Product Description
Creating an alliance and working partnership with the spirits of weather to restore well-being and harmony to Earth and ourselves

• Reveals that, intentionally or not, we affect the weather not only through our actions but also through our thoughts and emotions

• Explains shamanic techniques for working with the spiritual nature of weather

• Special section on “weather dancing” details both its ceremonial and therapeutic aspects

With the growing consensus that global warming is a fact comes the realization that the increasingly violent weather we are experiencing is its chief manifestation. Each storm, each flood, each blizzard seems to break 100-year-old records for both intensity and damage. Reducing emissions of greenhouse gases may be too little, too late.

Through a unique blend of anthropological research, shamanic journeys, and personal stories and anecdotes, Moss and Corbin show how humans and weather have always affected each other, and how it is possible to influence the weather. They present teachings directly from the spirits of weather that show how our thoughts and emotions affect weather energetics. They also reveal the ceremonial and therapeutic aspects of “weather dancing,” a practice used to communicate with the weather spirits.

Weather Shamanism is about transformation--of ourselves, and thus our world. It is about how we can develop an expanded worldview that honors spiritual realities in order to create a working partnership with the spirits of weather and thereby help to restore well-being and harmony to Earth. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Transformed My Relationship With Weather!
This book is one of those gems that can shift the attitudes of a lifetime.
I have always loved storms and have felt some affinity with the elementals who create weather, but after reading this book I became aware of how limited my view of weather has been. The authors supply story after story from shamans all over the world to support their view that weather is alive and part of the divine awareness of the Universe.

I wish everyone on the planet could read Weather Shamanism, because I know it would bring about a major change on the planet if enough people realized that our attitudes about weather, and our neglect of the beings who create weather, are adding to the imbalance and chaos in the world today. Our collective belief in dominion over nature is so far off the mark, but we will only recognize this when we are humble enough to see the truth before our eyes (in the form of hurricanes, tornadoes, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, tidal waves, floods, and droughts). We are not in charge here! But we can participate with the unfolding forces that bring balance and harmony to our planet. That is what this book teaches. It is a lesson we all need to learn, and soon.

Snow Dancing and Wind Communication!
This book was recommend to me by my teacher.It's an excellent book for anyone on the path.I've put it to good use and received some increadible answers from clouds, such as why it's so windy after a major rain storm - "To gather up as much water as possible to minimize flooding for people" hummmm.Thank you for this increcible knowledge.

Fascinating
I just finished reading this book and already I am wishing for Volume II. I can't believe this is the only book out there covering this vital, fascinating subject! My quest now will be to look for more information. Everyone should read this book; not just shamanic practitioners, but anyone who is concerned about global warming and the extreme weather we've experienced. Anyone who gazes at clouds, loves thunderstorms, and feels alive and awake when the wind stirs, must buy a copy of this right away. I can promise you will never look at weather the same way again. Weather is beautiful, awesome, alive, to be respected, to be danced with.
Louisa StrongBear, author of Journey By Night: A Solitary Journey

Journey By Night: A Solitary Journey

one of the dumbest books I've ever read
I have read a lot of books over the years, on various subjects concerning spirituality and the natural world, and this book is a waste of time.It's a lot of words that don't tell you anything!I learned absolutely nothing from reading this book.There are much better books out there...keep looking and don't waste your money.

Weather Shamanism
Who knew? A warning, if you read this book you will never look at the sky or a cloud in the same way again.Okay, I warned you. For those of you with a scientific bent this has scant pickings, though not completely dry bones. The authors are students of the Michael Harner school of core shamanism and they do great credit to their teacher.So instead of the usual foo foo approach so common in the quick feel good shamanistic style out there this tries to be more down to Earth and generally succeeds.

It is clear the authors have great experience teaching others about weather shamanism and share much that they have learned over the years.In contrast to many other books this is very inclusive of other peoples knowledge and experience and quotes are extensive and well placed.

If you are into shamanism this is an absolute must read.If you are a beginner in this field it may be a bit much, but still a worthy read. ... Read more

Product Description
For the past forty years shamanism has drawn increasing attention among the general public and academics. There is an enormous literature on shamanism, but no one has tried to understand why and how Western intellectual and popular culture became so fascinated with the topic. Behind fictional and non-fictional works on shamanism, Andrei A. Znamenski uncovers an exciting story that mirrors changing Western attitudes toward the primitive.The Beauty of the Primitive explores how shamanism, an obscure word introduced by the eighteenth-century German explorers of Siberia, entered Western humanities and social sciences, and has now become a powerful idiom used by nature and pagan communities to situate their spiritual quests and anti-modernity sentiments. The major characters of The Beauty of the Primitive are past and present Western scholars, writers, explorers, and spiritual seekers with a variety of views on shamanism. Moving from Enlightenment and Romantic writers and Russian exile ethnographers to the anthropology of Franz Boas to Mircea Eliade and Carlos Castaneda, Znamenski details how the shamanism idiom was gradually transplanted from Siberia to the Native American scene and beyond. He also looks into the circumstances that prompted scholars and writers at first to marginalize shamanism as a mental disorder and then to recast it as high spiritual wisdom in the 1960s and the 1970s. Linking the growing interest in shamanism to the rise of anti-modernism in Western culture and intellectual life, Znamenski examines the role that anthropology, psychology, environmentalism, and Native Americana have played in the emergence of neo-shamanism. He discusses the sources that inspire Western neo-shamans and seeks to explain why lately many of these spiritual seekers have increasingly moved away from non-Western tradition to European folklore. A work of intellectual discovery, The Beauty of the Primitive shows how scholars, writers, and spiritual seekers shape their writings and experiences to suit contemporary cultural, ideological, and spiritual needs.With its interdisciplinary approach and engaging style, it promises to be the definitive account of this neglected strand of intellectual history. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Excellent
I just love this book. I can't thank this guy enough for what he did. Not only is it super informative, he holds the sarcasm and just presents the facts objectively with a lot of thoughtfulness. For me, it's the best book on the subject. There is a tiny little problem I have with his discussion of SAC. I think it's oversimplified, but it's an easy mistake to make.

Very Well Thought Out Take on Sahamanism
Probably every serious book on Shamanism is going to be written in relation to Eliade's famous "Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy."The Beauty of the Primitive is nothing different in that regard.What is difference is that this author is a Russian and he knows about the history of Shaman studies in Siberia, and that makes all the difference.He points out how Eliade, who was himself an "armchair scholar" incorporated accounts of early Russian "scholars" who were often political exiles first, and anthropologists only because they were stuck in the middle of Siberia.The success of this book lies in the linkage of Siberian shamanism studies to the rise of North American Native American Shamanism, and then, in a neat final chapter, he shows how these neo-Shamans have gone back to Siberia to "help" Native people rediscover their shamanic heritage.Alll along, he writes with humor and affection, and I quite enjoyed this book because of it.

The Best Book on Shamanism
This is without doubt the best book on Shamanism I have ever read, even better than Eliade's famous one. My central interest is not shamanism but divination and early ways of thought. I had felt I needed to have a better understanding of Shamanism and so picked up this book after I met the author at a conference.

It's primary focus is modernized versions of shamanism but one learns about original forms because of the author's considerable knowledge of the subject. He is sympathetic to modernized versions such as Harner's "Core Shamanism" but always makes clear how this version has been greatly altered to fit the interests and lifestyle of modern Westerners.

For anyone interested in Shamanism this book is the best possible start; experts too will learn from it.

I give this my highest recommendation.

... Read more

Product Description
The hazel tree and the sacred well - ancient mythical symbols of Celtic wisdom and spirituality - provide a thread to follow through history and lore, back to the ancient practice of European shamanism. In her new book, D. J. Conway uses the four paths of shamanism (healer, bard, warrior, and mystic) to translate Celtic spirituality into a usable form for today's seekers. Unlike beginners' guides now on the market, this book is an advanced study of the practice. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Good directional info
I bought this book after reading a friends copy.I found that while it has some inaccuracies, there are many parts of this book that ring true (for me at least), and wanted my own copy for future reference.I believe it is an excellent book for continuing to study The Shamanic Path; but as with all written information, your own direct experiences are more important and this book should only be used as a guide.

Fictitious Fluff
D.J. Conway does it again.Seriously, why doesn't she just write fiction novels.It's clear that most of her ideas are fantasy backed up by more fantasy.There is almost nothing of value in this book about Celtic or shamanic anything.Conway even embarrasses respectable wiccans.I agree with another reviewer, I wish there was a 0 setting.I'm just glad I was not duped into opening my wallet for this garbage, I reviewed it in the bookstore.

advanced bs... not worth a dollar
firstly, this book is historically and factually incorrect. (not always but ive found big mistakes like citing aries as a water sign? fire duh basics) anywaze also alot of DJ Conway's references are basic 101 reader works and not reference texts or nonfiction works. (she gets her references from books that i dont consider advanced.) So where is this advanced shamanism.. not here. Dj Conway changes information to fit her idea of the occult and lables it something that is historic, ancient, and obviously pre-established. This is NOT a good book. tell you what youd be better off reading a book by an archeologist and putting the peices together by your self. She does have good meditaions but this is not what it presents its self as. Straighforward, it was a waste of money.

Not advanced, but a continuation of the first book
This book is not necessarily advanced but merely a continuation of the earlier book By Oak, Ash, and Thorn by the same author, with some overlap.Filled with mini glossaries, correspondances and exercises, it's only recommended if you absolutely adore the first title.

Not great.
I'm not normally so turned off by a book that I give it one star and wish like mad that there was a choice for zero.This is one such book, however, and I have yet to find a DJ Conway book that I have been able to take seriously.Conway has a habit of making up her own tradition and writing it as fact, as history, as Tradition.Conway's idea of tradition is to decide what feels right for her, which is more than fine - many of us do this in our own lives, however where she loses my respect in her writing is in that she writes of these beliefs as having some historical basis when there is in fact none.

If you want something that will give you advanced *anything* Celtic, read the works of Skip Ellison (ArchDruid of Ar n'Draiocht Fein), John & Caitlin Matthews, and especially Celtic mythology and legend such as The Mabinogion for more of a Welsh flavor, The Tain bo Culain (or simply The Tain) which is also known as The Cattle Raid of Cooley for the Irish end, might also try reading Celtic Heritage by Alwyn and Bryn Rees, it's a bit dry but brilliant and well-researched.

I suppose what it comes down to is this:What is it that you want to get out of your reading materials?If you want fiction, this book certainly fits the bill as it is the author's mostly made-up and ill-researched version of Celtic Spirituality/Shamanism but you might find more interesting and educational fiction in the books of Marion Zimmer Bradley or Morgan Llewellyn.

How serious are you about your Path?Try reading around and find out.
... Read more

Product Description
In this timely collection, Neil Price brings together recent archaeological thought on shamanism. Issues addressed include shamanic material culture, responses to dying and the dead, shamanism in the context of other belief systems such as totemism, shamanic soundscapes, and the use of ritual architecture. With case studies from the arctic Greenland to Africa and from Europe to Asia this work covers the Palaeolithic to the present day. ... Read more

Product Description
Jan Irvin and Andrew Rutajit delve deep into Judeo-Christian symbolism and mythology in Astrotheology & Shamanism to reveal the true origins of Christianity in fertility cults and entheogenic drug use. The authors show, with the use of numerous images, textual citations, and etymological analyses, how the symbols used in Christian art and encoded in sacred texts reference sacramental use of psychedelic mushrooms as well as ancient astronomical knowledge. This knowledge has been kept secret from the public, however, and the truth has remained concealed behind a campaign to prohibit access to entheogenic sacraments through a Pharmacratic Inquisition (of which the current “War on Drugs” is the latest manifestation). Along with a call to wake up to the true history of Judeo-Christian tradition, the authors call for a return to direct spiritual experience through visionary sacraments unmediated through dominating religious institutions. This is a powerful and provocative book that is sure to challenge and inspire.- Martin W. Ball, Ph.D.Author, The Entheogenic Evolution: Psychedelics, Consciousness and Awakening the Human SpiritAmazon.com Review
Linking Christianity to its nature-based, shamanic roots, this wide-ranging, lavishly illustrated, and exhaustively referenced book establishes a new benchmark for scholarly (and controversial) views in the field.

Rick Strassman MD

University of New Mexico School of Medicine

Author, DMT – The Spirit Molecule



We live in a world of paired opposites—all things in the field of time come in twos. This offers comfort and predictability by allowing neat compartments for diverse things, but also leads to elaborately complex symbols and belief systems over time. Christianity, as with Hinduism, has been conceptualized as a tree growing up from a solid platform, but what you don’t see are the roots and fruits, the mystery that helped spawn these traditions. The mystery is, however, revealed in various art forms often hidden away or obscured in some clever fashion. All these traditions—Egyptian, Mesopotamian, Indus Valley—have their origins in shamanic experiences with mind-altering substances. This was not recreational; this was serious business. Jan Irvin and Andrew Rutajit have captured this tone and perspective in, Astrotheology & Shamanism. Well written with clear definitions, but if you think Jesus was a real person, you’re in for a bumpy ride.

John A. Rush, Ph.D.,

Sierra College, Department of Anthropology

Author, Failed God: Fractured Myth in a Fragile World



This is a mind-expanding book. It helps us share the perspective of a shaman (a seer or wise man) on the world and on the interplay of sun and stars…. Ideas put forward by John Marco Allegro about the origin of religion in The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross in 1970 – which met universal condemnation – are here largely vindicated…. The dry philological approach in The Sacred Mushroom and the Cross is here supported by a wider study of symbols, iconography and mythology and further work on word derivation.

Judith Anne Brown

Daughter of John Marco Allegro

Author, John Marco Allegro: The Maverick Of The Dead Sea Scrolls



Having studied many of the same sources listed in Astrotheology & Shamanism; we find the presentation of facts in this 2nd edition to be a refreshingly rational and logical viewpoint- which empowers the reader to observe many perspectives simultaneously. This book decrypts the minutiae and ideology of religion, in which we are all immersed between cradle and grave. It will open your mind to critical thinking and new choices; producing a brilliant ray of hope in an almost post-literate world.

– Richard Grove, 8th Estate Media & Research ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Stellar!
Many people who hear the term "astrotheology" will either look at you like you have a leg growing out of your forehead, roll their eyes, or give little more than a sneer. Many think that it's either the stuff of conspiracy theories and/or it's not a true field of study. But Irvin and Rutajit have thoroughly shattered this myth.

Even during my years as a Christian, I grew suspicious of the claims of church leaders and biblical authors. I knew there was something more, but I had no idea where to look. Over time I began to put the pieces of the puzzle together with somewhat satisfactory results, until I discovered The Pharmacratic Inquisition and Astrotheology and Shamanism. The mystery of Christianity's secret origins began to unravel.

I can't thank Irvin and Rutajit enough for compiling their findings into this comprehensive book. It is easy to read, easy to research, and filled with footnote after footnote, source after source. There is more data to be found, to be sure. But if you have doubts of Christianity's claims or wonder about the origins of traditions and customs of Christmas and Easter, then you absolutely need this book.

This book brings truth to light
Anyone who finally wants to get to the bottom of religion and get answers to questions that have been squelched for millenium will really enjoy this book.The author takes great care to note his sources, lay out the facts carefully, and provide beautiful color illistrations.I felt scales fall away from my eyes as everything fell into a simple, scientific, and logical truth.A must read for anyone looking to move beyond religious dogma.

Alchemical Gold
A book that is a must own for anyone interested in Christianity's pagan roots and/or shamanism. Jan Irvin and Andrew Rutajit combine brilliant writing, impeccable research, and immaculate illustrations from Nicholas Zervos in a clear and open minded book that will give any reader a jaw dropping tour of Christianity throughout the ages. This book will leave you with a deeper understanding of religious symbolism and will even make sense out of the modern holiday traditions of Christmas and Easter. The authors leave no stone unturned in an attempt to illuminate the reader with the resplendent truth about the origins of Christianity. This work is truly Alchemical Gold! The information in this book is so strong that when you're finished reading it you will pass it along to everyone you know. A great gift for the holidays! Hurry up and buy it already!

Truth Be Told
Jan Irvin and Andrew Rutajit offer open-minded readers an expansive and encompassing--though not exhaustive and overwhelming--look into the depths and origins of religion around the world and throughout history.The underlying themes presented in this well written and expertly illustrated book are certainly evocative; and to the uninformed reader, some of the ideas may come as a shock, in all their profundity.But to those who are willing to set aside cultural bias (and programming), this book provides a wellspring of information that serious seekers will find both refreshing in its authenticity and liberating in its implications. The story that emerges contains within it the seeds of transformation that could play a formative role in bearing the fruit of a completely new worldview, one that reconnects humanity with our deepest and most vital selves.This book may be ahead of its time, but that time is coming, and when it does, this is the knowledge that is going to help humanity envision and eventually build a new world, one that is based on ancient and timeless truths. Highly recommended reading.

The Dawning of the Age of Aquarius
It was the summer of 1973 and The 5th Dimension was playing "Let the Sunshine In" at the Wisconsin State Fair Park and I was getting really high for the first time under the grandstands with some total strangers.Thus began a long love affair for me with altered states of consciousness.I have endured ridicule, condescension and the threat of government sanctions ever since merely for acknowledging and continuing to seek the mind expanding experiences available via the plants that nature has provided for us.Astrotheology and Shamanism goes way beyond affirming that the insights I gained from using naturally occurring plants to "get high" were legitimate.Jan Irvin and Andrew Rutajit go much deeper indeed showing clearly how the use of mind altering plants has influenced the evolution of religions and cultures across many, many generations.This book is a must read for anyone desiring to break free of the psychic stranglehold currently being enforced via the War On Drugs aka, the Pharmacratic Inquisition. ... Read more

Product Description

This two-volume reference is the first international survey of shamanistic beliefs from prehistory to the present day. In nearly 200 detailed, readable entries, leading ethnographers, psychologists, archaeologists, historians, and scholars of religion and folk literature explain the general principles of shamanism as well as the details of widely varied practices.

What is it like to be a shaman? Entries describe, region by region, the traits, such as sicknesses and dreams, that mark a person as a shaman, as well as the training undertaken by initiates. They detail the costumes, music, rituals, artifacts, and drugs that shamans use to achieve altered states of consciousness, communicate with spirits, travel in the spirit world, and retrieve souls. Unlike most Western books on shamanism, which focus narrowly on the individual's experience of healing and trance, Shamanism also examines the function of shamanism in society from social, political, and historical perspectives and identifies the ancient, continuous thread that connects shamanistic beliefs and rituals across cultures and millennia.

Product Description
Take one part of the world''s oldest spiritual system (shamanism), mix in one part of one of the world''s most popular spiritual cultures (the Celts), and bring it up to date by blending in modern forms of shamanism. The result is one of the most amazing books you''ll ever use, D. J. Conway''s By Oak, Ash, & Thorn.

This book is filled with information that can start you on a lifetime of study, practice, and spirituality. First, you''ll learn about ancient and modern forms of shamanism. You''ll discover the secrets of the three shamanic worlds, and how you can travel through these mysterious realms. You''ll be shown how to communicate and deal with the entities and allies you meet there. You''ll also learn about the tools that a shaman uses.

The thing that makes this book unique is that it comes from the viewpoint of Celtic shamanism, and not some generalized form. As a result, the worlds are specifically Celtic in nature. The tools come from Celtic myth and lore. The fifty entities you meet are named and defined as the Faery Folk and their kin — from the Bean sidhe (banshee) to the Will o'' the Wisp (a faery who appears at night in lonely places carrying a lantern to confuse travellers). Almost fifty more animal allies are listed and described. You will also learn the mysteries of the vision quest and how it applies and can be used by Celtic shamans.

Before starting your journey you will take a test to determine your strengths and weaknesses as a potential shaman.

Other topics include:

- Shamanic Healing
- Soul Retrieval
- Shape-shifting
- Invisibility
- Divination with stones, the omen stick and the Ogam alphabet
- Pathworking through the three shamanic worlds
- Different forms of Celtic magic
- Herbs

This only begins to hint at everything that you can learn from this book. Get your copy today.


... Read more

Customer Reviews (42)

Avoid this Book
I have read several books and articles on shamanism made by shamans, anthropologists, people in indigenous cultures that have shamanic cosmological worldviews, and works by modern NeoShamans.What I see is that this book dresses up the Wiccan worldview, gives it catchphrases found in New Age and NeoShamanic works, and gives it a Celtic spin, but there is no real depth to this book.Yes, I have read it, and I have found it very deeply wanting in terms of context, depth, and ability to communicate shamanic teachings, worldviews, or even basic legends and understanding of Celtic myth.

Almost the entirety of Chapter 2 is Michael Harner's work paraphrased in one form or another where he is not directly quoted.In other chapters Conway frequently intersperses non-Celtic or New Age words and practices in with little to no direction as to safe or effective practice, such as the bare mentioning of kundalini in Chapter 3.This book recycles much of what other authors have wrote, while contributing, in my opinion, little to either the understanding or practice of Shamanism or NeoShamanism.

Great Service as usual
I am as usual very happy with the service.Amazon has not let me down yet on an order

Very very very disappointed
I believe I just spent the last few days going through a train wreck. I have noted in the book several times where the woman repeats herself, almost word for word. Contradicts herself from my count so far, 16 times. The interchanging of 'druid' and 'bard' and inserting shaman is for lack of another word, childish and dumb. The rituals are restricting, the suppose to be 'shaman like tools' are that of the Wiccan world. The calling on dieties when a shaman traditionally did not call upon them 'just to make things work' made me gag. Over all, very disgusted over this book. Please, D.J. Stop writing about things you don't know jack about? Save us the heartache of seeing your signature on every half put together book that is 'Generic Wiccan' slapped with pretty titles like 'Norse Magic' or 'Celtic Shamanism'. Anyone who has had spiritual experiance, actually wish and long for something that is meaningful and deep beyond the act of simply replacing prayer with 'spells' will be disheartened, angry and feel quite upset after reading this monstrosity. Being a shaman, druid, spiritualist or pagan is about an individual journey, not a hacked up piece of fiction thrown together and at an audience. Please, if you want something meaningful, stay away from her step by step books. Find the path yourself.

Oak Ash & Thorn M.C.S...(L.C.W.)
DISAPPOINTING,WHAT KIND OF HERBAL SHAMANISM INSTRUCTS YOU "Drink a cup of herb tea OR SODA...."???????????? i had heard this author was known for making.. educated fabrications.. and stating personal experiences as fact, but this book was less than i had prepared for. i read a lot on this subject and i DO NOT RECOMMEND PAYING FOR THIS BOOK! IF YOU WANNA READ IT GO TO A LIBRARY!(i wouldn't make a Special trip, but if you're there....) I put this in the category of BS bedtime stories, the only part i say is good is the personal inventory for why you want to be a shaman, but then its still worded for extreme amateurs and skeptical readers.. this is a Wiccan book for 6th graders, its fantasy fiction, or simply BS.. this wasn't worth the shipping, let alone the $5 i lost..

Good beginners book
I bought this book as a beginners guide to Celtic Shamanism.I found it an excellent starting guide (notice I said starting guide), and too this day am often referring back to it.As with all outside (of self) gathered information, it is a guide only, your own personal experiences are the definitive experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Pearson brings a cogent, well-argued case for the understanding of much prehistoric art as shamanistic practice. Using the theoretical premises of cognitive archaeology and a careful examination of rock art worldwide, Pearson is able to dismiss other theories of why ancient peoples produced art-totemism, art-for-art's sake, structuralism, hunting magic. Then examining both ethnographic and neuropsychological evidence, he makes a strong case for the use of shamanistic ritual and hallucinogenic substances as the genesis of much prehistoric art. Bolst ered with examples from contemporary cultures and archaeological sites around the world, Pearson's thesis should be of interest not only to archaeologists, but art historians, psychologists, cultural anthropologist, and the general public. ... Read more

Product Description

As I grew to know Adam Dilwyn Vaughn, it became clear why he lived as he did, where he did, and why he was regarded warily by others, for in his younger days, Adam had been a sin eater (bwytawr pechod in the Welsh, from which this tradition comes)—a devourer of human sins—and his was a story of the soul, what it may contain, and how it can be healed and find purpose. It is only now that I can keep my promise to Adam to make his confession by the telling of his life.

Revealed in this remarkable true account are the secrets of a lost tradition of Celtic shamanism, from working with plant medicine and nature allies to deciphering omens and communicating with nature spirits. In this fascinating tale, the sin eater's apprentice shares powerful gifts and lessons from the natural world and explores their relevance to our human quest to discover—and live—our soul's purpose for this lifetime.

Customer Reviews (5)

Unconvincing, poorly-written, depressingly derivative
This book has to be one of the most depressing things I've read in a long time because it is little more than the physical manifestation of a personal vendetta.

In the "Afterword" of this book (published 2008), Ross Heaven explicitly refers to his bitter and widely-publicised feud with his former collaborator Simon Buxton, author of The Shamanic Way of the Bee (published 2006). Heaven here and elsewhere claims to have co-authored if not ghost-written Buxton's book. In fact, in publishing this shamelessly derivative work, Heaven gives the lie to his claim as he demonstrates here that as a writer he is nowhere near in the same league, a fact that will become immediately apparent to anyone who compares the two books.

In the unlikely event that Heaven's supposed mentor Adam Dilwyn Vaughan did really exist, Heaven has done his memory absolutely no favours with an amateurish, one-dimensional and wholly unconvincing characterisation that makes Adam sound suspiciously like a half-baked and hurried fictional creation of a man writing with the primary objective of discrediting a rival rather than truthfully telling a memoir of a much loved and genuine spiritual teacher.

The, ahem, parallels with Buxton's earlier and far superior work are too numerous to mention; it is strongly hinted that Adam's spiritual name is 'Bridge' just as Buxton's mentor was called; honey and metheglin feature regularly in initiations as they do in Buxton's memoir, even the chapter names closely echo Buxton's work throughout, for The Gate of Transition read The Gateway to the Garden, for The Small Branch of the Great Tree read The Soul of the Great Tree, for The Path of Pollen read The Path of Purpose, for The Web of Dreams read The Web of Dreams and Lies etc etc etc.

Ross Heaven is a prolific writer on shamanism and undoubtedly he knows what he is talking about to a certain extent in his other works. However knowing the context (made explicit in the Afterword) in which this book is written it is unfortunately impossible to trust a single word of it.

What Heaven is attempting to do in this book is to cynically and retrospectively prefigure Buxton's work by making it seem as if the ideas in Buxton's book were his own, thus substantiating his claim to have co-authored or ghost-written The Shamanic Way of the Bee. Perhaps fortunately, because he isn't in the same league as a writer, all he has succeeded in doing is demonstrating conclusively that he didn't.

So unfortunately my conclusion is steer clear - this book could seriously damage your faith in the existence of genuine shamanic traditions in the UK, not to mention human nature.

Insight into the Celtic/Older Pagan Traditions
I really enjoyed this book.It is a breezy read.The "sin eater" in this book is an incredibly likable character who supports the community that shuns him.I felt that a lot of what the author talks about is in fact true.I know others who have said similar things regarding sin eating and it was remarkable to me how people of different beliefs can come to similar understandings of the natural/spiritual world.I especially love all of the information on plants!I plan on seeking out nettles and st johns wort now but I am trying to heed what he mentions about the innate power of wild herbs.I should probably learn about medicinal herbs native to my area.This is a great book and I will be reading it again in the future and consulting its herbal info.I thought it was interesting that he places emphasis on the energies of the plants and says how rather than ingesting the plants you can benefit from the energies in other ways.One part about some herbs screaming when they are removed from the ground and how in the past they would be pulled from dogs tails gave me pause.Excellent read- check it out for yourself!

Ross Heaven has done it again.
Having Read Voudou Shaman and The Way of the Lover, I knew I would enjoy this book. Celtic myths are woven into the lessons in this well-written and soulful story; I am adding this one to my required reading list for students.

What a great honor for Adam, the teacher Heaven studied with, to be vividly remembered this way and recognized as a friend!

Blessed Be
Louisa StrongBear
Journey By Night: A Solitary Journey

A crucial addition to shamanic literature.
I've read several of Ross Heaven's books and they are always uniquely incredible works, especially among the boring flood of New Age platitudes that plague much of Western spiritual thought.This book joins his style and integrity with personal, emotional experience, allowing it to expand into places of the psyche that his past work couldn't as he shows more of his artistic talents as a captivating writer.Highly recommended for any spiritual sorts tired of all the proverbial garbage out there.

invaluable information
This book is a blessing for those who follow the ancient path of celtic shamanic work.It is so good to find a book that covers the western path of shamanic practice.There is an abundance of other tribal shamanic culture/tradition/practice, so this part of the tradition is sorely in need.Ross Heaven is an excellant bard and the telling of his friendship with Adam draws you in.The teachings are excellant & give alot to meditate upon. Adam may no longer be with us physically but his soul continues to sing, thank you for sharing. ... Read more

Product Description
A dazzling work of personal travelogue and cultural criticism that ranges from the primitive to the postmodern in a quest for the promise and meaning of the psychedelic experience.

While psychedelics of all sorts are demonized in America today, the visionary compounds found in plants are the spiritual sacraments of tribal cultures around the world. From the iboga of the Bwiti in Gabon, to the Mazatecs of Mexico, these plants are sacred because they awaken the mind to other levels of awareness--to a holographic vision of the universe.

Breaking Open the Head is a passionate, multilayered, and sometimes rashly personal inquiry into this deep division.On one level, Daniel Pinchbeck tells the story of the encounters between the modern consciousness of the West and these sacramental substances, including such thinkers as Allen Ginsberg, Antonin Artaud, Walter Benjamin, and Terence McKenna, and a new underground of present-day ethnobotanists, chemists, psychonauts, and philosophers. It is also a scrupulous recording of the author's wide-ranging investigation with these outlaw compounds, including a thirty-hour tribal initiation in West Africa; an all-night encounter with the master shamans of the South American rain forest; and a report from a psychedelic utopia in the Black Rock Desert that is the Burning Man Festival.

Breaking Open the Head is brave participatory journalism at its best, a vivid account of psychic and intellectual experiences that opened doors in the wall of Western rationalism and completed Daniel Pinchbeck's personal transformation from a jaded Manhattan journalist to shamanic initiate and grateful citizen of the cosmos.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (61)

Most interesting
Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R12HBEPWOTKC54 I found the book interesting and informative.

Fascinating piece of journalistic art!
This book was fantastic, Pinchbeck does an amazing job at bringing different world views into the eyes of the reader.I would strongly suggest this book to everyone.Great read that keeps your mind racing like the psychedelics described by pinchbeck throughout the book.Journalism at its finest!

Engaging, flowing and digestible
Breaking open the head by Daniel Pichbeck takes a balanced look at indigenous shamanism and psychedelic use in the west from multiple angles. While not focusing on an exploration of the farthest reaches of specific topics its strength lies in its substantial breadth of inqury and as such the book may be of tremendous value to the neophyte explorer of deep mind. The book touches on a wide varierty of key topics: entheogenic use in ancient cultures; spiritual atrophy in western culture; ayahuasca tourism; the growing threat facing the rainforest and its peoples; LSD and the 60's; DMT and extradimesional entities, and much more. Especially intriguing are the small bits of anomalous phenomena encountered by Pinchbeck himself in his shamanic quest. The book also contains absolutely fascinating shamanic anecdotes told by interesting peolpe Pinchbeck has met on his journey. Reading the book I feel a sense of ambiguity towards spirit realms, and that seems to be a good thing.

P.S A very interesting synchronicity occured one day as I was reading the book. I was reading about Rudolf Steiner and became tired so I put down the book and turned on the TV to watch a quiz show I often watch. About 15 minutes after I had put down the book a question came up on the TV show: "What spiritual movement was Rudolf Steiner famous for founding?"

Great book for the beginner psiconaut
Overall good, but there are some parts extremenly technic and difficult to understand.

8.5 of 10

Entertaining but deeply flawed
The book begins fairly well with often hilarious (and as another reviewer pointed out, sometimes unintentionally so) accounts of the author's various psychedelic dabbling with modern-day 'shamans' and other, more dubious purveyors of mind-altering drugs. But it fairly quickly slides downward into Pinchbeck's narcissism and drug-induced paranoia. The early portions of the book exude a kind of youthful optimism and well-meaning if naive interest in mind-altering drugs and what they, and cultures that have used them for thousands of years, might have to teach us. But Pinchbeck seems to find fault (quite justifiably, it seems) in all of his 'shamanic teachers' while at the same time advocating that a return to some kind of shamanic usage is the best path. He also blasts Timothy Leary for promoting open-access for these drugs for everyone, while it is almost certain that Pinchbeck himself would never have encountered these drugs had it not been for Leary's proselytizing. By the end of the book Pinchbeck is convinced that a psychedelic substance has released a 'poltergeist' in his New York apartment, and that a friend he met at the Palenque conference had developed telekinetic (or something) power over the weather... where did the questing spirit of critical inquiry go amiss??? Somewhere between ibogaine, heroin, ayahuasca, and blow, apparently.

Certainly entertaining, but ultimately kind of vacuous and disappointing. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

absolutely fascinating and still relevant
It's great to read a scholarly study of shamanism that is neither dismissive of "primitive" cultures nor tainted with new age credulity.
610 pages, indexed. Chapter headings include:
Recruiting methods, shamanism and mystical vocation
Initiatory sickness and dreams
Obtaining shamanic powers
shamanic initiation
Symbolism of the shaman's costume and drum
Shamanism in Central and North Asia: Celestial ascents. Descents to the underworld
Magical cures
Cosmology
Shamanism in North and South America
Southeast Asian And Oceanian shamanism
Shamanic Ideologies and techniques among Indo-Europeans
Shamanic symbolisms and techniques in Tibet, china, and the Far East
Parallel myths, symbols, and rites
Conclusions, Epilogue, List of works cited ... Read more

Product Description
This influential book shows how the systematic use of mental imagery can have a positive influence on the course of disease and can help patients to cope with pain. InImagery in Healing, Jeanne Achterberg brings together modern scientific research and the practices of the earliest healers to support her claim that imagery is the world's oldest and most powerful healing resource. The book has become a classic in the field of alternative medicine and continues to be read by new generations of health care professionals and lay people.

In Imagery in Healing, Achterberg explores in detail the role of the imagination in the healing process. She begins with an exploration of the tradition of shamanism, "the medicine of the imagination," surveying this time-honored way of touching the nexus of the mind, body, and soul. She then traces the history of the use of imagery within Western medicine, including a look at contemporary examples of how health care professionals have drawn on the power of the imagination through such methods as hypnosis, biofeedback, and the placebo effect.

Ultimately, Achterberg looks to the science of immunology to uncover the most effective ground for visualization, and she presents data demonstrating how imagery can have a direct and profound impact on the workings of the immune system. Drawing on art, science, history, anthropology, and medicine,Imagery in Healing offers a highly readable overview of the profound and complex relationship between the imagination and the body. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Very good
This book is actually a composite of two different concepts, which the author doesn't link to each other in a clear manner.
The section "shamanism in modern medicine" is poorly written. Most psychologists (like the author) hold that everything encountered in altered states of mind actually happens in the mind. Some Jungian psychologists softened this approach by postulating the existence of archetypal symbols. Conversely, shamans across the world and across millennia hold that there are parallel universes that are inhabited by independent spirits who may, and do, interact with this world. Who should we believe to, the scholars or the ... people in the business? Regardless, Achterberg completely disregards the "other" point of view and, in so doing, she fails to deliver objective information.
On the other hand, the section about mental imagery and healing is truly excellent. Self healing is a phenomenon that cannot be possibly denied, the placebo effect being the prove of that. The author explores the possible connections between imagery, the nervous system and the immune system. Most of what she says makes perfect sense, although current scientific evidence is not sufficient to support her thesis. The author points out that there is a strong economic pressure against research in this field, and she is perfectly right. Anyone working for a pharmaceutical company (a tremendously powerful lobby) would never, ever look favorably to research aimed to prove that the mind CAN heal the body.

Unfortunately not Scientific Enough
I had high hopes for this book. A lot of modern books on shamanism are written by modern practitioners from non-shamanic cultures, for the consumption of other would be practitioners. A few more interesting ones are written by social scientists of various types, such as anthropologists; these tend to be a lot more accurate and interesting to me. And some are written by people who are experimenting with applying shamanic techniques in modern western settings, and reporting on what they've tried, and what results it's had.

I'd hoped this was one of the latter category. It may still be, but I'm having trouble reading it. The author states a large number of things as unquestioned fact which are neither unquestioned nor fact. For example, she clearly believes in European witches as being both shamans (medieval Europe was not a shamanic culture) and cultural survivals of Celtic priestesses. She also seems to be citing Michael Harner as her primary anthropological source, along with Mircea Eliade (good, as far as he went), and Carlos Castenada (usually believed to have invented his "data"). She also presumes some interesting common knowledge; I was amused to see her alluding to the "Medicine Wheel of Western civilization" as having "looked to the North for too long now, having much knowledge but little feeling." (What kind of audience is she writing for, if she presumes they are familiar with the 4 European elements, and their reinterpretation in a quasi Native-American context?)

I've seen worse. She's not quoting information channeled from Atlantean Grand Masters, or insisting that "science" will "prove" her favourite religious dogmas. But I'm still having a lot of trouble getting past the first couple of chapters, to see whether she has any useful information, such as reports on what she's been doing, and how or whether people are actually being healed by it.

scientific evidence for how imagination heals
This author successfully combines traditional scientific scholarship with an open-minded approach to complementary modes of healing such as shamanism, visualization, and energy work.She provides the experimentalevidence that explains how images we hold in our minds really do effectchanges on the physical level--it has to do with how the"imaging" part of the brain connects to brain structures whichregulate hormones and the immune system.There is also a fascinatingsection on the wise-women healers of Europe and how they were persecutedfor practicing medicine which went against established medical practice aswell as against the Church. It seems the ancient healers were on tosomething that became suppressed, and which is now being rediscovered byscholars as well as healing practitioners.......The author is professor ofpsychology at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology.Thus, she knowswell how to use reductionist scientific methods as a tool while stillseeing the possibilities lying beyond reductionism in the transpersonalplane. ... Read more

Product Description
The first book written about Mongolian and Siberian shamanism by a shaman trained in that tradition.

* A thorough introduction to Mongolian and Siberian shamanic beliefs and practices, which, until the collapse of the Soviet Union, were banned from being practiced.

* Includes rituals for healing and divination techniques.

In traditional Mongolian-Buryat culture, shamans play an important role maintaining the tegsh, the "balance" of the community. They counsel a path of moderation in one's actions and reverence for the natural world, which they view as mother to humanity. Mongolians believe that if natural resources are taken without thanking the spirits for what they have given, those resources will not be replaced. Unlike many other cultures whose shamanic traditions were undermined by modern civilization, shamans in the remote areas of southern Siberia and Mongolia are still the guardians of the environment, the community, and the natural order.

Riding Windhorses is the first book written on Mongolian and Siberian shamanism by a shaman trained in that tradition. A thorough introduction to Mongolian/Siberian shamanic beliefs and practices, it includes working knowledge of the basic rituals and various healing and divination techniques. Many of the rituals and beliefs described here have never been published and are the direct teachings of the author's own shaman mentors. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Sacred Knowledge
One of my teacher's on the path told me to read this book.It's wonderful and very inciteful into the Heart of Mongolian Shamanism.It's quite a journey and excellently written.Someday I'll get there!

She is NOT Mongolian
I was very interested to read this book. I was very disappointed to read that she's not from Mongolia. Despite her adopted name (Sarangerel, a Mongolian name) she is notMongolian. She was born the the US to parents who were from Siberia. Her parents were not Buryat or Mongolian ethnicity. They were Russian/caucasian, so she did not grow up in a Mongolian or Buryat culture. So, to me, that leaves her with a lot of catching up to do.

I am very wary of people from one culture trying to achieve a deep understanding of another culture. And I am further wary of those who then think that they are experts. I liken it to how a non-native speaker can, with much skill and effort, become a fluent speaker of another language. It's possible, but only a very few can achieve fluency.

The book has lots of recipes for rituals, which some may find interesting, but without a mentor, guide or teacher, are of limited value. The text is disjointed and not scholarly. Indeed, she does not pretend to be a scholar, and says so.

Perhaps I am not giving her enough credit. The book I was really hoping to read was one written by a Mongolian/Buryat or Siberian who grew up in the shaman culture, and is able to share their wisdom with those of us who did not.

If you are in Mongolia, you might be able to get a copy of "Mongolian Shamanism" by P. Otgony and P. Gurbadaryn. ISBN 99929-0-239-6. You are unlikely to find this book outside Mongolia.

So as long as you realize that she adopted Mongolian culture, and is not a native, you may find this book helpful.

Not Bad...
The book covers modern Mongol shamanism to a reasonable degree, but leaving some areas not covered.At first I thought the book was simply deficient in spots, but I think perhaps it is Mongol shamanism that is deficient.What I would like to see is a book on how their shamanism was BEFORE the Russians and Chinese tore their country to pieces and forcibly converted so many of them.Perhaps such knowledge is lost to history.

I enjoyed a brief introduction to Mongolian Shamanism.
I bought this book because I wanted a view of Shamanism as practised in this area of the world because the term Shaman was coined by the Tungus people of Siberia.

The rituals and ceremonies are simple and could be performed by just about anyone.

Chapter 6 deals with assorted forms of diviniation.

The book is clearly written and concise; however; the author uses terms used by the Mongolian Shamans throughout the book, and in a few places; this is tiring and tedious.

My only real complaint deals with page 91 "A more potent hallucinogen, the mukhomar mushroom has been connected with Siberian and Mongolian shamanism from ancient times." (In my opinion; hallucinogenics are NOT needed, and NOT recommended.)

Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)

A fantastic, enlightening book
This is a wonderful book for anyone interested in Shamanism.Sarangerel's book is neither a hollow academic essay nor a self serving autobiography. Riding Windhorses is a practical introduction to Mongolian/Siberianshamanic culture, and a hands-on manual for bringing very ancient practicesinto modern life.It is written in a comfortable and logical style, whichmakes it quite useful for anyone of any background.This book also servesan important role by presenting shamanism from a cultural perspective notyet given: today's bookstores are filled with terrific N. and S. Americanshamanism books.Now, the culture that gave us the word 'Shaman' is beingrepresented, and represented very well. ... Read more

Product Description
A thoroughly revised edition of the much-sought-after early work by Terence and Dennis McKenna that looks at shamanism, altered states of consciousness, and the organic unity of the King Wen sequence of the I Ching. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

A frustrating read for me.
As a therapist myself, and someone very interested in both Jung and the shamanistic worldview and practice, I really wanted to like this book.However, I must be frank in saying that I found Dr. Mindell's writing style to be very, very difficult.

It is obvious that he is a very talented therapist with a very interesting background of travel and experience. And I was able to glean a few helpful insights from his book.But for the most part I simply had a very hard time understanding what he was talking about.I would have wished for many more concrete, real-life examples to help clarify the abstract "theory" he was trying to convey.(I realize this is a very hard subject to try to verbalize and conceptualize in a left-brained way, but that makes clarity of writing all the more important, and other writers have been able to do it quite well.)

For me it did not help that he based so much of his book on the writings and already-vague -- (and frankly, to me rather pretentious) -- terminology of Carlos Castaneda:talking about "sorcerors", "hunters"; "hunting the prey", "the ally", "the double";"stopping the world";"the deathwalk" and so on.

(This emphasis was especially bothersome to me given that there is evidence that Castaneda's books about his supposed apprenticeship with "don Juan" are simply not true -- such as the fact that it has been found that at exact times Castaneda claimed to be in Mexico working with don Juan, he was actually checking out books from the USC library ... including books on subjects related to his later supposed adventures.)

I also had a problem with Dr. Mindell's constant second-person references to the reader:"You find that ...";"As you go through the world ...";"You get angry and ..."-- which tended to grate on me and strike me as rather presumptuous.My first response to such writing tends to be, "Don't tell me what I 'do'.Don't presume to know me.Don't generalize about all readers."

So, in summary:From other reviews it is clear that this book strikes a chord with many people.That's great.But I also wanted to provide my reaction as well, if only to warn that it may not be everyone's cup of tea, and that others may have some of the same problems I did.

If you are serious about this stuff...
Shaman's Body, Arnold Mindell

Arnold Mindell studied at the Jung Institute in the 70's. He's got a great story in this book, about how he came to be there... almost "by chance"; except, of course, not so at all. Mindell's topic is the altogether "shamanic" one of occurrences, processes, events in our lives, be they bodily feelings, diseases, encounters with people or animals or weather... the whole range of events which we may naively take to be random, except that they are united in the fact that they all "happen to me".That is, they are not just events, they are my events.

"Shamans" - indigenous healers, sages, and wild-eyed mystics ¬- live in this expanded range of the self. Mindell, the psychologist, has written a sort of extended guidebook to the "shaman in you". Unlike so many books that use the word, his does not tell us how to make a drum or what words to utter. His guidebook stops at the entry gate. But he shows us where those gates are. He hints at what to watch for in our own living. Bits of dreams, fleeting images ("imaginations"), vague feelings in the body. And then starting places. How to pursue these clues, how to pay attention to experiences we've been ignoring so well for so long that we may be inclined to think, "oh, I don't have those."

If your interest is in the currently fascinating world of shamanism, well and good. This will put it on the ground where you stand, and you can begin to seriously step in, if that's your way. The fact that Mindell is a psychologist rather than an anthropologist gives him much more in common with true shamans. And if your interest is really in self-development, in becoming the greater being you have long been suspecting, but which has felt elusive, so much the better. "Shaman', the Siberian term, means the one who journeys. That one journeys alone. He or she journeys into realms beyond the ordinary. But does it with the same DNA that you have. Shaman's Body doesn't map that territory, but it shows you where the entry points are.

Dreambodies for bliss bunnies
First there was Wilhelm Reich, a pioneering genius who was essentially ignored and whose books were burned at the stake. Then in 1950ies Eugene Gendlin and Carl Rogers had a great realization: our body is a repository of our dreams, potentials and the only way to healing the mind is to unlock the body, to touch its 'felt sense'. Then there was silence in the psychotherapeutic community............. a silence that always occurs when people realize someone has figured something out. And then, suddenly, EVERYBODY and their mother jumped and somatic psychotherapy was born. Embodiment of the mind wasaddressed from every imaginable angle - neurophenomenology (Varela), mindfulness/Taoism (Kurtz & Hakomi), movement (Feldenkreis), countless forms of Gestalt, somatic experiencing etc. And during the post-Castanedian 80ies, Arnold Mindell enters the stage with his angle, that of shamanism, the "dreambody" and "process work".

The dreambody is a place where the unconscious meets the conscious, where dreams & reflections encounter bodily states. By listening to one we get access to the other, and vice versa. The insight is almost identical to ideas by Gendlin, Reich, Jung and before them Pythagoras and the Buddha. Of course we must not forget native peoples who couch the 'dreambody' layer in mythological terms and who (together with Carlos Castaneda and unlike Gendlin & Reich :), are lionized as Mindell's teachers. According to M., a shaman uses her dreambody to step out of linear, mental space into feelings and "Intent".

Mindell:

"There are times when you are alone in nature and feel united with the environment. You feel the world around you as if it were a body part or a partner, sending messages of agreements or disagreements, pleasure and stress. This sense is crucial if you need to fish or hunt to eat.... When the world speaks to you, it is impossible to tell whether the world is doing things to you or you are doing things to it.

As you live, you confront your mythical attackers in many forms until you change the way in which you define yourself. It seems sometimes as if you have just one central lesson to learn: to continuously drop all sorts of rigid identities"

Mindell provides a number of exercises derived from Jungian active imagination and, through much of the book, attempts to graft them upon a pseudo-Castanedaist framework. He tells us to look for an "ally" in spontaneous dance or movement or in disturbing thoughts or feelings. He advises us to store the body energy and power through noticing unpredictable, subtle body feelings; he recommends we follow them instead of throwing them away. Thus, if you follow the body it is your helper - otherwise it is an opponentin need of healing, because it lost pieces of its soul. If even half of the case studies happened as described by Mindell, the man is also a brilliant therapist with rapier-like intuition.

I can't help but to also lay out a few things that irritated me. As i note above, Mindell is bad at crediting his therapist predecessors and perceived competitors, the very people who actually pioneered body-mind-imagination techniques he uses in his work. On the other hand, there is much name dropping which follows the tired rigid formula used by people who tour the New Age workshop/seminar circle. As if. If you haven't discovered anything by yourself, why, the next best thing is to go and spend a few days with a few Africans, Aboriginees or maybe Native Americans, and call them your "teachers". Be on constant lookout for an interesting event usable for self-promotion. Presto, instant credibility with no responsibilities - no need to study and understand what these people actually do and mean. All you have to do is translate what you think was happening onto your own theoretical framework.

The book itself is remarkably superficial. Once he gets the "dreambody" concept out of the way, Mindell is left with nothing left to say. So he leaves us with scores of case studies (all of which, of course, are a paean to the man's brilliance) and a lazy interpretation of Castaneda's ideas. While some concepts look like direct translations of Castanedian terms into Mindellian psychotherapy, there is, to me, a notable disconnect between much of what Carlos was about and what Mindell believes Castaneda's terms mean.I doubt sorcery for CC was a game of active imagination. At times, there is willful misinterpretation of Buddhist and Taoist ideas so that M. can underscore the significance of his New Shamanism. And so on.

This is a not unreadable book that may persuade some people to pay attention to their bodies and dreams. To work with the netherworld existing between the body and the dreamworld can only bring rewards.

Great book on the subject
This is one of the best books I've found on the subject of shamanism as it might be applied to a modern western person's life, rather than as a history of shamanism in older societies. It's fine for beginners as well as those with some background. Both clear and in-depth.

This-This is the New You
I first read this book a decade ago and at that time I knew that I had just read some of the most deep, profound thoughts that I may ever come acrost.Even if I didn't completely understand the body of knowledge that the author meant as a whole, I was forever changed by reading of the "Dreaming Body" and by my newfound awareness of hands-on techniques to merge this dreaming body with my actual body.An example in my own words: Imagine in your mind the 'you' that is the best 'you' to which you can possibly dream up, see yourself as confident, strong, humorous, whatever you'd like to imagine yourself as.And then act out what you imagined in your real life and in real public situations.What do you have to lose by trying it?

There are books on Shamanism out there that I feel require extensive knowledge of plants in order to understand: Harner's Way of the Shaman, Castaneda's first two books, McKenna's Food of the Gods and True Hallucinations, etc.But this book is different.I recommend The Shaman's Body to virtually everybody, especially to people who are feeling very depressed and really are in need of some serious transformational change.This book is unique in that it is particularly compatible, i.e. sound in both a Shamanic sense and in a Western psychotherapeutic sense.Rarely have I stumbled upon such deep understandings of the human psyche.A decade since I first read it, and I still turn to it every morning to get a little something that will positively impact my day and how I conduct myself. ... Read more

Product Description
Shamanic journeys are doorways to parallel realities. Within these worlds, the journeyer will find helping spirits capable of guiding us towards the goals or dreams we have for ourselves, personally and collectively. These worlds will offer you information about existing dilemmas and show you new possibilities for living a more fulfilling life. This is also a healing world and can help heal and soothe your mind, body, and your personal spirit or soul. This text will assist those of you who are learning on your own with the help of your spirit guides and provide continued study for those who have begun the path. It is for beginners and seasoned practitioners. It is for healers who wish to introduce shamanic healing into their practice. It is a self guided tour because the true teachers of shamanism lie within and around you. These teachers are your spirit guides emanating from your innate ability to connect with and ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Highly applicable how to and experiential data
If you have some basis of knowledge of both shamanism and entheogens, and would like to apply it, this may be a good book to consider.The author breaks up the material in easy to follow sections.History, cultivation, application, and examples of experiences are included.This book has basic information on synthesis of some compounds, such as DMT.

This is probably not a good step for you if you are just learning about psychedelics or shamanism.To appreciate them, especially if you do not live in a culture that normally embraces them, you are probably going to be best rewarded with gainful experiences by exploring both before bringing them together.

Modestly useful book.
This is a nice book giving a general overview of the subject matter. There are however more sophisticated and complete books on the subject. Since the book was written in the nineties this is no surprise.

Psychonauts bible...
I have to disagree with the "other" reviewer who no doubt works at the Salvia Shoppe. Salvia must be concentrated in order to give a strong effect as the leaves are just not potent enough. Personally, I'm not crazy about the stuff...it doesn't have the spiritual feeling that other plant materials have for me. Traveling is something I do when out of the US as other countries are not as rabid about legality.
If you're looking for the SHAMANIC info (which is key as this isn't a psychedelic enclyclorpia here) on plants this will awe, entertain, and inspire some journeys across the border and elsewhere. Many plants are not "schedule" as they are in the good ol' US so may be easier to obtain and explore without worry. There are actually Ibogaine clinics for heroin addicts in the UK and Mexico, and other such viable places to explore a full on Shamanic experience. This isn't the recreational users type of stuff here. Much more depth than that!

Dated But Still Useful
First published fourteen years ago, this guide is in obvious need of an update, as other reviewers have pointed out. I still have my old copy, worn and dog eared and value it as an encouragement for the individual to take control of his or her spiritual quest through time and shamanic honored cultivation of plant allies. A new addition might take into account "ayahuasca tourism," which I recently observed in Cusco, Peru. Lots of folks down there are hanging out their Shaman shingles come one come all, which brings up the question of authenticity vs. cheap exploitation of an ancient native ceremony.

ESSENTIAL Shamanist Reading
I only heard of this book when it was referenced in Daniel Pinchbeck's superb and equally enjoyable "Breaking Open The Head." It clearly was a major inspiration for Pinchbeck's book, and the two make a great set for anyone seriously interested in Shamanism. It's true as noted in another review that some of the author's data is outdated and inaccurate. A revised edition is clearly in order, particularly regarding salvia divinorum, which is indeed one of the most potent entheogens thus discovered. "Sally" is a fickle sacrament, however, and DeKorne can be forgiven; he may have had a dud experience as many do. Despite the fact that there are several good web resources (and some great ones) with information regarding this subject, PSYCHEDELIC SHAMANISM is truly a classic in the genre, written from the standpoint of an intelligent and sophisticated "old head." It is entertaining and informative, offering insights and advice which shed important light on a multitude of shamanistic practices. DeKorne has a cool sense of humor and natural storytelling ability which make for great reading. I would put this book and Pinchbeck's at the TOP of any shamanic reading list and would read them both, starting with this one. ... Read more

Product Description
You are invited.This book is a kiss and tell. It tells stories of fun, juicy sexual experiences, long, sweet kisses, whispered words and touches in the dark, all offering the reader delicious vicarious experiences.It is also a roadmap to healing for survivors of sexual trauma. It offers new pathways, hope, and wisdom to make that journey swifter, more pleasurable and more complete than following only the more conventional routes to healing.This book is a guide to women's empowerment, to finding, embracing and actualizing the feminine divine within. It's a journey to finding and joyfully claiming your power, complete with detailed exercises and instructions.This book speaks to healing between men and women. It offers ways to mend the gap between the sexes and open to a balance in which both are empowered, honored and whole. This book is an invitation. Come and play. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Combines the spirituality book with the kiss and tell book
Nothing seems to be juicier than other people's sex lives, and author Katie Weatherup bares all. "Sex, Shamanism, and Healing: My Kissing Quest" combines the spirituality book with the kiss and tell book, using sex as a powerful tool for women's empowerment as well as a way of healing past misuses of sex from others. Heavily sprinkling her own experiences, Weatherup seeks to make both men and women appreciate sex and its countless benefits more. "Sex, Shamanism, and Healing" is well worth the read for more than one reason.

Engaging, insightful, and empowering
This book challenged and helped me on levels I wasn't expecting, leading me gently into an evolving dialogue with myself that grew more nuanced with each chapter. I appreciated author Katie Weatherup's personal touch in sharing her own story, which she does in a lively and spirited way that shows healing can have a fun and adventurous side if we choose. Katie writes with great respect for the tenacity of the human spirit, and her passionate confidence in our ability to heal and grow through traumatic experiences, and discover new depths of character in the process, is inspiring.This book is empowering for anyone who is on a healing path, whether or not the reader has personally experienced some kind of sexual abuse or trauma.It is filled with spiritual insights and shamanic exercises for healing, as well as practical suggestions for quieting those internalized criticisms--the constant judgments, restrictive gender norms, and social conditioning that drive our culture's ideas of beauty and self-worth--in order to enter into a more consistently compassionate, conscious, and adoring relationship with oneself and others.

Great read packed with valuable tools
This book truly is a pathway to healing sexual wounds on all levels. Anyone who has experienced trauma, particularly molestation and rape, will find many routes to personal healing in this book. Sex, intimacy and love: Katie addresses each of these areas separately and weaves them together and gives you exercises to help you do for yourself what she has done for herself. Her journey through discovering herself sexually and applying her shamanic techniques to what she found is a compelling story. I've never read a book like this one before and highly recommend it! ... Read more

Product Description
Shamans are an integral part of communal religious traditions, professionals who make use of personal supernatural experiences, especially trance, as a resource for the wider community's physical and spiritual well-being. This Introduction surveys research on the topic of shamanism around the world, detailing the archaeology and earliest development of shamanic traditions as well as their scientific 'discovery' in the context of eighteenth and nineteenth century colonization in Siberia, the Americas, and Asia. It explores the beliefs and rituals typical of shamanic traditions, as well as the roles of shamans within their communities. It also surveys the variety of techniques used by shamans cross-culturally, including music, entheogens, material culture and verbal performance. The final chapters examine attempts to suppress or eradicate shamanic traditions, the revitalization of shamanism in postcolonial situations, and the development of new forms of shamanism within new cultural and social contexts. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

very informative, yet easy to read
I read this book as a textbook for the Intro to Shamanism class taught by the author, Tom DuBois. It worked very well as a textbook. It's packed with information on all sorts of Shamanic topics, and uses several of the examples more than once (which I feel builds the reader's connection to each of these examples). It was also very easy to read, and makes a fantastic introduction to the real world of Shamanism for anyone interested in the topic. I would actually prefer to read it as a "fun book" rather than a textbook, but it is comprehensive ehough to use in a classroom setting as well.

*HIGHLY recommended* ... Read more

Product Description
Stone Age Wisdom: The Healing Principles of Shamanism is a guide to an urban contemporary shamanism that draws on the what religious historian, Houston Smith, describes as "the ground from which all religions spring." While the word shamanism has come to mean many things to many people, a shaman is an individual who uses an enhanced capacity to attend to the unseen world primarily in service to others. The first step to being able to artfully serve others is to return to balance.What does it mean to live in balance? Most people know what it feels like to live out of balance. The fast pace of modern life has left many of us without roots or a sense of connection to life around us. Shamanism is the spiritual practice that evolved from the worldview of our Stone Age ancestors. That worldview recognized that all things were alive, conscious, dynamic, interconnected, and responsive. By animating these core principles in our lives we can find that balance and sense of connection that is so lacking in our urban contemporary world. From each of these core principles has evolved a set of practices that allow the shaman to work effectively with the energetic patterns that form the template upon which reality as we know it arises. Stone Age Wisdom is a guide to these practices as refined for an urban contemporary practitioner.By following the healing principles of shamanism you'll learn practices to:DREAM-to be open to and understand the wisdom of your dreamsVISION-SHIFT-to develop the ability to sense the energetic patterns in your lifeJOURNEY-to enter into dialogue with the energies that shape our livesSHAPE-SHIFT-to practice the art of conscious change and energetic healingCONDUCT CEREMONY-to mediate between the seen and the unseen worldsDREAM-WEAVE-to direct will and intention through embodied prayer and creative action ... Read more

Customer Reviews (10)

A Path of the Heart
Tom Crockett creates a journey that is rare in today's view of self healing and self awareness and shifts the focus on utilizing our gifts to serve others and the planet...and in a way that is practical and usual for personal healing journeys.I have studied and experienced tradional Shamanism and Native American/Hawaiian spirituality practices for over twenty years.I respect Tom's knowledge, wisdom and direction and recommend this book wholeheartedly.

Stone Age Wisdom by Tom Crockett
Tom Crockett is Shaman, Seeker, Scholar, Teacher, Storyteller, Healer. In his beautifully written book Stone Age Wisdom the reader is taken on a journey into the seen and unseen worlds. There, we are taught, through wisdom, ceremony and ritual, to honor and embrace the connectedness of all and how to touch these energies within ourselves. We are led to expand and deepen our view of the worlds and our place in them. All who go here will be transformed in the richness of their compassionate hearts.

Deborah M.
From a beginner's perspective, the author expertly simplifies Shamanism and how it can be applied to your everyday life.Looking from a more advanced perspective, there is much more substance to explore to help you go deeper.No matter where you are in your journey, I highly recommend "Stone Age Wisdom".You will be richer for having read it - I know I am.

Great Introduction for someone curious
I am very curious about Shamanism and what it means to my existing spirituality to "practice" shamanism.The book does a great job of answering these questions.In short, it enhances my spirituality.It wonderfully encompasses its many aspects as well as imparts a new perspective to these very old ideas and practices. I agree with the other reviews about the book here, so I will not duplicate what they have already said.

Stone Age Wisdom: The Healing Principles of Shamanism by Tom Crockett
This is an amazing book about Shamanism that interests a beginner, an advanced student and everyone in between. Its simple language and at the same time, profound messages, capture the reader's attention since the first pages.
The information is given in a didactic way with emphasis on the practical aspects of applying its ancient wisdom into the contemporary society's life.

The book also demystifies some points in Shamanism allowing the reader to relate his/her own life experience to this subject regardless of ethnic or religious background. It is pleasant to navigate though the chapters as if it is a trip starting long time ago ( as the title indicates: at stone age) and moving to the modern days without losing the focus of primordial (and universal) principles, such as: interconnection among all beings, healing as a process of self and collective growth, the quest for the self in conjunction with nature patterns.

I highly recommend this book for whoever is interested to learn about Shamanism and its broad scope (and application) as a practical path for healing, self-growth and understanding of people's connection with nature. It is also a great book to enhance your knowledge on an ancient topic and implications on people's lives even if you are not interested to pursue a more in-depth study afterwards. ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing on shamanic beliefs and practices found in many cultures, Leo Rutherford shows us how we can use this ancient practice to suit our contemporary lifestyle through such devices as power animals, talismans, and journeying. ... Read more