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The Time of the Black Jaguar: An Offering of Indigenous Wisdom for the Continuity of Life on Earth
The Time of the Black Jaguar speaks to the times of change that we are now living in. The insights contained in the book originate from ancient indigenous cultures. According to what the author learned from his elders, human beings always have a choice between the path of competition and the path of cooperation. The healing of the earth depends on the healing of humanity and will only become possible as we return to a relationship of cooperation with all of life. In order to do this we first need to return to ourselves, remembering our original, inherent wisdom. Indigenous people believe that we humans have all the necessary talents to be caretakers of Mother Earth. This book reveals our true capacities in a strong and clear way, offering the reader not only information, but a real opportunity to participate in the work that needs to be done to save our planet.
186 pages, Paperback
First published August 18, 2012
68 people are currently reading
496 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 14, 2021
I'm not even going to lie, what brought me to this book began with a vision I had while in an altered state of consciousness. In this altered state, I saw a vision of me morphing between the forms of myself, a human, and myself as a black jaguar. I spent a lot of time reflecting on the importance of that experience, but I never did fully understand it.
A few years later, I randomly come across "The Time of the Black Jaguar" and Arkan Lushwala's beautiful sharing of the wisdom contained within.
Well, based on the name alone, it was as if the Universe was sharing an opportunity with me, one that I could not simply ignore and that would help me better understand myself and the world we live in.
The messages shared are messages that humanity can and will benefit from. Heck, I typically don't even write reviews, but this read touched me on a lot of levels and gave me an opportunity to truly be aware of the way I live my life. For me, it's an important read, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to become a better human being -- I know I'll be reading this one again!
A few years later, I randomly come across "The Time of the Black Jaguar" and Arkan Lushwala's beautiful sharing of the wisdom contained within.
Well, based on the name alone, it was as if the Universe was sharing an opportunity with me, one that I could not simply ignore and that would help me better understand myself and the world we live in.
The messages shared are messages that humanity can and will benefit from. Heck, I typically don't even write reviews, but this read touched me on a lot of levels and gave me an opportunity to truly be aware of the way I live my life. For me, it's an important read, and I highly recommend it to anyone looking to become a better human being -- I know I'll be reading this one again!
February 12, 2021
Deep and insightful, this book has led me to the core of my being and has now become a book I will revisit throughout the rest of my life for many, many times. Me writing a review couldn't cover one bit of how profound this book is, therefore I strongly advise all the seekers to read it.
"Those who work with the method of doubt are like someone who shoots many arrows to see which one will hit the target. Those who work with the method of certainty of the heart have the discipline of someone who has only one arrow and only one moment between life and death. This is the moment of sacred power, the moment when the door is open and the choice has been made, the sacred time when all is possible. This mysterious time is the one used by Indigenous people to do “scientific research.”
"We use our creative talent to produce beautiful and nourishing vibrations. We use that within ourselves which is luminous like the Sun to configure our world in ways that are delightful for the spirits watching us. But the gardener is not superior to the plants, animals, and waters he takes care of on this Earth. For without water and plants, there would be no gardener."
"Those who work with the method of doubt are like someone who shoots many arrows to see which one will hit the target. Those who work with the method of certainty of the heart have the discipline of someone who has only one arrow and only one moment between life and death. This is the moment of sacred power, the moment when the door is open and the choice has been made, the sacred time when all is possible. This mysterious time is the one used by Indigenous people to do “scientific research.”
"We use our creative talent to produce beautiful and nourishing vibrations. We use that within ourselves which is luminous like the Sun to configure our world in ways that are delightful for the spirits watching us. But the gardener is not superior to the plants, animals, and waters he takes care of on this Earth. For without water and plants, there would be no gardener."
February 2, 2024
The beginning of the book was slow for me, but the pages went on the easier I found it to read - perhaps it was because the themes described towards the end of the book resonated with me more.
Some thoughts on the book:
- With which we become identified, we overvalue and empower.
- For everything that one receives, there is something to give in return.
- Sometimes we need destruction in our lives, only then we will make changes necessary and stop making excuses.
- While talking about change is good, it does not create change.
- Doubt weakens us and servs us as an excuse to be lazy, slow, indecisive, and to justify mistakes.
- What we want or love is not important: most important is cultivating good relationships.
Some thoughts on the book:
- With which we become identified, we overvalue and empower.
- For everything that one receives, there is something to give in return.
- Sometimes we need destruction in our lives, only then we will make changes necessary and stop making excuses.
- While talking about change is good, it does not create change.
- Doubt weakens us and servs us as an excuse to be lazy, slow, indecisive, and to justify mistakes.
- What we want or love is not important: most important is cultivating good relationships.
May 4, 2025
This book is fabulous.
P. iii
Haywaricuy- to hand someone something with tenderness
P.iii
We are spirit, and my brother asks you to remember who you are, to wake up to the beauty that is, and to honor the beauty of life at all times just as your ancestors once did a very long time ago.
P.iii-iv
…the essence of humanity can be one heartbeat, one movement of sacred direction! When we go against this direction we destroy. When we open to the spirit that we are and surrender to the sacred motion, then we prosper, we thrive, we love, and we live!
P7
Pachamama - Mother Earth
P8
IT seems to be that sometimes pain is needed in order for a change to happen.
P9
It is time to write stories for the new tribes that will populate this Earth, visions that will be the foundations of a healthy world where humans are open in their hearts and relaxed in their bodies, free to be dedicated to add beauty to the beauty that already exists.
—
Because of the love we feel for all people and for Mother Earth, in difficult times when so much destruction is happening we can also see a world full of opportunities. Our heart seeks to awaken an expansive spiritual power - the sacred inner power that will enable us to cooperate with others and change what seems to be impossible to change.
P10
ancient Andean indigenous culture (Peruvian?) and Lakota spiritual culture
P11
Tioshpaye - extended family (Lakota)
P12
Wambli- eagle
—
We see you Grandfather Eagle. You belong to what is high, and still you have the capacity to descend and bring blessings to us. We thank you for your medicine, your unlimited vision that allows you to guide us when we are walking without being able to see where we are going. We thank you for the gift of direction and the sense of peacefulness that you bring to us from the spirit world.
—-
The eagle has the gift of being able to see far away, the owl has the gift of seeing in the dark and in all directions, the hawk has the gift of being brave. What about us? Are we a mistake of Nature or do we also carry a sacred gift?
—
The best direction for us to take becomes clear when we remember who we are…
P13-17 story of how the world was created — very nice
“…they banged on the floor of nothingness calling it to become something…” (13)
“…became container of universal wisdom.”(14)
When they were… with others. (14-15)
…we have been lead… and empower. (16)
P17
Caral civilization
Pyramids
—
Recently, I returned to my grandmother‘s house after 25 long years. Something felt different in the house now that grandma had gone back to the stars…
P20
Our first grandfathers, far from being interested in greedy, conquering ventures, were occupied with adding beauty and power to the beautiful earth that gave them their bodies and the food and water that nourished them. Considering that they did not have any defensive structures or weapons, they must have always been open in their hearts and willing to share with others what they had.
—
Waka/wakas - a sacred place, a center of spiritual power and of ancestral memory
Ex: Caral, Chavin, Machu Picchu
P27-28
Ayni - the art of reciprocity
—
It manifests in great offering rituals, as well as in simple gestures of gratitude towards those who are a part of our life. For everything that one receives, there is something to give in return. In our “despachos” or “payments,” which are our ancient ceremonies of reciprocity, we offer to the Apuluna - the spirits of the mountains- and to the heart of Pachamama something similar to what we are requesting.
Haywaricuy (to hand something to someone with tenderness ) Runasimi - Quechua word of the Andes
P29
My older brother gave me many examples of generosity.
—
He didn’t let anything stay stuck in his hands; he made sure that everything kept circulating.
P30
Ate - father (Lakota)
Taku wakan skan skan -something that is sacred energy in permanent motion
All indigenous healers and also the common people know that illness is the product of some energy that got stuck. When ceasing to flow, it lost its vitality, it’s nourishing power, becoming the opposite: some kind of black hole that sucks all the energy around it destroying life. therefore, it wouldn’t be strange for an indigenous healer or a ceremonial leader to see greed, and the incapacity to share as illnesses. Any human attitude that prevents the universal energy to circulate freely is creating illness.
P31
Wopila - “gratitude” = give away ceremonies (Lakota)
reminds us that we do not want to be those who block the flow of the universal energy, which is meant to always be in motion. Sharing from the heart is what makes this motion stronger.
P34
Profundity
P40
How could we live without praying and giving things? We have the chance to continue being real human beings as long as we continue nourishing the sources that nourish everyone; this is true, even for the children of those who took the land by force. No one is excluded from our prayer. If we excluded anyone, then our prayer would not be real, and we would be ignoring what we learned: that no matter how we act, we are one.
P57
Natural resources = earth blessings
P59
In that moment, I became fully aware of the price of my convenience.
P61
Our Indigenous ancestors learned that the most important of all spiritual powers is what today people know as compassion, and it was mainly because of this that I chose to follow in their footsteps. Those who have the capacity to forgive, are able to clear their mind and see the truth: it is not what some “enemy” does to us that makes sense fall; it is the way we react.
The path of developing true compassion is very difficult, because you cannot let yourself become a victim or holding anger. You must become responsible for the condition of your own life, no matter what others do to you. You are called to develop a strong will to reduce your self-importance and keep caring for all life, Including those who have hurt you. And neither of these are moral obligations; they are just a possible path of freedom.
Wauncila- spiritual quality of compassion (Lakota)
P62
In the understanding of our ancestors, we humans can become greedy and selfish, and when this happens, these are the forces that drive our actions. We also can become afraid and angry, and then we feel entitled to live by winning battles against others. Our Indigenous culture encourage us to seek clear awakening of our Munay, so we may become good people instead of being destructive and harmful to others. This spiritual power, Munay (Runasimi) or Wauncila (Lakota) is the perfect compliment of capacities like vision and other strengths that are born from undertaking consistent spiritual practices. We do not want to develop personal power just to become superior or to have a good image or to always be able to get what we want. We mainly want to do it for the sake of serving our people and our Mother Earth in a strong and beautiful way. We also cultivate Munay to enjoy the experience of perceiving, with our heart, the wonderful presence of Spirit, as much as possible, in all that we do.
The compassion of the heart is the balance of personal power; we do well when we have both. To carry any kind of powerful weapon in our hands, we’re in our minds without having first awakens the sacred fire in our hearts makes us dangerous people.
P63
Munay- the will of the heart, love, wanting, power (Runasimi - language from Peru) - the immense power lives in the human heart that allows us to act in favor of what we love and what we want. For those who want to put it in a simpler way, it works to just say “compassion” or to just say “will”.
—
In the Andes, when we say “I love you,” we say “noka munani,” with this last word, “munani,” being a derivative of the word Munay. Which strikes me most about seeing it in the Runasimi language is that it doesn’t just mean “I love you.” it really means : “I have the Will and the power to love you “ as well as “there is compassion in my heart for you. “ even in this last case, when meaning compassion, it is not a passive form of compassion that just remains in one’s heart has a good feeling towards another. In truth, Munay is an active energy that makes compassion come together with the willpower that makes us in our love with tukuy sonkoy - or the whole heart - with courage and with a deep desire to serve another.
P64-67
X
P71
Yanapuma- black puma
Yanaotorongo - black jaguar
P72-73
My time to change had arrived. Looking at the dark ceiling of my bedroom for endless hours, I could clearly recognize old unhealthy patterns that I carried in my mind and behavior that now had to die, one way or another. I had been too slow and making the necessary changes in myself, procrastinating, making excuses, thinking that tomorrow I would have more time than today to give attention to my wounds, my resentments, my ego, my fears, and all the bad habits that came from them.
P73-74
For indigenous people… possible negotiation.
P76
It is sad… of this!”
P79
No matter… happiness back
P81
These difficult times… to change us.
P82
This is the time… does not know the impossible.
P87
The sacred valley of the Incas (Peru)
P88
Quena - Andean flute
P89-90
The next day was the… has changed.
P90-91
To change the reality… easily met.
P91-92
I believe that…perceiving it… of Spirit.
P92-93
On many occasions… continue living.
P94
I went to the fire… front of the fire.
P95 -96
Mayan calendar… no time… dreams and visions.
P97
Vision Quest
P98
Wakan Tanka..within us.
P98-99
In the Great Circle… instruments.
P99
Hanblecheya ceremony—- vision quest
P100
“I am going to… heart.”
P100-101
“When you have… to us.”
P101
Feminine magnetic wisdom
Electric masculine energy
It was about time… or anyone else.”
102
The man would then…of the women.”
P104-105
When there is awareness… men and women.
P107
Having full trust…human relationships.
P109
Our ancestors… all that they have.
P111
Cannunpa- sacred pipe
P117
When afraid of women…threatened by it.
P121
Taku wakan skan skan - something sacred in perpetual motion
The abyss of love
P123
Good thoughts are born in the heart
P125
If you do it…mistake.
P126
Know it in your heart.
To doubt is a sin.
The elders say that doubt is the only sin that exists.
P127
They always encouraged me to discover the truth on my own, with my own heart.
P133
States of doubt…consequences.
P134
Those who love deeply and want to take care of what they love decide to be disciplined. … heart.
P138
Elders teach… good relationships.
138-139
Tribal people… again.
P139
Runasimi (Quechua) - thank you -> urpiyay sonkoyay. (my little heart a little dove.).
The feminine nature is interested in, more than anything else, the truth and depth of the feelings that nourish relationships.
P141
In both… maximum.
P142
To define her…growing.
P143
To deeply understand…experiences.
P144
One of the big traps … mind.
We should never… they love.
P145
A fascinating life… a relationship.
P147
Inipi- sweat lodge ceremony
P148
(Without talking)
… to always do what… help immediately.
P149
The sense of the common good
Different from… health of everyone.
Happiness is not personal… love without fear?
P150
When a community… its face.
mature individuals… their world.
P151
One stops being… the circle.
Fear will… find together.
P153
… relationships of superiority…healthy.
P155
Pachamama (Runasimi) = wakan Tanka (Lakota)
P156
The feminine, Pachamama, the dragon, the sphinx and… common good.
P157
Do we use our…of perception
P158
When we are well tuned in, … of truth.
P159 Grandfather Eagle said… fly.
P163-164
To observe our… television shows.
P165
These people… from them.
P166
What else… been trapped?
most of all, … with Nature.
P171
There is no need… to come.
P172
What happens when… is this?
Glossary (p175-176)
P. iii
Haywaricuy- to hand someone something with tenderness
P.iii
We are spirit, and my brother asks you to remember who you are, to wake up to the beauty that is, and to honor the beauty of life at all times just as your ancestors once did a very long time ago.
P.iii-iv
…the essence of humanity can be one heartbeat, one movement of sacred direction! When we go against this direction we destroy. When we open to the spirit that we are and surrender to the sacred motion, then we prosper, we thrive, we love, and we live!
P7
Pachamama - Mother Earth
P8
IT seems to be that sometimes pain is needed in order for a change to happen.
P9
It is time to write stories for the new tribes that will populate this Earth, visions that will be the foundations of a healthy world where humans are open in their hearts and relaxed in their bodies, free to be dedicated to add beauty to the beauty that already exists.
—
Because of the love we feel for all people and for Mother Earth, in difficult times when so much destruction is happening we can also see a world full of opportunities. Our heart seeks to awaken an expansive spiritual power - the sacred inner power that will enable us to cooperate with others and change what seems to be impossible to change.
P10
ancient Andean indigenous culture (Peruvian?) and Lakota spiritual culture
P11
Tioshpaye - extended family (Lakota)
P12
Wambli- eagle
—
We see you Grandfather Eagle. You belong to what is high, and still you have the capacity to descend and bring blessings to us. We thank you for your medicine, your unlimited vision that allows you to guide us when we are walking without being able to see where we are going. We thank you for the gift of direction and the sense of peacefulness that you bring to us from the spirit world.
—-
The eagle has the gift of being able to see far away, the owl has the gift of seeing in the dark and in all directions, the hawk has the gift of being brave. What about us? Are we a mistake of Nature or do we also carry a sacred gift?
—
The best direction for us to take becomes clear when we remember who we are…
P13-17 story of how the world was created — very nice
“…they banged on the floor of nothingness calling it to become something…” (13)
“…became container of universal wisdom.”(14)
When they were… with others. (14-15)
…we have been lead… and empower. (16)
P17
Caral civilization
Pyramids
—
Recently, I returned to my grandmother‘s house after 25 long years. Something felt different in the house now that grandma had gone back to the stars…
P20
Our first grandfathers, far from being interested in greedy, conquering ventures, were occupied with adding beauty and power to the beautiful earth that gave them their bodies and the food and water that nourished them. Considering that they did not have any defensive structures or weapons, they must have always been open in their hearts and willing to share with others what they had.
—
Waka/wakas - a sacred place, a center of spiritual power and of ancestral memory
Ex: Caral, Chavin, Machu Picchu
P27-28
Ayni - the art of reciprocity
—
It manifests in great offering rituals, as well as in simple gestures of gratitude towards those who are a part of our life. For everything that one receives, there is something to give in return. In our “despachos” or “payments,” which are our ancient ceremonies of reciprocity, we offer to the Apuluna - the spirits of the mountains- and to the heart of Pachamama something similar to what we are requesting.
Haywaricuy (to hand something to someone with tenderness ) Runasimi - Quechua word of the Andes
P29
My older brother gave me many examples of generosity.
—
He didn’t let anything stay stuck in his hands; he made sure that everything kept circulating.
P30
Ate - father (Lakota)
Taku wakan skan skan -something that is sacred energy in permanent motion
All indigenous healers and also the common people know that illness is the product of some energy that got stuck. When ceasing to flow, it lost its vitality, it’s nourishing power, becoming the opposite: some kind of black hole that sucks all the energy around it destroying life. therefore, it wouldn’t be strange for an indigenous healer or a ceremonial leader to see greed, and the incapacity to share as illnesses. Any human attitude that prevents the universal energy to circulate freely is creating illness.
P31
Wopila - “gratitude” = give away ceremonies (Lakota)
reminds us that we do not want to be those who block the flow of the universal energy, which is meant to always be in motion. Sharing from the heart is what makes this motion stronger.
P34
Profundity
P40
How could we live without praying and giving things? We have the chance to continue being real human beings as long as we continue nourishing the sources that nourish everyone; this is true, even for the children of those who took the land by force. No one is excluded from our prayer. If we excluded anyone, then our prayer would not be real, and we would be ignoring what we learned: that no matter how we act, we are one.
P57
Natural resources = earth blessings
P59
In that moment, I became fully aware of the price of my convenience.
P61
Our Indigenous ancestors learned that the most important of all spiritual powers is what today people know as compassion, and it was mainly because of this that I chose to follow in their footsteps. Those who have the capacity to forgive, are able to clear their mind and see the truth: it is not what some “enemy” does to us that makes sense fall; it is the way we react.
The path of developing true compassion is very difficult, because you cannot let yourself become a victim or holding anger. You must become responsible for the condition of your own life, no matter what others do to you. You are called to develop a strong will to reduce your self-importance and keep caring for all life, Including those who have hurt you. And neither of these are moral obligations; they are just a possible path of freedom.
Wauncila- spiritual quality of compassion (Lakota)
P62
In the understanding of our ancestors, we humans can become greedy and selfish, and when this happens, these are the forces that drive our actions. We also can become afraid and angry, and then we feel entitled to live by winning battles against others. Our Indigenous culture encourage us to seek clear awakening of our Munay, so we may become good people instead of being destructive and harmful to others. This spiritual power, Munay (Runasimi) or Wauncila (Lakota) is the perfect compliment of capacities like vision and other strengths that are born from undertaking consistent spiritual practices. We do not want to develop personal power just to become superior or to have a good image or to always be able to get what we want. We mainly want to do it for the sake of serving our people and our Mother Earth in a strong and beautiful way. We also cultivate Munay to enjoy the experience of perceiving, with our heart, the wonderful presence of Spirit, as much as possible, in all that we do.
The compassion of the heart is the balance of personal power; we do well when we have both. To carry any kind of powerful weapon in our hands, we’re in our minds without having first awakens the sacred fire in our hearts makes us dangerous people.
P63
Munay- the will of the heart, love, wanting, power (Runasimi - language from Peru) - the immense power lives in the human heart that allows us to act in favor of what we love and what we want. For those who want to put it in a simpler way, it works to just say “compassion” or to just say “will”.
—
In the Andes, when we say “I love you,” we say “noka munani,” with this last word, “munani,” being a derivative of the word Munay. Which strikes me most about seeing it in the Runasimi language is that it doesn’t just mean “I love you.” it really means : “I have the Will and the power to love you “ as well as “there is compassion in my heart for you. “ even in this last case, when meaning compassion, it is not a passive form of compassion that just remains in one’s heart has a good feeling towards another. In truth, Munay is an active energy that makes compassion come together with the willpower that makes us in our love with tukuy sonkoy - or the whole heart - with courage and with a deep desire to serve another.
P64-67
X
P71
Yanapuma- black puma
Yanaotorongo - black jaguar
P72-73
My time to change had arrived. Looking at the dark ceiling of my bedroom for endless hours, I could clearly recognize old unhealthy patterns that I carried in my mind and behavior that now had to die, one way or another. I had been too slow and making the necessary changes in myself, procrastinating, making excuses, thinking that tomorrow I would have more time than today to give attention to my wounds, my resentments, my ego, my fears, and all the bad habits that came from them.
P73-74
For indigenous people… possible negotiation.
P76
It is sad… of this!”
P79
No matter… happiness back
P81
These difficult times… to change us.
P82
This is the time… does not know the impossible.
P87
The sacred valley of the Incas (Peru)
P88
Quena - Andean flute
P89-90
The next day was the… has changed.
P90-91
To change the reality… easily met.
P91-92
I believe that…perceiving it… of Spirit.
P92-93
On many occasions… continue living.
P94
I went to the fire… front of the fire.
P95 -96
Mayan calendar… no time… dreams and visions.
P97
Vision Quest
P98
Wakan Tanka..within us.
P98-99
In the Great Circle… instruments.
P99
Hanblecheya ceremony—- vision quest
P100
“I am going to… heart.”
P100-101
“When you have… to us.”
P101
Feminine magnetic wisdom
Electric masculine energy
It was about time… or anyone else.”
102
The man would then…of the women.”
P104-105
When there is awareness… men and women.
P107
Having full trust…human relationships.
P109
Our ancestors… all that they have.
P111
Cannunpa- sacred pipe
P117
When afraid of women…threatened by it.
P121
Taku wakan skan skan - something sacred in perpetual motion
The abyss of love
P123
Good thoughts are born in the heart
P125
If you do it…mistake.
P126
Know it in your heart.
To doubt is a sin.
The elders say that doubt is the only sin that exists.
P127
They always encouraged me to discover the truth on my own, with my own heart.
P133
States of doubt…consequences.
P134
Those who love deeply and want to take care of what they love decide to be disciplined. … heart.
P138
Elders teach… good relationships.
138-139
Tribal people… again.
P139
Runasimi (Quechua) - thank you -> urpiyay sonkoyay. (my little heart a little dove.).
The feminine nature is interested in, more than anything else, the truth and depth of the feelings that nourish relationships.
P141
In both… maximum.
P142
To define her…growing.
P143
To deeply understand…experiences.
P144
One of the big traps … mind.
We should never… they love.
P145
A fascinating life… a relationship.
P147
Inipi- sweat lodge ceremony
P148
(Without talking)
… to always do what… help immediately.
P149
The sense of the common good
Different from… health of everyone.
Happiness is not personal… love without fear?
P150
When a community… its face.
mature individuals… their world.
P151
One stops being… the circle.
Fear will… find together.
P153
… relationships of superiority…healthy.
P155
Pachamama (Runasimi) = wakan Tanka (Lakota)
P156
The feminine, Pachamama, the dragon, the sphinx and… common good.
P157
Do we use our…of perception
P158
When we are well tuned in, … of truth.
P159 Grandfather Eagle said… fly.
P163-164
To observe our… television shows.
P165
These people… from them.
P166
What else… been trapped?
most of all, … with Nature.
P171
There is no need… to come.
P172
What happens when… is this?
Glossary (p175-176)
September 2, 2020
I finished this book shortly after my precious cat, Riddle, passed away on September 1st. Love this book for so many reasons.
March 5, 2025
I don't actually know how to write something that means what I felt when I read this. It's like confirmation of so many of the things I've felt were true, but were not presented as options to me within my life experience.
This book is very clear, I believe that if you haven't read it and feel compelled to then it will have several ideas and synchronicities within it that will lend you the courage you might need to really step it up and start living differently, rather than waiting for the situation to change.
What a time to be alive. Grateful for this book, I have annotated it like the huge nerd that I am, and I am keeping it with me as long as it wants to be around. I have already been reasonably persistent at giving it a shoutout within my oracle readings because this book is directly related to the problems of myself and almost everyone I interact with.
____________
Additional Time of the Black Jaguar-related tangent:
I am realizing recently that while I thought I was developing a life that was more aligned with my real self, I was actually only conforming to industrial growth society, which is an unconscious (perhaps partially conscious?) death cult.
There is no way to make these systems life-affirming, even if you power them with "renewable energy." Pivot after pivot in my life has taken me further to the edges of the narrative where I am finding it more necessary to say the uncomfortable and shocking things, because they are really what I feel to be true.
I don't yet deliver the messages with the appropriate tone, softness, or clarity, but I'm practicing my communication skills anyway.
What I'm trying to do recently is take personal accountability for my choices, regardless of whether the correct choices were hidden from sight for me for a long time. Ultimately, I didn't find them because I only went looking for answers from sources that were not really looking outside the boxes of infinite growth, exploitation, colonialism, and extraction, and I take accountability for that.
As I am experiencing more of the truth-tellers who have been out there for years, decades, or centuries, I'm feeling much more at peace with the fact that I have never or rarely felt at home within my family, neighborhood, or society. I'm feeling more like many of the people around me probably have had this inner sense of not belonging to the way this world operates within the mainstream. I feel less like a lone wolf or a misunderstood person who is fated to suffer the fools around me. I'm understanding that everyone around me is also just an extremely traumatized human trying to survive, and that we were all colonized.
I became aware of this book through Gordon White, so thank you for that.
This book is very clear, I believe that if you haven't read it and feel compelled to then it will have several ideas and synchronicities within it that will lend you the courage you might need to really step it up and start living differently, rather than waiting for the situation to change.
What a time to be alive. Grateful for this book, I have annotated it like the huge nerd that I am, and I am keeping it with me as long as it wants to be around. I have already been reasonably persistent at giving it a shoutout within my oracle readings because this book is directly related to the problems of myself and almost everyone I interact with.
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Additional Time of the Black Jaguar-related tangent:
I am realizing recently that while I thought I was developing a life that was more aligned with my real self, I was actually only conforming to industrial growth society, which is an unconscious (perhaps partially conscious?) death cult.
There is no way to make these systems life-affirming, even if you power them with "renewable energy." Pivot after pivot in my life has taken me further to the edges of the narrative where I am finding it more necessary to say the uncomfortable and shocking things, because they are really what I feel to be true.
I don't yet deliver the messages with the appropriate tone, softness, or clarity, but I'm practicing my communication skills anyway.
What I'm trying to do recently is take personal accountability for my choices, regardless of whether the correct choices were hidden from sight for me for a long time. Ultimately, I didn't find them because I only went looking for answers from sources that were not really looking outside the boxes of infinite growth, exploitation, colonialism, and extraction, and I take accountability for that.
As I am experiencing more of the truth-tellers who have been out there for years, decades, or centuries, I'm feeling much more at peace with the fact that I have never or rarely felt at home within my family, neighborhood, or society. I'm feeling more like many of the people around me probably have had this inner sense of not belonging to the way this world operates within the mainstream. I feel less like a lone wolf or a misunderstood person who is fated to suffer the fools around me. I'm understanding that everyone around me is also just an extremely traumatized human trying to survive, and that we were all colonized.
I became aware of this book through Gordon White, so thank you for that.
December 30, 2024
This book came highly recommended, but what a disappointment. While I have nothing but respect for the wisdom of the traditions the author represents (South and North American Indigenous cultures), the book is overly simplistic.
Yes, there is something wrong with our society, and we need to reconnect with nature—absolutely. And paying attention to “alternative” worldviews seems not just important but critical—hell yes.
However, turning our backs on modern culture, rejecting Western civilization, and repeatedly opposing the wisdom of our elders to “bad, bad capitalism” is not the answer. I believe this burns bridges. The way forward isn’t backward. Cooperation and competition aren’t mutually exclusive, and we’re better than such oversimplifications.
The book’s simplicity also comes across as naïve. The author claims there was barely any war in the Americas before the Conquest, which feels historically inaccurate. The subjugated peoples who helped invading armies defeat the Aztecs did so for a reason. Greed, war, and power-lust aren’t uniquely “Western” traits—they’re part of human nature. Rejecting this dark side of humanity and ascribing it solely to “the enemy” while romanticizing a utopian past is counterproductive.
I wholeheartedly agree that we are supposed to be caretakers of the planet and that ritual plays a key role in this, but rejecting techno-capitalism and going back to barter? No, thank you.
Yes, there is something wrong with our society, and we need to reconnect with nature—absolutely. And paying attention to “alternative” worldviews seems not just important but critical—hell yes.
However, turning our backs on modern culture, rejecting Western civilization, and repeatedly opposing the wisdom of our elders to “bad, bad capitalism” is not the answer. I believe this burns bridges. The way forward isn’t backward. Cooperation and competition aren’t mutually exclusive, and we’re better than such oversimplifications.
The book’s simplicity also comes across as naïve. The author claims there was barely any war in the Americas before the Conquest, which feels historically inaccurate. The subjugated peoples who helped invading armies defeat the Aztecs did so for a reason. Greed, war, and power-lust aren’t uniquely “Western” traits—they’re part of human nature. Rejecting this dark side of humanity and ascribing it solely to “the enemy” while romanticizing a utopian past is counterproductive.
I wholeheartedly agree that we are supposed to be caretakers of the planet and that ritual plays a key role in this, but rejecting techno-capitalism and going back to barter? No, thank you.
January 27, 2022
This book will truly hold a place in my heart, and I know i'll come back to it. I've developed a deep most respect and admiration for Indigenous tribes, I truly agree with their views on the human race and their deep and unconditional love for pachamamma. Since i've been doing healing work with plant medicine and building connections with plant spirits, I was craving to have a deeper understanding of the way of the Indigenous. Arkan explains in a perfect way the dynamics of masculine and feminine that occur within ourselves and within nature, and how the feminine is suffering on the planet. We need balance between the two to achieve nirvana. At the end of the day, love is truly the answer. No matter how our society is conditioning us to think, there is no war, no competition, no accumulation of the highest wealth that at the end of the day won't leave us all feeling empty, and lost inside. There is no food chain of hierarchy. Humans, animals, nature, can all live harmoniously on this planet together for the continuation of life on Earth.
Read this book for a deeper understanding of our Mother and yourself.
Read this book for a deeper understanding of our Mother and yourself.
September 10, 2017
At this time when the West is on fire and the South is under water, we need to be listening to the messages Mother Earth is sending to us. The Time of the Black Jaguar is a guide for honoring all around us and our part in it. One of the most important observations is that we have lost our ability to dream our own dreams because of TV and media. We need to begin again to create our own visions of the world we want to live in and leave to our children and grandchildren.
January 18, 2021
I rated 4 stars more for the message within the book than the writing. It's a style I got tired of at times, concepts were dragged on a bit and for some reasons I found the pace very slow. Still, this didn't take anything away from the ideas spread by the author: it was an extremely insightful reading and some times it brought me to tears. The wisdom shared in the book is extremely relevant, especially right now, and incredibly important in these times of change and crisis.
March 20, 2021
A wonderful bridge towards indigenous culture and the western one. A very needed book in this moment defined by the author as a “time of renewal” in which spirituality (not only intended as religion) is missing and deeply needed to bring our species to a true, natural step forward in our evolutionary process.
I would definitely suggest all of you to read this amazing anthem about human’s natural potential to drag from it hope and astonishing insights about our skills as regenerative creatures.
I would definitely suggest all of you to read this amazing anthem about human’s natural potential to drag from it hope and astonishing insights about our skills as regenerative creatures.
January 19, 2020
My favorite book read of 2016 and re-read several times since. Its humble wisdom inspires me and challenges me to be more connected with others and with the Earth, for which I am truly grateful. Themes of healing and cooperation abound. I purchased five copies of this gem for gifting to others. Highly recommended.
May 4, 2022
An excellent explanation of indigenous wisdom relating to the precarious times we are now in, and how acting whole-heartedly and collaboratively may help us see the dawning of a new age on earth. Arkan speaks frankly from his personal experience about the wisdom he has acquired from connection with animal spirits and ancient practices.
January 29, 2020
The Time of the Black Jaguar is a deep insight into a closer walk of Shamans and their deep loving connections to nature. It is an easy read, well-written, and naturally informative. If you are a person who is exploring your own spiritual path, this is a good book for you to read.
November 18, 2020
Unexpected delight, moved to tears
I did not expect the words of this Peruvian elder to move me to tears but not only that it's wisdom has given me hope. I cannot express enough my gratitude for this concise, compact vision of the future that is ruled by the wisdom of the heart.
I did not expect the words of this Peruvian elder to move me to tears but not only that it's wisdom has given me hope. I cannot express enough my gratitude for this concise, compact vision of the future that is ruled by the wisdom of the heart.
August 9, 2020
Really insightful, learned a lot.
A good read for anybody wanting to learn about who we really are and the times we are in now.
A good read for anybody wanting to learn about who we really are and the times we are in now.
August 9, 2020
Beautiful. Relevant. Important.
May 22, 2022
This book is an excellent read. Short and succinct, yet offers many blessings and insightful stories in every chapter.
September 4, 2023
2012. Amazing, wise, far-sighted, I can't think of enough good words to describe this book. The author was born in Peru and received the teaching of his ancestors there, and then was later adopted by a Lakota family in the U.S., did a vision quest, and was trained in the ways of his adopted tradition, too. His book expresses love of the earth, the connectedness of all things, and a vision for the future that includes respect and gratitude for all people, animals, plants, and in fact the earth as one, whole living creature. I highly recommend this book!
I've finished reading it a second time. I just love this book.
I've finished reading it a second time. I just love this book.
April 26, 2013
Loved this! Such a good reminder for us to remember and honor the Earth and all living things.
April 22, 2017
Amazing
May 1, 2017
I bought this book because I dreamed about a black jaguar, and the book did not fail me. It explains how the time of the black jaguar is when we are between the old story and the new one, when we can't tell what is coming. The new time could be good or very bad--the black jaguar is here to encourage us to make it better by showing us the path of cooperation and love. I found the book inspirational. I will reread it in the future, though I immediately gave the book away so others could learn from it.
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