When I began reading Shapeshifting: Techniques for Global and Personal Transformation by John Perkins I had only one expectation, to come away with something. It was suggested by a friend and spiritual mentor who has “assigned” me other readings so I knew it would be worthwhile. Simply put, it was beautiful. Wanting to give thoughts time to simmer, I forced myself not to not read more than one chapter a night.
In Shapeshifting, Perkins tells his own story of visiting indigenous people in different regions and turning from an executive to an environmental activist. He began sharing what he learned from shamans with others, to help them and our global home. By shifting one’s perceptions and changing oneself, one can help another, and change and heal the world. Perkins relays that:
“Shapeshifting can occur on three levels: cellular- transforming from human to plant or animal; personal- becoming a new self or leaving an addiction behind; and institutional- creating a new business or cultural identity.”
Reading Shapeshifting is like hearing about a friend’s trip, it’s personal. It can be read for the stories contained, as a study guide, as anthropology material, or any combination thereof. I thoroughly enjoyed it for all of the above and will most likely read more by Perkins.
I read Shapeshifting in 2007, but decided to post about it earlier this year. For one reason or another, it (and a few other posts) slipped through the cracks so there it is. Now that a friend returned my copy, I can get around to Robert Wolff’s Original Wisdom- Stories of an Ancient Way of Knowing, which was also simply beautiful. While giving me a reading list, my aforementioned friend omitted the second ‘f’ so when I was shopping online I stumbled upon Robert Ghost Wolf. Soon after, I came across Ghost Wolf’s Changing the Tides of Fear in a used bookstore and decided to bring it home. So I have that and James Endredy’s “assigned” Ecoshamanism also in the non-fiction queue.
No comments:
Post a Comment