Customer Reviews

The Shining Paths

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have been involved in metaphysical subjects since 1969 and could not understand the Kabbalah or the Tree of Life until the initial printing of this book came out. This is a GREAT book for people of a non-Jewish background, especially if you are a Pagan, who wish to understand this glyph of the Kabbalah. Once you read the book it will enlighten you to the reason of why the Sephira react the way they do. My advice is to get a copy of this book, read it as a novel (like Alice's Adventures in Wonderland) then get a diagram of the Tree of Life, see the correlations, and do the chapters as a meditation. Then you can go back to Jewish texts about the Tree and understand what they are trying to say. This is a CLASSIC, EASY-TO-UNDERSTAND Text about the Tree of Life that shouldn't keep going out of print the way it does,so get yours today.

Dolores has a gift for the histrionic and leads her guided meditation sessions with a unique flair. In this book she expresses her skills to the utmost and also gives the reader/participator a magnificent grounding in the sephiroth and paths. If you want to study the attributes use this book. Also if you want to set the tree in motion in your life use this book.

Unusual and almost unique.

The author has provided a complete set of visualizations on the various Kabbalistic Sefiroth as a guided path towards growth via meditation. It is interesting and even inspiring and a bit poetic as well. It's loaded with symbols of great meaning, but with symbols in general, their meanings are multiple and varied and, ultimately individual as well as collective. I think this book could be a very useful tool as long as the reader doesn't get lost in the fact that it is the author's view and not necessarily accurate for everyone. It is somewhat reminiscent of the ancient Hekalot literature describing a mystical journey through the palaces of heaven, the Talmudic description of the four who travelled to the Garden from which only Rabbi Akiva came away unscathed, the Egyptian Book of the Dead, and the Egyptian Book of Gates. It can be viewed either as a light story (or myth) OR as a set of highly advanced mystical practices in the Kabbalistic tradition. Your choice. If you like it, I would recommend Z'ev ben Shimon Halevi's books, especially the "Way of the Kabbalist."

If I ever end up shipwrecked on an island with no hope of rescue, this is the one book I MUST have with me. It's twenty years old now and for pleasure I still reread all of the pages, finding new details and new insights. In the introduction, the author suggests reading with deliberation and care. She probably didn't have my pace in mind! But it's been a joy and a deepending understand with each foray. I highly recommend this work to anyone with a sincere penchant for becoming the best you can be on a spiritual level. It's a 'keeper'.

First of all I'm a huge fan of this book. I owned and used the original first edition about 15 years ago. It is a POWERFUL book. It really can't be overstated that this is an intense book for self-change if one takes the time to do all the pathworkings to the best of ones abilities.

So why only 3 stars? Because this version has atrocious copy editing. Really, it looks like it wasn't edited at all. There are endless typos, and for some reason the author seems to think that just putting commas between complete sentences helps the flow of the book. Please get an editor! The amateur editing only diminishes what is great addition to any serious practitioner of Magick or Western-style Qabalah.

Unfortunately, this appears to be the most current edition. The pagination was way off when I got towards the middle of the book, which greatly hampered my ability to follow along in a class that this book was being used for.

I too am a big fan of this book and have really enjoyed other works by this author, but anyone wanting this book would do well to dig up the Aquarian Press version.

If publishers are going to be able to survive the decline in the industry, especially in areas as specialized as this book covers, there is no excuse for such shoddy workmanship.

I go back to this book many times and have since bought several titles from this excellent author usuefull to a beginning or well practiced magi wiccan or occultist, also like kate trobe's book

Awesome book, helps you along on your inner journey. The more you put into the techniques described - the more you get out of it.
Highly recommended :-D

Anyone attempting to understand and use the qabala system will benefit greatly from this book. Dolores is a magnificent writer and knows her stuff. HIGHLY RECOMENDED.

It's been a while since I read this book, but it was absolutely fantastic. I strongly recommend it.