The thrilling world of DreamWorks Animation's Spirit Riding Free is brought to life in award-winning author Suzanne Selfors's original novel! Twelve-year-old Lucky Prescott craves adventure, but as a young lady of society she's only been allowed to experience adventure through books. That is, until one fateful day when Lucky, her father, and her aunt leave their neat-and-tidy city life and travel to their new home out west-the Wild West. At first Lucky is excited, but during the long train ride to her new hometown of Miradero, she begins to worry. What if she doesn't make any new friends? Everyone in the West rides horses, but she's never been allowed to even sit on one. How can she possibly fit in? Anxious about the future, Lucky looks out the train window and sees a majestic wild stallion. When their eyes meet, she senses a connection. But when the stallion is caught by wranglers, Lucky's heart breaks. And when she next sees the stallion, he's tied to a post, refusing to be "broken in." Spirit Riding Free: The Adventure Begins is the story of a girl and a wild horse, equally out of place in a strange, new world, but equally fierce and brave. With each other to lean on, will these two free spirits be able to find a home together?
Artistic expression, spirituality, and meditation combine to capture the Spirit of Drawing Spirit of Drawingengages readers in an intriguing series of illustrated visual experiments that combine meditation, expressive therapy, and hands-on exploration with drawing media. AuthorConnie Smith Siegel's ideas, developed over many years of research and learning, build on the meditation practice of sensory awareness, a blending of Buddhist meditation and simple physical activities. Applied to creative expression, sensory awareness distills drawing and painting to their simplest components: touching, seeing, and moving. In this unusual and freeing book, artists learn to use these new sensations to guide their hand toward the movements, shapes, and colors that express what they are feeling. Not only do the artists produce a work of art, they express their own emotions and inner wisdom. Techniques gradually build to more complex visual expressions such as representational drawing, color theory, composition, and to the use of art in healing. Part art instruction, part art therapy,Spirit of Drawingoffers a rich spiritual pathway to self-expression. • Presents Siegel’s unique ideas, honed over forty years of work in art and in spirituality • An entirely new approach to art education • Innovative ideas for therapists and everyone in the healing professions
An insider’s view of the inner workings and prevalence of spirit possession in our modern world • Provides practical techniques for preparation, safety, aftercare, and aborting harmful possessions • Reveals the forms of ritual possession present throughout the world--including Uganda, Nepal, Korea, Bali, Greece, Turkey, Scandinavia, and France Drawing Down the Spirits presents an insider’s view of the inner workings, sacred traditions, and prevalence of spirit possession existing in our modern world. Spirit possession is an integral part of shamanism as well as many neo-pagan forms of worship that draw down deities or invite spirit possession. However, spirit possession is not for the unprepared. In Drawing Down the Spirits, Kenaz Filan and Raven Kaldera, both initiated and experienced in shamanic and Vodou traditions, present the practical guidance needed to participate in ritual possession. Addressing the benefits and the dangers that await the naive, Filan and Kaldera show that there is no such thing as a guaranteed “safe” possession because spirits have their own agenda--and they are much more powerful than we are. The authors provide a variety of techniques to prepare for possession and abort possession and to promote the safety of the possessed as well as the spirits and witnesses present. With a wide-ranging look at the historic forms of ritual possession found throughout the world--including Uganda, Nepal, Korea, Bali, Greece, Turkey, Scandinavia, and France--the authors also include numerous firsthand accounts collected from witnesses of modern spirit possession.
What a marvelous difference it makes in our lives when we draw close to the Holy Spirit! Regardless of what our past has been, in every trial or difficulty that may afflict us now, whatever we may face in the future, when we draw near to the Holy Spirit, our lives change for the good. Closeness with the Holy Spirit is the blossoming in us of the graces of our Baptism and especially of our Confirmation. It is then that the Holy Spirit irrevocably seals us with Himself so that we belong completely to Him. Even more, He gives Himself completely to us, to belong to us, to be ours to possess and enjoy. The Holy Spirit who is the Father's and Son's infinitely sweet and mutual Love is now ours, our Beloved and intimate Friend, our Consoler, Healer, and Guide! If we are weighed down with problems and worries, if we long for more love and joy and peace, the Holy Spirit invites us to come close, to let Him do for us what we cannot do ourselves. As the saints experienced in their own weakness, the Holy Spirit is our fierce Protector who loves us tenderly and who fights powerfully for us. We draw near to the Holy Spirit by speaking to Him throughout the day, using the most tender of names, as the Church herself does in her beautiful hymns and prayers to the Holy Spirit. Let us entrust to Him everything that concerns us, asking Him to possess us completely, and to anoint our every breath and every second of our lives. The saints bear witness to how powerfully and tenderly the Holy Spirit dwells within us. May we discover for ourselves the wonders the Holy Spirit accomplishes in those who draw close to Him!
When we drew as children, we never worried about making mistakes—we took risks and trusted ourselves, and had fun in the process. But as we become adults, anxiety steps in: “Am I doing this right?” “What is expected of me?” “This is wrong!” And from drawing, we can extrapolate into the rest of our lives. The fear of making a mistake hinders us from being as creative as we could be. Deborah Putnoi’s interactive sketchbook helps us reconnect to that open, nonjudgmental state, which she calls the “drawing mind.” Her bold, lively drawings and encouraging instructions lead you on a process of self-discovery, first reclaiming the freedom to express yourself through drawing and then learning how to take that freedom into the activities of your daily life.
