Author: Vera Lopez
Publisher: Bear
ISBN: 9781591433743
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 176
Book Description
An experiential guide to the sacred places and teachings of Andean shamanism • Explores the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas • Takes you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more • Shares initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place The Andes Mountains of Peru are rich with ancient shamanic traditions, sacred places, and heart wisdom passed down from the Inca and safeguarded for generations by the Q’eros nation. In this experiential guide to the wisdom and practices of the Andean people and their sacred land, Vera Lopez and Linda Star Wolf take you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more. They show how each of these powerful sites holds an ancient wisdom--an initiation left behind by the Inca--and they share initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place. The authors explore the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama, the Sacred Law of Reciprocity, the Serpent of Light, the Chakannah, and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas. They examine healing practices and sacred plants of this tradition, including a look at the shamanic use of ayahuasca and San Pedro. Offering direct access to the gentle heart of wisdom found within the ancient shamanic land of Peru, the authors show how the Andean shamanic tradition offers an antidote to the modern epidemic of Soul Loss by connecting us back to our authentic self and the universal principles of love, reciprocity, and gratitude.
Shamanic Mysteries of Peru
Author: Vera Lopez
Publisher: Bear
ISBN: 9781591433743
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 176
Book Description
An experiential guide to the sacred places and teachings of Andean shamanism • Explores the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas • Takes you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more • Shares initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place The Andes Mountains of Peru are rich with ancient shamanic traditions, sacred places, and heart wisdom passed down from the Inca and safeguarded for generations by the Q’eros nation. In this experiential guide to the wisdom and practices of the Andean people and their sacred land, Vera Lopez and Linda Star Wolf take you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more. They show how each of these powerful sites holds an ancient wisdom--an initiation left behind by the Inca--and they share initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place. The authors explore the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama, the Sacred Law of Reciprocity, the Serpent of Light, the Chakannah, and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas. They examine healing practices and sacred plants of this tradition, including a look at the shamanic use of ayahuasca and San Pedro. Offering direct access to the gentle heart of wisdom found within the ancient shamanic land of Peru, the authors show how the Andean shamanic tradition offers an antidote to the modern epidemic of Soul Loss by connecting us back to our authentic self and the universal principles of love, reciprocity, and gratitude.
Publisher: Bear
ISBN: 9781591433743
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 176
Book Description
An experiential guide to the sacred places and teachings of Andean shamanism • Explores the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas • Takes you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more • Shares initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place The Andes Mountains of Peru are rich with ancient shamanic traditions, sacred places, and heart wisdom passed down from the Inca and safeguarded for generations by the Q’eros nation. In this experiential guide to the wisdom and practices of the Andean people and their sacred land, Vera Lopez and Linda Star Wolf take you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more. They show how each of these powerful sites holds an ancient wisdom--an initiation left behind by the Inca--and they share initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place. The authors explore the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama, the Sacred Law of Reciprocity, the Serpent of Light, the Chakannah, and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas. They examine healing practices and sacred plants of this tradition, including a look at the shamanic use of ayahuasca and San Pedro. Offering direct access to the gentle heart of wisdom found within the ancient shamanic land of Peru, the authors show how the Andean shamanic tradition offers an antidote to the modern epidemic of Soul Loss by connecting us back to our authentic self and the universal principles of love, reciprocity, and gratitude.
Shamanic Mysteries of Peru
Author: Vera Lopez
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1591433754
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
An experiential guide to the sacred places and teachings of Andean shamanism • Explores the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas • Takes you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more • Shares initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place The Andes Mountains of Peru are rich with ancient shamanic traditions, sacred places, and heart wisdom passed down from the Inca and safeguarded for generations by the Q’eros nation. In this experiential guide to the wisdom and practices of the Andean people and their sacred land, Vera Lopez and Linda Star Wolf take you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more. They show how each of these powerful sites holds an ancient wisdom--an initiation left behind by the Inca--and they share initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place. The authors explore the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama, the Sacred Law of Reciprocity, the Serpent of Light, the Chakannah, and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas. They examine healing practices and sacred plants of this tradition, including a look at the shamanic use of ayahuasca and San Pedro. Offering direct access to the gentle heart of wisdom found within the ancient shamanic land of Peru, the authors show how the Andean shamanic tradition offers an antidote to the modern epidemic of Soul Loss by connecting us back to our authentic self and the universal principles of love, reciprocity, and gratitude.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1591433754
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 332
Book Description
An experiential guide to the sacred places and teachings of Andean shamanism • Explores the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas • Takes you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more • Shares initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place The Andes Mountains of Peru are rich with ancient shamanic traditions, sacred places, and heart wisdom passed down from the Inca and safeguarded for generations by the Q’eros nation. In this experiential guide to the wisdom and practices of the Andean people and their sacred land, Vera Lopez and Linda Star Wolf take you on an intimate journey through the sacred sites, temples, and power places of Peru, including Machu Picchu, Cuzco, Ollantaytambo, Sacsayhuamán, Písac, Lake Titicaca, and more. They show how each of these powerful sites holds an ancient wisdom--an initiation left behind by the Inca--and they share initiatory rites and shamanic journeying practices to allow you to integrate and embody the wisdom of each sacred place. The authors explore the cosmology and core shamanic beliefs of the Andean people, including Pachamama, the Sacred Law of Reciprocity, the Serpent of Light, the Chakannah, and power animals such as condors, snakes, hummingbirds, and pumas. They examine healing practices and sacred plants of this tradition, including a look at the shamanic use of ayahuasca and San Pedro. Offering direct access to the gentle heart of wisdom found within the ancient shamanic land of Peru, the authors show how the Andean shamanic tradition offers an antidote to the modern epidemic of Soul Loss by connecting us back to our authentic self and the universal principles of love, reciprocity, and gratitude.
Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt
Author: Nicki Scully
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1591439361
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
A book of wisdom teachings and rituals that invoke ancient Egyptian deities to awaken human consciousness • Provides guided shamanic visualizations to invoke 26 of the most significant gods • Takes the reader through shamanic portals of death, rebirth, and illumination • Reconciles internal conflict through a sacred marriage of heart and mind In Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt, Nicki Scully and Linda Star Wolf renew humanity’s connection to the ancient gods of Egypt, the neteru. Voices from these divine ancestors remind us of the healing power of the heart, and call us to bring their consciousness into the present to help us remember our true nature as divine humans with sacred purpose. The authors provide rituals, meditations, and rites of passage to help us meet our personal and planetary challenges with grace, wisdom, and love. The shamanic initiations provided are invoked, directly experienced, and transformed into embodied wisdom that awakens consciousness and illumines the intelligence of the heart. Scully and Star Wolf focus their rituals on 26 of the primary divine entities that preside over the ancient mysteries whose roots are in Old Kingdom and pre-historic Egypt. This fresh interpretation of ancient mysteries unites the energies of Thoth and Anubis to guide us through the current cycle of Earth changes and to help us remember who we really are at heart. Through these passages, Anubis lives up to his ancient title as the Opener of the Way, and Thoth as the Architect of Higher Learning. Together they evoke their power to unite heart and mind in the sacred marriage that brings transformation, renewal, and the awakening of consciousness.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1591439361
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 289
Book Description
A book of wisdom teachings and rituals that invoke ancient Egyptian deities to awaken human consciousness • Provides guided shamanic visualizations to invoke 26 of the most significant gods • Takes the reader through shamanic portals of death, rebirth, and illumination • Reconciles internal conflict through a sacred marriage of heart and mind In Shamanic Mysteries of Egypt, Nicki Scully and Linda Star Wolf renew humanity’s connection to the ancient gods of Egypt, the neteru. Voices from these divine ancestors remind us of the healing power of the heart, and call us to bring their consciousness into the present to help us remember our true nature as divine humans with sacred purpose. The authors provide rituals, meditations, and rites of passage to help us meet our personal and planetary challenges with grace, wisdom, and love. The shamanic initiations provided are invoked, directly experienced, and transformed into embodied wisdom that awakens consciousness and illumines the intelligence of the heart. Scully and Star Wolf focus their rituals on 26 of the primary divine entities that preside over the ancient mysteries whose roots are in Old Kingdom and pre-historic Egypt. This fresh interpretation of ancient mysteries unites the energies of Thoth and Anubis to guide us through the current cycle of Earth changes and to help us remember who we really are at heart. Through these passages, Anubis lives up to his ancient title as the Opener of the Way, and Thoth as the Architect of Higher Learning. Together they evoke their power to unite heart and mind in the sacred marriage that brings transformation, renewal, and the awakening of consciousness.
Lessons in Courage
Author: Bonnie Glass-Coffin Ph. D.
Publisher: Rainbow Ridge
ISBN: 9781937907181
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The proposed text presents the biography of an extraordinary man, who has awakened to his own purpose in life as a servant to conscious evolution for all humanity. His life story, full of adventure, cosmic "interventions" and synchronicity is on a par with that of the luminaries documented in these biographies and the time has come for his story to be told.
Publisher: Rainbow Ridge
ISBN: 9781937907181
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
The proposed text presents the biography of an extraordinary man, who has awakened to his own purpose in life as a servant to conscious evolution for all humanity. His life story, full of adventure, cosmic "interventions" and synchronicity is on a par with that of the luminaries documented in these biographies and the time has come for his story to be told.
Ayahuasca Visions
Author: Pablo Amaringo
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1556433115
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 174
Book Description
A storied journey into the psychedelic realm: unravel the sacred mysteries of Ayahuasca with a renowned Amazonian shaman and anthropologist duo. Unveiling nearly 50 vivid painting masterpieces revealing Ayahuasca's mind-expanding impact on human consciousness. Explore the mesmerizing world of Ayahuasca in this classic volume. Featuring the visionary art of Pablo Amaringo and the anthropological expertise of Luis Eduardo Luna, Ayahuasca Visions presents nearly 50 vibrant, full-color pieces of artwork. Each vision illustrates a deep understanding of how Ayahuasca affects human consciousness. The artworks integrate plant teachers and shamanic powers, like the Three Types of Sorcerers, along with the spirit world, including forest spirits, chthonic spirits, and ouranian spirits. Additionally, they explore concepts related to illness and healing. In an era where Ayahuasca is gaining global popularity for its benefits to spiritual growth, self-exploration, and mental well-being, Ayahuasca Visions is an indispensable guide. It not only documents the rich tapestry of visions induced by this potent brew—it reinforces the profound connection between humans and the natural world. Whether you're embarking on a personal spiritual journey or seeking a deeper understanding of Ayahuasca, this book is your gateway to the mysteries of this remarkable plant teacher. Esteemed scholars such as Professor Richard Schultes, Terence McKenna, and Åke Hultkrantz applaud Ayahuasca Visions for its unique blend of vivid psychedelic art with ethnographic insight. The book serves as an enlightening journey into the Ayahuasca experience, demystifies its profound impact on the psyche, and provides a broad understanding of the plant’s spiritual and therapeutic dimensions within Amazonian shamanism.
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
ISBN: 1556433115
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 174
Book Description
A storied journey into the psychedelic realm: unravel the sacred mysteries of Ayahuasca with a renowned Amazonian shaman and anthropologist duo. Unveiling nearly 50 vivid painting masterpieces revealing Ayahuasca's mind-expanding impact on human consciousness. Explore the mesmerizing world of Ayahuasca in this classic volume. Featuring the visionary art of Pablo Amaringo and the anthropological expertise of Luis Eduardo Luna, Ayahuasca Visions presents nearly 50 vibrant, full-color pieces of artwork. Each vision illustrates a deep understanding of how Ayahuasca affects human consciousness. The artworks integrate plant teachers and shamanic powers, like the Three Types of Sorcerers, along with the spirit world, including forest spirits, chthonic spirits, and ouranian spirits. Additionally, they explore concepts related to illness and healing. In an era where Ayahuasca is gaining global popularity for its benefits to spiritual growth, self-exploration, and mental well-being, Ayahuasca Visions is an indispensable guide. It not only documents the rich tapestry of visions induced by this potent brew—it reinforces the profound connection between humans and the natural world. Whether you're embarking on a personal spiritual journey or seeking a deeper understanding of Ayahuasca, this book is your gateway to the mysteries of this remarkable plant teacher. Esteemed scholars such as Professor Richard Schultes, Terence McKenna, and Åke Hultkrantz applaud Ayahuasca Visions for its unique blend of vivid psychedelic art with ethnographic insight. The book serves as an enlightening journey into the Ayahuasca experience, demystifies its profound impact on the psyche, and provides a broad understanding of the plant’s spiritual and therapeutic dimensions within Amazonian shamanism.
Andean Awakening
Author: Jorge Luis Delgado
Publisher: Council Oak Books
ISBN: 9781571781932
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Book Description
'Andean Awakening' delves beneath the surface of the everyday tourist view of Peru to explore the mysteries of the Inca.
Publisher: Council Oak Books
ISBN: 9781571781932
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 194
Book Description
'Andean Awakening' delves beneath the surface of the everyday tourist view of Peru to explore the mysteries of the Inca.
Lessons of the Inca Shamans
Author: Deborah Bryon
Publisher: Pine Winds Press
ISBN: 9780937663264
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Join Deborah Bryon on her continuing quest to learn the sacred teachings of the Inca shamans and our non-ordinary connections to Mother Earth, mountain spirits, and each other. Discover how we can become part of something greater by moving beyond individualism to become part of a healing community. Twelve exercises show you how to begin your own shamanic journey. Book jacket.
Publisher: Pine Winds Press
ISBN: 9780937663264
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
Join Deborah Bryon on her continuing quest to learn the sacred teachings of the Inca shamans and our non-ordinary connections to Mother Earth, mountain spirits, and each other. Discover how we can become part of something greater by moving beyond individualism to become part of a healing community. Twelve exercises show you how to begin your own shamanic journey. Book jacket.
Shamans and Healers
Author: Andrew Osta
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781078223096
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
A stream of consciousness book based on a day by day diary of a spontaneous 8 month-long journey to the Peruvian Amazon undertaken by a somewhat naive young westerner in order to study shamanism, followed by a three month journey through Mexico. Entirely based on actual diary entries, it's a vivid and unpredictable trip. Read this before drinking ayahuasca to avoid making the same mistakes.
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781078223096
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 276
Book Description
A stream of consciousness book based on a day by day diary of a spontaneous 8 month-long journey to the Peruvian Amazon undertaken by a somewhat naive young westerner in order to study shamanism, followed by a three month journey through Mexico. Entirely based on actual diary entries, it's a vivid and unpredictable trip. Read this before drinking ayahuasca to avoid making the same mistakes.
Spirit Walking
Author: Evelyn Rysdyk
Publisher: Weiser Books
ISBN: 1578635411
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 274
Book Description
Shamanism is an ancient spirituality rooted in the belief that all matter has consciousness and that accessing the spirit in all things is part of what keeps the world and people healthy and in balance. Spirit beings surround us and are the source of a spirit walker's ability to profoundly influence life events and thrive in difficult circumstances. In Spirit Walking, shamanic practitioner Evelyn Rysdyk shows how we can all connect with the spirit world to find balance and healing. Using shamanic techniques that have been proven over thousands of years of human existence, Rysdyk offers a step-by-step guide to understanding and integrating shamanic practices into one's life through: Power AnimalsPrayers and RitualsDiscovering the Creative Energy of EmotionImagination and ManifestationLearning to Shape-shiftDivinationTraditional Shamanic Healing Rysdyk shares powerful stories of shamans from a variety of cultures such as Nepal, Tuva, the Ulchi from Siberia, and from Peru. She brings a fresh perspective to the work by showing how the latest findings in quantum physics are verifying that we are all connected in an intricate web of energy and spirit.
Publisher: Weiser Books
ISBN: 1578635411
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 274
Book Description
Shamanism is an ancient spirituality rooted in the belief that all matter has consciousness and that accessing the spirit in all things is part of what keeps the world and people healthy and in balance. Spirit beings surround us and are the source of a spirit walker's ability to profoundly influence life events and thrive in difficult circumstances. In Spirit Walking, shamanic practitioner Evelyn Rysdyk shows how we can all connect with the spirit world to find balance and healing. Using shamanic techniques that have been proven over thousands of years of human existence, Rysdyk offers a step-by-step guide to understanding and integrating shamanic practices into one's life through: Power AnimalsPrayers and RitualsDiscovering the Creative Energy of EmotionImagination and ManifestationLearning to Shape-shiftDivinationTraditional Shamanic Healing Rysdyk shares powerful stories of shamans from a variety of cultures such as Nepal, Tuva, the Ulchi from Siberia, and from Peru. She brings a fresh perspective to the work by showing how the latest findings in quantum physics are verifying that we are all connected in an intricate web of energy and spirit.
The Shamanic Way of the Bee
Author: Simon Buxton
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1594779104
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 147
Book Description
Reveals for the first time the ancient tradition of bee shamanism and its secret practices and teachings • Examines the healing and ceremonial powers of the honeybee and the hive • Reveals bee shamanism’s system of acupuncture, which predates the Chinese systems • Imparts teachings from the female tradition and explores the transformative powers of the magico-sexual elixirs they produce Bee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic branch of shamanism. It exists throughout the world--wherever in fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--are now in common usage, and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians. In this authoritative ethnography and spiritual memoir, Simon Buxton, an elder of the Path of Pollen, reveals for the first time the richness of this tradition: its subtle intelligence; its sights, sounds, and smells; and its unique ceremonies, which until now have been known only to initiates. Buxton unknowingly took his first steps on the Path of Pollen at age nine, when a neighbor--an Austrian bee shaman--cured him of a near-fatal bout of encephalitis. This early contact prepared him for his later meeting with an elder of the tradition who took him on as an apprentice. Following an intense initiation that opened him to the mysteries of the hive mind, Buxton learned over the next 13 years the practices, rituals, and tools of bee shamanism. He experienced the healing and spiritual powers of honey and other bee products, including the “flying ointment” once used by medieval witches, as well as ritual initiations with the female members of the tradition--the Mellisae--and the application of magico-sexual “nektars” that promote longevity and ecstasy. The Shamanic Way of the Bee is a rare view into the secret wisdom of this age-old tradition.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1594779104
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 147
Book Description
Reveals for the first time the ancient tradition of bee shamanism and its secret practices and teachings • Examines the healing and ceremonial powers of the honeybee and the hive • Reveals bee shamanism’s system of acupuncture, which predates the Chinese systems • Imparts teachings from the female tradition and explores the transformative powers of the magico-sexual elixirs they produce Bee shamanism may well be the most ancient and enigmatic branch of shamanism. It exists throughout the world--wherever in fact the honeybee exists. Its medicinal tools--such as honey, pollen, propolis, and royal jelly--are now in common usage, and even the origins of Chinese acupuncture can be traced back to the ancient practice of applying bee stings to the body’s meridians. In this authoritative ethnography and spiritual memoir, Simon Buxton, an elder of the Path of Pollen, reveals for the first time the richness of this tradition: its subtle intelligence; its sights, sounds, and smells; and its unique ceremonies, which until now have been known only to initiates. Buxton unknowingly took his first steps on the Path of Pollen at age nine, when a neighbor--an Austrian bee shaman--cured him of a near-fatal bout of encephalitis. This early contact prepared him for his later meeting with an elder of the tradition who took him on as an apprentice. Following an intense initiation that opened him to the mysteries of the hive mind, Buxton learned over the next 13 years the practices, rituals, and tools of bee shamanism. He experienced the healing and spiritual powers of honey and other bee products, including the “flying ointment” once used by medieval witches, as well as ritual initiations with the female members of the tradition--the Mellisae--and the application of magico-sexual “nektars” that promote longevity and ecstasy. The Shamanic Way of the Bee is a rare view into the secret wisdom of this age-old tradition.