Secrets of the shaman (Living wisdom)

The shaman occupies a key role as a healer mediating between the world of the living and the world of spirits, and is a potent figure in the increasingly important areas of alternative medicine and new religion. This book is a richly illustrated guide to the world of shamanism, both today and in the past, from the snowscapes of Siberia to the jungles of the Amazon. Themes explored include visions, initiation rites, shamanic use of plants, and the political and social background to the shaman's work, from the Stone Age to post-Communist Russia. Also covered are the links between the shaman's sense of unity in nature and the recent growth of ecological consciousness in Western societies. At the core of the book are key questions about the mysterious realities that fall outside the rationalist, scientific tradition. Illustrations include color photographs of modern shamanism in practice in a variety of cultures across the world, records of shamanic art and artifacts, and a wealth of historic archive images, including cosmological maps and other equipment. Many of the images are previously unpublished. At the back of the book, on tinted paper, is a fascinating commentary on sources, as well as a list of useful addresses and a directory of peoples discussed in the text.