The Healing Wisdom of Africa: Finding Life Purpose Through Nature, Ritual, and Community

Rating:
Summary: Informative and enlightening
Review: For those of African descent who want to know more about the religious and cultural practices of their ancestors, this is a particularly good source. It appears to be written with openness and honesty by one who has crossed several cultures outside of his West African origins. I imagine it is also a good source of information for those who are not of African descent, but have an interest in enhancing their spiritual journey through an understanding of religious and cultural practices in diverse cultures throughout the world.

Before reading this book, I had never heard about the West African country of Burkina Faso, even though history reveals that my heritage has its roots somewhere in West Africa. I have read extensively about the religious beliefs and practices of the Yoruba people of Nigeria, central to which is the worship of the Orishas. I continue to read about other African religions. Central to all such religions that I have read about so far is the reverence to spirit and rituals. Very important to these rituals is the use of the elements of Water, air, fire and earth (minerals). This approach to worship of the Divine is most revealing and seductive, as it challenges some of the practices of Christianity and other western religions. At the same time, if one examines more closely the essence of all religions, there is a commonality about them all.

I am by no means an expert on this, just a seeker. As I continue to read and observe, "The Healing Wisdom of Africa," is yet another step in my journey to connect the dots for myself. For each person who makes that journey, the dots will be connected differently because religion is a very personal experience. However information from people like Malidoma Patrice Some, can help one in contemplation of which dot is the next dot to connect in the sequence. Five stars.

Rating:
Summary: Malidoma Some addresses himself to spiritual healing
Review: In his latest book, Malidoma Some talks about how the wisdom developed over millenia by indigenous people in Africa can be used to deal with the very real psychological and spiritual impoverishment of the West. He says that while the West has an abundance of material goods (taken in large part from the natural resources that belong to all living creatures), Africans possess the capacity of enriching their own lives by communicating through rituals on a continuous basis with what he calls the "other world", the world beyond the material senses, or what Carlos Castaneda would call the "human inventory". Some recommends getting in touch with our ancestors and keeping them in our lives by devoting shrines to them and opening a dialogue with them. This makes particular sense to someone who has lost someone close and feels a great lack between the material message that the person is dead and therefore gone, and the feeling that somehow one has not really disconnected. Some also recommends frequent grief rituals (not just when suffering a loss but all the time) to keep the spirit in tune, and purged of the daily wear and tear of living. It is a wonderful book: humane, wise, well-thought out and very well written. A real joy for someone looking for a new way of dealing with life.

Rating:
Summary: A profound and deeply moving book
Review: Malidoma Patrice Some is one of my heroes. I've only read one other book by him, "Of Water and the Spirit," which I also loved, but I can say that he is an enlightened being and an exceptional teacher. He offers a new way to appreciate this earth and the spirit world with statements such as, (I'm paraphrasing) ...stones are the bones of the earth and in stones are stored the earth's memory... I found myself having to put the book down over and over just so I could give myself time to assimilate the profound thoughts and theories offered. His chapter on women and menstruation was a fascinating opening into concepts I had never heard before, and which left me both dumbfounded and euphoric at the importance of his insights. He is a great inspiration to me.

Rating:
Summary: Sensational. REAL African wisdom.
Review: Malidoma shows a great understanding of his peoples' values and trys to put them into western language as articulately as possible. The result is a window into another world so unrelated in every way to the one we are so distracted with.

Malidoma very concisely sets the book out under the headings of values that his culture considers are of the most importance eg. ritual, he then passes on the physical happenings and the spiritual meanings behind it.

It is an eloquent and yet complex read that will touch your souls memory and it remembers the peace that it felt once....

Rating:
Summary: One of the clearest books I've read on African World view.
Review: Malidoma Some', gives a clear explination, of the African World View, as seen thru the eyes of the Dagara people. It's a book of philosophy, spirituality and culture, presented for any reader to comprehend. This book opens the doors to a greater understanding of African culture.

Rating:
Summary: Opens eyes to spiritual world
Review: This book clearly offers the insights and wisdom that many "Western" readers seek for the creation of community and healing rituals. Malidoma's writing is inspiring and personal. I felt not only a deeper understanding of the Dagara way of life, but also of the commitment and dedication Malidoma has in offering their wisdom for healing the ills of the modern world.

I was left with a sense of embarrassment and shame that for all the complexities, distractions and damage that we have brought down upon the indigenous cultures of the world, that this wonderfully generous and caring man would offer us healing rituals in return.

I would hope that all who read this book will take its message to heart and work to incorporate the healing rituals that are described into their lives. I sincerely believe that the survival of both the modern and natives cultures depends on it.

Rating:
Summary: Disappointing
Review: This book explores the indigenous spritual life and outlook of the author's West African home. While it has many interesting commentaries and insights, overall I found the book vague, repetitive, and overly simplistic. In the intorduction the author freely admits that he writes about ideas and ideals of African tradition, and the importance of ritual for emotional and spritual growth. What is missing in this account is balance and nuance. I live in rural West Africa: a complex and multifacted society with tremendous beauty, but like any other society also has a dark side. The ritual, magic, and traditional medicine that Some idealizes and does indeed give richness and meaning to life, but it can and is also misused as an instrument for coercion, control, and cruelty, with devastating consequences. The book's Africa-good/West-bad theme and New Age touchy-feely all-we-need-is-rituals may appeal to some, but if you are seeking a sophisticated religious or cultural exploration you need to go elsewhere.

Rating:
Summary: Ruminations/rituals to get in touch with African cosmos
Review: To be truthful, this book needs to be read through more than once - it needs to be lived with, and at least a few of the exercises and ceremonies or variants of them must be worked through by the reader.

Malidoma's two earlier books, both obvious 5-star efforts, were more at expository essay and autobiography respectively. Both were jammed full of insights and plentiful quotable passages. And both were sumptuous with detail and inspiration.

Part One of this new volume is not an exception to this - though maybe a little drier in overall tone - still, I found myself leaving little quotes from it on my friend Cynthia's answering machine, for which she later thanked me profusely.

But the purpose of Part Two is to illustrate these illuminations/insights by things to actually do in order to begin feeling your connection with nature and the other elements of the Dagara cosmos. And throughout, Malidoma continues his critique of Western cultural and religious milieu in contradistinction to African ways and means.

There have been other terrific hands-on tutelages allowing a Euro-American to shed parts of his/her dualistic/rationalistic skin in exchange for an animistic one (Starhawk's 'The Spiral Dance', Harner's 'Way of the Shaman', Teich's 'Jambalaya', Ingerman's 'Soul Retrieval', Villoldo's 'Shaman Healer Sage', and Malidoma's wife Sobonfu Some's books). This is the latest "next best thing", and it's really a good one.

One thing about Malidona is that he warns the neophyte to at times exercise some degree of caution - diving headfirst into a new cultural scenario is not always the wisest or safest path. One's ability to tread lightly can bring dividends and rewards.

I am also reminded of some advise from another Dagara whom I know, who says that not all of Malidoma's writings are agreed upon by Dagara people in general - which makes me think that Malidoma's admitted adaptations are sometimes less than authentic, and more at distillations meant for those somewhat plagued by their Western minds. This may end up being a blessing in disguise - I don't know for sure.

I do know that the Malidomas have been on the workshop circuit in the U.S. and elsewhere for well over 10 years, and that there is a lot of cross-fertilization occurring amongst workshop presenters of far-flung cultural modalities. It's quite difficult to distinguish the chicken from the egg, and even sometimes the egg white from its yolk. There are many 'resonances' I have noticed between Alberto Villoldo's teaching (both oral and written) and Malidoma's. But if this is an effect of the collective unconscious, and/or of universal consciousness, or it's at least partly conscious borrowing, I have no easy way of knowing or finding out. Sometimes if it works, you just practice it, and/or if it feels right, you just do it.