Product Description
An extensive study of ancient Hawaiian spirituality.

• One of the first books to discuss the shamanistic aspects of the hula dance and the sacred sexuality of Hawaii.

• Explores little known aspects of Hawaiian tradition such as lunar astrology and the spiritual powers in Hawaiian language and place names.

Beneath the postcard images of paradise that depict Hawaii, anthropologist Rima Morrell found a secret and sophisticated spiritual tradition that few of its many visitors ever get to see. Far from being lost within the "civilizing" influences of the last few centuries, Hawaii's indigenous traditions merely went into hiding as its people refused to volunteer information about themselves to any but the most sincere seekers. Building on the work of such early researchers as Max Freedom Long, Rima Morrell reveals knowledge about this tradition than has not been previously available--such as the role of emotion in gaining true wisdom, the shamanic aspects of the hula, the magical elements of Hawaiian language, and a sophisticated system of lunar astrology--but also shows how the principles of a society woven with love can help shape our own lives.

The system of ancient Hawaiian wisdom known as Huna teaches us how to focus the light of our own being to make magic. Many Hawaiians believe that light is knowledge in a pure state and that magic is the very fabric of life. When she first visited the islands Morrell found a lighter, brighter world, where trees talked to her in ancient temples and magic regularly happened. Following her Higher Self--and overcoming resistance to its rainbow guidance--she discovered we are each responsible for our own power and through practicing Huna, we can create our own reality and become magicians and navigators of our own soul. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (16)

Great info, beyond what is in most books on Huna
So many of the huna and hawaiian spirituality books out there have the same, not very in depth information.You can tell the author has an authentic connection to hawaiian spirituality and the aina in hawaii.

Highly Recommend
Sorry for late response.Delivery and state of product was perfect - thank you!

Kind regards,
Melissa

Refreshingly Unique
I've read most of the Huna books out there and this one is refreshingly different because it does not only include new-age-talk but culture, history, linguistic meanings, anthropology of Hawaii, followed by the authors unique blend of spirituality, personal insight and investigation.
I especially enjoyed learning about the magic of Hula and the various levels of meanings certain words had.

worth the read
This book was exactly want I have been searching for .The information has been of so much help to me to develope shamanism into my daily practice as a massage therapist. It helped me understand some of my abilities to help people heal, to feel others emotions and I have gained knowledge about my sensitivities of others pain and feelings. It has given me great guidance and has opened my eyes to things around me that I was not noticing better. I am changing for the better since reading this book and I will have to share this with friends..

The Real Power of Hawaii
The Sacred Power of Huna strikes a masterful balance between presenting the ancient knowledge of Hawaiian spirituality and showing how to apply it in your own life. The inspiring aspect of the book is the way that it takes such unusual information and really touches your heart with it.I loved the stories and the chants and seeing how Hawaiians view the world.It seems that one of the goals of the author was to allow her readers to "increase your own personal power." For me, Dr. Morrell has succeeded. It's a great book. The Sacred Power of Huna: Spirituality and Shamanism in Hawaii ... Read more

Product Description
The understanding of shamanism in its variety of forms and manifestations has become vital in our understanding of the origins and development of ideological systems of the human family. Though not a religion, shamanism is the first formalization of the human quest for meaning, understanding and participation in the mysteries of the cosmic drama. It is a global phenomenon; cultural specific practices and beliefs reflecting and embodying universal "truths."

This book is a collection of the papers presented at the 6th Conference of the International Society for Shamanistic Research held at the Viljandi Kultuurikolledz, Viljandi, Estonia in August of 2001. It represents the contemporary work of international scholarship in its attempt to understand the complexities of shamanism, both ancient and surviving. Increasingly the study of shamanism is interdisciplinary. These papers and articles offer, as well, an example of the mix of disciplines presently coming to bear on the study of shamanism. ... Read more

Product Description
A series of psychological and anthropological studies about the oldest and the most fascinating religious tradition of Korea. ... Read more

Product Description
Through a compelling mix of scholarly research, global mythology and lucid story-telling, North Star Road reveals the spiritual roots of Western culture shamanism, the most ancient and persistent experience of human spirituality. All European mythology and paganism until the time of the witchcraft trials is based on shamanism. Through an exhaustive study of witch trial records and witch's testimonies, Kenneth Johnson proves that the European peasants accused of witchcraft died, in fact, for the sake of the world's oldest spiritual path. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

A Grand Synthesis
This book makes a very convincing case for locating the roots of practically all true magical practices in the original spiritual path of shamanism. In doing so, we see that true Wicca, and other simular traditions, have a legitimate claim to extremely ancient and profound practices dating back to the dawn of the race. The author shows parallels between the beliefs and practices in culture after culture (Mayan, Plains Indian, Siberian, Norse, Celtic, Chinese, Tibetan, Polynesian, Hindu, Greek, Etc.) He then shows connections with more historically recent traditions in Germany, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Italy, England, etc. I found it to be a magnificent and convincing synthesis.

I found it especially appropriate that a book about common roots should use the universal symbol of the World Tree as a starting point.

The author points out that when a society ceases to listen to the messages of the otherworldly dimension the results are always the same: listlessness, depression, addiction, inhumanity, and general malaise. This is the result of "loss of soul." It is the natural function of the shaman to maintain the connection with the otherworld and to reclaim lost souls.

The next time a "skeptic" tries to minimalise the legitamacy and lineage of your spiritual path, you could do far worse than to refer this book to them. The connection between early Christianity and Shamanism is even explored (estatic states, speaking in tongues, spirit journeys to higher realms, helping spirits, crucifixion on the World Tree....)

Thinking Man's Shamanism
North Star Road was a joy to read. With it's mix of legends, myths and history there is something for everyone with even the slightest interest Shamanism or witchcraft. For the more serious student, there are Shamanicexercises (at the back of the book) which are well thought out and easy tofollow. The way in which Mr Johnson shows that many of the older religionslike witchcraft may have had a similar foundation is wonderful and reallydoes make you sit and think. His use of plain english coupled with aflowing style make this a book hard to put down. I would gladly recommendthis title to anyone with an interest in this field. ... Read more

Product Description
If you could ask a Shaman Elder any question, what would you want to know?
Forty-five questions are answered through the words of Shaman Elder Maggiewho has practiced for over 50 years her centuries-old family lineage of TraditionalShamanism, trained by her own Shaman Grandmother.
See your life from a Traditional Shamanic perspective and eliminate the fearsand problems that interfere with your own happiness. The questions in this bookcome from the thousands of emails that Shaman Elder Maggie receives through herInternet course and her free counseling service online.

Students of this book will:

Product Description
In this brilliant analysis of ancient and contemporary shamanic practices, which reads like a good story, Noel illuminates: the rising tide of shamanism. The path that will enable Western seekers to become sorcerers. A model for renewed shamanic seeking. How, through dreams and imaginings, can come the spirituality of imaginal healing. A masterful account which tracks the primal practices of the religious life through literary as well as anthropological sources in which Noel manages to extricate the sham from the shamanic while extending our vision of what it is to live in a larger reality. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Towards an "imaginal shamanism" for non-tribal peoples
The late Daniel C. Noel was a colleague of mine in the Mythology Program at Pacifica Graduate Institute near Santa Barbara, CA. As faculty members, we were kept busy preparing eight hour classes and guiding as many as 15-20 doctoral advisees at a time, which means there was rarely time to keep abreast of each other's work. Thus, although I knew Dan had recently published a book on shamanism, I had no idea of its content.

On Friday, 23 August 2002, I was in the middle of interviewing perspective students for the autumn quarter when a staff member interrupted to say that Dan had died suddenly. I was stunned. I just stared in disbelief as tears started running down my face. I knew Dan as a shy, witty, incisive, engagingly quirky man. We had been allies at crucial times in faculty meetings. I had long looked forward to enjoying lengthy conversations with him in some vague future when we would both have more time. But now that future had vanished, "disappearing" Dan along with it. I couldn't stop crying. I delayed the next interview and slowly managed to pull myself together. Then somehow I continued with the rest of the day's appointments.

Afterwards, I went to our campus bookstore and bought Dan's shamanism book. I opened it at random, consciously using it as an oracle, and found myself on p. 117 reading about Jung, art, Merlin's Cry, and the end of Jung's life. I knew Dan well enough to realize that I was also reading about the end of Dan's life:

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...If "modern man," as he [Jung] wrote, was in search of soul, this modern man, a Merlin of sorts, had rediscovered it, if only by recognizing it when he fell into it in a shamanic descent.Jung himself survived his ordeal with the objective psyche to share the healing wisdom with us, but he feared at the end of his life that the psychology he fashioned to do so went unheeded, uncomprehended, like Merlin's cry in the fairy forest. There may have been some petulance in his worry, a bit of bruised ego that wanted wider acceptance for its views. But who can say that postmodern persons are any less bereft of soul than modern men?Jung's Merlin cry does deserve our greater attentiveness.

Just as Jung realized his personal daimons in art, so his psychological legacy must be realized by successors whose words are never far from the arts of imagination, which are Merlin's bardic media today and the channels of our attunement. It is such post-Jungian successors who make Jung's rediscovery, his attentiveness, our resource in the search for an imaginal shamanism....
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I hadn't known that Dan saw Merlin as the West's key shamanic guide. But after reading that passage, I understood that it was Merlin I should invoke, asking that he accompany Dan on this unexpectedly "expected"journey.

In the years following, I have sometimes skimmed a few pages in the book but it still triggered too much pain to read at any length. Only when I began expanding my Myth*ing Links' Shamanism page a few days ago did I finally return to it. I first read the current six reviews on amazon.com and was surprised by how drastically opposed they were. One found the book worthless; several complained about its academic dryness; yet still others loved it and found it deeply moving. The sincerity of one comment in particular struck me: the writer said he felt uncomfortable following shamanic traditions from non-white cultures because of the West's on-going and brutal oppression of such indigenous cultures -- thus, he greatly appreciated Dan's focus on the West's own Merlin. On the one hand, I resonate with that perspective and suspect Dan would have appreciated it. But as someone who has guided people of all races through pastlife regressions for nearly forty years, I find only a limited value in that viewpoint -- all of us, regardless of the color of our current skins, have lived in countless indigenous cultures. Whether one wishes to use a reincarnational framework or Jung's Collective Unconscious, humanity "owns" the shamanic realm as its birthright. Details, portals, means, and levels of access differ, of course, depending upon cultural and environmental constraints, but if one gravitates to a particular tradition, it is likely that this isn't the first time one has done so.

After reading and pondering the six reviews on amazon, last night (9-10 September 2009) I spent the wee hours reading at random in Dan's book, just following my nose from one of my interests to the next. His basic argument is that our postmodern, non-tribal pathway to shamanic insight now comes through dreams, art, and the other precious gifts flowing from our imaginations. Because of this, he writes frequent, often soaring, paeans to imagination.Further, he sees in the "fictive power" of literature -- e.g., Carlos Castaneda's "fairy tales" -- a valid and significant shamanic catalyst (Dan's description of his experiences with Castaneda is especially compelling: as his colleagues and students were well aware, they left him with a lasting wound).

This is a very personal book. Dan actually knew many of the authors whose work he analyzes so he brings an intriguing autobiographical component to his writing. This is a book that wants to be read "imaginatively" -- not straight through, in other words, but a chapter here, another there, as one feels an impulse to explore a particular theme, author, or idea.

As one who deeply values the mystical, numinous, and shamanic in what I write and what I read, and as a lover of others who do the same, I am naturally drawn to Dan's argument in favor of the arts as the West's path and portal to shamanism. I'm not willing to go as far as Dan, however. As I see it, there is an inevitable difference between what writers and painters do and what a Pablo Amaringo or Jeremy Narby experience. Writing a brilliant, evocative novel about a ballet dancer, for example, cannot really be compared with actually *being* a Nijinsky, Nureyev, or Baryshnikov. To push it still further, even being one of those astonishing dancers would not be enough. Agnes de Mille understood this better than most when she wrote in *Dance to the Piper* (p.171):

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Let us try to do a pueblo corn dance and see how far we get.Most ballet dancers think they can.It demands no muscles they haven't got.But the Indians can make the rains come.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Only a few have that gift, of course. Even among indigenous peoples, shamans are the exceptions. For the rest of us, what Dan lays out so skillfully, from such a wide variety of perspectives and endlessly rich examples, is of great value in luring us more deeply into the nurturing, demanding realms of "an imaginal shamanism."

dry and academic, yes, but ground-breaking ideas presented
The Soul of Shamanism, by the late Dr. Daniel C. Noel, is a stand-alone monograph operating on the thesis that Western society has a true path to shamanic knowledge and power through Jungian imaginal psychology, and that this is imminently preferable to an uneasy adoption of indigenous wisdom.Noel's arguments are convincing, although occasionally difficult to follow; he uses an inter-disciplinary approach that draws from anthropology, literary criticism, Jungian psychology and folk culture.The volume is intended for scholars, storytellers and spiritual seekers, according to Noel; I would add that mental health therapists would also benefit from The Soul of Shamanism.

Dr. Noel's scholarship was in the fields of religion and literature; he was Visiting Professor of Liberal Studies in Religion and Culture, Vermont College of Norwich University, at the time of his death.He was also an Adjunct Faculty Member in Mythological Studies at the Pacifica Graduate Institute (Carpinteria, CA).

Noel's book appears to have been the culmination of his life's work, fundamentally based on an appreciation of the creative, rich role that the human soul occupies in life.His goal is to re-vivify our Western souls through shamanic methods, in an honest fashion that is founded in our own culture and that does not steal from other cultures in any way; to (re)create a genuinely Western shamanism.

Noel begins with an important insight: current Western shamanism (neoshamanism) is based upon the printed word, similar to the way some indigenous shamanisms may be based upon the drum.Noel perceives that literature - fiction, in particular - opens the same doorway to alternate states of consciousness in the Western mind that drumming may open to a person of an indigenous culture.He considers this to be "fictive power" and that it is virtually the sole socially-sanctioned method which allows our Western imaginations to function.The rest of our attention grasps for scientific, literal truth in every arena of our lives, even in religion (i.e: Jehovah's Witnesses).

Fictive power, then, provides Western minds with the possibilities of other states of consciousness.As in the case of "shamanthropologists" Carlos Castaneda or Michael Harner, or "shamanovelists" Mario Vargas Llosa or Ronald Sukenick, it can draw us away from a stifling literalism into consideration of the unknown, and into a consideration of our own capacities in the face of that unknown. We may also encounter the Other in a way that our literal strivings cannot allow us to conceive.Noel contends that Westerners must most urgently encounter the Other that is our own soul, whose absence or illness can be seen in the very ugliness of the society we create.

This urgency comes from Noel's perception that modern Western culture, particularly that of the United States, is suffering from soul loss.Since this is an illness recognized through shamanism, Noel's position is that a particular shamanic practice is the best method for curing the ailment: soul retrieval.While he perceives that the shamanic wisdom of other cultures is very attractive to us, and that we learn to believe in the potential of shamanic practices through books about other cultures, it is only a shamanism based authentically in Western culture that will exactly meet the need for the retrieval of the Western soul.

It is to Dr. Carl Jung's psychological insights that Noel turns for the roots of a genuinely Western shamanism.Jung, posits Noel, reached deeply into himself following his schism with Freud and engaged in the same level of consciousness that a shaman does while shamanizing.The importance and value of dreams to Jungian psychology, and the post-Jungian developments characterized by James Hillman's work, are the elements of Western knowledge that are, according to Dr. Noel, our culture's shamanic practice.In particular, allowing the dream to inform the everyday ego-consciousness is a crucial step in regaining the health of our souls. By giving priority to the dream we are receiving messages from our souls, thereby opening communication with them and healing the schism. This is radically opposite to the Freudian analysis of dreams that puts the soul's communication in service to the more limited ego-consciousness.Noel refers to the practice as imaginal psychology (Hillman's term) or imaginal shamanism.

I found Noel's The Soul of Shamanism to explore a powerful idea:that of an authentic modern Western shamanic practice. There is no reason to accept a belief that modern Western culture is inherently unable to operate shamanically, and every reason to assume the responsibility for our own health on every level, rather than exploiting the spiritual practices of indigenous cultures that are not adequate to heal our ailment precisely anyway.While I was reading the book, I found myself deeply excited about the reasoned proposal Noel was making and seeing many personal possibilities in it.I find myself increasingly reluctant to heal the psychic wounds I have received in this culture by using the methods of people whom we (culturally) are oppressing.This ideas presented by Noel have great potential, on personal and social levels, to bring Westerners back into balance, psychologically and spiritually.

I agree with Noel's proposition that fiction functions to bring Western minds into alternate states of consciousness, as with his perception that the mainstream aspect of our culture does not provide a legitimate place for the qualities of soul that deepen human experience.I had not previously encountered such a detailed assessment of Jungian psychology and I found myself fascinated with it, as well as impressed with Noel's conclusions and insights.The material is presented in a scholarly fashion, with ample evidence supporting each step of Noel's argument.

I found myself disappointed that Noel did not address the spirits that shamans contact and work with; his approach is largely focussed on an internalized, individual experience.This, however, may be a result of the Western cultural emphasis that Noel obviously couldn't escape.

On the whole, I think that The Soul of Shamanism succeeds in what it sets out to do, despite occasional obfuscating prose.I am so personally excited by the thoughts Noel presented that I intend to purchase a copy; I shall purchase a hardcover copy, as the paperback cover is lurid and distracting.

shamanic initiation
Surprised by the negative reviews of this book, I thought I'd add my own, more positive comments. Although I read the book some years ago, I remember it as readable and important.

Noel's insight involves the power of fiction in imaginal initiation. Most of us don't have access to traditional shamanistic culture. We can sign on for an expensive trip to the Amazon, or start taking workshops, but what's likely to first inspire us is books. Noel makes a convincing argument, I think, that the act of reading particular texts is not only preparation: the reading experience fully entered is an initiation into imaginal realities. Thus the importance of Castaneda's (and others') fiction. Visionary fiction draws our attention to the imaginal and structures imaginal experience.

This isn't the book you want if you're looking for exercises or directions. But it's worth reading if you're interested in the imagination, the imaginal, and the neo-shamanism being generating based not only on indigenous training but on a reinterpretation and reimagination of shamanism as it is transmitted through anthropological narratives and fictions.

REDUNDANT, POINTY HEADED DRIVEL
After trudging through 122 pages of this book I finally tossed it. Page after page the author keeps making the same point- OK, ALREADY, MAYBE CASTENEDA'S WORK WAS FICTION- IS THERE A POINT TO ALL THIS? AND IF SO- WILL YOU PLEASE MAKE IT AND MOVE ON? I kept hanging in there hoping he would make a point somewhere along the line, but finally realized that this book was not going anywhere! I was only slightly amused at the author's presumptuous criticism of Mircea Eliade's treatise on shamanism. At least Eliade had something to say. This book is as dry as a bone, and as far as I read has little or no "soul." Why in the world Deloria recommends this blah blah blah is beyond me!

Neoshamanism for the postmodern Euro-American
The Soul of Shamanism is an academic, postmodern examination of New Age attempts at shamanism, in which Noel proposes some alternative paths for the Euro-American seeker.Noel has an interesting style: he "speaks" to the reader in the first person, as though he is telling a story, and yet, much of the book is a review of literature.Noel has written a previous unpublished treatise on Castaneda, and several chapters deal with the Castaneda hoax, as well as the neo-shamanistic workshops of anthropologist Michael Harner.To say the least, Noel is not impressed.

Alternatives are proposed, in particular, from the perspective of James Hillman and Carl Jung.The most interesting chapters at the center of the book deal with dreams and imaginings. He touches briefly on the Merlin myth, arguing that instead of appropriating models of shamanism from other cultures, which he sees as colonialist, Euro-Americans should turn to models from their own culture.Yet not enough is said about Merlin.

One drawback is that this book is addressed to the Euro-American reader.It will not meet the expectations of a reader from another ethic group and is sure to disappoint if not anger.Additionally, the book is dense and academic.Despite my Ph.D. in anthropology and a sympathetic worldview, I found it tedious reading and would not assign it to students.This is not a handbook.Rather, it is a critical reading of the literature and experience of neoshamanism from a postmodern perspective. ... Read more

Product Description
In this study, Carolyn Brewer explores the cultural clash that ensued when Hispanic Catholicism and Filipino Animism came into contact in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries. In so doing, she demonstrates the connections between religion, ideology and power, the evidence mounting with cumulative force to support her argument. Brewer highlights references to women who fleetingly appear in records of Magellan's voyage, and sets the scene for the arrival of Legaspi and the colonial enterprise. She explores the way indigenous women were represented in various early modern sources and delves into the processes by which dichotomous notions of 'good' and 'bad' women were introduced by successive waves of Spanish friars. The focus of the narrative then shifts from women in general to the specific role of female shamans and the manner in which these women were revalued from the prestigious and wealthy baylan to the reviled and banished bruha or witch and their roles eventually usurped by Catholic priests. Brewer also explores the ways in which asog (men who dressed as women) were converted to Catholicism.Finally, using inquisition documents, Brewer presents a case study from the town of Bolinao in Zambales Province. She reconstructs indigenous gender relationships, in the process of being fractured by inquisitorial processes, in which high class Zambal men and boys collaborated with the Spaniards to banish the shaman women and eradicate their influence. A meticulously researched book, Shamanism, Catholicism and Gender Relations constitutes a sustained examination of how contact with Christianity re-shaped gender roles in the early modern Philippines. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Purely Academic, expensive, but a rare find
This is not a book you pick up for casual reading unless you're working on your PhD. I have an undergrad in English and journalism and a Masters degree and I found myself consulting a dictionary every few pages. But for my research into Philippine folklore and culture, (particularly as it relates to my research into aswangs, bruhas, etc.) it is an extremely valuable resource despite the steep price. The only thing better would be to either pour over the same documents as Carolyn Brewer did, or talk to Brewer herself. Both which would be much harder than purchasing this book. Off topic, one of my best friends had Brewer for one of her classes in Australia. Small world. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

The Forgotten Shaman of Ancient China
Arthur Waley does a superb job covering the role of the wu, or shaman, in ancient China. Similar to the traditional shaman of Siberia, Central Asia and the Arctic, the wu enters into a trance state in performing ceremonies. However, unlike his northern counterparts, the Chinese shaman enters into a fleeting love relationship with the God (or Goddess). Although references to shaman abound in China, actual descriptions of the practice and beliefs of the wu are rare. Waley takes what is known about them, comparing it occaisonally to other Asian beliefs, and makes a wonderful introduction to Chinese shamanism.

He then goes on to translate and analyze all nine of the songs in Ch'u Yuan's Nine Songs. Each of these songs is dedicated to a particular deity or spirit, such as T'ai I, Hsiang-chuan, Ta Ssu-ming, Ho-po and the Shan-kuei. In each song, he interperts the meaning, as well as giving a general description of the deity or spirit in question, and even analyzing the meaning of the name. This book is fairly short (there is little material on shaman practices in ancient China, and each of the Nine Songs is fairly short), but it is quite a good book to read nonethelesss, particularly with so little about Chinese shamanism in English. Indeed, this book may be the only English translation of the Nine Songs, as far as I am aware.

Waley closes out the book with three appendices, one on the expansion of the kingdom of Ch'u (where the book is believed to have originated), one on commentaries on the book and another on Japanese scholar Aoki Masaru's interpetation of the book. Ultimately, this book is essential reading for anyone interested in East Asian shamanism, but it can be appreciated by anyone with an interest in shamanism or ancient culture. The only comment I would make is that I am not entirely sure about the transliteration of Chinese words. The systems used may be slightly off or outdated, though I'm sure many of those interested in this book probably already have at least some understanding of Chinese linguistics so that shouldn't be too much of an issue. If not, then don't let that deter you. It is a wonderful book to read.

Lao's review
The first ten pages presents an overview of the history and cultural significance of classic shamanism in Northern China, and a descripotion of the typical forms of the poetry which follows.The Nine Songs are presented as the songs the shaman sings to the spirits that they encounter during their rituals, many taking the form of love songs.Arthur Waley provides commentary on each of the songs, with additional commentary and notes at the end.This is one of my favorite books. ... Read more

Product Description
Shamanism... what is it? Is it a phenomenon with a clear definition or with a set of clearly definable attributes? Has the phenomenon changed over time, or are today's versions found in suburban basements the same as those that were practiced hundreds of years ago by various tribal people? What can we figure out about shamanism if we simply look at the term itself and how it has been employed over time? What if we restrict ourselves to one geographic location? These are some of the questions grappled with, and partially answered, in this book.By discussing the historical use of the terms shamanism and shaman in North America, Peter N. Jones offers fresh insights into the history of this phenomenon. Comparing current understandings and descriptions of the phenomenon with those of the historical and archival record, Shamans and Shamanism presents a comprehensive analysis of the terms use over time. Included in the book is a comprehensive bibliography of the term's use in North America.Shamans and Shamanism is an important resource for anyone interested in this phenomenon. It provides new insights into the history of the terms, their use in both academic and pop literature, and offers a starting point for future investigations of the phenomenon. ... Read more

Product Description
In this highly original study, C. Michael Smith draws on phenomenological resources and hermeneutic dialogue to explore the affinities and distinctions between shamanism and Jungian psychology, both rooted ultimately in a heart-centered way if life, and both having highly intricate maps of the human psychic interiors. As the reader adventures through this book he or she will encounter shamanic initiation, dismemberments, disassociation, grief, despair, and soul loss, the healing power of ritual, ecstasy and other altered states. The book explores many rich topics including the role of talismans and amulets, the various levels of the collective unconscious, the archetypal and imaginable perspectives on such phenomena, and implications for psychotherapeutic practice today. In the new preface, the author argues that in the end "It isn't the fascinating and powerful techniques that are the essential thing, but the person inside, its capacity to live from the heart n Earth-honoring and Nature- attuning ways that is the essential center of the Jung/shamanism interface."

In Jung and Shamanism in Dialogue, C. Michael Smith has written a "must have" classic for all students of shamanism and Jungian psychology. Thorough, clear and authoritative, Smith writes from first-hand perspective, drawing on his own depth experiences in studying and teaching shamanism and Jungian psychology for decades. As in his previous book, Psychotherapy and the Sacred, he is psychological and spiritual, phenomenological and historical in his unique perspective. Jung was often described as a "shaman" by those who knew him well, but few have had the courage to openly make this claim, and none has presented the case as thoroughly as Smith has. This new preface to this second edition adds a richness of wisdom worth the price of the book.-Tess Castleman, Training Analyst, The C.G. Jung Institute, Zurich ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

Jung and Shamanism in Dialogue
The book came in excellent condition and as quickly as possible.I was very pleased with the service.

Natasha Lubin

Sythnthesizing archetypal psychology and shamanism
Here the roots of shamanism are intelligently discussed in relation to the foundations of archetypal psychology and the development of the individual with respect to soul/Self and other. It gives one an appreciation of the role of shamanism in the development of human consciousness, and a view for how the best of shamanism may still serve human development and healing.

Excellent Excellent book
Most modern shamanic practitioners are wisely forewarned to keep shamanism separate from other philosophies and methodologies.

That said, this book has been one of the most enriching I've read. Shamans are said to be the first psychologists. And Jung, as this book shows, birthed his understandings of the psyche through means that could readily be labeled shamanic.

This is high-octane reading. It's written for psychotherapists with an interest in shamanic work. But it's deeply thought-provoking for any intelligent lay-person. Smith dives into the workings of the psyche, the act of integrating and evolving. But this is definitely NOT a self-help book. It's for people who want to better understand the psychological enigmas that monkey-wrenches so many people.

It's an inspiring read for therapists and shamanic practitioners alike.

It is, however, NOT a good intro to shamanism. If you want to practice, find someone to teach you. If you want a good read about shamanism, I highly recommend Holgar Kalweit's book _Shamans, Healers and Medicine Men_. If you want to start a firestorm of provoking thoughts in your head about the human psyche, then get Smith's book.

... Read more

Product Description
Eleven years in the making, Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki & Shamanism features 45 true and heartwarming stories about animals and their role in the evolution of a gifted energy worker and shamanic healer.Meet the myriad of animals that populate the pages of Tails of a Healer, and follow healer and animal communicator Rose De Dan as she relates humorous tales of what happens when worlds collide - human vs. animal, ancient traditions vs. modern world - and touching stories of life and death. This inspiring collection of tales, featuring dozens of photographs by the author, is brought together here in one place for the first time."Tails of a Healer is jam-packed with animal stories that delight the senses, tickle the imagination, and transcend the mundane into the realm of mystery. Author Rose De Dan is not only a gifted healer, shamanic practitioner, and Reiki Master; she is also a master storyteller. The true-life tales in her book will make you laugh and sometimes cry. They'll make you think and they'll fill you with wonder. Most of all, De Dan's stories will teach you about the fine art of bridging worlds - between animals and humans, between heart and mind, between body and soul, and between consensus reality and the deeper levels of reality that nurture and sustain us all. Tails of Healer is a gem!"- Cat Saunders, Ph.D., author of Dr. Cat's Helping Handbook"Tails of a Healer takes you deeply into the world of telepathic animal communication and shamanism. It is a rich mix of intimate animal stories that are both healing and enlightening. Rose De Dan has packed this book with wisdom and heart. Prepare to be opened."- Mary J. Getten, telepathic animal communicator, author of Communicating with Orcas, winner of 2007 Nautilus Book Awards Animals/Nature ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Tails ofa Healer
I stumbled on this title by accident while searching for feral cat information.I decided to buy it and have to say it was by far the best book I have read in a very long time.The stories are truly heartwarming, and it's obvious the author is sharing her personal connections as well.Whether you know anything about Reiki, animal communication or are even an animal lover, this book is definitely one to read, and a keeper!

Repetitive collection of reprinted ARTICLES
This is a collection of previously published ARTICLES (which was NEVER mentioned in the description)! Consequently, MUCH is repeated and the author doesn't go into ANY topic in depth. The "teaching" is not direct just what you may glean from her experiences.If you work with animals,or practice Reiki or Shamanisms, it is more than likely you've already had experiences like the authors (my personal experiences ARE over all more dramatic and interesting as yours are likely to be).I was hoping for something with more depth. I can only imagine that the other reviewers are personal friends of the author since they mention her by name in their reviews.I've only been able to read it about half way through, reading an article now and then when there was nothing else around. It put me to sleep more than once, did not engage me, except to get me to start writing down my own experiences.

A Compliment to my Reiki Journey
I started reading "Tails ofa Healer" while on breaks from the Reiki I class I took with Rose De Dan this past May.I had the chance to read an article of two and decided that I needed to finish the entire book, prompting me to order it from Amazon for my Kindle.Rose writes how she teaches; honestly, warmly, respectfully and with integrity.Many of the insights and stories Rose chooses to share in this book will seem familiar, mostly because all of us, whether we're into Reiki or not, have experienced joy, love and ultimately, loss.However, as a compliment to beginning the journey as a Reiki practitioner, it is without compare.

A healer on many levels
Tails of a Healer is a wonderful collection of anecdotes from the heart.Rose De Dan's vivid descriptions and easy way with words make you think you could sit down for lunch with her.There are many lessons in this book, and some of the chapters I'll read over and over and keep learning something new.We don't just meet dogs and cats, there is an orangutan, some bats, and even a dragonfly introduced.She explains things well, so if you know little or nothing about shamanism you will still enjoy the read, but you'll probably end up wanting to learn more. This book is a small treasure.

Outstanding!
Every so often, a book comes our way that we want desperately to share with everyone, to make sure that everyone reads it.This is just such a book.These tales are evocative, joyful, sad, a full range of the emotions we - and our animal friends - experience.A must-read for all shamans, healers, and animal lovers!De Dan, with her beautiful prose, takes into the heart of what she does as a healer, and shows us how we too may be healers.
My own quick story to share- my puppy will chew pretty much anything in sight.I had left the book on the end table near the couch, and rather than chew it all up, the puppy gently took it in his mouth, and once he'd brought it down to the floor, proceeded to lick it.It's as though he knew that inside were wonderful tales of creatures just like him, creatures who needed love and healing.
If you don't buy another book, be sure to check this one out.You won't regret it! ... Read more

Product Description
This book tells how to reclaim your innate magical power and take control of your destiny. With this work women can regain those long-forgotten secrets and strengthen their connection with the Goddess through the array of rituals, practical exercises, guided journeys and magical techniques presented here. It focuses on magical practices geared to the special needs of women who may use the shamanic powers and magic of ancient women from the Norse regions, Middle East, Greece, India and the Celtic areas. The book reveals how to: discover why women-only groups can perform magic that male-female groups cannot; find over 50 spells specifically created to answer the needs of women; and use the runes, ogam alphabet, shamanic stones, and Egyptian hieroglyphs for divination and magic. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

Wonderful Read
The service was quick and the book came in great condition.I quiet enjoyed reading a book I couldnt find anywhere else.

Excellent Resource!
So many books of Wicca are so lofty and difficult to approach.This book breaks_things_down. It gives clear, simple, easy to understand information.Sure, there are plenty of books that go into FAR more detail and depth than this one.However, when you need a quick answer, (and you KNOW that happens a lot) *this* is the book to reach for.Seriously... it's a good one.

Loved the strength and beauty.
I really loved this book, I felt it had a lot to offer as a modern take on ancient traditions. The feminist message was refreshing and really made me feel strengthened and heartened. I liked her prayers for strength in mind and body, as well as her discussion of a woman's different stages in life as it relates to various northern Goddesses. I just like this author a lot - I also have her Moon Magick and it's written in much the same way as this book - a lot of prayers, light history, rituals and thoughts organized in segments. This one also has simple drawings which I really enjoyed and felt were powerful for some reason. I think it's the simplicity and unpretentious flow of her thoughts that I like so much. It's an action book, and a book for thinking about your own path to strength.

As a young woman who lives in a conservative rural area, I found her words to be uplifting and empowering. I see and hear a lot of prejudice and negativity directed towards women here (as well as in mainstream culture) and her prayers and rituals make me feel less alone. I wish more authors would write feminist takes on wicca and magick - they make me feel strong when I'm feeling discouraged.

I wouldn't reccommend this book to people who are looking for important works on runes or any in depth witchcraft, though it does touch on those subjects lightly. I reccommend it more for women who are looking to take action about their own paths through introspection and ritual. I think with your own imagination, you could take her ideas and run with them, creating for yourself deeper reflections on her already interesting ideas. All in all, I think this book helped me to be a stronger, and more honorable woman - so I appreciate this book a lot.

Almost too awful for words
In all my years of studying Norse Paganism and Shamanism I have never found anything so pitiful as this book.Norse lore and practices are conspicuous by their absence.The shamanic content is non-existent and her"knowledge" of the runes is total New Age clap-trap.

Volumesand volumes of information on the Norse traditions, including seidr, areavailable but she can't even stick with the subject for half a book.Sincewhen are crystals, chakras and psuedo-feminist whining part of Norsetraditions?What's with all the Californian psycho-babble?

Thoselooking for genuine information on Norse traditions would do far betterlooking for works by Freya Aswynn and Edred Thorson rather than thisfluff-bunny bilge.

Of Differing Opinion
I actually enjoyed this book and did not find it overly feminist at all. I grew up reading feminist literature that make this book look tame. DJ Conway did a wonderful job presenting the feminine side of Shamanism andNordic tradition. ... Read more

Product Description
Steven Rogat brings together the mysteries of Shamanismand the psychology of personal growth in a practical guide for all whoare interested in healing.Vibrant and insightful, Healing Thoughts,provides an easy-to-learn process for bringing more joy, healthharmony and love into our lives.

Whether you are a practitioner who reaches out to help others or a layperson who seeks geater awareness, Healing Thoughts clearly outlines amethod for enhancing and maintaining healthy relationships with thebody, mind, and Spirit. ... Read more

Product Description
"Shamanism and the Drug Propaganda" is a popularly written college-level introduction to ancient history and the Greek classics.The text is fully annotated and illuminated by 200 genuine pharmaco-shamanic images from the ancient world.Since it is popularly written, and very heavily illustrated with the remarkable, overtly pharmaco-shamanic art of the ancient world, it reads like a movie. But a movie with profound psychological and political relevance for the contemporary world, since it uses the words and pictures of our ancestors to address contemporary issues. In this sense, it compares to "The Chalice and the Blade" and "Food of the Gods," two recent bestsellers of similar intent. As such, the book is a unique tool for exciting undergraduates about the contemporary relevance of ancient history and the Greek classics. This was the intent of Jane Ellen Harrison in her "Prolegomena" and "Epilegomena to the Study of Greek Religion." Harrison was the most influential classicist of the twentieth century, and, not coincidentally, the most influential feminist historian of the century as well. A major feature of "Shamanism and the Drug Propaganda," in 4 of its 17 chapters, is its summary of Harrison's seminal thesis, in her own words. Harrison was concerned with the historical and psychological transition from the originary matriarchal conscious of tribal culture to the warrior-oriented patriarchal consciousness of industrial culture. She understood this transition to be central to the process of industrial enslavement. That enslavement necessarily demonized the power-rites, the rites de passage, as she called them, of tribal cultures. That is, Harrison pointed to the tribal, the matriarchal pre-industrial roots of Classical, patriarchal-industrial, Greek culture. She was, therefore, concerned with originary, tribal, Greek sacramentalism. Herbal magic, real pharmaco-shamanism, is at the core of all matriarchal cultures. The Goddess does not separate from her herbal magic, from her invention of medicine. The central sacrament of all Paleolithic, Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures known is an inebriative herb, a plant totem, which became metaphoric of the communal epiphany. These herbs, herbal concoctions and herbal metaphors are at the heart of all mythologies. They include such familiar images as the Burning Bush, the Tree of Life, the Cross, the Golden Bough, the Forbidden Fruit, the Blood of Christ, the Blood of Dionysos, the Holy Grail (or rather its contents), the Chalice (Kalyx:'flower cup'), the Golden Flower (Chrysanthemon), Ambrosia (Ambrotos:'immortal'), Nectar (Nektar:'overcomes death'), the Sacred Lotus, the Golden Apples, the Mystic Mandrake, the Mystic Rose, the Divine Mushroom (teonanacatl), the Divine Water Lily, Soma, Ayahuasca ('Vine of the Soul'), Kava, Iboga, Mama Coca and Peyote Woman. They are the archetypal - the emotionally, the instantaneously understood - symbols at the center of the drug propaganda. A sexually attractive man or woman is an archetypal image, the basis of most advertising. A loaf of bread is an archetypal image. The emotional impact of the sacramental herbal images, or, rather, the historical confusion of their natural function, is central to the successful manipulation of mass emotion and individual self-image. That is, contemporary politics has an unconscious, an evolutionary element, that involves the industrial manipulation of instinct. That manipulation can only be understood by contemplating what elements of our evolutionary inheritance contemporary inquisitors want forgotten. They are the same elements that were anathema to medieval inquisitors. The Drug War, in America, didn't begin with Nixon and the demonized alkaloids. It began with the slavers, with the Portugese and the Spanish and their demonized tribal sacraments, centuries before the invention of alkaloids. The great psycho-legal trick of contemporary inquisitors has been their successful confusion of the safe sacramental herbs with the dangerous refined alkaloids. The unavailability of the safe traditional herbs popularizes the dangerous refined alkaloids, thereby criminalizing - and demonizing - Native culture and strengthening the military fascists that control the trade in the alkaloids. Psychologically, institutionalized cultural genocide is enforced amnesia. Tribal cultures apprehend eternal truths about the human relationship to Mother Earth, her plants and animals, as children apprehend eternal truths about the family. The psychology of contemporary politics, 'history,' moves much more slowly than technology, which is a mechanical, not a biological process. We will cease to live in the world of the ancients only when sex, birth, hunger and death become different for us than they were for them. Our dream language, our spectacular automatic creativity, is, of course, archetypal imagery, the evolutionarily-determined picture-language that is the same for all peoples, regardless of culture, just as the human body and emotions are the same. Just as the ancient shamanism gave birth to empirical science, so too, now, can empirical science give our latent earthly powers rebirth. As Plato said, "All learning is remembering." "Shamanism and the Drug Propaganda" aids that recall using the words and images of the ancients themselves. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (5)

Excellent work!
Dan Russell - Shamanism and the Drug Propaganda
The Birth of Patriarchy and the Drug War - 1998

This book, at first glance, appears somewhat difficult to comprehend with its lack of introduction, conclusion and explanation of chapter direction. However, the title does say it all.

Mr. Russell first takes us on a history of the shamanic use of herbs and entheogenic plants and calendrical time tracking through the matriarchal ages of the Bone, Copper, Bronze, and Iron ages, showing the progressive development of patriarchy with the advancement of agriculture, which eventually led the tribes away from the female-as-shaman ancient (matriarchal/lunar) practices.

He then delves into the history of entheogenic plant usage in Sumerian, Babylonian and Canaanite/Judean rites as well with the Essenes at Qumran and the take over of patriarchal sun worship. Then he follows into the Greek shamanic Olympian and Eleusinian Mysteries, their entheogen practice, suppression--and the development of Christianity out of the politico/religio mess of the shamanic-suppressive fascism of the times.

He shows us how the Christian icons used today are related to ancient, shamanic rites and entheogen use as John Allegro suggested in the Sacred Mushroom and the Cross with the Amanita Muscaria. However, Russell doesn't stop with just Amanita, he makes many plausible suggestions toward alternative entheogens that may have also been employed.

The final tie in he makes is with the ancient shamanic tradition and the War on Drugs. The Modern Inquisition, written by Harry J. Anslinger, is almost verbatim of the Pius outlawing of entheogens over 1600 years earlier.

His presentation of the history of entheogens reminded me much of Professor Carl Ruck's style of writing whom he does quote often, though without the heavier Christian slant.
Those whom are offended by direct and honest commentary on the horrific history of Christianity may find this book offensive or "attacking Christianity." Russell doesn't find the need to sugar coat the disgraceful and murderous shamanic-inquisitional origins of Christianity.

The problems with the book: 1) it is a little dry. 2) His ideas of the origins of patriarchy with the invention of agriculture does not coincide with new research by Dr. James DeMeo in Saharasia, based on Textor data, showing the Saharasian region's desertification as the actual cause of patriarchy and armament (see also Discover Magazines Aug. 2005 article: Are the Desert People Winning?). Furthermore, it would have been helpful for Russell if he had tied in the work of Social Anthropologist Bronislaw Malinowski in "The Sexual Life of Savages" (1929), or, for that matter, the work of Dr. Wilhelm Reich in "Invasion of Compulsory Sex-Morality" with this excellent work.

Overall, the book is very well researched with many new ideas. A great addition to any library. 5 Stars!

interesting book
This book consists of two parts. This first documents that psychoactive plants have been used in religious experience dating back to prehistoric times. The book is thoughtful and well researched, with a number of illustrations not usually presented even in graduate level texts.

The second part is an angry denunciation of orthodox Christianity in favor of gnosticism. Using rather creative methods the author develops a picture of Jesus as a military leader who sought to overthrow the Roman empire. This is certainly different than the description one usually encounters. He continues to find in gnosticism the "true" tradition of pharmacological shamanism.

The book suffers three major flaws. First, the author never really describes what shamans are or how they function in society. The reader is left wondering if the term isn't simply used as a catchall to describe people who take drugs. Second the author never distinguishes between sacramental use of psychoactive plants and recreational use.Thirdly, in the middle ages there was validity in railing against the temporal power of the Christian church. Writing in America today, hundreds of years after the reformation, in a judicial climate openly hostile to the expression of Christianity in a public forum, blaming the injustice of the world on the Christian faith hardly makes sense.

Still, in the end, the author's principal thesis holds. As he argues, for the government to wage war on the sacraments of other cultures is to wage war on those cultures. In a society that advertises itself as multicultural and open to diversity it is unclear why this is the case.

Interesting, but lacking in presentation and theory.
I give this book 3 stars because of its dense amount of information and its potential to be a landmark book in the field of entheogens and religion.This book, however, reads more like an encyclopedia of anthropological eras, than anything else.The book has no introduction, and no conclusion, and no thesis to tie any of it together. The book is ultimately a hodge podge of information waiting for somebody to make some sense of it.In this regard it may be a good resource, but it offers little else.I hope that the author will at least go back and add an introduction to this book so that the readers will at least know what his purpose in writing it was.

Essential leading-edge entheogen scholarship
Top-notch content. Explains how entheogens were ubiquitous but were suppressed by the institutional Church. Definitely recommended. Covers ancient Western entheogenic origins of religion.

The book lacks statements of how the line of argument proceeds through the chapters and sections, but the content is excellent and much needed.

excellent
This book is great. The only reason I didn't give it full five stars is because some of the graphics are poor quality (at screen resolution with a lot of moire patterns). The actual content of the book is really excellent. The author gives a very clear picture of the evolution of humanrelationships to entheogens and the pro and cons of the politics of therelated eras. Very well researched and written from the viewpoint of ananthropologist/historian in a very wholistic way. It is one of those rarebooks that has really changed the way I look at the world - both currentand historic. Highly recommended! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Great history and clarifications... with a twist
This book begins with a tremendous, documented history clarifying many points about the earliest definitions and discoveries of ley lines.For that alone, this book is worth reading.Then, Mr. Devereux takes this study very powerfully in the direction of traditional Shamanism.

Personally, I found the shift a little jarring as the author leads from a purist approach, especially suited to British and European research, to one that's heavily influenced by Native American traditions.

I'll continue to see how I can integrate Devereux's shamanic out-of-body ideas with my research, and explore his inner and outer landscape concepts.In time, I may see a clearer connection between his Shamanic approach and my historical views.

But, that's a personal challenge for me and not a criticism of Mr. Devereux, whose work has contributed so much to our understanding of ley lines.

No matter how you feel about the trance state as an integral part of research, the beginning of this book makes this another Devereux book worth reading, if you're a serious student of ley lines.

The Real Story About Ley Lines and Earth Energy
This review is based on the copy of the book I own, first published in 1993. Ley lines are generally considered to be lines of energy in the earth by those interested in earth mysteries or geomancy (this latter term actually being a misnomer that has become entrenched in popular use). In "Shamanism and the Mystery Lines: Ley Lines, Spirit Paths, Shape-Shifting & Out-of-body Travel," Paul Devereux takes a hard look at this idea, and finds that there are major problems with this idea. Devereux has paid his dues in this field, having been involved in the "earth mysteries" field for several decades and having written many books and articles on the subject; he is no neophyte. He is not a skeptic by any means, in the Randi/CSICOP mold, but he tries to be intellectually honest about the evidence or lack thereof in these fringe subjects. Devereux has examined the idea that ley lines reflect lines of mysterious "earth energies" stretching across the landscape, and believes that the evidence does not support that idea.

"Part One: The History" covers "The Rise of a Heresy" (how the idea of ley lines were transformed in popular western thought, from a simple alignment of archaeological sites and geographic features into an elaborate grid or web of "energies" that have no empirical basis), "Other Lines of Enquiry" (various types of European sites -cursuses, reaves, stone rows- with geographic focus), and "The Amerindian Legacy" (the various kinds of "earth lines" found across the Americas, from California and the Southwest (Anasazi and Chaco etc.), to South America (the Kogi of Colombia and the Nazca lines of Peru, and Bolivia and Chile).

"Part Two: The Mystery" covers how these lines were conceived WITHIN THE CULTURES THAT ACTUALLY MADE THEM, rather than the western interpretations that came up with the idea of earth energies. Part Two's chapters include "The King and the Land," which looks at the identification of the king with the land (as in Arthurian tales, the king IS the land), shamans, Indo-European clues, king and country, and the king's power; "Spirit Lines" which shows that it is alignment of sites that matters, not some so-called energy lines, and how this idea interacts with Celtic fairy paths and the Chinese feng shui; and "Trance, Dance and Magic Plants" which focuses on how these alignments of sites relate to techniques of ecstasy in shamanic flight or OBEs (Out of the Body Experiences), the significant of location, mystery lights or earth lights, plants with hallucinogenic properties that were used to stimulate shamanic flight/OBEs, the evidence from rock art (pictographs and petroglyphs), and symbolism of form and meaning.

The last chapter in Part Two is called "The Lines of the Lone Wild Gander" really is where Devereux lays out his ideas of how archaeological alignments of various types and from different regions of the world are all reflective, physical marks made by the cultures that recognize and ritualize the shamanic flight and ritual movements between sacred sites on the landscape. In this chapter he looks at the shamanic landscape, flight of the shaman (or flight in the dream state or in the trance state), the Old and New Worlds, shamanic land markings, the evolution of the line of magical flight, and landscape or mindscape. Some of the most illuminating sources come from the Kogi Indians of Colombia, who speak of the alternate REAL world of Alunna which reflects in the world we call "real." This is where alternative philosophies kick in; our physical world is a pale reflection of reality, the reality of the source reality where consciousness is the focus of being.

As Devereux states in his Epilogue (p. 220): "Landscape lines, leys, alignments, are traces. They are variously-evolved features that had their origins in the ecsomatic experience at the heart of shamanism. They may have become, conceptually, lines of power, then energy; they may have become physical tracks, ritual pathways, avenues of the dead or whatever, but they are in essence simply traces of an effect of the human central nervous system transferred to the land. That effect, as we have discussed, is the remarkable ability of the human mind to roam experientially, if not actually, beyond the body."

There are many other works that elaborate this idea, from the contested ideas in the works of Carlos Castaneda, to more solid anthropological approaches in Timothy Knab's A War Of Witches: A Journey Into The Underworld Of The Contemporary Aztecs and in "From the Heart of the World." This book is an essential piece of the puzzle that includes shamanism, dream states including lucid dreaming, etc. The particular significance of this book is in providing a link between the psychosomatic work of psychological and anthropological research that is human-centered, and the environmental work of deep ecology, archaeology, and sacred geography. There is a lot further to go in this area, but this book helps fit the pieces together.

Another Look at the Modern Myth of the Ley Line
This review is based on the copy of the book I own, first published in 1993. Ley lines are generally considered to be lines of energy in the earth by those interested in earth mysteries or geomancy (this latter term actually being a misnomer that has become entrenched in popular use). In "Shamanism and the Mystery Lines: Ley Lines, Spirit Paths, Shape-Shifting & Out-of-body Travel," Paul Devereux takes a hard look at this idea, and finds that there are major problems with this idea. Devereux has paid his dues in this field, having been involved in the "earth mysteries" field for several decades and having written many books and articles on the subject; he is no neophyte. He is not a skeptic by any means, in the Randi/CSICOP mold, but he tries to be intellectually honest about the evidence or lack thereof in these fringe subjects. Devereux has examined the idea that ley lines reflect lines of mysterious "earth energies" stretching across the landscape, and believes that the evidence does not support that idea.

"Part One: The History" covers "The Rise of a Heresy" (how the idea of ley lines were transformed in popular western thought, from a simple alignment of archaeological sites and geographic features into an elaborate grid or web of "energies" that have no empirical basis), "Other Lines of Enquiry" (various types of European sites -cursuses, reaves, stone rows- with geographic focus), and "The Amerindian Legacy" (the various kinds of "earth lines" found across the Americas, from California and the Southwest (Anasazi and Chaco etc.), to South America (the Kogi of Colombia and the Nazca lines of Peru, and Bolivia and Chile).

"Part Two: The Mystery" covers how these lines were conceived WITHIN THE CULTURES THAT ACTUALLY MADE THEM, rather than the western interpretations that came up with the idea of earth energies. Part Two's chapters include "The King and the Land,"which looks at the identification of the king with the land (as in Arthurian tales, the king IS the land), shamans, Indo-European clues, king and country, and the king's power; "Spirit Lines" which shows that it is alignment of sites that matters, not some so-called energy lines, and how this idea interacts with Celtic fairy paths and the Chinese feng shui; and "Trance, Dance and Magic Plants" which focuses on how these alignments of sites relate to techniques of ecstasy in shamanic flight or OBEs (Out of the Body Experiences), the significant of location, mystery lights or earth lights, plants with hallucinogenic properties that were used to stimulate shamanic flight/OBEs, the evidence from rock art (pictographs and petroglyphs), and symbolism of form and meaning.

The last chapter in Part Two is called "The Lines of the Lone Wild Gander" really is where Devereux lays out his ideas of how archaeological alignments of various types and from different regions of the world are all reflective, physical marks made by the cultures that recognize and ritualize the shamanic flight and ritual movements between sacred sites on the landscape. In this chapter he looks at the shamanic landscape, flight of the shaman (or flight in the dream state or in the trance state), the Old and New Worlds, shamanic land markings, the evolution of the line of magical flight, and landscape or mindscape. Some of the most illuminating sources come from the Kogi Indians of Colombia, who speak of the alternate REAL world of Alunna which reflects in the world we call "real." This is where alternative philosophies kick in; our physical world is a pale reflection of reality, the reality of the source reality where consciousness is the focus of being.

As Devereux states in his Epilogue (p. 220): "Landscape lines, leys, alignments, are traces. They are variously-evolved features that had their origins in the ecsomatic experience at the heart of shamanism. They may have become, conceptually, lines of power, then energy; they may have become physical tracks, ritual pathways, avenues of the dead or whatever, but they are in essence simply traces of an effect of the human centralnervous system transferred to the land. That effect, as we have discussed, is the remarkable ability of the human mind to roam experientially, if not actually, beyond the body."

There are many other works that elaborate this idea, from the contested ideas in the works of Carlos Castaneda, to more solid anthropological approaches in Timothy Knab's "War of Witches" and in "From the Heart of the World." This book is an essential piece of the puzzle that includes shamanism, dream states including lucid dreaming, etc. The particular significance of this book is in providing a link between the psychosomatic work of psychological and anthropological research that is human-centered, and the environmental work of deep ecology, archaeology, and sacred geography. There is a lot further to go in this area, but this book helps fit the pieces together.

Misleading title
The author does not ascribe to ley lines as any sort of paranormal phenemona.The rest of the topics covered are done so at only the most cursorly level. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Highly recommended as a worthy addition to Native American cultural studies shelves
Illustrated with full-color photography, particularly of Inuit carvings and sculptures of Sedna, The Sea Woman: Sedna in Inuit Shamanism and Art in the Eastern Arctic is an in-depth artistic and cultural study of the mythical Inuit figure of Sedna, the sea woman, believed to be the caretaker of animals' souls and avengers of transgressions against them (such as wanton or wasteful killing, as opposed to respectful killing and thorough use of their bodies). A recurring presence in artistic sculpture, legends, shamanism, and customs of proper behavior, Sedna the Sea Woman is a fascinating paragon worthy of the scholarly analysis that authors and anthropology professors Frederic Laugrand and Jarich Oosten provide. Highly recommended as a worthy addition to Native American cultural studies shelves.
... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Voices from the Earth - Nicholas Wood
I first came across this book at my local library - and loved it so much I just had to buy my own copy!!If you are into shamanism or even just like native american culture, this is the book for you!It is jam-packed full of wonderful ideas and instructions for making various native american items, such as: drum, rattle, prayer doll, medicine stone bundle, dreamcatcher and on and on!It even has instructions on how to bead.

Of course the author covers N.A. shamanic traditions and philosophy and explains their connection with Mother Earth, ancestors, and each other - including stone and plant people, four leggeds, winged, and so on, smudging, the spirits, medicine wheel, etc.

Where this book excells, in my opinion, over other books on shamanism is the wonderful projects that he includes.It really is a very practical and useful book.

A GREAT book for me!
I am new to this area of learning and this book provided a common sense approach. Not only was the information wonderful, but the layout of the book is visually STUNNING! I enjoyed each picture as a little work of art and am thrilled I bought the book. A must for every student of Shaminism or potential student. ... Read more

Product Description

Historically, Native American peoples believed that life was to be lived in a sacred manner. There were ceremonies for nearly every act of life that formed the very basis of Native American religious life and were a means of invoking good fortune. Entries include the names and results of medicine ceremonies, renowned shamans famous for their powers, techniques used by shamans to acquire and control the power of sacred ceremonies, technical terms used by anthropologists, biographies of anthropologists who research these ceremonies, cross-cultural symbolic motifs, plants and sacred paraphernalia associated with ceremonies, and recurring themes that structure these ceremonies.

Scholars, students, and everyone interested in Native American cultures or shamanism will find this work fascinating and informative.

Customer Reviews (1)

Genuine Anthropology
So much anthropology is caught up in the detached scientific method.People don't realize that for all its powers, that science has its limitations.Einstein realized that, but many lesser scientists in many fields don't seem to realize that.The author of this volume utilizes science -- to the extent that it works, but he strikes a balance by looking the spiritual aspects of societies from their perspective.

Native American Shamanism without bias.Extensively researched, with sources noted.Entries include reference to the culture group and/or tribe. ... Read more