Cygnus Review Spring 2023

Encountering Death

There has been a lot of death around for me these past few months and I have been to several funerals. It’s my age: a lot of the generation above mine have been getting very old and the parents of friends and other old family friends are moving on.

One of the books featured here – Life Force by Tony Robbins –contains a lot about life extension. I feel uncomfortable reading about this, and it’s not just because I am worried that I have missed that particular bus! Having been around death a lot this year, I believe there’s a sense in which death completes life. There is a meaning in life that is only brought to light when significant death is at hand, and life would be devalued considerably by death’s absence. There are things I would not have learned if I wasn’t confronted by death. (And Life Force is still a good book, as they all are in the following pages.)

There are at least two ways of learning through death. Firstly from the work of teachers like Ram Dass, Stephen Levine and Frank Ostaseki, who work hands-on with death and write about it so eloquently. I remember reading Stephen’s book Who Dies? when there was a quiet moment on the till at Watkins Bookshop, when I worked there. This is “what can we learn about life from

death” and these teachings are radical and compelling. Now that book is out of print and Ram Dass and Stephen Levine have both gone. Death changes everything.

The other way is where I am now, where death is in my face and I am thinking about people who were there and have gone. So, where have they gone? What did it feel like? At funerals we hear about people’s wonderful qualities and inevitably we all wish we could be with them again, just to appreciate that beautiful thing about them. We want to extract that bit more joy.

And they change for us. For example, most of my experience with Ann Napier at Cygnus involved trying to sell her books for the Review and wrestling about discounts, and now to me she is one of the wisest spiritual teachers there is.

What will my parents become? What will I become? Where we all stand will change and keep changing in a broader web of life. As Thich Nhat Hanh wrote in Please Call Me By My True Names:

Don’t say that I will depart tomorrow –Even today I am still arriving.

Look deeply: every second I am arriving to be a bud on a Spring branch, to be a tiny bird, with still-fragile wings, learning to sing in my new nest, to be a caterpillar in the heart of a flower, to be a jewel hiding itself in a stone.

We need to trust in the entire fabric of all that is – life, for short – because it will give us what we need. There is a flow of events that might go against us but, beyond that, life will help us and give us the tools to get through. When we start to confront death fully and properly, and if we are patient, we will ease into a new way of being and start to separate from the endlessly thinking consciousness. When I was younger, I couldn’t bear the prospect of being separated from my “me-ness”, and death felt like a horrible abyss that I wanted to transcend. Now? Well, I get tired of that thinking mind. I can’t bear the thought of being tied to it for all eternity.

This is the third encounter with death, when it is our own. The Zen teacher Shunryu Suzuki gives an analogy in Zen Mind Beginner’s Mind. Watching a high waterfall in Yosemite National Park, he sees how the river plunges into the air at the top, and the water separates into drops. On that seemingly long descent they are individual, and as humans we might feel isolated and that we are finding our own way, but when we are at the bottom we are water again, and we are one, and we can let go of those complicated feelings as we re-enter the stream.

MEET THE TEAM

Publisher Etan Ilfeld

Editor Adam Gordon

Head of Design Karen Smith

Head of Sales Vicky Hartley

Advertising Jo Fabiaschi

Reviews Adam Gordon Emma Thackara

CYGNUS BOOK CLUB

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www.cygnusreview.com

“There is a meaning in life that is only brought to light when significant death is at hand, and life would be devalued considerably by death’s absence.”

It is always very upsetting when our crowning glory starts to thin, or worse still falls out in chunks, leaving bald patches of scalp. There are several reasons why hair falls out, and some of the primary ones are related to stress, testosterone levels associated with polycystic ovary syndrome in women, and the natural ageing process in men. Another reason might be low iron, which interestingly is not always associated with not eating enough iron, but sometimes with gastric problems where the person is not absorbing their nutrition.

Stress can be a major cause of hair loss. When we are upset, alarmed or anxious, our cortisol levels shoot up, and spiked cortisol levels can play a major role in disrupting the hair growth cycle. Cortisol shifts the hair follicles into the resting phase and, within a few months, the affected hairs fall out in large clumps. How many of us have experience falling or at least limp lacklustre hair, when we have had a period of stress?

With extended periods of elevated cortisol, the adrenal glands prioritise the manufacture of cortisol (survival) over other hormones such as progesterone (procreation), which is often a reason why stressed-out women find it hard to conceive. This is really relevant, because progesterone inhibits 5-alpha-reductase, the enzyme which converts testosterone into dihydrotestosterone (DHT). This is the hormone responsible for male pattern baldness in both men and women because it swings the follicles into the resting and shedding phase, resulting in thinning, weakening and the shedding of hair.

Hair doesn’t always fall from the root. Over-processed and brittle hair snaps off, leaving little spikes at the top of your head with feathered ends. The entire body of hair feels stiff, looks lacklustre, and doesn’t move naturally.

Of course, when we see that our hair is falling out, our stress levels then shoot up to the top floor, which is exactly what you want to avoid. However, once you know what you can do about it, you can take control

Herbs for Hair Growth

of the situation and turn stress into determination.

Nourish your body with nutritionally dense foods such as oily fish and avocados for healthy fats, tahini as a natural source of phytoestrogens, proteins, zinc and B vitamins, sea vegetables for iodine and nettle tea for silica and iron. Porridge oats with pumpkin seed butter give a great boost of B vitamins with zinc.

The three main approaches in hair loss regimes include increasing microcirculation to the scalp and follicles, blocking the fiendish DHT hormone (if appropriate) and nourishing the hair shaft itself.

Peppermint is a herb rich in menthol, which has been proven to block DHT and stimulate the blood circulation to the scalp, delivering nutrients to the follicles. Peppermint

has been proven to promote hair growth even more than minoxidil.

Other herbs which block DHT include saw palmetto, turmeric, pumpkin seed and liquorice. Common kitchen herbs which increase circulation to the scalp include rosemary, peppermint, chilli and ginger. Biotin and aloe vera can be included in your programme to nourish your hair growth.

HAIR GROWTH TONIC

5ml aloe vera gel

5ml pumpkin seed oil

10ml nettle leaf tincture

2 drops vetiver essential oil

2 drops peppermint essential oil

2 drops rosemary essential oil

Pour this mixture into a 20ml dropper bottle with a slim glass pipette. Shake hard before use, and use the pipette to apply the tonic directly onto the scalp. Rub into the scalp. You can do this daily or every other day.

HAIR RESTORATION OILS

20% Castor oil

40% Jojoba oil

40% Argan oil

Mix these gorgeous oils together to create a blend which will condition and nourish a dry brittle hair shaft, transforming it into a silky and revitalized head of hair. Apply to the ends and the top layer of your hair, leave overnight and wash as normal the next morning.

Jo Dunbar has practiced as a medical herbalist since 1999, and is the founder of Botanica Medica Ltd.

www.botanicamedica.co.uk

SECRETS FROM A HERBALIST’S GARDEN by Jo Dunbar

Jo is an experienced herbalist with a thriving practice in the South of England. She previously wrote the award-winning Spirit of the Hedgerow and she is also a practising Druid. She is wholeheartedly committed to plant wisdom and to the health and vitality of nature. This book is full of remedies, recipes, spiritual wisdom and orthodox science. In these times when we are having to fall back more on our own resources, the wisdom here encourages us in our self-sufficiency and our own capability for treating ourselves in both mind and body. All the familiar plants are there like mugwort, vervain, garlic, rosemary and nettles and there are remedies for headaches, skin complaints, nausea and aching joints. It’s presented like a much-loved almanac with line-drawings and plenty of folklore and anecdotes.

224pp, 200 x 145mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 320153 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

Essential Spring Reading

KEEP LOOKING UP

by Tammah Watts

This unexpected book is a marvellous combination of bird watching for beginners, biography, notebook and spiritual guide.

Written with love by Tammah Watts who has found so much in birds and nature to uplift her, we are taken on a journey of her life and how she connected with various birds along the way, how she found herself connecting to her local community because of her interest and how her love of birds helped her heal, both physically and mentally. She provides us with tool kits at the start of every chapter, exercise prompts throughout the book, and lovely Reflection Pond sections where we can record things we’ve seen, thought about or just enjoyed, all of which bring the book to life and make you want to have it by your side whenever you’re in the position of enjoying the birds around you.

176pp, 217 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330108 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

BEYOND THEOLOGY

by Alan Watts

I love anything by Alan Watts. He is so witty and good with words, which means he can deploy his formidable intelligence to make deep religious and spiritual concepts comprehensible and even fun to learn about. Beyond Theology was first published in 1964 and it’s fascinating to read Watts – who used to be an Episcopal chaplain – analyse and critique Christianity. Christianity is something that many of us now are turning away from but of course there is value there and maybe it takes a “philosophical jester” like Alan Watts to show us what we can learn from it. As ever, his intention is for us to see beyond the external trappings of the Christian church and find the beauty and sacredness on the other side.

256pp, 202 x 134 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330122 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

THE SALT PATH

by Raynor Winn

A couple of us at Cygnus read this book at around the same time and loved it so we thought we would include it here. It’s strongly recommended as a book that’s powerful and full of meaning for all readers. It shows that human beings can endure almost any adversity. Just days after the author learns that Moth, her husband of 32 years, is terminally ill, their home is taken away and they lose their livelihood. They have no possessions holding them back, so they make the brave and impulsive decision to walk the 630 miles of the South West Coast Path, from Somerset to Dorset, via Devon and Cornwall. Through every step, their walk becomes a remarkable journey. The Salt Path is a compelling and life-affirming true story about coming to terms with grief and the healing power of the natural world.

288pp, 196 x 128 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 330121 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

CONVERSATIONS WITH BIRDS by

Alan Powers

I suspect I’m not alone in chatting with birds while putting out their feed in the morning?

Alan Powers takes this to a whole other level, having spent many years studying bird vocalisations and learning how to imitate their songs and, in some sense, actually communicate with them. In this book (a new edition of the 2003 book Bird Talk), he invites us to talk with him about what he has learned, his love of inter-species communication and how birds can teach us important lessons about the world and ourselves. He also introduces us to the poetic, spiritual, and healing influences of birdsong, and the depth of meaning the language of birds convey. This is not a dry book, it’s written with joy and good humour and makes for a lovely read.

192pp, 210 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.00

❖ Code: 330135 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

PAGAN PORTALS: BREATH OF SPRING by

Mélusine Draco

This lovely, descriptive and engaging book brings to life the various festivals and traditions of Pagan spring time. As the natural world burgeons around us we can read poetry, history, mythology and customs of springtime festivals, and even try some recipes, all of which build into a rich picture of the old traditions. The author also brings in other unexpected but interesting elements, for instance seasonal effects on various star signs, and also includes fascinating descriptions of solar alignments and folkloric practices. It’s not a big book but it packs a lot in, and you feel in good hands with Mélusine Draco who is an Initiate of traditional British Old Craft and the Khemetic Mysteries and who has been an magical and spiritual instructor for more than 20 years with both the Coven of the Scales and the Temple of Khem. 96pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 330103 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

WILDER JOURNEYS edited by Laurie

King and Miriam Lancewood

This lovely book brings together a collection of true stories from around the world, from the Outback to the Highlands of Scotland, written by nomads, adventurers and nature lovers. The common themes are of challenge, redemption and transformation plus the power of nature to heal and the realisation that we have lost touch with it so badly. When reading the accounts, it’s hard not to be inspired, and, even if you don’t feel like leaving the central heating behind to live in a forest, you definitely will want to go outside and reconnect with the nature that surrounds us, even, or especially, those of us who live in towns and cities. With beautiful illustrations and contributions from leading poets, this book is really hard to resist.

224pp, 216 x 135 mm, Hardback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330155 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

With the energy crisis still burning away, this winter has felt like a particularly long and hard one. Spring brings with it the transformative winds of change, but throwing off the frosty fingers of winter is not as easy as it looks. So how then can we get rid of those stagnant energies to restore and cleanse our souls for spring?

Greener, brighter days are coming and the Spring Equinox has always been a time of celebration. In the past, as the days grew longer, communities would dance and feast, perhaps at the age-old monuments that align with the Vernal Equinox. Offerings would be left to fertility deities, such as Cybele, Persephone and Brigid. Abundant egg symbolism reminds us of rebirth and tells us that we can now start again.

In my book, I look at ways we can harness the power of the elements to bring about healing in our lives. Spring is associated with the element of Air and its uplifting and inspiring energies – you can harness this bright energy to cleanse, renew and reset your soul.

Here are my top 6 ways to throw off your winter cloak this Spring Equinox:

1. Decorate a spring altar for your home – An altar or sacred space within our homes is a visual reminder of the new energy we are welcoming into our lives. Your spring altar should face in an eastwards direction and could include:

• Crystals such as aventurine and rose quartz

• Tarot cards from the suit of Swords feathers and twigs you find on the ground – not taken directly from the bird or plant

• Pale pink or green candles

• Pictures or statues of spring deities

2. Perform a cleansing ritual – Rid your home, body or ritual space of negative energy through smoke cleansing by burning a stick of garden sage or lavender. As you waft the fumes over what you wish to cleanse, say, “Earth, Fire, Water, Air: cleanse, dismiss, dispel”. Feel the dense energies lift and dissolve. You can also cleanse an area using a sound bowl or bell.

Equinox Tips

3. Take a ritual bath with purifying herbs – Not only does the bath water allow the physical detritus of the day to fall away, but it calms the body and lowers our heart rate, helping us slip into that slightly dreamlike state that is so commonly assumed in ritual work. Use cleansing herbs such as sage, mint and lavender and lie in the bath for a minimum of 20 minutes to allow their energies to seep in.

4. Let it all go on a windy day –Stagnant energies need to get moving! In winter, we move less, change our eating habits, and our thought processes often become slower as if we’re wading through mud. Stand in a high spot on a windy day and say

into the wind, “Old energies, be gone – this is all done”. Open your arms, eyes and mouth wide, and take in the biggest breath you can. When you exhale, bring your hands forward to clap loudly. Do this several times.

5. Practise breathwork – It is amazing how often we forget to breathe using our full lung capacity. Alternate nostril breathing can cleanse your system and allow the new spring energies to enter. Place the index and middle fingers of your right hand between your eyebrows. Rest your thumb on your right nostril and your ring finger on your left nostril. Hold your thumb down and inhale through your left nostril for a count of four. Now close both nostrils and hold your breath for four beats. Release the right nostril and exhale for four. Then begin this breathing pattern on the right-hand side and continue for as long as you need.

6. Make a wish on an egg – Write “I wish to be cleansed” or “I wish to feel renewed” on a hard-boiled egg then place it in your garden or on your altar as an offering to the deities of spring. Touch it every day to reset your intention.

Jennifer Lane is a green witch and author. She has written for Vogue, The Guardian and the BBC, promoting the health benefits of spending time in nature.

@thegreenwitchwriter

THE WITCH’S SURVIVAL GUIDE by Jennifer Lane

There are many books about becoming or being a witch, which talk about the witch experience and its glamour, weirdness or excitement. This book goes beyond those aspects and takes “witchiness” for granted and instead it gives spells, remedies and other techniques that you might want to use that come from the witch tradition and can help with stress and burnout in all their forms. You don’t have to be a witch to use this material of course, but everything comes from the alternative direction and it helps to be sympathetic to that. It all relates to these challenging times when almost all of us feel confused and challenged because we are overwhelmed by busyness and overstimulation and much of our security has been kicked away by lockdowns. A book with this approach feels comforting and warming and will restore our connection to nature and all that’s good.

240pp, 229 x 152mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330125 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10

❖ Member Price: £9.99

SOUL MEDICINE by

Edward Tick

I remember an earlier book by Edward Tick called War and the Soul, and it was about trying to heal veterans of conflict. This has a broader perspective as he describes the experiences of others across his 25 years of guiding people on pilgrimages to Greece. He mostly goes to the sites of Ancient Greek civilization, such as Thermopylae, Delos and Delphi and the book contains evocative photographs and drawings. It outlines in practical terms all the different healing techniques he and his fellow pilgrims use, such as dream incubation, oracles and sacred theatre. All these techniques have been abandoned across the past 3000 years, but the Greeks understood that to heal the body you have to work on the soul. The book includes many amazing stories of healing. It’s a fascinating account that really makes you believe in humanity and our amazing depths.

288pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 330128 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

SIMPLE EXERCISES TO STIMULATE THE VAGUS NERVE

by Lars Lienhard and Ulla Schmid-Fetzer

For those not familiar with the vagus nerve, the authors tell us that it’s an information superhighway transmitting data between the brain, heart, gut, immune system and many other organs, and is unfortunately, since it serves so many parts of our bodies, detrimentally affected by stress. With an easy to understand introduction, the book then lays out over 100 simple, well-illustrated exercises that we can all do to alleviate stress, depression, anxiety, pain and digestive conditions. From balance and breathing to hearing, sight and touch exercises, we learn to improve the stimulation needed for the brain-gut and brain-heart axes to function more predictably and effectively. It’s very approachable and makes complete sense!

320pp, 240 x 170 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330138 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

MOVE YOURSELF HAPPY

by Dianne Buswell

We know that watching the dancing on Strictly, or even just seeing kids cartwheeling on the beach, brings a smile to our faces, so doesn’t it sound like a good idea to try it a bit of movement ourselves? This book makes a refreshing change to the usual exercise bibles because it tackles movement as something to include in small doses, every day, not only for its physical benefits, but also to make us smile! Buswell has her own Four Pillars of well-being - movement, nutrition, rest and positivity - and her 21-day plan is designed to get us into the habit of thinking about all these elements in our life and leave us with an enjoyable daily routine that we’ll want to follow. Filled with step-by-step photos and helpful tips, this is a joyful book that really does deliver what it promises - flexibility, coordination, balance, sleep and happiness.

224pp, 238 x 202 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 330156 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

WHAT I WISH PEOPLE KNEW ABOUT DEMENTIA by Wendy Mitchell

Wendy was just 58 when she was diagnosed with young-onset dementia, but she has dealt with it front-on and has lived a constructive and busy life since. Her first book was Somebody I Used to Know, which was more of an account of what happened to her, whereas this book – new in paperback –is a book of tips and guidance about what dementia actually feels like. Sadly it’s a book that many of us need as people live much longer lives. It’s a book that helps us understand what people with dementia are going through and how they experience things, which helps us to help them better. And, in describing the experience of dementia, it might also make us less afraid of it, as we are reassured that a vibrant and fulfilling life is still possible when you have it.

240pp, 198 x 128 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 330102 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

CRYSTAL COMPANIONS

by Jessica Lahoud

This is a lovely new addition to the crystal reference guide market; it’s smaller than a normal book and therefore easy to handle, with lots of lovely colour photography and clearly laid out. It’s a modern guide that explains the crystal healing process in simple terms and provides practical rituals to help you attune to crystal energy. It’s so lovely that it’s very easy just to read it from cover to cover, but it is also a handy manual which looks at how to use crystals in everyday life, how to care for your crystals, safety tips for working with minerals and rituals for manifesting, protection, emotional healing and psychic development. With a useful focus on the most affordable crystals, this book would make a lovely gift for anyone starting their crystal journey.

272pp,189 x 153 mm, Hardback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330141 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

LIFE FORCE by Tony Robbins

This is a proper doorstop reference book but you can always dip into it wherever and whenever you want. There’s so much there including chapters on stroke, cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s, with all the latest information on how we can avoid them or alleviate the worst of the symptoms. There are also chapters on supplements, diet, exercise and good nutrition. Some amazing names are part of the committee that helped put the book together, like Dean Ornish and Matthew Walker, author of the bestselling Why We Sleep book, so we know the material is reputable. There are endorsements from Hugh Jackman, Jack Nicklaus and Bill Clinton. So, you do have to put up with a bit of Tony plugging his own work and products, but otherwise it’s all here and it’s full of his trademark enthusiasm.

720pp, 243 x 162 mm, Hardback, 2022, RRP £25.00

❖ Code: 330126 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

Fireworks filled the air as I opened the email from Findhorn Press offering me a publishing contract for Shamanic Dreaming. It was Guy Fawkes night 2021 and I had travelled down to Leeds from Scotland. My mum, daughter and I were having what we fondly call a “female lineage” gathering. My eyes devoured the words from my now publisher, Sabine: “I really like the manuscript. Vision is certainly what we need for the future to evolve benignly with humans in it”. Fireworks went off in my heart. I noted the synchronicity of being with the three ages of my family at this moment as we smiled together. I knew the book would be in good hands.

The idea of connecting with your inner visionary came through to me one morning, as I awakened to the resounding voice of my guide. “Visionaries are and always will be the ones who take care of the future life map”, she spoke. I don’t often hear words that break into everyday reality from the realms beyond. As my ears and brain sent messages to one another enquiring how that could actually happen, I felt myself coming to land, but still sensing the dream I had stepped out of where I was sitting in a future life. I considered the fact that maybe I visited the future more often than I thought. Perhaps we all visit the future more than we think. The inner visionary is a time traveller, a shamanic dreamer communing with a wider symphony.

According to the relics of archaeology and the information of dreamers like us, the practice of working with vision is something that shamans, priestesses, priests, artists, musicians and seers of all times have done. As someone who has been drawing and writing ever since she can remember, I often wonder where these images and storylines that pour out into the world through my fingertips actually come from. Sometimes I have drawn scenes and houses that I later find myself living inside. I remember in 1990 when,

Shamanic Dreaming

intent upon being a writer, I rented a huge bedsit in Liverpool and would spend day after day sitting by the window, pressing words into my trusty typewriter. I found myself one afternoon on hands and knees, pulling out the crumpled-up paper I had tossed into wastepaper baskets, with a sudden curiosity for what my inner critic might have discarded over the last weeks and months. To my surprise I found some of the same passages written over and over again, word for word. I had a vision at this moment of some kind of scribe, on the other side of who knows where, dictating scores to me. Maybe this is the quest of the visionary - to

SHAMANIC DREAMING by Carol Day

travel into certain times and drop visions into the minds and hearts of souls who can effect change. We are each co-creators living in a matrix of dreamed symphonies and, by knowing this, we can take care of the future life map.

My book Shamanic Dreaming has been written as an inspirational and practical guide to take the reader on a vision quest through life and the loop of time. Its impulse and intention are to bring hope and connection into the channels and timelines of human existence and to join forces with the communication systems of nature and the many realms. It introduces exercises that help build connection with nature and guides. The main premise is an emphasis on the importance of being present, being able to listen and sensing ourselves as belonging with the rest of nature. It is through the portal of presence that we really connect with our planet and the multitude of beings and messaging systems that are happening all the time.

Shamanic dreaming becomes conscious when we slow down, pay attention and concentrate on prioritising ways to keep conversations alive. This book is set out as a play. The two acts invite us to step out into the play of our lives and bring our power to dream into the wider web. Profound change is possible if we each begin more clearly to weave vision with kindness through and into the fabric of time.

This book has everything – text, stories, plentiful exercises, charming line drawings and right at the start a fantastic foreword by Sandra Ingerman, who calls the author a “brilliant visionary”. Carol Day is a teacher and therapist who lives in Glasgow. She begins by relating how in her work she felt called to go deeper and how vision calls us in many ways and on many occasions throughout our lives. She outlines the different inner journeys we can make with the help of different animals, including orcas, hedgehogs and dragons. The practical exercises start very early in the book and even if we make use of only half of them we have here an amazing resource. In this way we too can become visionaries and start to transform our lives and create new webs of community.

192pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330133 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10

❖ Member Price: £9.99

BOOK REVIEWS – The Nature of the Universe

ULTIMATE I CHING

by Antony Cummins

Anyone who enjoyed the latest His Dark Materials series on television and who was intrigued by the use there of the I Ching will definitely find this book interesting. The author has recognised the difficulties in presenting an explanation of I Ching clearly and states that he’s worked to create “a straightforward yet comprehensive guide that respects the original translation but cuts through its complexities”. Suitable for beginners and those already using I Ching, the introduction is very helpful in guiding you to what you should or don’t need to read, although there’s lots of interesting history and analysis of the meanings for everyone here. The descriptions and instructions are simply written and easy to understand, and importantly they are accompanied by superb graphics which really help to get the message across.

304pp, 234 x 153 mm, Hardback, 2023, RRP £25.00

❖ Code: 330154 ❖ Non-Member Price: £17.76 ❖ Member Price: £15.99

THE TWILIGHT OF PLUTO

by John Michael Greer

This detailed and fascinating read explores the waxing and waning of planetary influences in astrology, with particular reference to Pluto which has recently been demoted to a dwarf planet and as such, has lost a lot of the influence it has had over us. Greer explains in detail how the demotion or proved nonexistence of a planet marks the beginning of a roughly 30-year period in which that planet’s influence fades out, giving several examples of earlier planet demotion, including Ceres, whose fifty-year reign as a planet corresponds closely to the Romantic Era of history. His main theme, however, is the change coming as the influence of Pluto fades out, and the good news is that a great many disruptive phenomena of the recent past will fade with the planet.

176pp, 227 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330137 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

THE NATURE OF ASTROLOGY

by Bruce Scofield

It feels like a long time since a new book on astrology has been published by a fairly mainstream publisher, although calling the wonderful Inner Traditions a “mainstream publisher” does also feel like a gross misrepresentation. This is a thick book that’s more than 500 pages long and it states the case for why astrology does matter, does deserve our profound respect and remains a solid science that dates back to ancient times. Praise is heaped upon the book by authors we know like John Michael Greer and Ervin Laszlo, plus renowned astrologers like Robert Hand and Nicholas Campion. It’s ideal for people like me, who want to understand and work with astrology but don’t quite “get” it, although I can imagine that there’s invaluable information here for astrologers too. The text is readable and accessible which is vital for a book like this.

544pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £26.00

❖ Code: 330134 ❖ Non-Member Price: £18.33 ❖ Member Price: £16.50

PSYCHIATRY AND THE SPIRIT WORLD by

Alan Sanderson

Despite the slightly vague title, this is most definitely a book about the survival of consciousness after death. The author is a consultant psychiatrist who qualified at St Thomas’s Hospital in London. He learned a lot about the other side through the practice of Spirit Release Therapy, which he developed, and it made him firmly convinced that there is a life after death. His book covers the entire spectrum, from near-death experience and spirit communication through mediums to hypnotic regression and astral projection. The book is of course uplifting because it gives meaning to life and a positivity around our continued human development beyond death. The text isn’t dense and academic and it’s full of stories both from the history books and from the author’s own experience.

256pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £17.99

❖ Code: 330130 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.77 ❖ Member Price: £11.50

CHEATING THE FERRYMAN by

Anthony Peake

Anthony Peake is an author to be appreciated because he deals with big issues but writes in an enjoyable way that doesn’t intimidate the reader. So here he discusses such big names as Friedrich Nietzsche, PD Ouspensky and Walter Benjamin, but he also fills the book with stories and case studies which back up what he is saying. It might not surprise you that this book is a sequel to his classic title Is There Life After Death? and it goes on to expand the range of material compared to that earlier book. He is not trying to overwhelm us with evidence as stories but instead he surveys the material philosophically and in a cool way. These are questions that concern and even obsess many of us and it will be immensely reassuring to almost all that he concludes that the world is genuinely not what it seems to be.

256pp, 234 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 330101 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

21 DAYS TO EXPLORE YOUR PAST LIVES by Denise

Linn

Denise Linn is a very popular author and teacher whose deeper knowledge was triggered into life when she was shot aged 17 by an unknown assailant. Her Cherokee ancestry has also had a great influence on her teaching and she has remained a trusted and beloved spiritual guide. Here we learn about the power of finding out about our past lives since past events, both positive and negative, can reveal our unique emotional make-up and explain physical ailments that trouble us today. Denise lays out simple techniques to help us discover our own past life experiences and also how to heal blockages that affect us now. Peppered with interesting and uplifting case stories, this is an easy-to-use and highly recommended book.

192pp, 196 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 330116 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

If a Wicca coven meets on Zoom, where is it actually meeting? What dimension?

Now this isn’t a trick question, especially because I don’t have the answer. It is a genuine enquiry.

From one perspective, it is just a group communicating over the internet, like a telephone conversation.

From a mystical nerd-techie perspective, they are connecting energetically, facilitated by the internet. In this concept, the worldwide web is an intermediary, sending prana/chi down the broadband and wireless lines.

And there is a third possibility, which is that Zoom is just a touch point for the coven. They are connecting telepathically and might even be astral travelling out of their bodies on their broomsticks. The internet is just the way that their physical bodies stay conscious.

Many people I work with say that they really enjoy online meditations and courses. When I first started teaching online, technophobes grouched about it. There was a lot of tut-tutting about technology versus ‘real’ spirituality.

A few years on however and opinion has dramatically transformed. One reason for this shift is that people doing spiritual work online no longer have to deal with the coughing, shuffling and other irritations that happen in an inperson group. It is not easy to be serene and experience subtle dimensions when someone close by is breathing heavily, wheezing and ruffling their cough medicine lozenges packet which refuses to open.

Introverts and quiet types also love working online, because they are free from the social interactions of a real-life group. In fact, many people report that their meditations and inner work go much deeper when they work online. They remind us too that there are ages-old practices of distant healing, prayer work and magic. Being connected online helps to amplify the energies and the experience. (None of this, of course, is to underestimate the healing, enjoyment and encouragement that can come from real life communities.)

The Joy of Online Learning

So, like many others, I truly value online courses and meditations. In a very real sense, the hopeful prophesies of a global brain, or global heart, have been realised. The electronic network covering planet Earth is now similar to all the connections in the human nervous system. This new interconnectivity and interdependence heralds, some people say, a great evolutionary step for humanity and Gaia. Certainly, when we look at the chaos and confusion in social networking (Facebook, Twitter, TikTok, Instagram, etc), we can see the birth pangs of this new culture.

But what happens now to the metaphysical, magical and spiritual traditions that are rooted in particular geographies?

In my case, for example, I feel that my roots are deep in the Middle

Eastern and European mystery schools that include ancient Egyptian, gnostic Christian, Qabalah and Sufism. I honour too the traditions of Tibetan sorcery, Berber magic and central African shamanism. Many of my close friends feel their roots in other geographies, particularly shamanism in north and south America, and Scandinavia.

To repeat my enquiry: What happens now to these regional jewels?

I found part of the answer recently when I interviewed Grandmother Flordemayo of the Mayan tradition and Puma Quispe Singona, an Andean medicine man, for a Shift Network Summit. Both of these teachers were born into and are rooted in their traditions. Both are also teaching online. And they had the same core message. We are one humanity, one people. We must learn to be still, to connect with Source and spread love and compassion.

There is a good, harmonic balance here. The old embraces the new. The local embraces the global. Remember the call to action: Think global. Act local. We might add to that inspiring call another mantra: Local roots. Global compassion.

William will soon be leading two very relevant online courses. The 7-session Magic of Metaphysics and the year -long Experiential Metaphysics. The year-long course also gives students the opportunity to achieve a Masters degree in the subject.For more information visit williambloom.com

CREATING PLACES OF POWER by Nigel Pennick

First published around 25 years ago, this classic has been fully revised for this edition. Nigel Pennick is a British national treasure for all the work he does on folklore, old rituals, ancient stone structures, talismans and geomancy, to name but a few things on his extensive repertoire of skills. This is a collection of all the rules and principles in the Western European tradition that shape the design and timings of monuments, larger occupied structures and whole towns. So in a way it’s a guide to sacred space – how it works and how we can create it for ourselves, albeit on a smaller scale. The book is full of diagrams, photos and illustrations. The text is not very dense and, even if we have no desire or intention to build any of these things, it’s just a fascinating book full of fascinating lore and amazing stories about how our ancestors gave meaning to space. 336pp, 227 x 150 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £18.99 ❖ Code: 330132 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

WA - THE ART OF BALANCE

by Kaki Okumura

While we are inundated from all sides with information about living more healthily, this very abundance presents us with a challenge because it’s hard to know which tip is right, or at least will work for us. This book about the Japanese practice of ‘Wa’ is a lovely antidote to this kaleidoscope of information; it not only looks lovely and feels nice to hold, it reads like a kind friend having a chat with you about how you lead your life and how you could make it better. The author teaches us how to find balance in all aspects of life, principally eating, movement, rest and socialising, using solutions that are gentle, easy to adopt and timeless, and, most importantly, that allow us to stop having to impose restrictions and relying on our own willpower. It’s a lovely, holistic solution, beautifully written and illustrated.

248pp, 201 x 150 mm, Hardback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330153 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

THE WISDOM OF WILDNESS

by Ren Hurst

There has been much recently about “rewilding” in terms of restoring the land as best we can to the state it was in before humans started to adapt it for their own use. Then there has also been stuff about rewilding ourselves inside in consciousness terms. This though is the first book I have seen about reversing a process of domestication which humanity has instituted on itself going back millennia. It’s not just wild animals that have been domesticated! Ren already teaches this in wild places in the American Pacific Northwest and the book is full of stories of her experiences, especially with her wild dog companions. There are also many practical tips, especially for those of us who don’t live in the wild, as it were. What does reversing domestication look like? This book shows us and will demonstrate how exhilarating it can be.

160pp, 229 x 151 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330139 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

THE KABBALAH OF WRITING

by Sherri Mandell

Revealing how the ancient spiritual tradition known as the Kabbalah can be applied to the art of writing, award-winning author Sherri Mandell presents a mystical system for developing creativity and harnessing divine inspiration in your storytelling and other written works. This is I think her third book along Kabbalistic themes so she is deeply knowledgeable about the teachings. Sharing insight from her own spiritual journey, Mandell explains how the characteristics of the ten sefirot - the channels of divine creative life force that make up the elemental spiritual structure of the world - can be used to think about and develop writing in a profound way and give you the power to grow as a person and a writer. Writing can be a spiritual path; many people tell us but this is one of the few books that actually shows you the way in practical terms.

160pp, 226 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330161 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

THE DYSLEXIC ADVANTAGE

by Brock L. and Fernette F. Eide

This book was a bestseller when it was first published 12 years ago and now it is being republished with revisions and updates. So much has been learned over this time and this edition includes 18 more profiles of inspiring individuals with dyslexia. It’s also printed in a larger, more dyslexic-friendly font. All the same, there is a lot of information here and there are copious notes and references. The authors were inspired to write this by a headline describing the success of many leading people in business despite “suffering from” dyslexia. But why “suffering”? Perhaps it gave them an advantage in their chosen field? The text goes on to show all the ways in which this is true, how dyslexia is just an information-processing style and how it helps with pattern detection, creativity and problem-solving. It’s very empowering.

448pp, 229 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330107 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

365 DAYS OF DIVINE FEMININE WISDOM by Morgan Migliorisi

Morgan Migliorisi is a witch, intuitive and life coach who has worked with women all over the world to awaken their inner power and use it to help them craft the lives they are seeking. In this book she shares her passion and wisdom in an approachable daily format. Each entry comes in the form of guidance from your inner goddess, split into a three-part feminine archetype, according to the time of year:

January to April provides inspiration from the Maiden aspect; May to August offers guidance from the Mother aspect; and September to December reveals knowledge from the Crone. Clearly explained and thought provoking, these teachings will certainly help us awaken to and activate the ancient Divine Feminine wisdom within us.

320pp, 178 x 127 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330112 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

21 DAYS TO AWAKEN THE WRITER WITHIN by Lisa Fugard

Here is another brief but immersive course in learning a new skill. Lisa Fugard is the daughter of world-renowned South African playwright Athol Fugard. She has written novels and many published short stories. This book takes on the task of helping those who feel they want to write or have something to say, and of giving them the tools to do so. Its subtitle is Find Joy in Creative Writing and Discover Your Unique Voice which hints at the fact that the author herself sometimes found it hard to get to grips with writing and her shared experiences are encouraging. So, if you or someone you know has the urge to write but has never had the courage to do so, this book will set you on the right path. Lisa has many years of experience in doing this for people who have come to her workshops and live talks.

160pp, 196 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 330114 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

BEDS, Luton

Jenny Martin 01582 415242 jennym4759@yahoo.co.uk

BRISTOL, Bishopston

Jane Stott 07788 418 078 janestott070@gmail.com

BUCKS, Milton Keynes

Nikki Brown 07972 257 004 nikki-nutrimed@hotmail.co.uk

CEREDIGION, Llangrannog

1st Wednesday of every month 2-4 plus 3rd Friday 7-9 pm

Amanda Painting 01239 654 699 amandapainting@gmail.com

CARMARTHEN

Dorothy Morris 01267 267 652 dorothy_morris@hotmail.com

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

CUMBRIA, Penrith

Jackie Lewis 07799 884452 stellapolarisbb@gmail.com

DERBY/NOTTINGHAM

David Steare 01332 661 102 david.steare@ntlworld.com

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

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

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

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

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

FIFE, Markinch

Amy Thomson 07775 877114 heartholistictherapiesbyamy@ gmail.com

ISLE OF WIGHT, Shanklin

Kate Stuart 07957 909 566 redfox_1@btinternet.com

KENT, Ashford

Sylvia Nichols 01233 626 206 viastjames@icloud.com

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

LEICS, Coalville Cheryl Colpman 07974 100591 cheryl@cherylcolpman.co.uk

MANCHESTER, Sale

Rosemary Plunkett 0161 962 4123 rosieglow3@icloud.com

MERSEYSIDE, Liverpool, Woolton Pamela Langley 0151 421 1772 pamelalangley@hotmail.com

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

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

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

N YORKS, Selby Val Turner 01757 706693 valdert@btinternet.com

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

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

OXFORD

Norma Hare 01865 849459 norma.or@hotmail.co.uk

★ NEW OXON, Chalgrove Susan Rose 07880 778555

PERTHSHIRE, Crieff Rebecca Dearman 07483872183

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, Shrewsbury Hilary Foxwell 07941 539435

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

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

SOUTH LAKES, Cumbria

Catherine Hunt 07957 861408 hello@ primewellbeingfoundation.com

STAFFS, Stoke-on-Trent

Nathan Smallman 07724 189 988 nathan.smallman@btinternet.com

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

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

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

A Guide to Starting a Cygnus Café

We 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.

❖ 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.

❖ When getting down to 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. ❖ 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.

❖ For meeting support you can contact Vicky Hartley at Cygnus on vicky@ cygnus-books.co.uk

❖ 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 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.

❖ Gradually most groups 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.

Become a Cygnus supporter

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

Become a Cygnus Supporter and enjoy:

★ Guaranteed copies of Cygnus Review, four times a year – Carefully selected titles, tried, tested and reviewed just for you

★ Free subscription to Watkins Mind Body Spirit Magazine – delivered with your Cygnus Review

★ Discounted entry to a number of events throughout the year

★ Access to the Cygnus Café network –Meet up with local Cygnus supporters for mutual growth and support

★ 10% discounted Member Price on all Cygnus books* – Save even more off your favourite books, DVDs and resources

BECOME A MEMBER FOR LESS THAN A CUP OF COFFEE PER MONTH

We are now offering direct debit memberships, giving you the chance to pay monthly, quarterly or annually for your membership.

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

THE ART OF CHANNELING

by Jenny Tyson

The key to this new title is its interesting approach to the age-old dilemma of whether or not to trust the messages we receive from the spirits. The author, who both studies and practices intuitive skills, contends that spirits cannot lie and it is the channelers who are deceiving themselves by “mistaking the expectations and beliefs of their own minds for spirit communication”. In her book, she lays out her uniquely structured method of question and response which is designed to attain accurate communications. It’s a hands-on book and you don’t need to be experienced to use it. By the end of the book you’ll be equipped to communicate with extraterrestrials, angels, ghosts, nature spirits, and even the Universal Mind that is the source of all knowledge.

264pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2022, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330124 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA

by Louisa Crisp

Louisa has written two previous books under the name Anna Delves: From Chrysalis to Butterfly and A Memory Returned, which have both been popular with Cygnus. This is her first new book for a long time and it recounts how we have fallen out of balance with the Source and shows us a path to finding connection again. Louisa runs a farm and retreat centre in the Cotswolds where she offers space and peace to people and also guidance where required that comes through her close connection to the Source. It’s this rare connection that enables her to get an insight into the deeper workings of the universe. What she has to say is hopeful because we are living with a sense of separation and it’s down to us to get past it. We need to listen closely to our own intuition and then do the work to be more honest and direct with ourselves.

324pp, 234 x 156 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330159 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

INITIATION INTO DREAM MYSTERIES

by Sarah Janes

We have had books recently which have covered aspects of working with dreams from the Tibetan tradition but by contrast this works within the heritage of the European mystery schools, specifically the practices fostered in Ancient Greece. Most of the text is focused on images from Greece and from Classical Egypt. The author, who lives in Hastings, gives a history of dream work from this mystery school past and tips on how we can do the same work ourselves. She recounts many dreams of initiation in a very poetic, mystical way. It’s refreshing to read this unconventional and unusual account from someone who is confident this approach has fuelled the development of culture throughout history. Each chapter, with the meditation that goes with it, is like another initiation on the path to self-realisation.

192pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330140 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

GENTLY DOWN THIS DREAM

by Hugh and Gayle Prather

If Wayne Dyer says “I love this man - and all that he writes” we know we’re going to enjoy a book! This collection of essays, poems and aphorisms come from the pioneering and best selling author of Notes to Myself, published in 1970. It’s something of a surprise to see it after all this time, and it’s thanks to an agent (and fan) who recently asked Prather’s widow, Gayle, if she had any unpublished work from him. Gently Down This Dream is like his others in that it is episodic and inspirational while also being warm, personal, loving and spiritual. He writes with humour and you always feel it’s from his heart; it’s also not preachy and he is so good at articulating a way through what can often seem the prison of the self and providing a means for navigating the world at large. One for fans and newbies alike.

172pp, 563 x 178 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330123 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

21ST CENTURY FAIRY

by Morgan Daimler

Fairies are as much around today as they were in ancient times or in the time of Queen Elizabeth. They might look the same as they used to or they might look different. They can even live in the city although they prefer the countryside. Here is a vivid guide to fairy life today, about what they might look like and how we might be able to encounter them. Of course it is also full of stories. Morgan is a real expert in these matters and she is also the author of A New Dictionary of Fairies. Times are changing quickly and I feel the veil between worlds is growing ever thinner so these encounters are important as there is much we can learn from them. It’s a short book but there is plenty to inspire us to get out there and experience the world in all its richness and variety.

104pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 330104 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.76 ❖ Member Price: £6.99

21 DAYS TO DECODE YOUR DREAMS

by Leon Nacson

This is another in the popular ‘21 Days To…’ series of books from Hay House which remind us that 21 days of practice is the optimum time for establishing a habit or mastering a piece of knowledge. In this book, Nacson gives us the tools to decipher our dreams, sharing a different piece of knowledge for each of the 21 days. From understanding the language of dreams, how to decode your dreams and the appearance of popular expressions, Nacson also tells us about the meaning of many of the subjects that make an appearance in our dreams from our teeth falling out and flying, to animals, family and even celebrities. By Day 21 you’ll be able to unravel most things, including the dream you had about kissing Michael Caine in a Mini! This is an easy to use, great value read.

192pp, 196 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 330115 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

HO’OPONOPONO by Ulrich E. Dupree

Powerful yet concise, this revolutionary guide summarises the Hawaiian ritual of forgiveness and offers methods for immediately creating positive effects in everyday life. Exploring the concept that everyone is deeply connected - despite feelings of singularity and separation - four tenets are disclosed for creating peace with oneself and others: I am sorry, Please forgive me, I love you, and Thank you. Offering practical exercises, this simple four-step system encourages readers to focus on difficult conflicts within personal relationships and healing the past. By addressing these issues, owning one’s feelings, and accepting unconditional love, unhealthy situations transform into favourable experiences. Final chapters delve into love relationships, health and career, and healing the planet.

96pp, 163 x 115 mm, Paperback, 2012, RRP £5.99

❖ Code: 221001 ❖ Non-Member Price: £4.43 ❖ Member Price: £3.99

THE HEART OF YOGA by

T.K.V. Desikachar

Sri Tirumalai Krishnamacharya was one of the greatest yogis of the modern era; he developed the concept of Viniyoga which maintains that practices must be continually adapted to the individual’s changing needs to achieve the maximum therapeutic value. This book about Viniyoga is written by his son, T. K. V. Desikachar, who lived and worked with Krishnamacharya, and who was a teacher of Viniyoga himself. He’s brought a practical eye to the narrative, creating a step-by-step sequence for us to follow which will provide “a program for the spine at every level - physical, mental, and spiritual”. He also discusses all the elements of yoga and shows how we can develop a practice tailored to our current state of health, age, occupation, and lifestyle. The book includes 32 beautiful poems by Krishnamacharya that really capture the essence of his teachings.

272pp, 253 x 206 mm, Paperback, 1999, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330142 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

THE GOSPEL OF MARY MAGDALENE

edited by Jean-Yves Leloup

Perhaps no figure in the Bible has been the subject of more controversy than Mary Magdalene. In most theological studies she has been depicted as a reformed prostitute, the redeemed sinner who exemplifies Christ’s mercy. Her own gospel is one of the so-called Gnostic gospels rejected by the early Christian church, and until recently it has remained unknown to the public at large. Theologian Jean-Yves Leloup’s translation of the Gospel of Mary from the Coptic and his thorough commentary on this text are presented here for the first time in English. The text and his commentary together reveal unique teachings that emphasise the eminence of the divine feminine and an abiding love of nature over the dualistic and ascetic interpretations of Christianity presented elsewhere.

208pp, 227 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2002, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330144 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

COLLOIDAL SILVER by Werner Kuhni and

Walter von Holst

Colloidal silver was widely used as a natural antibiotic and antiviral until the mid-20th century when its use was overshadowed by the development of pharmaceutical antibiotics. Now with the rise of antibioticresistant infections, colloidal silver has re-entered the sights of medical researchers, alternative health practitioners, and those looking to take control of their own health. In this practical guide, the authors explore the many uses and benefits of colloidal silver for boosting immunity, reducing pain and inflammation, and treating more than 80 common diseases and conditions. They reveal how colloidal silver works against bacteria, viruses, and fungi, including strep, staph, and candida, often in a matter of minutes. They examine how it accelerates the healing of cuts and bruises and how it can also be used to treat our animal companions.

160pp, 274 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2016, RRP £11.99

❖ Code: 330146 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

ANGELS OF LIGHT CARDS (POCKET EDITION) by

Diana Cooper

Angels are willing and able to help us in many ways throughout our lives. All we need to do is call on them and they will respond. Diana Cooper devised this set of 52 cards as a tool for bringing angels into your life and allowing them to help you. Each card has written on it an angel message of help and guidance plus an affirmation. Choose one whenever you feel you need to and allow the words to raise your consciousness to higher levels. This is a smaller pocket-sized version of the larger edition of the cards that will fit into the smallest of bags, so you can always have them with you. This classic angel deck has helped thousands of people around the world. The larger edition of the cards is also available with the stock code 101053.

52 cards plus 1 instruction card, 2009, RRP £6.99

❖ Code: 191018 ❖ Non-Member Price: £4.43 ❖ Member Price: £3.99

ANGELS OF ATLANTIS ORACLE CARDS by Stewart Pearce

The Angels of Atlantis Oracle Cards are inspired by the Twelve Archangels of Atlantis. The cards depict each Archangel as an Orb and are intended to act as loving, wise guides, providing powerful counsel and healing. Connecting with the characteristics of these ancient beings can, says Stewart Pearce, assist in allowing miracles to occur in your life. The simple and direct heart virtues given on each card will inspire you to form answers to life questions. The beautifully designed cards are accompanied by a booklet offering help on how to develop your oracular abilities, with the angels’ light shining on your life path. Great guidance offered by a leading UK spiritual teacher. 44 cards and a 48-page booklet, 2011, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 210312 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

THE WOMAN WITH THE ALABASTER JAR

by Margaret Starbird

Margaret Starbird’s theological beliefs were profoundly shaken when she read Holy Blood, Holy Grail, a book that dared to suggest that Jesus Christ was married to Mary Magdalene and that their descendants carried on his holy bloodline in Western Europe. Shocked by such heresy, this Roman Catholic scholar set out to refute it, but instead found new and compelling evidence for the existence of the bride of Jesus, the same enigmatic woman who anointed him with precious unguent from her “alabaster jar”. Her book went on to influence Dan Brown and consequently he wrote The Da Vinci Code, which put into fiction her work and the work of the Holy Blood Holy Grail authors. Here though you can read all her compelling research in detail. This book literally changed the world and has been a bestseller ever since.

240pp, 228 x 153 mm, Paperback, 1993, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330145 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

VIBRATIONAL MEDICINE

by Dr Richard Gerber

This is the ground-breaking classic overview of alternative medicine that has sold hundreds of thousands of copies since it was first published in 1988. Vibrational Medicine has gained widespread acceptance by individuals, schools, and health-care institutions worldwide as the textbook of choice for the study of alternative medicine. Trained in a variety of alternative therapies as well as conventional Western medicine, Dr. Gerber provides an encyclopaedic treatment of energetic healing, covering subtle-energy fields, acupuncture, Bach flower remedies, homeopathy, radionics, crystal healing, electrotherapy, radiology, chakras, meditation, and psychic healing. The book has been consistently updated in the years since its initial publication.

608pp, 227 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2001, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 330147 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

PRIMAL BODY, PRIMAL MIND

by Nora T. Gedgaudas

This has been one of the foundational books of the so-called Paleo trend in nutrition and health maintenance. The author is a highly qualified nutritional therapist. The text is wonderfully easy to read and understand, but it is also full to the brim with strong scientific back-up. With step-by-step guidelines, recipes, and meal recommendations, this book offers sustainable strategies for a primally based, yet modern approach to diet and exercise to reduce stress and anxiety, lose weight, improve sleep and mood, increase energy and immunity, enhance brain function, save money on groceries, and live longer and happier. It’s still a controversial field and this approach tends to lean on animal products but I think that still there’s a lot we can all learn from books like this.

416pp, 228 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2011, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330149 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

THE COMPLETE I CHING translated by Alfred Huang

Many call this the most complete and user-friendly version there is of the Chinese divination classic. Master Huang, a Taoist master, first translated the ancient ideograms of the I Ching into contemporary Chinese and then into English, bringing forth the intuitive meanings embodied in the images. However, what makes his translation truly definitive is his return to prominence of the Ten Wings, the commentaries by Confucius that are essential to the I Ching’s insights. This edition offers a thorough introduction to the history of the I Ching, how to use it, and several new divination methods; in-depth and easy-to-reference translations of each hexagram name, description, and pictogram; and discussions of the interrelations between the hexagrams and the spiritual meaning of their sequence. It’s a lovely book and the gateway to a lifetime of study.

576pp, 225 x 156 mm, Paperback, 2010, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330150 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

THE FIVE TIBETANS by

Christopher S. Kilham

Originating in the Himalayas, the five yogic exercises known as the Five Tibetans take only a minimum of daily time and effort but dramatically increase physical strength, energy, and suppleness. Also called the Five Rites of Rejuvenation, these exercises were brought to the West in the early 20th century by a retired British army officer who learned them in a Tibetan monastery. Regular practice of these postures relieves muscle tension and nervous stress, improves digestion, strengthens the cardiovascular system, tunes and energises the chakras, and leads to deep relaxation and well-being. This short book has sold tens of thousands of copies over the years and is well illustrated with photos of the easy-to-do poses. The author has also included short chapters on Yoga Nidra and Kundalini meditation.

96pp, 208 x 139 mm, Paperback, 2011, RRP £8.99

❖ Code: 330148 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99

NATURAL REMEDIES FOR INFLAMMATION by

Christopher Vasey

Anti-inflammatory drugs are now the top-selling pharmaceuticals, but daily use can lead to other chronic conditions and further medication. In this practical guide, naturopath Christopher Vasey explores 38 anti-inflammatory herbs, such as laurel, basil and turmeric, as well as other natural substances, such as fish oil. He explains how, like fever, inflammation is a defensive reaction of the body and also carries out a cleansing process, which natural remedies support but drugs can destabilise. He examines many of the most common inflammationrelated ailments such as allergies, asthma, arthritis and eczema, and explains which medicinal plant or food supplement is best suited to alleviate unpleasant symptoms while helping the body complete the healing the inflammation was initiated to perform.

192pp, 211 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2015, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330143 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

In 1939, at his ashram near the city of Wardha in central India, Mahatma Gandhi was growing increasingly concerned about events in Europe. Now 69 years old, Gandhi had spent his life as an advocate of non-violence, so was disturbed by the conflict that seemed about to erupt thousands of miles away. When the news reached Gandhi that Hitler had invaded Czechoslovakia, he decided to write to the German dictator. In a letter dated July 1939, Gandhi addressed Hitler as “Dear Friend”, and wrote, “It is quite clear that you are today the one person in the world who can prevent a war which may reduce humanity to a savage state. Must you pay that price for an object however worthy it may appear to you to be? Will you listen to the appeal of one who has deliberately shunned the method of war not without considerable success?”

…It is not known whether this letter reached Hitler – perhaps it never even left India. But if Hitler did read it, he ignored it. Just a few weeks later, he invaded Poland, triggering the outbreak of World War II.

…The fundamental difference between Hitler and Gandhi is one of connection. The “goodness” of Gandhi – or of any highly altruistic and spiritually developed person – is the result of a highly connected sense of self, which experiences a high level of empathy and compassion towards others. With a highly connected sense

DISCONNECTED by Steve Taylor

The Roots of Human Cruelty

of self, you can take other people’s perspectives and sense their suffering, which generates an impulse to alleviate their suffering. You become capable of altruism – which literally means, other-ism. You can subsume your desires and sacrifice your well-being for the sake of the others. You may even be willing to sacrifice your life for others. You become aware of the importance of justice and equality, knowing that all human beings are entitled to the same rights and opportunities.

In contrast, Hitler represents a state of extreme disconnection. The brutality of a figure such as Hitler – or any person with strong psychopathic and/or narcissistic traits – stems from a self that is so disconnected that it has

Steve is a real friend of Cygnus and we try to feature all his books when they come out. It’s very rare to encounter an author who is firmly rooted in “the spiritual” but who can speak the language of science. The subtitle here gives us the key to the text: The Roots of Human Cruelty and How Connection Can Heal the World. Connection is the most essential human trait - it determines our behaviour and our level of well-being. Cruelty, on the other hand, is the result of a sense of disconnection. We can measure both social progress and personal development in terms of how far we move along a continuum of connection. Altruism and spirituality are experiences of our fundamental connection and regaining awareness of our connection is the only way by which we can live in harmony.

288pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 330105 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

no capacity for empathy. This type of self is completely enclosed within itself, completely walled off and cut off from others. As a result, it is unable to sense the suffering or to take the perspective of others. It is unable to look beyond its own desires and ambitions, and unable to curtail these if they cause suffering to others.

…Most human beings are in the middle of the continuum of connection, somewhere between the extremes of psychopathy and wakefulness. We are a combination of good and evil, capable of both selfishness and selflessness. Our behaviour may fluctuate from day to day, from mood to mood, and situation to situation. In our most connected moments, we feel empathy and compassion and act selflessly. In our most disconnected moments, we are dominated by our own needs and desires and act selfishly and cruelly. Sometimes our position on the continuum of connection may even fluctuate from moment to moment. For example, imagine if you’re in a bad mood and someone irritates you. You might respond aggressively, by insulting them or even pushing or kicking them. Then the person shows that they’re upset and you suddenly shift into a state of empathic connection. You sense the suffering you’ve caused, feel ashamed of your behaviour and apologise.

…One of the main themes of all the world’s spiritual traditions and paths –from Hindu and Buddhist spirituality, Chinese Taoism to Christian and Judaic mysticism – is to transcend disconnection and move towards connection and union. They are effectively paths of connection. These traditions encourage us to uncentre ourselves from the ego, letting go of selfish desires and personal ambitions. They encourage us to follow a life of service, helping those in need and radiating good will. In other words, the primary goal of spiritual development – whether it occurs in the context of the above traditions or in a more spontaneous or eclectic way – is to move further along the continuum of connection.

by Steve Taylor

QUANTUM SPIRITUALITY by

Peter Canova

This is a fascinating read from the author of the popular First Souls trilogy. Here he is showing us how the principles of Gnosticism actually describe some of the major theories of quantum physics and modern psychology and vice versa, which means, in fact, they are one truth. He explains how a Master Consciousness must exist and that our personal consciousness is part of its creative force; how the solid, 3D world has no objective reality and how we are living in a simulated matrix. These are big theories, persuasively and passionately explained in terms of both science and spirituality, and which promise to transform our view of life, the universe and everything. It’s brave and new and well worth a read.

256pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330127 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

WISDOM WHEEL

by Alberto Villoldo

Alberto Villoldo is an experienced teacher who has been working with indigenous sages in South America for decades. We can trust him, I think, to bring through genuine spiritual teachings. The four directions of the Medicine Wheel are an important concept and here he takes a fresh and detailed look at them. This is a time when the Mesoamerican beliefs and practices are especially important in leading us forward into better times and this book does indeed show us how to become Earthkeepers. There are exercises and rituals that look rewarding and interesting, plus, as ever with this author, lots of stories to help the narrative along. It’s not a big book, but it’s entertaining and optimistic. At its heart is the author’s account of a mystical journey into the Himalayas in Nepal. Previously in hardback. 208pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330111 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

EBB

& FLOW by

Easkey Britton

This is an extremely interesting read. The author is a social ecologist and is committed to better understanding humans’ relationship with water, with special reference to its health benefits. She wants us all to think about water not as a commodity, something to drink out of a bottle or to factor into our keep fit routines, but as something to establish a relationship with, to connect with. Her book is informative, with science and fascinating insights from indigenous traditions, and also includes exercises, from breathing and visualisation to help with stress and anxiety, to taking a journey from a water source to the ocean in order to forge a deep connection with the water. Illustrated with pretty line drawings, this book is a combination of love letter and handbook and should be on everyone’s shelves.

224pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330157 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

ACTIVATE YOUR SUPER-HUMAN POTENTIAL by Jerry Sargeant

Jerry Sargeant previously wrote Healing With Light Frequencies, and likewise this is a very powerful book. It’s pretty “out there” in terms of his life story and the anecdotes and experiences he relates. It’s also not a soft book: his experiences have been tough and he makes no bones about life being difficult and us needing to work hard. But the book is encouraging and feels all the stronger for his no nonsense approach. The subtitle is The Ultimate 5D Toolkit so this breaks new ground in the emerging 5D phenomenon. The book is big and large format and there are illustrations throughout including colour plates. Jerry is the pioneer of Star Magic and is a powerful healer and I would recommend this book with all its practical tips and exercises, as long as you don’t mind – as I said – the no-nonsense approach.

312pp, 253 x 204 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £25.00

❖ Code: 330131 ❖ Non-Member Price: £17.76 ❖ Member Price: £15.99

THE POWER OF WONDER by

Monica C. Parker

The goal of happiness can be quite an intimidating one and sometimes it’s hard to know what we imagine happiness even feels like. Wonder is a more realistic aim because we do know how it feels and it isn’t so dependent on a set of other finely nuanced checks and balances. This isn’t so much a how-to book as a series of chapters on all the ways to find wonder with many stories of the joy that people have managed to find. Of course it’s very inspiring and hopefully it will encourage us too to be a bit more creative and imaginative with our lives. Monica also goes into the science behind wonder and the fields in which we can search for it, including of course both religion and psychedelics. Wonder is so precious and this makes this book very useful for getting it into our lives.

400pp, 215 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330117 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

SPIRITUAL ACTIVATOR

by Oliver Niňo

This book really sells itself through the people who endorse it. There’s Anthony William, the Medical Medium, Tony Robbins and Donna Karan, all of whom testify to his gifts. It’s published by Hay House, so it’s fairly mainstream. What it says is that we do all sorts of cleanses through celery juice, green smoothies etc but we are not as driven to do cleanses of our energetic fields. Here he offers a 15-day course which involves tools, exercises and meditations that will energise you and reawaken you to your spiritual mission. Once your energy field has been cleansed, Oliver shows you how to maintain it in that positive state. He uses plentiful case histories from his own practice to show how well these processes work. It’s material that will be familiar to us, but he presents it in a clear and enthusiastic way. I always find it helpful too when a book includes a curriculum, as this does.

200pp, 215 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330113 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

THE COMFORT ZONE by Kristen Butler

There are many things that are wrong about the modern age, and one of the big ones is the demand that you have to step outside your comfort zone, endure high stress and work yourself to the bone to be considered successful. The author has used her experience of this and its unsurprising outcome of a total breakdown, to find a new way of looking at things, of how to be successful and still be able lead a happy and non-stressful life. How does she suggest we do it? By expanding our comfort zone - genius! Her book blows the lid off the idea that anxiety and stress are necessary ingredients for success and shows you how a state of ease instead of constant effort holds the key to unlocking your full potential.

336pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330119 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

JOY AT WORK by Steve Nobel

Steve used to run Alternatives in London and is closely involved with the biggest and brightest in the MBS field. His own experiences from being stuck in a tedious and stressful job to finding a whole new life, are both familiar and uplifting and make you feel that you’re in good hands reading this advice on making things better. He uses a combination of Buddhist wisdom, historical reflections, personal experiences and practical guidance to address the many ways work can be wrong for us and why, and how to address that, whether by helping us gain perspective on the life we’re living or on ways to improve life both at work and when away from it. It’s an inspirational book, hugely approachable and utterly reassuring - there is a better life out there for all of us. This was previously published in 2012 as Enlightenment At Work.

224pp, 216 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 330151 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.44 ❖ Member Price: £8.50

INTRODUCING YOU TO YOUR OWN PERFECTION by Akash Sky

This book is aimed at the reader who has an interest in transforming their self-awareness to gain inner love, peace and joy at every moment of their life. Working with the world-famous universal spiritual teaching called A Course in Miracles, you can become mindful of who you truly are. Are you a body? Are you an accumulation of experience and past thoughts? Are you a person independent from everything and everyone in this world? The text is a bracing and challenging exploration of the human identity. It also carries a ringing endorsement from Anita Moorjani, the best-selling author of Dying To Be Me. Sky shows us that through understanding all these things, what our origin might be and where the natural human condition is, a person can arrive back at their natural joyous state of mind.

240pp, 217 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330160 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

HEALING THE WOUNDS OF THE HEART by Olivier Clerc

An exceptional, intense but also rewarding look at the power of forgiveness, whether of those who have hurt us or of ourselves.

Olivier Clerc has identified 15 obstacles to forgiveness and shares with us where these perceptions originate and how they may be keeping us from the path to healing. Drawing from his own vast experience of forgiveness work, he presents a unique new approach with inspiring testimonies and examples from both victims and perpetrators who have rebuilt their lives after sometimes unimaginable trauma. This is an uplifting read because it shows us how forgiveness can rekindle the ability to love and lead to a sense of relief, freedom and inner peace.

160pp, 197 x 126 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330129 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

FREEDOM FROM ANXIETY by

Paul McKenna

Paul McKenna is one of those authors where you know what you are going to get and it’s always immensely practical. It’s never inherently spiritual but I know he has been very much influenced by Zen Buddhism. The fact is though that sometimes anxiety (and depression and other things) can hold us back and stop us making the most of our lives. Even though, for example, meditation can help us with anxiety, anxiety can also stop us from meditating properly so it’s often better to apply a separate technique to clear the chatter. There are lots of guided meditations to go with the text but they are downloads and there is no accompanying CD. Techniques include tapping, hypnosis and NLP. It gets to the point and is packed with practical tips. Hopefully this book will help us all embrace the present moment and feel completely in control.

208pp, 209 x 148 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 330158 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

BLISS BRAIN by Dawson Church

This fascinating look at the science of meditation grabs you from the start and leaves you feeling both energised and optimistic. The author was involved in a terrifying wildfire, and the trauma triggered a painful medical condition and a financial disaster. But, through it all, he steadily practised the meditation techniques he describes in the book and demonstrates here how we can make our brains happy no matter what the odds. He digs deep into cutting-edge science and research into the effects meditation can produce, and he finds persuasive evidence of rapid and radical brain change. So, when he recommends a method, it’s not based on guesswork or tradition; it’s grounded in both experience and solid science, and when he promises that we can produce measurable changes in our brains, we’re inclined to believe him.

368pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2023, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 330118 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

About 30 years ago, I had a powerful spiritual experience during which I received a text on blessing which has since then been translated into many languages and circled the globe many times. It has been used with great impact in innumerable situations, from death row Texas as well as to solve innumerable relationship problems.

But let us start with Death Row, Texas, probably one of the closest places to hell on earth. Since 1997 I have been corresponding with Roger, an African American Death Row inmate. With the help of innumerable donors who paid for the costs of a good lawyer, we managed to get him off death row. (See his website: www.rogermcgoweb. org). In his letter of October 19, 2000, Roger wrote to me: “I was feeling deeply the impact of all this (i.e., the prison conditions, pp) and I felt at the bottom of a hole. I asked God to give me the strength to hold on, because I felt close to exploding. … Then you sent me your letter with the chapters on the Gentle Art of Blessing. To be honest, Pierre, my first reaction was: still more things to read! I have such a lot to read, such a lot of spiritual literature that I am tired of receiving it. So, I read your letter without reading the passage on blessing.

But finally, one evening, before retiring for the night, I read the first chapter of your book on blessing, and I can say it changed my way of thinking.

After having read it, I asked God to bless all these guards, to bless them and their families, to bless them in their finances, their spiritual life, in every aspect of their life., And very gently, very slowly, my burden started getting lighter. It did not happen suddenly, but progressively. And now, each morning when I awake, the first thing I do is to bless them. And I do it in the middle of the day and still the evening before going to bed.”

Since his incarceration in 1981, Roger has become a real spiritual giant who helps people all round the world. A few years ago, I received a letter from a Cameroonian inmate in the infamous Bankwang Central Prison, Thailand, who found Roger’s book

The Gift of Blessings

in the prison library. (Please tell me what but Providence with a large grin on its face could possibly get such an uplifting book in such a depressing place?) It totally lifted Cédric, who was in the deepest depression, out of his mental hell .

And it continues to bless people everywhere. Just moments ago I received an e-mail from Mamadou, a dear friend in Mali, West Africa, who has been an apostle of this practice since the day I sent him the text many, many years ago The region is continually being attacked by Jihadists, who are killing thousands of people left and right, invading villages, destroying the harvests of poor farmers struggling to survive … and Mamadou continues blessing them!

To compare with a better-known situation in the north, it’s the equivalent to an ultra-conservative, evangelical republican blessing an ultra-progressive Marxist democrat in the USA. Or vice-versa.

Blessing has healed diseases but it is especially in the field of human relations that it works, sometimes instantaneously. I remember a benefit concert a Cameroonian friend, who had an Afro-East Indies orchestra, and I were organising for the benefit of a farmers’ organisation in Africa. The director of the Geneva secondary school with the largest school hall in town had lent it to us free and told us to organise all practical details with the school caretaker.

My friend and I arrived two hours before the appointed time for the concert announced in the press and on the radio, and we went to ask the caretaker for the mikes as the ones we had put up on the hall podium were no longer there. He was behind his counter, and we were the other side of it. He was scowling so aggressively as we addressed him I at first felt anger welling up inside me. But my little voice told me, “Pierre, just bless him” and that’s what I started doing. And suddenly a huge smile appeared on his face, he went into his workplace and came back with a pile of mikes, recommending the best and wishing us a wonderful evening.

It is my experience that blessing stemming from a sincere heart always works. Try it. It’s free!

Pierre Pradervand, March 12, 2023

365 BLESSINGS TO HEAL MYSELF AND THE WORLD

by Pierre Pradervand

Many people fell in love with The Gentle Art of Blessing which showed the way to overwhelming joy. From his personal experience of how blessing can transform a negative state of mind, which produced the original best seller, the author now moves on. He includes blessings from other sources such as Native American and Celtic to provide a different way of experiencing blessing for every day of the year. There are blessings for child soldiers, substance abusers, violence in homes. Blessings for love’s protection, a new home, perseverance. Whatever is important today can be healed with blessing and here is a comprehensive guide that will help.

352pp, 246 x 141 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £14.99 ❖ Code: 280320 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

© Pierre Pradervand 2023

SACRED MEDICINE ORACLE by Asha

Frost

Some of the most effective and joyful earth-based spirituality comes out of the Native American tradition, which is what guides this 56-card deck. We have previously featured Asha’s first deck, The Medicine Within. The deck’s illustrator is also an indigenous American and every card features a person or artefact from the tradition, drawn in a stylised way. The images are uplifting and refreshing. Cards include Sweetgrass Braid, Medicine Wheel, Tobacco and Spider Woman. These cards would be great for divination, inspiration or for bringing you back into close relationship with the land and the elements. More specifically you can use them to connect with healing traditions, stories, ancestral wisdom and animal guidance, although of course what’s depicted comes from a North American context.

56 cards and a 144-page booklet, 2023, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 330109

❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54

❖ Member Price: £13.99

CRYSTAL BALL POCKET ORACLE by Athene Noctua

This is a really interesting new idea. The box is roughly credit card size and can be carried almost anywhere. There are only 13 cards in there and there isn’t a book inside, it’s more like a colour leaflet. There are very simple images on the card: of moons, crystals, animals and symbols, in mostly shades of blue. The set has a hint of mysticism about it and the cards make whatever situation you are in feel a bit more auspicious and magical. The words on the cards are very simple instructions: yes, no, choose a new direction, let go and not the right time, for example. So if you had a decision or a choice to make you would pick a random card and either act on what it says or realise that you disagree completely and go in the opposite direction. It would of course make a great gift. I think it’s a very useful tool to carry around in your pocket or bag, to help you make decisions like a pendulum can do.

13 cards, 98 x 72 mm, 2023, RRP £6.99

❖ Code: 330120

❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54

❖ Member Price: £4.99

CELTIC HEALING ORACLE by Rosemarie Anderson

Author Rosemarie Anderson has long felt a connection to the Celts, since she lived once in part of Germany that used to be their stronghold. She has created this deck of 64 cards as a way into learning from their wisdom and using their symbols as an oracle. The cards are all black and white with small touches of green and depict images from Celtic art and objects unearthed in archaeological digs. Their titles include The Triple-Mother Goddess, Cernunnos, Green Man and Tir Na Nog. There is also a colourful 166-page guidebook included. I found the whole deck and book set very attractive and I think it’s ideal for anyone who is drawn to the ancient Celts and their mystical traces on the land. They are also signs of a culture and tradition that is still practised and that we can connect to. 64 cards and a 166-page booklet, 2023, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 330136

❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10

❖ Member Price: £9.99

CLARITY TAROT by Bel Senlle

This is a very modern tarot deck, with striking, minimalist black-and-white illustrations, the simplicity of which really help open up the visions to everyone. The cards and booklet come in a silky black box which is lovely to handle and really makes you want to dive in. The guidebook includes an introduction to the system of the Tarot, focusing on the rules of visual language such as symmetry, direction, repetition and connections, and includes four suggested spreads as well as how to activate the deck and open up the space so it’s a great kit for beginners too. The author inspires us when she tells us what she believes working with the cards will bring: “I hope it will help you to have clear ideas, feel the immensity of your emotions, strengthen your expressions and manifest your wishes”. 58 cards and 78-page booklet, 2023, RRP £19.99

❖ Code: 330152

❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21

❖ Member Price: £10.99

THE DREAM WEAVER’S ORACLE by Colette Baron-Reid

Colette has created a lot of decks over recent years, usually founded on goddess and shamanic wisdom. I think this is her best yet. The images are all brightly coloured and leap joyfully off the page. Fantastic animals are depicted like dogs, dragons, eagles, foxes and cats and the tone is both psychedelic and shamanic. If that’s your inclination, this will be perfect for you, both for inspiration and divination. The titles of the cards are really poetic and there’s a flow between them. The first 4 cards: When the Storm Spirits Play, Let the Fire Dragons Sleep, When Coyote Calls Your Name and If the River Flows this Way. As ever, there is a properly bound 112-page guidebook in the box that will give all the extra back-up you need to contact those Dream Weavers who shape reality from the Hidden Realms.

44 Cards and a 112-page booklet, 2023, RRP £17.99

❖ Code: 330110

❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54

❖ Member Price: £13.99

GRIMALKIN’S CURIOUS

CATS TAROT by MJ Cullinane

This is a deck featuring cute cats. In a way that’s all you need to know. Also it’s a proper tarot deck, which is soundly based on the Rider-Waite Smith cards. They are generally close enough but always make interesting departures from the predictable. The cats are diverse in terms of fur colour and fluffiness, and some of the cats are plump and pampered while others are scrawny street cats. It’s an ideal deck for any cat lover that might lead them gently into the special world of tarot. And of course cats are mystical magical creatures par excellence. The cards are thick and good quality and the images are done in that familiar photographic collage style. Highly recommended for anyone with the faintest interest in cats – and, to stress, there are other animals everywhere like snakes, butterflies and mice. Plus of course dogs! 80 cards, 176pp, 135 x 98 mm, 2023, RRP £21.99

❖

❖ Code: 330106

Non-Member Price: £17.76

❖ Member Price: £15.99

ASTROLOGY

SPIRITUAL ASTROLOGY READINGS. White Eagle School of Astrology Qualified 15 years in practice. Individual Readings and small group horoscope interpretation workshops. Contact Merle on 07725 699617 Email jllewis@btinternet.com

CLEANSING & CLEARING

NEW ENERGY PATTERNING - Clearing patterns, life issues, contracts, past lives, other-dimensions, galactic work, journeying, Soul Retrieval. Working with Light Beings and Energies. Contact Jane 01691-662471 newenergyp@proton.me

COUNSELLING

COMPASSIONATE SPIRITUAL COUNSELLOR with 30 years experience Donations only. Call Gabriella for a chat 01539433528

EVENTS, COURSES & WORKSHOPS

ECKHART TOLLE UK EVENTS Free Online Webinars, Workshops, Retreats, One-to-One, Video Teachings, Local Support Groups. Tel : 07754 016779 www.eckharttolle.co.uk Email : neil@thepowerofnow.co.uk

FRIENDSHIP AND CONNECTIONS

LADY, SPIRITUAL HEALER, 60’s. Vegetarian, loves country walks, animals, astrology, meditation. Seeks friendship, Male or Female, Hertfordshire. Tel, Evenings: 07969 956283

HEALING, COACHING & READINGS

ANGELIC GUIDANCE WITH MICHAEL Welcome positive change into your life. Please telephone Eastbourne 01323 365751 for further details. mikeallone@talktalk.net

CLAIRVOYANT, PAUL offers spiritually guided consultations in Brighton & Eastbourne and also by telephone. My work always helps those ready for change. Please telephone Brighton 01273 602929 for further details

HEALTH & HEALING

THE DIVINE CLINIC: Specialists in spiritual life cleansing and of commercial premises and businesses. www.thedivineclinics.com Tel: 07473026146

HOLIDAY ACCOMMODATION

UNPLUG AND RECONNECT WITH NATURE in remote Welsh off-grid holiday cottage overlooking lake, surrounded by forestry tracks. No phone signal or wifi, just peace. Sleeps 9. dalarwen.co.uk, Tel: 01544-318414

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING

HOLY FIRE REIKI on-line course to Practitioner or Master levels. Tutor 30 years’ experience. More information: Email: the9thhalo@macace.co.uk Text 0772 090 5123.

SPIRITUAL HOME SHARE

HOMELY AND PEACE - FILLED 3 bedroomed cottage to share in the heart of the English Lake District. Beautiful walks, mountains, fells and lakes close by, plus all local village amenities. Available short or long term. Call 015394 33528 for a chat

3

A detailed road map for spirituality nassirsabah.com

Helpless. Rudderless. Powerless. Alone. Confused. Uncertain. Apprehensive. Hopeless.

Just some of the words you won’t be needing after reading this book.

At 12 remarkable trance demonstrations the ancient spirit Joseph revealed the empowering wisdom of his soul group, answering over 160 audience questions with clarity, depth and detail.

or amazon.co.uk or send cheque for £16.95 (includes p&p) made payable to: Band of Light Media Ltd. to: 10 Sparrable Row, Briercliffe, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 3QW.

Paperback available from: thejosephcommunications.co.uk or amazon.co.uk

or send cheque for £18.95 (includes p&p) made payable to: Band of Light Media Ltd. to: 10 Sparrable Row, Briercliffe, Burnley, Lancashire, BB10 3QW.

In a troubled world that increasingly isolates the individual, his precise, Lightfilled responses offer hope, comfort, and practical advice on how to make a real difference, individually and globally. Joseph makes every word in Trance Mission count.

No waffle. No patronising platitudes.

Just solid, spiritual information to replace fear with knowledge, uncertainty with upliftment, chaos with comfort.

Paperbacks—ebooks—audiobooks thejosephcommunications.co.uk amazon.co.uk

Information

as hauntingly familiar as a half-remembered song.

Aeons ago things went a little wrong here.

You might say we tripped and fell –and have been falling ever since.

From acclaimed spirit communicator Joseph, the Fall details and examines the event that spawned today’s dysfunctional world.

Epic in scope, contemporary in language, non-denominational/ highly spiritual in approach, the Fall is a ‘remembering’ –a resolution of the puzzle of why we’ve never found lasting peace and harmony that also explains what’s needed to finally achieve that goal.

the Fall will stir subconscious memories of that extraordinary happening you were part of so very long ago.

Paperbacks—ebooks—audiobooks thejosephcommunications.co.uk amazon.co.uk

Escape from the cage of worldly concerns to the sublime heights of serenity and self-fulfillment through the eyes of a scientist. Incontrovertible science-based and objective evidence for the existence of the almighty.

CONSCIOUSNESS &HUMAN E VOLUTION

2023 CONFERENCE OCTOBER

6-9 | LONDON

3 DAYS OF SPECIAL TALKS TO GIVE YOU TOOLS TO DEVELOP YOUR CONSCIOUSNESS

GREGG BRADEN, LYNNE McTAGGART RUPERT SHELDRAKE, DR. JJ HURTAK

LOG ONLINE TO BOOK YOUR PLACE NOW! WWW.TCCHE.ORG

A series of events to celebrate the power of healing by UK Healers

Sponsored by: UK Healers leading the way RAISING THE PROFILE OF HEALING

If you are a healer and want to raise the profile of healing, contact janet@ukhealers.info FOR FULL PROGRAMME OR MORE INFORMATION VISIT WWW.UKHEALERS.INFO

A Messenger of Hope. Founder and Teacher of The Awakened Way

DR TIM RIDGE Chair of the Doctor Healer Network on ‘Healing Energy Therapy and the Human Energy Field –What is the Evidence?’

CHRISTA MACKINNON Shamanic healer and authorConnecting the Inner and Outer Worlds: Healing Earth | Healing Soul

ELIZABETH WHITER World renowned animal healer will be giving a talk and healing demonstration.