AWAKENING TO THE SPIRIT: THE SHAMANIC PATH OF DIRECT REVELATION

Sandra Ingerman and co-author Hank Wesselman have woven a marvelous tapestry with Awakening to the Spirit. The book is at once accessible but still rich in depth and substance. In addition to the two authors, four additional shamanic practitioners have been included as distinct voices sprinkled throughout, offering salient details, observations and commentary on specific subjects. Numerous exercises are provided to reinforce/amplify important concepts and a resources section follows the main text for those seeking further information.

The volume explains, without resorting to strict definitions, the reasons visionaries historically have been regarded as shamans and how these individuals have served their communities in that capacity. These visionaries often functioned as bridges or intermediaries between the physical world and the spirit realms, linking their communities to the unseen forces at work in our world, providing a connection to these powers. In practical terms, they also functioned as healers, counselors and advisors concerning decisions facing community members.

The book delves early on into the practice of the shamanic journey, a mental discipline that can be a quest in search of guidance, wisdom or healing with the help of allies in the spirit world. The journey is a constant and recurrent theme, and references to it appear throughout the chapters and subjects covered. Shamans journey with the aid of Helping Spirits or Power Animals, showing them courtesy and reverence, and receiving answers, help and loving support in return. Journeys are often accomplished with the aid of drums, rattles or other repetitive percussive instruments, which help to induce an altered state in the listener. A CD comes with the volume containing several of these as audio samples for use by the reader during journey exercises.

While providing the reader with some context for certain of the physical actives in which shamans can engage, the text leaves open the possibilities for evolving practices and individualized interpretations. The case is made that we are all capable of employing this discipline to aid us in our lives. Rituals and ceremonies are described as examples, not prescribed as recipes, and their general intents or purposes explained. The reader is encouraged to create individualized variations using intuition and creativity to suit particular circumstances. The book emphasizes that there are no priests or religious hierarchies to intercede between individuals and directly revealed knowledge. The message is that this spiritual practice is available to all.

The work also has much to say about a shamanic perspective on existence: a sense that all creation is alive, imbued with spirit and accessible to the mind through an open heart. The importance of Nature is well-emphasized, as is the importance of connecting with the natural world as it supports and nourishes us. Shamans are said to "see" with their hearts and the mental and emotional work that should be done to benefit anyone who seeks to embark upon the shamanic path is discussed. While not all readers will feel called to become shamans, the skills and abilities of the shaman are present in all of us and can be of great benefit if practiced with regularity and humility.

The subjects of death and dying are squarely faced and gracefully treated. The notions of tending to unfinished business, of offering love and forgiveness at this time of transition, are underscored, both for those nearing death and for their close associates. The material offers a more honest approach to the transformation we call death and urges us to enlarge our perspective to see this change as profound, yes, but ultimately, a natural experience which we will all undergo. Honoring those that have passed and understanding our sense of mourning are given the significance they are due. The reader is invited to believe that spirits of ancestors can be called upon for aid in journeys as well, and that all is Eternal.

Our posterity is given attention in a hopeful section which speaks to offering all children the means to access meaning and spirituality in their personal lives. The coaching of imaginal practices is a method by which the stage may be set for the introduction of younger participants to the shamanic journey, and that these can be more significant than simple imagination. The validation that can occur when a youth's experience is taken seriously by elders can cement a relationship to the community and impart a deep sense of belonging. The suggestion is advanced that we need to restore the fabric of our generational ties and see our children blossom in their own right by crediting their innate knowing.

The last few chapters are wonderfully optimistic and uplifting, pointing out that there exists a vibrant and growing "Transformational Community" throughout the world. A continuing process is postulated by which the human community is evolving to a level of greater awareness of our position in the web of life and how to honorably serve ourselves, our families, our communities and our world. Readers are encouraged to share in the hopes that the solutions to our most vexing problems are coming within our collective grasp and that the future will be bright.

The book concludes with brief statements from all the participants regarding their personal experiences as shamanic practitioners and teachers and their individual estimations of the future's promise. The overall tone is positive and the conclusions drawn are in keeping with the ideals of working for a better world, one of greater harmony and balance and a perspective that attends to the great beauty all around us. This volume, with its accompanying CD, should be well-received by anyone who hungers for meaning and connection with things greater in life.

6/10