Blog

Coming Soon: Lighting the Sacred Fire

Matthew Lowes

My fourth book of spiritual nonfiction is coming soon. Lighting the Sacred Fire addresses the topic of spiritual practice. Are the different paths to the truth? Are there stages on the spiritual journey? What are the major obstacles and how can we overcome them? These questions and more are answered, and practical advice is offered for both seasoned practitioners and those just setting out on the path.

I’m looking forward to getting this book out soon in both print and ebook formats. Here’s the copy from the back cover:

There is a difference between intellectual understanding and direct experience, between theory and real knowledge. On the spiritual journey, walking the path means actually engaging in practice. Lighting the Sacred Fire illuminates the overall process of spiritual practice and offers straight-forward advice on overcoming a wide range of traps and obstacles. Aspiring and seasoned practitioners of any tradition or no tradition will benefit from the clear insight and inspiration contained within this book.

Stay tuned for the release sometime in May. :)

Album Available Now!

Matthew Lowes

This album is out now on the Spheredelic a net label. Dark Ambient Space brings together rhythm, melodic sequences, and experimental soundscapes into a sonic journey through the cosmos. The tracks were almost entirely played live, making extensive use of modular synthesizers.

The album is free to listen to and/or download. You can make a donation if you wish, and it’s always much appreciated. If you really want to listen, I suggest downloading the album as it is higher quality than the streaming.

If experimental, dark ambient music and soundscapes aren’t usually your cup of tea, you will be in for a new experience. If it is your cup of tea, just strap in and enjoy the ride. :)

I’m very happy to share this work with world, or at least whoever listens. A huge thanks to André at Spheredelic for his encouragement and to my good friend, David Last, for inspiring me to try music way back in middle school, for mastering the album, and helping with some cuts. Cheers to you all!

Album Dropping Soon!

Matthew Lowes

This full album is coming out soon on Spheredelic, a net label out of Germany. Dark Ambient Space brings together rhythm, melodic sequences, and experimental soundscapes into a sonic journey through a dark universe. The tracks were almost entirely played live, making extensive use of modular synthesizers.

My musical journey started with few years of piano lessons in middle school. Through the years I periodically tried to take it up again, but always got frustrated with progress until a few years ago when I completely changed my approach. I put away all the piano books, and just started improvising. I had always wanted to be able to just sit and play music, not just recreate it from sheet music. I didn’t become a concert pianist (that was never my intention anyway) but progress was surprising.

Around that time is when started experimenting with modular synthesizers and posting the results on YouTube. I really never expected to put out an album, but André at Spheredelic really encouraged me to put together an album. I finally put together the tracks at the beginning of the year. To be honest, starting felt like a bit of lark, but the more it came together, the more passionate I was about the project as a work of art.

I’m very happy with the result and excited to share it with world, or at least whoever is into this kind of music. A huge thanks to André at Spheredelic for his encouragement and to my good friend, David Last, for inspiring me to try music way back in middle school, for mastering the album, and helping with some cuts. Cheers!

Finally! Tarot-sized Dungeon Solitaire

Matthew Lowes

It’s been a few years since the Labyrinth of Souls and Devil’s Playground solitaire games launched on Kickstarter. Dungeon Solitaire continues to do well and gain new fans as hapless souls wander into the Dungeon.

With the Kickstarters we stuck to poker-sized cards to keep costs down, but as a tarot game it was always my intention to offer tarot-sized cards as well. It’s taken longer than I expected, but the new cards are now available on DriveThru Cards. I’ve also redesigned the faces to make the art as large as possible on already larger cards. The results are stunning and a fantastic addition to the Dungeon Solitaire line.

Here’s a few cards from the Dungeon Solitaire: Labyrinth of Souls tarot solitaire game:

Tarot-sized cards are also available for Devil’s Playground expansion and stand-alone game:

The larger cards come band-wrapped to keep the price down, but tarot-sized boxes are an easy find. If you’re looking for an update to your Dungeon Solitaire games, look no further. I like the new design and may update the poker-sized cards at some point as well. There may also be an Omnibus Rulebook on the horizon.

If you’re new to Dungeon Solitaire, you should know the cards come with free starter rules and the full rulebooks with many game variations can be purchased separately as PDF on DriveThru Cards or as a paperback on Amazon.

Hope you’re all doing well and enjoying life to the fullest. Once again, thanks to everyone playing Dungeon Solitaire the world! Keep on delving. :)

When You are Silent Audiobook

Matthew Lowes

The audibook for When You are Silent It Speaks is now available on Amazon, Audible, and ACX. Narrated by me, this is the second audiobook I’ve recorded. The audiobook for That Which is Before You has been out since 2021. If you enjoy audiobooks and are interested in nonduality, enlightenment, and the spiritual path, I hope you’ll give them a listen.

I very happy to be able to record these audiobooks and share these words in the voice of the author. I’m speaking from direct experience in these books and hope a bit of that experience shines through in the reading itself.

It’s a somewhat long and arduous process to record these audiobooks. At times, my voice get tired or strained and I have to take a break for a few days. With a sustainable pace and editing, progress is relatively slow. This one took six months to finish — longer than I expected, but that’s the way of most projects. :)

Although I’m eager to record the audiobook for A Billion Fingers Point at the Moon, I’ll be taking a break from audiobooks for a while in order to complete work on some other projects, including the next book in this series, which addresses spiritual practice (Lighting the Sacred Fire is due out by the end of the year).

Whether in print, ebook, or audio, it’s been great to share these books with readers. And it’s a real joy to hear they are hitting their mark and having a positive impact on the spiritual lives of others. I look forward to continuing this series with a few additional books and audiobooks covering new topics and expanded teachings. Here are the books available now:

Now Available: A Billion Fingers Point at the Moon

Matthew Lowes

abf-cover-smPaperback and eBook editions of A Billion Fingers Point at the Moon are now available. There were a few delays, so it’s a bit later than expected, but I’m so happy this book is now available and in time for the Holiday season.

This is the third in this series of books dealing with spirituality and enlightenment. The first book, That Which is Before You, contains an account of my awakening, insights and teachings, as well an overview of spiritual practices. The second book, When You are Silent It Speaks, contains a more detailed discussion of the spiritual journey as a whole. This new book addresses the subject of spiritual language. It deconstructs the vocabulary of spirituality in order to cut through the confusion often created by the multiplicity of words and explanations.

Here’s the copy from the back cover:

“Decipher the language of spirituality for yourself, by getting to the heart of fundamental questions. Look beyond the confusing rhetoric of dogmatic and philosophical views that focus more on differentiation than on discovery of the Truth. Traditional teachings, conceptual understanding, and intellectual discourse are great, but as the saying goes, don’t mistake a finger for the moon. A Billion Fingers Point at the Moon appears to be about words and language in the context of spiritual traditions, but actually, it is all about the fullness of the moon.”

I hope you enjoy the book. Please consider posting an Amazon review if you read it. That’s a huge help both for the success of the book and for people searching for good books.

Coming Soon: A Billion Fingers Point at the Moon

Matthew Lowes

Writing and publishing projects have progressed slowly for a while due to an exceptionally chaotic school year, but things are about to heat up. I am officially taking a year-long sabbatical to focus on book and game projects, and a lot of exciting things are in the pipeline.

First up is the third book in my series of books on spirituality and enlightenment. No official release date yet, but proofs are on the way and it should be out sometime this summer.

The first two books are available now. That Which is Before You contains an account of my awakening, insights and teachings, as well as a brief overview of spiritual practices. When You are Silent It Speaks contains a more detailed discussion of the spiritual journey as a whole.

The aim of this new book is to address the language of spirituality and attempt to clear up confusion surrounding its vocabulary, and as always, to point beyond. Here’s the copy from the back cover:

“Decipher the language of spirituality for yourself, by getting to the heart of fundamental questions. Look beyond the confusing rhetoric of dogmatic and philosophical views that focus more on differentiation than on discovery of the Truth. Traditional teachings, conceptual understanding, and intellectual discourse are great, but as the saying goes, don’t mistake a finger for the moon. A Billion Fingers Point at the Moon appears to be about words and language in the context of spiritual traditions, but actually, it is all about the fullness of the moon.”

I’m looking forward to sharing this book with you. Keep your eye out for release updates. :)

Available Now: When You are Silent It Speaks

Matthew Lowes

wyasis-tnWhen You are Silent It Speaks is available in print and eBook. This is a stand-alone book, but it is also a follow-up to my previous book That Which is Before You. That book contained an account of my awakening and an overview of insights, teachings, and practices. This new book is dedicated to a more detailed discussion of the spiritual journey. The topics were selected and organized to explore stages along the spiritual path — beginning, middle, and end.

It’s taken a bit longer than I expected to get this one out, and I’m very excited to be able to share it with you now. I hope you enjoy the book and find its content both helpful and illuminating. Feel free to contact me with your questions. And please post a reader review if you get a chance.

When You are Silent It Speaks

Matthew Lowes

wyasis-tnI’m happy to announce that When You are Silent It Speaks is in the final stages of pre-publication and will be released sometime this summer. A release date is still unknown, but I’m very excited to be sharing this new work with you soon. This is the second book in a series addressing the topics of enlightenment, awakening, and the spiritual path. Each book stands on its own, although it makes some sense to read them in order. The first book, That Which is Before You, includes an account of my awakening and an overview of insights, teachings, and practices. When You are Silent It Speaks is dedicated to a detailed discussion of the spiritual journey. The topics in this book were selected and organized to explore stages along the spiritual path — beginning, middle, and end. May it aid you on your journey, and may it be of some use in bringing illumination, true happiness, and an end to suffering.

Here some copy text from the back cover:

Chart a course through the whole spiritual journey — from the suffering of existential hopes and fears, through a search for truth, to the unimaginable awakening that awaits us. When You are Silent It Speaks is a map to the landscape of spirituality, and a guide to orienting oneself on the path to genuine Realization. If you have ever longed for the truth, but been confused by or had doubts about the goals, methods, and direction of your spiritual endeavors, here is insight by someone who can speak from direct experience.

If you are a reviewer, blogger, or teacher and would like an advance reading copy of this book, please contact me through the webpage here. Everyone else: you will not have to wait long. Stay tuned for a release date in the near future or subscribe to the webpage to get an email whenever a new post is made. It’s not too often — just when I have an announcement, an article, or some free content to share. You’ll find the subscription button in the upper right drop-down menu.

Dungeon Solitaire: Tomb of Four Kings — Korean Language Edition

Matthew Lowes

Ever since I posted the free print-and-play download for the first Dungeon Solitaire game, the dungeon has been expanding. And it’s been wonderful to hear from fans all over the world. A few fans have even offered translations into other languages. I’m super excited to announce we now have a Korean language edition of Dungeon Solitaire: Tomb of Four Kings. The translation by Dan looks fantastic and is ready for free download, print, and play.

I’m so grateful to Dan for putting in the hard work to make this Tomb of Four Kings translation. It looks fantastic and maintains all the original artwork and formatting. It’s a joy to share this game with others, and I’m so happy to be able to expand the audience with Korean speakers.

Tomb of Four Kings can be played with a regular deck of playing cards, and will always be a free download, no matter what language you speak. English, Spanish, and Korean editions are now available for download on the Games page. See you all in the dungeon! :)