Ceremony is a central part of human life and spiritual practice, yet in today’s world, many of our ceremonies have become rote or superficial. That’s why shamanic teacher Sandra Ingerman has created The Book of Ceremony—to help us recover the sense of deeper meaning and sacred connection that makes ceremony a powerful tool for transformation and healing. “Ceremonies have always been used to create transformation,” writes Ingerman. “Performing ceremonies creates a bridge between the material world we live in and the world of the unseen, the divine, the power of the universe.”
In this practical guidebook, Ingerman shares essential instruction for ceremonies that combine the power of your intention, the support of family and community, and the aid of the spirit world. Join her for this invaluable guide for adapting traditional wisdom to create ceremonies for modern practitioners—including rites of adulthood, sacred marriages, the “Prayer Tree” ceremony for blessing communities, and many more. Reviews: “Sandra Ingerman’s The Book of Ceremony takes the heart of shamanism and brings it into the modern world to help us restore our connection to ourselves, the divine, and each other. This exquisite book is both a detailed map of the territory and a wise guide to show you the way. It’s filled with clear examples and many wonderful stories and practices. If there was a university for shamanism, this book would definitely be on the core mandatory reading list.” —HeatherAsh Amara, author of Warrior Goddess Training and Awaken Your Inner Fire
“In The Book of Ceremony, Sandra Ingerman explains that ceremony directly connects us to the invisible, sacred realms and helps us achieve joy, peace, and transformation. Ingerman stresses the importance of incorporating ceremonies into our everyday lives as individuals, but also shows that we can use them to bring ourselves together with others in community. More experienced shamanic practitioners as well as beginners at working in the shamanic realms will find a cornucopia of powerful ideas here for creating and engaging in ceremonies that provide a sense of meaning, healing, and connection.” —Carl Greer, PhD, PsyD, author of the bestselling, award-winning Change Your Story, Change Your Life
“Ceremony means performing a sacred act. During a ceremony, the veil between the worlds dissolves and the gates to our soul open while the hands of our ancestors cradle us. Hope, healing, and miracles all live in this place. As Sandra says in this book: ceremony is a sacred tool so powerful that we cannot keep it for ourselves—it must be shared! Thank you, Sandra Ingerman, for giving the world a book that preserves the mystery of ceremony yet tells us how ceremony is actually done, allowing all of us to taste a drop of eternity.” —Imelda Almqvist, international teacher of sacred art and shamanism, author of Natural Born Shamans: A Spiritual Toolkit for Life and Sacred Art, a Hollow Bone for Spirit: Where Art Meets Shamanism
“There is more to this reality than meets the eye, and the seasoned soul seeker relies on sacred ceremony to dispel illusion and see the whole truth. In The Book of Ceremony, Sandra opens the vault and shows us step by step how to design and perform shamanic rituals that peel back the veil and give way to divine guidance. If you are looking for a portal into your highest self—read this book.” —Nick Polizzi, author of The Sacred Science: An Ancient Healing Path for the Modern World
“Sandra Ingerman’s The Book of Ceremony masterfully weaves the earliest wisdom and sacred principles of the natural world into modern life. This book is an extraordinary read for anyone wanting to peer into this ancient form of communication and participation underlying our common reality. She inducts the reader into this sacred field through her stories, descriptions, and instructions, and allows us a glimpse into the underlying mystery that shamans are called to work with. This is not a ‘how-to’ book, but a chance for readers to see this world through her eyes, learn from her knowledge, and respectfully engage in ceremony on their own.” —Ann Marie Chiasson, MD, co-director of the Fellowship in Integrative Medicine program at the University of Arizona Center for Integrative Medicine, and author of Energy Healing: The Essentials of Self-Care
“Laboratory studies show us that focused minds can influence physical reality in surprising ways. Science is just beginning to understand the nature and scope of mind-matter interactions, but for tens of thousands of years, shamans around the world have known how to enter states of awareness that optimize these reality-bending effects. The time-honored way is through ritual or ceremony. Sandra Ingerman’s The Book of Ceremony captures the wisdom of the ancient shamans. It provides an excellent, modern guide to performing effective ceremonies for many purposes and occasions.” —Dean Radin, PhD, chief scientist of the Institute of Noetic Sciences and author of Real Magic
“The power of a fresh, heartfelt ceremony is like nothing else. Each one is a conscious, collaborative expression that unifies the energies of the spirit, mind, and body to produce effects that can bless, heal, and sustain life. Bridging the seen and unseen realms, ceremonies vibrate the interconnected web of All That Is—allowing us to participate directly with the energies of creation. In The Book of Ceremony, Sandra Ingerman offers clear guidance for stepping into the magical world of ceremony as a way to bring more joy and meaning into your life. It is a ‘must-read’ if you want to intentionally deepen your relationship with the cosmos.” —Evelyn C. Rysdyk, author of The Norse Shaman, Spirit Walking, and A Spirit Walker’s Guide to Shamanic Tools
“The book in your hands is a treasure trove of wisdom for creating powerful ceremonies for any occasion, packed with case studies, practical advice, and step-by-step instruction from a master healer and beloved teacher. Whether you need a simple practice for your personal life, or are facilitating a large gathering for a whole community, The Book of Ceremony provides a wide range of fresh, innovative ceremonies for those new to shamanism and experienced practitioners alike.” —Jeff Nixa, JD, MDiv, director of Great Plains Shamanic Programs and author of The Lost Art of Heart Navigation: A Modern Shaman’s Field Manual
“The Book of Ceremony will be one to refer to many times through the coming years whenever there is a call to honor transitions, celestial events, celebrations, or for any other reason that you want to invoke the conscious presence of Spirit in action. It’s a must-have book for anyone, whether a beginner or an experienced practitioner!” —Steven Farmer, PhD, author of Sacred Ceremony and Earth Magic
“The Book of Ceremony is a gem! Sandra Ingerman’s radiance shines throughout this book. She inspires with an intimate look at her own personal ceremonies. And with clear instruction and support, for those with or without shamanic experience, she gently guides us in creating meaningful and beautiful ceremonies of our own. Guaranteed to become a touchstone of your spiritual library.” —Mara Bishop, MS, author of Inner Divinity: Crafting Your Life with Sacred Intelligence and 365 Journeys: Shamanism for Every Day
“The Book of Ceremony is a beautiful, profound exploration of the sacred nature of ceremony. What I love about this book and Sandra Ingerman is that you are invited to go deep—to connect to nature and your deepest essence as a human being and spiritual being through the vehicle of ceremony. This book can be a lifelong and trusted guide to the sacred rituals you create in your life.” —Judith Orloff, MD, author of The Empath’s Survival Guide
“In The Book of Ceremony, Sandra Ingerman has created something I’ve never encountered before! Sandra offers instruction and examples for ceremonies that apply to virtually any life situation or circumstance I could imagine. And paradoxically, the book feels concise and to the point. Sandra’s loving reverence for the earth and all beings is evident on every page, and it's obvious that she is a teacher who ‘walks the walk’ with immense integrity and authenticity. For anyone interested in shamanism, shamanic practice, and earth-based spirituality, The Book of Ceremony is a ‘must-have’!” —Byron Metcalf, PhD, transpersonal psychologist and author of The Shaman’s Heart Meditation Training Program
“Once again, I am moved by the way Sandra Ingerman gifts her readers with her lucid yet profound principles of spiritual living, encouraging us to create beautiful ceremonies that speak to our need to reconnect with the sacred in our modern Western culture. Sandra reminds us as we enter the dreamtime in sacred ceremony, we enter the space where intentions are planted like seeds that will grow into actualities if we nourish them in ceremony. In creating ceremonies that are filled with the presence of love and light, we naturally draw people and even our household pets into enjoying the vibration of the sacred space. I give thanks to Sandra for decades of work and experience, her innovations, her humility, her groundedness, her compassionate teaching spirit, her joyous heart, and the great care she invests in all she writes and all she teaches.” —C. Michael Smith, PhD, psychologist, shamanic teacher, author of Jung and Shamanism in Dialogue, director of Crows Nest Center for Shamanic Studies International, and teaching member of the Cercle de Sagesse
“Shamanism is an ancient spiritual tradition in which shamans use their own body and mind to create a bridge between the personal world of form and the transpersonal world of spirit. They do this with ceremony, and when this bridge is formed, it allows the healing gifts and the power of the spirits to flow across that connection and into our world. Sandra Ingerman is a master shamanic teacher who reveals how performing ceremony may bring the sacred into our ordinary lives. The Book of Ceremony is a gift, enabling us to open a line of connection between our self and the power of the universe to manifest healing and our soul’s desires in these times of change.” —Hank Wesselman, PhD, anthropologist and author of The Re-Enchantment: A Shamanic Path to a Life of Wonder, The Bowl of Light: Ancestral Wisdom from a Hawaiian Shaman, and the Spiritwalker Trilogy. “This beautiful book moved me deeply and inspired me to bring more sacred ceremony into my life. Sandra brings such love, compassion, and gentleness to this book that we can’t help but be drawn into the profound experience that ceremony brings into our lives. The Book of Ceremony not only teaches us so many ways to bring sacred ceremony into our lives, but it also creates a deep desire to tap into our creativity to develop our own unique ceremonies. The way you live your daily life will be forever changed by this book.”—Margaret Paul, PhD, co-creator of Inner Bonding® and bestselling author of Do I Have to Give Up Me to Be Loved by You?, Inner Bonding, Healing Your Aloneness, and Diet for Divine Connection “The Book of Ceremony is a brilliant exposé on how to participate with nature and the unseen spiritual dimensions to generate goodness, harmony, and healing for ourselves and our planet. Guiding us with abundant insights and easily applied practices and tools, Sandra shows how we can each reclaim the natural alchemical powers we are born with to bring about positive change for us and the earth.” —Llyn Roberts, MA, award-winning author, cofounder of the Olympic Mountain EarthWisdom Circle and Shamanic Reiki Worldwide
“Sandra Ingerman invites you on a life-transforming magical carpet ride in her new release, The Book of Ceremony. She reminds you that rituals and ceremonies are the drawbridges to a lush landscape where the ordinary can seamlessly evolve into the sacred. Easy-to-follow directions will guide you to confidently prepare, plan, and execute rituals and ceremonies for all circumstances. This engaging read is perfect for those of you just beginning to recognize and explore your spiritual path, all the way up to the most seasoned and gifted shamans. Whether your occasion is a joyful event such as the birth of a new baby, tough times like transitions, hardships, or endings, or even welcoming nature's changing seasons, the tools are there. Sandra takes her profound insights and knowledge and weaves it all into relevant stories that will lovingly grab you right from page one. The way she meshes new technology with ancient wisdom is brilliant and exciting. While immersing myself in this wondrous work, I experienced a myriad of emotions from laughter to compassionate tears. Keep this book handy. You and your community will visit it often for its simple reminders on how to live life fully as an expression of your gratitude for the unseen world of spirit.” —Renee Baribeau, the Practical Shaman, Wind Whistler, and author of Winds of Spirit: Ancient Wisdom Tools for Navigating Relationships, Health, and the Divine
“Accessible, inspirational, and informative, The Book of Ceremony should be required reading for anyone wishing to live a deeply spiritual life filled with the magic and joy that happens during and because of sacred ceremony. Whether you are a master teacher or in the process of awakening, and whether working alone or in groups, this book is sure to inspire new ideas. I predict that it will become a well-used, dog-eared friend in my library, as I’m sure it will be in yours.” —Nicki Scully, author of Sekhmet: Transformation in the Belly of the Goddess and Planetary Healing: Spirit Medicine for Global Transformation About the Author: Sandra Ingerman, MA, is the author of eight books including Soul Retrieval, Medicine for the Earth, How to Heal Toxic Thoughts, and How to Thrive in Changing Times. With Sounds True, she has published the books Shamanic Journeying: A Beginner’s Guide and Awakening to the Spirit World: The Shamanic Path of Direct Revelation (coauthored with Hank Wesselman) as well as five audio programs, including Shamanic Meditations: Guided Journeys for Insight, Vision, and Healing and Soul Journeys: Music for Shamanic Practice. Sandra teaches workshops internationally on shamanic journeying, healing, and reversing environmental pollution using spiritual methods. She has trained and founded an international alliance of Medicine for the Earth Teachers and shamanic teachers. Sandra is recognized for bridging ancient cross-cultural healing methods into our modern culture addressing the needs of our times. She is devoted to teaching people how we can work together as a global community to bring about positive change for the planet. Sandra is a licensed Marriage and Family therapist and Professional Mental Health Counselor. She is also a board certified expert on traumatic stress as well as certified in acute traumatic stress management. She writes the monthly column “The Transmutation News,” now translated into 10 languages. |