Fine Print Online--January 25, 2010

A Dictionary of Gnosticism
Andrew Phillip Smith
$19.95 QP, 9780835608695, Quest Books, www.questbooks.net

The current media/entertainment-industry focus on topics that are esoteric and mysterious-sounding has created interest in ancient Gnostic writings. Until now, the complex and unique terminology of those texts has limited their accessibility for non-academic audiences. Scholar and editor of The Gnostic magazine Andrew Phillip Smith recognized the need for an understandable compilation of definitions and created A Dictionary of Gnosticism. Thorough, accurate, and comprehensible, this is the book I was searching for 20 years ago when I began reading The Nag Hammadi Library. (“Nag Hammadi codices: A collection of codices ... discovered in a jar beneath a cliff near Nag Hammadi in December 1945 by Muhamma Ali Samman ... The entire library was first published in English translation in 1977, followed by revised editions in 1988 and 2007. All of the 52 tractates in the codices are in Coptic, but scholars believe they were originally composed in Greek.”)

The dictionary covers, among other things, creations from Gnostic mythology (“Archon: In Gnostic systems, the archons are the numerous assistants of the demiurge. They are usually responsible for the creation of the human body ... Planetary archons are also thought to rule over the various spheres through which the soul may ascend.”), ancient goddesses (“Isis: Mother goddess of the throne in Egypt ... She is referred to in the Naasene Sermon, and the speech of the female voice in Thunder has many similarities with the late aretologies, first-person discourses of Isis from the Hellenistic period.”), and modern scholars (“Pagels, Elaine: ... Gnostic expert and Harrington Spear Paine Professor of Religion at PrincetonUniversity. Pagels worked on the team that translated the Nag Hammadi library, and her book The Gnostic Gospels ... was the first to popularize the Nag Hammadi texts.”).

This is treasure that an increasing number of people will be happy to find on your shelves.--Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.

The Mystical and Magical World of Faerie: An Analysis of the Fairy in Fact, Legend and Folklore Since the Beginning of Creation
Ralph Harvey
$25.95 QP, 9781861633002, Capall Bann Publishing (reprint now available in U.S.), www.capallbann.co.uk

As research for this book, the author and his wife visited fairy sites, talked to local people, and investigated historic documents in England, Scotland, Wales, and Ireland. The result is a wide-ranging compilation of myth, lore, landscape, literature, and personal experience. The style is informal so reading this book is like engaging in a series of chats with a wise, elderly friend. Readers should not, however, be misled by this relaxed style of presentation, for the book covers a large amount of information in a well-balanced manner, going far beyond the usual sentimental view of fairies typical of the Victorian era.

The author, whose previous books include The Last Bastion: The Suppression and Re-emergence of Witchcraft, has written works of history, law, travel, dramatic fiction, and the occult. His present book offers material suggesting that a wide variety of fairies more than likely do exist and have engaged in friendly interaction with human beings for a long time, but he also shows that people have sometimes blamed the fairies for sickness, misfortune, and other human failings that fairies have had nothing to do with. One particularly grueling account, involving superstitious local (and church) people, has to do with the torture and murder of Bridget Cleary and her burial in an unmarked grave in Ballyvadlea, Ireland, in 1895. Harvey makes clear that, in general, the early church took a dim view of the presence of fairies and, to promote their own beliefs, demonized much that was connected with the fairy kingdoms, from forbidding interaction with them and destroying fairy mounds to condemning those who would dare to become associated with the gentry of such kingdoms. Although the author and his wife never caught sight of a troupe of fairies, they both did hear the music of the fairies, which they once experienced as they entered a fairy grove and which led them back to their car, whereupon the music ceased.

This account is recommended for anyone interested in a balanced view of the fairy kingdoms. Although the book treads a narrow path between evidence for and against fairy existence, one finishes it with the feeling that, in all probability, the various fairy kingdoms do exist and that, if we so wish, they can become part of our lives once we develop the good sense to become aware of them.--Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

Chants of a Lifetime: Searching for a Heart of Gold
Krishna Das
$24.95 HC (with CD), 9781401920227, Hay House, www.hayhouse.com

Krishna Das began his journey through Indian spirituality in the late 1960s when he shifted his focus from rock-and-roll stardom to enlightenment. It will seem strange to many readers that a Westerner became so devoted to an Indian guru that he was thrust into emotional crisis when that guru died. The author describes the relationship this way: “For me, the guru is love—the space I enter when I chant ... The guru is the living presence in our own hearts.”

He tells us his story clearly, precisely, and with great heartfelt truth. His story is an extreme version of the journey many of us who came of age in the ’60s made. We began by discovering the “new music,” then tuned in, dropped out, got serious and got a job, and eventually began the search for “meaning in our lives” that has fueled the growth of the New Age movement. The author began with Mississippi Delta Blues and Bob Dylan, met Ram Das, moved to India, and finally (at his guru’s urging) returned to the United States to find a way to use what he had learned in service. Ultimately, he began touching the lives of many, many people. This book will bring his hard-earned wisdom to even more people.

His journey, after he returned to America, took him through drug use, addiction to “the spiritual milk,” and therapy. During all of this he discovered that what he had to offer to others was singing, more specifically chanting the divine Names. That is what he does. That is what takes him inward to rebalance. That is what keeps him on a steady course. That is what he writes about.

The book comes with a CD so that readers can experience chanting for themselves. Readers can also visit his website www.krishnadas.com. --Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.

The Depression Solutions Workbook
Jacqueline Corcoran
$21.95 QP, 9781572245785, New Harbinger Publications, www.newharbinger.com

The winter doldrums might take a heavy toll with some of your customers this year. The full impact of the emotional stress of the global economic meltdown that began in 2008 is just now beginning to be felt.

Jacqueline Corcoran, a psychotherapist, professor, and author, has based this self-help tool on three successful approaches for managing depression: Solution-Focused Therapy, Motivational Interviewing, and Cognitive Behavior Therapy. The workbook is based on the idea that before people can take action to make their lives better, they must first be motivated to change. The book is structured in a way that will make readers aware of their strengths, restore hope for their futures, and then give them real techniques to help them make changes that will lift them out of depression.

The workbook begins with checklists to identify whether or not the possibility of clinical depression exists. There is advice on overcoming inertia in order to begin doing the exercises. There are case examples to illustrate the explanations and make them more personal. The tone is always supportive and compassionate. The steps are reasonable, not overwhelming. The goal is to allow people to feel a little better right away so that they will be able to follow through on a recovery process. This is an especially valuable resource for people who can’t afford therapy or who are afraid of the therapeutic process.

Displaying the workbook with more generalized motivational bestsellers (consider Loretta LaRoche) will help customers recognize the positive tone of the book. If your store does workshop type events, consider a “Things that make me HAPPY!” evening at which there is a display of books like this one for those who are struggling with the dark, gray cloud and looking for a take-action way out from under it.--Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.

The New Holistic Way for Dogs and Cats: The Stress-Health Connection
Paul McCutcheon, DVM and Susan Weinstein
$18.99 QP, 9781587613432, Ten Speed Press, www.tenspeed.com

The holistic approach is widely available to humans, but much less available to dogs and cats. Dr. McCutcheon is on a mission to change that. He explains the way holistic treatments work, when and how they can be used, and their advantages. He also points out the advantages or “gifts” of mainstream veterinary medicine and when the only logical choice is the mainstream option.

Dr. McCutcheon’s concept of a vet is that of “a coach who provides expert opinions, perspectives, and advice about how to support your pet’s wellness.” He emphasizes that the pet owner is the one who needs to make the decisions because no one knows the animal better than the human he lives with.

This vet sees stress as the underlying cause of every form of health problem a dog or cat can have. His new holistic way is based on the premise that all beings have the ability to heal themselves.

Dr. McCutcheon lists “eight realms of stress” and explains what the pet owner can do to prevent stress in the animal’s daily life. The case histories offer hope for many common problems.

The last chapter, Final Passage, is particularly important and should be required reading for all Americans. Dr. McCutcheon gives the pet’s view of dying. This explanation is extremely important for the moment we all dread when our faithful friend is moving toward his last transition.--Catherine Ferguson, Psychic for Pets and People, www.cfergusonconsult.com, Jersey City, N.J.

Change at Hand: Balancing Your Energy Through Palmistry, Chakras & Mudras
Sandra Kynes
$17.95 QP, 9780738715704, Llewellyn Publications, www.llewellyn.com

Hand reading is one of the oldest divination arts, dating back at least to India’s Vedic period (2000 B.C.E.). There was a book on palmistry printed on the Guttenberg press, actually the third book printed on it. These are just two of the facts the author passes along to readers in the beginning of this book. She also tells us that her book “is not exactly a book on palmistry. Instead, this book presents a form of energy work based on these studies and is intended as a method for self-exploration, introspection, understanding, and communication.”

There is plenty of intelligible information on hand reading, as well as on alternative healing, but the book also contains practical, easy-to-do exercises and meditations. Did you know that there is a mudra (hand position) that increases abundance? The author explains how and why along with her instructions.

In addition to being a fun way to learn about palmistry, this is a book that will be of interest to customers who practice Reiki and other hands-on healing modalities. It includes an extensive, wide-ranging bibliography for those who are interested in further study. An added plus—the engaging cover helps to make it a feel-good purchase.--Anna Jedrziewski, www.SpiritConnectionNewYork.org, New York, N.Y.

 

 

The Ledge of Quetzal—Beyond 2012: A Magical Adventure to Discover the Real Promise of the Mayan Prophecy
Jock Whitehouse
$14.95 QP, 9781578634590, Weiser Books, www.redwheelweiser.com

If you’ve been longing for a magical, shamanic, true-to-life adventure story, then Jock Whitehouse’s first book, with illustrations by Tom Knapp, is meant for you! It’s very easy to read, moves at a fast pace, and holds one’s attention all the while. A comparison to The Celestine Prophecy will no doubt be made, but this tale is more down-to-earth, believable and appropriate for our rapidly changing times.

Daniel, the main character, is past his prime when, after his wife leaves him, he forsakes his dreary business office and heads for Mexico in search of meaning to his life. But this is no random wander because his inner guides tell him where to go. His guides have been talking to him occasionally since he was a child, but now he’s listening to them all the time. Along the way, Daniel participates in ceremonies and rituals with Mayan people. Eventually his path leads to the ledge of Quetzal and Daniel experiences a profound transformation.

This book portrays Mayan teachings about 2012 in language that anyone can understand. Jock shows us the missing heart of Mayan prophecy and gives us an example of how to find our own meaning in life and make the transformations we need in order to survive these tumultuous years surrounding 2012. Recommend The Ledge of Quetzal to anyone who’s interested in how to understand Mayan prophecy’s relevance for today.--David Paulsen, Ekaha Enchantments, Keaau, Hawaii

Amusing to Profound: My Conversations With Animals
Suzanne Ward
$15 QP, 9780971787551, Matthew Books, www.matthewbooks.com

This brief but endearing book is the first in which the author tells about her experiences talking with dogs and other members of the animal kingdom. Her four previous books relate to her telepathic connection since 1994 with her son Matthew, who died in a vehicle crash in 1980. Her ability to converse with animals began rather surprisingly in 2002, when her newly adopted Brittany Spaniel, Sparkle, talked to her on their trip home from the animal rescue center. In her Preface the author makes clear that she does not think of herself as an animal communicator, saying, “I hear voices of animals I know or am with if they want to talk with me—not all to whom I speak answer me. Sometimes I feel their emotions and I receive images sent by those who have moved on to the spirit world we call heaven.”

Eleven of the 15 chapters cover her experiences with her adopted dogs, including Osa, Cloudy, Brillo, Jessie, Apple, Babe, and Fruity. They are all rescue dogs and have all sorts of ailments, personalities, and emotional difficulties, and they often speak quite candidly with the author. The one that she speaks of as being part of her soul, however, is the one featured in the cover photo, a golden cocker spaniel first called Scrapper, who had suffered from filth and abuse. Despite difficulties, the author maintained a compassionate attitude toward him, changed his name to Summertime, and soon his loving, mellow side developed. During subsequent “think-talks” he told her about Big Dog, the mentor and disciplinarian of all dogs, who teaches puppies living “there” what they need to know before they are born. When Summertime’s last hours approached and he did not want to move on, the author assured him that it was all right and that she would always love him, realizing that “I had to leave Summertime so he could leave me.” The night after he passed over, he then wakened her to tell her “I LOVE it here!” and then the next afternoon, as she walked the other dogs along the roadway, she saw an outline of blurred light and Summertime told her “I want you to see me running like I used to. Now it’s only love for us and no more cleaning for you.”

In the other four chapters the author tells of her being reassured by dolphins, of unwittingly disappointing a mother deer, of receiving a lecture from a cricket, and of chatting with a horse, but the book’s primary focus is on her dogs. The book closes with 20 pages of the author’s Fur Family album, with pictures of the ones she has written about.--Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

You Don’t Have to Be Buddhist to Know Nothing: An Illustrious Collection of Thoughts on Naught
Joan Konner, editor
$17 HC, 9781591027577, Prometheus Books, www.prometheusbooks.com

This book contains selections from over 340 authors, assembled in 236 pages of quotes about Nothing, spelled with a capital N, and over 50 pages of additional material. She says, “Nothing is the core of creation. In the dark evanescence between equal and opposite, the Universe ignites.” The small universe of this book ignites “the thoughts of many well-known, and not so well-known, writers and philosophers, artists and musicians, poets and playwrights, geniuses and jokers, who have explored, feared, confronted, experienced, and played with the presence of Nothing in their lives.” Selections range from the meaningfully profound by authors such as Lao Tzu and Confucius to the wickedly light but equally profound by others such as Fred Allen and Oscar Wilde.

The book is divided into 11 chapters, called Books, arranged mostly according to locations. They include Before, Here Goes Nothing, In Residence, Public Library, Concert Hall, School, Museum, Theater District, House of Worship, Downtown, and City Limits. Each Book is subdivided into sections, so that Theater District divides into Comedy Tonight (in which Vivian Mercier says that Waiting for Godot “is a play in which nothing happens, twice.”), Mostly Mystery, In the Wings, and Theater of the Absurd, and the Downtown chapter divides into City Hall, The Office, Inn on Main Street, Restaurant, Corner Bar, and Wall Street. The Office section then contains a dozen quotes, including ones from W. S. Merwin, Arthur C. Clarke, Oscar Wilde, Ted Hughes, Gertrude Stein, Seinfeld, and Carl Sandburg, ending with Leslie Nielsen’s comment, “Doing nothing is very hard to do … you never know when you’re finished.”

Additional material includes a helpful Introduction, an Index that identifies each author and where the quotes may be found, and a Bibliography listing over 350 sources from which selections have been chosen. The main section of the book closes with an Epilogue containing just one quote by editor Joan Konner: “There is a here here,” encouraging us all to breathe at least a small sigh of relief.--Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

The Salmon in the Spring: The Ecology of Celtic Spirituality
Jason Kirkey
$17.95 QP, 9780979924668, Hiraeth Press, www.hiraethpress.com

Despite the subtitle, this book is not so much about the ecology of Celtic spirituality as it is about the ecology of spirituality in general with special reference to its Celtic expression, presented here as “a map of an individual and cultural consciousness embedded in, but also transcending, the Earth.” The book is divided into two parts, The Ecology of Perception and The Well and the Branch. Each part uses Celtic myths, legends, and stories to develop its themes. The author says that the title is “a mythopoetic way of speaking to the wisdom of the senses and of a process of coming-into-being that is participatory with the unfolding of the universe.” The Second Battle of Maigh Tuireadh, the first story, tells of the battle between the Formorians, representing those who see themselves as part of a culture of control of the Earth, and the Tuatha De Danann, representing those who see themselves as part of a culture of oneness with the sacredness of the Earth. In the second myth, The Settling of the Manor of Tara, the four directions are brought back into consciousness to create necessary balance for a kingdom.

Both stories are presented on several interweaving levels. First is the literal battle between two ancient cultures, and the establishment of the four provinces under one kingship. Second is showing the different of attitudes toward Earth and establishing the unique qualities of each of the four directions. Third, and the one the book concludes with, is turning these myths inward and explaining how they can be understood as qualities inherent within each person. When properly recognized, they allow the individual to become a full human being, one who brings to the Earth community “our unique mode of consciousness called self-reflective awareness,” seen as an embodiment of the self-reflective awareness of the universe.

The book is recommended not only to readers interested in Celtic spirituality but to those who are drawn to Earth-based spiritual traditions from many cultures. The author comments “We are not the intelligence of the cosmos, but rather a particular expression of an intelligence and subjectivity already present from the beginning.” One result of reaching this stage, recognizing a sense of purpose beyond personal ego, is to become part of what the Celts speak of as Oran Mor, or the Great Song.--Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

How to Thrive in Changing Times: Simple Tools to Create True Health, Wealth, Peace, and Joy for Yourself and the Earth
Sandra Ingerman
$12.95 QP, 9781578634668, Weiser Books, www.redwheelweiser.com

The author of How to Thrive in Changing Times is highly regarded as a teacher of shamanism, a therapist, a lecturer, and a workshop leader. Reading this, her eighth book, is like attending one of her workshops: Content is presented in an easygoing, relaxed manner, and the many practices included are simple and effective. Throughout she stresses that it is who we become, not what we do, that changes the world, and that a person’s deepest beliefs are critical because what we believe is what we create. She emphasizes that the problem is that most people have a very deep-rooted distrust about their creative potential. This book shows how to tap into that potential and let it become part of everyday awareness.

The book’s eight chapters lead the reader through stages starting with the individual and leading to a global perspective of peace and harmony. After setting the stage in Chapter 1 by clarifying the importance of the relationship between deepest inner thoughts and outer words, she shows in Chapter 2 how to liberate oneself from beliefs that block one’s true potential. Chapter 3 concentrates on how to redevelop our ability to see ourselves as part of nature rather than as separate from it or as its master. Chapter 4 covers the power of feeling gratitude, of giving and receiving blessing. The author makes clear that we can’t force change on the world but that by living consciously from a place of honor and respect we can return balance and harmony to ourselves and to the planet. After a brief chapter covering ways to support one’s core beliefs, she speaks of how to transform the disappointment and grief that surround us. Chapter 7 then shows how to add one’s own light to that of a global community, stressing that we have power right now to create change by incorporating spiritual practices into our lives and, by working together, can magnify results and become able to help raise people or a community out of a challenging situation. The final chapter, like a valedictory address, speaks of ways that we, as a group, can assist in the rebirth of a world of peace and abundance.

With its upbeat tone and many practical exercises, this book is recommended both to individuals and to groups as helpful toward developing spiritual clarity and individual as well as planetary harmony.--Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

The Secret History of Vampires: Their Multiple Forms and Hidden Purposes
Claude Lecouteux (Trans. by Jon E. Graham)
$16.95 QP, 9781594773259, Inner Traditions, www.innertraditions.com

This book uses first-hand testimonies from various periods of history “to create a work of demystification, to rediscover the subject of an ancestral belief and uncover the mind-set in which the vampire is rooted.” The author explains that vampires are one form of the mythic undead. He offers an overview of eyewitness accounts, legal documents, and myths, relating them to medieval concepts of life and death; examines all the forms taken by those who seemingly return from the dead; shows how the lore of vampires was recorded and shaped; and explains various methods people used to protect themselves from vampires, as well as a variety of methods used to do away with them.

Although the author refers frequently to works of literature, his primary interest is in returning to court records and first-hand accounts to show that the mind-set of early times understood vampires as one form of revenant (a general term for the living dead). He clarifies differences between the summoners (who call people to their doom), knockers (Don’t you dare open the door!), visitors (who may not even knock), the famished (who devour human flesh), the nonicides (whose goal is to kill nine people close to them), the appesarts (who leap out at people in atmospheric places), the nightmares (who attack sleepers), the stranglers (who smother victims), the chewers (who devour burial shrouds and various other items), and the animals (revenants who have shape-shifted into such creatures as wolves and bats). In all cases witnesses attest to the documents that establish the existence of these revenants. Lecouteux shows how, to give shape to our contemporary image of the vampire, authors made use of their various characteristics, including sharp teeth, a fondness for human blood and other life energy, and their ability to assume various forms. In the final section he stresses the importance of knowing social, mental, and historical contexts in order to understand how these legends arose. In considering their present appeal, he states, “the modern myth of the vampire leads into a contemplation of life, death, and love, the three essential roots of our humanity.”

The book includes 23 pages of appendices detailing three accounts, 11 pages of notes, and a five-page bibliography of reference works, studies, and works of fiction. Other books by the author, a former professor of medieval literature and civilization at the Sorbonne, include The Return of the Dead and Witches, Werewolves, and Fairies. For the casual reader, the lightly scholarly details and the copies of legal documents, eyewitness accounts, and legends may be daunting, but readers interested in exploring vampire legend and lore will find this to be a book they can really sink their teeth into.--Richard D. Wright, Tranquil Things, Derby Line, Vt.

Conversations With Richard Bandler: Two NLP Masters Reveal the Secrets to Successful Living
Richard Bandler and Owen Fitzpatrick
$15.95 QP, 9780757313813, Health Communications, www.hcibooks.com

Conversations With Richard Bandler is a self-help book on NLP (neurolinguistic programming) written from the interesting perspective of an expert, Owen Fitzpatrick, interviewing another expert, his mentor, Richard Bandler. Its purpose, in a nutshell, is to teach readers to change self-limiting thinking patterns.

For those unfamiliar with Bandler’s work, he and John Grinder developed NLP, self-help method to teach people to look at their problems in a different way and repattern their thinking to improve the quality of life.

The author says psychology lies when it says “quick fixes” don’t work because Bandler has developed them and the author learned and teaches them. The techniques described in the book will also aid therapists to help clients learn to think their way out of old habitual ways of feeling. One of the most succinct truths stated in the book is this: The best thing about the past is that it’s over. This book will enable readers to grasp that perspective and move on with their lives.

For those familiar with NLP, this is another book on the topic he/she will want to add to their library, written from the perspective of an author who is himself an expert and still learning. It reads like a novel, with interesting anecdotes to illustrate the points. Short chapters are a plus for the reader who likes to finish a chapter at a time. Exercises at the end of most chapters will assist the reader who is dedicated in the pursuit of helping him/herself and others.

Over the past 35 years or so, Richard Bandler’s books have sold more than half a million copies and he has trained thousands of people in personal change. Owen Fitzpatrick is a psychologist and hypnotherapist, motivational speaker and best selling author and has trained people throughout the world following in the footsteps of his mentor, Richard Bandler.

Conversations With Richard Bandler is a unique guide to personal self-improvement that will also enhance the work of other therapists in self-help fields. It will stand out among self-help and psychology titles, particularly to those familiar with Bandler’s NLP work.--Arlene Shovald, Ph.D., Fresh Start Therapies, Salida, Colo.