The Light Work: Reclaim Your Feminine Power, Live Your Cosmic Truth, and Illuminate the World

by Jessica Zweig

Unlock your infinite potential in every area of your life and become your own inspiration.

Using the concept of Light as a tool for personal and spiritual growth, bestselling author and entrepreneur Jessica Zweig challenges readers to hit the proverbial “light switch" and illuminate their own lives. Rooted in the Pleiadian teachings of Light as “Information,” “Truth,” and “Love,” Jessica’s philosophy teaches readers to name, claim, and reframe their inner darkness in order to unlock their infinite potential and remember who they truly are.

Jessica Zweig is the founder of a multimillion-dollar business, a bestselling author, and a social media phenomenon―but her path was not an easy one. The Light Work distills the highly-evolved spiritual concepts she learned along the way into practical applications, delivered with Jessica’s signature straight-talk. How-to’s, exercises, and journal prompts interweave with Jessica’s powerful personal story to create a guidebook to a more inclusive, loving, and Light-filled life.

Within these pages lies radical self-empowerment, because―as Jessica says―when you can claim all parts of yourself (your dark and your light, your power and your shame, your sh*t and your shine), you become… unstoppable. You become the Lightworker.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Feminism, Personal Growth, Spirituality

272 pages, Hardcover

Published August 6, 2024

Reviews

[QueenDee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4/ 5
#NetGalley
This book is really resourceful for anyone who wants to get into getting attuned to the divine feminine self. My only issue is that this book tends to sound a bit too "new agey" at times.

[Lauren Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 ⭐ So... I am the target audience for this book - white, woo-woo, middle-aged woman - and I am *not* the target audience for this book - "high-achieving women" who are "multiple 6 or 7-figure CEOs or entrepreneurs," industry experts, or in corporate leadership (taken from her website).

Jessica Zweig's website says she is a "branding coach and spiritually coach rolled into one." It's pretty transparent to me that she is a marketing and branding specialist that very consciously rebranded herself to appeal to a new market -  women like her: rich, spiritually curious women with massive amounts of disposable income to spend on retreats, spiritual travel and eco tourism, psychedelic ceremonies, expensive healers, coaches, and teachers. This book is the introduction to her re-brand, her "Spiritual Hustler" podcast, and her $10,000 coaching program, the Feminine Frequency Business School.

Now, I'm not saying her journey and experiences aren't sincere. And this is a decent beginner's introduction to contemporary spiritual/new age perspectives. But as someone who is very conscious of issues around accessibility and elitism in spiritual and wellness circles, this book stings a little. She does pay the requisite lip service to privilege, cultural appropriation, and inclusivity. But her talk about wealth, abundance, manifesting, and finances are a hard pill to swallow if you aren't in her circle of friends, entrepreneurs, and wealthy women.

There's not really anything new or original here - she shares that the foundation of her spiritually comes primarily from Barbara Marciniak's work (channeled material from the Pleiadians), divine feminine teachings, and all of the teachers and healers she has worked with or studied - Marianne Williamson, Danielle Laporte, etc.

If you are in her target demographic and are new to spiritually and divine feminine concepts you might enjoy this book and find it relatable and the beginner's reflections and exercises useful. If you are not, skip this and go to her sources:

• Bringers of the Dawn by Barbara Marciniak
• White, Hot Truth by Danielle Laporte
• The Great Cosmic Mother by Monica Sjoo
• anything by Marianne Williamson

I'd also recommend other teachers on the divine feminine and books such as:

• The Sophia Code by Kaia Ra
• Rise Sister Rise by Rebecca Campbell
• I Am Diosa by Christine Gutierrez
• Fierce Woman by Rhoda Shapiro
• The Goddess Path by Kirsty Gallagher

I'm not as familiar with good sources about Starseeds so if you have any recommendations please share them in the comments!

[Kim Hendricks · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book. However, I didn't experience any changes or feel that I unlocked anything, maybe over time? I feel at times she comes off as bragging about how rich and successful she is and I felt it didn't belong in this book. I also felt it to be very new age at times. I am grateful I won this in a giveaway.

[Angel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Light Work: Reclaim Your Feminine Power, Live Your Cosmic Truth, and Illuminate the World" by Jessica Zweig is a nonfiction self-help book. It is very metaphysical and new age, but anyone can access this. Anyone in any religion can learn to be more light filled and shine more light.

Jessica shares her personal story, and then at the end of each chapter, she gives invitations for readers to do in their journals to help reawaken themselves.

The first invitation was to write about the thing in our lives which brought the most darkness and then the thing which brought the most light.

I'm on her wavelength. I know all the words in the glossary she gives in approx. chapter 2. I awakened in the 90s. This whole book was a good reminder for me.
One of the quotes I liked the most in this is, "Love your pleasure more than you love your suffering."

In another place, she shares this about marriage that she learned from the counselor:

"It's not your husband's job to meet your needs. It's your job to meet your own needs. If he should happen to meet your needs, it is a gift, not an obligation."

This really spoke to me. Most of us need to learn the same lessons over and over. If we can learn any of them from reading a book, I'm all for that!! So, thank you, Jessica!!

A trip to Egypt to the Great Pyramids was important to her in awakening even more, and she shared about these experiences in between the other content. It was fascinating!

Some chapters cover energy centers, soul family, love relationships, female friendship, financial abundance, future light, Gaia, and miracles. She gives links to all the invitations, her toolkit, and a music playlist that will open on Spotify if you have that app.

Here is my new rubric for rating self-help books:

✅️ Mission explained: 5/5
✅️ Information overall: 5/5
✅️ Pace: 4/5
✅️ Back Story/memoir: 5/5
✅️ Narration: 5/5 (by the author and very well done!!)
✅️ Glossary: 5/5 (good to have it early in book)
✅️ Examples: 4/5
✅️ Worksheets 4/5 (called Invitations)
✅️ Liked it? 4/5
✅️Overall: 25+16= 41/9= 4 5/9, rounded up to 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I highly recommend this book or audiobook for any women interested in light work and awakening as a light worker!!

Thank you to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and author Jessica Zweing for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

[Natalie King · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jessica Zweig's "The Light Work" has come at an excellent time for me. Each chapter is helping me to unlock greater abundance, freedom, joy and empowerment in my life.

Through Jessica's vulnerable sharing about her own life, the reader is lovingly guided towards powerful self-reflection, meditations and resources to shine one's light more bravely and beautifully in the world.

This is a reclamation of the divine feminine, a call to action for more love and light in our world and a big permission slip to shine your light more bravely, brightly and without delay. Whether you believe in the Pleiadian teachings or not, there is so much powerful wisdom shared in this book. A great read!!!

[W.A. Ashes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I haven't actually finished this book yet, but I felt like I've read enough to give it a review. I'm working my way through The Light Work slowly. It has a lot of good prompts that have been helping me. It leaves me feeling raw and strung out, but I feel amazing the next day. I'm working through things I didn't realize I needed too...like learning how to twist my weaknesses into strengths and how to reclaim my own light.

[Kenia Guerrero · Rating 5 out of 5]

one of the BEST spiritual self help books

[Kyle · Rating 4 out of 5]

As practical as it is "woo." I didn't resonate with all of it (I'm Christian, not Pleiadian!) but there is a buffet of good information here. Allowing yourself to feel all your emotions, taking radical responsibility, finding Sisterhood, designing your mission. . . . these are things I'm putting on my plate. Jessica's story is interesting and the book is easy to read, and I'd recommend it to any woman who is feeling stuck or uninspired.

I won my copy in a Goodreads giveaway.

[Chyna Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

[Jill Gibson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Was a good book and very enlightening. Helps to understand my way of life.

[Carly Klassen]

As soon as I read that the author heard the voices of Hathor and the Seven Sisters of Pleiades, I had to put it down. This successful white woman pseudo spiritual enlightenment story isn’t one that I felt like buying into today. Maybe if that part was fictional it would have been easier to digest.

[Kayleigh Lawrence · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. It was exactly what I was looking for. This book is a really great resource to have, and I feel like it helped me connect more with my feminine side. I highly recommend this to anyone who would like to do the same. Easy to understand and well written!

[Doug Wauneka]

I have not received this book as of today.

[Natalie E · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 40%. When I first heard the author speak on a podcast, I was quite eager to read this book to hear more of her insights into stepping into a self-sourced female empowerment. However, it did not deliver for me for a few reasons:

1) While much of what I read spoke to personal responsibility and the idea of you don't need to externally source your power, the author seemed to primary do that. She hired countless healers, guides, and went on many, MANY plant medicine journeys for her insights. There's nothing wrong with that, yet I found it to be somewhat incongruent to what she was preaching. I'd have respected her more if she hadn't felt the need to hire all these people to get her results.
2) I am no stranger to other Beings being channeled and have the utmost respect for people capable of it. However, the book blur just says "rooted in Pleiadian teachings", it doesn't specify that the author herself channels them. This wouldn't necessarily be a problem, but what is advertised as a self-growth book feels more like proselytizing to me.
3) Despite espousing to be against victim consciousness, there is more of a focus on the evils of how the world is set up against women than I believe should be in a book about female empowerment, especially one that is clearly aimed at people far enough along on a specific spiritual path that they can accept the Pleiadians as not being a weird concept. Where is the discussion about why it's possible women have gone through this as part of their journey of becoming even more powerful in the Grand Design?

At the end of the day, I chose not to finish this because it felt like just another New Age teacher trying to convince herself that she believes what she's selling.

[Leigh Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

At the heart of The Light Work is the idea of embracing both light and darkness within ourselves. Zweig challenges readers to name, claim, and reframe their inner darkness, using it as a catalyst for growth and empowerment. Her philosophy is that by accepting all parts of ourselves, we unlock our true potential and shine brightly.

Jessica’s story, from personal struggles to professional success, is woven throughout the book, making her guidance relatable and encouraging. Her journey illustrates that anyone can overcome challenges and achieve greatness by embracing their authentic self.

The emphasis on radical self-empowerment is particularly compelling. Zweig’s belief that accepting our whole selves, both the good and the bad, makes us unstoppable is a powerful message. This holistic approach to self-acceptance and growth transforms readers into Lightworkers, capable of spreading light to others.

[Lauri · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a complementary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I was not sure what to expect as I began reading this book. Jessica Zweig outlines her spiritual journey, with her own light as a focus for growth and influence. She provides that background, while simultaneously showing readers how to access their own inner light as a tool for personal and spiritual growth. She includes her journeys to visit spiritual places and leaders across the globe, and she describes the impact of these experiences on her own understanding and remembering. Each chapter concludes with journal prompts, best practices, and resources for readers (more found in the Guide Book at the end of the book.
While the book was short and easy to read, it delved into concepts that were new to me. While I could relate to some of what she presented, other topics were totally foreign. While there is an audience for this book, it will not be for all.

[Lindsay · Rating 3 out of 5]

I questioned the authenticity of a lot of was written in the book. Spiritual experiences are highly personal and when the author claims she was given guidance to share a spiritual message to the world on a spiritual trip to Egypt seems a bit far fetched.
The author is known as a social media phenomenon so knows what to do to get the followers. People get desperate for attention and fame and will do and say anything. You also can't really question a person's spiritual experience as stranger things have happened.
It has a good message but is written on a more advanced level of spiritual understanding. I found the book too long, and it focused on too many different areas. If it was shortened and simplified it really would've captured my attention.

*I was sent an advanced copy for review.

[Angie Kopshy · Rating 5 out of 5]

"The Light Work" was like a mirror reflecting my own soul's journey back to me, so much so that I found myself crying on a plane, secretly wishing someone would notice and ask why. I'd have pointed to the book and said, "These words! Her words are my words, only hers are filled with so much more compassion and logic."

Jessica Zweig's words resonate with my own journey so much, validating my experiences and inspiring me to explore my inner landscape with renewed courage. The book acts as a guide, encouraging introspection, self-discovery, and pushing for more sisterhood connections. It led me to marvel at my own resilience, acknowledge my past achievements, and move toward the areas where growth is still possible. It was as if Jessica grabbed my hand and said, "I got you, Soul Sister," as she pulled me into a room full of kindred spirits I've always longed for.

[The Bookish Mortician · Rating 1 out of 5]

Honestly really disappointed in this book. It wasn’t at all what I’d hoped it was going to be. I had to DNF it, I just couldn’t keep going. The author writes of some very beautiful and personal stories and experiences. The whole time though she is talking about how it is up to the individual to harness their own power. Yet she is taking trips and meeting with practitioners and utilizing plant medicine and a multitude of outside resources to be able to harness hers. I’m not bashing how one chooses to get from point A to point B, but don’t say there’s only one way then do something completely different. The book began to get extremely repetitive too. By the fourth chapter, we need to be moving onto the actual specifics of what needs to be done. We’re past the hype man phase of the first chapter or two. I don’t think I’ll be reading anything else by this author.

[Brandy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the ARC from Goodreads. I took a lot away from this book but I left a lot behind too. I used a few of the questions in my journal and started rooting myself to mother earth. However I can only give this book 3 stars for a few reasons. First of all she contradicts herself by saying that we need to claim our own feminine power the proceeds to tell us about all of the other people that have helped her get her power. Second she often sounds like she's trying to start a new religion or like a she's a t.v evangelist for ancient astronaut theorists. Also I just didn't like her writing style. I often felt like I was reading a grocery list.

[K8 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally finishing this book, consuming it slowly like a fine wine, savoring every moment of flavor & embracing its quality to enhance over time, it’s something I’ll keep coming back to in nostalgia, reference, and true gratitude of Jessica’s beautiful words—encoded with true light for anyone brave & open enough to receive it. Jessica is the real deal. She’s been a “virtual mentor” to me for years—she has truly altered the course of my life in how I run my business, show up spiritually for myself and others, and how I lead.

[Morgan Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Won this book in a giveaway! It was a very interesting fairly easy read. There was some great advice but at sometimes felt mildly preachy or over the top in the negativity towards men which is why I bumped it down a bit. Overall great advice. It really goes into the you are responsible for you. And you have the ability to change your life by digging in and finding your deepest desires and wants. Also finding what is causing you deepest fears and insecurities to solve them to move forward. No one can change your life but you.

[Smutnerdy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was nothing like what I thought it would be, it had some interesting information but I thought this would be about finding the light in yourself, not starseed, vibrations, with unembodied voices delivering straight messages to the writer. I believe each person should celebrate and believe in what they want the writing was good and easily understandable, but the book itself was just not for me.

[Deanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic! Things always happen for a reason and thank you St. martins Press for the copy.
This was a great reset for implementing new tips/tricks, the importance of grounding, meditation & gratefulness all practices I incorperate daily. Definitley need more poeple reading to understand human connectons and the importance of uplifiting others.

[Laura Antonacci · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOOOOOOOVED IT!

If you resonate with the message/podcast of Jessica, you are going to LOVE this.
If you're new to this, it's possible that it won't resonate (yet).

Personally, I experienced it as an activating book, to remember me of things I deep down already know. So it felt really nice to get the confirmation of my gut feeling.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book does not hold back on the mystical -- and I absolutely loved it. I read it slowly, completed every exercise, and sent copies to multiple friends. If everyone read this book, reflected as invited, and acted based on what they uncovered, the world would be a much, much brighter place.

[Stephanie Thoma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Light work is like the unfiltered, out of the spiritual closet sister book of Be. Less overtly snit business and more fundamentally about the energy that goes into creating at a soul level, I appreciate the raw nature of Jessica’s writing and felt captivated listening to the audio.

[Tya O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Half way through and it’s already awoken me spiritually

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. Gave me a whole new perspective in light work and how important it is to learn your gifts within this world and how to tap into meeting your own personal light shine.

[BEVERLEY DICKINSON · Rating 3 out of 5]

hard going and didn't finish it