Traveling Between the Worlds: Conversations with Contemporary Shamans

Every indigenous society throughout the world has had its own version of the shaman—a man or woman who can, at will, enter into altered states of consciousness in order to acquire knowledge and healing power. Despite having once considered shamanism a “low level religion,” today people in the Western world are beginning to recognize that, in our drive for material comfort, we have lost our vital connection with the sacred dimensions of life and, as a result, our own authentic selves. Thus called, our culture is once again turning to the shaman to help guide us back into a state of divine reverence for ourselves and the world around us.

In Traveling Between the Worlds, Hillary S. Webb invites us to eavesdrop on her conversations with twenty four of the most influential teachers and writers of shamanism today .Though the conversations cover a multitude of topics pertaining to the shaman’s path, Webb begs the question, “How can we use these ancient teachings to help ourselves, each other, and the world?”

“I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have talked with these adventurers of the spirit,” writes Webb in the Introduction to the book. “Not only did their words inspire me, but each conversation changed me forever. With each interview came a new idea, a new piece of the puzzle, a new concept that forced me to reconsider the way I look at the world. Most of all, I felt a sense of optimism, that through this work things can change for the better. I was amazed by the variety of positive ways in which shamanism can be applied to the world, as well as to the individual within it. I think of John Perkins who, with his non-profit organization Dream Change Coalition, brings multi-million dollar corporation executives down to the Ecuadorian Amazon in order to teach them ways of merging business and eco-philosophy. There is Rabbi Gershon Winkler who uses these ancient beliefs and techniques to bring Israelis and Palestinians together on common and more peaceful, ground—their indigenous roots. There is Celtic shaman Geo Trevarthen who combines shamanism with the search for romantic love. Also featured is “renegade shaman” Ken Eagle Feather from the Toltec tradition who explains how technology itself will help us move to the next level of expanding our perception. And Oscar Miro-Quesada, whose ideas on the difference between life and death challenged my view on reality itself. And that is just the beginning. “

Selected Readings

Table of Contents
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For anyone who has ever had the desire to look at the world through the eyes of the shaman, Traveling Between the Worlds is a treasure trove of insight and exploration into the teachings of this ancient path.

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