Book Description
Throughout history, from the Hindu Kavadi ceremony to the Lakota Sun Dance, the Ordeal Path has been an honored spiritual road to the magic of the flesh, and to touching the Gods. Today many Pagans are discovering this path, by accident or by design. Simultaneously, many practitioners of secular BDSM are finding themselves having spiritual experiences in the middle of their most secular scenes. This book explores the crossover points between both these communities and practices, a cross-section which is growing steadily, baring controversial articles on topics as diverse as sacred pain, bondage, hook suspension, cathartic Pagan ritual, the spirituality of dominance and submission, and being the slave of the Gods. With contributions by noted authors and activists in both communities, and stunning photography by artist and Shibari-Do master Bridgett Harrington, this book is an awe-inspiring gateway into the Realm of the Underworld. and back again.
Customer Reviews:
SIMPLY AN AMAZING JOURNEY INTO THE ABYSS!.......2007-09-09
THIS BOOK WAS GIVEN TO ME AS A GIFT AND I AM OVERWHELMED AT THE SCOPE OF THIS WORK. RAVEN KALDERA IS AN AMAZING PERSON AND HAS EMBARKED UPON AN AMAZING JOURNEY AND THROUGH HER WORK HAS MADE ME A BETTER AND STRONGER MASTER IN THE ART OF BDSM. AS A DEDICATED PAGAN, I NOW INCORPORATE BDSM INTO ALL MY RITUALS AND HAVE FOUND BAPHOMET LIKE NEVER BEFORE.......YOU MUST READ THIS BOOK!! THE HEFTY PRICE TAG IS WELL WORTH IT!
Authentic + Insighful .......2007-08-14
Ravena Kaldera writes with autenticity and deep insight. This book will be treasured for time to come, helping my understanding where BDSM goes beyond the bounds of humanistic experience.
Beautiful and invaluable.......2007-01-12
Raven Kaldera has given the world an amazing gift. In this book, he draws on his many years of first-hand experience to guide those of us who are called to BDSM and spirituality. His writing is intelligent, intimate, and eloquent. Explaining both "why" and "how," the book includes enlightening essays and useful suggestions for spiritual practice. I have read several books that promised to explore these issues. This is the one book I wish I had when I started along this path, and one of the most life-changing books I've read.
Spiritual journeys await you in this book.......2006-09-04
I liked this book a lot. It focuses on some topics in BDSM that are rarely addressed, including an in-depth exploration of the mixing of spirituality and BDSM, as well as dynamics with D/S in spirituality, god-slavery, and comfort zones for tops and bottoms.
The rituals included in the book were a nice touch that can give people some good ideas for rituals that they can use. I felt like I could take most of those rituals, and with a few personal touches, incorporate them into my own practice.
With that said, I do want to emphasize that this book focuses on spirituality based approach to BDSM. Practical magical applications, beyond personal transformation magic, aren't explored in depth. This isn't a bad thing, just part of an on-going trend in BDSM/occult books that is focused on that particular venue, as opposed to other venues.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for inspiration and also spirituality in how they approach BDSM. Raven is an excellent writer who will make you feel as if you're chatting with him.
Finding your way through the Labyrinth.......2006-08-31
If the reader is seeking insight into modern pagans who offer profound sacrifice this book will act as a communion with the experiences of practitioners on the Ordeal Path. For those who are moved to offer the flesh of our bodies, the blood that flows within, the flower of our pain, and the fruit of our endurance Dark Moon Rising provides a framework to begin to understand why we are moved to do so.
The mental health industry and religious reformers would have us believe many ancient spiritual practices are no longer appropriate for modern spiritual needs. Yet countless people seek union with the Divine through body modification, BDSM play/work, and difficult and exhausting physical tasks. There is a strong connection between the exertion of the body and altered states yet the use of these techniques are looked down upon by many people as inappropriate and abusive.
Raven Kaldera presents an array of experiences involving the sacred use of the body, mind, and soul as conduits of transformation. The rituals themselves are not the focus of the book as much as the compassionate exploration of how and why many of us are called to worship in this way.
Book Description
Path of the Assassin, called Hanzo no Mon in Japan, is the story of Hattori Hanzo, the fabled master ninja whose duty was to protect Tokugawa Ieyasu. Ieyasu was the shogun who would unite Japan into one great nation. But before he could do that, he had to grow up and learn how to love the ladies! As the secret caretaker of such an influential future leader, not only does Hanzo use vast and varied ninja talents, but in living closely with Ieyasu, he forms a close friendship with the young shogun.
Customer Reviews:
Tri-focal Alert.......2007-06-28
This story is a four stars - but if you are over fifty, then the type is so small you may find it an uncomfortable read. A bit more real estate on the page would be a big help.
An New Original of an Old Story.......2007-06-07
I'm a big fan of the Lone Wolf and Cub series. It tells a story with multiple, multiple layers on morality and honor. Path of the Assassin tells a great story, the relationship of a ninja and his master, whom he must protect "in the shadow" without others knowing his existence. The two are 16, players navigating the traps of the adult political world. While this first book lacks the many layered complexity of Lone Wolf and Cub the stories are high energy and deals with morality issues between the bonds of master and servant. Look for other books in this series to enjoy after this book.
Well done.......2006-11-10
Right in line with Samurai Executioner and Lone Wolf and Cub.
Engrossing story, as well as a good view into how Japan was back in the Samurai era.
"Lifelong friends, with the Same Dreams, Striving to Grow into a Rising River".......2006-07-27
"Hanzo no Mon" ("Path of the Assassin") is a manga by writer Kazuo Koike and artist Goseki Kojima that was originally published in Japan in 1972. Because it is a relatively short series, compared to Kokie and Kojima's "Lone Wolf & Cub" and "Samurai Executioner," Dark Horse is only now getting around to publishing these books now that those other series have both been concluded. We are still talking a Parental Advisory for explicit content, but unlike the previous series it has been oriented in the right-to-left reading format of the original (at at the creator's request apparently). This is the story of Jattori Hanzo, the fabled master ninja whose duty was to protect his master Tokugawa Ieyasu, who was destined to be shogun who would unify Japan and great a modern nation. As told by Koike and Kojima, not only doez Hanzo use his ninja talents to serve the future leader "in the dark," but also forms a close friendship with the young shogun.
"Path of the Assassin, Volume 1: Serving in the Dark," is set in the Sengoku period, when ambitious samurai warriors were releasing ninja, called "suppa," to be part of various plots and intrigues. The "suppa" who works for the Matsudaira clan is Hattori Hanzo Yasunaga of Iga, who orders his son Mattori Hanzo Masanari, to serve Matsduaira Jiro Saburo Monotnobu, later known as Ieyasu. When these stories begin, Motonobu, the master is only sixteen, while his servant Masanari is fifteen. This first volume has seven "chapters on relinquishing pain":
No. 1: "Suppa Unsheathed" beings with Hattori Hanzo Yasunaga ordering his eldest son to steal a giant vase with a flower and a bird on it, and to do so without being noticed. If the eldest son, Yasutoshi fails, the task will fall to the next brother, Yasumasha. When neither brother can accomplish the task, the youngest son requests the opportunity to succeed. He does with "the skill of an unsheathed suppa," and the brother who was last becomes first and is ordered to "serve our master in the dark."
No. 2: "Serving in the Dark" tells of how Masanari introduced himself to his new lord, only to have to do it a second time. The future shogun does not look that impressive, but there is some reason to believe that he is truly samurai. This is really the second part of the first episode in bringing the two characters together.
No. 3: "Mizuki" is Japanese for "water princess." Facing his wedding, Motonubu orders his servant to show him what to do with a woman who has a will of her own (a round about way of saying Motonubu is a virgin). Masanari creates a diversion in a fishing village, captures one of the half naked diving girls, and sexually assaults her while his master watches. Fortunately this one takes a couple of major twists and the character does know that he has raped a young woman, but despite the Luke & Laura ending this one is a bit unsettlng, although certainly consistent with the world Koike and Kojima present in their manga.
No. 4: "Oppressive Night of Ass" shifts the attention to Motonubu and his wedding night. Despite the illustration provided by his servant in the previous story, Motonubu and his bride take a slightly different approach to their love making, which leads the future Shogun to become rather philosophical.
No. 5: "Technique of Jisatsu" is a key story because it clearly signals that Motonubu is not on the traditional path of a tyrant. After being humiliated in a test of his swordsmanship by Asahina Yasuyoshi, the strongest samurai in the clan, Motonubu cannot get over the insult. When Motonubu asks his hidden "suppa" if he can take down Yasuyoshi, Masanari says it should not be difficult. But Motonubu insists he is only asking if it is possible and not ordering it to be done. Instead he asks for proof that hsi "suppa" can do it, which results in Motonubu learning a lesson of a different sort. Here is where we get the sense for the first time that these two might both be on the road to greatness, because prior to this point Masanari is clearly the more important and more laudable figure.
No. 6: "Kite Kato" is about Kato Danzo, who has the nickname "kite" (which means raptor) and who boldly asks permission from the viceroy of Shuruga to complete a mission of revenge. Seventeen years earlier a Harunobi exiled his own father, who became a monk (and therefore as good as dead as far as Kato is concerned), and now the time has come to claim vengeance. As Kato explains his complicated plan, Motonubu admires the "suppa," and wonders how good Masanari is at the skill of hiding his thoughts and emotions. The thoughts make him nervous.
No. 7: "Who is He in the Rain?" continues the story of Kite Kato, who has backed the viceroy into a corner. But when the viceroy orders his retainers to kill Kato, the one who does not move is Motonubu. The first part of this episode is the conclusion of Kato asking the viceroy for permission to kill two men, but the second half hinges on a brief story told by Kato that sets up a "suppa" battle between Kato and Masanari. If there is a common theme in these early stories, it is that Masanari's mind is faster than his sword, and once again it serves him in good stead and these seven stories are good enough to justify rounding up, even without taking into account the stellar reputation of their creators.
Average customer rating:
- Fantasy where Star Wars meets X-Men meets Anime
- Interesting read for the most part
- This is really a good book
- Not for kids even tho' written at a level they could read.
- Magisterial fantasy
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Weavers of Saramyr (The Braided Path series)
Chris Wooding
Manufacturer: Victor Gollancz Ltd.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0575075422 |
Book Description
This is the story of the ancient empire of Saramyr—an empire that rules over a land overwhelmed by evil. The evil comes from within the empire’s center: the Weavers, a sect of male magicians close to the throne, intent on killing any child born with magical powers. But now the Empress has given birth to just such a child…and a revolution is brewing.
Customer Reviews:
Fantasy where Star Wars meets X-Men meets Anime.......2006-08-01
Imagine Obi Wan Kenobi and Qui Gon Jinn, and other Jedi pairs, as two twenty-something-year-old girls with powers like X-Men, sent on covert missions throughout their world. Imagine a place where an evil empire ravishes the land while a small rebel force fights skirmishes to oppose it. Imagine Anakin Skywalker dealing with the changes that take place within him as he becomes more powerful, especially regarding the decisions he has to make. Imagine these ideas set in a fuedal Japanese Amine cartoon. You now have a feel for this excellent series.
I was initially attracted to this book through the characters' unique use of magic; namely the power contained in certain masks and the inherant use of magic by certain outcasts. I'm an advocate of original concepts in fantasy (like unique forms of magic) or modern-themed fantasy (like George Martin and Steven Erikson), and I can vouch for "The Weavers of Saramyr (The Braided Path, Book 1)" as satisfying both criteria.
Despite the loose Star Wars connetations, Chris Wooding's aldult-fantasy debut is very enjoyable and unique. It describes a land with an oriental flavour in such a way that does not distract the reader like other fantasy stories that describe a familiar past (like Kay's 'Lions of Al-Rassan' or Carey's Kushiel series). These books in particular overdo the strict ethnicity, whereas Wooding uses it subtly in creating a more heterogeneous world.
"The Weavers of Saramyr" and its sequels "The Skein of Lament" and "The Ascendancy Veil", follow a number of story arcs involving the themes of the modern multicultural ideal of acceptance and tolerance of differences, how power is wielded in society by rulers and the ethics of sacrificing a few for the majority. Wooding handles these well by portraying both sides of the argument.
The land of Saramyr is ruled by an empress whose only heir is secretly an Aberrant (a mutant with special powers that is supposed to be put to death at birth). Just like the politicians in the X-Men series, the mask-wearing Weavers, advisers of the nobility, discriminate against all Aberrants, forcing them underground while the people are fed lies and propaganda. The plot enfolds nicely once it is set up with the second and third books exploding and revealing more just as a saga should.
I would only give George R R Martin and Steven Erikson 5 stars, hence the 4 stars here. So, overall it is a very enjoyable read which I felt also improved as the story progressed through the second and third books. I really like the characters and ideas presented by Wooding. This series should make him highly respected.
Finally, if you are looking for something original in fantasy - something aside from epic heroism, swords and magicians with pointy hats - give "The Weavers of Saramyr" a try. You'll find the themes refreshing and the plot revealing. A word of warning: this series includes implied child abuse and sexual scenes.
Interesting read for the most part.......2006-02-15
The book kept me interested from cover to cover. There are some in-consistencies in the narrative. The flow is, on the whole, good. There are some breaks that can jar.
The ideas are very fresh and strongly laid out. Weavers, Abberants and the weave are interesting concepts and I hope to learn more about them in the subsequent novels.
Very entertaining and would certainly recommend it (Worth the money :))
This is really a good book.......2006-01-04
I picked this book up basically because of its cover, and I hadn't read any fantasy in a while. (Yes, I judged the book by its cover!)
The story is unique and written, although at a pretty base level, very well. I could hardly put it down. If you're looking for a good fantasy book that is different than others, this would be worth your time. The edition I got is in British English, but that doesn't detract too much from it. It is good enough to where I will be purchasing the next two books in the series.
Not for kids even tho' written at a level they could read........2005-12-07
There are a couple needlessly sexually explicit "Rated R" scenes in the book. As a parent you need to make that call forewarned. If you're a teen reading this, I hate to disappoint you... the scenes weren't that good or terribly true to life. Anyone with actual experience that reads the scenes will not find anything of interest in them. I truly wonder if they were added to increase the rating to "R" like in many movies.. they seem that fabricated and unnecessary to the plot.
All that said, I enjoyed the book. It had a couple of original concepts that were refreshing to see in a genre that often seems to regurgitate itself in different guises. The "oriental" setting was especially welcome. As an historian, I had some basic problems with how some of his characters and nations behave (by way of examples: any self-respecting-Eastern Empress would have arrested that Unter guy and had him killed immediately and the "people" would have expected and accepted it.. popular uprisings rarely rise far if at all. As for nations: the people of the Rift.. a population that large and disorganized would not only have problems concealing itself, they'd be calling in outside nations to help them fight thier internal enemies... think Renaissance Italy).
I chalk all this up to the relative youth of the author. I look forward to reading his work as he matures, as an author, a person and a scholar (he really does need to read some history just to make his work more realistic/believable). It was a fast/easy read, written at a level teens can read if not for the content... hence my disappointment that he didn't leave out the sex. Had it not been for these basic flaws, I would have easily have given the book 4 stars based on originality alone (I reserve 5 stars for books that are written at a higher reading level.) So I can easily recommend this book for any slightly forgiving reader in their twenties or older looking for an easy and entertaining read.
Magisterial fantasy.......2004-12-01
Chris Wooding's fully fledged trilogy opener, The Weavers of Saramyr, trumpets a stunning talent on the fantasy stage from a young author. It is a tale woven with skill and deft characterisation with its oriental backdrop of a emperor nation that lives on the fear of Abberrants so expertly controlled by the sickenly evil Weavers, represented by Vyrrch.
Whenever you start a new fantasy series you find out quite quickly which of the cliched magic conduits the author has settled on, whether it be a ring, a sword, a staff or simply the will and the word. In this case, Wooding has provided a new concept. Magic through masks, or True Masks. The older they are the more powerful they become as they steal the personalities and skills of their previous owners (unfortunately, an image of Jim Carrey cannot help but come to mind). Into this mix is the general populace fear of Aberrants (think X-Men) and a ripe political situation as the Empress Anais' daughter, Lucia, is discovered to be such an Aberrant. Whilst dynastic problems (and a boor of a husband) assail the Empress and we're on the cusp of civil war, a young woman named Kaiku is brought back from death by her maidservant Asara to find her family destroyed by Shin-Shin. With her own mask in hand (as her only family legacy) she eventually settles on the first stage of a personal quest to avenge her family journeying with Asara and the monk, Tane, to the hidden monastery where the witch stones that blight the land and give the weavers power are hidden. Her personal trials and epiphany are played against a backdrop of a group of Aberrants dedicated to encouraging the skills of those so gifted and eventually formulating a plan to kidnap the Heir-Empress to save her from those who would see her murdered.
Whilst Anais and her husband, Durun, deal with a rampaging capital city and civil war through their streets, the select band enter the city sewers to take the Heir-Empress as the ordered world of Blood Erinima collapses into civil strife. As both enemy and friend fall in the climatic chapters, Kaiku learns more of her destiny and Wooding achieves much in bringing a sense of hope and danger to a wrold shifting in its grap on power.
I found this a superb fantasy novel, if a trifle lacking in depth occasionally as the author forced plot upon us at a speed that seemed to not give the full consideration and build up it deserved. Several potential earth shattering revelations were thrown in glibly which could have benefited from a few more chapters built around them. Still, it did not detract too much as characterisation and descriptive acumen wove a tightly narrated tale that promised much and delivered often. For this reader, at least, the Skein of Lament will be eagerly sought after.
Book Description
The war that is destroying the ancient Empire of Saramyr is reaching its apocalyptic conclusion. The Weavers have stepped from the shadows and seized control, the capital is a haunted nightmare, and the land is ridden by pestilence. Terrifying demons, immune to all but magic, have been unleashed on the cities and the armies of the resistance movement. And the Aberrant hordes are seemingly without end. As the final madness of the Weavers takes hold, their tactics become ever more crazed and bloody, with thousands dying on both sides. Someone must stop the Weavers—someone must discover what lies at the bottom of the cavernous pits that they have dug across Saramyr.
Average customer rating:
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The Skein of Lament (The Braided Path series)
Chris Wooding
Manufacturer: Victor Gollancz Ltd.
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ASIN: 0575076461 |
Book Description
The Weavers’ grip on Saramyr’s rulers has grown ever more powerful, and all the while, the blight they have brought grows harsher. The land is slipping into civil war. In the mounting chaos, Kaiku and the orphaned heir-Empress must fight for their destiny and their survival, as Saramyr succumbs to the twisting of the Weave and the unknowable ambitions of the secretive Weavers.
Customer Reviews:
Great Ending.......2006-03-11
This is the 3rd book in the series, and the ending is just awesome. He closes out the story with the hint of something bigger coing in the future. He closes all plot points, and the characters issues.
I really enjoyed the entire series, and it is well worth the investment in time for you to read it.
Customer Reviews:
Great book.......2005-12-19
Words cannot express the value of this book.
This book is a must for anyone who is interested in the dark feminine and the psychology of the feminine. The book consists of essays, written by different authors, mainly about their personal experiences and their introduction to the dark feminine. This book provides information about the goddesses, which is not easy to find in other books.
While reading this book, I was drowned to places, stories and tales that transformed my learning into pleasure. This is one of the books that effects the mind, but also fills the heart, the boundary between science and religion.
Dark Feminine.......2005-09-18
I am always leery of male authors writing about the
dark feminine.
One of the best books I have read on the subject.
Mostly about the Black Madonna.......2005-01-05
9 out of the 16 essays are about the Black Madonna. There is one essay on Lilith, one on Kali, and one on the Morrigan. There is a poem by Clarissa Pinkola Estes about Guadalupe. There is an essay on Mary Magdalene. A further two are from the christian perspective.This book is a mix of the religious and the jungian. It has essays by artists, pschoanalysts and priests. It works. The most valuble essay for me was "The Dark Irish Goddess Morrigan" by Sylvia Brinton Perera--it was worth the price of the book.Despite the fact that this book is skewed a bit toward the chirstian perspective--i still enjoyed reading it.The authors were most interesting when they spoke of their own spiritual and psychological journeys in relation to the Dark Feminine.
A must read for Jungians.......2003-11-08
Dr. Gustafson has brought together a wonderful collection of essays on the dark feminine by a wide spectrum of noted authorities. There are also some great photographs. Anyone interested in Analytical Psychology, mythology, religion, ecology and the Shadow will love this book.
Average customer rating:
- If you love space opera, here's a series for you
- Joint Review of Dark Wing Series; Solid - 3.5
- More Star Wars than Honor Harrington
- Too much alien mysticism ruined it.
- Much Better than "The Dark Wing"
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The Dark Path (Dark Wing)
Walter H. Hunt
Manufacturer: Tor Science Fiction
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0765345641
Release Date: 2004-07-29 |
Book Description
Walter Hunt's debut novel, The Dark Wing was favorably compared to Ender's Game, Babylon 5, Honor Harrington, and C. S. Forester . . . and the story isn't over yet! Man and zor, once sworn enemies engaged in a mutual campaign of xenocide, now live side by side. The war is over, and Admiral Marais, the legendary "Dark Wing"--both Angel of Death and Species Savior--is long dead, though some of his companions and participants in that great war still survive and have even chosen to live among the zor.Now a mystery from the past has become a threat to the present when an unholy menace jeopardizes both humans and zor alike.Whole space fleets have disappeared, with survivors stricken mad.And now man and zor alike must join forces to meet this adversary head on. . . .
Customer Reviews:
If you love space opera, here's a series for you.......2007-07-23
I won't try to rehash what others here have said so well. My observations are limited to the following: First, the build up and characterization are stunning, but the finish leaves you somewhat unfulfilled. It deserved better. Second, I absolutely, thouroughly enjoyed the way Hunt's alien culture and psychology were driven so convincingly by their physiology. This was opera I could believe, consistant and convincing within it's own universe. Perhaps Hunt will write a 5th book to finish the story in the way it deserves. If he does, I will plunk down my cash without hesitation.
Joint Review of Dark Wing Series; Solid - 3.5.......2006-01-24
These 4 books - The Dark Wing, The Dark Path, The Dark Ascent, and The Dark Crusade - exhibit many of the standard space opera devices. There are the winged and in many ways admirable aliens, the remorseless insectoid alien adversaries, the hidden powers attempting to manipulate human fates, and the sprawling and somewhat corrupt space empire. There is also more than a touch of mysticism with events mirroring myths of the winged alien species. Nor can it be said that Hunt has done anything particularly novel with these devices.
Nonetheless, Hunt is a more than competent practictioner and these books are a decent read. Hunt does quite well with reasonably tight plotting and characterization. His integration of the mythic elements is better than average. These books are better, for example, than David Weber's very popular books.
More Star Wars than Honor Harrington.......2006-01-15
As I read this, I kept trying to figure out which series the reviewers had not read - this one or the Harrington books. The protagonists are female space navy officers: end of similarity.
Harrington is a retelling of Horatio Hornblower / Admiral Nelson in a science fiction background - complete to loosing an eye and an arm. She commands ships and fleets in battle.
In this book, the heroine is on a quest to repeat the accomplishments of a legendary alien hero - complete with ghosts and mystical visions.
If someone really wants to quibble: Harrington has a symbiotic partner (Nimitz can hardly be called a pet) who is empathic, but stops far short the mysticism found here.
Too much alien mysticism ruined it........2005-10-25
The first book, The Dark Wing was much better, it concentrated more on the space navy side of things and whether or not we commit genocide to save both species. This one is just totally bizarre throughout much of it.
Much Better than "The Dark Wing" .......2004-07-28
Walter Hunt's second book on humanity's Solar Empire and the Zor is a gripping, tantalizing examination of interspecies relationships and Zor psychology. "The Dark Path" is set eighty five years after the last of the human-Zor wars chronicled in "The Dark Wing". Now at peace, humans and Zor are staunch allies, with each serving in the other's military forces. At remote Cicero Naval Base Commodore Jacqueline "Jackie" Laperriere and her exec, Commander Ch'k'te HeYen, are forced to confront mindshifting and shapeshifting aliens, the insectoid Vuhl, whose coming was foretold by the Zor High Lord of the Nest in "The Dark Path". Together they must reenact an ancient Zor myth to win back from the vuhl a sacred sword seized by the Vuhl from its human owner, the aged Serge Torrijos, an envoy of the Zor government.
Walter Hunt approaches Ursula LeGuin in his captivating examination of Zor psychology and religious mythology. And he evokes Orson Scott Card's Ender Wiggin saga in his depiction of the insectoid Vuhl. Much to his credit, Hunt does a fine job creating believable, likeable characters, most notably those of Jackie and Ch'K'Te. Alas he ends the story a bit too neatly at the end, but with enough hints suggesting yet another further installment in the humans-Zor saga.
Book Description
"My own notion is that we are meeting mystics every day, but we do not recognize them. . . . Real mystics practice their deep love and service to God in ways that may fly below the radar, unobtrusively, transforming the lives of others in ways that seem sublimely plain-spoken and level-headed. Except when they receive extraordinary mystical gifts (not everyone does) it is hard to pick them out in a crowd." — Emilie Griffin
What is mysticism? Why do mystics seem rare and strange? Who can be a mystic? Emilie Griffin deals with these and other questions in this fascinating, informal introduction to mysticism. She uses biblical and early Christian sources as well as modern examples to draw a picture of the mystical life as one of spiritual depth and mystery. Griffin focuses on Christian mysticism, but draws parallels in other great world religions. Ultimately, she suggests that mysticism is a spiritual path that is open to us all, offering the gift of an intimate knowledge of divine love.
Book Description
The Weavers’ grip on Saramyr’s rulers has grown ever more powerful, and all the while, the blight they have brought grows harsher. The land is slipping into civil war. In the mounting chaos, Kaiku and the orphaned heir-Empress must fight for their destiny and their survival, as Saramyr succumbs to the twisting of the Weave and the unknowable ambitions of the secretive Weavers.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting and imaginative.......2006-01-07
I found the second in this series to be better than the first book, and a good read, although somewhat predictable in places. It is one of the very few books I'll rerrad, and I am looking forward to reading the third one...
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