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Singing the Soul Back Home: Shamanic Wisdom for Every Day
Offering advice on the application of simple shamanic principles to daily life, this book sets out to show how they can be learned by anyone, regardless of creed or religion. It describes how, through practical exercises, readers can explore their inner space, journeying between the everyday world and the spiritual realm of the shaman, and how to harness creative imagination and innate healing powers, and find one's spirit voice and true destiny.
272 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
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About the author
Caitlín Matthews
146 books191 followersCaitlín Matthews is a writer, singer and teacher whose ground-breaking work has introduced many to the riches of our western spiritual heritage.
She is acknowledged as a world authority on Celtic Wisdom, the Western Mysteries and the ancestral traditions of Britain and Europe. She is the author of over 50 books including Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom, a study of Divine Feminine in Gnostic, Jewish and Christian thought and King Arthur’s Raid on the Underworld, a new translation and study of the Welsh poet Taliesin’s extraordinary poem, itself a major cross-roads of British mythology.
Caitlín was trained in the esoteric mystery traditions through the schools founded by Dion Fortune, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and Gareth Knight. Her shamanic vocation emerged early in her ability to sing between the worlds and to embody spirits. She has worked in many of the western traditions with companions upon the path including R.J.Stewart. Like him, she teaches the many strands of the ancestral European traditions. She specializes in teaching traditional European spirit-consultation oracles where the diviner draws directly upon the spirits of nature for answers and in the use of the voice to sound the unseen. Caitlín has been instrumental in revealing the ancestral heritage of the Western traditions through practical exploration of the mysteries as well as through scholarly research. Her teachings are couched in a firm historical and linguistic framework, with respect to the original context of the teachings, but never loses sight of the living traditions of these teachings which can be explored through direct application to their spiritual sources.
Trained as an actress, Caitlín is in demand as a storyteller and singer. She appears frequently on international radio and television, and was the song-writer and Pictish language originator for the Jerry Bruckheimer film King Arthur. With John Matthews, her partner, who was historical consultant on the film, she shared in the 2004 BAFTA award given to Film Education for the best educational CD Rom: this project introduced school-children to the life and times of King Arthur. She and John are both concerned with the oral nature of storytelling and its ability to communicate the myth at a much deeper level than of the commercial booktrade. This is apparent in their forthcoming project, The Story Box. For Caitlín, her books are merely the tip of a much bigger oral iceberg which is her teaching.
With her partner, John Matthews, and with Felicity Wombwell , she is co-founder of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, which is dedicated to the sacred arts that are not written down. Their FíOS shamanic training programme teaches students the healing arts as well as hosting masterclasses with exemplars of living sacred traditions. Caitlín has a shamanic practice in Oxford dedicated to addressing soul sickness and ancestral fragmentation, as well as helping clients find vocational and spiritual direction. Her soul-singing and embodiment uniquely bring the ancient healing traditions to everyday life.
Caitlín’s other books include Singing the Soul Back Home, Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain, The Psychic Protection Handbook, and Celtic Devotional. She is co-author, with John Matthews, of the Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom and Encyclopaedia of Celtic Myth and Legend. Her books have been translated into more than nineteen languages from Brazil to Japan.
The author lives in Oxford with her husband and son in a kind of book-cave or library, whichever you will. They share their home with a white cat and a black cat.
She is acknowledged as a world authority on Celtic Wisdom, the Western Mysteries and the ancestral traditions of Britain and Europe. She is the author of over 50 books including Sophia: Goddess of Wisdom, a study of Divine Feminine in Gnostic, Jewish and Christian thought and King Arthur’s Raid on the Underworld, a new translation and study of the Welsh poet Taliesin’s extraordinary poem, itself a major cross-roads of British mythology.
Caitlín was trained in the esoteric mystery traditions through the schools founded by Dion Fortune, Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and Gareth Knight. Her shamanic vocation emerged early in her ability to sing between the worlds and to embody spirits. She has worked in many of the western traditions with companions upon the path including R.J.Stewart. Like him, she teaches the many strands of the ancestral European traditions. She specializes in teaching traditional European spirit-consultation oracles where the diviner draws directly upon the spirits of nature for answers and in the use of the voice to sound the unseen. Caitlín has been instrumental in revealing the ancestral heritage of the Western traditions through practical exploration of the mysteries as well as through scholarly research. Her teachings are couched in a firm historical and linguistic framework, with respect to the original context of the teachings, but never loses sight of the living traditions of these teachings which can be explored through direct application to their spiritual sources.
Trained as an actress, Caitlín is in demand as a storyteller and singer. She appears frequently on international radio and television, and was the song-writer and Pictish language originator for the Jerry Bruckheimer film King Arthur. With John Matthews, her partner, who was historical consultant on the film, she shared in the 2004 BAFTA award given to Film Education for the best educational CD Rom: this project introduced school-children to the life and times of King Arthur. She and John are both concerned with the oral nature of storytelling and its ability to communicate the myth at a much deeper level than of the commercial booktrade. This is apparent in their forthcoming project, The Story Box. For Caitlín, her books are merely the tip of a much bigger oral iceberg which is her teaching.
With her partner, John Matthews, and with Felicity Wombwell , she is co-founder of The Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, which is dedicated to the sacred arts that are not written down. Their FíOS shamanic training programme teaches students the healing arts as well as hosting masterclasses with exemplars of living sacred traditions. Caitlín has a shamanic practice in Oxford dedicated to addressing soul sickness and ancestral fragmentation, as well as helping clients find vocational and spiritual direction. Her soul-singing and embodiment uniquely bring the ancient healing traditions to everyday life.
Caitlín’s other books include Singing the Soul Back Home, Mabon and the Guardians of Celtic Britain, The Psychic Protection Handbook, and Celtic Devotional. She is co-author, with John Matthews, of the Encyclopedia of Celtic Wisdom and Encyclopaedia of Celtic Myth and Legend. Her books have been translated into more than nineteen languages from Brazil to Japan.
The author lives in Oxford with her husband and son in a kind of book-cave or library, whichever you will. They share their home with a white cat and a black cat.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
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July 11, 2022If cosmic circumstance has placed you on a shamanic path, you may find Singing the Soul Back Home a valuable resource. With its discussions of subjects like acquiring a drum and finding allies and teachers, this book is an instructive guide meant to help you find your feet as you learn to "walk between the worlds"
Acquired Jul 14, 2018
amazon.com
Acquired Jul 14, 2018
amazon.com
October 11, 2008
This book is incredible. Having journeyed, studied, and been healed with others involved with shamanism, most trained by Micheal Harner (a name you ought to know if you really are serious about shamanism), this book just brought me back to those amazing spaces when my group would gather and journey for two hours on different topics. With this book, I could do it myself, have the same kind of life changing experiences, and get a GREAT training, about as formal as one can get from a book. Missing pieces of my training were filled in, as the seemingly endless exercises covered everything and anything, stretching me to new horizens. Ideas I'd never had for journeys came to me in such simple forms on paper, I was so thrilled. Every day I'd look forward to the next exercise. I do suggest having a blindfold and drumming CD for your journeying. This work will add to any Pagan religious path.
December 27, 2013
As long as you realize this is her own core-shamanic path with a European flavor, this is an absolutely excellent book. I love her practices throughout the book and how she talks to the reader like they have functioning brains. Overall I found this a wonderful product and even empowering book.
Not everyone is going to be a shaman in a traditional sense (actually few people are) but there is much value in learning the cosmology and techniques of such. If someone has no idea what they are looking for as far as "alternative spirituality" this one of the books I will hand them, smile and tell them to get back to me when they've read it. This often results in new friends that have a firmer sense of self and where they are going.
Not everyone is going to be a shaman in a traditional sense (actually few people are) but there is much value in learning the cosmology and techniques of such. If someone has no idea what they are looking for as far as "alternative spirituality" this one of the books I will hand them, smile and tell them to get back to me when they've read it. This often results in new friends that have a firmer sense of self and where they are going.
May 9, 2013
When I saw this book in my local occult bookstore, I had to have it. The artwork and typography are lovely. I read the whole thing through and am now working through the extensive exercises. Mathhews' presents the material in a clearly written woo-woo free manner in a sensible progressive order. I am enjoying my explorations so far, and I am hopeful that I will learn a lot.
January 31, 2016
This book is like having your friendly neighborhood Shaman stop by to share a cup of tea, giving sage advice and a little cheerful encouragement.
December 14, 2017
Caitlin Matthews is just great really. She's a very insightful writer who knows a great deal.
November 17, 2019
By far the best book ever for practical shamanic exercises. Skip the rest and dive in with Caitlin - you won't be disappointed. This book could keep you busy for years exploring the Otherworlds.
January 21, 2022
Great.
October 30, 2024
Not for me
March 16, 2023
Really down to earth. Also not too complex or too basic either. A lot of the book is aimed at journeying. I am now going to work my way through the exercises and hopefully get back into journeying practice again.
September 10, 2017
One of the most influential books in my life
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews