This is a beautiful little book, lightweight and about 6 inches square, divided into seven days, Sunday through Saturday. Each day has a two-page spread for the traditional hours of prayer/meditation: midnight/matins, sunrise/lauds, 6 am/prime, 9 am/terce, noon/sext, 3 pm/none, sunset/vespers and 9 pm/compline. Each spread features, on the left page, one or two quotations or poems about the soul, our relationship to nature, etc. These inspirational thoughts come from philosophers, poets, novelists and many others, and the name, nationality and dates of birth and death are given. The right page contains a small picture, usually of a person, with the location identified.

This book is very similar to The Soul Aflame by the same collaborators and published in 2000. This volume is a little smaller, and though the setup is the same, the quotes are different and the pictures here tend to feature natural settings rather than people .

This book is lovely for yourself or as a gift to someone who is troubled or in need of solace or inspiration. It's a way to reconnect with those ideas and thoughts that you used to have but so often get pushed aside when one begins to worry about career, mortgages, totalitarian governments and all the rest.

Find some peace. Find this book.

Please, reprint this book without changing a thing! It was beautiful and simple and somthing I wish I had the opportunity to give each of my friends. Please give me that opportunity again. I have found nothing that compare - intense and stunning photos and passages chosen to match.

Here is what I wrote about it 11/1997:
Saturday... 6AM Prime... "What is going on inside me I cannot tell. In the sky a thousand stars are magnetized, and I am glued by the swing of the planet to the sand... My dreams are more real than those dunes, than that moon, than those presences..." Antoine de Saint-Exupery The words faced a page picturing California's Death Valley, photographed in such a way that you could have entrusted your soul to that place for that moment and lingered in it's powerful and drawing stillness. This book took me for one week, in three hour intervals, through an adventure of the soul. For those who might have found themselves too lost in the daily grind, this book will assuredly take you back to that central part of yourself. Your focus will be turned to a much larger world and a deeper vision of an attainable, tangeable human spirit that might have gotten lost along the way. Presentation-wise, this book is graphically clean; both in typography and photography. It is the first book of all I own, that comes to mind when I think of a gift for someone with whom a share a special bond.

I just wanted to say that this book is THE VERY BEST compilation of wisdom and contemplation that I have ever read outside of the Bible itself. The photographs which accompany the text send your mind to dream-like places, however they really exist on this world! Unfortunately for me, but fortunate for my good friend, I gave my only copy as a gift of love... I am going to get my eager hands (and my mind) on another copy right away! Do yourself a favor & get this book. You will not regret it :-)

This is a beautiful lightweight little book, divided into seven days, Sunday through Saturday. Each day has a two-page spread for the traditional hours of prayer/meditation: midnight/matins, sunrise/lauds, 6 am/prime, 9 am/terce, noon/sext, 3 pm/none, sunset/vespers and 9 pm/compline. Each spread features, on the left page, one or two quotations or poems about the soul, our relationship to nature, etc. These inspirational thoughts come from philosophers, poets, novelists and many others, and the name, nationality and dates of birth and death are given. The right page contains a small picture with the location identified.

This book is very similar to The Soul of the World by the same collaborators and published in 1993. This volume is a little bigger, being about 7 inches square. Though the setup is the same, the quotes are different and the pictures here tend to feature people rather than natural settings.

This book is lovely for yourself or as a gift to someone who is troubled or in need of solace or inspiration. It's a way to reconnect with those ideas and thoughts that you used to have but so often get pushed aside when one begins to worry about career, mortgage, totalitarian governments and all the rest.

Find some peace. Find this book.

A high quality book, the kind of book that feels good just to hold. Inside are dozens of inspirational poems, quotes and passages and an equal number of beautiful color photos from around the world. The author begins with the wisdom of Buddha, Sarah Vaughan and Emerson, and expands from there. Books of inspirational quotes are not new, and books of inspirational photos are not new. This book matches the best of both. Opening the book at random: "It's not the earthquake/That controls the advent of a different life/But storms of generosity/And visions of incandescent souls" -- Boris Pasternak

A beautiful photographic essay of people all over the world. I highly recommend it.

Seldom does one book manage to capture the mood and feeling of the hidden energies behind the mysterious synchronicities in our lives as well as Phil Cousineau's scintillating SOUL MOMENTS. From the first opening pages, this book transports the reader to a universe in which any and every synchronous experience is possible, and may well happen to you.

Just as Cousineau noted that synchronous events became much more prevalent in his life as he worked on SOUL MOMENTS, so too will the reader find these wondrous experiences begin to grace this otherwise hum-drum, workaday world. Suddenly we discover there is magic all around us, and it's for real!

I would love to tell you which synchronicity stories are my favorites from this beautiful collection -- but in truth, I find them all to be sparkling in clarity and bright with inspiration. After reading the moving accounts shared by observant individuals from all walks of life (including Larry Dossey and Huston Smith), even the smallest things no longer seem insignificant.

Treat yourself to a deeper view of the world that grows on you with each passing story, and get yourself a copy of SOUL MOMENTS. This is a book you'll treasure for years to come.

this book presents synchronicity in a non-technical, easy to read format...reading the stories makes us appreciate our interconnectedness with the rest of the cosmos giving us a reason to hope and not to despair...

Soul Moments: Marvelous Stories of Synchronicity -- Meaningful Coincidences from a Seemingly Random World, Conari Press (Reviewed by Carroll Straus) I may perhaps be biased, as my story is in this book. But the deep sense of peace I came away with after reading Soul Moments came from two sources. First, the realization that at both ends of the process of finding myself in the pages of such a book, meaningful "coincidences" pointed me in a direction that has given my life deep meaning, and second, after reading, it, I knew with absolute certainty that the "coincidences" are real, and that I am not alone in experiencing them. The forward to this book was written by Robert Johnson, whose gift for clarity in the otherwise esoteric realm of Jungian writing knows no equal. He writes that Jung thought that "synchronicity" -- apparently opportune "coincidences" that seem deeply meaningful and perhaps signs of grace -- should be taken as seriously as dreams in individuation; the "unfolding of the unique life of the soul." Of course, mainstream thought has not yet arrived here. This beautiful, thoughtful volume may do much to help change that. Among the contributors to this collection are Mark Watts, son of the late Alan Watts, so evocative of the sixties; Roberto Takoaka, a dermatologists in Brazil; Trish Sanders, a dancer in San Francisco's Bay Area; Madiline Nold, a psychotherapist from Brookline, Mass; Nick Carrington, a disc jockey in England, and Dr. Larrey Dossey, a leader in the field of spiritually based mind-body medicine -- among others. Oh -- and yours truly, a lawyer in Mission Viejo, California. Each of us, a square in a patchwork quilt whose pattern we could not see, seemed to tell our stories with the same delicacy, the same sense that not many would accept, uncritically, the numinous realities we had each experienced. But what is clear from the pattern which emerges is that these are not isolated events -- not in any way. Reading this collection, one never needs to feel isolated again, and I surely do not. I can only hope everyone else who bravely tendered such a moment from their lives received as exquisite a gift as I did. The writing and submitting of this story made me one cherished new friend, pointed me toward healing as a way to practice law, and gave me heart to believe this vision can and will come to pass. Anyone who reads this book will, I am sure, come away with the same comfort I did. Those who recognize this grace in their own lives are invited, on the final page, to join in the journey by sending their stories to Phil. I invite you, too. Soul Moments is an exquisitely crafted gossamer web -- of all of our lives.

Coincidence Or Destiny? gathers over eighty stories of coincidence or synchronicity, gathered from the lives of both ordinary people and well-known scholars to illustrate how chance and meaningful coincidences can change lives. Syncronicities can offer sense from random events and can provide a sense of destiny and explanation: this collection of first-person insights is revealing.

This book is one of the only works that addresses the topic of Ecological Design in an in-depth manner. Moreover, it focuses on the progenitors of this movement - the design outlaws that had the courage to forge entirely new and radical paths in art, design, science and technology. Powerful stuff - important message - innovative and engaging subject matter.

This highly assesable anthology shows through brief essays and
stories what it is in art, life, intellectual thought, and sensous moments, and the passing of everydaylife that makes some things so indispensible and so life giving.Life=Soul, same thing. Read this book like grooving with your favorite CD or being with your man or woman. You'll be the better for it.

A friend once bemoaned there being no autobiography, or biography, of Joseph Campbell. This book fills a void.

For those who have watched "The Power of Myth" videos, and read several JC books, this collection of dialogues is no disappointment.

No intimate details are given of Campbell's life; when asked for juicy details during one session, he responds (more or less):

"That's biography, and I don't do biography."

I was impressed with the quickness of Campbell's replies and answers.

JC relays several anecdotes of his friends Robinson and Zimmer, and gives honorable mention to the Bollingen Press and Sarah Lawrence College for crucial assistance in his career development. Particularly of interest are the frequent remarks concerning, and discussions with, his wife (and former student) Jean Erdman.

While many of the remarks are verbatim replies heard in "The Power of Myth" videos, some are unreleased gems: there are two kinds of people in this world - those who know their myth is a fact (the orthodox religious) and those who know their myth is a lie (the atheists)- both KNOW that their myth is most certainly NOT a metaphor!

I enjoyed it.

Each chapter of this book begins with a biographical narrative, followed by excerpts from myriad interviews with Campbell, organized in such a way that the interview topics follow the biographical line of the book. Jean Erdman, Stuart Brown, Phil Cousineau, Robert Bly, John Densmore and many more appear in the interviews with Campbell. The book also contains a complete timeline of Campbell's life and a list of books written or edited by Campbell.

Note that this is a collection and is not as comprehensive a biography as 'A Fire In The Mind.' But what it misses in magnitude and detail, it makes up for in presentation. The book lends itself to both the page-through and in-depth readers. It is full of photographs (some full page)and highlights many of Campbell's memorable quotes.

In a beautifully written introduction, Phil Cousineau refers to Campbell as the "ecstatic scholar", an "animateur" who was capable of evoking "the telling shiver of truth about your own life." This book re-animates Campbell's work and he is capable as ever, through the interviews on these pages, of speaking to the heart of his listeners and reawakening the mysteries of life with enthusiasm and awe.

(I do also recommend 'A Fire In The Mind,' which contains details of Campbell's life and excerpts from his personal journals that are not included in this work.)

Have you ever felt a need to reach a certain physical destination or bring some effort to fruition before you die? Why is the human reverence for places such as Notre Dame, Jerusalem, or Mecca so strong? In times past, people made pilgrimages to holy shrines and sacred spots to atone for sins, seek a cure, keep promises, or recover holy ground from barbarians. Today, many people travel to escape reality, or to break a routine.

In "The Art of Pilgrimage" Phil Cousineau says travel can take on a larger role. He proposes a "seeker's guide to making travel sacred." The book explores the steps of the sacred pilgrimage: "The Longing", "The Call", "Departure", "The Pilgrim's Way", The Labyrinth" and "The Arrival."

Cousineau has set down in print an idea that has been floating around my head for some time. I don't seek out the traditional holy places, but I have wandered from one artist's home to another--Nohant or Bath or Rye or Waldon or Bloomsbury or Salisbury. In doing so, I have felt connected to the spirit of the artist who once lived and worked in that space. Perhaps they are my lost saints.

The Art of Pilgrimage isn't just for the "spiritual traveler." It's for anyone who wants to do more than visit a shopping mall. Even business travelers can use this book--they'll be inspired to make even short jaunts meaningful by taking a half day off to visit someplace special, and experiencing it with attention and purpose. Cousineau stresses that every trip--whether to The Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, your ancestral village in Ireland, or the magnificent temples in Ankor Wat in Cambodia--can be sacred and soulful if the traveler's heart and imagination are open to experiencing it. With chapters that cover the cycle of the journey, "the longing," "the call," "departure," the pilgrim's way," "the labyrinth," "arrival," and significantly "bringing back the boon," Cousineau's book is the ultimate pep talk for getting ready for, and experiencing what will surely become an unforgettable soulful adventure. With wonderful photographs and illustrations, this makes a great gift for anyone who loves travel. Anyone going anywhere should buy this book first!

This is one of those books that has the power to change your life. It is a guide to feeding your soul. The author gives us the motivations for taking a pilgrimage-the traveler as student, travel simply for travel's sake, to discover the answers you are seeking, to quench a longing for the unknown, the enticement of traveling to a destination leaving behind your name & past, and many more. The idea that travel can restore a sense of passion and wonder is something of great interest to me. I am stuck in the daily grind of seeing the same scenery and people and doing the same work everyday. My spirit hungers for meaning, beauty, and adventure. This book is the ultimate guide for unconventional travel even if your traveling somewhere conventional. It shows us how to observe and listen in a way that opens up a whole new world to explore. I have enjoyed reading this book and consider author Phil Cousineau a kindred spirit.

"UFO's A Manual for the Millennium". A very interesting and original title. Phil Cousineau is not one of the more notable UFO writers and after reading this book I doubt that he is overly serious about the subject. However, we must not be mislead. If you are a serious reader of ufology or even conduct your own personal investigations into the subject then this book does not belong in your collection. On the other hand if you consider yourself an average enthusiast into this bizzare field of science (some would argue), then perhaps this is the book you need to solve all that baffling UFO terminology. The author provides a general and at times humerous account of the key words and/or phrases used in todays UFO studies. Although lacking in content and detail for the more avid UFO reader, to the general section of the community this book provides you with an understand of UFO's in todays society

A friend just raved about this book, so I finally broke down and bought it. Maybe I'm not philosophical enough. I tend to live in the here and now and don't dwell on what ifs. But I found this book to be rather boring and slow reading. On the other hand, it's a great way to nod off easily at night. A couple of pages of this and it's zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz city. I'm sure the pointy-headed, New Agey crowd will disagree with my assesment (and, well, I am working on a Ph.D. so I'm no moron), but this thick book could have used some editing, some spicing up, and about half as many pages. Dull, dull, dull...

People who say that a book was "not what I expected" are unfair. After all, an author can hardly be faulted for other people's expectations. In this case, however, the expectations were raised by the author himself. I began by reading chapter 2, an outstanding, thought-provoking chapter on the myths of time. I bought the book on the strength of this chapter, and ended up sorely disappointed. The rest of the book is far less compelling, and often is annoyingly self-focused. Cousineau's recitals of all the important people he has met and known in the great places he has visited work neither as a good memoir nor as a good book on myth (although, in fairness, there are a number of worthwhile passages and a few excellent ones).

This book changed my life. The chapter on Sisyphus alone (a metaphor for the creative struggle) was worth the price of admission. Phil Cousineau weaves endearing personal stories throughout the sharp scholarship as a means to ease us into feeling comfortable with the many complex (yet surprising) ideas about myth (classical, world, modern, popular) he shares with us. It's not about him though, it's really about finding our own stories, our own personal myths. And figuring out what is truly meaningful for us no matter where we are in our lives. Through stories about relationships, travel, sports, music, time, and countless other ways and associations, he clues us in to what deeper issues lie under the surface of things. It's not a breezy read; Cousineau has an amazing way of linking diverse subjects and finding correspondences amongst odd topics that may meander but are always delightful. A world-traveler, tortured writer, devoted father, sports fan, and humble wise man rolled up in one, Cousineau inspires us to reach for more. Highly recommended.