The Beginning Is Near

This book is quasi-autobiographical, leaning on links to music from the sixties, seventies, eighties, and nineties. Woven throughout are references to self-isolation in lockdown, a journey through the dark night of the soul toward enlightenment, and a growing awareness that those of us who open our hearts to peace and love are being called on to offer it now. I share a journal about love and loss—sudden separation from a long-term relationship—and the aftermath, leading to a new beginning. I provide ideas to support transformation from books, websites, music, some wild metaphysical blogs, and YouTube videos if publicly available—check for links in the ebook by tapping or clicking on the titles that are bold and italicized. The pivotal piece in this book is that I’ve used the music and techniques to transform my life and access wisdom, joy, and bliss. This inner change has led to outer change, impacting my understanding of reality and the nature of the COVID-19 phenomenon. There are some twists in this story I could never have predicted. Truth is stranger than fiction.

Discover the strength of words with a book filled with selected quotes, prose, and poetry about love, heartbreak, life, and more. From an aspiring young poet to those looking for newfound positivity as you experience the beauty of language and the power of emotions.

"The Beginning Is Near" invites the reader to view life from a new perspective where the present state of the world is seen as a preparation for better and more harmonious times to come. Based on the fascinating revelations of Martinus, the Danish 20th century visionary, the book exposes that we are on our way towards a peaceful and amiable coexistence where mutual respect, love and understanding will be predominant. The book argues that our development will inevitable take us to a world where there will be no more war, terrorism, social injustice or poverty. This change will come about as a result of our reaping of experience over many incarnations. As we live life after life our humanitarianism grows, and we will become better and better at expressing universal love, thus creating a beautiful place to live for all living beings. The book is full of optimism and reveals the logic of the present state of the world. In ten short chapters, it points towards a much brighter future, where a spiritual outlook on life and the idea of reincarnation will be central to our understanding of existence.

“Karen Armstrong is a genius.”—A. N. Wilson As the foundation stone of the Jewish and Christian scriptures, The Book of Genesis unfolds some of the most arresting stories of world literature—the Creation; Adam and Eve; Cain and Abel; the sacrifice of Isaac. Yet the meaning of Genesis remains enigmatic. In this fascinating volume, Karen Armstrong, author of the highly acclaimed bestseller A History of God, brilliantly illuminates the mysteries and profundities of this mystifying work. “A lyrical chronicle of one woman's wrestling with Genesis that can serve as a guide to others . . . As notable for its scholarship as it is for its honesty and vulnerability.”—Publishers Weekly “Armstrong can simplify complex ideas, but she is never simplistic.”—The New York Times Book Review

On the outcome of the Battle of Saipain hung the fate of the Pacific War, if the Japanese were to lost this island then the Home Islands would finally be in range of serious American bombing. As the fanatical resistance of the Japanese was raised to fever pitch by the exhortations of the high command, whilst the Marines who had learnt hard lessons on assault landings knew that the capture of Saipan could shorten the war immeasurably; so was set one of the bloodiest battles of the entire Pacific Campaign. The Japanese fought with insane courage, leading to massed banzai charges and civilian suicides; matches by the gritty determination of the experienced Marines to conquer. Contains 103 photos and 24 maps and charts. “SAIPAN was one of the key operations in the Pacific War; key because it unlocked vast potentialities to the United States in projecting its might against the Japanese homeland; key because it opened the door of distance which had meant security to the Empire. Invasion of Saipan provided the supreme challenge in which the enemy was forced to select one of two alternatives: conserve his naval resources for a later decision, leaving uncontested this penetration of his inner defense; or lash out in a vicious, showdown fight. The fact that he chose the latter course, and suffered a resounding defeat, is now history. The conquest of Saipan was, among Pacific operations up to that time, the most clear-cut decisive triumph of combined arms of the United States over the Japanese. By June 1944, U. S. forces, long superior in quality of personnel and organization, were finally greatly superior in materiel with which to fight. Victory at Saipan made this apparent to all.”-C. B. CATES, GENERAL, U. S. MARINE CORPS., COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS.

I had to accept that I wasn’t just Arthur Leywin anymore, and that I could no longer be limited by the circumstances of my birth. If I was going to escape, if I was going to go toe-to-toe with the most powerful beings in this world, I needed to push myself to my utmost limit...and then I needed to push even further. After nearly dying as a victim of his own strength, Arthur Leywin wakes to find himself far from the continent where he was born for the second time. Alone, broken, and with no way to tell his family he’s alive, Arthur must rebuild his strength to survive. As he ascends through an ancient dungeon filled with hostile beasts and devious trials, he discovers an ancient, absolute power - a power that will either ruin him or take him to new heights. But the dungeon won’t give up its knowledge easily. Before he can plunder its depths, Arthur must learn to untangle the threads of fate. He must band together with the unlikeliest of allies if he hopes to escape with his life.

First Published in 1973. This volume brings together a number of studies concerned with the Near East and its history from the sixteenth century. They fall into three groups. The first is concerned with English Arabists of the seventeenth and early eighteenth centuries, and particularly with Edward Pococke. The papers in the second group deal with the history of the Nilotic Sudan, and especially attempt to exploit the sparse source-materials available on the Funj Sultanate and to throw some light on developments between the sixteenth and the nineteenth century. Another dark age in modern Near Eastern history is the subject of the third group of papers-the period of Egyptian history from the Ottoman conquest in 1517 to the French occupation in 1798.