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November/December 2002 Conscious Media
Book Reviews

Shadows of Wolf Fire
by Théun Mares
Lionheart Publishing, $22.95

Théun Mares is a Toltec Nagual who has been a seeker since an early age. "The more I learnt, the more horrified I became at realising that men, women and children are not taught to think and to fend for themselves, but are instead moulded into instruments with which to uphold belief systems and social structures that not only disempower the individual, but that also undermine his or her sense of self-worth and self-respect. As a result, I began dedicating my life to finding ways and means by which I could play my part in making man aware of his bondage, and how to escape that slavery by claiming back his power, his self -respect, and above all, his freedom."

Shadows of Wolf Fire, (Lionheart Publishing, 2002, ISBN 1-919792-04-X) is the fourth volume of Théun Mares’s Toltec Teaching Series. Not having read the three precursors, I was pleased to find the often challenging material stood on its own, although he does refer to more detailed explanations of various practices and concepts in his earlier books.

This book is like a kaleidoscope of shining pieces of wisdom and insight, the patterns shifting and rearranging themselves as one moves deeper into it. Guiding the reader, like a patient teacher, Mares takes you step by step through a progression of challenges to your perceptions of the nature of reality and personal power. One is drawn into the gut level truth and beauty of the Toltec teachings. However, the path of the warrior is not for the faint of heart, and it requires pure intent.

Shadows of Wolf Fire is not an easy read, because it challenges the reader to delve beyond the surface meaning of the words on the page and tie their meaning into his or her cosmology. The focus is on accepting one’s personal responsibility for everything that impinges upon one’s life and truly comprehending the unity of all existence and the false illusion of separateness.

While the central theme of the Toltec Teachings series is learning to use one’s personal power, it must be done with integrity in order to achieve understanding of the meaning of life and evolve awareness. In Mares’s words, "What makes the evolution of awareness worthwhile, and what makes it an exciting journey of adventure filled with joy, is the meaning we put into that journey."

While Mares may not have the popular appeal of Castaneda or Don Miguel Ruiz, I found the book deeply thought-provoking. Possibly best digested in small bites, I would think that the serious seeker would find Mares’s work intensely rewarding and a clear marker of the pathway to true freedom.

- reviewed by Miriam Knight

Yoga For Prosperity-Enrich Your Life Through Kundalini Yoga and Meditation
by Siri Kirpal Kaur Khalsa.
Published by Yogi Ji Press, 1994 and 2002. $19.95

Looking at this money-green book for the first time, I chuckled, "Who wouldn’t want some yoga poses to help bring more money into your life?" But this is not a recipe book, although it includes many poses and chants to bring wealth and good fortune into your life. This book’s intent is to nurture the mindset of prosperity, on the premise that the physical will follow.

Several chapters discuss the notion of "prosperity consciousness," described "not as monetary wealth but as an innate belief that as part of the Divine, you will be given what you need." Anyone who has experienced that hollow twisting in the gut when you realize you have more bills than money knows this book’s spiritual concept of poverty. If you have ever been able to reach a point of believing, even for a moment or two, that you will survive this (whatever this is) and that the Divine is watching out for you and will provide--That is prosperity consciousness.

There are multiple chapters on poses to assist in strengthening the energetic light bodies around your physical form as well as activities and chants when you have specific wants and needs. For example, one pose, the Beggar’s Meditation, targets wanting something so badly you get in the way of actualizing it. It reminds me of the warnings regarding the Nigerian goddess of prosperity, Oshun. It is said that requests from a fearful, shriveled soul place can result in very different outcomes than an approach with an underlying confidence that all will be well.

This delightful book provides helpful highlights of each chapter for easy skimming and the phonetic keys to the correct pronunciation of chants. A fascinating "how-to" book, it encourages the reader to breathe, stretch some muscles, and remember that through all kinds of struggles, there is always an opportunity to adjust your mindset.

- reviewed by Alaina Zipp

Yoga for the Young at Heart: Accessible Yoga for Every Body
by Susan Winter Ward
New World Library, published in 1994 & 2002, $14.95

Are you looking for a refresher course of yoga poses from that hatha yoga class you took a few months ago? Or wishing you had a directory of which poses might help certain physical issues, like menopausal symptoms or high blood pressure? This book might be for you.

Illustrated with pictures of "real" looking men and women of all ages, this is a yoga class in print. Although recommendations are made to attend in person classes for help with technique and breathwork, this guide could be a helpful resource for in between when you just don’t remember which arm goes over and around which leg. Definitely not just for beginners, variations on most poses are included for more advanced students. There is also a chapter on asanas with restorative properties that are clearly marked with what issues they can help. For example, poses to help relieve sciatica or high blood pressure, for example. Poses which target the woman experiencing menopause have their own chapter, highlighting poses that balance the endocrine and nervous systems. The last specialized chapter is a set of poses that can be done sitting in a work place, focusing on quick relaxation. Yoga for the Young at Heart is simple to use and is quite user-friendly. The only issue is that is might be hard to relax into the pose while reading the directions and studying the poses. This might be a good gift for someone somewhat familiar with yoga but wanting a boost in their knowledge and ability to practice poses without an in-person class.

- reviewed by Alaina Zipp

The Word of the Light
by Thomas D. and Cynthia E. Lynch
Hara Publishing, $19.95 soft cover

This book takes commonly asked spiritual questions and presents the answers offered by a variety of faith perspectives: Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam.

For example: "Where should we search for spiritual wisdom?" Answer: "The best place is to look inside ourselves." This is followed by a quote from the Gospel of Thomas, then two pages of answers from different sources such as The Upanishads, the Koran and the Hebrew Bible.

The authors use as a key The Gospel of Thomas, a short collection of 114 sayings by Jesus Christ not yet recognized by current mainstream Christianity. The Gospel of Thomas is a part of the Nag Hammadi library, a collection of writings found by a camel driver in Egypt around 1945. Untainted by the political influence of the times, these Coptic books are believed to be an example of the Gnostic beliefs of the early church. Interesting at first, but eventually repetitive, The Word of the Light would be an excellent resource for anyone who wants an overview of the similarities of the five common religions.

- reviewed by Jean V. Foerster

Emerging Dynamics: Tools for Transforming Business
by Deb Schnitta
Published by Vanati, PH 412-361-2300, $19.95

The headlines coming from the big business sector are bleak, lately. However, from these ashes of corporate greed, rising like a Phoenix, is a new book about another and better way. Emerging Dynamics by Deb Schnitta is nothing less than a revelation.

Ms. Schnitta writes, "Business, when seen as an extension of consciousness, is the expression of our life's work, our Soul's purpose, in the physical form. Viewed this way, we begin to see the significance of each choice we make. Whether we are in a single practice serving individuals one at a time or whether we exist as a member of a large team in a conglomerate, our choices are the same."

Bringing energy into your business; seeing your Soul as an extension of who you are in this world is the transformation sought by Emerging Dynamics. Using exercises and visualizations to help define who you are and what you want is what separates this well-written book from the pack. It is these exercises that not only get you to think, but to connect with your Soul's energy. From here you are guided to not only create new structures for Soul infused projects but also encouraged to rethink existing structures that may not be as productive as you would like.

Ms. Schnitta guides the reader to an understanding of achievement and success in the business world using Soul energy. She enables us to tap into resources that are often ignored. Emerging Dynamics reminds us that each of us is the same partner with our Soul both personally and in business. "As your Soul is present with your personality, it is able to impact your world around you."

Emerging Dynamics is about growth and about entering a world of exploration, finding and using your Soul, inner wisdom, the Universe - thus new strengths from added wisdom and new eyes. Deb Schnitta illuminates the path to co-creation!

- reviewed by Richard Fuller

Inner Outings - The Diarist’s Deck of 33 cards and Book of Exploration
by Charlene Geiss and Claudia Jessup
Published by New World Library, $24.95

It seems as though using cards for divination is very popular of late. Beside the traditional tarot pack there are animal medicine, affirmation, gratitude, angel and wisdom cards to name a few. Let’s face it, cards are fun! You can grab one from out of the deck in the morning like a piece of spiritual toast and fly off to work having been fed a quick fix affirmation or wise word.

The Diarist cards are different, based on "The Diarists Workshops" given by Charlene Geiss in Santa Fe, New Mexico these cards were created to be inspirational to beginning journal writers. In the introduction Charlene talks about how she created the cards to stimulate and inspire her students. The artwork alone is inspiring. Earthy colors combined with an almost antique touch of pressed leaves and feather give a warm homey feel to each card. The cards have words and phrases written on them like "trust" and "I am grateful for" or "taking chances". The book that accompanies the deck gives short two to three page explanations of each card and different projects to do to encourage writing in a journal.

I took these cards with me for a few days so I could get an idea of how others responded to them. One women friend loved the artwork and said she isn’t a writer, but a thinker and could see using the cards and book as a theme for her meditation time. Another said she thought these would be a great gift for teens that are starting out writing in a journal. A male co-worker said he would use the cards, but not the book, as he would want the creativity to explore his inner self without any influence from a book. He suggested the author produce the cards also in separate packs. I personally enjoyed these cards because they motivated me to start journaling again after a yearlong hiatus.

This set is hopeful and healing and I recommend it to anyone interested in having a creative and fun time as they begin or continue as a diarist.

- reviewed by Jean Foerster

Why Your Life Sucks and What You Can Do About It
by Alan H Cohen
Jodere Group Publishing, $14.00

The self-help book business in the US makes big money. Unfortunately, big money brings a flurry of products to the market: the good, the weird, and the plain ridiculous. Luckily, I would place this book in the pretty good category. The author, obviously skilled in writing self-help books, came up with a title that grabs everyone’s attention, whether or not the book is actually read. The humor found in the title is also present throughout the book. Alan Cohen makes fun of people and all their foibles, including himself.

The book is well laid out for intermittent reading. There are ten reasons given for why "your life might suck" (conveniently highlighted on a side panel on the outside page for easy accessibility). Each chapter gives examples of the reason and the ways to change these patterns. The reasons range from Giving Away Your Power to Forgetting To Enjoy the Ride. Pretty simply written, despite some complex topics, it was easy for me to fantasize about spin-off groups like "Why your work/marriage, etc. (fill in the blank) might suck." Alan Cohen strongly advocates getting oneself out of the victim role and identifying, then changing, life patterns that promote depression, lethargy and chronic dissatisfaction.

My issues with the book are relatively minor ones: this book has its fair share of clichés and at moments can ooze into the "Pollyanna syndrome" of "putting a happy face on everything." Overall, though, it’s an easily read book that most people would find at least some value in.

- reviewed-by Alaina Zipp