This volume consists of writings by spiritual giants like Swami Vivekananda and his brother disciples, and also by the great second-generation monks of the Ramakrishna Order like Swami Ranganathananda and Swami Nikhilananda, sharing their views on spiritual matters from varying angles. Coupled with these, there are articles by a few great nationalists of the twentieth-century India like Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Sri Aurobindo, Subhash Chandra Bose, S Radhakrishnan, and APJ Abdul Kalam. Some of the globally reputed names adorn the last section of this volume, viz. Romain Rolland, CG Jung, Rabindranath Tagore, Dr. J C Bose, Dalai Lama, Sri John Wodroffe, and Dr. Fritjof Capra, to mention a few, who have all shared their thoughts on various subjects of the human interest. Published by Advaita Ashrama, a publication house of Ramakrishna Math, Belur Math, India.
Roger and Carolyn Perron purchased the home of their dreams and eventual nightmares in December of 1970. The Arnold Estate, located just beyond the village of Harrisville, Rhode Island seemed the idyllic setting in which to raise a family. The couple unwittingly moved their five young daughters into the ancient and mysterious farmhouse. Secrets were kept and then revealed within a space shared by mortal and immortal alike. Time suddenly became irrelevant; fractured by spirits making their presence known then dispersing into the ether. The house is a portal to the past and a passage to the future. This is a sacred story of spiritual enlightenment, told some thirty years hence. The family is now somewhat less reticent to divulge a closely-guarded experience. Their odyssey is chronicled by the eldest sibling and is an unabridged account of a supernatural excursion. Ed and Lorraine Warren investigated this haunting in a futile attempt to intervene on their behalf. They consider the Perron family saga to be one of the most compelling and significant of a famously ghost-storied career as paranormal researchers. During a seance gone horribly wrong, they unleashed an unholy hostess; the spirit called Bathsheba; a God-forsaken soul. Perceiving herself to be the mistress of the house, she did not appreciate the competition. Carolyn had long been under siege; overt threats issued in the form of firea mother's greatest fear. It transformed the woman in unimaginable ways. After nearly a decade the family left a once beloved home behind though it will never leave them, as each remains haunted by a memory. This tale is an inspiring testament to the resilience of the human spirit on a pathway of discovery: an eternal journey for the living and the dead.
Lilith is an adventure beyond belief showing the battle between Darkness and Light. In this eternal battle, two karmically linked magicians vie for mastery of the world. Their battleground is the Tree of Life on the Qabalah's astral plane. This battle continues throughout the aeons, and in every lifetime they must face their greatest foe, the Arch-Demon Lilith. Lilith Queen of Demons, Queen of the Night, embodiment of lust . . . and a force no mortal could hope to contain. Malak Adept of the White School of Magick and a formidable young warrior—but he has forgotten the power he once possessed in his other incarnations on the Plane of Enya. Unless he can command the strength to defeat Dethen, Enya and those he loves are doomed. Dethen Malak's karmic twin and an adept of the Black School of Magick. He is ruled by an obsession to crush the Dark One who created the world. To destroy the Tree of Life, he would dare anything — he would even summon the Queen of Demons herself . . . Lena Creature of joy and beauty and Malak's soul mate for three incarnations. But in trying to save Malak from his destiny, she burdens him with a terrible choice—a choice that may shatter his faith in the Light forever. When a demon's howling appetite for human souls breaches the barrier between worlds, will her lust consume the light itself? Find out when you read Lilith by D. A. Heeley.
Given the chance to train as a squire, kitchen servant Achan Cham hopes to pull himself out of his pitiful life and become a Kingsguard Knight. When Achan's owner learns of his training, he forces Achan to spar with the Crown Prince--more of a death sentence than an honor. Meanwhile, strange voices in Achan's head cause him to fear he's going mad. While escorting the prince to a council presentation, their convoy is attacked. Achan is wounded and arrested, but escapes from prison--only to discover a secret about himself he never believed possible.
When Flint Fireforge becomes the reluctant king of the gully dwarves, he learns the true meaning of heroism and leadership Flint Fireforge, paternal dwarven member of the Heroes of the Lance, returns to his sleepy boyhood village in the foothills near Solace to investigate his brother’s murder. Upon his arrival, he finds Hillhome unexpectedly booming with commerce. But when he stumbles upon the ominous source of this prosperity—an alliance with an enemy dwarf race—he is pushed to the death in the Beast Pit. Even more unexpectedly, the gully dwarves and an interesting—and interested—female dwarf come to his rescue. Made their monarch against his will, Flint struggles to unite the scruffy dwarves into one fighting force that will not only thwart the agents of the Dark Queen but help him bring his brother’s killer to justice.
"From Darkness to Light explores from a variety of angles the subject of museum lighting in exhibition spaces in America, Japan, and Western Europe throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Written by an array of international experts, these collected essays gather perspectives from a diverse range of cultural sensibilities. From sensitive discussions of Tintoretto's unique approach to the play of light and darkness as exhibited in the Scuola Grande di San Rocco in Venice, to the development of museum lighting as part of Japanese artistic self-fashioning, via the story of an epic American painting on tour, museum illumination in the work of Henry James, and lighting alterations at Chatsworth (to name only a few topics) this book is a treasure trove of illuminating contributions. The collection is at once a refreshing insight for the enthusiastic museum-goer, who is brought to an awareness of the exhibit in its immediate environment, and a wide-ranging scholarly compendium for the professional who seeks to proceed in their academic or curatorial work with a more enlightened sense of the lighted space."--Publisher's website.
A haunted father who discovers a place where incomplete things--and people--are made whole. A mischievous satyr who hatches a plan to set loose chaos on a global scale. A workaholic witch in search of her kitty companion. Invasive technology to rewrite the human brain. Dragon slayers. Zombies. Time travelers. Ice skaters. These twenty short stories stretch across multiple universes and beyond death--and yet, they remain intimate, personal, emotional. They demonstrate the strength of the human spirit to find hope and seek a better tomorrow in even the darkest times. A selection of the best speculative fiction from DreamForge and Space & Time literary magazines, these are the stories we need today as we struggle through a pandemic, divisive politics, rampant misinformation, a belligerent defiance of facts and science, and new technologies that are already spiraling beyond our control. Read, my friends... and take hope.
Washed Away: From Darkness to Light is a memoir that recounts the experiences of model Nikki DuBose as she overcomes a more than seventeen-year battle with abuse, child sexual victimization, eating disorders, psychosis, alcoholism, drugs, depression, suicide attempts, body dysmorphic disorder, and various other mental health issues, all while trying to navigate through the dark side of the fashion industry. Her journey began as a young, introverted child with a florid imagination growing up in Charleston, South Carolina. By the age of eight she had been sexually, physically, and emotionally abused and had developed an eating disorder. The abuse warped Nikki's self-perception and sparked patterns of psychosis, depression and destructive behavior that stayed with her into adulthood. In her early twenties she began working as a television host and started a career in modeling. Eventually Nikki attained success, appearing on the covers of magazines such as Maxim, shooting for editorials like Vanity Fair, Glamour and FHM, and appearing in campaigns for Perry Ellis. Cast into a world of excess, superficiality, and vanity, Nikki traveled the globe and experienced the finest that the material world had to offer, all while feeling empty inside. Her disorders, addictions and mental health issues took her to the brink of mortality and only though a deeply painful inner-battle and her mother's death was she able to reconnect the lost pieces of her soul and see the person she had so long rejected. Her recovery from a nearly lifelong struggle with PTSD, psychosis, addictions and eating disorders has left Nikki with a passionate longing to help others who are also suffering by advocating for mental health and self-acceptance. In America, more than sixty-one million individuals are affected by mental illness. Child sexual abuse affects more than forty-five million people in the United States alone, yet it is still regarded as one of the most shameful issues to date. Eating disorders affect millions and are one of the most destructive and life-threatening mental afflictions today – anorexia nervosa has the highest mortality rate of any psychological illness. Despite the extent of the suffering, eating disorders and mental health issues are poorly understood in popular culture and are often stigmatized, mocked, or even glorified because of misconceptions and ignorance over the seriousness of the manner. Although the modeling industry has made strides towards body diversity in the past couple of years, there is a lack of education and awareness surrounding eating disorders and other mental health issues. We believe that through the recent societal trends and improved sharing of information, we are beginning to break this paradigm, therefore another aim of this book will be to educate the public. Washed Away: From Darkness to Light will serve as a testimony to others to let them know that they are not alone in their fears, doubts, and frustrations, and that through recovery all things are possible. “A compelling and educational read about the dark side of the fashion business and its effect on mental health. Nikki draws upon her experiences of overcoming a life-threatening eating disorder as she navigates through the industry, all while wrestling with a broken home life and struggling to discover her inner voice. Nikki’s story is truly remarkable and will serve as a beacon to anyone who has ever doubted their own intrinsic value. I highly recommend Washed Away: From Darkness to Light.” —Brian Cuban, Attorney, Author (Shattered Image: My Triumph Over Body Dysmorphic Disorder), Activist “I was truly amazed by her determination to live life. I saw a woman that had every reason to quit and remain silent, but she chose to break through every obstacle that challenged her. I am very grateful that she has taken on the challenge to not only speak about her experience, but to fight for change in laws that will empower children and survivors to protect themselves. We all need to learn from Nikki and use our voices to create positive change. It is no longer okay for the silence to outweigh the tough discussion. Ignorance will not stop child sex predators from harming our children.” —Matthew Sandusky, Founder & Executive Director of Peaceful Hearts Foundation, Author (Undaunted: Breaking My Silence to Overcome the Trauma of Child Sexual Abuse), Speaker “To endure what DuBose has within her first decade proves more than most could handle in a lifetime, yet she looks back at her life with grace and a rare honesty. As she takes us through the overly sexualized fashion industry as an international top model, she gives the no-holds barred account on mental illness, rape, and eating disorders that our society so desperately needs.” —Neesha Arter, Journalist & Author (Controlled) “Washed Away: From Darkness to Light is an incredible story of one brave woman’s perseverance in the face of daunting life circumstances. Nikki DuBose details her chilling experiences with an eating disorder, childhood sexual abuse, alcoholism and drug abuse - and how she found the strength to rise above and find recovery. This powerful read will inspire those in their own recovery journeys.” —Kristina Saffran, Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director at Project HEAL
A Light in Darkness, Volume 1, explores the people and cultures of the First Century Church, with an emphasis on the cities of Ephesus and Smyrna. It also offers fascinating insights into the apostle John's vision on the island of Patmos as described in the book of Revelation. Against this historical backdrop of rich detail and exquisite photographs, you will discover: * a vivid presentation of the apostle John's revelation of the exalted Christ. * Christ's messages to the churches of Ephesus and Smyrna. * the critical significance of Christ's messages to His Church then and now!
The lives of great figures in history are full of inspiring and moving episodes. Young people especially can learn from these stories, gaining hope, courage, and even hints on how to live their own lives. Children everywhere benefit from reading about the lives of heroic achievers, and indeed, these stories are an important part of their education and growth. Shogakukan Biographical Comics is a series of biographies of inspirational historical figures in an easy-to-read manga format. These books are as fun to read as any manga, but the stories they tell are based entirely on historical fact. Every volume includes a map and a historical timeline, rounding out a package that teaches even as it entertains. It is impossible to imagine the anguish and suffering young Helen Keller endured when she lost both her sight and hearing as a young child. “Helen Keller: From Darkness to Light” is the miraculous but true story of how the wholehearted devotion of a brilliant tutor, Anne Sullivan, helped Helen overcome these terrible disabilities and live a vital, fulfilling life. Anne, known to Helen as “Teacher,” first taught her student discipline, then “finger-spelling,” and finally, language itself. Eventually Helen learned how to actually speak. After graduating from college, she traveled and lectured around the world, devoting her life to the creation of a society where people with and without disabilities could live together. Her efforts spurred the development of educational and welfare programs in many countries. Helen’s story is an inspiration for young people everywhere.
