That said, it is a very good book, even if you're not planning to recapitulate or anything like that. For people who haven't read any Castaneda, it will probably seem a little off-the-wall, especially given that Taisha Abelar doesn't really provide a wealth of explanations as to what she experienced -- only descriptions -- which is perhaps a sign of why Castaneda described her as such a stupendous stalker.

This book is a good entry point into sorcery, especially so for women who have had a hard time getting into Castaneda, because of his inherently male bias. This book also works really well in conjunction with "Being in Dreaming" by Florinda Donner -- together, the two books cover the companion disciplines of stalking and dreaming.

Finally, if you're serious about freeing up energy and breaking the barriers of perception, Taisha Abelar's book has the most detailed account of the recapitulation out of any of the related works. You'll learn a lot by listening to what she is told.


A GREAT BOOK HIGHLIGHTING IMPORTANT SHAMANIC TECHNIQUES   April 9, 2002
 20 out of 25 found this review helpful

This is a very important book to read for those interested in shamanism and sorcery. Abelar was a female apprentice to those sorcerers who taught Carlos Castaneda. She describes some of the teachings specific for women. She also places a greater emphasis than did Castaneda on some very important aspects of sorcery/shamanism. These aspects are those of visualization and breathing techniques. She also emphasizes the practice of physical movements called Magical Passes, the purpose of which is to draw energy in to the chakras. I found it difficult to figure out how to execute these movements from the descriptions in the text however and would therefore recommend buying the Tensegrity videos. I also highly recommend "Being In Dreaming" by Florinda Donner. Donner was another female apprentice but unlike Abelar who is a Stalker, Donner is a Dreamer so the tone of the book is a bit different. I consider both of these to be advanced texts on shamanism. The Path (Esmeralda Arana) is a concise easy to read text conveying basic shamanic principles.


Taisha Abelar's book provides a woman's insight into sorcery   July 14, 1998
 17 out of 19 found this review helpful

Taisha Abelar's book provides a woman insight into sorcery and this is important, because as wonderful and significant as Castaneda's books are, they are from a male perspective, and men think or order reality in a way that is fundamentally different from women. Women are synthesizers, men categorisers. Men are experts on gathering inventories and splitting hairs, women on making a coherent whole. Both are obviously useful and necessary ways of dealing with the cosmos, but Abelar's book shows for one thing how much more direct is women's dealings with life than men's. She does not have to engage in endless dialectics in order to reach the place where she can simply give herself permission to try. Her rationality was not as much of a bar to her in exploring these revolutionary concepts and her book is therefore direct and candid. Try it. If you like Castaneda, you'll find this one equally delightful and insightful and important.


Leaves you wanting more...   April 18, 2002
 16 out of 19 found this review helpful

I have read all of Carlos Castaneda's, Florinda Donner-Grau's, and the only book by Taisha Abelar. This was the last book that I read. It was the best by far. Why didn't she write more?!? It not only gives you a different perspective on sorcery, but gives you concrete information on how to begin the sorcery path yourself. Of course this is pertaining to women. Men might find more help from Carlos's books. The best thing about this book was all the details of the recapitulation process. By the way, if you need details on where to do this yourself, refer to "The Teachings of Don Carlos" by Victor Sanchez. Please, take my recommendation on this book!


Made me think and opened up a new world   July 14, 1998
 12 out of 12 found this review helpful

Once I started reading this book, I stayed up all night to finish it. It was like a mystery--and showed me such a difference slice of human experience that I had to find out how it ended. Taisha's book was more satisfying to me than Castaneda's works, althought it travels in the same world. Maybe it's just the way she writes, or the fact that it is a woman's perspective, but I was totally captivated by this story. It showed me a way of life unlike anything I had imagined possible. Each person must decide for themself if her story is true. For me, I believe it.

When I finished this book, I was left with several new ideas that didn't fit into my old way of thinking. Over the last year, I have been working them through, and have discovered the answers for myself. For a while, I wished that I could go to live with some scorcerers and have a similar growth experience. What I have accomplished is to find my own mystical path in the midst of everyday living, paying ! ! the rent, and keeping the fridge full. It's a solution that works for me. Taisha's book gave me a jump start into an area I didn't even know existed, and I'm grateful for that experience.