MSI Press Blog

  excerpt from The Rose and the Sword (Bach & Hucknall) Introduction                  The popular ideal of finding one’s “soul mate” in a partner stems from the relationship between the two basic energies that exist, beyond gender and sexual identity, in each of us. We all possess a mix of these energies. When the inner feminine energy is weak and the inner masculine energy is dominant, a person loses his or her inner direction, for feminine energy is like a guiding system; without its guidance, actions can lead to unchecked aggression. When the inner masculine energy is undeveloped and the inner feminine energy is strong, swirls of inspired thought dissolve like mist, ungrounded in the action needed for manifestation. When these two energies are equally developed, the individual is richly endowed with inspiration and intuition (the feminine) as well as the ability to express these riches in the world (the masculine).              In The Rose and the Sword: How to Balance Your Fem

Commentary There is no ending to this story or to this book.  We could have wrapped it up like a nice neat package, but that would be totally unreal.  The underlying message of this book is that the integration of the positive masculine and feminine must begin first in each of us as individuals and then spread outward into our relationships and social structures, such as our organizations and communities and ultimately into our national and international relations.  If we look at the chaos that exists in our present world, we can only see the rising tide of conflict in the Middle East and in other corners of the planet where the social systems are still in the Dark Ages in terms of balance of the masculine and feminine.  In this country, we surely have a long way to go, but, at least, over the last century, we have seen movement.  If we look around the world, there are pockets of integration slowly emerging.      Clearly, the evolution of humanity into a futuristic world a

  Excerpt from Staying Safe While Sheltering in Place (Schnuelle, Adams, & Henderson) Introduction (by Hendereson) My eyes blinked open suddenly and I was immediately filled with dread, even terror! Now wide awake and worried, I envisioned a stay-at-home order being issued when I was a child. How would I have survived? I was immediately filled with fear as I imagined what it might have been like to be unable to escape the abuses of my father. Of course, my next thought was for all the children, women, girlfriends, or anyone else who might now be stuck at home with a person who is dangerous, someone who instills fear in their victims day and night. What is happening to these children? What is happening to whole families who are in lock-down with someone who can, has, and probably will hurt them, possibly fatally? I started talking to people, starting with my sisters. The thought of it was so awful they couldn’t really discuss it, but one of them, who has worked for years in Soc

Why this image? Because when you have a child with autism or any special needs, it is like looking upon a field of bluebonnets and seeing one bright, waving, yellow rose standing within and apart from the sea of blue at the same time. Today's story is about one such yellow rose, Sean Cunningham, shared here from a newspaper article written at the time of Sean's graduation from college. I, the managing editor of MSI Press, know this story to be true because as a child, Sean attended school with my son, came to our house for play dates, and stayed in touch over the years. His achievement may be considered remarkable, but it does point to possibilities by other young adults with autism. And here is the story: An Autistic Student Makes History http://www.wusa9news.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=39706 Sean Sokler has full spectrum autism. He uses a machine to communicate, twists his shirt incessantly, and often stares off into space. But inside the nervous exter

Dr. Bach, seated on the left, is a psychotherapist, writer and artist. She co-founded the Berkshire Center for Psychosynthesis in Massachusetts, and, later, the Psychosynthesis Institute of New York and for many years was a Psychosynthesis trainer, a therapeutic approach that recognizes and works with the creative and spiritual dimension of an individual. In addition to her long-time private practice and her work as a trainer, Dr. Bach has presented seminars in the United States, Austria, Switzerland and Germany.  She is the co-author, with Nanette Hucknall (seated on the right), of   The Rose and the Sword: Balancing Your Feminine and Masculine Energies . It is with sadness that we note that Judith Bach passed away March 3, 2019. Her co-author is alive and well and involved -- and we anticipate that readers will continue to enjoy The Rose and the Sword for years to come!

"an exceptional piece of literature" "enlightening and entertaining" "one of my favorite books" "immensely inspired" "meaningful" Read more reviews from Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18654889-the-rose-and-the-sword

Photo by Stacey Gentry Inside the Church There is more to the church than the altar, of course, and I spend much time in the church on my own. I can do that because the cat doors let me in all by myself.  I often spend some time, reflecting by myself, spending time alone with God. That is so important. It refreshes me, and the Spirit I encounter there nourishes me. As a cat, I cannot take Communion and be nourished by the body and blood of Christ, but I can be spiritually nourished simply lying in the presence of God and reflecting. Inside the church, in my reflections I notice so many things that are often not noticed. Most are taken for granted by worshipers.  First is how big our church is. It has three aisles. None of the other Franciscan Missions have three aisles. They have one or two. That makes our church have a very open feeling, like you are part of nature. And, when the two side doors are open, one feels a flowing of nature into the church and the church into

Snyezhka, on a better day, waiting for the vet with "master" CB Leaver   This past week my sweet little Snyezhka, who suffers from lung cancer, developed a really bad upper respiratory infection almost instantly -- sniffles in the morning and difficulties breathing at night. The vaporizer, which often helps, did not fo its job very well this time, and her breath became labored -- but it was unclear whether it was labored enough to take her to an emergency room, a very complicated fact since we live very far away from any emergency services that are open after 7:00 at night. The closest one is an hour away, and I would not be able to drive in the dark and observe her condition -- or do anything about. So, I turned to a place where I have found helpful information in the past: the Internet. I wanted to understand the severity of the URI this time, wondering what the intersection with lung cancer might be, if any. I came across one of these 24/7 places that promises great vet ad

                             One of the fun things that a publisher (or at least, an acquisitions editor) gets to experience is meeting more than one member of a family -- as an author whose work we publish. Today, we introduce the Hucknall sisters, Janice and Nanette.  Janice Hucknall Snyder's book, Survival of the Caregiver , is an older book, but it is a good one, and one that does not really have a parallel for caregivers. The paperback edition is available at the MSI Press webstore on significant discount. Nanette's books have been published before and after Janice (Hucknall) Snyder's book. Nanette's books include The Rose and the Sword (co-authored with Judith Bach) and How to Live from Your Heart   (currently on deep discount on Amazon). How to Live from Your Heart has earned multiple awards:  Pinnacle Achievement Book Award Book of the Year Award finalist Best Books Award finalist Book Excellence Award Readers’ Favorite Book Award finalist Kops-Fetherling Le

   Excerpt from Thoughts without a Title (Henderson, editor) --  The Tale of Fuzz  Betty Lou Leaver Once upon a time in the wooded mountains of California, not all that far from the ocean but far enough not to know that it existed, there was born a little kitten. He had beautiful markings but never knew because he had no family to admire him. His hair was long and curly, and he had a very bushy tail. He looked like a ball of fuzz, but he did not know because he had no family to tell him.  One day, when he was only a few weeks old and alone except for the remains of his mother, who had become a meal for a hungry coyote, he ventured forth in search of safer lands and in search of food and water for he was, indeed, hungry and thirsty.  Before very long, he reached a river in the woods, a deep, cool river, and he drank from it thirstily. Near the river, he saw a quaint little cabin, and through the window he saw two children looking at a box that showed stories. The girl was

  Today's guest post from Dr. Dennis Ortman continues the theme he started last week on dying and living. Journey through Death “Unless the grain of wheat dies, it remains just a grain of wheat.” --Jesus of Nazareth   Pope Benedict XVI, the retired pope, recently died. One of his caregivers reported his last dying words: “Lord, I love you.” He was echoing the last words of Jesus on the cross: “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Mahatma Gandhi, called the “Great Soul,” was assassinated. His last words were a cry to God: “Ram, Ram, Ram!” The last thought of these men before they died was not of all the loved ones they left behind, but of God, who was their constant companion throughout their lives. They faced death with a tranquil spirit. Socrates, the epitome of wisdom, faced his death with a similar calmness. He was condemned to die on a charge of corrupting the youth of Athens. His friends tried to convince him not to take that fatal drink. Socrates responded