The Seven Whispers: A Spiritual Practice for Times Like These

In this eloquent work, self-exploration pioneer Christina Baldwin leads readers of all spiritual persuasions to listen intentionally to the voice within their soul: the voice of spirit. She does this by sharing seven meditative phrases — the wisdom gained from listening to her own inner spirit. Each chapter is built around one of these core phrases, and examples include "Maintain peace of mind," "Surrender to surprises," and "Ask for what I need and offer what I can." After years of bringing spirituality to others through circle meetings, seminars, and journal writing, Baldwin offers her insight to a wider audience with this compelling and accessible book.

The connection with our spirit is like a phone line, explains Christina Baldwin in The Seven Whispers. "Sometimes I turn the ringer off. Sometimes I ignore the ringing. Sometimes I pick up the phone with suspicion. Sometimes I get impatient with the interruption." The irony, of course, is that "unlike a lot of other calls, the one from Spirit is the one we are hoping to receive." Baldwin (Life's Companion) excels in helping readers converse with the divine. Here, she devotes a chapter to each of the "Seven Whispers of spiritual commonsense":

1) Maintain peace of mind ("the cornerstone of a spiritual life")
2) Move at the pace of guidance ("rehumanize our speed of life")
3) Practice certainty of purpose ("a commitment to figuring out why we are here and what we are going to do about it")
4) Surrender to surprise (this helps us "practice the resilience we need to respond to whatever life offers")
5) Ask for what you need and offer what you can ("become spiritual traders of life's energy, time and abundance")
6) Love the folks in front of you ("look for the good in people even if we don't think it's there")
7) Return to the world (remove yourself from the simulated world and "return to the world of the body, the senses, the world of Nature")

This is a compact book, packed with a wise woman's spiritual homilies. While no one can make Spirit phone home more often, Seven Whispers will certainly eliminate the static and make for a better connection. --Gail Hudson