"Shamanism and the Trickster" on April 5 "Why Shamanism Now?" Radio Show with Host Christina Pratt

RHINEBECK, NY, April 03, 2011 (Press-News.org) Streaming live on the Co-Creator Radio Network on Tuesday, April 5, at 11 a.m. Pacific time/2 p.m. Eastern time, on her show "Why Shamanism Now?: A Practical Path to Authenticity," shaman and founder of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing Christina Pratt quotes author Lewis Hyde: "The Trickster cannot be trusted. It is a contact that puts us slightly at risk; we open ourselves to disruption whenever we call on him." But Pratt tells listeners that it is that opening that allows miracles, the impossible, surprise, and the reversal of fortunes. According to Pratt, work with the Teacher supports us in our mastery along the steady path of our lives. However, it is the Trickster who reveals the short cuts that allow us to get there—to the full, loving expression of our soul's true purpose—while we are still young enough to enjoy the fruits of our labors.

In this episode of "Why Shamanism Now?" titled "Shamanism and the Trickster", Pratt explores the ways that we unwittingly cut off the Teacher in our lives, relying instead on old, soul-killing patterns of judgment, control, and distrust. Yet even when we are at our most wretched, positional and righteous in our suffering, the Teacher—usually in the guise of the Trickster—is there to open the way back to balance and wholeness. Author Lewis Hyde explains that the trickster made the world as we actually find it. Other gods set out to create a world more perfect and ideal, but this world--with its complexity and ambiguity, its beauty and its dirt--was trickster's creation, and the work is not yet finished. Pratt uses this idea as a springboard to look at the art of the Teacher and within that, the life saving, sacrifice demanding, crazy logic of the Trickster.

Christina Pratt is an authentic, non-traditional contemporary shaman. In practice since 1990, she specializes in mending the soul and transforming the parts of life that feel impossible. A teacher of exceptional clarity, humor, and inspiration, Pratt brings the power of shamanism into the practical grasp of anyone willing to take responsibility for improving the quality of their life. Her well-received book, An Encyclopedia of Shamanism (Rosen), is an 800-page, two-volume set with over 750 in-depth entries that clearly discuss the basic concepts of shamanism, methods, and traditions of over 50 different shamanic peoples. Pratt is the founder of the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing in Portland, OR, and New York, NY, creator of the original Foundations of Shamanism and Shamanic Healing course at the University of Minnesota, and a frequent and honored speaker for the American Holistic Medical Association.

"Why Shamanism Now?", a live internet talk radio with host Christina Pratt, airs Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Pacific time/2 p.m. Eastern time http://www.co-creatornetwork.com/hosts/shamanism/host_bio.htm. Listeners can ask questions by calling (512) 772-1938 or via Skype. Prior episodes from "Why Shamanism Now" can be downloaded for free from the iTunes library. Pratt also talks about Shamanic Healing on YouTube.

For more information on Christina Pratt, the Last Mask Center for Shamanic Healing, and workshops and classes with Pratt, or to order An Encyclopedia of Shamanism at a special discounted rate, visit http://www.lastmaskcenter.org. Upcoming classes with Pratt include "Finding Your Authentic Self" on April 15-16; Shamanic Journey Circles the third Tuesday of every month; Wisdom of the Shaman talks every third Friday; and Qigong classes every Wednesday, all in Portland. For additional information or to arrange an interview with Pratt, please contact Linda Woznicki, 845-417-8811, lwoz@frontiernet.net.