Shamanic Wisdomkeepers: Shamanism in the Modern World

by Tim Freke

All in color! Following the ancient religion of our ancestors, who took nature as their teacher, shamans have the power to heal, to receive visions, and to transcend their personal identities and become our representatives in the spirit world. Who are these shamans? What do they believe? What do they do? Here are the answers to those questions, in the actual words of some of the most remarkable human beings you'll ever encounter, along with stunning color photos of the shamans at work, at home, and in traditional ceremonies. Coming from around the world--from North and South America, Europe, West Africa, Australia, and Tibet--the shamans discuss their training, how they go about their work, what "magic" powers they possess, the importance of the non-material world, and how to keep ourselves healthy in body, mind, and spirit. Each voice is unique, each message inspiring, and the implications of what they say can save lives. Trim 8 1/4 x 10 5/8.

Genres: Nonfiction, Religion

144 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 1999

About the author

Timothy Freke has an honors degree in philosophy and is the author of more than twenty books on world spirituality. He lectures and runs experiential seminars throughout the world exploring gnosis. For information, see timothyfreke.com. Both Freke and Gandy live in England and are the authors of five previous books, including The Jesus Mysteries and Jesus and the Lost Goddess.

Reviews

[Kendra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short interview chapters with Shamans from different practices. Surprisingly detailed considering the book isn't very big, and an interesting read.

[Devika Koppikar · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book contained some fascinating information about the practice of shamanism and how traditional/tribal traditions see the world.

However, in keeping up with many of the shamans’ limited English, the book was poorly written. In this way, I think the editor, Timothy Freke, diminished the wisdom and knowledge the shamans had to share. I think the editor could have easily converted the sentence fragments and odd grammar into a more sophisticated and smoother piece. And, he could have done this without taking out the shamans’ voice.

The second thing that made me uncomfortable was the glorification of drug use. Yes, the shamans make it clear that it needs to be used very, very carefully, but unfortunately many Westerners, I think, run to these practices for the “high” rather than the knowledge, again diminishing the wisdom the shamans have to share.

Finally, I took this book along to a temp job involving children and teenagers, so as I was reading this, I had to cover the graphic pictures (National Geographic type).
I might check this book out again, but it would drive me crazy trying to read through the poor sentence grammar.

[RONALD PEYTON · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I learned - There are many different views as to what a shaman is. And there are many levels of expertise. Being a shaman is a life-long effort in being aware of what is going on around us and being sensitive to the needs of ourselves and others. The intent is to grow spiritually in depth and understanding of life and of love and to try and help our families, communities, the world, and nature to the best of our ability.