VADE MECUM

Macapinlac presents a guidebook to realizing one’s connection to the universe.

Since the 1600s, the Latin term vade mecum (literally, “go with me”) has referred to “a guidebook that you physically carry with you, often in a deep pocket, for reference.” It’s an obscure term that rarely enters into 21st-century conversations. Sixteen years ago, however, the term seemed to haunt the author and her best friend, Anne—the two had long shared their mutual experiences with the paranormal. Macapinlac first discovered the word when Anne described a dream she had in which a man reached out to her with a symbol on his palm while saying “vade mecum.” Months later, Anne came across a homeless man who “was mostly muttering nonsense” and asked her if she knew what vade mecum meant. The term would soon thereafter appear in Macapinlac’s inbox as the “Word of the Day.” The author began to see “patterns connecting my stories,” believing them to be the universe’s directive for her to follow a new, divine path in her life. In recent years, the author has become a reiki master, intuitive guide, and energy and sound healer (indeed, in addition to retelling her and Anne’s experiences with vade mecum, this text doubles as a guidebook for readers looking to break free of the “mundane routines” that shape their daily lives). Blending elements of memoir, self-help, and New Age spirituality, this book offers readers insights on topics that range from interpreting dreams and synchronicity to divination and energy healing. The book’s background on topics like clairvoyance and clairempathy (the ability to experience other’s emotions as your own) come from both the author’s firsthand experiences as well as a decade of research. For believers in Macapinlac’s New Age brand of spirituality, this is an ideal primer that succinctly covers a wide breadth of topics in fewer than 200 pages. For skeptics, the book offers a solid introduction to dozens of intriguing topics without proselytizing.

A well-written handbook on a range of topics relevant to New Age spirituality.