Black Smoke: Healing and Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon by De Wys, Margaret

Black Smoke: Healing and Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon — photo 1

Occult Philosophy

Black Smoke: Healing and Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon

Name: Black Smoke: Healing and Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon
Price: 19.00 USD
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.4 (2 reviews)
Author: De Wys, Margaret
ISBN: 9781594774621

De Wys, Margaret

Reader rating

4.4

(1 reviews) 160 sold

$19.00

Editorial score How we rate

Availability to be confirmed

This edition can be ordered. No arrival date is confirmed.

📚 ABOUT THE BOOK

A devastating diagnosis ignites a courageous journey into the Amazon's ancient healing heart.

Margaret De Wys, a composer and professor, found her life upended by a cancer diagnosis, plunging her into profound fear and isolation. Rather than conventional treatment, she embarked on an extraordinary pilgrimage to the Amazon, seeking solace and healing with Carlos, a revered Shuar shaman. This gripping account details her immersion in powerful visionary rituals and initiations, revealing the profound spiritual medicine of the jungle. De Wys masterfully explores how these ancient practices address the emotional and spiritual roots of disease, offering a compelling narrative of personal transformation and rediscovery.

Key themes

Visionary Shamanic Practices Emotional Origins of Disease Radical Personal Transformation

Historical context

This work sits firmly within the contemporary Western interest in Amazonian plant medicine and shamanic healing traditions, reflecting a growing trend of individuals seeking alternative spiritual remedies for modern ailments. It bridges the gap between traditional indigenous practices and personal narrative accounts popular in modern occult and esoteric literature.

De Wys, Margaret

📚 all books by this author (2) →

Difficulty

● Easy

Fans will love it

Michael Harner · Carlos Castaneda · Terence McKenna · Rupert Sheldrake

🕯️ Occult Philosophy

🏛 Inner Traditions International 📅 2014 📖 224 pages 📔 Paperback 📐 Paperback ISBN: 9781594774621

Fun fact

De Wys offers a raw, courageous account of healing and transformation that transcends mere memoir. Her vivid prose immerses the reader in the heart of Amazonian shamanism, exploring the profound spiritual and emotional dimensions of illness. Those seeking a purely academic text or a 'how-to' guide for ayahuasca will be disappointed; this is a deeply personal journey into self-discovery. It stands as a vital contribution to the literature on personal healing, bridging the gap between Western medicine's limitations and ancient wisdom traditions.

📝 Description: Black Smoke: Healing and Ayahuasca Shamanism in the Amazon

A diagnosis of cancer leads to healing and transformation in the Amazon jungle - Explains in vivid detail De Wys's experience of being healed from cancer through visionary ayahuasca rituals in Ecuador - Describes her apprenticeship and relationship with the shaman who cured her - Explores the ways this spiritual medicine can heal the emotional origins of disease now plaguing our modern technological culture - Chosen as one of the "Top 10 Books of the New Edge" by Jonathan Talat Phillips on The Huffington Post When composer and Bard College music professor Margaret De Wys learned she had breast cancer, the diagnosis shattered her comfortable life. Seized by fear, crushed by existential loneliness, she couldn't respond when her loved ones reached out to her. To everyone's concern, the illness propelled her away from her family and deep into the Amazon to work with Carlos, a charismatic Shuar shaman and master of medicina milenaria, an ancient mystical tradition with a highly sophisticated and precise technology of healing. In Black Smoke, De Wys writes of her amazing encounter with Carlos as he guided her into a world of potent visionary plants, harrowing initiations, ritual purification, and miraculous healings, including the complete disappearance of her cancer. It was, as Carlos called it, "the path of the warrior." Sharing a journey not only through cancer but also through self-transformation, De Wys provides an intimate inside look at the shamanic ceremonies of ayahuasca and the ways this spiritual medicine can heal the emotional origins of disease now plaguing our modern technological culture. Capturing her physical, emotional, and "holy voyage" through a world that differs vastly from our own in its perception of healing and wholeness, she offers a revealing chronicle of spiritual insight and a trenchant exploration of the limits of idealism. She not only provides a probing look at how our society can learn and benefit from indigenous wisdom but also weaves a cautionary tale about how potentially dangerous it is--on both sides--to try to cross those frontiers.

💎 Expert review

“

💎

Esoterica Books editorial team

Occult literature desk

De Wys delivers an emotionally raw account that may appeal to those drawn to mystical experiences, yet it might frustrate readers seeking rigorous anthropological data or scientific validation of shamanic efficacy. Those expecting a detached, academic analysis of Shuar culture may find the heavily personal perspective overwhelming or insufficiently critical. However, for readers open to subjective spiritual testimony and first-person narratives of healing, the text provides a compelling look at the psychological impact of visionary rituals. It is not suitable for skeptics demanding empirical evidence or those uninterested in autobiographical storytelling within the context of esoteric practice.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who have faced life-altering health crises or feel disconnected from conventional medical systems will find deep resonance in this narrative. Margaret De Wys offers a poignant exploration of how spiritual and emotional wounds manifest physically, providing hope to those seeking holistic healing beyond the clinic. It is ideal for seekers of shamanic wisdom, anyone interested in the intersection of art and spirituality, and individuals navigating their own journeys of transformation through adversity. The book serves as both a gripping personal memoir and a compassionate guide to understanding the power of ancient rituals in addressing modern existential fears.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Esoterica Books —

⭐ Esoterica editorial review Editorial rating 4.5/5

★★★★★

If you are drawn to narratives of profound spiritual exploration, alternative healing modalities, or the intersection of personal crisis and indigenous wisdom, this book offers a deeply resonant experience. It's for those seeking to understand the mind-body-spirit connection.

Reader rating

4.4

Based on 1 reviews

Esoterica Books editorial team

De Wys delivers an emotionally raw account that may appeal to those drawn to mystical experiences, yet it might frustrate readers seeking rigorous anthropological data or scientific validation of shamanic efficacy. Those expecting a detached, academic analysis of Shuar culture may find the heavily personal perspective overwhelming or insufficiently critical. However, for readers open to subjective spiritual testimony and first-person narratives of healing, the text provides a compelling look at the psychological impact of visionary rituals. It is not suitable for skeptics demanding empirical evidence or those uninterested in autobiographical storytelling within the context of esoteric practice.

❓ Frequently asked questions

While ayahuasca rituals are central, the book encompasses a broader exploration of Amazonian shamanism, including the shaman's guidance, initiations, and the overall spiritual healing process.

It's primarily a memoir and an experiential account rather than a 'how-to' guide. However, it offers profound insights into the principles of shamanic healing and the emotional work involved, inspiring self-reflection rather than instruction.

📖 Who should read this

🎯 Key themes and symbolism

Visionary Shamanic Practices

The book intimately details De Wys's profound engagement with traditional Amazonian healing, particularly through potent ayahuasca ceremonies and the expert guidance of a Shuar shaman. It illuminates the intricate, often challenging, processes of ritual purification and visionary journeys that form the core of this ancient spiritual medicine.

Emotional Origins of Disease

De Wys explores the powerful connection between inner turmoil and physical illness, suggesting that confronting deep-seated fears and existential loneliness is crucial for holistic recovery. The narrative posits that true healing extends beyond the physical, delving into the psychological and spiritual dimensions of well-being.

Radical Personal Transformation

Witness De Wys's remarkable evolution from a life shattered by illness to one of profound spiritual awakening and physical recovery. Her journey showcases not just a battle against cancer, but a complete reorientation of self, perspective, and purpose, guided by the wisdom of the Amazon.

💬 Quotes from the book

“The diagnosis was a seismic shift, not just in my body, but in the very fabric of my existence, pushing me toward an uncharted jungle of healing.”

“Carlos, with his ancient wisdom, became a bridge between my shattered reality and the potent, unblinking truth revealed by the sacred smoke.”

📜 Historical context

This work stands within a rich tradition of personal narratives exploring the transformative power of Amazonian shamanism, particularly regarding ayahuasca and plant medicine. It enriches our understanding of 'medicina milenaria' by blending a deeply personal account with an exploration of an ancient, sophisticated healing system, echoing similar journeys of Westerners seeking indigenous wisdom.

📚 Glossary

Ayahuasca
Shaman
Medicina Milenaria

📔 Questions to reflect on

How might a radical shift in environment or perspective influence your own approach to a significant personal crisis or illness?
Reflect on how emotional or spiritual blockages might manifest in physical discomforts or challenges in your life. What steps could you take to address them?
If faced with profound illness, what unconventional paths or spiritual traditions might you be willing to explore for healing and deeper understanding?