gift of life, The
female spirituality and healing in northern Peru
Bonnie Glass-Coffin
246 pages | ~7 hrs
Anthropology & Spirituality
gift of life, The
female spirituality and healing in northern Peru
By Bonnie Glass-Coffin
In the mystical highlands of northern Peru, anthropologist Bonnie Glass-Coffin embarked on a profound journey that would transform her understanding of healing, spirituality, and feminine power. The Gift of Life weaves together rigorous ethnographic research with deeply personal memoir, creating an intimate portrait of female shamanic traditions rarely documented in academic literature.
Glass-Coffin's exploration begins during her teenage years as an exchange student, where she first encountered the rich spiritual landscape of Peru. Years later, as a researcher facing her own personal crisis, she found herself drawn back to study the remarkable women who serve as healers in their communities. Through detailed case studies and participant observation, she reveals how these female shamans approach healing in ways fundamentally different from their male counterparts.
While male shamans venture into spiritual realms as warriors battling illness, female healers create collaborative spaces where patients become active participants in their own restoration. Glass-Coffin documents their ritual techniques, sacred spaces, and the unique healing gifts that emerge from feminine spiritual practice.
The author's candid reflections on love, loss, motherhood, and her own healing journey under the guidance of two female shamans add emotional depth to the scholarly analysis. This compelling blend of academic insight and personal transformation offers readers a rare window into both ancient healing wisdom and the contemporary relevance of shamanic practice.
What You'll Discover
- ✓ Explore shamanic practices
- ✓ Explore Social life and customs
- ✓ Explore Peru, social life and customs
- ✓ Explore Women healers
- ✓ Explore Women shamans
- ✓ Explore Shamans
- ✓ Explore Healers
- ✓ Explore paths to emotional healing
Topics
Details
- Published
- 1998
- Publisher
- University of New Mexico Press
- ISBN-10
- 0826318924
- Pages
- 246
- Language
- EN
- LC Classification
- GN564.P4 G53 1998
