Customer Reviews

The Shaman and the Medicine Wheel (Quest Books)

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An interesting read if you want to learn about Native American spirituality and medicine wheels. This book contains a segment of the author's life history and her experiences on her life path. It also contains a brief description of how to set up a medicine wheel of your own. Quite a bit involves her battle with her own illness. She also deals with her problems relating to full-blooded Native Americans, since she is of mixed blood

It's many years since I read this and "I Send A Voice" so I don't remember the details. However, I do remember that Evelyn Eaton's books, like many things of depth and value in this superficial world, are relatively unknown and unappreciated. This is a shame, because Evelyn Eaton was an amazing woman and a wonderful and moving writer. Her descriptions of sweat lodges, healing ceremonies, pipe ceremonies and even Tibetan Buddhist healers are moving and unique. In spite of poverty and illness, she was a giving and selfless mentor, medicine woman, and healer. She slogged on through these various difficulties without self-pity and with gratitude and joy. Evelyn Eaton was, I believe, a metis--a mix of Native American and white. So she suffered discrimination from both groups. In spite of this--or maybe because of it--her vision of spirit is both particular and universal. She is rooted in the Native American spiritual tradition, but she lovingly recognizes that all paths to spirit have value. I hope that many more people will discover her beautiful books.

This book is mainly a journal from several years of healing ceremonies, including her own many-year battle with cancer. It's fascinating now to glimpse the world of the native healer in the late 1970's to early 1980s. Evelyn is a beautiful writer with a grateful and peaceful way of describing her life and activities.
While the book does include some information on Medicine Wheel rituals, it is mainly a lesson in peaceful and responsible living, and preparation for dying.

This book is a continuation of "I send A Voice" by the same author.

It is laid out in several sections. a brief update to her work as a medicine woman, Her version of the medicine wheel (she uses a complex 32 stone medicine wheel. I have seen 10-15 different medicine wheel traditions, then excerpts from her journals showing her battle with cancer, and the "christian" bigotry toward her spiritual beliefs because of the pipe bag she hung from the west wall of her home, and her hospital room when she was in the hospital to be treated for cancer.

Many people will dismiss her mystical experiences while smoking the pipe as coincidence, or say she was day dreaming, or accuse her or putting an halucinogen in the tobacco.

Neither are true. I am 100% convinced those mystical experiences really happened. I say 100% because I too have had many mystical experiences while using a pipe in a sacred manner.

Pray in a sincere humble manner, and things happen; when you pray. Pipe or not, Pipestone pipe or a cheap pipe from a local store.

In her earlier book she was under the impression that people MUST use a pipestone pipe. This is not so. in 1896; Wicasa Wakan (holy man) Grorge Sword was teaching James R. Walker (a white "christian" doctor) to be a wicasa wakan, and according to George Sword "Any pipe can be used in a sacred manner.", and I am VERY happy to confirm that. My day to day pipe is a small meerschaum pipe.

I only use my pipestone pipe on special occasions. It is adorned with indian beadwork, and buckskin, and I do not want to have to throw the stem away and make another one in the near future.

Her medicine wheel tradition is complex. If you want to know the medicine wheel tradition I use that is based on the vision by the late Oglalla Sioux holy man Nick Black Elk; E-Mail me.

Wah doh Ogedoda (We give thanks Great Spirit)