Customer Reviews

Shamanism As a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life

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4 star:		(1)
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The Cowans have done it again.

If you are looking for a practical, beautiful, meaningful handbook for core shamanism ... look no further.

This book is packed full of exercises, ideas, journeys, interpretations and core shamanic values. I have been studying shamanism, and this is the most useful introductory text I have come across. It will give you the principles you need in order to build your own shamanic practice, without forcing you down the path of a certain cultural shamanic tradition.

As Cowan says: not all of us are cut out to be actual Shamans, but anyone can be a shamanic practitioner.

I highly recommend this book, whether you are already a practitioner, or are interested in learning more. This is not a book you will regret buying, no matter how advanced your practice becomes over time.

This is in my "top ten" list of favorite books, and I refer to it often. As a Westerner trying to learn about shamanism and how I might apply shamanic principles and practices in my life, I found this to be THE book. It's a perfect place to begin. Cowan provides the essentials of core shamanic practice without bewildering the reader with the incredible diversity that more scholarly and anthropologically oriented books do. After reading it, I was able to bring together the gleanings of thirty years of spiritual seeking into a simple, coherent framework that has allowed me to connect with others in ways I never imagined were possible. It has definitely been a factor in deepening my ability to help others through my ministry.

Having never read anything about Shamanism before, and being rather intimidated by the subject, this book was a great way to gently learn about Shamanism. With this book as my guide, it felt safe to explore journeying, and this has become a great gift in my life! The idea of shamanic practice seems possible for everyone through this book. I have learned a lot from it and would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand shamanic practices as well as experiment a little with them. This book shows you how.

This is a book that I often recommended to people who have learned the technique of shamanic journeying. This book is the best one available for folks who have the technique and want to do more with it. It is easily understandable, and contains lots of helpful and valuable information. I have been teaching the Journeying technique for 10 years and recommend this book to new folks.

Half the battle of shamanism is undoing our conditioning and fragemntalist consciousness that has been modeled to us by modernity. Shamanism As A Spiritual Practice for Daily Life offers just such an invitation. Fans of Cowan's Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit who wanted 'the next step' in terms of practices will find a trustworthy introduction to the vast realm of shamanism and shamanic practice--though anyone, regardless of ancestral background, will enjoy the book as it was written from more of a "core shamanic" or "core shamanist" perspective. In addition to introducing readers to the sacred topography of shamanism--usually but not always experienced as the Lowerworld, Middleworld and Upperworld, readers will also feel an astonishing sense of support offered to remember and reclaim their own inherent shamanic sensibilities that we all knew as children. The chapter on childhood is a masterpiece to contemplate, as it conjures up our old childhood haunts and explores the relevance of these to shamanic practice, while also offering words of support to parents who either have a shamanic-child or who want to, more generally, support the animistic nature of their children. Overall, this book is an inexpendable "co-walker" for those seeking to rekindle an animistic pathway of living.

I have read MANY book on Shamanism and various Shamanic religions, and this is the only book that has been given a place of honor in my personal library.

I also recommend

"Secrets of Shamanism..." Jose and Lena Stevens

"The Way of the Shaman" Michael Harner

I came upon this book when I first began to explore the depths of shamanic practice. I must say I was pleasantly surprised. Within this volume are simple, thorough exercises which teach the basics of core shamanic technique ( such as discovering your totem, the journeys, etc.) The authors also includes many exercises of a more eclectic bent to deepen connections to the natural world in and around us. What is most refreshing is the honesty in which the teachings are presented. The authors do not claim that their teachngs will ultimately turn you into a traditional tribal shaman. They present a shamansim for the modern day and yet manage to pay due respect to the teachings of the ancient indigenous cultures where shamanism was born. Anyone with an intent to explore modern shamanic technique would do well to pick up this one.

Of all the books I have come across on Shamanism, Tom Cowan's is most practical and down to earth. His explanations for understanding the uses and purposes of shamanism are taken from everyday life experiences! This is definately a book that one can feel secure that they are learning useful knowledge rather than being dragged along for a "look how magickal I am" trip by the reader.

I enjoyed this book & got some good results from it. I appreciated the author's descriptions of his own working progess.
This is not a scholar's guide, but a hands-on book. The only fault I personally found was that he tended to gloss over some steps. I mean, he tells you to just meditate on your power animal until it appears...HUh?? Beginners need a bit more than that, especially to start off with.
Otherwise, I thought this book was useful & well-done.

This is an excellent book for those who, like me, are trying to understand what is shamanism, with the eventual perspective of becoming shamanic practitioners. The matter is tidily presented. This book is CLEAR! It was written by a person who has CLEAR ideas in his mind. It delivers knowledge (which doesn't mean it'll make a shaman out of the reader, of course). It explains the difference betweeen a psychotic, a shaman and a shaman pratictioner. It explains why people may want to journey in the non-ordinary reality. It is a book written for the reader. The only criticism I have is that journeying is presented as easy as eating breakfast. Potential problems are totally down-played.