A selection of recommended books on Mysticism for anyone on the path to awakening and self-knowledge. These are either classics or books I’ve found particularly helpful over the years. There are longer reviews attached via links, and more to come… Andrew Harvey – The Way of Passion This is an ecstatic exploration of Rumi and his… Continue reading Mysticism Bookshelf
The future starts here. If you are feeling overwhelmed by the many crises now afflicting our world, Active Hope will empower you to transform your life. Written by Joanna Macy and Chris Johnstone, it is based on a process called the Work That Reconnects which provides the tools you need to face the mess we’re… Continue reading Active Hope: Review
In this book, former monk and psychologist, Thomas Moore, provides guidance and inspiration for anyone living through the darker side of life. He sees the dark night as a challenge and an opportunity for healing. These times are not rare or extraordinary, reserved just for saints or spiritual adepts. Everyone can use life’s darkest moments to… Continue reading Thomas Moore: Dark Nights of the Soul Review
A spiritual emergency is what happens when the natural process of awakening becomes too much to handle and you are plunged into crisis. Sometimes called a Dark Night of the Soul, a spiritual emergency can be triggered by spiritual practice, loss of faith, overwhelming daily struggles, the death of a loved one, and even childbirth. Unfortunately,… Continue reading In Case of Spiritual Emergency: Review
John of the Cross was born into poverty in Spain in 1542. He joined the Carmelite Order of the Roman Catholic Church but quickly became disillusioned by the dogma and yearned for direct experience of the divine. When he was 25, John met St Teresa of Avila, a 52 year old nun busy trying to… Continue reading St John of the Cross: Dark Night of the Soul Review
“Physicist Stephen Hawking has remarked that mysticism is for those who can’t do the math. In response to Hawking’s remark, George Cairns retorted, ‘Mystics are people who don’t need to do the math. They have direct experience!’” So begins The Mystic Heart by Wayne Teasdale. This lucid and open-minded book seeks to discover the universal… Continue reading The Mystic Heart: Book Review
In Dispelling Wetiko, Paul Levy describes the mind virus known as wetiko. He explores the collective psychosis now gripping our culture and challenges us to look inside ourselves for answers. Wetiko represents a collective nightmare that we are all dreaming together. It is an archetype arising from the collective unconscious – a psychic virus that… Continue reading Dispelling Wetiko: Review
Out of the Darkness by Steve Taylor is an inspiring collection of stories about people who have undergone the ultimate transformation – spiritual rebirth. This often occurs after intense trauma or turmoil, and Taylor expertly reveals what can happen if an individual is willing to surrender at the point of greatest darkness. Most of the… Continue reading Out of the Darkness: Book Review
In this groundbreaking book, Richard Tarnas demonstrates the consistent correspondence between planetary alignments and the archetypal patterns found running through human history, both collectively and individually. Subtitled Intimations of a New World View, it offers a worldview and cosmology to heal the disastrous split in the Western psyche and is based on thirty years meticulous… Continue reading Cosmos and Psyche: Book Review
Fearless Creating is a step-by-step guide to starting and completing your work of art, written by psychotherapist and creativity coach Eric Maisel. The book is packed with inspiration and guidance on the creative process and the problems you’re likely to come across along the way. It breaks the process down into six stages and goes… Continue reading Review: Fearless Creating
The Way of Passion: A Celebration of Rumi grew from a series of lectures given by Andrew Harvey at the California Institute of Integral Studies in 1993. The lectures celebrated Rumi’s work as mystic, poet and prophet. Before giving the lectures, Harvey had a dream where he asked an old man in a mosque how he… Continue reading The Way of Passion: Book Review
The cover announces that Lucid Living is a book you can read in an hour that will turn your world inside out. It’s a bold claim and I can’t say it worked for me. But then, I’d already been turned inside out before reading it so Freke was preaching to the choir. Lucid Living is… Continue reading Lucid Living: Book Review
Jessica Davidson 