Book Description
A community devoured by greed, cowardice, and fear. A man persecuted by the ghosts of his painful past. A young woman searching for happiness. In one eventful week, each will face questions of life, death, and power, and each will choose a path. Will they choose good or evil?
In the remote village of Viscos -- a village too small to be on any map, a place where time seems to stand still -- a stranger arrives, carrying with him a backpack containing a notebook and eleven gold bars. He comes searching for the answer to a question that torments him: Are human beings, in essence, good or evil? In welcoming the mysterious foreigner, the whole village becomes an accomplice to his sophisticated plot, which will forever mark their lives.
Paulo Coelho's stunning novel explores the timeless struggle between good and evil, and brings to our everyday dilemmas fresh perspective: incentive to master the fear that prevents us from following our dreams, from being different, from truly living.
The Devil and Miss Prym is a story charged with emotion, in which the integrity of being human meets a terrifying test.
Customer Reviews:
Enjoyable.......2007-06-13
"The Devil and Miss Prym" is a thought provoking book. Talks about coexistance of good and evil in human nature and how life circumstances can change us each time into either good or a bad people. Talks about how religion and politics can rule humanity over fear. Virtue is one of fear's faces.
Just OK.......2007-06-07
For me, a deep thought provoking book stays with me for at least a few days or even weeks after I've read it as I think about the story and the questions raised. I liked this book and it's a fast read but it's not a book that stayed in my thoughts for more than a day after I finished it. Maybe it's just me.
Coelho writes well.......2007-03-17
I didn't enjoy this as much as some of his others but it was interesting and thought provoking.
Fantastic novel, thank you for writing it!.......2006-11-29
Thought provoking, riveting and powerfully written. I've had it for months where it was alternately sitting on my bookshelf or nightstand. I finally decided to read it, choosing from among dozens also waiting to be read and then left it for several more days in the living room. I finally got to it and feel renewed and refocused on enjoying life, being thankful and not letting FEAR torment me. It came to me to be read right when I needed it, reaffirming the messages in the book, thank you. An empowering and enjoyable, highly recommended read.
Wishing for another Alchemist.......2006-11-07
After loving The Alchemist (worth five stars), I bought a few other books by Coelho, hoping that I would be equally inspired. Alas, I haven't found it yet. While The Devil and Miss Prym is better than The Pilgrammage (I'd rate that one at a one or two), it still lacks the hopeful and positive spirit of The Alhemist. The stories within the story are good and the writing is clear.
Book Description
A stranger arrives at the remote village of Viscos, carrying with him a backpack containing a notebook and eleven gold bars. He comes searching for the answer to a question that torments him: Are human beings, in essence, good or evil? In welcoming the mysterious foreigner, the whole village becomes an accomplice to his sophisticated plot, which will forever mark their lives.
A novel of temptation by the internationally bestselling author Paulo Coelho, The Devil and Miss Prym is a thought-provoking parable of a community devoured by greed, cowardice, and fear—as it struggles with the choice between good and evil.
Customer Reviews:
Puzzled by the praise..........2007-09-05
This book received such praise, and certainly others who have reviewed it on Amazon include such hyperbole as "THE BEST EVER!!!". I'm at a loss to understand this. The story bumps along akwardly at the beginning - the plot gears up with all the smoothness of an organ grinder just beginning to turn the crank. Once the story gets going, it really does become compelling, and the middle of the book provides much food for thought. The ending has glimpses of the profound, but is rather messily and hastily tied up and dumped at the curb. One piece of the resolution (I won't give it away) has no foundation in the many "deals" made between the two main characters - and I ripped through the pages several times trying to find the explanation I surely had missed, only to toss the book aside frustrated when I didn't find it. All in all, the author has an eye for a topic, a good idea how to frame the debate, but the story needs a lot more tightening up to really pull it off.
Fantastic book!.......2007-07-25
`If even God has a hell, which is his love for mankind, then any man has his hell within easy reach, and that's his love for his family.'
This is the best book I have read this year! This book is a real page turner! I highly recommend it!
The story is as follows: A stranger appeared in a small village, Viscos, where 108 women and 173 men live. Unknown to the villagers, he was carrying in his rucksack eleven bars of gold, each weighing two kilos. After having checked-in in the only hotel, he plunged into the forest, where he dug two holes. In one, he buried one gold bar, and in the other hole the remaining 10 gold bars. He then walked back to the village. The first person he saw on his way back was a young woman, Chantal Prym, sitting beside a river reading a book. He approached her, and told her that he would like to show her something she had never seen before. At first she hesitated, but wanting adventure, she followed him into the forest. He told her to dig near a Y-shaped rock, where she found the first bar of gold. The stranger then led her to the next hiding place. There she found the remaining gold bars. She was astonished at the quantity of gold she saw before her. At first, she thought that he was showing her all this gold because he was like other older men, obsessed with the idea of sex with a younger woman. But she soon found out that the stranger was carrying out an experiment into the nature of human beings. He told her that he had discovered that confronted by temptation, humans will always fall. Given the right circumstances, every human being on this earth would be willing to commit evil. To test his theory, he then told her to tell the inhabitants of Viscos about the gold she saw, and to convey the message that should they kill one of their own, all the gold would be theirs! He further added that he would only give them a week. If, at the end of seven days, someone in the village is found dead, the money would go to the villagers, and he would conclude that humans are evil. However, should Chantal Prym steal the one gold bar but the village resists temptation, or vice versa, he would conclude that there are good people and evil people. This would mean that there's a spiritual struggle going on that could be won by either side. However, should he leave with all eleven gold bars, then he would conclude that life is good and that it prevails over evil.
The stranger had lost his wife and daughters at the hand of terrorists. He now needed to find out whether humans are good or evil. If we are good, he thought, God is just and will forgive him for all he has done, for He was the one who drove him towards the dark. But if we are evil, he concluded, then everything is permitted, he never took a wrong decision, and we are all condemned from the start, and it doesn't matter what we do in this life, for redemption lies beyond either human thought or deed.
Coelho is trying to convey to us the message that we are all good and evil; that good and evil have the same face. He recounts two stories to illustrate this. The first story is about the history of Viscos. The story goes as follows: A wicked Arab bandit by the name of Ahab controlled the whole village. One day, a hermit by the name of St Savin came down from his cave, arrived at Ahab's house and asked to spend the night there. Ahab laughed, telling him that he could easily slit his throat while he slept. But Savin insisted. Ahab determined to kill him that very night. They chatted while Ahab sharpened his knife, then Ahab showed Savin where he could sleep and continued menacingly sharpening his knife. After watching him for a few minutes, Savin closed his eyes and went to sleep. Ahab spent all night sharpening his knife. The next day, when Savin awoke, he found Ahab in tears at his side. He told him, "You weren't afraid of me and you didn't judge me. For the first time ever, someone spent a night by my side trusting that I could be a good man, one ready to offer hospitality to those in need. Because you believed I was capable of behaving decently, I did." From that moment on, Ahab abandoned his life of crime.
The other story is about The Last Supper, painted by Leonardo da Vinci. When Leonardo was creating this picture, Leonardo da Vinci encountered a serious problem: he had to depict Good - in the person of Jesus - and Evil - in the figure of Judas. He stopped work on the painting until he could find his ideal models. He was quickly able to find his model for Jesus in a boy he saw in a choir. But three years had gone by, and the Last Supper was almost complete, but Leonardo had still not found the perfect model for Judas. After many days spent searching, the artist came across a prematurely aged youth, in rags and lying drunk in the gutter. The beggar was taken to the church, not understanding what was going on.
Leonardo immediately started copying the lines of impiety, sin and egotism so clearly etched on the beggar's features. When he had finished, the beggar, who had sobered up slightly, opened his eyes and saw the picture before him. With a mixture of horror he said, "I've seen that picture before!" Leonardo was astonished. He couldn't believe it. The beggar replied, "Three years ago, before I lost everything I had, at a time when I used to sing in a choir and my life was full of dreams. The artist asked me to pose as the model for the face of Jesus." Evil and good have the same face!
Chantal Prym did not immediately tell the inhabitants of the village about the gold. But she did tell them eventually on a Friday night at the village bar when all the villagers, including the stranger, were present. After telling them about the stranger and the gold, she told them,"That gold will belong to Viscos if, in the next three days, someone in the village is murdered. If no one dies, the stranger will leave, taking his gold with him."
They were all shocked, and some asked the stranger to leave the village at once, while others said to call the police. Chantal Prym was sure that there was no way her fellow villagers would be capable of committing a murder for money. But she was wrong! The villagers actually were contemplating committing the murder. The next day, they all congregated in the church. The priest gave a sermon, saying "In the Gospel according to Luke, there is a moment when an important man approaches Jesus and asks: `Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?" And, to our surprise, Jesus responds: `Why callest thou me good? None is good, save one, that is, God.' The priest went on saying, `None is good, says the Lord. No one. We should stop pretending to a goodness that offends God and accept our faults: if one day we have to accept a wager with the devil, let us remember that our Father who is in heaven did exactly the same in order to save the soul of His servant Job.' (In the story of Job, God takes a wager with the devil, allowing the devil to strip Job of his wealth, killing his children, and inflicting a horrible disease on his body, just to see whether Job will continue to love and worship Him!)
The priest was once told by a bishop, `Abraham took in strangers, and God was happy. Elijah disliked strangers, and God was happy. David was proud of what he was doing, and God was happy. The publican before the altar was ashamed of what he did, and God was happy. John the Baptist went out into the desert, and God was happy. Paul went to the great cities of the Roman Empire, and God was happy. How can one know what will please the Almighty? Do what your heart commands, and God will be happy.'
One passage in the Bible greatly disturbed Viscos' priest. Why did Jesus ask Judas to commit a sin and thus lead him into eternal damnation? Jesus would never do that; in truth, the traitor was merely a victim, as Jesus himself. Evil had to manifest itself and fulfill its role, so that ultimately Good could prevail. If there was no betrayal, there could be no cross, the words of the scriptures would not be fulfilled, and Jesus' sacrifice could not serve as an example.
The priest was now set on murder, and he managed to convince the rest of the congregation.
The inhabitants of Viscos chose Berta as their victim; an old woman with no friends, who seemed slightly mad, and made no contribution to the growth of the village. All started to dream about the riches that would soon befall them.
Chantal Prym had a dream. It was of an angel handing her the eleven gold bars and asking her to keep them. Chantal told the angel that, for this to happen, someone had to be killed. But the angel said that this wasn't the case: on the contrary, the bars were proof that the gold did not exist. She had understood the dream.
The priest had taken all the shotguns from the villagers, and loaded all of them except one. In this way, they could all believe that they could have been the ones to shoot a blank.
They first sedated Berta, and then took her to the valley to be shot simultaneously by all the villagers. But Chantal Prym intervened. She stood in the line of fire, and asked the villagers if they could use the gold. Can they sell it? She told them the story of Midas, who turned everything he touched into gold, even his food and his wife. Midas died of starvation. Too many questions will be asked by the bank when they tried to change their gold to money. A murder was about to be committed for something they could never have. The villagers were convinced, and the noise of the first shotgun being disarmed was heard, followed by all the rest!
I thought this was as good or better than the Alchemist.......2007-06-17
After reading the Alchemist (which was recommeneded to me by four people) I wanted to read more by this author. This is the best book I have read in a while! It made me reflect on human nature and will stick with me for years to come. The book explores whether people are naturally good or evil. I was drawn in from the beginning and stayed interested until the conclusion. It is a quick and thought proviking read. I then read Veronika Decides to Die. That was also a good book. I just ordered three more of his books, he is a facinating author.
Average customer rating:
- THOUGHT PROVOKING STORY - TERRIFIC READING
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The Devil and Miss Prym CD: A Novel of Temptation
Paulo Coelho
Manufacturer: HarperAudio
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The Valkyries
ASIN: 0061117714
Release Date: 2006-07-03 |
Book Description
A new novel of temptation by the author of the international bestsellers The Alchemist and The Zahir.
A community devoured by greed, cowardice, and fear. A man persecuted by his painful past. A woman searching for happiness. In one eventful week, each of them will face questions of life, death, and power, and each will choose their own path. Will they choose good or evil?
In the remote village of Viscos, a stranger arrives, carrying with him a backpack containing a notebook and eleven gold bars. He comes searching for the answer to the question: Are human beings good or evil? In welcoming the mysterious foreigner, the whole village becomes an accomplice to his sophisticated plot, which will forever mark their lives.
Paulo Coelho's stunning novel explores the timeless struggle between good and evil and brings to our everyday dilemmas fresh incentive: to master the fear that prevents us from following our dreams, from being different, and from truly living.
Customer Reviews:
THOUGHT PROVOKING STORY - TERRIFIC READING.......2006-07-25
The struggle between good and evil is a topic that has occupied the minds of men throughout the ages. Poems, stories, and novels have been written with this contest as its theme, yet few I wager have been penned as compellingly as today's tale by Paulo Coelho.
This author who has won a number of prestigious awards, confines his narrative to a one week period and follows what he has been quoted as believing - that one man's life is every man's.
A stranger arrives in the secluded mountain village of Viscos. This is the place that Chantal Prym would give anything to escape, and she is one of the first to speak with the newcomer. He is carrying 11 gold bars and a notebook. He explains that he is seeking help in answering an important question - are people basically good or are they evil?
It is the stranger's belief that under certain circumstances every human being would, indeed, do something evil. Were Chantal to prove this to be true she could escape the confines of Viscos and begin a new life. However, committing such an act would be against all she believes to be right and true.
What will her choice be and how does this challenge affect the other villagers?
Tony nominee and Outer Critics Circle Award winner Linda Emond gives a breathtaking voice performance as Coelho's thought provoking story is revealed. Few who hear it will soon forget it.
- Gail Cooke
Average customer rating:
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The Devil and Miss Prym: a Novel of Temptation
Paulo Coelho
Manufacturer: Harper Collins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0007222505 |
Average customer rating:
- Great , but not a classic
- Very Good
- Interesting concept
- Moments of Brilliance... and mediocrity
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Mistress of the Night (Forgotten Realms: The Priests)
Dave Gross
Manufacturer: Wizards of the Coast
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
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ASIN: 0786933461
Release Date: 2004-11-25 |
Book Description
Second in a series of stand-alone adventures about the clerics of the Forgotten Realms world.
Mistress of the Night is the second title in this Forgotten Realms novel series that focuses specifically on priests, the popular D&D iconic class also known as clerics. Each title chronicles priests loyal to a different deity in the Forgotten Realms pantheon. Like the preceding series The Rogues, each novel in The Priests series is written as a stand-alone adventure, allowing new readers an easy entry point into the Forgotten Realms world.
Customer Reviews:
Great , but not a classic.......2007-05-07
I didn't want to put this book down. Great story, characters, flowing writing style.DnD books can be a bit hit or miss. This was a hit! Even if your not a DnD fan or into the realms, its still good enough to read. And if your into the realms its full of lore about shar and selune.
I may not reread it. But I throughly enjoyed reading it. And it was well worth the money.
Very Good.......2007-02-11
Gross and Bassingthwaite bring us a very entertaining story about eternal struggle between Selune and her dark sister Shar, this time taking root in Sembian city of Yhauun. Although the book was written by two authors, they complement each other masterfully, and you can't really tell which part was written by which author.
This book delivers a lot of details on Selune's and Shar's clergy rituals, rites and hierarchy. I expected much more of that in other "Priests" books, but only "Maiden of Pain" delivered, to some extent. The characters, and especially Keph (one of two main characters), are fairly interesting. I only wished for more insight into Feena's (the other main character) past. The plot is solid but nothing of breathtaking or truly memorable. The pace of the book is at a slower side, just the way I like novels to be, so the authors could delve into detail a bit deeper. The authors describe the setting beautifully, giving you a rich picture of Yhauun and its major landmarks. The writing styles, and especially dialogues, are fluid and rich.
I have no major complains about this novel. To put is in short, it is a combination of good characters and even better writing style standing on a solid plot. Make sure to read it.
As for the "Priests" series as a whole, I was very pleasantly surprised before I read "Lady of Poison". That book is so badly written that I can't believe it even got published. "Queen of Depths" is an average FR novel, classic Byers I would say. This book and "Maiden of Pain" are in my opinion true jewels of the series. The series got an average of 3.25 stars from me, which is above average. If only not for that "Lady of Poison"...
Interesting concept.......2005-08-15
This was a fun book for me to read. I don't want to post spoilers here, but there are some interesting twists involving the main characters that play a big part of the plot down the road.
The author does a very good job of moving this story along with the right mix of action, details and setting descriptions. Also, some of the things the author adds are rather unconventional and therefore makes the book very interesting. He tends to go against the grain in a couple of areas, and for that I applaud the author.
This is not the type of book that you see rehashed and rehashed over and over again, this is something new and interesting. Give it a shot if you are a fan of the Forgotten Realms.
Moments of Brilliance... and mediocrity.......2005-07-26
This is a tough book to peg. One good thing is it's unique enough of a story that it certainly wasn't bland.
Feena is a werewolf and priestess of Selune, who returns to the temple in yhuann where a Sharran cult is emerging. A local wizards' son is recruited to the Sharran cult, and is instrumental in their plans to recover an ancient artifact as well as in the ongoing conflict between Shar and Selune.
There are parts in the story where it drags a bit. There are also parts where it's exciting and intriguing. With a tad bit more polish, this probably could have been among the best FR books ever. Despite a 3 star rating, I would still recommend it, because it is unique enough that others may enjoy it.
Average customer rating:
- What a Let Down
- Chilling Conclusion
- The Denouemont
- EXCELLENT WRITING WITH A TRAGICALLY FLAWED PREMISE
- The Kiln
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Fire-us #3: The Kiln (Fire-us)
Jennifer Armstrong , and
Nancy Butcher
Manufacturer: Eos
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ASIN: 006447271X
Release Date: 2004-03-16 |
Book Description
Five years ago, a deadly plague killed off most of the world's population -- at least all the Grown-ups. Only a small group of children survived. So they formed a family and managed on their own. Then they came across some adults who had survived -- the Keepers. But no adults were better than these adults.
In this riveting conclusion to the Fire-us trilogy, the family is once again on its own -- with a mission. They must find out why their world was destroyed and who did it. They must head straight into danger -- to Pisgah, the heart of the Keepers' power.
With a mission. They must find out why their world was destroyed and who did it. They must head straight into danger -- to Pisgah, the heart of the Keepers' power.Five years ago, a deadly plague killed off most of and who did it. They must head straight into danger -- to Pisgah, the heart of the Keepers' power.
Customer Reviews:
What a Let Down.......2007-08-10
This book was such a flimsy conclusion to what otherwise could have been a decent series.
I was really intrigued with the building of the characters in the first two books. I was excited about the third to see how the authors brought it all together, however it just didn't happen. I felt cheated by the introduction of the grannies in the retirement home. It was very insulting to my intelligence. After all, if women who had gone through menopause were immune to the virus, wouldn't their town in Florida be swarming with helpful grannies wanting to care for orphaned children? After all, within a one block radius of my own home, I can think of 6 people who would be immune to the virus.
I also was disappointed with the weak development of the president and his followers from the shopping mall. He was such a flat and predictable villian as were his minnions. All in all, this series could have really been interesting and exciting, but the authors were either too lazy or uncreative to bring all the elements together without cheating me.
Chilling Conclusion.......2005-02-17
Here's the climax. The chilling conclusion. The scary exciting end of these series. It will disturb you, alarm you, and again, with these themes, it might be a bit too disturbing for younger audiences.
This book is fantastic! It will make you angry in bits, but all through it you'll cheer these characters on.
The Denouemont.......2004-03-06
Is anyone but me finding this Zimmerman person annoying? I mean, I appreciate being informed of the doings of the Left and Right wings, but this is a childrens book, for God's sake!
Anyway, this thrilling final chapter will keep you glue to the book. The children, now with Cory, the girl from the Keepers, are continuing their quest to find President, the only person who might be able to help them. Unfortunately, they have reason believe her is being held against his will by the Keepers at Pisgah Island, so the older kids, Mommy, Teacher, Hunter, Cory, and a mentally deteriorating Angerman, set out to rescue him, leaving the little ones in the care of an all-female retirement community they find at the beginning of the book. What they find is more terrible than anything they've seen along the way.
This concluding book held me too my seat until the very end. The construction of the novel, as we see the points of view of all the oldest children, as well as the twists and turns along the way make for a fantastic literary journey. If I may quote my favorite line from the book (I hope without giving too much away), "It's all rght, I get it. Gun breaks glass, virus kills all, ergo no bang-bang."
A real page-turner: 5 stars.
EXCELLENT WRITING WITH A TRAGICALLY FLAWED PREMISE.......2003-10-03
The Fire-Us trilogy is an entertaining post-apocalyptic thriller for those who are too young to remember the fears of nuclear annihilation that came to an end in the 1990's.
Unfortunately, in the final installment, the authors' political biases become all to clear.
For adult readers, this trilogy is an example of the kinds of evil allegations that our currend political Left is willing to spread about conservatives. If a conservative writer were to say such things about liberals he or she would be called a witch hunter, a McCarthyite, or worse. But so be it. The tale itself is entertaining enough on its own merits.
THE KILN, opens with Teacher and Cory following the clues in the Book. They find the rest safe at a retirement home full of old ladies. One of them, the home's physician, confirms that Fire-Us had indeed been a virus. But it had killed only those whose bodies were producing sexual hormones. Thus it killed all men, and all women between puberty and menopause. That was how the old women survived. The men at the retirement home died, but the women survived.
Angerman begins to behave more and more insanely, and one of the women mysteriously addresses him as David. We learn that the last President had a name that rhymes with the name of a man who actually was regarded as a Presidential contender during the 1990's (in our "real" world). He was last seen at Pisgah Island, further up the road. The older children leave the younger ones with the old women at The Woods retirement home and take a solar-powered golf cart up the road to Pisgah.
There the children learn who the Keepers really are, and the role of President in the murder of the billions of people who had formerly inhabited the planet. It seems that President (who had first been elected in 2000) had been disappointed that the apocalyptic predictions for that hear had not come to pass. Angerman surprisingly regains his sanity. We learn the nature of the Testing of the infants born to the brides of the Supreme Leader, which has grown more and more ominous.
This author is far from surprised that liberals (such as the credentials of Jennifer Armstrong and Nancy Butcher) would be just as prone to belief in monstrous conspiracy theories as the Right has long been reputed to be. That is common knowledge. What is intriguing is that these two women would have attained a degree of respectability unheard of for conservative writers of similar stature. On the right, such conspiracies would be called alarmism. Why should that not be the case here?
The Kiln.......2003-05-21
This book was an excellent end to the Fire-us trilogy. If you want to read good fiction, read this series.
I read some parts in this book over and over again, and I still feel like I have to read it all over again because I missed so much (I'm a careful reader, so I couldn't miss that much). Still, if you want good science fiction, read this book!!!
Book Description
Winner of the 2006 COVR Award Is shamanism all that different from modern witchcraft? According to Christopher Penczak, Wicca's roots go back 20,000 years to the Stone Age shamanic traditions of tribal cultures worldwide. A fascinating exploration of the Craft's shamanic origins, The Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft offers year-and-a-day training in shamanic witchcraft.
Penczak's third volume of witchcraft teachings corresponds to the water element - guiding the reader into this realm of emotion, reflection, and healing. The twelve formal lessons cover shamanic cosmologies, journeying, dreamwork, animal/plant/stone medicine, totems, soul retrieval, and psychic surgery. Each lesson includes exercises (using modern techniques and materials), assignments, and helpful tips. The training ends with a ritual for self-initiation into the art of the shamanic witch - culminating in an act of healing, rebirth, and transformation.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent!.......2007-03-21
As a person that loves to acquire knowledge I have found this book excellent. Note I do not practice witchcraft but loves to find out how it works.
excellent author.......2007-03-07
I HIGHLY PRAISE THEE, PENCZAK!!
you are on the top of any recommendation i give to anyone wishing to REALLY study the craft of the wise.
the writing is intimate, personal and very descriptive but intent and purpose and a point isnt left out at all.
everything he writes is VERY well written and well researched.
i am slowly and surely purchasing ALL of his books. i purchased the entire "temple" series out so far in one whack.
i give out his books as gifts.
i cant even begin to say how much his writing, especially the "inner temple of witchcraft" has impacted my spiritual life.
thank you penczak. keep writing like you are!!!
Path of the Shaman.......2006-08-06
I am a 'Christopherian', following Chris' Temple of Witchcraft Tradition. I thought this book would be far less interesting than the previous two, Inner and Outer Temple of Witchcraft. I was VERY wrong. This was by far the best of the three, and I look forward to the Temple of High Witchcraft. You really need to read them in order, but if you have ITOW and OTOW, you really should get this and the next two as well.
Great Intro to All things Shamanism.......2006-06-16
This book was an excellent compilation of studies from all shamanic taditions, not rejecting or favoring any one culture. I loved the use of the World Tree as a journeying tool, and definitely benefitted from it. It also is a collection of herbal associations and totem animal meanings, and has a great layout that guides the reader through various exercises that strengthen their work in the shamanic realms. I really don't have anything to complain about with this book, I felt it covered at least all of the most important bases, and helps a person grow through use of various meditations and exercises.
disappointing.......2005-12-12
Penczak provides good information on shamamism in the first chapter, so he clearly did some research, but failed to provide much of substance about shamanic practices. He makes statements that were nonsensical, and probably unintentionally hilarious - like how shamans in Second Attention (which is not explained) can be found studying sand or walking backward. This was clearly written to be a serious statement of shamanic mindset, but instead simply sounded absurd. He also lifted and included entire segments from his previous books (inner temple meditation, alpha countdown) as well as rehashing casting a circle. It felt like filler to create enough material for this book, so that he could keep the series going. Disappointing, given how good his first book was.
Customer Reviews:
Dance of Power - aka: The Journey of Individual Development.......2006-09-26
In "Dance of Power", Dr. Susan Gregg inspiringly recounts her often arduous journey from being a disoriented and disillusioned person to becoming a fulfilled and insightful woman. Most of us will readily identify with Dr. Gregg's life challenges--and learn through her shamanic lessons. While subtitled "A Shamanic Journey", "Dance of Power" is more generally about growing into being an understanding and fulfilled individual. To further promote each reader's self-development, Dr. Gregg includes provocative reflective exercises with each chapter.
I highly recommend "Dance of Power" for every courageous individual seeking to experience life at higher levels of awareness and fulfillment.
Inspiring book.......2006-03-10
I read the first print 10 years ago and it was just what I
needed at the time. I can say the same for the updated
version. The added material is extremely beneficial. I find
the mix of personal story with exercises to be inspiring. If
you choose to do the suggested excercises, your life will
change. This is an easily accessible guide to personal
growth and fulfillment and a great place to start. It is not
a step by step guide but rather more, it gives you tools for
beginning self discovery.
empowerment, enlightenment and adventure.......2005-11-09
this year, susan revised and updated this story of her toltec journey and studies with don miguel ruiz and his mother, sister sarita. her growth as a teacher and student of ancient hawaiian spirituality has given her new insights, perspective and wisdom that she shares freely. this book is an excellent introduction to the ongoing process that studying and living the toltec way can be. her version of the toltec way is a more kind, gentle and loving approach than castaneda or mares. try her website if you can't find the new version. try her website anyway! she's a warm and wonderful teacher.
Inspirational book.......2005-05-16
This is a truly inspirational book about a shaman's path. If you are looking for an overview on shamanism look elsewhere. There are excellent books like the ones auhtored by Tom Cowan ("Shamanism: As a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life" and "Fire in the Head"). The author tells about her own path on the "way of the Nagual". There is one thing that I didn't quite understand. The author speaks highly of herself, stating that she is a rather smart person. Judging from her accompishments she may very well be right, but how come she didn't manage to learn Spanish despite studying with a Mexican master for all those years? Regardless, I have reasons to believe that everyone who is willing to share her experiences, shall like this book.
Not 'Disappointing' rather an introduction to a new path..........2000-05-01
I disagree with the reviewer who called it a disappointment,while they are correct it doesn't get deep into the subject of ritualsand practises, her book 'Finding the Sacred Self' gets more into that. I think this book is a good first step and gives a direction to exploration before moving to those other steps. Until one has an intent and openness established, I think the rituals are just window dressing. I recommend getting this book as a beginner, read it think over the questions after each chapter, pause then repeat, you will know when your ready for the next book.
Amazon.com
The 20th century has seen an astounding revival of European pagan beliefs such as witchcraft, but could these pre-Christian traditions have roots in an even older heritage, one common to people in lands as far apart as Iceland and South America? Kenneth Johnson believes so, and as he sifts through the records left from the witch trials of the 15th and 16th centuries, he uncovers bits of evidence that point to an ancient shamanic lore that survives in Slavic, Icelandic, and even North American cultural beliefs. According to Johnson, such a far-reaching lore would necessarily have its origins with the very beginnings of humankind before we migrated across the continents. Johnson's colorful prose transports the reader to diverse eras, from colonial Greenland to 19th-century United States. He blends this prose with historical research and practical spiritual exercises, exploring the origins of an ancient pathway while reestablishing our connection to it. --Brian Patterson
Customer Reviews:
A Grand Synthesis.......2003-02-08
This book makes a very convincing case for locating the roots of practically all true magical practices in the original spiritual path of shamanism. In doing so, we see that true Wicca, and other simular traditions, have a legitimate claim to extremely ancient and profound practices dating back to the dawn of the race. The author shows parallels between the beliefs and practices in culture after culture (Mayan, Plains Indian, Siberian, Norse, Celtic, Chinese, Tibetan, Polynesian, Hindu, Greek, Etc.) He then shows connections with more historically recent traditions in Germany, Switzerland, France, Ireland, Italy, England, etc. I found it to be a magnificent and convincing synthesis.
I found it especially appropriate that a book about common roots should use the universal symbol of the World Tree as a starting point.
The author points out that when a society ceases to listen to the messages of the otherworldly dimension the results are always the same: listlessness, depression, addiction, inhumanity, and general malaise. This is the result of "loss of soul." It is the natural function of the shaman to maintain the connection with the otherworld and to reclaim lost souls.
The next time a "skeptic" tries to minimalise the legitamacy and lineage of your spiritual path, you could do far worse than to refer this book to them. The connection between early Christianity and Shamanism is even explored (estatic states, speaking in tongues, spirit journeys to higher realms, helping spirits, crucifixion on the World Tree....)
Not a must read.......2001-09-28
Armed with the work of one professor on the legends of a group of psychic warriors in Northern Italy and an extremely free definition of "shaman" the author wends his unsubstantiated way through the real and pseudo history of Witchcraft in Europe.
it's really a shame..........2000-01-11
...that this book has been ignored by so much of the neopagan community. This book, along woth Carlo Ginzburg's "The Night Battles" is one of two(yes, two) books that takes an HONEST look at the possibility fertility cults existing in the Alpine countryside during the inquisition. Like Ginzburg, Johnson concludes that they is quite a bit of evidence to support such a claim. But from what can be concluded, the picture of the Italian Stregerhia(a word which Johnson(thankfully) refrains from ever using) is quite different from the typical neopagan explanation. Johnson shows us that any distinct(meaning going beyond the level of simply surviving folk magic) fertility rituals practices were primarily done in dream states, meaning that the "night battles" benandante fought were in spirit, not in physical reality, and that they tended to focuus aroud spiritual/underworld journeys. And another striking thing is the essence of such night battles themselves, meaning that the benandante thought of themselves as "good doers"(which is actually the Italian translation of the word) and were in a fight against the evil, destructive forces of witchcraft, which they believed were causing crops to die. You see, the belief in evil witches turns out to be a purely pagan belief. But over time, the activities of the benandante's spiritual journeys became melded with existing witchlore until there became no distinction between them, and witches. This in turn is where a lot of the neopagan propaganda(noteably found in Raven Grimaasi's "Ways of the Strega") that states that the benendante WERE witches comes from. Johnson also makes lot of comparisons to other spiritual traditions throughout the world and shows us that the idea of the "crisis cult" performing a state of spiritual warfare is fairly common trend among agriculturl people. Along with Ginzburg's book, these two titles are all you need to get an honest look at Italian witchcraft.
most of us know better.......1999-02-13
Certain Witchcraft books really get me mad, this is one of them. In Witchcraft' Mr. Johnson pieces together little chips and bits of information from the records of Witch trials(yes, every piece of information he uses is taken from trials) and then comes up with the conclusion that that the basis of Witchcraft was Shamanism. This meaning that the goal of the Witches was to uncover the mysteries of the underworld and heavens, while still alive. Some f this true. Witches certainly were masters of herbal concoctions that made them feel like they were in another world(usually a faery mound), but Johnson tries to pass off all of Witchcraft as this. The great mother goodess is now a bone goddess with her lunar cults now death cults. The horned god is now an underworld god rather than a forest and animal god. And like so many other sholarary books of modern Witchcraft, he has little regard for neo-paganism. He looks at little pieces of Wicca and then decides for himself whether they are correct or not. Like Erica Jong in "Witches" he seems to think that his information is better because he has P.H.d But with his very biased, and for the most part, wrong, interpretation of Witchcraft, all his degrees don't mean jack. Try the first chapters of "The Wiccan Mysteries" by Raven Grimassi or "Wicca" by Vivianne Crowley. In all fairness though, alot of the historical information taken from the trials is good. It's simply a matter of being misinterpreted and wanting YOUR version of Witchcraft to right that makes this book bad.
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