The Best 13 Books for Mind Blowing Spiritual Expansion; My Personal Gateway books to Open Your Mind. (3 min Read)

In this blog Rachael looks at the best books that helped her, a Westerner, raised in a Christian country, which she hopes will also help your personal spiritual expansion and growth.

I seem to spend my life recommending books! And I love that! I love reading and hope to inspire that in others. So I thought; well this really should be a blog! So here it is.

My background is Catholic. So I had to undo a certain amount of Dogma in order to get on my own personal Spiritual pathway. For me, many of these books were Gateways. Some you’ll be familiar with; others you won’t.

Whether you have a Christian background or not, you will find all of these mind expanding. You will be unaware of how many hangover beliefs you are still holding which do not resonate with your current state of mind. Beliefs instilled due to the fact you were raised in a Christian country.

Some of the most fervent attitudes against the work I do with Jesus, have come when I have spoken at community groups, from Pagans and others who have blessedly connected into the Ancient religions of our lands. An attitude which I understand but an anger which is actually directed at the Roman Empire, and not at Jesus himself.

I am learning to speak Jesus’ truth to those individuals increasingly from a place of love; I don’t like confrontation and it still throws me when people gather together in the name of Spirit and approach the topic from a place of anger and fear. But Jesus is a much misunderstood figure by Christians and non Christians alike, and I feel it is my calling to right this.

My bookshelf on the sofa!

I have also spent time talking to Christians about the true Jesus. Again, many approach my liberal views, historical understanding, logic, reason and direct connection (we all pray in different ways, I am just open to hearing the message back) from a place of fear and anger. Exact attitudes that Jesus came to do away with. These situations I have a little more practice with and am not so thrown! However I come across less and less of these people as I move into the circles which resonate with me.

So you will see many of these recommendations have a Jesus theme! However, I feel that those raised maybe Agnostic or of no faith system, will find that these recommendations and my reasons for their inclusion enlightening, especially where you have been raised in a Christian country. Plus I’m a logical lady, so if you have a logical background there are some in here that you’ll love!

We all have to undo a belief system of some sort

It’s important to bear in mind that we will all approach our spiritual pathways from a different background and this will each flavour our journey differently. So we will all find books which resonate for some and not for others, even though some of us would not even be on our personal journeys if it were not for them. Some of us will have no faith system, others will have a system of logic and Science. And within these groups everyone will be searching for a way that fits them and suits them. And then they need to be open to changing their minds about their personal beliefs as their level of understanding goes deeper.

It can be really hard when you are used to working from a set of rules, to go to your own set of rules, to realise there are no fecking rules!!

I don’t apologise for the fact that I am being honest in this blog; and honesty does not mean my personal Truth in this context. Either factually known history or generally accepted historical conjecture is what I quote when I talk around the books I’ve included. The Bible was not written by God. Nor Jesus. Or even any of Jesus’s original circle of apostles or disciples. It was simply written by men. Men are flawed (thank God I’m a woman ey?! 😉)

These are books that I have personally found to be helpful and ones which I still have floating in my book case. And I do mean personally helpful; these are my recommendations not a list I’ve compiled to get views or to get clicks.

As a Catholic, I already had a connection. I had a deep faith (albeit not for a few months when I struggled with Atheism in my teens; an essential period in my understanding). So I didn’t need books which blew my mind about the Universe, or about God. My connection to Jesus and particularly Mary Magdalene, is actually was what guided me towards my own path. So you won’t find another list like this!

Books which are still in print are available at my bookshop click here; I would be grateful if you are going to buy them new to do so through this shop. I get a small cut, to enable me to do my work, and also Bookshop.org is a cooperative or local, independent bookshops. When we invest locally something like 30% more money stays in the economy. Plus everything is discounted and online; way to feel smug not using Amazon!

And any which are no longer in print, or if you would rather buy second hand books, then I would highly recommend World of Books here: all of the books are second hand, free delivery and heavily invested in supporting charity; through donation and purchasing some of the tons of donated books which charity shops ordinarily send to landfill every year. Another way to feel proud of your buying choices!

• The Bible; The New Testament. Yes. You heard me right. The Bible. But read it with fresh eyes. Understand the History behind when the books you are reading were written and by whom. Bear in mind that the Movement created by Jesus died out about 70AD. And that the Canonical Gospels (Matthew, Mark. Luke and John) were written somewhere between 80AD and 120AD in Greek and some in Aramaic. Bear in mind there were then two major Christian Religions; Gnostic, who took on the more Spiritual teachings of Jesus as their core belief, and what became Catholicism. The latter belief system stemmed from St Paul, who was a Roman convert and who is a major contributor to the Acts of the Apostles. That Catholicism was adopted by the Roman Empire in the 3rd and 4th Centuries, at which point they decided which Gospels went into the Bible, outlawed any other version of Christianity and banished anyone who did not agree, after the Council of Nicea. From there, in a system where everything was much more focused on Jesus the demi-God who died for us, stems all modern organised Christian religion. Whether you’re a fan of the Catholic outlook on Christianity or not; if you are in an organised Christian religion you are following Catholic dogma at heart. (Sorry! (not sorry!)). In fact being raised in a Christian country will have also influenced you with Catholic dogma. This is the reality we are dealing with. Also understand that the King James Bible was specifically translated to support King James’ propaganda and from the Latin; not the original works. This is historical fact and Sir Francis Bacon who oversaw the translation noted when the translation was tweaked to suit the needs of the monarchy. Unlike the German version by Martin Luther, which was a translation by a monk looking to tear down the Catholic church, from the original Aramaic and Greek. The difference in the intent and the reasons behind why they translated the Bible, mean two very different versions. So bear all of this in mind when you read the Bible. But also look with fresh eyes at Jesus’s acts and learn some history of the time. The best teacher I have ever had is a priest who put into context every one of the bible stories he spoke about. About what a sexist system women lived in those times (Judaism and Roman society both being unfairly patriarchal) and how Jesus was righting the wrongs against women; when he spoke about divorce being wrong in a time when women could not divorce men, but men could divorce women for any reason they near chose. When a women, not a man, was stoned to death for having an affair; ‘let he who is without sin cast the first stone’. When he spoke about action and not apathy caused from living in fear; the Parable of the Talents or Mina. When he knocked down every money changers table in the temple and showed us how to treat our sacred spaces and that anger is a beautiful emotion of action when used wisely. When he told us to love eachother as we would love ourselves; showing us that self love and compassion is just as important as outward love and compassion. Jesus is one of the best teachers you will ever work with; his guidance and wisdom is immense. And translating those stories into the history of the day also allows us to translate it into the correct context for the modern day Western Society.

• Son of God: Angela Tilby. This booklooks like it is no longer in print, but available second hand. I bought this after watching a TV documentary in my early twenties (I maybe giving my age away now lol). And the Documentary is well worth watching (I will do a blog about TV programmes and films which I also rate, but for another day!). This book looks logically at the miracles and other bible stories; but what I loved was it was not looking to destroy belief. It looks at could this have happened? Do we have evidence of self induced pregnancy? Why else may this story have been included for historical propaganda or what Spiritual significance does this story have? It, like the information given in the above point, will allow you to look at the Bible with fresh eyes.

• The Da Vinci Code: Dan Brown. Okay, this may seem a but trite. But it isn’t in many ways. One of my best lecturers once said there was no point in having something to say if noone can understand it. This book was such an easy access to me after all of the talk and reading I had done over the years about Mary Magdalene, and Da Vinci’s knowledge. Plus it’s a good thriller which keeps you hooked. It will whittle down a lot of stuff into an easy to read format which the majority of us can access. Imagine expanding your mind next to the pool on holibobs! Bliss! Most of my knowledge about Da Vinci and his secret knowledge and the messages in his art came through Uni lecturers (funny how you do an art history degree and end up working Spiritually isn’t it? Bloomin Universe and it’s Divine plan!). Try getting lost down the internet rabbit hole as to the two versions of his Virgin on the Rocks.

• When God was a Woman: Merlin Stone. Just as history is written by the winners, it has also invariably been written by men. This book was passed to me, by my mother. Who had been passed this by a lady at church. (They may not have been good Catholics, but they were sure as hell good rebellious Irish women!). This was my first insight into not just how women were written out of the Bible, but out of much of Ancient Mythology and Religious History. This also uses historical context to allow us to understand why it happened, not just what happened. And was my first connection into the Goddesses of the UK and Eire; these connections into the energies of lands which we inhabit are so, so very important; just as is the connection into the Divine Feminine.

• The Gospel of Mary Magdalene; Jean-Yves Leloup. Just as I said it is important to read the Bible that has been left to us with fresh eyes, it is also vital to read what has been left out. This book, as well as being an accurate translation, also gives context not only of the writing of the Gospel itself, but also a Spiritual interpretation. For me, what is most interesting, is hearing part of the story of Mary’s ministry and also the dynamics within the group of Jesus’s followers.

• The Gospel of Thomas; Jean-Yves Leloup. You maybe noticing a theme here! I do enjoy the translations by this author. This book is a beautiful collection of Jesus’s sayings, alongside references back to the Bible where there is cross overs in the sayings. Plus an interpretation of the sayings. Really lovely to dip into for daily inspiration.

• The Gospel of Philip; Jean-Yves Leloup. This book is a little heavier going than the other two; mainly due to the content of this amazing gospel. It is quite clearly channelled writing in most places; highly surprising considering that Philip’s daughters were all renown prophets. I love hearing Philip talk about the beauty of sex, but also the sanctity of it. And about the Breath; a term for the Holy Spirit which is used across cultures.

• The Bible Fraud; Tony Bushby. This book isn’t light reading, and I personally can’t take every theory put forward in this book. However in terms of understanding our history, the history of the church and looking at, based on evidence, what the truth was likely to be, it is not only fascinating. but will give you a basis upon which to build your own theories of the true life of Christ. It will make realise how many beliefs you have based on dogma and rhetoric, which are simply not true. Which then frees you to make your own mind up. Kinda the whole point of our journey ey?

• Jesus, Buddha, Krishna and Lao Tzu: the Parallel Sayings; Richard Hooper. This book is the latest to my collection but it is already blowing my mind. I thought this was just going to be a collection of parallel and beautiful sayings, but the information in even just the introduction is enlightening. Amazing to think about the parallels of their actual lives, and also the not so parallels, and how these affected the movements differently that were created from their teachings.

• Many Lives, Many Master; Brian Weiss. You may have heard me speak before in my blog about Previous Lives, as to how I made the logical leap of the Devil falling to Earth and not Hell, into previous lives after having a younger sister recall her previous incarnations. This book approaches the topic from a logical point of view and is written by someone who not only did not believe in previous lives, but in fact believed in nothing. So if you are yet to be convinced on the topic, or haven’t given it much thought, than this is a great book!

• The Tao Te Ching. This book is what much Chinese philosophy, Taoism, is based on and I particularly like the translation by Gia-Fu Feng and Jane English. They have tried to strike a balance between the authenticity of the words, alongside the beauty of the original poetry. This book is attributed to Lao Tzu, an ancient figure shrouded in mystery. It is another beautiful book to dip in and out of for daily inspiration. There is a later book, the Tao de Chuang Tzu, (or Tao of Zhuang Zhu depending on the translation) that I have yet to read myself (although that is now on the Amazon wish list for next birthday!) and would be a good one to go onto if you find inspiration from Taoism.

• The Bhagavad Gita. The Song of God. Similarly to the above book, this book is a beautiful work that is said to be the conversation that Krishna, the incarnate avatar of Brahma, or God, has with his disciple Arjuna, about the principles of the Universe. While there are many texts which contribute to the beautiful religion of Hinduism, (the Sutras and the Vedic texts among them), for me as a Westerner this book is a beautiful introduction. I have also started on the Srimad Bhagavatam, First Canto, so this would be worth a look if the Gita resonates with you and you wish to delve deeper.

• Shaman, Healer, Sage by Alberto Villoldo; As an introduction to real shamanic work, rather than what someone waving around a bit of sage and banging a drum thinks is shamanic work. This will really expand your mind, explaining the really magical and grounded work of a shamanic peoples. Showing you that not only is it earthy and raw but it is also very deeply spiritual and ‘high vibe’. I still dip into this one!

Not that I am one to brag (honestly!) but I humbly add my own work to this list! I am so pleased to have released my own book – The Banshee: Heart Healer. Briar Rose and Divine Feminine. Available, in both Kindle and paperback here at Amazon globally! Introducing you to the Banshee, the mythology and truth behind her, she brings you on a journey exploring themes of grief, anger and loss, turning it into love, joy, communication and community.

I know this list will be added to over time. And I would really love to hear what your top reads are, if you have read any of the books I have an your thoughts. Also if you grab any of these books, how they have expanded your horizons etc!

I will also add in a list of mind blowing TV shows for Spiritual Expansion at some point and add the link here. In the meantime, I would love you to sign up for my blog, in the hope that I can inspire you personally on your Spiritual and healing journey of self expansion! There should be a little box somewhere on this page for you to do so!

Till next time my friends.

Love as always

Rachael x