I would also like to add to this esteemed list, though the stories unfolds like a magical, synchronistic tales that may seem fictional , they are glimpses into the shamanic life of Martin Prechtel and the astonishing depth, beauty and complexity of remote village life of Tz'utujil Maya of Guatemala as it struggled to hold fast to it's spiritual and cultural practices in the midst of encroaching modernity.

•  'Secrets of the Talking Jaguar' Memoirs from the Living Heart of a Mayan Village

•  "The Unlikley Peace of Cuchumaquic' -The Parallel Lives of People as Plants: Keeping the Seeds Alive . This might be a good to start the new Seed year with!

• 'Long Life Honey in the Heart" - A Story of Initiation and Eloquence from the Shores of a Mayan Lake

Martin is one of the most eloquent writers I have ever encountered. The magic his story telling weaves is…

Think i'm figuring out the thread part 🙃Thanks for getting this going Trudi! I'll add a few fiction favorites from our home. Were these written for children? I loved them so much, myself!

• Sylvia Linsteadt 'The Wild Folk' and 'The Wild Folk Rising' - beautifully written, post apocalyptic, magical and empowering. We loved these and have passed along to many others who loved them just as much.

• Rivera Sun's 'Ari Ara' series beginning with 'The Way Between'. Also very empowering. The author holds a very 5D Blue Eagle view while expertly depicting how one can employ non violent communication/ approach to bridge two seemingly opposing forces. Gorgeous story telling with well developed characters and fictional lands and "races" of people with unique attributes but also the all too well known theme of the clash of a more matriarchal society with power over patriarchal structures. She illuminates a potential path between.

SO many books to choose from!!

In my youth:

-The Way of the Shaman - Michael Harner

-Tao te Ching – Stephen Mitchell

-Positive Magic - Marion Weinstein (more "Wiccan", pivotal for me at the time)

-Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda

Since I wanted it I figure I should start !! And I thought I'd go favourite fiction authors first, as reading these (some as a child) was wonderful for my imagination:

• Tolkien, of course: my Dad gave me his copies of The Hobbit and lotr, and I've read it more times than I could count. As a kid, and especially in my teens, these were my comfort reading.

• David Eddings: I discovered these in my early 20s I think? More written for teens I guess, but the Belgariad and Mallorean (each 5 books) are great series with a sense of humour and fully formed worlds that are beautifully written. I really, really connected immediately to the idea that magic was simply "the will and the word" and I've reread them countless times as they feel like such happy books to me.

• Enid Blyton: my third is chosen because when m…

In response to Trudi's post and idea I added a new topic thread for books