Recommended Books on Psychic and Spiritual Topics

I often get clients and readers asking me for book recommendations.

These days, I don’t read a lot of books on psychic or spiritual development (doing psychic readings for people gives you more than your fill of learnings in those areas…)

However, in the last several years I have read lots of them. Below are the ones that still stand out in my mind as being really good. I don’t include full reviews, but next to each book I include a description telling you why I am recommending it.

There are 19 books in this list. I’ll add new ones as I find them. Some of these are affiliate links, so I get about 30 cents or something like that if you buy the book through my link I promise not to spend it all at once!

Click on the subheadings below to go straight to the book reviews in that category:

• The Chakra System
• Psychic Development
• Overcoming Overactive Empathy
• Weird & Woo Woo Stuff
• Reading Other People
• Relationships, Dating & Love
• Emotional and Spiritual Healing
• General Spirituality

Books about Chakras

Anatomy of the Spirit: The Seven Stages of Power and Healing by Caroline Myss

This book is good for beginners who want a thorough introduction to the human chakra system and for anyone who wants to learn about the common blockages which affect us at the various chakras (especially practising healers and intuitives.) If you’re interested in self-healing, this book is highly recommended.

True Balance: A Commonsense Guide for Renewing Your Spirit by Sonia Choquette

I love this book – I refer to it all the time when working with clients. It’s the most down-to-earth and practical book about chakras that I’ve read. Unlike other books I’ve read about the energy system, it helps you to diagnose your own energy imbalances easily AND gives practical suggestions and remedies for imbalances. If you want to buy one book about the chakra system and you’re a beginner, I would recommend this one first.

Psychic Development

I have read a lot of books on psychic development. Some of them I didn’t find useful. Hence a fairly short list, but these were the memorable ones.

Psychic Development for Beginners: An Easy Guide to Developing & Releasing Your Psychic Abilities by William Hewitt

I loved this book. It was the first book I read on how to develop your abilities, as a beginner. I’d read tons of books about the paranormal and the spirit realm in my teens, but nothing that demystified it and made it easy, quite like this book did. There are lots of stories and examples in there too which make it entertaining. Plus there are some useful exercises to start you off.

Unlock Your Intuition by Andrea Hess

This book has some valuable information about how to formulate your questions when asking your guides or higher self for information. Asking the right questions is really important (I devoted a chapter to it in my course) because the quality of the answers you get from the spirit realm is determined by the quality of the questions you asked.

This book also teaches you a practical process for dowsing, which is very useful. However, I would like to have seen a troubleshooting guide for when dowsing doesn’t work well for you (as it doesn’t work for everyone). The book can also be a bit dry in places and I would have liked more stories, but I don’t know of any other authors on intuitive development who address such practical topics like asking the right questions in this way. And if you like dowsing as a divination method, you will probably find this book helpful.

Books on Overactive Empathy and Energetic Sensitivity

Empowered by Empathy : 25 Ways to Fly in Spirit by Rose Rosetree

Become The Most Important Person in the Room: Your 30-Day Plan for Empath Empowerment by Rose Rosetree

Both of the books mentioned above are unique. I say this because there is no-one else out there who teaches empaths how to turn off their empathy to get a better quality of life. The books really teach you about the importance of learning to turn off empathy and give you actual methods and techniques to do this. In case you’re wondering if these books would be right for you, I have written a few articles on overactive empathy where you can find out if you’re an empath – they are here:

• Is Overactive Empathy Ruining Your Life?
• How to Overcome Overactive Empathy

If you recognize yourself as having overactive empathy from those articles, you need to read Rose’s books. They are what brought me back from the brink of being so sensitive to other people’s emotions and experiences that I didn’t want to be around people anymore. There are lots of books that have good ideas in them and you can put them down and think ‘that was a great book’. Rose’s books go beyond that, I would say she’s the author that’s helped me to improve my life the most in a practical, concrete way.

If I had to choose between the two, I’d say I prefer Become The Most Important Person in the Room, just because it is a 30 day program, so it’s slightly more practical than the other one. If you can afford it, buy both. If you can only buy one, I’d recommend Become the Most Important Person in the Room.

You can also buy both books on Rose’s website.

Weird and Woo-Woo Stuff

The Hidden Oracle: The Mystery of India’s Naadi Palm Leaf Readers by Angela and Andrew Donovan

On the author’s website, it says:

“If someone said they could read your Past, Present and Future from ancient Sanskrit inscriptions written thousands of years ago on a dusty old palm leaf in a country you’ve never been to before, would you be skeptical?”

In this (non-fictional!) book, that is exactly what happens. Angela Donovan (a well-known psychic-medium based in the UK) and her skeptical husband Andrew were visiting India when they got the chance to have a naadi palm leaf reading. Many of the souls incarnated here on earth have their own naadi palm leaves – upon which are written all the details of their life, past and future. They were most surprised about the specific details of the reading – on the palm leaves there were details about the parents’ names, where they studied, what they studied and some information known only to the couple. As Andrew was a skeptic prior to the experience, it was a bit of a rude awakening for him and they decided to write a book about it.

The palm leaves were written thousands of years ago and they even detail when you will be coming for your reading. It is said that the information was channelled from the Akashic Records and transcribed on the leaves. I’m not sure if I would like to go to India and find out what my palm leaf says about my future (if I even have one!) but this book is a fascinating read nonetheless. As Andrew was an architect, there are a couple of chapters devoted to descriptions of buildings in India, which I found quite boring so I skipped them. I was mostly interested in the metaphysical side to the book.

You are sort of left wondering how the naadi palm leaves contain so much information about some people. You could even suspect that Angela set the whole experience up to bring her skeptical husband around to believing in the spiritual side of life. I did an akashic record reading for Angela a couple of years ago (she gave me a testimonial) and I found her to be a good person with a lot of integrity, so I believe they are genuine.

Discover Atlantis: A Guide to Reclaiming the Wisdom of the Ancients by Diana Cooper and Shaaron Hutton

I went through a phase a few years ago when I was absolutely fascinated by the civilization of Atlantis. Most people have heard of Atlantis but just in case you haven’t, Atlantis was supposed to be an ancient civilization that had advanced spiritual technologies. Some scholars believe Atlantis is just a legend and others believe it was a real civilization. I don’t know if Atlantis was a real civilization here on earth or something we’ve confused with a memory of life in another star system, but I do know that I was absolutely fascinated by the idea of it. I also know that it says in some people’s Akashic Records that they incarnated during such a time, in such a civilization. When I had my reading done, I was told I had incarnated many times during the Atlantean civilization.

This book was the best one I found on the topic. It gives information on the spiritual technologies available in the era of Atlantis, it details how people lived, including the society, spiritual life and relationships. It also details how the civilization fell. Whether you believe in Atlantis or not, it is a stimulating read that will get you thinking about humanity and civilization in general, and how we live our lives.

Soul Mastery: Accessing the Gifts of Your Soul by Susann Taylor Schier

This is the book I recommend to people when they ask how they can find out more about the different soul groups and star systems that souls can incarnate in. You may or may not be aware that some souls who incarnate here on earth are ‘star traveller’ souls, which means they have experienced life in other star systems too. Your soul group is governed by where you experienced your very first incarnation. Unfortunately, there are only two sources of information on the different soul groups. The first is Andrea Hess’s Soul Realignment course, which costs nearly $1000 (US dollars). It’s designed mostly for people who want to do professional level Akashic record readings for others, hence the cost – it is a bit of an investment. The only other source of information on this topic is this book.

It’s definitely an interesting read, but I was frustrated a little by the vague and wordy descriptions of a few soul groups. I felt it could be a bit clearer. But if you want to find out about the soul groups, it’s the only reliable source of information I know of, besides the Soul Realignment course. Actually, it does contain information about some soul groups that weren’t in the Soul Realigment course, so it did expand my understanding of the soul groups, even after I’d done the course. That’s why I’m recommending it here. (Edit: there are some websites online that offer descriptions of the soul groups, but much of what I’ve come across doesn’t resonate with me one bit. So when researching soul groups online, make sure you use your good judgment and listen to your gut feelings too. I feel this book is a reliable source of information on the soul groups, compared to much of what is online.)

Reading Other People

Aura Reading Through All Your Senses: Celestial Perception Made Practical by Rose Rosetree

This book teaches you over 100 practical techniques for reading auras. It’s also packed with information about the points of access for aura reading – like the chakras. It’s very down-to-earth and practical, but like many of Rose’s books, it reads a bit like a text book and is very dense. I can’t help thinking that she could have made a long e-course out of the book, or even made it into a series of shorter books – there’s that much information in it. So you definitely get value for money. Rose also offers techniques which suit each of the gifts, so you won’t be stuck if you’re not sure if you’re very clairvoyant or clairsentient, for example. If you want the ‘how-to’ of reading chakras and auras, this book will definitely suit you. If you just want a general book on auras, you may find this too dense and I’d recommend one of the books above on the chakra system, like Carolyn Myss’s.

The Power of Face Reading (2nd Edition) by Rose Rosetree

Learning to read faces can help you to recognize other people’s personality traits, know their talents (and know your own talents). If you’re a professional intuitive, face reading can be a good prop during readings. Face reading is a bit like palm reading or tarot in that regard because it helps you to get more information about a client. If you look at someone’s wrinkles, that can also tell you a lot about how the person has grown in their lifetime. If you’re interested in the meaning of wrinkles and learning to read how faces change over time, you may be interested in Rose’s more advanced face reading book: Wrinkles are God’s Make-up. You can order it through her website.

Relationships, Dating and Love

Dating from the Inside Out: How to Use the Law of Attraction in Matters of the Heart by Paulette Kouffman Sherman

Maybe it’s best not to take book recommendations from me in the category of romantic relationships! (I have had some disastrous relationships) but then again they were actually before I read this book

The premise of this book is that you attract who you are, so it’s about becoming the best person (and partner) that you can be. It also teaches you that in order to attract love, you have to love yourself and accept yourself, and only then will you attract a partner who resonates on that level. I liked this book because it was full of practical exercises – including an examination of past dating history so you can become aware of what you are attracting that you don’t want. There are also exercises to help you to re-write your unconscious dating ad that you broadcast to other people, and to become more conscious of what you want. I highly recommend this book if you have had a series of unhappy or abusive relationships, or if you are frustrated in dating but ready to meet the right one.

The Secret Laws of Attraction: The Effortless Way to Get the Relationship You Want by Talane Miedaner

This is another book on relationships that I read more recently. I was really impressed with this one. The premise of this book is similar to Dating From the Inside Out – it’s best to know what your own needs are and find ways to meet them, that don’t necessarily involve a relationship. Then you are much more likely to attract the relationship you want. When you have major needs that are being unmet (like the need for validation, recognition, independence, peace, love, etc.) you broadcast neediness to other people and you automatically have less to give as a partner.

The book also includes a quiz which helps you to identify your top needs and offers ideas to get them met in your life. This was really eye-opening for me. My top needs at the time that I read it, turned out to be the needs for order, independence, recognition and the need to be listened to. This made me understand and accept my personality more. I have a linear way of thinking and I like to be thorough in the way I do things. I love making lists and ticking things off the list and I hate being in an untidy, cluttered house. That was the need for order which was my #1 need in life. Talk about anal! I thought my top need would turn out to be the need to be cherished or loved, but no. It’s all about the order

I am also very independent and need space in a relationship and the results of this quiz made me accept that more as well. Overall, I would say that this book gives you invaluable self-knowledge for all kinds of relationships – but especially beneficial for the relationship you have with yourself, so that you can give yourself what you need. This is probably the most useful book I’ve ever read on improving my relationships.

He’s Just Not That Into You: The No-Excuses Truth to Understanding Guys by Greg Behrendt and Liz Tuccillo

This is a really eye-opening book on dating for women. I know a lot of people don’t like it, and think it’s too black-and-white in the advice it gives. But I found it to be a hilarious and interesting read.

From the back cover: “Based on a popular episode of Sex and the City, this book educates smart women on how to tell when a guy just doesn’t like them enough, so they can stop making excuses for a dead-end relationship”

I read this book at a time when I was in a relationship with someone who just didn’t appreciate me and I was the driving force behind it. Once I took my energy out of the relationship, I realized I was the only one doing the running.

If you are a woman who somehow finds yourself doing all the chasing in your love relationships, you need to read this book. I doubt it applies to every single man you will ever date, but it can help to wake you up when you’re trying too hard in a relationship that is going nowhere…

Books on Healing

You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay

This is Louise Hay’s best-selling, ground-breaking book on the mind-body connection. In the book, you’ll read Louise’s story of how she overcame cancer, along with the moving story of her childhood and life. In the book, she includes a list of physical ailments, along with the mental and emotional patterns associated with them. She also provides affirmations to help you treat the emotional side of your illness.

How useful is this? I’m not sure. I am including it in this list because it is a very unique and original book. Yet I have had limited success with it. Throughout most of my teenage years and adult life, I’ve suffered from moderate acne on and off. The thought pattern associated with acne is not loving the self or not accepting the self. I still get acne on and off despite reaching a point in my life where I feel I am really quite kind to myself. I put mine down to stress and rootlessness. Every time I move to a new country or to a new home (which I have done a lot in the last several years), the acne flares up and then goes down again after about a month. I suppose moving around when I want to settle down is one way of not loving the self, but it is really down to circumstance, not some form of self abuse.

Interestingly, as a child I suffered from Perthes disease which is a hip disorder. I can’t do any high impact exercise (like running) because of it. According to Louise Hay, the hips carry the body in balance and are related to life balance in general. My primary life lesson for this lifetime (according to what is in my akashic record) is moderation/balance. So that is my area of growth and perhaps weakness. It is also the physiological weakness when I was a child which is kind of a link between the two. Or maybe I’m just reading into it way too much!

You Can Heal Your Life – the movie by Louise Hay

This is the online movie of the book I mentioned above (it’s much cheaper to watch the move online than it is to buy it on Amazon). The theme of the movie is changing your attitude and thoughts from negative to positive so you can enjoy your life much more. I don’t really have anything specific to say about this movie except that I really enjoyed it and I was so impressed I watched it a few times (I don’t usually watch anything more than once.)

Cut Cords of Attachment: Heal Yourself and Others with Energy Spirituality by Rose Rosetree

If you are familiar with energy/spiritual healing, you have probably heard of cord-cutting and the benefits of cutting cords – especially the cords to family members and lovers.

Cord-cutting doesn’t mean you sever the relationship – the spiritual ties of love remain intact. You just become free of the tugging and pulling of negative energy patterns that affect your relationship – like caring what others think, worrying, fear, resentment, pain, to name a few. Many practitioners and energy healers claim that you can cut negative cords of attachment just by asking for it to be so (and calling on an Archangel). I witnessed first hand just how ineffective this incomplete method is, when I trained in a modality which teaches you to cut cords in this manner. I cut a cord for someone that came back. What a waste of time (and it made me look like I didn’t know what I was doing – which of course I didn’t, at that time.)

It wasn’t until I read Rose’s book that I understood why what I had done was so ineffective. You can’t cut cords by willing it to be so and calling on an archangel to cut them for you. You must find out what energies are contained within the cords, address them, and learn from them. I would say this book is aimed more at practitioners than general readers. And it is extremely dense, like a text book. But if you read it from cover to cover and practise the method, you’ll soon know how to cut cords – properly. I recommend this for all energy healers. I’ve had several sessions with Rose. And despite being a little skeptical at first regarding how much cutting a cord can actually improve a relationship, it is a skill I decided to add to my skill set and I now offer sessions on cord cutting too because I find them to be a million times more helpful than just doing a reading for someone on their relationships. Plus I’ve had life-changing results from this method. At some point I’ll write a more in-depth post on cutting cords of attachment and about my experiences.

You can download chapter one of this book here and you can also buy the book on Rose’s website.

A Thousand Names for Joy: Living in Harmony with the Way Things Are by Byron Katie

Byron Katie teaches something called The Work, which is a method for questioning your most negative and stressful thoughts about the world, yourself and other people. It is good for those who have a lot of fear or pain in them and who want to open their mind and get beyond the fear, resentment or pain that is running them and affecting their life. I went to see Byron Katie at an event in London a couple of years ago and she exudes a level of patience, fun and serenity that is very rare, despite suffering from a degenerative eye disease where she can’t see much anymore.

General Spirituality

The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle

Many people have heard of this book because it’s quite famous. For those who haven’t, it calls itself a ‘guide to spiritual enlightenment’. I’m not sure whether anyone can be enlightened permanently, but I do believe this book can help people to enjoy their lives more, because it teaches you to exist in the present moment. It also teaches you to take your focus away from fearful thoughts of the future and thoughts that weigh you down from the past. What I took away from this book was that you can only be happy when you are focusing on the present moment. That helped me to change what I focus on, and I believe I am less stressed these days because of it. I highly recommend this book.

Would you like to recommend other books? Please leave a comment if you know of other must-read books in the areas of psychic or spiritual development.