R – Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey

By Jodi Lee
Originally Published 2001
(see author/copyright info below)

Author: Kenneth Johnson
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
ISBN: 1-56718-379-4
Pages (incl. back matter): 262
Release Date: Second Edition 1998

I requested this book to review as a tie-in with my articles on shamanism (see Shaman’s Path 1-4). Although not specifically directed at healing, I have found this book to give a fairly thorough depiction of shamanism practices from several cultures.

Kenneth Johnson takes the reader through the vast expanses of time, exposing various shamanic cultures from India to Egypt, Mayan to Native American. Every culture at some point in history has had methods of contacting the spirit realm, whether it be for healing practices, guaranteeing a bountiful harvest, or providing counselling and spiritual guidance. Mr. Johnson has covered pretty much any question that could arise – What is a shaman? How does a shaman journey into other realms? Were shamans male or female?

As I read through the book, I found I became more interested in the correlation between modern pagan/witchcraft practices and those used by shamans in ancient times. It seems to me that Mr. Johnson holds the belief that witches and shamans are essentially one and the same – just under different names or “titles.” I grant this much – many of the shamanic journey practices described in the book are very similar to the pathworking rituals and exercises used by modern witches.

At the end of the book, Mr. Johnson describes a gathering of hundreds of Native Americans in South Dakota in 1890. These peoples had come from far and wide, to dance the Ghost Dance. Medicine men began the ceremony, chanting and dancing throughout the teepees set up, eventually arriving at the center pole. There, the ritual began in earnest, with at least one hundred shamans taking part. They danced and circled and chanted, reaching a state of ecstasy, where they could then speak to the spirits of their dead. It is described much better in the book, very vivid – almost as if one were actually there!

Here’s a taste of what you will find between the covers. (mid-paragraph 2, pg. 40)

“Scholars acknowledge that Odin is one of the most genuinely shamanic figures in European mythology. He suffers a dramatic initiatory torment on the World Tree which is chronicled in an old Norse poem entitled Havanal (“The Song of the High One”):

I know I hung
on the windswept Tree,
through nine days and nights.
I was stuck with a spear
and given to Odin,
myself given to myself….
They helped me neither
by meat or drink.
I peered downward,
I took up the runes,
screaming, I took them -
then I fell back.

Odin has been wounded by a spear (like Llew) and – a mystical paradox – sacrificed to himself. Bleeding, he hangs from the branches of Yggdrasil, the World Tree, with none to give him food and drink. He peers downward, perhaps into the depths of Mimir’s Well, which lies at the root of the World Tree, for we are told in another place that Odin is privileged to converse with the prophetic head of Mimir because he sacrificed an eye for wisdom. And indeed, wisdom is what he seeks, for to the Norse the runes were not simply a secular alphabet – they constituted a body of lore, each letter rich with magical correspondences and esoteric meanings. Odin wins his goal and grasps the runes, but scream with the pain of knowledge acquired.”

I recommend this book to anyone curious about the history and mythology of shamanism. It’s a good starting point for those interested in learning a new path.
–
Jodi Lee – is a freelance writer/editor living in southern Manitoba, Canada.
© 2001 – present All Rights Reserved; Republish notice excluded.

This article can be republished elsewhere in its entirety so long as the author is notified (see contact information), a link is provided to the website, and this notice is left intact.

R – Awakening the Healer Within

By Jodi Lee
Originally published 2001
(see author/copyright info below)

Title: Awakening The Healer Within
Author: Howard F. Batie, DM
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Pages (including back matter): 167
Release Date: Fall 2000
ISBN: 1-56718-055-8

I’ve enjoyed this book quite a bit. I wasn’t expecting to, as a lot of the books, guides and journals written about “new-age” or alternative healing methods are fairly dry, and fact oriented. This is not really conducive to learning something new, in my opinion.

Mr. Batie has presented several methods for healing within the book, from Healing Touch to Reiki. One of the items that sparked my interest was the information he gives on Ro-Hun therapy. I had heard of this method occasionally, and although it’s not one of the methods I’m currently interested in, it is something I have had on my mind to learn at a later date.

The book contains descriptions of basics such as what the Human Energy Field is, what the Universal Energy Field is, the levels of energies perceived and not perceived by the human eye (auras, etc) and the chakras. Mr. Batie has included the theory behind the practice of several methods, including the nature of healing energy.

Quote from page 14 – The Nature of Healing Energy – paragraph 1
“A number of very interesting studies and carefully controlled experiments have been conducted to determine the nature of the healing energies exhibited by healer’s hands. These studies have provided strong evidence to suggest that healing energy is magnetic in nature, as opposed to the electrical evidence exhibited by the physical body. We are all familiar with the electroencephalograph (EEG), which measures the minute electrical currents within the brain, and the electrocardiogram (EKG), which measures the minute electrical currents within the heart and other body tissues. But only since the development of the ultrasensitive magnetic field detector called a SQUID (Super-conducting QUantum Interference Device) has it been possible to measure and document the intensity of the magnetic field emitted by a healer’s hands.”

Mr. Batie goes on to document other studies, and then gives exercises for the practice of building healing energy. The book covers how to heal the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual bodies of the human being, all with concise informative back up in research.

To top it off, Mr. Batie has included several ideas and documents to help the Energetic Healer start a practice in helping others.

Well done, Mr. Batie. I’m glad to have had the opportunity to review your work, and hope to read more from you in the future. I highly suggest this book to all of my readers, and those just beginning on the path of energetic healing.
–
Jodi Lee – is a freelance writer/editor living in southern Manitoba, Canada.
© 2001 – present All Rights Reserved; Republish notice excluded.

This article can be republished elsewhere in its entirety so long as the author is notified (see contact information), a link is provided to the website, and this notice is left intact.