This powerful memoir of an American who was adopted by a shaman and allowed to study the Secrets of a Tzutujil Mayan Village in deepest Guatemala offers readers a privileged and rare glimpse into (the village\'s) complex and spiritually rich life (Rocky Mountain News).
The story of his education is a tale filled with enchantment, danger, passion, and hope..
For the next thirteen years, Prechtel studied the ancient Tzutujil culture and became a Village chief and a famous shaman in his own right.
In Secrets of the Talking Jaguar , Prechtel brings to vivid life the sights, sounds, scents, and colors of Santiago Atitlan: its magical personalities, its beauty, its material poverty and spiritual richness, its eight-hundred-year-old rituals juxtaposed with quintessential small-town gossip.
Arriving at Santiago Atitlan, a Tzutujil Mayan Village on the breathtaking shores of Lake Atitlan, Prechtel met Nicolas Chiviliu Tacaxoy--perhaps the most famous shaman in Tzutujil history--who believed Prechtel was the new student he had asked the gods to provide.
Twenty-five years ago, a young musician and painter named Martin Prechtel wandered through the brilliant landscapes of Mexico and Guatemala. 15,000.
This powerful memoir of an American who was adopted by a shaman and allowed to study the Secrets of a Tzutujil Mayan Village in deepest Guatemala offers readers a privileged and rare glimpse into (the village\'s) complex and spiritually rich life (Rocky Mountain News)
