On the cover is one of nineteen mandalas painted by the author’s friend, Madeleine Shields, between 1982 and 2002, each taking one year to complete. These paintings integrate ancient Tibetan Buddhist meditation and round art form with Carl Jung’s approach to evoking symbols from the unconscious. Each mandala was a deeply spiritual journey for Madeleine, representing different aspects of her life, and as a result of her labors, we have been left with these visually exquisite, precise, and intricate paintings. The mandala on the cover is her Relationship Journey.

John T. Shields, who wrote the Foreward to the book, and Madeleine, to whom the book is dedicated, were married for 36 years before she died in November, 2005.