Cygnus Review - Summer 2022

www.cygnusreview.com

Summer 2022, Issue 3

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

A New Edition of

KYLE GRAY’S RAISE YOUR VIBRATION Charles Eisenstein on

THE LOCKDOWN AND ITS COST

Plus!

❖ How to Journey into

the World Beyond ❖ An All-Colour Guide to Sacred Britain ❖ New Diaries and Almanacs ❖ Peering into an Alternative Albion ❖ Directory of Cygnus Cafes

Why an Afterlife Obviously Exists

By Jens Amberts

EDITOR’S LETTER

Focus on the Transcendent

M

uch of the time, when I sit down and write this letter, I don’t know if it’s everyday me that is writing or whether something greater might come through. What if I am stressed or anxious? Preoccupied with my phone not working or the cat being unwell? In the end I suppose it is what it is: there are deadlines, and whether it’s good or not, there it is.

All I can conclude is that it’s practice, and if I practise and keep staying open, I can be confident that I am thinking, writing and talking in tune with this larger force that partly comes from within and is in another sense outside me. I think right now it’s my primary spiritual path, to try at all times to act in line with that greater something.

We are all fortunate to be here in these fast-changing times. It seems like much is getting better even though the danger seems ever greater of things getting worse. We have though been liberated from an old rigidity and are able to think more freely, despite the pressures and the forces trying to control us. Many books have pointed this out, including The Coronation here in this magazine.

Earlier in the spring I helped at the Wellbeing Show in London. It was encouraging on many levels, for

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example because of the sheer mix of people of all races and social strata.

I reflected then that an immense amount of headway has been made in terms of the things people are interested in and practising, like mindfulness, yoga, CBD oils, gong baths and even drug microdosing. It’s mainstream now and nothing to hide or feel sheepish about. The battle for acceptance, if you want to call it that, has been won.

However, I also think that we need to go up to the next level. Instead of just improving our physical and mental health and creating a lifestyle we are happy with, we now need to honour all that is, all life and all creation. We can be healthier and fitter and that does have a positive effect on the world, but I believe – and I am confident that many of you do too – that it will genuinely transform ourselves and the world if we strive to know or understand, and then honour, what is beyond all this, the greater reality that we know exists behind our everyday lives and our more ordinary daily round. That’s what I am trying to do when I write this.

I think that a constant striving to connect with what’s greater will help us make this world a better place.

Most of you are better at this than I am and I love the conversations I have with you where you lift me up. I think Cygnus is one of the organizations that has always known that the striving for God (yes let’s use that word now, whatever it might mean to us as individuals) is one of the fundamental impulses in life. And this is a personal approach, within an established religion if that’s best for you and outside if it’s not. We are also free to do this in any way we choose, as long as it doesn’t cause harm. No one is entitled to judge us.

I hope that people turn their eyes upwards and start to explore the mystery behind yoga, Buddhism, and even drugs and feel secure that religion has no hold over them and has nothing to do with the search.

The exploration is the path and maybe we will only feel we have “got there” in the very last moments of our

“Instead of just improving our physical and mental health and creating a lifestyle we are happy with, we now need to honour all that is, all life and all creation.” lives. We might want more but we have to make do with knowing we are doing our best.

Cygnus consists of many brave pioneers and I am very proud of what you all do. Please, if you aren’t already, consider becoming a member, because that extra money gives us the resources to keep on keeping on.

I feel weird about putting in that plug but your memberships bring us together even more strongly and that helps us all feel more secure on this demanding path. Thank you.

Adam

MEET THE TEAM Publisher

Etan Ilfeld

Editor

Adam Gordon

Head of Design

Karen Smith

with thanks to Glen Wilkins Head of Sales

Vicky Hartley

Advertising

Jo Fabiaschi

Reviews

Adam Gordon Emma Thackara

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

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WHY AN AFTERLIFE OBVIOUSLY EXISTS BY JENS AMBERTS

Jens Amberts, Linköping, 2021 © John Hunt Publishing 2022

T

his is a book about four things divided into three different main chapters. One chapter concerns a new thought experiment in philosophy. Another chapter concerns an in-depth and arguably trailblazing analysis of the realer than real attribute of near-death experiences (NDEs).

The last major chapter concerns a clarification of what to some have been previously considered at least somewhat ambiguous data about NDEs. And the fourth overarching and permeating thing is how all of this ties together to demonstrate why it is beyond astronomically likely and hence empirically certain that an afterlife actually exists.

The argument in this book became evident to me soon after I started researching NDEs seriously back in 2006 and 2007, as it does to many others as well who start researching NDEs. However, most researchers and thinkers have so far not pressed this issue when arguing whether an afterlife exists or not.

But since as far as I can tell and judge the situation it is the single most convincing argument in favor of the existence of an afterlife, I have therefore decided to press this issue myself. So in 2016 when I one day spontaneously came up with a thought experiment that made it so much easier to articulate this argument as clearly as I have now done, I began writing this book. It was first intended to become a peer-reviewed article, but as I kept on writing and expanding the text greatly, it eventually became too long to fit in the vast majority of peer-reviewed philosophy journals. Hence I decided to make a book of it instead.

An Opening Introduction In general, there are three potential ways of being justifiably certain that an afterlife exists. These are to either have a personal experience of it, or to be persuaded by scientific data indicative of it, or to be persuaded by philosophical arguments in favor of it. Since the reading of any book can never become the first reason, neither is the reading of this book. But it is presenting a philosophical argument that is based on four non-controversial empirical facts about NDEs, so it is a combination of the latter two reasons.

I chose to write this book for many reasons, but one of them was because I want to give the rest of the world a chance to be and feel as justifiably certain of the existence of an afterlife as I am, despite the fact that most people have never had an unambiguously direct experience of the afterlife

WHY AN AFTERLIFE OBVIOUSLY EXISTS by Jens Amberts

themselves (and this also includes me).

The reality is, after all, that most people who do not believe in an afterlife do not do so because they have never experienced it or anything even slightly indicative of it directly themselves. But we do not have to experience something directly ourselves to justifiably know that it exists. I have experienced neither Australia nor the planet Neptune directly myself, but I can still justifiably know that these places exist based on many other considerations and inferences. And while the title of this book states that it is obvious that an afterlife exists, obviously it is not as obvious that an afterlife exists as, say, that the sky appears as blue on a sunny and cloudless day. Books, scientific data, and philosophical arguments are ultimately just words on paper or on a screen, and they can only ever convince a person on an intellectual level of something, and not on an experiential level. But it is obvious enough from an intellectual level when you familiarize yourself with and reflect upon the argument presented in this book that an afterlife in all likelihood actually exists, such that it will be very hard to rationally deny it. So in this book I will guide you through a lot of considerations and inferences to demonstrate why you can feel and be justifiably certain that an afterlife exists, despite never having experienced it yourself. Indeed, the argument being presented in this book is central to the discussion of whether an afterlife exists or not and can no longer be ignored or downplayed while preserving intellectual honesty and responsibility in the pursuit of truth on the matter.

While there is a lot of literature about NDE’s, it is still easy to dismiss them as the result of a brain in trauma, or a sort of dream, sometimes just because it is too much to believe that life after death can exist. Jens Amberts tackles this scepticism with facts and figures, analysing the accounts of NDEs alongside the beliefs of those that experienced them, both before and after the event. He finds that not only are the accounts related by people who would be characterised as sceptics and agnostics, but that their accounts have a certain commonality, feeling “realer than real” and involving heightened senses and an overwhelming feeling of love and peace. Because he bases his argument on four fundamental facts gleaned from actual testimonies, it is highly persuasive and thought-provoking.

I think it’s a book many of us will be drawn to read.

Essential Summer reading

176pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 320227 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Diaries, Almanacs & The Night Sky ASTROLOGY DIARY 2023 by Ana Leo

Back for its third year in English, this diary is as fun and spectacular as ever. It contains all the astrological information you will ever need as well as daily guidance, beautiful illustrations and full-page frontispieces for each lunar month in both the western and the Hebrew traditions. This year it’s properly bound like a book and not spiral-bound which makes it look like a wise and learned tome. There’s plenty of room to write in and it includes all sorts of invaluable charts. There are full-page illustrations in gold and plenty of space to set intentions for each month. It brings lunar wisdom into your day to day, with life-coaching tools and tips each week. The planner is divided by sign, showing how the sun’s movement through the zodiac affects everyone’s energies, whatever their sun sign.

This is the original biodynamic sowing and harvesting calendar, trusted by generations of farmers and gardeners, which has lifetime sales in English of more than 135,000 copies.

This month-to-view almanac offers clear advice that closely reflects the natural and organic principles of the biodynamic movement. It’s essential for organic gardeners and farmers, and it contains a variety of data, presented in colour with clear symbols and explanations. It includes the phases of the moon, astrological advice, plus plenty of straightforward intuitive guidance on how to get the best out of your crops. It also includes Thun’s unique insights, which go above and beyond the standard information presented in other lunar calendars.

290pp, 208 x 150 mm, 2022, RRP £14.99

96pp, 234 x 156 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £7.99

EVERY DAY MATTERS DESK DIARY 2023 by Jess Sharp

STARGAZERS’ ALMANAC 2023 by Bob Mizon

176pp, 247 x 167 mm, Spiral bound, 2022, RRP £12.99

32pp, 306 x 426 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

EVERY DAY MATTERS POCKET DIARY 2023 by Jess Sharp

THE MERCURY RETROGRADE BOOK

by Yasmin Bowland and Kim Farnell

176pp, 148 x 100 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £7.99

224pp, 177 x 128 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 320255 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

Designed as a resource for enriching daily life, this bestselling illustrated holistic planner will guide you on a journey of awareness and fulfilment as you go about your everyday activities. It’s all too easy to become overwhelmed with multiple thoughts each day as our to-do lists grow, so this diary insightfully offers up one life-enhancing theme a month for you to focus on. This year’s themes range from Positivity, Trust and Relaxation to Vulnerability, Gentleness and Balance. Each week-to-view spread then features an inspiring quote that encourages reflection on the theme and an exercise to further your overall well-being. This allows a seed of inspiration and awareness not just to be planted but also to grow substantially, so that positive action can become an integral part of daily life. Across all formats Every Day Matters Diary now has lifetime sales of nearly 500,000 copies. ❖ Code: 320261 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

Designed as a resource for enriching daily life, this bestselling illustrated holistic planner will guide you on a journey of awareness and fulfilment as you go about your everyday activities. It’s all too easy to become overwhelmed with multiple thoughts each day as our to-do lists grow, so this diary insightfully offers up one life-enhancing theme a month for you to focus on. This year’s themes range from Positivity, Trust and Relaxation to Vulnerability, Gentleness and Balance. Each week-to-view spread then features an inspiring quote that encourages reflection on the theme and an exercise to further your overall well-being. This allows a seed of inspiration and awareness not just to be planted but also to grow substantially, so that positive action can become an integral part of daily life. Across all formats Every Day Matters Diary now has lifetime sales of nearly 500,000 copies. ❖ Code: 320262 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99

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MARIA THUN BIODYNAMIC CALENDAR 2023 by Maria and Matthias Thun

❖ Code: 320207 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

Explore the night skies with this beautiful illustrated monthly guide to the stars and planets. It allows you to step outside and track the planets, locate the Milky Way, recognise the constellations of the zodiac and watch meteor showers. Stargazers’ Almanac 2023 is a beautiful month-by-month guide to the night skies, designed specifically for naked-eye astronomy - no telescope required! - making it ideal for beginners, children and backyard astronomers. Each monthly chart features two views of the night sky looking north and south, and a visual guide to the phases of the moon and the movements of the planets. It’s suitable for astronomy enthusiasts throughout the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate (non-tropical) latitudes. It’s large-format, has a loop and eyelet for easy wall hanging and is presented in a sturdy cardboard gift envelope. ❖ Code: 320208 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

If you think that Mercury Retrograde means nothing but doom and gloom and bad luck, read on! The authors, including Moonology’s Yasmin Boland, have set out to dispel the myths that surround Mercury Retrograde, including those that have you blaming it for all sorts of things in your life that are actually down to you. But, more importantly, they outline all the areas that you should be wary of, suggesting that you can even turn them into opportunities, listing them in a really handy chart of Dos and Don’ts.

You will also be able to learn about the effects of Mercury Retrograde depending on the element in which it’s retrograding; how it affects each of the star signs; how it manifests its energies through the 12 houses of your birth chart; and what happens when it meets your planets.

Once you’ve read this book, Mercury in Retrograde will never be your enemy again! ❖ Code: 320215 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

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THE CORONATION BY CHARLES EISENSTEIN

© Chelsea Green Publishing 2022

A

nother path lies before us, a path of healing, peace, forgiveness, flourishing; a beauty way. It is not the only path. It is not the widest path nor the easiest to find among the many radiating out into the future from the crossroads I wrote of in “The Coronation.”

In the last essay of this collection, “A Path Will Rise to Meet Us,” I described just the first step on this path, the step away from the abuser. Many of us have taken it. What next? What now? It is time to build a different kind of future.

No one will do it for us.

We cannot wait for it to happen.

We are here to make it happen.

Buckminster Fuller’s most famous statement has become a cliché: “You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete.” Usually when words become cliché it is because they carry truth; this is no exception…

Even if we sometimes must fight, we will prevail only if we are fighting for something, not just against something.

When we fight for rather than against, often we needn’t fight much at all.

That’s because winning no longer defines success. Creating something new defines success, and we are not stuck on fighting as the way to achieve it. We need not crush in turn that which seeks to crush ourselves. We can uphold the beauty of the destination in constant invitation for each and all to join us…

Any secret wish that “someday, the other side will regret it,” any wish that one’s opponents will suffer, reveals a loyalty to something besides healing in the world. Are you willing to welcome the other side into a more beautiful world even if they never admit they were wrong? It is a lot easier to let go of beliefs if you don’t face the prospect of your enemies dancing triumphantly over your crumpled ego.

A spirit of generosity infuses Buckminster Fuller’s maxim. It doesn’t mean never to resist violence or oppression. It asks us to shift our primary orientation toward a goal that includes everyone.

Some Conclusions Fuller speaks keenly to our present historical moment. Implacable forces propel us toward a nightmare of techno-medico-totalitarianism, ecological degradation, and extreme economic inequality. Surely we must drop everything else to resist these forces, since if they prevail they will crush the green shoots of any alternative we try to build, right? No. Counterintuitively, it is the perfect time for the green shoots to grow into trees.

The time is right because the old reality is so much less hospitable than it was even a few years ago, making the new models all the more appealing.

As mentioned, my wife, Stella, is a healer. A few weeks ago, a woman brought her son in for treatment of a nervous tic and other health issues.

Stella, using light touch and what she calls “resonant attention,” felt something amiss in his knees. “What’s going on with his knees?” she asked.

“Oh, I forgot to mention, he’s been complaining of intense knee pain for years,” she said.

Stella proceeded to work on the boy’s knees. He has been free of pain ever since. His nervous tic disappeared as well.

Why is it that millions, tens of millions of people flock to alternative practitioners like Stella? Is it because we have mounted a successful assault on the edifice of modern medicine, overpowering it with our own array of controlled, randomized, double-blind, peer-reviewed studies? Have people read our critique and then, exercising their reason, concluded that they’d better leave the system? Of course not. Usually the way it happens is that someone tries alternatives out of curiosity or desperation. The “old reality” wasn’t working for them, and they are ready to look for something beyond it. They step outside it, and if they are lucky, find a new model of health care that makes the existing one obsolete. Only then are they open to reading the critiques of the old system, which help them make new sense of the world and assure them that yes, it is okay to step into a new one.

THE CORONATION by Charles Eisenstein

Another book on the Covid phenomenon? Yes, but I think that we need to put these books out there and keep the debate going. Charles Eisenstein is a very trusted writer and activist who focuses on the environment and culture in general. Here he puts forward essays he has written from March 2016 till December 2021, and has added contemporary comments on what he wrote and what the reaction was. He looks at how society has reacted to the crisis and he has gradually become more horrified about the scapegoating of nonconformity and the disintegration of the “old normal”. His account is fascinating and thought-provoking. More than anything he is in a good position to illuminate where we might go from here, in a positive sense. Humanity isn’t unaffected and we clearly aren’t going back to the way things were. We need books like this to build back stronger.

192pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 320267 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Spirits & Spiritualism BEING HUMAN IN THE NOW

by Ana Pogačnik

WISDOM FROM THE SPIRIT WORLD

by Carole J. Obley

120pp, 210 x 156 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.00

240pp, 214 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2020, RRP £11.99

GOOD MORNING HENRY

by Tanis Helliwell

MEDIUM MENTOR

by MaryAnn DiMarco

216pp, 227 x 151 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £9.95

256pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

LOVE IN THE TIME OF IMPERMANENCE by Matthew McKay

REINCARNATION AND KARMA

by Judith von Halle

The subtitle is Conversations with the Soul of my Sister Ajra and the book is a dialogue between two sisters separated by death. As you can guess from the name, they are both daughters of the renowned geomancer, author and energy worker Marko Pogačgnik.

Ajra died young, in her forties; the sisters had both been on the spiritual path so when Ajra passed, Ana decided to make contact with her and the results were almost instantaneous. She comes through as spontaneous thoughts which Ana is quick to put on the page. The book is full of amazing description and guidance on making the transition from one state to the other. It’s encouraging and uplifting and the information is of course immensely helpful. It’s also good to hear this when the world seems so demanding and unfriendly. ❖ Code: 320222 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

It’s been a while since there has been a new book from Tanis and I am pleased to say that this is exactly in her usual style, being very humorous and light while also dealing with all the big issues. Henry is her “body intelligence” or “body elemental” and the book is her dialogue with this inner voice whose destiny is to guide her into a place of understanding and then healing. There is much at the moment about somatic work and feelings that are embedded in the body but this is the first time the material has manifested in this way via a voice within.

In these tricky times we need this exceptional guidance and the dialogue recognizes that for many of us this is a Dark Night of the Soul. That’s how the book is so effective, because it’s framed in a fun way while dealing with difficult issues. It also contains a final section on healing specific conditions and parts of the body. ❖ Code: 320264 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

The purpose of this book is to help us to learn what love is, how to find it and how to keep it. The author, a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology, writes about love, with love. He also writes with his son, who he lost in 2008, but with whom he has been able to continue to communicate in spirit ever since. This is the third book in the series. He writes with passion about how loss and pain are pathways to love, but also about how to think about loving what you don’t like, about the relationship between love and gratitude and how to navigate through difficult choices.

The book also includes practices and meditations designed to help love endure in the face of loss, disappointment, change, or any of the ways relationships and circumstances are altered by time.

128pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 320242 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

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The author has been the bridge between heaven and earth in more than 9,000 group and individual readings so has a wealth of experiences and spiritual wisdom to draw on.

In this, her fourth book, she presents her wisdom in three parts. In the first she shows us how souls plan to experience a life before taking physical form and gives us guide posts to help us decode our soul’s imprinted lessons. In the second part she shares teachings on life and death that have been delivered by spirit beings during sessions and in the final part she offers simple, practical insights, recommendations and personal assessments to help us navigate life’s challenges There’s also a glossary with simple definitions which is a big help if you are new to this area. ❖ Code: 320228 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

For those of you who have often thought that you were being guided by a higher power or that you have psychic gifts but have never done anything about it, this book is for you. Its author MaryAnn DiMarco is an internationally renowned psychic who believes that we all possess psychic abilities but that few of us are taught how to use them. She has written this book to remedy this, presenting ten powerful techniques alongside strategies and tactics to help develop psychic gifts, to interpret messages and to strengthen connections to the Other Side. The techniques are adaptable for each individual since everyone will be at a different stage, and by the end of the book the author intends to get you to a place where you’ll have a working dialogue with Spirit. ❖ Code: 320231 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

This book is the transcript of a talk given by the author of Swan Wings on the Anthroposophical teachings of Rudolph Steiner. It is her introduction to the subject of reincarnation, karma and the meaning of life, and is easy to read. Focusing on our working life and how we make the decisions about what job to do, she unfolds the processes that have gone into getting us where we are today, and how we should listen to them and not the value-driven alternatives. She describes the ongoing development of our existence, from where we were before we were born to what happens to us after we die, and how, if we acknowledge this process and how it works, we can be better people in the life we are living right now. Well worth a read, especially if you feel trapped in your routine.

62pp, 215 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 320205 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.98

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MAGICAL BRITIAN BY ROB WILDWOOD MAGICAL BRITAIN

© Rob Wildwood 2022

Here are five photographs of this magical island taken from the book. I hope they encourage you to travel to the locations and breathe the air. And buy the book of course! I think I have been to three of them and the vibrant colours of these images makes me yearn to make those journeys again. The book is truly an inspiration.

There is an exchange between us when we go to these places: our visits make them sacred, and we also leave feeling enriched and more whole.

MAGICAL BRITAIN by Rob Wildwood

Unlike England On Fire featured on page 9, this gazetteer of sites includes the whole of Great Britain, plus all the small islands lying off its coast. It lists 650 magical locations all around us, with directions for how to find them, history and description of the site and stories and legends associated with it. Most importantly, every place has at least one colour photograph accompanying it, taken by the author himself, which gives us an idea of what we are going to see and encourages us to get excited about it and feel some of its magic before we actually get there. There are caves, wells, megaliths, old churches, hills, valleys and carvings. They range in location from suburban London to the Outer Hebrides, and they serve as a reminder that the whole country can be seen as a web of magical energy. It transforms what’s around us from the mundane into the transformative; plus these are great places to visit any time.

336pp, 212 x 173 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 320265 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

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BOOK REVIEWS – Oracle Decks SOULFLOWER PLANT SPIRIT ORACLE by Lisa Estabrook

SOUL HELPER ORACLE

by Christine Arana Fader

Each card in this wonderful deck features four companions to guide and support you on your soul’s path: a power animal, a healing stone, a plant essence, and a number with a corresponding rune. With these hints you can get an idea at the deepest level of what your soul yearns for. It begins with the card and then you can find out more with the guidebook which proposes how you can then work with the card across a 21-day cycle. It also suggests different spreads you can use to come up with a better perspective. The cards are dream-like and created with clear and hyper-real imagery. Each one also has a dominant colour. Themes include Reenergise in the Natural World and The Love of Your Dragon Reaches Out to You. If you jump with both feet into the world of this deck, these soul helpers will bring you divine light and wisdom and help you work out what your true goals are.

128pp, 135 x 97 mm, Boxed Set including 43 colour cards, 2022, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 320246 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.77 ❖ Member Price: £11.50 ❖ Due late August

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I can’t be the only person who feels that they have been supported and lifted up in these difficult times by the plant world, both by the physical beings and by them on a spiritual level. They are beautiful living entities which can be found in our gardens, in the local park or growing between the paving stones. This 44 card and guidebook set features full-colour plants with a short statement describing what that plant’s particular message might be. We can then use that wisdom to advise our own life, depending on the card we draw. Our existences are all intertwined and we can all work together to create a beautiful world.

The book describes all the different ways we can use the cards plus more information on what they might be saying. A great majority if not all the plants thrive here in Europe. Finally, the author is both an artist and a herbalist - a great combination.

176pp, 195 x 133 mm, Boxed set including 44 full-colour cards, 2022, RRP £25.00

❖ Code: 320247 ❖ Non-Member Price: £17.76 ❖ Member Price: £15.99

AVALON MAGIC

by Rose Inserra

I love this mini-deck. It’s full colour and contains 40 cards. The cards are about the size of business cards, except a bit longer.

There is an image on one side and then a short inspiring statement or affirmation on the other. All the images are related to Glastonbury or to the Arthurian set of stories.

The images are quite naïve but still beautiful and they really carry the energy of Avalon with them. You do feel as if the wise women of Avalon, like Morgan le Fay or The Lady of the Lake, are gently guiding you through these cards. The inspiring messages on the front are normally related to the image on the back.

Images include a woman over a cauldron, a unicorn, a crow, standing stones, a king, dragons and the Tor. The deck is so small you can take it everywhere with you and either get guidance whenever you need it, or get a little boost of enchantment in the midst of a drab day.

40 cards, 107 x 59 mm, Boxed Set, 2022, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 320250 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

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

ENGLAND ON FIRE BY STEPHEN ELLCOCK AND MAT OSMAN ENGLAND ON FIRE

There are no genuinely representative images from England On Fire because they are all so varied and unclassifiable. It’s a genuine attempt to honour the country while acknowledging its flawed history. It tries to tune into deeper currents in spirituality and folklore and focus on something intangible to give us a sense of the heritage of those of us living there, but it doesn’t try too hard because it’s up to us to come to conclusions, if we are inclined that way.

These pictures give us images from folklore, of megaliths and patterns on the ground and of our fantastical visions. This is just a glimpse though – the book as a whole is much more rich and astounding.

ENGLAND ON FIRE by Stephen Ellcock and Mat Osman

Please forgive me for including this book, but it’s one that I commissioned myself for Watkins Publishing. Stephen is an incredible art curator and he wrote a previous Cygnus title called All Good Things, and Mat is a founding member of the rock band Suede. Sorry also to all members who aren’t resident in England, but it’s about what England might be, about how it expresses itself through art, culture and mysticism, and about what the people who live here - whether they were born here or have come later in their life - have contributed to the visionary fabric of this country.

Stephen has selected some amazing images from photography, painting and drawing plus pictures of masks, sculptures and folk costumes and placed them before us with little comment, so that we can gather a sense of who we are and what is best about this country, free from hollow statements.

256pp, 216 x 181 mm, Hardback, 2022, RRP £25.00

❖ Code: 320259 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.65 ❖ Member Price: £14.99

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

9

BOOK REVIEWS – Healing & Ageing ALIVE UNTIL YOU’RE DEAD

by Susan Moon

LIFE, PART TWO

by David Chernikoff

208pp, 227 x 151 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

192pp, 215 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £17.99

HEALING PLANTS OF GREEK MYTH

by Angela Paine

REIKI’S HIGHEST POTENTIAL

by Sarina Korotane

352pp, 216 x 138 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £15.99

152pp, 215 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £8.99

HEALING WITH CLAY by Ran Knishinksy

THE CHAKRA COOKBOOK

by Annika Panotzki

This is a book about ageing. It’s not prescriptive: it does have some practices but they are integrated into the text. It’s mostly full of stories that are there to encourage us and to comfort us, about our own ageing and dying and about it happening to others we love. Likewise the author - a popular Buddhist teacher who is in her seventies - writes about her own ageing and about the ageing of people she has known, like her Zen teacher and her friend Jenny who has Lewy Body dementia. Every story is told with great humour and compassion and I am convinced that this book can be enjoyed by anybody, of any age. The author has no theory to outline or anything to convince us of. There is also no overt narrative: every chapter is an essay (the subtitle of the book is Notes on the Home Stretch which pretty much sums it up). Chapters include We Will Be Ancestors Too and Meeting the Final Deadline. ❖ Code: 320234 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.49

This may sound like slightly esoteric subject matter, but it’s not - this is simply a comprehensive guide to healing plants which also includes accounts of their earliest uses all the way back to Ancient Greece. There is a fascinating introduction describing how many of these plants played a role in Greek myths, and reminds us that some of our plants are actually named after characters in these ancient stories. Think of Achillea and Artemesia (Achilles and Artemis of course!) to name just two. The book goes on to describe each of the main healing plants detailing botanical information, healing properties and how to use the plant, alongside illuminating background information about how each plant was featured in Greek myths, how it came to be adopted in early Greek medicine and onwards to the present day. The plant directory is also illustrated with pretty line drawings which really bring the book to life. ❖ Code: 320224 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

Eating dirt isn’t something that sounds very wise, but this book tells us that far from being bad for you, it’s actually the reverse. The author, who found out about the health benefits of clay when ill himself, is a persuasive proponent and has gathered a lot of evidence to support this belief.

He tells us that more than 200 cultures worldwide eat clay on a daily basis to aid digestion and overall well-being, and cites many clinical studies that have proved that clay has multiple uses from counteracting poison to providing mineral supplements. Clay can also detoxify the body, it has antibacterial and antiviral effects and is used to treat some gastrointestinal conditions. This book is a thorough examination of the science of clay, its importance in some religious rituals and all its proven practical uses, and leaves you in no doubt that clay is well worth trying.

144pp, 197 x 126 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 320245 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

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This book is different to Alive Until You’re Dead, which is more inspirational and anecdotal. Its subtitle is Seven Keys to Awakening with Purpose and Joy as You Age, so it does have a teaching aspect. It’s more about the second half of life and facing tricky stuff, rather than the specifics of ageing. Each chapter is a stepping stone towards creating a more healthy and resilient outlook, although the book is still rich in stories. The book is informed at its foundations

by Buddhism, although the author makes reference to and is guided by great spiritual teachers who weren’t Buddhist, like Ram Dass, Father Thomas Keating and Zalman Schachter-Shalomi. In all his encounters with them he is encouraged into a state of Wise Elderhood - one which we must all aspire to. The whole tone of the book is friendly and encouraging and reading it just fills you with hope. ❖ Code: 320233 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.88 ❖ Member Price: £12.50

This is a detailed and personal guide to Original Usui Reiki containing all three Reiki degrees including the symbols and kotodama.

While the author advises that to become a professional practitioner you should seek guidance from a Reiki Master, she also believes that everyone’s Reiki journey is their own and here she gives you tools to follow that path, with illustrations taken from her own experiences. She covers each of the three degrees, Shoden – 1st Degree, Okuden – 2nd Degree, and Shinpeden and Shihan Master Degree which contain both the Eastern and Western philosophies, and clearly lays out all the basic information, meditations, exercises, and practical uses for each of these three levels of Reiki.

This book will appeal to all those interested in exploring healing and using Reiki to heal disease and trauma and promote well-being. ❖ Code: 320226 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

This vibrant full-colour book was written by a modern medicine woman from Sweden with a deep knowledge of plant medicine, nutrition and healing. We all know how important foods of different colours are for our health, but this takes the concept to a higher and more exciting level by suggesting that you choose the colours according to the chakras. There are over 80 wonderful recipes for every meal plus suggestions on how to live better through breathing exercises, intention setting, ceremonies and ritual. There’s also plenty of extra information on the chakras and how they work, plus a five day reset programme you can use to jump-start your life. Everything is vegan and free from refined sugar. The food is delicious and nutritious and your energy levels will be off the chart!

184pp, 252 x 197 mm, Hardback, 2022, RRP £20.00

❖ Code: 320257 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.88 ❖ Member Price: £12.50

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

FIND YOUR LOCAL CYGNUS CAFÉS

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

CUMBRIA, Penrith Jackie Lewis 07799 884452 stellapolarisbb@gmail.com

BRISTOL, Bishopston Jane Stott 07788 418 078 janestott070@gmail.com

DERBY/NOTTINGHAM David Steare 01332 661 102 david.steare@ntlworld.com

BUCKS, Milton Keynes Nikki Brown 07972 257 004 nikki-nutrimed@hotmail.co.uk

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

CEREDIGION, Llangrannog 1st Wednesday of every month 2-4 plus 3rd Friday 7-9 pm Amanda Painting 01239 654 699 amandapainting@gmail.com

★ NEW DEVON - Torbay Janet Devine 07854 976272 janet_colourworld@hotmail.co.uk

CARMARTHEN Dorothy Morris 01267 267 652 dorothy_morris@hotmail.com CHESHIRE, Chester Sue Bates 01244 318231 sgcbates@uwclub.net CLEVELAND, Saltburn Kathryn Luczakiewicz 01287 204 400 info@saltburnwellbeingcentre. co.uk 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

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

★ NEW OXFORD Norma Hare 01865 849459 norma.or@hotmail.co.uk

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

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

PERTHSHIRE, Crieff Rebecca Dearman 07483872183

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

LINCOLNSHIRE, Horncastle Melissa Bay 07989 508391 countrygardenpets@tiscali. co.uk MANCHESTER, Sale Rosemary Plunkett 0161 962 4123 rosieglow3@icloud.com MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, Woolton Pamela Langley 0151 421 1772 pamelalangley@hotmail.com

RHONDDA, Pontypridd Louisa Mills cygnuscaferct@aol.co.uk RICHMOND UPON THAMES, Surrey Liz Sokoski 07432 585693 ROSS-SHIRE, Conon Bridge Shenagh Leiper 07721 656 668 leipershenagh@gmail.com SHROPSHIRE, Ironbridge Romella Jones 01952 881 151 cariadtherapies@outlook.com

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

MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, Thornton Sue Massey 0151 924 6240 suemassey60@yahoo.com

E SUSSEX, Bexhill on Sea Carol Sargent 01424 217 630 mail@youniquewellbeing.co.uk

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

S GLOS, Thornbury Trisha Seward 01179 621661 trishaseward@talktalk.net

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

N LONDON, Enfield/Waltham Abbey Chrissie 07845 019398 / 07935707538

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

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

N YORKS, Selby Val Turner 01757 713093 valdert@btinternet.com

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

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

N YORKS, Whitby Daphne Wright 01947 602 425 daphnewright05@gmail.com NORFOLK, Kings Lynn Amanda Rowe 07786 066761 info@hectorsbarn.co.uk NORTHANTS, Irchester Karen Holton 07980 770 893 klholton@live.co.uk

SOMERSET, Taunton Robin Littman 01278 671 679 Robin@resource-me.com

SURREY, Guildford, Shere Linda Sewell 07850 839 472 lindasewell@hotmail.co.uk W SUSSEX, Bosham Jeanine Hanneman 07769 666729 jeaninevh@live.com 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 WORCESTERSHIRE Tenbury Wells Diann Dowell 01584 811228 SenseTenbury.co.uk

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

“Now that we can all start meeting up in person again, please remember to keep your physical distance from each other and stay safe. With all our best wishes...”

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

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

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

BOOK REVIEWS – Esoteric Practice DREAM GUIDANCE by Machiel Klerk

It’s natural to want to understand the meaning of dreams but have you ever considered actively learning from them? The author has studied the history of dreaming throughout the world and here explains the ancient art of dream incubation which encourages you to ask a question of a dream before you go to sleep. He has developed a five-step method as follows: decide what you want to ask; come up with the question itself; meditate on your issue before going to sleep; record the dream as soon as you’ve had it; and finally reflect on the dream to understand its response. Illustrated with real-life examples, the author gives us the how-to and the why, plus the history of the technique in a clear and comprehensible way. A good read before you go to bed…

186pp, 215 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 320217 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

SPIRIT WEAVER by Seren Bertrand

Seren is the co-author, with her husband Azra, of two previous books that did well at Cygnus: Womb Awakening and Magdalene Mysteries.

If you know those titles you will definitely have a strong sense of what this book will be like.

It’s a two-footed dive into an out-there, colourful, unselfconscious and brave feminine spirituality.

There are full-page colour illustrations of goddesses, dryads, mandalas and trees, plus witches and even Baba Yaga. This intoxicating book will draw you into a rich initiation, with affirmations and poems. There are also stories of her childhood in the north of England, plus of her travels around the world while on her quest. It’s not academic or scholarly but if you like this style of new age magic and books that bring you into relationship with the earth beneath our feet, this is perfect.

256pp, 254 x 178 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 320244 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

DREAMING AHEAD OF TIME

by Gary Lachman

THE SCIENCE OF SUBTLE ENERGY

by Yury Kronn

208pp, 230 x 150 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £20.00

224pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

MASTERING YOUR 5D SELF

by Maureen J. St. Germain

YOUR LUNAR CODE

by Lori Reid

Gary is an experienced and prolific expert in the esoteric and occult worlds. He has written books about Madame Blavatsky, Swedenborg, Jung and Ouspensky, among others. This is a straightforward and easy-to-understand account of precognitive dreams, both famous and personal ones. Gary used to be in the band Blondie and his experience in this field led him to write their classic song (I am Always Touched by Your) Presence Dear back in the late seventies. He of course discusses some of the experts in this field like Jung, William James and JW Dunne, author of Experiments In Time. The book becomes especially interesting when he starts to consider how precognitive dreaming might work, despite the fact that it should be impossible. Perhaps time does not always flow in just one direction? This is a truly informative and enjoyable book. ❖ Code: 320206 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

The author, an internationally recognised teacher and intuitive, describes the 5th Dimension as the Magnanimous Dimension which is a fascinating way of making you want to find out more! It’s her fourth book on 5D, the Akashic Records and other new levels of being. It’s a guide to mastering the shift into 5D, and the author makes it seem approachable while warning that, as with all things, we’ll have to work at it. She describes in detail how to use more spiritual tools alongside activating meditations, sound healing and crystals, and supports each suggestion with advanced insights from angels and other higher beings that she has received messages from.

Her book shows us that we have the power to change our lives every day, to shift our perspective and to truly live our best life. There’s no better time than now.

176pp, 227 x 151 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 320248 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

A demanding read, for sure, but there’s no doubt that some fantastic work took place in the old Soviet Union into some of the weirder aspects of the energetic world. The author here was a world-renowned physicist who was involved in subtle energy research for the last 30 years of his life. It’s a scientifically based book but it’s also relatively accessible. It deals with one of the crucial issues of our time: the energies of the electromagnetic system are those we can measure but that leaves another 96% of the mass-energy of the universe that we can’t identify. What is it? Might it be what the ancients named life force, prana or chi? There’s a foreword by Bruce Lipton where he pays tribute to Yury’s work and he states that science is on the edge of a breakthrough just like he made in his bestselling Biology Of Belief. ❖ Code: 320238 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

This easy to use and well presented book will fill in any gaps you may have in your knowledge of astrology and how it informs who you are. With sections on both your moon and your sun signs, it demonstrates how both these factors influence not only decision making and relationships, but also those unexplainable mood swings and reactions to certain events that we all have. By understanding the behaviours and characteristics associated with your signs, you’ll be able to unpick your own impulses, traits and needs and gain perspective on yourself. You’ll also be able to take a look at the talents associated with your sign and see if you shouldn’t be exploring these more in your own life. The information is clearly laid out and fun to read, with highly informative love charts that will guide you to find the perfect partner (and explain why some of your previous relationships may have been doomed to failure!).

128pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 320258 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

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

13

BOOK REVIEWS – Spiritual Growth TRUST YOUR VIBES

by Sonia Choquette

THE THRIVING GIVER

by Sarah Kuipers

344pp, 230 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £11.99

280pp, 214 x 141 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £12.99

FORGED IN DARKNESS: THE MANY PATHS TO PERSONAL TRANSFORMATION

by Dr Joanna LaPrade

DISCOVER YOUR SOUL MISSION

by Kathryn Hudson

We all know we should trust our instincts, but this book shows how developing your intuition, your sixth sense as the author describes it, can dramatically change the way you deal with life’s challenges and live your life. Sonia Choquette, a highly respected six-sensory consultant, learned from a very early age (from her extraordinary sounding mother) that using innate intuitive intelligence should be the first tool in her armoury, and found it so useful that she couldn’t understand why everyone else wasn’t doing the same. This led to her finding a life mission to help us all be like her and activate and act on our inner guidance, and she has written a number of books on the subject. This volume is an update of one she wrote some time ago, and includes reflections from the more recent, difficult times which reinforce the advice she so clearly lays out. ❖ Code: 320218 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

If you are carrying burdens of insecurity, perceived failure, buried secrets, trauma or anything you blame yourself for or worry about, then you are not alone. It’s always refreshing to have a new perspective on handling these troubles and this is the aim of this book, which very much comes from the Jungian tradition. Dr LaPrade describes the issues that we hang on to as our “underworld” before giving us tools to tackle them, to become our own mythical heroes if you like. She also argues that these dark experiences are natural, and in some sense necessary, because they form markers along the path of growth and discovery; without them we won’t know what it is that we need to transform in ourselves. This book is a comprehensive and accessible guide to managing our lives, pulling from ancient myths and heroes to help us to tackle, learn and move on from the many difficulties we experience during our lifetime. It makes for a reassuring read.

Sarah is a Cygnus member who herself suffered burnout and then went on to do a Master’s Degree studying the same thing in health and care professionals. Not only is she now an expert but she has written this book to help anyone who is a carer in any form to look after themselves. I even think it makes for a wonderful self-help book for anyone. It’s no-nonsense and gets straight to the point, so it doesn’t get bogged down in vast exposition and theory, but there are also plenty of illustrative stories and anecdotes.

People need a battery of techniques and care rituals to help them in excessively demanding situations and this book is full of them, from becoming more assertive to replenishing your energy and nourishing your spirit. Everyone wants to do their best for people who need help and this book will ensure that we can do it with confidence and resilience. ❖ Code: 320235 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

If you are looking for your life’s purpose and are up for a little help along the way when trying to find it, then this is the book for you!

Kathryn Hudson has a light, almost playful tone and manages to describe both how to find your mission in life and connect with angels as you do so without making it all sound too difficult. This detailed yet conversational guide includes stories and teachings alongside approachable exercises, all designed to build-up a 12 month “mission manifestation plan” which will help us understand our life’s purpose. And while Kathryn doesn’t expect you to contact or even believe in angels, her light touch encourages you to try to do both from the outset. You’ll enjoy reading this book and should come out feeling like you’re finally on the right path.

208pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 320241 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

352pp, 210 x 133 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 320263 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

AWAKENING SELF-COMPASSION CARDS by Ann Saffi Biasetti

This excellent self-help deck was created by a psychologist and yoga teacher with over 28 years of clinical experience. It’s a bit different in that there are a lot of words on each card and no illustrations at all, but the guidance is comprehensive and always practical.

On one side is a simple teaching on self-compassion with a slogan or affirmation at the bottom and on the other side is a practical exercise you can use to help you with the issue or task. The themes include Working With Disappointments, When Self-Compassion Meets Doubt and A Practice of Integrity. There are 52 cards so you can work through the deck focussing on one lesson every week, or you can dwell on a particular card for as long as you feel you need to. Because these are cards and not a book, you can move more quickly on your path of transformation and maybe even the process will be fun.

8pp, 152 x 111 mm, Boxed set including 52 full-colour cards, 2022, RRP £17.99

❖ Code: 320232 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.88 ❖ Member Price: £12.50

14

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

BOOK REVIEWS – Health & Relaxation SACRED MEDICINE

by Lissa Rankin M.D.

YOGA NIDRA MADE EASY by Uma Dinsmore-Tuli and Nirlipta Tuli

368pp, 236 x 160 mm, Hardback, 2022, RRP £22.99

272pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £10.99

If you are interested in complementary medicine but reluctant to discard the usual science-based approach, then this book is for you. The author is almost uniquely placed to tell us how to get the best of both worlds; a former practising M.D, she fell out of love with (but not respect for) conventional medicine and began to research all the alternative wellness practices to find out what really works. She applied the same data driven approach to this analysis that she had done when she was a doctor in a hospital, so she could be sure of what was valid and what not, and when she became ill herself, used her two knowledge pools to affect a cure. You end up feeling total trust in her as she shows us how to make wise decisions in our treatment choices to get the best results. ❖ Code: 320229 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.65 ❖ Member Price: £14.99

If you are unfamiliar with Yoga Nidra, the authors describe it as “a naturally arising state of human consciousness already experienced by everyone who has ever noticed themselves falling asleep and waking up”. It can lead you to a deep relaxation which in turn will improve sleep and boost energy, and help treat anxiety, menstrual pain and PTSD. This book is a how-to guide to achieving the state of Yoga Nidra; it’s clearly laid out and the authors have given a lot of thought into how to make it easy to learn and to remember the processes involved. If you are looking for a way to de-stress and get a better night’s sleep, then Yoga Nidra and this book are for you. ❖ Code: 320214 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

MOVE MORE AT YOUR DESK

by Kerrie-Anne Bradley

UNDERSTANDING THE HEART

by Dr Stephen Hussey

224pp, 199 x 146 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

336pp, 229 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £18.99

Many of us are stuck at our desks nowadays and spend more time there than we would like. Kerrie-Ann is a Pilates teacher who also does corporate work to teach us how to be comfortable and stay healthy when we are at our desks. The book is very clearly laid out and userfriendly and it is full of helpful photographs.

It includes specific exercises for problem areas and general routines to keep us fresh and keep our muscles supple, again thoroughly illustrated. There are also helpful breathing exercises, plus case studies and inserts from experts. Finally, the science is all listed in the notes with links to those experts’ websites.

As the author says, no self-respecting cat will get up from sleep without stretching so why should we be any different? ❖ Code: 320254 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

As a type 1 diabetic, Stephen always knew that he was at a higher risk of heart attack and as a consequence he devoted his life to understanding the heart medically. Sadly it then happened when he was in his mid-thirties and he came close to death. It was then up to him to leave his recovery to the cardiologists who were caring for him, or strike out on his own, based on all the research he had done on how the heart works. Out of this has come this groundbreaking book on cardiovascular health, which has some mind-opening revelations and so much encouraging advice for those of us who are struggling with heart health. Highly recommended as an alternative viewpoint from a self-taught expert. ❖ Code: 320202 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

THE POWER OF THE DOWNSTATE

by Sara C Mednick

AWAKENING THE LOTUS OF PEACE

by Jenny Light

352pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

240pp, 216 x 141 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £11.99

Since the publication in 2017 of the bestseller Why We Sleep, there have been many books on the value of sleep, along with much new research on the subject.

The Coronavirus lockdown has also had a disastrous effect on many people’s ability to sleep and we seem to live in a constant state of anxiety and disruption. This is a fascinating and rewarding variation on that theme, written by a Professor of Psychiatry at the University of California. She talks about the “Downstate”, the way of being where your body thrives and recovers, and where it is basically functioning in an optimum way. Of course sleep is probably the greatest downstate, but there are other forms based on breathing, nutrition and exercise. These of course can help you sleep too. The science is cutting-edge and the author also writes in a fun way. ❖ Code: 320220 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

This book can be enjoyed by regular yoga practitioners and those new to yoga and meditation alike. It’s not really a book on the poses, on Hatha Yoga. Beautifully written and structured, you are quickly drawn into meditative techniques carefully designed to help you manage daily challenges, release tension and gain inner peace amidst the clamour of our busy, emotionally charged lives. The author, who is herself both a practitioner and a teacher, uses clear, step-by-step instructions on breathing techniques, focus and visualisations and they’re really easy to follow. She also shares her own experiences and thoughts on the importance of true peace and finding love and happiness, and has managed to paint a complete picture of both spiritual and practical yoga that is a joy to read and try out. ❖ Code: 320223 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

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

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BOOK REVIEWS – Ritual & Magic BECOMING A GARMENT OF ISIS

by Naomi Ozaniec

Naomi is the author of the recently re-issued Watkins Book of Tarot as well as the classic Aquarian Qabalah, and she also runs her own mystery school. Behind both tarot and Qabalah are the Egyptian Mysteries, which are still being uncovered and researched.

There are very few practical books on Ancient Egyptian spiritual practices and this one is written by an insider, by a Priestess of Isis, the great goddess at the heart of the tradition who manifested in many forms across the ancient world. She describes in clear terms a nine stage path for initiation into this tradition; it’s an exciting path including personal accounts of connection to Kemet, and a lot of teaching around the actual practices they followed and the history of that great civilization. It’s a demanding but practical book that offers the potential for profound self-realisation.

THE BOOK OF NORSE MAGIC

by Cerridwen Greenleaf

Cerridwen Greenleaf is Cico Books’s go-to author for all things magical. Here is a new one from her offering an introductory guide to one of the most popular and multifaceted spiritual systems. You can learn about the wonders of runes, including the art of divination, spells for protection and how to imbue treasured objects with your personal magic. Learn about Norse mythology, including the stories of the major gods and goddesses and how to call upon them for support and wisdom.

Discover the basics of tree magic, such as the legend of Yggdrasil, the world tree, and how to read omens in nature to avoid misfortune. This is an interesting and useful handbook on harnessing this ancient power to bring wellness, calm, love, and luck. Due at the beginning of August.

144pp, 235 x 190 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 320203 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.49

352pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 320236 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

ONCE AROUND THE SUN

by Ellen Evert Hopman

THE FOURTEEN HOLY HELPERS

by Christiane Stamm

160pp, 241 x 171 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

112pp, 209 x 146 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £9.99

RITUAL AS REMEDY

by Mara Branscombe

THE MEDICINE WITHIN by Asha Frost

“Rituals give us direct access to our healing, reflect our emotions, and show us how we can access inner transformation and awaken our intuitive power.” This statement from the author perfectly sums up why you should read this book. Her belief in the power of ritual comes across strongly in this guide in which she includes soul-care rituals and ceremonies to purify minds, hearts and bodies alongside step-by-step healing protocols, guided meditations and visualisations and breathwork. It’s a comprehensive manual, from how to begin a daily ritual to how to get the most out of each one you want to create using breathing techniques, tapping, meditation and prayer. Rituals included in this book are how to connect, how to empower personal transformation, how to awaken creativity, how to align energy from the moon and completing spiritual integration.

This book is the result of the anger, despair and hurt felt by the author because of the combined effects of both historical and modern day racism, compounded by the misappropriation of Indigenous wisdom and medicine by money-orientated white women.

Don’t think that this takes anything away from the content of the book though, it’s both thought-provoking and reaffirms your faith in the healing message she shares here. Asha Frost is an Indigenous Medicine Woman and in this book she tells us stories inspired by her Ojibway ancestry which help reveal our inherent capacity for healing ourselves based on our ancestral lineage. Through rituals, sacred journeys and her own wisdom she shows us how to practise self-care, how to trust and surrender so you can manifest and thrive, how to release self-doubt, fear and insecurity and so much more.

288pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

288pp, 216 x 134 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

Well, here’s a lovely thing to do with the children! This beautifully illustrated full-colour book intertwines nine seasonal folk tales with activities that complement them, from recipes and games to poetry and cool things to learn.

It also includes stories from a variety of countries and traditions to help explain the meaning of the tales themselves. Based on the seasonal wheel of the year, the tales invoke a level of Earth consciousness alongside the power of living in the now and embracing each season for what it gives, both important messages for children to absorb. So, enjoy reading the stories out loud to the kids, then let them join you in the kitchen to make some Befana cake, or have fun making magic wands; it should keep them away from their phones for a while at least. ❖ Code: 320239 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

❖ Code: 320240 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

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While the named Saints in this book are usually associated with Christianity, the author reminds us that they are of course universal in their powers of assistance and will come to the aid of anyone who calls on them. In this short and accessible book she shares 15 modern and updated prayers to be used to support healing for specific ailments or issues, from broken bones to back pain and allergies.

Alongside the prayers, the author also recommends a healing stone that can be added to further enhance the effect, gives short biographies of each saint and details how to access their powers of healing and protection through writing out and reciting their specific prayers during the full moon. It’s easy to work with and promises amazing outcomes. ❖ Code: 320237 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

❖ Code: 320219 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

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JOURNEYING INTO SPIRIT WORLDS BY DR BOB WOODWARD

© Clairview Publishing 2022

T

here may be many ways of entering and journeying into spirit worlds. One way, which we all do quite naturally, is by dropping off to sleep and leaving our physical bodies for a time. However, we don`t normally remember what we are then doing, or who we meet, when body-free in sleep. Rather, this all takes place unconsciously for us.

In this book, I ask my spirit guides to describe a way which is both conscious and safe for us to travel along. “Conscious” so that we can be awake and aware of our experiences over the threshold between the sensory and supersensible worlds. “Safe” in the sense that we do not expose ourselves unwittingly to any dangers or pitfalls harmful to our well-being.

In response to my request, the guides gave teachings and advice for a meditative pathway leading us, step by step, into those spirit realms. They emphasized the need to approach this inner work with the appropriate feelings and with clear intentionality and motivation. A special feature of their pathway is finding a conscious relationship with our guardian angel. To do this is already a powerful safeguard, and gives reassurance that we are indeed in safe hands. Our angel leads us towards higher beings who will, in turn, guide us further along the way towards our true self.

Therefore we can feel that we are fully supported by benevolent beings on the route mapped out by my spirit guides. Of course the only way to find out whether this methodology works for us is to put it into practice. We are not being asked to accept anything in

What My Guides Have Shown Me blind faith, but are free to prepare heart and mind and engage with the five “situational” meditations they offer us.

Again and again it is made clear that the choice is ours to make or decline.

Now I will be the first to admit that there are times when I am keen to step along this path, and also times I am not really motivated to make that inner effort. This may be similar for others who search for a greater depth of meaning and purpose in their lives. I feel that this is okay, and that we don’t need to browbeat ourselves over this.

Rather, to be truly thankful and happy when we do gain some valuable insights and intimations of the reality of spirit worlds. We can be both sincere in our questing and also recognize that we can’t maintain the same intensity all the time.

I’m sure our angel is very understanding of our all-too-human challenges, as well

as constantly perceiving our higher self.

We should, I feel, try to be kind and loving towards ourselves, with the sure knowledge that with the grace of God all things are possible.

It has now been 17 years since I first established a conscious, telepathic connection with my two main guides, Joshua Isaiah and Dr. John. I described this process of linking-up with them mentally in my book Spirit Communications, published in 2007.

However, it was another ten years before I again put pen to paper to write the book, Trusting in Spirit – The Challenge, which was published in 2018. By that time I had established a rapport with eight guides, including Philip, my guardian angel, and Pan the god of Nature. I would suggest that making such positive conscious connections need not be as difficult as we might imagine. Of course we must always guard against wishful thinking, fantasies, and illusions. Here again, clear motivation together with a growing trust is the key to having healthy contacts with our spirit friends and guides. To link with our own angel is, as we have seen, a central feature in the path of inner journeying presented in my new book. In Chapter 5, on page 34, we read: “So now in this meditation, let us call it the Angel Meditation, you should imagine being greeted, welcomed, by your angel on the far side of the threshold. Your angel will take you by the hand and will gently lead you along a pathway. Go with your angel. Put your entire trust in your angel to guide you, safely and surely along the path ahead.”

All blessings, Bob.

JOURNEYING INTO SPIRIT WORLDS by Dr Bob Woodward

The subtitle of the book is “Safely and Consciously, As Received Through Spirit Guides” which is important. All the guidance is given precisely and clearly by his spirit guides, who he has been working with for many years.

He is also the author of the previous title Knowledge of Spirit Worlds and Life After Death, which Cygnus did well with. He is a loyal Cygnus member of long standing. So this book by contrast to his previous is an inquiry into moving into realms of spirit while still living in our bodies. When we venture into these spheres, we come back with information that will help us work as more enlightened beings, who can act with greater compassion to benefit everyone. Bob’s guides supply specific meditations that we can use to make these inspiring journeys.

Because the book is composed as a dialogue, it’s clear and easy to follow.

100pp, 215 x 139 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 320204 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.98

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BOOK REVIEWS – More Oracle and Tarot Decks ENCHANTED SPELL ORACLE

by Priestess Moon

CELTIC SPIRIT ORACLE

by Nicola McIntosh

This 36-card deck is ideal for anyone interested in the Celtic Tradition, Ogham, elemental beings or just the magical life in general. The cards are all in shades of browns and greens and include symbols, shapes and labyrinths. They include Gwyneth, Tree Spirit, The Greenman, Cerridwen, She of the Woods and The Sidhe. The publishers have also gone to the trouble of printing the accompanying 106-page book in colour as well. The cards are edged in green and the whole package evokes magic and enchantment. It’s a great inspiration to remember all the layers of reality available to us and will encourage us to love the natural world. The book also includes tips for using the cards for divination including spreads and extra shades of meaning. With all these oracle decks, in their depths they are fundamentally uplifting and inspirational, regardless of what we use them for.

112pp, 144 x 104 mm, 112 full-colour cards, Boxed Set, 2022, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 320252 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

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This isn’t a new deck but I really love it. As someone who is learning about plants and herbs, I welcome a deck that is built around their magic and their powers. There are 36 cards and the book is in full colour which helps a lot. They are designed to look like medieval illuminated manuscripts and written in beautiful script with colourful borders and images of enigmatic priestesses and wise women. Each card is based around one plant, be it cinnamon, rowan, dog rose or elder, but the cards also have names like Abundance, Divination, Good Fortune, Prosperity and Ritual. So they can be used for divination; however the book also contains a lot of plant lore and talks you through some of the wild and fascinating imagery on the cards. The subtitle of the deck is Medieval Hedgewitch Magick and I think more than anything it’s a great guide and inspiration for anyone on the gentler kitchen magic path.

116pp, 140 x 102 mm, Boxed Set with 36 full-colour cards, 2017, RRP £17.99

❖ Code: 320251 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

GUARDIAN OF THE NIGHT TAROT

by MJ Cullinane

From bats to bees to elephants to elk, discover powerful animal spirit energy to guide you through the darkest, toughest times. This tarot deck is full of animals who prefer the night or who are happier in the dark, although not exclusively. It’s an invitation to find beauty wherever you are on your path and to remember that there is always light to be found - even on the darkest nights. Based on Rider Waite, The Guardian of the Night Tarot blends the essence of the animal spirits with the classic Major and Minor Arcana. The colours are vibrant and not diminished by the night. The archetypal creatures of this deck will become your guardians as they walk beside you, offering their individual gifts of wisdom and inspiration to your readings. Read intuitively with the detailed artwork or consult the comprehensive guidebook filled with animal stories and inspiring messages from your guides.

192pp, 135 x 97 mm, Boxed Set including 78 colour cards, 2022, RRP £21.99

❖ Code: 320221 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.11 ❖ Member Price: £14.50

15. THE DEVIL

0. THE FOOL

17. THE STAR

2. THE1. HIGH PRIESTESS THE FOOL

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RAISE YOUR VIBRATION BY KYLE GRAY

© Hay House 2022

A

fter taking some time to meditate on the energy of the book, I realized I needed to take a higher approach.

I needed to raise my vibration and not get pulled into the details. I needed to surrender.

Right there and then I dropped into prayer. I asked the Universe to take control.

Specifically, I set the clear intention that I was handing the entire project over to my higher power. I visualized the book supporting those who read it. I knew it wasn’t about impressing, but about blessing. I trusted it would bless those who were open to it.

After that, every time we worked on the marketing, I would say, “The Universe is handling the finer details,” and I really believed it.

I am honoured to share that it worked. Raise Your Vibration has now sold over 100,000 copies worldwide and has been translated into many languages. It has been the most successful book I’ve ever written and it continues to reach many.

In the summer of 2019, when I was in New York for a conference, I was in a fashion store treating myself to a new jacket. While I was paying, I got talking to the sales assistant. He asked what had brought me to the city and I explained I was there on business. Before you know it, he was asking what I did.

“I’m an author.”

“What kind of material do you write?”

“I write books in the field of spirituality—angels, energy, intuition, that kind of thing.”

At that point one of his coworkers came over and said, “Sorry, what did you say your name was?”

“Kyle Gray.”

His jaw dropped and he started to fill up.

“Sorry, I’m so shocked I am meeting you right now. Your book Raise Your Vibration saved me in one of the hardest and darkest times of my life. I did not want to be on this planet and your work gave me a

The Joy of The High Vibe Life reason to live.”

He came out from behind the till and hugged me. I was blown away.

Right there, in that moment, in a city far from home, I was reminded of the importance of this work. It’s not about getting press or being marketable, it’s about changing lives and supporting healing.

I remember leaving the store and walking up Greene Street in Soho with my sunglasses steaming up from tears of joy evaporating in the midday sun.

Thank you, Universe!

Since the initial publication

of Raise Your Vibration, living a high-vibe life has become a bit of a trend. Many of us are feeling called to live in a more conscious and heart-centered way. It’s evident from some of the things happening in the world that it’s needed—we need folks to become more mindful, more positive, and more supportive of themselves, those around them, and ultimately the planet.

We are recognizing that we have the ability to change the vibe of a conversation, space, or even relationship just through how we express ourselves. That is huge. It’s a recognition of our responsibility, and the fact that you are here with this book in your hand right now means that you’ve made a conscious choice to be someone who makes a difference.

That’s what raising your vibration is all about—it’s about choosing to be that good vibe wherever you go.

Essentially, it’s about making the conscious choice to be the good you were born to be.

So, before we dive into how you can be that good vibe, I want to thank you for being here.

Thank you from me.

Thank you from humanity.

The high-vibe life is a good life.

That doesn’t mean that everything’s going to be rosy, but it does mean that you have tools and practices that you can use when you need them.

RAISE YOUR VIBRATION by Kyle Gray

This timely new edition of the much loved original will have a whole new audience as we are living through such troubled times and Kyle Gray’s description of how to live with purpose and love has become increasingly appealing. This edition will be interesting to existing fans as well. Kyle - one of the most popular Cygnus authors - concentrates on the 77 essential practices to help you awaken your divine connection and activate your light, complemented by his inspiring affirmations, channeled wisdom, and uplifting new messages. The book will help you to trust in the love and support of the Universe; clear your energy field and protect your vibes; activate the flow of spiritual energy through your chakras; cultivate a daily spiritual practice with simple tools and attract positive experiences into your every day. Start receiving more joy and miracles in your life, because you deserve it!

288pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 320213 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

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

19

BOOK REVIEWS – Deep Personal Development LIVING UNTETHERED

by Michael Singer

THE UNTETHERED SOUL

by Michael Singer

200pp, 228 x 151 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

200pp, 228 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2007, RRP £14.99

ALL FOR LOVE by Matt Kahn

CHILD OF THE COSMOS

by Karsten Massei

The Untethered Soul was a surprising bestseller and here at last is the follow-up. It was always a book that seemed to offer a bit more, because it’s personal development based on profound spiritual principles.

His teachings are uncompromising and he doesn’t make concessions: you need to be centred and aware in every encounter you have so that you don’t get hooked and you are demanding nothing from that encounter.

At once transcendent and powerfully practical, his teachings provide clear guidance for moving beyond the thoughts, feelings, and habits that keep you stuck, so you can heal the pain of the past and let your spirit soar. This book can help you stop struggling and live life always in the moment, and to experience things exactly as they are. ❖ Code: 320230 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

Bestselling author Matt Kahn’s latest book, written in the depths of lockdown and a miserable world crisis, addresses our constant hope that there is a way for the human race to get on, both at a global level and an individual one. Here he works through the transformative power of ‘holding space’ or the ability to be empathetic to another person’s situation and allowing them to share whatever they need to in a supportive and non-judgemental way.

The book is a guide, following ten essential principles to help us access loving qualities within ourselves and those around us using real world examples. It makes you want to dive in and give it a go, but the author does remind us that we don’t become experts overnight, and to keep practising until we perfect the technique and can help others do so too.

❖ Code: 260150 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

Follow the path to self-knowledge and strengthen your individuality so that you can heal yourself. It’s easy to write, but less easy to actually do, and this book provides a valuable tool to use to help you on your way.

It is accessible, each chapter is short and concise, and instructional, with several meditations included to assist with the challenges laid out in the book. The author reminds us that we need to face up to trauma and his book helps us do this. It also includes surprising perspectives arising from the author’s own personal experiences which give context to the advice he is offering and leave you feeling optimistic that you too can get a long way down the path to personal development.

178pp, 206 x 124 mm, Hardback, 2022, RRP £18.99

124pp, 215 x 139 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

THE LIGHT WITHIN A HUMAN HEART

by Lars Muhl

8 SECRETS TO POWERFUL MANIFESTING by Mandy Morris

232pp, 216 x 135 mm, Hardback, 2022, RRP £16.99

248pp, 238 x 143 mm, Hardback, 2022, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 320268 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.88 ❖ Member Price: £12.50

Reading this book feels a little like walking alongside Lars Muhl as he journeys to the Qumran Caves; it’s as if you’ve been invited along to absorb his thoughts and enjoy his observations. Interestingly, he describes his narrative as a “stream of consciousness”, but this style only seems to heighten the impact of the knowledge he is imparting so don’t be put off. In essence it’s a practical guide even though it doesn’t look like one, and from it you’ll find answers that no scientist can provide, along with a magical understanding of your inner world of multi-dimensional realities and endless magic. You’ll discover how to find, and be, in your golden inner light, a light that will help you to rise above daily challenges and achieve your full potential. ❖ Code: 320256 ❖ Non-Member Price: 12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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This modern classic came out quite a few years ago and has built from there to become one of the most influential books in the spiritual development field. What makes it a New York Times bestseller? There’s a great quote from Deepak Chopra on the front cover. But it’s something about the feel of the text. It’s like Satsang, like sitting with a spiritual master as they gently discourse across the course of a spiritual retreat.

There’s something special about it: it doesn’t deal in high concepts but after a few chapters it dawns on you that you have learned something without being especially aware of the process. To me it is definitely one of the best books ever published on the borderline between personal development and spirituality.

❖ Code: 320253 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

There are so many issues that we carry with us that we wish we could find a way to leave behind aren’t there? Mandy Morris is a highly respected manifester who is living proof of the success of the “secrets” she lays out in this new book, techniques she developed after a very difficult start to life and which she attributes to a combination of divine guidance, scientific research and a decade of work. Her success is very alluring - if she can, we can - and her tone is warm and encouraging. From shedding our defeatist thoughts and feelings then following the 8 secret techniques one by one, the clear and bright book carefully guides us through to manifesting ourselves into the amazing people we are. ❖ Code: 320209 ❖ 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

BOOK REVIEWS – Parenting & Nature HOW TO REDUCE YOUR CARBON FOOTPRINT by Ellen Tout

REWILDING CHILDHOOD

by Mike Fairclough

136pp, 170 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £10.99

208pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

We should all have a copy of this book! And don’t worry, it’s not a list of challenging facts and figures, nor does it preach; rather, it is a practical, easy to use and comprehensive guide to everything we can do individually to help the environmental crisis. We all know what is happening and it is easy to assume that our small efforts are not going to have much effect. However, as this book makes clear, this is absolutely not the case - if all of us do what we can, it will make a massive difference.

The advice given in the book covers all aspects of our lives, from cooking and washing to travelling and eating out, and from small changes to bigger ones, so there are plenty of things that you can do from page one that will make an immediate impact. And to cap it all, many of the changes that we make will also save us money, an added incentive if any were needed! ❖ Code: 320260 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

We all want our children to have the best start in life and this includes being independent, resilient and happy, just as much as getting 3 good A-levels, but a lot of us haven’t had the courage to step outside the norm in the way we bring them up. Mike Fairclough has, and with huge success, and not only does he apply his principles to his own kids, but he runs a highly successful state school based on them too. Don’t be put off by the term “rewilding”, what this book explains is that getting kids out into nature and letting them go on adventures not only inspires them to discover and question, but also to be independent and feel confident and empowered. It explains how you should manage this process too so that they get the most out of it, plus you are relaxed and you get to go on adventures too! ❖ Code: 320211 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

AWAKE WHERE YOU ARE

by Martin Aylward

BETTER PARENTING WITH THE ENNEAGRAM by Ann Gadd

224pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2021, RRP £14.99

256pp, 227 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

Martin is an experienced teacher within the Buddhist tradition. He was a colleague and teacher of Gemma Polo Pujol, author of There is Light and Only Light, a popular Cygnus title. We are battered by distractions and pressures and we can feel drawn away from what feels like a more real life.

Embodied awareness is the key to finding a way of coping and even enjoying ourselves - through truly being in our body. Martin gives us guidance on how to get there and the book is full of exercises and reflections. It’s not a book on how to meditate but instead a very experienced teacher Buddhist teacher is showing us how to be when we are off the cushion. There’s praise from Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach and Sharon Salzberg on the cover - you can’t get better than that! ❖ Code: 320266 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

The Enneagram offers a systematic approach to understanding people, and millions have found it helpful. By concentrating on parenting, the author is using the Enneagram for a specific set of problems, and it lends itself really well to this. Not that it is easy!

When finding out which personality type you are, you need to be able to roll with the punches. It’s also quite easy to pop yourself or your children firmly in a type without really thinking about it, so you have to be thorough in your preparation. But this will help you understand yourself and them including your triggers and theirs. The author came to the Enneagram quite late but uses the perspective of “‘if only I’d known” rather well, so this makes for an interesting read even if your children have grown up! ❖ Code: 320249 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

ORIGINS OF THE GODS by Andrew Collins and Gregory L Little

BIRDS BEASTS AND BEDLAM

by Derek Gow

400pp, 241 x 168 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £17.99

208pp, 216 x 149 mm, Hardback, 2022, RRP £20.00

This is another classic, co-written by British author Andrew Collins and including a foreword by Erich von Däniken. If you know Andrew’s previous books you will be prepared for a highly enjoyable and informative joyride across the globe, looking at ancient locations and tracking stories, legends and even historical film or photos relating to them. The book tries to make sense of ancient history and to place humanity in a much larger panorama that covers geomantic anomalies, UFO encounters and possible extra-terrestrial contact. Why did people build ceremonial sites in such weird locations? Was ancient ritual an attempt to tap into the energies there and make some kind of contact with other levels? Packed full of photos, this is an exhilarating ride, whether you agree with the authors or not. But be in no doubt - they know more about this stuff than almost anybody. ❖ Code: 320243 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.77 ❖ Member Price: £11.50

The author of Bringing Back the Beaver returns with more stories about his attempts to turn his Devon farm into a wildlife breeding centre. From water vole to beaver and wild cat to white stork, he has embarked on a (sometimes) one-person quest to rewild our countryside with endangered species. His stories are funny and amazing and he always has the grace to defer to the animals and let them take centre-stage. He has even done the illustrations of the beautiful creatures he has worked with. It’s utterly uplifting and should inspire us to do what we can too to shepherd and encourage all life. He is described on many occasions as a modern-day Gerald Durrell and is praised fulsomely by people as diverse as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Stanley Johnson. On top of it all he is a good writer and his description at the start of European Bison is deeply moving. ❖ Code: 320210 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

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

21

KINDREDSPIRIT

Align your life path with the flow of the universe.

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