Talking Story

Mind Body & Soul Ezine Book Review - One Woman’s Quest to Preserve Ancient Spiritual and Healing Traditions by Marie-Rose Phan-le. Published by North Atlantic Books. RRP US $18.95 : Can $22.50 

“God turns you from one feeling to another and teaches you by means of opposites, that you need two wings to fly not one.” Rumi

“What is good is bad!” Author’s mother’s philosophy. 

This is an autobiography of a medium, healer, and film maker who is the founder and president of the Healing Planet Project. Marie-Rose, originally from Vietnam, via France to the United States, writes her story. It is one that takes the reader on her privileged journey, Hawaii, Peru, Nepal, India, Vietnam, China, Mexico, and to meet all the amazing people she met, including her aunt, a healer who channelled goddesses, the spiritual tests she was given while on her probationary training, and all the things she saw and did, and all in order to discover old and new ways of healing. It started with a betrayal, getting ripped off, an ordeal, and there are times of conflict and difficulty, but mostly positive experiences. 

Extract: Marie-Rose recounts a dream.  “I’m walking up a mountain trail. It is a difficult climb, and when I reach a plateau, I am relieved finally having arrived. But I’m told I had father to go. I struggle, trecking even higher, I reach the top of the mountain, and floating above me is the emanation of a divine goddess. She is dropping ancient text to me, one page at a time. The pages float before me and then quickly fade out from view. I’m told I must translate these secrets before they disappear. I begin to write as fast as I can.”

Does Marie-Rose discover any remarkable healing method amongst the plants, massages and mediumship? Well, she finds herself some sponsors, and she gets a book and film out of it, which is a calling card, a way to promote yourself in your chosen career. The secret lesson is to honour the journey not the destination. Ideal and saleable material! Being skeptical, I would consider placebo effect is very powerful and being entirely honest, I’m not in favour of the hyping of illegal drugs in developing countries, no matter how fashionable for rich middle class families! Not for me! 

Review by Wendy Stokes