Book review: Threads–The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn

15 May

Richly textured spiritual novel explores karmic balance, stays true to history

Threads: Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn spiritual novel metaphysical fiction new ageRating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Why did King Henry VIII nearly destroy England and create a new religion in order to marry Anne Boleyn, only to have her executed three years later? Nell Gavin’s fascinating, well-written  spiritual novel makes the compelling case that his nearly incomprehensible behavior is explained by the karma created throughout their many lifetimes together.

Story: In 1536, Henry and Anne are at the mercy of influences outside their control, explosively incompatible, and caught in a marriage that ends in betrayal so shocking that Anne requires lifetimes to recover. Henry, seemingly in defense of Anne (but more likely acting out of “stubborn perverseness,” she observes), terrorizes England and decrees widespread political murder in order to protect her. Ultimately, to Anne’s horror, this once passionate husband turns on her and has her executed as well. Threads, a reincarnation fantasy, opens with Anne’s execution. Her fury at her husband s betrayal has enough momentum to survive centuries, but in Threads she learns that she has been assigned a hard task: she must review their history together through a number of past lives, and find it within herself to forgive him. This may prove difficult and take some time. The husband in question is Henry Tudor, the notorious Henry VIII. The narrator is the stubborn, volatile Anne Boleyn, who is not at all inclined to forgive. (From amazon.com)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. In the opening chapters, Anne finds herself in a “place of peace” after her execution. There she reviews her life with Henry VIII in England, as well as a dozen other lifetimes that she and Henry, along with other family and friends, share in various combinations. Gavin suggests that the crux of Anne and Henry’s tumultuous relationship partly results from Anne’s abandonment of her child (Henry) in a previous life. Henry  pursues her and obsesses over her beyond all reason, she says, “as only a lost child could or would.”

Gavin carefully constructs the “place between lives,” where words are physical beings with vibrant form, color, and substance. With the help of the Voice, Anne begins to understand the complex interactions within this group of souls, which choose to incarnate together across three millenia.  She focuses on the emotional relationships within the group, what lessons they need to learn, and what contributes to or hinders their growth. Toward the end, she feels herself “grow small with understanding” as she glimpses the true nature of reincarnation.

Gavin offers an interesting approach to understanding karma: Success earns us karmic cash,  while failure forces us to borrow. We “pay for what we take and are paid for what we give” across lifetimes. If a person successfully completes their assigned job, says Gavin, that success can be used “like currency toward the next existence on earth. The tally determines destiny, good or bad, upon one’s return” to the place between lives.

My take: This elegant literary novel, rife with imagery and insight, focuses on the emotional and spiritual relationship between Anne and Henry, emphasizing psychology over history. I was grateful that I had read several of Philippa Gregory’s excellent novels about the English Reformation, which helped me follow Gavin’s minimalist portrayal of  events and time lines. The historical details are painstakingly researched, and Gavin offers fascinating psychological insight into how karma and reincarnation nicely account for the almost inconceivable manner in which Henry VIII pursued and then discarded Anne.

Gavin is a skilled and powerful author, and Threads is an elegant tapestry of Henry and Anne’s many lives together. Gavin develops her characters more fully than most books can, not only exploring the physical and psychological dynamics of their relationship, but also projecting those dynamics across 3,000 years of shared history. This adds a rich spiritual dimension to her characters that is not possible in many novels. I highly recommend this historical novel to readers interested in learning how reincarnation may influence their own relationships.

Details:
Threads: The Reincarnation of Anne Boleyn, by Nell Gavin
Book and Quill Press, 2011
Kindle, 6500 (approx. 300 pages)
Buy at Amazon

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Book review: Until the Next Time

20 Apr

Riveting suspense drives masterful Irish reincarnation novel

Until the Next Time Kevin Fox spiritual fiction metaphysical novel reincarnation

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Kevin Fox’s reincarnation novel explores political strife, religious intolerance, and enduring love that spans centuries, played out against the lush backdrop of Northern Ireland. He doles out hints and teasers so skillfully that the story rushes forward at breakneck speed as you chase down clues until the entire puzzle falls into place–revealing a satisfying portrait of romance, spirituality, and history that transports you to an Ireland you may not have known existed.

Story: For Sean Corrigan the past is simply what happened yesterday, until his twenty-first birthday, when he is given a journal left him by his father’s brother Michael—a man he had not known existed. The journal, kept after his uncle fled from New York City to Ireland to escape prosecution for a murder he did not commit, draws Sean into a hunt for the truth about Michael’s fate.

Sean too leaves New York for Ireland, where he is caught up in the lives of people who not only know all about Michael Corrigan but have a score to settle. As his connection to his uncle grows stronger, he realizes that within the tattered journal he carries lies the story of his own life—his past as well as his future—and the key to finding the one woman he is fated to love forever.  (From amazon.com)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. Using the framework of The Troubles in Northern Ireland during the 1970s, Fox illustrates that, on both an individual and societal level,  belief in reincarnation can provide a “different  set of moral guideposts” than enables people to seek justice instead of retribution, and eventually move on to “a more aware and enlightened way of  living.”

An intriguing mixture of ancient rites, Buddhist principles, and ”enlightened” Catholicism drive the story at a relentless pace. Reincarnation and Catholicism? It’s a more natural fit than you might suspect. A recent article in the Catholic Herald states that 29.9% of self-described Irish Catholics believe in reincarnation. Fox presents a persuasive case, pointing out that reincarnation has been a feature of nearly every world religion except Christianity, and that Jesus’ actual words support reincarnation even though later Bible authors have reinterpreted their meaning.

This spiritual novel suggests that some people can remember their past lives more easily; that knowledge is passed down through families and within clusters of those who remember. Using an ancient Druid rite of passage, they awaken others because, when individuals view their actions through the broader lens of reincarnation, penance and forgiveness can occur mindfully in one or two lifetimes instead of playing itself out over many generations.

My take: The power of Until the Next Time  springs from Fox’s  remarkable ability to thread extensive historical and philosophical detail into crisp dialog and a clever plot that drives every character’s decisions. Similarly themed spiritual fiction sometimes adds a layer of pedantic preaching atop the plot, but Fox handles exposition so smoothly, it rarely disturbs the reader’s immersion within the story.

Understanding reincarnation is both the heart of the novel’s conflict and the key to resolving it. Fox uses the sprawling canvas of Northern Ireland and England spanning millenia to demonstrate how the typically abstract theory of reincarnation has shaped the Corrigan family’s history in very concrete ways. The characters’ choices determine their karma/fate/destiny; negative choices require penance and forgiveness, often through multiple lifetimes, until they absorb a particular lesson. This is not a philosophical notion for the Corrigans but a pattern of brutal action and reaction that drives war and aggression across centuries, culminating in Ireland’s Bloody Sunday and the brutal crackdown that followed.

Fox is a remarkable writer; he employs dialect so skillfully that I could hear an Irish lilt echoing in my head as I read. The novel’s structure is complex–three parallel stories spanning multiple generations, told through two points of view. Figuring out who is narrating the story is tricky at first, but the reader catches on fairly quickly. Beautifully written and paced, the novel’s spiritual and historical reach took my breath away. I immediately searched Amazon for more novels by Kevin Fox; regretfully, they do not exist yet. Until the Next Time is a wonderful example of how, as Fox explains, “Fiction is the lie that illuminates a greater truth.”

Details:
Until the Next Time, by Kevin Fox
Algonquin Books, 2012
Paperback, 400 pages
Buy at Amazon

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Book review: The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse

5 Apr

Metaphysical twist broadens appeal of clever YA thrillerPrince of Soul and Lighthouse Fredrik Brouneus spiritual novel metaphysical fiction

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Fredrik Brouneus’ new young adult novel is short on preaching and long on sassy dialog and rollicking action.  Built on a framework of Buddhist reincarnation principles, the book is both simple and profound. Throw in zombies, romance,  and a smart-mouth hero with a wicked wit, and you’ve got a metaphysical thriller that both delights and inspires.

Story: What happens when we die? I know what happens. Believe me, I’d rather not. But I do. There is a lighthouse, and it guides our souls along the narrow path to being reborn as humans. It’s the light at the end of the tunnel. Unfortunately, as my undead granddad and the Tibetan special mission monk in my kitchen have kindly told me, there’s a problem with the lighthouse. And if the world is to be saved, someone needs to fix it. Which is where I come in: George Larson, eighteen years old. Who could possibly be better suited to save the world? (Condensed from book jacket.)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: Medium. In New Zealand, 18-year-old George meets a Tibetan monk named Tenzin who helps him “stretch his brain” to contain the spiritual truths he must rediscover in order to succeed at his mission. Brouneus employs concrete, accessible metaphors to clarify complex concepts such as reincarnation, suffering, and impermanence: Existence is a long, bumpy road trip in which your soul drives its car into the ground and then moves to the next, aeon after aeon.  Death is merely a pit-stop to refuel and switch cars before hitting the road again. When we die,  ”we will be recycled as atoms and molecules — immortal parts of the big LEGO box Mother Nature has to play with.” The concepts are basic, but the metaphors are a perfect introduction to metaphysics for the  novice seeker or zombie-obsessed teenager.

My take: Nonstop action drives The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse. However, George’s guide, Tenzin, provides welcome pacing and colorful characterization as he teaches George how to make decisions based on spiritual principles.  Some plot twists may ask readers to stretch their brains a synapse too far, such as connecting jingoism, prayer and the Internet. But the way Brouneus weaves character and action into a cohesive story that spans centuries makes such missteps merely a pothole that you speed past. Zombies, romance, hilarious asides, a little bloodlust, and plenty of relevant cultural references appeal to younger readers, while the spiritual and metaphysical theme satisfies those seeking a more profound experience. Read it as a YA thriller or a short spiritual novel; either way, you’ll be glad you did.

Details:
The Prince of Soul and the Lighthouse, by Fredrik Brouneus
Published by Steampress, 2012
Paperback, 292 pages
Buy at Amazon

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Book review: Muhammad by Deepak Chopra

2 Oct

Novel about Islam’s founder proves surprisingly accessible and entertainingMuhammad by Deepak Chopra metaphysical novel new age fiction spiritual novel

Rating: 4 1/2  out of 5 stars

I had braced myself to slog through Deepak Chopra’s biographical novel “Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet.” Instead, I was delightfully surprised by the compelling story of Muhammad’s journey from affluent trader to reluctant prophet, and the engagingly lyrical music of the suras (verses) he channeled from Allah.

Story: Although ostensibly a novel, Chopra bookends his story about the Muslim prophet with an author’s note and an afterword, offering the reader a history lesson while reflecting on the current relationship between Islam and the rest of the world. The novel emphasizes that of all the founders of the great world religions, Muhammad is the most like us. Muhammad, a merchant who marries a rich widow and routinely travels in caravans as part of his trade, lives a regular life until the day the archangel Gabriel appears and orders the reluctant 40-year-old Muhammad to recite. (To recite, Chopra reminds, is the root word of Koran.) Using multiple first-person narrators—slaves and merchants, hermits, and scribes—he portrays life (including its brutality) on the streets of Mecca. Each chapter is self-contained. Muhammad’s wife, Khadijah, laments there have been no warnings that this tumultuous, life-changing event is about to occur; Ali, the first convert, explains how the Prophet approached him. Compellingly told, this is not only good storytelling; it also helps readers, especially non-Muslims, better understand the complexities and contradictions surrounding Islam. (From Booklist)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: Medium. The book focused more on the man than his teachings, which I found to be less than satisfying. I had hoped to gain more insight into the teachings of Islam, although Chopra does describe the five pillars and six core beliefs of Islam, along with some of his other teachings. However, other aspects of the work delighted me. I expected to learn much about Islam, but what I didn’t expect was the love of poetry that suffused Arab hearts and the attendant lyricism of Muhammad’s suras. I enjoyed the poetry of each sura as much as the message.

Do you not see how he has lengthened the shadows?
the One is He who made the night a garment for you.
He gave you sleep so that you may rest
And the morning sky to be a resurrection.

And

Lo, I swear by the afterglow of sunset,
And by the night and all it enshrouds.
And by the moon when she is at the full,
You will journey to higher and higher worlds.

Another unexpected delight was the wealth of Arabic sayings that were both pithy and poetic: “Fate … was like a wasp covered in honey. You cannot taste the sweetness without a sting.”

My take: In addition to being a simple and easy introduction to the life and teachings of Muhammad and Islam, Muhammad proves to be entertaining, historically accurate, and relevant to our times. Chopra’s stilted writing style made several of his non-historical novels less than enjoyable to me in the past. However, his short and direct prose works well in the context of this fictionalized biography. By writing each chapter from a different character’s perspective, including Muhammad’s enemies, Chopra offers fascinating perspective and varies what might otherwise be a monotonal story. The actual events of the Prophet’s life provide a thrilling framework fraught with conflict that propels the story forward.

I learned a great deal about Muhammad’s life and the rise of Islam. Although much blood was spilled in the evolution of Islam, violence was integral to Arabic life at that time. Muhammad struggled to project his message of peace, acceptance, and submission above the sometimes horrific reality of Arabic life in the 7th century. Chopra’s author’s note, afterward, timeline, and family tree helped clarify the complex history of the times and placed his life in a clearly defined context.

One of the most fascinating aspects of the story was the realization that Muhammad was a man like any other, not a son of God (such as Jesus) nor a transcendent human (such as Buddha). The angel Gabriel chose him as a medium to deliver Allah’s message, and the reader clearly sees how Muhammad was forced into the role of reluctant prophet but also military commander, master politician, and sometimes brutal judge in order to ensure the survival of Allah’s message. As Chopra notes, “I didn’t write this book to make Muhammad more holy. I wrote it to show that holiness was just as confusing, terrifying, and exalting in the 7th century as it would be today.”

Details:

Muhammad: A Story of the Last Prophet, by Deepak Chopra
Published by HarperOne, 2010
Hardcover, 267 pages
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Book review: Deshi

1 Nov

Cutting spiritual insight infuses martial arts thrillerDeshi byJohn Donohue new age fiction spiritual novel martial arts thriller

Rating: 4  out of 5 stars

Steeped in Eastern philosophy, rich with language that evokes the sweat and intensity of a Japanese dojo, and peppered with gritty cop talk and wry humor, John Donohue’s “Deshi” smoothly folds mysticism into this top-notch action thriller.

Story: Dr. Connor Burke, a history scholar and black belt, gets enlisted by his NYPD detective brother Micky, who’s his spiritual polar opposite, to decipher the calligraphic writing left by the victim at the crime scene. The inked message implicates followers of a revered Tibetan lama in this and two other murders. Charged with protecting the lama, who’s at the center of a conflict involving a rising charismatic sensei (aka teacher), political threats in Tibet and competing martial arts disciplines, Burke journeys to the lama’s reclusive mountain retreat, where he’s stalked by a hulking Korean-American named Han. (From Publisher’s Weekly)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. The villain is a martial arts sensei who teaches a potent New Age blend of Tibetan mysticism and the lethal heritage of the samurai.  Connor Burke, master of the Japanese sword, is a thinking man’s hero who embodies both the physical and spiritual aspects of the Asian disciplines. He is guided by a Tibetan rimpoche (lama), a clairvoyant mystic who grounds the story in spirituality.

My take: I loved the spare, elegant prose that reflects the spiritual simplicity of the story. Donohue underpins the intense action with depictions of a mystical martial arts culture that evoke the beauty of haiku. The characters–sensei Yamashita, deshi (student) Connor Burke, and the Tibetan rimpoche–are as finely drawn as the missing calligraphy scroll that holds the clues to solving the mystery. At once a gripping exploration of Eastern wisdom and a gritty cop thriller, Deshi fed both my desire to seek truth and my need for bloodthirsty catharsis in a satisfying balance of oriental philosophy and Western sensibility.

Details:
Deshi: A Martial Arts Thriller, by John Donohue
Thomas Dunne Books, 2005
Paperback, 288 pages
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Book review: Enlightenment for Idiots

25 Jan

Spiritual novel is part chicklit, part exposé, and always fun

Enlightenment For Idiots Cushman new age fiction spiritual novel metaphysical fiction

Rating: 4 1/2 out of 5 stars

Want to see what a spiritual journey to India is really like? Forget “Eat, Pray, Love” and pick up this gem of a novel: “Enlightenment for Idiots” by Anne Cushman. Published in 2009, the book exposes India’s spiritual warts with a humorous touch, packaged in an engaging tale of self-discovery. This fun, fast-paced story reaches emotional and spiritual depths beyond standard chicklit fare.

Story: Nearing age thirty, Amanda thought she’d be someone else by now. Instead, she’s just herself: an ex-nanny yogini-wannabe who cranks out “For Idiots” travel guides just to scrape by. Yes, she has her sexy photographer boyfriend, but he’s usually gone—shooting a dogsled race in Alaska or a vision quest in Peru—or just hooking up with other girls. However, she’s sure her new assignment, “Enlightenment for Idiots,” will change everything; now she’ll become the serene, centered woman she was meant to be. After some breakup sex, she’s off to India to find a new, more spiritual life. (From amazon.com)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. The story charts Amanda’s path through a slew of ashrams, temples, and hermitages as she desperately searches for spiritual enlightenment. In addition to the many details about various yoga practices and meditation traditions, Cushman threads the story with Zen philosophy and metaphysical principles that infuse Amanda’s personable character with nuance and heart.

My take: In addition to offering an amusing and insightful story of personal transformation, the novel presents a biting examination of how the American spiritual journey has become a very profitable industry in parts of India. Cushman reminds us that an ashram is also a business with salaries, overhead, marketing costs, and human quirks and failings that all contribute to a seeker’s experience. Enlightenment for Idiots is a brisk, engaging tour of India’s enlightenment industry and an excellent example of spiritual fiction.

Details:
Enlightenment for Idiots, by Anne Cushman
Published by Crown, 2008
Paperback, 372 pages
Buy at Amazon

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Book review: The First Rule of Ten

9 Feb

Spiritual mystery embodies great writing and even greater insight

First Rule of Ten Gay Hendricks new age fiction spiritual novel metaphysical fiction

Rating: 4 1/2  out of 5 stars

As the first book in a new mystery series, ”The First Rule of Ten” is an engrossing page turner and well worth reading. As a work of spiritual fiction, however, Hendricks and Lindsay’s novel is exceptional. The narrator, a Buddhist monk turned L.A. cop turned novice investigator, strives to live according to his spiritual principles every day. His experiences offer a simple, flexible model that can encourage us us to live our own lives more deeply and successfully.

Story: Tenzing Norbu (“Ten” for short)—ex-monk and soon-to-be ex-cop—is a protagonist unique to our times. In The First Rule of Ten, the first installment in a three-book detective series, we meet this spiritual warrior who is singularly equipped, if not occasionally ill-equipped, as he takes on his first case as a private investigator in Los Angeles. Growing up in a Tibetan Monastery, Ten dreamed of becoming a modern-day Sherlock Holmes. So when he was sent to Los Angeles to teach meditation, he joined the LAPD instead. But as the Buddha says, change is inevitable; and ten years later, everything is about to change—big-time—for Ten. One resignation from the police force, two bullet-wounds, three suspicious deaths, and a beautiful woman later, he quickly learns that whenever he breaks his first rule, mayhem follows.  (From amazon.com)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. Ten spent half his life in a Buddhist monastery,  but the charm of this book is not the wisdom he can spout, but rather the challenge he faces in applying it to the stresses of  his own life. It’s easy for the reader to relate to Ten’s spiritual successes and failures because they parallel our own. We recognize when his actions come from a place other than spirituality, and see how that negativity plays out in his life. And we can rejoice in his small successes from day to day, such as holding his tongue when an ex-girlfriend calls to needle him, and be reminded to rejoice in our own daily triumphs.

My take: I am delighted that this novel is the first in a series. Ten has tremendous appeal as a protagonist; his “outsider” perspective adds great range to his character. Hendricks’  insights are clean and simple, adding just the right note of spiritual depth to what is primarily a mystery novel. Lindsay’s writing style is fast paced and a pleasure to read. I highly recommend this spiritual mystery to anyone who enjoys top-notch writing and inspirational fiction.

Details: The First Rule of Ten, by Gay Hendricks and Tinker Lindsay
Published by Hay House Visions, 2012
Paperback, 297 pages
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Book review: Song of George

8 Mar

Lyricism elevates Portrait of an Unlikely Holy Man

Song of George Jesse S Hanson spiritual fiction metaphysical novel new age fiction

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Jesse S. Hanson’s literary novel makes visceral the brutality of homelessness, prison, and mental illness while simultaneously celebrating the possibility of love, illumination, redemption. The resulting story, told through the collective tales of inmates whose lives have been transformed by one man, brims with mystery and poetry.

Story: Suppose you were standing, like a tourist protected by a guardrail, over an opening into the pit of hell, when suddenly the rail gave way and you tumbled in. You wouldn’t know why – consumed with fear or anger, and surrounded by utter misery, it wouldn’t make sense to you. Yet the fate of many of the poor souls in our prison mental facilities is not so very different from that scenario, their crimes often resulting from the effect of some form of mental illness. Who can help them? Enter George. (From amazon.com)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: Medium. Spirit has an advantage in mental hospitals. As Hanson’s hero says of his fellow inmates, “We don’t take as much convincing about the reality of things of the spirit, now do we?” Embodied by George, Spirit is the gentle undercurrent that helps moor the fragile minds in George’s band, including the self-described Eater of Death, ghost poet, and “dead” man, among others. He lectures them on the redemptive nature of love, and helps them understand that “broken minds and tortured souls are our gifts” that help them perceive the true nature of God. He teaches the men mindfulness techniques to resist hallucinations and fear; the lucky ones experience moments of enlightenment. To atone for his own sins, George takes their pain upon himself, although few are aware of his sacrifices. One narrator claims there is “a stronger community of hope and more believable faith in spiritual deliverance here than any I’ve personally witnessed outside.”

My take: Song of George is a literary novel, lush with lyrical prose, poetry, and songs. The plot lines verge on magical realism–or reality, if you’re of a mind to believe in spiritual occurrences. Using nuanced dialog and subtle characterization, Hanson present a stirring portrayal of life in a prison mental facility, and how powerfully someone like George can transform that life. The men seek peace, love, and understanding, all attributes that only those who have lived with broken minds on dark streets–such as George–can give them. Each man has his own story, and only by examining the whole of their stories, and discovering the sum that is greater than those parts, does the reader understand what kind of man George is. A quote by Kirpal Singh is at the heart of the book: “Spirituality cannot be taught, it must be caught like an infection which is passed on to others who are receptive.”

Hanson’s literary spiritual fiction is richly textured with original poetry, songs, illustrations, and prose that range from entertaining to inscrutable. All work together to create a lyrical reader experience that is mystifying, enlightening, and ultimately unforgettable.

Details:
Song of George: Portrait of an Unlikely Holy Man, by Jesse S. Hanson
All Things That Matter Press, 2010
Paperback, 332 pages
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Book review: American Gods

15 Mar

Darkly stunning novel illustrates that psychic energy has real, lasting power

American Gods Neil Gaiman spiritual novel metaphysical fiction new age fictionRating: 5 out of 5 stars

When we pray, or preach, or share stories about our gods, where does all that mental energy go? That’s the fascinating premise of “American Gods.” Part road trip, part nightmare, Neil Gaiman’s 2003 literary novel is a biting examination of the American spirit. His narrative style and precision plot deliver an epic journey that illustrates a deep spiritual truth: Psychic energy has real and lasting power.

Story: Released from prison, Shadow finds his world turned upside down. His wife has been killed; a mysterious stranger offers him a job. But Mr. Wednesday, who knows more about Shadow than is possible, warns that a storm is coming — a battle for the very soul of America . . . and they are in its direct path.

One of the most talked-about books of the new millennium, American Gods is a kaleidoscopic journey deep into myth and across an American landscape at once eerily familiar and utterly alien. It is, quite simply, a contemporary masterpiece. (from Amazon)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. When explorers and settlers came to America, they brought their gods with them. From Thor to Ganesh to Anansi, the pantheon journeyed across the seas to join the native American gods who had already taken root. The true believers passed on and left their gods, diminished but not completely forgotten, to fend for themselves as best they could in the New World.

“[Gods] exist because everybody know they must exist,” says Gaiman. They feed on belief, on prayers, on love; the older ones feed on blood sacrifice. “People imagine, and people believe: and it is that belief, that rock-solid belief, that makes things happen.” Many spiritual practitioners believe that our thoughts create our physical reality. If true, could all that psychic energy create a god that has physical form? Do those gods walk among us? “American Gods” explores what the United States might be like if that were true.

And new gods are constantly emerging, Gaiman continues, “clinging to growing knots of belief: gods of credit card and freeway, the Internet, . . . hospital and television.” Note the god of “hospital”: Where once we turned to shamans and herbal remedies to cure our ails, now we place our faith–and invest our psychic energy–in doctors and modern medicine. In doing so, have we diminished the power of traditional cures and strengthened the efficacy of pills and procedures? Studies measuring the Placebo and Nocebo Effect (Time Magazine, 2011) tend to support that assertion. Whether you believe that or not, it makes for fascinating reading.

Many in the metaphysical community believe that anything we pay attention to, give our psychic energy to, grows in strength and power–not just the gods. One of Gaiman’s more colorful characters proclaims “I’m a culture hero. We do the same shit gods do, we just screw up more and nobody worships us. They tell stories about us.” What happens to all the energy we focus on our cultural celebrities?

“Religions are places to stand and look and act, vantage points from which to view the world,” Gaiman says. However, he takes a pass (mostly) on injecting America’s most deeply held religious figures into the story. Perhaps that’s a tale best told another day.

My take: It took me a few chapters to warm up to the story line and characters– Gaiman’s worldview typically isn’t very sunny. However, the final third of the book left me with but one conclusion: American Gods is a perfect weave of theme, and plot, and character, and place–an intricate tapestry in which no image overwhelms another, and in which all colors merge and blend and morph into a vivid portrait of the American spirit, albeit an ugly and violent one. A novelist interested in writing spiritual/metaphysical fiction would do well to study Gaiman’s American epic.

Details:
American Gods, by Neil Gaiman
William Morrow Paperbacks, 2003
Paperback, 624 pages
Buy at Amazon

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Book review: Walking In

1 May

Despite slow start, novel about walk-ins evolves into clever page-turner

Walking In Myles Murchison new age metaphysical spiritual visionaryRating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

I typically shy away from stories about UFOs and Plieadians that take over human bodies, but the spiritual premise of Myles Murchison’s new spiritual novel “Walking In” seemed promising enough to take a chance–and his visionary novel made me glad I did. Despite a weak beginning, the story grew into a fascinating page-turner that had me racing to the finish.

Story: Walking In is a funny and inspirational book about walk-ins, angels, karma, love, sex and E.T. 101. It’s about Joanna who believes she is Deevorrah, an extraterrestrial fifth-dimensional spirit from the star system Pleiades. Is she really? Or is she crazy? She wants to create heaven on earth but now she’s fleeing in a stolen bus with an armed felon, chased by a new lover and half the cops in northwest America. Will she transmute the planet or simply lose what’s left of her mind? (From amazon.com)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: High. At every turn, Murchison introduces metaphysical principles, occult practices, and popular spiritual themes: Channeling the energetic power in Sedona, New Mexico, focusing energy with pentagrams, performing chakra work to clear negative energy, using psychometrics to manipulate matter (such as starting a stalled engine), talking to dead spirits,  teaching the law of attraction, and offering the “Wisdoms”: life-affirming spiritual beliefs that underlie many spiritual/metaphysical/new age works.

Walk-ins are energy beings from the planet Plieadia that inhabit the bodies of willing humans who have chosen not to live. The human leaves the body to become one with Spirit, but a small piece of energy remains. The Plieadian goal is to help “earthlings” co-create heaven on earth by helping them into the fifth dimension of energy and light. Hindering their efforts, however, is the fourth dimension,  which encases the earth like a force field. This dimension holds the negative energy generated by humans, described as “emotion pollution.” Humans have difficulty evolving spiritually not only because our own negative energy surrounds us, but also because the fourth dimension is the dominion of disembodied spirits that want to inhabit the earth through psychic control.

The Plieadians are here because it’s time for humanity to break free of the fourth dimension and enter the realm of the fifth. The walk-ins use the New Thought industry to fund the Third Planet Mission, which attracts and trains humans who can help channel the energies necessary to transform the planet. And why has the emotional cesspool of earth been chosen to receive help from Plieadia? Because of our capacity for love.

My take: Murchison is a competent writer and works hard to create a compelling blend of romance, mystery, conflict, and hope. He describes the experience of walking in to a human body in finely honed, convincing detail, as well as the psychological struggle to determine who will ultimately control the body that Dee is inhabiting.

However, Murchison’s writing style hinders the story’s flow. Multiple points of view and frequent flashbacks sometimes left me wondering–and wandering–as a reader. Unnecessary back story cluttered some scenes. The book took a while to gain steam, and the Plieadian concept was a stretch for me. But once I got past these hurdles, the story picked up momentum and thundered to a satisfying conclusion. By the midpoint, the plot had morphed into a page-turner that I was reluctant to put down.

Details: Walking In, by Myles Murchison
Kelly Books (Canada), 2011
Kindle, 3085 (short)
Buy at Amazon

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Book review: Kabbalah, A Love Story

28 Mar

Romancing the Kabbalah: Kushner’s mystical novel is a work of love

Kabbalah: A Love Story, Harold Kushner spiritual novel mystical metaphysical fiction

Rating: 3 1/2 out of 5 stars

Rabbi Harold Kushner’s 2007 mystical novel is more than a spiritual romance (although it reads quite well as one);  it is a celebration of Jewish mysticism and spiritual insight that uses rich metaphor and prose to immerse the reader in an experience rather than just tell a story. Interwoven plots, historical revelations, and profound insight make “Kabbalah” an entertaining introduction to Jewish mysticism. The most profound insight is also one of the simplest– “People become mystics … for one of three reasons: because they’ve had a mystical experience, because they want one, or because they’re in love.”

Story: Hidden within the binding of an ancient text that has been passed down through the ages lies the answer to one of the heart’s eternal questions. When the text falls into the hands of Rabbi Kalman Stern, he has no idea that his lonely life of intellectual pursuits is about to change once he opens the book. Soon afterward, he meets astronomer Isabel Benveniste, a woman of science who stirs his soul as no woman has for many years. But Kalman has much to learn before he can unlock his heart and let true love into his life. The key lies in the mysterious document he finds inside the Zohar, the master text of the Kabbalah. (From amazon.com)

Spiritual/metaphysical content: Medium. Although the book offers only a brief introduction to a very complex subject, Kushner’s spiritual novel can help a reader new to Jewish traditions understand the power and allure of the Kabbalah. In the end, Kalman discovers that “knowing ultimate truth and giving yourself to your lover are effectively identical. You move from this World of Separation to the World of Unity by giving yourself away, and once you can do that, new life is the reward.”

My take: Kushner’s first novel operates on many levels at once, and all deal with love. The late-blossoming romance between Kalman and Isabel parallels another love story in 13th-century Spain that suggests how the Zohar came to be written. However, the greatest love story to me is Kalman’s (and Kushner’s) love for the Zohar itself. To read Kabbalah is to immerse one’s self in the magic of Jewish mysticism, where we discover our true nature only by opening ourselves to love.

The story feels like magical realism in spiritual expression, rich with metaphors that help expose essential truths– “That’s the way  it is with a good book: Just when you think you’ve read all its words, the damn thing falls apart in your hands and you have to start all over again.” The novel suffers from a predictable plot and stiff characters, but the beauty of the message, the pull of those multi-layered love stories, and the powerful questions Kushner poses both engaged and challenged me to the last page.

Details:
Kabbalah: A Love Story, by Rabbi Lawrence Kushner
Broadway, 2007
Hardcover, 208 pages
Buy at Amazon

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