Book Review

Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey

by Kenneth Johnson

Publisher: Crossed Crow Books

233 Pages

Published: January 31, 2023

 

 

Are Witches Shamans?

Where does witchcraft originate? Is it related to Shamanism and the Shamanic Journey? According to Kenneth Johnson, Witches are the direct decedents of the remnants of European Shamanism. He uses history, written observations by historical figures, courtroom confessions during the European witch trials, and anthropology and archaeology studies to show us the path taken from ancient shamanism, through medieval witch-scares, to modern day witchcraft.

First we’re shown what it means to be a shaman, how shamans are spiritual healers who go to the Otherworlds to speak on behalf of their patients/clients and to help bring back those close to death, or even bring back the words of those who have died. The author goes into a deep exploration of what shamanism even means, and how every culture across the world share the same type of Shamanism, even if some of the cultural trappings are slightly different.

We get a deep exploration of the World Tree, how every culture has a version that is very similar in scope. Every version has a Tree that hold three realms, the Underworld in the roots, the Heavens in the top branches, and the Material Realm in-between. They might differ in the number of Hells in the Underworld, and number of Heavens in the Upperworld, but they all have a source of Holy Water in a well or stream in the Roots. They all have a Sacred Bird in the Branches to help guard the Tree. And all of them consider the Tree to be the center pole that holds up all of Creation.

The author then goes into how Shamans are initiated into the path of the Shaman, and how even when there aren’t Elder Shamans to guide the way, sometimes the Shaman is Initiated by the Spiritual World itself. Once you hear the Call of the Shaman there’s no turning back. And if you’re able the talk with the dead, go into trances when you go off into the Otherworld, heal people by talking with their Spirits, what else would you be called but Witch?

Throughout the book, Kenneth show us the parallels between what the Medieval people called “Witchcraft” and Traditional Shamanism, and how the Europeans we okay with marrying the Old Ways with the New Ways of the Church. Up until the Renaissance, when a lot of the Old Beliefs where attributed to the Devil and were blamed for the Black Death and other societal woes. Many people don’t realize that the Witch Craze of old wasn’t Medieval, but wholly ingrained in Renaissance thought; and it’s what brought about the Inquisitions.

Many of what witches are know for doing were extracted from living “witches” through the torture of their bodies, to the point where they would confess anything and everything asked of them just to stop the pain and agony inflicted on them. Because of these tortures we get stories of Witches consorting with the “devil” and causing blight and harm to neighbors. We also get the strange stories of killing babies for the witches “flying ointments” and stories of strange gatherings in the woods where the witches flew on their broomsticks to kiss the devil’s ass.

The second part of the book dives into how embracing Witchcraft was a way of fighting agains authority figures and oppressive social constructs. The old pagan ways we folded into the the cloth of the local churches, and then eventually punishment was handed out to those who still held onto the beliefs. Thus the Lord and Lady of the Otherworld became King and Queen of Elfland, the Elves and Ancestors became the “good folk” or the “good people” and Folk Festivals were born to replace the regular Pagan holidays. Which in turn cycled back to us in the Witchcraft Revival of the 20th century as the Witch’s Sabbats, reclaiming the name imposed upon Witches by the Inquisition.

Shamanism is not a religion; it is a technique of spiritual practice. As such, it is far older than any “formal” religion on the planet.

Witches are the direct decendends of the Shamans of old, and even though they have lost their lore and true teachings they have embraced a religion based on the reverence for the the Earth we live on. The Lord and Lady of the Otherworld, who send us food and weather so we may thrive and who receive the souls of our ancestors into their Underworld, are making a comeback as the Lord and Lady of witchcraft. Though you may know them by other names.

Final Thoughts.

This book is so filled with “ah-ha!” moments and helps weave together the world wide practice of Shamanism in all its forms. And in a way helps to show us that no matter where you’re from, we all have Shamanic Roots. It also helps us see how Witchcraft is a Religion that became what it is because of the roots of Shamanism underneath it all. There’s also several exercise in the book to help awaken your own inner Shaman.

Kenneth Johnson has dived deep and brought back amazing wisdom from the Otherworld, just like the Shamans of Old. With written records, archaeological evidence, and anthropological studies he weaves a picture of what was and how Witchcraft grew from the old practices of European Shamanism. This book is a treasure!

Don’t forget to join us for the interview about this book on YouTube, and to see what wisdom Kenneth Johnson will share with us!

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About the Author

Kenneth Johnson was quite literally born and raised in “Surf City USA” – he grew up in south California during the 1960s. He obtained his B.A. in Comparative Religions at California State University Fullerton and his M.A. in Eastern Studies at St. John’s College in Santa Fe, NM.

For some years a staff writer for The Mountain Astrologer, Kenneth also participated in Project Hindsight, a colloquium of astrological scholars dedicated to restoring and interpreting the earliest known texts on horoscopic astrology.

Kenneth has published many books. His best-known works are Mythic Astrology (co-authored with Arielle Guttman), a vast reference work on the archetypal symbolism which lies behind all the planets and signs used in astrology (and still in print after 29 years), as well as Jaguar Wisdom: An Introduction to the Mayan Calendar – carried through Latin America by gringo travelers for many years now, right next to their Lonely Planet guidebooks. His works have been translated into German, Portuguese, Japanese, Czech, Russian and Bulgarian.

An inveterate world traveler, Kenneth is currently ensconced in a remote Mayan town in the mountains of Guatemala where, after ten years of study, he was initiated into the indigenous Mayan priesthood as an aj q’ij (keeper of days) in November of 2017.

Of all his works, Kenneth’s personal favorite, variously titled North Star Road and Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey, examines survivals of ancient European shamanism which are to be found in the courtroom records of the European witch trials. For the new edition to be published by Crossed Crow Books, he has added a series of spiritual exercises gleaned from his studies with shamans in Russia who still operate in accordance with the ancient pre-Christian paradigms.

For more on his work with the Maya, see www.jaguarwisdom.org, or https://www.facebook.com/jaguar.wisdom/.

 

 

Witchcraft and the Shamanic Journey on Amazon

 

 

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About the Author:

Jonathan Dailey

Jonathan has been reading Tarot for over 33+ years. He has had many teachers, and has experienced many Spiritual Truths. He even had the honor of teaching a Beginner’s Tarot Reading class!

He has swam with Manta Rays, Sea Turtles, and Whales in Hawaii; ran barefoot in the jungle with the Ticos of Costa Rica; danced the Naraya with the Shoshone; Prayed at Buddhist Temples in Thailand, China, and Japan; wandered the green hills of Ireland, studied Acupuncture in China; and has had many more adventures!

Jonathan’s love of the Tarot started when he was in Summer Camp (in New Jersey of all places) and was privileged to take a class with a Magus who taught the group not only the Tarot, but also crystals, Runes, pendulums, energy work, spell casting, Past Life Regressions, and many other “New Age” practices. That class was one of the catalysts for Jonathan’s own Spiritual Awakening to his many past lives, and his Higher Purpose.

Jonathan is an Acupuncturist who has created his own style of acupuncture aided past life regressions using gold needles. Jonathan is a Certified Health Coach. He has lost count of how many readings he’s given, and decks he’s collected, over the last 3 decades. Find more from Jonathan on YouTube.