MBR: The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

The Metaphysical Studies Shelf

Backwards
Nanci L. Danison
AP Lee & Company
P.O. Box 340292, Columbus, OH 43234
9781934482001, $23.95, apleeco@sbcglobal (dot) net

Near death experiences - a subject of controversy. Are they merely
hallucinations ones body creates for them as they are about to die? Or
is there something more waiting for us on the other side? "Backwards:
Returning to Our Source for Answers" is an examination of this
phenomena in which it's questioned throughly with an educational eye,
with a focus on the case of a true story of a big time lawyer being on
the brink, and him having a face to face communication with the Source
of all knowledge - God. "Backwards: Returning to Our Source for
Answers" is deftly written and researched, and highly recommended for
community library metaphysical studies shelves.

Bear & Company/Park Street Press
c/o Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
www (dot) parkstreetpress (dot) com

Richard Hawley, Ph.D.'s BEYOND THE ICARUS FACTOR: RELEASING THE FREE
SPIRIT OF BOYS (9781594772283, $14.95) advocates celebrating the
'dangerous pursuits' which are part of a boy's nature and creativity.
His years as headmaster of a boy's school have led to a series of
insights about the special spirit a boy's nature entails - and flaws
in how parents and educators try to direct male energy. His advocating
of a different approach uses Western theology and philosophy to
consider how to celebrate and bring out the special nature of boys. J.
Douglas Kenyon edits FORBIDDEN SCIENCE: FROM ANCIENT TECHNOLOGIES TO
FREE ENERGY (97811591430827, $18.00), a survey of some forty-two
essays by nineteen researchers from his bimonthly journal Atlantis
Rising. Science and technology suppressed by the orthodox scientific
community include Velikovsky's astronomical sightings, free energy
from space, cold fusion and more in a review recommended for any
serious new age library.

Lucifer's Court
Otto Rahn
Inner Traditions
One Park Street, Rochester, VT 05767
9781594771972, $16.95 www (dot) innertraditions (dot) com

The author's lifelong search for the Grail brought him to the
attention of SS leader Himmler, who shared his interests: thus Rahn
became the chief investigator of the occult for the Nazis, pursuing
leads to the Grail. LUCIFER'S COURT is the travel diary he kept during
these pursuits, and brings to life his beliefs, encounters, and world-
wide journeys. New age collections will find it intriguing and packed
with adventure.

The Thread of Ariadne
George Sopasakis
Llumina Press
7915 W. McNab Road, Tamarac, FL 33321
9781595268266, $26.95 www (dot) llumina (dot) com

The wonder of discovering something for the first time is a strange,
yet great feeling indeed. "The Thread of Ariadne: The Sword of
Consciousness" pushes people to ponder those timeless existential
questions, to stretch their limits of mind and reason to just think
harder than you've ever thought before. To help you along, "The Thread
of Ariadne: The Sword of Consciousness" places out some big questions
and gives you many thought provoking and intriguing answers to all of
them, then challenges you to answer them yourself- while pondering the
hidden riddle among it out, to challenge your mind with a more
difficult question than it could handle- just to push it to it's
limits. Highly recommended to metaphysical studies shelves and to
anyone who wants to get their mind to do some heavy lifting.

On Becoming an Alchemist
Catherine MacCoun
Trumpeter Books
c/o Shambhala Publications
Horticultural Hall, 300 Massachusetts Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts,
02115
9781590303696, $21.95, www (dot) shambhala (dot) com

The pseudo-science of Alchemy was centuries of ago viewed as a true
science. However, in recent times, it is simply the stuff of legends
and mythology, and by most, to call Alchemy a true science would be a
joke. "On Becoming an Alchemist: A Guide for the Modern Magician"
disputes this widely held viewpoint, and offers real applications of
the concept, transmuting the harmful into helpful and the useless into
valuable. "On Becoming An Alchemist: A Guide for the Modern Magician"
will help aspiring Alchemists understand the basic principles of
alchemy, navigate one's inner world with confidence and sense,
discover the potential of any situation, among others. Written by an
experienced alchemist in Catherine MacCoun, "On Becoming An Alchemist:
A Guide for the Modern Magician" is highly recommended for
metaphysical studies shelves and any who would look deeper into the
subject of Alchemy.

From Light Into Darkness
Stephen S. Mehler
Adventures Unlimited Press
PO Box 74, Kempton, IL 60946
1931882495, $16.95 www (dot) adventuresunlimitedpress (dot) com

From Light Into Darkness: The Evolution of Religion in Ancient Egypt
continues the spiritual and metaphysical offerings of Egyptian wisdom
keeper Abd'El Hakim Awyan, as conveyed to the reader through the pen
of author and independent Egyptologist Stephen S. Mehler. Chapters
muse upon the roots of monotheism - the driving tenet that there is
only one God present in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam - in ancient
Egypt, and offer a groundbreaking new interpretation of how religion
may have evolved in prehistoric and dynastic Khemit (Egypt). Further
ruminations upon the teachings of King Akhenaten and the "real" Moses,
the genuine identity of the Hyksos, Akhenaten's connections to the
Exodus, Judaism, and the Rosicrucian order, and much more are sure to
fascinate the reader. Most revolutionary of all, is the revelation of
how the spiritual teachings of ancient Khemitians will one day form
the foundation of a forthcoming new cycle of consciousness, dubbed The
Awakening. An inspirational, and spiritually revolutionary testimony.

Soul Centered Astrology
Alan Oken
Ibis Press
c/o Red Wheel/Weiser
65 Parker Street, Suite 7, Newburyport, MA 01950-4600
9780892541348, $22.95 www (dot) redwheelweiser (dot) com www (dot)
nicolashayes (dot) com www (dot) alanoken (dot) com

Written by astrological consultant and founder of The Wisdom School
Alan Oken, Soul Centered Astrology: A Key to Your Expanding Self is a
straightforward sourcebook of esoteric astrology. With roots in
Theosophical philosophy and the Ancient Wisdom Teachings, Soul
Centered Astrology offers a dynamic way to interpret one's horoscope
that reveals the "soul's path" to enlightenment and contentment. Soul
Centered Astrology reaches beyond the common lore of birth signs and
natal chart interpretation, discussing esoteric astrology principles
such as the spiritual importance of the ascendant; the path of
incarnation revealed within cardinal, fixed, and mutable crosses; and
more. "Cancer is a watery sign, but the Crab inhabits both land and
sea. It comes forth from the collective matrix of the ocean, gains its
nourishment from her plants and creatures, yet keeps a strong
relationship to the sandy beach. The Cancer individual is just the
same. Intimately in tune with the forces of psychic currents which
play in and out of her reality, the Crab nonetheless reaches out to
the earth for its security and breath." Astrological charts and
diagrams illustrate this in-depth handbook for astrologers of all
skill and experience levels.

EDITOR'S NOTE:

The Midwest Book Review is an organization of volunteers committed to
promoting literacy, library usage, and small press publishing. We
accept no funds from authors or publishers. Full permission is given
to post any of these reviews on thematically appropriate websites,
newsgroups, listserves, internet discussion groups, organizational
newsletters, or to interested individuals. Please give the Midwest
Book Review a credit line when doing so.

The Midwest Book Review publishes the monthly book review magazines
"California Bookwatch", "Internet Bookwatch", "Children's Bookwatch",
"MBR Bookwatch", "Reviewer's Bookwatch", and "Small Press Bookwatch".
All are available for free on the Midwest Book Review website at www
(dot) midwestbookreview (dot) com

Anyone wanting to submit books for review consideration can send them
to:

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review
278 Orchard Drive
Oregon, WI 53575-1129

To submit reviews of any fiction or non-fiction books, email them to
Frugalmuse DeleteThis @aol.com (Be sure to include the book title, author,
publisher, publisher address, publisher website/phone number, 13-digit
ISBN number, and list price).

James A. Cox, Editor-in-Chief
Midwest Book Review