A rich and informative source of Gaelic folk medicine.

For the Yaka of Southwestern Zaire, infertility is a tear in the fabric of life, and the Khita fertility ritual is a trusted way of reweaving the damaged strands. In Weaving the Threads of Life Rene Devisch offers an extended analysis of the Khita cult, which leads to an original account of the workings of ritual healing. Drawing on many years among urban and rural Yaka, Devisch analyzes their understanding of existence as a fabric of firmly but delicately interwoven threads of nature, body, and society. The fertility healing ritual calls forth forces, feelings, and meanings that allow women to rejoin themselves to the complex pattern of social and cosmic life. These elaborate rites—whether simulating mortal agony and rebirth, gestation and delivery, or flowering and decay; using music and dance, steambath or massage, dream messages or scarification—are not based on symbols of traditional beliefs. Rather, Devisch shows, the rites themselves generate forces and meaning, creating and shaping the cosmic, physical, and social world of their participants. In contrast to current theoretical methods such as postmodern or symbolical interpretation, Devisch's praxiological approach is unique in also using phenomenological insights into the intent and results of anthropological fieldwork. This innovative work will have ramifications beyond African studies, reaching into the anthropology of medicine and the body, comparative religious history, and women's studies.

Do Spirit Animals really exist?Bundled up for a walk on a wintery New England morning, husband and dogs in tow, Judith Cosby crosses paths with an extraordinary creature - a wild red fox. In an instant, a mystical connection is formed that will soothe her soul in ways she could never have imagined.That same winter, Judith's youngest daughter, Cate, begins a yearlong battle toward remission of a debilitating illness. Feelings of helplessness, despair, and loneliness plague the Cosby household. Difficult treatments and multiple hospitalizations test their resolve and their relationships. But along the way, Judith discovers that humor, love, and faith are the only ways to reach her heart's desire... the simplicity of ordinary days and the pleasures encompassed in a happy and healthy home.With a story that spans four seasons, Spirit Threads is the follow-on to Judith's debut novel, Threads. In this new memoir, she chronicles a personal journey of love and spirituality, and how the challenges of illness and hope have added their threads to the tapestry of her life. As the seasons change, she discovers how her relationship with the wild red fox named Reddy Girl teaches her that inner strength is just as formidable as outer strength, that hope and faith are required to survive the darkest days, and most importantly, that we are never truly alone.Spirit Threads shares the message that regardless of the struggle, we all need the support and love of one another to walk the difficult roads. And the friendships needed to survive the journey don't necessarily have to be human.For some, spirit animals do exist.....

Don’t miss Ami Polonsky’s stunning new novel, World Made of Glass To Whom It May Concern: Please, we need help! The day twelve-year-old Clara finds a desperate note in a purse in Bellman's department store, she is still reeling from the death of her adopted sister, Lola. By that day, thirteen-year-old Yuming has lost hope that the note she stashed in the purse will ever be found. She may be stuck sewing in the pale pink factory outside of Beijing forever. Clara grows more and more convinced that she was meant to find Yuming's note. Lola would have wanted her to do something about it. But how can Clara talk her parents, who are also in mourning, into going on a trip to China? Finally the time comes when Yuming weighs the options, measures the risk, and attempts a daring escape. The lives of two girls -- one American, and one Chinese -- intersect like two soaring kites in this story about loss, hope, and recovery.

The loss we feel when a loved one dies is profound, often accompanied by regret for all that we didn’t say or do. Such regret can hinder emotional growth and create wounds that affect all other aspects of our lives. But loss doesn’t necessarily mean the end of a connection with a loved one. In fact, it can open the doors to a unique relationship that offers intimacy, healing, and renewal. In The Infinite Thread, author Alexandra Kennedy helps us deal with loss in a powerful new way: by using active imagination, letters, and inner dialogue to re-create and heal past relationships. In doing so, we also amend the often-strained ties with those still living. The Infinite Thread strips away the veils of mystery surrounding death and transcends preconceptions about death and dying. Rich with opportunities for reflection, it brings enormous comfort to anyone who has ever lost a loved one or been faced with their own mortality.

Deepen and enliven your yoga practice with 30 themes based on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras that can inspire on and off the mat. Yoga draws many practitioners because of its physical benefits, but it is often the experience of peace that people return for. Threads of Yoga supports those seeking to learn more about yoga’s deeper spiritual teachings. Each short chapter introduces a foundational yogic theme, such as letting go, the breath, the yamas and the niyamas, and the chakra system. Each theme is accompanied by practices, including meditation, complementary poses, breath work, or quotes to contemplate. It is an ideal guide for both practitioners and teachers who want to connect with the spiritual wisdom of yoga, deepen their personal practice, or develop and support a theme for yoga class.

A beloved toy fox becomes lost, tattered, repaired, and loved for his imperfections