"Readings" identifies books or other materials that I found useful over the years as my path began to become clearer. That is the only commonality to the items that are listed here. I love to read. I read enormously as a child, anything and everything that I could get my hands on while growing up in a small Kentucky town without a public library or bookstore. One of my greatest joys as a child was going to Louisville now and then where there were bookstores. I would roam the aisles for hours until I got yanked out by my mother who while sympathetic, had her agenda as well. So, I have read thousands of books over the years. Gratefully, only a few are listed here…the list will expand over time as I read and add new books. Come back and visit.

NOTE: Most of these books are available through www.amazon.com or Barnes and Noble (www.bn.com); however, some may be or will go out of print and may need to be found in used book stores or corresponding web sites. Here is my Number One choice. The rest follow...

Tapestry of the Gods by Michael D. Robbins, Ph.D. is a most remarkable, in fact the most remarkable, spiritually oriented work that I know. Dr. Robbins' work is a multivolume, thoroughly researched, and very understandable treatment of the 7 Rays (energy strands) of which everything including space is composed. If you want to understand who you are and where you are headed (or should be if you want to evolve spiritually) then here are the answers. Derived from the works of Alice A. Bailey and others who studied the work of Djwhal Khu "the Tibetan" in the early part of the 20th century, the author (in the first two volumes totalling about 1,200 pages - I know it is a lot but well worth reading) intelligently and directly reveals what was known only in mystery schools until less than 100 years ago. Printed copies of the books can be purchased at the 7 Ray Institute (a lot less expensive than at Amazon) or a PDF download can be obtained by clicking here. There is no fixed price for the download; a donation of any amount gets you the download.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz - this one is second in my list of books I would take to the proverbial desert island. Don Miguel has fashioned a wonderful set of simple and powerful practices that are a great guide to everyday living regardless of one's spiritual progress. By the way, the four agreements are: be impeccable with your workd, don't take anything personally, never make assumptions, and always do your best.

Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav - now it could be said that Gary is a little flat in the personality department (I have seen him on Oprah), but the guy has a lot to say about spirituality. This book is virtually a primer on how much of spiritual development works. Most of it is clearly written (some of it is a bit obtuse - like animal karma) and well worth taking on. Skip the parts you don't understand.

Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield - Off the top, Mr. Redfield is an untalented fiction writer - my son wrote better and more compelling fiction when he was twelve, BUT the book has a lot to offer beyond the unbelievable dialogue and flat characters. It provides an excellent blueprint for exploring the domain of spirit, and hey, it is entertaining at times. For those who like spirit light, this is a good read.

Dance of the 4 Winds and Island of the Sun by Alberto Villoldo - Dr. Villoldo is a PhD medical anthropologist but don't let that put you off from reading his lyrical and fascinating accounts of discovering Andean shamanism while researching energy healing in Peru and Bolivia. The books should be read in the order of "Dance" followed by "Island" as the latter is basically a sequel to the first. These books awakened my interest in shamanism (click NeoShamanism) and journey work (click Journeys).

The Active Side of Infinity by Carlos Castaneda - Carlos wrote many books based on his studies and experiences with the legendary Don Juan in Mexico. This book, his last before his death, summarizes his experiences and reflections on his life-long study of shamanism and altered states of reality. It is a poignant and revealing history of his passion to study an arcane and mystical world.

The Way of the Shaman by Michael Harner - Michael Harner, PhD, is considered by many to be the dean of American shamans. He first studied shamanism as a detached anthropologist, then as a fascinated practitioner. All of this is explained in the book, but moreover, the book is a good primer on what shamanism is about and its underlying principles.

Coyote Medicine by Lewis Mehl-Madrona, MD - Dr. Madrona describes himself as a "half-breed" mixture of Caucasian - Native American parentage. As a child then as an adult studying and practicing allopathic medicine, he was also something of a renegade in the medical community by being so bold as to focus on his patients more than their "dis-eases." Eventually, he explored alternative medicine based on his Native American heritage and blended it with "traditional" western allopathic medicine. His personal and professional journeys are described in this book along with penetrating commentaries and wisdom about health.

Re-member A Handbook for Human Evolution and Welcome Home - The New Planet Earth by Steve Rother - Steve and his wife Barbara are dear friends for several years. Talk about a guy who awakened and stepped into his passion; that would be Steve. He began channeling an entity that he identifies as the Group, and these two books are collections of his channels of the Group. Their messages cover a wide range of topics and themes that address much of what has happened, is happening, and will happen on the Earth. You can also find out more about Steve and Barbara's work at http://www.lightworker.com/.

A note to those of you who are fans of other channels/entities: I know that there are many, many people who channel nowadays and publish or communicate the messages they received. By specifically pointing out Steve Rother's work I am not maintaining that the Group's messages are the only valid ones coming through so no invalidation of any other channel is intended. There is not enough time in the day to read or listen to everyone's experiences, and I think that is great. The more flavors of the truth, the more appetites can be satisfied.

The End Times (the first Kryon book) by Lee Carroll - Lee channels an entity identified as Kryon and wrote (and continues to write) several books containing channeled material. This was his first book, and it is the one that launched me on my path of gaining awareness. The personal experience that this book facilitated was one of the most remarkable of my life. If you want to learn more about it, please click the section of this site called Ron McCray. The same note that I wrote following Steve Rother's books applies equally to the inclusion of Lee Carroll's work.

Illusions by Richard Bach - an elegant work of fiction as a "what if" about someone fully stepping into his power as a spiritual being having a human experience, Bach's book is both entertaining and provocative. It is another example of spiritual lite.

Aesop's Fables by Aesop - probably the oldest book that will appear in my list, I started reading Aesop's Fables when a child, and continue to read it today. In fact, I still have the dog-eared, hardbound copy from my childhood - the only book from that era of my life that has survived. The fables are short and wonderful metaphors for understanding the behavior of human beings - and what to watch out for. Using simple summary messages, Aesop suggests principles to live by using questions and admonitions. This is a great book for children.

If God Was Like Man by Barbara Rose carries a title that piques one’s curiosity. It is a small book in words but large in the message it delivers. Barbara was gifted the contents of the book by God and did a marvelous job of putting it to paper. The title is the premise of the book. In its pages are found fundamental truths of who we are as human and divine beings. The voice is neither sanctimonious nor lofty and speaks from the heart to the heart. This book is not only great to read, it is an excellent gift to anyone who is awakened, and perhaps it might even awaken some folks. To buy this book click here.

The Tao of Leadership by John Heider - I became interested in the Tao well before I started waking up. There was an attraction and pull to the Tao that kept me coming back and back. Heider's book is one of hundreds of interpretations of the Tao te Ching by Lao-tsu, a Chinese philosopher who lived circa 500 BC. The work is composed of 81 one-page chapters each of which has a distinct message. I have read several translations, and I like Heider's the best because of its simplicity and ease (for the most part) of understanding. The best way to read his book (or any translation of the Tao te Ching) is to simply pick it up and read - then start thinking but not too hard.

Ecotopia by Ernest Callenbach was published in 1975. It is a badly written novel; however, its redeeming value lies in its presentation of a society that is largely without fear, whose citizens speak their truth and do what they say they will do. The story takes place in a not too distant future in which northern California, Oregon, and Washington state have seceded from the rest of the USA creating the soverign nation called Ecotopia. Ecotopia seals its borders with the USA, but allows one US reporter to visit the country for several weeks and and describe what he discovers in a series of articles. The result , although not great fiction, is a very enlightening thesis of what a country that values its citizens over the state might look like and the corresponding impact on citizen and nation alike. There are some surprizes. If you are interested in this book, check our its prequel, Ecotopia Emerging.

Individual Power – Reclaiming Your Core, Your Truth and Your Life by Barbara Rose is a book that one reads and then refers to and rereads over time. The light that Barbara brings through in the book is a beacon in the dark. Her messages are timeless. Her wisdom, compassion, and ability to reach readers everywhere make Individual Power a gift to all of us. From the very personal to the public issues that face all of us, the wisdom that Barbara shares is universal. Click here to visit her website.

Bushman Shaman by Bradford Keeney, PhD is one of the most unusual books that I have read in some time. Dr. Keeney is a distinguished psychotherapist who has also traveled extensively in the world to explore and master techniques for entering into ecstatic states via music, chanting, and dance including his initiation as a "bushman" shaman by the Kalahari shamans in Africa. More than an autobiography Dr. Keeney also offers rare and incisive knowledge of modern therapy based on shamanistic principles. This is a man who has successfully married ancient and modern science of being and mind. For anyone interested in Dr. Keeney's approach to psychotherapy, I highly recommend an earlier book by him: Everyday Soul.

The Law of One, Books 1-5 by Don Elkins, Carla Ruckert, and Jim McCarty is a collection of channeled materials from an entity known as Ra. I have read a lot of channeled material and never have I encountered such specificity as in The Law of One. Ra answers so many questions that were of great interest to me such as how we progress through the densities of spirituality, the influence that the Dark Ones exert to prevent service to others, the origin of the tarot, how the Universe is constructed, and the role that humans are given in creation. The books are rarely found nowadays although they are available from amazon.com. I suggest that you order them directly from the authors at Light/Love Research which supports the ongoing work of the two surviving authors.

Looking for God - Seeing the Whole in One by Chuck Hillig is a very unusual book that employs a physical hole drilled through the entire book! Chuck uses the metaphor of a hole as well as the actual hole to simply present complex topics in a very straigtforward and humorous fashion. To quote the book, "The focus of the (w)hole book is all about, well...NOTHING !!! And here is a (w)hole lot of it." (This line is followed by a looping arrow to the "hole" in the book.) This description loses a lot in the translation but it is well worthing reading and reading. Good job, Chuck.

The End (for now)