Book Question! Temple of Shamanic Witchcraft by Penczak.

[Nattfodd]

So, I borrowed a book from my girlfriend's house that looked interesting... I'm not really getting anything out of it, I just tend to read things, even Ravenwolf, to view what's being said. That being said, this book is a bit interesting, and I wanted to know if anyone's read it, what they thought about it, or even what they've heard about it, along with some other questions.

I'm very early into the book, and it's already pulled the 'Wiccan Rede = last 2 lines, and is the "fluffy" rules' bit.

But also, this book relates shamanism as a unified cultural concept (even though I know the way a shaman acts in central asia is different than what most people would refer to as a 'Native American Shaman'.) Topics covered are journeying, dreamwork, totems, drumming, medicine, among other not-so-common themes.

The entire thing seems a bit fluffy to me. I'm not an expert on shamanism at all, but my uncle was an Absentee Shawnee, and between him and my grandmother, let me know that the native american tribes were much different in practice and religion.

It probably doesn't help that my girlfriend's mother is a bit of a super-fluff machine and eats up fluffy books from amazon like no other that i've ever seen. I don't say anything about it though, I just prefer to be mildly amused by the titles she picks up. It makes me wonder if this is just another junk title on the shelf at the house.

Is the practice of neo-shamanism valid? Does it tie in with witchcraft (as far as I see, this is describing typical eclectic witchcraft.) Is it appropriate to label oneself a shaman in this day and age? I remember a discussion on M&R about this a while ago, but didn't pay much attention to it, at the time it seemed like semantics were being argued or something.

Forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask this, I don't really post in this guild too much... ninja  

[TeaDidikai]

It's as fluffy as the pink boa my husband wears at work when he gets bored.

Nattfodd

Is the practice of neo-shamanism valid?

~twitch~ That's a bit general... the twitch was for the title alone.

Otherworld traditions are very valid in my mind so long as 1) They don't misrepresent themselves and 2) they are well versed in the actual traditional and contextual world views that are designed to lend them the tools their practice needs to be successful.

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Does it tie in with witchcraft (as far as I see, this is describing typical eclectic witchcraft.)

In numerous cultures there are Otherworld Traditions that overlap with Folk Magic traditions. I see no reason why the Eclectic Scene wouldn't have such amongst it's number.

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Is it appropriate to label oneself a shaman in this day and age?

~blah blah blah, culture rape, blah blah blah, grow a set and use a new or accurate title, blah blah blah~

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I remember a discussion on M&R about this a while ago, but didn't pay much attention to it, at the time it seemed like semantics were being argued or something.

It isn't really semantics, so much as the language is a clue as to what the behavior is expressing.  

[Nattfodd]

Reading a few more pages into it, I've encountered such things as... Wiccan Shamanism... and plagues of discredited Llewellyn authors. Oh well. emo

Thanks for the response though, Tea.

Specifically, I meant neo-shamanism as it's portrayed in this book, or most other books on the subject. Most of these 'neo-shamanic' texts seem to equate shamans from all cultures as 'essentially doing the same pathworking.' I know next to nothing about various cultures that would be seen as shamanic by Penczak's standards, but I assume they have differences on par with the differences in (these same cultures') purely magical traditions as well, eh?

And, at the very least, medicine men of native american tribes cannot really be equated to central-asia shamans, can they?  

[TeaDidikai]

Nattfodd

Reading a few more pages into it, I've encountered such things as... Wiccan Shamanism... and plagues of discredited Llewellyn authors. Oh well. emo

Thanks for the response though, Tea.

Welcome.
I do have a book I recommend on Shamanism if you want me to dig out the title and author.

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Specifically, I meant neo-shamanism as it's portrayed in this book, or most other books on the subject. Most of these 'neo-shamanic' texts seem to equate shamans from all cultures as 'essentially doing the same pathworking.' I know next to nothing about various cultures that would be seen as shamanic by Penczak's standards, but I assume they have differences on par with the differences in (these same cultures') purely magical traditions as well, eh?

Yep. Exceptionally different traditions.

Wrap your head around this one:
The Otherworld tradition I practice prohibits leaving my body.
The bulk of the Otherworld Traditions I know require it.

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And, at the very least, medicine men of native american tribes cannot really be equated to central-asia shamans, can they?

That's a fair assessment.

It'd be like calling Yeshua a Shaman. confused  

[Nattfodd]

It would be most appreciated if you had a book on the subject to recommend. biggrin

And also, what is the name of the Otherworld tradition you practice, if I may ask? Your statement intrigues me!  

[TeaDidikai]

Nattfodd

It would be most appreciated if you had a book on the subject to recommend. biggrin

The World of Shamanism: New Views of an Ancient Tradition by Roger Walsh. It even has a section on Cultural Appropriation. heart

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And also, what is the name of the Otherworld tradition you practice, if I may ask? Your statement intrigues me!

I'm still in training (will be until I'm in a different familial role), but I've been working within the path of the Chovani for a couple decades and change now.