The Ways of the Mystic: Seven Paths to God

The Ways of the Mystic is a delightful and easy to read book describing a variety of ways to connect to the Divine. She outlines seven specific paths which correspond to the chakras and the directions on the medicine wheel - Path 1) Earth and Home: The Everyday Mystic (first chakra); Path 2) Creativity and Abundance: Generosity of Spirit (second chakra); Path 3) How Can I Help?: The Passion To Serve (third chakra); Path 4) The Way of the Heart: Bridging Earth and Heaven (fourth chakra); Path 5) Discipline, Ethics and Will: Thy Will, Not Mine, Be Done (fifth chakra); Path 6) Opening the Wisdom Eye: Contemplation and Transformation (sixth chakra) and Path 7) The Way of Faith: Paradox and Grace (seventh chakra). Each chapter starts with an anecdotal story connected with that particular path, gives a description of that path, then offers suggestions to better connect with that particular path. No matter what your path, The Ways of the Mystic is an inspirational book that offers easy to use guidelines to spiritual development while imparting that "just as many rivers lead to the sea, there are many paths to God."

This remarkable little book is a concise distillation of seven different, traditional paths by which mystics have attempted to achieve divine union. Examples are used from many different cultures and religious traditions: Christian, Jewish, Sufi, Taoist, Buddhist, Native American, Hindu, etc. The fact that seven paths are delineated is not arbitrary, for seven is the number of spirituality, wisdom, magic, perfect order, and the macrocosm. There are seven notes to the musical scale, seven heavens, seven pillars of wisdom, seven charisms, seven branches to the tree of life, seven sacred directions to the medicine wheel, seven chakras.... Path One is the path of earth and home- that of the everyday mystic. This is the nature-centered path of those that see heaven reflected in the natural world. Path Two is the path of creativity and abundance- that of generosity of the spirit. This is the path of tantric yoga, the divine marriage, of losing- and finding- yourself through selflessly giving yourself to another. Path Three is the path of "how can I help"- the passion to serve. This is the path of selfless service to all of humanity as potential co-creators with God. Path Four is the way of the heart- bridging earth and heaven. This is the inner path of the heart where one truly loves the Divine with all their heart, soul, and mind (bhakti yoga.) The practitioner here literally becomes the meeting point of heaven and earth through pure devotion. Path Five is that of discipline, ethics, and will- thy will, not mine, be done. This is raja yoga- God-Union by following specific moral principles or laws that preserve the community, honor life, and lead to personal growth. It is an attempt to put our human will into accordance with the divine will through discipline and obedience. Path Six is the opening of the wisdom eye- contemplation and transformation. This jnana yoga, the path of insight. This is the path of the dark night of the soul- of deep introspection- and of ego death. Ideally, it is the path of spiritual death and rebirth. Path Seven is the way of faith- paradox and grace. This is God-union given as a gift from above, and not as a "reward" for works. Paradoxically this deals with both perfect faith in the Divine, as well as, the gift of absolute knowledge in the reality of the Divine. The author points out that no one path is more advanced than another. Nor are they mutually exclusive for one may represent our primary path (the path on which we fulfill our soul purpose), while another is our secondary (that which heals an inner wound and supports our primary.) Our individual personality, stage of personal growth, and cultural background determines what path we are on. Yet the goal of all these paths is ultimately the same whether we call it God-Union, the Great Mystery, or the Tao.