This month I'm celebrating my birthday with three big giveaways. One lucky winner (in each) will receive four of the books that I have reviewed over the last year along with a small token of my appreciation for being loyal fans over the years.
You can see the books in today's giveaway listed below. Please remember that these are books that have been sent to me by the publishing companies and in some cases they have stickers or lack dust jackets and so on. I hope that the winners are able to enjoy these books and actively go and post reviews on Amazon and Good Reads as these authors rarely get feedback.
The books will be shipped USPS and of course due to the cost of shipping I cannot make this available outside of the United States.
This month I'm celebrating my birthday with three big giveaways. One lucky winner (in each) will receive four of the books that I have reviewed over the last year along with a small token of my appreciation for being loyal fans over the years.
You can see the books in today's giveaway listed below. Please remember that these are books that have been sent to me by the publishing companies and in some cases they have stickers or lack dust jackets and so on. I hope that the winners are able to enjoy these books and actively go and post reviews on Amazon and Good Reads as these authors rarely get feedback.
The books will be shipped USPS and of course due to the cost of shipping I cannot make this available outside of the United States.
Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am an contemporary witch. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and notaffiliate links. I am a practicing photo reader and have spent the last 16 years honing my craft. I offer personal readings by request and have a strong online history that boasts nearly 400,000 views.
As with all my reviews I'll start with a review of the physical book. It is a small book, in that it can easily fit into a backpack or purse for reading on the go. I received a hard copy w/o a dust jacket to review. The outside is smooth and has color images of the author on the back as well as two large crystal compass on the front and back inner cover. The index is very small. Only two pages provided, both front and back one for the Symptoms Index and one for the Results Index. The introduction is quite lengthy and the author gives us her background on using crystals and the history of the crystal compass. I enjoyed the section on how crystals work and their relationship to using their elemental qualities for wholeness. This fits directly into several certifications I recently completed related to crystal healing. This compass is a great way to bring those elements together in one place for ease of use and clarity.
This book limits illustrations but the text is well written and easy to read. The book contains a plethora of information and each chapter expands on the next in a linear but expansive thinking mindset. The chapter on using crystals takes us through cleansing and creating a sacred space as well as defining earth, water, fire and air crystals and how each should be cleansed. The energy exercises included are extremely helpful and I highly recommend taking the time to complete each in these initial chapters. The remaining chapters of the book are separated by elements. Each chapter defines the area of life, symptoms of imbalances, how to nourish the physical energy body as well as exercises to "check in" on your current vibration state. It is then followed by a chapter on that particular element's crystals and what they work with.
The author tells us that the earth crystal related to earth is Jade. It is for good health and vitality. I won't give away all the tips on it but I will say that each chapter on the elemental crystals provide the original source location, history of the crystal as well as the qualities, what its good for, issues and a mantra in a quick reference section at the each of each description.
One of my favorites was the section on the Air Crystal - Purple Fluorite - the qualities are mental clarity, psychic clarity, order and harmony. Its good for clearing energy fields and problem solving. It will help with confusion, or poor concentration. The mantra provided is amazing.
I am clear, I think clearly, I see clearly, I perceive clearly, and I make my decision.
Overall what I approached as "Just another crystal book" actually turned into something that I will refer to time and time again. The author provides a great introduction as a beginner book, but then challenges the reader to rethink some of the old jargon around crystal healing and crystal work. This is a fantastic addition to any metaphysical or crystal healing library.
This month I'm celebrating my birthday with three big giveaways. One lucky winner (in each) will receive four of the books that I have reviewed over the last year along with a small token of my appreciation for being loyal fans over the years.
You can see the books in today's giveaway listed below. Please remember that these are books that have been sent to me by the publishing companies and in some cases they have stickers or lack dust jackets and so on. I hope that the winners are able to enjoy these books and actively go and post reviews on Amazon and Good Reads as these authors rarely get feedback.
The books will be shipped USPS and of course due to the cost of shipping I cannot make this available outside of the United States.
So enough of this - what are we giving away?
Set 1 Includes:
The Divination Handbook - My Review
Astrology for Happiness and Success - My Review
Tarot Made Simple - My Review
Celtic Myth and Magic
For the majority of my life I have had a connection with the energy of both humans and animals alike. I have been able to "feel" the pain of those around me and even been able to sense what is going to happen before it happens. As a child as I would eat meat I would feel pain in my body and soul. I couldn't touch raw meat and had to wear gloves to work with it in the kitchen. When I would cut a piece of meat my brain would flash images of me cutting my own hands and fingers while the blade sliced through the meat.
I always thought there was something wrong with me. As I matured in witchcraft I watched those around me who practiced. I watched their magic and their lives. I took note of what their skin looked like, what their hands looked like and what their aura looked like. I slowly began to think that perhaps there was much more happening here that meets the eye.
For the majority of my life I have been obese. Recently I changed over to a Whole Food Plant Based Lifestyle (WFPB). You can read about my journey here. As I switched over to a plant based diet I found that my senses were changing. I am now able to focus on things I could not before.
Photo Credit - Elijah Olson
I completed my Holistic Wellness Coach Certification and completed an International Yogi Certification. I'm currently working on a Mediation Coach Certification. All things that were always just outside my ability to focus on in order to complete. I am amazed at the way the fog has lifted off my brain and now I no longer require a stack of sticky notes to remind me of things. I no longer write down every single thing in order to remember it. My mind is now here in the present with my body and working to achieve my goals as I lay them out as opposed to the broken, struggled life I was experiencing before.
I quickly began researching what empathetic people tend to eat and I found some pretty interesting information around it. I'm sure there are just as many on the other side, so please understand I am not knocking the abilities of those who do not follow a WFPB lifestyle. I am simply showing what I and others like me have found by switching. I'll be adding a few links at the end for you to review.
As my body began to change, my mind began to clear. The further away I was from the clutter of TV news and media the better I felt. The more I removed animal products from my diet the happier I felt. I know longer had the hurt of the cows crying for their calves or the images of the slaughterhouses in my mind. They drifted away like a bad dream. My mind raced back to a class I took years ago that referenced the fact that all things are related. The table came from the earth, because it came from a tree, just as I came from the earth. All things are related.
I made a mad dash to my science literature to find out what early man ate. If we think about this logically, do we really believe that early man ate a pound of bacon every morning? Anyone who has ever hunted understands that if they get one large deer they make that one animal last for their family for the season. They never loaded their plates with more than they could use. They all joined together and ate as one. Looking at life today we can see how much we have changed. We can see just how far we have removed ourselves from the natural world.
I think the word Vegan has become a dirty word. I think that people associate PETA (who I detest) with veganism. They also don't understand how much the meat and dairy industry pay in lobby money to our government to endorse their products. We forget that if we look at our bodies and the bodies of those animals that we eat today, we can see harm we're doing. I'm not huge on showing images of baby cows being pulled from their mothers or the screams these mother cows make in the days and weeks that follow calling out for their missing young. I can't share those. All I can do is use my words to try to show the emotion that is involved in that milk.
If I walk across a cemetery, I can feel the energy there. If I walk into a room, or shake someone's hand, I can feel the energy they present. Why is it that big of a leap to feel the energy of the suffering of that mother in each glass of cow's milk? People think, Oh, milk and butter, they don't hurt anyone. You just milk the cow, the cow lives. Yeah, that cow lives. But the baby she had to feed that milk to is taken away from her immediately. Males are tossed into small boxes to become veal and females are put back into the factory to continue to produce milk. If a person wants milk we should be drinking human milk. Cow's milk is made to nourish baby cows. They need more fat and calories because they're bigger. There is really no reason for a weaned person to consume milk. We are convinced that we need this through all the money coming in from the dairy industry.
As part of my Yogi certification, part of my assignments were to study the differing types of Yoga. The first yama of Patanjali's Yoga Sutra is Ahimsa. The word ahimsa literally means not to injure or show cruelty to any creature or any person in any way whatsoever. Ahimsa is, however, more than just lack of violence as adapted in yoga. Ahimsa can be practiced as vegetarianism or veganism. In my case, while not feeling completely comfortable with the the baggage that appears to follow the word Vegan, I opt for the WFPB label instead. To me, this cross connection with my Yogi certification, the Holistic Wellness Coach Certification led me directly to this place I am today.
I know that not everyone is going to agree here. I mean we have been convinced by the powers that be, that Milk, Does a Body Good, after all. We have be asked, Where are you getting your protein? There are burger joints on every corner, certainly our government wouldn't allow money to influence their opinions on what is and is not healthy.
All I can say is I sit here before you, weighing less than I have ever weighed while eating normally. I have removed all medications from my diet. I have little to no manias associated with my BiPolar 2 diagnosis. I can walk and breathe at the same time. I can feel my energy increasing both physically and spiritually. For me, this works. Elijah has stopped all his medications as well, he's lost 100 pounds just as I have. We're spending more time on yoga and mediation. We're cooking our meals together and not rushing around trying to check things off a list. So while naysayers may contend that "we must eat meat" "we are meat eaters" I say, just try it. Take a month and remove the meat and see what happens? I mean if you're right, nothing will happen.
I think something will happen though. I think you will find that you are indeed what you eat. And if you eat fear, you are fear. If you eat terror or sorrow, you will be those. I encourage you to go through the list of info below. Look up the Doctors I follow and judge for yourself.
While I continue this journey just like anything else I do, I'll continue to research and share my progress. I know for me this is the right way to move forward. In harmony with the natural world and the spiritual world. I know that my choice to remove these products from my life have had a huge impact on my abilities.
Resources:
Doctors:
Joel Fuhrman M.D
John A. McDougall M.D.
Neal D. Barnard M.D.
Caldwell B. Esselstyn Jr. M.D.
Michael Greger M.D
Michael Klaper M.D.
Dean Ornish M.D.
Joel Kahn M.D.
Anthony Lim M.D., J.D.
Colin Campbell
The China Study Doug Lisle
The Pleasure Trap Neal Barnard MD
Dr. Neal Barnard’s Program for Reversing Diabetes
Breaking the Food Seduction
21 Day Weight-loss Kick start John McDougall MD
The Starch Solution
Dr. McDougall’s Digestive Tune-Up
The McDougall Quick & Easy Cookbook
Dr. McDougall’s Total Health Solution for the 21st Century
The McDougall Program: Twelve Days to Dynamic Health
The McDougall Program for Maximum Weight Loss
The New McDougall Cookbook
Rip Esselstyn
Forks Over Knives Presents The Engine 2 Kitchen Rescue with Rip Esselstyn
John McDougall MD
Dr. McDougall’s Total Health Solution for the 21st Century DVD
The Jeff Novick Series
Lighten Up
Calorie Density
Should I Eat That
From Oil To Nuts
Nuts & Health
Fast Food Vol 1 The Basics
Fast Food Vol 2 Burgers & Fries
Fast Food Vol 3 Shopping School
Neal Barnard MD
Tackling Diabetes DVD
Kick Start Your Health DVD
Douglas Lisle
The Continuum of Evil
Losing weight without losing your mind
The Pleasure Trap
Michael Klaper
Digestion Made Easy
More Movies/Documentaries
Forks Over Knives
Processed People
Immersions and Programs
Dr Esselstyn - 5-hour intensive counseling seminar at the Cleveland Clinic Wellness Institute
Farms To Forks Immersions
The McDougall Program
MORE BOOKS
John Abramson MD
Overdosed America
Gilbert H. Welch MD
Should I be tested for Cancer?
Overdiagnosed: Making People Sick in the Pursuit of Health
Know Your Chances: Understanding Health Statistics
Nortin Hadler MD
Worried Sick: A Prescription for Health in an Overtreated America
Lists of Documentaries
https://nutriciously.com/best-vegan-documentaries/
https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-food/10-best-food-and-health-documentaries/
YouTube:
Why do empaths over eat?
Let's Talk Nutrition
Your Vegan Brain on Empathy
Vandana Shiva on the Problem with Genetically-Modified Seeds
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