Inspiration Books

The book Words of Light: Inspiration From the Letters of Padre Pio was released at the end of February of this year. This book is edited by Father Raniero Cantalamessa who is also a Franciscan Capuchin lke St. Pio and of course Fr. Cantalamessa continues to be the preacher to the papal household.

Previous editions of this book have been released in Italian and the recent edition is by Paraclete Press. After the very good introduction by Fr. Cantalamessa we get a very brief biography off Padre Pio and his life. The thrust of the book though are his letters and we end up getting a biography of St. Pio's interior life. I had previously heard that during his lifetime at one point he was receiving more letters than anybody else living at that time and it is quite obvious that he wrote quite a large number of letters to people giving spiritual advice.

What Fr. Cantalamessa has done with this book is to select portions of St. Pio's letters and to divide them up by topic into various chapters. By doing this we get a very good idea of the type of advice he gave and about his deep prayer life. The dark night of the soul is quite evident in his letters to his spiritual director and to other priests and when you combine this with the spiritual and physical attacks by Demons you can see just how stark his sufferings were. Like the Curé of Ars, St. John Vianney. who also poured himself out in the confessional and suffered similar attacks we see a life of pure faith. That even as he cries out in suffering he is crying out to the person of Christ, Mary, and the saints.

Many of the segments of letters written in some of the earlier chapters lets you feel to some extent the torments that he suffered. There are many tensions in what he describes. Like St. Paul there is the driving desire to be in Heaven while at the same time to be totally obedient in using his time on earth to save souls. For him Fiat is a continuous living of his live. The love of Christ and love of neighbor is so evident in St. Pio as it is with all saints, but you get to look into his though process on this to a greater extent than we can with most saints. Much of what he has written in his letters reminds me also of the struggles that Blessed Mother Teresa also wen through and I find it rather interesting that so much was made of her dark night of the soul in the press and nothing as far as I am aware of was mentioned about this in regards to St. Pio.

Though there is so much more to this saint than the behind the scenes torment and total faith despite deprivations. I found the letters that referenced Mary to be quite beautiful, for example this one snippet. "May she who entered the world without stain, obtain for us from her Son the grace to leave the world without fault." The chapter on letters in reference to his spiritual direction show the wonderful effects of his deep prayer life and the encouragement he would give others.

So often when we hear of St. Pio it is focused on things like his stigmata and the supernatural events surrounding his life such as bilocation. It is quite moving to see the supernatural movements of grace in his spiritual life that directly lead to him helping so many towards repentance and growing in grace. Fr. Cantalamessa selection of segments of letters helps you to get a much better of St. Pio the person. I certainly recommend this book to anybody interested in Padre Pio.

Thanks for the rapid delivery of this fine book. Very interesting and inspiring story.

This book gives a good overview of Ste. Faustina's life. It puts her visions of Jesus into the context of her life which is sometimes obscured by reading her diary. Highly recommended .

This is a excellent overview of the lengthy diary that Faustina wrote and easy to read.

This is a great beginners version into the Divine Mercy realm. It combines a biographical description of St. Faustina along with excerpts from her diary. You will be blessed by this book. I have bought 5 to give away.

Sister Sophia Michalenko has given us a most spiritually rewarding "biography" of Sister "Saint" Faustina in this volume. It is the perfect companion book to Sister Faustina's own "Diary" . . . this places her diary entries in an order and context which allows us to see the spiritual insights of this mystic and "holy soul" in a more complete perspective.

While it reads like a simple biography and story retelling the life of this young nun, it at the same time draws so heavily and appropriately on the Saint's own writings that we begin to "share" in her very spirituality . . . we get to walk together with Sister Faustina's soul on this pilgrim journey toward God and toward God's infinite loving "Divine Mercy". In fact, we learn and discover that "Divine Mercy" is not only the destination and goal of our lives, but at the same time is also the road we must walk and travel to arrive there. And why walk it alone when Saint Faustina can walk alongside you . . . with conversation and encouragement and prayerful guidance? This book can bring that companionship alive for you . . .

i advise you to get this volume along with a copy of Sister Faustina's own diary, "Divine Mercy In My Soul". As you page through her diary and perhaps skip about from chapter to chapter as interest leads you, also read Sister Michalenko's biography of Faustina from beginning to end . . . then the Diary will take on a much deeper significance and impact on you . . . it will become a spiritual treasury . . . and a book of prayer . . . and a friend.

This book is fun!
My favorite story is "I Thought I was Over That"
Ariel and Shya are genius in a non-judmental seeing of how we are and don't
try to change, fix or make us better.
These stories give us compassion for ourselfs and I never, ever before
experienced Enlightment in such an easy, light way.

The Kanes have written a fun and inspiring book of stories that invite the reader to enter effortlessly into the brilliance of the present moment. These tales, that are at once humorous and touching, are filled with inspiration and enlightenment.

I find myself picking up this gem of a book whenever I want a connection into all that's possible in life. The beautiful thing is, I don't have to "do" anything to experience the richness of the moment. Transformation is a technology that the Kanes have discovered and share generously with all who want to experience the perfection of "now". If you're looking for magic, this is the real thing.

This is a great book written by modern sages Ariel and Shya Kane, shining lights of Presence in these (potentially) complicated times.

In a chapter called A Cluttered Desk is a Sign of Genius, Ariel talks in simple, straight-forward terms about finding well-being in the seemingly impossible task of keeping her desk clean. I responded to this immediately. I seem to live at a desk in perpetual disarray.

At Shya's (her husband's) prompting, Ariel slowed down at her desk work by no more than 5%, and actually spent a little bit of that slightly-decelerated time with each object on the desk. She gave each piece of paper its due attention, not long, and each piece of paper and the work it represented was completed. In doing so, she has kept the desk clean of clutter since. I have employed this strategy on my own desk, and have succeeded, not permanently, but often, and for longer spans of time each time.

The subtitle of this invaluable little storybook is Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, and it's very fitting. Ariel and Shya teach a technology called Instantaneous Transformation that takes everyday occurrences like a messy desk and transforms them into opportunities in the present moment (Now) for well-being, and yes, even enlightenment. Their other books go into great detail about this technology, and are just as quick, easy, illuminating reads. They are Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation and How To Create a Magical Relationship.

For anyone who's into Eckhart Tolle's books The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment, and A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life's Purpose (Oprah's Book Club, Selection 61) (like I am,) I strongly recommend the Kanes and their books. You can learn more about the Kanes at www.TransformationMadeEASY.com. They are amazing teachers, dedicated to bringing well-being and enlightenment to normal people, and easily.

This is an astonishing book - beautiful, elegant, practical, and highly readable!

One of my favorite metaphors in this book is the idea of "backing out" of upsets.
The author's, Ariel and Shya Kane, suggest that upsets are in fact mechanical, and often based on ways we handled situations in early childhood - but that, with awareness, we can in fact 'catch' when we are on the slippery slope of an upset BEFORE we have to go all the way down that slope.

You can find yourself well down the road to upset and -without recrimination or judgement - just say to yourself 'oh - this is an upset' and BACK OUT, just like you might if you suddenly looked up and found yourself driving down a one way road the wrong way. You wouldn't keep driving the wrong way, you wouldn't sit there and tell yourself how horrible you are while traffic is coming at you - you would put on the brakes and back out.
Well that is exactly how they suggest you deal with an upset when you suddenly discover you are in the midst of one. To make the choice to back out instead of indulge the desire to get further upset, whether it be angry, sad, depressed - there is a choice!

I just love this idea that upset is a choice - life presents stuff, but upset isn't the only next progression, there are lots of options.
An insightful and deeply moving take on life - Many thanks to the authors, Ariel and Shya Kane.
I also highly recommend How To Create a Magical Relationship by the same authors.

This book is truly a delight. The authors, Ariel and Shya Kane, deliver stories of everyday life with a twist of transformation (which they define as an anthropological look without judgment into how you are living your life). We are all perfect representations of us. This book shows that if we bring awareness to our lives the opportunities for expansion are endless.

I would highly recommend this book as well as the Kanes' other two books, Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation and How to Create a Magical Relationship. These books can bring you out of an ordinary life and into a spectacular one. Reading the words in this book took me on a journey by teaching me about an easier way to live my life. With stories about Intuition, Love, Compassion, etc. the Kanes' teachings of Instantaneous Transformation is presented in such a way that is easy to understand.

I must admit, I hadn't heard of Robert A. Johnson before I listened to this audio course. After listening to Johnson describe the lifetime of spiritual seeking he has undertaken, I am motivated to read his other publications. Johnson is so inspiring! I especially enjoyed the parts of this audio course that were devoted to dream interpretation. I was left with many tools and techniques for using my dreams as a guide to my conscious life. I found this part of the course fun, interesting, and usefull without being too academic. After listening to this program I feel like I really understand Robert Johnson as both a man, and as an iconic writer of spiritual texts. I highly recommend this audio course for anyone interested in dream analysis and anyone who has undertaken the lifelong quest for enlightenment. Check it out, you won't be disappointed!

The Golden World is part memoir and part spiritual guidebook. This precious audio learning course chronicles author Robert A. Johnson's lifelong quest for enlightenment. With utmost authority and accessibility, narrator and author Johnson tells listeners his incredible life story. Johnson details life changing experiences such as a near death encounter in childhood and his education in Jungian studies. Johnson draws listeners into a recap of his lifelong work as an author of psychological and spiritual classics. He touches on subjects such as dream interpretation, the influence of culture on the self, the importance of imagination and the human concept of heaven. This audio course enables listeners to get to know a living legend, and you won't be disappointed with what he has to say. Johnson coaches listeners on how to interpret dreams, understand their own "typology", find life mentors, link the ego to spiritual forces, in addition to many other practical hands on topics. This is a beautifully produced audio course by one of the world's most influential spiritual writers. Listeners will be captivated by what he has to say.

I approached this set with great anticipation, and was finding the first CD really interesting. However, to my dismay, at the end of the first CD Johnson says that the myths that he is talking about have applied historically only to men, and that, as a man, he can only speak for men. Women may have a different path, he says. Whether this is true or not, as a woman I lost interest.

I found this book to be an excellent addition to my (growing) collection of books. Morrison has the ability to find a common problem and create a simple spell/empowerment to help with the problem. She has been a sterling example to me about how to keep spells simple, and about how to add new magic into your life. Tarot magic is not something everyone knows much about, and this is a simple guide that can be an excellent jumping off point for delving farther into this type of magic. Some people find the card destruction offensive, but I make color copies of my cards and just use those. It doesn't offend my deck, and still allows me to access the powerful symbolism of the cards. A must read!

I own every single Dorothy Morrison book and I feel as if she has become my mentor. Her books are filled with everything one needs to learn and explore the magic of tarot,the moon and the sun. I have been a fan for a long time and my first book entitled :Everyday Magic" was so detailed with spells, tables and other appropiate information I had to purchase her other books. Anyone can follow her spells,they are accurate,detailed, and comprehensive. What I like most about Ms. Morrison is her positive energy that clearly shines though all of her books. I have referenced all of her books for several years now and I feel as if she has become a gentle mentor. Her books are warm and full of magical intent, easy to read,exciting and a must have for any witch's library! She recently was the guest of honor at the Pagan Pride festival in Lakeville,MA and I was not able to attend. I was very upset at not meeting Ms. Morrison and I hope she will make other visits to this area as well as others. It would be a honor to meet such a wonderful and positive writer.

I absolutely adore Ms Morrison's writing and books, so I was very excited when I finally ordered this and got it in the mail. I was never very familiar with the Tarot before I read this, and after reading this, I feel that I have a much greater grasp of it. Her writing style is to the point and friendly without being too aggressively-friendly, which makes it easy to follow and charming to read. Her meditations with each card are treasured, and the spells are varied and simple to use. She also gives personal stories about her experiences with the Tarot, which help the reader (especially the beginner) to relieve any fears or doubts that they might have. Although it isn't the "most definitive" text on the Tarot out there, it is certainly one not to be missed.

Dorothy Morrison truly is concise and presice with her teaching of the tarot!A book for all..from Novices to the more learned.
Very easy to understand and apply.
I highly recommend this book to all.Way to go Dorothy!

I cannot believe I read through most of this piece of Yule kindling, much less spent money on it! I feel that Ms Morrison is fulfilling a writing contract with Llewellyn. They have some very venerable writers in their midst. Just because a new book can be produced each year, doesnt make it good!

On that note, this little tome contains very little useful and sane information regarding this beloved form of mysticism. I had nightmares after reading the first few chapters regarding spirits following your cards. And the nonsense about reading for oneself is absolute rubbish! How can one one learn the cards? Reading for drunks in a bar seems preferred.

As for the magic, there are many other books out there that provide safe and sane methods for your cards! Janina Renee's Tarot Spells or Terry Donaldson's Tarot Spellcaster are great sources. If there is a spell for using the cards in picking a better author...

Lynn writes beautifully about the shifts that are upon us. The time is now, and she is playing her role in sharing these messages from Spirit.

I found reading this book to reinforce the continuing persistence of my spirit to grow and expand. I feel lucky to be living in these times!

The Good Remembering is a quick read that touches deep into a person heart and soul, thought provoking and life changing, a must read for all.
Jennifer Kelton, Author Don't Use My Sweater Like a Towel

The book is not going to tell you anything revolutionary but employs sound common sense with lifestyle changes that are proven to help you lose weight. I especially liked what she had to say about identifying the feeling of hunger, only eating when hungry, and stopping when satisfied (even if you leave food on your plate). It basically shows you how being conscious of your choices and thinking things through rather than acting on impulse can lead to healthy behavior.

Jill Fleming's book is a common sense approach to living healthy and losing weight~in that order. And it isn't difficult to accomplish these goals if we just apply a few simple lifestyle changes which Jill details in "easy to digest" form. As I was reading, I kept thinking to myself "this makes total sense, this is do-able". I even highlighted my favorite points and reference them from time to time.
It was an enjoyable, easy read and helped to kick-start my resolve of being a healthier person. It's also a wonderful gift for anyone you care about and want to be healthier.

No gimmicks, no forbidden foods, no endless chapters of vague promises about the program to be described later in the (usually too large) book. This is a slim volume of tips and facts that make perfect sense and are completely doable.

The author is a dietician who ironically packed on 40 pounds obtaining her bachelor's and master's degrees and has been through the weight-loss process herself. Unlike most "diet" books, the testimonials are kept to a minimum and there is no sales pitch for packaged foods, tapes or DVDs.

Each short chapter outlines an important step to permanent weight loss in straightforward language, and the chapters address psychological, social, and physical aspects of achieving weight loss in a healthy way.

Whether you need to lose weight because you feel unhealthy, can't deal with the huge restaurant portions presented these days, are overstressed or too busy to think about your eating habits, you'll find the information in this book helpful.

This reminds me of things I was taught when I was a little girl by mother. The simplicity of eating and staying thin before we even realized the medical reasons or the explanation and understanding of what makes us fat. We have been given so much bad information with fad diets with self proclaimed cures and treatments when it is very simple. None of the diets out there tell you to stop eating when you are full. None of them tell you to listen to your body. There are bad fats and there are bad carbs but eating healthy and not eating too much is important too and not over feeding your body. This book will get you started on small changes at a time that will help you behave and eat like a thin person until you are a thin person. It also helps you and teaches you to indentify the reasons why you abuse food. The author is also a caring individual. I e-mailed her with a question and she replied to my e-mail the very next day with an answer and words of encouragement. That in itself is encouraging. I am sick of people getting wealthy on this growing epidemic. Every other TV commericial is trying to sell you something. You buy them all and you are still fat. If you want the refreshing truth...read this book! It is easy to read and to understand.

Jill Fleming a registered dietician with an MS in nutritional science developed the THIN CHOICES program. This program reveals the habits of thin people.

In her book "Thin People Don't Clean Their Plates", Fleming reveals her techniques. The book opens with inspiring quotes from Jill's clients. In the 17 chapters that follow, Jill explains exactly what thin people do that helps them stay that way. Though the 136 page book is slim, Jill gets right to the point instead of including the extra fluff many other "diet" books do. She doesn't spend time writing about why all the other diets out there (except hers) don't work and she avoids a lot of scientific, technical chatter.

Chapters include Thin People Don't Diet, Thin People Carry Snacks, Thin People Don't Go to Bed Full, Thin People Eat Fruits and Vegetables and more.

The bottomline is the commonsense that prevails throughout the book. If you want to lose weight and maintain it you will have to eat less and/or move more. Jill tells you simple ways to do this. I especially liked her information on walking. One thing Jill shares is that a 155 pound woman who adds 1/2 hour of walking to her daily routine with no other dietary changes can lose 26 pounds a year. Sounds very doable to me!

Fleming encourages you to give up dieting and adapt an approach that you can stick with for a lifetime. Simple suggestions to incorporate into your life for wellness and a healthy slim body.

A dear friend of mine gave this book to me as an impromptu gift. This book made me laugh, cry, pray and ponder about my life and all life in the universe. It is the most special gift I have ever received. So touching, in fact, that I am forming a list of special people in my life to whom I will give this book as a holiday gift. I believe that anyone who reads "Small Miracles II" will have their lives enriched.

Yitta Halberstam and Judith Leventhal have done it again! The authors of Small Miracles have published their second book, appropriately enough named Small Miracles II: Heartwarming Gifts of Extraordinary Coincidences.

Halberstam and Leventhal believe that what we call coincidences are "mysterious, magical, and awe-inspiring testimonials to God's presence in our ordinary, everyday lives." They have named these events "small miracles."

Their book is a collection of small miracles--story after story of gifts and blessings seemingly received by coincidence. All are positive and reflect the essential goodness of humankind. Most only take a page or two, so they can be easily read during a break from daily chores.

The authors say that becoming aware of the role of coincidences allows us to open our own hearts to the small miracles occurring regularly in our lives. Although enormous in its pleasure, Small Miracles II is physically small enough to tuck into a briefcase or handbag. Keep your copy handy--it's just what's needed to revitalize your hope and optimism in the goodness of life.

Universal Publications should have been credited in this book for the use of our story about the priest whose life was saved when his pager went off in a vacant building. This story originally appeared in our book, There's No Such Thing as Coincidence which was featured on Oprah. In addition, it should be noted the quotes attributed to the priest in this story were totally fabricated by the authors, as they never interviewed nor contacted Father Mike while writing and/or researching their book.

This book has been one of the best I have ever read.It has changed my life and the lives of many of my friends.I expect small miracles 3 and 4 and 5..

I bought the first book of Small Miracles several times for myself but before I could finish reading it I kept giving it away as a present. Finally I went to buy Small Miracles II and haven't been able to hang onto a copy of it also. Everyone needs this book to renew there faith in the Universe as our Mother who cares for us and watches out for us. You begin to see all the overlooked small miracles in yourown life. The stories are short and easy to read and miraculous.

The author gave suggest not to smoke and drink coffee before our first astral trael. Then, there was mind travel exercise before start an astral tavel. In this book, you'll find 11 techniques : First astral travel, meditation method, swing mehod, the french method, the whirlwind method, the visualization technique, will power method, chakra method, affirmation method, the christos method and hypnotism method. So, you can find which technique work best for you. Of course you can teach to another person, so both of you can go travel together. Just like anothers Webster's book, it's easy to follow

This book mentions too many historical events to support its viewpoints. A lot of pages are filled with facts that support the possibility of astral travel instead of getting straight to the point. I give this book 3 stars because it does work and is filled with a lot of historical rubbish that is totally unnesesary.

some of the information in this book is not correct. for example the author says that we sometimes astral project at night when infact we astral project every night. Most of the time we are just not aware of it. The astral is where our dreams take place. If you want a great book get astral travel and dreams by belzebuub. It explans how to use the astral to develope spiritualy.

I had a lucid dream by following the method given by Mr. Webster in page 40, the very first day I read it, I awoke in my dream. It is a great book!, and Richard Webster knows a lot about the subject of astral projection.

it has several exercises to make astral voyagers easy
the author uses very simple language to make the book understable
in conclusion is very good book to start.