Moore pens foreword to book about maturity

Thomas Moore writes the foreword to Paul Dunion's new book, Dare to Grow Up: Learn to Become Who You are Meant to Be, published by Bartleby Press. Today's press release quotes Moore: “'[Dunion] presents a deep and comprehensive view of the human person in relationship with others, and in doing so he doesn’t leave out soul,' says Thomas Moore, author of the bestseller Care of the Soul ..."

In his foreword, Moore confesses:

"May I say that I have a certain affection for my neurotic tendencies. They make me who I am as much as any gifts or talents I may have. I feel humbled reading Paul’s book, because I realize how difficult it has been to mature as a person. I’m almost seventy, but inwardly I’m forty-two. That’s the age I feel myself to be. I’m surprised on the street when an old man talks to me as though we share something in common. How could that be? I’m forty-two.
. . .
Of course, Paul doesn’t mean just getting older. He’s talking about being mature enough to handle boundaries, to occupy a decent psychological geography, and to know the difference between moral positioning and ethical engagement. These are real achievements. I would call them soul talents and acquisitions."

Read Moore's foreword and Dunion's introduction to Dare to Grow Up on Dunion's site.

At Amazon.com:
Dare to Grow Up: 
Learn to Become who You are Meant to Be
by Paul Dunion
Foreword by Thomas Moore
Paperback: 324 pages
Publisher: Bartleby Press (February 25, 2012)
ISBN-10: 0910155879
ISBN-13: 978-0910155878

Read this Foreword about Jung and meditation

Thomas Moore writes the Foreword for the re-issued  Gathering the Light: A Jungian View of Meditation by V. Walter Odajnyk Ph.D. In this piece, Moore references one of his favourite books by Jung:

"If you have read C. G. Jung’s memoir Memories, Dreams, Reflections, you will have eavesdropped on a remarkable man who, perhaps more than any other 20th century person, used many methods, internal and external, to explore his soul. Many readers are surprised to find what they thought was an autobiography to be slight on facts and heavy with internal images and experiences. Jung explored and mapped and named the inhabitants of the inner world with a ferocity of imagination rarely seen."

Moore also writes about Jung's approach to the relationship between psychology and religion:

"When contemporary psychology confronts meditation, it often moves in a reductive direction, like telling us that certain parts of the brain are lighting up when a person enters deep focus. But Jung was not your typical psychologist. He had a vast and detailed interest in religious and spiritual issues and for the most part didn’t reduce the spiritual to the psychological. Or, if he did come close to it on occasion, generally he tried to elevate psychology through an enthusiastic appreciation of religion and opened up the meaning of religious rites and imagery with his own rich brand of psychologizing. As a former member of a Catholic religious order, I found his writings on the Mass and on the Virgin Mary enlightening and enriching."

He includes, "I welcome the re-appearance of this book because generally people focus on the technical aspects of meditating and not so much on the processes and fantasies of the psyche that are involved." Shambhala originally published this book in 1993. Odajnyk is "a Jungian analyst, and serves as a Core Faculty member and is the Research Coordinator for Pacifica Graduate Institute's Mythological Studies Program."

Gathering the Light: A Jungian View of Meditation
by V. Walter Odajnyk
Paperback: 264 pages
Publisher: Fisher King Press (December 2011)
ISBN-10: 1926715551
ISBN-13: 978-1926715551

Moore reviews Art and Yoga for Amazon.com

In addition to the foreword for his wife's new book, Art and Yoga: Kundalini Awakening in Everyday Life, Thomas Moore writes a thoughtful review for Amazon.com. Scroll this linked page to read his description and for a link to his other reviews on the site. Moore concludes, "In fact, I'd say that the book would be enlightening and enjoyable even if you don't practice yoga or have any interest in painting. Everyone needs to appreciate the place of the deep, reflective soul in the life of the spirit."

Title: Art and Yoga: Kundalini Awakening in Everyday Life
Author: Hari Kirin Kaur Khalsa
Foreword: Thomas Moore
Paperback: 128 pages
Publisher: Kundalini Reseasrch Institute
Date: June, 2011
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1934532673
ISBN-13: 978-1934532676
  
Barque: Thomas Moore's Work offers links and excerpts from Moore's foreword for this book.

Moore contributes to book about Renaissance

Thomas Moore writes the Foreword to Julianne Davidow's book, Outer Beauty Inner Joy: Contemplating the Soul of the Renaissance, published by Bunker Hill Publishing, available October 2010.

According to the publisher, "Outer Beauty Inner Joy is a spiritual book about beauty in which the author has gathered the wisdom of Renaissance writers and artists into a contemplative modern-day book of hours. Using the visual beauty of Renaissance masterpieces and the wisdom of the poets and artists of the time the author shows, in the words from Thomas Moore's Foreword, 'in visual images, words, and description, a point of view that has been utterly lost to the modern mind: the idea that divinity and humanism go together.'"

The publisher's catalogue shares, "Davidow is a writer and photographer. Her writing and photography have been published in numerous publications and she has exhibited in Italy, New York and at the Royal Academy, London. She lives in New York City and Venice Italy."

Title: Outer Beauty Inner Joy: Contemplating the Soul of the Renaissance
Author: Julianne Davidow
Hardcover: 144 pages - 60 color photographs
Publisher: Bunker Hill Publishing (Oct 16 2010)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1593730861
ISBN-13: 978-1593730864
This book may be pre-ordered now.

Moore affirms poetry's transformative power

This month, Hay House publishes Kim Rosen’s book, Saved by a Poem: The Transformative Power of Words. According to the publisher's site, "Whether you are a lover of poetry or have yet to discover its power, Rosen offers a new way to experience a poem. She encourages you to feel the poem as an affirmation or prayer, which can align every level of your being. In an uncertain world, Saved by a Poem is a call to cultivate the ever-renewable resources of the heart. With teaching, story, verse, and memoir, Rosen guides you to find a poem that speaks to your soul and shows you how to take its wisdom into your life."

This book includes a companion CD of "Rosen's insights along with the voices of well-known authors and visionaries, including Thomas Moore, Joan Borysenko, and Jane Hirshfield, each reading a favorite poem and discussing its personal significance."

Moore writes about gospels in Hillman volume

Spring Journal Books announces the availability of Archetypal Psychologies, Reflections in Honor of James Hillman, edited by Stanton Marlan. Publicity for the book includes,

"In this volume, Stanton Marlan brings together the work of 29 leading scholars, practitioners, and new voices as a testament to the fecundity and influence of archetypal psychology around the world. Archetypal Psychologies highlights the importance both of Hillman's original contributions and of current developments in this field. Featured in the volume are an excerpt from the developing official biography of James Hillman, a provocative current interview with Hillman, and a series of rare photographs. This work provides a fascinating exploration of the innovative ideas and current controversies generated by archetypal psychology and of how its many-faceted approach to life and culture intersects with and enriches contemporary society."

Thomas Moore contributed "Notes towards an Archetypal Theology of the Gospels" in the POETRY, MYTH, ART, AND RELIGION section.

Archetypal Psychologies,
Reflections in Honor of James Hillman
ISBN: 978-1-882670-54-3
524 pages
$32.95 (U.S.)
This book is from the Studies in Archetypal Psychology Series.
Series Editor: Greg Mogenson

Power of Forgiveness to air on public television

Earlier this week in Washington D.C., Thomas Moore spoke about the power of forgiveness, as a panel member, with filmmaker Martin Doblmeier and author Kenneth Briggs, whose projects about forgiveness include Moore’s participation. This month, the Fetzer Institute, a nonprofit foundation in Kalamazoo, Michigan, sponsors release of The Power of Forgiveness on public television, as a feature of its Campaign for Love & Forgiveness.

"The word 'forgiveness' may be the most provocative word in our culture today," says Doblmeier. "There is an underlying anger in our country that we see regularly in our movies, in the news, even on our highways. For some that anger is acceptable. Others are calling for a new direction in our thinking and the way we interact with others. Forgiveness offers a solid first step."

"Taking its theme and key resources from the film, Briggs' book points in a direction of its own: probing religious meanings of the process of forgiveness, including the pacifist option; testing the complexities and limits of forgiving; considering the difficulties of actually carrying it out; and examining the scientific claims about the health benefits of forgiveness."

The notice, about the Campaign for Love & Forgiveness's sponsorship, says the web site offers downloadable discussion guides for the film, information on the outreach efforts of the seven public television stations and their community partners, suggested daily practices of love and forgiveness, resource lists, audio recordings provided by StoryCorps, and a place to submit personal stories of forgiveness.

The Fetzer Institute, with its mission "to foster awareness of the power of love and forgiveness in the emerging global community" is convinced "efforts to address the world's critical issues must go beyond political, social, and economic strategies to their psychological and spiritual roots."

Moore writes foreword to The Way of the Small

Thomas Moore has written the foreword to Michael Gellert’s The Way of the Small: Why Less Is More, published by Nicolas-Hays in November 2007. According to the book release, Gellert is a faculty member of the C.G. Jung Institute of Los Angeles and a certified Jungian analyst in private practice. He wrote Modern Mysticism: Jung, Zen, and the Still Good Hand of God (1995), and The Fate of America: An Inquiry into National Character (2001). Amazon.com’s listing for The Way of the Small includes three 5-star customer reviews.

Foreword: Thomas Moore
Author: Michael Gellert
Paperback: 184 pages
Publisher: Nicolas-Hays (November 2007)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0892541296
ISBN-13: 978-0892541294

Thank you, Ken Blackham, for bringing this contribution to our notice.