In her new book, Alice McDowell writes about the spiritual journey as a captivating dance. In a clear and compelling voice, McDowell guides the reader through the steps of the dance. Each chapter offers a rich description of one step to spiritual realization and ends with open-ended self-reflective questions for the reader. These steps include experiences of bewilderment, release, renewal, awakening, illumination, the dark night, and finally divine union or abiding awakening. Calling upon long-forgotten Christian mystics, McDowell situates them alongside contemporary approaches and the traditions of Sufism and Buddhism. Instructive tales and humorous stories from each tradition add lightness and insight to the journey.
Whether beginner or advanced, readers will receive guidance on the dynamics of the spiritual path, learn how to further develop their inner life, find ways to move forward when unmotivated, stuck, or lost, and come to a greater understanding of the similarities between the sacred teachings of East and West—a needed antidote in this age of division and intolerance.
Click here for excerpts from Dance of Light.
Independent Book Reviews
“McDowell merges lessons from divergent traditions to deliver a nuanced understanding of the universal human quest for deeper meaning. Teachings across time and cultures coalesce to reveal enlightened truths about the way of the seeker.” — Seattle Book Review
“McDowell is an exceptionally competent writer, and her ability to incorporate and balance the wisdom from the historical texts of multiple faiths establishes her expertise.” — Kirkus
“Although there are diverse religions and philosophical approaches, their goal is the same: the development of the self… Alice understands the process of seeking and shows us that awakening can happen at any time.” – Readers’ Favorite
Where to Order
Click this button to purchase a signed copy directly from Alice ($20 includes tax & USPS standard shipping):
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~ Buy Local: Cooperatively owned Buffalo Street Books has copies for $16.99 in their Ithaca, NY store and can ship directly to you or your gift recipient, order by phone 607-273-8246 or online: https://www.
~ Buy from Amazon or Amazon Smile (where you can designate a non profit to receive a portion of your purchase cost), Barnes & Noble, or any bookstores near you.
Additional Praise for Dance of Light
“A compassionate and brilliant handbook. The hallmark of a classic.”
KRIACOS MARKIDES, author of The Magus of Strovolos, The Mountain of Silence, and Inner River: A Pilgrimage to the Heart of Christianity
“Alice McDowell writes with gentle discernment. Her words are a light and a balm.”
PIR ZIA INAYAT KHAN, head of the Inayati Sufi Order
“. . .a valuable and rare treasure trove of impactful quotes from the world’s Eastern and Western spiritual writers, all of them illuminated by Alice’s insights, ruminations, and hard-won experiences.”
MAUREEN O’BRIEN, author of What Was Lost: Seeking Refuge from the Psalms
“I strongly recommend this lucid, engaging, and inspiring text, written by a seasoned, well-grounded guide who has herself plumbed the depths of several mystical traditions.”
G. WILLIAM BARNARD. Professor of religious studies at Southern Methodist University, author of Exploring Worlds and Living Consciousness
“Equally inspiring and informative, it draws from a wide range of spiritual and religious traditions to reveal the underlying arc of the spiritual journey, as seen through the eyes of an experienced and compassionate guide.”
JALAJA BONHEIM, PhD Author of The Sacred Ego and Aphrodite’s Daughters
“Dance of Light strips away the falsities, simplifies the unnecessary complexities, and gives numerous resources to light the way.”
MEGHAN DON, award-winning author, Meditations with Teresa of Avila: A Journey into the Sacred and Feminine Courage
