The Psycards System – alternative Tarot set

by Nick Hobson

After a marital quarrel, Nick Hobson, who worked as a copywriter at the time, had a vivid dream in which he saw all the elements that made up his life spread out before him like a field. On seeing this patchwork of his life, instead of feeling stressed and put upon, he felt calm, peaceful and in control. When he awoke he wanted to share this personal vision to help others navigate their lives. So Psycards was born in the 1980s with its system of detachable symbols that could be connected to form a bigger picture, an alternative Tarot.

Tarot readers will recognise some of the 40 symbols, such as The Tower and The Moon, but other cards are based on archetypes from Jungian psychology, and take a bit of learning. There is a 227-page book that fully explains the cards as well as a small leaflet for easy reference. Maggie Kneen’s colourful and striking Medieval-flavoured illustrations draw the reader in and are taken from mythology, poetry and folk wisdom, Nick’s favourite subjects.

At the end of each card-explanation in the book, there are Thought Prompts that encourage the reader to delve deeply into their psyche and help them make key life-decisions.

For someone who prefers oracle cards, I find this deck a bit hard to get into, but I will persevere. Tarot readers, though, will find this just their cup of tea, as it’s a very nice set.

Review by Jane Stewart Adams

Published by US Games Systems Inc.

www.usgamesinc.com

http://www.psycards.com

ISBN: 1-57281-355-5

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Tall Tales & Short Stories

by Stella Longland

This is a record of the journeys of a modern person into altered states of consciousness where – sometimes reluctant and often confused – the author is led through a wealth of experiences by loving guides. Seeming to move towards finding a balance between he ancient ways and the modern mind, the journey continues.

Each chapter is a record of the meditative shamanic style journey taken by the author, led by the sound of a drum. Although there is no explanation of what each journey means, there is a wealth of information within each story to lead the reader to their own conclusions. Obviously, these were very personal journeys so the meaning for the author may not be that of the reader.

Nevertheless, this is a fascinating and very descriptive record. Travel with the author through many levels of awareness and perhaps come to some new understanding of your own journey.

Reviewed by Joan Osborne

Published by Bright Pen – Authors OnLine Ltd

www.authorsonline.co.uk

ISBN: 978-07552-1240-8

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Consciousness Development Programme (CDP) – Module 1

Presented by the International Academy of Consciousness (IAC)

The Consciousness Development Program (CDP) is the IAC’s core curricular program. It offers the most comprehensive, transformative body of information that you are likely to find anywhere about life’s most fundamental questions. Starting with an examination of psychic phenomena such as the out-of-body (OBE) experience, it examines who we are, how we can develop ourselves, what happens when we die, and even why we are here. Students are shown how to incorporate the CDP’s ideas into their daily lives, allowing them to lead more fulfilling lives by living coherently with a broader, more accurate understanding of themselves and reality.

I recently attended Module 1 of the CDP at Stepping Stones in Farnham, Surrey.  This course is a preparation for OBEs and was presented by Umberto da Silva.  The first part began with an talk about various types of energy and what can be experienced, an introduction to some of the terminology used by the IAC, some examples of what we might experience during an OBE and a couple of practical exercises to energise, clear and protect our energy fields.

The second part of this Module covered the OBE in more depth, discussing preparation, take-off or exteriorisation of the consciousness (soul, spirit), the period spent outside the body in a nonphysical dimension, the landing or interiorisation of the consciousness, and the post OBE waking state which is related to recalling the time spent outside the body.  Sharing many examples of his own experiences, Umberto described some of the sensations of ‘take-off’ and ‘landing’, and how to correct feelings of misalignment or disconnection on return.   We learnt how to induce a ‘vibrational state’ and practised moving energy while in this state.  We also learnt an exercise to activate our clairvoyance with immediate results, allowing us to have to perceptions of the nonphysical dimension.

I very much enjoyed this course and was surprised at the effectiveness of the exercises.  The IAC’s method of clearing and energising our fields was new to me and I left the course feeling stronger, more relaxed and more serene than I have for some time.  Working with these techniques at home I have found that creating the vibrational state before doing my usual energy work makes it all the more powerful.

I would highly recommend this course to anyone who wishes to add to their knowledge of bio-energy and learn how to work with it.  It is suitable for beginners as well as those who are experienced in transforming energy, and those who have already had some form of OBE.  In the next module we will be putting what we have learnt to practise and trying to produce an OBE using various techniques.  Given how effective the exercises have been so far I am sure that we could achieve this goal.

Review by Claire Williams

www.iacworld.org

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The ShadowLight Cards

 

By White Elk Woman and L Guescini

This is a deck of 52 square cards, comprising 40 ShadowLight cards and 12 ‘Unity’ cards. Each card has on one side a Crystal Skull, set into an encircled Flower of Life against a background of one of five different colours (Red, Gold, Green, Violet and Magenta). The other side is numbered, and has, in the case of the ShadowLight cards, two words – one ‘Shadow’ word eg Victim, and one ‘Light’ word, eg Empower. The Unity cards show the same word, eg Protection, twice, in both Shadow and Light. All the cards have a Crystal Skull, set against a black background for the ShadowLight cards, and a white background for the Unity cards.

The cards are contained in an attractive little box with a snap-shut lid. Also included is a guide booklet explaining the concept and symbology of the cards, the Shadow self, Crystal Skulls, and uses of the cards – asking questions, creating mantras and affirmations.

 I have never previously felt drawn to working with Crystal Skulls; however, I was aware of White Elk Woman as an acknowledged expert on them and as a wonderful teacher and healer. So it was with an open and positive mind that I opened the pack and used the cards. The suggested methods of use are simple – either shuffle the deck and let one or two cards fall out, or spread the cards out with the lovely Flower of Life and Crystal Skull image face up and choose the card/s which ‘call’ to you. Focus on a relevant issue or question.

The results were, for me, both enlightening and thought-provoking. Two cards, each showing a Shadow and a Light concept, answered, in a very simple yet profound way, my question (one of the suggested questions: What Shadow have I brought with me from my childhood?)

I kept the ShadowLight Cards on my bedside table overnight; the dream which I can remember was, I feel, an important one for my learning. It featured a past relationship, and also building new dwellings on an ancient site.

The concept of the Shadow Self features in Jungian psychology, and as a psychotherapist I have often found it an important concept for clients to work with: ‘Who is that scary person who keeps appearing in my dreams?……..Oh, it’s my (Shadow) self !’ The Shadow is not to be spurned, but accepted and loved. These cards can, I think, assist in this process of self-understanding, acceptance and love and also open up paths to spiritual dimensions.

As the publishers, on their website, write of these cards: ‘Work with your shadows to help resolve deep issues which are holding you back.’

Published by Mystic Mouse Publishing

http://www.mysticmouse-publishing.com/

Reviewed by Annie Prosser

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Waking From Sleep

Why Awakening Experiences Occur and How to Make Them Permanent

By Steve Taylor

Walt Whitman, William Blake and William Wordsworth experienced shifts in consciousness that could be called peak experiences or altered states of consciousness. These moments, known by indigenous people, children, mystics and saints, provide a sense of expansiveness, egolessness and wellbeing. Steve Taylor has made a study of these experiences that can be induced in a number of ways. He divides them into two categories: HD (Homeostasis Disruption) which is a wild ecstasy state brought on by activity that disrupts our natural patterns, and can be produced by hunger, sleep deprivation, certain drugs, pain and breathing exercises (all of which have drawbacks) and ISLE states (Intensification and Stilling of Life Energy) brought on by meditation, sports, sexual activity, music, kundalini, near death experiences, satsang and ego detachment.

Those who have both these types of experiences describe an intense feeling of contentment, unification and an awareness of the immense beauty of the world. It is accompanied by a realisation that happiness is not achieved through status or the accumulation of material possessions. Steve Taylor describes present awareness as a state of ‘sleeping’ and the beautiful higher states of consciousness as ‘waking up’ to reality.

Reviewed by Wendy Stokes

ISBN 9 782848501799

 www.hayhouse.co.uk

www.steventaylor.talktalk.net

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Soul Survivor

by Bruce & Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross

James Leininger was just two years old when he began having disturbing nightmares that would not stop. He screamed out in the night “plane on fire! Little man can’t get out!” While nightmares are common among children, what happened next shocked those around him.

James began to reveal details of planes and war tragedies that no two year old boy could possibly know. So began his parents’ quest, which led them to the unbelievable truth that their son was reliving the past life of World War II fighter pilot James Huston. This touching story tells of the very personal challenges that Bruce and Andrea Leininger faced during the years they spent researching their little son’s statements about the friends he had known as James Huston, and the technical details he revealed.

This is a story that confounds the sceptics (of whom Bruce Leininger was most definitely one) and confirms the beliefs of those who already believe in life after death – or life after life! It is also a tale of the deep friendships forged in the heat of war that continue long after the battles are over, perhaps longer than has been realised.

Review by Joan Osborne

Published by Hay House www.hayhouse.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-84850-219-2

http://www.soulsurvivor-book.com

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A Stream of Dreams

By Leon Nacson

This book has become the benchmark for truly accurate dream interpretation throughout the world. More than just a monotonous listing of dream categories and their interpretations, this work presents numerous meanings behind every symbol and explains the importance of exploring the feelings and emotions that a dream leaves behind. This book differentiates itself from the typical works in its genre as it enables you to decode modern-day symbols such as mobile phones and CD/DVD players.

Leon Nacson is one the pioneers of the self-help movement in Australia. He is the bestselling author of “Interpreting Dreams A-Z” and “Dream Journal” and features in international press and television media.

This is a dream reference book like no other I have ever seen. It is well written, easy to understand and a great source of thought provoking material. It is definitely not a “one size fits all” as it entices you to not only check the meanings behind your dream but see how it made you feel, and gives many useful hints. A truly comprehensive guide and one that certainly merits the description it has been given – “Your ultimate dream decoder”.

Review by Joan Osborne

Published by Hay House  www.hayhouse.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-84850-082-2

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