Moonbeams and Shooting Stars: Discover Inner Strength and Live a Happier More Spiritual Life [Paperback]

Gwinevere Rain (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 2, 2004

A guide to empowerment-from one teen to another.

Gwinevere Rain understands how confusing the teenage years can be for young women. In Moonbeams and Shooting Stars, she helps teens tap into non-traditional sources for the answers to life questions. In addition, she shares her own personal journey down a spiritual path to inner enlightenment and demonstrates how teenage girls can:

€ Invoke their intuitive power
€ Explore Goddess mythology, and apply the strengths represented by Goddesses to their own lives
€ Empower themselves to forgive and heal from past pain and old issues
€ Chart a path to achieve goals and acknowledge hidden aspirations
€ Create rituals for soulful and spirited expression

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Incorporating Wiccan beliefs, and presenting herself as a guide, 19-year-old author Rain uses her life experiences to help fellow teen girls get in touch with their inner selves in order to find peace and happiness. If nothing else, her book will introduce them to beautiful spiritual people, goddesses, embodiments of strength, shooting stars and angels. Rain believes that one of the best ways for a young woman to "get in touch with her soul" is to write. Thus the book includes blank pages after each section that can be used to note down thoughts or ideas—an inviting approach for young readers. Though the intent to empower young women with inner strength and self-appreciation is commendable, the book does lack substance. Discussing the moon, Greek mythology, and images of angels, Rain writes fluidly enough, she leaves out the connective material that would show readers how these topics relate to the search for their inner souls. For example, the chapter on the moon teaches readers to identify the moon’s phases, adopt its energies and synchronize the changes they need to make in their own lives with the moon’s phases. The question remains, though, how does such synchronization help readers find their strengths? In another exercise, readers are asked to list their goals and the obstacles that are stopping them from attaining them. Once the lists are made, a red pen should be used to cross out the obstacles, symbolically stripping them of their power over the reader. This exercise may be cute, but it needs to be taken further if it is to make a real difference in young lives. The book does touch upon some serious issues, such as coping with death, albeit lightly: Rain suggests lighting a candle and writing thoughts in a journal, allowing oneself the opportunity to say what was not said before. Yet despite its thinness, this book could still be a comfort to lonely teenagers, who may appreciate the author’s girlish, mothering tone.
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About the Author

Gwinevere Rain follows a nature-based Goddess path. She wrote her first book, Spellcraft for Teens, at the age of 16, and has contributed essays to several books including the Teen Witch Datebook.

Product Details

• Paperback: 160 pages
• Publisher: Prentice Hall Press (March 2, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0735203482
• ISBN-13: 978-0735203488
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,700,066 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Step-by-step guide for young women in search of spirituality, May 24, 2004

By 

Psyche (spiralnature.com) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moonbeams and Shooting Stars: Discover Inner Strength and Live a Happier More Spiritual Life (Paperback)

Gwinevere Rain, author of SpellCraft for Teens, has recently come out with her second book, Moonbeams & Shooting Stars. Moonbeams aims to aid in the spiritual growth of teen girls like Rain herself and successfully hits the mark.

Loosely based on neo-pagan thought, this book also incorporates beliefs from a few of the other major religions in attempts to make it non-denominational, and while it doesn't quite succeed in that, it does provide an excellent frame for young women to explore their inner selves.

Rain encourages one to 'look to your soul, and build up the internal power you already possess. Then, use that amazing energy to aid others' (pg 8). Though she also suggests that "you try and stay away from pushing your beliefs on other people. There are other ways to help without bringing intense political or religious beliefs into the picture" (pg 16-17), providing a positive, but tempered message.

She offers inspiring suggestions regarding acknowledging one's fears, setting goals, and using visualization to see oneself taking the steps needed to achieve them. Rain also discusses the value of prayer, identifying with goddesses, and how to seek the aid and comfort of guardian angels.

Perhaps the most useful aspect of this little book are the journal exercises with lined pages to be used to explore the inner mind, accompanied by Rain's personal anecdotes. Of course, there are also numerous simple rituals and meditations, with a section on simple ritual construction toward the end.

Rain has provided a step-by-step guide for young women in search of their inner selves which is simple, yet sweet. Suitable for teens just beginning to explore their spirituality, but perhaps a bit light for those with more serious study in mind.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Empowering, Eye-Opening, Must Read!, April 7, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Moonbeams and Shooting Stars: Discover Inner Strength and Live a Happier More Spiritual Life (Paperback)

Moonbeams & Shooting Stars: Discover Inner Strength and Live a Happier More Spiritual Life is Gwinevere Rain's second book. Beautiful black and white photographs and mystical star images scatter across the pages setting an enchanting tone. Author Gwinevere Rain captures the readers attention at the very first page and takes us along on an eye opening spiritual journey.

Created for teen females of every religion, this book is truly a first of it's kind. Throughout these chapters Gwinevere aids young females in reclaiming their inner feminine power;

1. Dance Upon a Moonbeam: Embrace Your Soul
2. Welcome Change: Moon Wisdom and Phases
3. The Goddess Speaks: Ancient Power
4. Heal and Forgive: Life Issues
5.Catch a Shooting Star: Wishes, Hopes and Dreams
6. Angels by Your Side: Celestial Guidance
7. Create Positive Rituals: Acknowledge Inner Strength

Journal exercises and lined pages serve a duel purpose; to break up the text and inspire reader interaction. With deep profound advice, personal stories and words of true empowerment it's hard to believe that the author penned Moonbeams at the wisdom-filled age of eighteen. Her tone is consistent, supportive and sisterly proving that no young women is alone; we all have a Goddess inside.

An experience not to be forgotten, Moonbeams & Shooting Stars is a must read!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars A starting place, April 28, 2004

By 

Boudica (Ohio USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Moonbeams and Shooting Stars: Discover Inner Strength and Live a Happier More Spiritual Life (Paperback)

This little book focuses on Teens and their connection to spirituality and the Goddess. It is a step by step guide to finding inner spirituality.

Ms. Rain's focus is on the female teen, offering a spiritual journey filled with personal empowerment as an alternative to the usual distractions of the teen years. The suggestion is to start young working on personal spirituality, enabling you to grow better and happier. She discusses some of the obstacles that many teens encounter, discusses her own personal experiences and has room in the book for personal journaling as you deal with events in your life.

I liked the layout, the progression of the book. The chapters deal with self, the Goddess, listening to the Goddess and finding your own personal power, exploring your points of hurt and finding healing within. There is a chapter that explores your own hopes and desires and how to set your own personal goals.

I had some trouble with her 'Angels' chapter. There are many religions that have 'angels' in their makeup, but to suggest that bodhisattvas, Orishas or Taoist Immortals are angels or angel like beings shows much Silver Ravenwolf influence and should have been left out. Bodhisattvas, Orishas and Taoist Immortals are Their own Beings, and should not be forced into someone's definition to accommodate a personal idea or writers need. Angels are angels in their own context and the religions they apply to and should not be included in someone else's pantheon for the sake of 'inclusiveness'.

Native American beliefs should not have been included either, as they too are a path unto themselves.

Ms Rain seems to have tried to include all paths, but reading the previous chapters, the material first appears Wiccan in nature but then shifts towards general pagan religious beliefs. She discusses Christianity and Judaism and Islam beliefs and then tries to include everything else. It becomes confusing as to what spirituality Ms. Rain was trying to focus on. If it was supposed to be a general spirituality, then Angels should not have been included or at least confined to their own origins and that would have eliminated much of the confusion and misinformation.

The balance of the material is good; it works well, and can be an excellent beginning for the teen girl who is looking to connect with spirituality and the Goddess and foster personal empowerment. The journaling is a good idea and works well with the material presented here. Nice book if you can overlook the youthful enthusiasm to be all inclusive on a Goddess path. boudica