Chosen by the Spirits: Following Your Shamanic Calling

By Sarangerel

Book Overview

- Mongolian shamaness Sarangerel provides a hands-on guide for serious students of the shamanic path.

- Includes complete directions for traditional Siberian rituals, meditations, and divination techniques never before published.

- Shows how to recognize and acknowledge a call from the spirits.

- Offers traditional wisdom for nurturing a working relationship with personal spirit helpers to promote healing and balance in a community.

The shaman's purpose is to heal and restore balance to his or her community by developing a working relationship with the spirit world. Mongolian shamanic tradition maintains that all true shamans are called by the spirits--but those who are not from shamanic cultures may have difficulty recognizing the call or nurturing the essential shamanic relationship with their helper spirits.

Buryat shamaness Sarangerel has written Chosen by the Spirits as a guide for both the beginning shaman and the advanced practitioner. Although raised in the United States, she was drawn to the shamanic tradition, and in 1991 returned to her ancestral homeland in the Tunken region of southern Siberia to study with traditional Buryat shamans. Her first book, Riding Windhorses, provided an introduction to the shamanic world of Siberia. Chosen by the Spirits delves more deeply into the personal relationship between the shamanic student and his or her spirit family. Sarangerel recounts her own journey into shamanic practice and provides the serious student with practical advice and hands-on techniques for recognizing and acknowledging a shamanic calling, welcoming and embodying the spirits, journeying to the spirit world, and healing both people and places.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0892818611
• ISBN13: 9780892818617
• Release Date: May 2001
• Publisher: Destiny Books
• Length: 312 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 8.9"

Customer Reviews

Response to false accusations

It's suprising to see folks claiming that Sarangerel was practicing black magic or was not actually Mongolian. She was a friend and someone I had the blessing to know before her passing. Here is what I learned from her directly: Her mother's people are of Mongolian ancestry and her father's people are of European ancestry. She was not raised with the traditions but was guided to reconnect with her mom's ancestral people by early Native American teachers. She spent over a decade living mostly in Buryatia and I know that she spoke fluent Mongolian because I heard her speak it often enough with her Mongolian husband or with the Mongolians that showed up here in the Bay Area or in Ohio when she offered ceremony. I also met after her death briefly with Batbayar Gonchigdorj and several other Mongolian shamans who knew and thought highly of Sarangerel. That and she was a part of Golomt Center which I believe is still operational. One of her teachers was Brambadorj who from what I understand is a very well-respected preserver of Mongolian traditions. So...the notion that Sarangerel didn't have enough Mongolian 'cred' is just not an informed position. And about her practicing black magic, that's hardly the case. I hosted her to offer healing sessions in my home and witnessed the positive transformations that came from that. Writing about and educating folks about real risks is *totally* different from practicing black magic. I knew Sarangerel to be a loving, kind, and humble shaman. About the book itself, it's a gem. For practitioners it's full of great perspective and practices and for those with more of an intellectual interest, it's a great window into how this particular practitioner of traditional ways approaches things. And for those interested in the history/culture of the region, it's also useful. Sarangerel was also a scholar and was interested in pursuing a PhD in Central Asian folklore/traditions before she passed. Daniel Foor

Excellent

I absolutely love this book. It has some excellent rituals, it is rather different from the common Shamanic books out there and gives you more of the cultural aspect of Shamanism, which is not necessary but it has a certain beauty to it which to me adds a certain sacredness to what you are practicing. When sacredness is added to what you practice and experience it creates a sense of honor, love and respect. And it appears to me that I don't sense this in the other books on Shamanism that I've read. But I highly recommend this book.

This is it!

If you are looking for the truth in Shamanic studies, this is it. While difficult to read, it sums up many secrets that are not easily given out; by masters, who teach real shamanism. This is not for the beginner, one has to have a background and be very clear and grounded to practice these skills.

Wow, such detail!!!

There are certain books, that I "Must" write a review on,and this is one of them. I found this book by accident. I took a chance buying it, and I think this was one of the best decisions that I've ever made!! Her details, her thoughts; very carefully written out. As soon as I started reading this book, I fell in love. I fell in love with it's honesty. She talks about, being called by the spirits, to trances, to dreams, meditating, and so fourth. And that's making it brief. There's so much to learn from this book. Very good for beginners, as well as the advanced thinking. Enjoy!!!

Gorgeous Book

Sarangerel writes from a bright, positive spirit of generosity and love for the ancient tradition. This is a wonderful book, as is her first. It is full of really great stuff. If you are interested in learning shamanistic techniques, get Sarangerel's books. They're beautiful. We have much to thank her for.