Product Description

A comprehensive overview of the Western perennial tradition--the hermetic tradition and the ancient earth wisdom of shamanic indigenous peoples

• Provides practical exercises to reawaken mystical awareness and reconnect with the ancient mystery traditions of our ancestors

• Reveals how earth wisdom and high magic complement one another

In Walkers Between the Worlds, the authors reveal the development of both these traditions that were never far beneath the surface of Western culture and how they complement each other.

As the orthodox structures of the West appear increasingly hollow and irrelevant, the Western way trod by the shaman and the magus remains vital, with many practical methods for reawakening awareness and reconnecting with the earth. In addition to its in-depth theoretical analysis, Walkers Between the Worlds contains practical exercises drawn from traditional teaching methods used by both native and hermetic traditions to help the reader explore these mysteries.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #37868 in Books
• Published on: 2004-01-14
• Released on: 2004-01-14
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 464 pages

Review
"This book is a wonderful resource for deepening one's understanding of the personal path being followed. . . . an excellent resource as well as a personal workbook."
(Rev. Dr. S. D'Montford, New Dawn, Mar-Apr 2006 )

From the Back Cover
HERMETIC STUDIES / CELTIC

Beneath the orthodox religions of the West runs a current that has preserved both the native lore of our ancestors and the magical knowledge of the Hermetic tradition. The Western esoteric tradition has preserved our vital connection with the Otherworld, keeping alive the ancient earth wisdom of the shamans as well as the gnosis of the classical Mysteries that informed ancient civilizations; this legacy of perennial wisdom enabled the flowering of high magic in the Middle Ages and Renaissance and its lively influence is still part of the West's spiritual inheritance. In Walkers Between the Worlds, Caitlín and John Matthews reveal the development of these complementary traditions in Western culture.

As the orthodox structures of the West appear increasingly hollow and irrelevant, the way of the shaman and the magus remains vital, offering many practical methods for reawakening awareness and reconnecting with the sacred continuum of the universe. In addition to its rich appraisal of the Western esoteric tradition and its guidance to both new and continuing practitioners of the native and Hermetic traditions, Walkers Between the Worlds contains twenty-one practical exercises drawn from the teaching methods of both traditions to help the reader explore these Mysteries.

CAITLIN and JOHN MATTHEWS have worked within the Western Esoteric Tradition for over twenty-five years, exploring in their many books--including Taliesin: The Last Celtic Shaman, The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom, and King Arthur and the Goddess of the Land--its shamanic roots, the spiritual lore of the Celts, the myths of the Arthurian legend, and the many practical approaches of contemporary spirituality. They are cofounders of the Foundation for Inspirational and Oracular Studies, established to encourage oral wisdom and the sacred arts, and teach and lecture around the world. They live in Oxford, England.

About the Author
Caitlín and John Matthews have written many books, together and independently, on the Celtic tradition, including The Celtic Shaman and The Encyclopaedia of Celtic Wisdom. As foremost experts on the Arthurian legends and esoteric wisdom of the Celtic traditions, they teach and lecture around the world. They live in Oxford, England.

Customer Reviews

Excellent, but not light reading
This is one of the most comprehensive & thorough books I've ever read in the realm of alternative spirituality. It gives an excellent overview of all the main topics in both native/Pagan/earth-centered practice and alchemical/Hermetic/celestial practice. However, it took me almost 2 years to get through the whole book, as it is written very intelligently and requires much reflection to truly digest. Definitely not a Llewellyn-fluff book (although those have their place)! You will need to invest serious thought and time to fully understand & incorporate this book's concepts into your life. For this reason I wouldn't recommend it as one of your first alternative spirituality books; come back to it when you have studied awhile first. It will help answer your questions & fill in the gaps of earlier teachings. My favorite part are the Practices, which are like guided meditations that help bring the sometimes dry text to vibrant life.

A Vast Scholarly Study Spanning Time and Place
It's impossible for me to know where to start with a book this dense. Even with all my years studying shamanism, Witchcraft, magic, and world religions, this book had lots of information that either elobrated on things only touched upon in other sources or explained things no other text ever tried to do. I knew I'd love the shaman section, but the magi section is where I learned a lot about paradigms I don't always agree with, but ought to know to be well rounded. As someone with no Christian background, I found the sections of early Christianity's involvement with mysticism fascinating. It helps if you have already read dozens of books on the history and practice of shamanism and magic so that the sheer volume of information doesn't overwhelm you. This is the rare book I can actually say advanced workers of magic in the Western Tradition can enjoy.

Beautiful Introduction to Western Mystery Traditions. . .
I really enjoyed this book and agree with many of the other reviews- it was a well-written look into the Western Mysteries, and divides its time equally between the shaman path and the magus. What I really liked was that the author's emphasized that shamanistic traditions are not inferior to the "high magic" branches of western tradition: this distinction is key in actually fully understanding the traditions. Overall and in-depth and enjoyable read with some useful exercises as well!