All of the following books – written in the order they were read by me from 1987’ish – they all have helped me understand ‘Who Am I’ and the meaning and purpose of my journey.
So you won’t learn anything new from me within these pages – only my own added comments & translation on how I understood what these books meant for me.
Words in themselves are not sufficient – they need to be put together in such a way that you feel the passion with which they were written – feeling the heartfelt love that oozes out, wanting to be shared. This is what I have wanted to do for years and years and here I am finally doing it – Alleluia – sharing my love with you in this exact moment as you read these words. I totally understood this moment when I read Tim Freke’s – ‘Lucid Living’ and in that book I met Tim himself.
For me written words are more focused than spoken – giving more time for the words to sink in, giving us time to digest.
So from Jonathan Livingstone Seagull through to Zero Limits – I list for you most of the books that have brought me here to this moment NOW – each one a gift – a Precious Present.
Jonathan Livingstone Seagull by Richard Bach was the first spiritual book I read in 1987. It was given to me by Richard, a lovely man who worked for my husband. He was the first person to suggest that we didn’t just have one life-time but many, each time learning until we became perfect like God !!! I flew with Jonathan and soon quickly followed with Illusions and A Bridge Across Forever by the same author.
Around this time, the actress Shirley MacLaine was visiting here in the UK and talking about her new book Out on Limb – I was blown away by its’ synchronicity as she was talking about all these ‘new ideas’ I was reading about – also see her book Dancing in the Light.
And then, of course was my introduction to how You can Heal your Life by Louise Hay, everyone’s bible for self-healing at the time. Also popular was John Gray – Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus really quite thought provoking at the time for both men and women
In 1989 – I had my first literal experience of the book ‘falling from the library shelf‘, it was by Virginia Axline called Dibs – In search of Self – it was my first understanding of how the influence of conditioning can affect our life.
Family life for me was getting quite testing around 1991 and on my counselling course’s reading list was Carl Rogers -On becoming a Person – the Grand-father of Psychotherapy. This book enabled me to understand more fully the differences between my husband and myself – what a relief and an opportunity for my first use of true forgiveness and compassion!! Interestingly the only other person who I know who has read this book is our inspirational friend & now 3 times author herself, Julia! Also at this time, I was given by Carol, another course participant, Paramahansa Yogananda – Autobiography of a Yogi – my first mind-blowing introduction to Eastern Philosophy !!
Carol was a devotee of Sai Baba and very soon after gave me Peggy Mason & Ron Laing’s – Sai Baba,The Embodiment of Love. I couldn’t believe there was a living Avatar on earth at that time.
I was understanding that I needed to learn to meditate and in 1993 I did a 6 weeks Raja Yoga meditation classes with the Brahma Kumaris – World Spiritual University www.brahmakumaris.uk I wasn’t a particularly good student and was unable to discipline myself enough to make it a regular daily practice!
In 1994 I had heard vaguely about A Course in Miracles from my friend Carol herself a student of ACIM , but found myself reading Marianne Williamson’s – A Return to Love where I think she explained as much, and in a lot simpler way, than ACIM. I also found Eileen Caddy’s –The Dawn of Change and was entranced by her love for the Divine.
From 1995 I still have one of the written exercises I did from Gill Edwards – Living Magically where from page 88 I wrote a visualisation and I requested my future. It has all happened as I asked !!
At this time I read Jenny Cockell’s – Yesterday’s Children, this supplied me with all the evidence I needed to believe in Re-incarnation.
And again in 1996, in trying to make sense of all that was happening in my life and with what I was reading, I was recommended Kahil Gilbran – The Prophet by an eminent local Christian vicar. When I met him he obviously couldn’t acknowledge and agree with what we discussed but told me to find this book. A wonderful composite of understanding of this beautiful spiritual life and, in the very last paragraph was a reference to Re-incarnation!
More synchronicity when I found Chris Kitch – Pavement for My Pillow in a charity shop, only to discover that she, after a life of homelessness and substance abuse, was living as a postulant in a home for retired clergy, literally opposite the house where my daughter was living whilst at University in Oxford. A good few years later I was blessed to meet Sister Gabriel Benedict herself at the home where she signed her book for me.
1997 was my year for true growth and understanding. I started journaling after reading Dr Joshua David Stone’s – Soul Psychology and starting to repeat the Soul Mantra . Books by Betty Shine and Doris Stokes, also Paulo Coehlo’s very popular The Alchemist; Gary Sukhav -The Seat of the Soul an inspiring vision of humanity’s spiritual destiny; James Redfern’s The Celestine Prophecy an adventure story containing key spiritual insights into life itself. Christmas week that year, I met my John when the Universe brought us together, when we were both volunteers at a respite care centre for people with disabilities near Southampton. On Boxing day I bought him a copy of the Celestine Prophecy.
John Cleese & Robyn Skinner’s – Families & Life & How to survive it – gave me the insight and further understanding of Relationships & Family Dynamics– I can remember thinking that these two books were the equivalent of a University Psychology Course, which for me, missed out on the Spiritual. Marlo Morgans – Mutant Message Down Under a beautiful story from walking with the Aboriginals and learning how to live with and understand their tribal wisdom. Timothy Galwey – The Inner Game of Tennis explains how to develop skills of relaxed concentration for best performance. The books all began to come together and make such sense.
Around this time I was very blessed to become part of a wonderful women’s group in North London. Angela, one of our beautiful ladies, wrote inspirational poetry reflecting on the meaning of life and would share with us her handwritten pieces. Two really resonated deeply within my soul – The One in All of Us and the other The Paradox of the Ego. Later she delightedly self published her book Out of the Blue by Angela Michaels.
A beautiful true account, just called Peace Pilgrim, of a woman who decided to walk over 25000 miles across America from 1953 – 1981 to spread her spiritual message of peace and simplicity.
Then in 2000 lots of questions were answered and more understood when I read Robin Norwood –Why Me, Why This, Why Now? – and then taking on holiday my first Neale Donald Walsch book – Conversations with God II – sharing all the really good bits with my John, I was becoming so excited with everything I was reading. Then Scott Peck’s – Further along the Road Less Travelled;
2001 saw me move in with my John in Bournemouth and continue to share with him all that I was learning. John as a Technical Author proceeded to question and dissect everything, until he was comfortable with the information. This was brilliant for me as it re-validated and strengthened all that we were discussing.
2002 found me a member of Toastmasters www.toastmasters.org where, for a year, I learnt how to speak in front of people after composing my own talks. I learnt quickly that the most effective way to speak was from your own experience.
2003 was an interesting year when we first met JULIA who has influenced and become the most Inspirational person we have ever had the privilege to meet. (see the whole story of Julia in ‘Part V My Story’)
2004 my lovely Mum had a fall mid-way in the year and damaged her wrist. The physical pain it caused, added to that which she had lived with since a young woman when she fell down an iron staircase damaging her spine, all proved to be too much this time. The result was her loosing her mind and she died at the Christmas. Without the benefit of all the books that I had read, and what I now knew of life, I am sure I would not have been as calm and composed as I was that year. TYG
Other influential books & authors read during this time:-
NDW – Friendship with God, Tomorrows God, Home with God etc.,; Byron Katie – Loving What Is learn the helpful self-enquiry technique. Many Deepak Chopra & Wayne Dyer books; articles by William Bloom ; Simonton & Creighton –Getting Well Again helped to understand mental health challenges ; Dan Millman – Way of the Peaceful Warrior a delightful spiritually enlightening story for teenagers ; An interesting & sometimes shocking true account of Mormon life in Martha Beck’s – Expecting Adam & Leaving the Saints; Pierre Pradervand – The Gentle Art of Blessing and Messages from Death Row the best books for understanding the power of gratitude ; Tim Freke – Lucid Living; Masuru Emoto’s amazing discoveries in Hidden Messages in Water; One of the best teachers of this time Eckart Tolle – Stillness Speaks; Power of Now – audio version – https://youtu.be/ve574aPRxvg ); A New Earth, this last book truly explains the significance of the EGO; and probably the oldest and wisest teacher of this time, the head of the Brahma Kumaris, Dadi Janki -Wisdom of the Soul.
Many of my books were ordered from Cygnus a unique spiritual book club whose founder’s Geoff and Ann had created a loving community within their readers and we looked forward every quarter to the words of wisdom written by the editorial team and many of the above authors who all knew how necessary it is to understand this journey of life from the spiritual perspective. All of us encountering our own individual challenges and with Ann & Geoff openly sharing their vulnerability, I know I was really touched and honoured to be part of this family. To witness the unexpected death of Ann and then the financial demise of Cygnus itself was quite enlightening. Geoff has now left, with Cygnus taken over by Watkins books and Geoff has been inspired to establish www.auroragatherings.com
2010 The understanding of Quantum Physics came into my awareness and I realised it was a coming-together of Science, Spirituality and Religion. Especially after reading Dr Bruce Lipton‘s introduction to Epigenetics in The Biology of Belief a groundbreaking book that bridges the gap between biology and spirituality, between mind and matter, between science and metaphysics (see You Tube link in Food for Thought) and Lynne McTaggart – The Field and The Bond; Doc Childre & Howard Martin -The Heartmath Solution realising the power of the Heart; Greg Braden –The Divine Matrix a visionary scientist with a wealth of knowledge that will open/blow your mind ; Deepak Chopra -Quantum Healing; Sue Stone –
Love Life, Live life, chapter 4 is a very easy-to-understand explanation of Quantum Physics. Watched my first ever YouTube of Jill Bolte Taylor, a neuroanatomist, recalling her own stroke experience – totally compelling https://youtu.be/UyyjU8fzEYU . Also in November, our own inspirational Julia had her own book published on Amazon!!! Julia Mitchell – Julia.
2011 We attended a year long NLP & Hypnotherapy course with T.A. the most amazing teacher. This helped us fully integrate how thoughts and words affect our mind and body and how you can re-program old patterns and gave us more tools for our spiritual tool box and own well-being. My dear Dad died at 90 years of age in March, after which I took myself away for some precious me-time, some soul nourishment at the www.dominicansistersofstjoseph.org, a small priory of delightful nuns in the New Forest. It was during this time that I believe I finally began to understand Jesus and what is Christ Consciousness. (see Part VI & Part VII in My Story & MC2 ) I found on their library shelf Rayner Torkington’s – Peter Calvay The Prophet – a dispirited priests journey to find how to pray deeper. I actually thought it was a true story and had to examine my own disappointment when I realised it wasn’t. More synchronicity, when we lived in our family home with the children in Hatch End, Pinner, just around the corner was a rather odd house which was the National Catholic Radio & T.V. Centre, where Rayner Torkington, I am reliably informed by Mr Google was the Dean of Studies. When I read of this association with Hatch End, it made the message I was reading about the need for prayer even more powerful. Whilst there I also read Pierre Pradervand – Messages from Death Row which like Brian Keenan’s – The Evil Cradling both books give an amazing insight into overcoming adversity, with both men being innocently incarcerated yet still able to show compassion, love, acceptance and trust during their ordeal. Also see William Horwood’s novel Skallygrigg a wonderful heartwarming story about a life of adversity.
2012 – the year of potential doom for December 21st !! but it never happened. Barbara Marx Hubbard written about in NDW’s book The Mother of Invention prepared an international address to tens of thousands on the web for the 22nd December. This was delivered through Steve Farrell’s amazing Humanity’s Team in a web summit ‘Birth 2012’ which had taken place during that summer where many of our greatest spiritual teachers had spoken – all saying that this was to be a new beginning, a new dawning of consciousness – the dawning of the age of Aquarius. Where many known cycles of time referred to in the past, some 5000 years, some 25,000 all were culminating around that date. see Greg Braden’s findings on these cycles in – Fractal Time & Deep Truth https://youtu.be/whKrENfkMEM
I have also compiled a chronological 5000 year listing that shows that this message of ‘Who Am I’ has been trying to penetrate our psyche and to become our way of life, for thousands of years to assist our psychological development.
Our inspirational Julia had her own Art Exhibition in January of this year at Charlton House, Charlton Village, London, SE7 complete with wine and nibbles and ‘red dots’ and at least fifty of her loyal friends.
2013 I went for another few days away in May to the home of Louisa and her beautiful www.cotswoldhealingretreat.co.uk and found on their library shelf, yet again another book by Rayner Torkington – Peter Calvay, the Hermit; just like the The Prophet it helped take me to another deeper level of prayer.
Other interesting books read during these next few years are;– Sue Stone – Love life, live life; where Sue shares all she has learnt to become Bournemouth’s own Happiness Guru, www.suestone.com ; Tim Freke – Gospel of the Second Coming; The Mystery Experience; Tim’s understanding that life is of Paradox more than of Duality; Michael Schwartz – Yours Souls Plan, understanding the agreement you made for this lifetime; Bill Bauman – Soul Vision another beautiful composition of love poetry to your soul; Dr Sam Parnia’s own evidence of – What Happens when we Die; Thomas Stockli & Michael Werners experience of how to live on light alone in Life from Light; Beata Bishop’s own experience of how to live with and overcome cancer –A Time for Healing; Wm Young – ‘The Shack’ a beautiful story and novel understanding of the Trinity; Pam Grout –E-Squared a quirky take on how you shape your life with your mind; Sandy Bigging –Mind Calm a gentle how-to manual; Anita Moorjani – Dying to be Me and Dr. Eben Alexander – Proof of Heaven https://youtu.be/6JJ8LJ8HNsY – both recount their own incredible experience of near death experiences; John G Fuller -The Airmen Who Would Not Die – an interesting account of psychic activity in the 1920’s involving Conan Doyle, GB Shaw, James Joyce. HG Wells, Carl Young, Aldous Huxley; Jewish Recollection and understandings – Victor Frankl –Man’s Search for Meaning; Caroline Stoessinger –A Century of Wisdom – Lessons from the Life of Alice Herz-Sommer, The Worlds Oldest Living Holocaust Survivor; Florence Scovel Shinn-The Game of Life and How to Play It.
2015 summer on-line summit called Follow Your Bliss presented by Hils, a dear friend whom I had met at a B,K, women’s weekend retreat in 2011. Hils has become an inspirational friend and written her own story see www.thehermitandthedreamcoat.com Nicolya Christi was one of the twenty one inspirational people Hils interviewed and whom I immediately felt an affinity with. Her amazing book Contemporary Spirituality for an Evolving World, many parts of which resonated deeply – I could have written myself . I realised I had come a long way – I believe it was at this point that this website’s seed was truly planted.
2016 I am Malala by Malala Yousafzai who as a young girl was shot in the head by Taliban terrorists in Pakistan, survived and came to the West to tell her amazing story, with a rare clarity, of the troubles of her countries conflict in the Middle East. Paul Gallico –The Snow Goose this book came into my awareness twice in the same year, both were original first copies. This copy had the most exquisite pictures and was also very reminiscent of the story of Peter Calvay The Hermit – my actual copy is even signed by Paul Gallico. And then probably the most disturbing & difficult book I have read, a true account of child abuse and how Alice Jamieson –Today I am Alice’ bravely challenged and overcame her horrendous memories left over from childhood. Also I had read earlier that year Colm O’Gorman – Beyond Belief – a courageous campaigner and survivor of clerical child abuse, now director of Amnesty International. Amazingly our dear friend Julia had yet another book published this year called “Reflections – of my life living with Cerebral Palsy”
2017 – Finally the last book I am still reading, Zero Limits is all about total Surrender & Gratitude to the Divine. Taking 100% responsibility for my life. I now completely understand that the only way for life to flow smoothly is to do just that; Acceptance of what is- warts’n all! You may be amazed at how all of this dovetails with the AA 12 step programme https://youtu.be/GKMKeU38ULs
“Surrender is about letting go of the control without losing the power”. And of course that Power is God.
This is all so beautifully explained in Zero Limits by Dr Hew Len & Joe Vitale with “Ho’oponopono” an Hawaiian healing practice of reconcilliation and forgiveness. https://youtu.be/2psxMTlFvlA meaning – I LOVE YOU, PLEASE FORGIVE ME, I’M SORRY, THANK YOU – said simply in any combination it’s a powerful mini meditation
ADDENDUM:_ Please see the Home Page addition which refers to these last three years and for me the most important books of all :_ ‘A Course in Miracles’, ‘A Course of Love’ and ‘Choose only Love’ and the referral to ‘The Cloud of Unknowing’ which was written over 1500 years ago, author unknown who just wanted to share his love and experience of the Divine just as I have wanted to here………….
So thank you for staying here to the end of this long list of books, each one making it’s own unique contribution to my journey, please forgive me, I’m sorry for any disquiet any of my words may cause you, however I love you and my God within so very very much.
May you find your own divine guidance within their pages to become aware of the true meaning of Soul Conscious.
My Soul Mantra is :- I Am the Soul, I Am the Light Divine, I Am Love, I Am Will, I Am Fixed Design.
georgie xxxxxxx
TYG