Books published by Harding House Publishing, Inc./AnamcharaBooks

This prayerbook offers a Nature-focused collection based on ancient Celtic prayers, weaving together words of hope and challenge. Each prayer is an opportunity to connect personal faith with environmental concerns. The prayers also work well as an opening or closing for gatherings and meetings, to remind those present to turn their hearts to the Earth. Using these Celtic patterns of prayer, readers become rooted in an ancient tradition that has always integrated spirituality with an awareness of the Earth. This Celtic form of "green spirituality" creates a desperately needed twenty-first-century pathway to greater spiritual and practical commitment to Nature.

In this paperback collection of the e-book series titled Meditations of the Heart, author George Breed offers bite-size entries into mindfulness and transformation. Each meditation could be used as a vehicle for greater consciousness-or as a prayer leading to deeper awareness of spiritual reality and being. One Amazon reviewer summarized: "Each tiny gem of a meditation holds meaning beyond and beneath the words, and each provides nourishment for the mind and the heart. Concise, simple, but packed with a powerful load of thought-provoking enlightenment, George Breed gives more to us in his meditations with a dozen or so words than most philosophers give in twelve dozen."

More than a thousand years later, the ongoing power and vitality of that legacy is impressive. These stories reveal the Celts'' ongoing conviction that the invisible world is as real as the visible one. They show us human beings living in constant, tangible friendship with God, with the supernatural, and with animals. They lead us into a world where holiness and the imagination have joined hands, a world where we can truly catch glimpses of miracles and wonders."There are other accounts of these saints'' lives, many that are far more historically accurate, but those contained here tell us as much about the people who told the stories as they do about the ancient saints. They show us those saint''s legacy lived out in people''s lives and imaginations more than a thousand years later.The power and vitality of that legacy is impressive. These stories reveal an ongoing conviction that the invisible world is as real as the visible one. They show us human beings living in constant, tangible friendship with God, with the supernatural, and with animals....They lead us into a world where holiness and the imagination have joined hands, a world where we can truly catch glimpses of miracles and wonders."-From the introduction by Meg Llewellyn

Celtic Spirituality for the Modern WorldThe world of the long-ago Celts appeals to many of us in the twenty-first century. Whether we are looking to find our cultural heritage or are seeking an alternative to worn and restrictive religious forms, the earth-centered, woman-friendly, inclusive faith of the Christian Celts offers us a deep-rooted alternative approach to traditional Christianity. The Celts experienced "thin places," where they sensed the supernatural world; they honored their poets, singers, and artists; and they passionately followed the Christ of the Gospels. Theirs was a church without walls, which lived naturally and comfortably within the community. Ray Simpson has spent most of his life walking in the footsteps of the Christian Celts, and now he allows us to experience for ourselves their dynamic spirituality.

Long ago, the story goes, Brigid flung out her mantle over the world. Beneath its shelter, the Earth and its people could find healing, insight, and growth. This legend, shared by both Celtic Pagans and Celtic Christians, makes the point that a mantle is not a box, a small rigid container meant to keep some things inside while excluding others. Instead, a mantle is wide, flexible, inclusive. Using this as their central metaphor, the authors-one a Pagan healer and the other a Christian minister-engage in a dialogue that is ultimately about what it means to be spiritual, to be a person of faith. While the authors affirm that very real differences separate Paganism and Christianity, they affirm that shared points of understanding can be found under "Brigid''s Mantle." With Brigid, as both a Pagan Goddess and a Christian saint, at the center of their dialogue, the authors first provide the historical foundation for the Celtic culture, past and present. They build on this a concept of Celtic spirituality that embraces the arts, Nature, the supernatural world, compassion for those in need, and gender equality.

The Celts were activists for justice. They persuaded kings to change their policies; they stood up for women and others who were endangered by prejudice; and they worked with tireless love on behalf of all Earth''s creatures. They resisted the injustice of their day-and they persisted throughout their entire lifetimes, until their deaths. (And some would say that they are still hard at work fighting injustice from the Otherworld.) Following in their footsteps requires a mystical experience of the Divine that expresses itself in acts of tangible justice and compassion These essays build on Celtic stories, myths, and tradition to inspire and challenge us. They remind us that we cannot consider ourselves faithful to God if we are not faithful to our entire community (a community that not only includes humans, but also animals, plants, and the entire Earth). "It is in your hands to create a better world for all who live in it."-Nelson Mandela

With his trademark earthy exuberance, author George Breed explores the deep meanings within the Gospel of Thomas, giving readers new and surprising insights into the message of Jesus."The Gospel of Thomas is emerging as a true mystical source from the earliest period of what became Christianity. Any commentary on Thomas is worth reading-but this one is a genuine gem!"-FR. RICHARD ROHR, OFM (Center for Action and Contemplation, Albuquerque, New Mexico)"In this lovely book, Dr. George Breed helps to advance the art of seeing, not what rests on surfaces but rather that which lies through and beyond exteriors and forms, and within ourselves. The writer of the Thomas Gospel quotes Jesus as saying, "The kingdom of the Father is spread out upon the earth, and men do not see it." In other words don''t merely look-see! By reading the Thomas Gospel through Dr. Breed''s eyes, we can achieve a glimpse of the divine world in which we live, as well as the mysterious beauty of our inner lives. We can begin to see!"-BRADLEY OLSON, PhD, Jungian Depth Psychologist

Nautilus Book Awards 2020 winner!"Put aside all you preconceptions about the Bible and pick up this book. Lynne Bundesen imagines what it means to breathe a women''s spirit into sacred narrative. She enriches our understanding and nourishes our souls." -Rabbi Sandy Eisenberg Sasso, author of Midrash: Reading the Bible with Question Marks and many children''s books, including Noah''s Wife and But God Remembered: Stories for Women from Creation to the Promised Land"In an accessible and comprehensive way, Lynne Bundesen weaves together linguistic knowledge, insightful exegesis, history of interpretation, and feminist biblical scholarship to reveal feminine spirit-the female divine and the divine female-from Genesis to Revelation. Feminine Spirit at the Heart of the Bible is a book that Christians hungry for God the Mother will read with pleasure and share with enthusiasm." -Mary Ann Beavis, professor of Religious Studies, author of Christian Goddess Spirituality: Enchanting Christianity, editor of She Rises, and founding editor of The Journal of Religion and Popular Culture"Lynne Bundesen''s The Feminine Spirit at the Heart of the Bible is an insightful reading of the Jewish and Christian scriptures focusing on the feminine, nurturing side of the divine. It calls out misinterpretations, mistranslations, and biased readings that have held women down and back for centuries. Accessible to the general reader, it is nonetheless based on sound scholarship. It is ideal for individual study or group sessions." -Alice Ogden Bellis, Hebrew Bible professor and author of Helpmates, Harlots, and Heroes: Women''s Stories in the Hebrew Bible and Proverbs"Bundesen''s knowledge of the Bible is clear throughout, as is her agenda: to offer a new way to read the Bible with women in the limelight." -Publishers Weekly(Updated 2019 edition!-THIS IS A NEW AND GREATLY EXPANDED VERSION OF AN EARLIER TITLE BY THIS AUTHOR.)

"Kenneth McIntosh liberates the Book of Revelation from magical thinking and apocalyptic predictions, showing us that it''s a book for all ages, providing a pathway of hope and agency in times of chaos and confusion. McIntosh''s vision gives authentic hope, challenges complacency, and inspires action in a time of rapid climate change, global pandemic, and social disruption. This text is a theological and spiritual goldmine for personal reflection and group study."-Bruce Epperly, author of Become Fire! Guideposts for Interspiritual Pilgrims, God Online: The Mystics'' Guide to the Internet, and Faith in a Time of PandemicThe Book of Revelation has been misunderstood as a book of future predictions and escape from the world-but it is actually a survival and transformation guide, written for people whose lives were threatened by the first-century system of domination. Kenneth McIntosh goes through the entire book, chapter by chapter, revealing Revelation''s abundance of wisdom we can apply to the challenges we face in today''s world.May these visions of transformation bring renewal to your inner self, giving hope for yourself and for the world that is struggling around you.

Times of crisis test us, physically, emotionally, spiritually. But crises can also be opportunities for change, for renewed health, and new visions. Our response can make all the difference. Will we let crisis defeat us? Or will we rise to the challenge and one day emerge from these catastrophic events as better people building a better world? Change must come; it is inevitable. But the form that change takes is at least partly up to us.The prayers collected here, written in the Celtic tradition, offer us ways to spiritually meet the crises of our day. They call us to hope and to healing, to blessing others and to receiving strength and courage. They remind us that the Divine One is at work, even now, ever here.

Coloring is no longer for children only.Adult coloring books stimulate our imaginations. They can also be a form of mindfulness technique, just as yoga and meditation are. Research shows that coloring can reduce stress by helping to slow heart rate and respiration, loosen muscles, and stimulate the brain. Coloring can open up a quiet space where we are able to hear the Divine voice speaking to our hearts.The images in this coloring book were drawn from medieval bestiaries, and the descriptions of the animal are summaries compiled from actual ancient texts. Although today we may no longer believe that a panther''s breath is so sweet that it draws everyone to her . . . or that barnacle geese grow on trees . . . or that mermaids even exist, we still can learn from these fantastical bestiary creatures, just as medieval readers did. Each animal included here, from dragons to goats and unicorns to crocodiles, is a delight in its own right. Each one allows us to engage with the Divine as the ancient Celts did-and as we might have when we were children-using our imaginations, our creativity, and our hands to connect mind, heart, and body with God and Creation.Ask the animals, and they will teach you,or the birds in the sky, and they will tell you;or speak to the earth, and it will teach you,or let the fish in the sea inform you.Job 12:7-8

"Warriors of spirit" across disciplines (martial arts, healing arts, creative arts, and spiritual arts) embody certain qualities, says the author. Embodying (deeply practicing) these qualities reduces stress, increases energy, expands awareness, deepens confidence, quiets the mind, and enhances creativity. The author has applied knowledge from his PhD in psychology, his 5th-degree Karate black belt, and his own deep spiritual practice to create a practical and deeply spiritual book that spans traditions.

"The Spirit showed me a tiny thing, the size of a hazelnut," wrote the fourteenth-century mystic, Julian of Norwich. In Julian''s vision, the fragile and insignificant hazelnut contains all of Creation-and yet it endures "because God loves it."Seven hundred years before Rob Bell wrote Love Wins, Julian had already offered the world a vision of God''s all-encompassing love. These prayer-poems, based on All Shall Be Well: A Modern-Language Version of the Revelation of Julian of Norwich, are an accessible introduction to Julian''s joyous theology of love. "Take this book from my heart to yours," she wrote. "If you forget all the rest, remember this: Love is everything. Love is God."

"How can I describe this book? If I say it is brilliant, crazy, hilarious, sobering, vulgar, and sublime, all those words are true-but they are certainly not enough to express the contents of Jesus & Lao Tzu. The book defies being categorized or neatly summarized. It will have to suffice if I say simply this: the book''s words make me happier, freer, and wiser. If you read it with an open heart, I predict it will do the same for you."-Kenneth McIntosh, author of Water from an Ancient Well: Celtic Spirituality for Modern Life

Coloring with the Green ManMore and more people are rediscovering what they already knew when they were kids-coloring is fun. What''s more, coloring can lead us into a deeper awareness of both our inner selves and the world around us.The Green Man images in this coloring book have been paired with short quotations from two of Anamchara Books'' titles: The Green Man: Ancient Symbol for the Modern World and Celtic Nature Prayers: Prayers from an Ancient Well, both by Kenneth McIntosh. These quotations are offered for use as mental focal points as you color, with space provided for you to jot down any thoughts that may rise to the surface.As you color, you may find yourself connecting with Nature in a new way, experiencing what poet Elizabeth Browning described: "Earth is crammed with heaven and every bush aflame with God."

Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation,for through him God created everything. . . . He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.-Colossians 1:15-17Like a vast, ever-growing Tree of Life, Christ-the expression of Divine love-expands endlessly throughout the universe. This is the perspective of ancient Celtic spirituality, and it is this concept that Ray Simpson reveals in his poem-prayers. Inspired by the traditional Celtic style of prayer, he gives words to our individual relationships with God. He speaks of the wonder, beauty, and love revealed through the Universal Christ, the Tree of Life that includes all that is. Each and everything in creation is sacred, for everything is a word of God-and we too are called to be God''s words to our world.

Here are prayers and blessings that sanctify the simplest of daily activities. They remind us to look for the holiness of the everyday and the real presence of God in Creation. They will illumine your life.

Using the Celtic tradition, David Cole explores the Christian theology that underpins meditation-and discovers the practical spiritual benefits of this ancient practice."Meditation is one of the great treasures of our Christian contemplative tradition, though largely forgotten by modern churches. In this delightful book, David Cole gently invites readers to rediscover this ancient path to deeper relationship with God. David writes with a spirit of ease and joy as he guides us through meditation with scripture, our breath, our bodies, and the natural world. This insightful and accessible book is a welcome addition to the contemplative renewal of our time."-Mark Kutolowski, OblSB, Salva Terra peace pilgrim and founder of New Creation Wilderness Programs

Learn how the ancient Christian Celts read the Bible-and discover new ways to understand the sacred Scriptures today. The Celts'' perspectives on the Bible were far less literal than many modern viewpoints, and yet at the same time, they treasured even deeper layers of meaning than are familiar to most twenty-first century readers. For the Celts, Scripture was a wondrous treasure trove of metaphor and meaning, stories and symbols, all pointing to the loving Mystery that weaves through all Reality."At certain points while reading this book, I could just nod my head, seeing in print things that I have felt deeply but had never put into words. At other points I was stopped in my tracks, reading something that seemed so simple, yet so profound. There were times I had to stop and re-read the same paragraph several times, not because it was too difficult to understand, but because there was so much packed into just a few sentences."-Steve Robinson, Wolf Mountain Books"A very good introduction to how the Celtic followers of Jesus read and saw the Bible. I highly recommend it. Ken''s writing style is really easy to follow-which is saying a lot for such a vast and complex topic."-Jack Gillespie, Celtic priest in the Lindisfarne Community

Pray with the Sufis!The Sufi mystics'' experience of God was down-to-earth, sometimes even crude, and always both practical and jubilant. Their religion was love-and God was their Beloved. Their relationship with the Beloved gave each moment meaning and joy.As you pray with words inspired by Rumi and other Sufi mystics, you''ll experience a new understanding of the Divine One who is everything and nothing, all that we can perceive and all that we cannot. You may even, like the Sufis, find yourself falling head over heels in love with a God who is present everywhere, within you and without. Whatever your religion (or lack of religion), these spiritual poems, inspired by ancient Sufism, will bring you into a deeper relationship with both the Divine and your true Self.

Let us begin the work of Christmas!This book is a celebration of the twelve days of Christmas, offering us a chance to dwell on the meaning of the season in dialog with the wisdom of one of America''s greatest mystics and activists, Howard Thurman.Thurman knew that Christmas always begins in darkness-the darkness of the womb, the darkness of human violence and oppression, the darkness of hopelessness. In Christmas, Thurman reminds us, a light shines even in the darkness, and this light will never be defeated. God''s light streams into the most unexpected places-a stable, among foreign magi from another religious tradition, and in the varieties of human culture and ethnicity. Just a little light can transform the darkness and help us anxious pilgrims find our way.During the twelve days of Christmas, our goal is to experience God''s light, despite the temptation to close our hearts in a world too often characterized by racism, sexism, polarization, nationalism, and exclusion. This season asks us instead to open our hearts and our lives, so that throughout the year ahead, we may be light-bearers, carrying the message of Divine justice and hope, making it come alive even in the darkest corners of the world. ∩╗┐This is the year-round work of Christmas!

How can we recover the radical meaning of the Christmas season? Using the thoughts and words of Madeleine L''Engle, this books offers you a guide through the hectic Christmas season. With quiet times of prayer, Scripture, and meditation, you can begin to wonder-to imagine big possibilities and ask important questions-as you wander outside your typical comfort zones. In the twelve days of Christmas, bookended by Christmas Eve and the Feast of Epiphany, you will experience anew the awe and wonder of the Incarnation. As you both wonder and wander, the questions and images in this book will open your heart to the radical message of Christmas. Like the Magi, you too can follow a star, seeking wisdom in everyday life, while contemplating the cosmic forces within which we live and move and have our being.