The Seven Gates of Soul: Reclaiming the Poetry of Everyday Life

The Seven Gates of Soul: Reclaiming the Poetry of Everyday Life
Joe Landwehr
Ancient Tower Press
ISBN: 0-9747626-0-1
Non-Fiction, Spirituality
Reviewed by Dr. Tami Brady

The Seven Gates of Soul: Reclaiming the Poetry of Everyday Life is a textbook detailing the history and concepts behind the idea and purpose of the soul. This book examines how the death of the physical body has been viewed throughout human history and how these views have changed over time and differ between different cultures. Moreover, this book examines the differing methodologies of various religious personages, philosophers, scientists, and psychologists in their attempts to explored the concept of soul and identify the existence (or non-existence), properties, and purpose of life, death, and the soul.
The author has done an exemplary job at illustrating a very complete history of these studies. This book contains complete libraries worth of related material carefully compiled in a meaningful, organized way. These concepts are presented in such a complete way that one need not have any background on the subject to read and understand this book. Nonetheless, readers should be aware that this book contains a great deal of research that requires time to contemplate and question. Simply put, do not expect to finish reading this book in a single day.
Furthermore, the author has managed to keep non-denominational, non-egocentric while presenting this material. In this way, a wide variety of spiritualities, cultures, and investigation methods throughout the world are investigated without cultural bias. The only bias that can be detected is that of objective versus subjective research methods and the practice of astrology versus astropoetics. These aspects are most apparent while the author is presenting his methodology for soul research: astropoetics an introspective, subjective study of an individual’s life purpose and exploration into their definition of soul. Nevertheless, even these slightly biased portions are presented more as food for thought than unshakable truth.