Product Description

In a society riddled with rampant consumerism and unsustainable technology, it's easy for everyone, including shamans, to lose touch with the natural world. James Endredy, who has learned from tribal shamans around the globe, presents a new philosophy of shamanic practice called ecological shamanism, or ecoshamanism. Designed to deliver well-being and spiritual harmony, ecoshamanism is the culmination of the visionary practices, rituals, and ceremonies that honor and support nature.

Exploring the holistic perspective of shamanism, Endredy encourages readers to establish a rewarding connection with sacred, life-giving forces using shamanic tools and practices. The author describes more than fifty authentic ecoshamanistic practices-including ceremonies, rituals, chanting, hunting, pilgrimage, and making instruments-that reinforce one's relationship with the natural world.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #411996 in Books
• Published on: 2005-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 360 pages

About the Author
James Endredy is a teacher, mentor, and guide to thousands of people
through his books and workshops. After a series of life tragedies and
mystical experiences as a teenager he changed direction from his
Catholic upbringing and embarked on a life-long spiritual journey to
encounter the mysteries of life and death and why we are all here. For
over twenty-five years he has learned shamanic practices from all over
the globe, while also studying with kawiteros, lamas, siddhas, roadmen,
and leaders in the modern fields of ecopsychology, bioregionalism, and
sustainable living. James also worked for ten years with Mexican
shamanic researcher Victor Sanchez learning to share shamanic practices with modern people.

On a daily level, his experiences have inspired him to live a
sustainable lifestyle as much as possible while still working within
mainstream society. He writes, leads workshops, mentors private
clients, visits schools and community centers, speaks at bookstores,
and volunteers in his community. His books have thus far been published in four languages. Ecoshamanism is his third book.

Customer Reviews

Finally an authentic book on modern shamanic practices
I don't normally write book reviews but I'm making exception in this case. I was going to give this book four stars simply because the author, like many, does not touch upon the ecstatic trance states of Siberian shamans from where the term shaman originates. But the significance of this book itself deserves five stars simply because we finally have a mainstream publisher and author willing to speak out about the significant differences between modern neoshamanism (mostly commercially oriented) and classical shamanism (in the service of the Great Spirits). Even though the author has not worked with Siberian shamans, he does claim to have studied with Huichol shamans. If this is true, which from the material I'm guessing that it is, then I can honestly say that I feel his work is legitimate, as I have lived and visited with Huichols in the mountains of western Mexico for over two decades and they are the real thing. Even though for me some of the information in the book is not new, it is SO refreshing to have material from an author that actually works with REAL shamans as opposed to the make believe shamans that are constantly peddling their wares to an unknowing public. The techniques and practices in this book are the best and closest to authentic shamanism (for modern people) that I have seen published to date.

Although the author is very critical about the lack of ecological awareness in our society (which is something I can understand, many environmentalists including myself are completely fed up with the current state of things) I applaud him for taking the stance at trying to educate people and especially for bringing the subject of shamanism back to Earth where it is so desperately needed. Endredy's views will seem harsh to some, but if even a small percentage of people learn something from this book the world will be a better place. I have not taken a shamanic workshop in over 20 years, but I'm going to give Endredy's work a try as soon as I can.

Excellent book
If you ever want to have a good idea of how your consumer choices affect the environment, read this book. Endredy does a fairly good job of explaining the impact contemporary culture has on the environment. Even better he offers practices and approaches that can, for the most part, be incorporated into contemporary culture. Some practices, however can't be easily incorporated and involve, should you take them, a drastic change in lifestyle. Is it worth it...Depends on how feasible you feel his models are.

He does an excellent job of also explaining the difference between newage shamanism and actual authentic shamanism. As someone who's had a fair amount of similar experiences as this author I can really appreciate the distinctions he's made. He also provides some ways for people to really explore the ecoshamanic path...and I really recommend trying them.

I do have one problem however. Endredy takes the standard occult counter culture approach of "corporations and big business are evil and so is contemporary culture" While I won't disagree that contemporary culture creates a lot of waste and really needs to change those practices (and again you can learn ways to do that in this excellent book) I do disagree with how corporations are portrayed. Seeing them as evil entities is not the solution we need. It does nothing to address how to change the practices of these corporations so that they are environmentally friendly. What I really would like to see from James are strategies he would use and suggest others use to help these corporations really understand the effect they have on the environment and help them change their practices. Until that is done no change can occur. Education is more important than judgement and he tends to come across as rather judgemental in a way that suggest the guilty white complex.

Overall I think this is a book any and every person should read.

Real environmental spirituality
Can I just say that this is one of the most superior books I've read in a very, very long time?

Now, those who know me know that I'm pretty environmentaly aware. But Endredy has written a book that is exactly what I need for this new stage in my life, when I'm livingt in a more wild area, and have a yard that I intend to turn into a shrine to the Wild.

His opening deals with the connection between shamanism an the environment. I canot thank him enough for spending an entire chapter explaining the differences between traditional indigenous shamanism, neoshamanism (ie, buy a crystal and take this seminar and you're a real-live shaman!) and ecoshamanism (drawin from traditional shamanism but with the community being served bein the entire Earth nd all inhabitants thereof). The book is worth the cover price just for that.

The following chapters deal with various aspects of ecology--not only theory, and constant reminders of the impact we have on the environment (without a bunch of guilt-tripping), but also over 50 exercises that are designed to help the reader bvecomemore in tune with nature. This doesn't mean things like stick feathers in your hat band, but rituals involving being buried alive overnight, and an impressive hunting ritual that can take a year or mroe to complete.

This book is very Earthy, and much, much grittier than the lip service a lot of "nature" based books give. Endredy takes us beyond tossing bird seed out in the yard, has us running through the mud, abnd getting to know Nature no matter the discomfort--and gaining an appreciation from that intensity.

probably oneof my favorite exercises involved mapping out special places in nature from childhood. I can clearly remember the various wild spots that were sacred to me when young, and, like Endredy, I saw most of them destroyed by development and human encroachment. It helped m retouch that connection of innocence and purity that often gets lost in the craziness of adult life.

I can't say enough good about this book. I believe it should be read by anyone who seeks to follo a true Nature-based path, rather than abstracting Nature into symbols and seminars that separate us from the dirt and the rain and the blood.