Books are a uniquely portable magic. – Stephen King
Our relationship with books spans millennia.
Through this compact and humble sacred tool, we can live through the eyes of others, remember forgotten truths, and teleport to different times and distant places.
Books are all at once sacred, profane, and mundane. Think of the Upanishads or the Bible, then compare that with a once banned book like Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, or a relatively harmless novel like The Secret Garden.
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Not only are books mirrors of our deepest desires, needs, terrors, ecstasies, and mystical revelations, but they’re also our beloved companions.
In the words of Charles William Eliot,
Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.
The fact is that books are naturally therapeutic – hence why I love the term “bibliotherapy.”
Books have been there for me in my darkest hour, held my hand through mental illness and trauma, and awakened me to new possibilities. And I’m not the only one. Bibliotherapy has even been proven to decrease signs of depression and anxiety.
Why not elevate reading to its rightful place as a spiritual practice and healing modality? That’s what I’m going to do in this post.
Table of contents
7 Signs Bibliotherapy is Part of Your Soul’s Path of Healing
Books are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you. – Carlos Ruiz Zafón
Bibliotherapy isn’t just about reading a book every now and then for the heck of it – it’s a path of devotional study. It’s a spiritual practice and way of life.
While I’m aware this section might be quite self-explanatory and obvious to some, I share it here for those who are still finding out who they are and what makes them tick.
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Here are some signs that bibliotherapy is part of your Soul’s path of healing:
- You’re an autodidact or self-learner by nature who likes to learn, explore, and research for fun
- You feel hollow or intellectually/emotionally depleted when you haven’t read a good book in a while
- You’re naturally curious and open to new perspectives, possibilities, and ways of life
- You feel a sense of deadness and stagnation within you whenever you’re on social media platforms for too long
- You crave substance over style and depth over breadth
- As a child, you were a bookworm
- You have a contemplative and introspective nature
How many of these signs can you relate to? Have I missed any?
The Literary Apothecary: 12 Books For the Wounded Spirit
Recently, I’ve been slowly reading through the 1000+ deep, thoughtful, and fascinating responses to a survey we sent out to the lonerwolf newsletter subscribers earlier this year.
Here, I’ll share some key findings (while respecting privacy, of course).
If you’re looking to build your own literary apothecary, below are some of the most common recommendations our beloved community has shared in response to the question, “What is the one book that has changed your life?”
Presented in no particular order (excluding overtly religious ones like the Bible or Quran), here are the suggestions:
- Conversations With God by Neale Donald Walsch.
- The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle.
- The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho.
- Journey of Souls by Michael Newton.
- The Road Less Traveled by M. Scott Peck.
- Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés.
- The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk.
- The Kybalion by “The Three Initiates.”
- You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay.
- Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda.
- Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield.
- The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz.
Some readers also commented that our book The Spiritual Awakening Process helped them through times of confusion and darkness, which I cherish hearing.
Bibliotherapy: 5 Steps to Creating Your Soul Medicine Library
We read to know we are not alone. – C. S. Lewis
I’m aware that the above books might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
Perhaps you’ve read most of them or want to create a more personally relevant curated collection.
Whatever the case, I want to share with you some tips for creating your own empowering bibliotherapeutic soul medicine library. Here they are:
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1. Listen to the voice of Eros and follow the sparks of passion
In Greek philosophy, Eros refers to a form of passionate love that we all possess, and in Freudian psychoanalysis, Eros represents the life instinct.
To build your own curated soul medicine library, you need to find and read books that make you feel alive – that you’re passionate about committing hours and days of your life to reading.
So, here’s your official permission slip to go and follow the sparks of your passion. The more excited you are about a book, the better! On that note:
2. Throw away the ‘shoulds’
There’s nothing that kills the joy of reading more quickly than harboring a secret ‘should,’ as in:
- I “should” read this book
- I “should” like this book
- I “should” stay committed to this boring ass book
Nope. Throw away the shoulds.
The more quickly you discard the shoulds, musts, and have tos, the more value you will reap from reading.
3. Let synchronicity or “happy coincidence” happen organically
If synchronicity is a divinely orchestrated happy coincidence, what better way to let that happen than by visiting thrift shops or used bookstores?
Seriously, stop letting the algorithm dictate your next read. You will stumble across the most brilliant finds in second-hand stores.
Take this example.
Here’s a pic of me with a life-changing book (Homecoming by John Bradshaw) that I snagged for a mere 50 cents at a thrift shop. Happenstance or meaningful synchronicity? You tell me.
This book is a prized part of my curated collection, and it has deeply impacted my life. I plan on re-reading it at some point in the near future. This one book has influenced so many articles on this website.
Perhaps most extraordinary about this find is that I had never actually planned on reading this book until it called to me one day on the shelf of a humble op shop!
4. Read the bibliography section (“the hidden treasure chest”) of the books you adore
To create a high-quality, curated collection of bibliotherapeutic reads, pay attention to the authors you love the most. Who has inspired them? What authors, thinkers, teachers, and healers do they quote the most?
The bibliography section sounds like something Hermoine Granger would only have an interest in, but don’t let this hidden treasure chest slip from your hands.
Give yourself permission to go down rabbit holes of reading, researching, and collecting the books that are most likely to spark a real change in your psyche.
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5. Get organized (two magical tools I recommend)
The final point is pragmatic – but we need to organize this literary apothecary somehow, don’t we?
The first tool is Goodreads. I’m sure you’re aware of this brilliant platform if you’ve read any number of books, but it’s also a great place to organize your physical and digital book library. (Here’s my profile and Mateo’s profile on Goodreads by the way.)
On Goodreads, you can create shelves and theme them according to your interests, as well as save books that you’d like to read one day. Some ideas for tags/shelves you can use could be creating “to buy,” “stopped reading,” “life-changing,” and “top priority” sections within your account.
The second is another free tool called Calibre, which is a brilliant eBook management software that has been around since dinosaurs roamed the earth (okay, not really). You can upload, organize, edit, convert, and send eBooks to your eReader via this brilliant platform.
Plus, if you desire to change to another e-reader (which is my dilemma, because I’m going to switch from Kindle to Kobo eventually), you can reupload all your books via Calibre.
***
Books are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home. – Anna Quindlen
Reading is one of the most simple, pleasurable, accessible, and meaningful forms of healing available. I hope this guide has inspired you to craft (or hone) your own healing library.
Tell me, what is your relationship with reading? Do you have any other helpful recommendations for fellow self-learners and soul-led readers here?
Share below! You never know who you may inspire through your words. :)
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This article made me so happy! Thank you for all the recommendations. Books are a gift.
They are indeed. Thanks for being here Heather 💜
This makes me so happy because nowadays it seems like everyone prefers getting their information from social media, videos, podcasts… And there is nothing wrong with that (as long as they don’t spread misinformation), but it feels like only a few of us still see how amazing books are! I love book hunting, especially at thrift stores and libraries. You never know what treasures you’re going to find. Thank you for this article, from one bibliophile to another.
I’m so glad you can relate, Vicky. I find that the greatest sparks of insight, revelation, and discovery come through books. Podcasts, social media posts, videos, etc., are great, but only for superficial exploration (in my opinion). Book-hunting in thrift shops is the best! And I love the synchronicity that can arise while browsing books at the library. With love from a fellow bibliophile 💜
I used to devour books as a kid and loved going to book week in school to hunt out new books, but I now find it really difficult to find time for myself to read. I have also lost interest in some of the books I have bought recently and it has put me off reading somewhat. Any advice on how to spark that joy again?
I’d say, firstly, do a social media detox if you use any form of it presently available. Quick dopamine bites of information have a way of training the brain to become lazy and uninterested in the slow but deep nature of reading. If nothing on your book pile sparks interest, go hunting and exploring. Best to start with the question, “what do I need right now?” Go from there and see what happens. :)
Might I suggest the website thriftbooks.com for those who have an addiction to physical copies (they sell both used and new). I have run out of room for more bookshelves in my house!
That’s a brilliant suggestion, Kim. :) Worldofbooks is also another great place for anyone interested. And I know the struggle 😆
I also want to share with you two beautiful books that really changed my life:
The pathwork of self transformation by Eva Pierrakos and The teachings of Don Juan by CarlosCastaneda. I hope you will love them as much as I do.
Thank you Luna and Sol for everything you are sharing with us.
Thanks so much for these suggestions, Liliana!
I started reading for fun when I was in middle school. My mom would give me books and we would sit and read together. Over the years, every time my mom finished a book, she would give me the book to read.
What a brilliant bonding experience! I plan to do this with my son (we’re already reading books from the library every day). Thanks for sharing 📖
I’m only reading to unearth my own book inside. The words start to flow as a response to another point of view. I marvel at other REAL beings when I see them sparkling.. What a joy.. Each being needs to right its own ‘book’.. book to self.. It’s good to document all the little revelations that visit us because they get forgotten in the chaos of life.
Reading is a mirror. I love the first line of your comment. So poetic!
So many nuggets of goodness in this article Aletheia.
The quote you included, “We read to know we are not alone.” by C.S. Lewis, really hit home for me. When I was going through a dark night of the soul, my psychotherapist recommended I look up the term “Dark Night of The Soul” as I was not familiar with it. I googled it and found myself on the Lonerwolf site. Your article about the dark night of the soul helped me feel heard and held. I didn’t feel so alone, I felt understood and that made me feel like there was a glimmer of hope in my world.
This article on Bibliotherapy has inspired me to get reading again…so perfectly timed, thank you Universe!!! I signed up on Goodreads….so great 😊 and started creating a new reading list for myself.
Also am inspired to create a “Soul Medicine Library” sign to put above my bookshelves.
Thank you so much for your book suggestions and for always touching my soul with your beautiful light. 🙏✨💜✨
This is fantastic to hear, Michelle! I’m delighted that you’ve been inspired to start reading again. May you find the exact book you need at the precise time it’s needed. Enjoy! 💜
Aside from The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz, his Mastery of Love is an extraordinary book. It is a very thought provoking read. I enjoyed it very much!
A Course in Miracles came to me at a time when I was diagnosed with a serious illness. It was spiritual psychotherapy. Very helpful at a time when I was full of great fear.
Thank you for the recommendations 💜 A Course in Miracles came up a lot, and I probably should have added it above. So thank you for bringing it up here.