Mike Gleason May, 2012

Spells for Self-improvement   Using Magic for Personal Success

by  Lauren White

©  2000    Andrews McMeel Publishing

ISBN:  0-7407-0552-0

102 pages

Hardcover                        $9.95 (U.S.)

As you would rightly expect upon seeing this book for the first time (it is about 5 inches square), it is extremely basic and written with tongue firmly planted in cheek.  For all of that, there is still a certain amount of wisdom contained within the amusing writing.  Basics are provided in terms of color uses and some flowers and herbs, and the reader is reminded that witchCRAFT is just that – a craft – and takes patience and practice to perfect.

Regular readers of my reviews know that I have often bemoaned the preponderance of “101” books on the market.  Well, this is not a “101” book – it is a “pre-101” book.  It is capable of being used even by children, in some instances.  It gives a very broad overview of the sorts of things which anyone can do to improve  their life, as is indicated in the subtitle “Using Magic for Personal Success.”

The spells are all very short and simple yet, based on years of experience, they should be fairly effective.  Of course the one disadvantage of this book, because of the size of it, is that there is minimal explanation of the reasoning behind the spells.  The correspondences of the items chosen are explained in extremely basic terms, but that is a good thing, as far too many authors go into great depths and thus confuse their readers.

Each spell provides a level of difficulty, length of time for results, and reliability (all rated from one to three).  While I wouldn’t use this particular system, it works for the author, and it should work for the user.

For the experienced practitioner, this book is unnecessary.  For the individual hoping to learn what makes magic work, it is not helpful.  But for the person looking for some quick inspiration and guidance, it is quite valuable.  Browse through it and simply enjoy what is offered.

Tags: lauren white, Spells for Self-improvement Using Magic for Personal Success

• Interviews & Reviews

Hally Rhiannon Nammu April, 2012

7 Common Mistakes in Spiritualism

by Hally Rhiannon-Nammu

The Inspiration of the EBook:

“The inspiration is through being connected to the collective and through fulfilling my purpose on this path that this book has come to light.”

2012 is providing an avenue to increase the energetic vibration individually and collectively. However, due to its popularity the start of 2012 has brought about many mistakes, fallacies and falsities that are leading many into the darkness of a lowered vibration, not an increased vibration. The truth must be revealed to ensure that the collective vibration increases not decreases and for this to occur certain secrets must be told.

As a Spiritual Expert it is my duty to share how it really is and this is one step into ensuring that the connection of pure intent is shared and maintained. I have been provided with this gift to help, heal and educate. This EBook will help many gain their vibrational increase to enable their alignment and ascension. It is only with pure intent that it will continue to evolve.

About the EBook – 7 Common Mistakes in Spiritualism:

This is a beautiful book with 50 Pages, seven unique sections delivering answers and explanations behind the common mistakes and fallacies in Spiritualism.

This is such a huge topic with multiple layers and this EBook will provide the stepping stone insight into the simple truth that exists.

Hally utilised her connection to Source and her Spirit Guides to gain specific information and answers to information many have never been privy to.

Some of this includes:

1. Spiritualism is Religious and Evil – the truth is revealed
2. Spiritualism and Health Aren’t Related – what you need to know
3. You must be a Hippy to be Spiritual – some secrets disclosed

For anyone that wants to know the secrets behind what Spiritualism really is, understand about 2012 on a personal level and why being completely aligned is the most beautiful and natural state to achieve, then this book is for you!

About Hally:

In addition to being a columnist on Pagan Pages, Hally Rhiannon-Nammu is passionate, driven and empathic psychic, spiritual healer and shaman with a thirst for knowledge; finding answers to never-ending questions on her journey to fulfil her ethereal purpose.

“For me my energetic development does not stand still and I go through energetic shifts regularly, constantly raising my vibrational level and my ability to read and connect to the universe. I know what I need to know in the moments that it is needed – which means, I know almost everything there is to know when it comes to the pure world of Spiritualism.”

To Get Your Copy:  http://www.creativebalance.com.au/7-common-mistakes-in-spiritualism/

To Contact Hally: hally@creativebalance.com.au

www.creativebalancehealing.com / www.creativebalance.com.au

Tags: ebook, New, Spiritualism

• Articles , Interviews & Reviews

Mike Gleason April, 2012

An A to Z Guide to Healing Foods

by  Mary Elise Collins  © 2010

Conari Press

ISBN:  978-1-57324-419-0

164 pages    Paperback        $12.95 (U.S.)

This is not a book to be read through – it is a book to be referred to and consulted.  It contains a listing of more than 250 foods with a basic description of the benefits to be derived from the consumption of each.  That comprises the first 130+ pages of this book.  There then follows a short section on Ailment Treatment and Health Maintenance.  That is followed by a brief glossary and suggestions for online shopping sources.  It is rounded out by a basic bibliography.

There are sidebars scattered throughout the book to offer insight into some of the terms as well as some suggestions for improving your diet.

It is really difficult to review a work such as this, since it is basically a compilation of information.   I checked a few of the entries for accuracy and found them to be on the money.  Without a doubt, the most valuable section is the one on treatments and maintenance, since it can help you tailor your shopping list for maximum benefit.

Ms Collins recommends, as do a great many individuals, that we turn more towards foods grown locally.  Eating seasonal foods which do not have to be shipped vast distances is a win-win situation.  The money you spend helps your local economy, the environment is spared the damages caused by long distance transport, and you are able to establish a connection with your own area.

This is, by no means, an essential addition to your library,  but it is a worthwhile one.

Tags: book review

• Interviews & Reviews

Mike Gleason March, 2012

Dalai Lama’s Little Book of Wisdom, The

by  His Holiness the Dalai Lama

© 2010  Hampton Roads

ISBN:  978-1-57174-628-3

400 pages

Paperback

$10.95 (U.S.)

Tenzin Gyatso, His Holiness the XIV Dalai Lama, has won the Nobel Peace Prize (1989), but even more importantly he has won the hearts of millions of non-Buddhists world-wide.  Many who have heard him speak, whether in person or through the media, have been struck by his accessibility and his ability to relate to the human condition – which is rare for a religious leader, let alone one who is also a world leader in political matters.

This book is composed of teachings and advice gathered, if you accept the basic premise of reincarnation, over the course of many lifetimes (in this case, 14).  These lessons and advice are NOT couched in platitudes and generalities, but are related in concrete ways.  Its small size (4.25 inches by 5 inches) and abundant use of white spaces belies the importance of many of the statements and ideas contained within its 400 pages.  Do not allow either of these considerations to lull you into a belief that the contents are light-weight or unimportant, they are neither.

This book is a re-print of the 2002 The Spirit of Peace published by Thorsons (which was assembled from The Dalai Lama’s Book of Wisdom; The Dalai Lama’s Book of Transformation; The Dalai Lama’s Book of Love and Compassion).

Unfortunately, multiple republications have not eliminated one of my pet peeves – editorial glitches.  To be honest, such glitches are minor (dropped spacing between words and such), but for someone who spends as much time reading as I do it can throw off the rhythm established.  I rely on that rhythm to help me get through anywhere up to 100 pages of reading a day.  I seldom resort to skimming, as I don’t want to miss anything important, but if the glitches are frequent enough, I sometimes do so.  That was NOT necessary with this book, fortunately.

His Holiness stresses that attitude is very important in all aspects of life.  If there is a way to overcome difficulty, there is no need to worry; if there is no way to overcome it, there is no use in worrying.  Or, to sum it up in the words of a sometimes forgotten icon of American life, Alfred E. Neuman (the cover figure and representative of “Mad” magazine) – “What, Me. Worry?”  It may seem simplistic, but it is a viable approach.

His Holiness presents his lessons in the form of lectures.  Each of them is relatively short, which makes it easy to absorb.  He continually stresses the fact that, unlike what we have come to expect in the Western world, enlightenment and progress do not occur instantly, they take time and other things which are not currently in favor, like effort and repetition.

This is not a book about Buddhist teachings.  It is a book about world teachings, couched occasionally in Buddhist terms.  Without a doubt, this book offers the reader a great deal to think about.  Even more importantly, it offers goals to work towards, and methods to do the work.

Tags: book, dalai lama, review

• Interviews & Reviews

Hally Rhiannon Nammu March, 2012

7 Common Mistakes in Spiritualism

by Hally Rhiannon-Nammu

The Inspiration of the EBook:

“The inspiration is through being connected to the collective and through fulfilling my purpose on this path that this book has come to light.”

2012 is providing an avenue to increase the energetic vibration individually and collectively. However, due to its popularity the start of 2012 has brought about many mistakes, fallacies and falsities that are leading many into the darkness of a lowered vibration, not an increased vibration. The truth must be revealed to ensure that the collective vibration increases not decreases and for this to occur certain secrets must be told.

As a Spiritual Expert it is my duty to share how it really is and this is one step into ensuring that the connection of pure intent is shared and maintained. I have been provided with this gift to help, heal and educate. This EBook will help many gain their vibrational increase to enable their alignment and ascension. It is only with pure intent that it will continue to evolve.

About the EBook – 7 Common Mistakes in Spiritualism:

This is a beautiful book with 50 Pages, seven unique sections delivering answers and explanations behind the common mistakes and fallacies in Spiritualism.

This is such a huge topic with multiple layers and this EBook will provide the stepping stone insight into the simple truth that exists.

Hally utilised her connection to Source and her Spirit Guides to gain specific information and answers to information many have never been privy to.

Some of this includes:

1. Spiritualism is Religious and Evil – the truth is revealed
2. Spiritualism and Health Aren’t Related – what you need to know
3. You must be a Hippy to be Spiritual – some secrets disclosed

For anyone that wants to know the secrets behind what Spiritualism really is, understand about 2012 on a personal level and why being completely aligned is the most beautiful and natural state to achieve, then this book is for you!

About Hally:

In addition to being a columnist on Pagan Pages, Hally Rhiannon-Nammu is passionate, driven and empathic psychic, spiritual healer and shaman with a thirst for knowledge; finding answers to never-ending questions on her journey to fulfil her ethereal purpose.

“For me my energetic development does not stand still and I go through energetic shifts regularly, constantly raising my vibrational level and my ability to read and connect to the universe. I know what I need to know in the moments that it is needed – which means, I know almost everything there is to know when it comes to the pure world of Spiritualism.”

To Get Your Copy:  http://www.creativebalance.com.au/7-common-mistakes-in-spiritualism/

To Contact Hally: hally@creativebalance.com.au

www.creativebalancehealing.com / www.creativebalance.com.au

Tags: ebook, Hally, spirituality

• Articles , Interviews & Reviews

Mike Gleason February, 2012

Who Are You in the Tarot?

By  Mary K. Greer

© 2011  Red Wheel/Weiser

ISBN:  978-1578634935

272 pages

Paperback        $21.95 (U.S.)

This is, essentially, a reworking, updating and revision of an earlier work.  It is designed to be a workbook.  I’ve read Tarot for years and have never encountered the ideas she promulgates within the covers of this book, which doesn’t say much for the “adventurousness” of my readings.

This is not her first book on the Tarot, and I might,  perhaps, have gotten more out of it if I had read her previous work.  Still, this book is designed to stand on its own and needs to be evaluated on that basis.

Anything which helps to expand our understanding of personalities and why people react in certain ways in certain situations is an invaluable addition to our ability to foresee trends and thus help to control and alter our behavior.

It is not necessary to read through book in the order it is written, although it would be beneficial to at least skim quickly through the introductions to each chapter.  It is possible, however, to just skip around and tackle the topics in any order which appeals to you.

In spite of coming to this book with years of preconceptions, I found her ideas easy to adapt to and understand.  There are numerous charts, forms and illustrations (which you are encouraged to copy) to help you understand the relationships of the various cards and their groupings (constellations).

Her method for calculating Year Cards, for some reason, seems to me to be either badly explained or more complicated than it need be.  I had to read through the procedure several times, and even then I wasn’t real sure of my results.  I have had instances in the past where, for one reason or another, I have read unnecessary complications where none have existed, so I am willing to give Ms Greer the benefit of the doubt and assume that the difficulty lay within me and my perceptions.

Even if you find that the concepts of constellated cards and other ideas she puts forth do not resonate with you, she offers a great deal of insight into the cards themselves and the symbolism and meanings which can be derived from them through seeing them in “unconventional” ways.

While I have some reservations because of my personal difficulties making some of the calculations, I have no hesitation in recommending this book as an excellent source of insight and inspiration.

Tags: book, Divination, tarot

• Interviews & Reviews

Michele Burke February, 2012

Kindness A Treasury of Buddhist Wisdom for Children and Parents…

Adapted and compiled by Sarah Conover

University of Washington Press (12 Mar 2001)

Paperback 120 pages

“Kindness” is a traditional collection of Buddist tales meant to guide us to a better understanding of others as well as ourselves. Aimed at all age groups, “Kindness” is a delight to read and a must have in any childs home library.

Tags: buddhist, children, pagan children

• Interviews & Reviews

Mike Gleason January, 2012

The Secrets of Dr. Taverner

by  Dion Fortune  © 2011

Weiser    ISBN:  978-1-57863-337-1

Paperback       236 pages

$16.95  (U.S.)

This novel was assembled from a group of short stories at about the same time as the final collection of Sherlock Holmes stories, and there are some similarities           to be noted.  This was intended, as Dion Fortune wanted her stories to gain as large a readership as possible.  Ms Fortune was one of the earliest students of psychoanalysis in the UK, and her training shows through in her works.

Dion Fortune had the good fortune to combine a psychologist’s insight with a writer’s ability to capture the imagination.  To that mixture she added in a working knowledge of general esotericism, magick and secret societies (thanks to her involvement in the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn).  She used her non-fiction esoteric books to convey the theory and her novels to show the practical side of magick.

The stories in this work are composites.  Nothing is taken directly from any one source or event, but everything has its roots in actuality.

Because it was published in the mid-1920s the style of writing is much more relaxed, and more detail oriented than is common nowadays.  Ms Fortune used her magickal name to publish those works which would not be accepted by the scientific community of the day (and which would consequently affect her professional standing), while publishing her “acceptable” books on psychology under her “normal” name of Violet Mary Firth.

If you have never read any of Fortune’s novels before, this is an excellent introductory work.  If, on the other hand, you have read The Sea Priestess and Moon Magic this may come as a bit of a surprise.  Being comprised of short stories it moves along at a faster clip and contains a wider variety of characters.

Without a doubt, this was the most enjoyable of all of the Dion Fortune works I have read in my lifetime, and I really appreciate the fact that Weiser is bringing them back for a new generation to appreciate.

Tags: The Secrets of Dr. Taverner

• Interviews & Reviews

Mike Gleason December, 2011

The Diary of a Drug Fiend

by  Aleister Crowley  © 2010

Weiser   ISBN:  978-1-57863-494-1

Paperback        384 pages

$18.95  (U.S.)

Crowley’s first published  novel (1922) explores a world which is familiar to many of today’s society (albeit from a slightly different perspective) – that of an abuser of cocaine and heroin.  Many modern users are not in a position of being able to indulge their every whim,  nor are the drugs as readily available as they were in post- Great War Britain.  They can, certainly, relate to the effects of the drugs – the exhilaration of the cocaine and the obsessive focus of the heroin (and no, I haven’t indulged, although I do know those who have).

The book is stuffed with poetry (both Crowley’s and others).  Regardless what you think of his reputation(s) [he was a mountaineer, a poet, a Ceremonialist and a writer, among other accomplishments], it must be admitted that he was a prolific author of diverse forms.  Of course, he was writing in a different time and environment. So his profuse, flowery style may not be to everyone’s liking

His powers of description cannot be challenged.  You see exactly what he wants you to see.  You get the vicarious experience as he dashes along the page.  There is nothing lackadaisical in his approach, it is all or nothing.

Perhaps the most difficult aspect of this book is that Crowley knew what he was writing about.  So, in spite of it being a novel, it rings absolutely true on many levels and in many ways.  The narrative is frequently disjointed and (sometimes) may appear to be nonsensical, but this accurately reflects the experience of those who use these drugs.  There are quotations from other of his works, (unacknowledged, naturally).  What  might be easily dismissed from another, less talented, writer strikes the reader on a visceral level.

It take a serious application of the mind to get through this book.  The flow and style are so unfamiliar to the average reader of today’s novels that many will give up on it before long, and that is unfortunate.  It is only in the final portion of the work that Crowley begins to lay out his message of magickal education (without harping on the fact that is is magickal).

You won’t find rituals in this final section (it isn’t that kind of book) except in broad outlines, and then not as the primary focus.  You will find some poetic praise pieces.  But what you will find is magickal philosophy which is couched in terms any layman can understand.

As is noted on the cover “It is a terrible story but it is also a story of hope and of beauty.”  I can’t argue with that, nor can I sum it up any better.

Tags: book review

• Interviews & Reviews

Mike Gleason November, 2011

Runecasters Handbook

by  Edred Thorsson

© 2011  Wesier

ISBN:  978-1-57863-136-0

Paperback       143 pages

$14.95  (U.S.)

This book may, arguably, be considered a classic in the field of runic work.  Originally copyrighted in 1988 (and originally published by Weiser in 1990) it is still in demand today.  It is the final installment in a trio of books (with Futhark:  A Handbook of Rune Magic and Runelore:  A Handbook of Esoteric Runology ) which is intended to provide a basis for understanding the Germanic runes, their history and interpretation, and their relevance in our  modern world.

Each entry contains a wealth of information.  The standards are there – Phonetic value, the Germanic name, and the most common English name – but that is just the beginning.  There are several sources for runic interpretation in the historical literature (“Old English Rune Poem” (OERP), “Old Norwegian Rune Rhyme” (ONRR), and “Old Icelandic Rune Poem” (OIRP)), and stanzas from each are examined for each of the Elder staves (symbols, in common usage).  There is not universal agreement among these sources, covering as they do, a variety of times and locales, and this very disagreement offers insight into the cultures involved, and the understanding of runecasters through time.

If you have had no previous exposure to the use of runes, it would definitely be advantageous to do some reading before starting into this book.  Admittedly, my own runic experience is extremely limited, but I have had some exposure to, and use of, the runes and the culture(s) they developed in so I wasn’t floundering in the dark.

Assuming the first two books display this level of commitment and dedication to expanding knowledge of runecraft (and I haven’t seen them, so I  don’t KNOW that they do even if I do expect them to), this set needs to be a part of the training materials available to novices.  Dr. Thorrson (doctorate in Germanic Languages and Medieval Studies from the University of Texas) has made every effort to be both comprehensive and easily understood in his presentation.

Moving beyond the basic, though by no means simple, interpretation of the individual runes, he devotes time and space to various forms of layouts and what they can contribute to the understanding of the information and guidance which is provided.

This is NOT a book about “fortune telling”, nor is it a book about “games” which can be played with the runes.  It is an attempt to help the reader attain a proper mind-set or consciousness which is susceptible to influences beyond the realm of normal sensory input, so that insight may be attained about what is occurring in the present and how that may influence what is yet to come.

If you are interested in the subject of runes, and want  more than a simple “pop” approach, I highly recommend this book.

Tags: Divination, Edred Thorsson, runecasters handbook, runes

• Interviews & Reviews