Mii maanda ezhi-gkendmaanh: This Is How I know
Written by Brittany Luby
Illustrated by Joshua Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley
Translation by Alvin Ted Corbiere and Alan Corbiere
Groundwoods Books © 2021

Recommended by Shamans Directory Members Jay and Sweetie Bird, this beautifully woven story-poem invites readers of all ages into a gentle, living relationship with the natural world.

Written in both Anishinaabemowin and English, this lyrical book follows a child and her grandmother as they move together through the seasons, listening, observing, and delighting in the rhythms of life all around them.

Through warm summer days full of wildflowers, bees and blueberries, then fall, when bears feast before hibernation and forest mushrooms are ripe for harvest. Winter mornings begin in darkness as deer, mice and other animals search for food, while spring brings green shoots poking through melting snow and the chirping of peepers.

Brittany Luby and Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley have created a book inspired by childhood memories of time spent with Elders, observing and living in relationship with the natural world in the place they call home ― the northern reaches of Anishinaabewaking, around the Great Lakes.

Whether shared between generations or explored quietly on one’s own, this book offers a simple and profound return to what is already here: the beauty of the seasons, the wisdom of the land, and the joy of being in relationship with all that is. For more language learning fun, look up "Ojibwe Word of the Day" in your favorite search engine.

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7000 Languages
A World of Voices Awaits
Online Learning with 7000

"Each language is a window through which to see the world."

Did you know there are over 7,000 languages spoken across our planet, and nearly half are at risk of being lost?

Each language carries stories, songs, and ways of seeing the world that exist nowhere else. When a language disappears, an entire world goes with it.

But something beautiful is happening.

Children, families, and teachers around the world are coming together to keep these languages alive, and you are warmly invited to be part of it.

Through our friends at 7000 Languages, listed on our Sacred Activism page at Shamans Directory, you can explore new sounds, discover meaningful stories, and connect with cultures in a way that is alive, creative, and deeply human. Whether you are a curious learner, a parent, or an educator, there are simple and powerful ways to get involved.

You don’t need to be an expert. You only need curiosity. When a child learns even a few words of a new language, something shifts — connection deepens, identity strengthens, and bridges are built between cultures, ans across communities and generations.

This is an invitation to listen, to learn, and to help protect and preserve the living voices of our precious planet.

Come explore. Come be inspired.
A world of voices is waiting for you.

The Ancient Inka Path to Inner Harmony
By Don Jorge Luis Delgado

“The most powerful tools are not invented; they are rediscovered. Jorge Luis Delgado, one of my teachers, unearths a timeless, potent formula for a life of purpose: Love, Service, Wisdom. This book will change how you see your place in the world.” ― Don Jose Ruiz, New York Times bestselling coauthor of The Fifth Agreement

In the heart of the Andes, the ancient Inkas cultivated a spiritual philosophy that created one of the most harmonious and advanced civilizations on Earth. For them, the secrets to a life of meaning, purpose, and connection were found in three simple, yet profound principles: munay (love), llankay (service), and yachay (wisdom).

Author Jorge Luis Delgado was a modern man, determined to pursue material success and leave the “old ways” behind. But the wisdom of his ancestors had other plans. From his beginnings as a suitcase-toting child on the streets of Peru to his awakening as a respected chakaruna, a bridge person between worlds, Delgado’s extraordinary journey reveals how these timeless principles are not relics of the past, but urgently needed guides for navigating modern crisis and change.

In this book, Delgado will teach you how to:
Cultivate munay, the unconditional love that recognizes the sacred in all beings.
Practice llankay, transforming your daily actions into a prayer of sacred service.
Access yachay, the deep wisdom that flows from your connection to the cosmos.

More than a philosophy, this is a practical path to inner and outer transformation. Through personal stories, insightful teachings, and accessible practices, you will discover how to build bridges―from your mind to your heart, from your personal life to the collective whole, and from a world of separation to one of unity.

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Natural Born Shamans: A Spiritual Toolkit for Life
Using Shamanism Creatively with Young People of All Ages
Written and Illustrated by Imelda Almqvist
Forward by Sandra Ingerman
Moon Books © 2016

Author, artist, and shamanic teacher extraordinaire, Shamans Directory Ambassador and Member Imelda Almqvist offers years of lived experience in one accessible, grounded, and practical guide to spiritual work with children of all ages. Natural Born Shamans, written in just ten weeks, was shaped by decades of teaching, correspondence, and hands-on facilitation, bringing together extensive notes from Imelda’s Spiritual Toolkit programs and the thoughtful guidance that she has shared with parents and educators around the world.

Imelda began her journey at a time when many cautioned that shamanism should not be taught to children. Yet through raising her own three young children alongside her intensive practitioner training, she discovered something profound: children are not empty vessels needing spiritual instruction — they are naturally connected, intuitive beings who often become our greatest teachers.

Between 2012 and 2019, she developed and led “The Time Travelers,” a spiritual development program for children, tweens, and teens. The focus was simple yet radical: help young people cultivate their own reliable spiritual toolkit, rooted in direct connection with helping spirits and ancestors, while holding safe and sacred space.

From conversations about death and shadow work to ancestral healing and imaginative energy practices, this truly timeless book honors children’s innate wisdom and offers adults a refreshing and respectful framework for walking beside them on their spiritual path.

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The Book of Cultures: 30 Stories to Discover the World
Written by Evi Triantafyllides
Illustrated by Nefeli Malekou
Worldwide Buddies Publishing ©️ 2023

The Book of Cultures is a beautifully illustrated journey for children that celebrates the rich diversity of our world while reminding young readers that we are all part of one global family.

Through stories, traditions, and playful discoveries from cultures around the world, this book invites children to explore how people live, play, create, and connect across continents. From colorful festivals to everyday life, each page encourages curiosity, empathy, and appreciation for both the similarities and differences that make our human family so vibrant.

At its heart, The Book of Cultures carries an important message: though we come from many lands and speak many languages, we share a common home, Earth, and a shared capacity to care, to learn, and to belong. This makes the story of humanity something alive and precious.

Reading this book with your child (or gifting it to a young one in your life) is more than learning about customs and places, it is an invitation to see the world with open eyes and an open heart. It helps children understand that every person they meet is someone’s child, someone’s joy, and a fellow traveler in the great adventure of life.

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13 Moons of Indigenous Wisdom, Ancestral Connection and Animal Spirit Guidance
Written by Asha Frost
Hay House Publishing ©️ 2022

You Are the Medicine is a gentle yet powerful invitation to remember what has always lived within you. Guided by the rhythm of the 13 Ojibway moons and the wisdom of animal spirits, Indigenous Medicine Woman Asha Frost leads readers on a journey of reconnection: to self, to Spirit, and to ancestral knowing.

This book is not about seeking answers outside of yourself, but about reclaiming the medicine that already resides in your body, your breath, and your lineage. Through storytelling, ceremony, reflection, and guided journeys, Asha weaves ancient teachings with lived experience, offering pathways to healing that are grounded, respectful, and deeply rooted in Indigenous wisdom.

With honesty and care, she also acknowledges the realities of colonization and the responsibility of engaging ancestral practices with humility and reverence.

You Are the Medicine invites you to rest, to listen, and to remember. To ground into your own lineage. To release fear, self-doubt, and disconnection. To trust your inner guidance and walk forward with greater clarity and compassion.

This is a book to return to again and again, an offering that reminds us that healing is not something we earn or achieve, but something we remember.

If you are longing to come home to yourself, this book is a beautiful place to begin. For a real treat, listen to the audio book, read by the author herself.

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The Star People: A Lakota Story
Written and Illustrated by S.D. Nelson
Abrams Books for Young Readers ©️ 2023

A grandmother's love is forever in this story of remembrance and tradition from award-winning author and member of the Standing Rock Sioux tribe, S.D. Nelson.

Sister Girl and her brother Young Wolf wander away from their village and soon find themselves far out in the surrounding prairie. They sit down in the grass and watch the clouds passing above billow to form an eagle, horses, and other creatures.

Suddenly, animals begin to race past the children on the ground, followed by a wall of fire! Fleeing along with the frightened beasts, Sister Girl and Young Wolf save themselves by tumbling into a shallow stream. The fire leaves behind ash and a barren, forbidding landscape.

The children realize that they are hopelessly lost. Night is coming. How will they get home to their parents? And why are the evening stars dancing so?

Motivated to give back to his community and to build literacy among Indigenous children, Nelson’s childhood experiences and family history translate into Lakota and Great Plains stories and illustrations with authority, credibility, and authenticity. Drawing upon traditional Lakota ledger book art, he brings life to a memorable new legend about the Star People.

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Stories and Magick for Liberation
Written by Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani
Llewellyn Books ©️ November 2025

Filled with stories detailing the trauma faced by marginalized Black, Indigenous, and People of Color, Hoo Doo Saints and Root Warriors is a spiritual guidebook on how to use the ancestral energy of cultural sheroes and heroes to fight against persecution and thrive in a white world.

By working magick with the 12 Hoodoo saints in this book, we learn how to create a more balanced society that supports and honors all Black Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) and Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI).

Shamans Directory Member and author of Conjuring the Calabash author Mawiyah Kai EL-Jamah Bomani introduces these revolutionary warriors and explains why their energy is necessary right now. She even teaches us how to canonize our own elevated ancestor or spiritual icon.

Hoodoo is conjure; it is rootwork; it is Black folks' spiritual hygiene and a weapon for social change. Hoodoo is a way of communicating with the universal spirits; and channeling powerful and beloved figures.

This book shares inspiring stories, shows how to incorporate the saints into daily spell work, and expands any practitioner's repertoire through rituals, dice divination, altar work, and more. Using the tools in this book, readers will explore everyday ways to tell the world, "I matter, and I refuse to be silenced."
​
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By Itzhak Beery

“This intriguing book is a call to action and a challenge to integrate shamanic knowledge about health care with modern science.” — John Perkins, New York Times Bestselling Author

Shamanic healing is making an astonishing comeback all over the modern technology-driven and consumerist world. Millions of people have felt called to integrate both ancient and modern healing systems into a new model of healthcare. But what makes shamanic healing so powerful? Why have indigenous healers kept it alive for thousands of years?

Our society is in the midst of a public health crisis, which deserves a robust public debate. Despite spending over 3 trillion dollars a year (17.8% of the US economy) on healthcare, 42% of Americans distrust the medical and pharmaceutical industries. 60% of all Americans are on one pill or another. 10% of all Americans are depressed, 18% suffer from anxiety, and 15% take five or more pills daily. More than one thousand Americans die in our hospitals each day as a result of preventable causes. 39% of all Americans spend over 30 billion dollars annually on alternative medicine. Costs and premiums are rising, quality of services is declining. We can, and must, do better.

Itzhak Beery, leading shamanic healer, teacher, activist, and author, offers us a new model to transform our reactive, hit-and-run Sickcare into a holistic Healthcare. He calls for the inevitable return of result-oriented, low-tech, low-cost, shamanic medicine, which uses natural elements, spirit, and the healing power of a caring community, as practiced by indigenous societies for millennia. He envisions the marriage of science and technology with mystery and a compassionate heart. He believes we all share this vision of a true healing of the physical, mental, and spiritual states of the whole person, which directly affects the future of humanity and the planet.

In his book, Itzhak invites you to meet his teachers and learn about his personal journey from a skeptic to a believer. He describes the contrasts between the two health systems, what shamanic healing really is, who can become a shaman, the source of all illnesses, the reasoning behind the elements used, and their mystic symbolism. He provides step-by-step instructions on many healing teachings, ceremonies, and techniques. Such as the powerful La Limpia–energy cleansing, diagnostic and divination readings, protection techniques from negative energies, soul retrieval, de-possession, and additional healing tips. Also included are thirty true and inspiring healing stories in which the power of the mystery and ancient know-how changed and healed modern people’s lives, and freed them from panic attacks, PTSD, depression, grief, relationship problems, and relieved cancer, schizophrenia, chronic pain, and other maladies.

We owe it to our grandchildren and future generations to be awakened and reclaim our own medicine.

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Bud Finds Her Gifts
Written by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Illustrated by Naoko Stoop
Authors Unbound Agency ©️ September 2025

We have been inspired by the children and grandchildren of our Members here at Shamans Directory, to post a monthly offering by and for young people! While our team of up-and-coming contributors is preparing their offerings, we will begin by sharing some of our favorite finds.

This month, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Braiding Sweetgrass comes a beautiful and lushly illustrated tale celebrating gratitude, reciprocity, and finding our place in the natural world, ideal for sharing with the youngest readers.

When young Bud sees people bustling around, intent on their chores and their screens, she is certain they must be doing important things, and she wants to be included. But wise Nokomis, her grandmother, shows her that there is a different way to find belonging, one that relies on stillness and observing the natural world. As Bud discovers the freely given gifts of the Earth, she wonders if she has something important to give back: What is her gift?

Infused with warmth, humor, and insight, and beautifully illustrated by Naoko Stoop, the first picture book by renowned author and Indigenous ecologist Robin Wall Kimmerer inspires readers to treasure nature’s generosity and the gifts each one of us can share with the Earth.

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From Depression to the Sweet Spot of Healing
Demystifying the Ayahuasca Experience
Written by Alan Francis Waugh

Imagine if there was a sacred elixir that could help you heal, awaken, and make sense of this one beautiful life. In Alchemical Ayahuasca, Shamans Directory Member, internationally recognized shaman, healer, author and ceremonialist Alan Waugh, invites you into his deeply personal, transformational journey — from the brink of despair to master plant guide and spiritual teacher.

Unique among books about Ayahuasca, this is a soulful roadmap for anyone walking the path of healing, whether or not they ever drink the medicine. With simple teachings, relatable client stories, and powerful exercises, Alan demystifies the Ayahuasca experience and offers tools to access your inner healer.

You will learn when to approach plant medicine (and when not to), how to integrate your experiences, and how to find the place of alignment where healing and spiritual clarity naturally arise. With humility and heartfelt wisdom, Alchemical Ayahuasca is more than a memoir, it’s medicine for the soul. If you are curious about plant wisdom, seeking deeper meaning, or longing to live an extraordinary life, this book is for you. Step in. The journey awaits!

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