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Showing 81 - 100 of 772 items
By Cate Montana. 2013
In the tradition of Eat, Pray, Love and Cheryl Strayed's Wild comes a fresh voice in women's non-fiction. Join Cate…
Montana on an amazing journey into the heart of the Amazon jungle, up staggering peaks in the Andes, and halfway across the globe to the consecration of a temple to the Great Goddess in southern India as she searches for the missing Feminine within herself and Western Culture. Raised in a man's world to be "just one of the guys," Cate was a highly successful network TV editor and journalist, self-admittedly "brash, driven and highly competitive." While on assignment a chance encounter with a shaman sets her on the path of unearthing the illusive power of the feminine. In a raw and wrenching recapitulation of her life Cate discovers the devastating absence of feminine qualities within herself and the withering personal and global consequences of having only one paradigm available for her to express through: the masculine "P" values of Power, Possessions, Profit, and Progress. An intelligent, compellingly honest and frequently funny memoir of a modern woman's search for her own unrecognized feminine spirit, Unearthing Venus is both a visionary and everywoman story that brilliantly captures what it is to be a woman today and everyday.By Sarangerel. 2001
• Mongolian shamaness Sarangerel provides a hands-on guide for serious students of the shamanic path. • Includes complete directions for…
traditional Siberian rituals, meditations, and divination techniques never before published. • Shows how to recognize and acknowledge a call from the spirits. • Offers traditional wisdom for nurturing a working relationship with personal spirit helpers to promote healing and balance in a community. The shaman's purpose is to heal and restore balance to his or her community by developing a working relationship with the spirit world. Mongolian shamanic tradition maintains that all true shamans are called by the spirits--but those who are not from shamanic cultures may have difficulty recognizing the call or nurturing the essential shamanic relationship with their helper spirits. Buryat shamaness Sarangerel has written Chosen by the Spirits as a guide for both the beginning shaman and the advanced practitioner. Although raised in the United States, she was drawn to the shamanic tradition, and in 1991 returned to her ancestral homeland in the Tunken region of southern Siberia to study with traditional Buryat shamans. Her first book, Riding Windhorses, provided an introduction to the shamanic world of Siberia. Chosen by the Spirits delves more deeply into the personal relationship between the shamanic student and his or her "spirit family." Sarangerel recounts her own journey into shamanic practice and provides the serious student with practical advice and hands-on techniques for recognizing and acknowledging a shamanic calling, welcoming and embodying the spirits, journeying to the spirit world, and healing both people and places.By Christa McKinnon. 2016
Shamanism is the oldest and most enduring spiritual wisdom tradition, and is playing a major part in the psycho-spiritual awakening…
and movement we see now all across the globe. In today's disconnected, fragmented world, shamanism has the power to offer us the connection and wholeness we so need.In this book, Christa Mackinnon introduces the reader to shamanism and to a range of shamanic tools and approaches – including ceremony, trance journeying, vision quests, nature work, drumming, dancing and lucid dreaming – to help readers heal, expand their consciousness and reach their highest potential. This highly practical and straightforward manual demonstrates how to:• build an altar• conduct small ceremonies• connect with spirit helpers• journeying for healing and development• carry out ancestral work... and much more !Through these practices, readers will learn how to come back to their roots, put soul and spirit at the heart of their existence, and develop authentic vision, purpose and meaning in life.a space within you where you are already perfect, whole and complete. It is pure consciousness – the space inside of which all thoughts come and go.By Nick Polizzi. 2018
In 2010 Nick Polizzi did something unimaginable He assembled a group of eight desperately ill patients from around…
the world and brought them into the heart of the Amazon rainforest to put the mysterious medicines of native shamans to the test The healing journey that unfolded would change their lives and his own forever In The Sacred Science we join Nick as he explores these primordial traditions and learns firsthand what it takes to truly heal ourselves of physical disease emotional trauma and the sense of lostness that so many of us feel in these modern times We venture into a place where the ordinary rules we live by even survival instincts don t apply where the only thing to do is to step forward and be ready for anything Nick is not a guru or shaman he is an ordinary guy who pieced together an illuminating journey one experience at a time In this riveting true story we re shown the many layers that must be peeled away in order for us to find the truth of who we are and why we re here This book is a bridge between the flashy fast-moving modern world and the forgotten ways of a healthier earth-connected ancestral past You ll find practices and principles of native wisdom that you can put to use in your own life and you ll gain a new understanding of what it means to heal In the end what will become of the eight patients who set out on this path with Nick Will the exotic jungle medicines and harrowing rites of passage destroy them or give them a new lease on life Five will return with remarkable healing results Two will return disappointed One won t return at allBy Renee Baribeau. 2018
Winds of Spirit is a practical guide to connect to powerful wind energies that navigate us toward authentic joy …
power and purpose In this book you ll explore the rich mythology and cultural significance of wind and discover a powerful system to utilize the subtle healing energies in your life Winds of Spirit will teach you how to connect with your true inner self use your body as a compass and receive life-changing messages from nature Based on an ancient sacred technique used by farmers shamans and sailors this system will show you how to navigate your personal path providing insight into how to manage the wind patterns and shifting conditions affecting you You will also learn how to invoke wind deities gods and goddesses from around the world and the cardinal winds from the four quadrants of the sky each of which relate to the inner landscape of your life mind emotions body and spirit By working with the omnipresent winds in your life you can restore harmony and balance heal the body and inspire creativity Experiential practices include wind breath wind bath wind knots and moreBy Raymond Buckland, Eileen Holland. 2008
The Wicca Handbook is both a tutorial for new witches and an exceptionally well-organized reference book for experienced practitioners. It…
guides us through the first steps in becoming a witch and explores many Wiccan traditions, initiations, and magical practices. The Wiccan year-the eight Sabbats-along with many of its rituals and ceremonies are examined. Holland also provides the background of every facet of witchcraft, such as spells for every occasion, psychic protection, numerology, basic astrology, and the lore of stones, metals, candles, animals, and much more.High Priestess Eileen Holland's helpful guide is rooted in practicality and intended as a working handbook, not a simple beginner's guide. The information is rich; clear directions are given, and its range of content is extensive. Spells, circles, crystals, and color magic, herbs, health, and healing are all covered with abundant direction on how to do it, when to do it, and suggestions for seeking guidance from the deities. Those who have been on their path for a few years will find this a great reference book to refer to time and again.By Raymond Buckland, Eileen Holland. 2008
The Wicca Handbook is both a tutorial for new witches and an exceptionally well-organized reference book for experienced practitioners. It…
guides us through the first steps in becoming a witch and explores many Wiccan traditions, initiations, and magical practices. The Wiccan year-the eight Sabbats-along with many of its rituals and ceremonies are examined. Holland also provides the background of every facet of witchcraft, such as spells for every occasion, psychic protection, numerology, basic astrology, and the lore of stones, metals, candles, animals, and much more.High Priestess Eileen Holland's helpful guide is rooted in practicality and intended as a working handbook, not a simple beginner's guide. The information is rich; clear directions are given, and its range of content is extensive. Spells, circles, crystals, and color magic, herbs, health, and healing are all covered with abundant direction on how to do it, when to do it, and suggestions for seeking guidance from the deities. Those who have been on their path for a few years will find this a great reference book to refer to time and again.By John Matthews, Caitl n Matthews. 2004
A comprehensive overview of the Western perennial tradition--the hermetic tradition and the ancient earth wisdom of shamanic indigenous peoples• Provides…
practical exercises to reawaken mystical awareness and reconnect with the ancient mystery traditions of our ancestors• Reveals how earth wisdom and high magic complement one anotherIn Walkers Between the Worlds, the authors reveal the development of both these traditions that were never far beneath the surface of Western culture and how they complement each other.As the orthodox structures of the West appear increasingly hollow and irrelevant, the Western way trod by the shaman and the magus remains vital, with many practical methods for reawakening awareness and reconnecting with the earth. In addition to its in-depth theoretical analysis, Walkers Between the Worlds contains practical exercises drawn from traditional teaching methods used by both native and hermetic traditions to help the reader explore these mysteries.By Claude Lecouteux. 2013
Examines how the ancient customs of constructing and keeping a house formed a sacred bond between homes and their inhabitants…
• Shares many tales of house spirits, from cajoling the local land spirit into becoming one’s house spirit to the good and bad luck bestowed by mischievous house elves • Explains the meaning behind door and window placement, house orientation, horsehead gables, the fireplace or hearth, and the threshold • Reveals the charms, chants, prayers, and building practices used by our ancestors to bestow happiness and prosperity upon their homes and their occupants Why do we hang horseshoes for good luck or place wreaths on our doors? Why does the groom carry his new bride over the threshold? These customs represent the last vestiges from a long, rich history of honoring the spirits of our homes. They show that a house is more than a building: it is a living being with a body and soul. Examining the extensive traditions surrounding houses from medieval times to the present, Claude Lecouteux reveals that, before we entered the current era of frequent moves and modular housing, moving largely from the countryside into cities, humanity had an extremely sacred relationship with their homes and all the spirits who lived there alongside them--from the spirit of the house itself to the mischievous elves, fairies, and imps who visited, invited or not. He shows how every aspect of constructing and keeping a house involved rites, ceremony, customs, and taboos to appease the spirits, including the choice of a building lot and the very materials with which it was built. Uncovering the lost meaning behind door and window placement, the hearth, and the threshold, Lecouteux shares many tales of house spirits, from the offerings used to cajole the local land spirit into becoming the domestic house spirit to the good and bad luck bestowed upon those who seek the help of the “Little Money Man.” He draws on studies and classic literature from old Europe--from Celtic lands and Scandinavia to France and Germany to the far eastern borders of Europe and into Russia--to explain the pagan roots behind many of these traditions. Revealing our ancestors’ charms, prayers, and practices to bestow happiness and prosperity upon their homes, Lecouteux shows that we can invite the spirits back into our houses, old or new, and restore the sacred bond between home and inhabitant.By Dolf Hartsuiker. 2014
An in-depth photographic study of the ascetic holy men of India• Includes more than 100 striking color photographs of Sadhus,…
their extreme austerities, and their holy festivals, including the Kumbha Mela• Examines the practices and beliefs of Sadhus from several different sects• Traces the historical and mythological roots of the Sadhus and shows how they have fundamentally shaped Hinduism since remote antiquitySpiritual adventurers, philosophical monks, naked ascetics, or religious transvestites, the Sadhus of India form a vital and unbroken link between the birth of yoga millennia ago and its present-day expression. Numbering in the millions, these mystic holy men are worshipped by the Hindus as representatives of the gods, yet they remain largely unknown in the West because they often live in far-off places, hidden from everyday life. In this full-color study of Sadhus more than 20 years in the making, photographer Dolf Hartsuiker illustrates the Sadhus’ world of ancient magical rituals, religious symbols, and ascetic practices. In his photographic quest across India, the author visited many holy places, attended religious festivals including the Kumbha Mela, and encountered and photographed thousands of Sadhus, befriending several as he was drawn into their inner circle. Sharing more than 100 striking color photographs from his travels, he reveals the Sadhus’ utmost devotion to their spiritual path through meditation practices, yoga exercises, penance, and austerities--sometimes taken to the extreme of prolonged self-imposed silence, bodily mortification, such as holding an arm above the head for years, or even ritual suicide--as well as their profound involvement with the mundane world as healers and teachers or magicians and sorcerers. It is a path of knowledge and devotion, renunciation and realization, sexual energy and spiritual power, divine intoxication and mystical union.The author examines the different beliefs and behaviors of each Sadhu sect, including the “sky-clad” Naga Babas, and traces their historical and mythological roots to show how they have fundamentally shaped Hinduism since antiquity. Revealing the powerful “otherworldliness” of the Sadhus, the author also exposes the mystical beauty that emanates from those who have chosen the path of asceticism in pursuit of knowledge of the Absolute and liberation from all earthly bonds.By Simon Buxton. 2004
Reveals for the first time the ancient tradition of bee shamanism and its secret practices and teachings• Examines the healing…
and ceremonial powers of the honeybee and the hive• Reveals bee shamanism’s system of acupuncture, which predates the Chinese systems• Imparts teachings from the female tradition and explores the transformative powers of the magico-sexual elixirs they produceBee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic branch of shamanism. It exists throughout the world--wherever in fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--are now in common usage, and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians. In this authoritative ethnography and spiritual memoir, Simon Buxton, an elder of the Path of Pollen, reveals for the first time the richness of this tradition: its subtle intelligence; its sights, sounds, and smells; and its unique ceremonies, which until now have been known only to initiates. Buxton unknowingly took his first steps on the Path of Pollen at age nine, when a neighbor--an Austrian bee shaman--cured him of a near-fatal bout of encephalitis. This early contact prepared him for his later meeting with an elder of the tradition who took him on as an apprentice. Following an intense initiation that opened him to the mysteries of the hive mind, Buxton learned over the next 13 years the practices, rituals, and tools of bee shamanism. He experienced the healing and spiritual powers of honey and other bee products, including the “flying ointment” once used by medieval witches, as well as ritual initiations with the female members of the tradition--the Mellisae--and the application of magico-sexual “nektars” that promote longevity and ecstasy. The Shamanic Way of the Bee is a rare view into the secret wisdom of this age-old tradition.By Virlana Tkacz, Itzhak Beery, Alexander Khantaev, Sayan Zhambalov, Wanda Phipps. 2015
An intimate account of an ancient shamanic ritual of Siberia • Illustrated with vivid, full-color photographs throughout • Details the…
many preparations and ritual objects as well as the struggles of the shamans to complete the ceremony successfully Near the radiant blue waters of Lake Baikal, in the lands where Mongolia, Siberia, and China meet, live the Buryats, an indigenous people little known to the Western world. After seventy years of religious persecution by the Soviet government, they can now pursue their traditional spiritual practices, a unique blend of Tibetan Buddhism and shamanism. There are two distinct shamanic paths in the Buryat tradition: Black shamanism, which draws power from the earth, and White shamanism, which draws power from the sky. In the Buryat Aga region, Black and White shamans conduct rituals together, for the Buryats believe that they are the children of the Swan Mother, descendants of heaven who can unite both sides in harmony. Providing an intimate account of one of the Buryats’ most important shamanic rituals, this book documents a complete Shanar, the ceremony in which a new shaman first contacts his ancestral spirits and receives his power. Through dozens of full-color photographs, the authors detail the preparations of the sacred grounds, ritual objects, and colorful costumes, including the orgay, or shaman’s horns, and vividly illustrate the dynamic motions of the shamans as the spirits enter them. Readers experience the intensity of ancient ritual as the initiate struggles through the rites, encountering unexpected resistance from the spirit world, and the elder shamans uncover ancient grievances that must be addressed before the Shanar can be completed successfully. Interwoven with beautiful translations of Buryat ceremonial songs and chants, this unprecedented view of one of the world’s oldest shamanic traditions allows readers to witness extraordinary forces at work in a ritual that culminates in a cleansing blessing from the heavens themselves.By Virlana Tkacz, Itzhak Beery, Alexander Khantaev, Sayan Zhambalov, Wanda Phipps. 2015
An intimate account of an ancient shamanic ritual of Siberia • Illustrated with vivid, full-color photographs throughout • Details the…
many preparations and ritual objects as well as the struggles of the shamans to complete the ceremony successfully Near the radiant blue waters of Lake Baikal, in the lands where Mongolia, Siberia, and China meet, live the Buryats, an indigenous people little known to the Western world. After seventy years of religious persecution by the Soviet government, they can now pursue their traditional spiritual practices, a unique blend of Tibetan Buddhism and shamanism. There are two distinct shamanic paths in the Buryat tradition: Black shamanism, which draws power from the earth, and White shamanism, which draws power from the sky. In the Buryat Aga region, Black and White shamans conduct rituals together, for the Buryats believe that they are the children of the Swan Mother, descendants of heaven who can unite both sides in harmony. Providing an intimate account of one of the Buryats’ most important shamanic rituals, this book documents a complete Shanar, the ceremony in which a new shaman first contacts his ancestral spirits and receives his power. Through dozens of full-color photographs, the authors detail the preparations of the sacred grounds, ritual objects, and colorful costumes, including the orgay, or shaman’s horns, and vividly illustrate the dynamic motions of the shamans as the spirits enter them. Readers experience the intensity of ancient ritual as the initiate struggles through the rites, encountering unexpected resistance from the spirit world, and the elder shamans uncover ancient grievances that must be addressed before the Shanar can be completed successfully. Interwoven with beautiful translations of Buryat ceremonial songs and chants, this unprecedented view of one of the world’s oldest shamanic traditions allows readers to witness extraordinary forces at work in a ritual that culminates in a cleansing blessing from the heavens themselves.By Wanda Phipps, Virlana Tkacz, Sayan Zhambalov, Itzhak Beery, Alexander Khantaev. 2015
An intimate account of an ancient shamanic ritual of Siberia • Illustrated with vivid, full-color photographs throughout • Details the…
many preparations and ritual objects as well as the struggles of the shamans to complete the ceremony successfully Near the radiant blue waters of Lake Baikal, in the lands where Mongolia, Siberia, and China meet, live the Buryats, an indigenous people little known to the Western world. After seventy years of religious persecution by the Soviet government, they can now pursue their traditional spiritual practices, a unique blend of Tibetan Buddhism and shamanism. There are two distinct shamanic paths in the Buryat tradition: Black shamanism, which draws power from the earth, and White shamanism, which draws power from the sky. In the Buryat Aga region, Black and White shamans conduct rituals together, for the Buryats believe that they are the children of the Swan Mother, descendants of heaven who can unite both sides in harmony. Providing an intimate account of one of the Buryats’ most important shamanic rituals, this book documents a complete Shanar, the ceremony in which a new shaman first contacts his ancestral spirits and receives his power. Through dozens of full-color photographs, the authors detail the preparations of the sacred grounds, ritual objects, and colorful costumes, including the orgay, or shaman’s horns, and vividly illustrate the dynamic motions of the shamans as the spirits enter them. Readers experience the intensity of ancient ritual as the initiate struggles through the rites, encountering unexpected resistance from the spirit world, and the elder shamans uncover ancient grievances that must be addressed before the Shanar can be completed successfully. Interwoven with beautiful translations of Buryat ceremonial songs and chants, this unprecedented view of one of the world’s oldest shamanic traditions allows readers to witness extraordinary forces at work in a ritual that culminates in a cleansing blessing from the heavens themselves.By Alice Karlsd ttir. 2000
A practical guide to the magic of the feminine side of the Norse pantheon • Provides invocations and rituals to…
call each goddess forth for personal and group spirit work • Details the author’s trancework to discover the personalities and powers of Frigg the Allmother, wife of Odin, and the 12 lesser-known Aesir goddesses associated with her • Offers a comprehensive guide to tranceworking to connect with the deities Combining traditional research on folklore and the Eddas with trancework and meditation techniques, Alice Karlsdóttir was able to rediscover the feminine side of the Norse pantheon and assemble working knowledge of 13 Norse goddesses for both group ritual and personal spirit work. Detailing her trancework journeys to connect with the goddesses, the author reveals the long-lost personalities and powers of each deity. She explores the Norse goddess Frigg the Allmother, wife of Odin, along with the 12 Asynjur, or Aesir goddesses, associated with her, such as Sjofn the peacemaker, Eir the Healer, and Vor the Wisewoman. She shares their appearances in the Eddas and Germanic mythology and explains the meanings of their names, their relationships to each other, and their connections to the roles of women in Old Norse society. She provides detailed instructions for invocations and rituals to call each goddess forth for personal and group spirit work. She also offers a comprehensive guide to ritual tranceworking to allow anyone to directly experience deities and spiritual beings and develop spirit-work relationships with them.By Neal M Goldsmith. 2011
Psychedelics as therapeutic catalysts for emotional and spiritual transformation • Explores the latest medical research on the healing powers of…
entheogens • Reveals the crucial role of tribal and shamanic wisdom in psychedelic medicine • Provides guidelines for working with psychedelics, including the author’s personal healing and recommendations for creating change on the spiritual and societal levels Banned after promising research in the 1940s, ’50s, and ’60s, the use of psychedelics as therapeutic catalysts is now being rediscovered at prestigious medical schools, such as Harvard, Johns Hopkins, NYU, and UCLA. Through clinical trials to assess their use, entheogens have been found to ease anxiety in the dying, interrupt the hold of addictive drugs, cure post-traumatic stress disorder, and treat other deep-seated emotional disturbances. To date, results have been positive, and the idea of psychedelics as powerful psychiatric--and spiritual--medicines is now beginning to be accepted by the medical community. Exploring the latest cutting-edge research on psychedelics, along with their use in indigenous cultures throughout history for rites of passage and shamanic rituals, Neal Goldsmith reveals that the curative effect of entheogens comes not from a chemical effect on the body but rather by triggering a peak or spiritual experience. He provides guidelines for working with entheogens, groundbreaking analyses of the concept--and the process--of change in psychotherapy, and, ultimately, his own story of psychedelic healing. Examining the tribal roots of this knowledge, Goldsmith shows that by combining ancient wisdom and modern research, we can unlock the emotional, mental, and spiritual healing powers of these unique and powerful tools, providing an integral medicine for postmodern society.By Jan Kounen, Alejandro Jodorowsky. 2015
A “what to expect” guide for first-time ayahuasca users paired with accounts from the author’s extensive shamanic experiences in the…
Amazon • Describes how to prepare for the first ceremony, what to do in the days afterward, and how to maintain a shamanic healing diet • Details some of the author’s own ayahuasca experiences, including an intensive trip in 2009 when he underwent 17 ceremonies • Explores the many other plants that are part of the ayahuasca healer’s medicine cabinet as well as the icaros, healing songs, of the ayahuasca shaman Since 1999 Jan Kounen has regularly traveled to the Peruvian Amazon to participate in ayahuasca ceremonies. At first only a curious filmmaker, over multiple trips he transformed from explorer to apprentice to ayahuasquero and often found himself surrounded by other foreigners coming to the jungle for their first taste of ayahuasca medicine. Knowing how little guidance is available on how to prepare or what to expect, he naturally offered them advice. Part visionary ayahuasca memoir and part practical guide, this book contains the same step-by-step advice that Kounen provides first-time ayahuasca users in the jungle. He describes how to prepare for the first ceremony and what to do in the days afterward. He explores how to deal with the nausea and details the special preparatory diets an ayahuasca shaman will put you on, often lasting for months but necessary for life-transforming results and teachings from the plant spirits. He also explains how it is far easier to maintain these restrictions in the jungle than in the city. Detailing his own ayahuasca experiences over hundreds of sessions, including a trip in 2009 when he underwent 17 ceremonies in 25 days, Kounen describes how ayahuasca transformed him. He tells of his meetings with Shipibo healers, including Kestenbetsa, who opened the doors of this world for him, and Panshin Beka, the shaman to whom Kounen became an apprentice. He details the many other plants and foods that are part of the ayahuasca healer’s medicine cabinet, such as toé and tobacco, as well as their icaros, or healing songs. A veritable “what to expect” guide, this book should be your first step prior to committing to ayahuasca.By Alejandro Jodorowsky, Jan Kounen. 2015
A “what to expect” guide for first-time ayahuasca users paired with accounts from the author’s extensive shamanic experiences in the…
Amazon • Describes how to prepare for the first ceremony, what to do in the days afterward, and how to maintain a shamanic healing diet • Details some of the author’s own ayahuasca experiences, including an intensive trip in 2009 when he underwent 17 ceremonies • Explores the many other plants that are part of the ayahuasca healer’s medicine cabinet as well as the icaros, healing songs, of the ayahuasca shaman Since 1999 Jan Kounen has regularly traveled to the Peruvian Amazon to participate in ayahuasca ceremonies. At first only a curious filmmaker, over multiple trips he transformed from explorer to apprentice to ayahuasquero and often found himself surrounded by other foreigners coming to the jungle for their first taste of ayahuasca medicine. Knowing how little guidance is available on how to prepare or what to expect, he naturally offered them advice. Part visionary ayahuasca memoir and part practical guide, this book contains the same step-by-step advice that Kounen provides first-time ayahuasca users in the jungle. He describes how to prepare for the first ceremony and what to do in the days afterward. He explores how to deal with the nausea and details the special preparatory diets an ayahuasca shaman will put you on, often lasting for months but necessary for life-transforming results and teachings from the plant spirits. He also explains how it is far easier to maintain these restrictions in the jungle than in the city. Detailing his own ayahuasca experiences over hundreds of sessions, including a trip in 2009 when he underwent 17 ceremonies in 25 days, Kounen describes how ayahuasca transformed him. He tells of his meetings with Shipibo healers, including Kestenbetsa, who opened the doors of this world for him, and Panshin Beka, the shaman to whom Kounen became an apprentice. He details the many other plants and foods that are part of the ayahuasca healer’s medicine cabinet, such as toé and tobacco, as well as their icaros, or healing songs. A veritable “what to expect” guide, this book should be your first step prior to committing to ayahuasca.By cha Ni Lele. 2000
The first book to explore the sacred myths of Santería • Includes more than 100 myths, stories, and histories about…
the odu and the orishas • Reassembles the oral fragments from the African diaspora into coherent stories • Demonstrates that the African peoples, specifically the Yoruba, were deeply spiritual At the core of the diloggún--the sacred divination system of Santería--are the sacred stories known as the patakís, narratives whose themes are as powerful and relevant today as they were in the minds of the ancient Yoruba who safeguarded them. Each patakí is connected to one or more of the 16 odu, the principal creative forces of Santería. Some recount the lives of orishas on earth, others the lives of individuals in heaven, and some tell of the odu themselves, for even they once walked the earth as mortals. The first book to explore these ancient African stories in English, Teachings of the Santería Gods recounts more than 100 of these sacred parables, including many stories reassembled from the oral tradition of the African diaspora. Ranging from creation myths to what happens when a love potion works far too well, these stories share the wisdom and spirituality of the Yoruba people of ancient Africa and form the living, oral bible of one of the world’s fastest-growing faiths.By Mantak Chia, Kris Deva North. 2010
The shamanic roots of Taoist practice • Explains the principles of the Taoist Medicine Wheel, including the Five Elements, the…
animals of the Chinese zodiac, and the trigrams of the I Ching • Includes exercises from the “Wheel of Love” to access the Tao of Ecstasy • Contains illustrated teaching stories about the Eight Immortals Thousands of years ago the immortals known as the Shining Ones shipwrecked on the Chinese coast. Passing their shamanic practices--such as ecstatic flight and how to find power animals and spirit guides--on to the indigenous people, they also taught them the wisdom of the Medicine Wheel. From the Taoist Medicine Wheel came the principles of Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, the Eight Forces, the Chinese zodiac, and the I Ching. The Taoist Medicine Wheel can also be found at the foundation of traditional Chinese medicine and the esoteric sexual practices of Taoist Alchemy. In the Taoist Shaman, Master Mantak Chia and Kris Deva North explain the shamanic principles of the Taoist Medicine Wheel, how it is oriented on the Five Elements rather than the Four Directions, how it relates to the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac and the trigrams of the I Ching, and how it aligns with the Eight Forces of the Pakua. Through illustrated teaching stories, the authors show how the energetic principles of each of the Eight Forces are reflected in the Eight Immortals. Revealing the wheel’s application to sacred sexuality, they offer exercises from the “Wheel of Love” to strengthen and deepen relationships as well as providing a means to access the Tao of Ecstasy.