From AudioFile
Subtitled THE BLOSSOMING OF YOUR CREATIVE SELF, this lovely and complex program is about opening to the deeper mysteries of who we are at midlife and recovering the great dream we have for our lives. Angeles Arrien, author, cultural anthropologist, and eloquent storyteller, describes the three principles that should inform the second half of life: generativity, intimacy and creativity. One way to follow these principles is to perform daily the three cross-cultural tasks referred to by Arrien as "the Blessing Way"--say a prayer or set a sacred intention, express gratitude and perform at least one life-affirming action. Many stories are interwoven throughout the program: Solomon's Wisdom, Pandora's Box, The 12 Labors of Hercules, and The Nine Muses. Eloquent and provocative, Arrien provides not only stories and myths, but also many practical instructions to encourage us to change at mid-life. To paraphrase the poet Rumi, Arrien inspires her listeners to drop "the shrouds of insufficiency" and to return to our souls' highest nature. A well-crafted, superbly recorded, and rewarding audio work. C.S. (c) AudioFile, Portland, Maine

Book Description
This collection of teachings, reflections, and stories from around the world open us to the challenge and deeper mysteries of the "great crossing" at midlife. Working with the images, poetry, metaphors, and other forms of symbolic language from diversified cultures, Angeles Arrien introduces us to the Eight Gates if Initiation. Readers are taken step-by-step through each gate to learn more about: How to effectively cope with the natural challenges of health and an aging body, Your secret longings: how they give you direction and inspiration to begin a project that is connected with your life dream, The gate of intimacy: two dangers that can stop your crossing, Ways to balance the two distinct meanings of life: your external, quantitative and material experiences, with the internal, qualitative, sensory experiences, Retirement – from what toward what, and more.

About the Author
Angeles Arrien is an anthropologist, educator, award-winning author, and consultant to many organizations and businesses, including the Fetzer Institute. She lectures nationally and internationally, conducting workshops that bridge cultural anthropology, psychology, and mediation skills. She is the founder and president of the Angeles Arrien Foundation for Cross-Cultural Education and Research, and a Fellow at the Institute of Noetic Sciences. Dr. Arrien’s research and teaching have focused on values and beliefs shared by humanity cross-culturally, and on the integration and application of multi-cultural wisdoms in contemporary settings. She teaches universal components of leadership skills, communication, health care, and education. Her work reveals how indigenous wisdoms are relevant in our families, professional lives, and our relationship with the Earth.