Bella and Mirabel: Messages of Delight Between an Earth Spirit and Her Human Sister by Mary Ellen Jackson

It’s about freedom. This uplifting little book with inspirational messages from an earth spirit to her human sister focuses on freedom from our hardwired conditioning of “musts” and “shoulds.” It will appeal to anyone questioning the meaning of their lives. The messages are delivered in a funny, quirky manner. The little deva, Bella, will use any object to get her point across, such as a bristle hair brush or hats. Using the analogy of the hard versus a soft bristle brush she tells us the hair cells groan when brushed by the hard bristle brush. Whereas with the soft brush, the cells settle down into a quiet snooze. Similarly in our quest for spiritual growth we tend to push ourselves too hard whereas she artfully urges us on with compassion and humor and tweaks us when we get too serious. In exploring the many roles humans play throughout the day, Bella uses hats as an example. She enjoys watching the creativity, pep and vigor. However, she points out we never stop to think whether we are suited for some of the roles we take on, or about the effects on the body. She tells us the energy reserves are stretched and the nervous system is strained when we blindly jump unprepared into ‘unknown territory’.