Category Spirituality

Aug 8 2017

I Wish I Knew Then, What I Know Now

Book review by Dana Taylor

“Humanity is not a random accident. There is a reason we are here, and each one of us has a purpose in life that we have come to fulfill, a reason and a purpose which we planned prior to incarnating. We are much more than our physical body; we are eternal souls incarnated in a body.” Roser Sagarra

As I read Roser Sagarra’s book Living on Earth: A Guide to Help You Achieve Health, Happiness and Success, I pictured myself back around 1970. If only some time traveler had popped in and handed me this book, it would have saved me a whole lot of time and effort. The coming trends of the next decades would have been clear. The best books to read regarding spirituality, consciousness, the law of attraction, energy healing, alternative medicine, even pre-life planning and past life therapy are all laid out.

Sagarra compresses a lifetime of searching and exploration into a concise organization of the mind-body-spirit consciousness movement of the past several decades. She touches on spirituality, without being religious. Like many, she has embraced Eastern ideas of karma, reincarnation, and laws of creation and translates them for a Western culture.

Information on health and healing reflect the movement away from old thinking of the body as a machine into the awareness of the energetic nature of human beings. She gives a concise overview of the trends of alternative therapies and the influence of emotions and stress on health.

At the end of every chapter, Sagarra recommends books to expand comprehension of the topics discussed. Time and again, I realized I had gravitated to the same books through the years. Like Sagarra, those books and their ideas changed and enriched my life.

As the subtitle suggests, Living on Earth is a straightforward guide to leading a healthy, happy, and successful life in the 21st century.

About the Author

Roser Segarra is a Spanish accountant with a Degree in Business Administration and is a member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). She relocated to Houston with her family in 2010 to take the role of Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for an Oil and Gas Energy Company, and most recently she held the position of Vice President of Finance. Beside her finance career, Roser has a passion for reading. “Living On Earth: A Guide to Help You Achieve Health, Happiness, and Success,” reflects the knowledge she has gathered over the past 25 years reading and researching books on self help, personal growth, spirituality, and healing the body and soul. This knowledge has helped her make more sense of her life experiences, learn how to change her circumstances for the better, and live a happier and prosperous existence. Roser has compiled everything she has learned in the past 25 years in “Living on Earth,” and it is her hope that it can help you too.

 Find Living on Earth at Amazon

Apr 3 2017

Heavenly Messages for a Chaotic World

book review by Dana Taylor

“As above, so below”–thus begins the channeled messages from a group entity known as Onereon through Californian Jeff Michaels. A new discovery to me, Michaels is an author, spiritual intuitive counselor, energy worker and human voice of the non-physical Onereon group. Quite by chance, or perhaps synchronicity, I downloaded a copy of the most recent Onereon release–The Age of Change: A Challenging Path to the Future.

Coming at a time when it appears the structure of human society is imploding and possibly exploding, the wisdom in the Onereon material brings perspective to current global events. In a theme common with other channelers such as Lee Carroll/Kryon, Mary Soliel/Archangel Michael, Esther Hicks/Abraham and many more, an explanation of a cosmic shift is repeated over and over. Like rolling from one season to the next, our earthly vessel has drifted into a new quadrant of the Milky Way. The Mayan calendar heralded the end of an age in 2012 and the beginning of a new 25,000 year cycle. We are the crew of the spaceship Earth, going where no man has gone before.

So much is changing, including human nature. History may no longer repeat itself. The very pulse of the inner earth is different and humans are discovering expanded multidimensional abilities. It’s exhilarating. It’s terrifying.

And so, messengers from beyond this physical existence are communicating through people such as Jeff Michaels to guide us through a bewildering era. In Onereon’s words:

We in the spirit realm want to be close to you. We want you to know us well. We want you to communicate with us…We want it to be less “as above, so below” and more “we are all here together.” That is what the term “Onereon” means–together. It does not necessarily mean together in agreement but rather together in purpose–together as people seeking peace, together as spiritual seekers.

In brief, understandable, and uplifting chapters, The Age of Change covers such topics as:

  • Spiritual Growth in Uncertain Times
  • Pursuing True Spirituality through Courage and Imagination
  • Gaia’s Communication
  • Coping with a Lower Vibrational World
  • Releasing Burdens
  • Out of Chaos into Peace
  • A Challenging Path to a Better World

Onereon talks about new humans being born onto the planet who will bring new ideas, view points, and desires to society.

The rough passage is nearing completion…For the most part, the generation of humans being born now will witness it fully. The passing of the fear-based generations is in progress. Then after the passing of the self-based generations, we enter into an experience of potential–of generations who wonder “what if?” before they ask “why?”

This book offers the long view. Trends rising in coming decades, not months. As Lightworkers, we can be leading the way with hope and optimism for the future. Better days will come sooner if we break the bonds of fear-based ideologies and envision a kinder, cleaner earthly existence. Onereon encourages us to plan for the “fifth generation.”

There are many eye-opening concepts. Here are a few I highlighted:

Courage is not about being brave in a battle field, though it is often evident in such a scenario. Courage is the quality of acting from your heart, being true to your sense of love and your personal vision of true spirituality…The requirement for courage in this age is simply to refuse to follow old patterns and concepts that lead to old arguments and war.

***

The massive invasion of needless imagery or mindless entertainment is taking its toll on human society. It does not bring us together in the sense of being united in a common cause. Rather, it herds us together as if we are merchandise to be put upon a shelf.

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Among new patterns are these general currents:

  • the increase and acceptance of diversity in all beings
  • the awareness that Gaia, the living planet, is not something that belongs to humanity, but rather that humans belong, and will return, to Gaia
  • the release of ancient institutions and hierarchies as authority over the human family

This book is rich in wisdom, observation, and guidance. Jeff Michaels and the Onereon group are offering a lifeline for people struggling to make sense out of a chaotic world.

Read more about the work of Jeff Michaels at

Onereon Channels

Jeffrey J. Michaels, Author

Quintessence Crystals

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Read more about multidimensional living:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jan 7 2017

Aboriginal Healing Secrets Revealed

Book Reviews by Dana Taylor

Gary Holz, D.Sc. (1950-2007), was an award-winning physicist and a psycho-neuro-immunologist. In 1994, confined to a wheelchair with multiple sclerosis, he went to Australia to stay with an Aboriginal tribe and experienced miraculous healing. Robbie Holz is a holistic health consultant dedicated to continuing the healing work of her late husband. She healed herself of hepatitis C and has also worked with Aboriginal healers in Australia.

I first became aware of Robbie Holz through an interview on the Open Minds show on Gaia TV. Ms. Holz spoke about her life with healer, Gary Holz, and the incredible journey they had both experienced with debilitating diseases. Intrigued by her interview, I purchased both books, Secrets of Aboriginal Healing: A Physicist’s Journey with a Remote Australian Tribe and Aboriginal Secrets of Awakening.

secretsThe first book, Secrets of Aboriginal Healing, is Gary’s story. His life as a scientist and successful businessman came to what appeared to be a tragic end when he developed multiple sclerosis. From the description:

In 1983 award-winning physicist Gary Holz was diagnosed with chronic progressive multiple sclerosis. By 1988 he was a quadriplegic. Then, in 1994, his doctors told him he had two years to live. Desperate and depressed, he followed a synchronistic suggestion and went to Australia to live with a remote Aboriginal tribe. Arriving in a wheelchair, alone, with almost no feeling left from the neck down, Holz embarked on a remarkable healing transformation of body, mind, and spirit and discovered his own gift for healing others.

Written at the request of the Aboriginal healers Holz worked with, this book reveals the beliefs and principles of the 60,000-year-old healing system of the Aborigines of Australia, the world’s oldest continuous culture. Chronicling the step-by-step process that led to his miraculous recovery, he explains the role played by thought in the creation of health or disease and details the five essential steps in the Aboriginal healing process. He explores the use of dreamtime, spirit guides, and telepathy to discover and reprogram the subconscious motivations behind illness–a process that enacts healing at the cellular and the soul level, where the root of physical illness is found.

As I read Gary’s story, I wanted to pass it on to people I know dealing with chronic illness who don’t understand the connection between buried emotions, unforgiveness, and disease. Gary had to travel all the way to the Outback of Australia to recognize what had been hiding in his heart.

secretsawakeningAboriginal Secrets of Awakening is Robbie’s story. The title is a little misleading because the book is largely about her healing from hepatitis C and her love story with Gary. She does make a trip to Australia meeting with Indigenous healers, but that isn’t the heart of the story. Meeting Gary, loving Gary, losing Gary, carrying on for Gary is the essence of the book. While it doesn’t have the revelations of the first book, it still “tells the rest of the story.” It’s a testimony to healing and love.

Both of these books offer insights on healing that are rarely, if ever, discussed in a doctor’s office. They point the way to overcoming despair and powerlessness given a devastating diagnosis. Healing is a process of mind, body, and spirit.

If you or someone you know is dealing with a “hopeless” situation, offer these books. They may be the spark of light out of the darkness.     garyholz         Robbie Holz      Gary and Robbie Holz

Purchase books at Amazon

 

Sep 30 2016

Don’t Let The Taker Win

anesthesia

book review by Dana Taylor

Visionary fiction is on the rise–books that blend storytelling with elements of spirituality, not bound by the box of a particular religion. Though established faiths may be presented in these works, the authors are not restricted by dogmas. Creativity flows. These authors are finding their way. Writing of esoteric matters is tricky. It can become preachy, incomprehensible, weird or just plain boring. Incorporating it into a piece of fiction requires a crafty writer who understands how to weave the visionary into a plot line that keeps moving along.

The Anesthesia Game by Rea Nolan Martin successfully blends storytelling, character development, and visionary elements. Each chapter is told from a point of view of one of the main four characters, Sydney, Mitsy, Hannah, or Pandora. Teenage Sydney is the center of the story, gravely ill, but refusing to give into The Taker. Her mother, Mitsy, is becoming a living ghost, overwhelmed by her daughter’s illness. Her narcissistic Aunt Hannah is shamed into coming to help take care of the pair of them. Overseeing all this human angst, is the psychic, Pandora, Mitsy’s phone mentor.

Each character is focused, in their way, on Sydney overcoming her illness. In the process, they must face their personal foibles. The visionary elements begin a slow simmer through Pandora’s character. As the pace of the story picks up, so grows the heat of the multidimensional aspects. Reincarnation, astral projection, dreams, auras, the battle of light vs. darkness. Martin does an excellent job of weaving it all together in the midst of contemporary characters.

By using the various points of view, we get into the heads of all the main characters and come to care  about all of them. There are enough twists to keep turning the page to see what happens next until the big climatic ending.

If you’re tired of the same old genres and rehashed plot lines, give visionary fiction a chance. As more of us live beyond 3-D realities, visionary writing will find a wider audience. The Anesthesia Game by Rea Nolan Martin is an excellent place to start your visionary fiction experience.

Available as ebook and paperback at Amazon

Sep 24 2016

Spirited Woman Top Pick Fall Books

Thanks to Nancy Mills, The Spirited Woman, for including two of my books on her fall list. The Spirited Woman unites spiritually conscious women striving to make a positive difference in the world. Browse the titles below and find the right inspirational book for you!
Spirited Woman Top 12 pick listFALL EQUINOX is a time of transition, a good book and a seasonal change. On our Fall Equinox Top 12 Book Pick list, we’ve included an array of gifted authors to help you be inspired. We urge you to support these spirited talents! Save this list all year round! A great book resource for you.
 

LIFESPARKS – In this collection of candid, dynamic and dramatic stories, 21 authors from around the world share their “sparks” of human triumph with a passion that creates positive change in the world. Each story won’t fit everyone, but one is sure to inspire, ignite, and illuminate a “spark” within you. Our stories are what connect us all. AuthenticMessengers.com.
BABA: A MAGICAL CAT WITH A MESSAGE – Baba shares his superior wisdom with his human pet, Mama Shirlee. Baba suggests how we can heal and at the same time be connoisseurs of comfort. He also suggests that magic can be a living part of our lives. Although he can purr his way out of anything, his message needs to be heard. Amazon www.behealedforever.com

MAI TAI ONE ON – by Jill Marie Landis. Em Johnson is divorced, broke and running a funky Tiki Bar on Kauai when an obnoxious neighbor is found dead in the luau pit. Em and a spirited troupe of over-the-hill Hula Maidens band together to solve the mystery before the next pupu party. Amazon book and Kindle. www.thetikigoddess.com.

PETRA’S ASHES: A TRANSCENDENTAL JOURNEY – Petra Nicoll’s real life story, could be fiction – but it’s not. Readers will find her life thought-provoking, mesmerizing – and perhaps even remarkable. At the age of nine, she has a near death experience and at sixteen she finds her mother dead under suspicious circumstances. Her book reveals a journey of unsettling discoveries and uncommon insight. https://petranicoll.com/
BUSY, STRESSED, AND FOOD OBSESSED – by Lisa Lewtan. Sometimes food is our best friend. Other times it’s our worst enemy. Some of us eat healthy one day, and not the next. In this award-winning book (the Winner of a Gold Medal in the Motivation – Practical Self Improvement Category of the Annual Living Now Awards) you’ll discover what truly nourishes you. 
THE COLOR OF MY HEART IS YOU – Heartbreak transitioned Gina Venturini’s life. Traveling from Los Angeles to Austin, Texas, it was there where a casual kiss awakened her out of her dark, deep sleep from years of merely existing in a diluted love affair. That connection inspired her heart’s true poetic voice and words became the translucent window to her soul. Amazon

THE ADVENTURES OF JAGUAR JACK – When Jaguar Jack Campbell, television’s globe trotting hottest hero, meets Major Maggie Savannah, USMC, it’s dislike at first sight. But, when an American missionary is kidnapped, Jack and Maggie must join forces to secure her rescue and defeat an enemy of Biblical proportions. Visionary fiction filled with mystery, adventure, and romance.  Amazon.

THE BEST OF MARGARITAVILLE 2015: QUEPOS & MANUEL ANTONIO – is a bi-annual Costa Rica travel guide by Evelyn Gallardo. This intimate portrait of a unique beach community, its friendly locals and their favorite hangouts makes you feel like an insider in the Happiest Country on the Planet. Enjoy 24 different adventures including zip lining and whitewater river rafting. http://tiny.cc/costaricaguide
TRAPPED: VISITOR FROM HEAVEN – A redemptive story narrated by Archangel Ramiel. A woman’s firsthand experience rising from the depths of abusive power that led to a persistent search for truth, psychic and spiritual phenomena, complete surrender and a healing likened to a modern day resurrection.  The heroine’s journey demonstrates the power of faith and the force of the mind. www.behealedforever.com Amazon.

SUPERNAL ADVENTURES: EXPLORING THE NEW NORMAL OF MULTIDIMENSIONAL LIVING – What happens after a “miracle healing?” Author Dana Taylor and two friends set out to understand the mysteries behind the miracle. Their mystical experiences weave through the subjects that arise – Energy Healing, Past Lives, Akashic Records, Pre-Life Planning, Spirit Communication and more. Welcome to the New Normal. Amazon
SHIFT: A WOMAN’S GUIDE TO TRANSFORMATION – Dr.’s Latz and Ross examine the 10 most common obstacles in women’s lives: feeling unloved, guilt and shame, abandonment, anger and resentment, self-definition, lack of self-love, heartache, powerlessness, fear of the unknown and stress. Creating awareness they give tools to overcome each issue. Stories of real people show how it really can be done Amazon.
MOMENTS: MAGIC, MIRACLES AND MARTINIS – During times of uncertainty, challenges and change, how do we find a ray of hope to move forward? In Amy Van Atta Slater’s bestselling book, she offers a torch of inspiration, motivation, mindfulness and authenticity that illuminates even the most desperate of situations with possibility. Order your copy today to see what the buzz is all about: www.AmyVSlater.com Amazon.
spirited woman book Would you like your book to be “showcased” in our Top 12 Book Pick List? Next book pick list is coming for late fall – a great time for reading books. We now offer you a logo with the list to get more recognition for your book. This list is by invitation only. Call Nancy to insure a spot at 805-698-3555 or via e-mail: NancyMills@TheSpiritedWoman.com.
Jul 21 2016

The Tao for Now

IMG_3406.2016-07-09_162535_kindlephoto-77292004 by Dana Taylor

th

Some 2,500 years ago a Chinese prophet and keeper of the Imperial archives in the capital city of Luoyang grew weary of the continual warring factions of his time. He decided to leave them all behind and journey into the desert. A gate keeper named Yin Hsi recognized the wise man, Lao-tzu, and implored him to write the essence of his knowledge for spiritual living before disappearing into the wilderness. The wise man left behind 81 verses known today as the Tao Te Ching.

During this summer of political turbulence, senseless violence, fear, hatred, lies, mob hysteria, and relentless war, I’ve sought peace in returning to the simplicity of the Tao Te Ching. Passed down through the centuries, translations abound. Two of my favorites are from Stephen Mitchell and another from Wayne Dyer entitled Living the Wisdom of the Tao. Both offer a mental retreat from the chaos of the daily news.

TaoWhat exactly is the Tao (pronounced Dao)? Modern terms might be God, Source, Creator, The Field, or for Star Wars fans–The Force. Verse 21 puts it this way:

The Tao is elusive and intangible.
Although formless and intangible, it gives rise to form.
Although vague and elusive, it gives rise to shapes.
Although dark and obscure, it is spirit, it is essence,
the life breath of all things.*

In this materialistic, competitive world, wise words from verse 67 puts things in perspective:

I have three treasures which I hold fast and watch closely.
The first is mercy.
The second is frugality.
The third is humility.*

Lao-Tzu had a great deal to say about government and leadership. Seeing his homeland being destroyed by discord and violence inspired many passages:

Verse 46
When a country is in harmony with the Tao,
the factories make trucks and tractors.
When a country goes counter to the Tao,
warheads are stockpiled outside the cities**

Verse 57
th-5If you want to be a great leader,
you must follow the Tao.
Stop trying to control.
Let go of fixed plans and concepts,
and the world will govern itself.

The more prohibitions you have,
the less virtuous people will be.
The more weapons you have,
the less secure people will be.
The more subsidies you have,
the less self-reliant people will be.**

Verse 60
Governing a large country is like frying a small fish.
You spoil it with too much poking.*

In an age where everyone appears to be an “activist”–marching, yelling, posting, and tweeting–the Tao Te Ching offers a perspective toward finding a healthy balance.


Verse 29
Do you think you can take over the universe and improve it?
I do not believe it can be done.

Everything under heaven is a sacred vessel and cannot be controlled.
Trying to control leads to ruin.
Trying to grasp, we lose.

Allow your life to unfold naturally.
Know that it too is a vessel of perfection.
Just as you breathe in and breathe out,
there is a time for being ahead
and a time for being behind;
a time for being in motion
and a time for being at rest;
a time for being vigorous
and a time for being exhausted;
a time for being safe
and a time for being in danger.

To the sage all of life is a movement toward perfection,
so what need has he
for the excessive, the extravagant, or the extreme?*

These ancient words of wisdom illustrate there truly is “nothing new under the sun,” to quote another wise man, Solomon in Ecclesiastes. Arrogant leaders, down-trodden masses, and violence is nothing new. Yet, there is a path to inner peace despite the outward turmoil. Turning off media devices and delving into ancient wisdom is a good start. To quote the most famous Tao Te Ching passage:

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

If you’re seeking mental clarity and calm during this calamitous season, pick up a copy of the Tao Te Ching and take a long walk in nature. I’ll see you there!

walk

Bright blessings,

Dana Taylor

*From Living Wisdom of the Tao by Wayne Dyer

** From Tao Te Ching translated by Stephen Mitchell