Parent as Mystic, Mystic as Parent [Hardcover]

David Spangler (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 28, 1998

The words "parent" and "mystic" may seem an odd combination, but most parents will tell you that the birth of a child is spiritually significant--an experience of connection with the divine. Mystical. And there is magic in a parent-child relationship, which relies on intuition, total presence, and impulses that seem to come from neither the mind nor the body--impulses of the soul. It is through the daily practice of our system of beliefs that we each seek our own version of fulfillment. Parent as Mystic, Mystic as Parent is about recognizing the qualities we call forth in ourselves every day in order to live according to our beliefs, and then understanding that we need to employ these same qualities in fostering our child's own uniqueness. To raise creative, honest, independent kids, we need to practice conscious parenting, David Spangler writes. Informed by the author's experiences with his own children and charged with sharp wit and warm sensibility, this is no ordinary book about parenting. Instead, it is a book about the ordinary, the blessings of the day-in and day-out of child rearing--a book that will both captivate and inspire you.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

From the author of The Call comes an exquisite memoir on the mystical act of parenting. Although Spangler possesses numerous gifts as a writer and spiritual leader (he is a former coleader of Scotland's spiritual community Findhorn), his most meaningful life work has always taken place within the boundaries of marriage and parenthood (he is the father of four children). So it was only fitting that this self-described "freelance mystic" finally shed his wisdom and humor upon this sacred and mundane act. "We may think of mysticism as the dimension of complex issues of theology and spiritual cosmology, but it is really much simpler," explains Spangler. "It is, at heart, about learning how to recognize and work with the connectedness of the world, the wholeness of all things. Love is at its root, and love is equally at the root of what we do as parents. It is in the spirit of this common rootedness that the parent embodies the mystic and mystic the parent."

In sharing his parenting challenges (such as staying present in the presence of a flailing, crying baby or trying to honor a daughter's yearning to become a racehorse jockey), Spangler has packaged a book so tender and profound that parents cannot help but be inspired to bring their highest and most joyful selves to every interaction of parenthood. --Gail Hudson

From Publishers Weekly

"We are each slices of God, pieces of the infinite, of the primal Mystery," writes Spangler (The Call) in this sweet-spirited rumination on parenting. "How can we afford not to contact each other, whatever our age, our relationship, or our station in life, with wonderment, respect, and a sense of new possibilities?" This striving to keep a sense of existing within a greater wholeness is not a hobby but a full-time job for Spangler, a self-described "freelance mystic" and father of four. Through personal anecdotes, the author, who is often cited as a pioneer of the New Age movement, reveals an earnestly nonhierarchical approach to parenting and spirituality that underlines the sacred dimension of simple parental acts such as welcoming kids onto a warm lap and listening deeply. "To discover God, make a lap," Spangler proclaims. He encourages parents to let their natural feelings of tenderness and nurturing responsibility flower rather than to perpetuate authoritarian stereotypes, stressing that children emerge through a co-creative, fostering process. They can't be hammered into shape. Spangler's take on painful subjects such as divorce and abuse focuses on the need for parents to be courageous enough to face and forgive their own wounds and shadows in order to break old, harmful patterns. The gentle mystical approach he offers is sound, because it is rooted in the understanding that while we may all ultimately be One, we are also inescapably separate, with our loving attention the most priceless gift we can give to another.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 191 pages
• Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover; 1ST edition (December 28, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1573221066
• ISBN-13: 978-1573221061
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,605,325 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invites us to be mystics in midst of ordinary tasks., January 6, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Parent as Mystic, Mystic as Parent (Hardcover)

Some books challenge classification. Is this book meant for parents? Most definitely! But it's also for all those seeking to live as mystics in the everyday reality of our lives. And whether one is a parent or not, this wise, delightful, reflective and unpredictable little book offers a perspective which may forever alter the way one thinks of parenting and being a mystic.

While I am not a parent, I AM a doting aunt, bountiful fairy godmother, proud great aunt, and occasionally, a weekend substitiute for my parent friends when they travel. So I too found myself laughing at some of David Spangler's hilarious tales of the adventures of parenting and moved by his vision of the mystical nature of parenting. What he is saying is that one may touch into the heart of God or the Oneness or the Mystery in the very midst of our ordinary moments. And how better to do that than to walk through the days of a parent who chooses to find the sacred amidst diapering, carpooling, comforting and all the daily crises and celebrations that define parenting?

I particularly love it when I am challenged to look at a common reality as in the chapter "Aliens". The author suggests we view children as though they were aliens we were in a "first contact" situation. Would that change our attitudes to ones of respect, listening and co-operation? It reminded me of the sense of privilege I feel when I am invited into a child's world if only for a short while.

And I think my favorite chapter is the one called "Laps". "A lap is a parent's best friend, a tool of transformation that would make any magician green with envy." Laps are places of calm, centering, safety and love - and always potentially available. How would it be to imagine ourselves holding each other, ourselves, the world - even God - on our "laps"? As the author says, "to discover God, make a lap!"

The language throughout is simple, poetic and warm with vivid images and lots of gentle humor. There is an overwhelming sense of compassion for and identification with the struggles of exhausted parents as well as a sheer delight in the unfolding miracles which children are.

So my recommendation: read this book - whether you are a parent or a friend of a parent, or a metaphorical parent to your work, your community, the world. Give this book to your friends who are parents, and your friends who are struggling to be mystics. Keep one on your bedside table. And - make a lap!

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wish I had read this excellent book when I was a parent!, January 13, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Parent as Mystic, Mystic as Parent (Hardcover)

I bought this book at a conference to give to my daughter who is a new parent, and ended up reading it myself. I'm glad I did! It is an excellent book which leads you into surprising depths in a very warm and witty way. I wish I had had the benefit of Spangler's insights and philosophy when my children were all at home, but I found the teachings in this book are every bit as applicable and useful to me now as a person pursuing a spiritual path as they would have been when I was more actively parenting. This book is a wonderful discovery, and I intend to keep my copy for myself and get another for my daughter and now for my son as well, who is single!

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational for parents, February 1, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Parent as Mystic, Mystic as Parent (Hardcover)

This book is a sweet reminder that being a parent and having a spiritual practice are not mutually exclusive paths. David's warmth and wit are pure inspiration, reminding us of the supremely important work of shaping the future--otherwise known as parenting.