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Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Book with a View February 2012
Title: Symbols, Meaning, and The Sacred Quest: Spiritual Awakening in Jewish, Christian and Islamic Stories
Author: Andrew Cort
Publisher: CreateSpace (November 10, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1467926706
Reviewed by Yvonne Perry
A New Perspective on Religion Worth Reading
Being one from a religious background and now a metaphysics major, I can relate well to Andrew's book. What I love most is the way he brings a story to life by revealing the meaning and symbols not easily seen in the basic text. The scriptures of the Judeo-Christian Bible are typically misinterpreted and misunderstood when taken at face value. Without the deep insight that Cort's book provides, it's easy to see why the Bible seems so negative and why Christianity is perceived as a religion of gloom and doom.
The excerpt below was taken from the author's Website. I present it as an example of how he uses symbols to find the true meaning of Jesus' wise teaching:
"Anointing the head with oil is a symbol for confirming and strengthening the Mind, and it is the ritual which many ancient traditions, including Judaism, have used to empower a King. In many traditional mythologies, this anointing would be done by a woman, the bride of the king.
But in this story it is the feet that are anointed. `Feet' symbolize the foundation and support of our physical life, but through the act of walking they also symbolize the soul's efforts to advance. `Tears' are a symbol of the soul's suffering in the pursuit of divine Truth, its remorse when looking squarely at its bondage to external life, and its compassion for those who remain asleep and enslaved. `Hair' sits at the apex of the Mind, and is a symbol of the highest qualities of the physical realm reaching upwards to touch God. A woman's hair in particular is a symbol of the pure feminine receptivity which alone allows Divinity to enter the world. Lastly, a `Kiss' symbolizes love and union, such as the `kiss of heaven and earth'."
This book is highly recommended to anyone who is disgruntled with the fundamentalist teachings of religion and is searching for deeper meaning.
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Title: The Genesis Code: God Has Spoken
Authors: Abraham Lopian and Julie A. Snyder
ISBN: 978-1-46-115921-6
Publisher: Createspace, January 6, 2012
Review by: Dana Micheli
Welcome to the Rabbit Hole
Why am I here? Where is there so much suffering in the world? When will my life really begin? Is there an afterlife?
Have you ever wished that someone would take you by the hand and explain the answers to these questions? Well, now someone has, and it is God himself. Regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey, The Genesis Code: God Has Spoken will challenge and change the way you view both the spiritual and physical realms. In short, it will change your life.
Since the beginning of time, people have been wondering about the nature of God and mankind’s role in the world. In our efforts to answer these questions, we have both built temples and waged wars. We have created religious doctrines that influence everything from what we eat, what we wear, and who we vote for. It has also formed how we view the world, each other, and ourselves. Innumerable books have been written in an attempt to explain the nature of God, yet the answers have eluded us. Until now.
The Genesis Code brings to light a powerful message hidden in the Bible itself, and one that will undoubtedly turn the religious community on its ear. We have always been taught that we are acted upon by God, but now we are learning that we are the powerful creators, the actors through which God experiences itself. This revelation buried in the Five Books of Moses (also known as the Hebraic Bible, or Torah) brings with it not only a sense of power, but an awesome responsibility that comes with control of our own destinies. The Genesis Code teaches us that in realizing this, we are not turning away from God, but becoming one with Him.
The Genesis Code also explains why it has taken thousands of years for this message to be delivered, and in doing so, illuminates thousands of years of human history, back to the time of Moses himself.
Authors Abraham Lopian and Julie Snyder could not have come from more different places in life. Abraham is from London, and Julie from Las Vegas, but it was more than geography that separated them. Abraham had had a lifetime of Talmudic study, while Julie lived a primarily secular life. The events that brought them together are none other than Divine Intervention.
Together they have worked to bring us the coded message of the Torah to the rest of us. The Genesis Code: God Has Spoken is the culmination of that effort, but it is only the beginning. Abraham and Julie are planning a series of books to take man’s journey toward enlightenment to the next level.
The question now becomes: are we ready to accept the answers?
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Title: Empowered Healer: Gain the Confidence, Power, and Ability to Heal Yourself
Author: Dr. Susan Allison
Publisher: Balboa Press (August 23, 2011)
ISBN-13: 978-1452537771
Reviewed by Yvonne Perry
Self-discovery, Self-Healing
I first learned of Susan Allison's work when I interviewed her as a guest on my show, We Are One in Spirit Podcast. I was intrigued by her simple but effective method of healing that she mentioned in our discussion, so I asked her for the CD that accompanies the exercises taught in this book. What a valuable tool that is! It makes it easy to practice the steps that work with the body and mind toward natural healing and restoration.
I agree with Susan that it is important to understand the relationship between life events and physical and emotional problems. I know from experience that listening to my intuition or inner voice helps me maintain a life that is healthy and balanced. That inner voice is our spirit, which speaks through intuition. It's when I don't pay attention to messages from my body, mind, and spirit guides that I experience things I don't really desire.
Many people believe they have to look outside themselves for answers but Susan teaches us how to heal ourselves by going within and partnering with the support and help of angels, spirit guides. Yet, she also advocates the use of medicine or a doctor to accompany this effort—a well-rounded approach. The thing I like most about her teaching is that it is so simple that anyone can do what she recommends and experience improvement in a physical or emotional health condition. That's because true self-healing comes from self-discovery and from listening to the voice within and following its directions. The book is divided into parts that help the reader understand his or her own power and ability to heal and then take doable steps to improved health in all areas of life.
I like what Dr. Allison wrote: "In order to get well, it is important to look at the possible reasons you have become ill, be committed to getting better, and be willing to trust the recovery process presented in this book. Then, you will have faced and released the past and can move forward with confidence, believing 100 percent in your ability to heal yourself."
I truly believe that you can become your own healer by reading the text, doing the exercises and downloading and listening to the CD from Susan's Website. I highly recommend this book!
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