What Is Kabbalah About

Bee Season


An intelligent 11-year-old girl holds the key to solving her dysfunctional family's crisis in Bee Season, an intriguing drama that draws heavily on the mysterious power of words. Adapted by Naomi Foner Gyllenhaal (Running on Empty) from the popular novel by Myla Goldberg, this curiously involving movie focuses on the Naumanns, an academically inclined family led by Saul (Richard Gere), a stern father and emotionally distant husband who teaches Jewish theology in Berkeley. Driven to intellectual pursuits and intense study of the Kabbalah (especially its theological emphasis on the mystical importance of words), he barely notices his young daughter Eliza (Flora Cross) until she wins a regional spelling bee. Shifting his favor away from his rebellious son (Max Minghella) and a troubled wife (Juliette Binoche) still traumatized by a past tragedy, Saul invests his paternal pride in Eliza's spelling prowess, unaware that she's got some mystical powers of her own. As proven by their acclaimed mystery thriller The Deep End, co-directors Scott McGehee and David Siegel have a knack for Hitchcockian attention to visual details, and with a performance by 12-year-old Flora Cross that's wise beyond her years, Bee Season unfolds as a uniquely perceptive film about complex human behavior. Not for all tastes (as evident by the mixed reviews it received from critics), but very rewarding for anyone who tunes into its peculiar emotional wavelength. --Jeff Shannon

Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing


What sets Anatomy of the Spirit apart is Carolyn Myss's ability to blend diverse religious and spiritual beliefs into a succinct discussion of health and human anatomy. For example, when describing the seven energy fields of the human body, she fuses Christian sacraments with Hindu chakras and the Kabbalah's Tree of Life. Fortunately, Myss is a skilled writer as well as researcher, able to ground her extensive spiritual and religious discussions by using real-life stories and a tight writing style. Those who are squeamish with the notion of biography affecting biology will find this book a struggle (in one chapter, Myss links pancreatic cancer with a man's refusal to unburden his life and start fulfilling his dreams). Many, however, hail Myss for creating a valuable contribution to the ongoing exploration of spirituality and health. --Gail Hudson

Angels 101: An Introduction to Connecting, Working, and Healing with the Angels