Books published by Collective Ink

Following on from the authors successful book Shaman Pathways - Elen of the Ways, this is a practical handbook filled with tried-and-tested exercises, journeys and experiential work for the reader to engage in. Essential reading for anyone wanting to begin the old British paths.

The Stranglers occupy a paradoxical position within the history of popular music. Although major artists within the punk and new-wave movements, their contribution to those genres has been effectively quarantined by subsequent critical and historical analyses. They are somehow outside the realm of what responsible accounts of the period consider to be worthy of chronicling. Why is this so? Certainly The Stranglers seedy and intimidating demeanor, and well-deserved reputation for misogyny and violence, offer a superficial explanation for their cultural excommunication. However, this landmark work suggests that the unsettling aura that permeated the group and their music had much more profound origins; ones that continue to have disturbing implications even today. The Stranglers, it argues, continue to be marginalised because, whether by accident or design, they brought to the fore the underlying issues of identity, status and structure that must by necessity be hidden from societys conscious awareness. For this, they would not be forgiven.

Katherine Knollys was Mary Boleyns first child, born in 1524 when Mary was having an affair with King Henry VIII. Katherine spent her life unacknowledged as the kings daughter, yet she was given prime appointments at court as maid of honour to both Anne of Cleves and Katherine Howard. She married Francis Knollys when she was 16 and went on to become mother to many successful men and women at court including Lettice Knollys who created a scandal when she married Sir Robert Dudley, the queens favourite. This fascinating book studies Katherines life and times, including her intriguing relationship with Elizabeth I.

If you dream of a loving relationship, Holding out for a Hero, Five Steps to Marriage Over 40 is for you. At 40+ you know what you want. You have a good job, plenty of friends, a great home. You just aren't meeting the right person to share your life with. There seem to be fewer opportunities. You keep repeating the same patterns. Join psychologist Lesley Lawson Botez, MSc, herself a 40+ bride, and dozens of couples who share their stories on a five-step journey to relationship bliss. Discover how to get rid of what's holding you back, the meeting opportunities that work, whether a new relationship is worth pursuing and how to deal with challenges like past baggage. Packed with exercises, case studies and useful tips, /Holding out for a Hero/ proves that relationship happiness can begin at any age.

Pornography feminists unshackle their desires and celebrate their sexuality in the patriarchal world of filmed sex.

Get ready to embark on your very own Odyssey journey - a unique journey unlike any you've ever gone on before.

Madame Blavatsky was a pioneering woman, and not only as a traveller, writer and spiritual teacher. She was an inspiration to men and women around the world in Victorian times who desired to follow an independent path. In our own times, the New Age owes most of its spiritual knowledge to her. Blavatsky's travels in Russia, India and Tibet; her absorbing of many different cultures and her personal magnetism, are the stuff of celebrated legend. Her personal struggles against prejudice and ignorance are a record of one woman's determination to usher in the Aquarian Age. By her own efforts she established ';spirituality' as an ethos. She also taught that the soul - the ';Inner World' - of any individual is mysterious and precious. It is a sacred possession, one not to be feared, but cherished. Many myths and exotic tales surround Madame Blavatsky. This phenomenal individual saw herself as having a mission - to inform and enlighten the world. Her beliefs and her vision are even more relevant now than when she first voiced them.

The current neoliberal mutation of capitalism has evolved beyond the days when the wholesale exploitation of labor underwrote the world system's expansion. While ';normal' business profits plummet and theft-by-finance rises, capitalism now shifts into a mode of elimination that targets most of usalong with our environmentas waste products awaiting managed disposal. The education system is caught in the throes of this eliminationism across a number of fronts: crushing student debt, impatience with student expression, the looting of vestigial public institutions and, finally, as coup de grce, an abandonment of the historic ideal of universal education. ';Education reform' is powerless against eliminationism and is at best a mirage that diverts oppositional energies. The very idea of education activism becomes a comforting fiction. Educational institutions are strapped into the eliminationist projectthe neoliberal endgamein a way that admits no escape, even despite the heroic gestures of a few. The school systems that capitalism has built and directed over the last two centuries are fated to go down with the ship. It is rational therefore for educators to cultivate a certain pessimism. Should we despair? Why, yes, we shouldbut cheerfully, as confronting elimination, mortality, is after all our common fate. There is nothing and everything to do in order to prepare.

Find happiness in every step.

Gabriel is a boy who has just lost everything. His parents have died and he's forced to move to a strange country, France, to find a new home. He dislikes his crazy aunt, who he has to live with, he doesn't want to learn French, and to make matters worse, the only real family he has left is his whiny baby brother. Despite all this, as soon as Gabriel enters his aunt's ancient castle, he realizes that all these disasters might be the beginning of a grand adventure. In the castle of Chateau Larcher, the walls groan and the attic talks. Shadows take on strange shapes and Gabriel becomes convinced the castle is haunted. But the ghosts in Chateau Larcher aren't what Gabriel expects and he soon learns that skeletons aren't always scary and ghosts can tell the most interesting stories.

For thousands of years we have tried to study, interpret and teach ourselves ABOUT Nature from our own point of view, through the lenses of our telescopes, microscopes and binocular eyesight directed outwards. We see a rigidly framed objective picture ';out there' that does not include our selves yet upon which we project our own image and psychology. This one-way view has brought us into profound conflict with our natural origins and one another. ';NaturesScope' evokes a different view, FROM Nature, which brings human beings and the world into empathic mutual relationship. It assists us in enquiring imaginatively and creatively into how to turn the narrowed down objective worldview around and see our selves and our world through nature's fluid lens of mutual inclusion. People who have experienced this view of natural inclusion have found it a source of profound inspiration.

Although we are an island race, few are fortunate to live near enough to the sea to use the shoreline as a regular magical working area. And yet for the natural witch, born and bred by the sea, the beach and rocky shore are equally as magical as the inland woods and hills of more traditional approaches to witchcraft. The author takes us on a magical journey along the seashore and reveals how to work with the natural oceanic tides and energies. Learn how to harness the powers of the deep, and collect flotsam and jetsam for use as ritual tools. A book like no other.

The Shaman Within explains how our ancient wisdoms can now be employed to tackle the big issues that trouble our minds, ravage our bodies and quash our spirits. Through a very personal journey; the travels, experiences, rituals, highs and lows of the protagonist, an amazing tapestry of insights and answers is woven before our very eyes. And the threads of this tapestry consist of the incredible healing and empowerment that our long-forgotten ';rites of passage' afford us. The lessons within enable us to feel more complete, at one with ourselves, our environment and the universe that created us. This book speaks to all who seek true fulfilment and imparts the tools to achieve it.

Are you doing battle with your body? Do you desperately want to end your obsession with food, emotional eating and yo-yo dieting and come to a place of deep peace? Are you ready to begin living in a new and empowered way, not using food to keep you small? Struggles with food and emotional eating are often a signal that something deeper is going on, a kind of soul-call. Love or Diet will help you to follow that soul-call safely and explore your eating patterns in a way that can lead to complete freedom and peacefulness with food. In Love or Diet, nutritionist and editor of www.nurturewithlove.com, Ani Richardson, aims to change your relationship with food, but more importantly, change your relationship with your deepest Self, because when you are willing to courageously look at what you are attempting to stuff down with food, you can begin to heal and shine light on the perceived darkness in our lives, one delicious ray at a time.

In Multidimensional Evolution, author Kim McCaul recounts his journey to Java seeking a technique to help calm the demons that had been troubling him for the previous two years and his subsequent realisation that those demons were not the product of his own mind, but were actually real non-physical people who had been pursuing him from a previous life. It then focuses on three of the teachers that guided the author through insights and experiences on his search for understanding: Pak Sujono, who ran a meditation centre in Indonesia; a housewife in England, who enjoyed remarkable psychic abilities and the capacity to significantly alter the energies of those around her, and Waldo Vieira a Brazilian consciousness researcher and psychic. Multidimensional Evolution encourages readers to experiment for themselves, have their own experiences, come to their own understandings and make the most of this current physical lifetime.

For the witch whose career confines them to an urban environment, regular Craft practice may often seem like a futile gesture, especially if home is a small, gardenless-flat. Even the suburbs can be magically incapacitating, if there is constant noise from traffic and neighbours. People work long hour without having the opportunity to notice the subtle changing of the seasons. Weekends are a constant battle with family, domestic chores and socialising. It's no wonder that the urban witch has little time left for magical and spiritual development.Traditional Witchcraft for Urban Living deals with the constant barrage of psychic problems that confront the urban witch on a daily basis. Based on the teachings of a traditional Craft background, the author successfully manages to blend the Old Ways with practical contemporary practice. This book is part of the Traditional Witchcraft Series. Other titles in the series are Traditional Witchcraft for the Seashore(Jan 2012), Traditional Witchcraft for Fields and Hedgerows (Mar 2012) and Traditional Witchcraft for the Woods and Forests (Mar 2012).

Humanity is at a crossroads, where it has to decide whether it wishes to live in a bright future or a dystopian dark age. By making a decision one way or the other, humanity is creating its reality. Through the power of consciousness, humanity has the ability to create a global and transpersonal shift in consciousness to a much higher level. This book demonstrates that such a wide-reaching shift is possible through the realization that everything and everyone is interconnected. This book is one of the first of its kind to put forth scientific evidence to support its transcendental self-growth message. By giving the reader the knowledge and tools necessary for the creation of a consciousness shift, the collective consciousness can be affected in such a way that each individual can help in creating a massive global consciousness shift. Several tools, methods, and guidelines are provided to help bring about such a monumental change. It is the authors intent to stir up a spirit of action and change in respect to altering ones modality of thought and perception of reality.

Perhaps the first serious attempt to collate the vast body of druidic knowledge from verifiable ancient sources and Celtic survivals into one usable and practical volume as a handy reference for druids and a learning tool for the would be druid. Inspired by the medieval Irish Scholars Primer this work is the culmination of 15 years research and practical exploration of what it means to be a druid in a modern context.

Facing the Darkness aims to support those going through times of crisis and depression - primarily Pagan, but accessible to all. Utilizing Pagan spiritual imagery, skills and perspectives, a combination of inspirational text and easy exercises work with images and stories to distract and encourage for short-term relief and long-term healing. From the apparent hopelessness of deep night through to the inevitable return of sunrise, Nature imagery, tales of mythology and Deity combine in accessible meditations, activities and anecdotes to remind the reader that they are not alone on their path through the darkness. Cat Treadwell acts as a guide through the forest, working with the Druid skills of Bardic tales and Ovatic land/spirit connection. Darkness and despair can lead to peace and inspiration...through the simple bravery of stepping forward.

Numbers are everywhere in your everyday life yet most people don't pay too much attention to them. But is there more to number than meets the eye? Author Hilary Carter thinks so. Do interesting dates such as 11/11/11, 11/1/11, 12/12/12 or 21/12/12 mean anything? Is 666 really an evil number? What is the secret behind the mysterious number 23? What is the meaning of the 11:11 phenomenon? Why do you keep looking at the clock at exactly 22:22 or 3.33? Do you keep seeing number patterns such as 1221 or 123321? Or repeated digits like 555 or 444? What numbers are hidden within your name? Can you change your name to change your life? What number are you? Are you a number 5 person, flitting from one thing to another? Maybe you are an inventive and energetic number 1. You could even be a very rare number 22. You can find the answers to all these questions in this practical and easy to use guide to numerology. You can also learn how to interpret number sequences and how to decode the fascinating and enlightening language of number.

Europe is in crisis, but the European Union just gets stronger. Greece, Portugal, Spain and Ireland have all been told that they must submit their budgets to EU-appointed bureaucrats. The soft coup that put EU officials in charge of Greece and Italy shows that the Union is opposed to democracy. Instead of weakening the European Union, the budget crisis of 2012 has ended up with the eurocrats grabbing new powers to dictate terms. Over the years the forward march of the European Union has been widely misunderstood. James Heartfield explains that the rise of the EU is driven by the decline in political participation. Without political contestation national parliaments have become an empty shell. Where once elites drew authority from their own people, today they draw authority from the European Union, and other summits of world leaders. The growth of the European Union runs in tandem with the decline in national politics. As national sovereignty is hollowed out, technocratic administration from Brussels fills the void. This account of the rise of the European Union includes a full survey of the major schools of thought in European studies, and a valuable guide to those who want to take back control.

Go! Smell the Flowers will appeal for people looking to make a change in their lives; from CEOs to secretaries and armchair travellers. From the Winelands of South Africa to the markets of France; a Machu Picchu proposal, a detox spa and a Buddhist blessing on a Thai beach, it is a journey of discoveries with a surprising and unexpected end.

Pagan Portals - God-Speaking offers a new concept in Earth ecology incorporating mysticism and folk religion. The author is both a trance seer and a biologist, bringing a unique balance to an examination of nature philosophy. Storytelling examples from Irish folklore, NeoPagan theology, and scientific observations all contribute to a carefully reasoned theory about the future of the Earth and ourselves.

The Sacred and the Profane is a work that combines local and global analysis to examine our ages often-talked about, but mostly misunderstood, mainstream subculture: the hipster. This book seeks to answer questions like, Why dont hipsters want to be called hipsters? and Why do they act like they are different when they are just like all the other hipsters? If you cant stand hipsters, are a hipster, or dont know what a hipster is, this book is for you.

To believe in a Sagittarius, is the biggest compliment you can pay them. Learn how to believe in the Sagittarius you know, and those you have yet to meet. This book is a light look at the Star Sign Sagittarius. Adventurous, Philosophical...and Tactless. Does this describe the Sagittarius you know? Are you aware of how important their beliefs are to them? ...which they wont be shy about telling you! This insider information will gently guide you through the process of easily making a chart using on-line resources so you can truly understand the Sagittarius in your life. Discover how to make a chart, how to find the three key points that will help you believe in one better and how to make the best of the Sagittarius you know...and the ones you have yet to meet. Drawing on her extensive client files and using real-life examples Mary English guides you in learning How To Believe in a Sagittarius.

When I started running meditation groups, I searched for a book that would tell me how to do it. There wasn't one. Like many Pagans, I hate dogma and resent being told exactly what to do. But at the same time, like everyone starting out on something new, I wanted a frame to hang my work from. I learned the hard, slow way. Druidry and Meditation is a guide for Druids who want to meditate. It explores meditation for the body, the intellect, the emotions and for spiritual practice. There are plenty of easy to follow exercises, along with prompts about how to develop your own work from there, held by a philosophical framework. I've included sample pathworkings to get people started, and a detailed explanation of how to construct your own. There's a chapter on how to run a meditation group covering practical issues as well as the art of writing for groups and the technicalities of guiding. I've also included a section on how to incorporate meditation into group ritual, covering practical issues. Druidry is a beautiful, multifaceted, non-dogmatic spirituality. Every aspect of Druidry can be supported with meditative work. Meditation is not Druidry and Druidry is not meditation, but the two combine to inspiring effect. Many Pagans question, all the time, how we can make our spirituality an intrinsic part of our lives. This meditative approach to Druidry is one answer to that question. Through greater self-awareness, with deep contemplation, spiritual openness and conscious nurturing of creativity, we can explore and express our Paganism in ever more rewarding ways.

I Am With You has been the bestselling devotional in the UK for the last generation. This edition for younger people, rewritten by John Woolley, will help those searching, those in need, and those seeking to find faith.

Cant meditate? Knees killing you? Misplaced the present moment? Let Falling Into Easy make meditation simple, practical and accessible. For years, we've heard about the benefits of meditation. Spiritual teachers describe the benefits of a quiet mind, psychologists advise us not to be ruled by our wild thoughts, our mothers tell us we should learn to relax, and even neuroscientists extol the benefits of a regular meditation practice. There is only one confusing and all-too-familiar dilemma: How exactly does one meditate? Falling Into Easy offers a way for both novice and seasoned meditators to land right smack in the middle of the present momentwith very little effort or travel required. Through a discussion of the simple mechanics of meditation, coupled with instructive metaphors, readers will learn to meditate with ease and a sense of familiarity. Falling Into Easy reveals the greatest paradox of meditation. Readers set out to gain something new, but in actuality, they will discover something they've always possessed: a peaceful state of well-being, simply and naturally accessed with every successive breath.

In the second age of the world, a time of prehistory, a time of myth, Mandodari, queen of the demon king Ravana, invents chess to carve out a role for herself in a world where male, martial virtues are paramount. As a chess player, she can play at warfare; as queen, she can be the most potent warrior on the battlefield. The Queens Play attempts to write the origin of chess into the narrative cycles of the Ramayana, one of the two formative epics of ancient India.The cursory mention of a chess-like game in the Ramayana lore offers interesting parallels and openings between the game and the themes of the epic poem. At the centre of it is a queen, first entering and then growing from strength to strength to become the most powerful piece on the board, inventing a game which closely parallels the epic battle taking place not far from the royal palace, a battle which she is not permitted to join, a battle where she will lose her king. Foregrounding certain episodes from the vast tapestry of the epic, the novel develops new narrative variations that feed back into the classical text with freshly imagined material.