Well, well, well…. I wrote and mostly finished this in January 2024 and then failed to wrap it up and publish it. It is now June 2025. Better late than never? This was my reading list in 2023. My list is just a wee bit short compared to 2022’s wrap up, so I’ll try and make up for it by giving a bit more meat to my recommendations this time around.
According to my goodreads profile I completed a whopping entire three books last year. Yep. Honestly, throughout 2023 I didn’t feel the pull to read and gorge myself on as much information as possible as I have in the past. This year was a lot more about reflection and integration – putting all that knowledge into practice! I think I am doing a pretty good job at it.
There are also some books I started last year but have not yet finished – like this super dense but super enthralling book exploring the myths and symbols of Vedic Astrology (finally finished). Other books I started but put back down after getting a bit of a hunch that they will play a role in some kind of group development that’s yet to materialize. I will hopefully finish them this year and be able to share my reviews in 2025 (haha, oh early 2025 me), along with some other gems I’m working on!
With that being said, let’s dive into my recommendations for this year.
1. The Psychic Code by Brid O’Donoghue
I picked up The Psychic Code during my spiritual retreat to Ireland last summer. Writing up my retreat experience never did quite make it from my to-do list to my done list, but at least I can share this small part with you all. During my travels we ended up in Ennistymon for a couple nights at the wonderful and magical Falls Hotel.
I ended up separating from my group for a day after noticing a growing ache for some solitude. Some of it was due to the sheer volume of activities we were all trying to accomplish each day, some of it was from having maxed out my people meter long before we arrived in Ennistymon. I noticed myself feeling clouded, irritable, and ungrounded. Oh, and I had involuntarily adopted a thick Irish accent that really had no business being so thick in spite of my Irish heritage. I mean, even my inner dialogue was Irish. It added to my delirium.
After some rest and walking along the old glen trail, where I took a good 20 minutes to ground beneath a lovely old tree beside an angelic presence, I ventured into town to do some shopping. As I made my rounds, I felt a strong pull to peek into a bookstore I had spied during our arrival the previous afternoon. It was a cute little shop, but I noticed I didn’t feel any interest in actually exploring the shelves. Instead I found myself standing in front of one display, looking straight at the spine of The Psychic Code.
I normally wouldn’t gravitate towards a book like this, in spite of my apparent profession. When it comes to metaphysics, introductory books about energy and systems of practice are a dime a dozen. I generally prefer to receive direct one-on-one instruction in these things, but in this case it wasn’t even a question: I was getting the book. After I completed my purchase and brought it back to my room, I began reading it. I quickly realized that I desperately needed this book.
I have read many articles, diligently practiced good energy hygiene, and yet still found myself often struggling with picking up energetic attachments. I used to think I was just doomed to get drained or lose myself in unwanted energies, that this was just a part of being sensitive. To an extent, it is true that if you are more sensitive to energies then you are going to have to pay more attention to these things. However, staying clear and grounded in one’s own energy is made simple and practical thanks to the clear and concise instructions provided by Brid.
Thanks to The Psychic Code I was able to quickly put into practice some discreet techniques to clear myself of unwanted energies and deflect incoming attachments while out and about. Brid instructs the reader how to recognize and trust your own energy, which is the foundation upon which we can gauge when unwanted energies are breaching our boundaries. One of my favorite techniques for when I’ve noticed something is off is to imagine the “off” energy is a sweater I’ve put on. I then imagine myself taking off the sweater and returning it to Spirit or Source to be returned to whoever it belongs to. Another favorite during uncomfortable moments is to use my finger to “redirect” unwanted energy coming from another person down to the earth, imagining it acting like a lightning rod. Just these two tricks have made a huge difference in my day to day life.
The night I began reading the book, I used the sweater technique and sincerely focused on “taking off” all the energy that did not belong to me. I made the intention to call back my own energy in addition to asking for the feelings of groundedness and clarity to fill my energetic field. My inner dialogue was no longer Irish and by the next morning my normal accent became dominant again (it’s hard not to pick up some accent while traveling if you are a generally empathetic person). I felt centered again and was able to stay that way through the remainder of my trip thanks to Brid!
This experience taught me the extent to which I do take on the energy of my environment and the people around me. Imagine what it could be like for you in your native land – where there are shared cultural norms, attitudes, dialects, etc. It can become easy to lose yourself among the sea of energies and not even recognize it! That is why I now highly recommend The Psychic Code to anyone who struggles with energetic boundaries or who is just getting started on their spiritual path. Another thing I love about this book? It is a short read! The text is large and the number of pages is under 200. This book is easy to read and can be completed within a week.
2. Boundaries of the Soul: The Practice of Jung’s Psychology by June Singer
This book is not for the faint of heart – coming in at 528 pages of somewhat dense typography. I took all of 2023 to read this book, which includes a few months where I took a break because I could tell I was not ready to keep going (more on that later). Boundaries of the Soul is a comprehensive introduction to Carl Jung’s theory of psychoanalysis.
Jung’s own writings are notoriously dense and difficult to parse – even I often need to re-read passages multiple, multiple times before I can fully grasp his meaning. That is why when I recommend books about Jungian thought to people, I usually refer them to authors like Robert A Johnson and now June Singer. June is able to deliver clear and penetrating insight into Jung’s ideas, making this book ideal for those who want to deepen their understanding of Jungian practice. I wouldn’t necessarily recommend this to someone who just needs a casual understanding of shadow work or projection – for that Robert A Johnson is often sufficient. This is more for people who specifically want to deepen their understanding of Jungian theory as a whole – the more serious students.
Throughout the book I felt gripped by June’s insights and clarifications, illuminated by greater understanding for Jung’s entire body of work. About halfway through the book I noticed an increasing anxiety as I progressed, followed by a stark dream. In the dream I was swimming out in the ocean by a collection of tide pools. The water was warm, the rocks were brick red and rugged. A massive humpback whale surfaced beside me. I felt at peace and was engaged with exploring the pools and taking in every detail I could find. Suddenly, a giant swelling of tide carried me through a cavern and spat me out by an entrance to a tiled tunnel with many potted plants – like a mall. I kept trying to swim against the tide to go back, but I could not. I felt disappointed in the dream, longing for the warm ocean beneath the sunlight.
I understood this dream to mean that it was time for me to turn my attention towards other matters, away from inner exploration for the time being. In fact following this break I had quite the eventful summer – traveling to Ireland, making new friendships and business arrangements, getting organized in various areas of my life. When everything settled back down in the Fall, I felt drawn to pick up where I left off and found that the next chapter was distinctly relevant to where I was at in my development at that time. Such is the way with these things.
I share my experience to illustrate some caution that should be heeded whenever picking up books or practices that surely will facilitate transformation and invite numinosity into our awareness. This kind of book is not something that should be rushed or devoured. Allow yourself to become ready for its contents, rather than to try and cram it into your skull like some junk food binge. Pay attention to how you are feeling or dreaming while you progress and give yourself time to integrate its valuable insights. You will not regret it!
3. Of Irish Ways by Mary Delaney
I picked up this book from Value Village quite a while ago and ended up finally reading it in preparation for my retreat to Ireland last summer. It was originally published in the 1970’s but still holds quite a lot of relevant information for today – in fact, I kind of like that it’s a bit stuck in time. The author is able to capture an Ireland that is not very far removed from the Ireland that my great grandmother, for whom I am named, came from.
I felt a deep connection to the material covered in this book and I am grateful for the honest examination of Irish life under English occupation throughout history contained within. There are truly heartbreaking historical accounts of the impacts of English colonial policies on the Irish, especially Catholics, contained within this book. These accounts provided context for the experiences of my family and ancestors that I wouldn’t otherwise have access to, since all my known relatives who lived in Ireland are now deceased. I felt deep surges of empathy, anger, and grief similar to what I experienced when listening to the Great Courses audio lectures on Irish history some years ago. It’s an interesting phenomenon to explain – it’s just a deep, instinctual type of relatedness that I can only attribute to my inherited history from my ancestors.
This book also dives into the cultural heritage of Ireland, regional differences, and ancient history. It is a well-rounded introduction to its apt namesake, “Irish Ways.” I recognized my relatives and family experiences throughout the book. By the end of it I was well-prepared for my retreat to Ireland and felt right at home when I got there. If you have an interest in traveling to Ireland and want to do so in a way that is respectful and honors Irish culture, I would recommend this book.
That wraps it up. At least I finally got it done! My aspirations to finish the books I mentioned in the intro may have been premature – I did not realize at the time that I would become pregnant in February. 🙂 My reading list next year will be full of mothering and parenting books instead. Hopefully that will be relevant to someone! Thanks for reading.
