Intriguing, groundbreaking idea, but as drama it's hopeless. A lot of redundant, perky dialogue from indistinguishable characters, and almost nothing Intriguing, groundbreaking idea, but as drama it's hopeless. A lot of redundant, perky dialogue from indistinguishable characters, and almost nothing happens--not on stage, at least....more
This work is termed a novel, but it is really a work of journalism, for I suspect that there is very little fiction involved. The author reconstructs This work is termed a novel, but it is really a work of journalism, for I suspect that there is very little fiction involved. The author reconstructs his grandfather's life from his journals and paintings, seeking to understand it. He doesn't succeed, but the attempt and the writing are very good....more
A handsomely produced volume with high-quality color images of thought forms--the actual shapes and colors of thoughts in the subtle matter of which tA handsomely produced volume with high-quality color images of thought forms--the actual shapes and colors of thoughts in the subtle matter of which they're formed, as seen by clairvoyants. The text is brief but illuminating, and the reason for its republication in this fresh edition is the link between this doctrine and the emergence of nonfigurative art in the early 20th century....more
Aldous Huxley is a fantastic writer of nonfiction, but not, I find, of fiction. Here we have some flat, underpowered characters, the modernistic gimmiAldous Huxley is a fantastic writer of nonfiction, but not, I find, of fiction. Here we have some flat, underpowered characters, the modernistic gimmick of jumping around in time, and comic scenes that are not funny. Signing off at page 145!...more
A well-researched and well-illustrated history of the geographical feature that, in effect, made Vancouver possible and even inevitable. There is a ceA well-researched and well-illustrated history of the geographical feature that, in effect, made Vancouver possible and even inevitable. There is a certain unity to the life on the various parts of this inlet, and this book gives a strong sense of that, even as that life varies between the heavy industry of the Port of Vancouver to the remote wildernesses up Indian Arm. I've lived on or near Burrard Inlet my whole life, and I learned a lot from this book....more
An astonishing work, based on long experience, describing a path to spiritual growth and transformation based on the Western approaches of tarot and aAn astonishing work, based on long experience, describing a path to spiritual growth and transformation based on the Western approaches of tarot and astrology.
The author has a lot to say, and packs a great deal between the covers of this one volume. I'm already trained in astrology and am quite familiar with the tarot, but I found myself encountering many ideas that I had not heard of before and generally having my mind stretched every which way; if you're not conversant with those things, you may find this book overwhelming, or, at least, will need to gear down and take it slow.
The basic idea is that we, any of us, including children, can, by a technique of quiet visualization, come into contact with our Inner Guides: actual persons who dwell on planes other than the physical that we're used to, and who have a relationship with us that began long before our present life and will continue long after it. These Guides, who are no other than the daimones of the ancient Greeks and genii of the ancient Romans, have a wise and loving concern for us, and stand ready to help us develop along our spiritual path toward wholeness and fulfillment. But if we want their direct help, we have to ask; we have to seek them out. And the Inner Guide meditation is a methodology for doing just this.
The Inner Guides can bring us into contact with the archetypes: 22 divine energies or entities that are symbolized by the 22 Major Arcana of the tarot pack. These archetypes, like the Guides, exist independently of us, of our egos, and, being divine, are extremely powerful, and thus dangerous to approach without the help of a Guide.
I recognize that the things I'm typing here may sound incredibly flaky, and indeed I have not yet attempted the meditation myself, since I am still involved with the preparatory work. But I see no reason to doubt the author, and nothing about what he says is inconsistent with my own observations of life, based on having lived and observed it for 61 years. The basic message is: whatever is happening in your life, and whoever is involved, you are creating that situation yourself on a deep level. If you want to change things, then you need to go within and work with the archetypal energies that are creating the world you perceive and think you live in. Change yourself, even slightly, and your world will change. Change yourself for the better, and your world will improve.
If you're open to New Age thinking and practices, then take a look at this book. You may find it transformative....more
A well-written and authoritative guide to "monsters"--a term that the author uses carefully in the original sense of the Latin monstrum, "that which iA well-written and authoritative guide to "monsters"--a term that the author uses carefully in the original sense of the Latin monstrum, "that which is shown forth or revealed." Part textbook, part field guide, part detective's how-to manual, and part magical handbook, Monsters examines the full range of uncanny encounters that human beings have had and continue to have with unseen or usually unseen life forms. Thus this book includes material on such seemingly nonmonstrous beings as mermaids, fairies, and angels.
John Michael Greer is the author of many books on magic, and is deeply versed in its practice and on the folklore that surrounds it. For while he has nothing against modern science, which has proven itself to be so powerful and effective, he notes that just about all "scientific" critiques of monster lore are based not on actual observation or experiment, but on a priori arguments about what is assumed to be physically possible: scientists are not interested in monsters because they already "know" that they can't exist. And this is where folklore comes in: the body of knowledge that is passed from person to person based on personal experience. While it may contain falsehoods, there is no good reason to reject it all out of hand, either. For whether scientists study this field or not, a large proportion of human beings have encounters, at some point in their lives, with beings who are or appear to be outside the realm of what we think of as the natural world.
If you've had such an experience, or know someone who has, you're not crazy; you're part of a large group of people who have this in common. This book is just what you need. And if you haven't yet had such an experience, this book is still what you need, if your mind is open and you are interested in all of reality, and not just in that slice of it that concerns physical scientists.
Five years ago I probably would have rejected the premise of this book out of hand as obvious nonsense. Now I'm a believer, and I'm grateful that there is such a sane, rational, and well-spoken writer as John Michael Greer to initiate me into this bigger universe in which I actually live....more
A brief, clear, more-or-less first-person account of the structure and operation of the "mental plane" or Devachan--the place where we all wind up at A brief, clear, more-or-less first-person account of the structure and operation of the "mental plane" or Devachan--the place where we all wind up at the climax of our postmortem experience and remain until it is time for us to incarnate again. The heaven we experience is the heaven we create for ourselves by our actions on Earth....more
This specially designed tarot pack with accompanying instruction book is not intended for the casual user or for those whose interest in tarot is restThis specially designed tarot pack with accompanying instruction book is not intended for the casual user or for those whose interest in tarot is restricted only to divination. This is a pack specifically intended for use as a ritual tool in magical workings based on the system of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn. The tarot holds a central place in the symbolic universe of the Golden Dawn, and the cards are used as the basis for meditation, astral projection, and magical rituals, which are all aimed at the spiritual advancement of the practitioner. To be sure, the cards are also used for divination, and instructions for that are given in the manual, but this pack is meant to be engaged with as part of a larger magical education and practice, and you should be aware of that if you're considering acquiring it.
If you do have that interest, then this pack is just what you're looking for. The Ciceros are adepts of the Golden Dawn, and the pack's images were executed by coauthor Sandra Tabatha Cicero in order to support those magical uses. The images are often striking, arresting, and provocative. The universe is a big place, and this pack is a kind of ladder to its highest reaches....more
If you're new to tarot cards and their reading, this brief, well-organized, and well-written text will tell you just about everything you need to knowIf you're new to tarot cards and their reading, this brief, well-organized, and well-written text will tell you just about everything you need to know to get started. It touches on what is known of the history of the deck (not much), on some of the different packs that have been produced, on the "esoteric tarot" or using the Major Arcana as objects of meditation for spiritual growth, and it describes each card and its meaning. The author is not a spacey, "New Age" type; he examines the tarot mainly from the standpoint of Jungian psychology and its reliance on the symbolism of Gnosticism and alchemy. He comes across as a common-sense observer who is very well informed and who definitely believes in the power of the tarot to awaken our spiritual selves and to peer into the future....more
A curious hybrid of (science) fiction and nonfiction, this works sets out to assemble a large number of current trends in technology and politics and A curious hybrid of (science) fiction and nonfiction, this works sets out to assemble a large number of current trends in technology and politics and make a story out of them. The text is fully laced with end-notes, just like a nonfiction work, but it's all set against a tale of the near future in which a female FBI agent is ordered to test a new policing robot by the name of TAMS. It all happens at a time when a big case is shaping up, for it seems that some neo-Luddites are intent on rolling back the job-destroying progress of automation.
As a work of fiction, the best that I can say is that it tries pretty hard. The authors do their best here, one senses, but they are not storytellers; they are IT nerds, and it's clear that their interest and excitement are stoked by new devices, techniques, and the social trends that these things provoke or enable. Their accuracy and authority with these things, though, lend a lot of authenticity to their story, which is a big plus for any work of fiction. And their point is that all of this is not really science "fiction" at all--it is already fact, all of it. They have simply taken a lot of recent innovations and imagined them as scaled up and widely implemented. Whether you like the way the world looks as a result is perhaps a matter of outlook.
While I like the innovativeness of this approach, my overall sense is that this "novel" of ideas does not really address the idea aspect of its material, except superficially. The real issues around technology and automation are not discussed. The characters are more or less the familiar cast you might expect in any thriller--the beleaguered but competent and principled hero(ine), the careerist boss, the paranoid terrorist, the sinister and complacent power figure--and such characters by definition represent simple, familiar ideas. For the underlying ideas to really engage with each other and be felt by a reader, the characters and the story need to be deeper.
That was not the mission here. The mission was to exhibit a range of late-breaking technological innovations in a way that lets you know what may be coming down the pike in a few years. Nerdgasm!...more
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