Bedside reading material

I never seem to have just one book on the go and currently I have a large stack for dipping into:

The Healing Energies of Water by Charlie Ryrie. A Gaia book. I love this publisher - everything they produce is so beautifully put together. This was a 50p bargain at a library sale on my last trip to the UK.

The Doctors Book of Home Remedies for Dogs and Cats by the Editors of Prevention Pets Books. Also a bargain book; this time from a charity shop. I have no idea why there are no charity shops where I live in central Portugal. They are something I really miss from England.

The Awakener by Sandy Stevenson. This was recommended to me by an amazing traveller from East Timor, whom I met at this year's Boom Festival. I tried hard to seek it out on my last UK trip, trawling every shop in Glastonbury to no avail. Then, amazingly, the book nearly fell off the shelf at me in Waterstones at Fareham - the last place I expected to find such a way out book. I've finished reading it now, but am still referring to it. I had many "uh-huh" moments as I read it; there was plenty of resonance for me, but it also presents some very strange concepts.

The Spiral Dance by Starhawk. This is a classic Wiccan tome. I am not a Wiccan, nor do I belong to a coven, but this book is still very interesting reading, with plenty of sensible advice.

The Gentle Arts of Aquarian Magic by Marian Green. I've got to chapter 5, entitled The Magic of Air. Then I realised that I haven't really been assimilating what I've read. I haven't done the exercises either, so at some point I'm going to have to re-read this or I won't make much progress.

A Witch Alone by Marian Green. This is the book that inspired the title for this blog. I really am grabbed by the concept of workbooks generally (my favourite book is a workbook too). As with the previous title, I haven't been putting in the effort required to advance. My main stumbling blocks are lack of application to one task, and difficulty with meditation and mental stillness.

Pixel Juice by Jeff Noon. This is my purely recreational reading at the moment. The Times review of this title, printed on the front cover, says "Noon is the Lewis Carroll of Manchester's housing estates ... the cocktail of alienation, narcotics and gadgetry fizzes with energy." This is a book of short stories and so is ideal for a quick read before lights out.

Violet Flame by Elizabeth Clare Prophet. One of those little books you can read in one sitting, or dip into. I found it comforting and helpful leading up to my Mum's recent death. I am really trying to work on those purple flame visualisations, and the feelings I get remind me of sending and receiving Reiki.

Finally, I also have the September / October edition of Resurgence magazine. This has plenty of intelligent articles from respected writers such as Deepak Chopra, James Lovelock and Anita Roddick.