June Maffin has given us a real gift in "Soulistry". Unlike far too many books on spiritual matters, "Soulistry" offers all comers a cordial and restorative way into the exploration and care of the interior life. ~ Phyllis Tickle , www.phyllistickle.com

All those who are keen to advance their spiritual awareness would be well advised to acquire this helpful and thought-provoking guide.      ~ Lois Henderson, Henderson of Bookpleasures.com

"Soulistry is a magic word of open soul searching.  Here is a book that promotes love, kindness, health, wisdom and happiness.  It will awaken your body, mind and spirit."

A spring tonic that speaks to the very essence of us. It’s trip into the élan vital.  

This is a quite beautiful book – not in looks as such but in thought and content.
Using a series of over 80 quotes from a range of traditions and subjects, it uses these quotes as a thought catalyst with questions to make you think more on the subject or as the author calls them Soulistry journal prompts and soulistry soul questions. This is perhaps the only thing that spoils it for me, the slightly new age and overblown use of ‘soulistry’ throughout the book, but if you can forgive this it is an excellent book with some great material in it. To be fair it is not a Christian book in that it uses quotes from other traditions as well as from the bible but it is nevertheless a good book that could be used to create a wonderful personal journal or enhance a quiet time, however it would work brilliantly in group settings with each prompt and question making for a wonderful discussion starter.

 

June has thoughtfully structured the book in such a way that the outcome of each person's journey will be different depending on one's answers. The questions are both road map and compass to an often overlooked destination -- the elusive "within."

Like so many explorers who kept a diary of their adventures, this guide to journal- keeping gently asks the questions that only the traveler can answer. A thoughtful read and a gentle gift for someone you love who is struggling with life's questions.  

Many of us strive for greater understanding of how the spirit operates in our lives and how to nurture that spirit.  Or, we feel stuck and yearn to become unstuck and to develop a practice to follow.  For seekers such as these, the Rev. Dr. June Maffin's "Soulistry-Artistry of the Soul" will be a great gift.   

The author offers both excitement and adventure in new spiritual growth that continues to intrigue me.  

Soulistry takes the work of Cameron and pushes the borders: many of the questions reveal details about the soul a journaling person might feel unprepared to receive. A person needing inner work can get much out of this book; Maffin’s questions lead to deeper personal questions that delve into hidden aspects of self. 

The slender volume packs a virtual universe into 144 pages .

Even if you never write a word, this uplifting volume will give you plenty to think about, but your life will be much richer if you do record your responses to prompts. Orderly souls may prefer to begin with the first and work their way through in an orderly fashion. Free Spirits may pick and choose, selecting those quotes and prompts that resonate most strongly on any given day. Some may prefer to write simple, spontaneous answers and move on. Others may spend hours over a period of days or weeks drilling deeply into specific questions, fully mining their riches. However you use this book, your life will be richer for letting Maffin's simple seeds take root in your soul.  

Dr. Maffin's book is useful even for those who are not able to journal. It can be used at any time, any place, on any page at any prompt and it will immediately lead the reader to a moment of spiritual calm. SOULISTRY should be kept as a guide for contemplation. And that is where the value of this slender volume lies.


 

Great work! One of the most difficult challenges in modern life is to make space for the soul, setting aside the eternal chatter that has invaded every niche of our existence. SOULISTRY is a marvelous method of finding the silence and attention that a healthy soul requires. If you are looking for greater depth, richness, and fulfillment in your life, this book will help you find it. www.dosseydossey.com

Many of us have come across quotes that touch our heart and soul. In “Soulistry – Artistry of the Soul: Creative Ways to Nurture Your Spirituality” June Maffin provides us with a number of wisdom quotes from many times and spiritual traditions, in a clearly written and engaging style. This in itself would be inspiring, yet Dr. Maffin gives us more. She provides the reader with a gentle structure, the Soulistry Soul-Questions, to engage with the quotes for personal growth, thereby enhancing the deeply lived life. Whether the reader wants to heal loss, transform restrictive attitude and behavior patterns, or explore the personal spiritual journey, this book will support, encourage, and clarify the reader’s goal.

Journaling is good for the soul. Soulistry is a name coined from soul and artistry used by June Maffin to help readers discover in creative ways the deep mysteries that are hidden in our souls. It's about spirituality, in other words, but Dr Maffin does this in a very nuanced and developed way that avoids the usual vague platitudes. "Soulistry-Artistry of the Soul: Creative Ways to Nurture Your Spirituality" gives an excellent series of signposts to your interior life, a way of discovering your true self as you are now, and finding creative ways to re-shaping that self in a healthier direction. In other words, deeper. Everyone will find something useful, whoever they are. For Soulistry is about life and death and new life, those things which are the stuff of human being that we all share, and yet that each of us experiences in a unique way. Find out for your self. ~ The Rt Reverend Pierre Whalon, Bishop of the Convocation of Episcopal Churches in Europe, theologian, writer, organist, blogger, composer and columnist at \

The key words of this book are "soul" and "artistry", being fused into the word "Soulistry" in the title and throughout the text. It is a "dipping" book, like an anthology of poetry. This can become a treasured bedside book, or be at hand beside a favorite armchair for dipping into in quiet moments, snatched from busy lives. It is non-denominational and fully ecumenical, so will appeal to seekers of deeper spirituality of any religious persuasion.

"Soulistry-Artistry of the Soul: Creative Ways to Nurture Your Spirituality" is a creative, spiritually enlightening and grace-filled journey towards greater understanding of oneself and others. Filled with insightful, soul nurturing questions for the spiritual journey, Soulistry encourages readers to dig deeply into life’s most important questions. You will be challenged, inspired and deeply moved by all that Dr. Maffin and Soulistry have to offer you regardless of your background, creative abilities or spiritual experience. Expect your soul to be nourished and your creative spirit to be released through Soulistry!

Change is difficult and requires work, so much so that many people are not willing to make the effort. June Maffin has marked the trail for all of us seeking a deeper and more meaningful life. The Soulistry Journal-Prompts (quotes) that June chose and the accompanying Soulistry Soul-Questions provide a map and a compass for the trip within. Like so many explorers who kept a diary of their adventures, this guide to journal-keeping gently asks the questions that only the traveler can answer. ~ Mary Lawler, Artist; Marketing Director for ArtId (www.artid.com)

"Soulistry - Artistry of the Soul: Creative Ways to Nurture Your Spirituality" by June Mack Maffin, should come with a warning label. "Warning: this book propels us into God-time, into God-space!" If we take the book's provocative Soul-Questions seriously, answers well up from our souls and we will be motivated to go further into ourselves than perhaps we have ever gone. I did and confronted new information about myself which opened me to transcendence. I encourage you to read this book and encounter the Divine in new ways. ~ Sr. Gloriamarie Amalfitano, Community of Solitude www.communityofsolitude.com

In "Soulistry", spiritual teacher June Maffin has gathered from her own deep experience a heap of treasures: words of wisdom from across the ages, to which she has attached some very pertinent and moving questions for self-reflection and self-examination. It's a book which I would give to any seeker. I love it.

As I read this beautifully written and encouraging book, a sense of peace fell over my heart. Her questions following the quotes are some of the best thought-provoking ones I have seen. She introduces topics not always explored like the spirituality of play, doing what you think you cannot do, and risking frustration. Often when we dig deeper into new words, we see God with fresh new eyes.  If you are hungry to grow deeper with God, I encourage you to explore Soulistry to help nourish your spiritual life.