Monkfish Book Publishing

“Smart and earthy . . . richly imaginative . . . the epitome of the storyteller’s art.”—St. Louis Post-Dispatch (chosen as one of “The Year’s Best Books”)

“This amazing book could well become a classic of women’s literature.”—Booklist (chosen as one of the “Year’s Ten Best Fantasy Books”)

Young Magdalen and Jesus, brimming with youthful charm and arrogance, find each other and fall in love, forging a bond that is stronger than death. Their pleasure is overshadowed by a brilliant but unbalanced druid who knows a perilous secret about Maeve’s past. The prequel to The Passion of Mary Magdalen.

Enlightenment Blues is Andre van der Braak’s compelling first hand account of his relationship with a prominent spiritual teacher. It chronicles both the author’s spiritual journey and disenchantment as well the development of a missionary and controversial community around the teacher. It powerfully exposes the problems and necessities of disentanglement from a spiritual path.

“Enlightenment Blues is the account of a young man's sincere and protracted struggle to transform his life according to the teachings of the American guru Andrew Cohen. Ruthlessly honest and unsettling, Andre van der Braak gives a vivid first-hand account of an uncompromising experiment in establishing Indian spirituality in a modern Western setting. This story is essential reading for anyone seeking to understand the allure and pitfalls of surrendering one's authority in the hope of spiritually transforming the world” Stephen Batchelor, Author Buddhism without Beliefs

“Narrated with the psychological subtlety and drama of a good novel, Enlightenment Blues is a precise, profound dissection of the guru-devotee relationship. It should be required reading for all who are currently engaged in or considering studying under a spiritual teacher.” John Horgan, author of Rational Mysticism

"A profound contribution. The maturity and balance of this book place it at the front rank of works on contemporary spirituality. All the major themes of the spiritual quest are here - reason versus emotion, the problem of the ego, the guru, self-doubt, the place of altered states. Andre van der Braak has the creative gift of being able to hold opposing ideas in his mind without moving towards premature closure. Hence this heartfelt account of his eleven years in the Cohen movement is a beautiful testament to one man's quest to discover his own reality. Enlightenment Blues deserves the widest readership." Len Oakes, Prophetic Charisma

“Enlightenment Blues is the personal story of one man’s eleven year journey into and out of a group of seekers of enlightenment with a charismatic leader who claims to be an exemplar of perfection. What distinguishes this book are the writer’s insights and honesty in portraying the workings of an authoritarian belief system that operates under the guise of spiritual revelations. Anyone who has ever belonged to such a group, or knows anyone who has, or who wants to understand what the appeals and dangers of surrendering to a guru consist of, would benefit from reading this book.” Joel Kramer, author, The Guru Papers

"Andre van der Braak’s story is our own story. We walked the ‘yellow brick road’ whether it was Zen or Yoga or Advaita. We desperately wished for or found a Guru who could help us find our way home and we wholly gave ourselves. Andre’s talk of it is fresh and innocent. He takes us by the hand through a hazardous trail. Neither bitter nor estranged, nor having lost his passion for the way, he remembers with us what really happened, and why.” Orit Sen-Gupta, Author, Dancing the Body of Light – The Future of Yoga

Andre van der Braak lived in Andrew Cohen’s spiritual community for 11 years, an involvement initiated shortly after Cohen had begun teaching. He was one of the original editors for “What is Enlightenment Magazine”. He was also an editor for Cohen’s first teaching text, Enlightenment is a Secret, which entailed reading over 4,000 pages of transcribed talks, and editing them into book form.

Today, he lives in Amsterdam where he teaches philosophy at the University of Amsterdam and at Luzac College in Alkmaar.

"The author’s eye is wide open, and her writing is fresh, funny, and exhilarating."—Peter Matthiessen

"Marilyn Stablein’s wry voice tells how it was, calmly and clearly, unadorned. . . . whether on the ground with sadhus and chapatis or in the sky with diamonds, these wry prose poems evoke a last epiphany of the best of East and West."—Keith Dowman, author of The Power Places of Tibet

In 1965, Stablein drops out of Berkeley and travels to India and Nepal with her lover. Their brief getaway turns into a seven-year stay. "There are times when I ask myself," Stablein writes, "What am I am doing here? My answer: to paint, to study a culture; to uncover its secrets; to listen to the whisperings, the sacred oral traditions; to learn by heart the names and faces of deities so I can capture their images on paper and strive to imbue each image with the greatness of its namesake, its spiritual essence. Art is my muse and practice. The world is my palette, artists my teachers; art lives and breathes in the people I meet."

In the heyday of the ’60s Stablein encounters luminaries of the American counterculture like Ram Dass whom she accompanies to interview HH, the Dalai Lama, on the spiritual value of LSD. Later, when the Indian police come to arrest Stablein for having an expired visa, Kalu Rinpoche quips "The Buddha never had visas," and orders her to hide in a closet next to his tantric human bone costumes.

Includes photos and recipes.

Marilyn Stablein, writer, artist, and performer, is the author of seven books and a frequent performer of her work. Her art has been widely exhibited. She lives in the Hudson Valley and co-directs, with her husband, Alternative Books and The Uptown: A Performance Space in Kingston, NY.

Parmenides was a philosopher, healer, and spiritual guide in fifth-century BC Elea, a Greek outpost on the western coast of Italy. Around 450 BC he and a young Socrates engaged in a debate on the nature of reality, later immortalized by Plato in The Parmenides, the dialogue that re-created that meeting. Richard Geldard’s inspiring account brings new life and contemporary understanding to Parmenides, allowing us to understand his thought and benefit from his wisdom.

Richard Geldard earned his PhD in dramatic literature and classics at Stanford University. He is the author of Remembering Heraclitus and The Traveler's Key to Ancient Greece.

The true story of a young boy growing up in Jamaica who meets a holy man named Bredda Man. Bredda Man was one of the elders in the remote Maroon community of Jamaica still practicing the “old ways.” The Maroon traditions were said to come from secret meetings in the bush with wise elders of early African medicine people, European kabbalists, and masons. Thus the teachings evolved into an esoteric shamanism focusing on self-knowledge through reverent communication with nature. For centuries, this powerful teaching helped produce a people who were feared and respected as warriors and equally sought after as healers.

Chet Alexander is a contemporary teacher of kabbalistic shamanism. He met and was apprenticed to Bredda Man while a young boy growing up in Jamaica as the grandson of a wealthy landowner.

“This is a wise and wonderful book, a book to open minds and nourish souls.”
—Rabbi Harold Kushner, When Bad Things Happen To Good People

“Mirkin is a passionate storyteller who enables us to see ourselves in each story that she tells. The connection between biblical women and people living today is so moving and insightful that it is almost impossible to read this book without feeling inspired to grapple with our own relationships and emerge more fully vested in life and love.” —Harriet Lerner, Ph.D., The Dance of Anger

The Women Who Danced by the Sea invites us to embark on a journey that can lead us to deeper connection within ourselves, with those we love, and with the increasingly complex and dangerous world in which we live.

The Women Who Danced By The Sea is the first book of its kind to view the lives of biblical women through the lens of contemporary psychological theories. Each chapter looks at a different foremother and a different issue she must grapple with in order to gain the wisdom to move into deeper relationship with herself, those she loves, and the Divine. Dr. Mirkin ties their struggles to those of contemporary women and men she has met in her twenty-year clinical practice and looks at what we can learn from their experiences. Our foremothers’ stories offer profound lessons in living. Their legacies can guide us as we face similar challenges, have similar sorrows and confusions and find similar hope and blessings on our path to more intimate connection.

Marsha Mirkin, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist and resident scholar at Brandeis University Women’s Studies Research Center. The ideas for this book are drawn from courses she has been teaching on psychological interpretations and the contemporary relevance of the Bible. Dr. Mirkin has held appointments at Harvard Medical School and Boston University School of Medicine, and has been on the faculty of the Jean Baker Miller Institute at Wellesley College.

"With this one compact statement, Jacob Needleman has forced the discussion of both science and religion in our time into a new, more mature and discriminating phase. . . . It is a way station where those who are seriously exploring the transformation of consciousness will have to stop, take thought, and perhaps re-plot their course."—Theodore Roszak

"I want to strongly recommend it to every reader seriously interested in our present cultural situation."—Fritjof Capra

"Needleman is unique; he is really on to something. . . . A fine book"—Harvey Cox

Western science has operated for centuries on the assumption that we can understand the universe without understanding ourselves. We are just now seeking to make the necessary connection between the general laws of nature to those of our own (inner) nature. But the job won’t be done with "massive injections of the new consciousness"; we cannot democratize the sacred by cheapening its demands.

"My aim in this book therefore" says Needleman, "has not been to speak of the convergence of science and spirituality, but of their separation. As in nature itself, organic unity is a reciprocal relationship between separate but interdependent entities. In human life as well, there can be no real unity except through the awareness of real divisions. One may then hope to experience the magic power of sustained awareness by itself to bring the harmony that we have until now fruitlessly attempted to impose on ourselves and on our endangered civilization."

Jacob Needleman is a professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University and the author of many books, including Money and the Meaning of Life, and The American Soul. In addition to his teaching and writing, he serves as a consultant in the fields of psychology, education, medical ethics, philanthropy, and business, and has been featured on Bill Moyers’s acclaimed PBS series A World of Ideas.

"[T]he only subjective account of a mystical experience induced during ritual tantric sex ever written. That Ward experienced it, and that this experience was profound, there seems little reason to doubt. . . . Diabolically funny at times, this is also a brave, wise, and brilliant book."—Toronto Star

"This book is . . . about learning. Its great strength, aside from its finely crafted prose, is Ward’s honesty about what he learned . . . The process of acquiring wisdom provides the narrative with its dramatic muscle . . . risky, bracing stuff."—The Globe and Mail

Tim Ward spent six years in the Orient wandering the Dharma trail. He visited temples and monasteries, desert ashrams, and mountain top holy places, seeking out monks and mystics.

In this, his third and most sensual book, Tim falls in love with Sabina, who has come to India to research the temptation of the Buddha by Mara (Hinduism’s devil) and his three daughters. The Buddha overcame his final temptation, in the moment before Enlightenment, by touching the earth beneath him, and asking the Earth to bear witness to his Realization. The Earth Goddess rose in his defense. For her thesis, Sabina must record and photograph rare Buddhist statues bearing this scene. Tim accompanies her as her assistant.

A mixture of sex, love, coming of age, and Buddhism, Arousing the Goddess is filled with humor and recognition of the absurdities of life. It has been praised for its honesty and insight.

Tim Ward is the author of What the Buddha Never Taught, which was a best-seller in Canada, and a Book of the Month selection in the United States. He has written for a variety of publications, including Reader’s Digest, The Toronto Globe and Mail, Common Boundary Magazine, and several Traveler’s Tales anthologies. He is president of Intermedia Communications Training, Inc., in Maryland where he lives with his -family.

"Caught in the Act is about surrender. . . . The book is unconventional in form and manner, and is told in a brisk, conversational style that's immediate and engaging. It has a mystery and beauty all its own."—Robert Leiter, Jewish Exponent

Caught in the Act is a memoir of daily living in which Lippe brings us on a journey of awareness so that we perceive how being, knowing, and doing shape our daily existence.

Born in London, Toinette Lippe had a long and distinguished career at Alfred A. Knopf. In 1989 she founded Bell Tower, where she published seventy books that nourished the soul, illuminated the mind, and spoke directly to the heart.

Sorcerers is an enthralling blend of sorcery, religion, and philosophy. Adolescent Eliot Appleman joins the Sorcerers, a group of young magicians who share his yearnings and aspirations. As Eliot discovers he has genuine mystical powers, he is drawn into a perilous clash between two conflicting forces—the compulsion to manipulate others and the need to master his own nature and find his place in the world.

Jacob Needleman is professor of philosophy at San Francisco State University. In addition to teaching and writing, he serves as a consultant in the fields of business, psychology, education, medical ethics, and philanthropy.

Two controversial authors debate the nature and methods of science, its dogmas, and its future. Rupert Sheldrake argues that science needs to free itself from materialist dogma while Michael Shermer contends that science, properly conceived, is a materialistic enterprise; for science to look beyond materialist explanations is to betray science and engage in superstition. Issues discussed include: materialism and its role in science, whether belief in God is compatible with a scientific perspective, and parapsychology.

Michael Shermer is Editor-in-Chief of Skeptic magazine and the author of numerous books including Skeptic.

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of ten books including his most recent, Science Set Free, which challenges scientific dogma.

“An extraordinary exploration into the world of healing ministries, spiritual guides, and esoteric experiences. Those who remain enclosed in a world of ‘hard facts’ will be challenged, for sure, but those who are open to other dimensions, other worlds within this one, have a wide-eyed journey ahead.”
-- Rev. Samuel T. Lloyd III, Rector, Trinity Church, Boston

“Joan Diver is a highly respected leader and accomplished foundation executive who left an inspiring legacy of social change. Her grounding in work for justice, followed by her fall into faith and mystery is captured in this compelling, provocative and generous telling of her journey. I found myself turning pages as if reading a mystery novel, all the while experiencing a deep healing.”
--Pat Brandes, Former COO, United Way of Massachusetts Bay

When Spirit Calls is at once an adventure story and meditation on the healing journey that traces Joan Diver's odyssey from Boston foundation executive to spiritual healer. Imbued with the wisdom of great spiritual teachers from both East and West, Joan Diver shares a remarkable journey through urban violence, family crisis, physical pain and spiritual awakening.

Joan Diver’s family is one of three profiled in J. Anthony Lukas' Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Common Ground: A Turbulent Decade in the Lives of Three American Families. A national bestseller in 1985, it is still taught in classrooms today. Joan and Colin Diver continue to be treated as celebrities by Boston media and those touched by the pain of their story and the school-busing crisis of the 1970s and '80s.

As we evolve, so do our prayers; as our prayers evolve, so do we. This is the evolution of illumination, the collective voice of the soul of the world.

How Do You Pray? was born from a vision in which Celeste Yacoboni was told to ask the world, "How Do You Pray?" She reached out to leading spiritual, shamanic, scientific teachers, guides, and activists and asked for their response. Culled from those responses is an original and deeply personal collection of essays. Talking intimately and candidly about how they pray, these personalities encourage the reader to contemplate the intention of prayer in their own life.

This collection speaks to the reader's heart and asks What is your soul's expression? How do you dance in ecstasy, bare your soul to the divine? Bow in gratitude? Merge with nature? Cry out for guidance? How do you pray?

This groundbreaking and moving book gathers responses from leaders of diverse spiritual and religious traditions ranging from Buddhism to Islam to Christianity, as well as those who do not claim one or any particular walk of faith. Contributors include Brother David Steindl-Rast, Matthew Fox, James O'Dea, Llewellyn Vaughan-Lee, Tessa Bielecki, Lama Surya Das, Hank Wesselman, Father Bede Griffiths, Byron Katie, Joan Halifax, Normandi Ellis, Andrew Harvey, Dan Millman, Kristena Prater, Nicki Scully, Mirabai Starr, and more.

This book is a beautiful gift package with matte laminate cover and red ribbon.

“Future generations may come to see the publication of Grassroots Zen as a pivotal moment in the emergence of a uniquely American Zen.”
—Rami Shapiro, Minyan: Ten Principles for Living a Life of Integrity

“Steger and Besserman offer something quite different, and quite welcome… a Zen that comes to terms with, and ultimately transcends, the hierarchical, sexist, otherworldly, and pseudo-militaristic overtones of the Zen tradition.” —Library Journal

“This book will appeal to [all] who are uncomfortable with Zen’s hierarchies and moral prescriptions.” —Shamhbala Sun

“... Steger and Besserman name and describe a phenomenon that is occurring all over the country: relatively small, democratically run groups of Zen Buddhist practitioners are banding together and sustaining a sangha, or community, free of the hierarchy and formality of the monastery.”
—Publishers Weekly

“A short, clear presentation on one way to make Zen less Japanese and more Western... “ —Rita M. Gross, Buddhism After Patriarchy

Grassroots Zen envisions a socially engaged Buddhism where zazen is integrated each day with work, family, and social obligations. Though both authors have practiced traditional Zen for decades, here they eschew the militaristic, patriarchal tendencies of Zen in favor of "an egalitarian community of socially mobile members who place less emphasis upon transmission and hierarchy than on individual responsibility."

Married university professors and authors Manfred Steger (Gandhi's Dilemma: Nonviolent Principles and Nationalist Power) and Perle Besserman (aka Perle Epstein) (The Shambhala Guide to Kabbalah and Jewish Mysticism) studied first under the cultural weight of Japanese Zen, then with the light-footed lay master Robert Aitken. Founders of the Princeton Area Zen Group in NJ, they have been teaching their democratic, grassroots-style of Zen for over twenty-five years.

"It has helped change my life for the better! Highly recommended!"—John Perkins

Energy Healing for Everyone offers an accessible healing technique for body, mind, and spirit that is easy to learn and master. Drawing from a series of personal mystical experiences, world-renowned energy healer Brett Bevell reveals an ancient technique of communing with the divine source of eternal light which underlies the web of all creation. In this light, we can release our wounds and fears, and embrace the knowledge that all things are aspects of this one divine presence. For the first time, Brett reveals the secret of how to share, teach, and extend this inspired healing technique to anyone for any condition needing healing.

Fresh Cooking is exactly what the home cook desires—a cookbook with range and flexibility that addresses seasonality, budget, and diverse diets and tastes. Built around meals Shelley Boris created for the Garrison Institute, a retreat center in New York's Hudson Valley, it contains thirty-six menus, with four to five delicious recipes in each, organized by month. Caroline Kasterine's beautiful photographs compliment the recipes.

From the beginning of her career in the heydey of New York City's culinary scene with Dean & Deluca, Shelley Boris has maintained a love of fine, fresh ingredients and an intuitive grasp of their possibilities. This book draws on her passion and experience to create delectable meals on a budget without compromising flavor or diversity.

Sample seasonal menus include:

JANUARY
Onion Soup with Sprout Creek Cheese and Sour Rye Toast
Winter Root Vegetable Salad with Sherry-Hazelnut Dressing
Baked White Beans
Greens Tossed with Lemon, Balsamic, and Grapeseed Oil Vinaigrette
Quince in Phyllo

MAY
Whole Roasted Chicken with Green Garlic and Sassafras
Roasted Mushrooms and Jerusalem Artichokes
Polenta with Spinach, Spring Onions, and Cheese
Greens Tossed with Yogurt and Herb Dressing
Buckwheat Banana-Pecan Cake

AUGUST
Haiga Rice and Barley with Purple Shiso and Hiijki
Roasted Eggplant and Miso
Duck with Garlic
Greens Tossed with Ginger Vinaigrette
Peaches and Cream

NOVEMBER
Spicy Cabbage with Brown Mustard Seeds
Curried Lentils
Wild Rice
Greens Tossed with Lime and Toasted Sesame Seed Vinaigrette
Walnut Bar

"His 'Magical Awakening Treatments' have helped me pass through emotional obstacles and blockages with ease and grace."—Carrie Ann Inaba

This book teaches a system of energy healing called Magical Awakening, a playful yet powerful style of energy healing based in the Celtic shamanic concept of the three cauldrons, plus Arthurian imagery. It is a rich, Merlin-inspired magical energy healing system as playful as Harry Potter and more powerful than Reiki.

Brett Bevell is the author of The Reiki Magic Guide To Self Attunement, Energy Healing for Everyone, and two poetry books. Brett teaches at Omega Institute and The Sanctuary.

World-renowned yoga master Amrit Desai melds ancient wisdom with modern practicality as he offers piercing insight into the nature of relationships as a road map to fulfillment. The appendix includes outline of the basic life-observances of yoga, guidelines for day-to-day living, and meditations on healing relationships.

Yogi Amrit Desai is recognized as one of the pioneers of the authentic teachings of yoga in the West. Today he oversees the Amrit Yoga Institute in Salt Springs, Florida, with its many affiliate branches and teachers in North America and Europe. He travels extensively giving talks and workshops.

"Ablaze with passion for the one essential task of the monk: total inner transformation". —Brother David Stendl-Rast

"Libraries offering titles on mysticism, inner transformation, or dealing with grief will find this a unique and welcome addition."—Library Journal

This powerful book, written by an Episcopal priest, tells of her intense relationship with Brother Raphael Robin, a seventy-year-old Trappist monk and hermit. Both believed that a relationship can continue beyond this life, and here Cynthia Bourgeault describes her search for that connection before and after Robin's death. Bourgeault's previous books include The Wisdom Jesus and Centering Prayer and Inner Awakening.

"Matthew Fox might well be the most creative, the most comprehensive, surely the most challenging religious-spiritual teacher in America."—Thomas Berry

"Rupert Sheldrake continues to chart a new course in our understanding of the non-local mind that connects all of us."—Deepak Chopra

Many people believe in angels, but few can define these enigmatic spirits. Now visionary theologian Matthew Fox and acclaimed biologist Rupert Sheldrake—pioneers in modern religious thinking and scientific theory—launch a groundbreaking exploration into the ancient concept of the angel and restore dignity, meaning, and joy to our time-honored belief in these heavenly beings.

Wilson has blended H.P. Lovecraft’s dark vision with his own revolutionary philosophy and unique narrative powers to produce a stunning, high-tension story of vaulting imagination. A professor makes a horrifying discovery while excavating a sinister archeological site. For over 200 years, mind parasites have been lurking in the deepest layers of human consciousness, feeding on human life force and steadily gaining a foothold on the planet. Now they threaten humanity’s extinction. They can be fought with one weapon only: the mind, pushed to—and beyond—its limits. Pushed so far that humans can read each other’s thoughts, that the moon can be shifted from its orbit by thought alone. Pushed so that man can at last join battle with the loathsome parasites on equal terms.

God of Love is Mirabai Starr’s passionate and personal exploration of the interconnected wisdom of the three Abrahamic faiths. She shares an overview of essential teachings, stories of saints and spiritual masters, prophetic calls for peace and justice, and for the first time in print, deeply engaging narratives from her own spiritual experiences. She guides readers to recognize the teachings and practices that unify rather then divide the three religions, and sheds light on the interspiritual perspective, which celebrates the Divine in all paths. It is Mirabai’s hope that this book will serve as a reminder that a dedication to lovingkindness is the highest expression of faith for all three religions.

EARLY REVIEWS FOR God of Love

“Mirabai Starr takes us out dancing with the One. God of Love is a confluence of the currents of Judaism, Islam and Christianity all emptying into the great ocean of Love.”
—Ram Dass, Author Be Here Now

“In a time of division between people, this book — which is a masterful blend of research, storytelling, poetry, and memoir — is like a sacred magnet, pulling on the spiritual heart of all seekers.”
—Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder, Omega Institute; Author, Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow

“Mirabai Starr writes of the divine from a luminous gene inherited by only a few. We hear The True Song in each word she attributes to the holy. It is more than just her song; it is the Melody of the Spheres translated by an astute musician. We are always touched by the genuine in her call to the reader to love and love well, to see with the sacred eye of beauty.”
-Ondrea & Stephen Levine, Authors Embracing the Beloved

"Mirabai's book has brought me great consolation."
-Daniel Berrigan, S. J. activist-priest; Author, No Gods but One

“This book brilliantly reminds us that in the heart of the Abrahamic traditions there burns a singular divine flame.”
-Rev. Robert V. Thompson, Author A Voluptuous God

“A wonderful and ‘perfect’ book. Highly recommended.”
-Rabbi David A. Cooper, Author God Is a Verb

“[God of Love] will expand your vision and inspire your search; I recommend it with great joy.” -Andrew Harvey, Author The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism

“At home in the three great Abrahamic traditions, Mirabai Starr takes us on a deeply personal journey 'Toward the One,' exploring aspects of the 'God of Love' as seen through the eyes of Jewish, Christian and Muslim mystics. This is a book which will delight the seeker of sacred connections between these traditions and those who look forward to a day when Jerusalem, the city shared by all these faiths, will be a house of prayer for all people."
-Reb Netanel Miles-Yepez, Co-Author A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters

Stimulating and often startling discussions between three friends, all highly original thinkers: Rupert Sheldrake, controversial biologist, Terence McKenna , psychedelic visionary, and Ralph Abraham , chaos mathematician. Their passion is to break out of paradigms that retard our evolution and to explore new possibilities. Through challenge and synergy they venture where few have gone before, leading their readers on an exciting journey of discovery. Their discussions focus on the evolution of the mind, the role of psychedelics, skepticism, the psychic powers of animals, the structure of time, the life of the heavens, the nature of God, and transformations of consciousness.

“Three fine thinkers take us plunging into the universe of chaos, mind, and spirit. Instead of leaving us lost, they bring us back with startling insights and more wonder than we knew we had.” —Matthew Fox, Original Blessing and Sheer Joy

"A jam-session of the mind, an intellectual movable feast, an on-going conversation that began over twenty years ago and remains as lively and relevant today as it ever was. Sadly, Terence had to leave the conversation a little earlier than planned. But the appearance of this book of trialogues at this critical, historical juncture is a reaffirmation of the potency of the optimistic vision that the trialogues express." —Dennis McKenna, brother of the late Terence McKenna

Rupert Sheldrake is a biologist and author of many books including The Sense of Being Stared At, And Other Aspects of the Extended Mind. Ralph Abraham is a mathematician, one of the pioneers of chaos theory and the author of several books including Chaos, Gaia, Eros: A Chaos Pioneer Uncovers the Three Great Streams of History. The late Terence McKenna was a scholar of shamanism, ethno-botanist, psychedelic researcher and author of many books including Food of the Gods and True Hallucinations.

“. . . a rare jewel, a powerhouse of spiritual wisdom that you can read and reread.”—Joan Borysenko, Ph.D. author of A Woman’s Journey to God and Seven Paths to God

“[Open Secrets] invites us into the most intimate of settings, the whispered wisdom passed from an authentic Hasidic master to his student. It radiates warmth, passion for the divine, and earthy confidence in sacredness. A treasure for the spiritual seeker of any tradition.” —Judith Simmer-Brown, Naropa University, author of Dakini’s Warm Breath

“Open Secrets is my favorite way to introduce readers to the essence and depth of Judaism.”—Bo Lozoff, author and founder of the Human Kindness Foundation

“A master teacher.”—Thomas Keating

"A prophetic voice for a 21st-century Judaism”—Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

The fictional East European Hasidic Master Reb Yerachmeil writes to his hasid Herschel who has moved to America, in response to his student’s perennial questions about God, what it means to be Jewish, whether all religions are true, about death, the soul, good deeds, intermarriage and more. The rebbe writes, “My Judaism seeks only the heart of the teaching and the essence of the practice and leaves the details to others.” At the urging of his own rebbe, Shapiro, through these letters, creates a “. . . a Judaism for people who wish to learn from it as they do from Buddhism or Sufism, a Judaism for everyone.”

Rabbi Rami M. Shapiro is regarded as one of the most creative voices in contemporary American Judaism. He is an award-winning poet and essayist, and his liturgies are used in prayer services throughout North America. His previous books include Minyan: 10 Principles for Living a Life of Integrity and The Way of Solomon: Finding Joy and Contentment in the Wisdom of Ecclesiastes.

Circa 2100

A scourge of sex and death from an alien spaceship

WHEN CAPTAIN CARLSEN ENTERED THE VAST DERELICT SPACESHIP, he was shaken by the discovery of its immobilized humanoid passengers.

Later, after three of the strange aliens had been transported to Earth, his foreboding was more than justifi ed. The creatures were energy vampires whose seductive embraces were fatal, whose lust for vitality was boundless. As they took over the willing bodies of their victims and sexual murders spread terror throughout the land, Carlsen worked toward their destruction-even while he was erotically drawn to the most beautiful vampire of all!

 "Thoroughly intriguing" -Chicago Sun-Times (1976)

"New slant on horror...unique rendering of the age-old enigma of the kiss of death" -Chicago Tribune (1976)

COLIN WILSON is the author of more than 100 fiction and nonfiction books. The Outsider (1956), published at the age of 24, earned him worldwide critical acclaim. The Space Vampires, his fi fty-fi rst book, was translated into Spanish, Japanese, French, Dutch and Swedish and was later adapted for screen in the movie LIFEFORCE, directed by Tobe Hooper (SALEM'S LOT, POLTERGEIST, THE TEXAS CHAIN SAW MASSACRE). The movie failed however to capture the true spirit of the cult classic reprinted here by popular demand.

"Smart and earthy . . . richly imaginative . . . the epitome of the storyteller's art."—St. Louis Post-Dispatch, named one of "The Year's Best Books"

"This amazing book could well become a classic of women's literature."—Booklist, named one of the "Year's Ten Best Fantasy Books"

Young Magdalen and Jesus, brimming with youthful charm and arrogance, find each other and fall in love, forging a bond that is stronger than death. Their pleasure is overshadowed by a brilliant but unbalanced druid who knows a perilous secret about Maeve's past. The prequel to The Passion of Mary Magdalen. Now in paperback!

God of Love is Mirabai Starr’s passionate and personal exploration of the interconnected wisdom of the three Abrahamic faiths. She shares an overview of essential teachings, stories of saints and spiritual masters, prophetic calls for peace and justice, and for the first time in print, deeply engaging narratives from her own spiritual experiences. She guides readers to recognize the teachings and practices that unify rather then divide the three religions, and sheds light on the interspiritual perspective, which celebrates the Divine in all paths. It is Mirabai’s hope that this book will serve as a reminder that a dedication to lovingkindness is the highest expression of faith for all three religions.

EARLY REVIEWS FOR God of Love

“Mirabai Starr takes us out dancing with the One. God of Love is a confluence of the currents of Judaism, Islam and Christianity all emptying into the great ocean of Love.”
—Ram Dass, Author Be Here Now

“In a time of division between people, this book — which is a masterful blend of research, storytelling, poetry, and memoir — is like a sacred magnet, pulling on the spiritual heart of all seekers.”
—Elizabeth Lesser, Cofounder, Omega Institute; Author, Broken Open: How Difficult Times Can Help Us Grow

“Mirabai Starr writes of the divine from a luminous gene inherited by only a few. We hear The True Song in each word she attributes to the holy. It is more than just her song; it is the Melody of the Spheres translated by an astute musician. We are always touched by the genuine in her call to the reader to love and love well, to see with the sacred eye of beauty.”
-Ondrea & Stephen Levine, Authors Embracing the Beloved

"Mirabai's book has brought me great consolation."
-Daniel Berrigan, S. J. activist-priest; Author, No Gods but One

“This book brilliantly reminds us that in the heart of the Abrahamic traditions there burns a singular divine flame.”
-Rev. Robert V. Thompson, Author A Voluptuous God

“A wonderful and ‘perfect’ book. Highly recommended.”
-Rabbi David A. Cooper, Author God Is a Verb

“[God of Love] will expand your vision and inspire your search; I recommend it with great joy.” -Andrew Harvey, Author The Hope: A Guide to Sacred Activism

“At home in the three great Abrahamic traditions, Mirabai Starr takes us on a deeply personal journey 'Toward the One,' exploring aspects of the 'God of Love' as seen through the eyes of Jewish, Christian and Muslim mystics. This is a book which will delight the seeker of sacred connections between these traditions and those who look forward to a day when Jerusalem, the city shared by all these faiths, will be a house of prayer for all people."
-Reb Netanel Miles-Yepez, Co-Author A Heart Afire: Stories and Teachings of the Early Hasidic Masters

“The best one yet!”—Catherine MacCoun, author of On Becoming an Alchemist

"As usual, Cunningham provides plenty of juicy controversy embodied by vivid characters and expressed in vigorous action, all in crisply drawn biblical settings."—Booklist

"Gleefully iconoclastic. For that dwindling demographic with a sense of humor about religion, Maeve’s profane skewering of the all-too-human foibles of the Church fathers is a hoot." Kirkus Reiews

""Elizabeth Cunningham has again delved into her fabulous treasure trove of impeccable research, and come up with gold. In Bright Dark Madonna, her interweaving of Biblical-Celtic themes brings the first century to life with unexpected freshness and many surprises." —Katherine Neville, author of The Eight and The Fire

After playing an intimate role in the mystery of the Resurrection, what is left for Maeve, the Celtic Mary Magdalen? Never a follower, will she emerge as a leader of the early church? Will she retire quietly to mother a sacred bloodline? Will she set sail for France to proselytize and go spelunking? The answer: all and none of the above. No sooner does Maeve open her mouth to preach the gospel her way than a fierce debate begins about what to do with the child she is carrying. Maeve has her own ideas about where best to raise the savior’s scion. When she returns to Temple Magdalen, the holy whorehouse she founded, a custody battle of biblical proportions ensues. Maeve, her infant daughter Sara, and Jesus’ mother flee to the remote Taurus Mountains where they live in hiding among the Galatians until a mysterious man is dumped on their doorstep more dead than alive. When Maeve discovers the identity of the man she has healed, she is appalled and determined to keep her family’s secret. But Maeve has reckoned without the will of her brilliant, angry adolescent daughter who resolves to find out the truth about her father—for herself.

Required reading for fans and accesible to those new to The Maeve Chronicles, Bright Dark Madonna takes the reader on a breathtaking journey from the temple porticoes of Jerusalem, to the Temple of Artemis in Ephesus, to the south of France, and, as always, to the treacherous, beautiful terrain of the human heart.

“Cunningham weaves Hebrew scripture, Celtic and Egyptian mythology, and early Christian legend into a nearly seamless whole, creating an unforgettable fifth gospel story in which the women most involved in Jesus’s ministry are given far more representation.”—Library Journal

“This year’s must-have summer reading.”—KINK Radio

“Lavish and lusty . . . Cunningham’s Celtic Magdalen is as hot in the mouth as Irish whiskey.”—Beliefnet (chosen as one of this year’s “heretical beach-books”)

“Explodes off the page with its tales of love, hope, power, and redemption—book clubs looking for a great discussion, take note.”—TheBookBrothel.com