Glimmers of Light Dancing

A Fable for Our Times

Clarion Rating: 3 out of 5

Readers must step into another dimension entirely in order to appreciate and receive the wisdom in Penny Gundry’s Glimmers of Light Dancing, for it reads as though it is a long, highly developed guided imagery session. Take a few slow, deep breaths—relax—and only then embark upon this voyage to the true, authentic self.

Told entirely in the voice of Idan, a young, curious, and adventuresome person of unknown gender, race, and nationality, the story begins with a voyage by ship during which much happens, and nothing happens. Time can be spent contemplating the surroundings—how the light makes the dust motes glimmer, or how “something in the air” can conjure up enticing images. While traversing strange waters and unknown lands, words of wisdom offered by those met on the journey help Idan meet challenges and terrain that, at first glance, seem too risky—even life-threatening. Through it all, the traveler (and here one can interpose oneself) becomes aware that all of life is ebb and flow, action and repose, the ordinary and the extraordinary. “You cannot experience one without the other,” Idan is told.

Penny Gundry is a coach, facilitator, and speaker who helps individuals and teams navigate change in their personal and spiritual development. She employs guided imagery and intuitive skills in her workshops and retreats, enhancing the spiritual dimension of her work. Knowing this makes all the difference in the world in approaching her small, insightful book that is occasionally marred by errors in grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure.

Readers accustomed to fully fleshed-out characters with their baggage all too apparent may, at first, become restless and search for something solid to take hold of in Gundry’s amorphous tale. Such an approach would be unfortunate, because the author presents opportunities to enter an altered state of mind that offers multifaceted glimpses into the deeper reality hiding beneath the surface of things. Gundry describes that reality well in this passage: “And now I know life goes beyond my wildest dreams. I find myself turning into a sound, a vibration, I do not recognize. There are two vibrations, one familiar from my world and a new one. The two come together for a split second, and I feel transported to another place. And then I am back gazing once more at the unimaginable.” Gundry’s book offers the opportunity to slip into that alternate reality and be transformed.

Journeying from the inner turbulence of goal-driven youth, with its need for certainty, to the wisdom of age, with its ability to recognize that “in the world of not knowing, there is humility, acceptance, and gratitude,” Idan learns that aid will come from invisible realities. “When the way clears before you and all gathers around to make things happen,” Gundry writes, “step forward with courage and achieve great things.” Readers on a path to self-discovery will find support and encouragement in Gundry’s metaphysical journey.

Reviewed by Kristine Morris

Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

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