Awakening the Mystic

"Rob Dorgan's audiobook, Awakening the Mystic, is a spiritual journey disguised as a novel. We follow Ren Devlin, a yoga teacher whose life is irrevocably altered when he performs a seemingly miraculous act. This propels him and his partner, Sean, into an unwanted spotlight. Overwhelmed, Ren retreats inward through meditation, where he encounters his “council,” a fascinating blend of astrological deities. This cosmic assembly, led by Saturn and Venus, guides Ren on a path of self-discovery and healing, forcing him to confront his past, ego, and deepest fears. The narrative weaves together diverse spiritual philosophies, exploring themes of higher consciousness, love's power, and the true meaning of healing. The characters in Awakening the Mystic are vessels for exploring complex spiritual and emotional landscapes. Initially, a reluctant figure thrust into notoriety, Ren represents the everyman struggling with extraordinary circumstances. His authenticity shows in facing his past, particularly his challenging relationship with his childhood religious views on the LGBTQ+ community and women. As Ren's life partner, Sean provides an anchor of love and support, grounding his experiences in genuine human connection. The language is accessible, and the prose is excellent, with short sentences that infuse the writing with drama. The author deftly explores themes of consciousness, spiritual energy, and personal growth. Awakening the Mystic by Rob Dorgan is a spiritual gift, expertly narrated. The narrative voice is clear, and the audio is superbly accomplished. Meditative music enriches the narrative voice, providing a background for exploring the energy communicated in this enthralling work. This is more than fiction; it is a story that is nuanced and filled with spiritual wisdom, and the audio allows the book's wisdom to reach the hearts of listeners."

“We have the opportunity to teach them that spirituality has to come intuitively from the heart,” an archbishop, soon to be a cardinal, says to Reynolds (or “Ren”) Deviln, the 58-year-old yoga teacher and spiritual seeker whose performance of a public miracle kicks off this spiritual novel. That archbishop, like Ren, has always felt a spiritual connection to something outside the strictures of the Catholic Church, and Ren soon has him on the yogic path—with Ren himself invited to Rome as part of a pilot program introducing meditative practice to priests. That’s just one of this searching debut’s many surprises, but it suggests the spirit of Dorgan’s story: Ren, a gay man, discovered meditation after being chased away from Catholicism by the church’s inflexible dogma. Awakening the Mystic charts Ren’s development through spiritual breakthroughs, private setbacks, and public notoriety. The novel’s structure parallels Ren’s own yogic path as he faces the kleshas, the mental states (among them ego, attachment, the fear of death) that cloud minds and make inner peace impossible. In dreams he consults with a council of gods—Saturn, Venus, an angry Athena. In discussions with his partner, Sean, and his yoga students, Ren talks through the mystery and complexities of Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. In all of these encounters, Ren both teaches and learns, discovering how to “uncover the diamond of your heart” and awaken “a connection with everything—a connection of Oneness.” Readers of spiritual fiction will appreciate how Dorgan finds dramatic corollaries for abstract ideas, as Ren encounters traffic accidents, hateful anti-gay protesters, and a violent intruder. Cozy, loving scenes between Ren and Sean ground the mysticism, while in dreams and visions Ren continually faces challenges and makes discoveries, including evidence of the church’s ancient suppression of meditation and the Divine Feminine. The spiritual narrative lacks the page-turning urgency of the best fiction, but readers fascinated by yogic journeys undertaken by convincingly real people will find much that inspires and edifies."

"In Awakening the Mystic, Rob Dorgan delivers a captivating tale that follows Reynolds “Ren” Devlin, a yoga teacher who struggles with his identity, spirituality, and the cosmic repercussions of a single, miraculous event. After a tragic accident leads to the resurrection of a young boy named Mike, Ren finds himself thrust into the spotlight, facing the challenges of love, ego, and his past choices. As he navigates the media frenzy and the attention, he must connect with the spiritual council — the gods and goddesses of the zodiac — specifically with Saturn and Venus, who head the council. Ren must face his past and the religious beliefs he grew up with on a journey toward healing while harnessing his gifts. Alongside him is Sean, his partner, who helps him to connect more deeply with himself and find serenity amid the chaos. The characters in Awakening the Mystic are vividly drawn; Ren is introspective yet relatable, exemplifying the struggles of many who seek purpose and meaning in a messy world. His partner, Sean, provides a grounding contrast, often challenging Ren to confront his fears and reevaluate his expectations. They are supported by figures like Dottie Gant, a wealthy and wise matriarch, who acts as a conduit for growth and a bridge between ordinary life and mystical phenomena. The setting is impeccably written, transitioning from the intimate, cozy confines of Ren and Sean’s home to the electrifying atmosphere of media scrutiny. Rob Dorgan infuses the writing with realism and humanity, weaving scenes from ordinary life into the story while allowing the spiritual elements to emerge effortlessly. This is a story of self-discovery, healing, and purpose. It is crafted in exquisite prose and filled with exciting and intelligent dialogues. You’ll question much of what you know about religion, faith, and healing after encountering Ren."

"I wanted to say congratulations, and tell you that I am enthralled and blown away. The thing that is truly amazing about it to me is that you have done a most incredible thing here. That thing is that it is extremely hard to portray subjective transpersonal experience given the beyond languaging nature of most of it. And you have done a miraculous job of it Rob!! Very rare indeed and keeping it engaging and accessible at the same time! Wowza!"

“KUDOS to you both! Thanks to the recent gloomy weather, I was able to settle in and read the book. I finished it yesterday. Bravo, bravo!!! It was entertaining, educational, enlightening, affirming and quite simply a delight to read! Thank you, thank you, thank you! Shine on boyz. Show us how it's done!”

"I just finished your book - Awakening the Mystic. I read (devoured?) it in two days. It was a mystical adventure I wasn’t expecting. Thank you so much for sharing your vision with the world!"

"Awakening the Mystic is a love letter to life: to you, to me, and the main characters Ren & Sean. Riding the currents of Ren & Sean’s journeys, you quickly find this book is holding you close as your own spiritual journey illuminates and is laid before you. The depth and seriousness of this book is balanced by its gentleness. Gentle in the way each of the main characters live, and gentle in the way, each demonstrate trust & compassion, over and over again. I cried. I held my breath. I giggled. And I loved. This book is beauty, manifested as a story. A triumph!"

"Wow! I was instantly pulled into this journey about facing and conquering our fears with love and compassion. Awakening the Mystic is an inspiring and fascinating journey of self-discovery. The twists, the turns, the poetic prose, ancient manuscripts, time travel—-I laughed. I cried. But most importantly, it left me with hope for our species and our planet. Read it!"

"Awakening the Mystic is a wonderful, inspiring story of how yoga can change one’s life. The main character and I share more than 1.13 as our birthday, we also share the belief in the power of meditation— that anything is possible when we drop into stillness and return there as needed. We are that stillness. That stillness is our true essence. This story is so compelling in its telling. I recommend it to anyone who needs to be inspired that love is the greatest power on Earth. "

Awakening The Mystic is a multifaceted jewel of a love story. It reminds us of the luminous threads that weave us together in beauty and the sacred adventures that await us when we trust in the divine mystery and follow the path of the heart. This miraculous story is medicine for the magical soul in all of us.

"Read this book and get a cosmic jumpstart for transformation in your spiritual life. This is a story of hope, love, truth, mystical teachings, and an evolutionary spark for humanity. This is no ordinary book. It is a roadmap for revolutionary mysticism, filled with profound teachings from the yoga tradition, astrology, meditation, and accessing superconscious states of being. Rob Dorgan has hit the mark in his extraordinary novel, Awakening the Mystic, and weaves the teachings with a riveting story that opens the heart, expands the mind, and invokes the power of grace into the whole of life. Imaginative, transformative and radically alive, this book will awaken the mystic in you!"

"From the very first page, Awakening the Mystic by Rob Dorgan envelops you in a world where the lines between reality and the divine blur in the most enchanting ways. The journey Rob invites us on is one of introspection, healing, and profound discovery. Through its intertwining of fiction and memoir, it offers a beacon of hope and wisdom for those yearning to understand the deeper mysteries of life and love. An absolute read for anyone seeking to unlock the secrets of the universe within themselves."

"Mystical, ethereal and humane, “Awakening the Mystic,” is imbued with the metaphysical elements of yoga. Fans of the Yoga Sutras attributed to Patanjali—and everyone that seeks to understand their true nature more clearly—will love this novel as it traverses the deepest questions of life, love and the nature of reality."

"Drawn into the mysteries of the Divine, inner truths, and power to create monumental goodness, I savored the unfolding story and characters. Meaningful dramatic (and humorous) action...told with a lyrical voice, caught me at once. Like me, you will not want it to end..."

"This inspiring new book took me into another realm, where the Divine Feminine and miracles intertwine with history and the power of love. The story is compelling, gently told, and left me wanting to know so much more..."

"Awakening The Mystic is a journey. It's an epic story of love and faith that will bend your mind with every turned page..."