code: 300210 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

QUANTUM SCIENCE OF PSYCHEDELICS

by Carl Johan Calleman

Carrying on from where his last book The Nine Waves of Creation left off, Calleman continues his exploration of the sciences among the ancient Mayan culture, and uncovers how their highly advanced cosmology preceded modern quantum theory.

By investigating the profound knowledge the ancients held in regard to human and cosmic consciousness, the author suggests that we are able to better understand the nature of the mind and especially the healing power of psychedelic medicine plants by revisiting the lost wisdom of our forefathers. This is a fascinating read which brings together the fields of shamanism, philosophy and quantum science in a daring new way, and offers a healthy move away from the materialist/Newtonian “scientism” of our contemporary age.

352pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £17.99

❖ Code: 300230 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

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

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

★ NEW ABERDEENSHIRE, Cruden Bay Donia Keith 07955 146326 donia@liferoute.co.uk AVON, Bath Mari Batholomew 01225 840 889 mari@sulis-health.co.uk BEDS, Luton Jenny Martin 01582 415242 jennym4759@yahoo.co.uk BERKS, Upper Basildon Lynne Mitchell 07770 278 080 lpmtll@gmail.com BRISTOL, Bishopston Jane Stott 07788 418 078 janestott070@gmail.com BUCKS, Milton Keynes Nikki Brown 07972 257 004 nikki-nutrimed@hotmail.co.uk CEREDIGION, Llangrannog 1st Wednesday of every month 2-4 plus 3rd Friday 7-9 pm Amanda Painting 01239 654 699 amandapainting@gmail.com CARMARTHEN Dorothy Morris 01267 267 652 dorothy_morris@hotmail.com

CORNWALL, Port Isaac Ann Fanstone 01208 880 300 fanstone@phonecoop.coop CORNWALL, Penzance Anthea Tounsend 01736 719 606 CORNWALL, Truro Jane Goodall 07967 201 929 janegoodall@live.co.uk CUMBRIA, Penrith Jackie Lewis 07799 884452 stellapolarisbb@gmail.com DERBY/NOTTINGHAM David Steare 01332 661 102 david.steare@ntlworld.com DEVON, Barnstaple Mrs Viv Easton 01271 375 303 easton866@btinternet.com 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 KENT, Ashford Sylvia Nichols 01233 626 206 viastjames@icloud.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Liz Sokoski co.uk 07432 585693 MANCHESTER, Sale ROSS-SHIRE, Conon Bridge Rosemary Plunkett Shenagh Leiper 0161 962 4123 07721 656 668 rosieglow3@icloud.com leipershenagh@gmail.com MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, SHROPSHIRE, Ironbridge Woolton Romella Jones Pamela Langley 01952 881 151 0151 421 1772 cariadtherapies@outlook.com pamelalangley@hotmail.com MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, Thornton Sue Massey 0151 924 6240 suemassey60@yahoo.com

E SUSSEX, Bexhill on Sea Carol Sargent 01424 217 630 MIDLOTHIAN, Edinburgh mail@youniquewellbeing.co.uk Tabora Green CHESHIRE, Chester 01835 268546 E SUSSEX, Eastbourne Lynn Alexander trueharmony@hotmail.co.uk Valerie Abl 01244 951 753 lynn@lynnalexander13.plus.com 01323 726 652 N LONDON, valerie@talentshift.co.uk Enfield/Waltham Abbey CLEVELAND, Saltburn Chrissie E SUSSEX, Hove Kathryn Luczakiewicz 07845 019398 / 07935707538 Simon 01287 204 400 01273 220 159 info@saltburnwellbeingcentre.

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

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

SURREY, Guildford, Shere Linda Sewell 07850 839 472 lindasewell@hotmail.co.uk W MIDLANDS, Wolverhampton Jas Bassi 07830 019 513 Info@jasbassi.com W SUSSEX, Bosham Kathryn Bingham 01243 572 109 office@thehamblinvision.org.uk W SUSSEX, Horsham and Haywards Heath Judy Sharp 01444 459 433 judysharp123@gmail.com WILTS, Salisbury Jane Wainwright 01722 413 902 janesnowflake@gmail.com WIRRAL, Merseyside Carol Carter 07807 077966 carolcarter100@btinternet.com WORCS, Tenbury Wells Hilary Foxwell 01584 819 010

S YORKS, Doncaster Sandra Edwards 07773 173 919 sandra579@btinternet.com SOUTH LAKES, Cumbria Catherine Hunt 07957 861408 hello@ primewellbeingfoundation.com

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

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

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

QUIET COURAGE OF THE INNER LIGHT BY PHIILIP PEGLER

T

he deep and abiding truth that Life is sacred has been overlooked in recent years by most people, who are caught up in superficial distractions of contemporary living.

We may call this the Great Escape of modern times – a desperate bid by society to evade at all costs the tedious and often uncomfortable challenges of a heedless and mostly secular world.

But something has dramatically shifted these past few months, hasn’t it? The tragic global health emergency with its dire economic implications has been a shattering wake-up call, but it has also unexpectedly offered us an inconceivably precious opportunity to stop and take a long, hard look at the unsustainable way we have long been conducting human affairs.

Pricked by the sharp pain of our collective nightmare, we have reluctantly had to come to our senses, even as we have cried out in protest. It is heartening to note nevertheless multiple signs of positive quickening in terms of great heroism and dedication, notwithstanding the stark impact of these terrible events – and in that shift of attitude may lie concealed a hidden blessing.

How paradoxical it is that families and nations should finally be drawn together in mutual need only after they have been unceremoniously forced apart. At last human beings are recognised as more important than the endless accumulation of things.

And in that beautiful recognition lies hidden the potential of profound promise for a more enlightened future.

The urgent issues which have come up for immediate attention by a world in denial are closely considered in Quiet Courage of the Inner Light. I ask what authentic spirituality may consist of and question what noble qualities are needed so that we may stand up for what is truly sacred in today’s anxious, divided and often sceptical society.

As I celebrate the true worth of courage and highlight the sacred nature of Life as a whole, I recall some of the keynotes of my lifelong spiritual quest for Truth. In so doing, I reflect upon the joys, hardship and

Bearers of Light profound lessons to be gleaned on the winding path of return to the ground of being, which is the foundation and source of our very existence.

And what has been true for me is possible for anyone else. The quest for Truth is Everyman’s search for what really matters - and furthermore we are all summoned to be wise messengers or Bearers of Light in a spirit of solidarity.

To become a bearer of light is simply to make way for the essence of things – always silently present in the background of living – to shine forth.

To be attentive to that True Light – always quietly waiting to be revealed deep within oneself as the ground of being – is to find our true purpose.

And this discovery of our true

purpose, which is to uphold the natural sanctity of Life, enables us as individuals to take full responsibility within our family and community for the virtuous way we must now conduct our life with utmost integrity.

Then we will be in the best possible position to consciously contribute to the ceaseless work for greater peace and harmony – even while an embattled world struggles to overcome its intractable problems.

I have gone out of my way never to be glib. And this is because spiritual practice is not to be taken lightly – it is deep acting and transformative.

Genuine inward progress in terms of greater maturity and depth of understanding is bound to be slow and uneven. Authentic spirituality is born out of steady effort and a sense of commitment.

At the centre of these reflections resides an essential paradox. It is within the anguished darkness of tragedy or disaster that most often the clear light of fortitude is kindled. And it is within the shadows of doubt or desolation that you may stumble upon a hidden doorway to the deepest reality.

It is the dawning of deep understanding concerning our true spiritual identity that paves the way for the discovery of a firm and natural faith that is universal in nature and all-embracing in compassion. Here is a work that attempts to nurture such faith by approaching a transcendent mystery through the hidden beauty of the commonplace.

QUIET COURAGE OF THE INNER LIGHT by Philip Pegler

Philip Pegler is a long-time seeker who writes honestly and with insight about authentic spirituality. He describes his time spent in India, especially at Sri Ramana Maharshi’s ashram at the foot of Mount Arunachala, but his quest is also much influenced by Christianity. He talks about times of hardship in his own life, and about how he was able to make spiritual breakthroughs at the times when things were toughest. The book is full of encouragement and wise guidance about how to come to the still point inside instead of being buffeted by difficult thoughts. He also finds a common theme in all the different traditions he has followed, including also Sufism and Buddhism. It’s a very personal account but there are many useful insights for the unprecedented situation we find ourselves in.

152pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 300215 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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13

BOOK REVIEWS – Calm Living EVERYDAY CALMING RITUALS

by Tania Ahsan

We all perform our own little rituals, from brushing our teeth in the morning, to making a wish as we blow out the candles on a birthday cake. The rituals we find in Tania Ahsan’s latest book can be seen as practices to help us pause a little bit during busy everyday life, and simply emerge in something which has a deeper meaning and brings about inner peace. Just like in meditation, these rituals make use of our five senses to focus our attention and bring about calmness and clarity. By performing these simple yet powerful rituals, we regain a sense of appreciation for the natural beauty of everyday life and allow ourselves to connect to a more heart-centred state of being in the world.

192pp, 135 x 206 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP: £9.99

❖ Code: 300240 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

TRIGGERS by David Richo

What causes us to sometimes react with anger, fear or shame to some things although we deep down know that it is not the best response? In his latest book, psychotherapist David Richo examines this subject in depth and challenges us to look over our emotional drives and how we happen to get provoked in negative ways. When we are triggered, Richo writes, “we are being bullied by our own unfinished business”. Borrowing ideas and methods from neuroscience, psychology and Buddhist meditation, Richo discusses the most common types of triggers and gives us tools to re-evaluate and transform our unhealthy responses, in order to live a calmer and more grounded life.

160pp, 317 x 171 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

❖ Code: 300220 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

The latest book in the attractive and inspirational 365 series is a diverse introduction to Buddhism in all its richness.

It’s a point of departure and map we can use to find out what specific school of Buddhism is best for us, to trace interesting texts and scriptures that will enrich our experience of Buddhism and to be stimulated to find new ways of broadening our lives according to its principles. The authors are leading figures at the Buddhist Society in London. It’s an ideal book for someone who knows the basics of Buddhism and who is perhaps daunted by some of the more austere texts in the tradition. It also includes quotations from great figures in history who might not have been Buddhist themselves, showing its great influence over the centuries or the centrality of its message.

216pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 300254 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

LOVINGKINDNESS

By Sharon Salzberg

Metta (usually translated as ‘lovingkindness’) is a fundamental form of Buddhist meditation. Having practised it for over forty years, Sharon Salzberg is able to introduce the subject in a clear and practical way, which also includes plenty of her own experiences along the path. Essentially, this book teaches how we can ground ourselves in a deep state of compassion and love and use it as a starting point for how we view ourselves as well as how we interact with the world. Filled with practices, this newly republished classic is an excellent introduction to a vast and ancient subject, which perhaps has been somewhat overlooked when all eyes have been on mindfulness over the last few years.

224pp, 140 x 216 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £13.99

❖ Code: 300218 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

DRINKING FROM THE RIVER OF LIGHT by Mark Nepo

THE MINDFUL PLACE OF CALM

by Paul Miller

314pp, 156 x 227 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.99

240pp, 134 x 203 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

Sculptor Henry Moore once remarked that “to be an artist is to believe in life”.

Philosopher and poet Mark Nepo builds on this quote and explores art and personal expression as a spiritual practice. In a series of beautiful musings on the human desire to be creative through aesthetic means, Nepo touches on the topics of inspiration, inner discovery and the mystical aspects of creativity, noticing the similarities between for instance meditation and the process of writing and painting. However, you don’t have to be a professional artist to enjoy and relate to this book, as it rather calls us to discover how we all are naturally creative on a deeper and more spiritual level. ❖ Code: 300239 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

14

365 WAYS TO LIVE A BUDDHIST LIFE

by Desmond Biddulph and Darcy Flynn

Combining his experience as both a meditation teacher and therapist, Paul Miller presents a series of methods which helps you to live a calmer and more meaningful life. By creating space for yourself to relax and become more aware in your day to day life, you not only learn to let go of stress and other harming mental tendencies, but also find room to cultivate your true potential and create a lasting foundation of peacefulness. The book is written in a very clear and pragmatic style, where the author presents his methods so that they can be directly applied to your current personal situation and explored in more depth over years to come. ❖ Code: 300216 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

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Environment & Sustainability – BOOK REVIEWS THE SUSTAINABLE(ISH) LIVING GUIDE by Jen Gale

Jen Gale is a mother of two who, in September 2012, along with her whole family, went for a year without buying anything new. This made her realise how easy it is for a few individuals to make a difference and so she continued to look at new ways to take pressure off the planet, and it led to this book, in which she gives countless tips and suggestions for living sustainably. It covers fashion, food, pets, travel and the home, to name just a few sections of the text. The guidance is always patient and practical, but you are constantly kept aware of how important these efforts are. Plus it doesn’t have to hurt. You can read it from cover to cover or keep it by you as a reference and consult it whenever you need to make a decision or start something new. The author is British and based in Wiltshire.

FUTURE VISION YOUR WORKING LIFE by Anne Jirsch and Conor Corderoy

Anne Jirsch is an international speaker and coach who pioneered a unique technique - Future Life Progression that fuses hypnosis, visualization and intuition to enable us to make right choices and anticipate the future. Intuitive skills that were once thought delusional or fraudulent are now becoming mainstream and the scientific community is taking interest. In this book she introduces us to 10 strategies that steer us in the right direction and filter out erroneous information.

She also introduces us to an in-depth method for identifying our own unique way of processing information. When we know how it works, it reveals how we can tap into our intuitive process knowing exactly where to find the answer.

304pp, 153 x 234 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

256pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

THE RETURN OF COLLECTIVE INTELLIGENCE by Dery Dyer

SEASONS OF MOON AND FLAME

by Danielle Dulsky

278pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.00

320pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

SIMPLIFY by Bob Hillary

COURTING THE WILD TWIN

by Martin Shaw

❖ Code: 300201 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

Collective intelligence – the ability to work together as a group that seemingly has a mind of its own – used to be a normal way of life for human beings, just as it is still for a flock of birds or a swarm of bees. It’s still there but it’s woefully neglected in the onslaught of new technology like mobile phones. These groups though exhibit abilities greater than the sum of their parts and this book tells us how to reconnect with that intelligence. The author takes us through the wisdom that has been preserved by ancient tribes and indigenous culture. The book is full of quotations and teaching stories that will lead us out of collective stupidity.

It’s a wise yet entertaining book, full of photos and drawings, that will inspire us to break free of our straitjackets ❖ Code: 300238 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

One morning author Bob Hillary woke up and simply had enough of his modern, materialistic, city lifestyle, and instead went to live “off-grid” in a yurt on the Welsh countryside. In this amazing little book he teaches us what he learnt from this experience and how we can implement similar ideas in order to bring about a more harmonic way of living. Written in a fun and charming style, it both gives a very genuine impression as well as makes you positively pushed to start transforming your own life in a healthier and more sustainable direction. It’s also a brilliant manifesto for the benefits of slow living in general.

216pp, 132 x 169 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 300241 Non-❖ Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

❖ Code: 300247 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

Celebrating the wild elements of nature, this book is a new take on the classic ‘Wheel of the Year’ of Wicca where one ritually follows the turning of the seasons.

Instead of a traditional guidebook or a compilation of spells, Danielle Dulsky uses very vivid and poetical language, mixed with great storytelling, which inspires you to really get into the practices. Throughout the turning of the year, you’ll meet the old witches, fairy godmothers and ancestral guardians of great secrets, who hide in the wilderness of nature. Through the solitary work described in the book, the author wants us to connect with these joyful and liberated spirits and discover that perhaps we are not so much different from them. ❖ Code: 300221 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

To read this is like being swept on a poetical adventure into the land where fairy-tale and modern life co-exist. Martin Shaw dares us to step into the liminal space of myth and legend, which he claims to be as real as the world we normally inhabit. It is there that we meet our “wild twin”, our slightly naughty but always well-meaning inner child, which calls us to re-examine our sometimes all too civilised daily selves. This book does not give any clear and easy answers, but instead inspires us to dream and be more adventurous, which is perhaps needed today. It is a book of literary activism—an antidote to the shallow thinking that typifies our age. It challenges us to wake up, to revive our “condition of wondering” and examine our broken relationship with the world.

144pp, 136 x 206 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 300202 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

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15

M

y journey of understanding has taken many paths, from science and philosophy to spirituality and literature, from relationships with family, patients, and others to communion with God, guides, and angels. All these paths have merged into my life’s work.

When I speak of communicating with God, I am aware that some people don’t feel comfortable with the word or the concept of “God.” Let me just explain that my definition of God is this: A Loving, Intelligent, and Conscious Energy. The first letters spell ALICE. Some refer to God as the Universe, Great Spirit, Allah, the Creator, or another name, but feel free, if it suits you, to just use ALICE. It doesn’t matter what term you choose, as no word suffices for that which isn’t nameable. The important thing to remember is that God’s mind and humanity’s mind are both parts of The One Mind. We need to connect to our greater consciousness – our Higher Selves – and realize it within us. Until we see it in everything and everywhere, it is difficult, if not impossible, to grasp the big picture, to understand what life is about and why we’re all here. So slow down and take time to feel the presence within. Take time to read, observe, and listen.

In 1986, I wrote my first book in the hope that I could change the way people thought about health, disease, healing, and medicine. I integrated psychology, spirituality, and mysticism with practical medicine in order to help people to adopt a wholeness approach, a mind-body-spirit form of healing.

Modern medical thinking at that time separated the mental, physical, and spiritual aspects of people, without any overlap. We had specialists who had no idea of you, their patient, as an integrated creation. They saw you as a mechanical entity and fixed the part that wasn’t working by giving you a pill or doing a procedure versus treating the holistic issue. While things have improved in many ways, each generation still needs to learn the lessons of mind-body-spirit healing and carry them into future generations.

16

Communicating with ALICE I have since written many books, but this time I wanted to provide people with a few thoughts from my notebooks. I have chosen to share with you quotes and phrases from a wide field of cultures, religions, and philosophy, followed by my own life stories and commentary. I cover life lessons in the practical, mystical, and spiritual realms. Practical or scientific lessons help you to survive life’s difficulties, while the mystical and spiritual lessons help you to heal and to live in joy and awe. We need to integrate all three realms in order to live our healthiest, most meaningful lives and achieve our full potential.

For eight decades I have watched people deal with serious and minor

problems, sometimes in very difficult and painful circumstances. Often it isn’t until we reach a point of crisis in our lives that we are motivated to ask the big questions, seeking to understand life with all its mysteries, joys, and sorrows. The very act of asking opens the door to our conscious connection with God or the Universe.

Once the door opens, we can choose to stay where we are or walk through to join the path of enlightenment. Even if your life is running smoothly at this time, I encourage you not to wait for a crisis. Start asking the big questions now. Now is always the right time.

I hope you will find value in the collection of quotes and stories that I have gathered here. Some I have shared in my books before, while others are new. I find that the truth is always relevant and fresh, for when you are ready for the lesson, old words will dance with new meaning and be helpful to you. The words of enlightened beings deliver the same basic message using different phraseology or stories each time. But when these things are repeated over thousands of years in many cultures and societies, it’s a good sign that there is truth in the words and great value in the message... ...So please, read on. Let the words help you to find faith, grow, and heal.

Rest your mind and heart in God, nature, and the Universe, knowing that you are part of the Creator and creation. Let ALICE enlighten your path as you embark upon your journey, your quest for understanding.

NO ENDINGS, ONLY BEGINNINGS by Bernie S. Siegel

During just the last couple of years Dr Bernie Siegel both lost his wife and soulmate Bobbie, as well as his grandson Jason.

These personal tragedies left him searching for answers, and this book is a collection of meditations on how to make sense of it all from a spiritual perspective. Being the author of numerous books on how medicine, science and spirituality can be viewed as deeply intertwined, Bernie again returns to a highly life-affirming and essentially positive take on death and life’s challenges. Each chapter is in itself a thoughtful essay on the miracle of life which brings the reader a sense of hope and encourages us to face reality with the comforting feeling that even when things look grim, everything actually is connected to a higher plan rooted in love.

240pp, 178 x 127 mm, Hardback, 2020, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 300209 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 Member ❖ Price: £10.50

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Copyright Hay House 2020

NO ENDINGS, ONLY BEGINNINGS BY BERNIE S SIEGEL

Health – BOOK REVIEWS THE ALKALINE RESET CLEANSE

by Ross Bridgeford

WHAT DOESN’T KILL YOU

by Rachel Haynes

248pp, 230 x 180 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP: £12.99

212pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £10.99

The Alkaline diet consists of cutting out all potentially toxic food and substances that mess up the body’s natural PH-balance, so that it can heal, regain energy and be better equipped to fight off any possible illness.

For a period of 21 days, Ross Bridgeford encourages you to stick to a revitalising vegan diet and avoid all types of food which can damage your immune-system and stress out your stomach. The author serves us all the theoretical knowledge we could ask for in the opening part of the book and moves on to a detailed and comprehensive plan of his suggested diet. The last part of the book also includes a lot of brilliant tips on how to continue your healthier lifestyle after you have finished the main cleansing period. ❖ Code: 300211 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

END CHRONIC DESEASE

by Kathleen DiChiara

As most of us know, physical health is highly tied to our state of mind and soul.

By showing how interconnected our bodies are with our beliefs and behaviour, Kathleen DiChiara provides us with easy and effective ways to improve both our inner and outer health. The methods included cover everything from nutritional and physical exercise, to meditation and ways to reconnect with nature, as means to bring about a more holistic type of wellbeing which does not rely on heavy medication and other external forms of treatment. The author backs up her claims with plenty of scientific evidence, but the book is still highly accessible and very easy to follow.

240pp, 127 x 177 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300206 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

RESTORE HEARING NATURALLY

by Anton Stucki

This book won’t restore physical damage to your ears, but rather gives you methods which can highly improve your ability to hear clearly and with more focus. By training the mind to concentrate and peacefully ignoring noise, as well as connecting deeply with the senses, those of us who face challenges related to tinnitus, hearing loss and vertigo should be able find relief with the help of this book.

Author and audio expert Anton Stucki includes a lot of theory in the book for those of us interested in the science of hearing and the mind. If however you are after more practical material, all the exercises are described plainly with plenty of photos and illustrations, making it extremely easy to put them into practice straight away.

288pp, 153 x 228 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £25.00

❖ Code: 300228 ❖ Non-Member Price: £17.76 ❖ Member Price: £15.99

All the proceeds from this book go to Bowel Cancer UK. It’s an inspiring first-hand account of how the author recovered from cancer twice. There are many setbacks along the way but the story is inspirational and told with warmth and compassion. The end of treatment is not the end of the story and Rachel describes the psychological recovery that she also has to make. In the end love is always the answer. Cancer can make us confront what is most important to us and this book is a rallying call to live your best life, no matter what sacrifices you might have to make. It’s a book that’s humorous and easy to read and more than anything else it tells you how to live. ❖ Code: 300243 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

THE BODY CLOCK IN TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE

by Lothar Ursinus

This delightful, full-colour book very clearly and concisely takes us through the strongest and weakest periods in the activity of different organs of the body. Thus if we feel discomfort at a regular time of day we can use this text to consider a particular organ. For example the bladder’s time of peak activity is between 3.00 and 5.00 pm, whereas for the stomach it’s between 7.00 and 9.00 am. It’s primarily based on Traditional Chinese Medicine, but the author has many decades of experience in alternative medicine, so his advice also includes supporting these rhythms through herbal medicine, homeopathy and various lifestyle choices. Being aware of all these processes helps us reconnect with our bodies and come up with ways of inducing deep healing.

128pp, 190 x 145 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300231 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

MANTRAS IN MOTION

by Erin Stutland

Movement in your body leads to movement in your life – this is the principle behind this book by renowned and high-profile mind-body wellness expert Erin Studland.

It helps you take all your affirmations and positive thinking up to the next level. She describes how you can use a positive mantra to take up all your mind space and not leave room for any negativity. And then a particular movement can be used to enhance that mantra’s power. The book culminates in a 14-day plan, which also includes meditations and journaling exercises, that will help shape a routine that will continue to focus all these energies.

It’s a technique that takes care of mind, heart and body all at once.

254pp, 228 x 152mm, Paperback, 2020, £14.99

❖ Code: 300204 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

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17

BOOK REVIEWS – Death, Healing & Other Voices

7 LESSONS FOR THE LIVING FROM THE DYING

by Dr Karen Wyatt

AN ENERGY HEALER’S BOOK OF DYING

by Suzanne Worthley

THE UNIVERSE SPEAKS – ARE YOU LISTENING?

by Cassady Cayne

After the tragic death of her father, Dr Wyatt was called to spend 25 years working as a hospice medial director, caring for the terminally ill.

Although we perhaps imagine that such a job would be nothing but depressing, she discovered it to be a spiritually life-affirming experience, as she encountered the profound power and wisdom of her patients.

Understanding that those who are soon to pass away are those who perhaps are most alive, she quickly came to realize how much we can learn from their experiences and stories. Including teachings from great ancient sages and mystical poets, Wyatt presents us with lessons on how to accept our mortality and live life to the fullest.

Over the last two decades, Suzanne Worthley has helped the terminally ill and their loved ones as an energy healer. Her vast experience in this field has made it possible for her to describe the process of the soul’s transition into the afterlife extremely clearly from the perspective of how energy moves through the physical and subtle body at the time of dying.

This book gives us a guided journey of how the process of dying is actually experienced, as the vital energy and our consciousness moves through the various chakras.

Included is also a lot of material which helps those close to someone dying, and gives them valuable practices of support for coming to terms with their loss.

Psychotherapist Linda Yael Schiller invites you to step into the land of dreams, where we find answers and tools to gain healing and wholeness which are normally hidden to us while we’re awake.

Covering techniques and teachings from Jungian psychology, Kabbalah and Shamanism, she makes it easy for you to begin a personalized journey into your own dream-world and to learn how to explore and interpret the magical realms of the subconscious mind. Teaching you how to remember dreams better and interact with them on deeper level by revisiting them during daytime and mapping them out, we can unlock the profound potential which shamans and mystics of all ages have drawn from.

Several years ago, when Cassady Cayne hit rock bottom during a personal crisis, she experienced how the Universe called out to her through a lucid dream and filled her heart with love and light. She then deepened her connection with this great source of unconditional compassion and energy. With this book, she brings you her firm conviction that ultimately the Universe is always here to help you no matter who you are and how bad things look. Each chapter is like a message from the cosmic consciousness filled with hope and peace, making it a perfect book to simply pick up whenever you need to be reminded that in truth, we are all surrounded by love.

208pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

176pp, 197 x 127 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

288pp, 197 x 131 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £13.99

256pp, 190 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP: £10.99

❖ Code: 300255 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

❖ Code: 300236 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

❖ Code: 300217 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

❖ Code: 300208 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

ANCESTRAL HEALING FOR YOUR SPIRITUAL AND GENETIC FAMILIES

by Jeanne Ruland & Shatideva

ANIMAL SOUL CONTRACTS

by Tammy Billups

This beautiful and simple full-colour book contains meditations, writing exercises and other rituals that will help you come into harmony with your spiritual origins by coming into closer touch with your ancestral lineage. The teaching is based on Hawaiian Huna traditions and the book aims to connect you with ancestors going back thousands of years. The book is a delight with illustrations and colour photos complementing perfectly rituals like Aligning with Your Six Direct Forbears, Emptying the Collective Bowl and Finding Peace with your Parents. Through ancestral healing you can find out more about yourself now and shed light on your destiny in the future.

This is a book that surely many of us will have been waiting for, one that explores the spiritual relationship between us and our animal companions. We often think that there is more than a dependent connection between us and our dogs and cats, but we might then think we are being sentimental.

However, this book dives deep into everything that might be going on between us, including the ways in which both parties are aiding our souls’ evolution. The author is a celebrated healer and a pioneer in animal-human sacred soul partnership. She reveals how animals we have previously loved will come back, sometimes a dog as a cat or cat as dog, and they continue their support of us.

112pp, 191 x 146 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

192pp, 210 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300229 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

18

MODERN DREAMWORK

by Linda Yael Schiller

❖ Code: 300233 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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The Feminine & The Goddess – BOOK REVIEWS MAGDALENE MYSTERIES

by Seren Bertrand and Azra Bertrand

This new book by the authors of the previous title Womb Awakening is likewise comprehensive, large-format and richly illustrated. It also goes deeply into its subject matter with tremendous energy and imagination. Finally, it covers again a vital aspect of feminine energy in spiritual currents, an energy which is available to men as well as women. So it’s about Mary Magdelene as an embodiment of the Goddess at the centre of an enduring mystery tradition that also runs through Sumerian, Egyptian and Greek cultures. They also trace the tradition into later times, focusing especially on the Adoration of the Mystic Lamb altarpiece by Jan van Eyck. The book is of course practical as well, containing all sorts of rituals and practices that we can incorporate into our own lives.

LIFE DESIGN FOR WOMEN

by Ariane Burgess

Women are yet to fully play a role in shaping life on Earth although they make up 50 per cent of the population, and the subtitle of this book ‘Conscious living as a force for positive change’ highlights the reasons why it’s difficult to make changes - our worldviews shape the physical world around us and shape us, and we need to understand that this dominant worldview perpetuates a default way of living. Ariane helps identify how we can transform our lifestyles through life-affirming daily choices and provides reflective exercises and practical tools to help us reclaim our power - so we can choose to live more consciously, connecting more deeply with Nature and bringing positive change to the world around us.

192pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP 12.99

560pp, 254 x 178 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £25.00

❖ Code: 300224 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

THE HEART OF THE GREAT MOTHER

by Christine R Page

MOON WISDOM

by Heather Roan Robbins

❖ Code: 300232 ❖ Non-Member Price: £17.76 ❖ Member Price: £15.99

Caroline Myss calls this “a masterpiece of ancient wisdom and truth” and it’s an inspiring text that ranges across all sorts of subject matter. The three faces of the Great Mother are Virgin, Mother and Crone and the book goes on to cover many of these manifestations, like the Virgin Mary, Brigid, Mut and Kali, as well as Mythological Archaeology and the initiation we undergo through all the star signs. We have entered a 26,000 year cycle under the charge of the Great Mother, who is calling upon us to create a world worthy of the next seven generations, and this passionate book will help us to release our old destructive patterns and embrace the divine feminine qualities. It includes many photographs and line drawings.

The publisher Cico Books specializes in these excellent value full-colour books about mainstream esoteric subjects. They aren’t radical, advanced or off-the-wall, but they make great gifts for people relatively new to the subject or introductory books to buy for yourself. The moon shines on us all alike and exerts its influence not least through its gravitational pull. This gives us all sorts of ways to examine our lives according to our time of birth and according to the position of the moon now. The more we can connect to its cycles, the better we can empower our own lives and plan better.

This attractive book gives us all sorts of guidance for living according to the natural cycles of the solar system.

144pp, 235 x 190 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

248pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300223 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

WHEN GOD HAD A WIFE

by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince

NATURAL WOMAN

by Leslie Korn

❖ Code: 300225 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

Exploring the religious history of the ancient Middle East, Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince uncover the veneration of goddesses and female prophets among the ancient Jews and early Christians, as well as how the wisdom of the divine feminine was systematically rejected by the authors of both the Old and New Testaments.

Moving from the early cults of Yahweh’s wife Asherah to the figures of Sophia, St. Mary and Mary Magdalene as Christian goddesses and priestesses, this is a book that will completely change your perception of the biblical stories and western history in general. If you always felt like there was a feminine element missing within the Abrahamic religions, this book will show how that came to be.

336pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 300227 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

This book is absolutely packed with brilliant herbal remedies which can be used for more or less any conceivable ailment.

Although it is tailored for a female audience, there still is plenty of material in here for anyone who is after more nutritious ways to health and healing. Moving between traditional forms of herbal medicine and the spiritual aspects of plant lore, this book covers a huge range of treatments in a user-friendly style and can be picked out from your bookshelf whenever you are in need of an effective natural remedy. There is so much goodness to be found in it, that it basically could be seen as something of an encyclopaedia of herbal healing in and of itself.

336pp, 179 x 230 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 300219 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

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19

BOOK REVIEWS – Classics THE POWER OF NOW

by Eckhart Tolle

The phenomenal bestselling self-help book of its generation. Eckhart Tolle demonstrates how to live a healthier and happier life by living in the present moment.

To make the journey into The Power of Now we will need to leave our analytical mind and its false created self, the ego, behind. Surrender to the present moment, where problems do not exist. It is here we find our joy, are able to embrace our true selves and discover that we are already complete and perfect. If we are able to be fully present and take each step in the Now we will be opening ourselves to this transforming experience. Now available as a new 20th Anniversary edition, this is a book to revisit again and again.

224pp, 197 x 131 mm, Paperback, 2001, RRP £9.99

Code: 300256 Non-Member Price: £8.87 Member Price: £7.99

STILLNESS SPEAKS

by Eckhart Tolle

As Eckhart Tolle says, a true spiritual teacher does not have anything to teach in the conventional sense of the word and does not have anything to give or add to you, such as new information, beliefs, or rules of conduct. The only function of such a teacher is to help you remove that which separates you from the truth of who you already are and what you already know in the depth of your being. Stillness Speaks does exactly that, in the most powerful way. In it, Eckhart Tolle uses words as signposts to point us past the realm of thought, to the fathomless peace that lies beyond. He revives the oldest form of recorded spiritual teachings: the sutras of ancient India. These are sacred aphorisms or short sayings that, because they have arisen from a sublime state of consciousness, have the power to ignite that same state of consciousness in others.

144pp, 198 x 129 mm, Paperback, 2003, RRP: £10.99

Code: 130901 Non-Member Price: £8.87 Member Price: £7.99

A NEW EARTH by Eckhart Tolle

A new earth begins with you. So says Eckhart Tolle in this exceptionally worthwhile book, which provides the spiritual background for anyone to make their own life - and therefore the world - better and more meaningful. Tolle exposes the fears that hang over us all and shows how each of us can find happiness and health through a series of simple, life-affirming steps: understanding the illusory self; going beyond ego; the secret of happiness; learning how to stop carrying the past; and discovering the joy of being.

Prepare yourself for a transformative journey of self-enlightenment, as A New Earth strips away the illusions we live by and provides a new basis for personal spirituality and self-improvement 336pp, 130 x 197 mm, Paperback, 2009, RRP: £10.99

Code: 151006 Non-Member Price: £8.87 Member Price: £7.99

20

LOVING WHAT IS by Byron Katie

Would you like to reach new and profound understandings about your life? Replace pain with laughter and joy? Exchange depression for a lightness of being? If your answer is `Yes’, Loving What Is explains how using just four questions can change your life forever. When applied to different emotional, mental or physical difficulties, these four questions can awaken peaceful, even ecstatic feelings, and radically alter your perspective. In highly unusual circumstances Katie awakened one morning to a sudden and dramatic shift in awareness, which brought her an inner clarity. In Loving What Is she shows you how to understand and befriend your mind, rather than attempt to change it. The result is that you can be who you really are, in your own skin, comfortable with reality and able to love yourself.

258pp, 152mm x 232mm, Paperback, 2002, RRP: £12.99

Code: 120528 Non-Member Price: £10.55 Member Price: £9.50

THE PROPHET by Kahlil Gibran

Poet, philosopher, and artist, Kahlil Gibran (1883 - 1931) was born in Lebanon. The millions of Arabicspeaking peoples familiar with his writings in that language consider him the genius of his age and he was a man whose fame and influence spread far beyond the country of his birth. His poetry has been translated into more than twenty languages and his drawings and paintings have been exhibited in the great capitals of the world and compared

by Auguste Rodin to the work of William Blake. The Prophet is known and loved by readers all over the world, who find in them an expression of the deepest impulses of man’s heart and mind. This is a new, beautiful pocket edition of this timeless classic.

112pp, 111 x 184 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP: £12.99

Code: 300258 Non-Member Price: £10.55 Member Price: £9.50

CRYSTAL BIBLE VOLUME 1

by Judy Hall

Judy Hall’s first volume of The Crystal Bible is now a classic reference, a directory of all the major stones currently available and many lesser known crystals. Beautifully illustrated in colour, this is a comprehensive guide to crystals, their shapes, colours and applications. The directory format enables you to find a known crystal instantly or to identify an unknown crystal. The book covers the practical and esoteric properties of each crystal, including spiritual, mental, psychological, emotional and physical effects, plus its use in crystal healing. This is an indispensable reference for crystal lovers everywhere, encompassing traditional and contemporary crystal lore.

400pp, 148 x 164 mm, Paperback, 2009, RRP £14.99

Code: 190817 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

Classics – BOOK REVIEWS THE BOOK ON THE TABOO AGAINST KNOWING WHO YOU ARE

by Alan Watts

In these sombre times, we encourage you to revisit this modern classic written by Alan Watts in 1969. Times were perhaps somewhat different back then, but not much seems to have changed regarding ‘the taboo’ he spoke of, making this book perhaps more relevant than ever. As always, Alan Watts’ language is both clear and poetic, humorous as well as serious, as he examines the dire need for humanity to seek out a spiritual solution for the mess it now finds itself in.

Influenced by his vast knowledge of Zen Buddhism and mystical Christianity, Watts doesn’t shun the big questions, and we are led on a quest to discover our true nature and how we in truth are deeply connected with the boundless source of all life.

GOOD VIBES, GOOD LIFE

by Vex King

This is a Sunday Times bestseller, with over 100,000 copies sold, but we haven’t included it in Cygnus before. How can you learn to truly love yourself? How can you transform negative emotions into positive ones? Is it possible to find lasting happiness? In this book, Instagram guru Vex King answers all these questions and more. Vex overcame adversity to become a source of hope for thousands of young people, and now draws from his personal experience and his intuitive wisdom to inspire you to: practise self-care, overcome toxic energy and prioritize your wellbeing. It’s not profound or esoteric but this book has helped a lot of people. When you change the way you think, feel, speak and act, you begin to change the world.

304pp, 177 x 127 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £10.99

176pp, 196 x 132 mm, Paperback, 2009, RRP: £8.99

❖ Code: 300259 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

THE ALCHEMIST

by Paulo Coelho

BHAGAVAD GITA

by W.J. Johnson (trans.)

❖ Code: 300257 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

The Alchemist is a transforming novel about the essential wisdom of listening to our hearts, learning to read the omens strewn along life’s path and, above all, following our dreams. It tells the magical story of Santiago, an Andalusian shepherd boy who yearns to travel in search of a worldly treasure as extravagant as any ever found. From his home in Spain he journeys to the exotic markets of Tangiers and into the Egyptian desert where a fateful encounter with the alchemist awaits him. Under the guidance of the alchemist, he learns what treasure he really seeks, and where he must go to find it. This is a modern spiritual classic.

224pp, 162 x 120 mm, Paperback, 1995, RRP: £9.99

❖ Code: 050225 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

The Bhagavad Gita is an ancient Hindu text telling the story of the warrior Arjuna - who represents the human soul on the battlefield of life - and what he learns from his divine teacher, Krishna. Spiritually transforming, it begins with a strong plea to shed all anxiety and grief so that, with a carefree, untroubled mind, one can commence a dynamic spiritual practice. This leads to liberation from attachment to the earthly self or ego, which veils the full power of the Divine Self within each one of us. Chapter by chapter, the Gita reveals a step-bystep process leading to this Enlightenment. It is like a beautiful symphony, melodiously unfolding until it reaches the grand coda of spiritual freedom, profound inner peace and unconditional love.

128pp, 197 x 128 mm, Paperback, 2008, RRP: £4.99

❖ Code: 300260 ❖ Non-Member Price: £3.88 ❖ Member Price: £3.50

TAO TE CHING by Lao Tzu (trans. Ursula Le Guin)

THE HERO WITH A THOUSAND FACES by Joseph Campbell

208pp, 142 x 216 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP: £13.99

224pp, 220 x 140 mm, Hardback, 2012, RRP £18.99

The Tao Te Ching is universally renowned as a sublimely poetic spiritual teaching by the legendary sage, Lao Tzu. It is one of the world’s most translated books, and there are already a huge number of English translations available. This one by the writer Ursula Le Guin (most famous for her fantastic Earthsea novels) is perhaps one of the most inspired. She worked with Chinese scholars to develop a version that lets the ancient text speak in a fresh way to modern people, while remaining faithful to the poetic beauty of the work.

Avoiding scholarly interpretations and esoteric Taoist insights, she has revealed the text’s immediate relevance and power, its depth and refreshing humour, in a way that shows better than ever before why it has been so much loved for more than 2,500 years. ❖ Code: 300261 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

Since its release in 1949, The Hero with a Thousand Faces has influenced millions of readers by combining the insights of modern psychology with Joseph Campbell’s revolutionary understanding of comparative mythology. In these pages, Campbell outlines the Hero’s Journey, a universal motif of adventure and transformation that runs through virtually all the world’s mythic traditions. As relevant today as when it was first published, it continues to find new audiences in fields ranging from religion and anthropology to literature and film studies. The book has also profoundly influenced creative artists—including authors, songwriters, game designers, and filmmakers—and continues to inspire all those interested in the inherent human need to tell stories. ❖ Code: 270140 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

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21

EMERGENT SPIRITUALITY

by Tim Freke

FACE YOGA

by Danielle Collins

“Find your way to a happier, healthier life”

MEDITATION MASTERCLASS

with William Bloom

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PSYCHIC POWER AND SPIRIT COMMUNICATION

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THE GENE KEYS

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EVERYDAY RITUALS AND SPELLS

by Theresa Cheung

Discover a collection of online courses from the very best teachers and a brand that’s been helping people experience more fulfilled lives for over 125 years.

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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.

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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

RETREATS ANAM CARA RETREAT CENTRE, Scottish Highlands, Inverness. Residential workshops and retreats in Shamanism, Buddhism, Meditation, Yoga Training, Healing Arts, Creative Ecology & Working Retreats. To request a brochure, tel. 01463 711702 email: welcome@anamcara.org visit: ww.anamcara.org

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

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23

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

Sharing Spiritual Wisdom for 30 years

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DEBORAH BROMLEY

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

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

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

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