Kirjahaku

Beneath the social mask we wear every day, we have a hidden shadow side: an impulsive, wounded, sad, or isolated part that we generally try to ignore, but which can erupt in hurtful ways. As therapists Connie Zweig and Steve Wolf show in this landmark book, the shadow can actually be a source of emotional richness and vitality, and acknowledging it can be a pathway to healing and an authentic life. "Romancing the shadow"--meeting your dark side, beginning to understand its unconscious messages, and learning to use its powerful energies in productive ways--is the challenging and exciting soul work that Zweig and Wolf offer in this practical, rewarding guide.Drawing on the timeless teachings of Carl Jung and compelling stories from their clinical practices, Zweig and Wolf reveal how the shadow guides your choices in love, sex, marriage, friendship, work, and family life. With their innovative method, you can uncover the unique patterns and purpose of your shadow and learn to defuse negative emotions; reclaim forbidden or lost feelings; achieve greater self-acceptance; heal betrayal; reimagine and re-create relationships; cultivate compassion for others; renew creative expressions; and find purpose in your suffering.The shadow knows why good people sometimes do bad things. Romancing the shadow and learning to read the messages it encodes in daily life can deepen your consciousness, imagination, and soul. "This book is a great help to anyone trying to tune in and listen to the voice of the soul. At last, a practical mysticism!"--Coleman Barks Poet-translator of The Essential Rumi"A compelling, evocative book that brilliantly elucidates the shadow in straightforward language. Shadow-work is our greatest challenge to becoming a global village."--Marion Woodman Author of Dancing in the Flames: The Dark Goddess in the Transforming Consciousness"A consummate and timely work . . . An exciting entry into the growing literature on the dark side of the soul. There is deep wisdom and nourishment here."--New Age Journal"Romancing the Shadow enables you to peel away the layers of your soul and get in touch with the purity of Being that lies within you."--Deepak Chopra Author of Seven Spiritual Laws of Success and A Path to Love

In A Moth to the Flame, the first novel about the life of the Sufi Poet Rumi, based on original sources in both Farsi and English, we discover the key moments that shaped his genius. Although this story happened a long time ago, during another time of war between Islam and the West, this tale of an individual life fully lived is the tale of every life. In the tradition of Siddhartha or The Last Temptation of Christ, his story is the mythic story of the human soul. We watch his faith tested, and we witness his meeting with the beloved which overturned his world and led, eventually, to his union with God. For centuries Rumi has remained alive in the hearts of millions around the world. His story, as told in this novel, burns like a torch of inspiration for us all.

The author offers exploration of self and practical guidance dealing with the dark side of personality based on Jung's concept of "shadow," or the forbidden and unacceptable feelings and behaviors each of us experience.

Within each of us is a spiritual longing that prompts us to unite with something greater than ourselves, to awaken to our unity with all of life. Yet, no matter the spiritual path we choose, we inevitably encounter our own shadow, those unconscious aspects of ourselves that we suppress or deny, or the shadows of our teachers and their secret desires about money, sex, and power. Meeting the shadow can derail the journey but, according to Connie Zweig, Ph.D., we can recover from loss of faith and move from spiritual naiveté to spiritual maturity. Zweig examines the yearning that sets us on the path, showing how it can lead to ecstatic, transcendent experiences or to terrible suffering by projecting it onto an authoritarian teacher, priest, or guru who abuses power. She tells the stories of renowned teachers--Sufi poet Rumi, Hindu master Ramakrishna, and Christian saint Catherine of Siena--whose lives unfolded as they followed their spiritual yearning. And she tells the cautionary tales of contemporary teachers of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Catholicism, who acted out their shadows in devastating ways, leaving their followers traumatized and lost. She explains how meeting the shadow is a painful but inevitable stage on the path to a more mature spirituality. She describes how to use shadow-work to separate from abusive teachers, reclaim spiritual authority, and heal from betrayal. With guidance for both inspired seekers and disillusioned seekers, the author explores how to navigate the narrow path through the darkness toward the light, rekindle the flame of longing, and once again engage spiritual practice.