Summary
From the beginning of human history, there have been magical people with special powers that others look up to or go to for help. Called magicians, witch doctors, medicine men, sorcerers, or witches, all practice shamanism. Shamans are believed to talk to God, the gods, animals, or even plants, and follow a path to wisdom, health, personal confidence, and other good things. In cultures with shamanic traditions, shamans can cure illness, divine the future, locate food, appease restless spirits, influence weather, and guide their people. Shamanism explores the history of this ancient power from prehistory to the New Age, detailing the different forms shamanism can take in various cultures, what its practitioners do, and what tools are used.
Chapters include:
- The History of Shamanism
- Shamanic Tools
- The Initiation
- A Shamanic Journey
- Shamanism Past and Present.
Specifications
Full-color and black-and-white photographs and illustrations. Sidebars. Timeline. Endnotes. Further resources. Glossary. Index.
About the Author(s)
Robert M. Place is an internationally known author and illustrator, whose clear, insightful books have won critical acclaim. He is the designer, illustrator, and coauthor with Rosemary Ellen Guiley of The Alchemical Tarot and The Angels Tarot. He is the designer, illustrator, and author of The Buddha Tarot and The Tarot of the Saints, which was awarded first runner-up in Sideline/Interactive at the 2002 International New Age Trade Show. Place is also the author of The Tarot: History, Symbolism, and Divination, which was a Book-of-the-Month Club selection. In 2004, he won an ADDY award from the American Advertising Federation. He wrote Astrology and Divination for Chelsea House's Mysteries, Legends, and Unexplained Phenomena series.