Resources on the Writer as Shaman

Week 6 of my writing pilgrimage focused on writer’s shamanic journey. As we saw, that journey takes the writer into dark territory, but it also brings healing. 

This is Great Stuff for Writers Friday, in which I share the best resources I came across in my pilgrimage that week, so here are some interesting books and websites on shamanism. 

The Writer as Shaman. Ruth L. Schwartz is a psychologist, poet, and writing teacher who focuses on writing as a shamanic experience. She offers mentoring, coaching, and workshops (both residential and online). If you’re interested in exploring the shaman’s journey as a writer, check out her website at www.thewriterasshaman.com

Shaman’s Well. For general information about shamanism, you can’t beat the Shaman’s Well website. The website includes information on a wide range of spiritual practices, including dreamwork, labyrinth walking, plant medicine, and astrology, but the best material on the site are the posts on shamanism. They can be found at www.shamanswell.org 

Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide by Sandra Ingerman is an excellent resource for anyone interested in shamanism. Ingerman is a teacher and guide who has written five books on shamanism and related topics, but Shamanic Journeying is the most clear and concise, especially for anyone who is unfamiliar with shamanistic practice. 

Shamanism as a Spiritual Practice for Daily Life by Thomas Dale Cowan and Tom Cowan is a book of exercises, suggestions, and guidance. What I like best about the book is its practicality. It is written for people who may already have religious beliefs and practices to which they are dedicated —and, as the title suggests—for people who live in the real world of families, commitments, and work. In other words, it manages to be realistic and mystical at the same time. 

Exploring the Dark Side: The Anti-Hero’s Journey. Finally, for a different take, check out this fascinating post by author James Bonnet. Bonnet’s forte is story structure. Here, he focuses on the dark journey—the way of the anti-hero. If we’re writing with honesty, we’re dealing not just with the hero’s path, but with the villain’s as well. This post gives a superb introduction to that side of story structure. It can be found on the Writers Store website

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