Synopses & Reviews
The teachings of Bill Eagle Feather, Sun Dance chief and medicine man of the Rosebud Sioux, as told by his apprentice. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Reveals personal accounts of important Native American rituals such as the andlt;iandgt;yuwipiandlt;/iandgt; and the sun dance. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;and#8226; Includes stories and teachings from the last years of Bill Eagle Feather's life.andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Lakota medicine man Bill Schweigman Eagle Feather gained widespread recognition as an uncompromising spiritual leader in the 1960s when he defied a U.S. government ban on Indian religious practice and performed the Sun Dance ritual with public piercing. He continued on as Sun Dance chief and teacher of the Lakota way of life until his death in 1980.and#160; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Author Henry Niese met Bill Eagle Feather during a sweatlodge ceremony preceding a Sun Dance on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in 1975. That was the beginning of the relationship between student and teacher that is captured with humor and respect in andlt;iandgt;The Man Who Knew the Medicineandlt;/iandgt;. Niese brings readers along on his journey from outsider to initiate to elder, a transformation guided by Bill Eagle Feather. He describes sacred traditions such as the sweatlodge, the andlt;iandgt;yuwipiandlt;/iandgt;, and the powerful Sioux Sun Dance, which Niese participated in for 16 years on the Rosebud reservation. His firsthand accounts provide a portal into a sacred reality as well as insight into the struggles of the Indian community to perpetuate its values and religious truths in the context of contemporary America. Above all, andlt;iandgt;The Man Who Knew the Medicineandlt;/iandgt; offers the opportunity to experience the unique personality of a fascinating individual and respected healer through the eyes of a friend and a student.
Review
A wonderful book full of magic, mystery and wisdom. (Richard Erdoes, coauthor of Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions)
Review
"A unique and enthusiastically recommended addition to Native American Studies collections, and an invaluable contribution to Alternative Medicine reading lists as well."
Review
A unique and enthusiastically recommended addition to Native American Studies collections, and an invaluable contribution to Alternative Medicine reading lists as well. (The Midwest Book Review, January 2003)
Review
A born storyteller, Henry Niese has drawn a colorful portrait of his Lakota Sioux spiritual teacher with affection and humor and--notwithstanding Niese's own hard-earned wisdom--with humility. From this unique memoir we learn how the author himself has become a dedicated teacher and healer, a man who knows the medicine."
Review
"A wonderful book full of magic, mystery and wisdom. It is a tale of the years the author spent with Lakota holy man Bill Eagle Feather, talking about life and death, laughter and sadness, spirits and the universe. This book is written from the heart.andnbsp; It will give you an understanding of Lakota beliefs and ceremonies. It will enrich your life."
Synopsis
The teachings of Bill Eagle Feather, Sun Dance chief and medicine man of the Rosebud Sioux, as told by his apprentice.
- Reveals personal accounts of important Native American rituals such as the yuwipi and the sun dance.
- Includes stories and teachings from the last years of Bill Eagle Feather's life.
Lakota medicine man Bill Schweigman Eagle Feather gained widespread recognition as an uncompromising spiritual leader in the 1960s when he defied a U.S. government ban on Indian religious practice and performed the Sun Dance ritual with public piercing. He continued on as Sun Dance chief and teacher of the Lakota way of life until his death in 1980.
Author Henry Niese met Bill Eagle Feather during a sweatlodge ceremony preceding a Sun Dance on the Rosebud Sioux Reservation in 1975. That was the beginning of the relationship between student and teacher that is captured with humor and respect in The Man Who Knew the Medicine. Niese brings readers along on his journey from outsider to initiate to elder, a transformation guided by Bill Eagle Feather. He describes sacred traditions such as the sweatlodge, the yuwipi, and the powerful Sioux Sun Dance, which Niese participated in for 16 years on the Rosebud reservation. His firsthand accounts provide a portal into a sacred reality as well as insight into the struggles of the Indian community to perpetuate its values and religious truths in the context of contemporary America. Above all, The Man Who Knew the Medicine offers the opportunity to experience the unique personality of a fascinating individual and respected healer through the eyes of a friend and a student.
Synopsis
The first working guide to the creation and application of plant-based compounds for ritual, magical, and healing purposes based on the Druidic tradition. xProvides step-by-step instructions for processing and transforming 70 plant energies and essences into working magical compounds. xDemonstrates the application of these compounds in a sex magic ritual. xWritten by a practicing Druid with more than 40 years in the tradition. The ancient rites and lore of the Druids have always utilized a gentle alchemy to convert plant essences into potent compounds for working magical rituals. Through the respectful seduction of a plant's virtue, Druid alchemists are able to release and collect the latent energy, physical attributes, and magical capacities of that plant. The Druid then applies a series of processes to the acquired essence in order to maximize its power prior to its application in magical ritual. In this first-ever working guide to the principles, processes, and practical application of druidic plant magic, Jon G. Hughes shares the combined wisdom of his ancestral lineage. Celtic Plant Magic includes basic alchemical theory, instructions for creating all necessary tools, descriptions of magical compounds and their uses, and how to prepare oneself for working with plant essences. The healing and magical properties of more than 70 plants and trees are provided. The author then applies this information to a Celtic sex ritual, demonstrating how these compounds are used in specific magic and ritual practices. Celtic Plant Magic is a valuable manual for anyone wishing to harness the magical potential of plant energy.
About the Author
Henry Niese has participated in over one hundred ceremonies and danced in thirty-seven Sun Dances, including hosting Sun Dances at his own Eagle Voice Center in Maryland. He carries on the work of Bill Eagle Feather by performing healings and giving seminars and workshops throughout the United States on medicinal plants and Native healing. He is also a professional artist whose work has appeared in many museums, including the National Museum of American Art and the Whitney Museum.
Table of Contents
andlt;Bandgt;Prefaceandlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter One andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;One More Journey to Make: The End of the Beginning andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Two andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Luck: The Chosen One andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Three andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Uncle Bill's Camp: The Valley of the Ghosts andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Four andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;"You Ain't No Sioux!" andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Five andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;How the Dogs Chose Their Chief-or Didn't! andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Six andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Hanbleciaandlt;/Iandgt;: Crying for a Dream andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Seven andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;Lowanpiandlt;/Iandgt;: The Ceremony in the Cellar andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Eight andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Dying: He Sees the Ghost Diggers andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Nine andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;The Blessing: Sun Dancing is Difficult andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Ten andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Uncle's Prophecy: The First Healing andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Eleven andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Medicine and Art andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Twelve andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Uncle's Teaching: Fear Defeats My Final Lesson andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Thirteen andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Deaf Eddy: The Second Healing andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Fourteen andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;Carrying on the Teaching: "Healing and Helping this Precious Life to Redeem" andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Chapter Fifteen andlt;/Bandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Iandgt;"Tunkasila, Ta Wokunze Ca Lena Cicu" andlt;BRandgt;andlt;/Iandgt; andlt;BRandgt; andlt;BRandgt;andlt;Bandgt;Bibliographyandlt;/Bandgt;