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The Healing Wisdom Of Africa: Finding Life Purpose Through Nature, Ritual, And Community

Through The Healing Wisdom of Africa, readers can come to understand that the life of indigenous and traditional people is a paradigm for an intimate relationship with the natural world that both surrounds us and is within us. The book is the most complete study of the role ritual plays in the lives of African people--and the role it can play for seekers in the West.

Paperback: 352 pages

Publisher: TarcherPerigee; Reprint edition (September 13, 1999)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 087477991X

ISBN-13: 978-0874779912

Product Dimensions: 6.1 x 1 x 9.1 inches

Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)

Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (40 customer reviews)

Best Sellers Rank: #37,062 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #8 in Books > History > World > Religious > Ethnic & Tribal #25 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > New Age & Spirituality > Shamanism #28 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts > Tribal & Ethnic

To be truthful, this book needs to be read through more than once - it needs to be lived with, and at least a few of the exercises and ceremonies or variants of them must be worked through by the reader.Malidoma's two earlier books, both obvious 5-star efforts, were more at expository essay and autobiography respectively. Both were jammed full of insights and plentiful quotable passages. And both were sumptuous with detail and inspiration.Part One of this new volume is not an exception to this - though maybe a little drier in overall tone - still, I found myself leaving little quotes from it on my friend Cynthia's answering machine, for which she later thanked me profusely.But the purpose of Part Two is to illustrate these illuminations/insights by things to actually do in order to begin feeling your connection with nature and the other elements of the Dagara cosmos. And throughout, Malidoma continues his critique of Western cultural and religious milieu in contradistinction to African ways and means.There have been other terrific hands-on tutelages allowing a Euro-American to shed parts of his/her dualistic/rationalistic skin in exchange for an animistic one (Starhawk's 'The Spiral Dance', Harner's 'Way of the Shaman', Teich's 'Jambalaya', Ingerman's 'Soul Retrieval', Villoldo's 'Shaman Healer Sage', and Malidoma's wife Sobonfu Some's books). This is the latest "next best thing", and it's really a good one.One thing about Malidona is that he warns the neophyte to at times exercise some degree of caution - diving headfirst into a new cultural scenario is not always the wisest or safest path. One's ability to tread lightly can bring dividends and rewards.

IS THIS WHY AFRICA IS? (Why Africa is poor, Why Africa is not developing, What Africa needs, What Africa needs to develop): Africa, Africa, Africa, Africa Africa, Africa, Ebola, Ebola, Ebola, Ebola The Healing Wisdom of Africa: Finding Life Purpose Through Nature, Ritual, and Community Healing: Reclaim Your Health: Self Healing Techniques: Fasting, Meditation, Prayer, Healing Medicine, and Energy Work (Channeling, Shamanism, Chakra Healing, ... Qigong Healing, Ayahuasca Book 1) Crystals and Gemstones: Healing The Body Naturally (Chakra Healing, Crystal Healing, Self Healing, Reiki Healing) The Hidden Code in Freemasonry: Finding Light through Esoteric interpretation of Masonic Ritual Artes de Mexico # 62. Dia de muertos: Serenidad ritual / Day of the Dead. Ritual Serenity (Spanish Edition) You Were Born to Succeed: Finding Your Purpose Through Numerology The Purpose-Driven Life: How to Achieve Everything You Want in Life (The Wheel of Wisdom Book 20) Reiki: The Healing Energy of Reiki - Beginner's Guide for Reiki Energy and Spiritual Healing: Reiki: Easy and Simple Energy Healing Techniques Using the ... Energy Healing for Beginners Book 1) REIKI: From Beginner to Expert - Energy Healing Double Book Bundle (+Bonus!) - Ultimate Guide to Reiki Healing & Chakra Healing (Energy Healing, Chakras ... Beginners, Reiki Symbols, Chakra Balancing) Your Scars Are Beautiful to God: Finding Peace and Purpose in the Hurts of Your Past Faith Behind the Blue Wall: Finding God's Love and Divine Purpose in Law Enforcement Tears For My Soul: Finding Purpose In The Midst Of Pain Finding Meaning in Life, at Midlife and Beyond: Wisdom and Spirit from Logotherapy (Social and Psychological Issues: Challenges and Solutions) Political Ascent: Contemporary Islamic Movements In North Africa (State, Culture, and Society in Arab North Africa) Burying SM: The Politics of Knowledge and the Sociology of Power in Africa (Social History of Africa (Paperback)) Verdes colinas de Africa / Green Hills of Africa (Palabra En El Tiempo / Word at the Time) (Spanish Edition) Cuadernos de Africa/ Notebooks of Africa (Spanish Edition) Healing Through the Dark Emotions: The Wisdom of Grief, Fear, and Despair Return of the Divine Sophia: Healing the Earth through the Lost Wisdom Teachings of Jesus, Isis, and Mary Magdalene