New Age Alternative Belief Books

Perhaps the best book ever to explain why New Zealand is not the USA with minor differences. There are considerable cultural and societal differences which may escape the visitor unless and until they experience New Zealand on a deep level. Some find the mysterious aspects of her experience of the Maori culture to be doubtful or merely coincidence. Those born in New Zealand will understand them and will not be surprised.

My mother mailed me this book from America to New Zealand because I have recently arrived in NZ and I will be living in New Zealand for the next year. I find Carol O'Bistro's insights about New Zealand culture relevent and insightful for a current long-term visitor. Her writing is lyrical and fun to read. I wonder what she is doing now.

Thought provoking, moving and fun. The story is told in a masterful way that made me laugh, cry and sit-up thinking about it for a week after I read it. The author takes you along on her own personal journey and as her New York City eyes and heart transform into something miraculous so does the readers'. It touches the heart and reminds us of our humanity in the most magnificent way. Read it slowly; you won't want it to end!

I bought this book when I was visiting New Zealand in 1988 where people kept recommending it, and I am just now rereading it for something like the fifth time--including one time with a discussion group. This time through I am finding new delights that I must have skimmed over before. Parts of the book are naively New-Agey, but even those parts are personal and honest and fun to read. It is the story of a woman whose job takes her into the middle of an enormous cultural shift, and she manages to stay in the middle--between the world views of American bureaucracy and a traditional people's values, and somehow to walk that precarious boundary and to be receptive to the ways it changes her. It's an amazing story.

On September 10, 1984, at first light, New York's Fifth Avenue was the scene of an unusual ceremony. On the steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art a group of Maori women wailed the ritual welcome: HAERE MAI !! Their calls were answered and taken up by a group of Maori elders down the avenue, their leader in a feathered cloak, their path cleared of evil spirits by a small band of tattooed warriors ferociously thrusting their spears.

It was opening day of a groundbreaking exhibition at the Met: Te Maori: Maori Art from New Zealand Collections. The elders were in New York to lift the tapu and open the exhibition. Their greeting was for their ancestors, spiritually residing in the 174 taonga (treasures) on display outside New Zealand for the first time. Nine years in the planning, Te Maori was the culmination of a massive exercise in politics and logistics.

Carol O'Biso was the registrar of the exhibition, responsible for the packing and safe passage of these treasures collected from a number of New Zealand museums. First Light: A Magical Journey is her lyrical story of this great adventure.

The "cultural artifacts" are believed by the Maori to be sacred and powerful. Carol, overwhelmed at first by the vast divide between her New York self and the ancient Maori beliefs, struggled to do her job in the midst of controversy over the exhibition. She was excluded by Maori custom from speaking at the many ritual gatherings in museums and meeting houses. Frustration was her constant companion, in those early days. Gradually the power of the collection became entirely real to her and she found herself honoring the treasures in ways she would not have found possible.

Carol spent several years packing, shipping and unpacking the irreplaceable treasures and was under their spell when she returned them to New Zealand in 1986. She handed them over, in yet another ceremony that left her in tears, to a New Zealand registrar for their awe-inspiring progress through New Zealand museums.

Carol's story is a very personal one and some of her early impressions of New Zealand were less than favorable. However the country's charm and especially the strength of the Maoris' respect for their culture led her to a deep appreciation of The Land of the Long White Cloud.

I had the privilege of seeing Te Maori in New Zealand, and First Light brought back vivid memories of its power. I read the book in the early 1990s and then gave it away (read it! you'll love it!), and when I found a copy on Amazon this month I was delighted to be reacquainted with it.

Linda Bulger, 2008

I would recommend this book for anyone interested the native American medicine path in particular, and metaphysics in general. The writer shares a selection of her personal experiences, each illustrating an aspect of the life of a working shaman. One of the underlying themes is how to learn from guides and fellow-beings in all their forms, including humans, animals, insects, trees, stones, forces of nature such as thunderstorms, and even unseen intelligences. She provides valuable tips on how we can to contact our animal spirit guides. Emphasizing that we should not over idealize people who teach us, she points out that we all possess human flaws. Many seekers seem all too eager to give away their personal power.

One of the most dramatic incidents she recounts is a potentially fatal encounter with a jaguar in Brazil, giving her access to jaguar medicine. (You have to sympathize with her long suffering husband, when she insists on communing with this dangerous animal in the wild!) Nothing in nature is too frightening or too humble for a shaman to learn from e.g. she also explains lessons from apparently insignificant or annoying creatures like ants. Also impressive is her shamanistic work with the dying and berieved, facilitating a peaceful passing for them and their families.

If the book had been longer and more clearly structured, I would have rated it 5 stars. However, I find Ai's writing to be much more down to earth and less ego-inspired than many other books on shamanism. Her work deserves more attention.

Recognition, recovery and sometimes rehab - these are the 3 R's of people making the supreme effort of recovering from addictions. While the most successful program of recovery, from alcohol anyway, is Alcoholics Anonymous, many non-christians find that the wording and the "slant" of the AA Big Book and AA "conference approved literature" makes only token acknowledgments at best that there may be religions on planet earth other than Christianity. Anyone who has spent time reading the AA Big Book can fail to notice this - for many Pagans in particular (from my perspective, anyway) the wording and slant can keep them from appreciating and learning from the very valuable advice and lessons in the "Big Book" - and sadly, many do not recover because of this barrier.

There IS an alternative - The Recovery Spiral is a must-read for any Pagan in recovery, or considering recovery. The first chapter will feel like a splash of cool fresh mountain water after a long, hot, dusty trek - help that we can accept and that has meaning in our lives. Also a must read for the partners and co-dependants in the lives of Pagans in recovery! Based on the lessons and learnings of the AA Big Book, Cynthia Jane Collins has cast us a recovery circle, put her hand in ours and tells us that we are not alone and that there is hope and an astonishing life beyond addiction.

This book has been tremendously helpful to me not only as a Wiccan but as a drug/alcohol rehab counselor. I have gained a better, more thorough understanding of the 12-step program in general through this book's Wiccan modification of the program. My better understanding is, in turn, my clients' better understanding. My mentor and co-worker, herself a drug/alcohol counselor, said that in some ways, this book's rendition of the 12 traditions is better! (...and I have to agree!) I could go on and on, really, because I feel this book is of such importance to all faiths...but I'll just end here by saying that I'm very thankful that I found and bought this book. :)

I do not recognize the 12-step program the previous writer refers to... "the profoundly Christian slant..?". Nah, that is not my 12 step program, thank god/God/HP... As far as I am concerned, part of Bill W's genius was that he made the AA program open for any spiritual orientation. You can get sober as an atheist, a buddhist, a muslim, a christian.. and a pagan of course....

Which is not to say you should/n't read this book - my concern is people that try to make the 12-step program into something it is not. It IS a simple program for complex people, of course...

Be wise!

Ms. Collins delivers a break-through book for Pagans suffering from the debilitating dis-ease of addictions. Whatever the addiction from alcohol or drugs to helping others or buying too much, this book works on the intuitive level to address the cause and changes needed to find relief from a life ravaged by addictive behaviors.

For years the Pagan sufferer has had to make do with books written mainly from a Judeo-Christian perspective. While many have found such books helpful and used them to achieve a measure of relief from their addictions, there was something "not quite right" from a Pagan viewpoint. The Recovery Spiral addresses this lack in many Pagan addicts' needs for full recovery from addiction and its harmful side effects.

Ms. Collins based her book on her own recovery since 1974, and her specialized work on abuse and abuse related issues. She takes the Pagan addict on the Path of Recovery through meditation, ritual and tarot readings all based on a reworded 12 Step system of recovery with gentle humor and guidance. Through the stories of the author herself and several others in the book we learn how a Spiral Path of recovery can work in our own lives.

Each of the reworded 12 Steps is thoroughly explained in a Pagan perspective. The rituals are simple enough even for a beginner to the Pagan Ways. The author's voice is clear and concise in her explanations of Step work. The book's three distinct sections are well laid out for anyone wanting to use the book from the newest to recovery to those with many years of 12th Step experience.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to remove old baggage from their lives and replace it with healthy behaviors so they can live with a fuller connection to themselves, their friends, family and the Divine.

W. Lyon Martin Author/Illustrator of "An Ordinary Girl, A Magical Child"

Ideally, a 12 Step program stresses *spirituality* in recovery, the Higher Power, however one recognizes it, be it God or one's Higher Self. In reality, being a Pagan in recovery can be a pretty lonely, isolating experience. Paganism in often mis-understood, which can put a damper on the openess, honesty, and 'fearless self-inventory' required for recovery.

This book goes a good way to addressing the specific needs of Pagans seeking recovery from chemical and process addictions, along with rituals, writing exercises, and mediations designed to bolster the teachings of each Step.

That said, the book has some serious flaws. It doesn't spend enough *time* on each Step, or the approaches one can take to them. I have often had to turn to Beattie's "The Co-Dependent's Guide to the 12 Steps" to supplement this book, because of the sheer lack of information. The outline is there, but the emotional connection is often missing. Too much time is spent on case histories and not enough on how to apply the step to one's own situation.

One of the tools used in the book is the Tarot--a very useful tool in itself. However, the results of the readings given in the book make me wonder just where the (card) reader was coming from. The interpretations of many of the cards are pretty far out from what I've learned--and more than a little negative. The spreads are also new and somewhat complicated, requiring a lot of page-flipping. There doesn't seem much point to the complexity of some of the spreads, which seem elaborate for the sake of elboration. (Is it *really* necessary to have a spread that puts cards at the main compass points instead of using the Celtic Cross?)

The feelings of isolation a Pagan may feel in a more mainstream recovery group is indeed a danger in its hinderance to recovery, in the 'cut-off' feeling that makes it that much easier to lapse.

The book also tries to cover too much territory--process addictions like co-dependency and sex addiction to chemical addictions like alcohol and narcotics. As such, there's a lot of jumping around and skimping. If you're looking for a focus on co-dpendency, or food-addiction, you'll have to read very closely.

The personal stories add depth, but I don't buy recovery books to read about other people, I buy them to help *myself*. A lot of the space given over to the lives of strangers could have been better used in giving concrete guidelines to Pagans in need.

This is not a bad book by far, but I would not rely on it and a group alone to bolster recovery efforts. One should have a book meant specifically for one's particular addiction to hand as well, for application of the Steps does indeed vary depending on the form of the addiction.

This book can alleviate the sense of 'otherness' and isolation experienced by those whose religious practices are outside the mainstream, and the re-wording of some of the Steps can make approaching them easier (and we all know, it doesn't matter how you get 'em to come in, so long as they *keep coming*.) I, for one, had the hardest time with the wording of Step One, and find this version something I can embrace without fear--but the complaint of twisting the Steps out of true by re-wording them is not without grounds. It appears that the rituals and Tarot exercises included were put in to replace the "Twelve Tools" present in most 12 Step programs. In fact, the idea of the Twelve Tools is never even mentioned in the text.

Use this book, if you're a Pagan--but use it with a 12-Step group, be it pagan or otherwise. Use it with other books as you work your program. This is just one tool for your recovery.

If you help organize a 12-Step group, read this book for an idea of what the closet Pagans in your group--present and future--may need. Anyone in recovery knows not to spurn a tool that can help bring us to sanity and balance, no matter how it's packaged or named.

I had never found any book that guided me on a spiritual experience. I have heard a lot about Shamanic journey but I had no idea that it was, as wonderful, as this. I can see and visit spirit all the time. I think anyone who is loooking for a spiritual experience should read this book. The art is wonderful. Thank you Wolf Moondance for your words. You are in my prayers-always. Ralph Grin

I received a signed copy of Rainbow Spirit Journeys as a gift from the author, and I would like to rave about how wonderful this work is. Having read all of the author's works, I was looking forward to this book. Wolf Moondance's creativity abounds as she instructs and guides readers on how to journey about Spirit, Money, Death, Marriage, Spirtual Path, Bad Habits, Sleep, Empowerment, and Children. Along with excellent written instruction on meditations (journeys) and dreams, the book includes magical watercolor work by Connie Seabourn. With the combination of Wolf's talented writing and the full page color watercolor magic by Ms. Seabourn, this is sure to win over any reader's heart. Please do yourself a favor and buy a copy for yourself, and one for someone you love. Wolf Moondance also has a creative, spiritual web site, the home of Rainbow Medicine, Spirit Medicine, Star Medicine, and Bone Medicine.

This is a beauty. The art is wonderful. The journeys are grand. You can't miss this one, you'll love it!

I found it to be a beautifully written book that was also very educational. I would recommend it highly to other people interested in nature/the natural world/sustainability.

Gaia Eros: Reconnecting to the Magic of Spirit and Nature by Amelia Raymond July 28, 2004

As a child, perhaps you felt that every tree was a living being, and that the wind brushed against your skin like a living wing. You might have been sure that fairies lived beneath a certain rock, or caused the flowers to open in the morning so they could arise from their bed of petals. You may have grown up to lament the destruction of forests, or of your favorite romps as developers transformed windswept oceans of grass into walled off tracts of exclusive homes. As you matured and your days were spent trying to make a living you began to accept these things as necessary. As the separation between you and the natural world deepened, you may have even have come to regard environmentalism as a youthful indulgence, abandoned now that you're out in the "real world." Or, perhaps you wondered whether you were the only person on the planet who knew that the Earth was a living being. Maybe the only way you could relieve that incredible loneliness was by going out to be alone with the Earth, far from highway noise and the chatter of those who seemed to not notice the miracle of madrone trees climbing the canyon cliffs above emerald-green waters. Perhaps you live in a city and your last truly spiritual experience was to honor the brave dandelion that found its way to bloom through a crack in the seemingly endless concrete.

If so, you're not alone. Jesse Wolf Hardin's latest work, Gaia Eros: Reconnecting to the Magic of Spirit and Nature is all about reconnecting. As emissary of the enchanted, ambassador of Gaia, the living Earth, Wolf brings us back to the essential truth we knew as children: that we are but one of myriad life forms that comprise this vital and fragile organism we call Earth. Reminiscent of Kahlil Gibran's sage classic The Prophet, the 210-page collection of beautiful and devotional essays is a Song of Solomon for the Earth. Written with unyielding commitment to the truth, these essays tell us that to fully experience this love, one must emerge from the illusion that we are somehow excused from attending life as a creature of the Earth.

Topics include eco-activism, the nature and essence of art, and the definition of being rich. Chapter 26, "Gaia River", is the story of the Sweet Medicine River, named after the indigenous people who last inhabited the land that is now home to Wolf, Loba and other entities that chirp, swoop, howl and prowl the canyon country. The author acquaints the reader with the realities of taking care of the beloved Earth by documenting the damage done by
"more than a century of overgrazing by immigrant Texas cattle. Elder cottonwoods
lost to the occasional flood were no longer being replaced, as the sprouts of alamo and
willow alike were gobbled up by the voracious cows. The river no longer channelized,
but wandered from one side of the canyon to the other, as if trying to avoid its tormentors.
...We were literally the first protectors in a thousand years, fencing off parts of the
river, replanting and restoring its banks until at least one section of the canyon was
a riparian forest again."

As the title suggests, the erotic principle is addressed, not as commercial culture's idea of eroticism but as the true meaning of Eros, the Life Force: that which connects us to one another, to our deepest selves, and to the interlaced network of all living things. Eros is touching one's lover with every sense awakened. In Chapter 9, "Gaia Eros: Sacred Sexuality, Sacred Earth," the Eros is revealed as the cooing of doves, as "giant cottonwood trees rub together their pollen-laden branches", and "the mating of canyon moon and purple mountain spires." We are urged to adopt the attitude of our forebears, that the "Earth is a Spirit-embodied being, sexually charged and reproductive." It is interaction on this level that we reinhabit our true sentient natures. We infuse our human sexuality with the Eros of the Earth, and become whole. For the entire nature of Jesse Wolf Hardin's relationship to the land is one of eroticism. He explains his contract with his canyon home as

"a marriage contract, bound by love rather than law. I've stood before these orange
and purple cliffs many times and repeated my vows. That I'll do everything I can to
restore her and make her all she can be, to never bend her to my will, to always serve her,
touch her, stroke her hair of grass. To revel in the sensation of my bare feet on her naked
Earthen body."

Jesse Wolf Hardin is more than a storyteller. To experience the procession of images that flow through Gaia Eros' pages is to see the life of Gaia pass before your eyes. The storyteller's craft is evidenced by the power he has to awaken the reader's personal acceptance of the natural, wild self. Throughout this book, his devotion to the earth resonates like the heartbeat of a lover or the rhythm of a sacred song. The mind opens to nature. As I was preparing to write this review, a flock of cliff swallows whooshed over my house as if casting a blessing for the work I was about to begin.

Jesse Wolf Hardin and Loba own and operate a 'wilderness retreat' called "The Earthen Spirituality Project and Sweet Medicine Women's Center' in New Mexico. This center forms the basis for this book, in their connection with their land, their very strong feelings for the earth and earth based spirituality, the sacredness of all things and the sacredness of self.

What connects all pagans is their love and respect for the earth. Mr. Hardin can be considered a very 'extreme' pagan in his dedication to the protection of the environment and his teachings of respect for all things.

This book outlines the retreats they hold at their New Mexico center, and combines their practices with their teachings and presents us with a path that is as inviting as it is intriguing.

This is not just about the land. Respect is for all things. The retreats focus on self in relation to your inner being, your connection with all things natural and taking the time to stop and smell the sage. Exercises in self indulgence, respecting and appreciating your food, proper and natural diet, and pursuit of your own personal spirituality are the focus of these retreats. Each step is a magical journey in reconnecting yourself to the land.

Mr. Hardin includes questions to explore your own personal beliefs and life style, discusses his ideas and teachings regarding personal growth, sexuality, and of course, our responsibility to the earth and his ideas of maintaining Gaia.

Mr. Hardin has a way with words, and it enables us to experience not only the taste of his center, but also his ideas, his teachings and his personal path. He is very eloquent in his descriptions of his concepts, from his ideas on sexuality to the smell of fresh baked bread. The book is very well written. Like his excellent pen and ink drawings which grace some of the pages, verbal details awaken the senses as you read through the material.

Mr. Hardin includes many diverse topics for discussion, from his own personal ideas on sexuality to war and its effects on the planet and ourselves. Some of this can be disturbing, we may not agree with all the thoughts presented by Mr. Hardin, and some will seem extreme. These are his teachings, and are meant to provoke thought on the topics.

But do not let that stop you from savoring the ideas and rolling them around in your mind. Extremes can be a wake up call. Do we respect ourselves, our own personal piece of the earth, or our own spirituality? Can we adjust our daily lives a little at a time so we can enhance our own personal experience? And do we respect Gaia enough that when we refer to ourselves as 'pagan' we mean it?

Though provoking, intelligent, subtle and sexual, this book covers all that Mr. Hardin and Lobo consider 'Gaia Eros' and their form of natural magic and spirituality. boudica

As I began to read this book, I was puzzled by the title. Gaia Eros? What does that mean? I looked at the chapter titles, and discovered that each of them stands alone very nicely; there's no need to read doggedly from front to back. This is not a textbook, where each chapter builds on the instructions from the one before. Then it hit me, after I began to reread Wolf's words. This is no mere compilation of essays.

Perhaps this volume could best be described as a collection of love letters; some serious, some whimsical, some practical, some esoteric, but always spiritual. To the Great Mystery that is Mother Earth, the author passionately, eloquently, and tirelessly conveys his love, commitment, and reverence. As Wolf invites us to develop our sense of belonging to Gaia, to honor and care for the earth, he explains in inspired and picturesque language the how and why of New Nature Spirituality.

Calling upon his two decades of experience care taking and "rewilding" a stretch of river canyon in New Mexico, Wolf gives us lessons from Nature through the eyes of the bobcats and the roots of the red willows. He builds an indelible image upon the mind's eye of his Sweet Medicine Sanctuary. In "Lessons of the Furry Buddhas" he writes:

"To be wild is to be "willed:" true to our authentic needs and nature. Never pretend to be anything but what you are."

In "The Sacred Ground," Wolf writes of our "holy Gaian beings." He elaborates on the substance that forms us, feeds us, shelters and then ultimately reclaims us, then gently chides us for our foolish obsession with washing off any evidence of its existence.

Gaia Eros calls each of us to new levels of awareness and activism, to become teachers and healers. To recognize and honor the eternal Earth Mother for her gifts and blessings, and to seek to reverse the harm that mankind has wrought.

This book belongs on every bookshelf, not just those of us Pagans and Earth-centered Spirituality types. It is for everyone who is aware of, or wants to be, --or even is just willing to entertain the possibility of-the ultimate sacred interconnectedness of all things on the living goddess planet we call Gaia. It should be read over and over, until we get it.

This book is not an easy read. I would have found a dictionary close by to be a big help. Wolf uses words like loci, indigenous, inspirited, sentience. Nor is this some "fluffy bunny" New Age eco-philosophy guide. (reviewed by Windweaver)

If you are already familiar with Nature-based spirituality, this book isn't going to tell you anything you don't already know. Mr. Hardin fills up the pages of his book with flowery words, elaborates on every minute detail, and gives no practical down-to-earth advice for living close to the Earth.
I think this book was written for entertainment purposes only. If you expect to learn anything from it, forget it.

For someone seeking a practical way to familarize themselves with one Cherokee path. Working the Medicine wheel outlined in the book can help one attain not only a Spiritual awareness, but also can help heal past hurts (the healing comes from your work). I Strongly recommend this book for individuals without access to a formal group or for groups without a leader schooled in the Eastern Cherokee tradition. Rather that a revelation of secret indian traditions , this book is is just what it says it is: "A practical Workbook & Study Guide to the Medicine Path".

Is a newly revised and edited edition of American Indian Ceremonies. This new edition should be available in late October, 2002.

This is sad.

One book, she's a Welsh witch, another book, she's a Native American Shaman. That tells me that she is neither. Don't buy books written by people who just want to dress up and pretend, but don't have any knowledge of their subject, or even realize how foolish they look.

For someone seeking a practical way to familarize themselves with one Cherokee path. Working the Medicine wheel outlined in the book can help one attain not only a Spiritual awareness, but also can help heal past hurts (the healing comes from your work). I Strongly recomend this book for indiviuals without access to a formal group or for groups without a leader schooled in the Eastern Cherokee tradition. Rather that a revelation of secret indian traditions , this book is is just what it says it is: "A practical Workbook & Study Guide to the Medicine Path".

This book focuses on the objective aspects of working with the indigenous spirits of the land. It contains much of the crafts-work and skills used in shamanism, such as constructing a spirit pipe, making medicine tools, smudging and more. The Cherokee language is presented, with the syllabary and words. Totems, correspondences of stones, plants, animals, planets, and meditations are covered, and much more ... It's an easy read yet loaded with useful information and clear illustrations, and resource lists. Great book, I've enjoyed it for some time and expect to continue using it.

I have read numerous books on the Native American Medicine Wheel, seeking to understand this Old Way of relating to the Earth and all upon it.

This book gives excellent information as well as clear instruction on that subject.

Many people have lost touch with what brings peace and harmony to their lives. They are also concerned with what's being done to individuals, animals, and the Earth itself in the name of technology. They're looking for help with spiritual development and finding their own centers.

Hal Zina Bennett offers practical help in Spirit Animals and the Wheel of Life, his twenty-third book. In it he continues to explore how we can incorporate universal love in our daily lives. He has chosen the wheel because it has no beginning or end and thus "teaches us how to work with the limits of human knowing and how to find peace with our apparent human differences."

Bennett believes that people are searching for ways to become closer to Earth, and finding the solutions in ancient practices, such as shamanism. He describes "nature-based spiritual practices" that emphasize the connection between Earth and all its inhabitants. Some of these practices involve looking at characteristics of certain animals and using them as models for our own behavior.

He says, however, that animals are not just symbols. They are living creatures. We learn from observing them in their natural environments. Since not everyone can do this, Bennett describes the powers of the seven primary animals with the most to teach us. These are correlated with the seven chakras, for those who find it easier to think in those terms. He provides complete instructions for setting up and using an "ecospiritual wheel," which helps to establish rituals for learning from animals.

Bennett says that he "offers Spirit Animals and the Wheel of Life as a way to begin reclaiming your own ecospiritual connection with our planet--not just as a philosophy but as a practical spirituality and a way of mapping your own path back to the center." Readers will find that he has provided the knowledge and guidance they need to make their own sacred connections.