What is spirituality? Does it enable us to be better persons? Is spirituality related to religion? These days, is it even relevant? On college campuses, does it promote student well-being? Does it further moral growth? Can spirituality make a difference in healthcare? What about social justice and service to the marginalized? This rich collection of essays by respected scholars and practitioners in diverse fields in academic, healthcare, social justice, and interfaith contexts addresses these questions in strikingly profound and meaningful ways. Their voices offer alternatives to the prevailing notion of spirituality as a purely private matter, and make a case for living spiritually through deep and genuine engagement with others, bridging our inherent and original fault-line of Self and Other. Their keen observations resuscitate the spiritual fabric of defiance against and liberation from forces of oppression which show their face not only through chronic inequities and social injustice but in consumer capitalism's grip on our souls. This volume's dispatch to our minds and hearts is timely in an age of looming cynicism, pessimism, fear, and distrust. In carving out a renewed sense of what lies at the heart of living a life of the spirit, or spirituality, it offers an antidote to our widespread hermeneutic of suspicion. None of the authors claims to encapsulate one, pure meaning of the spiritual. Yet they share one collective voice: spirituality is indeed genuine when it calls forth compassion and wears the worn and tangled face of humaneness, freeing ourselves from the prison of ego. Here we find messages of hope, much needed in a time when our society seems increasingly shadowed by dark clouds. These essays remind us of what's right in the world.

Discover your unique gifts and dare to be different with this companion study guide from #1 New York Times bestselling author and renowned Bible teacher, Joyce Meyer. God has given you gifts so you can fulfill His purpose for your life, but if you're like a lot of people, you may not have recognized your talents yet. Start asking God to show you something special about the way He's made you. To some people, He's given a very tender, compassionate heart, and some He has wired to lead others effectively. Others, He has given a gift of being able to communicate clearly, to teach, to make scientific discoveries, or to write beautiful music. Only you can discover all the dynamic gifts He's placed in you. God is never going to help you be anyone but yourself, so learn to become Authentically, Uniquely You with the practical teaching formats in this companion study guide. God loves you just as you are! Let Him use you, with all your strengths and weaknesses, and transform you from the inside out to do something powerful beyond your wildest dreams.

From the shelves of mainstream bookstores and the pages of teen magazines, to popular films and television series, contemporary culture at the turn of the twenty-first century has been fascinated with teenage identity and the presence of magic and the occult. Alongside this profusion of products and representations, a global network of teenage Witches has emerged on the margins of adult neopagan Witchcraft communities, identifying themselves through various spiritual practices, consumption patterns and lifestyle choices. The New Generation Witches is the first published anthology to investigate the recent rise of the teenage Witchcraft phenomenon in both Britain and North America. Scholars from Theology, Cultural Studies, Sociology, History and Media Studies, along with neopagan commentators outside of the academy, come together to investigate the experiences of thousands of adolescents constructing an enabling, magical identity through a distinctive practice of Witchcraft. The contributors discuss key areas of interest, inspiration and development within the teen Witch communities from the mid 1990s onward, including teenage Witches' magical practices and beliefs, gender politics, the formation and identification of communities, forums and modes of expression, media representation and new media outlets. Demonstrating the diversification and expansion of neopaganism in the twenty-first century, this anthology makes an exciting contribution to the field of Neopagan Studies and contemporary youth cultures.

Have you ever taken a walk in the woods and felt like you were not alone? That's because you weren't Forests, lakes, mountains, caves--even your garden--are alive with the spirits of nature. Faeries are real, and you can learn to commune with a whole world of unseen beings, including elves, devas, and nature spirits. With an open mind and a little patience, you can begin to recognize their presence all around you. This book will help you deepen your connection to the natural world as you explore the magical, mystical world of the faerie folk.

--Discover hidden truths in faerie tales and use them as pathways into the faerie realm--Learn the basic habitats, powers and behaviors of faeries, elves, and other nature spirits--Read personal accounts of actual faerie encounters--Invoke fire spirits for traditional psychic readings--Share the magic and knowledge of twenty tree spirits--Find the elementals--gnomes, undines, sylphs and salamanders--with which you resonate most --Contact water sprites, mermaids and other water spirits--Find wood nymphs and the "lady of the woods"--Draw dragons into your environment with the right fragrances --Attract a faerie godmother into your life

Recapture the magic and wonder of a world where trees still speak and every flower tells a story. Explore the faerie realm--a place where faerie tales can and do come true.

At the core of African American religion's response to social inequalities has been a symbiotic relationship between socio-political activism and spiritual restoration. Drawing on archival material and ethnographic fieldwork with African American Spiritual Churches in the USA, this book examines how their spiritual and social work can shed light on the interplay between corporate activism and individual spirituality. This book traces the development of this "politico-spiritual" approach to injustice from the beginning of the twentieth century through the opening decade of the twenty-first century, using the work of African American Spiritual Churches as a lens through which to observe its progression. Addressing subjects such as spiritual healing, support of the homeless, gender equality and the aftermath of hurricane Katrina, it demonstrates that these communities are clearly motivated by the dual concerns of the soul and the community. This study diversifies our understanding of the African American religious landscape, highlighting an approach to social injustice that conjoins both political and spiritual transformations. As such, it will be of significant interest to scholars of religious studies, African American studies and politics.

Is there a higher purpose behind the relationships we have with domesticated animals? The answer is a resounding "yes". This book will deepen our understanding of the mystery of the animal kingdom. This compilation from the books of Alice Bailey explains the divine purpose of our association with domesticated animals, and the important role humanity has to play in their evolution.

Becoming a master in a particular area is not tied solely to innate ability or talent, nor to years of rote practice. As martial arts master and consciousness explorer Peter Ralston explains, the secret to mastery lies in accurate perceptive awareness and effective interaction. In this detailed guide to what it takes to master something, Ralston examines the powerful dynamics behind the art of mastery. He explores in depth the foundational skills and operating principles that empower mastery, including the principle of effective interaction, the mind-body alignment principle, and creative intelligence. Examining “reaction� versus “response,� he looks at how to control your mind and transform your perceptive awareness so what you are experiencing aligns with what’s actually occurring, the first step toward reaching your objectives and taking the appropriate actions to produce your desired results. Sharing methods to overcome the major obstacles to mastery, he presents a step-by-step breakdown of the principle of effective interaction and explains how to adapt when the people or objects you’re interacting with are not aligned with your objectives or when they are working contrary to your goals, including in sports, business, warfare, politics, or any arena in which you’ve committed to pursuing mastery. Revealing the elements that lead to masterful interactive skills, this guide shows how to do the work of personal transformation necessary to access mastery as a real, functional experience, as well as providing an opportunity for deeper insights into yourself and life.

As Danielle Rama Hoffman reveals, each one of us has the ability to receive more, to manifest abundance in all areas of life, without sacrificing and without doing more and more and more. It is time to cast aside lack-based consciousness--and the energy of overworking, overdoing, and overthinking that goes with it--and embrace the art of feminine manifestation based on love, receptivity, and grace. In this full-colour deck and guidebook set, Hoffman presents hands-on tools and highly effective manifestation practices channeled from the Magdalene Midwives, a higher dimensional collective intelligence devoted to assisting ascension efforts on Earth. Each of the 44 cards features a Magdalene Code of Love to empower you, open your ability to receive, and awaken your natural tendencies toward prosperity and multidimensional abundance. In the guidebook, the author explains each Magdalene Code, how to co-create with them, and how they provide innovative energies of abundance that deeply nourish your love body and soul. She shows how to use the cards to create energy vortexes and Love Conception altars that harness the power of your multidimensionality to expedite manifestation, attracting money, radiant health, intimate connections with Source, nourishing relationships, or success in your thriving mission-career-business--anything which matters to you and you are aligned with. Building on the Magdalene Code manifestation techniques, Hoffman explains how to expand your energy field and love body to contribute to your evolution in consciousness with the energy of surplus and abundance. She also shows how the Codes can help remedy lightworker burnout and allow you to harness the co-creational power of the higher realms, enabling you to manifest even while you sleep.

An inspiring and compelling collection of questions and answers are posed to Omni, a non-physcial group entity channeled through John Payne. Omni is primarily concerned with communicating the four principals of creation which form the core of his teachings, all centering around the idea that the creative aspect of the universe is a natural part of our being. The Omni material offers candid, uplifting and inspiring answers to questions about abortion, sexuality, suicide, money, health, personal development and decision-making. The all encompassing message that Omni relates is that all is okay with humanity--we are evolving without encountering the prophesied disasters--and will continue to be okay as we gently unfold our potential. John Payne is a gifted and internationally known trance channel and metaphysical teacher who studied Light Body with Sanaya Roman some years ago. He now travels the globe offering workshops and lecturing in Germany, the U.S., South Africa, Scandinavia, Croatia and the Netherlands. Payne is well-known on the internet, having a prominent position on Spiritweb, the web's largest new age site. He has also written articles for several U.S. based metaphysical journals, such as the Sedona Journal of Emergence, Horizons, and the Auroran, and is a regular contributor to Namaste Magazine in South Africa.

In this meditative memoir-a compelling fusion of Barbarian Days and the journals of Thomas Merton-the author of Saltwater Buddha reflects on his "failing toward enlightenment," his continued search to find meaning and a greater understanding of grace in the world's oceans as well as everyday life. Born to a family of seekers, Jaimal Yogis left home at sixteen to surf in Hawaii and join a monastery-an adventure he chronicled in Saltwater Buddha. Now, in his early twenties, his heart is broken and he's lost his way. Hitting the road again, he lands in a monastery in Dharamsala, where he meets Sonam, a displaced Tibetan. To help his friend, Jaimal makes a cockamamie attempt to reunite him with his family in Tibet by way of America. Though he does not succeed, witnessing Sonam's spirit in the face of failure offers Jaimal a deeper understanding of faith. When the two friends part, he cannot fathom the unlikely circumstances that will reunite them. All Our Waves Are Water follows Jaimal's trek from the Himalayas to Indonesia; to a Franciscan Friary in New York City to the dusty streets of Jerusalem; and finally to San Francisco's Ocean Beach. Along his journey, Jaimal prays and surfs; mourning a lost love and seeking something that keeps eluding him. The poet Rumi wrote, "We are not a drop in the ocean. We are the ocean in a drop." All Our Waves Are Water is Jaimal's "attempt to understand the ocean in a drop, to find that one moon shining in the water everywhere"-to find the mystery that unites us.

Who are we? What is our place in this vast and ever-evolving universe? Where do science and spirituality meet? If you've pondered these questions, you're not alone. Join some of the most spiritually curious and renowned minds of our time for an exploration into the mystery of being. From founders of the Science and Nonduality (SAND) conference, Maurizio and Zaya Benazzo, On the Mystery of Being brings together an array of visionary spiritual leaders, psychologists, philosophers, scientists, teachers, authors, and healers to celebrate and explore what it means to be human. This beautifully arranged collection of essays and insights highlight topics on the convergence of spirituality and science, weaving scientific theory and spiritual wisdom from some of the most influential thinkers of our time-including Deepak Chopra, Rupert Spira, Adyashanti, and many more-with pieces that get straight to the heart of the matter. As a powerful antidote to our chaotic and materialist modern world, this dazzling volume offers timeless wisdom and new insight into humanity's age-old questions. On the Mystery of Being also reveals the cutting-edge explorations at the intersection of science and spirituality today. May it encourage your spirit, challenge your mind, and deepen your understanding of our interconnectedness.

A book to appeal to everyone, and one which you will want to keep beside you-wherever, whenever it is opened, White Eagle's wise and gentle words speak to the heart and answer the need.

Gnosticism is a countercultural spirituality that forever changed the practice of Christianity. Before it emerged in the second century, passage to the afterlife required obedience to God and king. Gnosticism proposed that human beings were manifestations of the divine, unsettling the hierarchical foundations of the ancient world. Subversive and revolutionary, Gnostics taught that prayer and mediation could bring human beings into an ecstatic spiritual union with a transcendent deity. This mystical strain affected not just Christianity but many other religions, and it characterizes our understanding of the purpose and meaning of religion today. In The Gnostic New Age, April D. DeConick recovers this vibrant underground history to prove that Gnosticism was not suppressed or defeated by the Catholic Church long ago, nor was the movement a fabrication to justify the violent repression of alternative forms of Christianity. Gnosticism alleviated human suffering, soothing feelings of existential brokenness and alienation through the promise of renewal as God. DeConick begins in ancient Egypt and follows with the rise of Gnosticism in the Middle Ages, the advent of theosophy and other occult movements in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, and contemporary New Age spiritual philosophies. As these theories find expression in science-fiction and fantasy films, DeConick sees evidence of Gnosticism's next incarnation. Her work emphasizes the universal, countercultural appeal of a movement that embodies much more than a simple challenge to religious authority.

Buckland's Book of Spirit Communications is for anyone who wishes to communicate with spirits, as well as for the less adventurous who simply want to satisfy their curiosity about the subject. Explore the nature of the physical body and learn how to prepare yourself to become a medium. Experience for yourself the trance state, clairvoyance, psychometry, table tipping, levitation, talking boards, automatic writing, spiritual photography, spiritual healing, distant healing, channeling, and development circles. Also learn how to avoid spiritual fraud. This revised and expanded edition of Buckland's popular Doors to Other Worlds has over one hundred new pages, including a completely new chapter on electronic spirit contact. It features additional photographs and illustrations, an index, a new preface, and a workbook format with study questions and answers for each chapter.

From highly-acclaimed illustrator, graphic designer and author, Anita Mangan, comes The Chinese Zodiac, an ideal gift book for fans of astrology and lunar cycles. In this time of self-awareness and self-interest, The Chinese Zodiac takes an alternative and hilarious look at all 12 signs of the Chinese Zodiac, mixing together animal and human facts and drawing on themes such as personality, love, health and lifestyle, school/work to create a fresh and entertaining look at ourselves accompanied by quirky and colourful illustrations in this full-colour gift book. The Chinese zodiac follows the moon (rather than constellations, as in the Greco-Roman zodiac system). It is divided into a 12-year cycle, with a different animal representing each year. The philosophy is deeply rooted in Chinese culture, and the zodiac, combined with the principles of yin and yang and the five elements, asserts a remarkable influence over people's decisions and beliefs. The signs include: Rat Ox Tiger Rabbit Dragon Snake Horse Goat/Sheep Monkey Rooster Dog Pig

What can you do when you carry scars not on your body, but within your soul? And what happens when those spiritual wounds exist not just in you, but in everyone in your life? Whether or not we have experienced personal trauma, we are all - in very real ways - impacted by the legacy of familial and cultural suffering. Recent research has shown that trauma affects groups just as acutely as it does individuals; it bridges families, generations, communities, and borders. "I believe that unresolved systemic traumas delay the development of the human family, harm the natural world, and inhibit the higher evolution of our species," writes Thomas Hubl. However, just as trauma can be integrated and healed for a single person, groups large and small can also find recovery. With Healing Collective Trauma, this world-renowned spiritual teacher presents a hopeful road map to mending the mind, body, and soul. Here, Hubl explains the most recent science of trauma and shares the principles of his Collective Trauma Integration Process (CTIP), a protocol he has facilitated for groups in the US, Germany, Israel, and elsewhere. He examines collective trauma both from the perspective of the latest research and through a spiritual lens informed by 15 years as a meditation teacher. Including contributions from renowned experts from across the field of trauma treatment, as well as meditative practices to support both counselors and clients, Healing Collective Trauma presents a fresh perspective on trauma integration along with practical tools for beginning the journey to wholeness.