The Shaman and the Magician: Journeys Between the Worlds

by Nevill Drury

Book Overview

Originally published in 1982, The Shaman and the Magician draws on the author's wide experience of occultism, western magic and anthropological knowledge of shamanism, to explore the interesting... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0140190562
• ISBN13: 9780140190564
• Release Date: November 1988
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Length: 160 Pages
• Weight: 0.30 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A shaman restores balance- a magician distorts it

This was one of the first popular works to make the case for a legitimate connection between traditional shamanism and western magical practices. Drury, an anthropologist by training, makes a solid, knowledgeable case that the "rising in the planes" and path working of the western magus is of a similar nature, if not originally rooted in, the shaman's journey. First of all, this book gives one of the best in-print descriptions that I've seen of the history and workings of shamanism. He shows that the various global traditions are tied together by an altered state of consciousness in which the practitioner does not merely experience some degree of psychic dissociation, but is also able to retain the ability to consciously interact during this state. In other words, the shaman is able to control the trance dimension and explore the realms of the cosmos that such a state opens for him. This is what differentiates him from the passive medium or mystic- or the involuntary schizophrenic. In terms of historical background, the most interesting fact for me was that Plato drank of the sacred potion at Eleusis and experienced visions that were essentially shamanic in nature. This is how he knew of the Ideal world of the Archetypes- he directly experienced them. Similarly, the most ancient spiritual teachings of the Indian Rig Vedas seem to have originated in Soma induced trance. Mankind's most ancient and respective spiritual traditions are all based in the fact that a shaman crossed over to obtain wisdom- and brought it back for the benefit of all. However, Drury also explains that hallucinogenic drugs are by no means the only way to induce a shamanic quest. Even when they are used, they are no more than a catalyst. The key state can be reached through sensory deprivation, breath control, meditative silence, mantric chanting, drumming- and the near-death experience. Drugs are not necessary- and may even hinder the proper trance state in some subjects. The heart of the book, though, lies in comparing the shamanic tradition with modern magical practice. Drury first shows that modern magic is properly divided between 1) formal ceremonial magic of ritual and invocation and 2) the inner visualization, and deep trance state, of the magician that relies on out-of-the-body voyaging or "rising in the planes." It is shown that while the first has many symbolic, vestigial similarities to shamanism (such as the Qabalistic Tree of Life being a symbolic expression of the primal World Tree of the shaman) it is fundamentally different from shamanism in practice. It is pointed out that western ceremonial magic reflects the imbalances of the entire western civilization in that it is all about force and control of higher forces through the will of the practitioner. The shaman does not seek to command or control higher powers. He instead acts as diplomat and negotiator. He acts out of respect and brotherhood and not arrogance and ego. In short, the western magician seeks

A shaman restores balance- a magician distorts it

This was one of the first popular works to make the case for a legitimate connection between traditional shamanism and western magical practices. Drury, an anthropologist by training, makes a solid, knowledgeable case that the "rising in the planes" and path working of the western magus is of a similar nature, if not originally rooted in, the shaman's journey.First of all, this book gives one of the best in-print descriptions that I've seen of the history and workings of shamanism. He shows that the various global traditions are tied together by an altered state of consciousness in which the practitioner does not merely experience some degree of psychic dissociation, but is also able to retain the ability to consciously interact during this state. In other words, the shaman is able to control the trance dimension and explore the realms of the cosmos that such a state opens for him. This is what differentiates him from the passive medium or mystic- or the involuntary schizophrenic.In terms of historical background, the most interesting fact for me was that Plato drank of the sacred potion at Eleusis and experienced visions that were essentially shamanic in nature. This is how he knew of the Ideal world of the Archetypes- he directly experienced them. Similarly, the most ancient spiritual teachings of the Indian Rig Vedas seem to have originated in Soma induced trance. Mankind's most ancient and respective spiritual traditions are all based in the fact that a shaman crossed over to obtain wisdom- and brought it back for the benefit of all.However, Drury also explains that hallucinogenic drugs are by no means the only way to induce a shamanic quest. Even when they are used, they are no more than a catalyst. The key state can be reached through sensory deprivation, breath control, meditative silence, mantric chanting, drumming- and the near-death experience. Drugs are not necessary- and may even hinder the proper trance state in some subjects.The heart of the book, though, lies in comparing the shamanic tradition with modern magical practice. Drury first shows that modern magic is properly divided between 1) formal ceremonial magic of ritual and invocation and 2) the inner visualization, and deep trance state, of the magician that relies on out-of-the-body voyaging or "rising in the planes." It is shown that while the first has many symbolic, vestigial similarities to shamanism (such as the Qabalistic Tree of Life being a symbolic expression of the primal World Tree of the shaman) it is fundamentally different from shamanism in practice. It is pointed out that western ceremonial magic reflects the imbalances of the entire western civilization in that it is all about force and control of higher forces through the will of the practitioner. The shaman does not seek to command or control higher powers. He instead acts as diplomat and negotiator. He acts out of respect and brotherhood and not arrogance and ego. In short, the western magician seeks to dist

A sound work...

After looking in the bibliography section of "Modern Magick," by Donald Michael Kraig, I came across this book. Mr. Kraig's comment on it was, "A scholarly comparison of various types of Magick. Compares Castaneda and Crowley." It didn't quite compare Crowley and Castaneda like I had hoped, but I was greatly impressed with it nonetheless.Mr. Drury has done a great job laying out the basic tenets of shamanism and comparing them with the modern (1982) western occult magical traditions. His main emphasis is on the Golden Dawn trance vision of the Kabalistic Tree of Life, the Tattva, and the Tarot. He covers such groups and people as Crowley, Dion Fortune, Spare, Servants of the Light, Jung and much more.This book is well researched and presented in a scholarly, though brief overview. It is well worth the search to find a copy. It has furthered my studies into the occult and has given me a lot to chew on about altered states of consciousness.