🌟 3.5 stars. The first 3rd of this book feels like an infomercial and was a slog to get through. The bad corporate motivational stock photos with violet light or flames photoshopped in didn't help much either. I pushed through though and it did get better.
The organization of the material in this book was poor. It felt backwards. An overview of core concepts and the introduction of Saint Germain should have come first. Then technical information should have come second and the testimonials and "selling points" at the end. The first few chapters felt like filler, bogged me down as a reader, and I couldn't connect to the author's voice.
I was frustrated enough that I got a wild hair and looked at the publication date - 2016. Elizabeth Clare Prophet died in 2009. She didn't actually write this book. If you read the front matter in this book it states "based on the teachings of Elizabeth Clare Prophet" and "compiled and edited by the staff of Summit University Press from the writings of Elizabeth Clare Prophet." I thought, no wonder this reads like an 8th grade textbook. No wonder I couldn't connect with the author. I didn't really feel engaged with the material until chapter 5 or so. From that point on the book actually begins to present technical information about the Violet Flame, Saint Germain, and the Science of the Spoken Word. The graphics in this section that are original to the Church Universal and Triumphant are a huge improvement over the other cheesy photos in the book.
The concepts in this section track with other things I've read/practiced like the LOA, intention setting, affirmations, mantras, affirmative prayer, and energy healing. The teachings feel New Thought adjacent and do reference scripture, Christ-consciousness, Ascended Masters and the I AM presence and teachings (which I expected). Church Universal and Triumphant has a slightly different interpretation of the chakras and the body's energetic system and some interesting concepts about the soul, connection with the higher self, and the threefold heart-center flame (power, wisdom, love). Most of the Violet Flame work is just visualization used along with mantras or "decrees."
My only other trouble with this book is that there were concepts mentioned in passing (like the seven rays, for example) that the editors/authors assume the reader is familiar with and do not explain. It felt like I missed a 101 class and introductory material and was struggling a little to keep up with gaps in my knowledge.
Overall, I felt it was worth reading even with the technical and organizational writing issues (from University Summit staff) that I mentioned. The book introduced some new concepts to me, expanded some familiar ones, and provided some practical spiritual tools and applications. I will continue delving into Elizabeth Clare Prophet's work, I just hope to hear her authentic voice, fill in the gaps in my knowledge, and answer the questions this book left me with.