Spirits of the Earth: A Guide to Native American Nature Symbols, Stories, and Ceremonies

What an incredible book! I learned so much from it and it was worth every penny I paid for it. It is filled with useful information that sometimes seems far-fetched but when I started doubting, I'd remember just who wrote this book and remembered that this author is a holy man, shaman, medicine man, whatever you want to call him. He knows. He's been taught all of this since he was a child and has been brought up in the traditional ways. I took the time to do the exercises with the stories that were told and after I looked back at what I had written, it was like an epiphany. I had to read some of them several times, which he recommends you do anyway, and I was like, "I get it!" I was able to make the connection on most of them. A few of them, I am still thinking about. In the book, he talks about birds, animals, insects, reptiles and what they mean when you see them and how to handle them if they make a sudden, unwanted appearance inside your house. I will give you two examples of my own personal experiences: Just yesterday, I was standing out in my garage smoking a cigarette when a tiny little spider lowered himself into my line of vision. My first instinct was to give him a fatal thwack. But no. After reading that part of the book, I knew he might be trying to tell me something. Spiders are messengers so as insane as this is going to sound, I asked him what was going on. Of course, he didn't answer me but now I am looking for something that I may have blown off before. He lingered there for a minute then he went back up and I haven't seen him since. But not all spiders are good. Another thing that totally made sense to me is the section on cockroaches. Never in my life had I had to live with cockroaches until I bought this house and then they came into my house from next door after the exterminator had gone in there and done his job after the slothful people who'd lived there before had been evicted and moved out. We definitely had a problem with them so we called the exterminator...twice. He came and he did his thing and they were gone for a little while but then they came back but not as badly. We took matters into our own hands then and got ourselves some Roach Prufe and sprinkled that around. That seemed to do the trick, too. But while all of this was going on, people were coming and going out of our house and some of them weren't the good kind of people. Once we got rid of the bad people, the roaches went away. A few of them were friends of our sons and one was a person who just pretended to be a friend of my mine and my husband's. Once these people were out of our lives, the roaches were gone and we haven't seen any since. I took this book very seriously and I learned so much from it. I now understand the sacredness of certain places on Earth even though I had a great idea before. I understand how we are all connected which really wasn't a revelation to me but this reinforced it for me. I no longer think that animals are a step beneath us. They are our equals and they are our relatives and should be treated with respect. They will talk to you if you choose to listen. Nature will talk to you if you listen. I also understand some of the ceremonies and someday hope to make my own medicine wheel. I also want to dream creatively. All of this and more is in this book. Yes, I am part Indian but probably not enough to make a big difference. But you don't have to be to understand this book. You just have to open your mind and your heart and be open to what's being said. Some will think it's hokey or just a big put-on but these stories have been passed down from generation to generation and have substance and standing. This is a life changing book and I know I will be referring back to it often. While I'm preaching this, I guess I would recommend Native American Wisdom, too. My oldest son is 11 and just got done reading his copy of Native American Wisdom and told me it was probably the greatest book he's ever read. Native American Wisdom is required reading for both of my sons when they turn 12 and I'm thinking I might be adding this book to their short list of required reading.

This helped me in my teaching of nature camps for young children. I felt so connected to the earth and nature after each reading! Love this book!

The author gives lots of examples and shares a good amount of knowledge about the subjects he covers. The book is very easy to read and is formatted in a very logical way. I really liked how the book brings a new level of meaning and understanding to some of the things you see everyday. After reading and even re-reading about the symbols I am not only more aware but actually feel a difference in my everyday life. It may sound hokey to some but more than a few times in the past month these symbols have come to me and communicated with me much like the author describes. Even if you don't believe in the Spirit World, it is interesting to learn about the various cultures and their beliefs. I highly recommend this to anyone who wants to better understand the World around them.

While this is a wonderfully well-researched and informative book, it isn't what I had hoped it would be. I am a fifth grade teacher, and purchased this book to help a student who is writing a report about various Native American ceremonies or rituals performed in different cultural groups. This book gives great insight to the spiritual and cultural meanings of animals, how to interpret and develop dreams, and ways to connect more deeply with the natural world. The stories it shares to teach about connections with nature are powerful and reflect a nice variety of Native nations from the continent. I would not say that it is a guide to very many other ceremonies (for example, a potlatch, the Green Corn Ceremony, a marriage ritual, or anything of that sort), which was what my student and I had hoped that it would be.

This is the second time I have purchased this book. I loaned out the first one and did not get it back. This book is extremely informative and educational. It provides an understanding, by information and example, of native beliefs. Bobby Lake Thom teaches us that we are as much a natural part of this world as any other creature walking hereon. As such, Mother Earth and all the other creatures have much to teach us. Unfortunately, modern man has become blind and deaf to his own first natural language. This book and an open mind can begin to teach us to observe and listen to the messages all around us. Keep it with you as a reference as you begin to employ its teachings and you will be amazed at how true the words are. Once you begin to accept your subsequent experiences and these teachings as fact, you'll find you are more at peace and more comfortable in this world.

I got this book for my trip home. Although I had gone home many times over the course of my lifetime I had never experienced home like I did with this book in my hand. I had the most fascinating encounters with the dog, bat and some other small crawly creatures I cannot name. As I was walking to the store a butterfly started fluttering around my shoulder. At first I didn't know what it was brushing up against me until it rested on my purse. By the time I got to the store the butterfly still hadn't moved so I started talking to it. I was letting him know I was about to enter the store and that he would have to stay still until I left back out or be lost in the store. Then I'm narrating my movements to the butterfly as I made my way to the back of the store and back to the front to the checkout counter. The woman standing behind the counter was staring at me like I lost my mind because all she can see is me talking to the air. But then I tell the butterfly I'm about to go in my purse for my wallet and that we will be out of the store soon. That's when the woman looked down at my purse and noticed the butterfly. The look she gave me I couldn't described. It was like she had never seen a person talking to a butterfly before. I was half-way back to house before the butterfly flew away. A blue-tailed lizard hung around one the houses I stayed at. And while at another house a couple of family members who had passed visited. My cousin believes the butterfly was her father, my uncle, who came to watch over me as I walked the road to the store. The butterfly made its presence while I was passing where he used to live and left when I got back near it. My uncle was one of the family members that had passed who visited. It was the trip of a lifetime. The book isn't as detailed as I would like it to have been but it definitely served the purpose needed for the time.

Works as advertised

This Book is amazing! I love the details it gives about animals and insect omens. This book has helped me to learn how to communicate with nature again!

Robert Lake-Thom has masterfully created a book of teachings that will be of use for not only Indigenous Peoples on a journey to discover their own identity but also for non indigenous people to gain insight into the worlds indigenous people live in. This book offers a bridge to a greater way of thinking and living. I was fortunate to read the book while on the land and feel my connection with the ancestors has grown stronger as a result.

what an amazing book! so much information about north american indian ways. recommended if your interested in how things were done by north american indians

h Heureuse que ce livre soit accessible en territoire français! même s'il n'est pas traduit. Il est très facile à lire. Très bon livre pour qui s'intéresse au Chamanisme et au animaux! Je peux certifier que tout ce qui y est dit est exact et j'ai pu le vérifier en tant qu'apprentie-chamane. Les conseils sont toujours pertinents, et il fait partie de mes livres -références en la matière.

Nach vielen Recherchen und einigen Bemühungen, mich in diese Materie einzuarbeiten, muss ich feststellen, dass dieses Buch gar keinen Nutzen bringt. Die Bedeutung von Tiererscheinungen kann man nicht standardisieren, sie haben ihren eigenen Sinn für das Individuum. Man bracht dieses Buch nicht!

Beautiful book which makes you feel in harmony with nature. So rewarding and pleasing to read about the meaning of our interactions with animals.