Today, many people are examining the traditions of American indigenous peoples as a guide to their spirituality. Virtually all of the Native American traditions have been explored, except for the spiritual system of Hawaii. Hawaiian Magic & Spirituality (previously published as Hawaiian Religion and Magic) by famed author Scott Cunningham changes this for good. Now you can discover the real secrets of Hawaii! In this book Cunningham shares all he learned in his many trips to Hawaii. You'll learn about the kahunas, keepers of ancient Hawaiian wisdom. You'll learn about Mana, the mystical energy within humans, animals, plants, and certain places. Mana can be used for everything from magic and healing to praying and fishing. How do you use it? You'll find out here! The gods and goddesses were an important part of Hawaiian life. In this book you'll find out about many of them, from Pele, goddess of volcanoes, to Ku, god of fishing. You'll get complete information on over 60 of the deities of Hawaii. Cunningham also covers the secrets of the magic of Hawaii. He shares the techniques of spell casting and divination, along with the secrets of Hawaiian plants. He also describes the way these plants were used for healing. If you are looking for more information about an ancient culture that is now being lost to the incursion of Western society, you'll want this book. If you want to find out about the history of Hawaii, this book is for you, too. Today, many people are searching for a spiritual system that is right for them. Some look to the East. Perhaps the answer to their search ― perhaps the answer to your search ― is in one of the United States. You owe it to yourself to find out!
Scott Douglas Cunningham was an American writer. Cunningham is the author of several books on Wicca and various other alternative religious subjects. His work Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, is one of the most successful books on Wicca ever published; he was a friend of notable occultists and Wiccans such as Raymond Buckland, and was a member of the Serpent Stone Family, and received his Third Degree Initiation as a member of that coven.
Scott Cunningham most noted for his works on Wicca and witchcraft had spent considerable time in Hawaii and became enamored with the culture. What follows is an informative easy to read book that gives the reader insight into some of the ways of Hawaii's spirituality. At best the book An in depth overview that could leave one hungering for more. Fortunately for those with more than a passing interest there is a nice sized bibliography in the back .
While much of Hawaiian spirituality may have been lost with the coming of Christian missionaries there is still plenty that remains. I am willing to wager that Scott Cunningham knew more then what he put in the pages and the potential magician may have found a world view that he or she can apply to their magic but the book is sparse I magical techniques. Still it provides a very enjoyable and informative read.
Some of the subjects discussed are the history of the Hawaiian people and their deities. Most known is Pele but there are others and they are known as the akua. The amakua are the deified ancencestors Hawiian families. Sometimes the Amakua take in animal forms or simply appear to guide their descendants. Kapu were prohibitions or taboos. If a certain families amakua came back as sharks it would be forbidden fir that family to eat sharks. Not all the deceased became amakua. Some ghosts found their way to the after life by finding to right cliff to dive off of. Those that did not find their way remained to haunt others and steal their food ,
Chiefs were called Ulii and were considered to have possessed more mana then regular people . People did not defile their shadow and oft time prostrated themselves before the chief. The chief like others had their clothing guarded so sorcerers could not curse them . On fact every one protected their cothing. Kahunas were priests or experts. Beneath them were prophets. After that were the common folk .
The Hawaiians believed that everything possessed mana or life energy. Different types of people had differnt types as did plants, animals and stones.
The book discussed some sacrifice to the gods for different thing. It also discussed magical uses for stones and plants. The lunar month and important days was elaborated upon and the astrology was touched upon.
The book serves as a nice introduction into Hawaiian spirituality .
Gives a good picture of what life was like in Hawaii at different points in its history, and how religion was part of everyday activities, not separated off into special times and places. Learned a lot about the broader scope of spiritual life by looking at one ancient tradition. Author describes well the cross-cultural differences, dispelling some of the misunderstandings Westerners often have about more “primitive” religions, giving a fuller, deeper understanding of the positive and negative aspects of the culture.