The Four Fold Way - Walking The Path Of The Warrior, Teacher, Healer And Visionary by Angeles Arrien, PhD. Harper San Francisco 1993 ISBN 0-06-250059-7 Angeles Arrien is an anthropologist, author and educator. Her work is the rainbow bridge - that bridge between the wisdom of the indigenous peoples and our relationship to ourselves, to society and to Mother Earth. A word of caution here - this book describes the journey of life, but in an impersonal, clinical context. If you are looking for a journey to share, this is not your path. The indigenous people's are seen as our primary resource for reconnecting with the earth, with what is *real*. Their entire way of living expresses their respect for nature, for themselves, and for each other. Reconnecting with their wisdom is the way to reconnecting with the soul of our *selves*, of reconnecting with what the true meaning of life is, of re-establishing the foundation of our being. The "Four Fold Way" is presented here as the personifying of the four major archetypes, the four principles of living in this world. They are seen as: (1) The Warrior - showing up, choosing to access power, personal presence and the ability to communicate (2) The Healer - connecting with the heart chakra, with universal love and validation (3) The Visionary - setting judgement aside and connecting with our intuitive selves and (4) The Teacher - connecting with wisdom and leaving aside attachment to results. Each of the four ways is connected with a direction, an element and a season, as well as ways of connecting to and acknowledging these paths within ourselves. The tools to take the journey are explained - it is for us to put them in our lives. They are as follows: Warrior: Direction: North, Element: Air, Creature: Winged,Human Resource: Power, Kind of Meditation: Standing, Way of Living: Right Action, Four-Fold Way: Show Up, Healing Salve: Dancing, Instrument: Rattle, Season: Winter Healer: Direction: South, Element: Earth, Creature: 4-legged, Human Resource: Love, Kind of Meditation: Lying, Way of Living: Right Speech, Four-Fold Way: Pay Attention, Healing Salve: Story Telling, Instrumetn: Drum, Season: Spring Teacher: Direction: West, Element: Water, Creature: Water Creatures, Human Resource: Wisdom, Kind of Meditation: Sitting, Way of Living: Right Timing, Four-Fold Way: Open To Outcome, Healing Salve: Silence, Instrument: Sticks, Bones, Season: Autumn Visionary: Direction=East, Element=Fire, Creature: Desert & No-legged Creatures, Human Resource: Vision, Kind of Meditation: Walking, Way of Living: Right Placement, Four-Fold Way: Tell The Truth, Healing Salve: Singing, Instrument: Bell, Season: Summer Each of these archetypes is found within each of us. By using the exercises and meditations found here - we can balance our shields, face our shadow sides and become truly centered in our living. Given as appendices are the International Bill Of Human Rights (Eleanor Roosevelt), the World Council of Indigenous Peoples: Declaration of Principles and Haudenosaunee, r Six Nations Iroquois Confederacy, Statement to the World - May 1979. You have to look to find the gold within this book - you have to be open, you have to do the work. When you are willing to do so - new worlds will open up for you. (c) Bonnie Cehovet July 2001 Home Shamanism book reviews Shamanism links Shamanism articles Graphics by Sam Silverhawk