Soulistry—Artistry of the Soul: Creative Ways to Nurture Your Spirituality by June Maffin is a book of journal prompts and questions that are intended to make you think more deeply about the spiritual aspects of your being. She stresses the importance of the Soul-Questions as being that of clarifying what you believe and think about relationships, issues, life, and yourself. The guide is broken up into a number of short chapters, each consisting of a prompt on a specific topic and related questions. Each prompt consists of a relatively short quotation of a few lines that Maffin has taken from the work of a wide range of spiritually informed and wise teachers who have shared their deepest thoughts with their disciples and followers over the ages. These individuals, for whom she provides a short biography at the end of the book, come from across the world, across cultures and across religions. The topics that Maffin covers include all the basic human emotions, including fear, joy, gratitude, and love, as well as a host of other spiritually related aspects of being. The number of questions that she asks per topic is less than ten, and usually four or more. You could either consider them by yourself, or in a small encounter group or workshop. Each question is probing and direct, being meant to stimulate your thinking and to advance your journey towards spiritual awareness and health.
Maffin has found, over the years, that she has experienced spiritual growth as she has asked Soul-Questions of herself, and that is the purpose of this guide to greater spiritual awareness: she wishes to encourage you, the reader, “to connect more intimately with your spirituality.” Maffin’s approach is logical and rational—she provides you with guidance every inch of the way, so that throughout the book she acts as your spiritual mentor and guide.
Maffin recommends that, when reading this book, you should keep a journal in which to record your responses to the Soul-Questions that she asks, after you have reflected on the Soulistry Journal Prompts that she provides. If you have never before done any form of journaling, she provides a brief and simple guide on how you can set about doing so. The Journal can also be used for any other questions that arise from those already asked. Maffin also teaches you how physically to make a Soulistry journal from basic materials.
Maffin concludes Soulistry—Artistry of the Soul by explaining how, when she was suffering from mercury poisoning, she found that developing her artistic potential enabled her to overcome the pain that she was experiencing at the time. Using her own learning curve as an educator, Creative Spirituality Artist, writer, and spiritual director / soul friend, she came to develop a series of Soulistry Workshops and Retreats, which she has held since then all over North America and Europe. Soulistry—Artistry of the Soul encapsulates such work and makes it available to a wider audience than might otherwise have been possible.
All those who are keen to advance their spiritual awareness would be well advised to acquire this helpful and thought-provoking guide.
Lois Henderson, BookPleasures reviewer (www.bookpleasures.com) has a MA General Linguistics, BA (English) Honor, lives in South Africa and “is available for reviewing and indexing books of a spiritual nature at any time. Please contact loiscourtenayhenderson@gmail.com if you would like a review or index done.”