Aisling Lorrah does not know her summer will be one of self-discovery when she heads to her familys Clear Spring Camp for her college break. When a cryptic note sends her on a course Into the unknown, the passage will catapult her into grave danger. The peril is so immense that it threatens her life and the lives of those she holds dear. Her journey brings her to the arid and treacherous place known as Medicine Gulch, where monstrous evil awaits. The terrain itself is tricky and unforgiving, and provides safe harbor to black forces intent on doing harm. Teachings of several Crow Indian tribal elders and her own Irish family magic combine to expand Aislings powers when events provoke the dangers lurking in the eerie canyons. Only an epic confrontation will define the future of her family and friends. The explosive conclusion redefines the power and magic of the Lorrahs and the wilderness they call home.

Something is attacking and killing elders who possess ancient and magical knowledge. When her own family elders and those of the Crow tribe tell Aisling Lorrah she will have to confront the unknown threat, she is bewildered and terrified. Her journey will take her to familiar places in the Big Horn Mountains and less familiar destinations in Ireland. Realms of past and present define her role in this battle as she ventures out alone. Without the help of her teachers and mentors, Aisling draws upon what she knows and what she learns in order to face the shocking adversary on a battlefield unlike any other. Ultimately, what she has been taught is combined with her own mysterious gifts to bring this story to its final conclusion.

"In this elegant narrative, celebrated naturalist Ted Floyd guides you through a year of becoming a better birder. Choosing 200 top avian species to teach key lessons, Floyd introduces a new, holistic approach to bird watching and shows how to use the tools of the 21st century to appreciate the natural world we inhabit together whether city, country or suburbs." -- From book jacket.

Teaching Spirits offers a thematic approach to Native American religious traditions. Through years of living with and learning about Native traditions across the continent, Joseph Epes Brown learned firsthand of the great diversity of the North American Indian cultures. Yet within this great multiplicity, he also noticed certain common themes that resonate within many Native traditions. These themes include a shared sense of time as cyclical rather than linear, a belief that landscapes are inhabited by spirits, a rich oral tradition, visual arts that emphasize the process of creation, a reciprocal relationship with the natural world, and the rituals that tie these themes together. Brown illustrates each of these themes with in-depth explorations of specific native cultures including Lakota, Navajo, Apache, Koyukon, and Ojibwe. Brown was one of the first scholars to recognize that Native religions-rather than being relics of the past-are vital traditions that tribal members shape and adapt to meet both timeless and contemporary needs. Teaching Spirits reflects this view, using examples from the present as well as the past. For instance, when writing about Plains rituals, he describes not only building an impromptu sweat lodge in a Denver hotel room with Black Elk in the 1940s, but also the struggles of present-day Crow tribal members to balance Sun Dances and vision quests with nine-to-five jobs. In this groundbreaking work, Brown suggests that Native American traditions demonstrate how all components of a culture can be interconnected-how the presence of the sacred can permeate all lifeways to such a degree that what we call religion is integrated into all of life's activities. Throughout the book, Brown draws on his extensive personal experience with Black Elk, who came to symbolize for many the richness of the imperiled native cultures. This volume brings to life the themes that resonate at the heart of Native American religious traditions.

Telling the story of the author's time living with a Kazakh family in a small village in western Mongolia, this book contextualizes the family’s personal stories within the broader history of the region. It looks at the position of the Kazakh over time in relation to Tsarist Russian, Soviet, Chinese and Mongolian rule and influence. These are stories of migration across generations, bride kidnappings and marriage, domestic violence and alcoholism, adoption and family, and how people have coped in the face of political and economic crisis, poverty and loss, and, perhaps most enduringly, how love and family persist through all of this.

Connect with the Spirits among Us From ancestors and animal spirits to elementals and extraterrestrials, Spirits Unveiled presents an impressive variety of energetic beings. Each chapter features a particular kind of spirit and teaches you how to sense its presence, identify and connect with it, and set any boundaries you may need. Spirits are all around us, whether we realize it or not. Michelle Welch demystifies concepts and debunks misconceptions about different entities, helping you interact with them in healthy ways. She introduces you to both inspirational spirits like angels and guides as well as scarier beings like ghosts and demons. You'll learn how to scry with elementals, connect with an ascended master, protect against psychic attacks, astral travel, and more. Providing meditations, visualizations, and inspiring stories, this book helps boost your intuition and spiritual experience.

AN EASY-TO-USE HANDBOOK FOR IDENTIFYING AND UNDERSTANDINGYOUR POWER ANIMALS AND ANIMAL SPIRIT HELPERS After the publication of his best-selling book Power Animals, many people inquired about the meaning of spirit animals that were not contained in that work. In Animal Spirit Guides, Dr. Farmer provides concise, relevant details about the significance of more than 200 animals that may come to you in physical or symbolic form as guides and teachers. With each animal listed, you’ll find general meanings of the visitation; practical ways that they can help you as spirit guides; and how, as your power animal, they reflect characteristics that you possess. You’ll also find a "whom-to-call-on" section that will tell you which animal spirit guide to call on for any specific purpose.

Sarah Nelson’s teaching novel follows Clara, a Korean-American archaeologist, to an excavation in her ancestral homeland. The story recounts her experiences as a field archaeologist and as a young woman caught between two cultures. Nelson also tells the story of Flyingbird and the Neolithic people who lived in the mound Clara is excavating. Addressing issues of gender, shamanism, ethnic identity, and Neolithic culture, and written by a leading American archaeologist specializing in these topics, this volume is both a good read and good archaeology. An ideal starting point to introduce archaeology to college students.

Age range 3 to 6 Mad Magpie is the third book in this successful series of morality tales from Gregg Dreise. Inspired by wise sayings and the knowledge of his Elders, Mad Magpie tells the story of Guluu, an angry magpie who is being teased by a gang of butcher birds. The more he is teased, the angrier he becomes. When Guluu seeks advice, his Elders tell him to stay calm like the river, ignore the butcher birds and to be strong on the inside. Guluu tries this, but the cheeky birds just laugh at him. One day, when Guluu is at the river looking for worms, the butcher birds arrive and steal his food. He remembers the words of his Elders and he tries again – and this time Guluu has a different outcome. He stands proudly at the riverbank and remembers how he used to sing when he was having a bad day. Guluu sings so loud he cannot hear the birds laughing at him and they eventually give up and fly away. From that time on, the animals learnt to use music to create a happy mood and they worked together to stop bullying.

An extraordinary compilation of legends and rituals about nature's ever-present signs. From the birds that soar above us to the insects beneath our feet, Native American healer Bobby Lake-Thom shows how the creatures of the earth can aid us in healing and self-knowledge. “There are ancient secrets and lessons hidden in nature. If you seek for guidance, you will discover truth.”—Bobby Lake-Thom Much of the ancient knowledge that has been passed down from Native American medicine men, or shamans is in danger of being lost. Bobby Lake-Thom, a Native American healer known as Medicine Grizzly Bear, has sought to preserve this powerful heritage by sharing his wisdom and experience learning from the world around us. What does it mean if a hawk appears in a dream? What are the symbolic interpretations of a deer, a skunk, a raccoon? Lake-Thom, who has studied with the elders of many tribes, explains the significance of animal figures as manifestations of good or evil, and shows how we can develop our own powers of awareness and intuition. The first book of its kind, this practical and enlightening resource includes dozens of fascinating animal myths and legends, as well as exercises and activities that draw upon animal powers for guidance, healing, wisdom, and the expansion of spiritual influences in our lives. You'll discover here: • How animals, birds, and insects act as signs and omens • The significance of vision quests • How to make and use a medicine wheel • The role of spirit symbols—and how they affect the unconscious • Exercises for creative dreaming • The power of the earth-healing ceremony • How to increase your spiritual strength and create sacred spaces • And more....