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Awakening to the Spirit World: The Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation
Sandra Ingerman and Hank Wesselman
$19.95 QP, 9781591797500, Sounds True, www.soundstrue.com

This book’s two authors are popular lecturers, writers, and practitioners of contemporary shamanism. Sandra Ingerman’s previous books include Soul Retrieval, Welcome Home, A Fall to Grace, and Shamanic Journeying. Those by Hank Wesselman include The Journey to the Sacred Garden and the trilogy Spiritwalker, Medicinemaker, and Visionseeker. Both authors see shamanism not as a religion but as a method free of any religious overlay or dogma, as “the path of immediate and direct personal contact with Spirit, deeply meditative, and not subject to definition, censorship, or judgment by others.” They stress that the shamanic approach to life is natural and basic to everyone and that human beings everywhere share the same basic traits, abilities, and skills with shamans, who are “visionaries who simply develop these skills to a masterful degree through their initiations and subsequent training.”

The book begins by explaining shamanism, the shamanic journey, and the importance of reconnecting with nature. It then covers all aspects of shamanism, including visionary work with weather and environmental changes, the power of ritual and ceremony, dreams, creative art, sound and light, death and dying (both actual and metaphorical), and working with transformational communities. In addition to material from Ingerman and Wasselman, each chapter includes extended commentary by Tom Cowan, Carol Proudfoot-Edgar, Jose Luis Stevens, and Alberto Villoldo.

One objective of the shamanic approach stressed by these authors is for the individual to become liberated and self-realized, able to gain mastery over life. Three necessary tools are gratitude, or the ability to see through the false ego to the heart; seeing, or cutting through falsity to the true nature of Spirit; and blessing, or recognizing the Spirit flowing through one. Shamans are viewed as hollow bones or empty reeds, people who learn “to move … ego out of the way so that the power of the universe may work through and within them.” Each chapter contains step-by-step exercises, many to be undertaken while using the drumming CD included with the book.

One of the optimistic understandings of the shaman is that “since everyone is collectively dreaming, each person can, with awareness and an act of will, change the dream.” To this end the authors say that there are spiritual forces surrounding us in many forms, and they hear our call for help. The two authors and the other contributors share the view that “a new dream is possible but requires enough dreamers to wake up from their collective nightmare and choose to transform the dream.” The book is highly recommended, especially to newcomers, for its breadth of coverage of modern shamanism and the clarity of its practical usefulness.– Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

The author of Dance is a teacher of dance and movement and cofounder of InterPlay, an international dance organization. Her use of the term “dance” does not particularly have to do with being graceful or especially coordinated or with having to learn various steps and rhythms. Instead, it has to do with becoming in touch with your body, which can be as simple as making faces, moving fingers and legs, stretching and wiggling the body, or walking around in a variety of ways. Such movement practices can help to develop a greater sense of wholeness. As the author explains, “The ‘Body Smarts’ found in dancing have the potential to carry us away from anxious to peaceful, from ordinary to extraordinary, from out of balance to balanced, from held back to liberated.” She suggests, for example, dancing to one’s own rhythm, or off the clock, to create a sense of detachment, which then may “awaken a spacious, loving, compassionate connection to the world and God.”

The book begins by showing the reader how to work through any inhibitions or self-consciousness harbored regarding dancing and gives a 10-second exercise using one hand. How to use the breath, find inspiration, and move various parts of one’s anatomy to create body awareness and confidence are some of the other areas covered as preliminaries. After further suggestions and exercises toward releasing one’s natural grace and discovering joy, the book shows how to dance for wholeness, healing, spiritual direction, a sense of beloved community, and peacemaking. The eight chapters include a total of 45 movement practices. When one is dancing with another, for example, the focus is on “the five basic movements of healthy relationships—leading, following, blending, letting go, and reuniting.” When practiced as a unified exercise, these movements then carry resonance that can enrich one’s abilities to lead a richer, more expansive life. The author’s overarching message is that “those who discover dancing as a spiritual practice harness energies of love,” a key reason to explore the joy of movement.– Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse: A Breakthrough Program for Connecting With Your Soul’s Deepest Purpose
Debbie Ford
$24.99 HC, 9780061783647, HarperOne, www.harperone.com

Recently featured on Oprah.com, Debbie Ford’s latest book is a perfect recommendation for the New Year. Ford is known for her Shadow work, which emphasizes coming to terms with what we normally consider the “dark” aspects of ourselves in order to reach a happier and more fulfilled state of being. In The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse, the goal is the similar, but the difference lies in the structured nature of the program, which is practical, logical, and approachable. Divided into three one-week segments—the past, the present, and the future—the program guides the reader through journaling exercises, rituals, and prayers aimed at cleansing and expanding the container of the soul and inviting God more fully into our lives. For fans of Ford, many of the explanations and anecdotes framing the process, including her own personal story of drug addiction and recovery, will seem familiar, even retreading old ground, so this may be a more appropriate recommendation for newcomers to this bestselling author’s work. Even so, it is beautifully written, easy to understand, and a strong standalone program that’s sure to earn Ford many new fans.– Janine DePaulo, New Age Retailer, Bellingham, Wash.

In case you missed it, Harper Collins released this one in time for holiday buying and classified it as a children’s book (12 and up). Reviewing it in early December, I can’t help but think its reach will extend well beyond the holidays and the designated target age. Both the text and the illustrations are very sophisticated and the use of bright color and the attention to detail makes this an inspirational product with universal appeal.

Highly creative and beautifully produced, the book speaks to the child in all of us and brings angels into our world in an imaginative and comforting way. Whether they believe in angel communication or not, readers will find this book uplifting. It has a magical quality that will make it work well displayed with books about fairies, unicorns, and other magical creatures. You and your customers can find out more about the author at www.myth.com.– Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.

Terry Cole-Whittaker has three decades on the motivational/metaphysical stage. This book is based on her own experience, some of which she shares with us, and personal spiritual study (she recently spent eight years in India). Her background allows her to put metaphysical/spiritual ideas that are now becoming common knowledge (“We really can be happy all the time when we understand the art and science of being blissful ... the outer world is a manifestation of our inner state of consciousness including our thought, desires, and feelings.”) into compassionate, almost lyrical, terms (“Guilt is our refusal to accept a positive outcome because, deep down, we feel we don’t deserve it.”).

She covers prosperity (“All forms of wealth are waiting for us in the form of knowledge that we can apply to get the results we desire.”). But there is also tough love (“Angry people are blamers ... they fear being punished or hurt ...”) and street-wise psychology (“What happens to us externally does not control how we feel, but if we believe it does, then life becomes a roller coaster ride ...”).

The book is laced with both Western and Eastern spiritual philosophy and the author quotes both ancient texts and modern writings. Each chapter ends with a group of Prospering Mantras. My favorite: “I am enough, and I always have enough.”

This one should sell itself if you put it where customers can easily find it and leaf through it.– Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.

I learned about Kathleen Milner from my Reiki Master shortly after the original version of this book, Reiki and Other Rays of Touch Healing, was published in 1994. Reiki was just beginning to become popularized and Milner was one of the first people putting information about Reiki out into the mainstream.

Milner is an intuitive and she begins this new version of her book with a discussion of 2012 predictions and the energy changes which are ushering in the 2012 shift. (For the record, I disagree with some of her interpretations, but her perceptions of events in the energy realms are consistent with what the people I work with are experiencing now.) She often writes from the perspective of the energy realms rather than the world of the five senses. Her account of the last two decades and the emergence of channeled/spiritual healing sometimes feels like a whirlwind of information, but she writes from the heart and her own truth. The book provides insight into the rise of intuitive healing, including her personal struggles in what I lovingly refer to as “The Reiki Wars.” In addition to the autobiographical part of the text there is a wealth of information, including descriptions of many of the alternative healing modalities, information on color healing and chakra clearings, and Milner’s unique collection of healing symbols.

Milner was one of the early voices in the world of energy healing. As more and more people become interested in energy healing, this updated, partially rewritten, version of her original book will be of interest to many of your customers.– Anna Jedrziewski, www.spiritconnectionnewyork.org, New York, NY

A classic discovered! A Book of Shadows is a handbook and journal for a practicing Wiccan. The fact that Scott Cunningham, in his short life, helped to create an American expression of Wicca, opened the door for solitary practitioners, and brought generations of young people to an understanding of earth-based spirituality makes the recent discovery of his Books of Shadows particularly fortuitous.

Carl Llewellyn Weschcke, who published sixteen of Cunningham’s 40-plus books, has lovingly produced this book, updating it slightly to preserve Cunningham’s original intent. Not only does the book contain a wealth of information and insight, it also gives us excerpts from some of Cunningham’s other works—Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner: “If you haven’t studied non-western polytheistic religions or developed a rapport with divinities other than those with which you were raised, start by accepting this premise: deity is twin, consisting of the Goddess and the God ... We can contact and communicate with them because a part of us is in them and they are within us.”

Cunningham’s Encyclopedia of Wicca in the Kitchen: “Food is magic. its power over us is undeniable ... eating with others is still an act of energy sharing, bonding, and trust.” Living Wicca: A Further Guide for the Solitary Practitioner: “Symbols trigger powerful psychological responses, if their observer is aware of their meanings, because they speak to the subconscious mind.”

The book is updated every year. This year, with unemployment so high, it has been reworked to be a more efficient tool for those seeking work. Chapter titles include: Rejection Shock, Resumes and Contacts, Salary Negotiation, Entering the World of 50+, and How to Choose a New Career When You Must. Part II takes the reader through a process for determining his or her strengths and establishing career goals based on those strengths. There is also an appendix with guidance for choosing career coaches and counselors.

Consider including a copy in displays of prosperity/abundance books, even if it’s not the kind of book you generally stock—it’s been in print for almost four decades for a reason.– Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.

Transform Your Life through Handwriting
Vimala Rodgers
$29.95 QP, 9781591797159, Sounds True, www.soundstrue.com

The book is part of a beautifully designed kit which also contains two CDs, a flash card for each letter of the alphabet, and a blank journal with unlined paper. (“Unlined paper extends an open invitation to release hidden dreams that are yours alone and allows you to become more of who you really are, playing life at the highest level.”) The flash cards contain both the soul quality that Rodgers associates with the letter and an affirmation intended to increase that quality.

Fine Print Online--January 18, 2010