Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179) would have been an extraordinary person in any age. But for a woman of the twelfth century her achievements were so exceptional that posterity has found it hard to take her measure. Barbara Newman, a premier Hildegard authority, brings major scholars together to present an accurate portrait of the Benedictine nun and her many contributions to twelfth-century religious, cultural, and intellectual life. Written by specialists in fields ranging from medieval theology to medicine to music, these essays offer an understanding of how one woman could transform so many of the traditions of the world in which she lived. Hildegard of Bingen was the only woman of her age accepted as an authoritative voice on Christian doctrine as well as the first woman permitted by the pope to write theological books. She was the author of the first known morality play; an artist of unusual talents; the most prolific chant composer of her era; and the first woman to write extensively on natural science and medicine, including sexuality as seen from a female perspective. She was the only woman of her time to preach openly to mixed audiences of clergy and laity, and the first saint whose biography includes a first-person memoir. Adding to the significance of this volume is the fact that Hildegard's oeuvre reflects the entire sweep of twelfth-century culture and society. Scholars and lay readers alike will find this collection a rich introduction to a remarkable figure and to her tumultuous world. With the commemoration of the 900th anniversary of Hildegard's birth in September 1998, the publication of Voice of the Living Light is especially welcome.

For a woman of the 12th century, Hildegard of Bingen's achievements were so exceptional that posterity has found it hard to take her measure. Hildegard authority Barbara Newman brings together major scholars to present an accurate portrait of the Benedictine nun and her many contributions to 12th-century religious, cultural, and intellectual life. 18 illustrations.

Darkness will not last forever. Together we can climb toward the light. They were as troubled as we, our ancestors, those who came before us, and all for the very same reasons: fear of illness, a broken heart, fights in the family, the threat of another war. Corrupt politicians walked their stage, and natural disasters appeared without warning. And yet they came through, carrying us within them, through the grief and struggle, through the personal pain and the public chaos, finding their way with love and faith, not giving in to despair but walking upright until their last step was taken. My culture does not honor the ancestors as a quaint spirituality of the past but as a living source of strength for the present. They did it and so will we. In the same voice that has comforted and challenged countless readers through his daily social media posts, Choctaw elder and Episcopal priest Steven Charleston offers words of hard-won hope, rooted in daily conversations with the Spirit and steeped in Indigenous wisdom. Every day Charleston spends time in prayer. Every day he writes down what he hears from the Spirit. In Ladder to the Light he shares what he has heard with the rest of us and adds thoughtful reflection to help guide us to the light Native America knows something about cultivating resilience and resisting darkness. For all who yearn for hope, Ladder to the Light is a book of comfort, truth, and challenge in a time of anguish and fear.

Titled for the influential singer left almost voiceless by a terrible syndrome, the poems bring sweet melodies and rhythms as the voices blend and become multitudinous. There’s an honoring of not only survival, but of persistence, as this part research-based, pensive collection contemplates what it takes to move forward when the unimaginable holds you back.

This heartwarming picture book reassures children that a parent’s love never lets go—based on the poignant lyrics of JJ Heller’s beloved lullaby “Hand to Hold.” “May the living light inside you be the compass as you go / May you always know you have my hand to hold.” With delightful illustrations and an engaging rhyme scheme, this book offers the promise of security and love every child’s heart longs to know. From skipping stones and counting stars to climbing trees and telling stories, every moment is wrapped snugly in the certain warmth of a parent’s presence and God’s blessing. With poignancy and joy, this bedtime read captures the unconditional love parents want their children to know but so often fail to express amid the chaos of daily life.

With a powerful introduction by Ross Gay and a moving afterword by Sidney Clifton, this special anniversary edition of The Book of Light offers new meditations and insights on one of the most beloved voices of the 20th century. Though The Book of Light opens with thirty-nine names for light, we soon learn the most meaningful name is Lucille—daughter, mother, proud Black woman. Known for her ability to convey multitudes in few words, Clifton writes into the shadows—her father’s violations, a Black neighborhood bombed, death, loss—all while illuminating the full spectrum of human emotion: grief and celebration, anger and joy, empowerment and so much grace. A meeting place of myth and the Divine, The Book of Light exists “between starshine and clay” as Clifton’s personas allow us to bear the world’s weight with Atlas and witness conversations between Lucifer and God. While names and dates mark this text as a social commentary responding to her time, it is haunting how easily this collection serves as a political palimpsest of today. We leave these poems inspired—Clifton shows us Superman is not our hero. Our hero is the Black female narrator who decides to live. And what a life she creates! “Won’t you celebrate with me?”

What greater gift could we give ourselves than to wake up and bring forward the Christ consciousness that dwells within. To become a living light. Indeed, every time we listen for the truth, we will find the light of Christ within. And there is nothing greater for us to uncover than this. For that’s the moment we’ll know there is truly nothing to fear. CONTENTS 1 THE FORCES OF ACTIVITY AND PASSIVITY | Searching Inside the Serenity Prayer and Finding God’s Will 2 MOBILITY IN RELAXATION | Could This be the Answer…to Everything? 3 SELF-CONFIDENCE | How Can We Get More? 4 DISCIPLINE | The Fine Art of Self-Discipline 5 BURIED BELIEFS | Really, How Bad Could they Be? 6 TRANSFERENCE VS. PROJECTION | The World is Our Mirror 7 FREE WILL | Why Doesn’t God Take Away Our Suffering? 8 SPIRITUAL NOURISHMENT | Nourishing Ourselves with Truth 9 FORGIVENESS | One Tough Nut to Crack 10 THE FIVE STAGES OF LOVE | Insecure and In Love: Is this Even Possible? 11 ATHEISM | Where Does it Come From? 12 DENIAL | The Mind-Blowing Damage of Denying Our Darkness 13 MONEY & POLITICS | The Almighty vs. the Almighty Dollar: Which do we Trust? 14 SHAME | The Right and Wrong Kind 15 SHAME OF THE HIGHER SELF | We’re Ashamed of our Best Self. Crazy, Right? 16 NEGATIVE PLEASURE | The Link Between Pleasure and Cruelty 17 THE PAIN OF INJUSTICE | The Pain of Injustice and the Truth about Fairness 18 THE MASS IMAGE OF SELF-IMPORTANCE | The Folly of Needing to Feel Special 19 THE THREE STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT | The Movement Toward Giving 20 THE WALL WITHIN | Where, Really, is the Wall? 21 THE FATHER, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT | Who Runs the World? 22 FAITH VS. WORKS | Is it Really One or the Other? 23 EASTER | On Rising Again 24 CHRISTMAS | The Brilliant Message of Christmas Lights 25 THE VIRGIN MARY | What if Mary wasn’t—*gasp*—a Virgin? 26 THE CROSS | What is the Symbolism? 27 THE REAL MEANING OF MEEK | Meek vs. Mild: Which Delivers the Goods? 28 BAPTISM | Doing the Work vs. Dipping in Water: Which Saves More? 29 THE LIGHT | How Do we Uncover our Light?

A Living Light explores some of the major events in the life of Hildegard of Bingen: mystic, physician, composer, and one of the foremost intellectuals of the Middle Ages. In the form of a dramatic novella, it telescopes to such life-changing events as the courageous recording of her visions, the Church's acceptance of her accounts of prophetic experience, the formation of her own abbey, and the interdiction against her nuns for the burial of a revolutionary on holy ground. A story of character, spiritual doubt and achievement, kindness and resolve, and a life devoted to both faith and works, A Living Light adds to the growing volume and range of works, both scholarly and creative, addressing the influence of this extraordinary woman; it attests to the profound effects possible through the commitment of single, loving, creative individuals even in the most difficult and oppressive of times.

OVER 350,000 COPIES SOLD! Do you feel that the ability to hear God's voice is for other people and not for you? Is it only for people who lived in Biblical times? Not at all! The God who loved you enough to die for you loves you enough to talk to you. And wherever you are in your spiritual walk, God will find a way to speak to you in a way you will understand. Become acquainted with the Voice that has spoken from a fire and a cloud, with visible signs and an invisible Spirit, through a burning bush and burning hearts. Hear from some of the most well known Christians in history about how God speaks to them, and discover for yourself how you can discern the voice of God. One of Priscilla’s bestselling titles, Discerning the Voice of God is now completely revised with updated content and reflection questions. Each section contains insights that will aid you in your desire to hear Him speak. Discover the treasure of recognizing how God keeps in touch with his beloved people.

• Details the nine stages of the ancient Egyptian initiatory path, describing each stage’s powers as well as the culminating ceremony called “The Crown of Isis” • Provides profound guided meditations for each of the nine stages and illustrates the manifestation of this path’s principles through stories of awakening • Shares the author’s personal journey as a Garment of Isis and her own powerful interactions with Isis, which culminated in her serving as Oracle of Isis at the Parliament of World Religions in Chicago in 1993 The Sacred Science of ancient Egypt was an initiatory spiritual system, a technology of consciousness designed to birth a mystical communion with the divinities, an embodied union of being between the eternal and the mortal. After initiation was completed, the re-identified being, now divinely possessed, was known as a Garment of Isis, signifying that the goddess Isis dwelt within them. Offering a practical guide to the key principles within the Egyptian temple tradition, Naomi Ozaniec explores the process of creating and developing a personal relationship with the Neteru, the divinities and forces of creation of ancient Egypt. She details the nine stages of this initiatory path, which are divided into three phases--heartmind, spiritmind, and soulmind. This step-by-step, interactive process culminates in a ceremony called The Crown of Isis. The author provides profound guided meditations and illustrates the manifestation of the initiate’s powers through stories of awakening brought on by this spiritual path. She also shares her personal journey as a Garment of Isis and her own powerful interactions with Isis. An accessible yet substantive guide to initiation into the Egyptian Mysteries, this book details how to gradually awaken and attune your mind to the symbolic, open access to higher realms of consciousness, and enter into a mystical marriage between personal and divine consciousness.