Reviews
Reviews of A Spiritual Journal
“Toby Negus is an artist, both with paints and of the spirit. His work reflects a deep commitment to meeting life on its terms and an equally deep understanding of human nature. I appreciate the gentleness and empathy with which he approaches fellow humans in his writings”
Jacob Nordby – author of The Divine Arsonist and Blessed Are the Weird – A Manifesto for Creatives.
“A beautiful and soulful book of wisdom, inspired art, radiant colour and prose, encouraging us to embody both the light and the shadow, the conscious and the unconscious, while supporting the creative essence of who were born to be. Toby encourages us to live our joy, and reminds us that we have the capacity to design our lives and choose how to live each day! Truly, this book is a lovely celebration for healing the heart and nurturing the soul.”
Heather McCloskey Beck – International speaker and author of <em>Take the Leap
Reviews of The Sacred You – How to be your own saviour
Jacob Nordby – author of The Divine Arsonist: A Tale of Awakening and Blessed Are the Weird – A Manifesto for Creatives
“The Sacred You is a beautiful book, made more so because it is obviously a reflection of the author’s deep personal journey to find peace in the midst of painful circumstances. Filled with original artwork and teachings born of experience, this book is a gentle hand stretched out to guide the road weary into a new way of seeing the world and themselves.”
Natalie Faria-Vare – UK
“I loved this book. There are plenty of self-help books exploring spirituality and trotting out the ‘same old euphemisms’ but this is different. It is an honest account of one man’s journey to find his ‘spiritual/sacred’ self. The written content represents a flow of consciousness and the accumulation of ideas over many years of spiritual study/exploration and an attempt to rationalise all these ideas and present them in an accessible format. Some ideas will be familiar, some will be entirely new, some challenging but the strength of this book is the quantity and quality of ideas, the intrinsic honesty and the inspiration of the author. It discusses quite complex ideas, breaks them down, explores them and encapsulates the essence of each idea within some beautiful and original artwork. The genius of this work is the symbiotic relationship between the text and the pictures. The artwork truly ‘illuminates’ the text and whilst both adorning the text and beautiful in their own right, they also stand alone as pieces of art and wisdom. In some places, the ideas explored are so complex or so closely related to one another they are initially difficult to understand but then one is presented with an image that lifts of the veil and exposes the meaning. Other books may be easier to understand but they contain very little, this book may be very ‘little’ but it contains a plethora of ideas and make no mistake, it is a work of genius.”
Winifred – Gloucestershire UK
I have been re-reading this small but beautifully written book on a wet Sunday afternoon ~ an enlightening and powerful reading experience that inspired me to rethink my views & beliefs. Without question, this is a book I would recommend to others or give as a gift. After a lifetime of thought and exploration, the author Toby Negus manages to convey complex ideas of human psychology in a clear, elegant language using lovely visual images to further illustrate the various points. His writing reminds me of the down to earth wisdom of Dorothy Rowe who also covers the hopelessness of a ‘consumption-driven life’ in ‘Wanting Everything’. ‘The Sacred You’ is a book about self-healing – about looking inward rather than outward for answers. It is about active engagement with the unconscious. This is not a new idea – Jung saw this as the way to gradually transform and dissolve difficult psychological problems but Toby takes us step by step through the process of first accepting what is happening then changing it for the better. We all get caught up in the muddle of everyday life – this book is an important reminder that there is more to life. Much more…
Positive Living Group – Glastonbury UK
‘The Sacred You’ is a weaving of practical and uplifting, intelligent insights, awareness’ and guidance about who we are and of our wonderful, unique and individual potential. It gives a lift if you are feeling low, or/and is simply most enjoyable and thought-provoking if you are interested in the contemplation and inspiration of your Sacred Self. These books are not religious, they are spiritual in the widest sense. There is no preaching to believe in anything, but Toby’s words and illustrations gently lead the reader into a profound place of Who You Are, and there is the space within the pages and the contemplation that they provoke, to weave your own experiences of life and it’s meaning for you whilst one receives the feeling of being held in a place of trust and of the divine. The Sacred You is also filled with beautiful illustrations throughout the pages alongside the text, which are an inspiration in themselves.
Counselling Okanagan – Kimberly Stanyer RSW
An excellent book, with great information. It was clear, easy to understand and really inspiring. This book breaks down some big concepts into their smaller parts making them easier to read and digest. It provided me with great reminders of how life should be lived. “Within our vulnerability, there is an indomitable strength.” What a pleasure. Thank you Toby.