Robert J. Wallis

Robert J. Wallis explores the interface between the 'new' and prehistoric shamans of popular culture and anthropology, drawing on interviews with a variety of practitioners, particularly contemporary pagans in Britain and north America.

Ecstasy, Alternative Archaeologies, and Contemporary Pagans

Shamans/neo-Shamans

In popular culture, such diverse characters as occultist Aleister Crowley, Doors musician Jim Morrison, and performance artist Joseph Beuys have been called shamans. In anthropology, on the other hand, shamanism has associations with sorcery, witchcraft and healing, and archaeologists have suggested the meaning of prehistoric cave art lies with shamans and altered consciousness. Robert J. Wallis explores the interface between 'new' and prehistoric shamans. The book draws on interviews with a variety of practitioners, particularly contemporary pagans in Britain and north America. Wallis looks at historical and archaeological sources to explore contemporary pagan engagements with prehistoric sacred sites such as Stonehenge and Avebury, and discusses the controversial use by neo-Shamans of indigenous (particularly native American) shamanism.

Ecstasies, Alternative Archaeologies and Contemporary Pagans

Shamans/Neo-Shamans

Graham Harvey

A remarkable array of people have been called shamans, while the phenomena identified as shamanism continues to proliferate. This second edition of the Historical Dictionary of Shamanism contains with examples from antiquity up to today, and from Siberia (where the term “shaman” originated) to Amazonia, South Africa, Chicago and many other places. Many claims about shamans and shamanism are contentious and all are worthy of discussion. In the most widespread understandings, terms seem to refer particularly to people who alter states of consciousness or enter trances in order to seek knowledge and help from powerful other-than-human persons, perhaps “spirits”. But this says only a little about the artists, community leaders, spiritual healers or hucksters, travelers in alternative realities and so on to which the label “shaman” has been applied. This second edition contains a chronology, an introduction, and extensive bibliography. The dictionary contains over 500 cross-referenced dictionary entries on individuals, groups, practices and cultures that have been called “shamanic”. This book is an excellent access point for students, researchers, and anyone wanting to know more about Shamanism.

Historical Dictionary of Shamanism

Explores the common ground of shamanic traditions and evaluates the diversity of both traditional indigenous communities and individual Western seekers.

The A to Z of Shamanism

Robert J. Wallis explores the interface between the 'new' and prehistoric shamans of popular culture and anthropology, drawing on interviews with a variety of practitioners, particularly contemporary pagans in Britain and orth America.

Nathan J. Johnson

"Galdrbok" ('spell-book') straddles the divide between the academic and the inspirational to provide arguably the most comprehensive and practical 'system' of Northwest European 'Heathen Shamanism' thus far in print. Nine years in preparation and painstakingly constructed by two practicing Heathen shamans, "Galdrbok" explores the magic of Migration Age Northwest Europe and outlines a complete self-study program of Heathen Runecraft. "Galdrbok" introduces the essential techniques of Scrying ('to descry'/'foresee'/crystal gaze), and Galdr (magical chants or sung spells), and other powerful techniques involving Runes (whispered secrets and magical letters) for inducing the 'altered states' necessary to enter and explore the nine magical worlds of 'Yggdrasill' - the Heathen World Tree. The book also includes an impressively thorough bibliography for sourcing essential reading on Heathenry, Paganisms and related occult subjects.

Practical Heathen Runecraft, Shamanism and Magic

Galdrbok

Kenneth Lymer

This group of 15 papers, taken from a conference held at the University of Southampton in 1999, takes the issues of art, religion and folklore from the fringes of archaeological research and places it at the forefront of discussion. These papers cross the disciplinary boundaries and present case studies that are `challenging the orthodox and deconstructing rigidity', including those focusing on the prehistoric Carribean, post-Medieval East Anglia, north-west Iberia, southern India, shamanism in rock art and theoretical aspects of the debate.

New Approaches to the Archaeology of Art, Religion and Folklore

A Permeability of Boundaries?

Cathy Ward

The fascinating phantasmal worlds in the work of the artist Cathy Ward. Pulsing and surging with dark energies, Cathy Ward's mesmerising drawings capture a restlessly inquiring spirit through the meticulous rendering of organic forms. Their mystery, emotional depth, and enveloping sensuality recall an occluded art-historical canon of weird psychedelia, hermetic alchemical illustrations and outsider horror vacui. Liberty Realm presents a broad survey of works ranging from the acclaimed drawings exhibited recently in "Phantasmata" at The Good Luck Gallery (Los Angeles), "Talespinning" at the Drawing Center (New York), "Romantic detachment" at PS1 MOMA (New York), and "Utopia" at the John Michael Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan, Wisconsin), to new explorations and insightful glimpses of her earlier output and formative practice. Substantial essays by Doug Harvey and Robert Wallis further untangle these fascinating phantasmal worlds.

Robert J. Wallis

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