Download PDF The Soul Slow Ripening 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred Christine Valters Paintner 9781932057102 Books

Product details Paperback 192 pages Publisher Sorin Books (September 7, 2018) Language English ISBN-10 1932057102

The Soul Slow Ripening 12 Celtic Practices for Seeking the Sacred Christine Valters Paintner 9781932057102 Books Reviews

• Having just returned from a writing retreat with Christine Paintner off the coast of Ireland, I couldn’t wait for her newly released book, The Soul’s Slow Ripening, to arrive! Christine writes with knowledge, respect for, and deep love of the Celtic tradition, and gives 12 practices for personal devotion and growth, as well as guidance for a larger group. Christine’s writing and witness is an anchor during unsettling times in my personal life and in these troubling times in the US. Her guidance through these Celtic practices and the stories of the saints of Ireland reinforce my own deepening love of the spiral path. She reminds me to “. . . allow (my) soul its own slow time to ripen and unfold,” wisdom for us all.
• I find the content of this book well organized and accessible to the reader who may not have previous knowledge of Celtic spirituality, and I also think it could be useful to those more studied in the area, simply because of how well the Celtic practices are organized. The practices that are defined and described are quite beautiful, although I find some of the exercises that are included with each practice to be contrived and some simply did not appeal to me. It also seemed to me that some of the examples intended to support the practice (in the Biblical Context and Personal Reflection sections) were a bit of a stretch and the connection not always apparent.
  In places, the text is choppy-word choice and placement within a sentence seem off, and paragraphs don't always flow clearly. I found myself rereading sentences and paragraphs because the writing was not consistently fluid or because something didn't make complete sense.
  I do think it is worthy read, and there are plenty of parts I enjoy and find informative. I appreciate the author's honesty and humility when referencing her own life and spiritual path.
  I would give it a 4 for content and organization and a 3 for quality of writing.
• Christine tells us in the introduction "when we follow the threads of synchronicity, dreams and serendipity, we are each led to a life that is rich and honoring of the soul's rhythms, which is a slow ripening rather than a fast track to discernment." Twelve chapters of clear and grounded insights into soul growth in a slow and steady way, is a huge resting place when bombarded daily with quick fixes, overnight transformation opportunities, and instant bliss.
  I am so grateful to Christine for writing this book and honestly reminding us "...the soul's ripening is never to be rushed and that it takes a lifetime of work. The gift of the contemplative path is a profound honoring of the grace of slowness." Wherever you are on your spiritual journey, this book will reassure you and encourage you to try new and soulful ways of finding daily alignment with the essence of your journey back to God. Many thanks Christine!
• A very nourishing book full of thoughtful and engaging introductions to practices for deepening spiritual awareness. It would make a wonderful resource for a group who are interested in exploring Celtic ways of seeking the sacred.
• I wanted to like this book but I just couldn't ... it lacked depth, texture, and substance.
• I cannot say enough good things about this book. It's filled with information on Celtic spirituality, Celtic saints and contemplative practices that nurture the soul. I've been introduced to several practices I was not familiar with, such as Lectio Divina and contemplative photography. I purchased this book to use in conjunction with an online class that is facilitated through the author's website, Abbey of the Arts. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in Celtic spirituality. I intend to purchase more books by this author--she's amazing!
• This is a wonderful tool for contemplative practices. As a spiritual director, I will not only recommend this to others, but am finding myself moving deeper into the holy using the celtic exercises in the book.
• as the title says...this could take a year to use as a guide through life