The Way of Wyrd
Tales of an Anglo-Saxon Sorcerer
By Brian Bates

In my opinion, Brian Bates is one of the great authorities on the shamanic traditions of ancient England. In his book, The Way of Wyrd, he uses his research into a thousand year old manuscript in the British Library and his extensive knowledge of the spiritual traditions of Anglo-Saxon England as background to highly readable story that describes how a novice was initiated as a shaman.

For me, the greatest value in the book lies in its authenticity and the feeling, when reading it, that the story describes how life might very well have been in those ancient days.

This book lives on my bookshelf, has been read several times, and will be read again. I strongly recommend it to anyone who has a serious interest in shamanism.

The Real Middle Earth
Magic and Mystery in the Dark Ages
By Brian Bates

In my opinion, Brian Bates is one of the great authorities on the shamanic traditions of ancient England. His book, The Real Middle Earth, is a very readable and well researched account of the spiritual traditions of Anglo-Saxon England – many of which are still woven into the fabric of modern society.

This book lives on my bookshelf, has been read several times, and will be read again. I strongly recommend it to anyone who has a serious interest in shamanism.

Living Shamans
Shamanism in China
Edited by Guo Shuyun and Wang Hongang

A fascinating book published by Liaoning People’s Publishing House. The book is a mainly pictorial record of shamanic rituals being practiced in Northeast China along with commentary in Chinese and in English. For many years folk religions in China were strongly discouraged but the traditions were kept alive and with renewed religious freedoms have come out into the open. This book documents some of the beliefs and rituals of Chinese folk religions that are still widely practiced in city and countryside.

This book is very difficult to obtain outside of China. During my next visit I plan to bring additional copies home with me. If you are interested in obtaining one please contact me by email.

Tales of a Shaman’s Apprentice
By Mark J. Plotkin, Ph.D.

When I first encountered this book I was afraid that it might be yet another superficial account of encounters between a self styled explorer and South American tribes that might have been best left alone. Instead I got to read about the dedicated work of a man who is willing to meet the indigenous tribes on their own terms and is determined to make sure that these people are fairly and appropriately rewarded for their knowledge and wisdom which is being appropriated and exploited by modern multi-national pharmaceutical companies.

Interesting, informative and very readable.

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