The Witch's Dream: A Healer's Way of Knowledge

by Florinda Donner, Carlos Castaneda (Foreword by)

This is the extraordinary account of Donner-Grau's experiences with doña Mercedes, an aged healer in a remote Venezuelan town known for its spiritualists, sorcerers, and mediums.

Genres: Spirituality, Anthropology, Nonfiction, Biography, Witchcraft, Magick, Occult

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1985

Reviews

[Kathryn Harriet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still processing, but I am certain I got out of it what I was supposed to because I kept passing out while reading it.

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

After discovering the works of Carlos Castaneda I moved on to Florinda Donner. Both authors contributed to broadening my conceptions of spirituality, religion and people of other cultures.

[Jezebel Jorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an autobiographical account of the author's experiences in a remote Venezuelan town renowned for its sorcerers and mediums. Here Florinda worked as the assistant of Dona Mercedes, an old healer, witnessing the power of true healing, and leading to their mutual self-discovery.

If you are on your own journey of self-discovery it's a very interesting and thought provoking read.

[Gaze Santos · Rating 3 out of 5]

For those who have followed Carlos Casteneda and Don Juan Matus, this will be familiar territory. And this comes as no surprise when you learn that the writer, Florinda Donner-Grau, was a disciple Casteneda. This book follows the literary formula that was established by Casteneda very closely. That of a westerner with roots in Latin America seeking spiritual wisdom from a local sorcerer. This is not to say that the book is not without its own idiosyncrasies. The Witch's Dream seems to read easier than Carlos Casteneda's books, which often get bogged down in ethnobotanic and anthropological observation. Although Florinda Donner-Grau also claims to be a fellow anthropologist, she approaches the book more as a story rather than field observation. The book also employs an interesting literary device in which it switches narrative from Donner-Grau's first person to third person when someone else is telling their story. It's an interesting effect. As to the authenticity of the events told in the book, one can only speculate. It is the same as Carlos Casteneda in this regard in that maybe Don Juan and Mercedes Peralta were never really real people at all. The wisdom contained in these books are often timeless and universal, yet dressed up in the latest "ancient" fad. Much like the Celesine Prophecy series, these books fit very well into "Ancient Wisdom" rediscovered genre. Which is to say... another entertaining self-help book.

[A. Tristán · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came across this book while thrifting many years ago. I bought it thinking I would read it as soon as a I got home but kept putting it off for years. It had been collecting dust on my bookshelf and to the point where I was ready to just dump it back into my donate pile. I had never felt ready to read it until now. I surprisingly know nothing of don Juan Matus or Carlos Castañeda so I went into reading this completely blind. Growing up latinx myself, I believe in curanderos y brujas and all of the mysticism, but I don’t know if I truly see this book as fact. I loved it from a storytelling perspective but my mind instantly kept reading this as fiction. Though it could be my own disassociation and detachment from reality. I want to believe these stories are real. Maybe they are. Regardless, the switching between first- and third-person really made this much more enjoyable and allowed for other people’s stories to be told without erasing the identity of the person the author was interacting with. This turned out to be such an easy read. Why did I wait this long?

[Ppaolo Rizzo · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful book. Well told tales of magic (realism? it does not really matter..)that make Garcia Marquez look pale in comparison.

[Fussnik · Rating 5 out of 5]

I still have my copy from 1985. the other day I reached for it. No idea how many times it's moved through me. I guess I'll be buried with the set of 12 books. I find them to be very valuable.

Florinda was one of the students of Casteneda who disappeared completely the day after he died. Either you are open to unexpected views of what life consists of, or you are not.

[Merciful · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this when it first came out.
Re-reading it now.

Good stuff! Recommended for all, but especially those who enjoyed Carlos Castenada's Don Juan books. Carlos wrote the forward to this, in fact.

[Roxana · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a little confusing in some parts. Probably why it took me a while to finish it. It has some great insights, if you're interested in anthropology and the "witches' way". I'm hoping for more from her other books.

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

A follower attempts to capitalize on the infamy of Castaneda's abusive cult of personality.

[Martinxo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Oh my, this book was a disappointment... Angela was right.

[Anita · Rating 3 out of 5]

Weird to think all these women suicided when Castaneda died.

[Hotske]

I found this book much more accessible than Castaneda, generally.

[Martin Hassman · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kniha mi byla bližší než celá série o Donu Juanovi od Castanedy, skrz kterou jsem se k téhle knize dostal.

[Di · Rating 3 out of 5]

Didn't finish... A bit dull and hard to get into

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three and one-half stars.

[jen ♦ · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a 3.5 star...

[Marc Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Witch's Dream is a fascinating and insightful book that provides readers with a unique perspective on the healing process. Donner's writing is engaging and easy to follow, and her use of stories and examples makes complex concepts accessible to a wide audience. This book is essential reading for anyone interested in alternative approaches to health and wellness, and I highly recommend it to anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the human body and mind. Thanks to this book, I now have a greater appreciation for the interconnectedness of all things, and I am better equipped to care for myself and others. I also have found myself to be affected by a witch's shadow and my own "wheel of chance" changed, during the time I happened to read and finish this book.

[Angela Natividad · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got so much from this little volume, but like a previous commenter, I'm still processing it. Ultimately, it's very cool to read a shaman-apprentice perspective from women. Some learnings are the same. But there are key differences in approach, outlook and just overall feel that bring a critical nuance to the process of understanding the larger patterns in our relationships with living beings, and how we can sometimes impact them (or, at the very least, recognise them in order to get out of their way).

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating journey of a woman on the warrior path. Florinda Donner-Grau learns about the Spiritual life of not just witches, but of mediums and healers, particularly in Venezuela. This is not "black magic," but more a sense of opening the mind and heart to new directions. As she states, "Witches have a particular way of understanding the mysteries of fate."

[Rosa E. Martínez Colón · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book several times and I learn more each time. This time I started reading it during a difficult period in my life and the idea of creating our own links to move our wheel of chance resonated a lot. Loved the stories and teachings. Great book.

[Dashiell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt trapped in the middle of this book in Vegas ...when I lost my mind a bit...trapped like in a web... at the risk of sounding trite...it felt like actual sorcery.

Stories you won't forget...like the one with the dogs...will haunt you. One of my favorites

[Stephen Saffin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book, can recommend.

[Yordanka Almaguer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ni brujería, ni literatura ni antropología, mala copia de los libros de Castaneda... y mucha duda de que ni siquiera haya conocido personalmente a alguna espiritista o bruja venezolana.

[Seajay · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to love it as much as CC's ouevre. There's nothing in this for me.

[Oz Ortega · Rating 1 out of 5]

No lo que esperaba. Un montón de historias sin pies ni cabeza, no queda claro qué es lo que desea demostrar

[David Parker · Rating 3 out of 5]

The warrior's way: not to surrender means freedom, that not to feel self-important breeds an indomitable fierceness, and that to vanquish moral judgments brings an all-soothing humbleness that is not servitude.

[Karol Coopman · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a beautiful book about shamanism / witchcraft initiation. Doña Mercedes Peralta is a noble master for "Musuiá" through a profound journey of self discovery, both as a medium and healer. I really enjoyed it💗

[✯❁Lydia❁✯ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Es una novela interesante, si tienes un poco de curiosidad en el ámbito de la brujería y lo espiritual.
Puede resultar pesado de leer.

[Judith the Book Gobbler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sure made a larger impact the second time...or have I matured?