Sacred Lives

Jenna Miscavige Hill, niece of Church of Scientology leader David Miscavige, was raised as a Scientologist but left the controversial religion in 2005. In Beyond Belief, she shares her true story of life inside the upper ranks of the sect, details her experiences as a member Sea Org - the church's highest ministry - speaks of her "disconnection" from family outside of the organization, and tells the story of her ultimate escape.

The ordinary moments of life can be sacred, if we simply take a moment to notice. This collection of prayers, poems, and meditations offers a brief respite from the hectic, harried pace of our days. Listen to this book when the spirit moves you or when the spirit feels distant - the words will be here to inspire, calm, and encourage you either way. From gifted poet and empathetic pastor Meta Herrick Carlson, Ordinary Blessings collects blessings for loving yourself, enduring hard things, authenticity, living with others, and the rhythms of each day.

The calming effects and neurological benefits of meditating have been so well-documented that they speak for themselves at this stage in our collective understanding. Chanting has a similar effect to meditation - at least, according to the brain. It has been shown to increase alertness while easing physiological bodily stress. Not only that, but chanting has the effect of producing an alpha wave in the brain.

Every life is a book of secrets, ready to be opened. The secret of perfect love is found there, along with the secrets of healing, compassion, faith, and the most elusive one of all: who we really are. We are still mysteries to ourselves, despite the proximity of these answers, and what we most long to know remains lodged deep inside.

Kabbalah offers one of the oldest applications of astronomy and astrology known to humankind. Much more than a book of horoscopes, Kabbalistic Astrology is a tool for understanding one's individual nature at its deepest level and putting that knowledge to immediate use in the real world.

Native shamanic traditions tell us that there are cords, strands, threads, and filaments of energy that flow to and through us, connecting us to everyone and everything in the universe. Some energy strands make us feel vibrant and alive. Others deplete and weaken us. Most of us are unaware of these energy strands, but they are extremely powerful forces that surround us every day.

Discover the ancient lore, household techniques, and spiritual wisdom that will help turn every day into a time of magic, respect for all, and love of the goddess. Wheel of the Year takes you on a month-by-month journey of discovery through seasonal aspects of Paganism practiced both in recent and ancient times.

This evergreen book is an informative and comprehensive guide to lunar living, incorporating radical, self-empowering, and magical tools and resources for the beginner and experienced lunar-follower alike. Depending on where we are in our lives, depending on what we are feeling or what is happening around us, the moon allows us a space to invite ritual into our daily lives. The Moon Book offers ways for listeners to develop a personal relationship with their own cycles - energetic, personal, and emotional - through the lens of the moon’s phases.

More is at stake in the music we listen to or perform than most people are aware. In this vivacious and challenging work, Dr. Peter Kwasniewski—a philosopher, theologian, composer, conductor, and singer—explains why the great classical music of Western civilization is morally and intellectually good for us, as well as why certain other forms of music can actually be harmful.

In presenting The Life and Teaching of the Masters of the Far East, I wish to state that I was one of a research party of 11 persons that visited the Far East in 1894. During our stay - three and a half years - we contacted the Great Masters of the Himalayas, who aided us in the translation of the records, which was of great assistance in our research work. They permitted us to enter into their lives intimately and we were thus able to see the actual working of the great Law as demonstrated by them.

For numerous centuries, the Talmud—an extraordinary work of Jewish ethics, law, and tradition—has compelled readers to grapple with how to live a good life. Full of folk legends, bawdy tales, and rabbinical repartee, it is inspiring, demanding, confounding, and thousands of pages long. As Liel Leibovitz enthusiastically explores the Talmud, what has sometimes been misunderstood as a dusty and arcane volume becomes humanity's first self-help book. How the Talmud Can Change Your Life contains sage advice on an unparalleled scope of topics.

A Buddhist monk takes up arms to resist the Chinese invasion of Tibet - then spends the rest of his life trying to atone for the violence by hand printing the best prayer flags in India. A Jain nun tests her powers of detachment as she watches her best friend ritually starve herself to death. Nine people, nine lives; each one taking a different religious path, each one an unforgettable story. William Dalrymple delves deep into the heart of a nation torn between the relentless onslaught of modernity and the ancient traditions that endure to this day.

A shaman can serve as a healer, storyteller, and a keeper of wisdom—but most of all, teaches Sandra Ingerman, “Shamans radiate a light that uplifts everybody. In our culture, we tend to focus on methods and forget that the greatest way we can offer healing to the world is to become a vessel of love.” With Walking in Light, this renowned teacher offers a complete guide for living in a shamanic way—empowered by purpose, focus, and a deep connection to the spiritual dimensions.

One with God: Book 1 gives an intimate and candid portrait of three women who were determined to hear the voice of the Holy Spirit as promised in A Course in Miracles. Now they do. As a practice of forgiveness, they have taken back layers of ego projections and thus experience the constancy and love of Spirit in every aspect of their lives.

The Unlikely Peace at Cuchumaquic is both an epic story and a cry to the heart of humanity based on the author’s realization that human survival depends on keeping alive the seeds of our “original forgotten spiritual excellence.” Prechtel relates our current state of ecological crisis to the rapid disappearance of biodiversity, indigenous cultures, and shared human values. He demonstrates how real human culture is exterminated when real (not genetically modified) seeds are lost.

In this now classic text by American occultist George Carey, the author advances an alchemical reading of Christian and Jewish scripture, explaining what this esoteric knowledge means for us and our bodies, and what it could mean for the betterment of the world as a whole.

The Tao of Daily Life combines ancient Eastern wisdom with practical application—perfect for busy Western listeners! Derek Lin, Taoist master and expert in Eastern philosophy, brings his deep knowledge of this time-honored Chinese spiritual thought system into the twenty-first century. Using the powerful medium of stories and short dharma talks, Lin illuminates the Taoist secrets and engages the listener in their inherent wisdom.

Born in West Africa in the early 1950s, Somé was kidnapped at age four by a French Jesuit missionary to be trained as a priest, for the next 15 years enduring the harsh regimen of a seminary where his native language and tribal traditions were systematically suppressed. At age 20 he escaped, but when he returned to his Dugara people in Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) they rejected him as an outsider. To reconnect with his native culture, Somé underwent a month-long initiation into shamanism.

The Essential Talmud is a masterful introduction by Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz to the great repository of Jewish wisdom, the Talmud. A book of profound scholarship and concise pedagogy, The Essential Talmud succinctly describes the Talmud's history, structure, and methodology. It summarizes the Talmud's main principles, demonstrates its contemporary relevance, and captures the spirit of this unique and paradoxical sacred text as a human expression of divine law.

Like a compelling painting rich with color, Christine Sabado's intimate memoir illustrates her love for all things Molokai; her life, the culture, and her soon-to-be husband and his family. Written in descriptions as lush as the island itself, the author takes a highly personal voyage as she is seduced by the ways of her adopted Filipino lifestyle on a pineapple plantation.