The Body, Mind, Spirit Miscellany: The Ultimate Collection of Fascinations, Facts, Truths, and Insights
A miscellany is a wonderful entity, guaranteed to intrigue and amaze, to amuse and entertain. Who hasn't picked up a miscellany, on virtually any topic, intending to read just one entry - only to emerge an hour or so later having been lured in to the wonderful world of unusual and unexpected facts?  When I was approached to write this book my first reaction was one of surprise that there wasn't already a miscellany of Mind, Body, Spirit. After all, who isn't interested in the net of faith that encircles our world? Who isn't captivated by the curious world of myth and magic? Who wouldn't like to know how to use natural and unusual remedies to cure everyday complaints? The field is vast - the study not just of life but of the afterlife too - and, in its enormity, can appear daunting for the novice seeker. A miscellany however allows one to browse, in a blissfully random way, dipping and delving into a patchwork of lists, explanations, clarifications, summaries, curiosities.  However, what makes this miscellany special is that it will appeal to everyone - not just the interested beginner but also the profound sceptic and, equally, to those who are well-read and highly experienced in the area.I have been fascinated by the field of Mind Body Spirit since childhood. We were a family of seekers, fascinated by the esoteric, intrigued by the arcane. I was being pulled into yoga asanas before I went to school and was reading the tarot by the time I was seven. I grew up surrounded by books on Kabbalah and Zen Buddhism; listening to Sufi poetry and Chinese Cheng music. My mother was a homeopath and, as a teenager, I investigated herbalism, flower remedies and aromatherapy. I later trained in past life therapy, SHEN energy healing, shamanism and Jungian art and dream therapy. As a journalist I have dedicated the last twenty years to investigating the MBS field and I have written over twenty books on the subject. I'll be honest, I didn't think that MBS could hold too many more surprises for me.However I will freely admit that writing this book has been a journey of near constant revelation and delight. I realised that, however much you may think you know, there is always more to discover. For example, in the course of researching this book I learnt that myomancy is divination by observing the movement and behaviour of mice (so a visit to the pet shop might be in order!) and I can now differentiate between the two major types of ghost in the Viking sagas. I was intrigued to find that the Jewish menorah symbolised the Kabbalistic Tree of Life and, to my utter amazement, I discovered that people were reading about (and recording pictures of) crop circles way back in 1678. I am now itching to read a plethora of unfamiliar esoteric texts and have an overwhelming urge to visit a host of sacred sites all over the world. In short, I have been intrigued and entranced, enlightened and captivated. My sincere hope is that you will be too.