CINDY & GERRI'S PICKS:
PHENOMENAL GIFTS FOR ENLIGHTENED GIVING

These are just a small sampling of great gifts
that would be wonderful to give yourself
and to give to those interested in
personal growth and spiritual development.

Our first recommendation would be something we at the phenomeNEWS office cannot do without each year... the I Can Do It calendar by our friend Louise L. Hay (Hay House, www.hayhouse.com). We have been relying on this gem for years to get our daily dose of positive affirmations. In Louise’s 2006 edition, the colorful abstract art runs alongside Louise’s wonderful daily nuggets of wisdom, such as, “My good comes from everywhere, everyone and everything,” “I view all experiences as opportunities for me to learn and grow,” and our favorite, “I am one with the very power that created me.”

Affirmations are powerful tools that, when used daily, can be life changing. Louise expresses it best in her introduction, “Our point of power is always in the present moment, and this is where we plant the mental seeds for creating new experiences.”

More people than ever are recognizing and honoring the spiritual in their lives by creating sacred spaces at home and in the workplace. This next recommendation provides tips on how to create Altars of Power and Grace. (Balanced Books, www.balancedbookspub.com). This book is a treasure of information along with beautiful photos of altars that the authors, Robin & Michael Mastro, have created. The third section provides resources for more information. You will learn how to create altars, what to include and how you can vary the design according to your intention and specific interests. For instance, altars that invite abundance and prosperity, altars to increase creativity and knowledge, altars to support or draw relationships... all topics are covered. This is one of the most beautiful and practical gifts you can give or receive.

And, speaking of altars, this next gift would make a wonderful addition to your home altar. We liked it because it can also be tucked into a little corner of your suitcase to travel anywhere with you. The Tara Box contains a mini-altar, an exquisitely carved statue along with a fully-illustrated companion book. This portable shrine is dedicated to Tara, the most beloved feminine deity of Buddhism. The book contains rituals for protection and healing. Tara can be called upon for compassion, empowerment and serenity.

We are proud that this was created by our own local Director of Jewel Heart Temple in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Gehlek Rimpoche. Kudos to our friends at New World Library (www.newworldlibrary.com) for bringing this unique and practical little altar into manifestation for all of us to enjoy.

You don’t have to know astrology to use this next item. Time Passages (Astrograph software, www.astrograph.com) is one of the easiest ways to learn astrology. This CD works on either Mac or PC format and is extremely user-friendly. If you can point and click, you can use it. You can teach yourself astrology through this program. It comes with great graphics. Once your information is input, you just click and there is your chart. Now, if you don’t understand the little astrological symbols, simply put the curser over any symbol, click on it and a box appears with the exact interpretation for what this means.

This software was created by scientist, linguist and astrologer Henry Seltzer. The basic edition sells for less than $50, far less than the cost of one reading, so it is totally accessible for everyone... and it’s lots of fun!

Looking for guidance? Doreen Virtue’s Goddess Guidance (Hay House, www.hayhouse.com) cards can help. This deck and guidebook contain beautiful illustrations of 44 goddesses. Cindy uses it by simply thinking about a situation or silently asks the question, “What do I need to know today?” while shuffling the cards. Whatever falls out of the deck contains the answer or guidance. The accompanying book contains the history and function of each of the goddesses. There are other ways to work with this deck but this one works well for us. The card that fell out of the deck today was Athena, Inner Wisdom, “You know what to do. Trust your inner wisdom and take appropriate action without delay.”

We are so proud of our friends, Jerry and Esther Hicks. They have been bringing forth the incredible wisdom of Abraham for nearly 20 years. And, now they are really going mainstream with Hay House as their publisher. In their new book Ask and It Is Given (Hay House, www.hayhouse.com) they compile the essence of Abraham’s message into one sweet volume. This should be required reading of every human on the planet. It provides you with the tools of how to ask and receive through higher consciousness so you can be, do or have anything you desire.

Gerri and I and the whole phenomeNEWS staff have been “Abrahamized” and it is the best information we have ever come across. The message is universal and ever so simple... The purpose of life is joy!

We highly recommend any and all of Abraham’s books, cassettes, videos and gatherings. (www.abraham-hicks.com)

Our own local medical intuitive, Kim Seer, has created a series of CDs especially designed to help you be the best you can be. This Works! series titles are Create Your Heart’s Desire, Manifesting For Your Business, Quantum Meditation and Discover The Highest Version of YOU. Kim’s presents powerful techniques to help you on your path, proven systems for manifesting and an incredible quantum meditation to expand your awareness to deeper levels and release all that no longer serves you. Listening to these CDs will transform and change your life, bringing all areas back into balance.
Kim has also produced a DVD of her workshop, Create Your Heart’s Desire... YOU CAN HAVE IT ALL!. This was videotaped live at phenomeNEWS’ Spring 2005 Body•Mind•Festival. Kim selected the perfect name for these items because... This Works! (www.kimseer.com)

Into meditation? How about sounds? Mantras? Well, then, this book puts it all together for you. Mantra Meditation (Sounds True, www.soundstrue.com) is a wonderful reading and listening experience. Author Thomas Ashley-Farrand takes the reader on a journey of discovery into different types of mantras and their use. The first part of the book describes the varieties and goals of meditation, spiritual physiology and discipline for doing mantras. He also describes the proper use of the mala beads in meditation. Next, he describes the various types of mantras and how to use them. This book includes a CD at the end that contains all the mantras so the reader will have accurate pronunciations of the various Sanskrit words and phrases.

“When you begin to chant these ancient formulas,” teaches Ashley-Farrand, “the petals on your chakras begin to resonate and they pull in spiritual energy.”

It’s also interesting to note that this book is spiritually connected to Michigan. The author’s guru is Sadguru Sant Keshavadas or as we affectionately called him, “Guruji.” He lived and taught in Michigan for many years and left behind many fond memories.