Nieuwe titels in de boekhandel (november 2009)

Andrew Phillip Smith

Quest Books, 2009
ISBN 978 0 8356 0869 5
296 pages, paperback

Price €17.50

Blockbuster films like The Matrix and Stigmata have helped fuel the continued fascination with Gnosticism, a pre-Christian Western religion based on the direct knowledge of the Divine, which itself provides salvation. Although The Matrix conveys complex concepts like archons and dualism with marvelous simplicity, Gnostic texts do anything but. Curious new students of Gnosticism find they are swiftly bombarded with numerous foreign, often un-translated, and barely pronounceable terms like Acinetos and Deitharbathas. Now for the first time, a comprehensive guide to all aspects of Gnosticism and related spirituality is available to the public in a straightforward dictionary.

As editor of The Gnostic magazine and author of several books on apocryphal scriptures, Andrew Phillip Smith draws on his extensive knowledge of Gnosticism to provide a succinct yet thorough compilation for scholars and spiritual seekers alike. Smith not only defines the terminology of the Nag Hammadi library and the ancient Gnostics, but also their successors such as the Manichaeans, Mandaeans and Cathars. His definitions also cover Hermeticism, the apocrypha, medieval heresy, dualism, and the modern Gnostic revival.

An amazing storehouse of information, A Dictionary of Gnosticism, contains nearly 1,700 entries, from Aachiaram, an angel in the Secret Book of John, to the Zostrianos, a third-century Gnostic text that recounts a series of revelations on the successive stages of the soul’s ascent. With an easy-to-read introduction explaining who the Gnostics were and what Gnosticism is, Smith delivers a whirlwind tour through the ancient and diverse history of this captivating movement.

ENDORSEMENTS

This book is the answer to the prayers of students and practitioners of Gnosticism from far and wide. Andrew Phillip Smith has given us a readable, informative and accurate compendium of words, names and concepts of Gnostic interest that will be welcomed and used abundantly.
—Dr. Stephan A. Hoeller, Bishop of the Ecclesia Gnostica and author of Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing

Not only is this an excellent aid for anyone trying to make sense out of the complicated cosmologies and scriptures of the ancient Gnostics, but it also provides an overview of gnostic movements and mystics down through the centuries.
—Jay Kinney

"A long-awaited and indispensable grammar of classical Gnosticism – essential for any serious student, and a practical gem for the curious."
— Jordan Stratford, author of Living Gnosticism

"More than a dictionary for reference and research, this book is an index of ideas and suggestions. Readers interested in Gnosticism and related alternative religions of earlier times will find a whole host of new ideas and leads and directions for further inquiry. Think of the book as a thousand starting points for your explorations into spiritual unknowns!"
—Stevan Davies, Professor of Religious Studies, Misericordia University

'A Dictionary of Gnosticism is a valuable resource for any student of Gnosis. If you need a helpful translator of the language, or a sympathetic guide to the beliefs of these extraordinary women and men who lived a long time ago, in a world far, far away, then this is the book for you. Think of it as the 'Lonely Cosmos Guide to Gnosis', and always pack a copy when you are setting out for that strange and exciting country. Have a great trip!'
—Timothy Freke and Peter Gandy authors of The Jesus Mysteries and The Gospel of the Second Coming.

Andrew Phillip Smith was born and grew up in Penarth in south Wales in the United Kingdom and took his degree in computer science at the University College of Wales, Swansea. From 1987, Andrew worked in computing in London, including a two-year stint providing technical support for the publishers Harcourt Brace. From 1997-2007 Andrew lived in Northern California near the Sierra Nevada mountain range, where he began his writing career. In his time he has busked on the streets of London playing a small harp, delivered leaflets, worked as a security guard, as a letterpress printer and as a librarian to a private library. Andrew's previous titles include The Gnostics: History, Tradition, Scriptures, Influence and several books in Skylight Paths' annotated and explained series: The Lost Sayings of Jesus, The Gospel of Philip, and Gnostic Writings on the Soul. He now lives in Dublin, Ireland, with his wife Tessa Finn and his son Dylan.

Gary Tillery

Quest Books, 2009
ISBN 978 0 8356 0875 6
216 pages, paperback

Price € 13.95

"It’s quite possible to do anything, but not if you put it on the leaders. You have to do it yourself. That’s what the great masters and mistresses have been saying since time began. They can point the way, leave signposts and little instructions in various books—the instructions are all there for all to see. I can’t wake you up; you can wake you up. I can’t cure you; you can cure you."
—John Lennon

In The Cynical Idealist: A Spiritual Biography of John Lennon, author Gary Tillery brings readers the first spiritual and intellectual biography of this seminal musical and cultural figure. Much has been said about John Lennon the Beatle—his rock star evolution and tragic fate. More than a mundane, temporal biography covering Lennon’s life, music, and death, The Cynical Idealist is a soulful portrait of John Lennon’s very being, illuminating the spiritual transformation of a man who influenced the world in a way few others had during the course of the twentieth century. The world could not ignore something extraordinary in Lennon. What was it that set Lennon apart from his fellow bandmates, causing the media to label him the "intellectual" of the group?

At just 23 years old, at the height of Beatlemania, the brash and young Lennon was on top of the world, even declaring the band’s popularity had eclipsed that of Jesus Christ. Despite his fame, internally, Lennon was experiencing a dark night of the soul. The turning point came for Lennon, locked in a bathroom during the winter of 1966. As he knelt at the pinnacle of his self-alienation, held hostage by his own existential and emotional breakdown, Lennon pleaded with God to show him the way. Lennon’s unrequited appeal proved to be the catalyst for his emergence as an iconoclast, albeit, altruistic leader. Tillery walks us through Lennon’s personal spiritual journey; his experimentation with drugs; his encounters with the Maharishi; his undertaking of primal scream therapy; and his relationship with Yoko Ono.

John Lennon’s spiritual death and rebirth crystallized a global anthem of planetary peace and love that transcends labels, dogma, and social expectations, offering the gift of hope for the coming generation. Praised and ridiculed in equal measure, investigated by the FBI, hounded by the media and ultimately assassinated, Britain’s “Man of the Decade” ignited a revolution of our consciousness. This extraordinary figure deserves an extraordinary book and, in The Cynical Idealist, Tillery provides readers with a new and fascinating framework for assessing Lennon’s life and works.

ENDORSEMENTS

The closest thing to a post-mortem sofa session. Lennon is sympathetically sliced and projected in the context of his time, leading to a sharp image of a spiritual man who became larger than life while feeling very small. Oh, and readable too.
—Corjan de Raaf, Singer/Songwriter

Like most creative people, John Lennon was a complex character, part well-meaning, often starry-eyed idealist, part leather-jacketed teddy boy, with much else thrown in to boot. Whatever your take on him, the thinking-man's Beatle was the first in a cadre of rock stars who used their celebrity as a force for good, anticipating later figures like Bono and Bob Geldof by decades. Lennon's ambivalent relationship with a number of self help/spiritual fads mirrored the shifting moods of more than one generation, and for teenagers like myself coming of age in the 70’s, he was the conduit for a number of worthy causes: peace, women's rights, and the painful exploration of the self. Most books on Lennon focus on the skeletons in his closet. This one shows where his heart was.
—Gary Lachman, Rock n’ Roll Hall of Famer, former bassist for Blondie, and author of Turn Off Your Mind.

John Lennon will likely be remembered for two things: helping found the Beatles and writing the song “Imagine.” Those accomplishments, however, only scratch the surface of a complex and fascinating life. Writer and artist Tillery explores Lennon’s spirituality as it develops, beginning with childhood traumas, through his time with the Beatles, and finally, in his role as a social activist. Throughout his short life, Lennon fought many existential battles with himself and whatever he thought of as “God.” To interpret Lennon’s spiritual hunger, Tillery draws upon the work of Victor Frankl, the Austrian psychiatrist and WWII death camp survivor who wrote volumes on the importance of people finding meaning in their lives by focusing outward. The author characterizes Lennon as a loving man who, in the latter part of his life, was able to find some semblance of peace and to encourage others to do the same. Lennon searched for and sang about the truth, discarding religious indoctrination and accepted norms when they proved unhelpful. If this is Lennon’s legacy, one could do a lot worse.
—Publishers Weekly Nov. 9, 2009

Publishers info and sample pages

Eckhart Tolle en Robert S. Friedman, Frank Riccio (illustrator)

Ankh-Hermes, 03-2009
ISBN 97890 202 0318 9
40 blz., gebonden (geïllustreerd), kinderboek, (vanaf 4 jaar)

Prijs € 14,50

Pepijn heeft een geweldig geheim. En nu kan jij ook ontdekken wat het is! Pepijn is een gelukkige, levenslustige jongen tot hij op school gepest wordt door Kevin. Hij wordt bang en gaat lopen piekeren over wat hem zal overkomen als hij Kevin weer tegenkomt. Door de wijze woorden van zijn opa en een droom ontdekt hij een groot geheim. Hierdoor beseft hij iets heel belangrijks: de enige manier om gelukkig te worden is door in het NU te leven. Eckhart Tolle en co-auteur Robert S. Friedman brengen de ideeën uit de best-seller De kracht van het NU samen in een verhaal voor kinderen. Pepijns geheim zal kinderen inspireren en ze helpen met problemen die ze tegenkomen op school en daarbuiten.

Vanaf vier jaar.

Eckhart Tolle schreef de bestseller De kracht van het Nu. Deze is in Nederland al jaren nummer 1 van de spirituele toptien. Van zijn boeken De kracht van het Nu, De kracht van het Nu in de praktijk, Eckhart Tolle’s Findhorn Retraite, De stilte spreekt en Een nieuwe aarde zijn in totaal al meer dan 375.000 exemplaren verkocht. Zie ook www.eckharttolle.com

Robert S. Friedman is president en mede-oprichter van Hampton Roads Publishing Company, Inc. en uitgever van de wereldberoemde series boeken Conversations with God en Excuse Me, Your Life is Waiting.

Frank Riccio heeft verschillende prijzen gewonnen als illustrator en zijn werk A Spirited Alphabet was opgenomen in de 40th Annual Society of Illustrators tentoonstelling in New York en in de Frye Art Museum’s Celebrating American Poetry tentoonstelling in Seattle.

Antoinette Hertsenberg, Len Munnik (illustrator)

Karakter Uitgevers, 09-2009
ISBN 97890 6112 918 9
48 blz., gebonden (geïllustreerd), kinderboek (< 12 jaar)

Prijs € 14,95

Klaas eet geen vlees. Dat heeft hij nooit gedaan en dat vindt hij heel gewoon. Zijn vriendjes vinden het maar raar dat Klaas geen frikandellen en kroketten, maar vegetarische loempiaatjes trakteert op zijn feestje. Klaas heeft geen antwoorden op hun vragen. Als hij bij oma gaat logeren, vertelt zij Klaas dat zij ook geen vlees eet, omdat ze dieren zo bijzonder vindt.

Zo dansen koeien van blijdschap als ze in de lente weer naar buiten mogen, praten kippen als met hun kuikentjes als ze nog in het ei zitten en weten vissen hoe laat het is. En als oma vertelt dat planten zo sterk zijn dat ze rotsblokken weg kunnen duwen en dat je zo groot kunt worden als een olifant als je geen vlees eet, weet ook Klaas het zeker: hij eet voortaan ook alleen nog maar krachtvoer!

Dr. Amit Goswami

Ankh-Hermes, 11-2009
ISBN 97890 202 0348 6
360 blz., paperback (geïllustreerd)

Prijs € 29,50

Amit Goswami heeft zijn carrière gewijd aan het integreren van wetenschap en spiritualiteit. In Creatieve evolutie wordt duidelijk dat zuiver bewustzijn en niet materie, de primaire kracht in het universum is. Dit inzicht is totaal anders dan de algemeen aanvaarde theorieën waarin evolutie gezien wordt als het resultaat van simpele natuurwetenschappelijke reacties. Volgens dr. Goswami zal de biologie moeten integreren met gevoel, betekenis en de doelgerichtheid van het leven. De belangrijkste gedachte in dit boek is het idee van een scheppend principe achter de biologische ontwikkeling, waarbij evolutie met intelligent design wordt verenigd met neo-Darwinisme. Hierdoor zullen andere biologische problemen opgelost worden. Het resultaat is een paradigmaverschuiving in de biologie en in de visie van een samenhangend geheel. De auteur noemt dit ‘wetenschap in bewustzijn’.

Een nieuwe visie op het samengaan van Intelligent Design en evolutie

Amit Goswami is professor aan de universiteit van Oregon, waar hij van 1968 tot 2003 les gaf in natuurkunde. Zijn boek over kwantummechanica wordt in vele universiteiten gebruikt. Hij is een veelgevraagd spreker en is te zien in de films: What the Bleep Do We (K)now!? en Down the Rabbit Hole. Bij Ankh-Hermes verscheen eerder: Het visionaire venster. www.amitgoswami.org

Jacob Slavenburg (red.)

Ankh-Hermes, 10-2009
ISBN 97890 202 0357 8
1200 blz, gebonden (dundruk)

Prijs € 55,00 (tot 1 januari 2010, daarna € 65,00)

‘Een magiër wordt boven Rome door Petrus uit de lucht gehaald;
Judas krijgt een bijzondere opdracht;
Jezus leert een weg naar vrede en geluk;
Christus bezoekt het dodenrijk ...’

In de eerste eeuwen van het christendom werd er veel geschreven: evangeliën, brieven, openbaringen, (ver)handelingen en andere teksten. Slechts enkele daarvan zijn opgenomen in het Nieuwe Testament, dat werd samengesteld toen er al sprake was van een door de orthodoxie gevormde leer. Veel inspirerende en vaak ontroerende geschriften, getuigenissen van een indringende spiritualiteit, zijn toentertijd door de kerk vernietigd. Een deel van deze boeiende literatuur is teruggevonden. In dit boek zijn al die ‘geheime’ teksten gebundeld. Het is daarmee de eerste vrijwel complete uitgave van alle apokriefe geschriften uit de eerste vier eeuwen in de Nederlandse taal.

Drs. Jacob Slavenburg is cultuurhistoricus en auteur van toonaangevende werken over het vroegste christendom. Hij is mede-vertaler van de Nag Hammadi-geschriften in het Nederlands.

George Mead, Peter Huijs (ed.)

Rozekruis Pers, 11-2009
ISBN 97890 6732 353 6
192 blz., gebonden

Prijs € 25,00

In Echo's uit de Gnosis publiceert de Rozekruis Pers voor het eerst sinds 100 jaar het geïnspireerde werk van G.R.S. Mead, persoonlijke secretaris van H.P. Blavatsky. Op lichte en toegankelijke wijze, maar niet minder diepgaand introduceerde Mead in zijn tijd enkele geschriften uit de gnostieke literatuur van het begin van onze jaartelling, waarvan de zeggingskracht in 2010 niet minder actueel is. In dit eerste deel van een driedelige serie presenteert de Rozekruis Pers vier van deze essays, waarin G.R.S. Mead de oorspronkelijke teksten vertaalt, becommentarieert en toelicht. Eraan toegevoegd vindt de lezer een levensbeschrijving van de schrijver en enkele bijlagen, die de unieke plaats van Meads werk verklaren.

H.P. Blavatsky, Michael Gomes (ed.)

Tarcher/Penguin, 2009
ISBN 978 1 58542708 6
280 pages, paperback with index

Price € 18.95

Madame Blavatsky’s Victorian-era masterpiece is now scaled down to its essentials, providing the most readable, accessible experience ever of one of history’s seminal occult works.

The Secret Doctrine, Helena Petrovna Blavatsky’s masterwork on the origin and evolution of the universe and humanity itself, is arguably the most famous, and perhaps the most influential, occult book ever written. Published since 1888 only in expensive, two-volume editions of some 1,400 pages, it has long eluded the grasp of modern readers— until now.

This single-volume edition, abridged and annotated by historian and Theosophical scholar Michael Gomes, places the ideas and key sections of The Secret Doctrine within reach of all who are curious. In particular, Gomes provides a critical sounding of the book’s famous stanzas on the genesis of life and the cosmos— mysterious passages that Blavatsky said originated from a primeval source and which form the heart of The Secret Doctrine. Gomes scrupulously scales down the book’s key writings on symbolism to their essentials, and offers notes and a glossary to illuminate arcane references. His historical and literary introduction casts new light on some of the book’s sources and on the career of its brilliant and elusive author, one of the most intriguing personages of the nineteenth century.

At once compact and representative of the work as a whole, this new edition of The Secret Doctrine brings unprecedented accessibility to the key esoteric classic of the modern era.

Helena Petrovna Blavatsky (1831-1891), who Manly P. Hall called "the foremost occultist of the nineteenth century," was the cofounder of the Theosophical Society. A world-famous figure of mystery and controversy and a leading intellect behind the esoteric revival in the West, Blavatsky published The Secret Doctrine in 1888 as her magnum opus.

Michael Gomes is a historian, author, and the director of the Emily Sellon Memorial Library in New York. He is one of today's most respected writers on esoteric movements, as well known to readers of occult and esoteric literature as to students and scholars of modern religion.

C.W. Leadbeater

Uitgeverij der Theosofische Vereniging in Nederland, 09-2009
ISBN 978 90 6175 090 1
144 blz., gebonden, met 30 gekleurde platen

Prijs € 20,50

Aura's en gedachtevormen behoren tot het 'onzichtbare'. De mens is altijd naar het onzichtbare op zoek geweest, maar heeft daarbij vaak in het duister moeten tasten, doordat zijn ontwikkeling steeds materialistischer en zakelijker werd - zelfs op het gebied van het spirituele. Het doorgronden van het mysterie van de relatie tussen het zichtbare en het onzichtbare is slechts weinigen gegeven. Het vergt oefening in de eerste plaats en een buitengewone gevoeligheid. Zo is dat altijd geweest en zo is het nog steeds. Af en toe komen we iemand tegen wiens vermogen tot het waarnemen van het 'onzichtbare' op ons een onuitwisbare indruk maakt. Schrijver en helderziende C.W. Leadbeater is zo iemand. In de geschiedenis heeft nog niemand zoals hij helderziend onderzoek gedaan en dat vervolgens met afbeeldingen in een boek samengebracht. Leadbeater is wat dat betreft ongeëvenaard. Dit is het werk over aura's en gedachtevormen.

Dit bijzonder originele en authentieke boek is voor het eerst verschenen in 1902, in een tijd waarin het publiek nog amper iets over aura's en gedachtevormen had vernomen. Het kan worden gezien als de tegenhanger van het eveneens door C.W. Leadbeater later geschreven, baanbrekende werk De Chakra's. Het is een inspirerende gids voor de serieuze zoeker naar de realiteit achter en in onze zichtbare werkelijkheid. Meer dan een gids kan het uiteraard niet zijn, omdat de lezer te allen tijde op zijn of haar eigen intuïtie en waarnemingsvermogen zal moeten afgaan.

Aan het einde van het boek is het artikel Gedachtevormen van Annie Besant toegevoegd.

Lama Willa Miller

Quest Books, 09-2009
ISBN 978 0 8356 0883 1
268 pages, paperback, with index

Price € 14.95

This is the kind of handbook I wish I had in those early days. My gift to you … this is the start of your spiritual journey, of discovering within the sage that you really are. Are you ready? —Lama Willa Miller

Everyday Dharma: Seven Weeks to Finding the Buddha in You offers a simple guide to achieving real and lasting personal transformation. This book appeals to any who are open to Buddhism in the broader context, whether one subscribes to a specific religious view or to no view at all. Dharma, a Buddhist term for the actions taken to find one’s inner-wisdom, is really a universal concept. "If wisdom were a destination," Lama Willa says, "Dharma—played out in our thoughts and actions—is the path leading there." By applying Dharma’s essential truths to the modern world, Everyday Dharma teaches you how to do the spiritual, emotional and psychological work in order to bring about day-to-day well-being. Lama Willa believes the art of being happy is the true enlightenment available to us all!

Drawing from her personal progression from a young and inquisitive college student into an ordained Tibetan Buddhist minister, Lama Willa offers sincere, insightful guidance with the early questions that so naturally surface when beginning a spiritual journey of any kind. Questions such as "How does one awaken their life-intention?" and "How does one become mindful?" are approached with practical clarity.

Speaking in a language that is friendly and easy to understand, this workbook is particularly accessible to the Western spiritual student. Everyday Dharma is patient, relaxed, and best of all, fun! To be used individually or in a group setting, this seven-week initiation composes a chapter per week, with each day outlined for study. Through daily exercises, inspirational passages, and insightful tips, Lama Willa creates a non-dogmatic system for putting the wisdom behind Buddhist thought into real-life practice. Quotes from inspiring minds such as Maya Angelou, Helen Keller, and John F. Kennedy color each day with heart-warming support. Daily exercises include feel-good tasks—for instance—smiling at three people you wouldn’t ordinarily and demonstrating three acts of giving.

ENDORSEMENTS
Drawing profusely on the richness, subtlety, and psychological astuteness of the Tibetan wisdom tradition, Lama Willa manages to make it all seem simple and actually doable in our day-to-day lives. She persuades us that we, even we, can be spiritual heroes — that enlightened altruism is a joyous come-as-you-are party.
— Dean Sluyter, author of Why the Chicken Crossed the Road and Other Hidden Enlightenment Teachings, The Zen Commandments, and Cinema Nirvana: Enlightenment Lessons from the Movies.

I consider Lama Willa to rank among the most highly trained and spiritually profound current Western teachers of Tibetan Buddhism. Having practiced for decades under the guidance of several of the leading Tibetan lamas of the twentieth century, she completed two three-year meditation retreats, was formally installed as a lama, and requested by her own teachers to teach the ways of Buddhist enlightenment to the contemporary world.

Lama Willa’s way of teaching is fresh, accessible, welcoming, and profound. She speaks with clarity and simplicity to the widest possible audience—readers of any spiritual tradition or none. She masterfully connects ancient teachings of Buddhism to numerous facets of modern life and contemporary concern.

Like revered and profound spiritual teachers of the past, in this remarkable book, Lama Willa masterfully opens a door for us into our own hearts, where she helps us glimpse, and then bring forth, the profound goodness that we always were. Whoever takes up the meditations and teachings of this book will never be the same.
— Lama John Makransky, PhD, Professor of Buddhist Studies, Boston College, Buddhist teacher and author of Awakening Through Love , Buddhahood Embodied: Sources of Controversy in India and Tibet, and Buddhist Theology

Here are words from a truly wise woman to help us live more fully, effectively and wisely, and to share our gifts with the world.
— Roger Walsh, M.D., Ph.D., University of California Medical School, author of Paths Beyond Ego, Essential Spirituality: The Seven Central Practices, A Sociable God, and World of Shamanism.

Lama Willa has studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism since 1987, and was ordained a lama (Tibetan Buddhist minister) in 1999 after completion of ten years of study and retreat.

Cherry Gilchrist

Quest Books, 09-2009
ISBN 978 0 8356 0874 9
192 pages, paperback, with notes, bibliography and index

Price € 17.95

Russian Magic: Living Folk Traditions of an Enchanted Landscape is the most vibrant and accessible guide to the folklore of Russia in the English language. It shows for the first time how Russian fairy tales, magical traditions, native wisdom, and folk art are all profoundly interrelated. Russians have a deep reverence for their mythic roots, which unifies them with their rustic landscapes even amidst their urban modernization. This inseparable union is fundamental to a Russian’s soul, or dusha, which is forever bonded to country, both to the earthen soil and to its invisible realms.

The old Slavic traditions surrounding the spirits of home and nature endure. Russian Magic explores the long-held use of beloved characters like the Snow Queen, Father Frost, and the Fire Bird as vivid guides to spiritual and mystical understanding. With beautiful full-color illustrations and engaging personal testimonies, this book brings centuries-old myths and traditions to life.

The transformative, archetypal power of Russia’s magical lore lives not only through storytelling, but also through shamanic ritual. Cherry Gilchrist vividly illustrates shamanic practices used in Russia today, citing examples of prophecy and energy healing. The White Stone, a Siberian standing stone used for over 2,000 years for healing and protection, and the invocations of Mishka, the great Russian bear, for embracing fertility and immortality, are two of the many thriving traditions which Gilchrist covers.

The author has visited Russia over fifty times, intimately examining the culture’s life and lore. She has worked in the buyer’s market for Russian art, mastering Russia’s language, metro systems, and business practices. In addition to her extensive background research, her contact with colorful personalities including villagers, artists, archeologists, and even a Siberian shaman, makes this study in Russian magic even more engaging and lively.

ENDORSEMENTS
It's the first time any Westerner has understood the Russian soul, our love for the Earth and God's warmth.
— Alexander Prior, international conductor and composer

Through an intricately woven pattern of research and personal experience, Cherry Gilchrist draws us into the magical landscape of Mother Russia. A fascinating, informative read.
—Virginia Rounding, author of Catherine the Great: Love, Sex & Power

I highly recommend this marvelous book. The author reminds us of what too many have forgotten: that at the heart of human cultures is living nature, as manifest in local animals, places, and the land. Culture with soul arises out of an ensouled world. And what connects the two, as she not only describes but practices, is story. Some people, of course, have never entirely lost this vital connection, and she shows how their ways of life in Russia and Siberia are ripe for rediscovery. As we in the West face up to the gathering wreck of modernity, Cherry Gilchrist's book is one that shows the way forward.
—Dr. Patrick Curry, lecturer in Religious Studies at the University of Kent

Based on extensive personal experience and research, backed up by the existing academic studies of the subject, this book offers lucid and accessible insights into a traditional culture which is, astonishingly, still flourishing in the modern world. It is packed with information about surviving folk customs, indigenous religion and traditional cosmology.
—Prudence Jones, co-author of A History of Pagan Europe

Cherry Gilchrist is the author of nearly thirty books on mythology, inner traditions, alchemy, art, and culture. These include The Soul of Russia: Magical Traditions in an Enchanted Landscape (Quest: 2008) and Explore Alchemy (Heart of Albion 2007; formerly The Elements of Alchemy.)

Thomas Walker

Quest Books, 09-2009
ISBN 978 0 8356 0867 1
256 pages, paperback, with notes, bibliography and index

Price € 15.95

"We are on the very brink of rediscovering what has been lost since ancient times, our spiritual destiny…the Force is with us." —Tom Walker

The Force Is with Us: The Higher Consciousness that Science Refuses to Accept is the enthralling journey through Walker’s personal paranormal experiences and documented scientific research. This book begs the question "Is there real truth to the sci-fi Star Wars movies after all?!" Is there a force that burns and moves through all things, visible and invisible? During a series of unimaginable heartbreaks, a time of immense tribulation ending with his teenage son’s lost battle with cancer, Tom Walker met this Force, this omnipresent energy, firsthand. Walker’s heartfelt encounters with his son from beyond the grave urged him to search passionately for a valid explanation. What he found is truly amazing and just the beginning.

The Force Is with Us sheds much-needed light on the vast proof of psychic phenomena, and, in particular, its enthusiastic use by governments! From ESP to Soviet psychic spies, from auras to life on Mars, Walker explores the gamut of vetted documentation. The CIA’s commissioning of physicist Hal Puthoff for secret remote- viewing experiments and parapsychologist J.B. Rhine’s infamous ESP testing are among the curious array of examples Walker presents in this detailed compilation of lab-controlled research. From out-of-body experiences and energy healing to precognition and psychokinesis, this powerfully persuasive book reveals that the source of all of these studied and proven phenomena is a divine energy awaiting re-discovery in us all, Tom Walker’s ever-present Force.

This unique compendium of case studies, scientific research, and personal testimony connects modern science with ancient spiritual traditions; speaking to the physicist, mystic, and clergyman alike. Walker illuminates the parallels between religious philosophies like Chinese Taoism and the Egyptian after-life with revolutionary theories in zero-point energy, Quantum fields, and dark matter. The Force Is with Us is a must-read for anyone interested in our connection with the higher planes of consciousness, the great beyond, the fundamental quantum reality that makes up the world.

ENDORSEMENTS
Tom Walker's book is a fantastic exercise in open mindedness. Why are so many apparently wacky notions so violently opposed by the establishment? If they're silly and untrue, why all the fuss? And... Who would stand to lose if they were true? Read it and ponder.
—Mark Vicente, Director of the film What the BLEEP Do We Know?!

The style is lively, and you have covered a lot of ground. I hope it has a positive impact.
—Rupert Sheldrake, author of The Sense of Being Stared At, And Other Aspects of the Extended Mind

I found an opportunity to spend a couple hours on your wonderful book, 'The Force is With Us.' Congratulations on a difficult job well done, I honor you for your efforts and for helping to make the path of awakening the general public so much easier. You have a nice, easy writing style and many people will enjoy the adventure you lay out for them.
—Dr. William Tiller, Professor Emeritus at Stanford University, author of Psychoenergetic Science and Science and Human Transformation

Thomas Walker, D.C., is a modern Renaissance man. An authority on alternative healthcare and science, he is a chiropractic physician, master level martial artist, former US Army Green Beret, professor of natural science, artist, musician and author. He lives in the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee, where he teaches kung fu, practices alternative medicine, and continues his investigation into New Science and spiritual phenomena.

Robin Robertson Ph.D., (Foreword by Allan Combs)

Quest Books, 07-2009
ISBN 978 0 8356 0862 6
224 pages, paperback

Price € 15.75

Where the hermetic sage unites with contemporary physics, Indra’s Net is an innovative and captivating approach to spiritual transformation; a must-read for all who seek out the hidden messages within science and antiquity. Alchemy and chaos theory, a peculiar pairing no doubt, share a transformative nature that is fascinating and, surprisingly, spiritually awakening. Jungian psychologist and author Dr. Robin Robertson compares these intriguing practices to the beautiful symbolism of Indra’s “web”, the Hindu god’s expansive necklace of shining pearls and jewels. Like the mythic Hindu net, which illustrates the intricate interconnectedness of the universe, alchemy and Chaos theory both reveal the microcosm and macrocosm as infinitely related.

The age-old hermetic maxim “as above, so below”, which is said to be inscribed on the mysterious Emerald Tablet of Thoth, has long been praised by alchemists for eloquently embodying the parallels between all macro and micro levels. Dr. Robertson applies the groundbreaking laws of chaos theory, which prove the perpetual union of the vast and infinitesimal, to the wisdom of this ageless hermetic principle, validating alchemy’s timeless transformative power.

Deeply provocative, yet written in a language that is accessible and easy to grasp, Indra’s Net reveals the amazing synchronous elements between 21st century science and ancient hermetic teachings. Examine the implications of the Mandelbrot set fractals for all organic composition. Compare Chaos Theory’s ‘feedback’ to the widespread, primordial concept of the ouroboros, the mystical tail-biting snake. By evincing the powerful relevance of alchemic philosophy and practice through modern physics and mathematics, Robertson assists readers in recognizing the true Philosopher’s Stone, a transformative ‘spiritual gold’ latent in us all.

ENDORSEMENTS
Robin Robertson has a knack for grasping the pure quill in our crazy-making daily whirl. Indra's Net is magical, because readers will learn more about themselves than about Indra, alchemy or chaos theory.
—Daryl Sharp, Jungian analyst, Publisher, Inner City Books

I greatly appreciated Robin’s scholarly historic presentation. As a Jungian and mathematician, it is not surprising that Robin has culminated his writing career on mysticism, myth, mathematics, and metamorphosis with this fusion of chaos theory and alchemy. Besides illuminating these subjects very lucidly, he draws lessons from self-organization. I would place this book, along with R. Abraham’s Chaos, Gaia, Eros, and Peterson’s Newton’s Clock as the most important and enjoyable books on the history and implications of chaos theory.

—Fred Abraham, PhD, Co-founder of the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology, and co-author of A Visual Introduction to Dynamical Systems Theory for Psychology

Robin Robertson has one of those minds that range over disparate models of reality, see their affinities, intuit their implications, and bring them home to us with clarity and with deep feeling. That he can also link up these various forms and elements with the deep sources of transforming archetypal energy within each of us is still another priceless gift.
—James Hollis, Ph. D., Jungian analyst and author of What Matters Most: Living a More Considered Life

Chaos theory and the arcane symbolism of alchemy conjoin in Robin Robertson’s new take on personal transformation. Always engaging and lucid, Robertson pursues strange attractors and the philosopher’s stone through the outer world of pre and post science into the inner world of psyche. Elegant descriptions, up-to-date analogies, and personal reflections enrich and enliven Robertson’s unfolding themes. He synthesizes alchemic mystery, mathematics and psyche with profound simplicity, re-affirming his mastery of this genre.
—Barry Jeromson, Ph.D., has taught Philosophy and Jung Studies at the University of South Australia.

In Indra's Net, Dr Robin Robertson articulates with an uncommon clarity and erudition both modern chaos theory and alchemy. Taking apart and contrasting insights from these models of transformation, he then puts them together to foster an original contribution to our understanding of change in our souls. This jewel of a book illuminates the unpredictable detours of individuation.
—Christophe Le Mouël, Ph.D., Executive Director, C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles

There's definitely no one on the planet today who knows more about the continually revitalizing confluence of currents of transformation coming together from the intersection of Jungian individuation, nonlinear dynamical mathematics, and the sheer joy and magic of living fully. I know of no other person like Robin Robertson whose business card reads: psychologist, mathematician, and magician and that in each case these designations are completely genuine. That's why the reader of his new book cannot but be imbued with the rich experience of metaphysical, developmental, and spiritual insight offered on every page.
—Jeffrey Goldstein, Ph.D., Adelphi University; Editor in Chief of Emergence: Complexity and Organization; Trustee of Nonlinear Dynamics, Psychology, and Life Sciences

Robin Robertson Ph.D. has spent a life-time bridging the worlds of science, psychology and the arts. He has worked as a clinical psychologist, mathematician, and actuary; within the computer field, he's been a systems analyst, software designer, computer executive and consultant. He has separate undergraduate degrees in mathematics and English literature, as well as an M.A. in counseling psychology, and a Ph.D. in clinical psychology.