Hey friends, I am very excited to announce that the titular work of this blog is coming out at the end of this week! It may come as a shock to any who follow me here, but most of my writing has always been fiction. You can take a glimpse of some of my Sci-Fi stories under the “Children of the Storm” page under literature, or click here. But honestly, even with all I’ve recently begun on this site and with my students in person, I didn’t think this philosophical project would become as central for me as it has.
But a year later, the quarantine has produced another new thing from its ashes!
“Sharpen Your Soul: A Spiritual Guide to Practical Growth” has grown from an originally intended single volume, into a growing miniseries of short philosophical books. When this book project began, parts of it splinted off into a prequel (The Mosaic Man: a collection of poems and short philosophical stories), as well as at least one other sequel (being completed as we speak). I’m very excited to say: it looks like I’ll be able to release these first 3 installments pretty much nearly back-to-back!
This the second installment, is dropping this very Sunday.
Together, I call them: “The Mystic Discourses.”
The idea for this book grew out of two things: the essays I write here on the blog (sharing a name with the book) as well as some of the conversations that we have over at CrossSwords Battle School (as the academy’s slogan is actually the original bearer of the words: Sharpen Your Soul).
The methodology and purpose behind our training at CrossSwords has always been to train the whole person: our minds through reason, our bodies’ fitness through self-defense and competition, and our spirits through swordsmanship. Or, in other words —as embodied in that slogan— we aim to sharpen the whole soul.
Each week, our disciplines involve engaging with some big ideas and applying some philosophies, as well as tempering our physical skills. However, I’ve had repeated requests from some of our adult members to put some of our central lessons down in written form!
So… here they are. A small piece of what our way is all about: the cultivation of nobility throughout the totality of being (which we call “the soul”).
This central and titular book is finally ready for everyone to add to their collection. My hope is that it can be the beginnings of a fruitful self-examination and contemplation of things beyond us, as we all seek to sharpen ourselves.
The Mystic Discourses, vol.1 is available now!
Vol.2: SHARPEN YOUR SOUL is ready to arrive 
I’d be honored if you’d follow me here or on my FB writing page: Jared Anthony for updates on its release 
Blessings and Happy Easter, everyone!
Sharpen Your Soul 