And Toto, Too: "The Wizard of Oz" as a Spiritual Adventure: Inside the Covers

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And Toto, Too
"The Wizard of Oz" As A Spiritual Adventure

By Nathan G. Castle, O.P.

Table of Contents

Prologue: How I Ran Away Without Going Anywhere

"Yup, I just didn't know what to do about it."

Chapter 1: In the Beginning: L. Frank Baum

Reading The Wizard of Oz is entering sacred ground, the mind and generous heart of its creator.

Chapter 2: Looking Inside

"The lesson of the Wizard of Oz is, well, when you think you're lacking something, where do you find it?  You look inside."

Chapter 3: Uncommon Common Journeys

First there's the Moses story. Then the Jesus story. And the Toto story. And, if you're up for it, your story.

Chapter 4: The Characters

Here are a few notes on the people we'll meet.

Chapter 5: Roll the Film

As the movie begins, everybody's busy, nobody's listening. Sound familiar?

Chapter 6: Going Noplace

Giving up on here and now... where will that get you?

Chapter 7: Marvelous Encounter

Your next companion could send your life in a new direction.

Chapter 8: A Storm's Blowin' Up

How's the weather inside?

Chapter 9: Over The Rainbow

Disappointment, disillusionment and disorientation yield to new challenges and the gifts to face them.

Chapter 10: Spiraling

Round and round and round she goes. Turning around might be the wisest thing you'll ever do.

Chapter 11: Life's Way

We're born, we live, and we die along a time line.

Chapter 12: Do You Believe in Dog?

The canine face of God is totally Toto.

Chapter 13: At a Crossroads

"Now which way do I go?" "Follow your joy."

Chapter 14: Echoes of Eden

Hunger can be the beginning of a search for what will fill us.

Chapter 15: Fear and Courage

"Courage is not simply one of the virtues but the form of every virtue at its testing point."

Chapter 16: Playing Witch's Advocate

It's important to remember that we haven't met properly.

Chapter 17: Sleeping and Waking, Dying and Rising

Do you believe you will survive your death?

Chapter 18: The Title Character

Who are you? Ask the person in the mirror.

Chapter 19: Pilgrims

If you went on a pilgrimage, where would you go? What would you seek?

Chapter 20: If I Were King

What kind of leader would you want to be? And what virtues would you need to grow in?

Chapter 21: Caution

Sometimes what we learn we later have to unlearn.

Chapter 22: Unholy Encounter

As it turns out, he's not "a wizard who will serve."

Chapter 23: Re-Gathering

What do you do when life beats the stuffing out of you?

Chapter 24: Using Words

"In the beginning was the Word," from the Old English, meaning ‘speech, talk, utterance.'

Chapter 25: Nobody's Home

The Witch's castle is populated with all those she dominates... but it's nobody's home.

Chapter 26: On a Mission

Take nothing with you. You'll be given all you'll need.

Chapter 27: Not so fast

When you haven't had time to think, being forced to wait isn't all bad.

Chapter 28: Confirmation

We've tried to help you and have watched you grow. We think you're ready and we need what God will give us through you.

Chapter 29: Into Thin Air

"Oh, come back, come back—don't leave without me!"

Chapter 30: Sterile

OK, I get it. No more looking back. No more guarding my heart."

Chapter 31: No Place Like Home

"Anybody home?" That's a question it could take a lifetime to answer.

Epilogue: The End And a New Beginning

Whatever you did, do more of it. It really matters."


2/1/2012 5:00:00 AM
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