3 comments about Intimate Wisdom: The Sacred Art of Love.

1. 
   Simple and practical, but coming from a unique spiritual angle. I've read several relationship books -this one cuts through all the BS. I'm so sick of "relationship counselors" saying things like "free your sexual fantasy, enjoy S&M" and other such idiocy. A healthy, respectful spiritual relationship...what a concept!



2. In "Intimate Wisdom: The Sacred Art Of Love", Karinna Kittles-Karsten draws upon her experience and expertise as an internationally recognized relationship expert and founder of Sacred Love, Inc. to share a unique combinations of Eastern and Western approaches to creating, fostering, and enhancing a romantic relationship characterized by joy, respect and passion. This approach begins with developing the capacity and appreciation for finding love within ourselves, boosting our own positive energy, and thereby claiming the courage to extend ourselves to loving someone else. This is followed by learning how to overcome the diverse challenges of love to create an emotionally prosperous partnership. Ultimately resulting in the values of intimate love-making arts which foster ever deeper intimacies and intensified physical pleasures. Simply stated, "Intimate Wisdom" is an invaluable, practical, and 'user friendly' guide to creating a personal relationship with a significant other that will be emotionally, intellectually, physically, and spiritually fulfilling.



3. 
   This is a nice blend of ancient Taoist sexual practices and contemporary exercises for those looking for an introduction to the path of Sacred Sex. Karinna had developed a unique guide to enhance and accelerate your journey in exploring yourself and the art of making love in a sacred dimension.
   
   Jerry K

4 comments about Staying Focused in the Age of Distraction: How Mindfulness, Prayer, & Meditation Can Help You Pay Attention to What Really Matters.

1. "staying focused" is a wonderful, practical guide. It invites into the "reflecting pool" of your life and choices and offers a real life plan for making the changes that will bring you closer to the things that matter most. A wonderful read!



2. Use Staying Focused in the Age of Distraction : How Mindfulness, Prayer & Meditation Can Help you Pay Attention to What Really Matters to hone attention and block out the ads, expectations and values of others whether they come from Internet, television or more. These modern distractions can create a desire for a more meaningful existence which is an illusion: learn how to avoid meaningless activities and interests and develop both a spiritual and a refined lifestyle through a book which cuts out the media expectations inherent in everyday living.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. This book really made me take a step back and look at my life and how I have wasted a lot of it with meaningless task that I don't even enjoy. It teaches you to pay attention and devote your time to the things that really matter. I highly recommend this book for anyone who like myself leads a hurried life or feels like they have forgotten what brings them joy. Buy this book!!



4. To be honest, I had misperceived it to be a self help book full of tactics, skills and tools that helps me focus and perform better in my daily work. In fact, this is a highly spiritual book, very strategic, riding heavily on the ideas of Thich Nhat Hanh and Thomas Merton, promoting a zen (not necessarily Buddhist) style of life. Anyway, I found it helpful and enjoyable, especially those sections on Mindfulness. In short, recommended!

4 comments about Nurturing Spirituality in Children: Simple Hands-On Activities.

1. Whether for presentation to children or adults, Jenkins, PhD clearly gives activities which demonstrates even the most difficult of spiritual principles. For any sensory strength type (see, hear, touch, etc.) to rememember the bottom line of the reality of spirit. Have fun!



2. We use this book in our Junior Church Program when we want to demonstrate a concept. Well laid out book with an idea for each week. Combined with a story it makes for a well rounded lesson. The demosntrations work well in a mixed age group.



3. Parents may wish to heighten a child's spiritual awareness but have been unable to find good resources: Nurturing Spirituality In Children provides simple lessons parents can teach to kids in lessons of ten minutes at a time. From words which are powerful to teaching compassion and a sense of God, this provides an excellent set of workbook experiences.



4. As a Pagan Parent, it is hard to find creative ideas to inspire my children to look deep within themselves for answers without teaching any religious philosophy. This book allows my children so many hands on activities that they can relate to the real world and apply to their spiritual self.

5 comments about Synchronicity, Signs & Symbols.

1. I found Ms. Upczak's book very helpful. I have been looking for a book to give me some clarity about this subject. I really enjoyed the individual stories and found that I had had simular experiences. This opened my eyes. Then the signs and symbols dictionary made it so easy to understand those events in your life that we find so amazing. I would highly recommend this to anyone searching for meaning in those events we can not explain.
   Thank you Patricia..



2. I was thrilled to read this book and discover that so many things that have happened in my life have such a greater meaning. Seeing the bigger picture can be a catch phrase but so much of the time you get stuck in your mess - you don't see what is going on around you! Thank you Ms. Upczak for your beautifully written book that illustrates so wonderfully the need for taking a breath of fresh air and not missing the help that surely must come from above. There truly are no accidents in life!



3. In reading the book Synchronicity by Pat Upzack, I perceived many answers to some deep metaphysical questions about "timing' and destiny.It is quite a fascinating book!
   It is filled with real life stories that keep the reader's attention . I read the book in 24 hours because I simply could not put it down. It is written in a style that nearly everyone can understand but it is the type of book you need to read over and over because you feel you might have missed something.
   It has many layers and layers and it touches some key metaphysical principles of synchronicity. It has a glossary of symbols and terms which explain how by " being awake and aware" you can get the most meaning out of life. It really made me notice! It gave meaning to what I used to think were some of most common occurrences.We are destined to live certain experiences to learn.
   Some of my favorite passages were about those who met their soul mates under the strangest of circumstances. There was a case of clairvoyant dreaming. The book talks about the importance of numbers and symbols, principles which the Ancients considered a normal part of everyday life but Western civilizations consider bizarre.
   This book is great and a "Must read"!!!!



4. Patricia's book is awesome. It opens the eyes and senses to allow for experiences to have meaning rather than just be everyday occurrences. To think that the smallest most insignificant interaction is sending large waves of meaning through the cosmos is mind boggling. And the crane that sits in my tree outside my house is offering me the concept of protection and wisdom truly makes my day, each and every day. I tune in more now, and I am much more because of it. Thank you. Raleigh Pinskey, author of 101 Ways to Promote Yourself.



5. Look at how they are dated!!! The writer's name is mentioned(always in first sentence) and then the "reviewer" thanks the writer at the end? Isn't this much more than a little suspicious?? Look at how many "reviewers" also appear as peers on the jacket comments of this "book." (!!!!!) The reviewers who did post a name are friends/peers. I believe the reviewers who did not probably have a relationship with the author other than "reader."
   
   Very disappointed with this 78 page "book." It is more of an average term paper. There are many concepts discussed without explanation. I am a Polarity Practitioner and not new to the material. If I was new to the material, I would be very confused.
   
   This is an average/sub-average compilation full of mini biographies of others in the holistic/awareness field.
   
   I saw an ad on CraigsList the other day for reviewers of books for Amazon posts. Reviewers were to be paid a small sum to give selected titles five star ratings.
   
   Between "friends" and, now, paid superlative ratings, the rating system at Amazon may now be adulterated beyond repair. I was misled by eleven five star ratings for this "book."
   
   I don't know what synchronicity, sign or symbol may have enlightened me by the misrepresentation of this "book."
   
   Disappointed. Perhaps there were three to five valuable phrases in the 78 pages.

5 comments about The Friendships of Women.

1. My church women's group chose this book. Many of us were quite discouraged by the views expressed by this book. She speaks in generalities a lot and seems to buy into many of the common beliefs about gender: Women are catty, men are reserved etc... Sociologist have debunked many of those myths. We found her views outdated. Some men can be catty too. Some men do develop close friendships with other men. She assumes that males and females can be categorized into these easily defined groupings. Experience and research suggest otherwise.
   In addition, she uses the book as a tool to disparage homosexuals and condemn "alternative" lifestyles. Many reform Christian denominations would find her Biblical interpretations narrow-minded and too literalist. Personally, I was offended as a married woman by the generalities she assigns to females, and as a human being for the ignorant judgements she places on homosexuals. Her book does not embody Christ's love. It is an insult to any thinking Christian's intelligence. If you are looking for insight into the women in the Bible and a book that illustrates how those Biblical relationships are reflected in today's society, THIS IS NOT IT!



2. This book, with the main focus being on friendships of women and why women need women, also points out why women need men (and visa-versa), and examines our family relationships (your first friend is your mom.) This book definately makes you think about the present, and causes you to reflect and reminisce on the past. The author gives new life to women of the Bible, and brings their personal lives and relationships into focus.
   Altogether an immensely enjoyable and insightful book.



3. This is an excellent companion to Dee Brestin's book, "The Friendships of Women".



4. The author gives a Biblical perspective on the value of having close friendships with women througout life. She's revised the book over the last 20 years, and I was struck by how her thoughts had matured as life brought about hardships- tough times that made her value her friends even more. It helped me look at the people in my life and look at them not as "potential friends for myself" but as women who may need the encouragement of a friend. Even if you go into a friendship thinking you are the one "helping out" I think we almost always find that we gain as much as we give from getting to know other people. The busyness of life tends to make us little islands, and this book was a good reminder that we really do need our friends.



5. Food for thought but I didn't keep the book after I was done reading it.

3 comments about The Sacred Purpose of Being Human: A Journey Through the 12 Principles of Wholeness.

1. This is truly an extraordinary book in its simplicity. Jacquelyn is able to translate immortal wisdom and heart truths into everyday language and to give the reader a path to follow to help their own unfolding and understanding of the journey home. It does not have the depth and impact of Awakening in Time, her masterpiece so far, but it should appeal to the masses and definitely carries a powerful message that the human race needs to hear and follow.



2. There is very little fluff in this one. Lots of good truth and dozens of things I haven't seen or commonly don't see in other books.



3. This was recommended to me for better understanding of addictions and a way of understanding principles similar but not exactly like traditional 12 step programs. As I am working on becoming a mental health counselor I felt it was important to look at addictions from different perspectives. This book surely did that. It is an enjoyable, useful read with a great many techniques I will add to my tool box in serving others.

2 comments about Journeys of Simplicity: Traveling Light with Thomas Merton, Basho, Edward Abbey, Annie Dillard, & Others.

1. The small book devotes two pages each to about three dozen authors, spiritual seekers and fictional characters. One page briefly describes the person and something about their life and philosophy; the second provides a supposedly complete list of the small number of items each person lived with or took on a trip. It's thought provoking as to how much - or how little - stuff we really need to live a good life. At the same time it's a VERY brief book that can be read in about 30 minutes. Because there is a bibliography listing one or more sources for or about each person this book might best be considered an introduction/reference for those wanting to study the philosophy of simplicity. It's also a good inspirational gift for someone who wants to simplify their life. Too bad publishers don't provide little books like this for a more reasonable price.



2. Most of us are in risk of being overwhelmed by our pursuit of "stuff." Let's just take babies as an example. It appears that strollers for toddlers must now cover almost half an acre and contain sufficient storage for any possible medical or hygienic emergency. Young married couples feel the necessity to immediately buy a huge van that is effective only at cutting off the view of the hapless motorists behind you. Houses must be larger to contain the "stuff" we buy for our children. Why? Because if we don't, it means we don't love them, I suppose.
   
   I must not have been loved very much. My father was a poor factory worker who drove a 1949 Mercury coupé. During all my childhood, I remember only a handful of toys: a set of white plastic blocks that were similar to the Legos that came later, various toy soldiers, a small Lionel O-Gauge electric train set, a stamp collection, a cowboy cap pistol, and a Civil War hat (Union Army type). That hat I wore with a blue cub scout shirt with captain's bars sown on that made me look like the boy Dusty on the old Rin Tin Tin show that I loved to watch.
   
   Over the years, I seem to have gone astray somewhat. My apartment has well over 6,000 books in it. However much I resolve to cut down, I always find myself intrigued by another title that I must read. If I were to sit down and read all the books I own, I would have to live for hundreds of years more.
   
   This slim volume was one of my recent purchases. I sat down to read it almost at once and fell in love with it. JOURNEYS OF SIMPLICITY is a book of lists of stuff with which selected real and fictional people traveled through their lives.
   
   Some of the lists, such as the personal effects of Thomas Merton when he was found dead in a Bangkok hotel room after being electrocuted by his room fan, were heart-wrenching. In almost every case, they set off a little flash bulb of enlightenment. Each list was a window into a person's life (even if that "person" were Bilbo Baggins or Dostoyevsky's Father Zossima from THE BROTHERS KARAMAZOV).
   
   If ever I became a truly enlightened person? What would be on my list. Let me guess: a box of loose black Indian tea, a pot to boil water, a few (far less than 6,000) good books, a sweater, a jacket, two or three changes of clothing including wool socks, stout walking shoes, reading glasses, a hat -- and that's about it.
   
   Oh yes, and one other thing -- a sense of wonder.

No comments about FLOWER SPIRITS; The Beauty That Blooms Within.

2 comments about Volver al amor.

1. Es un libro que me conecta con un Curso de Milagros. Explica claramente con ejemplos concretos cómo llegar a ser feliz gracias al encuentro con el amor interior. Es excelente.



2. ESte libro me hizo entender con mucha claridad el asunto de estar continuamente bajo la influencia del ego o del espiritu santo, y a la vez me ensena como mantenerme bajo un encuentro santo y a la vez me llevo al Un curso de milgros, esto ha sido algo fantastico en mi vida

3 comments about Kabbalah for Health & Wellness.

1. Kabbalah for Health and Wellness is similar in many ways to The Kabbalistic Handbook for the Practicing Magician by Joseph Lisiewski. I say this because even a cursory reading of it shows that the two are philosophically similar. In what looks like his second book, Mark Stavish gives a take on Kabbalah that is simple, direct, and above all, practical, just as is Lisiewski's book. The material explores how to work with the basic ideas presented in the Sepher Yetzirah: the Cube of Space, the Tree of Life, fundamental associations, and basic Path Working. In addition, he rounds out his presentation with the Middle Pillar exercise, making it relevant to his system of thought and expereince. And all this to emphasize the essential necessity of being able to demonstrate the usefulness of these ideas in the material world. Like Lisiewski's book too, Stavish insists that too many works on Kabbalah are concerned with spiritual fantasies at the expense of real world benefits - making our lives healthier, happier, and more useful. He further advocates that healing physical and psychological illnesses is one of the most direct, concrete, and simple ways anyone can begin to prove to themselves and others the reality of magic. In other words, he gives ways in which the efficacy of magic can be demonstrated. Stavish's emphasis on 'subconscious synthesis' ("subjective synthesis" as Lisiewski calls it in his three books) and developing a personal attunement to the tradition one is working in rather than simply layering it on a mish-mash of ill conceived New Age clap-trap, is something everyone needs to hear and understand if they want to make real progress in their WORK.
   
   My recommendation: get this books, study it carefully, and apply what it says. In fact, if you think of it, get Lisiewski's too. Both are intensely practical books that WORK. You won't be sorry you did.



2. Kabbalah for Health & Wellness
   
   From the Foreward by Colleen Deatsman:
   "Mark Stavish is a fine teacher and an excellent writer. He breathes new life into the dry pages of ancient wisdom and finds ways to frame the antiquated in such a way that it is instantly useful to practitioners in the twenty-first century."
   
   This is an excellent book for those who want to pursue a healing way based solidly upon Western Kabbalistic methods. As Deatsman writes, Stavish takes otherwise dry, obscure archaic theories and writings and lifts them out of the realm of the obtuse.
   
   The healing methods presented in this book are very down to earth and come with enough detailed explanations so that the would-be practitioner will know why s/he is to do a certain thing, or not. However, the explanations, thankfully, do not run into overkill, that would otherwise make one's eyes glaze over.
   
   Kabbalah is not a simple subject. And somehow Stavish finds a way of making this body of complex material accessible to the average person. That's an effort which cannot be sneezed at, as anyone who has tried to tackle the material of the Zohar can attest. What's more, taking such raw Kabbalistic material and trying to find practical ways in which to apply it is rather difficult without a scholar/mage at one's elbow.
   
   Consider this work as the next best thing to having a well seasoned adept at your side.
   
   All of Mark Stavish's writings are imbued with a sense of humility, compassion, and service to his fellow man (and woman!). It is rare to see all of these traits combined with genuine scholarly aptitude and a clear, unobtuse writing style.



3. Having thoroughly enjoyed the author's previous work "The Path of Alchemy", I was interested to see how this book would read. I set aside my initial feeling of concern at the bizarrely coloured Tree of Life on the cover to concentrate on the material within. Once I started reading I was not disappointed. Mark Stavish has a very easy to read style that expresses ideas simply and in manageable quantities, an ideal formula for introducing the reader to the Kabbalah and its use for energetic healing. This is an excellent primer not just for anyone wanting to do energy work, but for an initial approach to Kabbalah. Whilst I may have disagreed with the author on odd points, I would strongly recommend this book as a very good basic introduction to Kabbalah and its use in energetic healing, exactly what it say in the title, in fact!