Magic of the Ordinary: Recovering the Shamanic in Judaism [Paperback]

A spiritual crisis sent Orthodox rabbi Gershon Winkler to remote regions of the Southwest, where he studied with Native American healers. From them he began to recover the long-lost wisdom of what he calls “Aboriginal Judaism”: the religion’s tribal roots. This book tracks his personal journey and draws from a dazzling mix of sources to detail the surprising connections between two seemingly unrelated religions."Jewish shamanism? Jewish sorcery? Jewish magical healing? What would Aunty Fanny say? But it’s all here inMagic of the Ordinary, in which Rabbi Gershon Winkler with wit and wisdom leads us to rediscover the more paganistic and pantheistic mysteries underlying the ancient Hebrew tradition. I highly recommend this book."
—Andrew Weil, M.D., author ofSpontaneous Healing and Eating Well for Optimum Health

"Gershon Winkler’s brilliance shines a light on the buried shamanic practices of Judaism.Magic of the Ordinaryis a treasure—I loved it and was deeply inspired by it."
—Sandra Ingerman, author ofSoul RetrievalandMedicine for the Earth

“His refreshing translations of Biblical passages restore an elemental force to the Hebrew. His bookMagic of the Ordinaryis chock-full of extraordinary material from the Talmud, the Midrash, and the Zohar.”
—London Jewish Chronicle(December 26, 2003)

“Winkler’s picture of archaic Judaism diverges sharply from the contemporary image of the ‘Judeo-Christian tradition.’…By bringing to light the long-hidden teachings of Jewish shamanism, Winkler has opened a way for Jews to look within their own spiritual heritage for the shamanic teachings that previously seemed to be available only within other traditions.  …Moreover, becauseMagic of the Ordinaryserves to redefine the contemporary picture of aboriginal Judaism, this book mayl“W