Customer Reviews

Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book contains a selection of various legends from assorted tribes; such as Wiyot, Cheyenne, Crow, Yakima, Kickapoo, Cherokee, and others.

On page 80-160 or so, Mr. Lake-Thom lists probable omens for assorted animals, birds, insects, and Reptiles. What the reviewer "Moonwatcher from Earth" below failed to notice is that Mr. Lake-Thom repeatedly tells people to check into the local legends. Mr. Lake-Thom wanted people to pay attention to nature acting in an unnatural way, or animals appearing in places where it was uncommon for them to be.

The ceremonies in this book are sketchy at best.

In the medicine wheel discription Mr. Lake-Thom uses the colors of Black, White, Red, and Yellow like in Nick Black Elk's vision, but he reverses the places for Earth and Water (This is the 8th or 9th tradition I have seen for setting up a medicine Wheel.

Personaly; I found the stories of the Bobcat, and Snake farfetched.

I will not say that it is impossible because in my Shamanic experience I have personaly witnessed some things that should be impossible.

Questions or comments. E-Mail me. Two Bears

Wah doh Ogedoda

Bobby Lake-Thom aka Medcine Grizzly Bear is the real deal, word is, that he is an excellent medicine person with tremendous knowldege. These books are an effort of Medicine Grizzly Bear to bring this knowledge to all people. The Spirits of the Earth offers us a look into old form of comunication when people and nature were one. Spirts of the Earth uncovers the path so that we can re-learn a language that was given to us by the Great Creator in order to make our lives easier. This book is exellent, I would highly reccomend it as a necessary book to any Native American or Shamanism collection. His other titles are also fantastic...... "Native Healer" and "Call of the Great Spirit"

I found this book to be extremely easy to read and understand. Bobby Lake-Thom incorporated Native teachings and stories with Western Scientific theories. I especially found it interesting when he discussed right and left brain thinking and how it relates to comprehension of Native signs and symbols.
He provides us with valuable insite into the stories and legends of many tribes. He shows us how important our oral culture is and was and how the people learned mores and values through listening to stories from the elders.

This book is an enjoyable read and gives you a feeling for Native spirituality and animal symbolism. However, in the section that explains different animal's symbolism, the author often states that seeing a certain animal is an omen of something. For instance, in the section on Owls, it says that owls are an omen of sickness and death, and that if you hear an owl hooting near your home, someone close to you will become sick. But what if there happens to be an owl living nearby your home? You might hear it all the time. I find it hard to believe that it is *always* a sign of sickness and death, every time you hear it. After reading this book, I read Tom Brown's The Vision, which said that owls can be a sign of death *only* if the owl is acting strange when you see it. People see owls all the time, it can't possibly mean sickness or death every time. I would agree with Tom Brown.

I am a Native American through blood and I can honestly say I was not brought up in any special way and that large part of my heritage was never really acknowledged. Nevertheless, I have always been up on it, I pray to The Great Spirit and so on. I purchased this book because I knew some of the context but I was more interested in learning about other tribes and their stories and such in comparison to my own since I already knew those ones. This book is great and awesome for anyone who is studying Native American symbols, stories, and ceremonies. There are, in fact, some things that are not necessarily completely true-like the owl omen for instance. I think it is geared toward a more nuetral instance in comparison to an everynight occurence, but I will never know. Although, everything else is pretty justifiable and quite informational. Definitely get this book!

I ,and my family,use this book all the time as a field guide to interpret natural signs and omens in nature.This book is an authentic,true guide to how many native people look at the natural world and how it trys to guide and assist us in our lives.Bobby has done a great job,weaving traditional stories and short interpretations on each animal,insect or birds being discussed.Especially instructive was the section on how to use the creative,right brain to intuit the language of nature.Native people do not write in a overly intellectual or complex style .The teachings and beauty is in the simplicity and heart of the words.This book speaks to your mind yet on the spiritual level too.Great book!!!!!!!

Animals have been living on Earth and dealing with nature a lot longer than us. They can sense when an Earthquake is about to happen. Pets can sense an illness within their owner before the owner does. Birds, insects, and other animals have evolved and adapted to deal with floods, climate changes and dangers that happen in their lives. Why NOT use their reactions and knowledge to help us deal with nature and our own dangers?
American Indians have been listening to nature and the animals to help them deal with such dangers. Early Europeans did the same before Modern Science and the Church destroyed those cultures. While I am not sure about many of the stories I did enjoy the book. It is for beginners and I think many details have been withheld so not to make the exercises and the ceremonies beyond the grasp of the person just starting his or her spiritual quest. Think of it as a Spirits of the Earth for Dummies.

I'm not a total novice of the subject, but I do still have a lot to learn. I found I liked the writing style of the author who seems to be very experienced and knowledgable. I came away from reading this book armed with a whole lot of new information (new for me) and a better appreciation for that which we do not see, or sometimes CHOOSE not to see. As I was reading this book, I found myself reaching often for my notepad to jot down quotes that "hit" me. I began reading this book at the same time I was reading a novel...on a very recent trip which involved a couple of long airplane flights. I was much more drawn to pulling this book out of my bag than the novel. That says alot to me.

What you will likely discover, as I discovered, after reading Bobby Lake-Thom's book, "Spirits of the Earth, A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies," is everything around you begins to hold new meaning. Connections among life events start forming in ways you never thought of, before reading the book. Ancient traditions and myths of the Native American people begin to seep into your perspective of ordinary daily events and reality. Signs and signals are found with new meaning to life's directions, all of which lead to new moments of the "Ah-ha!" experience in spiritual awareness. Even the way you conduct your rountine daily business begins to take on new and interesting challenges and perspectives.

All these things leads one to then feel that in some aspects of life, modern civilization might be wise to relearn ancient ways and consider using those ancient truths that do not violate our own core values. When you see ancient Native American Indian signs actually lead to the events of their predictive-meanings, it opens the mind to a higher plane of respect for all people regardless of their background, sophistication, and cultural attitudes or education. One begins to see dignity in people where you may have held pity. You begin to hold other cultures and many of their discoveries in much higher regard. Even reading the Holy Bible takes on new and deeper meanings and understandings.

A chain of many tribes forming a living human fabric of the Native American experience was surprisingly unified spiritually across the entire continent. While they did not always live in peace necessarily, they were spiritually unified to a significant degree to the point that spirit traditions on the East Coast where often identical to spirit traditions on the West Coast. Each thing, each animal, had its own spiritual meaning (with some tribal variances of course). [...]

I enjoyed Lake-Thom's book. It was an easily readable, enjoyable introduction to Native American shamanism. Appearing true to the genre, the book introduces NA ritual and animism to the uninitiated reader. It is well written, logical and comprehendable. I would welcome more titles on this and related topics from the author.