The first part of Illuminata expresses the inimitable Williamson conviction in the collective spiritual revolution at hand. "We seek to replace an old, oppressive order, not so much politically or socially, but within our minds where it lives and works," she writes with unbridled energy and urgency. Although her examples of individuals who exemplify this change can be daunting, still they offer vivid pictures of human courage and generosity. For instance, she cites the character played by Ben Kingsley in Schindler's List as exemplifying selfless acts of generosity in a tormented world. This suggests that her book is a kind of path through human spiritual evolution. Indeed, for Williamson, illumination is "...the spiritual tunnel through which the soul finds its way out of ego-bound darkness into mystical light."

We are reminded that the purpose of prayer is not to gain an object of desire, or relief from one's hounding problems, or even results that are particularly discernible. The purpose is to experience God. To that end, Williamson offers seven sections on prayers, making this a practical text as well as a spirited commentary. The reader will find a vast range of prayers--daily; celebratory; those that seek relief from depression and despair; prayers for ritual; and prayers that expand into the larger realm of social justice (such as "Amends to the Native American"), demonstrating Ms. Williamson's ongoing commitment to join the political and the spiritual.

Product Description
Marianne Williamson's bestselling A Return to Love ended with a prayer in which she asked God to help us "find our way home, from the pain to peace, from fear to love, from hell to Heaven." Now, in this stunning new collection of thoughts, prayers, and rites of passage, Marianne Williamson returns to prayer.

Prayer is practical, Williamson tells us. "To look to God is to look to the realm of consciousness that can deliver us from the pain of living." Illuminata brings prayer into our daily lives, with prayers on topics from releasing anger to finding forgiveness, from finding great love to achieving intimacy. There are prayers for couples, for parents, and for children; prayers to mend broken relationships and prayers to overcome obsessive and compulsive love. There are prayers to heal the soul, prayers to heal the body, and prayers for work and creativity.

Williamson also gives us prayers for the healing of America, including two prayers that have had powerful effects on audiences at her lectures: a prayer of amends on behalf of European Americans to African-Americans and one to Native Americans. How, Williamson asks, can we expect anyone to forgive when we have made no formal apology?

Another section includes rites of passage, ceremonies of light for the signal events in our lives: blessing of the newborn, coming of age, marriage, and death. There is also a ceremony of the elder, for moving into midlife, and a ceremony of divorce, in which a gentle transition is provided for both the couple and their children.

"Read my prayers or someone else's," Williamson says. "By all means, create your own." Illuminata is a way to bring prayer into practical use, creating a sweeter, more abundant life for yourself and the people you care for. "No conventional therapy," she says, "can release us from a deep and abiding psychic pain. Through prayer we find what we cannot find elsewhere: a peace that is not of this world."

I don't necessarily consider myself deeply religious, but I find that I can't do without some kind of spirituality in my life. In my searching and my reaching I have come to the conclusion that one of our biggest errors is in thinking that the universe owes us something...something big, something tremendous and representing the greatest degree of wealth. In my opinion, in actuality, it is the other way around....we owe the universe a great deal and all we owe will take a lifetime or two to even consider repaying . It is because of all these debts that the world (and our 'personal accounts') is so messed up. There's no easy way to even the score so to speak because the way we live seems to award the biggest exploiters and we choose to carry about in a way that the exploiters will benefit, and we become just like the exploiters....and to our chagrin, even with riches, power and respect (even if they feel good, initially) we feel empty.

But...

We can try to honor the ways of the universe by the giving of some our services, our money, our time, our talent and our strenght without looking for any payment in return, and we can tap into the energy of the universe by prayer. Because the true ways of the universe is giving and loving and brilliant of light.

So, in Illuminata, Williamson begins with an eloquent and stirring 'fin de siecle with the moons and the love soldiers lining up' to take the world to a spiritual renaissance. My opinion about that is the world has always been on the brink of a spiritual upheaval and renewal, if you think about it. Williamson, though quite passionate and persuasive, brings nothing new to the table in her introductory chapter....but I am quite fond of her retelling of a tale often told. And although her star quality has faded throughout the years, she is still a force to be reckoned with. In Illuminata, she puts in plain spoken terms what the people of earth need to do to survive another millenium. Pray. Pray because you are part of a great moment in time. Pray for your work relationships, your family relationships, your enemies and the people who you don't see who brings the electricity to your fingertips and the brass on your doorknob. Pray for the nation, pray for happiness, pray for the elders, the children, pray for the universe.

Pray for the universe.

"Read my prayers or someone else's", Williamson asserts.

I say, (and, here, I'm only seconding Williamsons' motion) "Imagine if everybody prayed..."


An even more beautiful and longer-lasting gift than flowers!   July 7, 1998
 8 out of 9 found this review helpful

This is a book in which the author is able to put into words the deepest feelings in the heart of the reader.


Fabulous! Very easy to read...   April 29, 1999
 3 out of 4 found this review helpful

It was wonderful. Very easy to read, very honest. Applies to everyone, every situation...


Literally life changing   June 8, 2007
 1 out of 1 found this review helpful

This book is directly responsible for making the most positive changes in my life. I truly am in Marrianne's dept.