In today's day and age there is such a lack of spiritual directors -- this book is a great resource for the soul seeking to be e
358154
Can't believe that I located this treasure of writings all in one book.  In today's day and age there is such a lack of spiritual directors -- this book is a great resource for the soul seeking to be encouraged and inspired in a closer walk with Jesus as well as for those who guide the lives of others. St. Francis De Sales's wisdom rings true even today!
811901
This book both inspired me with the possibilities of greater spiritual self-growth and spurred me into action with its practical exercises and "blueprints" for handling psychic disturbance in daily life.

Caitlin Matthews walks the reader through the various explanations and experimentations with the power of Spirit that lies within each of us. The reader is encouraged to "become psychically streetwise" in a material world that, Matthews appropriately notes, often leads us to become spiritually lazy and sloppy.

The parts of this book that resonated with me personally were, among others, about how to "stop the tape-loop" of trauma that we may have suffered, dealing with the "power thieves" among those around us, and restoring family honor. The book seems to be designed for those who are just getting their feet wet spiritually, but at the same time the author does not look down upon those who may be encountering these ideas for the first time in their lives. The author is warmly encouraging and down to earth in her guidance.

I can say with confidence that this book and Caitlin Matthews' book on shamanism, "Singing the Soul Back Home," are the two most valuable books in my entire personal library. Psychic Shield is highly recommended as both a source of inspiration and a practical "how-to" guide on matters of the Soul.
2304881
Finally, a book that balances the plethora of material out there which has a feminine/goddess point of view! Path of the Sacred Masculine is a breath of fresh air that's much needed in our day and age. The message of Josef comes at a time when men are looking for guidance and validation and this book gives them the tools to seek answers within. The contemplation cards really speak to men in a language they can understand and relate to, inspiring them to get in touch with their own inner wisdom. This book empowers all those men who feel left out of the current conversation which is weighted heavily by the female perspective. And it also appeals to women who strive for a balanced perspective and who are not afraid of their own masculinity. It's really great to have this resource available for those who want to look at their lives in a "new" way, from the "other" side so they can take in everything that makes up the bigger picture. I think the author presents the information in a really clear way that's simple and absolutely beautiful. What a great addition to any
spiritual library!
1302058
Jake Empereur was one of my professors during my Masters of Divinity studies at the Graduate Theological Union. He was a brilliant teacher and a strong influence on my own theology of ritual and sacrament.

While this book does not deal with ceremony, per se, I've thought about Jake now that same sex couples have the right to legally marry in California. In that the book explores issues of spiritual direction for gay people, it really is a book that explores spirituality and gay person.  For anyone who is going to actively minister to gay couples seeking to marry this is a wonderful resource that will help to deepen one's own spirituality and appreciation for ritual and ceremony.

This is a neglected gem!
1442160
A wonderful and helpful resource for those at midlife or beyond! Rev. Rohr has a clear understanding of the developmental tasks and changes in perspective as we age, writing in a compassionate and spiritually grounded way that I found very enlightening, practical and useful. I have referred to it several times after reading it, and I'm sure I'll be consulting it again.
3363171
I see so much restlessness around me. People are yearning for answers to fill the deepest needs of their soul. We all attempt to find it in different places at different times in our lives. I appreciate Still Restless because of the conversation it creates around finding what truly will fulfill our souls. I recommend this book to anyone who is seeking that peace in their life or who desire to engage others in conversations of peace!
382397
Susan Wisehart shares her life's work by detailing clearly and concisely seven transformational, practical steps for connecting with your Soul's Vision of your life's purpose.  The pages are filled with case studies and valuable strategies that show us how to access our Higher Self so that we function on a daily basis from a place of joy.  It is laid out in an easy-to-follow format, making this book a treasured resource tool that readers will refer to again and again on this life's journey.

Two years ago I attended Susan's Soul Visioning workshop.  The experience of that day had a positive and lasting impact on my life.  I draw from the deep well of those learnings on a regular basis.  Specifically, the part of the workshop where Susan takes you on a Soul guided journey into your ideal future and has you capture a portion of it with a mental photograph.  I refer back to that photograph frequently.  The experience was, and continues to be, healing.

Laurie Buchanan, PhD, HHP, CHT, RMT
HolEssence - Certified Holistic Therapies
191321
MANDALA: CREATING AN AUTHENTIC SPIRITUAL PATH: AN INTERSPIRITUAL PROCESS by Edward W. Bastian, Ph. D. is a comprehensive and inspirational resource for the journey of life based solidly on the principles and practices of InterSpirituality.  The author is one of the pioneers of this movement which is so dearly needed on our planet.  He explores twelve spiritual styles and 12 essential spiritual questions.  The knowledge and personal experiences he offers is deep and profound.  Accept his challenge to go deep into your spiritual styles and questions and be transformed into your highest ideal.  He shares his own powerful experiences and reflections in each of the 12 styles and 12 questions.

I am a Presbyterian minister who has long felt an attraction to other wisdom traditions.  I love the diversity on our planet.  We don't need to create one religion on our planet.  We can have big differences in our beliefs and practices. But we must also find ways to come together and share our experiences and ideas. We need to allow people with different beliefs and practices to help us become more loving and compassionate.  This book shows how people have found powerful ways to do this and offers wise guidance so that more and more of us can become part of the exciting InterSpirituality movement.
4125885
Imagine discovering a box of papers that contain mysterious spiritual teachings--and when you open this box, you discover everything you know for personal transformation in this lifetime--a veritable guide to "Earth School."  Streetwise Spirituality helps the reader move through the common misbeliefs we often hold about ourselves and each other, and moves them to a place of understand and awakening. A great book for those who are ready to get unstuck, and for those unstuck who'd like to move further forward!
3695286
This was a great book that is much needed in this day and age.  It tells of spiritual principles that are needed for understanding the unseen realm of demons.  There is so much on TV now about what these entities are, as if they were disembodied people who could not pass on.  The biblical realization is very different thought and needed to be stated.  This book does just that and very well.  When you are living with spiritual harassment and nothing seems to work it is most helpful to read of another account and perspective.  Having been harassed spiritually myself, I can say that until you understand what these entities are, you will only make things worse for yourself.
408874
This book is about integrating spiritual values and techniques into everyday life and making intuitive connections with the place where ancient wisdom affects our daily life.  The book also helps us to realise that trying to follow another person's spiritual path (J. Krishnamurti spoke out against this common practice also) often obscures and usually causes us to lose the scent.  Also, some spiritual seekers become confused when they read and observe so many "kinds" of Yoga.  Santoshan explains no less than twelve branches of Yoga.  I suggest the disappointment stems from our modern attachment to what we have been conditioned to believe as scientific certainty in every facet of our lives coupled with expectations of instant gratification.  This also manifests as a quick results endeavour rather than a process path.

The diversity of spiritual paths clearly explained in The House of Wisdom follows in tandem with the immense diversity found physically around us in Nature - not to mention human behaviour.  The Yogic path shows us that the one mountain many paths concept is a strength rather than a confusion factor.  The book also presents the binding to hold the few methods and practices the reader might resonate with.  It may comes as a shock to some that spiritual seeking is about finding "your" path rather than "the" path.  Yet, the book is not exclusively about Yoga.  Within three appendices one will find Hindu, Christian and Buddhist traditions and how they relate to modern times.

Santoshan teaches through stories.  For instance, when he is exploring Buddhism and wanting to establish practicality and the alleviation of suffering, he recalls the following story.  There was once a man who was shot by an arrow.  They onlookers were taken up with many questions such as - What weapon propelled the arrow?  Was it a long-bow?  Was it a crossbow?  What string was used?  What wood was it made of? And on and on.  The master calmly pointed out that there would be more value in asking questions concerning the best way to remove the arrow and stop the man's suffering.

Those readers interested in the feminine will find a chapter on Shiva and Shakti - masculine and feminine energy.  I liked reading the quote from Marija Gimbutas:
"The Goddess in all her manifestations [is] ...a symbol of the unity of all life in Nature."

From this book one may well decide that Yogic tradition, both in its ancient and modern expression, have a lot to offer.
4361775
The content of this book represents a leap in the evolution of coaching and the way we look at awakening and spiritual enlightenment. Apart from challenging age-old beliefs in hierarchical spiritual systems the author gives literally dozens of tools to facilitate awakening in our everydayday life and to shift the focus of awareness from "needing" to "giving".

I have tried some of the tools myself and they REALLY work in bringing more lightness and humor to my life. And spiritual depth at the same time. And this does not appear to be limited to my personal and intimate relationships, in my professional life as a physician I can see the benefits as well. So I will keep this book under my pillow and continue to explore...
4133400
Since I have read over 200 books in the spiritual/personal growth category, I can usually tell fairly quickly whether a book is going to be of value to me or not. In the case of "Ask and It Is Given", it took less than 15 minutes to come to that conclusion. Based on the origins of this work, I feel it would be of particular value to the more seasoned spiritual traveler, one who has explored the topic of spirituality for some time. From my pespective the basic premise of the work makes incredible sense--to have what we desire we must learn to listen carefully to our emotional guidance system and then "flow" our energy (i.e., thoughts/feelings) appropriately towards what we truly want to create in our lives. Too often we inadvertently focus on the opposite (i.e., what we don't want to occur), and the universe obediently delivers that to us instead. I feel the "22 processes" they provide in the book can be of great benefit to any reader who is committed to shifting into deliberate as opposed to accidental (i.e., unconscious) creation.
4946891
I definitely recommend this book to those who question what they are doing with there lives. Admittingly I am a "young" 25 year old man looking for answer and soul searching for what I would like to do as far as living through and off of spirituality. The only reason I don't give the book a five star rating is because I feel there could be more hands on steps and advice for individuals a little more aware of the average person because it's easy to get lost in the sauce if you will of everyday life. I know that there will be a lot more information that ppl like myself can use from Mr. Wells a champion gentleman of leisure, but all in all this book is a great tool and eye opener for someone who is sick of the mundane and wish to do more. I am definitely looking forward to more books, works, and the radio shows for more information from Mr. wells.
2942001
It was rather amazing I found this self-help book at a point in life when I was reflecting what life, spirituality and what wholeness were about. I enjoyed reading this book on self-knowledge and wholeness immensely. It is an essential book for anyone in search for knowledge of the self and practices helpful on the journey to wholeness and happiness. Some key questions I have in my private moments include: who am I, why was I created and who is my Creator. We all experience the power of the individual self, talents and spiritual gifts. However, we are all imperfect souls and everyone has struggles, challenges and problems in life and in relationships that require one to assess oneself from time to time, one's sanity and which direction one is taking in life.

This is a well-written book will be beneficial to those who want to know who they really are, how they are uniquely made of, what their purpose is in life, what their strengths and weaknesses are and what lessons they are here on earth to learn in order to achieve happiness and wholeness.

As a scientist, spiritual seeker, Christian and mystical philosopher, the author shows he has done the critical and objective research necessary to cover such wide topics as self-knowledge, spirituality, self-realization and life of wholeness and fulfillment. By reading this amazing book, I was able to know my body type, mental type, psychological personality type, astrological soul type, purpose in life, soul lessons, and spiritual path and religious faith for wholeness.

This is a must-read for individuals who need the tools and knowledge to know what type of person they are, what their strengths are and what weaknesses they have to overcome for a meaningful, whole and fulfilled life. The author has detailed different types of individuals based on knowledge accumulated over the years by scientists, psychologists, philosophers, and spiritual teachers and religious scriptures. I found the map of self-knowledge and wholeness to be exceptionally creative and useful in knowing how to classify the various types of body, mind, and soul for each individual as well as the weaknesses to overcome and needs for wholeness"
4394108
As a spiritual director and supervisor of spiritual director interns, I found this book to be an excellent resource for building a spiritual direction practice.  Bruce Tallman provides detailed information and experience in all aspects of forming one's practice.  I appreciate the up-to-practical information about using social media as well as the wise guidance about recognizing that this is a spiritual ministry  which requires divine guidance.  The book is organized with topical chapters so it can be read cover-to-cover or by referring to specific chapter that deals with a topic of interest.  If you are looking for practical suggestions and enthusiastic support for developing your practice, you'll want to read this book.
1472081
Each of us is a seeker in life: of love, of happiness, of peace, of acceptance, personal success, wealth.  Eventually, we attain those things which we believe will bring us love and happiness.  We may gain an education, wealth, success, perhaps marriage, children, a home, and the respect and/or admiration of others.  And yet, in the still hours of quiet contemplation, we are lonely, anxious, unfulfilled.  Something is still missing.

This book opens the door to what we are all truly seeking: the path back home to our Heavenly Father, and the unconditional love and companionship we all yearn for.  Thomas shares the road and the many byways he followed in his own spiritual journey, seeking and eventually finding the way through the maze of obstacles to his inner spirit, his Soul and the Beloved Sound Current.  Each poem illuminates a particular experience in words both poignant and inspiring.  His wife Noel's sublime art work enriches Thomas's profoundly moving poetry.  I wish there were more of them!

I humbly recommend this little jewel of a book to all who feel a restlessness of spirit.  May your journey be fruitful and sweet as you read these little word gifts.