"Healing Plants in the New World" on March 19 "Why Shamanism Now?" Radio Show with Christina Pratt

JERSEY CITY, NJ, March 17, 2013 (Press-News.org) Streaming live on the Co-Creator Radio Network on Tuesday, March 19, 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 talks to guest Stephan Beyer, professor, peacemaker, and author of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon, who says "In indigenous cultures, shamans heal because they are in a personal and mutual relationship with the healing spirits. In this view, the sacred plants are autonomous others who are not means to our ends, but rather ends in themselves."

In this episode of "Why Shamanism Now?" titled "Healing Plants in the New World with Stephen Beyer" Pratt welcomes Beyer back to the show to explore the reciprocal obligation inherent in a working relationship with plant spirits, the current trends in medicalization of the sacred plants, the decontextualization of ceremony, the dismissal of the healer's personal relationship with the plants, and the potential for trading a repressive political regime for a repressive medical one.

Beyer talks to Pratt as part of a series of "Why Shamanism Now?" interviews sponsored by the Society of Shamanic Practitioners (SSP). Throughout this series, Pratt explores how contemporary shamans are meeting the challenge of their world where the relations of things—the living and the dead, the humans and nature, and the technological world and the spirit world—are profoundly out of balance. It is the ancient role of the shaman in all cultures to tend the balance of things, and the question is asked: how are these shamans meeting this extraordinary need today?

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.

Stephan Beyer — scholar, adventurer, and expert on healing plants— is the author of Singing to the Plants: A Guide to Mestizo Shamanism in the Upper Amazon. With doctoral degrees in both religious studies and psychology, he has studied the use of sacred plants in the Amazon, in ceremonies of the Native American Church, and in Peruvian mesa rituals. He studied sacred plant medicine with traditional herbalists in North America and curanderos in the Upper Amazon, where he studied the healing plants with doña María Tuesta Flores and received coronación by don Roberto Acho Jurama. http://www.singingtotheplants.com/

"Why Shamanism Now? A Practical Path to Authenticity", a live internet talk radio show with host Christina Pratt, airs Tuesdays at 11 a.m. Pacific time/2 p.m. Eastern time on http://www.co-creatornetwork.com/hosts/shamanism/host_bio.htm. Each week host Christina Pratt and guests explore the practical application of shamanic skills in our contemporary lives to create robust well-being, strong and clear community connections, and life enriching spiritual maturity. Listeners can ask questions by calling 512-772-1938 or via Skype. Prior episodes from "Why Shamanism Now" can be downloaded for free by visiting http://www.whyshamanismnow.com. 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 Last Mask Center programs include the Basic Shamanic Journey on April 6 and Awakening the Courageous Heart April 12-14, as well as Shamanic Journey Circles third Tuesday of every month and Wisdom of the Shaman talks every third Friday in Portland, OR. For additional information or to arrange an interview with Pratt, please contact Linda Woznicki, 845-417-8811, marketing@lastmaskcenter.org.