The Sibling Society
Robert Bly The author of Iron John expands his mythic perspective to examine American culture at large, and finds us to be a nation of squabbling children.. In his phenomenal bestseller, Iron John, Robert Bly captivated the nation with the wisdom embedded in a thousand-year-old fairy tale, creating both a cultural movement and publishing history.Now, in Silbling Society, Bly turns to stories as unexpected as Jack and the Beanstalk and the Hindu tale of the Ganesha to illustrate and illuminated the troubled soul of our nation itself. What he shows us is a culture where adults remain children, and where children have no desire to become adultsa nation of squabbling siblings.Through his use of poetry and myth, Bly takes us beyond the sociological statistics and tired psychobabble to see our dilemma afresh. In this sibling culture that he describes, we tolerate no one above us and have no concern for anyone below us. Like sullen teenagers, we live in our peer group, glancing side to side, rather than upward, for direction. We have brought down all forms of hierarchy because hierarchy is based on power, often abused. Yet with that leveling we have also destroyed any willingness to look up or down. Without that verticle gaze, as Bly calls it, we have no longing for the good, no deep understanding of evil. We shy away from great triumphs and deep sorrow. We have no elders and no children; no past and no future. What we are left with is spiritual flatness. The talk show replaces family. Instead of art we have the Internet. In place of community we have the mall.By drawing upon such magnificent spirits as Pablo Neruda, Rumi, Emily Dickenson, and Ortega y Gasset, Bly manages to show us the beautiful possibilities of human existence, even as he shows us the harshest truths. Still, his probing is deeper and more unsettling than the usual cultural criticism. He finds that our economys stimulation of adolescent envy and greed has changed us fundamentally. The Superego that once demanded high standards in our work and in our ethics no longer demands that we be good but merely famous, bathed in the warm glow of superficial attention. Driven by this insatiable need, and with no guidance toward the discipline required for genuine accomplishment, our young people are defeated before they begin.It is the youn In a phrase common to the ancient stories Bly uses to illustrate his themes, it is these people who we all to easily throw out the window, but it is also these disenfranchised who will be waiting for us on the road ahead to claim their due.A wake-up call, an inspiration, brilliantly original, The Sibling Society will capture the imagination and enliven our nations cultural debate as no other book in years. |
Way of the Shaman
Michael J. Harner This is the single most important book on shamanism written by the man who knows the most. Michael Harner is an anthropologist working in this area for 50 years. A slim book with a concise exposition of "core shamanism" the basic common methods developed by peoples throughout the world. The techniques work and the basic journeying method to lower and upper worlds can be learned in a weekend workshop. If you want one book on shamanism - this is the one. |
The Revenge of Gaia: Why the Earth Is Fighting Back - and How We Can Still Save Humanity
James Lovelock For millennia, humankind has exploited the Earth without counting the cost. Now, as the world warms and weather patterns dramatically change, the Earth is beginning to fight back. James Lovelock, one of the giants of environmental thinking, argues passionately and poetically that, although global warming is now inevitable, we are not yet too late to save at least part of human civilization. This short book, written at the age of eighty-six after a lifetime engaged in the science of the earth, is his testament. |
Timeless Simplicity: Creative Living in a Consumer Society
John Lane
This is a book about simplicity, not destitution, not parsimoniousness, not self-denial, but the restoration of wealth in the midst of an affluence in which we are starving the spirit. It is a book about the advantages of living a less cluttered, stressful life than that which has become the norm in the overcrowded and manic-paced consuming nations. It is a book that has nothing to do with subsistence living on the Lake Isle of Innisfree, but everything to do with having less and enjoying more enjoying time to do the work you love, enjoying time to spend with your family, enjoying time to pursue creative projects, enjoying time for good eating, enjoying time just to be.
Our grandchildren will inherit an Earth with less than 20 per cent of its original forests still intact, with most of the readily available freshwater already spoken for, with most of the wetlands and reef systems either destroyed or degraded. Sooner or later a more frugal lifestyle will not only be desirable it will become an imperative.
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The Tao of Physics (Flamingo)
Fritjof Capra This book weaves a magical spell over the reader who is fascinated by both science and mysticism. It covers both in great depth and detail. The essential teachings of Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism and Zen are carefully distilled and the unifying principles of these paths are identified. The one characteristic all these '-isms' share is the awareness of unity of the connectedness of the whole. Capra compares and contrasts classical and modern physics while integrating the mystical truths as discovered in these religions. It is a daunting undertaking but he succeeds with aplomb! The close parallels between Eastern mysticism and modern physics (quantum physics) is amazing - each approaches reality from a different starting point but arrives at the same place. Capra writes about the cosmic dance of particle, energy, and consciousness - highly complex topics, in a very readable manner. He touches upon Geoffrey Chew's S-matrix theory (bootstrap philosophy) and Bohm's theory of Implicate Order. He calls the paradigm shift we are experiencing "a crisis of perception" from which all problems in the world arise. The manner in which scientific ideas are interspersed with mystical concepts is truly astonishing! Fritjof Capra manages to precipitate the essential kernal of truth from apparent divergent viewpoints ...This is a great book for anyone exploring the relationship of the rational scientific view and mysticism, i.e., the spiritual journey. This is a very valuable book for the modern world. Erika Borsos (bakonyvilla) |
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Iron John: A Book About Men
Robert Bly Robert Bly writes that it is clear to men that the images of adult manhood given by popular culture are worn out, that a man can no longer depend on them. Iron John searches for a new vision of what a man is or could be, drawing on psychology, anthropology, mythology, folklore and legend. John Bly looks at the importance of the Wild Man (reminiscent of the Wild Woman in Women Who Run With the Wolves), who he compares to a Zen priest, a shaman or a woodman. |
Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: 25th Anniversary Edition
Robert M. Pirsig Acclaimed as one of the most exciting books in the history of American letters, this modern epic became an instant bestseller upon publication in 1974, transforming a generation and continuing to inspire millions. A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, the book becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions of how to live. Resonant with the confusions of existence, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a touching and transcendent book of life. |
Druidcraft: The Magic of Wicca and Druidry
Philip Carr-Gomm Druidry and Wicca, also known as "the Craft", are the two great streams of the Western Pagan tradition. Both traditions originated in the British Isles, and both are now experiencing a renaissance all over the world, as more and more people seek a spirituality rooted in a love of nature. In the ancient past Druidry and Wicca probably weren't separate. Today, the ways of Druidry and Wicca are starting to merge again, as contemporary readers combine ideas and techniques from both traditions to build their spiritual practice. In this down to earth yet inspiring book, Stephanie and Philip Carr-Gomm offer a name for this path that draws on the common beliefs and practices of both Druidry and Wicca: Druidcraft. Then, in a series of six lessons, they empowers the reader to follow this practice by showing how anyone can work with its ways: the way of blessing; the way of the hearth; the ways of love; the ways of healing; the way of the earth and her seasons; and the ways of magic and spellcraft. "Druidcraft" draws on the traditions of scholarship, storytelling, magical craft and seasonal celebration of both Druids and Wiccans, to offer inspiration, teachings, rituals, and magical techniques that can help you access your innate powers of creativity and healing, intuition and seership. |
Craft of the Wild Witch: Green Spirituality and Natural Enchantment
Poppy Palin Wild Witchcraft is a magical, free-spirited philosophy that embraces nature, finding magic in the mundane and inspiration in everyday life. |
Nature Spirits and Elemental Beings: Working with the Intelligence in Nature
Marko Pogacnik Personal experience is the principal basis for Marco Pogacnik's study of nature spirits who communicate through meditation with plants, trees, animals and the landsacpe. Describing in detail the various elemental beings and their roles in the web of life this book also gives insights into related topics such as the flow of energies within the landscape and the long-suppressed Godess culture. Pogcnik suggests ways of regaining our lost harmony with the natural world, reversing the impact of our human culture on nature and healing the disturbed elemental world. |
Phoenix Rising: No-Eyes' Vision of the Changes to Come
Mary Summer Rain Mary Summer Rain's writing style is clear and reaches to the depths of the spirit. Awakenings, soul stirrings, dreams, and linking with the way of the Earth people, our native American brothers and sisters. Makes one take a good look at the blind way the white people's disregard for Grandmother Earth has brought us so far and what is needed to change these devastating abuses. Also a much needed author's perspective is included in the newer 1993 edition about the ignorance not being perceived in regards to the ever increasing hype of charging monies for all so-called teachings of insight and spirituality. Is enlightment only for the wealthy? In the teachings of the Indian Way, the concept of the Great Give- Away should be told to all who are willing to listen, learn and discern for themselves. Looking around at all the magnificent gifts of nature given freely teaches that it is natural to give. With so many people feeling alone this book will connect you to the whole earth family that we are all a part of. It will raise your consciousness,your awareness, and your compassion. |
Sun Over Mountain: A Course in Creative Imagery
Jessica Macbeth The sequel to "Moon Over Water", this aid to meditation shows how to use imagery to heal ourselves, change old ways, and help transform our lives to live more fully. Accompanying cassettes are also available: "Taking Care", "Focusing In" and "Expanding Out". Tape catalogue available from Gateway. |
