Fifteen years ago, Suresha, known to many of our readers primarily as a martial arts teacher and gifted singer, branched out into an entirely different world, that of shamanism.
In the 1990’s, she recalls, “the Native part of my heritage set itself on fire inside,” (her heritage is a mix of African, Irish and Native American) and she began to participate in indigenous events. For more than fifteen years she met with Native American elders, shamans and medicine people, interviewed indigenous relatives, and participated in numerous ceremonies and gatherings and also became a member of the Black Native American Association based in the Bay Area. She received much support for her research and in gratitude half of the proceeds of this book will return to the non-profit organizations of the elders published in this book.
Personally I feel very drawn to shamanism as it is about a deep connection to the earth, to this present life and the other worlds. Shamans commune with animals and plants and trees and much of their work is connected to emotional and spiritual healing and essentially to be in harmony with the whole. Hence I read this book with passionate interest.
The thirteen female and male shamans presented in this book are from Africa, Bulgaria, Papua New Guinea, and America. Although the shamanic world might appear alien to some, surely the more one opens up and allows oneself to listen, the echoes from a past when we knew we were all one will resonate within – we all have embedded memories of other lives and can find and tune in to the art of living in harmony, in balance.
Traditional ways can enrich modern lifestyles, rather than brushing them off as old fashioned, and recreate balance and harmony in our communities. As so many species are either endangered or already distinct, a wealth of wisdom is about to be lost forever.
Suresha says,
“I have heard of ways where a visionary could look through a hole in a rock and see the future; where there were tribes who could speak at a distance with a drum, and elders who could intervene in life circumstances through consciousness before physical manifestation. I’ve heard of those who hear the voices of plants and flowers and can then know of their healing properties, their growing cycles, their food value, and which parts of the plant to use.
There were those who knew where vortexes were in the earth so that even in unsatisfactory or scarce conditions, yielding of crops could still happen as enough to feed the entire clan. I’ve heard from those who live without money, where everyone owns everything and disagreements are settled with a decision from the one all respect.
[…] Nature is intelligent, sensitive, and aware. Nature is an astounding source of healing, of wisdom, of life, of beauty, majesty, of compassion and serenity. For millennia there were ways of being that recognized, respected, and honored the gifts of Nature, and treated her as a valued and sacred part of the community.
There are still a few members of the global community who walk in this way that we could learn a lot from; who can teach us how to hear, see, and sense nature in new and deeper ways so that its many more dimensions can be revealed. They can teach us to live in the ways of sacred relationship that would extend not only to Nature, but to one another as well.”
The powerful people from various backgrounds and tribal heritage who occupy this book share their wisdom and insights – I encourage the reader to tune in, to listen with ‘innerstanding’. All those with an interest in shamanism will find a wealth of information and inspiration.
Bhagawati, Osho News
Available at amazon.com
Anand Suresha (Suresha Hill) took sannyas 1978 in NYC and moved to Pune in 1979 where she taught martial arts, gave Shiatsu sessions, sang in the Rajneesh Rock Band and worked as a Samurai in Lao Tzu. After Rajneeshpuram she toured with the ‘Ah, This’ band. She continued her studies in various fields of bodywork and graduated a Diplomat in Osteopathic Manual Practice and Techniques. She has completed four children’s books and is working on two more scientific books. onesky.biz
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