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MythAstrology: Exploring Planets & Pantheons, by Raven Kaldera
Llewellyn, 0738705160, 436 pp. (incl. appendix), 2004

It has been a while since I read an astrology book that struck me as unique and useful, and MythAstrology fits both those criteria. When learning, teaching or discussing astrology sometimes it is all too easy to rely on cookie cutter phrases, that you may not truly understand, sometimes they even become crutches that prevent deeper understanding. Kaldera introduces an other way to understand and view the different placements in the chart, by associating the placement of each planet in every sign with a God and some of their mythology.

Even as someone who has seriously studied astrology, I found this book useful, insightful and hilariously accurate. By using Gods and Myths, rather than Continue reading »

Wooden Rune Kit, by Laura Tuan and Lo Scarabeo
Kit: Wooden runes, accompanied by a book, Runes: The Gods’ Magical Alphabet, by Laura Tuan, Lo Scarabeo, distributed by Llewellyn Worldwide, 9780738713939, 64 pp, 2008

This set consists of 25 runes, a black bag, and a 64 page book. I have minor quibbles with some of the information contained in this book, as well as the inclusion of the 25th (blank) rune. However, before I explain what I object to I have to say that the runic set itself is well made, for the most part. The runes are burned into the surface of the wooden tiles rather lightly. In fact, the rune “Rado” is almost indistinguishable from “Wunjo” in the set I received. A slightly deeper burn would make them more durable in the long run, but perhaps the purchaser could make this modification themselves, as a way of putting their own energy into the runes.

In the traditional 24 runes of the futhark set there are Continue reading »

The Universe in a Single Atom: The Convergence of Science and Spirituality, by H.H. Tenzin Gyasto, the 14th Dalai Lama
Broadway Books, 978767920810, 216 pp., 2005

Many books that touch on science and spirituality follow the pattern of using one to try to (dis)prove the other. In this book, while His Holiness seeks the middle path of Science and Spirituality, he doesn’t try to marry the results, but the process. Rather than trying to show how science is directly supporting or opposing Buddhist thought, he spends the time focused on the process of science and the importance it holds to Buddhism, as well as how Buddhism must change with the understanding of our world.

“My confidence in venturing into science lies in my basic belief that as in science so in Buddhism, understanding the nature of reality is pursued by means of critical investigation: if scientific analysis were conclusively to demonstrate certain claims in Buddhism to be false, then we must accept the finds of science and abandon those claims.”

His Holiness so believes Continue reading »

Beyond Happiness: Deepening the Dialogue Between Buddhism, Psychotherapy and the Mind Sciences, by Gay Watson
Karnac Books, 9781855754041, 193 pp. (incl. appendices), 2008

Psychology, psychotherapy and the mind sciences have shown a growing interest in their links with the Buddhist models of the mind and the Buddhist psychology, this book is another effort to put forth some of what has been coming out of this interaction.

While it may seem odd, I was glad in the intro when Watson admitted her limitations for this writing she is “not a scientist and freely admit that my understanding of these fields come from secondary sources which report back to the interest layperson from the fields of research.” Several books I’ve read on this topic have the authors presenting themselves as more of an authority than perhaps they have the right to.

Beyond Happiness also goes beyond similar books, for it not only discusses Buddhism in light of psychology but includes neuroscience and neurobiology as part of the exploration. The book follows the pattern of View, Meditation, and Action, a familiar pattern of thought to many Buddhists. Continue reading »

Techniques of High Magic: A Guide to Self-Empowerment, by Francis King and Stephen Skinner
Destiny Books, 0892813504, 228pp., 1976

This book brings together Francis King and Stephen Skinner to create what they believe is a beginner’s guide to High Magic. Their definition of magick was short and sweet; “the art and science of using little known natural forces in order to achieve changes in consciousness and the physical environment”. Though despite being a beginner’s book, they don’t discuss what magick can be used for, what reasons there are for magick, but after a bit of theorizing about magick jump right into it.

They discuss the first steps of magic on their path, which is Continue reading »

The Transparent Tarot, by Emily Carding
Schiffer Books, 9780764330032, 280 pp., 72 cards, 2008

Emily Carding provides a rather extensive book with her tarot deck, I felt I would cover them together. It’s nice to see a deck that’s published without the dreaded “little white book”. The Transparent Tarot comes with a book that’s nearly three hundred pages long, a book that’s appreciated even as a seasoned tarot reader, and would be invaluable if this deck happened to be someone’s first.

Carding explores the cards Continue reading »

Carl Jung: Darwin of the Mind, by Thomas T. Lawson
Karnac Books, 9781855754683, 226 pp., 2008

Jung is often considered what of the greatest minds of the age, one of the founding fathers of psychology. Lawson seeks “to pull together the thought of Carl Jung and place it in a non-technical way within a contemporary context, so as to make it accessible to the general reader” as Jung never wrote much for the public. Rather than being a “Jung 101″ book, or a dumbed down version of his writings, this book is an intelligent exploration of Jung’s ideas relying less on the professional language of psychology, focusing on the consciousness and unconsciousness as a direct product of evolution.

“we have a mechanism whereby conscious might evolve. The mechanism is directly analogous to genetic evolution and operates according to the basic formula of natural selection”

Lawson compares Darwin’s model of evolution to Continue reading »

The Book of Enoch the Prophet, translated by R. H. Charles
Weiser Books, 1578632595, 140 pp., 2003

The Book of Enoch is a book that was removed from the Bible and the Torah for many reasons. Once it was held as an important book by the founding fathers of the Christian Church, for it detailed events of the Messiah before his coming, as well as expanded upon parts of the Old Testament. The text was lost (or more properly destroyed) in the fourth century when it was deemed heretical, it wasn’t until the eighteenth century that the book resurfaced from an Ethiopian source, and a very interesting part of Judeo-Christian scripture was brought back to life.

The book of Genesis describes “the Sons of God”, a title for a group of Angels, taking wives from Continue reading »

Yoga Morality: Ancient Teachings at a Time of Global Crisis, by Georg Feuerstein
Hohm Press, 1890772666, 292 pp. (incl. bibliography and index), 2007

“The idea current in some circles that spirituality has nothing to do with morality is an unproductive and even dangerous will-o’-the-wisp. If spirituality is not embodied here and now, it is nothing at all.”

In the preface Feuerstein writes that “Yoga is not to be measured by the glamour of its spectacular physical postures or fabulous states of meditation.” Instead he notes that yoga is a spiritual tradition “concerned with personal growth and the goal of self-transcendence to the point of perfect inner freedom.” As such, this book as little to do with the yoga we’ve become familiar with, no postures, no exercises. Instead, Yoga Morality focuses on the ethical side of things, as Feurerstein sees it. Continue reading »

Encyclopedia of Angels, by Richard Webster
Llewellyn, 9780738714622, 262 pp., 2009

A few centuries ago this book would have been: a) invaluable; b) impossible to produce; and c) the result of years of painstaking research and writing in the scriptorium of some European monastery.

Of course, as an encyclopedia, it is intended primarily as a reference work and is not meant to be “read”. Consequently, my review is based on an overview of the work based on a number of entries with which I am familiar.

This is an extensive, though Continue reading »