Joey Madia, New Mystics Reviews

   (Infinite Heart Publications, 2026). ISBN: 979-8-9958409-0-9 There are few words/concepts when it comes to the pursuit of the spiritual that are more misunderstood, maligned, and mysterious than the word guru . The dictionary definition is surprisingly straightforward: A Sanskrit term for a spiritual or intellectual guide, teacher, or master. All students, after all, require teachers and guides. In 30-plus years of spiritual study and practice, I have had many teachers and guides, but not a single one that I would term a guru. For many folks who grew up in the sixties, the word guru conjures images of the Beatles and Maharishi Mahesh Yogi falling in and falling out. Those with a deeper knowledge of student-seekers and their gurus might think of Ram Dass (Richard Alpert) and his guru Neem Karoli Baba, or even Elizabeth Gilbert’s Eat, Pray, Love encounters with (the unnamed in the book) Gurumayi Chidvilasananda and Bali’s Ketut Liyer. No matter your level of knowledge ab...

by Martha Ramirez-Oropeza and William Douglas Horden (Larson Publications, 2009, www.larsonpublications.com) There is an ancient Eastern curse that says “May you live in interesting times.” A quick glance at the daily headlines tells us that, a decade or so into the twenty-first century, these times certainly fit the bill. As an artist who uses the principles of shamanism and aspects of other spiritual systems to both create and to teach, I am always looking for new sources of inspiration and insight. As a father, husband, and mentor to young people, I am continually seeking means to clarification and ways of making sense and gaining peace in highly stressful and complicated times. Over the past two decades, I have found ways of using tarot, runes, and other devices to help. I have stayed away from the I Ching because of all the many tools for insight and divination, I have found the hexagrams and casting of the coins to be complicated and hard to make sense of. The authors of The Tolt...