Poor Your Soul

A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year: This memoir “examines love, grief, family and personhood with clear eyes and an open heart” (Emma Straub, New York Times–bestselling author of Modern Lovers). At twenty-eight, Mira Ptacin discovered she was pregnant. Though it was unplanned, she embraced the idea of starting a family and became engaged to Andrew, the father. But five months later, an ultrasound revealed that her child would be born with a constellation of birth defects and no chance of survival outside the womb. Mira was given three options: terminate the pregnancy, induce early delivery, or wait and inevitably miscarry. In this “rich and vivid” memoir, Mira’s story is paired with that of her mother, who emigrated from Poland to the United States, and who also experienced grievous loss when her only son was killed by a drunk driver (Lily King). These deftly interwoven stories offer a picture of mother and daughter finding strength in themselves and each other in the face of tragedy.

Poor Your Soul—moving, wise, and passionately written—is a beautiful reflection on sexuality, free will, and the fierce bonds of family. At twenty-eight, Mira Ptacin discovered she was pregnant. Though it was unplanned, she embraced the idea of starting a family and became engaged to Andrew, the father. Five months later, an ultrasound revealed that her child would be born with a constellation of birth defects and no chance of survival outside the womb. Mira was given three options: terminate the pregnancy, induce early delivery, or wait and inevitably miscarry. Mira’s story is paired with that of her mother, who emigrated from Poland to the United States, and who also experienced grievous loss when her only son was killed by a drunk driver. These deftly interwoven stories offer a picture of mother and daughter finding strength in themselves and each other in the face of tragedy.

'An inspiring book of simple spirituality' Galway Advertiser Originally published a decade ago, the number one bestseller Calm the Soul: A Book of Simple Wisdom and Prayer was written by the Poor Clares, Galway with the intention of showing us how prayer and moments of quiet contemplation can help us find solace and calm in today's busy world. Now, this specially updated edition brings the original reflections on familiar prayers such as the Our Father, Hail Mary and the Rosary, and prayers for special intentions such as depression and self-esteem, together with new material on issues such as anxiety and social media and a section on some of the sisters' favourite saints. This timeless book of spirituality presents simple ways we can introduce more prayer to our days and, in doing so, live with more peace and happiness.

A young writer travels to Maine to tell the unusual story of America’s longest-running camp devoted to mysticism and the world beyond. They believed they would live forever. So begins Mira Ptacin’s haunting account of the women of Camp Etna—an otherworldly community in the woods of Maine that has, since 1876, played host to generations of Spiritualists and mediums dedicated to preserving the links between the mortal realm and the afterlife. Beginning her narrative in 1848 with two sisters who claimed they could speak to the dead, Ptacin reveals how Spiritualism first blossomed into a national practice during the Civil War, yet continues—even thrives—to this very day. Immersing herself in this community and its practices—from ghost hunting to releasing trapped spirits to water witching— Ptacin sheds new light on our ongoing struggle with faith, uncertainty, and mortality. Blending memoir, ethnography, and investigative reportage, The In-Betweens offers a vital portrait of Camp Etna and its enduring hold on a modern culture that remains as starved for a deeper sense of connection and otherworldliness as ever.

This book is written in a workbook format with lots of exercises and reflection points. It may be used on its own or as a resource to reflect on your life and intentionally take steps to make certain changes or reach specific goals. It may also interest those who are curious about professional coaching. It is a book on self-care.The inspiration for the name of this book, Pour into Your Soul: Let Your Cup Overflow, comes from my spiritual values, which see the soul as an important part of who we are. The name is also inspired by the series of books by Gary Zukav, entitled The Seat of the Soul: An Inspiring Vision of Humanity's Spiritual Destiny, The Heart of the Soul: Emotional Awareness, and The Mind of the Soul: Responsible Choice. This book will be followed by a trilogy of books around the theme of rhythm. Sometimes it takes us a long time to discover our rhythm, but once we have discovered it, we should learn to dance to it to become more effective. However, there comes a time when it becomes necessary to change our rhythm.

An invitation to change the energy that surrounds you, find the harmony that comes with self-acceptance, and, in the process, discover your life's purpose and the boundless possibilities that await you. Your soul signature is your spiritual DNA-it is who you are at your core, the most authentic part of you, your singular contribution to this world. And yet we reject our authentic selves. We allow our soul signature to become blocked by any number of emotional obstacles that life throws in our path: anger, fear, guilt, shame, sadness, despair. Any or all of these feelings overtake us and create a density, a heaviness that doesn't permit us to embrace who we truly are, deep inside. We are energetic beings, Panache Desai, reminds us, and emotions are energy in motion. When we are blocked we feel unworthy, less than, unloved, incomplete. In Discovering Your Soul Signature, Panache invites us on a 33-day path of meditations-short passages to be read at morning, noon, and night that are designed to dismantle the emotional burden that holds us back and open us up to changing our lives. Through this distilled, poetic, practical, and inspiring course he invites us to live a life of authenticity, to rediscover purpose and passion, and to believe from our soul in the possibility of all things.

"A life-changing read. With warmth, honesty, and storytelling, Lynne turns everything we think we know about money upside down…It's the book we all need right now." —Brené Brown, Ph.D., author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Rising Strong This liberating book shows us that examining our attitudes toward money—earning it, spending it, and giving it away—offers surprising insight into our lives. Through personal stories and practical advice, Lynne Twist asks us to discover our relationship with money, understand how we use it, and by assessing our core human values, align our relationship with it to our desired goals. In doing so, we can transform our lives. The Soul of Money now includes a foreword from Jack Canfield and a new introduction by Lynne Twist, in which she explores the effects of the Great Recession and environmental concerns about our monetary needs and aims.

“This book is a powerful tool to help you access this deeper realm of consciousness and put it to work enriching your life . . . immediately.” —August Gold, author of The Prayer Chest #1 Bestseller in New Age & Spirituality, Graphology, Parapsychology, Handwriting Analysis, Creativity, and Journaling Janet Conner is a writer, poet, and spiritual field guide, but first and always a deep spiritual soul explorer. Since she discovered how to activate a divine Voice by slipping into the theta brain wave state (border between the conscious and the subconscious) while writing, Janet has dedicated herself to exploring and sharing what it means to live at the vibrant intersection of the visible and the invisible. After hitting rock bottom while escaping domestic abuse, Janet’s inner voice told her to start writing. As she wrote, she gained clarity and strength, and felt an incredible connection to the divine. Today, research scientists are providing peeks into consciousness and how it works. Their findings give clues about what is happening in our bodies, minds, and spirits as we roll pen across paper. Writing Down Your Soul explores this research and instructs how to access the power and beauty of our deepest selves. If you want to engage in a vibrant conversation with the wisdom that dwells just below your conscious awareness, write. Write every day, at approximately the same time, with passion, honesty, and the intention of speaking with and listening to the voice within. “If you think this book is not for you because you are a writer and don’t need another writing book, think again!” —Sherry Richert Belul, author of Say it Now