Download or read book Divination and the Shamanic Story written by Michael Berman and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2009-03-26 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stories have traditionally been classified as epics, myths, sagas, legends, folk tales, fairy tales, parables or fables. However, the definitions of the terms have a tendency to overlap, making it difficult to classify and categorize material. For this reason, a case can be made for the introduction of a new genre, termed the shamanic story - a story that has either been based on or inspired by a shamanic journey (a numinous experience in non-ordinary reality) or one that contains a number of the elements typical of such a journey. Other characteristics include the way in which the stories all tend to contain embedded texts (often the account of the shamanic journey itself), how the number of actors is clearly limited as one would expect in subjective accounts of what can be regarded as inner journeys, and how the stories tend to be used for healing purposes. Within this new genre, it is proposed that there exists a sub-genre – shamanic stories that deal specifically with divination, and examples are presented and analysed to support this hypothesis. By means of textual analysis it can be shown they all share certain attributes in common, the identification of which forms the conclusion of the work.
Download or read book Shamanic Journeys Shamanic Stories written by Michael Berman and published by John Hunt Publishing. This book was released on 2011 with total page 174 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A shamanic journey is one that generally takes place in a trance state to the sound of a drumbeat, through dancing, or by ingesting psychoactive drugs, in which aid is sought from beings in other realities, generally for healing purposes or for divination. A shamanic story has either been based on or inspired by a shamanic journey, or one that contains a number of the elements typical of such a journey. In this collection of fascinating journeys and stories, Michael Berman reveals the healing nature of shamanic practice.
Download or read book The Nature of Shamanism and the Shamanic Story written by Michael Berman and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2009-03-26 with total page 175 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The book makes out a case for the introduction of a new genre of tale, the shamanic story, which has either been based on or inspired by a shamanic journey, or contains a number of the elements that are typical of such a journey. The stories featured are the Book of Jonah from the Old Testament, two traditional stories from the Republic of Georgia–The Earth will take its Own and Davit, a contemporary German tale Bundles, and the Korean story of Shimchong, the Blindman’s Daughter. By making use of textual material from a number of different cultures and times, the intention is to highlight the pervasive influence shamanism has had and to show how the “new” genre being proposed is a universal one. The research questions addressed include 1) defining what shamanism is, deciding whether it should be classified as a religion, a methodology or a way of life 2) considering whether a case can be made out for the introduction of a new genre of tale and, if so, what its characteristics are. It is hoped the book will be of interest not only to those involved in the study of shamanism but also to those whose interest is in the study of literary texts. Since the old bearers of shamanic traditions quite often were, and even today are, illiterate, the study of their folklore–epic songs, laments, narratives–undoubtedly provides a rich source for research.
Download or read book Shamanic and Mythic Cultures of Ethnic Peoples in Northern China II written by Fu Yuguang and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2020-12-29 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: On the basis of first-hand materials gathered through decades of field research and fleshed out with the author’s insightful religious, cultural, and historical observations extending back to the Qing dynasty, ancient archaeological discoveries, and the legacy of Siberian peoples, this two-volume ethnological study investigates shamanic rituals, myths, and lore in northern China and explores the common ideology underlying the origins of the region’s cultures. This second volume focuses on northern shamanic divination, spirit idols, and folklore covering the myths of the Manchu-Tungus, Manchu creation shrine tales, and individual tribal myths. This mythic heritage helps identify shared patterns of thought among the ethnic peoples of northern China; points to cultural integration with Buddhist, Daoist, and Han Chinese cultures; and shows their understand of the natural world, the creation of humankind, social life, and history and their interactions with their surroundings. In this regard, shamanic spirituality in northern China is characterized by functionality and practicality in daily life situations, in contrast to the received wisdom that defines shamanic praxis as a pure supernatural spirit journey. The book will be of great value to scholars of religion and to both anthropologists and ethnologists in the fields of shamanism studies, Northeast Asian folklore, and Manchu studies.
Download or read book Divination and Healing written by Michael Winkelman and published by University of Arizona Press. This book was released on 2022-08-23 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Divination is an important feature of cultures all over the world. While some may still question the efficacy of divination systems, they continue to serve their communities by diagnosing ailments, prescribing healing treatments, and solving problems. Yet despite their universality, there are relatively few comprehensive studies of divination systems. This volume seeks to fill this gap regarding the use of divination in healing. Here some of the world’s leading authorities draw on their own fieldwork and participation in ritual to present detailed case studies, demonstrating that divination rituals can have therapeutic effects. As the contributors examine the systems of knowledge that divination articulates and survey the varieties of divinatory experience, they seek to analyze divination as an epistemological system, as a social process, and as a therapeutic endeavor. While some of their findings reinforce traditional assumptions about the importance of social control, spirit relations, and community support in the divination process, the authors place these considerations within new epistemological frameworks that emphasize the use of alternative modes of knowing. In this wide-ranging volume, readers will find coverage of classic Ifa systems; Buddhist-influenced shamanic practices in the former Soviet Union; the reconciliation of Muslim beliefs and divinatory practices in Thailand; Native American divination used in diagnosis; Maya calendrical divination in Guatemala; mediumistic and chicken oracle divination among the Sukuma of Tanzania; Ndembu divination, focusing on the process of collective healing; and divination among the Samburu (Maasai) of Kenya, featuring dialogues from actual healing sessions. Together, these contributions argue for new perspectives on the study of divination that emphasize not only the epistemological roots of these systems but also their multifaceted therapeutic functions. Divination and Healing is a rich source of both data and insight for scholars of ritual, religion, medical anthropology, and the psychology of altered states of consciousness.
Download or read book Soul Loss and the Shamanic Story written by Michael Berman and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2009-03-26 with total page 305 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Stories from various cultures and periods of time can be identified which deal with a concept of soul loss that is essentially shamanic. In shamanism, soul loss is the term used to describe the way parts of the psyche become detached when we are faced with traumatic situations. In shamanic terms, these split-off parts can be found in non-ordinary reality and are only accessible to those familiar with its topography. Case studies are presented to show how the way soul loss is dealt with by indigenous shamans differs from the way it is treated by neo-shamanic practitioners. Stories have traditionally been classified as epics, myths, sagas, legends, folk tales, fairy tales, parables and fables. However, the definitions of the terms have a tendency to overlap, making it difficult to classify and categorize material. For this reason, a case can be made for the introduction of a new genre, termed the shamanic story–a story that has either been based on or inspired by a shamanic journey (a numinous experience in non-ordinary reality) or one that contains a number of the elements typical of such a journey. Within this new genre it is proposed that there exists a sub-genre, shamanic stories that deal specifically with soul-loss, and examples are presented and analysed to support this hypothesis.
Download or read book The Shaman and the Storyteller written by Michael Berman and published by SuperScript. This book was released on 2005-01-01 with total page 214 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the tip of Africa to the Arctic Circle, since time immemorial, shamanic beliefs, practices, rituals and ceremonies have entranced and enlightened the peoples of our planet. This book defines the work of the shaman and explains it in detail. It demonstrates clearly the parallels between shamanism and storytelling both within traditional cultures and in the global therapy culture of the so called New Age.
Download or read book The Shamanic Themes in Armenian Folktales written by Michael Berman and published by Cambridge Scholars Publishing. This book was released on 2009-03-26 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “In Marxist anthropological theory, shamanism represented one of the early forms of religion that later gave rise to more sophisticated beliefs in the course of human advancement … The premise of Marxism was that eventually, at the highest levels of civilization, the sacred and religion would eventually die out” (Znamenski, 2007, p.322). Though history has of course since disproved this, the theory clearly had a great bearing on what was written in the former Soviet Union about shamanism, and also on people’s attitudes in the former Soviet Republics towards such practices. On the other hand, it has been suggested that “all intellectuals driven by nationalist sentiments directly or indirectly are always preoccupied with searching for the most ancient roots of their budding nations in order to ground their compatriots in particular soil and to make them more indigenous” (Znamenski, 2007, p.28). Although this might apply to searching for the roots of Christianity in Armenia, when it comes to searching for the roots of pagan practices, interest on the part of the people of Armenia is generally speaking not so forthcoming. This impasse, coupled with the effects of the repressions against religions, including shamanism, unleashed by the Soviet government between the 1930s and 1950s, along with the recent surge of interest in the Armenian Orthodox church, a backlash to the seventy years of officially sanctioned atheism, makes research into the subject no easy business. However, hopefully this study will at least in some small way help to set the process in motion.
Download or read book North Star Road written by Kenneth Johnson and published by . This book was released on 1996 with total page 300 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book reveals -- through a compelling mix of scholarly research, global mythology and lucid story-telling -- the spiritual roots of Western culture: shamanism. An in-depth study of the witchcraft trial records and the testimony of the witches themselves proves that the European peasants accused of witchcraft died, in fact, for the sake of the world's oldest spiritual path. Learn why Shamanism has survived in one form or another to this day.
Download or read book Divination written by Paul O'Brien and published by Visionary Networks Press. This book was released on 2007-06-14 with total page 241 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Divination written by Patrick Curry and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2016-05-13 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Divination is any ritual and its associated tradition performed in order to ask a more-than-human intelligence for guidance. A universal human practice, it has received surprisingly little academic attention. This interdisciplinary collection by leading scholars in the field is dedicated to fascinating new insights into divination and oracles arising from recent work in anthropology, religious studies, history and classical studies. Central importance is given to the practical and theoretical perspectives of diviners as well as scholars of divination; several contributors are both. This book explores philosophical issues such as the nature of divinatory intelligence, the relationship between divinatory and metaphorical truth, the primacy of ontology over epistemology, the importance of reflexivity in scholarly studies of divination, and astrology as the principal Western form of divination. The ethnographic and historical examples range from contemporary Nigeria, urban Cuba, Mayan Guatemala and the shamanic cultures of the circumpolar Arctic to classical Greece and ancient Judea.
Download or read book Cave and Cosmos written by Michael Harner and published by North Atlantic Books. This book was released on 2013-04-09 with total page 329 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The pioneering author of The Way of the Shaman continues his exploration of universal shamanism in this “wonderful, fascinating” guide (Carlos Castaneda) In 1980, Michael Harner blazed the trail for the worldwide revival of shamanism with his seminal classic The Way of the Shaman. In this long-awaited sequel, he provides new evidence of the reality of heavens. Drawing from a lifetime of personal shamanic experiences and more than 2,500 reports of Westerners’ experiences during shamanic ascension, Harner highlights the striking similarities between their discoveries, indicating that the heavens and spirits they’ve encountered do indeed exist. He also provides instructions on his innovative core-shamanism techniques, so that readers too can ascend to heavenly realms, seek spirit teachers, and return later at will for additional healing and advice. Written by the leading authority on shamanism, Cave and Cosmos is a must-read not only for those interested in shamanism, but also for those interested in spirituality, comparative religion, near-death experiences, healing, consciousness, anthropology, and the nature of reality.
Download or read book Sei r Magic written by Dean Kirkland and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2024-04-02 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: • Explains the techniques used to achieve trance in seiðr, how to journey in the Nine Realms, and the different gods and spirits you may encounter • Discusses the tools of seiðr, such as the seiðr staff and hood, and how to create them, empower them, and care for them • Details Norse divination methods, ways to alter fate, healing techniques, the use of protective songs, and the practice of Norse soul retrieval While Norse rune work is well known, there is another major ancient Norse magical practice: seiðr (pronounced “sayther”), a form of trance spirit work and divination. Although seiðr is often considered an ancient form of witchcraft, recent archaeological evidence suggests it is more closely related to shamanism. In this practical guide to seiðr, Dean Kirkland, Ph.D., reconstructs the magical and shamanic techniques of the seiðr priest or priestess using the sagas and other literature from the Viking age, tools found in the archaeological record, and surviving indigenous shamanic traditions. He addresses the misconception that seiðr was a practice reserved only for women and shows how anyone called to this work would have been accepted in ancient Norse society. He discusses the tools of seiðr and how to create them, empower them, and care for them. He explores the use of protective songs (varðlokkur) that involve forming bonds with spirits, a practice he likens to the medicine songs of Amazonian shamans. He explains the techniques used to achieve trance in seiðr and how they are based on finding balance between the light and the darkness. Looking at trance journeying in the Nine Realms of the Norse cosmos, the author discusses the different gods and spirits the seiðr practitioner may encounter in the Upper Realms, the Middle Worlds, and the Lower Realms. He shares exercises on the Wyrd, divination methods in seiðr, as well as ways to alter Ørlög, or fate, through spiritual work. Discussing soul-healing techniques in seiðr, the author looks in depth at the Norse shamanic practices of soul retrieval and reintegration of the soul parts. He then explores seiðr’s role in death, dying, and dealing with the dead, including work with the Valkries and the ancestors. Presenting a historically based handbook for contemporary heathens, this book offers a practical path for anyone seeking to explore Norse trance magic and mysticism.
Download or read book Divination Magic and Healing written by Ronald H. Isaacs and published by Jason Aronson. This book was released on 1998 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To find more information on Rowman & Littlefield titles, please visit us at www.rowmanlittlefield.com.
Download or read book WIZARD OF THE FOUR WINDS A SHAMAN S STORY written by Douglas Sharon and published by Free Press. This book was released on 1978-12 with total page 256 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Spirit Walking written by Evelyn Rysdyk and published by Weiser Books. This book was released on 2013-04-01 with total page 274 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Shamanism is an ancient spirituality rooted in the belief that all matter has consciousness and that accessing the spirit in all things is part of what keeps the world and people healthy and in balance. Spirit beings surround us and are the source of a spirit walker's ability to profoundly influence life events and thrive in difficult circumstances. In Spirit Walking, shamanic practitioner Evelyn Rysdyk shows how we can all connect with the spirit world to find balance and healing. Using shamanic techniques that have been proven over thousands of years of human existence, Rysdyk offers a step-by-step guide to understanding and integrating shamanic practices into one's life through: Power AnimalsPrayers and RitualsDiscovering the Creative Energy of EmotionImagination and ManifestationLearning to Shape-shiftDivinationTraditional Shamanic Healing Rysdyk shares powerful stories of shamans from a variety of cultures such as Nepal, Tuva, the Ulchi from Siberia, and from Peru. She brings a fresh perspective to the work by showing how the latest findings in quantum physics are verifying that we are all connected in an intricate web of energy and spirit.
Download or read book I Ching written by and published by . This book was released on 1995-02-01 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A new translation of the ancient Chinese text the I Ching (Book of Changes) that returns to the earliest texts, revealing the shamanic oracle and the dramatic historical events that inspired and shaped this greatest book of Chinese divination. For more than 3,000 years it has been used as a source of guidance, divination and inspiration. Through painstaking research, the translators uncovered a period in Chinese history when the Chou tribe rebelled against the Shang dynasty. The Chou tribes consulted the shaman, who advised them how to overthrow the Shang. Through these powers they gained their freedom, and this guidance became the I Ching oracle. Illus.
