Jun 18, 2025 | Book Award Winners, Memoir, Self-Development and Psychology, Spirituality and Religion
Congratulations on your gold book award!
Synopsis
At 48, Cynthia Brandt seemed to have it all—a successful career, beautiful homes, and a fairytale marriage. On a foggy night in Juneau, Alaska, that world shattered when her 54-year-old husband Harry died unexpectedly, 4,000 miles away in Atlanta, Georgia. Though she feared that his death would destroy her, when she flew out of Juneau and into a life without Harry, she actually embarked on a journey of healing and self-discovery that no lines on a map could ever define.
In Song of the Cardinal, Cynthia uses masterful storytelling to take you with her on this journey as she honors Harry while creating a new life aligned with her authentic self. This story of eternal love, spiritual awakening and personal transformation provides assurance that you are never alone, it’s never too late to follow your dreams, and that grace is waiting patiently for you on the other side of grief.
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Author Bio
Cynthia Waine Brandt is an author, speaker, and advisor whose mission is to “bring a smile to the world” by teaching and inspiring individuals through her writing, photography and music. After a career as a CPA specializing in healthcare financial management, she now uses her creative spirit, business acumen, and personal growth experience to lead and inspire others to look beyond their current circumstances as she guides them to grow and transform through life’s major disruptions, heartbreak, and loss. Cynthia lives in the awe-inspiring beauty of Alaska while enjoying the southern serenity of Savannah, Georgia on a part-time basis. She is a Certified Healthcare Financial Professional and a Certified Trainer in the Jack Canfield Success Principles and the Canfield Methodology. She loves to travel (especially to Italy), laughing with friends, great conversation, coffee, champagne and creative pursuits of music, photography and writing.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
May 30, 2025 | Book Excerpts - Nonfiction, Spirituality and Religion
Book Title:
For the Love of My Father: A Spiritual Guide for Women Healing from the Absence of a Father in the age of Spiritual Evolution
Author:
Olivia S. Benson
Publishing Information:
Planet Earth University, 2012
Link to Buy Book:
Author Site
Synopsis:
For the Love of My Father explores the deep emotional void that can exist inside girls and women who yearn for the love and connection they missed from a father. Benson thoughtfully guides them (and the men who love them) through the spiritual ways they can give themselves the validation and acceptance they seek from outside sources by finding it wholly within themselves.
Author Bio:
Olivia S. Benson has been a student and practitioner of New Thought and metaphysics for over thirty years. She grew up in various religious teachings and eventually sought to find real answers to life’s challenges. In her books, she shares her struggles and the road she traveled to overcome them. She is also the author of the award-winning book For the Love of my Father—A Spiritual Guide for Women Healing from the Absence of a Father in the Age of Spiritual Evolution, and Answers From Within—A Spiritual Guide to Finding Issues to Work Life Issues. She has been a practicing attorney in Florida for over thirty years.
Book Excerpt:
Chapter IV: The Desire and Willingness to Heal
Several years ago, I met Soledad, an older woman who had garnered certain successes in life. She had adult children and grandchildren. She had worked in corporate America and had made her way up the corporate ladder. She had a husband of many years and had owned multiple. She had successfully retired into what appeared to be a dream home and was very active during retirement. For me, success in life is measured by what you are able to accomplish based on where you started. It is a matter of personal best, not comparison.
We spoke about life from time to time. I like speaking to people who have been on the Planet longer because they usually know some things I don’t. There is no guarantee of this because some humans learn very little in their lifetimes, but our elders are normally Good resources. We don’t have to learn everything in life by blows; we can learn from others without having to suffer through every experience.
My conversations with Soledad definitely bore fruit. My father died a few years after I met her, so I was working my way through that. Soledad told me stories about the challenges she faced growing up without her father. Usually when she told the stories, her posture became rigid and the tone of her voice became very stern. These were characteristics of her regular personality, but they were accentuated during those conversations.
One day, since I was working on myself, forgiveness, and all that, I asked if she had or would forgive her father. To my surprise, way into her seventies, she explosively and angrily responded she would never forgive him.
This happens all the time. Many humans live and die with issues and traumas stuck in their craws, but I was surprised to see it so raw and alive in her. Of course, there is no perfection in life, but she was a very intelligent woman who seemingly had done well for herself despite her humble and difficult beginnings, yet just beneath the surface was rage.
It appeared this had been her position for a while. Not only that; she also gave me the impression that if she had anything to with it, she would maintain it. Clearly this was all about her; she was the one who had everything to do with it and could maintain her position for as long as she wished. No one could liberate her but herself.
Her position was likely a solution to the experiences she suffered early in life. She had perhaps unconsciously developed the rigidity in her body and the sternness in her voice to protect herself and keep her guard up. She had set up mental and emotional barriers, excluded her father, and determined she would never allow him to come back into her life again. We all do things like this in different ways; it is a matter of survival.
There had been much drama between Soledad’s parents. Although our discussions here are about fathers, frequently, both parents can behave like idiots. Like most little girls, she Loved her father deeply for no reason other than the fact he was her father. She even mentioned how handsome he was. Yet he had made many negative deposits into her bank account.
Soledad’s pain seemed to be around the many times he disappointed her. With her youthful resilience, she had remained hopeful and bright-eyed for a long time and always wanted to go see him. But eventually, I could see how that smart, witty girl would have been deeply hurt and taken action to protect herself. Up went the fences, and he would never walk into her heart again if she had anything to do with it.
It could have easily been fifty years of expending energy maintaining the fences, keeping up her guard, and managing the fear, anger, and frustration this can generate. One of the most amazing things about this is that we can live our entire lives without consciously realizing all this belowdecks drama is happening. We usually think this is just life …
Just as we discuss the situation here, doesn’t it sound exhausting? Unpleasant? Even if we don’t exactly know what is happening, aside from the weightiness it could create, there is likely a general underlying feeling of malaise or unease. Most of us walk around with all this but without knowing this is not the way we are supposed to live. As sophisticated and successful as Soledad appeared, the girl within was carrying a lot of pain around and all the tools she used to cope with it. That is a lot, isn’t it? All this even though she had long outgrown the need for that protection; her father had died so long ago.
The Theater of Life
Doesn’t it seem unusual to protect ourselves against an enemy who no longer exists or no longer has power over us? Doesn’t it seem like a lot of energy to stay in battle mode when the war is over? Isn’t this like standing with your fist clenched all the time just in case you have to fight? How are we like Soledad? What coping mechanisms are we holding onto long past the time we need them? We are so well designed for survival that we create defenses to protect against our enemies. Because of our natural childhood innocence, purity, and resilience, sometimes, it takes a long time for us to conclude that our fathers are enemies. But after a certain amount of suffering, we usually figure out something to protect ourselves even from a father. It is counterintuitive, but when we have to do it, the mechanisms are usually carried deep in us because they arose to help us stay alive, a strong instinct.
What happens next? Of course, many of us expand our survival strategy to include all those who look like our fathers—all men. Some use the same strategy with everyone. These strategies likely scare or push some people away. Since we are created so amazingly, as young children, many of us consciously or unconsciously devise elaborate schemes to hide our coping mechanisms. The schemes allow us to appear somewhat normal, and this way, everyone is not immediately scared away. Only those who come close would know the truth about us. What a distorted way to exist in the world. Can this really be the way we were intended to live?
Coping mechanisms normally have benefits. If for example our coping mechanism is a poor-me personality, it would always garner some level of empathy from some people for at least some time. If we are intense and rigid, we might attract employment where this kind of personality might be productive. This is why the masters say that we maintain certain behaviors because they serve us, but once they no longer serve us and the suffering becomes unbearable, we may be ready to consider change.
The same coping mechanisms we develop to survive early in life could be hurtful later in life. Everything has a proper time and place, and we have to be awake to understand when it is time to let go of our coping mechanisms.
When our fathers made negative deposits into our accounts and we created coping mechanisms to deal with them, they bound us to them by those negative experiences. If we are seventy and are still using the same coping mechanisms to manage our lives, though our fathers may be dead, we remain bound to them by those negative experiences. Forgiveness is the tool that cuts those ties …
Adapt and Bear
This is a lot of energy and a lot of unnecessary suffering belowdecks. Imagine lots of dusty boxes to manage. In addition to the negative childhood deposits, by adulthood, we have attracted and accumulated other deposits. It is a subconscious mental and emotional juggle. Since some of us don’t even recognize what is happening, we just adapt and bear the chaos. We believe this is just the way life is supposed to be.
Soledad had survived beyond the age of seventy; she had figured out how to live in the world fraught with all its challenges, married and had children, and moved lightyears beyond where she had started. Whatever coping mechanisms she created were worthy of respect, and it was her right to decide whether if ever to forgive her father. GEFS is such genius that even though the plan seems harsh, it includes the ability to develop coping mechanisms. Whatever the challenge or trauma we faced as children, we have this amazing ability to create coping mechanisms. We often create very elaborate coping schemes and build our entire existence around them.
This is to be respected. It is why people can heal only when they are ready. When we are ready to heal, we have to look at everything. This may require undoing the entire world we built on a false premise. Anything we undo or release has to be replaced with something positive. It takes some doing …
We have to be prepared to rebuild a new existence based on new realizations of the truth about life; no one can do this for us. Think about it, and let’s look at just one thought. What would you do if you lived believing your father and by extension maybe all men and maybe even all humans can or will disappoint you and then you realize and accept this is not true? Depending on how long you have held the belief and how strong it is, you might have to spend some time to undo that belief. Following or right along with this, you would have to create a new belief. What would replace it? Somewhere along the road, you would have to release all the accompanying schemes. This is why the great masters always require us to be desperately seeking Truth before they even answer questions. It seems that only when we are really ready and desire it deeply will we do what is required to recreate our existence.
Unexpected Good at the End of the Road
Aside from being startled by Soledad’s response, I was also surprised she said she didn’t want to forgive him. To me, it seemed she would want to forgive him because of what this could mean for her, but that was my understanding, not hers. So perhaps if we can’t see or don’t understand this, it may appear there is no reason to let go of the longheld positions to heal ourselves.
When I began to catch a glimpse of how this all worked and what was possible for my life if I was willing to do the work, I was willing. That was the best news ever. The idea there was even a possibility this could all be healed was exciting, and my hopefulness bore fruit. It didn’t matter what anyone else had done.
Someone once asked me why I was so hopeful, and I couldn’t give a specific answer. Despite all my challenges and the doom and gloom in the world, I knew there was much Good in the world. I didn’t know why I was hopeful, but I felt there was always some Good at the end of every road even if unknown to me. I also had a clear realization I had been suffering even if it was belowdecks, low-grade, tolerable suffering. Now, I knew I didn’t have to suffer anymore.
Sometimes, my friends laugh at how often and easily I use the word suffer; I use it as a teaching aid for myself. I developed it after I read Michael Ryces’s book Why Is This Happening to Me Again? It is a very good book, a sort of a workbook. I walked away with a phrase he used often: “If you are in pain, you are in error.” Error thinking meaning you are not thinking correctly. Correct thinking being thinking in line with GEFS. I understood error thinking causes pain, which causes suffering. I had been in error thinking for many years. Now I would work with myself to align my thinking with GEFS and thus avoid suffering as much as possible. I didn’t have to suffer and was willing to stop resisting and begin to heal.
Daddy Dearest
Soledad’s resentment toward her father precluded her giving him the benefit or pleasure of her forgiveness though he had been deceased for decades. She on the other hand was continuing to carry all of this around. This is error thinking, which often snags us and keeps us suffering; it says we will not let others harm us and let them off the hook. Forgiving someone never lets them off the hook; what happens to them is an issue separate from what happens to us. We all have to deal with the consequences of our actions whether others see it or not. Every action in the Universe has an accompanying reaction even if unseen. We usually want to see the consequences we think should occur, and we want them now. That’s not how it goes …
Since there is no time in GEFS, it takes as long as it takes. One of the characteristics of GEFS is that it doesn’t vary. Despite all appearances, anything true for one human is true for every human. It’s like the law of gravity; it doesn’t change. Of course, it seems to bring us more pleasure when we see others pay for their negative actions, but if we understand that we live in a cause-and-effect Universe and everything is energy, we might be able to do our healing work more easily.
A part of us always knows when we have done something out of order whether big or small. It takes some work to silence it. Depending on what it is, we may have to lie to ourselves to get some peace. We may have to tell ourselves a story and do whatever we have to do to live with what we have done, but we know …
Male or female, when we bring a child into the world, it’s a big deal. Some men may have to wonder whether they fathered a particular child; it may be in back of their minds, but it is in there. Some men may be able to live through their youth without thinking about children they have fathered or how they fathered them, but at some point, there will be opportunities for mental replays. If our fathers were less than real fathers to us, they know that. They will, however, do whatever is necessary to live with themselves because this is how humans are built.
May 20, 2025 | Book Recommendations & Reading Lists - Nonfiction, Self-Development and Psychology, Spirituality and Religion
Author:
Olivia S. Benson
Book Title:
For the Love of My Father: A Spiritual Guide for Women Healing from the Absence of a Father in the Age of Spiritual Evolution
Publishing Information:
Planet Earth University, LLC, 2016
Link to Purchase Book:
Amazon
Synopsis:
Author Olivia S. Benson was puzzled by her relationship with her father and his absence in her life. It took many years and much soul-searching for her to understand her life experiences and how profoundly his absence affected her. Benson finally solved the puzzle when she began to understand the nature of the universe: what GEFS—God, Energy, Force, Spirit—really was and how her suffering could serve for good in her life. In For the Love of My Father, Benson journeys through some of the gut-wrenching childhood experiences that created a perfect storm of circumstances, leaving gaping holes in her Soul. Benson shares the keys to her healing, discussing how important it is for women to heal themselves so they can take their rightful place in the world.
Author Bio:
Olivia S. Benson has been a student and practitioner of New Thought and Metaphysics for over thirty years. She grew up in various religious teachings and eventually sought to find real answers to life’s challenges. In her books, she shares her struggles and the road she traveled to overcome them. She is also the author of the award-winning book For the Love of my Father—A Spiritual Guide for Women Healing from the Absence of a Father in the Age of Spiritual Evolution, and Answers From Within—A Spiritual Guide to Finding Issues to Work Life Issues. She has been a practicing attorney in Florida for over thirty years.
Book Testimonial:
“For the Love of My Father by Olivia S. Benson is an up close and personal exploration of the deep-seated effects of growing up without a father. Through her personal journey, she offers readers hope and a roadmap for healing. She shares her own powerful experiences which shows us the resilience of the human spirit in the face of abandonment and the quest for identity and self-worth. Her book is a lifeline for anyone seeking to understand the heart felt emotions tied to paternal absence.”
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May 8, 2025 | Book Award Winners, Spirituality and Religion
Congratulations on your silver book award!
Synopsis
12 Pillars to Build Resilience, Refresh Your Mindset, and Move Forward
Life is filled with adversity—the job loss, a breakup, infertility, divorce, death, illness, financial challenges—yet the human spirit holds a remarkable capacity to overcome and grow from challenges.
In Grit and Grace, Sara Corckran shares her powerful personal health journey, revealing the mindset required not just to endure but to thrive in the face of life’s greatest challenges.
Drawing on her background in education, positive psychology, and coaching, Sara blends personal experience with science-backed insights on resilience. Her journey shines a light on the deep connections between mind, body, and soul. Her story will inspire you to harness your inner strength.
In Grit and Grace, you’ll work through 12 Pillars of Strength to find:
Inspiring anecdotes about hope that illustrate the power of facing the challenges in life with courage and grace
Techniques to identify and tackle the mental and emotional barriers that arise with health challenges, or any challenge
Actionable science-based strategies to foster a positive outlook that supports both mental and spiritual well-being, enhancing physical recovery
Practical steps for incorporating positive psychology and spiritual practices into everyday life as you forge a resilient path to healing
Here’s a hint: You don’t have to get it right all the time, you just have to keep showing up.
Whether you’re navigating a personal battle or seeking inspiration, Grit and Grace offers both motivation and a roadmap for embracing life’s challenges with courage and tenacity.
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Author Bio
Sara Corckran, a former educator with 20 years of teaching experience, now channels her passion for learning and growth into her work as a mindset coach, author, and speaker. Holding a bachelor’s from Penn State and a master’s from Johns Hopkins University, she combines her educational background with certifications in positive psychology to empower others to navigate life’s challenges. Drawing from her personal cancer journey as both a survivor and caregiver, Sara offers a unique perspective and deep empathy for those facing adversity. As the author of Grit and Grace: How to Find Clarity and Optimism in Overwhelming Situations, she helps others focus on what they can control, starting with the “inside job.” Using her 12-pillar framework, she inspires empowerment and resilience, guiding individuals from “Why me?” to “Watch me.” Passionate about equipping others, especially those navigating life transitions, Sara provides tools to cultivate hope, self-compassion, and purposeful living. With her blend of warmth, insight, and actionable strategies, Sara inspires her clients and audiences to transform life’s challenges into opportunities for personal growth.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
May 7, 2025 | Book Award Winners, Self-Development and Psychology, Spirituality and Religion
Congratulations on your bronze book award!
Synopsis
This book is an account of the modern-day workings of the Holy Spirit in the life of a believer who’s completely surrendered to the Lord. It contains actual experiences of the manifestations of the gifts of the Spirit. It’s a story about a young woman raised in a Christian home, then married into abuse. In her desperation, she cried out to her Father in heaven and completely surrendered her whole heart to Him. He in turn sent a river of grace, enabling her to be able to wash her heart (the inside of the cup) with the water of His word. This opened the door for her to find Jesus. While seeking the Lord, He gave her insight on how to train her mind to stay on Him and how to be led by the Spirit. He blessed her with insight and perfect peace in her heart and mind. The Lord showed her how to be an overcomer in this life. He protected her from danger and gave her the desires of her heart. The Lord blessed her for diligently seeking Him and revealed Himself to her in a vision. After twenty years in an abusive marriage, she made the choice to remove herself and her children out of it. The Lord continued to bless her and manifest His gifts through her. Her mind has stayed in perfect peace for over forty years. God’s favor truly lasts a lifetime. This book was written in hopes that you will start seeking the Lord with all your heart, wash the inside of your cup, and start experiencing the gifts of the Spirit in a personal way. What are you waiting for? Start seeking Him! He loves you and wants to show Himself strong on your behalf.
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Author Bio
Cheryl Lynn is the author of Washing the Inside of the Cup: My journey of Walking in the Spirit. She lives in Texas with her husband. She is the mother of seven children and has eleven grandchildren. She was raised in a wonderful Christian home, going to the Salvation Army Church. She was born again at the age of fifteen. At the age of twenty-three, she married into abuse and, in her desperation, turned to God with her whole heart. By God’s grace, she found the wellspring of life and an intimate relationship with Jesus, our Lord. She homeschooled her children for ten years during the 1990’s. After twenty years of living in abuse, she found the courage to divorce and remove herself and her children out of it. After the divorce, she went six years to school and received her MSN RN degree and has worked as an RN for the past twenty years. She is living proof that God’s favor lasts a lifetime, and His mercies are new every morning. By God’s grace, six of her seven children are saved and serving the Lord. In her spare time, she loves listening to her favorite preacher and reading her Bible. She enjoys spending time with her children and grandchildren, working in the yard, planting flowers, and swimming in her swim spa with her husband.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
Sep 24, 2024 | Book Award Winners, Spirituality and Religion, Travel, Women's Issues
Congratulations on your silver book award!
Synopsis
This is NOT your average love story…
Her entire life, Anne Friedman chased everything that society told her she should want: Marriage. Professional achievement. Thighs that didn’t touch. But all that got her was depression, anxiety, and disordered eating.
When her fiancé dumps her without explanation, she buys a one-way ticket to Costa Rica in search of answers.
First, a spontaneous psychedelic experience in the jungle brings her peace with three simple words. Then, in Amsterdam, on magic mushrooms with her dad, she has a series of visions that allow her to let go of the self-blame for her broken engagement.
In captivating detail, Higher Love shares the life-changing wisdom gleaned from psychedelic experiences on psilocybin, ayahuasca, LSD, and cannabis. Traveling through the Netherlands, Morocco, Turkey, Spain, and other richly sensuous locations, Anne invites the reader on a globe-trotting search for healing that ultimately leads to the very last place we ever think to look.
For fans of Eat, Pray, Love and Untamed, Higher Love is a guide for self-discovery with a delightful psychedelic twist. Don’t miss out on this liberating tale of joy, self-acceptance, and the power of love in all its forms!
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Author Bio
Anne Kiehl Friedman is a multifaceted scholar, author, and entrepreneur. Graduating with honors from Stanford University, she obtained her MBA from ESADE University in Spain, and was ordained as an Interfaith Minister and Reverend after attending seminary at the Berkeley Chaplaincy Institute. Anne’s professional journey has been marked by innovation and advocacy. In 2022, Anne co-founded the Psychedelic Communications Hub, a pioneering initiative aimed at educating the public about the therapeutic potential and risks associated with psychedelic use. Anne is a passionate advocate for holistic well-being and spiritual growth. Her commitment to fostering understanding and empathy shines through in her work, making her a trusted voice in both academic and public spheres. Higher Love is her first book.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
Jul 15, 2024 | Book Excerpts - Nonfiction, Spirituality and Religion
Book Title:
I Ching of a Thousand Doors: The I Ching: How to Use It, What It Meant, and What It Means
Author:
James R. Olsen
Publishing Information:
Breaking Wave Publishing, 2020
Link to Buy Book:
Book Site
Synopsis:
A readable narrative drawn from ancient literature that explains and illustrates the I Ching and the Daoist, Confucian, Buddhist, mystical, scientific, religious, and psychological philosophies founding in the I Ching by its devotees. The I Ching of a Thousand Doors pulls the reader in with poetic prose and poetry from ancient literature and the author. Illustrations show the relationship between things like Yin-Yang and the Dao and Ch’i, while a guide to key phrases helps the reader interpret an I Ching cast.
Author Bio:
James R. Olsen is a social and environmental activist and business owner who has a long term interest in early Christianity and the philosophies of ancient China.
Book Excerpt:
1
Meet the I Ching
We speak of spring and summer,
We speak of autumn and winter.
These four seasons,
Revolve without ceasing.
So Says The Three Character Classic1
The I Ching began 3000 years ago as a divination handbook, then became a book of ethics, and is now used as a book of psychological insight. What does it do?
Every great book of wisdom can be studied, moving your mind and spirit to greater insights. The I Ching takes you further — you don’t just read it, you interact with it. It then becomes a great sage, sitting face-to-face with you, in your time and place, first listening to you, and then speaking to you. When this happens, the I Ching becomes the ultimate personal-growth book, bringing you to your center, giving insight into your own mind, providing insight into the present situation and revealing how your future might unfold.
You will be rewarded if you learn to use the I Ching, understand its culture, embrace the insight of its metaphors — learn how it views the world. The reward for many people is a lifelong companion, often called the Sage. It becomes a wise advisor, sharing its wisdom, not as some general saying, but advising like a wise friend who knows the depths of your soul.
Born in China, the I Ching was already ancient when history began to be written. Like a translucent sea creature, born from folk tales, spoken with the simplicity of The Dao, it swims through time, encountering the people, ingesting and filtering their wisdom, always growing.
When you glance upon this mystical creature, you see the here and now. When you peer into it, through its translucent layers, you see the wisdom of the ages.
The I Ching is a book that contains sixty-four short chapters that are numbered one through sixty-four. Each chapter has a name and a six-line drawing, such as the one shown here. The drawing is called a hexagram — “hexa” being six. Each line may be solid, referred to as unbroken, or have a single dash, referred to as broken.
Since each of the six lines can hold one of two possible choices, the total possible combinations is sixty-four. The sixty-four hexagrams, with their names, are shown in Figure 1.3 on page 4. The names are English translations of one or two Chinese words. The name for Hexagram 1 is Ëë, which is pronounced qián, and which is translated as heaven or creative.
Chapter 3 provides a step-by-step discussion of how you can consult the I Ching by selecting one of the 64 hexagrams. The most popular method is to use three coins. For now, assume you got number 42. If you open your I Ching book to Hexagram 42, you will see the name and the Judgment or Decision. What you would see in one of the I Ching books available, The Original I Ching by Margaret J. Pearson, starts as shown here:
The judgment is cryptic, but rich in meaning. The I Ching of a Thousand Doors will help you understand what it meant when it was written and what it means today. For example, to “ford the great stream” refers to crossing one of the great rivers that flow though China, such as the Yellow River, at a time when there were no bridges — a hazardous journey that could end badly, or yield great rewards. Fording the great steam can also be a hazardous spiritual or emotional journey, and it can yield great rewards.
There is more. Each of the six lines has a statement, called a Line Statement. Each line has its “place,” counting from the bottom: first, second, third… to the top place, the sixth.
Finally, the six-line hexagram is treated as an “image.” There will be a statement about the hexagram image as a whole. The “Image Statement” is a Confucian statement about what a virtuous moral person would do.
On this page is a hexagram of six lines, its name, a Judgment, six Line Statements, and an Image Statement:
When the I Ching speaks, it speaks to you, gives advice tailored to you, adapted to your time and place. And, as with a friend, you have to take the time to get to know it. The author of an I Ching translation will offer their own commentary suggesting how to understand the ancient text.
The most ancient words of the I Ching are the Judgment or Decision. As we have seen with Hexagram 42, these often have several possible meanings. It is like a friend initiating a conversation. Your friend does not repeat the experiences or culture you both share because your friend knows you understand the allusions called forth by the words they speak. Your friend not only speaks words but displays body language and speaks with a tone of voice that refines the meaning, giving an emotional context that goes well beyond the dictionary definition of the words being spoken.
The I Ching has its own body language and tone of voice. To the words are added The Image. The Image, that is the lines in the hexagram, is presented for you to contemplate as you read the words. As this book will show, the simple six lines become rich with meaning when seen as two three-line trigrams, each trigram representing a nature-image.
I Ching — A Book With Several Names
The I Ching, The Book of Changes is also translated as The Classic of Change, or sometimes The Easy Classic.2 “I” is pronounced “ē.” The word I means change; Ching Ìè means great book. The word Ching will be found in the title of many Chinese classics such as the Tao Te Ching.3
The book goes by several titles in the English-speaking world. The term “I Ching” has been traditionally used in English translations, dating back to the early twentieth century when the Wade-Giles Romanization was used by Western scholars. The now international standard Pinyin Romanization for the characters is “Yì Jīng,” which is often written as Yi Jing, Yijing, or sometimes shortened to “The Yi.” 4 An older name is sometimes used, Zhouyi, Zhōu yì, or the older Wade-Giles, Chou I. The word Zhou comes from the Zhou Dynasty (1100 B.C.–221 B.C.), which is the dynasty that created the oldest layer of text. Zhouyi is used to distinguish the old text from later versions that included Confucian Commentary.5
You will see the symbol __ for the I Ching on the cover of some translations and websites. This is probably the earliest form of the character for Yi. It is found on old bone inscriptions and is presumed to mean “cloudy changing to clear weather.” The pictogram that led to the modern character of Yi is , which may be seen on I Ching book covers and websites. Finally, some books will note that character for Yi, æ¶, is made up of the sunìíover moon êÅ, implying change as the sun and moon dance across the sky every day.6
The change from Wade-Giles to Pinyin can lead to different English spellings for the same Chinese characters and meaning. For example, the following mean the same thing and represent the same Chinese written word: Tao and Dao; Tao Te Ching and Daodejing; Lao-Tzu, Lao-Tze, and Laozi.7
So Simple a Child Can Use It
So Subtle the Old Struggle To Fathom It8
The I Ching is simple to use: select one of the 64 hexagrams. While selecting one of the 64 hexagrams is a random event, several traditions claim this randomness is only apparent — the selection is being guided by some underlying principle that is hidden from view. You will find no scientific proof of a non-random underlying principle for these random events. But, as this book will discuss, it is not clear that the current state of science precludes the idea either.
Carl Jung, in his forward to the first popular translation of the I Ching, suggested that what is going on is something he calls synchronicity — there is no cause and effect explanation, but there is a correlation that emerges out of the complex interactions of the universe and the human psyche’s interaction with the universe.9 There are several traditions, both ancient and modern, that also claim to explain the workings of the I Ching. We shall also see how the random selection of a suggestive phrase can even be seen as the I Ching acting in the tradition of a person-centered therapist.
There is no formula explaining how I Ching works. To fathom the I Ching, you might just have to jump in and go for the ride.
At this moment, the cosmos, the earth, all of the inhabitants of nature, including people with their thoughts and passions, including my thoughts and passions, are all leaning like a cosmic wave — ready to break, poised, containing the potential of the future, a future which will be released to move the universe to the next instant, minute, hour, day, week, month, year, ad-infinitum.
The potential for the multi-fold paths of the future await my action or non-action, await the words I choose to put into the world. And, I know that words and deeds will follow my thoughts, passions, and dispassions.
There is no mistake about it — my thoughts, words, actions, and non-action will ripple subtly through the unfolding future and shift its path, all the while holding my path in its embrace.
If I understand the moment, I may align myself with the Way of the future.
The effort to understand the I Ching is an endeavor that the I Ching has in common with every great ancient book. Each was borne in a particular culture and retains the birthmarks of its origins. For example, when one reads of the culture, literature, and beliefs of the people of the West through the ages, the Bible is ever present, even if you have never read it. It has had a long and powerful influence on how the cultures of the West express themselves, their art, their buildings, and their assumptions about the world. This is the same with all of the world’s great religions and belief systems, including Western science. Each is a framework for how to understand the world that is often accepted without question or even awareness by the people who live within cultures who practice them.
For China, the I Ching is such a book. The I Ching retained a central place in Chinese thought until the twentieth century. By the mid-twentieth century, its central position was replaced by secular philosophies, including communist thought in the Peoples Republic of China. But, it was never forgotten, even in mainland China, where it is making a comeback. The I Ching has a history of scholarship on par with the Bible, and for 3000 years was read for its philosophy as well as foretelling the future. Passages were often cited to prove a point, like quoting scripture in the West.10 For over three millennium the I Ching was used by the ruling class to gain insights into how to rule a society and individuals trying to figure out what to do next. It has been studied by Buddhists in the East for a millennium.11
Becoming familiar with the I Ching’s cultural context will make your reading much more powerful. When we use the phrase “crying wolf,” we reach all the way back to Aesop’s Fables, Greek stories from around 600 B.C. Further, the passage of time changes the meaning within a culture. For example, in Shakespeare’s Hamlet, Now pile your dust upon the quick and dead. For Shakespeare, “quick” meant “alive.”
The meaning of words can also be different between cultures who speak the same language, such as the United States and England. Putting something in a boot in America is to put it in something worn on your foot. But, in England, a boot is where you store luggage in a car -— the “trunk” in America.
Within the I Ching, the cultural references originate in ancient China — some of which are lost in the mists of time. But, when we try, our mind is stretched to not only understand the words but the wisdom behind them.
The I Ching — A Tool For Divination
Divination is not exclusively concerned with future events. It is the purposeful quest to understand the hidden meaning of events in the world we sense, events in the past, present, and future.12 Divination, in this sense, has been practiced by nearly every culture that has arisen in human history. This quest to understand hidden meanings almost always comes with a “philosophical cosmology,” that is, a theory of how the universe works. Divination may or may not require magic, may or may not depend upon an intermediary diviner, may or may not assume the intercession of a divine entity, may or may not be rooted in pseudo-science — but has been interpreted from many points of view.13
You predict the future every day.14 The I Ching helps you do what people do every day, predict the future in everyday life.
No one could cross the street safely if they didn’t predict the future. Imagine you are standing at the curb at a stoplight. The light turns yellow. You wait because you know it is about to turn red. Wait a minute; how did you know? Unless you have done a little time travel, you have not actually experienced it. You predicted the light would turn red because it has always turned red.
Imagine a car is coming as you are about to cross the street. You step out to cross the street because you know it will not reach you before you cross the street. You know because you predicted it. You did not stop to compute its path using Newton’s Laws of Motion when you made this prediction. But, you knew because you have observed how the world works.
When things get more complex than these everyday occurrences, your predictions become tenuous, full of doubt. This is when the I Ching can help. Using the I Ching is simply pushing this everyday ability further, giving insight into a more complex present, allowing you to predict the future that might unfold, helping you go forward with less doubt, particularly concerning the morality of your actions.
Apr 29, 2024 | Book Award Winners, Prescriptive Nonfiction, Self-Development and Psychology, Spirituality and Religion
Congratulations on your silver book award!
Synopsis
YOU CAN FEEL GOD’S LOVE AFTER THE WORST DAY OF YOUR LIFE
The pain of a traumatic loss is so difficult. You struggle to understand your loss and don’t want to accept that your life has dramatically changed—all while family and friends try to help you get over your grief. They just don’t understand. But there is someone who understands. God knows your grief and your situation.
In Gracious Grief after Suicide Loss, Kevin Skellett provides encouragement and guidance through Bible stories and his own grief journey after his youngest son, Mark, died by suicide. On the day of his son’s death, God told him, “My son died too. I know exactly how you feel.” And ever since, God has been with him on his grief journey.
If you’ve experienced a traumatic loss, this book will help you learn how God’s love can help you work through your pain and get to a place of being able to live with your grief. Each chapter ends with questions to help you apply the topic to your own grief journey.
It begins when you include God in your grief journey. You can feel God’s love after the worst day of your life.
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Author Bio
As an ordained pastor, Kevin is passionate about helping hurting people find hope and healing through a relationship with Jesus Christ. After he lost his youngest son to suicide, Kevin founded the Love Never Ends Ministry, a ministry for parents who have lost a child. He gives back to his community by leading a faith-based recovery ministry, volunteering as a police chaplain, and serving in a suicide awareness and prevention coalition. Kevin is married to his wife, Sherri, and they have four children and six grandchildren. He enjoys long bicycle rides, a good book, and being a lifelong learner.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
Mar 6, 2024 | BIPOC - Black and Indiginous People of Color, Book Award Winners, Memoir, Spirituality and Religion
Congratulations on your gold book award!
Synopsis
John Blake grew up in a notorious Black neighborhood in inner-city Baltimore that became the setting for the HBO series The Wire. There he became a self-described “closeted biracial person,” hostile toward white people while hiding the truth of his mother’s race. The son of a Black man and a white woman who met when interracial marriage was still illegal, Blake knew this much about his mother: She had vanished from his life not long after his birth, and her family had rejected him because of his race. But at the age of seventeen, Blake had a surprise encounter that uncovered a disturbing family secret and launched him on a question to reconcile with his white family. His search centered on two questions: Where is mother?” and “Where do I belong?” More Than I Imagined is Blake’s propulsive true story about how he answered those questions with the help of an interracial church, a loving caregiver’s sacrifice, and the recollection of an inexplicable childhood encounter that taught him the importance of forgiveness.
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Author Bio
John Blake is an award-winning journalist at CNN.com, the online site for CNN. He has been honored by the Associated Press, the Society of Professional Journalists, the American Academy of Religion and the Religion Communicators Council. Blake is a native of Baltimore, Maryland and a graduate of Howard University. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia.
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
Jan 12, 2024 | Book Award Winners, Prescriptive Nonfiction, Spirituality and Religion
Congratulations on your bronze book award!
Synopsis
There are many people who are walking around today with no sense of direction or purpose. Sure, they get up every morning, but they are just going through the motions of life. Some may even seem like they are the life of the party but sadly they always go home alone to a house that will never really be their home. I know, I was once one of them. Have you ever found yourself walking down the street like a homeless person saying, “ladadeeladeeda”?
Can I share a statistic with you? One of out five adults in the U.S. experience serious mental illness, and since there are not enough mental illness treatment centers to diagnose and treat all these people, they are walking among us like the dead walking amongst the live. I know, I was one of them.
If you are one of the fortunate to have been diagnosed and treated for a mental illness you may have been introduced to some form of psychotherapy or prescribed various medications or maybe you were part of a 12-step program or encouraged to join a support group. There are many complementary and alternative treatments.
This book is going to focus on the one I found to be the most excellent one. I am going to take you on several adventures, and I believe that by the time you finish reading and digesting the information on each page of this one-of-a-kind book, you will look at yourself through a lens you have never seen through before. I GUARANTEE that you will need to read this book over and over again.
In The Greatest Truth in The Universe you will:
Stop Living in Darkness
Discover Your Super Power
Learn How to Walk in Unforgiveness
Develop Healthy Core Values
Learn How to Re-Write and Walk Into Your New Life
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Author Bio
Tarrent-Arthur Henry writes under the name Tarrent- ‘Authur’ Henry and is the author of the book Turn Off Your Brain And Listen To God. He is a husband and stepfather of two wonderful young men. He is the co-founder. President and guiding force of Righteous Uplifting Nourishing International, Inc, a 501c3 Non-Profit Organization whose global mission is to empower people and change lives. Tarrent is the Co-host of ‘Transforming Lives’ which is hosted by his wife, Helen Cummings-Henry. He is a writer, author, poet, pastor, chaplain, disaster relief, mental health responder, certified coach, speaker, teacher, and trainer with The John Maxwell Team. The quote he lives his life by is, “Helping one person may not change the world but it can change the world for one person.”
Learn more about the Nonfiction Book Awards here.
