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Spiritual Turning Points of North American History

by Luigi Morelli; Cover Design or Artwork by Angi Shearstone; Designed by Luigi Morelli; Edited by Kristine Hunt; Illustrated by Mira Fraser

349 pages; quality trade paperback (softcover); catalogue #07-3057; ISBN 1-4251-6602-4; US$26.45, C$26.45, EUR18.07, £13.66

Spiritual Turning Points explores two crucial turning points of North American history, by juxtaposing and complementing history with myths and legends. These events are of critical importance for the present.

About the Book

This work builds upon the foundation of the Popol Vuh, the document that retraces in mythical language the four ages – or stages of civilization – that all of America has undergone to some degree or another. It further moves from the Popol Vuh into later times through Aztec and Iroquois myths and legends.

Myth and history are placed side by side in an approach both scientific and imaginative that documents the correlation between pre-historical and historical periods and the spiritual events that ushered them in, as narrated in the myths and legends of North America. This approach reconciles Western analytical consciousness with the Native American language of myths and legends.

All of the above is first placed in the perspective of Maya spiritual tradition, and later under the perspective that the modern research of Rudolf Steiner has brought to light – particularly in relation to the events that took place in Central America two thousand years ago – of which he alone has spoken.

The first part of the work explores the events occurred 2000 years ago and their consequences in the onset of Maya civilization. The second part researches the rise of new spiritual influences around the time preceding the discovery of America by Columbus. At the extremes of the spectrum we find Aztec and Iroquois worldviews. Both cosmologies have links, subtle or obvious, with the contents of the Popol Vuh, either continuing or reinterpreting its original message. This polarity carries momentous consequences for global social trends in modern world history.

About the Author

Luigi Morelli has come to writing from the experience of social commitment through his work, and from a lively interest in the history, myths and legends of the American continent. For nine years he has operated a business co-op promoting ecological practices in landscape contracting, which continues in existence at present in Santa Cruz, CA. He has fourteen years of experience in working with developmentally disabled adults – half of it in alternative, holistic settings – and was a founding member of the Wavecrest community for the disabled (part of the international federation of L’Arche communities), in Orange County, CA, in 2004.

Luigi articulates a clear, cultural-spiritual vision of social change that encompasses political activism, and gives it a new meaning. For this reason he has trained extensively in Nonviolent Communication and NVC mediation, in which he offers trainings. He has also researched and studied other approaches to experiential spirituality, particularly Destiny Learning of Coen van Houten.

His writings incorporate the themes of spirituality and social change, part of which is inspired from the history, myths and legends of the American continent. Myths and legends offer us an understanding of the soul of social change, of its spiritual foundations. In addition, they complement a scientific approach to history. The images of myths allow us to better understand the deeper undercurrents of history and the spiritual influences at play in past and present. For more about social change from a cultural perspective visit www.humanspiritcircles.com