Maya Shamanism Today: Connecting with the Cosmos in Rural Yucatan (Revised Second Edition)

Noted anthropologist Bruce Love's classic text on Maya shamanism is now revised and fully illustrated with color photographs by the author. A first-hand account based on years of fieldwork, it tells how Maya shamans in Yucatan manipulate and orchestrate the spirit world that surrounds them. Spirit beings can be allies or enemies, helpers or pranksters, life givers or death dealers. The shaman with his rituals and ceremonies guides his fellow villagers through this cosmic jungle. Dr. Bruce Love, Ph.D., has written a landmark book on Maya shamanism as practiced in Yucatan today, representing 30 years of fieldwork among the living Maya in remote forest villages and hamlets. More than 75 color photographs show details of ceremonies never before seen in the anthropological literature. Love's narrative and analysis come from living in the villages, speaking Mayan, gaining the trust of the local Maya shamans, and participating in the ceremonies. Written for the general reader, these eye-witness accounts go below the surface and into the consciousness of the Maya people themselves.