Of Water and the Spirit: Ritual, Magic and Initiation in the Life of an African Shaman (Compass) [Paperback]

Malidoma Patrice Some (Author)

Book Description

Release date: May 1, 1995 | Series: Compass

"A vision that encompasses two worlds and weaves the lessons of both into a fine tapestry."—Clarissa Pinkola Éstes.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Born in West Africa in the early 1950s--the author is indefinite about the year--Some was kidnapped at age four by a French Jesuit missionary to be trained as a priest, for the next 15 years enduring the harsh regimen of a seminary where his native language and tribal traditions were systematically suppressed. At age 20 he escaped, but when he returned to his Dugara people in Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) they rejected him as an outsider. To reconnect with his native culture, Some underwent a month-long initiation into shamanism during which he reports that he journeyed to the underworld, became a bird, then a porcupine and was buried alive. A self-described "man of two worlds," Some, who holds a doctoral degree in political science from the Sorbonne and one in literature from Brandeis, is a speaker at men's movement conferences in the US. This vivid autobiography takes readers into a world of black magic, palpable spirits, walking dead people, force fields, transdimensional journeys--a world as strange as anything in imaginative fiction. QPB selection; author tour.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Some, who was born about 1956 in Upper Volta, was close to his shaman grandfather. But this relationship and his tribal way of life was destroyed when, at age four, he was kidnapped by a French Jesuit missionary and raised in a seminary, from which he escaped at age 20. Returning home to his Dagara village, he was viewed by some as too tainted by white knowledge and ways to be able to join fully in tribal life; nevertheless, he underwent an intensive and dangerous six-week shamanic initiation that thoroughly established him as a member of the tribe. Later, he was dismayed to learn his destiny as revealed in divination and decreed by tribal elders: to return to the white world as a bridge to save his tribe from complete inculturation. This fascinating autobiography illustrates the profound culture clashes between Western civilization and indigenous cultures. Recommended for large public and academic libraries.
Copyright 1994 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Books; Reprint edition (May 1, 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140194967
• ISBN-13: 978-0140194968
• Product Dimensions: 5.7 x 0.6 x 8.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (53 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #20,421 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #1 in Books > History > Africa > Burkina Faso
  • #2 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Other Religions, Practices & Sacred Texts > Tribal & Ethnic
  • #10 in Books > Religion & Spirituality > Earth-Based Religions > Shamanism

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Riveting autobiographic tale; beautiful and ghastly visions March 10, 2003

By Phil Rogers

Format:Paperback

Things Malidoma experienced as a young boy around the time of his grandfather's death and subsequent funeral make Carlos Casteñeda's and Lynn Andrews' 'accounts' seem rather sanitized, maybe even contrived (especially evident in the case of Andrews). Plus the man is far more of a poet, a seer and a deep philosophical thinker than these others. You'll not find a better writer on matters mystical and religious probably anywhere, at least not in the 'confessional/autobiographical' literature.

Then again, herein are so many quotable passages that you could meditate on to form the beginnings of a new personal philosophy, it's really quite stunning. And it all seems like it equally extends from your own body and heart. This is in contradistinction, say, to a well-written but rather dry and compartmentalized account such as J. S. Danquah's 'The Akan Doctrine of God'*, which is more meant for those who enjoy the scholarly treatise, but might never wish to imagine themselves venturing into village life.

Malidoma was kidnapped by the local priest a couple of days after his father was installed as clan leader, soon after his grandfather's death. He was only 4 years old. He does not pull any punches in detailing the horrible physical and emotional abuse he suffered at the hands of these churchly personages, who made him and other young kidnapees and orphans total slaves to their colonialist/catechumenical education system. After over 16 years of this, the young man escaped and managed to walk back to his village over a hundred miles away. The remainder of the book is a very detailed and intense re-telling of selected experiences he was party to during his subsequent clan initiation. This constitutes the last 100 pages or so of the book. I can't begin to express how astonishing are the experiences, the images, emotions etc. represented on these pages.

Suffice to say that the man is an absolute wizard at using the English language. Carlos Casteñeda and especially Lynn Andrews seem like comic book literacy after you've dipped even a little bit into Malidoma.

I met Mr. Somé briefly at a Sun Bear Medicine Wheel Gathering a number of years ago; his personality is every bit as engaging as is his writing. His was a kind of quiet charisma, extending from which is an amazing, almost madcap sense of humor. You feel that his energy is entirely sincere, and that there's far more there than meets the eye. You can feel it, and yes, 'almost' begin to see into it, and with it.

If Nick Black Elk had written his own book rather than having his texts filtered through John C. Neidhardt, it likely would have approached the book-length intensity we find here. Then again I read 'Black Elk Speaks' over 30 years ago; Neidhardt's account might seem much greater at this point of my own life journey.

* the Akan peoples, actually a different cultural group, lived a hundred or so miles southeast, in Ghana.

25 of 27 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars What a journey! September 14, 2004

By Carine Fabius

Format:Paperback

With this book, Malidoma Patrice Some opens the door to a whole new way of looking at the world; one in which spirits (ancestor and otherwise), magic, wisdom and community come together as one. I was mesmerized by this story and by the possibility it presented for a deeper understanding of this life and how it can be lived. Hold on to your hat!

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Soul Retrieval Par Excellence! October 23, 1998

By Brian Ziegler

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

This book brought me to places of wonder that I vaguely remember as a child. Even though my upbringing was western and dramatically different, there were times where I found myself strongly identifying with his experiences. I look to his story as a model of how to function in the world with integrity. A beautifully written story of bringing one's soul fully into incarnation. I was deeply touched and moved.