This remarkable book provides the reader with coping mechanisms during difficult times, whether they be global or personal. Through her own personal experiences, as well as those of her clients, medium Carole Obley provides the reader with a framework to not only face challenges to our spiritual growth but to transcend beyond them. Use of the twelve step system, the four agreements and natural laws, as well as tarot and astrology, the reader finds the tools they need to not only cope with traumatic events, but to transform beyond them.
One of the things that impressed me was the author’s discussion of surrender. Ms.Obley advises us to accept everything just as it is. This is an exact quote from Samurai Master and Philosopher Miyamoto Musashi, who stated the same thing in his book The Book of Five Rings. Although hard, acceptance allows us to bridge the gap between suffering and enlightenment.
Through intimate stories of her struggles with alcohol addition, as well as the stories her clients tell, coupled with meditation, journaling and breathing exercises, can give the reader the ah ha, moments that they need when times get tough. Through them, the reader receives a sense of clarity and spiritual healing.
I won't lie. The book was a difficult read. It churned up memories I had though were long buried. It took me a while to get through it, as certain topics would open an old wound. After decades of heart aching guilt, Obley’s book gave me tools to help me gain perspective and acceptance towards what happened on that chilly January evening. I can use this pain as a platform to increase my own compassion for others who have experienced such an awful loss. Whether it has advanced me towards a spiritual transformation, I don’t know. I just know the memory hurts less.
The book is brilliantly written, easy to understand, and the exercises and journal prompts are interesting and useful. I can’t claim that this book will cause a Buddha like Enlightenment or a spiritual transformation, but it can put you on the path to do so. However, if the reader is experiencing their dark night of the soul, I highly recommend seeking psychological counseling, and keep this book close.
~review by Patricia Snodgrass
Author: Carole J. Obley
Publisher: Sixth Books, 2025
194 pp., $ 18.95
