The Flowers of Wiricuta: A Journey to Shamanic Power with the Huichol Indians of Mexico [Paperback]

Tom Soloway Pinkson Ph.D. (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 1, 1997

 
The author integrates his apprenticeship with Huichol shamans into his inspiring work with terminally ill children and their families.

The Flowers of Wiricuta is the gripping autobiographical account of Tom Pinkson's decade-long immersion in the shamanic traditions of the Huichol tribe of north central Mexico, who have retained their ancient way of life more thoroughly than other indigenous groups, and are known primarily for the use of peyote in their spiritual traditions. Pinkson has successfully integrated their teachings into his work with terminally ill children and their families. His book is a heart-felt record of a personal search for a clearer understanding of the true self. 

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Pinkson is one of those rare individuals who walks his talk, whose life is built on helping others, loving and forgiving, and a determination to trust and listen to the inner voice within him."
(From the foreword by Gerald Jampolsky, M.D., author of Letting Go of Fear )

"In twenty-five years of studying shamanism, I have seldom enjoyed a book as much as this."
(Stephen Larsen, Ph.D., coauthor of Fire in the Mind )

"An inspirational and wonderful tribute to the spiritual traditions found among the old ways."
(Angeles Arrien, author of The Four Fold Way )

"Boldly reveals the path of a true modern shaman. As this engaging book clearly shows, shamanism has much to contribute to contemporary society."
(James Swan, Ph.D., author of Nature as Teacher and Healer )

About the Author

Tom Soloway Pinkson, Ph.D., is a practicing psychologist, consultant, teacher, public speaker and high-performance coach to business executives and health professionals. He lives in San Rafael, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Destiny Books; 1st Printing edition (October 1, 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0892816597
• ISBN-13: 978-0892816590
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #629,626 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Dr. Tom Pinkson has served as a served as a bridge builder between ancient wisdom and contemporary society, walking in two worlds, one of traditional healing and one of western psychology, helping address the challenges of modern living. For over forty years he has worked with indigenous elders from the deserts of Mexico to the jungles of the Amazon, embracing spiritual teachings and sharing them with integrity to both preserve ancient knowledge, and leverage that wisdom to create practical application for the issues that face our world today.

Tom has played a key role in three social movements of the 20th Century: the establishment and growth of the second Hospice Program in the United States, the introduction of the Native American based Vision Quest to mainstream America, and, together with Dr. Jerry Jampolsky, the growth of Attitudinal Healing, a forerunner to today's popularity of "positive psychology"via the internationally renowned Center for Attitudinal Healing, where Tom created and led counseling programs for life-threatened children and adults for thirty two years. He is the founder and director of WAKAN, a community based non-profit organization committed to restoring the sacred in daily life.

Tom has touched thousands of lives throughout the world. As international keynote speaker, Transpersonal Psychologist, Consultant, Retreat and Ceremonial Leader, Spiritual Counselor, and author of books including, "Do They Celebrate Christmas in Heaven: Spiritual Rites of Passage teachings from Children with Life Threatening Illness" and "The Shamanic Wisdom of the Huichols," he guides people to discover a path of sacred and harmonious living in balance with the web of life.

You can learn more about Tom and see and hear him in action via short clips at the following site:
http://store.innertraditions.com/Contributor.jmdx?action=displayDetail&id=613

www.tompinkson.ning.com
[e-mail]

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Flowers of Wiricuta, November 20, 2001

By 

Ron Nadeau (No. California) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flowers of Wiricuta: A Journey to Shamanic Power with the Huichol Indians of Mexico (Paperback)

This is an amazing book that held me in the grip of inner exploration. The Shamanic unfolding of an East Coast kids journey for understanding and connection with his true nature. This detailed and well written account of a person dealing with the life struggles we all can relate too leads the author, Tom Pinkson Ph.D., to Mexico and several years of study with the Huichol Indians (filled with cultural insights).

For me the book is a touch stone book and reference guide that helped me to understand more of the "unusual" experiences in my life --- A story filled with instruction and meaning relevant to the larger connection and mystery of life. This book address and connects us to the human spiritual challange in life and honors the sacred mystery that binds us all. In ancient cultures you were consider healthy if you had encounters with the "para-normal", but it seems that in our culture you are considered psychotic - could there be more...

All in all, I felt very sane, refreshed and inspired after reading this work by Tom Pinkson and would encourage anyone who has unexplained occurances in their life to begin your inner exploration and journey with this book.

There is also a wonderful Forward written by Gerald Jampolsky, M.D.(author of "Love is Letting go of Fear") who has known and worked with Mr. Pinkson for years at the Center for Attitudinal Healing. Mr. Jampolsky states, "Within this book you will find many important wake-up calls."

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The True Voice of Shamanism, November 27, 2001

By 

Rasana (Fairfax, CA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Flowers of Wiricuta: A Journey to Shamanic Power with the Huichol Indians of Mexico (Paperback)

This book brings a hidden treasure to the reader. It creates, throughout each page, a relationship with the writer where his inner journey becomes your own. This book explores with humility and strength the commitment of an young bright man who dared listening to his heart and to change the fate of his life. It opens an universe of the mysterious and brings it closer to us, seekers or just curious fellows. An explample of how by listening to the inner call one can encounter the wisdom and the beauty of life . Tom is a wonderful medicine man speaking the true voice of shamanism.

27 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Hmmm......, July 31, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: The Flowers of Wiricuta: A Journey to Shamanic Power with the Huichol Indians of Mexico (Paperback)

I bought this book thinking I'd learn a lot about the Huichols. I ended up learning a whole lot more about Tom Pinkson, the author of this book. This is his personal journey through juvenile delinquency, LSD, working at a drug-rehab place, going on "vision quests," and FINALLY (after about 150 pages) ending up with the Huichol tribe in Mexico. The book meanders around from one story to the next with no clear-cut chronology. I believe Mr. Pinkson is probably a very nice, spiritual guy, but I had a very hard time believing a lot of the things that go on in this book. He hears voices in his head constantly, which direct him to do things or make things fall into place in his life just a bit too conveniently for my comfort level. Yes, I know that the Huichol culture and shamanism is an alternate reality in itself compared with modern Western society, and that much of it is hard for Westerners to believe. But I came away from this book thinking that, for exam! ple, if some old Indian told him that there is a giant earwig diety named "Boobaloo" living inside Mount Rushmore, and that the way to please the earwig is to spin around 50 times and cluck like a chicken while slapping yourself in the face...well, Mr. Pinkson would probably believe it deeply and follow these "directions." While small parts of it were touching and somewhat interesting, all in all this book goes out of the realm of plausibility for me.