Scorpio Your Cosmic Coloring Book - A Review

Today I'm reviewing Scorpio, Your Cosmic Coloring Book by Mecca Woods.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Scorpio Your Cosmic Coloring Book

Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page


Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am identify as a magical Buddhist. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I believe in spiritually and holistic wellness.  I find that we can heal the world if we just sit down and and listen to the breath.  I believe that magic, science and nutritional well being are the cornerstone to a well rounded holistic life. I have recently updated my site from Confessions of a Modern Witch to my new page To Live Whole.  I welcome you to come along for my journey of health, wellness and self exploration.

I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate 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 over 438,000 views.

I was a little surprised to see this book in for a review. There are no words at all.  No introduction at all. Basically this is just a book of coloring pages dedicated to the zodiac sign Scorpio.  There are 24 card stock pages that can be removed and colored by the reader. The designs are nice however I would have liked to see a little be of text around it.  Maybe something like the year in Scorpio or something of that nature. Over all a cute book to give as a gift.


Here are a few of the images.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Scorpio Your Cosmic Coloring Book

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Scorpio Your Cosmic Coloring Book

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Scorpio Your Cosmic Coloring Book

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Scorpio Your Cosmic Coloring Book

See Clearly into 2020 with our Giveaway for Health

I love sharing information I have with others.  I want everyone to experience the joy of changing their lives the way I have. A little over 3 years ago I realized I was quickly headed for a untimely death. I couldn't walk up stairs or even fly in a plane due to my size.  I was morbidly obese. My hubby got me on the right track through reading and moving.  We started with little changes here and there and slowly transformed our lives.  Today I sit here writing this at 50,  feeling younger than I felt in my thirties. No pills, no needles.  Just real food. I want to share that with as many people as I can.

so, having a giveaway for my page over at Real Rations. I know everyone is looking forward to kicking off 2020 with a bang, so I'm going to do a little give back.  I have two FitBit Inspires (gently used) and two books (again gently used) that I'm going to raffle off for the New Year!  The FitBits contain the watch bands for small, medium and large and in the original packaging.  The books are second hand books that I pick up at library sales and thrift stores as a way of getting information out to those who are interested in learning about the Whole Food Plant Based revolution.

I will use rafflecopter to collect the entries. The giveaway is open to the continental US only, due to shipping fees. I'll draw and post two winners on New Year's Day.  Those winners will have 24 hours to reply to my email with a shipping address.  If none reply, I will re-draw.


The first set includes a book that I love.  It was one of the first ones I read on this style of eating.  It is called Eat to Live by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.  Dr. Fuhrman takes a very scientific approach to eating the Nutritarian way.

Here's a talk from 2019 - Dr. Fuhrman did on healthy eating.

Prize 1  - Used Copy - Eat To Live
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Prize 1 - Gently used FitBit Inspire
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

The second prize pack includes the FitBit Inspire as well as the book called Super Immunity by Joel Fuhrman, M.D.


Here's a video he did on curing diabetes and having super immunity.

Prize 2 - Used Copy - Super Immunity
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Prize 2 - Gently Used FitBit Inspire
Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson

Remember, on the US can enter, sorry, that's just due to the cost of shipping and I will need a reply from my winners within 24 hours or I'll move on to a new name.


Good Luck!


a Rafflecopter giveaway

https://happynewyear2020.com/wallpapers

The Mindful Guide to Conflict Resolution - A Review

Today I'm reviewing The Mindful Guide to Conflict Resolution by Sosalie Puiman.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page


Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am identify as a magical Buddhist. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I believe in spiritually and holistic wellness.  I find that we can heal the world if we just sit down and and listen to the breath.  I believe that magic, science and nutritional well being are the cornerstone to a well rounded holistic life. I have recently updated my site from Confessions of a Modern Witch to my new page To Live Whole.  I welcome you to come along for my journey of health, wellness and self exploration.

I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate 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 over 438,000 views.


As you know I'll be switching over to reviewing only e-copies of books shortly.  I will miss handling the books but the amount of trash that I had piling up for all the shipping was just overwhelming.  I will be doing a giveaway for the remaining physical books that actually arrive as well as asking my publishers to provide giveaway copies shipped directly to my winner's homes going forward for all giveaways.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

Today's book is a softcover medium sized but ample book.  It is a good size for a backpack but not really for a purse or pocket book.  The illustrations are limited but it does contain a small index and a resources section. 

The book covers identifying conflicts, the skills one would need to resolve mindfully and how to apply these skills in a real life setting.  The author begins by letting us know that we should only work with this inn a situation where we are not in danger of physical violence. This is extremely important. Conflict resolution is in itself something that is a challenging topic to start, even if both parties are willing.  If you're in a situation where you or someone you love could be physically harmed, its imperative to remove yourself from danger first and foremost.  Nothing is worth your safety, so always take the steps to protect yourself and those you love from harm.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

I like to say, you cannot pour from an empty cup.  If you are not in a state of mind that you can thinking clearly and calmly, then you cannot expect to be able to resolve conflict with someone who is in the same frame of mind. It is recommended that you practice some mindfulness techniques such as deep breathing or walking meditations before beginning to attempt to work with others on this. You really need to have your ducks in a row before working with someone else to do the same.

The first sections best parts, in my opinion is the section on the layers of communication. The author tells us about content, procedure, interaction and emotion. I like this way of breaking it down so that we can see exactly what we're dealing with. By far, in my experience the majority of issues related to conflict deals directly with the emotional state of those in the discussion. While you'll have issues related to the actual content of the conversation, the majority of conflict can be traced directly back to the emotions around the conversation.

Image Source - Web

In section two the authors chapter on how to listen mindfully is superb. One quote that I paraphrase often is we should listen with the intent to understand and not respond. It is a core conflict resolution technique and something I learned many years ago.  Though sometimes in the heat of the moment we tend to let it fly out the window.  It is something that we should embrace.  I loved the sections on the benefits of deeper listening and how to listen mindfully.  The author provides insight on how we should be present at the very beginning as well as keeping an open mind throughout the process. Only by using non-judgement, curiosity and trust will we be able to get to the bottom of the issue and provide useful meaningful discussion.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - Book

Section three takes us through how to apply all the techniques we learned in the book, in real world situations. With meaningful examples related to a simple topic like household chores to something much more complex like sex and intimacy. The author furthers the pause approach by showing us we can apply this same process to friends and family as well as our business partner and co-workers.

Overall, I believe this book offers some solid techniques on getting to the bottom of a conflict using a strong mindful approach that opens up the situation for healing and learning. Being able to listen effectively and provide constructive feedback is a skill that is deeply needed in today's society and I believe this book is a great stepping stone to achieve the skills required to do just that.

The Astrology Dictionary - A Review

Today I'm reviewing The Astrology Dictionary Cosmic Knowledge from A to Z by Donna Woodwell.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Astrology Dictionary

Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page


Generally I like to start out with a disclaimer. I am identify as a magical Buddhist. I look for the connection between magic and science without the need to search for a creator. I believe in spiritually and holistic wellness.  I find that we can heal the world if we just sit down and and listen to the breath.  I believe that magic, science and nutritional well being are the cornerstone to a well rounded holistic life. I have recently updated my site from Confessions of a Modern Witch to my new page To Live Whole.  I welcome you to come along for my journey of health, wellness and self exploration.

I receive no compensation for these reviews and all my links are standard Amazon links and not affiliate 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 over 438,000 views.


As usual I'll start with a review of the physical book.  This was a small book.  So much so that you could easily lose it in a backpack or large purse. It is rough to the touch but has a very attractive cover. The text is large despite the small stature and the book does not contain an index.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Astrology Dictionary

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Astrology Dictionary

This book is exactly as it is described.  It is an A-Z book of definitions related to astrology. It does take the definitions a step farther than one would expect and includes a bit of poetic license in its descriptions.

Moon, noun
Mistress of the night, the Moon's gravity stabilizes our climate and allows life to evolve and thrive. So the Moon symbolizes thing that nurture and protect.  Since she sheds on light of her own, the Moon's association with gathering and receiving. Memory and nostalgia are the functions of the moon...

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Astrology Dictionary

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Astrology Dictionary

The author goes on to tell us about the house associated with the moon as well as her colors and metal associations.

She says the following regarding Pisces:

Pisces, noun
Pisces is best when allowed to drift, to float without judgement in everlasting bliss.  Then, this Jupiter ruled sign can commune with the cosmos.  Pisces strive to be in the world, yet not of the world.  The constellation associated with this mutable water sign is the Fish, two fish that are tied together. Pisces may need to work to stay present, to reach for the stars without getting tangled up by their own feet.

As someone who has taken a tumble several times over the last few weeks I an say this is pretty much spot on.  (laughs)


Overall a cute book with some very skillfully written albeit non-scientific definitions of astrology terms.  A great book to have if you want a bit of light reading that can be whimsical and still contain a bit of magic.

Teaching Myself

For years I have been a dedicated fan of the Web.  I can spend hours enveloped in video after video on YouTube.  When the internet was young, Ask Jeeves was one of my favorite sites. Just this week I switched from Alexa to Google because Google's AI is stronger at answering questions.

Anytime I really want to know how to do something I go to these tools. And statistics show I'm not alone.  You can see the live search statistics here.

In just 15 seconds of my screenshot below from Internet Live Stats over a million searches were completed.

Screenshot - LiveInternetSearch.com

Show demographics on use of tools like Google. LinkedIn learning and other teaching sites are seeing new students at a record high. By and far the number of people utilizing the internet for learning new things is at an all time high.

Image Credit - statista.com

So then, why is it that generally speaking when white people want to learn about black people or racism they go to black people and ask them to teach them?  For centuries we have been told by black people about the black experience. Instead we need to look back and see what they have been telling us for years.

"He would not bleach his Negro soul in a flood of white Americanism, for he knows that negro blood has a message for the world. He simply wishes to make it possible for a man to be both a Negro and an America, without being cursed and spit upon by his fellows, without having doors of Opportunity closed roughing in his face."  ~ W. E. B. Du Bois

We simply didn't listen. We hunkered down in the swaddling  blankets of White Supremacy and told ourselves we were helping by lavishing praise on individuals that are actually thinly veiled insults.

Bloomberg Interview on CBS

This video shows a clip from the Color Purple, a film adaptation of the of the Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name by Alice Walker.  In this scene a local white woman is shown using a compliment as a way to repress and show a shock for the cleanliness of the black children. The Miss Millie character has another scene which stands out to me. 

While searching for a clip on the scene above I found this really great piece on it.  I highly recommend it.

We fail to see how white men who threaten women are elected to office, yet black children are executed for looking at or talking to white women .

Warning:  The following video contains explicit language and is NSFW

Emmett Louis Till was a 14-year-old African American who was lynched in Mississippi in 1955, after being accused of offending a white woman in her family's grocery store

One was elected the president of the United States and the other was lynched.  And I hear. Yeah that was years ago though:

July 2019 - Image Source WJVT.com

We as white people need to do better. We need to confront racism in our own communities. we need to address that uncle or aunt at the Thanksgiving table. We need to stop that friend with the racist joke. We need to call out casual racism around us by not using words in our speech and writings that have racist origins.

Most importantly we need to learn from the experiences of those outside our own communities   We need to take that labor upon ourselves. We have asked black people, people of color and people who are in other minorities to tell us what we can do about racism.

Let me be clear, it is not their job to teach us to solve this problem. white people created this problem and white people need to solve it.

What can we, as white people do?

Glad you asked. Here's a list of 5 things you can do to become a better ally.

1. Listen to black people and people of color.
2. Be aware of your bias.
3. Research the history of those you wish to be an ally to.
4. Do the work to understand not only how you participate in a racist system, but how you benefit from it.
5. Amplify the voices of black people and people of color.  You do not need to speak for them.


Finally, we need to become better at loving ourselves as a human race . We need to love our planet and the other inhabitants.  Our seas, our rivers and our air. Take some time and sit with yourself in the quite and think about a flower.

The flower is made up of many things.  Petals, stem, roots. It is made up of water, air and sunlight.  Without each of these things, it would not exist. We are like the flower.  We are one with the flower.  Learn how we are interconnected with all life on this planet. If we lose a single part we are no longer whole.

Want to learn more?  Talk to white people about racism. Look at our history of colonialism around the planet.  We created this problem.  We have to end it.

This map shows the progress of charting the rise and fall of (mostly) European empires from 1492, when the European discovery of the Americas kicked off their movement west and south, to 2008.

Image Credit Vox.com

Google is your friend.  Use it.



Renee


Recommended Reading

Up from a Slave - Booker T. Washington - Link
The Souls of Black Folks - W. E. B. Du Bois - Link
Overview of the African-America Experience - Link
PUSHOUT - The Criminalization of Black Girls in Schools - Link

The Little Book of Big Feelings - A Review

Today I'm reviewing The Little Book of Big Feelings by Maureen "Marzi" Wilson.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Little Book of Big Feelings

Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page


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 not affiliate 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 over 429,000 views.

The copy I have to review was a small hard cover edition.  The cover is vibrant with illustrations of assorted feelings.  The book is broken down into chapters related to an assortment of feelings and an about the author section at the back.

Written as more of a graphic novel, frankly when I sat down with this book I kept thinking to myself, how on earth am I going to review this thing.  While it has chapters there's no real structure in the traditional book review sense to the book. As I got into it I began to see what the author was going for.  Each of the chapters are set up with a basic feeling.  As many of us who have attended therapy know, feelings are feelings. They are temporary and they change.  We can't control them.  We can't pick them.  We have to see them, feel them and let them go. This book does a great job in explaining that in very simple terms.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Little Book of Big Feelings

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Little Book of Big Feelings

The section on being overwhelmed I found extremely helpful. The cartoon like take on resolving issues related to dealing with how we feel is a pretty new approach in my opinion. There are sections on boundaries and anger and how this author deals with those emotions.  I found this incredibly timely as my partner and I have been discussing mindfulness and how to deal with observing the mind in the mind for the minds sake.  But that's another story for another time.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Little Book of Big Feelings

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Little Book of Big Feelings

Overall this is a really cute book and I found that while it wasn't as childish as I thought in the beginning it was rather child like, in that it was basic and caring from a very innocent perspective. Just thinking that even on the hardest days, you can be grateful for pink starbursts was so adorable. Sometimes we need to just break things down to their most simple form to really discover those things that are truly important to us.

I think this is a great book to get folks talking about and feeling their feelings. So many times I find that friends, family and even I, myself am afraid of my feelings.  The last page says it so nicely.  Its ok to feel what you're feeling.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - The Little Book of Big Feelings

My Visit to Plum Village

Today I went to Plum Village.  I didn't go on a plane or a train.  I didn't travel by road or rail.  Today I went to Plum Village. I heard the words of a poet and our spirits were joined together in unity and compassion.

Over the past few months I've been exploring Buddhism. I have always been interested in learning more about it as many of my psychiatrists have recommended mindful mediation for treatment of my bipolar diagnosis. I find the guided meditations to be quite calming.  I wanted to take a moment today and share a couple with you.  Feel free to leave a link to one that you find useful in your daily, weekly or monthly practices.

Did you try one? Which did you prefer? Do you like un-guided meditations instead?  Share your thoughts and feelings. I would love to hear from you!

Unexpected Updates to the Blog

Hi Everyone!  I just wanted to reach out to let you know there have been some (obvious) unexpected updates to the blog.  My plan was to switch over to reviewing strictly e-books just after my birthday in February.  I was going to make a switch over, rename the blog and start focusing more on my writing and less on reviews.  My goal was to bring you into the world I'm living in now.

Confessions of a Modern Witch is now To Live Whole

When I escaped into the book review scene it was mostly out of sincere frustration and pain. My body was hurting all the time and I was angry most of the time.  My bipolar was out of control and I was feeling pretty helpless. I couldn't focus on writing a single sentence let alone and entire blog post with any coherency.

Photo Credit Renee Sosanna Olson
The Rio Grande

My days were filled with frustration and anger. It has been a rocky three years.  I ended up taking a much needed break and heading out to Las Cruces NM for a while to soak up the sun and try to recharge my broken spirit.

We ended up staying there for a year while we waited for the county's decision on buying our property after Hurricane Matthew.  I took some classes and found one that was called Holistic Wellness.  That was the catalyst for me getting my head back in the game.  I finished three other classes including crystal healing certification, mindful meditation and yoga certification. I have to say that it has changed my life.

Photo Credit - Elijah Trent Olson

Eli and I managed to switch over completely to a WFPBNO lifestyle and in the process reversed all of our medical issues including my type two diabetes.  We dropped weight significantly.  I have lost 135 pounds as of today.  He's lost over 125.  Together we're taking some time to get back to ourselves. We're back in NC now but we're not letting the poor weather get us down. We have started meditation sessions twice a day and are cooking our meals together.  Always looking for a great recipe to share in our group over on Facebook.  Our page there shares many of the medical opinions that got us where we are today. We would love to have you join us.

As part of our meditation, Eli and I read an hour every morning when we wake about Buddhism. We have begun to see a real change in our lives. Just yesterday I was thrilled and surprised to find see my resting heart rate has dropped down to 49 from 79 a year ago.  Such an amazing change.  So as a part of this I wanted to reduce my carbon footprint and switch over to e-books and stop buying things from China.  I wanted to live simply and share that experience on a new blog.  So I purchased a domain (To Live Whole) and began the process of getting it set up.

Well, let me tell you, Google is super easy about adding your domain to your blogger account.  I literally clicked a single button and boom all my settings were updated and here I was with a new URL for my blog a mere 3 months ahead of schedule!!  Instead of fussing with getting it switched back over I just took it as a sign that I was ready to go and changed my social media accounts as well as my media contacts over to the new blog and here we are!

I hope that my change in the visual appearance of the page w/o make you jump ship.  I'll be sharing the same types of books with a few more related to health, wellness and Buddhism as well as the old magical favorites.  I'll be adding more frequent and personal posts related to what we're doing in the kitchen, what new advances we're seeing in science and maybe a post or two about the Dali Lamma.

I look forward to inviting some discussion on the page and welcome questions and comments. I hope that you'll hang around for the direction. I feel as though it will be something quite special.

Thank you so much for your readership and your attention and I hope I'll be able to share more soon.

Renee

My Pocket Gratitude - A Reivew

Today I'm reviewing My Pocket Gratitude by Courtney E. Ackerman.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - My Pocket Gratitude

Author Links - Link
Amazon Book Link
Amazon Author Link
Good Reads Book Link
Good Reads Author Link
My Good Reads Profile
My Facebook Page


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 not affiliate 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 over 429,000 views.

This book is a good size to be tossed into a backpack or bag for a quick trip. It is a soft cover book that has an elastic band around the back to mark your spot or keep the book closed.

The contents are divided into six chapters that focus on way to cultivate self gratitude and mindfulness into one's daily life. The first chapter consists of exercises that one can incorporate as a daily mantra if you will, to improve the ability to remain present.  Things like, leaving a note for yourself or scheduling a date with yourself are ways this author is providing a means to induce self care at a fundamental level.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - My Pocket Gratitude

The second chapter focus on a topic that I have been known to struggle with.  This chapter is a deep dive into cultivating gratitude towards the body.  From yoga sessions to times set aside for meditation and reflection, this book provides real world techniques for spending time with the body and understanding just what ever "body" needs.

Chapter three goes into caring for others.  I like the placement of this chapter. So many times we as empaths forget that we must take care of ourselves before we can help others. The techniques provided include writing letters of thanks, creating a list of all the people you love and give a gift to those you love.  To me, I love this part. I have some very special friends who are like family to me. Throughout the year I collect small gifts for them. Just small things, maybe a book or a figurine. Things that remind me of them. Then at Samhain I mail those boxes out and hope that when they open them they feel the joy and love that I have packed into each one. A gift doesn't need to be expensive to have impact. Choose with love and it will always be sent with the care of the most expensive gift in the world.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - My Pocket Gratitude

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - My Pocket Gratitude

So many times we get so busy with daily life that we don't have time to really appreciate where we have come from or where we are going. Chapter four speaks directly to this. Taking time to meditate on the past and think about reasons to be proud of what you have accomplished are key to creating a well rounded path for traveling into the future. We don't want to dwell too long here but we do want to be able to look back and take what we need to move forward with dedication and pride as we graduate to the next chapters of our lives.

In Chapter five we discuss how to cultivate gratitude for our surroundings. I have to say this for me is key in creating a space for calm wellness to grow. I have a certain set of songs that are playing all the time in my home.  I have special incenses that I use for different occasions.  The author shares with us ideas for how to get in touch with our surroundings using our senses as we walk around our abode. Inspiration is all around us. We just need to slow down and listen.

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - My Pocket Gratitude

Photo Credit - Renee Sosanna Olson
Photo Source - My Pocket Gratitude

The final chapter helps us learn to cultivate gratitude in difficult times. This is hard for many of us. There are times that we may want to fall down into the pity party and sit wallow in self misery. We need to grab some of these great techniques such as creating a catalog of lessons learned, go hunting for the positive and commit to the flexibility it may take to change the current direction of life.  While sometime is to be said for going with the flow, we also don't want to be washed away by the tides. Taking a stand here to not only understand where we have been, but also to change our direction by working through our issues and putting our best foot forward are key!

Overall this is a great book for a birthday, housewarming or graduation gift. I can see where many would benefit from taking some time to focus on the things in life that really matter. And this book will help with that.