what are cults
March 26, 2024

What Are Cults? – Sneak Peek of Cults: A True Crime Collection

  • Book Sample

What about true crime has us all coming back for more? A new podcast? Immediately subscribed and downloaded all the episodes to listen! A new documentary? Binged it with all the lights out even though it’s creepy! A new book? Yes, I need to read it all in one go. Cults still dominate the news cycle and continue to fascinate us. But what are cults? How do you identify one and know the warning signs before you’re, well, in one?

In Cults: A True Crime Collection, Wendy Biddlecombe Asgar leads you down the dark path of what happens when true believers go too far with the shocking stories of the world’s most infamous and horrific cults. From The Order of the Solar Temple to the NXIVM cult to Charles Mansion, you will learn what led these leaders and their followers to commit such terrible crimes like mass murders and human sacrifices.

If you want to learn more, keep reading for a sneak peek of the book! And don’t forget to pick up a copy of Cults: A True Crime Collection.

Cults: A True Crime Collection


Do Cults Still Exist?

It’s hard to imagine being swept up by a charismatic cult leader to the point where you’d do anything they said and follow any order they gave, including murder or another bizarre criminal act. But everyday people have and continue to join cults, which often promote a very different message than the one they use to lure people to join.

Thousands of cults around the world are active today, and it’s estimated that between 2 and 5 million Americans have been involved in a cult at some point in their life. Certainly not all cults commit murder or force their members into mass suicide. And it’s true that only the most extreme, gruesome, and nefarious cults ever make it into the news. But many cults do share similar characteristics, such as an unwavering faith in an absolute leader and an intense devotion to an ideological cause, that lays the groundwork and possibility for criminal acts to take place.

What Are Cults?

Cults are defined as groups of people who have joined together or an ideological cause, such as religion, politics, science fiction, or self-improvement, and are under the total control of a charismatic leader to whom they are completely devoted. Cult beliefs are all-consuming, and cults usually isolate themselves, shunning the outside world to prevent conflicting viewpoints, including from the news and media, to permeate the tight-knit group. The cult leader, who can be alive or dead, is always right, has important information that only they know (such as the day the world will end or biblical secrets), and cannot be questioned by his or her followers.

You don’t look for cults; cults look for you. A common misperception is that only unintelligent and easily impressionable people can be stupid enough to be swept up by a cult. Many recruits are “normal” people who may be lonely and searching for answers.

What About Cult Leaders?

To gain followers, cult leaders need to have enough clout and persuasion to convince members to leave their old lives behind and join their cause.

On the surface, cult leaders express a goal of living in a better world—think of Jim Jones’s utopian society—but these figures are in actuality driven by a desire for money, sex, power, or a combination of those three things.

They provide a spiritual answer that their followers have been craving, and might share it, if you leave behind your family, turn over your assets to the group, and drop all shreds of individuality to become part of a collective cause.


Don’t forget to pick up your copy of Cults: A True Crime Collection! In this book, you’ll about Charles Mansion, Heaven’s Gate, Vampire Clan, Jim Jones, The People’s Temple, and more.

OUT NOW!

Cults: A True Crime Collection

Discover the truth of what happens when true believers go too far with the shocking stories of the world’s most known and horrific cults like The Order of the Solar Temple and the NXIVM Cult. Cults have been around for centuries, and many have been dubbed as satanic and murderous due to their heinous crimes. In Cults: A True Crime

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New release
ticket to ride cookbook
March 15, 2024

Ticket to Ride™ – The Official Cookbook Sneak Peek: Half-Smoke Sausage Bites

  • Book Sample /
  • Cooking
  • Recipes

Ticket to Ride Cookbook

It’s not a successful game night until you have a good group of people, a fun game, some friendly competition, and delicious food. And you can have all of that with the first-ever official Ticket to Ride™ cookbook!

Before you choose your train colors and get giddy with the Destination Tickets you’ve chosen, prepare the most mouth-watering recipes inspired by routes throughout the United States and Canada. Travel from coast to coast while enjoying New York-style pizza paired with San Francisco’s iconic mai tai. Or experience New Orleans’s shrimp po’ boy and top it off with Little Rock’s decadent possum pie.

Wherever you need to go in the game, we’ve got a recipe for you. To celebrate the release of the book, we’re giving you an exclusive look at one of the recipes. Enjoy this yummy Half-Smoke Sausage Bites recipe to serve as an appetizer for your next game night!

Washington, DC’s Half-Smoke Sausage Bites from Ticket to Ride™ – The Official Cookbook

An icon of cuisine in Washington, DC, half-smoke sausages are a regionally unique take on the hot dog. If you don’t have a Destination Ticket that routes you through DC to pick up these spicier, more coarsely ground sausages, you can also substitute any cased, smoked sausage to make these little bites. Pair with pickled onions and deli mustard, or simply grab and go.

Makes: 4 servings | Active time: 30 minutes | Total time: 1 hour

Ingredients

1 sheet frozen puff pastry

1 large onion

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 teaspoon salt

8 ounces smoked sausages (see note)

1 egg, beaten

3 tablespoons sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning

1/2 cup deli mustard

2 teaspoons crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

ticket to ride cookbook

Instructions

1. Defrost the puffed pastry in the refrigerator according to the package directions, then cut into strips the length of a sausage, wide enough to roll around the sausage.

2. To pickle the onion, slice it paper-thin and add to a bowl with the vinegar and salt. Let sit for at least 45 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 425°. Sear the sausages in a large pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat until browned on the outside, 5 to 7 minutes. Remove and let cool.

4. Place a whole sausage on a piece of puffed pastry. Roll it up so that the pastry covers the sides of the sausage. The ends will stick out. Repeat for the remaining sausages, then place the rolls on a baking sheet and brush with the beaten egg. Sprinkle the tops with sesame seeds or everything bagel seasoning.

5. Cook in the oven until the puffed pastry is golden brown and crisp, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove and let rest for 5 minutes.

6. Slice into ½-inch rounds and plate with the pickled onions, mustard, and—for extra heat—sprinkle with crushed red pepper flakes.

Note

Half-smokes are ubiquitous in DC; even the Washington Nationals baseball team has deemed them their “official dog.” Despite this, they are harder to find once you’ve left the city limits. It’s worth the online trip (and the shipping) to get the real thing!

Have fun playing Ticket to Ride™, and don’t forget to cook and eat your way through the Ticket to Ride™: The Official Cookbook!

COMING SOON!

Ticket to Ride™

All aboard! Set out on a culinary journey through North America with the first-ever official Ticket to Ride™ cookbook. Based on Alan R. Moon’s iconic board game, Ticket to Ride™: The Official Cookbook offers dining car menus inspired by your favorite destinations throughout the United States and Canada. Imagine yourself riding the rails

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New release
oscars header 2024
March 6, 2024

Oscars 2024 Nominees as Books

  • Book Guide

It’s (almost) officially the end of award’s season, and the ultimate wrap-up is the star-studded Academy Awards. The Oscars showcase the year’s best in film, directing, screenplay writing, production, and so many more categories. All of these nominees are winners in our books as they’ve given us so many laughs, tears, and some of the most beautiful cinematic shots. We’re here to give back to these films. So! What Ulysses Press book is most like these Oscar nominated films? Keep reading to find out!


Poor Things | The Overwhelmed Brain

Starring Emma Stone, Mark Ruffalo, and Willem Dafoe, this Best Picture nominee follows Bella Baxter as she discovers the pleasures, and horrors, of the real world and herself. This wildly imaginative and over the top film is a take on human relationships, feminism, autonomy and so much more. We see Bella explore the world outside of Godwin’s home and she struggles to see how humans suffer, criticize, and please. The Overwhelmed Brain is here with expert advice on personal growth and decision-making for deeper thinkers who want more than affirmations and clichés.


Oppenheimer | How Pi Can Save Your Life

The Oscars nominated this film in 13 different categories making it the most nominated film. This star studded cast with actors like Cillian Murphy, Robert Downey Jr., and Emily Blunt has been a powerhouse this awards season. So, after being the face of the atomic bomb, a 3-hour historical film, and the award season sweep, it might be nice for the Oppenhomies to relax and read How Pi Can Save Your Life. They’ll learn how to survive random and ridiculous scenarios through the power of math equations.

How Pi Can Save Your Life


Barbie | The Big Book of Horse Trivia

Hi Barbie! This highly anticipated film released alongside Oppenheimer to make the event of the summer. Of course we only watched Oppenheimer for the light-hearted jokes and Barbie for the REAL hard hitting facts. You know who else loves the most stimulating books? He’s just Ken! Where he sees love, she sees someone looking at book of horses..? Ken loves truly the most philosophical and most-thought provoking literature out there. So, be a ten and find out more about horses with The Big Book of Horse Trivia. Can you feel the Kenergy?

Big Book of Horse Trivia


Anatomy of a Fall | Teach Your Dog to Talk

This French legal film made waves in the international film world this year. Trying to prove her innocence in her husband’s death, Sandra Voyter, portrayed by Sandra Hüller, has the court and all the evidence against her. The only witness to the crime? Her blind son and his guide dog Snoop. This would be the perfect situation where you wished you would have finally taught your dog how to talk.


The Holdovers | The Ultimate Teacher Appreciation Gift Book

Set in 1970’s winter, Paul Giamatti plays Paul Hunham, a strict professor at a New England boarding school for boys. Disliked by the students, staff, and sometimes it feels like life, Hunham is just a teacher trying to better his students. Maybe his strict teaching and grading can be changed with some appreciation.

The Ultimate Teacher Appreciation Gift Book


Good luck and congrats to all the nominees!

Check out the Books Mentioned!

All Trending
how to recover from a breakup
February 20, 2024

How to Recover from a Breakup: The Courage to Walk Away

  • Book Sample /
  • Self-Help

The process of breaking up and being left to deal with the aftermath can take a toll on you. Especially if the breakup involved infidelity, broken trust, and financial betrayal. But expert psychotherapist and relationship specialist Lisa Brateman, LCSW, has created a guided workbook on how to recover from a breakup. Through journaling prompts and helpful exercises, The Courage to Walk Away will help to heal and empower you for the future.

If you want to learn what comes next after infidelity and heartbreak, we have a sneak peek into the workbook!

how to recover from a breakup

How to Recover from a Breakup

There is life after betrayal.

If you are dealing with the aftermath of a painful and life-altering breakup—made worse by the emotional turmoil when trust has been breached and vows have been broken—you are not alone. You may already know that nearly 50 percent of all marriages in the US end in separation or divorce. Not all are caused by infidelity, of course, but that’s up there as one of the primary causes (or perhaps as the nail in the coffin of unhappiness). The figures are sobering. An estimated 41 percent of first marriages, 60 percent of second marriages, and 73 percent of third marriages in the US end in divorce. In fact, there is a divorce in this country every forty-two seconds—the time it likely took you to read this paragraph! And these statistics don’t include all the couples living together without being married.

Yet there is no reason for you to suffer when you can take steps toward a healing that you might not yet think to be possible.

The Fear of Loneliness

There is, of course, a vast difference between being alone (which can be emotionally satisfying) and being lonely (which is not). Some of the loneliest people I’ve ever met are couples who no longer feel comfortable with any kind of intimate behavior, yet they don’t know what to do about it. Your partner can be sitting next to you on the sofa, yet there is nothing about their presence that makes you feel cherished or supported. If this is the case, it can be a relief when the relationship ends.

There can also be hidden triggers for loneliness after a relationship ends. Seeing the closet and dresser drawers and garage empty can give you a huge jolt that leaves you feeling sad and lonely. Unexpected triggers can also sneak up on you.

There are many things to miss when a relationship ends, and they can make you feel lonely. But the more you do things on your own, the less jarring it will feel over time.

Fighting the Loneliness

If you’re feeling lonely, try to take steps to make yourself feel better. The longer you avoid doing anything proactive, the longer it can take to not feel so alone. Loneliness should not be discounted—it’s practically an epidemic in this country, and it can have serious health effects. In fact, in 2023 the National Institute on Aging released a study showing that the health risks of being isolated for a lengthy period of time are equivalent to smoking fifteen cigarettes a day.

To start, do something for yourself. Tell yourself “I deserve this”—because you do! And sometimes the best thing is to do something for someone else. Redirecting your attention to something out of your range of experience—whether it’s volunteering at an animal shelter or a hospital, or any kind of volunteering that brings you into contact with other people—will feel good. And don’t forget to set up regular check-ins with your friends.


If you are interested in the prompts and exercises in this chapter, don’t forget to pick up your copy of The Courage to Walk Away, which is out now!

OUT NOW!

The Courage to Walk Away

Discover how to successfully navigate the aftermath of a breakup or divorce caused by cheating, broken trust, financial betrayal, and more through journaling prompts and helpful exercises designed to heal and empower you for the future. The process of breaking up and its aftermath is always an emotional roller coaster, but it’s made much

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New release
black history month
February 13, 2024

Books to Add to Your TBR for this Black History Month

  • Book Guide

February is Black History Month! Celebrate by reading from this list of books by incredible Black authors. From cookbooks to poetry to mythology to self-help, there’s something for everyone to enjoy. Make sure to add these to your TBR shelf to read during Black History Month and beyond!


Books to Read for Black History Month

Own Your Greatness and Your Unstoppable Greatness

Impostor Syndrome Book.        Your Unstoppable Greatness

If you want to tackle that inner voice that tells you that you can’t do something or that you’re not good enough, then you have to check out Own Your Greatness and Your Stoppable Greatness! These two guided workbooks will give you the tools you need to conquer self-doubt, realize your true worth, and enjoy your success. Make sure to check out Dr. Lisa Orbé-Austin’s appearance on The TODAY Show, where she got to chat with hosts Hoda and Jenna about imposter syndrome!

Introduction to Igbo Mythology for Kids

Introduction to Igbo Mythology for Kids is a collection that explores the most popular Igbo myths, folktales, and legends that will immerse kids in exciting stories of tricksters, shapeshifters, and heroes. It’s the perfect book for kids who love Greek mythology or are obsessed with the Rick Riordan series (books and TV show)!

Healing with Copper

Yvelette Stines is a seasoned health and wellness writer, and she has written Healing with Copper, a guide on the benefits and best uses of copper to transform your life! Consumed in the right quantities, these essential metals can boost brain function, alleviate fatigue, strengthen your immune system, and relieve symptoms of various chronic illnesses!

I Own My Magic: Self-Talk for Black Women

i own my magic

It’s important that when you practice self-care, you’re also practicing self-love! G. Michelle Goodloe has written a book of inspiring prompts, meditations, and reflections. I Own My Magic is a celebration of Black female identity that will encourage you to honor your true power and show strength in everything you do.

The Mayonnaise Book

Mayonnaise Cookbook Recipes

Mayo is so much more than just a condiment! In The Mayonnaise Cookbook, Erin Isaac will teach you 50 recipes that feature mayonnaise, including potato salad, chocolate cupcakes, elote street corn, and more. And of course, you will learn how to make your own mayonnaise!

The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life and The Magical Girl’s Self-Care Coloring Book

            

How about self-care with a side of anime? In The Magical Girl’s Guide to Life, Jacque Aye wants you to transform into your most magical self with this one-of-a-kind, manga inspired self-care guide designed to help you discover and harness your inner power! With fun exercises, journal prompts, and personality tests, you’ll quickly learn everything you need to know about your magical girl self, including your magical girl name, what type of power you possess, and what cute companion will perfectly complement your magical girl journey.

And if self-care means taking time to relax your mind, then try out The Magical Girls’ Self-Care Coloring Book! You will still experience self-love and self-esteem benefits just in a very cute and unique coloring book.

The Routine Building Handbook

Believe it or not, you can juggle it all and achieve work/life balance! In The Routine Building Handbook, discover the power of creating, starting, and maintaining daily routines that will help you decrease your stress levels, improve our sleep, and build a productive (and joyful!) life in this practical and easy-to-use guide.

Myths of the Underworld

Myths of the Underworld

Myths of the Underworld is a collection of modern retellings of gods and goddesses of the underworld. In these 10 myths from different cultures around the world, you will learn of forbidden love, acts of vengeance, and naive attractions. You’ll find familiar names, such as Hades and Persephone, but you will also learn about Sedna, the Inuit goddess of the sea and the underworld; Mictlantecuhtli and Mictecacíhuatl, the lovers who ruled the Aztec underworld; and more!

The Devotional for Black Women

Devotional for Black Women

If you are looking to fully embrace your identity in Christ and understand your God-given purpose, you need to check out The Devotional for Black Women. Chelsea La’Nere Brown provides 52 weeks of practical biblical principles and inspiration for building intimacy with God. You will be empowered through weekly devotional wisdom, journaling prompts, biblical affirmations, and more.

2Fish

2Fish

Written by Grammy-nominated singer/songwriter Jhené Aiko Efuru Chilombo, 2Fish is a collection of poems and a few short stories inspired from experiences in her adolescence through adulthood. If you enjoy her lyrics, then you will definitely love reading her poetry.

Japan Travel Tips
February 13, 2024

Japan Travel Tips for First Timer Travelers

  • Book Guide

Considering booking your spring vacation to Japan? Do it! Curating her very own Japan travel tips, Winnie Liu, author of Moshi Moshi, is here to guide you through your amazing trip to have the BEST experience.

Using her own experience traveling through Japan, Winnie has become an experienced visitor to Japan and wants everyone else to be one! From eating on a budget to which 7-11 snack is the best, she here to help! Check out her tips:


Eating well on a budget:

A great place to experience delicious local cuisine on a travel-budget is at Japanese supermarkets. The plethora of hot and cold prepared foods make from quick snacks to an entire meal. To save even more money, come snag the dishes in the evenings. Some employees will mark up all the food with discount stickers. So, enjoy those late night outings, just make sure you don’t wait up too long before they run out!


Where are the trash cans??:  

Next to vending machines are one of the few places you can find a recycling bin (and on rare occasions a trash bin) in Japan! Thankfully, vending machines are literally on every corner of major cities. The most common ones are for drinks (which often sell hot AND cold drinks). You can find specialty ones for food, gadgets, accessories, and more! 


Travel ALL across Japan:

The JR Group, one of Japan’s largest private railway companies, offers a cost-effective and handy travel option. Only available to foreign tourists called the JR Rail Pass, the pass comes in 7, 14, and 21 day usages. It’s valid for almost all major forms of transportation in Japan provided by the JR Group, including shinkansen (AKA bullet trains). This pass used to be much more cost-effective; prices unfortunately went up around 60% for all passes in October 2023. It may not be as well-priced as it once was, but if you plan to travel around Japan a lot, it could still work for you! Don’t you just love public transportation!


Cash is king!

In Japan, the big chains and department stores will likely accept major credit cards (Visa and Mastercard, on rare occasions Discover and Amex too). But, cash *is the most* reliable payment method. 7-11 ATMs consistently have one of the best exchange rates for Japanese yen from foreign currencies, and the process is extremely simple. Simply insert your foreign debit card into any 7-11 ATM and select the amount of yen you would like. The only catch is you will not see the exchange rate until the money is pulled from your bank account. At which time, you can see how much USD or whatever currency you own was pulled. But it will always be a better rate than airport kiosks and exchange counters in touristy areas!


Scouting restaurants like a local:

Finding delicious restaurants isn’t difficult in Japan. Chances are, just walking around and strolling into random establishments will net you some delicious meals. But if you like to plan ahead or seek out specific places, there are two tips and tricks that will help you find digs popular with locals.

1) Search for cuisine terms on Google using Japanese characters instead of English (e.g. sushi is 寿司 in Japanese).

2) Use Tabelog, a food review site for native Japanese spots that is similar to Yelp. Any place with a 3.5+ rating is actually pretty good from my experience.

Your ULTIMATE Japan Travel Guide...

Moshi Moshi: A Travelogue

Embark on an adorable manga-style illustrated adventure to Japan and its unique neighborhoods, delicious street food, and more in this one-of-a-kind travel guide and memoir. Illustrator Winnie Liu dreamed of exploring Japan since she was a child. In her junior year of college, she received the chance of a lifetime to study abroad there for a

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New release
Psychic Protection
February 12, 2024

Psychic Protection: From The Psychic Shield

  • Book Sample

In today’s hectic and uncaring world, it’s important to guard the boundaries of your soul. Psychic Shield: The Personal Handbook of Psychic Protection will teach you all the practical and commonsense strategies necessary to defend yourself against any damaging external forces you may encounter.

Whether you’re a skilled psychic, a budding empath, or simply someone looking for answers, Psychic Shield offers a number of practices, meditations, and rituals to help you protect yourself and your inner peace.

The Ancient Art of Psychic Protection

Psychic protection

What does psychic protection conjure up in your imagination? An entranced shaman whirling to the beat of a drum? An evangelical minister wrestling with the possessed at the alter? Buffy the Vampire Slayer with stake and hammer? Or is it the exorcist struggling to subdue evil with a well-placed Bible and light-bestowing crucifix? Isn’t it interesting that few of the images that come to mind are familiar or from our own time, except those from TV or movies? We have grown unfamiliar with such strange skills that have become mythologized and distant from our own society.

The art of psychic protection is not a new skill. It is a very ancient one found in every time, place and culture. Throughout the history of the world, ordinary people have been careful to observe wise customs and maintain the boundaries between themselves and spiritual harm. These simple, domestic and ordinary skills were known to everyone. And for the more difficult kinds of psychic disturbance, we have always needed people who can stand at the borders between the known and the unknown, to bring spiritual peace to psychic disturbance, to detect the cause of strange happenings, to arbitrate and calm perturbations in the night, to lead unquiet spirits to their rightful place.

How on earth can we learn this ancient skill? Where can we learn and benefit from the strategies? And why should we learn it at all, you may ask? We desperately need these skills in our times because other people and factors are affecting us all the time and we don’t have a clue what to do about them. We don’t even have a trained set of psychic protectors to call upon anymore: they’re not in any directory. This book will not enable you to set up a business as a certified psychic protector, but it does have rituals, practices and strategies that have been used from ancient times and that still work now. You learn them by implementing them.

One thing that most of our images of psychic protectors have in common is their dynamic way of dealing with psychic disturbance. Psychic protectors don’t meekly apologize for existing and cast a bit of holy water about to disperse the problem; they stand firmly in a place of spiritual support and deal with psychic disturbances forthrightly and confidently.

This is why we begin this book by reminding ourselves just how reality and spirit work in this universe, and try to understand why psychic disturbance happens in the first place. Nothing can replicate spiritual confidence, but we can begin by considering our own connection to spiritual sources of help.

The Cause and Effect of Psychic Disturbance

All around us, every day, we see how the short-term, expedient and greedy actions of people are endangering our world from the global and political level down to the local and personal. By failing to understand how our everyday world is but one side of reality, humankind finds the universe a confusing and dangerous place.
Resistance to the Otherworld and to metaphysical reality impedes our understanding of cause and effect. How we deal with the challenges of physical reality must also be the concern of all who want to live more responsibly.

All deeds, thoughts and intentions have effects upon both physical and metaphysical sides of reality. By disregarding these, we cause, and suffer from, psychic disturbance. But how can we measure the unseen effect on our lives? Throughout this book are scattered many stories of people who have encountered psychic disturbance. You will notice that each of these stories has an epicenter from which shock waves ripple out like earthquake tremors, shaking everything in that person’s life with psychic disturbance. This is the result of cause and effect—something we ignore far too often.

The ripples set up from unconsidered cause and effect are what are called psychic disturbance: these ripples hit the soul first, and when the soul is disturbed, we also experience physical symptoms. If you throw a brick at a window, the glass will shatter. The physical results are clearly demonstrable. But what happens when you harbor ill-will, jealousy or resentment against another person? The metaphysical effect is just as demonstrable. How does it manifest? Well, consider those who live on the receiving end of their neighbors’ racist opinions. They will tell you that it makes them feel unsafe, wary, under threat. Such resentment is experienced by the soul as a feeling of threat and by the instinct as a feeling of insecurity.

By becoming impervious to the metaphysical side of reality, we have ceased to relate what subsequently results from our unguarded acts, words and thoughts to its causation. But becoming responsible for what we say, do, think and intend, as well as for the effects they bring, is the first step to bringing peace to our lives. It will prevent us from bringing psychic disturbance to others.

We cannot stop psychic disturbance from happening, but by tracing it back to the moment that the stone fell into the pool and started the ripple-spread that you now experience, you can begin to change things with the help of your Advocates (see page 20). Better still, you can prevent causing it in the first place. Like a chess player who considers the whole board before moving a piece, you can use these questions to help you determine how any of your
plans or actions might affect the universe.

  • From what motivation do my intentions arise?
  • What are the consequences of my intended action?
  • Who or what might it harm?
  • How will these intentions affect me?
  • Are my intentions motivated by someone else’s needs, desires, or coercion?
  • Who am I trying to please/impress by doing this?

See page 265 for some more questions that help determine your effect on the universe.

We all need psychic protection strategies in ordinary everyday life. Adrift from our soul’s core, we tend to cast about ourselves for solutions, often becoming prey to charlatans who are more psychically streetwise than we are. By noticing cause and effect, we grow wiser and more careful and we will harp less upon how sources of good and evil cause psychic disturbance.

Learn more about Psychic Protection

Psychic Shield: The Personal Handbook of Psychic Protection

Protect yourself from harmful negative energies and spiritual disturbances with this enlightened guide to psychic and mental health. In today’s hectic and uncaring world, it’s important to guard the boundaries of your soul. Psychic Shield: The Personal Handbook of Psychic Protection will teach you all the practical and commonsense

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New release
how to heal the vagus nerve naturally
February 6, 2024

Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve: How to Heal the Vagus Nerve Naturally

  • Book Sample /
  • Health

Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve

Dr. Navaz Habib is back with new science-backed therapies to help you navigate how to heal the vagus nerve naturally!

In this long-awaited follow-up to his bestseller, Activate Your Vagus NerveDr. Habib explores stressors, measurement techniques, and practical protocols to create a roadmap to help you lead a healthier and happier life.

If you want to learn how to heal the vagus nerve naturally, nutrition is one way to do that. In Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve, you’ll learn common triggering foods to avoid, foods to include, and supplements to consider.

In a sneak peek of the book, let’s go over some of these nutritional strategies that Dr. Habib lays out. And don’t forget to pick up your copy of Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve! You can also check out Dr. Habib’s other books on the vagus nerve: The Vagus Immune Connection and Activate Your Vagus Nerve.

How to Heal Your Vagus Nerve Naturally

 

Nutritional Strategies

A significant and overlooked component of upgrading vagus nerve function is through optimizing nutrition. There are foods that we need to incorporate into our diets to supply raw materials for ACh production, as well as foods to exclude from our diets as they are common triggers to inflammation, acting as biochemical stressors that will alter the microbiome population and trigger hormonal and biochemical stress internally.

Be mindful, be aware, and learn to hear the whispers from your body if something is not working well or if you feel better with certain foods. Most people are unaware that a specific food is a trigger for reactions, so using a food-and-symptom diary is a great idea for 3 to 14 days to help you determine if there is a potential dietary trigger.

Common Triggering Foods to Avoid

In general, the more a food is processed, the higher the calories and the lower the nutrient status of that food. Not to mention that many of these processed foods contain highly processed and inflammatory seed oils. I highly recommend becoming an ingredient list reader when you are choosing what to bring home from the grocery store. Processed meats are another area that we need to be careful of due to the use of nitrates, nitrites, or the curing process.

Foods to Include

The simple answer to the question “What should I eat” is WHOLE foods. This may be too simple an answer for some, but it is the absolute truth of the matter with resounding evidence. The general consensus is that the Mediterranean diet is the healthiest form of diet, which is a great starting point for most of us who are looking to improve our health in some way. From here we should refine and personalize the diet to exactly what works best for us individually.

The highest quality protein options include grass-fed, grass-finished beef; organic chicken or turkey; organic pork; wild-caught low-mercury fish; and hunted game meat—essentially animals raised without the use of hormones, additives, or chemicals, and fed an evolutionarily consistent diet are the best options to support protein intake.


For more nutritional information, make sure to snag a copy of Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve!

Buy a Copy Today!

Upgrade Your Vagus Nerve

Unlock the full potential of your vagus nerve with this transformational guide, including practical strategies to treat headache, chronic pain, anxiety, depression, and more. Harness the power of vagus nerve (VN) function and heart rate variability (HRV) in the long-awaited follow-up to bestseller Activate Your Vagus Nerve by Dr. Navaz

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New release
Venus Retrograde
January 25, 2024

Venus Retrograde: How to Thrive During the Planets in Retrograde

  • Book Sample

Every planet except Earth goes into retrograde at some point, and each planet has its own bundle of joys and pain points that come with it. The Retrograde Guidebook aims to take the mystery out of planetary retrogrades, providing an overview of what retrograde means astrologically and its basic principles. It offers a breakdown of every planetary retrograde’s function and effects—and why three main celestial bodies, the Earth, sun, and moon, don’t ever go into retrograde.

The Retrograde Guidebook includes calendars through 2030. Read on below to take an in-depth dive into Venus retrograde and how you can survive in thrive during the planetary retrograde period!

* * *

In ancient Mesopotamia, there was a goddess named Inanna (the Queen of Heaven). She governed love, fertility, and beauty. Her older sister, Ereshkigal, ruled the underworld. When Ereshkigal’s husband died, Inanna descended into the underworld to attend the funeral rites. Ereshkigal was none too pleased about that, though, and forced Inanna to strip down on her way through the underworld’s gates. Eventually, Inanna ended up as a corpse hanging on a wall to rot—not exactly the most sisterly behavior, if you ask me.

Inanna is revived a few days later, thanks to the efforts of her servant Ninshubur. But as with all mythological tales, Inanna couldn’t just go on her merry way. Because she was officially a corpse in the underworld, her spot had to be filled by someone else when she left. When she returned to Heaven, she saw her husband, Dumuzid, happily sitting on his throne instead of mourning her. Enraged, she sent him to take her place. Dumuzid’s sister, though, wasn’t having it and volunteered to go in his place. The gods examined the situation and decided that Dumuzid would be in the underworld half the year, and his sister would be there the other half. That rising and descending resulted in the seasons we have today.

Inanna’s descent is also symbolism for Venus retrograde. Her planet is Venus (goddess of love, right?), and before Venus retrogrades, we can see it on the western horizon. But during the retrograde, it disappears—like when Inanna goes into the underworld.

The Venus retrograde only happens once every year and a half, for about 42 days. The planet rules money, relationships, art, and pleasure.

Vexes of Venus Retrograde

So, let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first. When Venus goes retrograde, you can expect some fluctuations in your love life and money situation—and not always good fluctuations. From a 2 a.m. text from an old flame asking “u up?” to the personal realization of a bad spending habit (Do your crystals really need all those tiny chairs to sit in?), the shifts of Venus retrograde can be pretty emotional and sometimes a little bit judgy. (The answer is yes, Venus. They really do need all those little chairs.)

Mashi Salomon, owner of Light and Lavender, thinks Venus retrograde can possibly be one of the worst to go through. The planet’s connection to relationships and indulgence can resurface any sexual trauma or intense relationship problems someone may have been through. If you’re on a healing path, that can either help or hurt you. Either way, it’s going to be emotional.

Astrologer KJ Atlas agrees that this retrograde period can be particularly difficult.

“Venus, being a personal planet that affects all the things that make life sweet, triggers trepidation when retrograde looms because there seems to be an air of fear around the loss of things important to us,” she says.

Even if you know the Venus retrograde cycle inside and out, and know that removing distractions from your daily life can be useful during that period, it’s still likely to feel uncomfortable. You’ll still feel like garbage, at least a little bit, if you’re going through relationship issues or having financial problems—both of which can easily happen during this particular retrograde period.

But it’s not all bad news, thankfully.

Insight and Clarity

Allemana says that if he had to choose a favorite retrograde, Venus would be the lucky winner.

“It’s a retrograde that encourages solitude, connecting more deeply with your own inner values, and nurturing a relationship with yourself,” he says. “It’s a self-care transit. Venus direct is great, but that retrograde really brings that energy inward.”

With this one, you’ll want to take some time to evaluate yourself. Sit with a journal somewhere outside, in nature, and ask yourself important questions: How am I connecting to myself and taking care of myself ? How am I connecting to the people important to me in my life? Where do our values meet and where do they conflict? Am I properly taking care of all my relationships and any romantic partners?

Once you have the answers to those questions—and any others that may arise in the course of your writing—you’ll be able to spend a bit of time reflecting on what you’re doing that’s working, what isn’t, and how you can improve your life and your relationships in these aspects.

“I would advise taking some time to yourself,” Allemana says. “If you have the opportunity to spend some time in nature or do some meditation or spiritual ritual where you’re connecting deeply inward, that would be ideal.”

You may want to take the time when you get home to go through your budget and bank statements, as well, just to take stock of your spending habits and how those can also improve.

The main point here is to investigate your relationships, values, finances, and self-care methods and figure out how to be and do better. That being said, Venus retrograde and all this introspection can be tough for some people, particularly those who don’t like to be alone or have trouble going inward and reevaluating their values. It can be an uncomfortable and frustrating addition to all the struggles they might be having already because of the retrograde.

And even if you love being alone and enjoy introspection, conflicts and relationship challenges can still pop up to say hello during Venus retrograde. It happens to everyone. No one is immune, especially because relationships, well, tend to involve more than one person. And that other person has their own free will to do whatever they want without thinking about how you’re trying to handle Venus retrograde.

That could mean that someone you cared for in some way comes back into your life, and you start to feel the same way about them that you once did. And with Venus retrograde, it’s likely it was a person or a feeling that you got lost in, that knocked you off your center. But that doesn’t necessarily mean you need to do anything about it.

“Anytime something returns, it’s not necessarily because we haven’t dealt with it,” Wilkinson says. “Sometimes we did deal with it and now we just get to take a look at it in our rearview mirror so that we can see that was then and this is now, and now I know why that had to come down the way it did.”

You should also pay extra attention to when Venus and the sun are conjunct near the middle of Venus retrograde. At that time, there’s usually some sort of insight or clarity about exactly what that specific retrograde period means for you. And if you’re taking the time to meditate on the retrograde itself, that could be easy for you to discover.

Ritual for Venus Retrograde

In this ritual, you’ll be honing in on Venus retrograde’s relationships focus. It’s broken into three sections: the first for encouraging self-love, the second for boosting trust and confidence in coupledom, and the third for protecting yourself from messy exes who come wandering back this time of year.

Letters for Self-Love, Current Love, and Past Love

You’ll Need:

3 pieces of paper

1 black candle

1 black tourmaline

1 red candle

1 rose quartz

1 white candle

1 blue chalcedony

1 writing utensil of your choice

3 envelopes

Rose petals

A fireproof container

A lighter or matches

Directions:

1. Lay your three pieces of paper in a row on a desk or a table with a chair. You’ll be writing on these pages.

2. Above the paper on the left, put the black candle and black tourmaline. These symbolize your past relationships.

3. Above the paper in the middle, put the red candle and rose quartz. These symbolize your relationship with yourself.

4. Above the paper on the right, put the white candle and blue chalcedony. These symbolize your current or future relationship.

5. Light the candle on the left. On the paper, write a letter to someone you were in a past relationship with and don’t have interest in anymore. Explain what you liked about them, why things didn’t work out, and why it’s better if you’re apart. Let them know that you will not entertain ideas of rekindling the relationship.

6. Light the candle on the right. On the paper, write a letter to your current partner or to the partner you wish to have. Explain why you two are good together, list the positive aspects of your relationship, and state that you will stay together as long as it’s right for you to do so.

7. Light the middle candle. On this paper, write a love letter to yourself. Write what you think is great about you and why. Explore every sense of yourself here, saying something positive about every aspect.

8. Fold the letters and place them into separate envelopes. Lay
them on the table and scatter rose petals on top of them.

9. Take a deep breath, close your eyes, and repeat this incantation: “I am my beloved and my beloved is me. Guard my love in the form it should be.” Picture energy flowing from you into the envelopes as you speak. With every repetition, imagine the envelopes glowing brighter. Finish repeating the incantation when you feel satisfied with the energy level.

10. Take all three envelopes outside and burn them in a fireproof container. Release the ashes into the wind.

Retrograde Review: Venus

  • Frequency of retrograde: Every 18 months
  • Retrograde tendencies:
    • Positive: A self-care transit that allows you to work on your relationship with yourself, evaluate past relationships, and examine money issues to see what you can change
    • Negative: May prompt problems with love life and money or a resurgence of emotional trauma
  • This retrograde transit will probably be uncomfortable in at least some way. Give yourself some grace. Sit alone out in nature and think about how you can better your relationships with yourself, others, and your finances. And definitely don’t respond to the long-ago ex that reaches back out during this time!
GET THE RETROGRADE CALENDARS

The Retrograde Guidebook

Go beyond the stereotypes of mercury retrograde and dig deep into the planetary cycles, discovering how they can affect your everyday life from day to day and year to year. Every planet except Earth goes into retrograde at some point, and each planet has its own bundle of joys and pain points that come with it. The Retrograde Guidebook aims to

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