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Smoke Hole: Looking to the Wild in the Time of the Spyglass
Through the Smoke Hole, we will find beauty in the wild. Through the Smoke Hole, we will escape the gaze of the Spyglass and find ourselves.
Assailed by seductive promises and controlled by social media, we are losing our sense of direction. We are losing ourselves. We have networks, not communities.
At a time when we are all confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our lives - identity, technology, trust, love, politics and global pandemic, celebrated mythologist and wilderness guide Martin Shaw delivers Smoke Hole three metaphors for the modern world - a commons of imagination. Let us journey together, and these stories be your ally - hold them in your pocket, breathe deeper, feel steadier and become acquainted with rapture.
Assailed by seductive promises and controlled by social media, we are losing our sense of direction. We are losing ourselves. We have networks, not communities.
At a time when we are all confronted by not one, but many crossroads in our lives - identity, technology, trust, love, politics and global pandemic, celebrated mythologist and wilderness guide Martin Shaw delivers Smoke Hole three metaphors for the modern world - a commons of imagination. Let us journey together, and these stories be your ally - hold them in your pocket, breathe deeper, feel steadier and become acquainted with rapture.
144 pages, Hardcover
First published May 20, 2021
48 people are currently reading
855 people want to read
About the author
Martin Shaw
22 books395 followersDr Martin Shaw is an acclaimed teacher of myth. Author of the award-winning Mythteller trilogy (A Branch from the Lightning Tree, Snowy Tower, Scatterlings), he founded the Oral Tradition and Mythic Life courses at Stanford University, whilst being director of the Westcountry School of Myth in the UK.
He has introduced thousands of people to mythology and how it penetrates modern life. For twenty years Shaw has been a wilderness rites of passage guide, working with at-risk youth, the sick, returning veterans and many women and men seeking a deeper life.
His translations of Gaelic poetry and folklore (with Tony Hoagland) have been published in Orion Magazine, Poetry International, Kenyon Review, Poetry Magazine and the Mississippi Review.
Shaw’s most recent books include The Night Wages, Cinderbiter, Wolf Milk, Courting the Wild Twin, All Those Barbarians, Wolferland and his Lorca translations, Courting the Dawn (with Stephan Harding). His essay and conversation with Ai Weiwei on myth and migration was released by the Marciano Arts foundation.
For more on Martin Shaw’s work:
cistamystica.com | drmartinshaw.com | schoolofmyth.com | martinshaw.substack.com
He has introduced thousands of people to mythology and how it penetrates modern life. For twenty years Shaw has been a wilderness rites of passage guide, working with at-risk youth, the sick, returning veterans and many women and men seeking a deeper life.
His translations of Gaelic poetry and folklore (with Tony Hoagland) have been published in Orion Magazine, Poetry International, Kenyon Review, Poetry Magazine and the Mississippi Review.
Shaw’s most recent books include The Night Wages, Cinderbiter, Wolf Milk, Courting the Wild Twin, All Those Barbarians, Wolferland and his Lorca translations, Courting the Dawn (with Stephan Harding). His essay and conversation with Ai Weiwei on myth and migration was released by the Marciano Arts foundation.
For more on Martin Shaw’s work:
cistamystica.com | drmartinshaw.com | schoolofmyth.com | martinshaw.substack.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
September 8, 2024
4.75 ⭐️ — Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.
Smokehole is also a deep, deep rabbit hole. Martin Shaw’s mind-bending narrative gives the reader an exploration of their own psyche and the end result is — **insert superlative** — This is no trick, it’s a clear and concisely derived consequence that Shaw has carefully and wonderfully orchestrated, and it’s a rollercoaster ride of an experience.
Once you enter the Smoke hole there’s no turning back. The message is clear as crystal, but it’s as if viewed through a magnifying glass that has been smoked in wood-chips, and no matter how had you squint, wipe the lens, that crystal clear world Shaw has created will only become clear once the book is finished.. where you’ll then ponder if the magnifying glass was smoked in wood-chips at all in the first place. Confused? Well that’s exactly where he wants you! Time is but a modern-invention, the atom — when observed — alters its behaviour!
A brilliant, burning, gritty social commentary — Smoke Hole is an exercise in diminished capacity, blended with the ever expanding awareness that comes with understanding that you are reading about the very real and jaunting experience of today’s observer.
Wonderfully composed, never rushed yet never ill-paced, this is a thinking-humans book, that not only stays with you but grows in your consciousness exponentially day-by-day until you are ready to receive it’s true gift..
Bravo, Mr Shaw. What a brilliant read, that only improves upon scattered re-reading.
#smokehole #Netgalley
Smokehole is also a deep, deep rabbit hole. Martin Shaw’s mind-bending narrative gives the reader an exploration of their own psyche and the end result is — **insert superlative** — This is no trick, it’s a clear and concisely derived consequence that Shaw has carefully and wonderfully orchestrated, and it’s a rollercoaster ride of an experience.
Once you enter the Smoke hole there’s no turning back. The message is clear as crystal, but it’s as if viewed through a magnifying glass that has been smoked in wood-chips, and no matter how had you squint, wipe the lens, that crystal clear world Shaw has created will only become clear once the book is finished.. where you’ll then ponder if the magnifying glass was smoked in wood-chips at all in the first place. Confused? Well that’s exactly where he wants you! Time is but a modern-invention, the atom — when observed — alters its behaviour!
A brilliant, burning, gritty social commentary — Smoke Hole is an exercise in diminished capacity, blended with the ever expanding awareness that comes with understanding that you are reading about the very real and jaunting experience of today’s observer.
Wonderfully composed, never rushed yet never ill-paced, this is a thinking-humans book, that not only stays with you but grows in your consciousness exponentially day-by-day until you are ready to receive it’s true gift..
Bravo, Mr Shaw. What a brilliant read, that only improves upon scattered re-reading.
#smokehole #Netgalley
September 24, 2021
Such a beautiful book is a rare thing. As others have written, Smoke Hole looks at three myths and how they are just as relevant today as they were when originally told. That is the power of myth - its ability to provide a message that transcends time. One of the myths is the Handless Maiden, which is also told in Women Who Run with the Wolves. While I struggled with Women (because the same detail is picked apart for pages at length, which got a bit tedious), Smoke Hole provides the metaphor and a jumping off point for your own brain to do the thinking. How does these myths relate to me when told through the spyglass of today? Can I put that spyglass down and inspire others to do so?
I reread passages and sentences to allow the words permeate. The words in Smoke Hole are more than words - they are lingering like a fine wine or chocolate and will simmer and evolve in my mind as the subtleties come to the surface in the coming weeks, months, and years. I can see returning to the book at different points in my life, as I gain different life experiences.
I reread passages and sentences to allow the words permeate. The words in Smoke Hole are more than words - they are lingering like a fine wine or chocolate and will simmer and evolve in my mind as the subtleties come to the surface in the coming weeks, months, and years. I can see returning to the book at different points in my life, as I gain different life experiences.
January 27, 2024
Awestruck.
This just simply couldn’t be better.
Eerily and uncannily timely and timeless.
Meditative and medicinal.
Less like a mindfulness app.
More like a getting seriously lost in the wilderness at night.
Less like medical weed.
More like a medicine man.
Full of grief and hope, and extremely appropriate trepidation.
Martin Shaw is TOO GOOD.
This just simply couldn’t be better.
Eerily and uncannily timely and timeless.
Meditative and medicinal.
Less like a mindfulness app.
More like a getting seriously lost in the wilderness at night.
Less like medical weed.
More like a medicine man.
Full of grief and hope, and extremely appropriate trepidation.
Martin Shaw is TOO GOOD.
May 28, 2021
Reading Martin Shaw is like drinking a pistachio steamer by a fireplace on a snowy day.
September 11, 2025
Martin Shaw gebruikt (vaak keltische) mythische volksverhalen om onze huidige tijd te duiden. Dat concept spreekt me wel aan; ik geloof dat (mythische) verhalen en metaforen geweldige middelen zijn om abstracte concepten beter te begrijpen op een manier die wordt platgeslagen met je gemiddelde non-fictie. Ik kon de boodschap waarderen, maar vond ik de uitleg vaak wat vergezocht – bijna krampachtige pogingen om elementen uit de verhalen te relateren aan de uitdagingen van onze tijd. Ik dacht net iets te vaak bij mezelf 'tsja, op deze manier kan ik het ook wel.' Helaas.
Al met al toch wel een creatief boek, met ideeën die het waard zijn om de wereld in te slingeren, maar wat te fluffy en wollig voor mij. Misschien geef ik een van zijn andere boeken nog een kans.
Al met al toch wel een creatief boek, met ideeën die het waard zijn om de wereld in te slingeren, maar wat te fluffy en wollig voor mij. Misschien geef ik een van zijn andere boeken nog een kans.
December 1, 2021
A book for people who have wandered, lost, in the dark forest. Right to the heart of the experience of living.
February 1, 2023
Well, here goes:
This is a short book recounting three assumingly ancient myths with commentary explaining (or more accurately hinting at explaining) how these myths, and by extension myths in general, can be relevant and guiding in today’s effed up world. I had never heard these myths before reading this book (“The Handless Maiden”, “The Bewitched Process”, and “The Spyglass”) which makes the selection a mystifying choice; in order for myths to be widely instructive people would need to generally know about these myths. That seems foundational.
This leads to my first complaint. This book’s effect, intended or not, is overly focused on changing the individual, not the greater world. Basically, everyone in the world would need to read this book for it to have any meaningful effect.
Ignoring that nit, what is the book telling us (I mean “me”) to do?
Basically to get off social media, perhaps start using DuckDuckGo, and to in other ways disentangle oneself from the digital metaverse (plus, very specifically, go on a vision quest (guided by Dr. Shaw!) in the woods for a few days without food). Most of this seems pretty elementary to anyone who’s paying attention (except the vision quest thing which is admittedly bespoke but probably a very profound experience).
I suppose it’s key to note that I have no idea who Dr. Marin Shaw is. I note that because I suspect many of the 5-star reviews are from true believers and are likely giving this 5 stars for the man (perhaps even the myth of the man), not necessarily the substance of this book. On the other hand, I'm probably wrong. But that's how myths are.
This is a short book recounting three assumingly ancient myths with commentary explaining (or more accurately hinting at explaining) how these myths, and by extension myths in general, can be relevant and guiding in today’s effed up world. I had never heard these myths before reading this book (“The Handless Maiden”, “The Bewitched Process”, and “The Spyglass”) which makes the selection a mystifying choice; in order for myths to be widely instructive people would need to generally know about these myths. That seems foundational.
This leads to my first complaint. This book’s effect, intended or not, is overly focused on changing the individual, not the greater world. Basically, everyone in the world would need to read this book for it to have any meaningful effect.
Ignoring that nit, what is the book telling us (I mean “me”) to do?
Basically to get off social media, perhaps start using DuckDuckGo, and to in other ways disentangle oneself from the digital metaverse (plus, very specifically, go on a vision quest (guided by Dr. Shaw!) in the woods for a few days without food). Most of this seems pretty elementary to anyone who’s paying attention (except the vision quest thing which is admittedly bespoke but probably a very profound experience).
I suppose it’s key to note that I have no idea who Dr. Marin Shaw is. I note that because I suspect many of the 5-star reviews are from true believers and are likely giving this 5 stars for the man (perhaps even the myth of the man), not necessarily the substance of this book. On the other hand, I'm probably wrong. But that's how myths are.
January 4, 2026
Refreshingly different from anything else. I've heard about Martin Shaw on a podcast and am pleased to have gotten hold of this book. I will be reading more of his stuff.
"Kick the robbers out of the house. Take your imagination back."
"Kick the robbers out of the house. Take your imagination back."
April 22, 2024
First heard about Martin Shaw on a podcast about importance of storytelling & how our old stories r so important for us today for passing down knowledge and wisdom and spiritual well-being etc etc etc and this book is all about it, tldr Martin is so cool can’t wait to read more of his stuff 🙏 he has modern day Bard vibez 🙏
February 19, 2021
Thank you to Netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Shaw’s gift is his storytelling and his ability to use myth to explore and illuminate our lives today. In this book, he uses three stories to examine the current climate we face, where we are so ‘networked but not connected’, over-stimulated but losing imagination, distant from others and, most crucially, ourselves.
If you struggle with metaphor then this might not be the book for you. Shaw talks about his deep love of metaphor and the richness and layers that come from looking at truth through the eyes of a story rather than simple fact on paper. I am much the same way and so found real depth in his writings. Whereas, someone who doesn’t enjoy a metaphor perhaps would struggle to look through the layers of language and find meaning for themselves.
I found Shaw’s actual writing beautifully lyrical. I found myself rereading sections over, not just because of the ‘thunk’ I felt in my soul as some truth resounded but because his way with words is poetic and I wanted to read it slower and enjoy morsel.
I’m still processing this book. I've returned to sections I highlighted and am doing further research into myths and ancient rituals Shaw mentioned. I felt I needed to do that to have a more solid understanding of some terminology he used that I felt clueless about or simply because something intrigued me and I want to know more. I certainly feel drawn to reading more about smoke holes and spyglasses! As much as I loved it, there were sections that I didn’t connect with, concur with, or find resonance in. But I expect that in a good book; I want the voices different from mine and that I don’t always agree with.
Shaw’s gift is his storytelling and his ability to use myth to explore and illuminate our lives today. In this book, he uses three stories to examine the current climate we face, where we are so ‘networked but not connected’, over-stimulated but losing imagination, distant from others and, most crucially, ourselves.
If you struggle with metaphor then this might not be the book for you. Shaw talks about his deep love of metaphor and the richness and layers that come from looking at truth through the eyes of a story rather than simple fact on paper. I am much the same way and so found real depth in his writings. Whereas, someone who doesn’t enjoy a metaphor perhaps would struggle to look through the layers of language and find meaning for themselves.
I found Shaw’s actual writing beautifully lyrical. I found myself rereading sections over, not just because of the ‘thunk’ I felt in my soul as some truth resounded but because his way with words is poetic and I wanted to read it slower and enjoy morsel.
I’m still processing this book. I've returned to sections I highlighted and am doing further research into myths and ancient rituals Shaw mentioned. I felt I needed to do that to have a more solid understanding of some terminology he used that I felt clueless about or simply because something intrigued me and I want to know more. I certainly feel drawn to reading more about smoke holes and spyglasses! As much as I loved it, there were sections that I didn’t connect with, concur with, or find resonance in. But I expect that in a good book; I want the voices different from mine and that I don’t always agree with.
November 17, 2022
The myth-teller's answer to the pandemic. I love this book very much.
December 3, 2022
This gave me the same comfort and piece of human solution to the mortal coil as both myth of sis. And passion of GH without making it an almost prohibitively hard work to read 🧘🏻♀️
Equally as beautiful, valuable, and instructional as those two & all the more brilliant for democratizing those same truths for the whole world! Not just aspiring elitist pseudo-intellectuals (me) willing to climb the density and headfuck nonsensicality of Camus and Lispector’s writing.
Awesomeness and bonus points 4 a quick little read ❤️🔥
Equally as beautiful, valuable, and instructional as those two & all the more brilliant for democratizing those same truths for the whole world! Not just aspiring elitist pseudo-intellectuals (me) willing to climb the density and headfuck nonsensicality of Camus and Lispector’s writing.
Awesomeness and bonus points 4 a quick little read ❤️🔥
January 9, 2023
Weaving myths of old to help us deal with the issues of today, Shaw recounts three stories. He breaks down the myths and plies them to the growing problem of human’s dependence on technology. He encourages us to connect with our soul and sense of self that has become quieter as social media tries to tell us our identity and not the other way around.
“The new normal is being more isolated than ever while being more connected than ever.”
“The new normal is being more isolated than ever while being more connected than ever.”
December 12, 2021
Short but insightful exploration of the (pandemic) time we are in, using three myths to help illustrate a way forward. I think Shaw is probably at his best when he is speaking rather than writing; at times his prose wanders and you can't help wishing you could ask him to clarify a line he drops casually into the conversation, but his facility with stories and finding metaphors for our current time makes the book more than worthwhile.
May 13, 2021
I am going to start this review by stating that I really enjoyed reading this book. I completed it in one sitting, which I am really glad I did as Dr Martin Shaw takes his readers on a journey but, whilst directing this, allows readers to have their own thoughts and moments for reflection too. Reading the book in this way allowed me to feel like I had actually started a journey, at least in my mind, although I would say Shaw leaves the end of this journey for the reader to decide, which is something I particularly liked. Overall, the blend of Shaw’s direct voice to readers, asking questions and making his readers think about their own circumstances, coupled with reading the book in this way where I was immersed in the pages of the book rather than my phone or other forms of technology, provided a wonderful reading experience. Complementing this was the perfect pacing of the book, alongside the short length of it that is nevertheless packed full of opportunities of reflection and stimulation. Reading Smoke Hole will take you on a set journey, but on the way you will also discover and carve out your own path.
Another aspect of this book that I loved is Shaw’s perfect mixture of outlining three myths- The Handless Maiden, The Bewitched Princess, and The Spyglass– whilst providing his own commentary and thoughts on how these myths, these ideas and stories of the past, can actually be applied to our present. The all-seeing spyglass for example links to visibilities which technology allows and exposes us to. Shaw provides fantastically detailed analyses which allows readers to consider different views or ideas that they may have missed upon first reading, making them consider the myths through a different perspective. Being able to interpret multiple readings, provided through metaphors, is what I’ve always loved about reading and is one of the main reasons why I studied an English degree. On this topic, I absolutely love this quote from the book: ‘If we don’t really grasp metaphor at all, then our current way of life seems all the more unsettling, diminishing, existential’. Shaw perfectly puts into words here the power of metaphors not just on the page, but for life in general.
Shaw also provides social commentary and uses his interpretations of these myths to do so. My favourite was of The Spyglass and this being applied to the dangers of technology which we are facing in our current society. ‘The single place the spyglass can’t see is underneath you’, Shaw writes, and for me I take this underneath not in the literal sense in terms of positioning, but instead underneath our appearance, what is inside of us. This is not visible to anyone, perhaps not even ourselves a lot of the time.
I would really like to re-read this book again, because I know that I would be left with new thoughts and perceptions, and would most likely take a different journey in my mind. As Shaw notes, ‘There’s far more going on here than this little commentary gives away, but that’s for you to find out’, which I believe is applicable to the whole text. Out on May 20, purchase this book full of lyrical musings and wonderful storytelling to start your own journey of reflection.
Thank you so much to Chelsea Green Publishing for my copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review!
Another aspect of this book that I loved is Shaw’s perfect mixture of outlining three myths- The Handless Maiden, The Bewitched Princess, and The Spyglass– whilst providing his own commentary and thoughts on how these myths, these ideas and stories of the past, can actually be applied to our present. The all-seeing spyglass for example links to visibilities which technology allows and exposes us to. Shaw provides fantastically detailed analyses which allows readers to consider different views or ideas that they may have missed upon first reading, making them consider the myths through a different perspective. Being able to interpret multiple readings, provided through metaphors, is what I’ve always loved about reading and is one of the main reasons why I studied an English degree. On this topic, I absolutely love this quote from the book: ‘If we don’t really grasp metaphor at all, then our current way of life seems all the more unsettling, diminishing, existential’. Shaw perfectly puts into words here the power of metaphors not just on the page, but for life in general.
Shaw also provides social commentary and uses his interpretations of these myths to do so. My favourite was of The Spyglass and this being applied to the dangers of technology which we are facing in our current society. ‘The single place the spyglass can’t see is underneath you’, Shaw writes, and for me I take this underneath not in the literal sense in terms of positioning, but instead underneath our appearance, what is inside of us. This is not visible to anyone, perhaps not even ourselves a lot of the time.
I would really like to re-read this book again, because I know that I would be left with new thoughts and perceptions, and would most likely take a different journey in my mind. As Shaw notes, ‘There’s far more going on here than this little commentary gives away, but that’s for you to find out’, which I believe is applicable to the whole text. Out on May 20, purchase this book full of lyrical musings and wonderful storytelling to start your own journey of reflection.
Thank you so much to Chelsea Green Publishing for my copy of the book, in exchange for an honest review!
January 31, 2022
I discovered Dr. Martin Shaw on a podcast, then had to buy this book. I'm so glad I did. Dr. Shaw has a gift with words in talking about Myths which kept me enthralled through the whole book. I took my time with this little book, I wanted to savor each story and explanation. I loved the whole book and know I will reread again and again.
At this point in my life, my favorite quote in the book: Kick the robbers out of the house. Take your imagination back.
At this point in my life, my favorite quote in the book: Kick the robbers out of the house. Take your imagination back.
November 20, 2021
I have always been drawn to myth and lore and archtypes as teachers, as lessons to learn about the human psyche. Martin Shaw's Smoke Hole looks at 3 stories and what they can offer us in this present, crazy world we are living in. It is so rich. I wish I had read it more slowly, but I know I will keep this on my bookshelf to return to again and again...and to share with friends.
September 9, 2024
While I appreciated the sentiment that the author offered, I felt the stories told in this book were a bit of a stretch.
Sure, with a bit of thought you could probably figure it out on your own but they were somewhat repetitive and lacked inspiration.
Shaw’s delivery also came off a bit self absorbed. A sense of “I’m better than you and am doing it right”.
I do agree with his critique of technology but all he seems to offer as a solution is to look inwards. If that could even be considered a solution. I guess this part of the book could be looked at more as a cry for help or a whistle blow to the younger generations and less of an offering for a solution.
Admittedly I am harsh on the stories and much of Shaw’s explanation, I will positively add that he seemed to always finish each chapter on a high note. The apex of his message seemed to always be on the last page of each of the chapters. I’d be questioning if I wanted to go on and then WAPOW - he drops a good truth bomb.
On a philosophical level, I think Martin Shaw and I would get along. I just wish there was a bit more depth to this book overall.
I’m not going to recommend this book to anyone. I probably won’t read it again. But I don’t regret reading it.
Sure, with a bit of thought you could probably figure it out on your own but they were somewhat repetitive and lacked inspiration.
Shaw’s delivery also came off a bit self absorbed. A sense of “I’m better than you and am doing it right”.
I do agree with his critique of technology but all he seems to offer as a solution is to look inwards. If that could even be considered a solution. I guess this part of the book could be looked at more as a cry for help or a whistle blow to the younger generations and less of an offering for a solution.
Admittedly I am harsh on the stories and much of Shaw’s explanation, I will positively add that he seemed to always finish each chapter on a high note. The apex of his message seemed to always be on the last page of each of the chapters. I’d be questioning if I wanted to go on and then WAPOW - he drops a good truth bomb.
On a philosophical level, I think Martin Shaw and I would get along. I just wish there was a bit more depth to this book overall.
I’m not going to recommend this book to anyone. I probably won’t read it again. But I don’t regret reading it.
September 10, 2021
Martin Shaw. Brilliant, old-timey storyteller and local wiseman/sage all wrapped into one. Will be rereading this time and time again. The big question is, what to read of Shaw's next
October 1, 2021
Absolutely phenomenal.
October 16, 2021
I think I need to re read this when my head is in a different place. I really liked the stories but I didn't always follow the commentary.
May 27, 2022
I enjoyed the myths andI enjoyed the lyrical writing. I had a harder time ferreting out the commentary. I need a guide to this guide, I guess.
There were some sentences that ached to be read more than once. I didn't even necessarily know what they meant but they resonated. How does that even work?
"We're all praying to something." p 4
"I say it again: we make things holy by the kind of attention we give them." p 6
"You won't born to be anything you want; you were born to be something quite specific." p 29
"Beauty is not just Botticelli cherubs, not just orderly rose gardens and wandering peacocks; sometimes it looks like nothing you've quite seen before. Its function is not to reassure but provoke. Sometimes beauty can be so startling you may not even recognize it as beauty." p 37
"Whenever we give ourselves entirely to love, it seems we start a war." p 40
"We go where we are terrified to go and we find companions." p 49
"Most of the time when you walk into the forest, you have to quietly lay down the story you've fantasized about having and submit to the experiences you NEED to have." p 58
"How do you want me to love you?" p 60
"There's a difference between smoke and fumes, you know. Let's not live on fumes." p 61
"(1) I'm a terrible consumer in terms of the internet. They can't get much in front of me. (2) I've felt the very real benefits of the connectedness of the spyglass. As something of a hermit, it helps me reach out." p 92
"It is quite possible to stick to endless streams of posts that simply never contradict your view of reality. And we have the audacity to call that community. That's not a community, that's a network. A community is wayward opinions bumping in and out of harmony with one another, not necessarily cooing over the hymn sheet." p 92
"The prayer mat is your root system, your ancestral underpinning, your uninfluenced self, the residence of your daemon, your ding! ding! ding! boxing ring, your center of sustained nobility and bullish decorum. Go there, my friends, go there. Blessed privacy awaits. The soul adores a beautiful door lovingly locked." p 93
"We should remember that the prayer mat whispers "Know thyself" so you don't need the spyglass to do it for you." p 93
"If you don't know the ground beneath you, you could be a sitting duck. But if you do, you could offer informed resistance. Get wily, smoky, unpredictable." p 93
"Go sit quietly in wild places and see what wants to come talk to you. Get seasoned." p 94
"Self-knowledge, mythic ground, attending to the grace, these are some of that things that will provide pushback in such perilous times. Retune yourself. Pay attention to animals that talk, learn to stay your hand on occasion, be unexpectedly and repeatedly gracious. Be tough as hobnailed boots when you need to be. Know your worth." p 94
"In the end, it you don't know your ground, you won't be able to know what truth feels like anymore. You just won't." p 94
"Kick the robbers out of the house. Take your imagination back." p 94
There were some sentences that ached to be read more than once. I didn't even necessarily know what they meant but they resonated. How does that even work?
"We're all praying to something." p 4
"I say it again: we make things holy by the kind of attention we give them." p 6
"You won't born to be anything you want; you were born to be something quite specific." p 29
"Beauty is not just Botticelli cherubs, not just orderly rose gardens and wandering peacocks; sometimes it looks like nothing you've quite seen before. Its function is not to reassure but provoke. Sometimes beauty can be so startling you may not even recognize it as beauty." p 37
"Whenever we give ourselves entirely to love, it seems we start a war." p 40
"We go where we are terrified to go and we find companions." p 49
"Most of the time when you walk into the forest, you have to quietly lay down the story you've fantasized about having and submit to the experiences you NEED to have." p 58
"How do you want me to love you?" p 60
"There's a difference between smoke and fumes, you know. Let's not live on fumes." p 61
"(1) I'm a terrible consumer in terms of the internet. They can't get much in front of me. (2) I've felt the very real benefits of the connectedness of the spyglass. As something of a hermit, it helps me reach out." p 92
"It is quite possible to stick to endless streams of posts that simply never contradict your view of reality. And we have the audacity to call that community. That's not a community, that's a network. A community is wayward opinions bumping in and out of harmony with one another, not necessarily cooing over the hymn sheet." p 92
"The prayer mat is your root system, your ancestral underpinning, your uninfluenced self, the residence of your daemon, your ding! ding! ding! boxing ring, your center of sustained nobility and bullish decorum. Go there, my friends, go there. Blessed privacy awaits. The soul adores a beautiful door lovingly locked." p 93
"We should remember that the prayer mat whispers "Know thyself" so you don't need the spyglass to do it for you." p 93
"If you don't know the ground beneath you, you could be a sitting duck. But if you do, you could offer informed resistance. Get wily, smoky, unpredictable." p 93
"Go sit quietly in wild places and see what wants to come talk to you. Get seasoned." p 94
"Self-knowledge, mythic ground, attending to the grace, these are some of that things that will provide pushback in such perilous times. Retune yourself. Pay attention to animals that talk, learn to stay your hand on occasion, be unexpectedly and repeatedly gracious. Be tough as hobnailed boots when you need to be. Know your worth." p 94
"In the end, it you don't know your ground, you won't be able to know what truth feels like anymore. You just won't." p 94
"Kick the robbers out of the house. Take your imagination back." p 94
July 27, 2022
Martin Shaw is a great storyteller, who has carefully chosen some tales which our time needs to hear. One example is the tale of the handless maiden, which goes back to the legendary Brothers Grimm. Stories like this can shine a light into dark places. They're fun partly for that reason. They also stick around because they have great characters, arcs, imagery, and worthy tellers.
Shaw is one such worthy teller. His pace allows the listener, or even the reader, to reflect on our unexamined comforts. He gives the stories weights and rhythms their due.
Moreover, Martin calls us to the wilderness- in its outward form and in how it touches our soul and forms who we are. Regrettably, we've forgotten how to harness its powers, and how to listen to the creation. The woods and the creatures of the forest speak to us as much as the stories. This is a wonderful example of the 'signals of transcendence', of which Sociologists, Os Guinness and Peter Berger speak.
In a recent conversation I had with Dr Shaw, he noted that the present age is about three days deep. Which is good news. If we go out and engage once more with the real world, many of our unnecessary anxieties will fade away. There are bigger forces at work. They dispel our illusory mediocrity.
Returning to myths can also help.
As a student of myth, Martin knows that they are deeper than modern psychology, and much more conducive to good mental, social, and spiritual health than our over-reliance on pills and quick fixes. We are dealing with the distilled wisdom of ages.
These are lessons kept and honed over time by many diverse individuals, leaving us with a sculpted kernel of what is central to being human in the world.
We may not know the authors of these myths, but we know the lessons. The stun us with their clarity and remind us how to live. By mixing these with the mythic, more recent lore, and his own engaged imagination, Martin reminds us that live is worth living- wildly and with storied enthusiasm. This need is a vocational need rather than a crutch. It requires boldness.
Now, let's leave the anxious ennui of our self-obsessions. Listen again to the ancestors, the story -tellers, the forest and the creatures that roam there. Let's rediscover some of the wildness and mystery that is out there, and in here.
If you'd like to learn more about Dr Shaw and his work, you may enjoy this interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1nGK...
Shaw is one such worthy teller. His pace allows the listener, or even the reader, to reflect on our unexamined comforts. He gives the stories weights and rhythms their due.
Moreover, Martin calls us to the wilderness- in its outward form and in how it touches our soul and forms who we are. Regrettably, we've forgotten how to harness its powers, and how to listen to the creation. The woods and the creatures of the forest speak to us as much as the stories. This is a wonderful example of the 'signals of transcendence', of which Sociologists, Os Guinness and Peter Berger speak.
In a recent conversation I had with Dr Shaw, he noted that the present age is about three days deep. Which is good news. If we go out and engage once more with the real world, many of our unnecessary anxieties will fade away. There are bigger forces at work. They dispel our illusory mediocrity.
Returning to myths can also help.
As a student of myth, Martin knows that they are deeper than modern psychology, and much more conducive to good mental, social, and spiritual health than our over-reliance on pills and quick fixes. We are dealing with the distilled wisdom of ages.
These are lessons kept and honed over time by many diverse individuals, leaving us with a sculpted kernel of what is central to being human in the world.
We may not know the authors of these myths, but we know the lessons. The stun us with their clarity and remind us how to live. By mixing these with the mythic, more recent lore, and his own engaged imagination, Martin reminds us that live is worth living- wildly and with storied enthusiasm. This need is a vocational need rather than a crutch. It requires boldness.
Now, let's leave the anxious ennui of our self-obsessions. Listen again to the ancestors, the story -tellers, the forest and the creatures that roam there. Let's rediscover some of the wildness and mystery that is out there, and in here.
If you'd like to learn more about Dr Shaw and his work, you may enjoy this interview:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1nGK...
October 3, 2022
The author takes ancient myths and points to their relevance today in the most eloquent and insightful way.
I listened to this on audible, where the author narrates the stories himself. Usually I like to listen to non-fiction on audible while walking my dog or cleaning, and read fiction because so many fictional books require different voices. I’m not engaged by one person acting out various voices.
This book was different. These ancient myths were no doubt handed down in the oral tradition. The author does a beautiful job storytelling. It’s wonderful on audible.
There are two sections. The first section narrates these stories with commentary on how they apply to society today. The second section is the story without commentary. I began with the second section. It gave me the opportunity to listen with my own lens and get myself immersed in the more literal experiences of the characters. After, I went back and re-listened to the stories with his commentary on the metaphors and arc types presented. I’m so glad I did it this way! If you value forming your own experience first, I highly recommend starting with the second section, then go back to the intro and first section.
I want to give this book to all my children with a note for them to read it at a time when they are feeling lost or challenged by life. It’s a book which offers hope through tales of archetypes finding strength, wisdom and resilience through navigating the nature, spirit and love in the face of injustice and adversity,
I listened to this on audible, where the author narrates the stories himself. Usually I like to listen to non-fiction on audible while walking my dog or cleaning, and read fiction because so many fictional books require different voices. I’m not engaged by one person acting out various voices.
This book was different. These ancient myths were no doubt handed down in the oral tradition. The author does a beautiful job storytelling. It’s wonderful on audible.
There are two sections. The first section narrates these stories with commentary on how they apply to society today. The second section is the story without commentary. I began with the second section. It gave me the opportunity to listen with my own lens and get myself immersed in the more literal experiences of the characters. After, I went back and re-listened to the stories with his commentary on the metaphors and arc types presented. I’m so glad I did it this way! If you value forming your own experience first, I highly recommend starting with the second section, then go back to the intro and first section.
I want to give this book to all my children with a note for them to read it at a time when they are feeling lost or challenged by life. It’s a book which offers hope through tales of archetypes finding strength, wisdom and resilience through navigating the nature, spirit and love in the face of injustice and adversity,
March 11, 2023
Smoke Hole is the kind of book that requires a second read, or at least time to circle back and digest all the information. Though it’s a slim book and a rather quick read, to get the most out of it (at least for me) it is best to read slowly, or to take time to pause.
Martin Shaw’s writing style is thoughtful, but at times his language shifts from east to follow to flowery phrases that often are hard to follow. Perhaps it is my own limitations on language but I found myself rereading sentences over and over trying to understand where he was going.
This book is a nice eye opener for our times, and need to rediscover our footing on the earth beneath our feet. Feed imagination and rewilding ourselves.
Martin Shaw’s writing style is thoughtful, but at times his language shifts from east to follow to flowery phrases that often are hard to follow. Perhaps it is my own limitations on language but I found myself rereading sentences over and over trying to understand where he was going.
This book is a nice eye opener for our times, and need to rediscover our footing on the earth beneath our feet. Feed imagination and rewilding ourselves.
January 27, 2025
It's a time of great paradox: we want to live forever but seem intent on executing the earth. We are technicians of unimaginable advances but are growingly less literate to interpret a way the earth always spoke to us: through myth.
I'm wondering if it's time for us to dig up a little chutzpah and send a voice.
The mess out there is because of a mess in here.
Inner and outer talk to each other.
That's the truth of things.
Let's get to work.
The mess out there is because of a mess in here.
Shaw creates another wonderfully insightful book of myths and lessons, weaving meaning into these stories like a medieval bard.
His relevance is heightened in an increasingly disconnected world where going deeper into our wildness through these lessons feels intuitively familiar and right.
I'm wondering if it's time for us to dig up a little chutzpah and send a voice.
The mess out there is because of a mess in here.
Inner and outer talk to each other.
That's the truth of things.
Let's get to work.
The mess out there is because of a mess in here.
Shaw creates another wonderfully insightful book of myths and lessons, weaving meaning into these stories like a medieval bard.
His relevance is heightened in an increasingly disconnected world where going deeper into our wildness through these lessons feels intuitively familiar and right.
September 29, 2023
This book is very good. I loved the stories and the explanations. It’s a great take on the Jungian perspective on the value of stories.
Modern books (written in the early 2020s) have two very common problems. They double or triple the length of the book needlessly. And they give an obligatory left wing political rant. This guy did include the political sidetrack, hence my 4 stars in stead of 5. But I really appreciate that he wrote the book efficiently and didn’t waste the readers time with bland repetition.
Modern books (written in the early 2020s) have two very common problems. They double or triple the length of the book needlessly. And they give an obligatory left wing political rant. This guy did include the political sidetrack, hence my 4 stars in stead of 5. But I really appreciate that he wrote the book efficiently and didn’t waste the readers time with bland repetition.
April 13, 2025
As a fairytale book, this loses out to ones from my childhood, having a very limited collection of stories, all which felt familiar as old folk tales tend to do. However, perceiving it as a self-help book this felt more convincing than the vast majority. Despite stemming from myth, the advice seems more grounded than the pseudoscientific drivel that plagues the genre. Granted, this is neither a self-help book nor a fairytale book, it's more of a (pop) philosophical analysis of myths, It just felt fun pretending it was in either of those genres.
November 17, 2024
This is a small book that will keep me thinking for days. I haven't been intellectually stimulated like this in ages. It has all the components of my childhood, growth, and journey into the world contained in 144 pages. It's as if I've been waiting for the folk tales I've grown up with and even lived out to finally explain aspects of my life's experience, and I'd been blind to them. I can't wait to read more from this author! Inspiring!
December 29, 2024
Solid concept, a couple thought provoking quotes, but otherwise was very surface level.
Was hoping this might be in the realm of Women Who Run With the Wolves— it was not. It was a vague analysis by a dude who probably has a point, but lost it years ago when I think his FB account was hacked.
If the concepts in this book (historical rites of initiation, technology & impact on youth) interest you, do yourself a favor and read The Anxious Generation instead.
Was hoping this might be in the realm of Women Who Run With the Wolves— it was not. It was a vague analysis by a dude who probably has a point, but lost it years ago when I think his FB account was hacked.
If the concepts in this book (historical rites of initiation, technology & impact on youth) interest you, do yourself a favor and read The Anxious Generation instead.
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