Review
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"Michael Drake has provided a textbook on shamanic
drumming that should be an enduring classic." --Jim PathFinder
Ewing, author of Reiki Shamanism
"A clear and practical work." --Julia Cameron, author of The
Artist's Way and The Vein of Gold
"The Shamanic Drum expresses things as they are, and it's indeed
true that the drum and the proper ceremonies are the way in which
we balance and harmonize the energies of the Earth, its
creatures, and our relationship with all realms." --Dhyani
Ywahoo, author of Voices of Our Ancestors
"Apprenticeship would be the ideal way to learn shamanic
drumming, however most of us will never be fortunate enough to
have this experience. This book is definitely the next best
thing." --Lisa DiPlo, Friend's Review
"This book is a valuable, well-researched, and well-written
of all aspects of shamanic drumming. The author weaves
together both ancient and modern lore, from oral shamanic chants
to modern physics and biology, along with personal experiences to
illuminate the practice of sacred drumming. Included are
step-by-step exercises, analysis of different beats and tempos,
and chapters on cosmology, journeying, power practice, and
healing the earth. Recommended to anyone seeking to connect
deeply with the drum as a tool for personal, interpersonal, or
group spiritual and healing work."
--Nowick Gray, Alternative Culture Magazine
From the Author
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In Western culture, there is a great renewal of
interest in the practice of shamanism. This surge of interest
can, in large part, be attributed to the purity of shamanic
cosmology as well as the freedom and individuality of the
shamanic experience. No intermediary such as the church or
priesthood is needed to access personal revelation and spiritual
experience. All dimensions of reality and the mystical knowledge
and powers they contain are available to one who practices
shamanism. Every shamanic practitioner becomes his or her own
teacher, priest, and prophet. Shamanic practice brings one
ultimate power over one's own life and the power to help others
do the same.
Most people will never have the rtunity to meet a shaman, let
alone learn from one. Though no substitute for an apprenticeship
situation, a handbook can convey the fundamental methodological
information. The information presented here is the culmination of
my quest to understand the power of rhythm. It is a synthesis, a
blending of drum ways I learned under the tutelage of Mongolian
shaman Jade Wah'oo Grigori with rhythmic knowledge from many of
the world's shamanic traditions. Truly significant shamanic
knowledge can only be acquired through individual experience;
however, one must first acquire the methods in order to utilize
them.
Shamanic drum ways provide the rtunity to acquire shamanic
experiences. The techniques are simple and effective. The
resurgence of shamanism nationwide can, in large part, be
attributed to the fact that shamanic drumming offers a relatively
easy means of controlled transcendence. When a drum is played at
an even tempo of some 180 beats per minute (or about three beats
per second) for at least fifteen minutes, most novices report
that they can journey successfully even on their first attempt.
This ease of induction of altered states and related experiences
contrasts dramatically with the months or years of practice
usually required by most meditative disciplines to induce
significant effects. Today's drummers are rediscovering the
trance or ecstatic aspects of drumming. This new rhythm
consciousness is oriented not toward performance and musical
virtuosity, but toward personal transformation, consciousness
expansion, and community building. By employing the drum ways
described in this book, you will have an rtunity to
personally experience shamanic states, power, and healing. These
ways do not require faith or changes in your definition of
reality. No change in your subconscious mind is required either,
for the drum only awakens what is already there. It will awaken
the shaman that lies dormant within you.
The most effective way to learn shamanism is to adopt the same
basic concepts shamans do. For example, when I speak of "power,"
it is primarily because the term is basic to shamanism. Power can
represent many different things. To some shamans, power is
understanding energy and how to utilize it. To others, it is a
measure of one's ability to manifest a vision in the material
world. However, it is best to avoid any preoccupation with
seeking a scientific understanding of what power may really
represent or why shamanism works. I practice shamanism myself,
not because I understand why it works, but simply because it does
work.