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July/August 2006 Conscious Media
Editor's Picks

Creative Visualization: Use the Power of Your Imagination to Create What You Want in Your Life,
Shakti Gawain, New World Library, 2006, $17.95

In this beautifully illustrated 50-card box set of inspirational cards, you’ll learn the art of using mental imagery and affirmation to bring about positive changes in your life. Quotations from personal growth pioneer Shakti Gawain are accompanied by guidance on how to effectively use creative visualization. Affirmations such as “My inner wisdom is guiding me to a life that is true and right for me” and “Each situation is an opportunity to be creative” remind us to access our inner power in every moment.

The Heavens Declare: Astrological Ages and the Evolution of Consciousness,
Alice O. Howell, Quest Books, 2006, $16.95

Integrating two major disciplines of astrology and Jungian depth psychology, Alice Howell reveals the fascinating connection between astrology and the evolution of the collective unconscious—C.G. Jung’s theory that the unconscious mind is shared by all humans and contains archetypes and universal mental predispositions not grounded in physical experience. Exploring the synchronicity between myth, history, religion and the evolution of humankind over the past five astrological ages, she presents the current tasks and the potential traps humanity now faces. Howell also provides a deeper understanding and method of healing the individual psyche.

The Knitting Sutra: Craft as a Spiritual Practice
Susan Gordon Lydon, Broadway Books, 2004, $9.95

There’s no better cure for idle hands and a troubled mind than a passion for knitting, Susan Gordon Lydon found. Recovering from a broken arm, Lydon knitted to strengthen her hands, but she unexpectedly discovered a new path to the stillness within her soul. She recounts her remarkable membership in a community of craftswomen around the world, from sweater makers in Scotland to Navajo weavers, and her adventures as a knitter.

Cool Yoga Tricks,
Miriam Austin, Ballantine Books, 2003, $17.95

If your muscles are tighter than a steel band and your yoga practice is giving you more stress than stress relief, Cool Yoga Tricks can help you reap the greatest rewards from yoga. Using everyday items such as chairs, walls and blankets, Miriam Austin shows the flexibility-challenged how to use props in alternative yoga routines. Explained with simple, clear directions and illustrated with photos, you can learn more than 110 yoga prop techniques—a wonderful guide for people with normal physical limitations as well as those with injuries or illnesses.

Mastery at Work: 18 Keys for Achieving Success, Fulfillment and Joy in Any Profession,
Nicole Grace, Mani Press, 2005, $18

Combining spiritual techniques with business practices, Nicole Grace recognizes that leading an impeccable working life helps us to achieve personal growth. Her secret key to success—work as a spiritual practice and spiritual practice as work. Whether you work on Wall Street or as a street vendor, Grace’s techniques of “acting as if,” detachment, and focusing like a warrior will help you to create a fulfilling work and personal life.

Angel Dogs: Divine Messengers of Love,
Allen and Linda Anderson, New World Library, 2005, $13.95

Angel Dogs sweetly tells how life is enriched by the intensely satisfying relationships between dogs and their owners. Packed with true stories about the power of dogs’ unconditional love and loyalty, read about Tequila, a dog who brought two young people together and later prevented their toddler from suffering a serious injury. Each story is followed by a short meditation focusing on the divine messages dogs deliver.

The Diamond in Your Pocket: Discovering Your True Radiance,
Gangaji, Sounds True, 2005, $22.95

Gangaji shows you thought-by-thought how to stop the endless activity of your mind, and experience the brilliance and radiance of who you really are in every present moment. On the power of stopping: “To ‘stop’ is to stop searching for yourself in thoughts, emotions, circumstances, or bodily images.” On searching for happiness: “If you will stop all activity, just for one instant, even for one-tenth of a second, and simply be utterly still, you will recognize the inherent spaciousness of your being that is already happy and at peace with itself. If you will take a moment to recognize the peace that is already alive within you, you then actually have the choice to trust it in all your endeavors.”

Earth Magic: Sacred Rituals for Connecting to Nature's Power
Starhawk, Sounds True, 2006, $29.95

In this four CD audio program, best-selling Wiccan and Pagan author, Starhawk, presents how to connect with your ancient ancestral knowledge. Starhawk shares specific rites for drawing on the power of air, fire, earth and water for personal and environmental healing. She tells how to celebrate sacred holidays, such as the Solstice and the Equinox, and how to give gifts to the universe that return to you a hundred-fold. Filled with simple exercises for tuning in to the deep wisdom of the natural world.

The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things: Fourteen Natural Steps to Health and Happiness
Larry Dossey, Harmony Books, 2006, $24.95

Larry Dossey, one of the founding fathers of mind-body medicine, encourages us to align with the wisdom of nature to allow true healing to take place. Stepping back from wonder drugs and other high tech cures, Dossey covers simple sources of healing that have been available for centuries, including treasures from the power of optimism and of tears to the surprising usefulness of dirt and bugs in curing disease.

The Hawaiian Oracle: Animal Spirit Guides from the Land of Light
Rima A. Morell, PhD, New World Library, 2006, $22.95

The stunning artwork on these cards is a fitting complement to the profound wisdom of the Huna tradition gracing the pages of the companion book. The gentle guidance offered through a combination of interpretations, mythology and insights makes the oracle both fun and easy to use. Warmly recommended.