[BOOK REVIEWS]
In Print Reviews by Kayla Hancock
Flaunt!
The Mindful Kitchen:
Lora Cheadle (New World Library, $15.95, Paperback)
Heather Thomas (Leaping Hare Press, $29.99, Hardcover)
Vegetarian Cooking to Relate to Nature, by
Drop Your Cover and Reveal Your Smart, Sexy & Spiritual Self, by
Lora Cheadle believes we all have multiple personas. She also believes that even though we may love the roles we play, they sometimes wear us down and can be irritating. Instead of performing roles, she focuses on cultivating self-love through being true to oneself. Cheadle helps readers learn how laughter, play and dance can help us peel back the layers and personalities we have created for ourselves and find the ever-present self-worth we have inside of us—self-worth and self-love that cannot be undone.
Both meditative and instructional, this book contains over 100 earth-friendly, plantbased recipes and philosophical notes put together by Heather Thomas. Thomas focuses on bringing attention to the ritual of preparing food while inviting readers to reconnect with nature through the process. She encourages readers to be more mindful of what and how they eat.
Crystal Basics:
The Energetic, Healing and Spiritual Power of 200 Gemstones, by Nicholas Pearson (Destiny
Wake Up to What Matters:
A Guide to Tibetan Buddhism for the Next Generation, by Avikrita Vajra Sakya (Shambhala, $16.95, Paperback)
For some people, Buddhism can seem intense. We live in such a fast-paced, technology-driven world—why would we want to cut ourselves off from that? Avikrita Vajra Sakya writes this book for millennials questioning whether or not they want to follow a spiritual path. It is a modern guide to Tibetan Buddhism with both wisdom and wit in which he points out how and why the practice is still relevant today.
When God Had a Wife: The Fall and Rise of the Sacred Feminine in the JudeoChristian Tradition, by Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince (Bear & Company, $16, Paperback) Over time, the history of religion has grown to suppress the divine feminine energy. Lynn Picknett and Clive Prince provide historical research about the legacy of the Jewish goddesses and share that, despite what most people believe, the ancient Israelites worshipped both male and female deities. When history was rewritten by men, the spiritual roles of women were downgraded. This happened again with Jesus and Mary Magdalene, as well as with Simon Magus and Helen. Yet, the spiritual practices and legacies of the feminine live on! Picknett and Prince reveal how the collective has needed the return of this feminine energy as they pinpoint how history has been affected by its suppression. 26
| CONSCIOUS COMMUNITY MAGAZINE APRIL 2020
Books, $29.99, Paperback) Whether you are just starting out with crystals or you are working to dive deeper into their magical properties, Nicholas Pearson has the information you need. He starts off by explaining how crystal energy affects the human energy field and how to deduce the properties of a crystal from its makeup. He also gives easy to follow guides on cleansing crystals, creating crystal grids, activating crystals, creating crystal elixirs, performing crystal meditations, creating sacred space, and more!
Your Divine Human Blueprint, by Julie Renee Doering (Julie Renee Doering, $49, Paperback) Julie Renee Doering shares true success stories of individuals who have vastly improved their lives by accessing their grand design with her techniques. She also incorporates her own prose and poetry into her thorough explanations of the various concepts and processes involved in accessing one’s divine blueprint to live a full and healthy life. Kayla Hancock is grateful to be a part of this community. She is a Licensed Massage Therapist, Reiki Practitioner and certified Deeksha giver who enjoys working alongside her angels and spirit guides to bring more love, joy and compassion into the world.
