The Perpetual Calendar of Inspiration

As little Edgar Curtis lay on his porch, he remarked to his mother how the noise of the rifle range was black, the chirp of the cricket was red, and the croak of the frog was bluish. Edgar, like many other people, has synesthesia - a fascinating condition in which music can have color, words can have taste, and time and numbers float through space.

Everyone will be closely acquainted with at least 6 or 7 people who have synesthesia but you may not yet know who they are because, until very recently, synesthesia was largely hidden and unknown. Now science is uncovering its secrets and the findings are leading to a radical rethink about how our senses are organized. In this timely and thought-provoking book, Jamie Ward argues that sensory mixing is the norm even though only a few of us cross the barrier into the realms of synesthesia.

How is it possible to experience color when no color is there? Why do some people experience touch when they see someone else being touched? Can blind people be made to see again by using their other senses? Why do scientists no longer believe that there are five senses? How does the food industry exploit the links that exist between our senses? Does synesthesia have a function? The Frog Who Croaked Blue explores all these questions in a lucid and entertaining way, making it fascinating reading for anyone with an interest in the intriguing workings of the mind.

Whether in painting, poetry, performance, music, dance, or life, there is an intelligence working in every situation. This force is the primary carrier of creation.

If we trust it and follow its natural movement, it will astound us with its ability to find a way through problems—and even make creative use of our mistakes and failures.

There is a magic to this process that cannot be controlled by the ego. Somehow it always finds the way to the place where you need to be, and a destination you never could have known in advance.

The Indispensable Guide to the Successful Garden. Now comprehensively revised and updated: over 40% of plants are NEW entries; all photographs are NEW; includes more detailed and NEW information -- USDA hardiness zones, additional plants of interest, etc; and two completely NEW chapters.

You will find more than 1,470 plants organized by:

GROWING CONDITIONS

Plants that will grow in:

Shallow soils over chalk

Acid soils

Heavy clay soils

Polluted atmosphere

Windswept, seaside sites

Dry soils in hot, sunny sites

Damp and wet soils

Dry shade

Dense shade

PURPOSE

Plants that can be used for:

Ground-cover

Climbers

Hedges

Fillers for crevices in paving

Growing in containers (trees, shrubs and climbers)

APPEARANCE

Plants with:

Variegated leaves

Gray, blue-gray or silver leaves

Red, purple or bronze leaves

Yellow or yellow-green leaves

Decorative, green foliage

Colourful autumn foliage

Aromatic leaves

Ornamental fruit

Ornamental bark and twigs

Flowers suitable for cutting and drying

Fragrant flowers

Winter flowers

Green flowers

'Black' plants

A long, continuous flowering period

Each plant is illustrated with a full color photograph and accompanied by a detailed description of its size, flowering season, needs and care.

Many books have already been written about crystals, so why is another book on crystals needed? On close scrutiny you will find that most of these books have a very similar theme, covering mainly information regarding individual properties of crystals, what they mean, how to choose, clean and (always!) how to discover your personal birthstone. All of this is very important, but in this book, I would suggest that you view crystals and their properties from a different perspective. Having 'lived' crystals for well over twenty years, as well as teaching crystal therapy for over fourteen years, I would like to share some of my personal experiences with crystals. Be forewarned: you may find these somewhat unusual!

Having introduced hundreds of students to Crystal Healing, one fact has become clear. Not only do the crystals have a healing effect, but there are subtle personal changes which take place in students and therapists when working closely with crystals. I have personally witnessed this phenomenon again and again. In addition to regaining wellness in the physical body, it has been amazing to observe how crystals can positively affect spiritual growth. These transformational effects, which crystals often bring about, are seldom acknowledged and deserve mentioning. My experience is that these changes usually occur when working with crystals with an attitude of respect, knowledge, integrity and conscious intent; and it has been a great joy to see this happening in many of my students whilst they attend the crystal therapy course that I teach.

Crystals are very powerful tools and their energy has the capacity to bring about remarkable 'wake-up-calls'. From the moment anybody sincerely starts working with crystals, changes happen! It almost appears as if certain crystals have been waiting in the wings to jump in at the appropriate time to assist the student on the evolutionary path in the most subtle and imaginative ways.