Book Review: The Secret Tradition of the Soul by Patrick Harpur

The Secret Tradition of the Soul is a magnificent piece of work. Like poetry flowing through the ideas that Patrick presents, drawing down the outline of ineffable things. You go on a journey here, exploring different concepts of Soul, Spirit, Ego, Reality, Consciousness, Afterlife… Otherworld. He brings to life the concept of the Daimonic, it’s influence on us, it’s reflection, it’s path. Our path. The Soul that we should connect to, but often in our modern world, do not. At a bit over 200 pages, this is densely written, in that it contains a great deal of information, exploration, and wisdom. He traverses the archetypes of mythology, the images of the shaman, and the disconnect of our material, ego-driven world. He does so, though, with a balance and grace that inspires when you read. It made me feel good to read this. That is the simplest way to put it. Patrick does a wonderful job of outlining the interplay of Soul and Spirit, and how they differ. It starts off a little dry, but it does need to accommodate you to its ideas. By halfway through, it’s hard to put down, yet hard to read too much of at once as it often needs to sink in. He travels down different paths to the afterlife, from Near Death Experiences, to Tribal beliefs to spirit communication. Jung’s ideas run throughout, as do mythological themes. It is actually hard to write about this book. It is a deep piece of work, bordering on art. It is rejuvenating, and I couldn't recommend it higher, at least if something deep and philosophical doesn't scare you away…

Book Review: Man-Made: The Chronicles Of Our Extraterrestrial Gods by Dr. Rita Louise

Man-Made: The Chronicles Of Our Extraterrestrial Gods by Rita Louise PhD and Wayne Laliberte, MS.

This is an interesting read. It is not bogged down by a ton of repetition or unnecessary details. In short, it is an easy read, with a lot of information packed in. What the authors attempt to do is break down our history as told in the common elements of our shared mythologies. Taking primarily from India, Egypt, Australia, and the Americas, they show a surprising amount of common elements, which makes one wonder just how that is possible since these cultures were supposed to have built up independently. Some of the similarities are rather startling, but others could be dismissed if it weren't for the sheer amount of them. 

Rita and Wayne put together a potential history of our far antiquity, and break it down to different worlds, leading up to the current one. For someone familiar with mythology and ancient astronaut theory, some of this material will be familiar, but they are able to dig up some novel pieces of information, and the overall theory is rather unique. It is also at odds with some accepted notions, and overall gives some good food for thought. 

It is not a scholarly work. There are no footnotes, and it is not written in a dry manner at all. It flows nicely, reads well, and keeps your interest. It's not likely to change your world, but it will entertain and perhaps create some more questions that would be fascinating to answer. If you are not familiar with the subject, this is a great start. If you are, you will still likely find it interesting, especially after it gets moving along.