A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles

A Return to Love introduced to me several thought provoking concepts. I'm a seeker of spiritual expansion and psychological development and know a lot of self actualizing phrases: self compassion, befriend suffering, quiet the mind, etc. What I hadn't quite grasped, though, was their underlying theme, which Marianne Williamson argues quite well. Love. It moves stagnant energy and manifests miracles. It is the basis of forgiveness of ourselves and others. It brings us back to who we really are – brilliant, creative, much more than worthy, and powerful. From the picture she painted, I can see her point. She uses an already successful piece of work as the basis of her book, A Course in Miracles, which I found to be a little referential at times, although that’s openly affirmed in Williamson’s title. The real magic comes from her art of paraphrasing. The writing in A Return to Love not only explains esoteric concepts in a decidedly non-esoteric manner, it’s also relatable. I felt spoken to, understood, and as if the audience’s understanding was her ultimate objective rather than their bafflement. Williamson's book is structured around A Course in Miracle’s principles, first explaining what love is and then how it affects our careers, us, our money stories, and our minds. One principle in particular caused a deep shift in my perception. Each relationship, it's argued, is a divine one and in the net of time, space, and matter, is specifically and reciprocally set in front of the two people in relationship to simultaneously maximize the elevation of their consciousness. Those who I perceived as enemies and irritants I now authentically perceive as gifts. If this was the only thing I got out of this book, it would still be worth buying. Transcendence was also a theme, as if it was the end goal. I found that she provided the why of love's power but not the how, and sometimes in a contradictory, self-deprecating way. It's expressed several times that loving is required to fully heal but no tools are provided to do this in extremely difficult cases. The underlying answer I gathered from this book was simply to love. That is indeed one solution, albeit a simple one. No guidelines were included for shifting ingrained neural networks not wired for self-love, like the complex cases of abuse survivors. As inclusive as this book was, the body was left out to dry. It's explained as merely a vessel, somewhat dismissed as a vessel. We live in our bodies, and this is another area where it would have been helpful to include guidelines for readers with physically manifested trauma. Abuse and trauma survivors’ bodies have already been used as instruments and labeling it as a means to an end lacks sensitivity and a basic understanding of how the aftermath of abuse and trauma works. In a rather outdated argument, the mind and body are presented as separate entities with the belief that the mind needs healing, not the body. For those with a history of abuse and trauma, whether emotional, physical or spiritual, this book does not touch on somatic healing. Having said that, there are interesting passages about mindsets relating to the body which could be very valuable for those already on their somatic healing journey. All in all, this book is poetic; the writing lilts across the page in beautiful arcs, creatively circling back to the common theme of love. Her take on A Course in Miracles is well done and provides an excellent explanation of love's healing powers. Unfortunately, trauma and abuse are left largely unaddressed as well as their effects on the body while the mind is focused on as the source of all sickness. Despite this lack of exploration, Williamson does give us a starting point to any difficulty: when in doubt, love. She invites us to empower ourselves because no one else will, come back to who we truly and gloriously are, and rise up to our sacred functions. All by returning to love.

A friend recommended this book to me, I read the sample and immediately purchesed it. I cannot quite say that I agree 100% with everything that Ms Willamson writes, however, I found this book very insightful and inspiring. I just read it for the first time, and intend to begin reading it again to further internalize the many many parts I found that resonated true with me, see what else I can learn and use her insights as an added catalyst for change. I've felt a great deal of emotional pain in my life through relatiinships, but see the beauty in them and the miracles a renewed approach can bring. I will be sharing this with friends. I hope we can all be inspired together.

I read this book years ago and have given copies to family members. I'm ordering a new one now because I'm in a place where I need to be reminded of what is important. This book does this. Marianne Williamson clearly has an understanding of 12 step programs and their philosophies, and it is also obvious that she understands that many people have a difficulty with the concept of God..... It is a wonderful book. Centers you & inspires you.