Secrets of the Talking Jaguar :Secrets of the Talking Jaguar :
A Mayan Shaman's Journey to the Heart of the Indigenous
Soul
by Martin Prechtel
Hardcover - 283 pages (August
1998)
Putnam Pub Group; ISBN: 0874779006
Reviews:
A reader from Arlington, Texas , October
11, 1998 READ THIS BOOK...REGARDLESS OF SKIN COLOR
A previous reviewer called this "a rip-off of Indian culture"
after seeing the author in person at a book signing and later "researching"
his background. . . . . Please, do not judge a book by its cover or a shaman
by his skin. At least read the book's intro by Robert Bly and what he says
about "Secrets of the Talking Jaguar."
SHAMANS: "The Mayans call shamans "spirit-lawyers," that is, men or women who go to the spirits and try to argue them into giving a benefit of some sort to human beings. Mayan tradition does not teach that the Gods want people to be sinless or perfect, but to believe that the Gods love beauty, eloquence, fine clothes, great music, fine poems, bravery, high animal spirits, and gratitude."
TONGUES LIKE PUPPIES: "At conferences I've seen men and women weep when Martin Prechtel talks of the complex and rich village life of the Maya. The listeners realize how much more open their lives in youth would have been if their beauty had been honored as the young ones are honored in Santiago Atitlan, and if they'd had a chance to be kissed by the invisible faces "'with tongues like puppies.'" They also weep when they realize how men and women, though they speak separate languages, can fly together like the two wings of a bird."
INDIGENOUS SOUL " . . . If we can be quiet, this book will be a bucket that drops down toward the water of our indigenous soul. All the words that Martin writes here amount to a meditation on this soul as a natural force. Whether we are Swiss or Mayan or American, the indigenous soul, threatened all over the globe, still lives inside each of us. We can rejoice in its abundance, its ingenuity, its determination not only to exist but also to continue giving its gifts, if we will turn and meet it."
Bly says it all. You will experience a "Journey to the Heart of the Indigenous Soul" no matter what your ethnic background or skin color. The indigenous soul is within all of us. Read this book and decide for yourself.
A reader from Ohio,USA , September 19,
1998 Entertaining and informative if you like esoteric stuff
I'm in between the two previous reviews. I don't think this is a ficticious
rip-off by the author. It is an account of his experience being trained
under a shaman in a mayan village. The material in it is very consistent
with the writings of Tom Brown, who wrote Tracker and other books. If you
are fascinted by stories of those who have explored esoteric realms, you
will love this. It is also a vehicle for the author to get across his views
of the insensitivity, corruption and damage done to the native mayan culture
by missionaries, business interests, and the government...certainly disturbing
and thought provoking material. I finished this book three days after I
got it, and would recommend it to anyone fascinted by spiritual adventures.
A reader from New Mexico , September
12, 1998 We Aren't Going To Take It Anymore
From the outset this book makes grandiose claims: nothing less than to take
the reader along on a journey to "the heart of the indigenous soul,"
as the subtitle puts it. And who would make such a claim? Once again the
title of the book provides the answer: a "Mayan" shaman. Later
on, however, the book states that the author, Martin Prechtel is not really
Mayan, but that he is half Huron. It says that he lived for thirteen years
in a Mayan village, where he was eventually elected "chief" of
the "tribe".
Given these claims and promises I was astounded to see at a recent book signing that the author is a fair haired and light skinned Caucasian. All of his Indian garb could not hide the fact that this guy is simply not an Indian. As a Native American I was angry. I had to conclude that far from being an account of the "indigenous soul" this book was just a rip-off of Indian culture for the author's personal enrichment, along the lines of another favorite of Native Americans, Beverly Hills "shaman" Lynn Andrews. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that the author is a cohort of Andrews, her book "Jaguar Woman" being dedicated to him and having one of his paintings on the cover.
If the authors claims about being a Mayan/Indian are imaginations it must be asked how much of the rest of this book can be trusted? I am not familiar enough with Mr. Prechtel or Mayan culture to say for sure and will defer to the experts to decide. However, the author himself gives certain clues. For instance, the dust jacket of another of his books "Scandals in the House of Birds", notes that he did not go to Guatemala until 1976. From that book it seems as if he was back living in the US by the early 1980s. He apparently was in "his Mayan village" far less than the thirteen years stated in "Secrets of the Talking Jaguar." Also, according to all the books that I have seen, the Mayans have neither "chiefs" nor "tribes". The author's insinuation that he is the reincarnation of a Mayan lord only casts further doubt on the book.
In conclusion, given the above "inconsistencies" that I found doing only about an hour of research, I must suspect that "Secrets of the Talking Jaguar" may be another fictional (dare I say fraudulent) account, ala Carlos Castaneda's stuff. In any case, it certainly contains critical factual problems. Equally certain is that it grossly exploits Native Americans, in the manner of Lynn Andrews' writings.
Tino from Sonora, California , September
4, 1998 CAPTIVATING AND ENGAGING!
A treasured gift from a culture exploited and destroyed by the Western/Modern
world. Martin Prechtel blesses and honors us by telling his story and those
of his people. As he writes, "Possibly my own story will give your
stories courage enough to blossom". This book reminds us of the importance
of retrieving and feeding the indigenous soul that lives within each of
us.
This is not some fabricated tale or fictionalized story of a spiritual journey. This is an authentic, first-hand account told straight from the author's heart. Those with a true interest in shamanism and spiritual healing will cherish this book. The ancient wisdom contained in its pages are a valuable resource that I will refer to often and share with those around me.
A reader from Santa Fe, New Mexico ,
August 31, 1998 a compassionate lyrical biography of a shaman's journey
Martin Prechtel has achieved the nigh impossible in this lyrical description
of a youth becoming a man and in the process a shaman. He tells his story
with a open and soft heart honoring his teachers and the spirits, giving
voice to the true beauty of life lived by all beings as sacred. His love
for the people and way of life, for the physical challenges, joy, laughter
and struggles endured, permeates the book like the very honey he speaks
of permeating life. I highly recommend this book for anyone interested in
shamanism or even a well lived spiritual life. Martin tells selfdeprecating
stories of dreams come true with all the humor and wisdom of a true wise
man. It is difficult to chose to write about one's experiences with indegenous
peoples after having truly shared their daily lifes. There are clear issues
of betrayal and explotation for the peoples who are the subjects of most
anthropological papers and studies and/or fictious anthropological novels.
Martin avoids these pitfalls, he is writing about his own family. He tells
the story of his life, his struggles to honor the gifts givens to him, his
attempts and successes to help his village and the grief of watching it
destroyed. Read this book. Let your heart be moved. Weep and get up stronger.
Give your best to the seeds and new growth.This book is blessing. Read it
and pray for strength and wisdom and love. Give it your friends. Nuture
your soul with it and remember to give back.
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