Shamanism Books

Spirituality versus Religion: Freedom vs control

A New Book by Leo Rutherford

For all who seek truth beyond church/bible dogma….
A stark expose of the problems we humans have brought upon ourselves with the adoption of the Abrahamic male-monotheist separated 'God' and the abandonment of the more ancient and balanced animist/shamanist holistic knowledge.

This book contrasts these two radically differing world views:
The shamanic world view of indigenous cultures in which everything is seen and felt as alive with soul and the male-monotheist world view which teaches that only humans have souls.
- And proposes a radical change in our world view:
Our Earth is our Mother Goddess, all the plants, animals, insects, fish, birds are part of her, as are we. It is not 'our' planet, we share it. Without the other kingdoms we would not exist. We need to put our faith in an Infinite-Creator-God-Source-Force of Ultimate Love and Compassion and not in a separate, angry, vengeful 'God-Chap' who sits far away in judgment.

Male-monotheism brought the concept that humans are all-important; that the other kingdoms are here at our disposal; that we are the top of the tree and everything else is here to serve us; that the Great Mother Planet Earth is just a rock in space for us to use and abuse. The current ecological disaster that is unfolding follows on from the adoption of this false 'God-Chap' and we need to change this upside down world view so as not to doom ourselves to an early demise.
It will help greatly to give the Eternal Mother back her rightful place in the Trinity of Existence and restore balance between the forces of ying and yang.

RELIGION vs. SPIRITUALITY

• Belief in One God vs. Trust In the Mystery of Existence
• God Is Separate vs. God Is Everything Everywhere
• Set of Beliefs vs. Tools to Discover Knowledge
• God is good, devil is evil vs. Good/evil are two aspects of Creation
• Bible is the word of God vs. Bible is the myths of men
• Masculine dominant vs. Feminine/masculine in balance
• Jesus - only Son of God vs. Jesus - mythological figure

Published by CreateSpace, 2011
ISBN-13: 978-1461007944
ISBN-10: 1461007941

By Leo Rutherford
Cover Art by Howard G Charing

The View through the Medicine Wheel is a magnificent reflection on how to live creative, healthy and happy lives. We are all on a great journey - how different would life be if you had a good map? Native American wisdom teachings of the Medicine Wheel explain how the Cosmos works and our place in it. Our ancestors saw the world in terms of circles and cycles. The Star Maidens Circle reflects life through the eight directions. This book of life maps shows you how to avoid pitfalls and master you own self. It presents the circle of the egoic self - how we create a life of problems and dramas - and the circle of the authentic self which teaches how to discard our old habits and addictions. The Medicine Wheel culminates in the Twenty Count which is the Cosmos revealed in all its beauty and complexity. Shamanism is spiritual, ecological and psychological. No other book does full justice to the fabulous medicine wheel teachings.

Published by O-Books (www.o-books.net).

Plant Spirit Shamanism

By (author) Howard G. Charing
By (author) Ross Heaven
Foreword by Pablo Amaringo

ISBN: 1-59477-118-9 Quality Paperback
This book can be ordered from Amazon.com,
Amazon .co.uk

An in-depth look at the role of plant spirits in shamanic rituals from around the world

• Shows how shamans heal using their knowledge of plant spirits as well as the plant's "medical properties"

• Explores the core methods of plant shamanism--soul retrieval, spirit extraction, and sin eating--and includes techniques for connecting with plant spirits

• Includes extensive field interviews with master shamans of all traditions

In Plant Spirit Shamanism, Howard G. Charing and Ross Heaven explore the use of one of the major allies of shamans for healing, seeing, dreaming, and empowerment--plant spirits. After observing great similarities in the use of plants among shamans throughout the world, they discovered the reason behind these similarities: Rather than dealing with the "medical properties" of the plants or specific healing techniques, shamans commune with the spirits of the plants themselves.
From their years of in-depth shamanic work in the Amazon, Haiti, and Europe, including extensive field interviews with master shamans, Charing and Heaven present the core methods of plant shamanism used in healing rituals the world over: soul retrieval, spirit extraction, sin eating, and the Amazonian tradition of pusanga (love medicine). They explain the techniques shamans use to establish connections to plant spirits and provide practical exercises as well as a directory of traditional Amazonian and Caribbean healing plants and their common North American equivalents so readers can ex-plore the world of plant spirits and make allies of their own.

Conclusion of review by Timothy White, founding editor of Shaman's Drum (USA) of Plant Spirit Shamanism.'Plant Spirit Shamanism offers a readable melange of information, insights, and viewpoints on spiritual plant medicines. I feel comfortable recommending this volume to readers interested in magical herbs, as well as to those beginning to work shamanically with plant spirits.'

Extract from Foreword of Plant Spirit Shamanism by Pablo Amaringo
Pablo Amaringo and Howard G Charing, Pucullpa, Peru Feb. 2007

Plants are essential in many ways: they give life to all beings on Earth by producing oxygen, which we need to be active; they create the enormous greenhouse that gives board and lodging to diverse but interrelated guests; they are teachers who show us the holistic importance of conserving life in its due form and necessary conditions.

For me personally, though, they mean even more than this. Plants-in the great living book of nature-have shown me how to study life as an artist and shaman. They can help all of us to know the art of healing and to discover our own creativity, because the beauty of nature moves people to show reverence, fascination, and respect for the extent to which the forests give shelter to our souls.

The consciousness of plants is a constant source of information for medicine, alimentation, and art, and an example of the intelligence and creative imagination of nature. Much of my education I owe to the intelligence of these great teachers. Thus I consider myself to be the "representative" of plants, and for this reason I assert that if they cut down the trees and burn what's left of the rainforests, it is the same as burning a whole library of books without ever having read them.

People who are not so dedicated to the study and experience of plants may not think this knowledge is so important to their lives-but even they should be conscious of the nutritional, medicinal, and scientific value of the plants they rely on for life.

My most sublime desire, though, is that every human being should begin to put as much attention as he or she can into the knowledge of plants, because they are the greatest healers of all. And all human beings should also put effort into the preservation and conservation of the rainforest, and care for it and the ecosystem, because damage to these not only prejudices the flora and fauna but humanity itself.

Even in the Amazon these days, many see plants as only a resource for building houses and to finance large families. People who have farms and raise animals also clear the forest to produce foodstuffs. Mestizos and native Indians log the largest trees to sell to industrial sawmills for subsistence. They have never heard of the word ecology!

I, Pablo, say to everybody who lives in the Amazon and the other forests of the world, that they must love the plants of their land, and everything that is there!

This expression of love must be a sincere and altruistic interest in the lasting well-being of others. We are not here simply to exist, but to enjoy life together with plants, animals, and loved ones, and to delight in contemplation of the beauty of nature. A shaman has in his mind and heart the attitude of conserving nature because he knows that life is for enjoying the company of this world's countless delights.

Any painting, or book, or piece of art that spreads this message is to be respected, and every reader who picks up a book on this subject is to be honored.

I invite you to read on, and to learn from the greatest teachers of all-the plants, our sacred brothers and sisters.

Now Available:

Shamanic Path Workbook by Leo Rutherford

*Cover art by Howard G. Charing

A Revised and Updated version of 'Your Shamanic Path'.

This book is really a workbook - hence change of title - and is full of practical exercises and ceremonies which you can do at home.

Here is a summary:
Teachings of the Red Road - Medicine Wheel Maps for Understanding Your LIfe

How to shift addictions, neediness, judgmental-ness
How to master the victim - persecutor - rescuer triangle
How to retrieve your personal power and live Your life
How to comprehend your life via the Star Maiden's Circle

Teachings of the Blue Road - Accessing Alternative Realities for Knowledge and Wisdom

How to journey shamanically into parallel realities
How to do Soul Retrieval for another
How to Trance-Dance your way to ecstasy
How to know yourself as part of the Cosmos through The 'Twenty Count'

A Shaman is one who walks with one foot in the everyday world and one foot in the spirit world'

This book takes you down both the red and the blue roads and offers many practical exercises and ceremonies to help and guide you on your way.

Published by Arima Publishing, ASK House, Northgate Avenue, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, IP32 6BB.


Can be ordered from all good bookshops!