Shamanic Witch: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Earth and Other Realms [Paperback]

Gail Wood (Author), Kristin Madden (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 1, 2008

Shamanic practice seeks healing and wisdom from realms that overlap the everyday world. The use of plant and animal medicines, vision quests, trance work, and ceremonies to heal one s self and others are the foundations of shamanism. So too, Wicca and witchcraft use the magic and medicine of plants, animals, and other realms. By learning to incorporate the practices of shamanism, the witch can enhance his or her natural abilities as healer and creator of positive change.

The Shamanic Witch outlines the many similarities between the art of shamanism and the craft of the Witch and explores how the overlapping of these two traditions can be used to enhance one's practice. Where witchcraft brings the belief and religion, Shamanism brings the skills. Sections include: Understanding the World of the shaman, Creatures and Spirits of Other Realms, Developing a Shamanic Practice, The Toolkit of the Shamanic Practitioner, The Realms of the Witch, and Melding Worlds: Becoming the Witch-Shaman.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Gail Wood, a witch and Wiccan priestess who has been practicing a shamanic path celebrating the Dark Moon for more than twenty years, has written for numerous articles in a variety of Pagan publications, and is the author of Dark Moon: Thirteen Lunar Rites for Magical Path. Visit her on the web at witchesinprint.com or read her blog at rowdygoddess.blogspot.com.

Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Weiser Books (November 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 157863430X
• ISBN-13: 978-1578634309
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #666,972 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A gem of a book, with some unfortunate flaws..., October 15, 2008

By 

a person who reads (U.S.A, EARTH) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Shamanic Witch: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Earth and Other Realms (Paperback)

I wish that I could give this book 5 stars. It's opening poem "In All the Empty Places" is beautiful and moving. When I read it, I had really high hopes for this book. The first half of the book addresses core shamanism, or neo-shamanistic practice--I found it to be a little shallow in its explorations and I don't think it went beyond most introductory books on the topic. The gem I found in this section of the book was the author's discussion of the various ways people experience trance journeys. She talks about how some people are very visual, some auditory while others are sensual and makes the point that no one way is better than the others and we shouldn't feel inferior if our way is different from those around us. The thing that touched me personally was when she wrote about how experiencing a journey in a way we don't expect can be spirit's way of letting us experience through a different sense. I am an visual artist, and I have always been disappointed that I don't "see" well during journeys. The wisdom of Gail Wood has made me realize that this is a blessing, not a curse, and opportunity to experience things differently.

The second half of the book is where the author really shines. It describes ways that a Witch can blend core shamanism with Witchcraft to become a shamanic witch. Wood makes the assumption that the reader is already a practicing witch and doesn't bore us with the basics. My problem with this half of the book is that there is too much repetitious filler. Ms. Wood gives a ritual script that includes directions and words for creating sacred space, altar devotion, cleansing and purifying the circle, casting the circle, centering and grounding, calling the quarters, Calling the deities, Farewell to the deities and dismissing the Quarters. The same exact words and descriptions are used for every single ritual described in the book. You would think that it would suffice to give the ritual directions once and then give just the body of the ritual in subsequent descriptions, but the book repeats the same words and directions over and over for each ritual--after a while I got pretty bored and would skip over it, but I think the book would have been much better had the repetitions been edited out. It's a waste of paper.

All in all, i recommend this book, I just wish i could have given it five stars.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational, October 20, 2008

By 

Mary Kate Frank "HRM Maire" (Glenside, PA USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Shamanic Witch: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Earth and Other Realms (Paperback)

I loved this book, and I highly recommend it for anyone who wants to deepen their spirituality as a witch/pagan practitioner. The author is clear, inspirational and allows for different experience, which can be sorely lacking with other writers and teachers. I had a basic feeling about the differences between shamanic and witchy practices, but I now feel that I have a better understanding of each, and am motivated to blend shamanic work into my own.
My favorite parts involved reading about the author's personal experiences, and it was easy to enjoy her friendly and encouraging style.

While I understand the previous review's criticism about repetition, I have no problem with that, since I usually just skip it. If it doesn't apply, I don't need it, but there are many who *do* need that type of structure, so I also understand the author creating it that way.

Might I also recommend the author's two other books: "The Wild God" and "Rituals of the Dark Moon."

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Well worth reading, March 28, 2009

By 

M. Oxley "celticpathworker" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Shamanic Witch: Spiritual Practice Rooted in the Earth and Other Realms (Paperback)

The author does a good job to show how shamanism, abite perhaps the more modern style, is part of what the spiritual path of the witch can be.

she gives examples as to how you can find your power animal and to know if it is a spirit guide or a power animal as well.

If you are just beginning to study shaminism, she has examples as to guided meditations that can be used to help you get ready to cross over or to become more comfortable of doing this in the future. But she does impress on the reader that meditation is not the only way of faring forth. She also does give examples as to how this can be used by a solitary witch or just for personal or coven experiences as well as giving examples as to how soul retrieval and healing can be done for others if that is your call.

If you are looking for a traditional practice brought up from early witchcraft days, this may not be it. But it is a good example of a modern day life being combined with an older practice that has been updated.