Bird Medicine

The Sacred Power of Bird Shamanism

Häftad, Engelska, 2013

AvEvan T. Pritchard,Evan T. Pritchard,Evan T Pritchard

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Birds are our strongest allies in the natural world. Revered in Native American spirituality and shamanic traditions around the world, birds are known as teachers, guardians, role models, counselors, healers, clowns, peacemakers, and meteorologists. They carry messages and warnings from loved ones and the spirit world, report deaths and injuries, and channel divine intelligence to answer our questions. Some of their “signs” are so subtle that one could discount them as subjective, but others are dramatic enough to strain even a skeptic’s definition of coincidence. Pairing scholarly research with more than 200 firsthand accounts of bird encounters from traditional Native Americans and their descendants, Evan Pritchard explores the living spiritual tradition surrounding birds in Native American culture. He examines in depth the birds known as the gatekeepers of the four directions--Eagle in the North, Hawk in the East, Crow in the South, and Owl in the West--including their roles in legends and the use of their feathers in shamanic rituals. He reveals how the eagle can be a direct messenger of the Creator, why crows gather in “Crow Councils,” and how shamans have the ability to travel inside of birds, even after death. Expanding his study to the wisdom and gifts of birds beyond the four gatekeepers, such as hummingbirds, seagulls, and the mythical thunderbird, he provides numerous examples of everyday bird sign interpretations that can be applied in your own encounters with birds as well as ways we can help protect birds and encourage them to communicate with us.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum2013-05-23
Mått152 x 229 x 23 mm
Vikt410 g
FormatHäftad
SpråkEngelska
Antal sidor320
FörlagInner Traditions Bear and Company
ISBN9781591431589

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Evan T. Pritchard, a descendant of the Mi’kmaq people, has taught Native American studies at Pace University, Vassar College, and Marist College and is the director of the Center for Algonquin Culture. Steeped in bird lore by his Mi’kmaq great aunt Helen Perley, he is the author of several books, including Native New Yorkers and No Word for Time. A regular on radio shows such as NPR’s Fresh Air and on the History Channel, he lives in the Hudson Valley of New York.

Acknowledgments Part 1 What Is Bird Medicine? A Whistle and a Word to the Wise Bird Origins and Early Influences on Humans Part 2 The Four Gatekeepers The Birds of the Four Directions Eagles Hawks Crows Owls Part 3 Mentors and Messengers Messengers and Carriers of Spirit Birds as Teachers Birds as Musicians Birds Speak Our Language Bird Warnings Birds as Role Models Healing (and Humorous) Birds Peacemaking and Patient Birds Part 4 Other Bird Allies Hummingbirds Seagulls Sparrows Loons Parrots Turkeys Thunderbirds Part 5 Fledgling Thoughts Gathering Feathers Feathers in Arrows, Fans, and Badges Birds and Colors Bird Totems for Warriors The Eagle Bone Flute Twelve Birds Bluebirds of Happiness Part 6 Threats to Our Bird Allies The Cautionary Tale of the Passenger Pigeon Birds Face Multiple Hazards Cell Phone Towers: The New DDT What Can We Do? Afterword Notes Bibliography Index

“Bird Medicine is wise, informative, folksy, and eminently readable. The narratives are clear and detailed, and Mr. Pritchard, noted scholar and author on Native American cultures, has the credibility to present them, being both a traditional ‘insider’ and an accredited Western scholar. Even more important, this volume fills a major gap in our knowledge of the natural myths of the Americas. I can see this book becoming required reading for secondary schools all over the country.”