Cygnus Review Summer 2019 by Cygnus Review

Summer 2019, Issue 3

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

NEW BEGINNINGS

❖ EDITOR’S PICKS

PERSPECTIVES ON MEDITATION from William Bloom and Gemma Polo Pujol

A TRIBUTE TO CYGNUS CAFES How They Can Change Lives WHY SENSORY HERBALISM? A Fresh Approach to Plant Wisdom

EDITOR’S LETTER

Forever Changes

elcome to our Summer Review: I hope you like what we have put together. There are some great new voices and a couple of great familiar ones. Two of the contributors are ordinary (or not so ordinary!) Cygnus members: we genuinely welcome contributions from all of you, both in print and on the Cygnus blog. I am also pleased that Watkins is publishing the Seed SistAs’ book The Sensory Herbal Handbook and that we can feature it here. Their message is vitally important to all life on this planet, and it’s one I find personally very comforting and inspiring. Most of our full-page contributors are women and I think a majority of the books we feature here are by women. Cygnus isn’t Political (with a big P) but I think what we do has always been inclined towards the feminine. We didn’t do so in order to fit in with the current climate: instead we have always known subliminally (or even consciously) that the feminine current is the most important one in the spiritual world. And feminine doesn’t correlate precisely with female. Whatever our gender we can work with energy that is classified as either masculine or feminine. I don’t mean to boast too much (or maybe I do!) but I think all of

us have realized by now that the rest of the world is slowly catching up with us, that Cygnus is a trailblazing community and that – although we feel like outsiders much of the time – we are actually on to something. Physics in particular is now generating theories that sound like they originated in Vedic cosmology. Then there’s mindfulness – a current media obsession, but Thich Nhat Hanh’s Miracle of Mindfulness was first published in 1975 and Jon Kabat-Zinn founded the Stress Reduction Clinic at the University of Massachusetts in 1979. These ideas have been in circulation and we have been discussing them for a very long time. What I mean is that this can be a solitary path and it might be quite hard to talk about our beliefs with a lot, if not most, of our friends and relatives, but we are in service, we are quietly creating the trail and in the end we will be there for people. Again maybe that sounds like boasting but there’s no glory in it – we are just doing it because it’s right. That’s all that matters and that’s all we need: to know that it’s the right thing and that it’s serving all life on this planet. Every day more people are turning back towards the spiritual life, and I hope that we can help give them directions. I could say this every time I contribute to the Review, but it’s a tremendous honour to be able to do this for Cygnus and to be a part of Cygnus, which is bigger than any of us individuals. As the outside world gets crazier, Cygnus stands for inclusivity and kindness. The books here will I hope give us the tools to speak up and to serve in a constructive way. As the blossom flowers and the birds sing in the trees, I can get away from the craziness that might overwhelm me and feel like I am on the right track. Maybe then I can trust a bit more that, as Julian of Norwich wrote, “All shall be well, and all shall be well and all manner of thing shall be well”. Sadly our much valued colleague Jordan moved on at the end of January. We miss him already, especially his calm and unflappability.

‘As the outside world gets crazier, Cygnus stands for inclusivity and kindness’ After Geoff Napier sold Cygnus, Jordan stayed on and became the last outward link to Wales. However, even though I sit at a desk in London, I still see our spiritual home as that corner of West Wales where I used to go and visit Geoff and Ann when I saw Cygnus from the other side, from that of the book publisher. My new colleague Alexandra Schmidt now helps to put the Cygnus Review together, as well as answering the phone and contributing in countless other ways. She is a great asset and her involvement has meant that we are now able to do more online and in terms of communicating with members outside the quarterly Review cycle.

Adam

MEET THE TEAM Publisher Editor

Etan Ilfeld Adam Gordon

Art Director

Karen Smith

Assistant Editor & Customer Care Alexandra Schmidt Advertising & Sales Reviews

Vicky Hartley Rosemary Allix

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HOW MEDITATION WAS INVENTED - WILLIAM BLOOM

her life, contemplating her ethics and her behaviour. Her anger subsided. She was in a space of watchful good-humoured equanimity. She began to repeat the behaviour daily. She had become a meditator.

aving taught meditation for decades, I want to reassure people that meditation is a natural human behaviour. All you need is an instinct to be quiet and calm. So why are there all these competing meditation traditions and schools? Here are three short stories that illustrate how meditation might have been invented.

The Householder Who Invented Meditation A woman lived in a village in a house full of children and relatives. One day she felt an instinct to get away from the noise and activity. She walked until she found a quiet spot under a tree by a stream. She closed her eyes. She felt the tree against her back and the soft grass and earth beneath her. The breeze touched her cheeks. The sound of the stream was soothing. After a few minutes she felt some anxiety and accompanying thoughts about her family and neighbours. She felt impatient and an urge to go home. But she stayed sitting quietly. She sighed, noticed tension in her chest and began to breathe more softly. She stayed sitting quietly, just patiently waiting, letting her body and feelings become more at ease. This felt good. She returned the next day. And the next. And the next. She was meditating. Her mind and her feelings were calm. Her psyche was able to contemplate, enquire and explore. The Worker Who Invented Meditation A man worked in the city and was stressed and anxious. His doctor prescribed a sedative, which he took for several weeks but he disliked its side effects. Following an instinct he stopped taking the medication and on his way to and from work he began to stop regularly to calm himself – sometimes on a park bench, sometimes in a church or library. Pausing and sitting quietly soothed him. This pausing to self-soothe became a daily behaviour. After a few months something else began to happen when he sat quietly. A part of his mind started to enquire: Who is this inside me who is choosing to calm myself? What is this part of me watching and guiding

A Meditation Contest Imagine if

The Profound Universal State all this? Wow! Here is another part of my consciousness. It feels good and interesting. I want to sit longer and explore all this. He was meditating. The Warrior Who Invented Meditation There is a soldier who was weary of fighting. One day, while off duty, she felt a rising anger within her and recognised that she needed to calm down. She followed her instincts and found a space where she could not be observed. She then practised some of her martial arts moves – strikes, punches and kicks – at the same time vigorously expelling air from her lungs with grunting breaths. After thirty minutes of this extreme activity and catharsis, she could still feel some of her internal fury. Her next instinct was to sit still. Disciplined and self-managing, she sat quietly for a while. Her mind scanned the circumstances of

the Householder, the Worker and the Warrior each attracted followers who copied their meditation behaviour. We now have three different meditation schools and there is the possibility of conflict. • My teachers says you must meditate in nature. • No only in a sacred space! • No! Do these movements and chant! • Breathe like this. • Don’t do anything. Just be! Today in our global village we can see so many meditation schools, such as yoga, chanting, Vipassana, mantra, prayer, mindfulness, guided journeys, healing and more. Newbies and teachers often think that their way is the only or the best way instead of honouring and exploring the different traditions.

Universal State Wonderfully,

although there are all these different approaches there is also, I assert, a universal state, which all meditators experience. This state is profound: • We are at ease. • We are conscious, awake and watchful. • We patiently witness and experience everything with care and compassion. • We feel connected to the beautiful mystery of all existence. No wonder there is a natural human instinct to meditate. It is good for us and all those around us. williambloom.com

DO PAUSE by Robert Poynton

The publisher Do Books specializes in modern titles that help you to learn new things and motivate you to do them. Robert Poynton is an Associate Fellow at Oxford University who also lives off-grid in Central Spain. He isn’t advocating a work/life balance but is urging us to make work part of our lives, and make it manageable and harmonious. In this mission he is inspired by the Slow Food Movement in Italy, or the Spanish Siesta. The book is packed with wonderful ideas for making life just a bit more evenpaced, from walking around the block during the working day, counting to one, two or three before entering a room, or introducing a life rhythm of inhale and exhale days. 144pp, 177 x 120 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £8.99

❖ Code: 290258 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

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SPIRITUAL TEACHER GEMMA POLO PUJOL

hen the people I teach tell me that they’re depressed I see it as a sign of healthiness and sensitivity. That they haven’t managed to cover over their feelings and fit into whatever their neighbour says they should fit into. My friend and I had the idea of printing t-shirts that say: “Blessed to be Depressed”. You are starting to love life as it is. Seeing this messiness, this confusion, as a road, as our good friend. Trying to discover what it’s really about, without settling for just any answer. In many cases our call, when it comes, is so accurate, so specific, and it is rarely what we expected. We need to ask ourselves every day, what am I here for? And be ready to dismantle everything – 10 years of university, an entire career or whatever else it might be – and keep dismantling it again and again. It can seem like a huge movement but in reality it’s a tiny movement. We can let ourselves stay caught in our thoughts, in our mind. However, we can also let that be as it is, and at the same time discover that whole other universe which is there and which has always been there. Many times we have a sense that we have to do it all alone. We feel we need to make a list of what is wrong and then fix it. As if we really know how to! When the sense of connection is alive we understand that that which is too heavy for us to bear can instead be offered up. There is room to say, Look, I have no clue what is going on, I am sad, I don’t understand this and here I am, willing to grow out of it, willing not to stay trapped. When we meet this edge, what we are actually meeting is the blessing of being able to give up on our muscle power, on our strength. We are meeting this point where we can relax, where we don’t know what else can be done and yet there is still a powerful desire to move beyond the trap. It can take a long time for us to understand that we can relax, that it’s ok to relax. We can learn to relax before we get exhausted. There is this sense of whatever impulse is there, whatever movement there might be

Meeting the Mess Inside from our side it’s met by another movement that’s also pulling from the other side. We often go to a meditation class or retreat because we want some clarity or we hope that we will gain some peace. But usually, if we are honest and doing our part of this dance, the first thing we find when we start looking inside is that there is more mess there than we thought. It’s very important to just simply be there, in this mess, in this “having nothing figured out”. In our lives we give so little time for this space in

which nothing is clear, but it feels to me like such a healthy place to be in. On the other hand, when we know almost immediately where we are going, much of the time it’s the same impulse, the same mind inventing the next thing for us to do rather than us feeling for whatever life wants for us. This moment of being lost, this moment of looking in and not finding any clarity, is the key to our freedom and our happiness. We’ve learned that we should not be a mess but if we listen deeply and closely to this mess there is something very authentic that wants to speak. And it doesn’t have the chance to speak once we have everything set up, have everything figured out, when we have our own rules and our own personal descriptions of everything. So meditation is a lot about the ability to meet this mess, the ability to become real, to stop just inventing one illusion after another in our lives. Instead, to start really listening to what it is that life wants from us. It’s a very different movement, from what I want to becoming silent enough that we can listen to what is wanted. ❖ Gemma Polo Pujol is a spiritual

teacher and founder of Dharmaloca, an eco-retreat centre located in the heart of Montsant, Spain. Her first book will be published in Spring 2020.

DEEP HUMAN CONNECTION by Stephen Cope

There have been relatively few explorations of the spiritual side of friendship but this book (previously in hardback as Soul Friends) more than makes up for it with its collection of stories and autobiographical accounts of meaningful connection. Other characters who crop up in this rich account include EM Forster, Sigmund Freud and Queen Victoria – it truly is entertaining and insightful. Stephen Cope is Scholar Emeritus at Kripalu Yoga Center in the States and a psychotherapist with rich experience in Eastern traditions, so every chapter also includes invaluable advice and exercises on applying these principles to daily life. Friendships are vitally important in these difficult times to support us and sustain us going forward. They also make us – this book shows that they are vital crucibles in the making of our lives. 288pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290239 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

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Psychology — BOOK REVIEWS YOUR SUBCONSCIOUS BRAIN CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE by Dr Mike Dow

It may sound “out there” to believe that your mind can heal your body, but Dr Mike Dow has spent his life gathering the data and cutting-edge research to create his transformative programme called Subconscious Visualization Technique (SVT). In this book, you will see that with the proper technique, you can train your subconscious brain to improve your health. Beginning with cognitive behavioural therapy and incorporating everything from mindfulness and guided visualization to bilateral stimulation of the brain and body, Dr Dow will guide you through the steps to connect to your subconscious in order to help you access memories, improve digestion, boost your immune system, and even treat chronic pain. In short, your subconscious brain can change your life! 296pp, 235 x 162 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £20.99

❖ Code: 290236 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

THE TAPPING SOLUTION FOR MANIFESTING YOUR GREATEST SELF by Nick Ortner

This great title has previously been featured, but is definitely worth including again now that it is available in paperback. Nick Ortner’s 21-day course in applying Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) or “tapping” to many aspects of your life helps lead you to more flow and overall fulfilment. Tapping is a unique and new transformative process that combines ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology. Endorsements on the cover come from Sonia Choquette, Mike Dooley and Gabrielle Bernstein – with supporters like that, there must be something amazing going on. It’s enjoyable to read but more than that it’s a powerful tool for change. 368pp, 230 x 180 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

❖ Code: 290231 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

OVERCOMING OVERWHELM by Dr Samantha Brody

“Do more. Be more. Try harder.” Society’s relentless mantra causes millions around the world to feel sick, tired, and frustrated daily. Dr Brody offers a way to overcome this feeling of “overwhelm” in your day-today life by systematically dialing into your mind to manage stress. In this compact and clear guide Dr Brody will teach you how to identify and assess your unique stress and help you start to make targeted changes to rid your life of overwhelm and improve your well-being on all levels. She isn’t preaching any revolutionary, overnight fixes to life’s stresses, but instead she has broken down a realistic way to understand, accept, and fortify your mindset to take charge of yourself and your life. 240pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290225 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

THE ORCHID AND THE DANDELION by W. Thomas Boyce, MD

The core message of this book is that people are either sensitive and fragile like orchids or hardy and resilient like dandelions. Dr Boyce’s 25 years of research as a respected paediatrician offers this outlook as a way for parents, teachers and professionals to better understand sensitive and challenging children. The optimistic tone of the book aims to redeem those who struggle and takes inspiration from the story of the author’s own family. Research shows that less than 20% of children account for well over half of all illnesses, but how can science explain this? Experiences around birth and pre-school are examined, plus social environment and other stressors, starting with assessment of the physiological condition of newborns and looking at chronic diseases of childhood that affect later life. Despite seeming to make a sweeping statement dividing everyone into two camps, the book is deep and broad ranging. 304pp, 241 x 162 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £20.00

❖ Code: 290250 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.54 ❖ Member Price: £13.99

OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE by Emma Mardlin, PhD

It’s advice we’ve heard from a young age: be bold, be brave, do something that scares you, take a risk… And when we follow this advice we feel free, unstoppable and able to fully absorb life. In this step-by-step guide Emma Marlin teaches you how to feel this way all the time. Breaking out of your comfort zone is not just empowering but can allow you to conquer your big and small fears, to harness their power to accomplish goals, find higher purpose, and truly get everything you want from life. This is for those of us who really struggle with phobias or anxiety and for anyone just looking to find deeper self-awareness. 176pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290219 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

HOW TO HEAL YOURSELF FROM ANXIETY WHEN NO ONE ELSE CAN by Amy B. Scher

From the bestselling author of How to Heal Yourself When No One Else Can comes this laser-focused guide on healing yourself from anxiety. Amy’s method is a completely unique combination of tapping and Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT). In this book, she focuses in on resolving anxiety by addressing the unresolved emotional energies behind it. You will learn to release the energies that are creating your anxiety and live a happier, healthier life free from the burden of anxiety all together. Amy’s method and writing is very approachable and easy for anyone to apply to life, but it is also exceptionally potent and transformative. If you struggle with anxiety this is absolutely a must read! 240pp, 203 x 134 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290264 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

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BOOK REVIEWS — Health 31-DAY FOOD REVOLUTION by Ocean Robbins

Ocean Robbins is the co-founder and CEO of Food Revolution Network: one of the largest communities of healthy-eating advocates on the planet with over 500,000 members. In his new book he offers an eater’s guide to liberation from a toxic food world. Robbins’ plan is easy-to-follow, affordable, and takes just 31 days to implement into your life. He’ll teach you how to use the restorative power of food to heal your gut, lose excess weight, and dramatically lower the risk of diseases like cancer, heart disease, dementia and diabetes. Plus this plan is good for our planet and for every copy of 31-Day Food Revolution sold he will donate to Trees For the Future, enabling the organization to plant a fruit or nut tree in a low-income community. 384pp, 227 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290229 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

GROW A NEW BODY by Alberto Villoldo

Alberto Villoldo is a bestselling author on South American shamanism and founder of the Four Winds Society. He is also a shaman. When he was faced with a set of life-threatening illnesses, his choices for treatment were a cutting-edge clinic in Miami, or the Amazon jungle. When he went back to the jungle he was welcomed with open arms by his friends and he was able, literally, to re-grow his devastated brain, liver and lungs. Here he teaches you how to do the same, using therapeutic techniques, nutrition and energy medicine. Before long you’ll be on your way to a new body, one which heals rapidly and retains its vitality. There are recipes plus pages of notes that give scientific backing to the programme he outlines. There are also plenty of inspiring stories, describing his experiences with some of the wisest healers on the planet. 320pp, 230 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290235 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

ENERGY MEDICINE FOR ANIMALS by Diane Budd

Animals communicate very differently from us humans and that can make it difficult for us to understand their needs and desires. In this book, sought-after animal communicator and healer Diane Budd helps to bridge the gap in understanding between humans and our animal companions. She offers an explanation of vibrational medicine, a kind of energy healing that can connect us more closely to our pets and at the same time help their physical bodies, chakra alignment, and aura fields. Full of animal communication stories and ground-breaking research on animal energy fields, this book will be helpful not only for health practitioners and healers, but also for all animal lovers and pet owners who want to know more about their furry friends. 192pp, 227 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290242 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

THE EXPERT GUIDE TO SLEEPING WELL by Dr Chris Idzikowski

Sleep is simultaneously something we easily take for granted and something we literally cannot live without. In this up-to-the-moment guide, leading sleep expert Dr Chris Idzikowski offers effective ways to improve your sleep through simple lifestyle changes. This book is very accessible, easy to read, and full of practical exercises and advice. Understanding what sleep is for, why it is so important, and how to improve your sleep will certainly improve your mental state, but research has also shown how regular sleep lowers your risk for high blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Learn everything you need to know to get a good night’s sleep. 256pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 290210 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

HARMONIC HEALING by Dr Linda Lancaster

Many physical ailments are rooted in energetic attacks starting in the liver. Harmonic Healing is a unique holistic approach to counteracting the effects of toxic and ever-present interference on your energy field. Dr Lancaster has guided thousands of patients on their journeys back to health and is one of the biggest healing names in Hollywood with star clients like Amanda Seyfried, Robert Redford, and Gwyneth Paltrow. In her book, she has created a foundational 6 week programme that cleanses the liver, neutralizes environmental pollution, and revitalizes energy. As a board-certified naturopathic physician and with backing from many scientific studies, Dr Lancaster will guide you to total wellness through holistic methods that create real and lasting improvement to your health. 304pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290240 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

INFORMATION MEDICINE by Ervin Laszlo and Pier Mario Biava

This exciting new book from Nobel Peace Prize nominee, and Cygnus favourite, Ervin Laszlo and Pier Mario Biava, who has been studying the relationship between cancer and cell differentiation for more than 30 years, presents groundbreaking research into information medicine, which will allow the development of new treatments for cancer, as well as many other degenerative diseases. The text is scientific – this isn’t a mass-market book – but all the research is laid out, with copious notes and references, and we can see how in the future it won’t be a question of “fighting” degenerative disease, but of restoring our cells’ original programming. This is a hopeful and encouraging book that not only gives insight into disease treatment development, but also helps us understand the true nature of reality. 224pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290243 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

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WHAT IS SENSORY HERBALISM BY THE SEED SISTAS

n Sensory Herbalism there is a focus on how we as humans can restore our own health by interacting with the plants themselves through energetic doses and through the growing and harvesting of them. Sensory Herbalism has a strong focus on creativity, placing great emphasis on connection to nature or spirit through storytelling, drawing and poetry. It asks you to draw on the power of intention as you grow, craft and take herbal medicines. It is an approach developed to create and strengthen a mutually beneficial relationship between herbs and humans. As well as focusing on plants, Sensory Herbalism is also all about understanding how the elemental forces—wind, fire, earth, water and spirit—pervade all of life and are expressed in varying degrees in plants, in the seasons and in people as holistic organisms. Even systems within the body have affinity for one or more of the elements. Sensory Herbalism associates each of these body systems with water, fire, air, earth, or spirit. This helps to understand the energy and function of each system, as well as why disease arises in these regions and what it could mean. Sensory Herbalism follows a seasonal journey that differs from the practice of Western Herbal Medicine in focusing on how plants experience the seasons, rather than on how we as people experience the seasons. Modern Western Herbal Medicine uses often large doses of herbs to push the body into a perceived place that it “needs to go”, whereas in Sensory Herbalism sensory drop doses gently encourage a shift toward health. Sensory Herbalism draws on ideas and theories from many medical models of the past as well as from modern medicine and research. It draws on Western allopathic medicine, Western astrology and Chinese and Ayurvedic medical models. It is, however, unique in its techniques for understanding and getting to know plants themselves and also in

Open Your Heart to Nature its detailed understanding of how the elements affect the body, emotions, seasons and the plants themselves. In Sensory Herbalism, it’s important to begin by getting to grips with the idea of “meeting” a plant or herb. This provides a foundation of confidence for an elemental journey through the cycle of the year, working with herbs as they appear. The word “sensory” is used to describe the way we work with the plant’s nature and the way it could interact with us, bringing us food, medicine and deeper messages about how we might protect ourselves and the planet. Other tools of Sensory Herbalism

include intuition, interpretation, characterization and plant dream creation. These connect us with the plants and allow us to understand their language, ultimately enabling us to take lessons from nature and use plants to reshape our social norms. As you explore Sensory Herbalism further, you will connect the elements of water, fire, air, earth and spirit to the seasons and look at how these elements are expressed by the plants themselves, as well as in the human body—physically, emotionally and spiritually. Sensory Herbalism follows the elements on their dance through the year. Water, fire, air and earth correspond to each of the four seasons, and to specific parts of the plants. Spirit or ether, the fifth element, exerts influence throughout the year. Spirit informs our ritual practices with plant medicines, and drives our connectivity. Sensory Herbalism is designed to aid people on their journey to health. It is a unique style of healing that encompasses many art forms. There is a strong focus on physical movement, meditation, art and ritual in the practice, but it is always centred around the herbs. Practising Sensory Herbalism will open up your intuition and as you start to interpret colours, forms, tastes and scents, you will open your heart to nature—and nature will extend life in all its beauty back to you.

THE SENSORY HERBAL HANDBOOK by The Seed SistAs

Essential Summer reading

The Seed SistAs’ approach to sensory herbalism blends science, medicine, creativity, ritual, magic, and fun into a practical guide for readers to develop their own personal connection with plants. You will not only come to understand plants better through Sensory Herbalism, but you will also enhance your wellbeing, master nutritious recipes, and benefit from healing rituals. This book is entertaining, subversive, informative, and visually stunning thanks to the accompanying art from Belle Benfield. It will benefit every reader from the casually curious to the practised herbalist. The Seed SistAs are medically trained herbalists, activists, and modern plant folklorists on a mission to connect people with their local plants and to promote empowerment, autonomy, freedom and diversity in health care. 272pp, 216 x 182 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 290209 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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BOOK REVIEWS — Beyond the Veil

BEYOND REASONABLE DOUBT by Gordon Smith

Gordon Smith is a worldrenowned medium who travels the world helping the bereaved in need of comfort from the beyond. In Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Smith draws on the history of Spiritualism and his personal experiences to present his case for the supernatural. Smith doesn’t force Spiritualism on the reader, but rather approaches every example carefully and honestly in a hope to prove his veracity, as one would in court, beyond reasonable doubt. Come to this work as a sceptic or a believer, and either way you will be riveted and amazed at the stories that fill these pages. And you might just learn the secrets of the beyond for yourself. 208pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 290201 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

THE BOY WHO KNEW TOO MUCH by Cathy Byrd

A powerful story of a young prodigy who, at the age of two, began sharing vivid memories of being a baseball player in the 1920s and ‘30s. Christian Haupt described historical facts about the legendary Lou Gehrig that he could not have possibly known at the time. Distraught by her son’s uncanny revelations, his mother embarked on a sacred journey of discovery that shook her beliefs to the core and forever changed her views on life and death. This amazing story is riveting and inspiring and will cause even the greatest sceptic to consider the possibility that love never dies. Now available in paperback and soon to be a major motion picture! 256pp, 215 x 136 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290205 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

LLEWELLYN’S LITTLE BOOK OF LIFE BETWEEN LIVES by The Newton Institute

The concept that a single life is just one chapter in a longer book is growing in acceptance. Dr Michael Newton began exploring the past life experiences of his patients in 1970 and realised that under hypnosis they could also visit a place between lives. Over 35 years he collected thousands of case studies and this book builds on that legacy. A vibrational transition occurs at death involving a shift in perspective and release of negativity. Meeting loved ones who have passed and visiting the Council of Elders are common experiences as is a visit to the Akashic Records. The conclusions are that everyone is moving towards their divine light and moments of recall can support this journey. 312pp, 166 x 125 mm, Hardback, 2018, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 290222 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

WAYS TO GO BEYOND by Rupert Sheldrake

In this follow-up to Science and Spiritual Practices, Rupert Sheldrake looks at seven more spiritual techniques, to explore whether their effects only take place “within” the brain, or whether they do in fact involve connecting with a greater consciousness. These practices include prayer, psychedelics, fasting and the spiritual side of sports. Dr Sheldrake is in an almost unique position of being a scientist and author of more than 85 technical papers, who is also sympathetic to spiritual practices. Consequently this meticulously annotated book is an invaluable resource for those of us who want to stand up with more confidence for what we have experienced and what we believe in. 336pp, 240 x 163 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £20.00

❖ Code: 290207 ❖ Non-Member Price: £16.65 ❖ Member Price: £14.99

21 RITUALS TO IGNITE YOUR INTUITION by Theresa Cheung

Sunday Times bestselling author Theresa Cheung proves her prowess again in this brilliant book on igniting your intuition. The book takes you on a 21 day journey, with one new ritual a day, that will lead you to connection and understanding of your intuition. Your intuition is an unconscious deployment of your previous knowledge; it is the calm voice inside you, the awareness of what surrounds you, the instinctive perception and processing of information. This book will teach you how to tap into, trust, and listen to your intuition and allow it to become a guiding force in your life. 224pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £8.99

❖ Code: 290212 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99

RAISING FAITH by Claire Waters

Discovering your 4 year old daughter has powerful psychic gifts can add a whole new complex layer to parenting. This book may be of particular help and interest to any parent in a similar position as it contains practical ideas to help meet the challenges of a highly sensitive child. Before having children Claire Waters had no real interest in such matters, but when Faith started to talk about the people she was seeing she listened carefully, began to seek advice and education and even had her own psychic experiences. She draws on her work as an alternative practitioner to deepen her understanding of how some people are profoundly affected by certain foods or locations and the importance of learning to ground energy and build protection against the negative. 120pp, 215 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £7.99

❖ Code: 290255 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

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

THE WAY TO ACHIEVE TRUE ABUNDANCE BY LEE HARRIS

his is a channeled communication from “the Zs”, a group of nonphysical beings from another plane of reality. Abundance. This word carries so many connotations within your society. There are many misleading beliefs and ideas – so many un-abundant experiences – associated with this word. What does this word mean to you? When you think of the word abundance, what is the first thought you have around it? What is the first image? The first feeling that you connect to it? For some, it will be spiritual wealth, meaning living in an enlightened way with connection to spirit, with connection to source and others, as a daily experience. For others, it will be wealth on the material plane – money, personal belongings, status within their work or career, and the acquisition of material objects. There is a great difference between the two. A truly abundant life is one where there is surrender. That is the key – true surrender to everything. Surrender to allowing a great wealth of experience, of financial resources, of love. And also a true surrender to experiencing the opposite of this state – for example, lack. If lack is the truth you are experiencing in any given moment, then lack is what you have created for yourself for the growth of your own soul. The way to achieve true abundance is to surrender to the place you are in now, while always investigating how true it is that you are holding yourself in that place. This is just as important for those who have material wealth as it is for those who do not. For, more often than you might imagine, those who have material wealth are maintaining such wealth at great cost to themselves and their happiness. It is a wealth they are maintaining based on the fear of no longer having money, losing their career, or losing their position within society. And this lack of surrender to life, this need to control, creates an un-abundant inner reality. The truth is, the universe will deliver to you your abundance. Another truth is that many will not receive that abundance from the universe because

True Surrender to Everything of their belief system, because they have limits in their minds as to how much they can receive, how much they are allowed, or how much they deserve.

Abundance and Karma

So let’s look a little deeper. Abundance and karma are very tricky bedfellows, as it were. You see, karma can directly affect your abundance in each and every life you live. So if it were to be your karmic desire to experience a life of lack on the material level, that will be the reality. However, as with any karma, this process can be sped up if

you learn the lesson. If your karmic lesson is to let go of the need for material wealth or status, then once you have achieved this and truly let go, your karma is done. The lesson is over. It has been rebalanced. You can move on, free. Karma and abundance go hand in hand in this way. The opposite can also be true: there are those humans who have decreed they will experience a great deal of material wealth, man-made wealth. They, too, experience this until they have learned the lesson, and then it can all change. So, you see, everything is possible. Everything is open to change. However, certain lessons must be learned before these possibilities become available. Bear this in mind if you appear to be in an experience of one extreme or the other where abundance is concerned. In either situation, the best you can do is surrender. Surrender to the experience you are in, all the while remembering you are fully entitled to experience the opposite. The full spectrum of having and not having is available to you. Lee Harris is an intuitive medium, transformational leader, musician, and visual artist. He will be offering a workshop at Alternatives in London on Sunday June 30, 2019. Visit him online at https://www.leeharrisenergy.com.

ENERGY SPEAKS by Lee Harris

Like many of us, 23 year old Lee Harris was feeling lost and unsure about his life one morning on a London Underground train into work, when he suddenly heard the voices of his spirit guides. Although he initially thought these voices were his own imagination, with time he realized that the “Zs” were real entities from a different plane of existence who could offer him profound insight on everything from relationships and family to prosperity. In Energy Speaks, Lee Harris shares the wisdom the “Zs” have taught him over the past two decades in a concise and practical guide that teaches us how to be conscious of our role in the greater plan of existence and how help is always available to us. Harris’s desire for the reader is to learn to listen when destiny calls, even if it is unexpected, and never stop dreaming. Energy Speaks is insightful and written with such authenticity that you can’t help but feel the empowerment, optimism, and confidence that Harris is sharing. 272pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290244 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

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BOOK REVIEWS — The Western Traditions PRAYER ENERGY by Richard Lawrence

SPLENDOR SOLIS Edited by Stephen Skinner et al

160pp, 258 x 160 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £7.99

176pp, 260 x 180 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £24.99

FAERIE STONES by Ceri Norman

THE SACRED SCIENCE by Nick Polizzi

This is a very welcome book which presents prayers that aren’t just platitudes and homilies, but which are specifically designed to channel the power of the universe. This might be to ask for healing for someone, for courage to tackle a challenge or to ask for a successful conclusion to our endeavours. The prayers presented come from some of the great teachers in different traditions, but there are also tips on creatively formulating prayers for ourselves and specific advice on how to pray. There is a strong spiritual impulse running through the whole book and an awareness that prayer can bring about positive change and even bring peace to the planet. This gift hardback is beautifully presented and full of uplifting colour photographs. It’s also tremendous value. ❖ Code: 290252 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99

Ceri Norman is a dedicated Faerie Priestess, folklorist, historian, and an internationally known author. This guide is a testament to her authenticity and knowledge of the Faerie world. In it she explores the Faerielore and Folklore associated with different stones and crystal formations. She delves deep into the metaphysical aspects of the stones, their traditional uses and healing qualities. It is a truly brilliant and well-researched guide that offers practical tips and meditations for working with Faeries and stones for spiritual development. It is a wonderful title for the genuine Faerie enthusiast! 248pp, 216 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

❖ Code: 290202 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

NUMEROLOGY by Elen Sentier

For anyone with a love of numbers and their mysterious yet logical patterns and rhythms this book will fascinate. It dips far deeper than explanations of what our birth and name numbers say about us. The grids to calculate our personal numbers take time to understand: this is not an easy read but something to study, grasp, digest and learn from. Just as numbers are far from simple, so what they can reveal to the genuine seeker is a spiral that goes deeper and deeper exploring spirit, personality, the body and relationship with the elements. Each number’s character and meaning are explained with some helpful diagrams. We learn 4 people are good at reality, 7 are about love and wisdom, but we are complex and contain aspects of other numbers which dance together in endless patterns. Be prepared to embark on a challenging, deep and revealing numerical journey. 192pp, 216 x 142 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 290203 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

Splendor Solis is the most renowned alchemical manuscript ever written and yet up until now there has not been an accessible, reasonably priced and full-colour English translation. This book is academic in tone, but the content is so rich and beautiful it could fascinate even a casual reader as it allegorically details the way to transmute material into the Philosophers’ Stone. Additionally, this copy contains a brand new, modern translation of Splendor Solis from its original German by Dr Joscelyn Godwin. This title finally makes Splendor Solis accessible to the modern audience and being in full-colour truly allows the beauty and symbolism of the Renaissance artwork to shine through as never before. ❖ Code: 290208 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

This is a particularly special book for Cygnus to feature as plant cures in the Amazon are not our usual market. But it was so brilliant we featured it when it was hardback and now we are excited to carry the paperback too! The book follows documentary maker Nick Polizzi as he takes 8 sick people into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to put the mysterious medicine of native shamans to the test. It describes how the old ways can cure people of the toughest illnesses; it’s full of well-drawn and complex characters; it coaxes the readers into a fully-formed magical world away from electronic distractions and frivolous pursuits. It’s an immersive and encouraging account and a fascinating read. 256pp, 229 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290234 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

CELESTIAL GEOMETRY by Ken Taylor

Ken Taylor takes the reader on a journey around the planet as he explains the incredibly sophisticated understanding ancient and even prehistoric civilizations had of the heavens and celestial alignment. From Stonehenge to Machu Picchu, archaeoastronomers have studied how the sightlines of these famous monuments and temples connect to seasonal sunrises, star cluster movements, and other astronomical phenomena. Filled with amazing photographs and clear explanatory artwork, Celestial Geometry opens up a whole universe of mystery and wonder and gives brilliant insight into ancient life on Earth. Taylor has truly created an accessible, comprehensive guide to the ancient cosmos. 240pp, 253 x 224 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £16.99

❖ Code: 290226 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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

FIND YOUR LOCAL CYGNUS CAFÉS

★ NEW ABERDEENSHIRE, Cruden Bay Donia Keith 07955 146326 donia@liferoute.co.uk

CLEVELAND, Saltburn Kathryn Luczakiewicz 01287 204 400 info@saltburnwellbeingcentre. co.uk

AVON, Bath Mari Batholomew 01225 840 889 mari@sulis-health.co.uk

CORNWALL, Port Isaac Ann Fanstone 01208 880 300 fanstone@phonecoop.coop

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

CORNWALL, Penzance Anthea Tounsend 01736 719 606

BERKS, Bracknell Ms Debbie Lewis 01344 455 394

CORNWALL, Truro Jane Goodall 07967 201 929 janegoodall@live.co.uk

BERKS, Upper Basildon Lynne Mitchell 07770 278 080 lpmtll@gmail.com

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

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

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

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

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

CARDIGAN, Llangrannog Amanda Painting 01239 654 699 amandapainting@gmail.com

★ NEW DEVON, Churston Morag Noades 07969374491 cheyne10@hotmail.com

CARMARTHEN Dorothy Morris 01267 267 652 dorothy_morris@hotmail.com

DEVON, Paignton Marian Davies 07791 263 840 maridavi100@gmail.com

CHESHIRE, Chester Lynn Alexander 01244 951 753 lynnalexander@talktalk.net

DORSET, Poole Anna Russell 01202 769 859 allthemore97@yahoo.co.uk

CHESHIRE, Sandbach Karl Grey 07450 499 284 karlgrey@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

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

E SUSSEX, Eastbourne Valerie Abl 01323 726 652 valerie@talentshift.co.uk

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

RHONDDA, Pontyprith Louisa Mills cygnuscaferct@aol.co.uk.

LINCOLNSHIRE, Horncastle Melissa Bay 07989 508391 countrygardenpets@tiscali. co.uk ★ NEW LONDON, Hackney Therisa Jones 07811376369 tierra_is@yahoo.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

ROSSHIRE, Conon Bridge Shenagh Leiper 07721 656 668 leipershenagh@gmail.com SHROPSHIRE, Ironbridge Romella Jones 01952 881 151 cariadtherapies@outlook.com SOMERSET, Taunton Robin Littman 01278 671 679 Robin@resource-me.com S GLOS, Thornbury Trisha Seward 01434 413535 trishaseward@talktalk.net 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 MIDLANDS, Wolverhampton Jas Bassi 07830 019 513 Info@jasbassi.com W SUSSEX, Bosham Kathryn Bingham 01243 572 109 office@thehamblinvision.org.uk W SUSSEX, Horsham and Haywards Heath Judy Sharp 01444 459 433 judysharp123@gmail.com WILTS, Salisbury Jane Wainwright 01722 413 902 janesnowflake@gmail.com WIRRAL, Merseyside Carol Carter 07807 077966 carolcarter100@btinternet.com WORCS, Malvern June Walters 01684 568 192 mpower4you@gmail.com WORCS, Tenbury Wells Hilary Foxwell 01584 819 010

We are never alone; we may be lonely, but we now know we are not alone, wherever we are! ORDER & CUSTOMER SERVICE LINE ❖ Phone: 02078 594 375 ❖ Website: www.cygnusreview.com ❖ Twitter @CygnusBooks ❖ Facebook @cygnusbookclub ❖ Instagram @cygnusbooks

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

A Guide to Starting a Cygnus Café

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

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

❖ Many groups take a little

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

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

❖ Most of our groups run in what

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

very helpful to keep the level of the meeting at a higher level by setting the intention of the group to the highest good at the beginning of the meeting. So that, whatever happens, the highest good may come out of it.

❖ When getting down to

❖ Gradually most groups

practicalities the first thing you need is a space, generally meetings are held in members’ homes or quiet rooms in cafés or community spaces. Any room hire costs etc. are shared by the participants on a donation basis. We advise avoiding noisy venues or spaces that have no door, as this helps a great deal. You need a safe space where you know you will not be interrupted. ❖ When thinking about when and how often to hold

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

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

❖

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

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

vicky@cygnus-books.co.uk

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

THE TRANSFORMATIVE EFFECT OF CYGNUS BY SANDRA EDWARDS

y name is Sandra Edwards and I co-ordinate the Doncaster Cygnus Café Group, which has been running for over 3 years. The group meets about once a month and is made up of about 15 people from all walks of life who attend as often as they like, or are able to. We are lucky because I have a friend who owns a large tearoom, and she lets us all settle down in a corner for our meetings undisturbed, with the added benefit of having a wonderful selection of drinks and cakes to sustain us. About a year ago, a lady contacted me to enquire about the group and asked if she could join the next Café gathering. She has turned out to be a wonderful addition: a real “find” for many of its members, and for me personally. Her name is Meg Allen and she is an Intuitive Therapist and a wonderful Qigong teacher. When Meg came to the meeting she explained that Qigong is an ancient Chinese exercise and healing technique which involves meditation, controlled breathing and movement exercises. Qigong harmonizes the flow of Qi around the body bringing a free-flow of energy which increases circulation and oxygen flow, making you feel well physically, emotionally and mentally. Meg told us that she had just started a Qigong class in Doncaster and I decided, along with two other Café members, to try it out that very week! I personally suffer from painful polyarthralgia – arthritis in my knees, hips, spine, shoulders, neck and hands – so I felt that anything that might help improve my flexibility and balance was worth trying. The hour-long lesson started with a ten minute guided meditation with relaxed breathing and colour visualisation. We then did some ‘beginner’ Qigong exercises to warm up. The lesson followed this pattern of meditation and exercises for a full hour and, much to my surprise, at the end of that hour I felt energized yet relaxed, and noticed that I had more freedom of movement and less pain in all of my normally stiff and achey joints.

Me, Meg and Qigong So I decided to do about 10 minutes of Qigong practice every morning and found that it immediately caused three things to happen – it improved my circulation (I could feel it in my hands and feet), it reduced the pain in all my joints so I could get moving soon after completing the exercises, and it made me feel positive and energized. And as a result of this, after one week I was able to reduce the number of antiinflammatory tablets that I had been prescribed for pain relief. Eventually after a few more weeks my condition was so much improved that I was able to stop taking them completely, because I could get up every morning

and literally ‘Qigong away’ my painful and stiff joints within 10 minutes. And I am not the only one to benefit from Meg’s Qigong class. One lady chose not to have an operation on her back because her condition has so much improved. Another lady who joined the class needed to use two walking sticks to get around and after a couple of months now walks around without them most of the time. Some people say the exercises help relax and de-stress them, others (like me) find they are gently energizing; so in the end the benefits that people experience are unique to them. Meg says that when the energy within our body is balanced and flowing with ease, our body is more able to bring about whatever healing it needs. As a result of these positive health and general wellbeing outcomes, people started spreading the word to their family and friends and the number of people joining the class increased. Meg has now started a second class in a different area of Doncaster – and that has blossomed as well. There are people of all ages attending and Meg has even been asked if she can run a class where parents can bring their children to try meditation and Qigong. I have heard a number of people say that Meg and her Qigong classes have been a wonderful blessing to them – and all this has come about because of the Cygnus Review and the Cygnus Café Community!

ELEGANT SIMPLICITY by Satish Kumar

“To live in simplicity is to live in freedom”, this is the message that environmental thought leader and former editor of Resurgence magazine Satish Kumar teaches in his book. Although the advancements of society strive to endlessly simplify the hassle of life, it actually creates more dependency on machines and facilitates lethargy and apathy. By simplifying our physical and mental lives we will find a motivated, sustainable, spiritually fulfilling way of living. In this beautiful little book, Kumar will help you take your first steps into simplicity by sharing his own journey and philosophy on the art of living well. Each part of this book emanates the pure simplicity and the power of having clear intention in each action and object in your life. It is truly an indispensable read for everyone. 208pp, 223 x 149 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £14.99 ❖ Code: 290265 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

Essential Summer reading

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BOOK REVIEWS — Consciousness BECOMING SUPERNATURAL by Dr Joe Dispenza

THE HEARTFULNESS WAY by Kamlesh D. Patel

384pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.99

232pp, 228 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £12.99

FUTURE SACRED by Julie J. Morley

THE SCIENCE OF SELFEMPOWERMENT by Gregg Braden

One of Cygnus’s bestsellers in hardback is now available in paperback. Dr Dispenza offers a set of tools in this book that allows ordinary people to reach extraordinary states of being. He brings together research in neuroscience, epigenetics, psychoneuroimmunology, neurocardiology, electromagnetism, and quantum physics to show how human transformation and change take place and what they mean to our lives. With glowing reviews from authors like Lynne McTaggart (The Power of Eight) and Tony Robbins (Unshakable), this title is truly revolutionary and life-changing. Dispenza’s easy-to-understand and compassionate style will help you rewire your brain and recondition the body to make lasting change. What will it mean for you to become supernatural? ❖ Code: 290204 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

This new perspective on the human connection to the cosmos from environmental educator Julie Morley is certainly not light reading, but it is delightfully complex and illuminating as to the future of mankind. It dives deep into the origin of the universe and then expands the scope of existence far into the future, rejecting the “survival of the fittest” narrative and offering symbiosis and cooperation as nature’s path forward. Our survival depends on humanity understanding the “complexity of consciousness” and accepting ourselves as part of nature. Morley views this understanding as a sacred way of honouring the shared experience between all sentient beings. Future Sacred is an innovative philosophy that will radically change how you view your own place in this universe and will push you to think deeper about all life surrounding you.

❖ Code: 290254 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

The question Who Are We? has been asked for thousands of years, usually within the schools of religion and philosophy. But in the 21st century the question becomes a scientific one. Genome analysis reveals new insights into our DNA and the unique structure of the human brain and nervous system that sets us apart from other animals. Since Darwin science has made huge discoveries that challenge the tradition of evolution and is writing new stories. Something happened 200,000 years ago. Was it intentional, was some major act carried out by our forefathers or another worldly intelligence or was it nothing more than a random accident? We are offered a challenge to our baseline beliefs and an opportunity to throw off traditional assumptions about who we really are. Formerly in hardback as Human By Design.

272pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £16.99

320pp, 229 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

THE POWER OF EIGHT by Lynne McTaggart

LIVING IN FLOW by Sky Nelson-Isaacs

336pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

208pp, 216 x 142 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.99

❖ Code: 290241 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

Bestselling author Lynne McTaggart admits her idea of placing people in groups of eight started as a crazy whim, but she was amazed by the results, particularly regarding the effect of group intention on participants, and this encouraged her to continue her project. In describing what seem like miracles of healing, she delves deeply into the functional states of the human body to search for explanations that withstand clinical analysis. The book chronicles her own journey but also includes stories of hundreds of people who have experienced life-altering transformation by harnessing collective energies. Her theories could alter individual lives and change the world for the better. This updated edition features a new afterword from the author. ❖ Code: 290230 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

The modern world tells us that happiness and fulfilment is found in the successes and status we achieve, but then often as we achieve we find there is always another, better thing to reach for that leaves happiness just out of reach. The Heartfulness Way reveals the step-by-step methods to stop striving for outward happiness and instead feel the happiness from within. Kamlesh Patel is the current spiritual leader of the Heartful movement and he breaks down the simple practices that can be used to feel true spiritual growth, deeper well-being, and genuine joy. To live a Heartful life incorporates many practices that you may already be familiar with like meditation and prayer, but the loving philosophy of Heartfulness is truly inspiring and absolutely worth exploring.

❖ Code: 290233 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

“When we align with circumstance, circumstance aligns with us.” Living In Flow translates ideas from theoretical physics and quantum mechanics into accessible, actionable steps that we can all take to better align with who we want to be. It shows how to harness the principles of synchronicity and flow to live better, work smarter, and find purpose. Nelson-Issacs believes that an understanding of synchronicity will reshape the way we think about our lives and that we can find more harmony and success by seeing the unexpected coincidences that serve as guidance on our path. Encouraging and empowering, this book will help you develop an informed relationship with making meaning and purposefulness in your live. ❖ Code:290247 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

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The Wonderful World Around Us — BOOK REVIEWS WALKING WITH TREES By Glennie Kindred

This new book from renowned nature-lorist and Earth Traditions expert Glennie Kindred takes us on an intimate journey around 13 native trees of Britain, discussing their unique characteristics, natural history, healing properties, and mythologies. Kindred’s passion for the Earth and these trees seeps through every page as you read. As Ark Redwood says, “[Walking With Trees] is truly ‘a love song to the trees’, and Glennie contributes not only the prose, but also the illustrations and poems, all in her inimitable and beautiful style”. It is informative and transformative and perfectly designed to be an on-the-go guide to have with you as you walk through the trees. An ideal gift for yourself or the nature lover in your life. 286pp, 218 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £15.00

❖ Code: 290256 ❖ Non-Member Price: £12.21 ❖ Member Price: £10.99

WILD SIGNS AND STAR PATHS by Tristan Gooley

In this new book by the author of The Walker’s Guide to Outdoor Clues and Signs, we are reintroduced to our sixth sense and taught how to cultivate it. It’s not a mysterious or obscure ability but one we can learn. Through a diverse and entertaining collection of vignettes and lessons, Tristan Gooley tutors us in a fresh way of enjoying and making the most of whatever environment we find ourselves in. We can use the stars, the shapes of trees and wind patterns; feeling more at home in our world can create confidence and security. The stories he tells are wonderful but above all they are practical, and while other such titles can become excessively literary, Tristan always remains unpretentious and enthusiastic. 400pp, 196 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 290206 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.87 ❖ Member Price: £7.99

THE FINDHORN GARDEN by The Findhorn Community

Updated to showcase colour photographs, this spiritual classic presents the history and philosophy of the Findhorn Community, which was founded more than 40 years ago in far northeast Scotland on windswept and barren sand dunes that happened to sprout a miraculous garden. Plants, flowers, trees and organic vegetables of enormous sizes began to grow in a small plot around the 30-foot caravan trailer containing 3 adults and 3 children living on meagre unemployment benefits. Guidance by God and absolute faith in the art of manifestation led the occupants to this unlikely locale to create a magnetic centre that would draw people from all over the world, and this rich document is a vivid and inspiring tribute to this. The garden is where it all started and this book explores the relationships with angelic realms and devas which first gained the community international recognition, while also looking at its huge impact upon all who visit. 208pp, 229 x 203 mm, Paperback, 2008, RRP £14.99

Code: 181009 Non-Member Price: £9.98 Member Price: £8.99

THE GREEN CURE by Alice Peck

The Green Cure is a down-to-earth guide to the simplest ways to use the outdoors to improve your health and wellbeing. Well researched and simply designed, this book is full of suggestions and practices on how to realistically implement a “green” approach to your health. Whether it is an afternoon stroll in the park, a dip in the ocean, or barefoot walking through the mud, Peck teaches us that nature will support us and heal the mind, body, and spirit. It is a common sense approach that teaches the ways to effectively pause, notice, and breathe. This book is ideal for someone just starting their journey towards living mindfully or someone looking to study and understand the role the Earth can be playing in your life. 144pp, 236 x 193mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290251 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

PEOPLE AND PERMACULTURE by Looby Macnamara

This is a new edition of a permaculture classic, revised and updated since its first publication in 2012. Like all the books from our friends at Permanent Publications, it’s immensely practical and above all hopeful. It explores how we can apply permaculture principles to people, to our daily lives and to our personal development and wellness. It’s political with a small “p” – ideal for all of us who want to reinvent our lives from the ground up and live according to what we truly believe, in tune with all life on this planet. Chapters include Connecting with Nature, Our Internal Landscapes and Being at our Best; praise on the cover comes from Joanna Macy, Alys Fowler and Satish Kumar. It’s a vitally important and inspiring book full of exercises and illustrations, that can make us all positive for the planet’s future. 336pp, 246 x 187 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £21.00

❖ Code: 290262 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

EDEN IN THE ALTAI by Geoffrey Ashe

This is a reissue of Geoffrey Ashe’s 1992 book Dawn Behind the Dawn. Geoffrey is an acknowledged authority on King Arthur and a legendary Glastonbury figure. Here he presents rich evidence that the Garden of Eden existed in the Altai Mountains in Russia and that many tales and legends of a Golden Age can be traced back to this area, where a matrifocal and shamanismbased culture was based as far back as 24,000 BCE. Later migration spread these beliefs, including the all-pervasive mythic symbolism of the number 7, in all directions, including Greece, northern India and Babylon. This new edition is also able to include the latest evidence, including the fascinating remains found in the Denisova Cave. The research is thorough and the descriptions absolutely compelling. 368pp, 228 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290257 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

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CURRENT CYCLES OF OPPORTUNITY BY JENNY JONES

hat are the current planetary movements telling us? The backdrop is the Aquarian-Leo harmonic and so it’s an age of learning where we serve with loving intent and sacred purpose. There are two powerful signals occurring right now: Saturn is moving through its own sign of Capricorn until it finally leaves in November 2020. Jupiter is moving through its own sign of Sagittarius until it moves into Capricorn on December 3rd 2019. This is a double whammy effect, a powerful and potent time when individuals really can make their voices heard. Saturn in Capricorn is emphasizing responsibility: to consider the effects of actions that impact on other lives and on the environment. For those following the sacred wisdom threads it’s sending a message: “This can be a rite of passage. A time of initiation into a new level of accepted responsibility. A time to climb that mountain to get an overview of what needs to happen in a practical way. Plug into your sacred intentions before you descend to put your visionary plans into action.” Jupiter is stimulating the need for even more eco-awareness. Its message is to “think globally and act locally”. None of the natural kingdoms can petition on their own behalf. When faced with destructive human choices they have to remain silent and endure until we become true caretakers. We are their mouthpieces who can talk, petition, lobby, conserve, share and communicate on their behalf. They wait silently until we do. Jupiter is saying, “The time to do so is now and with even more determination. Eco-awareness isn’t a fad or passing trend, it’s essential. All species and forms in nature have the right to live in dignity. It’s time to respect all life and appreciate how much her kingdoms help humanity. For the majority this is for very little return.” Without worms there would be no rich topsoil. Without bees and pollinating insects not such a variety of fruits and vegetables. Replacing beavers helps the lower flood plains when they build their dams upstream. Plants contain many medicines and antidotes

Messages from the Sacred Wisdom for infection. The crystal world propels much of our technology. These two planetary effects together are stimulating the need to take responsibility: to write, lobby and petition all those who have been elected into positions of power. To cut through inertia and get more creative initiatives going. Individual voices can build into a chorus that demands accountability, honesty and transparency within all social institutions. We have the right to ask politicians, “Are sufficient steps being taken to protect the environment?” Also to look into the ethical foundation of any business and to ask the media to give us more positive news about global initiatives. Public opinion gradually builds up and brings about change. Individuals

spark movements via social media, for example by picking up plastic from beaches. The keynotes here are responsibility, ethics, accountability, service, balance, restoration of harmony and conservation. Are the public, the electorate, the customer or the client being served fairly and openly? Are promises being kept in the form of manifesto statements, standards of goods, animal welfare and restoration of habitats? Does it do what it says on the tin? It’s when many individuals start questioning and demanding ethical behaviour that change begins to seep through the very impersonal structures within society. One voice doesn’t sound like much, but when there are many voices people have to take notice, because sales go down and MPs aren’t re-elected. Then environments change, beauty begins to replace ugliness and mindsets alter. This is building up and these two planetary energies will support all those who want to make their voices heard regarding our planet and environment and our habitats and architecture, for example the how and why we build aesthetically pleasing environments. This is the perfect time to anchor expansive visions in practical ways, with everyone taking a portion of responsibility within their own landscape. Jupiter in Sagittarius lets the arrow of enthusiasm fly to hit the bull’s eye. Goals are achievable. New visionary ways are circulating. Institutions need to catch up and start paying attention. Single voices can unite to become a creative chorus.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING by Adyashanti

In this soul-stirring title, spiritual teacher Adyashanti shows you how to look past your personal narrative to delve inward and connect with the fundamental truths that animate all of us. Adyashanti draws from personal experience as he considers such topics as the true meaning of birth, life, and death; why a good question can be more powerful than a clear answer; and how the things you choose to serve shape your life. This book is short but compact and powerful, full of inspiration and soft guidance for finding your personal truths and priorities. The latest insights from one of the most perceptive and popular teachers of our time. 224pp, 229 x 152 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £18.99

❖ Code: 290224 ❖ Non-Member Price: £13.32 ❖ Member Price: £11.99

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The Eastern Traditions — BOOK REVIEWS

INNER ALCHEMY by Pedram Shojai

YOGA MIND by Suzan Colón

MANTRAS IN MOTION by Erin Stutland

If you are ready to wake up from the mundane daze of daily life and make the world you live in a better place, then look no further than the powerful teachings in Inner Alchemy. This simple guide shows you how to harness the transformational power of ancient Taoist alchemical practices. This book comes from the bestselling author of The Urban Monk and it is written to be a guide for beginners. Shojai breaks down the path into 3 parts: teaching the key principles, applying these principles through specific guided techniques, and advanced exploration of traditional Taoism in modern times. It is incredibly rejuvenating and truly helps to regulate your energy to make you aware of the happiness, healthiness, and vitality within you.

Suzan Colón, a yoga teacher and former editor at O, The Oprah Magazine, digs deep into the spiritual philosophy behind yoga and distils thirty essential components to enrich your practice and revolutionize your life. So many people come to yoga for the asanas (physical postures) to help with alignment and physical health, but yoga in its entirety is a wellness programme for mind, body, and spirit. Told through the story of her yoga sessions with her paraplegic friend, Colón creates a subtle yet powerful programme to shift awareness and attitudes within to lead to real, lasting change. Truly inspiring and well written, Yoga Mind is great for those of us who aren’t as flexible as we once were but are still looking for an enhancement to our yoga practice!

“Movement in your body creates movement in your life.” From the mind of recognized fitness and wellness coach Erin Stutland comes this innovative and effective transformation to your daily mantra practice. When you find that saying your affirmations just isn’t going far enough, Stutland shows you how harnessing together your body’s mental, physical, and spiritual energy can create change and holistic wellness in your life. The book contains 9 foundational mantras and a 14-day plan to help you infuse the power of movement, mantra, and self-reflection into your everyday routine. Highly recommended for the fitness novice and enthusiast alike, Mantras In Motion will truly inspire the soul and free the body.

280pp, 228 x 153 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

288pp, 213 x 143mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £10.99

272pp, 223 x 144 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £20.00

THE JEWEL OF ABUNDANCE by Ellen Grace O’Brian

THE POWER OF BREATH AND HAND YOGA by Christine Burke

WORKING WITH KUNDALINI by Mary Mueller Shutan

❖ Code: 290223 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.66 ❖ Member Price: £10.50

As yoga has become popular in the West some aspects such as posture and meditation are being widely taught. Other jewels from this deep and complex philosophy are still little understood, particularly artha, one of the four purusharthas. Artha can be translated as prosperity and the concept is that the spiritual is not incompatible with material comfort. Living a spiritual life skilfully means being fully awake in the world. The Yoga Sutras talk about not stealing, and then true wealth is free to flow in through the law of abundance. It sounds simple, but such a deep shift of consciousness is never easy and it is useful to have a book that guides us through the necessary steps and offers examples of how others have overcome the many stumbling blocks. 304pp, 215 x 140 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £13.99

❖ Code: 290245 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

❖ Code: 290221 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

This is the perfect book for the yogi who wants to understand breath and mudras (hand yoga) and learn how to use them to channel their inner energy and focus during meditation. Complete with illustrations and guides to help you complete the mudra practices, this book is informative, funny and easy to use. Breath awareness has been linked to regulating blood pressure, improving memory, and even preventing heart attacks and easing chronic pain. Since it doesn’t focus on the asanas (physical postures), you can use the breath and mudra practices regardless of your skill level with yoga and without being super flexible. If you breathe and can do a thumbs-up, then you can use the exercises in this book to elevate yourself and let your inner light shine through. 144pp, 218 x 180 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 290263 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

❖ Code: 290228 ❖ Non-Member Price: £14.43 ❖ Member Price: £12.99

Mary has written several books for Findhorn Press about spiritual unfoldment, and here for the first time she covers every aspect of Kundalini awakening. Kundalini is the so-called serpent power that lies coiled at the base of the spine. When it rises up the spine it can be liberating and transformative, but it’s also unpredictable and hard-tocontrol. In these situations it can lead to bizarre behaviour and mental instability. In the author’s case it resulted in a near-death experience. So it’s in everyone’s interest to manage this moment of breakthrough with care, and this title will tell you all you need to know for working with this electrifying force. The tone is straightforward, supportive and comforting, and her account is full of useful autobiographical anecdotes. 208pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290260 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

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BOOK REVIEWS — Health REWIND YOUR BODY CLOCK by Jayney Goddard

No need to wait for a scientific breakthrough to keep ageing at bay. Ways to feel happier and healthier as we age are readily available if we choose to look after ourselves properly. Natural health expert Jayney Goddard has tailored a programme to rewind the years based on modern scientific research but incorporating long known essentials such as hormonal balance, positive relationships and restful sleep. Good nutrition is essential with an emphasis on maintaining a healthy weight and choosing non-inflammatory foods. But anti-ageing involves a total lifestyle shift, reaching out to develop more gratitude and loving kindness, optimism and relaxation. Herbs and spices, breathing, exercise and skin care all play an important role in any anti-ageing programme and all this and more is included in a 21 day plan to get you started. 256pp, 233 x 154 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290213 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

HEALING THE THYROID WITH AYURVEDA by Marianne Teitelbaum

The thyroid is the victim of many factors that conspire to create ill health, but this comprehensive guide lays out the science behind the growing epidemic of thyroid disease. Combining modern research with the ancient medicine of Ayurveda, this book will help explain how the thyroid is connected to the health of the entire body and the targeted way to use herbs, detoxification, and diet to help treat thyroid-related conditions. It is filled with real life success stories of thyroid healing and scientific studies supporting Teitelbaum’s Ayurvedic protocol. It is easy to follow while still being incredibly thorough. If you are interested in the thyroid or are dealing with thyroid conditions yourself this book is a must-have. 288pp, 229 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code:290259 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

BODY BELIEF by Aimee E. Raupp

If you deal with the daily pain and exhaustion caused by rheumatoid arthritis, type one diabetes or numerous other autoimmune conditions, then Body Belief is the guide back to health and well-being you need. With her 15 years of clinical experience in acupuncture and herbalism supporting her method, Aimee Raupp has created a plan that bridges the gap between internal and external healing to reconnect to yourself, renew your belief, and reawaken your health. In this book you’ll find a 12-week diet plan, weekly Body Belief guide, shopping lists, menus, meditations, mantras, and DIY self-care products. Every person deserves to feel good, and everyone is capable of making their optimal self a reality. 248pp, 229 x 155 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

Code: 290238 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

THE NATURAL APOTHECARY SERIES by Dr Penny Stanway This bright little series takes common kitchen staples and shows how they can be used for health, beauty, cleaning and so much more!

THE NATURAL APOTHECARY: LEMONS

Every part of the lemon is useful: juice, skin, pith. Lemons can be used to treat many common ailments as the comprehensive section of recipes shows. They also have many uses in cosmetics and cleaning products and even for creating invisible ink. Lemons grow best in arid subtropical regions and more than 13 million tonnes are harvested worldwide each year. A small lemon contains a daily dose of vitamin C but also other vitamins and minerals and a variety of antioxidants. Recipes for health, beauty treatments and cleaning offer inspiration to bypass chemicals and explore how people have used the many qualities of lemons for thousands of years. 144pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £8.99

❖ Code: 290218 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99

THE NATURAL APOTHECARY: APPLE CIDER VINEGAR

Apples are the most popular fruit in the world and people were eating them as long ago as 6,500 BCE. We enjoy apples fresh from the tree, baked in pies or in sauces, but the vinegar made from cider apples also has a long history in industrial and medical spheres. Because it has antibacterial qualities it finds uses in cosmetic and cleaning products, but many people also know it as an aid to weight loss. There are many commercial brands on the market but it is possible to make your own cider vinegar by first making apple juice then following the recipe in this book. A section contains recipes for cooking such as preparing mayonnaise and a large section gives natural remedies such as detox drinks. 128pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £8.99

❖ Code: 290217 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99

THE NATURAL APOTHECARY: BAKING SODA

Baking soda is cheap to buy and widely available and has been used since the time of the Ancient Egyptians. It is particularly useful in maintaining the body’s acid alkaline balance but its mildly abrasive quality also finds uses in cosmetics and cleaners. The average western diet is made up of mainly acid-producing foods such as protein, grains, tea and coffee, with alkaline producers such as fruit and vegetables in the minority. Small amounts of baking soda in cooking can help but Dr Stanway warns us to use this carefully, particularly if we suffer from conditions such as high blood pressure. The book also contains recipes for cosmetics and cleaners such as bath bombs and scouring powder. 144pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £8.99

❖ Code: 290216 ❖ Non-Member Price: £5.54 ❖ Member Price: £4.99

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Spiritual Development — BOOK REVIEWS MIND DETOX by Sandy C. Newbigging

THIS EXTRAORDINARY MOMENT by John Astin

224pp, 210 x 137 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

120pp, 228 x 152 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £12.99

MYSTERIOUS REALITIES by Robert Moss

SMART ASS by Margaret Winslow

In this, his first new book since 2015’s Sidewalk Oracles, Robert Moss guides us once more into the spectacular world beyond the mundane, an imaginal world of dreams, archetypes and mythic journeys. Jean Houston calls it a “message from a future human”, with chapters like A God of Freud, Which is the Dream? and Ghost Platoon. It is story medicine, it is healing and it is a welcome escape from a cruel and meaningless world of appearances. Cygnus members need no introduction to alternative realities, and this fun and exhilarating read, full of stories and colourful anecdotes, offers all sorts of inspiration that will enrich our lives. Robert is also a bestselling novelist and independent scholar, as well as one of the most experienced guides through dreaming, shamanism and synchronicity.

A woman riding a donkey is not a common sight in New York State but Margaret Winslow is no ordinary woman and Caleb is certainly no ordinary donkey. There was instant rapport when they met but that had to be followed up by long tough training sessions as the pair got to know each other. This charming story trots us through their adventures. Sometimes hilarious like when the unpredictable Caleb was invited to take part in a nativity play, sometimes scary like attempting to jump a high fence. As their bond deepens two tenacious characters emerge, each battling for dominance, and it is unclear at times whether donkey or owner is winning. Then comes a crisis when Caleb turns and attacks Margaret. She loses trust in Caleb and has to consider getting rid of him. But there are many more lessons still to learn before this story can reach its happy ending.

256pp, 216 x 143 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £12.99

256pp, 203 x 134 mm, Paperback, 2018, RRP £13.99

Mind Detox is all about resolving the issues from our past that are hindering our present through changing our mindset and applying a simple 5-step methodical detox. Traumas from our past may be the hidden causes for chronic, real life conditions such as anxiety, eating disorders, insomnia, and relationship issues. Sandy Newbigging is a coach and meditation expert who has used the mind detox method in his own life to find inner peace and mental health. This book is full of personal experiences, exercises, and inspiration that will guide you through the journey of clearing toxic beliefs from your mind and show you how to be empowered through this cleanse to achieve brilliant success in your life. ❖ Code: 290220 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

❖ Code: 290248 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

365 WAYS TO BEAT STRESS edited by Adam Gordon

Stress – today we are all experiencing it for a cacophony of reasons, in a multitude of ways. Everyone can benefit from finding the time to release themselves from daily pressures and find relaxation. 365 Ways to Beat Stress gives you simple, daily exercises to ease your stress and even have some fun in experimenting with different ways of alleviating stress. It introduces a full range of ways to find perfect calm whether through mantras, attitude acrobatics, physical workouts, or eastern wisdom. This guide is great for the busy person that needs to find some peace, but isn’t ready to commit to a full-on daily peacefulness practice. 208pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 290214 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

Experience is so much more complex than language can describe or our minds can comprehend. In This Extraordinary Moment psychologist and spiritual teacher John Astin attempts to take the reader on an experiential journey into that which is beyond our accepted understanding of reality through a series of essays, explorations, and guided meditations. Through this study you can become more intimate with reality, learn the nature of “what is”, and discover the miraculous nature of every moment. Accompanied by a foreword from renowned spiritual teacher Adyashanti, This Extraordinary Moment offers a chance of true liberation and transformation of the mind, body and soul. ❖ Code: 290253 ❖ Non-Member Price: £11.10 ❖ Member Price: £9.99

❖ Code: 290249 ❖ Non-Member Price: £10.55 ❖ Member Price: £9.50

365 WAYS TO FIND PEACE edited by Marcus Braybrooke

“However storm-tossed our life’s voyage might seem to us, there is always, in the depths of our inner being, a source of calm – if we only know how to find it.” Like with the other 365 titles, this handy book is designed to give you a new exercise every day to help you find inner peace and calm your mind. Finding peace and meaning to life can be a huge challenge, but this book takes you through a simple daily practice to help you explore spirituality. This title is perfect for the spiritual explorer who does not prescribe to a particular religion or belief system. It is filled with poems and extracts from sacred texts that will gently open your heart and illuminate the path to peace and contentment in your life. 208pp, 197 x 130 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £9.99

❖ Code: 290215 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

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BOOK REVIEWS — Women and the Goddess VOICES OF POWERFUL WOMEN By Zoe Sallis

THE PATH MADE CLEAR by Oprah Winfrey

240pp, 197 x 130 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £9.99

208pp, 210 x 171 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £18.99

EMPOWERING WOMEN by Louise Hay

GODDESS WISDOM MADE EASY by Tanishka

In this updated edition, Zoe Sallis brings together the powerful and encouraging stories of 40 of the world’s most inspiring women. Each chapter covers a question she posed all of them, ranging from “What inspires you in life?” to “Do you have any advice for the younger generation?” The book is filled with the journeys, struggles, and triumphs of women from all around the world. With famous names like Maya Angelou, Dame Judi Dench, Christiane Amanpour and Yoko Ono it’s clear that collections of stories like this are few and far between. It is riveting and encouraging; ideal for women in every stage of life and is a timely reminder of female power and influence in society. Perfect for you and all the fierce females in your life! ❖ Code: 290211 ❖ Non-Member Price: £6.65 ❖ Member Price: £5.99

“When women are suppressed, everybody loses. When women win, we all win.” In this updated edition of Empowering Women, Louise Hay’s timeless wisdom and insight counsels all women to take ownership of their self-love, self-worth, and self-esteem. Particularly in the era of #MeToo, the Women’s March, and Time’s Up, Hay’s words ring as true as ever when she discusses speaking out about sexual harassment, taking charge of your own health, and building a finically secure life. Hay examines the standards that have traditionally defined and limited women, and encourages consciously shifting our internal ground to embrace progress and live as fully and freely as we all deserve. 160pp, 184 x 132 mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290237 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

SALT IN MY SOUL: AN UNFINISHED LIFE by Mallory Smith

This is the diary of Mallory Smith; a remarkably bright, active, spirited women who battled with cystic fibrosis from age 15 until her death at 25. In spite of her disease Mallory was determined to live a meaningful and happy life. In her diaries, she recorded her most personal thoughts and struggles, leaving instructions to her mother to publish them posthumously. What emerges in her writing is a powerful and inspiring portrait of a brave young woman and a blossoming writer with hopes and goals for her future, who refused to be defined by disease. Salt In My Soul is a beautifully crafted, poignant tribute to a short life well lived. It is a call for us to “Live Happy” by embracing our own lives as fully as possible. 320pp, 215 x 135 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £14.99

❖ Code: 290261 ❖ Non-Member Price: £9.98 ❖ Member Price: £8.99

Oprah Winfrey is one of the most influential and admired public figures in the world today. Her success as a media leader and philanthropist is an inspiration to all. In The Path Made Clear, Oprah has compiled wisdom and insights from luminaries in many fields of work. Together with her own powerful stories and guidance, The Path Made Clear inspires you to find your real job in life, who you are truly meant to be. It is simply a joy to read. It is uplifting and beautifully put together with high-profile contributors like Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ellen DeGeneres, Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah and so many more. This is a book for everyone and anyone, especially the young and wandering and the wise at heart. Couldn’t recommend a title more heartily. ❖ Code: 290246 ❖ Non-Member Price: £15.00 ❖ Member Price: £13.50

In this comprehensive and compact book, renowned teacher and author of women’s wisdom traditions Tanishka explains the history, philosophy, and practice of Goddess traditions. She guides you through ancient feminine wisdom and rituals to help you align with the cycles of nature and reconnect with your inner goddess. Tanishka’s own journey to find the Goddess is resonant of many women’s struggle to understand themselves and their power in society and she knows how to lead the lost women by the hand to reach their full potential. If you are on the path of self-discovery and are ready to embrace your feminine strength then this guide will quickly and easily show you the way to understand and connect with your inner Goddess to empower and transform your life. 256pp, 196 x 131 mm, Paperback, 2019, RRP £10.99

❖ Code: 290227 ❖ Non-Member Price: £7.22 ❖ Member Price: £6.50

THE SELF-HEALING REVOLUTION by Noelle Renée Kovary

This is a well-rounded, comprehensive guide to living modern day Ayurveda. Ayurveda means “the science of life” and it a 5000 year old medicinal system of using simple daily practices, herbs, and nutrition to bring balance to the body and mind. The chapters focus on the Constitution, Nutrition, Recipes, Movement, and Self-love. Noelle Kovary is a certified Ayurvedic Health Counsellor, 200-hour yoga teacher, Level 3 Reiki practitioner, and a certified Holistic Nutrition coach. The book is filled with many delicious, healthy recipes and exercises specific to your body type. If you are looking for a guide to enhance every area of your life for overall betterment and well being, this is the book for you. 160pp, 242 x 199mm, Hardback, 2019, RRP £12.99

❖ Code: 290232 ❖ Non-Member Price: £8.33 ❖ Member Price: £7.50

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