meaning by design
lucy oliver
Patterns of Life and Death in the Company of a Master
An unusual and fascinating account which interweaves memoir, biography, wisdom teaching and metaphysical philosophy to present a rare illustration of how an oral tradition of Knowledge can be transmitted in modern Britain under the guidance of an extraordinary Sage.
This book is the first direct and personal account of over forty years under the direction of this inspiring authentic Teacher, who insisted on obscurity while he lived. As the text reveals, life around such an individual is never dull. Through anecdote and lively description, it embodies and brings to life some founding principles of spiritual teaching, removing some of the mystique and superstition which have encrusted traditional esoteric work.
It also fills in the background to the author’s The Meditator’s Guidebook which is a classic of the meditation genre for its clear and profound approach to meditation from the same lineage of oral transmission and was originally published over 30 years ago.
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This valuable guide explains the basic process that is initiated when someone seriously begins to learn meditation in any tradition or with any technique. Whether the objective is relaxation, enlightenment, or union with the Divine, the three most obvious results of meditation can be summarized as calmness, power, and insight; together, they represent the refinement and development of our physical, emotional and intellectual levels of being.
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The author describes with precision the benefits and pitfalls of meditation....She clarifies the basic techniques and principles involved in the skill of meditation and shows how sustained practice can unlock our innate creativity. Just as nourishment is assimilated by the body and transformed in the process of physical growth, meditation is a catalyst for transforming the substance of life in our consciousness and deepening our contact with the creative dimension of existence.
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DIARIES OF A YOUNG MYSTIC
​This unusual autobiography is an intimate chronicle of soul-search from the diaries of a young woman living and studying in the university town of Oxford in the late 1970’s. For fifty years the diaries lay forgotten in a trunk, until rediscovered by her at the age of 72. The diaries cover six years of an intense maturing process to find and articulate a meaningful framework for life and loving.
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Aided by the wisdom of hindsight, the interwoven commentary by herself as an older woman reflecting on her younger self makes these diaries much more than just a trip down memory lane. The voices of Youth and Age intertwine throughout the narrative, and create a profound and sometimes searing portrayal of love, loss and spiritual growth, catalysed by a combination of academic learning and direct perception.
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Oxford itself, the "town of dreaming spires" is an evocative backdrop, almost a protagonist in its own right, in this fresh and poetic evocation before the sprawl of modern developments and the impact of mass tourism.
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“A captivating, affectionate, and utterly factual account of the man who is the closest thing to a Master that I have ever met.” – Richard Smoley, Author and Editor of Quest Journal
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“An invitation into thinking and feeling on a higher level, refined, real, with an internal tempo spacious and still.” – Anne Egseth, Author and Integral Coach
Books available from booksellers in eBook or paperback
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Currently all paperbacks can also be purchased directly from me .
Write to: meaningbydesign@hotmail.co.uk
Tessellations £10
The Meditator's Guidebook £8.50
Diaries of a Young Mystic £11.99
(all incl. UK p & p)