Customer Reviews

Avalon, the Temple of Connection: A Game of Spiritual Transformation

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As a child of the pre-computer era, I've always preferred board games to video games. Monopoly, Clue, and Risk brightened my rainy days during child­hood, and I still enjoy the social aspect of such playful pastimes.
Carolyn Cobelo's original new board game, Avalon: The Temple of Connection (0­9670412-01-1, $59.95 retail), differs from these old favorites in several important ways. First, it's noncompetitive. Self-discovery and union with the divine are the goals of this win-win game. In fact, players begin by holding hands in a circle and praying together rather than rattling swords. Second, Avalon is not just a form of entertainment, but also a mystical journey of nine stages that actually facilitates self-healing by stimulating positive life changes. Through the use of sacred geom­etry, sacred architecture, mythology, sound, color, movement, and spiritual and alchemi­cal symbolism, players are encouraged to open creative blocks, connect with their inner po­tential, and release limiting karmic patterns. Players travel along the Karmic Path through a sacred temple, at whose center resides the Holy of Holies. On the way, they pass through nine levels of consciousness (linked with the chakras) and encounter as­pects of themselves in ways that awaken perception, memories, and insights. Ten dif­ferent types of playing cards -- including karma, desire, and discovery -- direct the action. Visualization, chanting, blessings, and sharing personal experiences with other players are all part of the game and aid the process of transformation and healing. This multidimensional game can be played alone, with a small group of friends, or in a workshop. Avalon contains a 20-by-31 ­inch, full-color game board, 412 full-color play­ing cards, a guidebook, audiotape, and six gemstones that serve as playing pieces.