Two Books, Big Impressions

I've recently read (and plan to re-read) two books that have been extremely helpful along my path. I share them here in case anyone else will find them useful as well.

Apprenticed to Spirit: The Education of a Soul by David Spangler

"There is no reason a person must believe in us or in the higher worlds in order to be loving and compassionate in life. An atheist or skeptic can be a source of blessing as fully as someone who believes and engages with us. We are not a prerequisite for creating wholeness."

While this story covers the experiences David had interacting with spirit beings and creating a path in life, it also offers insight into what reality really "looks" like, in all its wild forms. It has some sage advice for seekers, allegedly directly from a spirit itself:

"[I]f you have any questions or concerns about anything I might ask you to do or any suggestion I may make, you must say no. This is true for any inner being whom you may encounter, no mater how radiant or exalted it may seem. If you have any doubt or questions, just say no.

"This is very important. Along with love, it is the root of our relationship. You are not here to obey me, nor I you.... I take your willingness to cooperate for granted, but if I cannot also depend on your ability and willingness to stand in your own sovereignty, authority, and judgment and to make decisions for yourself, then our partnership will be impaired."

David and his spirit colleague have interesting ideas about what "transcendence", "spirituality" and "wholeness" look like. Hint - it has nothing to do with abandoning the "ego".

"You are drawing an aritificial line, creating a new inside and a new outside, saying in effect the personality appears to be you but is not the 'real you' or the spiritual you.... But once you have purged this false self, what is to stop you from drawing that line again and again, always dividing yourself into the part you like and the part you don't...? Where does that process end?

"From our perspective, the personality is created in relationship to the world; it is the expression of a relationship. It is you as soul in a certain mode of function of relationship. If it is dysfunctional and negative, as it may become, the blame does not lie either in the personality or the world but in the way the relationship is being constructed.... Honoring the personality and its purposes is a step toward the integration and wholeness you seek."

On Becoming an Alchemist : A Guide for the Modern Magician by Catherine MacCoun

This book was recommended by the previous author. While approaching alchemy as an inner process, it acknowledges this process as very real. Catherine does not assert that you can only do this Great Work by buying her book, either. It quickly becomes clear that many people are already Alchemists, but lack the support, company and insight of an "old hand". And don't think those stories and the "small talk" included in the book are just filler or a wandering mind. Woven together, every statement forms part of the formula.

Giving a thorough treatment of the "Principles" and "Procedures" of Alchemy, this book is appealing to those who would approach their spiritual explorations with a scientific bent.

" Transforming the inner world is, for the alchemist, a way to transform the outer world. Through studying the principles of alchemy, we can achieve extraordinary effects from ordinary actions by understanding how the world really works. We can perceive the hidden connections between the spiritual and the material worlds. Knowledge of these connections enables us to influence external phenomena through the powers of heart and mind alone. Yet alchemy is not, like some forms of magic, the exercise of mind over matter. It is the art of taking what already exists—whatever presents itself—and transmuting the harmful into the helpful, the useless into the valuable. On Becoming an Alchemist initiates us into these secrets, showing us how to think, perceive, and operate as an alchemist. "

I hope you find something useful in these resources. (i.e., Take what you can use and leave the rest. YMMV, etc.) Enjoy!

Thank you for the recomendation. i am always on the hunt for good reading material. i will try to track these down.