R is for Reading - Pagan Blog Project

I love to read.

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I love being transported to other lands, other worlds.
I love being inspired and transformed by the words on the page.

Here are my personal top 5 inspiring books -

The Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
I love this book. It's all about being open and noticing the signs from the Universe. One situation leads you to the next, to the next, to the next. You just have to be open. 

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay
Back in 2002, I was working on my heart chakra.
It felt like it was in a million scattered sad pieces.
I ventured out to a heart chakra class and
I was the only student!
Talk about needing some healing!
The teacher suggested Louise Hay's book to me
and I've become a huge fan of hers ever since.

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
I was in an online book club for The Artist's Way last year.
I am convinced that Julia Cameron is a genius.
She introduced me to morning pages which have become one of my very favorite forms of healing. 

Choose Yourself by James Altucher
This man's writing inspires me while making me 
think and laugh.
He is utterly brilliant!
Read this book. You'll quit your annoying job. 

The Tapping Solution for Weight Loss and Body Confidence 
by Jessica Ortner
Truly life changing. Jessica's book has helped me learn my rebellious eating triggers and let them go.
This book is all about body confidence and 
shining your true light.

What books inspire you?
Tell me in the comments below.

Reading is sexy. So very sexy. -Tweet That!

Click here to see more inspirational reads. 

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I'm super excited to be a part of 
The Pagan Blog Project. 

Every Friday experience the alphabet of spirituality 
and pagan goodness.

Check out the list of excellent blogs for week 36 of the letter R.
The Pagan Blog Project Week 36 - R

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
~Amy
The Magick Muse

 Amy Riddle, C.C., Holistic Alchemist and Manifestor of Dreams is a life coach, tapping facilitator, reverend, creatress, teacher, writer, herbalist, and all out muse. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

What's on your bookshelf right now?

http://www.belcastroagency.com/

You may know my word for 2014 is Simplify.

It's rather difficult with books.

I'm trying to read one fiction book and one sort of self-help, self-exploration, etc. book.

I find myself currently reading 4 books.

My current reading load. 

 Kinky Sex, The Secret to Long-term Desire by Jessica Howe 

From Jessica's Pinterest 

I'm just on page 18, but I'm super excited about 
diving vagina first into this book. 
I'm passionate about passion. 
I am determined to keep sexy love alive. 
I feel good sex is necessary
for a healthy relationship.

Women Who Run with the Wolves by 

Clarissa Pinkola Estes, Ph. D.

Women Who Run with the Wolves

I'm still in my Women Who Run with the Wolves book club.

I'm so super thankful for the online group, 
or I would never continue this book. 

Why? 

It's a heavy read. 

It's better to read this one with a group of women.

Clarissa weaves wonderful folklore fairy tales and then 

has pages and pages and pages of 

dissecting the meaning behind them.

She digs deep, straight through your heart, through your memories, through repressed situations.

If you read this book authentically, 

you will be left with no secrets for yourself.

It's a true guide to unearthing your own dark past 
and letting go.

Let go and become the wild woman you are!

(unless you are a man - then

become the wild man you are!) 

 The Right-Brain Business Plan by Jennifer Lee

The Right-Brain Business Plan

This book is inspiring me to get that creative business plan done.

I'm taking an online class that follows the book.

This is the perfect book/class I need to move forward with 

The Magick Muse coaching biz.

I feel more driven, more focused, and 

now I have a launch date for my dream biz.

(more on that later)

Check out my blog about this book. 

You can read it here.

Mouse Guard Winter 1152 by David Petersen

Mouse Guard Winter 1152 

This is my book I'll be reading on my lunch hour this week.

I'm really looking forward to it.

It's for all ages, a beautiful drawn graphic novel of 

an entire mouse world. 

Mice with swords.

Well done.

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle is an empowerment coach, crafter of sorts, writer,
herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 

She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 

Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 

She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

Women Who Run With The Wolves

Artist Unknown - found here 

I've been reading "Women Who Run with the Wolves". 

(Actually, I'm a few chapters behind and need to catch up.)

This paragraph spoke to me and I have read it 

over and over and over and over.

Especially the sentence, 

"She arrives there by deeply creative acts, 

through intentional solitude, and 

by practice of any of the arts."

I personally know I am my best self with I have my intentional solitude on a regular basis. I require alone time. I believe we all do. From that solitude, creativity is born. I'm able to brainstorm, see things clearly, paint, create jewelry, be inspired, and be alive!

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle is an empowerment coach, crafter of sorts, writer,

herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 

She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 

Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 

She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

The Deadlies ~ The Artist's Way

Some of you are aware that this year I've been in 

an Artist's Way book club. 

I absolutely love it. 

There are 12 chapters in "The Artist's Way" by Julia Cameron and we focus on one chapter a month. 

Perfect.

This book has truly enriched my life. 

The main two components to Julia's artist way formula are the morning pages and the artist dates. 

Both of these activities are now integrated in who I am. 

They are part of my routine, part of my life.

Each chapter she has a variety of exercises designed for you to delve deeper into parts of your self 

you may not have ever thought of.

In chapter 10, she has a task called, "The Deadlies". 

The Deadlies

Directions:

Take a piece of paper and cut seven small strips.

On each strip, write on of the following words:

alcohol, drugs, sex, work, money, food, and family/friends.

(I typed mine out.)

Fold the strips and place them in an envelope. 

These are "The Deadlies".

Draw one deadly.

Write five ways in which it has had 

a negative impact on your life. 

If the word seems rather difficult-that is resistance.

Do this seven times, each time putting back the previous word

so that you are always drawing from all seven possible deadlies.

You may keep drawing the same deadly.

Pay attention to this.

This is highly significant.

This exercise helps cut through denial

and brings one into clarity. 

writing out my deadlies 

This is my breakdown -

money being the top deadly -

followed by sex.

My Deadlies Summary

Have you faced your personal deadlies?

How would your list look?

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Amy Riddle is an empowerment coach, crafter of sorts, writer,
herbalist, reverend, and all out muse.
She holds a Bachelor of Science in Alternative Medicine with an emphasis on herbs. 

She is a certified professional life coach with the Life Coach Institute of Orange County. 

Amy craves to inspire others to be healthy and whole in body, mind, and spirit. 

She has an affinity for striped socks, stinging nettle, and all things faery.

Women Who Run With The Wolves - Book Club

Blog 9 of 30 ~ Effy Wild's Blogalong ~ Thirty Posts in Thirty Days 

Book club!

Yup. I'm in another book club.

I just can't help myself!

I'm in an Artist's Way book club online and

it's pretty awesome. 

We do a chapter a month along with our morning pages 

and artist's dates.

It's extremely eye-opening and not difficult to keep up with at all.

So - now I have joined a 

"Women Who Run with the Wolves" book club.

I've had this book for years. 

I got it back in 2004 at a used bookstore in Orlando.

I saw the book, picked it up, and was like, 

"Oh, yes - we are meant to be together."

So, I started reading immediately.

And I stopped.

I've attempted "Women Who Run with the Wolves" at least 3 times - and I never ever continue it.

It's quite daunting. 

Recently, it has come to my full attention that if I want to do something from beginning to end, it helps if I have structure. If I am in a class or have a deadline, I will give it my all. If I'm reading or doing or painting something on my own - it could be finished in a day or in 3 years. 

I need structure to bring things to completion.

So, here I am.

We start this weekend...I'm off to read 

"Singing Over the Bones"...again...

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Magick Muse

Books, Books, Books!

I have a passion for books. 

http://benonsensical.com/blog/tag/reading-is-sexy

I love the way they feel. I love they can go with me wherever I go. I love curling up on the couch and falling into a story.

I love books that inspire my soul to grow, that deepen my connection to my authentic being.

Somehow in two weeks time, I've ended up with 8 new books!

I couldn't stop at just one. 

All of these books were calling to me. 

I feel they will all be extremely beneficial in my life.

Ask and It Is Given ~ Esther and Jerry Hicks 

(The Teachings of Abraham)

I look up to Louise Hay and Wayne Dyer...Esther and Jerry Hicks were cut from the same spiritual cloth. I've been wanting this book for quite some time. I have so much going on right now, I thought it would help me bring all of my ideas to fruition. 

The 5 Love Languages, The Secret to Love That Lasts 

~ Gary Chapman

I don't even remember who suggested this book, but I saw praises on Facebook about it. I added it to my Amazon Wish List. I'm glad I purchased it now. Reading the reviews it makes me think that this book is a must-read for all couples. No matter how great your relationship is, nothing is perfect. This book guides couples in revealing their own personal love language.

I'm looking forward to figuring out mine, although I have a feeling mine is Words of Affirmation.

The Life Coaching Handbook ~ Curly Martin

This is my new goal I can't wait to achieve.

I am going to be a Life Coach. 

This book claims to be 

"everything you need to be an effective Life Coach". 

Well, okay. Sign me up.

A Room of One's Own ~ Virginia Woolf
I have been obsessively pining over a craft room of my own...hell...just a room of my own. I've been dying for personal space. A cool psychologist guy works down the hall from me and he suggested I give this book a read. I already started it. I'm surprised I've never read it before. Female power!

The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women: A Portable Mentor ~ Gail Meekin
A book about women achieving their dreams. I don't think I need to elaborate on this one. 

The Woman's Book of Creativity ~ C. Diane Ealy, Ph.D
This book was suggested by my Flying Lessons classmates. It looks like another fantastic book for nurturing and empowering your creative side. (as a woman)

Women, Writing, and Soul-Making-

Creativity and the Sacred Feminine 

~ Peggy Tabor Millin
Are you starting to see a theme here? The words women and creativity apparently send me into my happy place. 
I do love to write and I do not have any books on writing. This one called out to me. When I received it, I was pleasantly surprised and not so surprised to see the author lives in Asheville. 
Of course she does!

The Artist's Way, A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

 ~ Julia Cameron with Mark Bryan 
I've always heard incredible things about this book. I hear stories of inspiration that begin with "So, I read "The Artist's Way" and blah blah blah breakthrough."
I'm joining a group for this book. I'm most excited. There are 12 chapters. We are going to take 1 chapter a month starting in January. It is sure to be an awakening on many levels.


So there you have it...pretty much a common theme!

http://www.buyolympia.com/q/Item=readbutton

I have to go...I have some reading to do.

Peace, Inspiration, & Love,
 ~Amy
 The Spirit Dancer