EXPLORING NATIVE AMERICAN WISDOM

By Fran Dancing Feather and Rita Robinson

a review by John Gilbert

Exploring Native American Wisdom by Fran Dancing Feather and Rita Robinson (ISBN 1-56414-625-1) is published by New Page Books, a division of Career Press. The cover says this book is about Lore, Traditions, and Rituals That connect Us All.

The book starts off explaining how we can discover ourselves in a Native Way. The authors believe we can do that by embracing nature instead of trying to conquer it, by choosing the present over the future, by believing humans are basically good, by emphasizing family and placing greater emphasis on spiritual accomplishments.

The next two chapters discuss the power of a circle and creating your own circle of power. It's easier than most people suspect. Once you understand the purpose of the circle, and the authors explain that for you, it's easy to form your own circle according to your own inclinations.

Chapters four and five discuss Native American Medicine and give the reader sound advice on how to use this medicine. Don't be misled, this is spiritual medicine - medicine to prepare the reader for the next two chapters. Those chapters explain how to call in the seven directions and plan what is called a Talking Circle.

A Talking Circle is the modern version of the Native American Council Fire. These fire were used to help individuals in the tribe who might bring a problem to the council. Sitting around the fire, the elders would discuss the problem with the individual and assist him or her in arriving at a plan of action to solve the problem. The Talking Circle and the Talking Stick are both powerful spiritual tools that can be used by anybody practicing any religion and following any spiritual path.

The next eight chapters reveal a variety of spiritual tools including capturing visions, listening to animals, feeling the Earth beneath our feet, and turning our homes into sacred temples for healing.

This book is not what I expected from the title. I thought I was in for a casual entertaining read about Native Americans. I wasn't expecting a spiritual book. I most certainly was not expecting a spiritual book with tools that could be used by spiritual pilgrims on any spiritual path. Pagan, Christian, Yogi, Jew, Buddhist, and followers of Islam will all find something here to help them on their spiritual path.

I like listening to Mother Earth and her animals. I'm looking forward to using a Talking Stick in a Talking Circle. I'm going to collect my own sacred sage and bundle it following the directions given in this book. Then I'm going to do a Vision Quest using the simple techniques explained by the authors. I'm not a Native American nor am I a Native American Wannabe. I am a spiritual seeker and I'm going to give some of the techniques disclosed in this book a try. You might consider doing the same thing.

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