ASR ► Testimonials & Reviews

Memeing Ancient Spirit Rising ~!

12/24/2021

How exciting~! Various platforms are now generating memes using quotations from Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community.

Platforms: Environmental Restoration & Honoring

Loving the Earth with a fierce devotion can mean that we view the damage being done to nature as attacks on our own family and kinship group. The despair and rage we feel as witnesses to terracide, animal exploitation and the everyday callous disregard for the environment can be channelled into creating awareness, resistance efforts, the earth rights movement, and by rejecting the numbing and destructive values of Empire. By opening our hearts to the Earth in our thoughts, words, actions and cultural life we will find sacred purpose in the co-creation of an earth-honoring society. Our re-enchantment with the natural world is essential for devoting ourselves to eco-activism, environmental healing, earth restoration and rewilding, and the future rests with us!
— Pegi Eyers

Platform: Indigenous Knowledge

As stripped of our ancestral knowledge as we Settlers seem to be, we defy the position of patriarchal dominance and undermine the notion of cultural superiority when we reclaim the roots of our authentic indigenity. It is our birthright as human beings to declare our true status as People of the Earth (as it is for all cultural groups), and if we collectively reject the delusional separation from nature that Empire has forced upon us, we move back into right relationship with Earth Community. Anchoring ourselves deeply into our earth-honoring culture and reclaiming our EIK (European Indigenous Knowledge) is a powerful blow against the monolith of cultural imperialism. (Page 43, Chapter 6, "We All Have IK") — Pegi Eyers

Platform: Paradigm Shift

We need to tell new stories about ourselves, new myths to guide us forward, and new manifestos that celebrate our integration with the natural world. Our archaic spirit needs to rise again in a weaving of timeless myths and stories of growth, regeneration, rites of passage, motion, energy, illumination, magic, decay, and all the Earth's processes that dwell both in us and the more-than-human world.
Chapter 22, "Earth Story — Pegi Eyers

Platform: Paradigm Shift2

Platform: Paradigm Shift 3

Platform: Paradigm Shift 4

Animism is the way humanity has been deeply connected to the land and its seasonal cycles for millennia, in rapport and conversation with the animals, plants, elements, Ancestors and earth spirits. The opposite of animism is the "cult of the individual" so celebrated in modern society, and the loss of the animist worldview is at the root of our spiritual disconnect and looming ecological crisis. Human beings are just one strand woven into the complex systems of Earth Community, and the animistic perspective is fundamental to the paradigm shift, and the recovery of our own ancestral wisdom.
— Pegi Eyers

Platform: Opening Our Hearts

Loving the Earth with a fierce devotion can mean that we view the damage being done to nature as attacks on our own family and kinship group. The despair and rage we feel as witnesses to terracide, animal exploitation and the everyday callous disregard for the environment can be channelled into creating awareness, resistance efforts, the earth rights movement, and by rejecting the numbing and destructive values of Empire. By opening our hearts to the Earth in our thoughts, words, actions and cultural life we will find sacred purpose in the co-creation of an earth-honoring society. Our re-enchantment with the natural world is essential for devoting ourselves to eco-activism, environmental healing, earth restoration and rewilding, and the future rests with us!
— Pegi Eyers

Platform: Pegi Eyers - Famous Quotes & Sayings

Loving the Earth with a fierce devotion can mean that we view the damage being done to nature as attacks on our own family and kinship group. The despair and rage we feel as witnesses to terracide, animal exploitation and the everyday callous disregard for the environment can be channelled into creating awareness, resistance efforts, the earth rights movement, and by rejecting the numbing and destructive values of Empire. By opening our hearts to the Earth in our thoughts, words, actions and cultural life we will find sacred purpose in the co-creation of an earth-honoring society. Our re-enchantment with the natural world is essential for devoting ourselves to eco-activism, environmental healing, earth restoration and rewilding, and the future rests with us!
— Pegi Eyers

Pegi Eyers is the author of "Ancient Spirit Rising:
Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community"
an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural
competency, healing our relationships with Turtle Island First Nations, uncolonization, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community.
Available from Stone Circle Press or Amazon.

0 Comments

Significant and Timely ~ Ancient Spirit Rising

11/13/2018

1 Comment

BOOK REVIEW by Sharon G. Mijares PhD

Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community is a very significant book for our time. It challenges current trends toward borrowing and using Indigenous Knowledge (IK) and related practices, and points out that this tendency further precipitates colonial thinking and intrusion upon the ways of Indigenous people. Eyers lays out her case against these ongoing colonial-thinking practices, describing the many ways that white Europeans have intruded into Indigenous societies, particularly those of North America. She challenges the booming trend “to borrow identities from other cultures.” Given the number of white people re-creating sweat lodges, presenting ceremonies (where permitted by Indigenous peoples) and so forth, Eyers challenges these behaviors and asks why people are not, instead, cultivating their own Indigenous roots. For example, why not learn more about the European Indigenous Knowledge traditions of Nordic and Celtic Paganism as well as a host of other EIK traditions from the UK, Baltic, Russian or Siberian lands? In short, Eyers discusses the current quest toward ancient ways of reverencing with ancestral practices and re-connecting to the earth and its spirits, but also asks readers to replace what she illustrates as an intrusive continuance of colonial thinking with practices related to one’s own genetic history.

One excellent quote supporting this theme notes that, "Our post-modern culture finds itself in a desperate need for Ancestors right now. The greatest threat today is the unraveling of the Web, which connects us to one another. Tracing the stories of our Ancestors allows us to reach beyond our cultural borders to worlds and not our own. The future may try to monopolize our attention, but some of our most fruitful lessons may come from connecting to our past. May your journey to the Ancestors yield both wisdom & compassion, which are their truest gifts to us." [1]

Ancient Spirit Rising is filled with excellent, supportive quotes that add a lot to the author’s points. It is also filled with terms and acronyms, noting the differences between IK (Indigenous Knowledge) and EIK (European Indigenous Knowledge), settler re-indigeneity and indigenous mind, as well as the ravages of Empire, patriarchy, hierarchy, ethnocide, capitalism, ecocide, racism and white privilege, to name a few. Then each of the topics are addressed in depth with significant scholarly support, causing the reader to examine their practices and beliefs. Do we support true unity, or do we contribute to ongoing intrusion into Indigenous people’s communities and lives?

Review in CWS Fall 2018

Pegi Eyers

This is a timely book in that humanity is in the midst of a mass migration, as well as the exposure to other cultures supported by modern technologies of the internet as well as travel. It is an unsettling time, and this has probably initiated the widespread urge to connect with nature traditions using ritual practices more connected to spiritual ancestry. The world religions no longer have the appeal of the past.

There are differing beliefs and responses within Indigenous communities to this movement. Some are capitalizing on it by earning an income, for example, an Indigenous person teaching students how to build and conduct a sweat lodge as well as other native practices for a fee. There are those who prefer to protect their tribal ways and not allow further appropriation or intrusion by Settlers who, without thoughtfulness, bring the crimes of the past into the present. Then there are also other tribal peoples who go beyond ideas of further segregation and are, instead, joining with all races, nationalities, spiritual backgrounds, and so forth, for the future of all life. Increasing numbers of people are recognizing the important role of Indigenous people in teaching us how to protect the well-being of all life and the future of the planet. Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community brings up many controversial and important issues, and stimulates significant thought. To what extent are we as human beings all connected?

The book also brings up the question of whether we are more influenced by our genes or the land to which we are born. Although this is discussed in her book, Eyers does not fully answer the question - primarily because it is an unknown factor. The author directs our intention to knowing our individual ancestral roots, and asks that we quit appropriating those of Indigenous peoples. In addition to formulating our own ethnoculture and eco-identity as connected to place, this appears to be the driving message of the book.

In summary, after reviewing Ancient Spirit Rising it is my opinion that it is an important, significant and timely read. I highly recommend reading it, and also recommend keeping it as a resource toward further exploration, thought and referencing on problems of cultural identity, and solutions as found in practices of ecospirituality and the ancestral arts. Eyers has gone to great depths in presenting her thesis.   It is well thought out, well written and referenced. Most importantly, Ancient Spirit Rising presents significant issues for the era in which we are living - a time in which all of humanity is confronted by tremendous change.

NOTES
[1] Niven, Anne Newkirk. “Living the Dream: Letter from the Editor,” Sage Woman: Celebrating the Goddess in Every Woman, Issue 43, “Ancestors" Autumn 1998

This review of Ancient Spirit Rising by Pegi Eyers originally appeared in the Fall 2018 issue of Canadian Woman Studies "Sexual and Gender Violence in Education" available >here<

Sharon G. Mijares, PhD
Sharon is a psychologist, author and international speaker. She is Associate Faculty at National University, has been a visiting professor at the UN University for Peace, Core Faculty at the California Institute for Human Science and Adjunct Faculty at Brandman University. Sharon is the author/editor of six books focused on psychological and spiritual development.

Her most recent book (edited) A Force Such As the World Has Never Known: Women Creating Change brought women together from around the planet to share their concerns and efforts to better their communities and the world. Her first edited book, Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom: Psychological Healing Practices from the World’s Religious Traditions (revised 2016) brings experts representing various religious and spiritual traditions together to demonstrate deep transformative practices inherent within spiritual practices, and has led workshops empowering women in Costa Rica, Ecuador, Egypt, Mexico, Scotland, Uganda, United States and Venezuela. She has earned Shodan rank in Aikido. On a personal level she is a mother, grandmother and great-grandmother currently living in New Mexico.
For more info see www.psychospiritual.org

1 Comment

Ancient Spirit Rising ~ A Great Guide for Reclaiming Culture

10/3/2018

1 Comment

REVIEW BY DORI MORDEN

I LOVE Ancient Spirit Rising, which is a sort of "textbook for the rest of us!" If you're not a college radical anymore, especially, and need to get in touch with where we are right now, this is a phenomenal place to begin (though honestly, I think it would also be a great college textbook). Yes, it's true, I started reading Ancient Spirit Rising in May, 2017 - and yes, it's true, I'm not finished with it yet!

The first several chapters are a lot to chew on, and for many of us, even those who've put a lot of effort into cleaning up our acts already, it can be a heavy read. I had to put it down and come back more than once, reading some page-turner fiction in between, to assuage the "oops, ugh, and damn I'm sorries." Getting through that, however, brought me to a really great "Ally Checklist" - as in, lots of great advice on how to be an ally without being a guilt-ridden, non-effective, emotional-labor-placing fool.

Then, the book took a turn, and honestly, I got a little lost for a minute. Genetically, I'm a European mutt, mostly southern European, but culturally, I have no defined spiritual identity. I'm a fierce defender and protector - yes, a feminist, a mother, a woman with a wife - and I share some common beliefs of what is referred to as "Indigenous Knowledge." But the rest? I don't know yet. Ancient Spirit Rising was written for me.

Recently there was a big discussion on the internet about two little girls who were dressed up in "Indian" costumes for a photo shoot. The photos went viral. The photographer claimed they had "Native heritage" but clearly, they grew up as white girls. They had NOT grown in up in Indigenous culture and thus, were stereotyping, perhaps even MOCKING Indigenous culture. Arguments such as "they're just children" I found to be equally offensive, because seriously - even so, it seems it would be the parents' responsibility to identify and put a stop to this. Because really? That's what you want to teach your kids? That it's okay to appropriate or stereotype a culture because they are children? Erm, nope.......

Anyway I digress, but I bring this up because I went through this particular argument with myself while reading Ancient Spirit Rising. How can I "reclaim" something I've never really honestly been a part of? Despite the fact that the majority of my DNA is Maltese (hello, ancient goddess temples!) and the rest is mostly British and Irish, no one REALLY knows who built those temples on Malta or what their practices were. I don't feel a call to Celtic Revival and I haven't yet encountered a "Goddess Spirituality" that is gritty and unappropriative enough for me (sorry but calling in both Quan Yin and Hecate doesn't sit right with me - I get to call for any Goddess I choose? From any culture? I dunno......). I'm not a flowy-white-clothes kinda Goddess girl, either. I'm way more of a "stir the compost" kind of person, and Starhawk's Reclaiming Tradition is, so far, as close as it's gotten to anything organized.

It has been determined that DNA does not define culture, and having .003% "Cherokee" roots does not make you Native. So, how can I reclaim European Indigenous Knowledge? I'm not a Pagan-with-a-capital-P, I'm not a Wiccan, I'm not a Druid, and nothing I've found in modern Strega or vague Hellenic practices shouts "HEY THAT'S ME!" either. So how do I approach this without blindly appropriating other people's spiritual practices in the process?

Our sad disconnect is several generations in at this point. Pegi opens many doors to this aspect of the discussion, and offers a massive heap of well-researched advice on how we can approach the dilemma when, like for me, it's not a clear path at all.

Also - my goodness, the references! From Ancient Spirit Rising you can read associated materials for the rest of your life and never finish. She's done her research - thank you, Pegi. This book is necessary.

Pegi Eyers is the author of "Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community," an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural competency, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community.
PURCHASE LINKS ~
Stone Circle Press
Amazon

1 Comment

Ancient Spirit Rising ~ On the Importance of Authentically-Sourced Knowledge

9/14/2018

0 Comments

REVIEW BY MAX DASHU

Ancient Spirit Rising by Pegi Eyers is dense with insight, resources, useful naming, and a no-holds-barred analysis of what decolonization means. She quotes liberally from Native writers such as Lee Maracle, Leslie Marmon Silko and John Mohawk, who speak of “the spiritual call of the re-indigenization of the world."

Eyers examines the mythologies of “race” and racism, and the loss of respectful intercultural (as well as interpersonal) protocols. She looks deeply into what cultural appropriation is, and critiques the commercialization of “shamanism” on the New Age market. Among her many suggestions on how to go about "correcting course," she discusses the quest for recovery of European IK - Indigenous Knowledge, alongside the principle of “respectful non-interference."

She warns about New Age ideologies and tokenism, and points to the importance of authentically sourced knowledge - in other words, “Who Gave You Permission?" In the chapter "New Age Thinking" Eyers has assembled a very educational list of statements by white seekers - I’ve heard many of those myself - defending and denying their privileged appropriation of Native spiritual culture, against the rightful holders trying to protect their IK.

The examples, illustrations, and suggestions for white allies she offers will be meaningful to many. The “white” Settler perspective has been centered for so long that it forms an unconscious backdrop of assumptions, and very little meaningful knowledge about Original Peoples. That wall of ignorance and entitlement has to be taken apart, and Ancient Spirit Rising provides many insights on how that can be accomplished.

Thank you Pegi Eyers, for all the work that went into writing this book ~!

Max Dashu has spent over 48 years excavating the western canon for evidence of women of power in Old Europe, early medieval history and indigenous societies. She founded the Suppressed Histories Archives in 1970, and her ongoing research engages with "Herstory" worldwide. As an author, activist and artist, she continues to offer a rich collection of visual presentations, exhibits, courses, workshops, webcasts, and keynote talks that highlight women's resistance to patriarchal oppression, challenge stereotypes of race and class, and interrogate the structures of Empire. Max Dashu's most recent book is Witches and Pagans: Women in European Folk Religion 700-1100 available from Veleda Press.

Image © Max Dashu

0 Comments

"Ancient Spirit Rising" by Pegi Eyers Recovering Ancestral Wisdom

8/14/2018

0 Comments

REVIEW BY WENDY STOKES

Anglo-Settlers, colonizers, and the dominant culture oppressed the Native Peoples of the Americas, and Indigenous spirituality, language, ceremonies, fashions, rituals, songs, handicrafts and traditions that were handed down through the generations were outlawed. Now, when First Nations and Native Americans try to research and recover their valuable heritage, they often find it has been badly imitated and distorted by white people, without asking permission for what is Indigenous intellectual property, owned by Indigenous people and given to them by their own Ancestors! To currently take the wisdom of these sophisticated Indigenous societies for personal gain, only repeats past colonial abuses. Cultural appropriation lifts cultural and spiritual property from Indigenous groups who were cruelly treated for generations, and this is a violation, as well as ignorant and destructive. First Nations are saying, "Find your own ancestral traditions - don't adopt ours!"

Ancient Spirit Rising describes the spirituality of Turtle Island, and how the values of Indigenous societies can be a role model for all people, without appropriation or identity theft. Living in harmony; humility and respect for the planet, each other and other species; and creating a sustainable future; is imperative and possible for today's world.

Pegi Eyers is a cultural visionary who challenges worldviews, and tells us a paradigm shift is required to recover ancestral wisdom and traditions, to honor our Ancestors, live in wisdom and health, and save other species and our planet's health.

This review originally appeared in The Circle Network, July 2, 2018
Celtic Roundhouse Resources:
The Roundhouse Project in Wales
The Celtic Roundhouse Bunkhouse Airbnb, Wales
Building a Celtic Roundhouse
Lower Merripit Roundhouse, Seventh Wave Music, Dartmoor
"The Roundhouse: A Meditation And Guide To Building A Handmade House With Local Materials" New book available from The Sacred Gardener

0 Comments

Ancient Spirit Rising ~ A Treasure

5/21/2018

0 Comments

REVIEW BY LOUISE M. HEWETT

On the contents page of Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community by Pegi Eyers, we find two subheadings: Stolen Treasure and Authentic Treasure. But this book is in itself a treasure! With a great amount of research, detail, vision, passion and compassion, Pegi Eyers invites the reader on a quest to unravel and heal the harms that the colonization of indigenous peoples by white Europeans has caused. She addresses those of European “white” ancestral background, those who by virtue of their birth have inherited the spectrum of privileges from dominant Western colonizing culture, and while her focus remains on the people of Turtle Island the reality of colonial invasion, theft, possession and appropriation rings true for the experience of Indigenous peoples worldwide. And that makes this book relevant to us all.

No “stone” remains unturned in this exploration of the why, what and how regarding colonial attitudes, racism and spiritual appropriation manifest in our time. A very important and relevant subject that is discussed, particularly given that this book is at the root a book about re-membering and re-weaving ancestral indigenous knowledge and eco-spiritual practice, is the critique of New Age spiritual philosophies and practices, both esoteric and consumerist. Offering different perspectives on ideas proliferating in the contemporary alternative spirituality marketplace is a way of challenge, refinement, and of course, a call to integrity.

Ancient Spirit Rising is packed with excellent and pertinent quotes, and a sturdy bibliography of resources and sources consulted. With sub-sections covering cultural appropriation, racism, white privilege, unpacking the New Age, and indigenous mind - just to give an idea of the comprehensive resource list - there is ample guidance for where to go, once your mind, heart and spirit have been stimulated to query, critique and explore the path ahead. This path calls those of us of European ancestry to return to our own indigenous roots, and restore meaning in our own lives and communities, as well as decolonizing our minds and bodies while working to create healthy co-existence with the First Nations with whom we share our environments. I will be returning to this book again and again for personal need, and in the community and spiritual work I engage in, as a writer and artist. In my mind, Ancient Spirit Rising is a call to action, and a beacon of hope!

NINE DRUMS

Louise M. Hewett is a visual artist and author of the Pictish Spirit series in 3 volumes ~ "Mist," "Wind" and "Flowers"
Facebook Page ~ Pictish Spirit
>Egg Serpent Studio<

Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community is an award-winning book that explores strategies for uncolonization, social justice, ethno-cultural identity, building land-emergent community & resilience in times of massive change.
PURCHASE LINKS ~
Stone Circle Press
Amazon

0 Comments

On "Ancient Spirit Rising"

11/22/2017

0 Comments

By Sharon Paice MacLeod

illustration © Christian Schloe

Drawing upon cultural studies and aspects of contemporary social justice, Ancient Spirit Rising is a unique contribution to the ever-expanding library of books of interest to modern Pagans, and goes into more depth than most. Eyers explores the loss of vital ethnocultural connections to tribe and place, undoubtedly a major factor in the collective soul loss and environmental crises we currently experience. The book is dense and informative, and contains much food for thought: it is best read through slowly and contemplatively.

Ancient Spirit Rising contains two main sections, “Stolen Treasure“ and “Authentic Treasure.” In Part One, the author discusses cultural appropriation, colonialism, race and racism in spiritual and cultural contexts, as well as thought-provoking discussions of Neo-Pagan and New Age “theft” of aspects of
native spiritualities. Pagans “not of ancestral origin” who live in North America, Australia, and other countries are faced with the baffling conundrum of how to walk respectfully on an earth-honoring path without harming those whose land it is. As a result, the book may be of special service to leaders of Neo-Pagan traditions, as they contemplate the ways in which they incorporate various elements into their practices. Eyers presents many interesting quotes and useful endnotes from a wide variety of academic and indigenous sources, and her passion for respecting native cultures is evident throughout.

The Equinox Stone, The Hags Cairn at Loughcrew Co Meath, (c) Anthony Murphy

In Part Two, readers are presented with a wide diversity of ideas and suggestions on how to connect deeply with the land, and ultimately with pathways of ancestral origin. She discusses tracing one’s ancestry, and writes lovingly about such topics as “Earthing,” “Animism,” “Ecomysticism,” “Earth Love” and “Rewilding.” The author treads fearlessly where others may fear to tread, and suggests that instead of co-opting the ancestral wisdom of other cultures, pagans of European origin may consider finding their way back to their own ancestral traditions as sources of deep connection. Overall, Ancient Spirit Rising provides many evocative suggestions for connecting with the land, the spirits of nature, and one's inner wildness.

Sharon Paice MacLeod, or Sharynne MacLeod NicMhacha is a Celticist, Grant-funded Researcher, Teacher, Gaelic Singer & Professional Musician, Ban-fili and author of Celtic Myth and Religion: A Study of Traditional Belief, The Divine Feminine in Ancient Europe, and Queen of the Night: Rediscovering the Celtic Moon Goddess.

Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community is an award-winning book that explores strategies for uncolonization, social justice, ethno- cultural identity, building land-emergent community and resilience in times of massive change.
PURCHASE LINKS ~
Stone Circle Press
Amazon

0 Comments

Review of "Ancient Spirit Rising"

6/7/2016

0 Comments

by Waaseyaa’sin Christine Sy

"Birch Tree Landscape" by Jennifer Vranes

Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots and Restoring Earth Community by Pegi Eyers is a comprehensive, candid, and critical foray into the problem of Settler spiritual loss and Settler appropriation of Indigenous spiritual practices on Turtle Island. Exemplifying what is means to genuinely listen to Indigenous peoples in the lands she calls home, Eyers takes seriously the cue offered by Anishinaabe Elder James Dumont that all humans have Indigenous Knowledges for which they are responsible for recovering and practicing. This is the solution to the appropriation of Indigenous spiritual practices.

Written for a white Settler population who are seeking a critical and ethical spiritual practice in Indigenous lands, Ancient Spirit Rising unabashedly tackles multiple issues common in a variety of spiritual practices while offering resolution through the reclaiming of European Indigenous Knowledges (EIKs). Eyers is transparent in her intentions and deeply engaged in advancing one of many important paths required to live ethically, critically, and spiritually in a world that is shaped by Empire, but is not finitely determined by it.

While the link between Settler spiritual restoration on Turtle Island based on EIKs and Indigenous sovereignty movements and material inequities in Turtle Island are not punctuated, this book is an excellent example of the generative and life-affirming possibilities that are created when Indigenous peoples of reputable practice are sincerely listened to, and when Settlers are genuinely oriented towards developing their own earth-based spiritual practices on Turtle Island. It is a timely and much-needed articulation of critical Settler thought on spirituality on Turtle Island. I hope it contributes in positive ways for generating good life for all humans and the natural world, and encourages a commitment to engaging in reparations with Indigenous peoples in spheres beyond the spiritual.

Waaseyaa’sin Christine Sy is Assistant Professor, Gender Studies at the University of Victoria, and received her PhD in Indigenous Studies at Trent University. You can access her blog here
https://giizismoon.wordpress.com

0 Comments

Praise for "Ancient Spirit Rising" by Pegi Eyers

8/29/2015

Thank you for all the wonderful endorsements, comments and testimonials!
The dialogue continues ~

"Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community by award-winning author Pegi Eyers is an amazing read, and I will never be able to walk the land in the Kawarthas again, without all she has taught me! This book makes me want to be a better human being, and to answer the question, ‘am I who my Ancestors worked so hard for me to be?’ with a resounding YES! Ancient Spirit Rising is a fine guide for this process, a book for our troubled times, and a balm for the reader. Thank you Pegi Eyers for Ancient Spirit Rising ~ hands raised to you.”
Shelagh Rogers, CBC Broadcast-Journalist at The Next Chapter, TRC Honorary Witness, Officer of the Order of Canada and Chancellor of the University of Victoria

"Pegi Eyers really knows her subject, which is quite obvious with her extensive, exhaustive book Ancient Spirit Rising. I give her a tremendous amount of props, and I love the idea of a book that focuses on sustainability and appreciating cultures that connect with the Earth. Overall, the structure of the book is good and the resources are helpful, and I appreciate the hard work that went into Ancient Spirit Rising."
Writer's Digest ~ Best Resource for Writers, Celebrating the Writing Life and What it Means to be a Writer in Today's Publishing World
www.writersdigest.com

"In a globalized society predicated on forgetting and displacement, Ancient Spirit Rising is a bold reminder that our modern lives are still a chapter of an old, enchanting story whose final pages are yet to be written. Pegi Eyers does not flinch in facing down the complexities of our current global crises of identity, ecology, and essential meaning. Rooted in a deep respect for the many threads woven into the realities of 21st century planet Earth, this book fearlessly strikes a chord and bursts into a song that is willing to guide even the utterly lost through a night whose day is long overdue."
C.B. Ó Corcráin, Producer of the film "Occupied Cascadia"
https://milegaiscioch.wordpress.com

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a hidden treasure! It is rich, intense, evolving, revolutionary and a process of self reconciliation. I did not want to finish reading, and I could not stop coming back to pages that I already read! Ancient Spirit is not just a book, it’s the essence of life."
Carlos Idibouo, Feminist, Human Rights,Diversity/Reconciliation Activist

"I was one of the first to talk/write about colonization back in the late 1970's. I recall doing a workshop, and when I introduced the topic, there was a thick, suppressed resistance. It took 20 years to get to the point where there could be an entire journal to discuss the ins and outs! Now I hope those of us with Euro-Indigenous ancestry will read Ancient Spirit Rising and start to decolonize our relationship to our own lands and identities. THANK YOU."
Apela Colorado, Earth Institute, the Wisdom School of Graduate Studies at Ubiquity University   www.wisdomuniversity.org
https://1earth-institute.net/about-us/apela-colorado

“If humans are to survive on Earth, we urgently need to reconnect with the earth-friendly lifeways of our ancestors and become 'indigenous' again to our bioregions. Especially for those of us long separated from ancestral homelands and planet-friendly spiritual guidance, Pegi Eyers’ marvelous new book Ancient Spirit Rising is the practical guide we’ve been waiting for."
Linda Buzzell-Saltzman, co-editor "Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind" (Sierra Club Books, 2009)

"When so many of us are looking for ways to be in right-sized relationship with the land, right relationship with the First Peoples who have been here forever, and to do right by our own Ancestors, Pegi's book offers so much insight as to how we can lovingly move forward. Ancient Spirit Rising offers righteous critique of the dominant-Empire-culture, and pathways through and beyond toward an inter-connected cosmology, re-enchanting to our own ancestral visions. I am deeply grateful for Pegi and her work."
byron, writer, musician, radio producer and host of "To Know the Land" CFRU 93.3fm Guelph  www.cfru.ca/recordings/315

"I’m a big fan, and your book has changed my life! I have been doing ancestral healing for a while now, but after reading your book I gained a stronger view of things related to cultural appropriation and healing ancestral trauma, and my work is now much deeper. Ancient Spirit Rising has really inspired me, and I found a more confident voice to share my feelings regarding white people appropriating my traditions, and for my work in decolonizing feminism. What I love about your book is how you articulate the issues I have felt for a long time, but never heard anyone talk about!   Thank you for the work that you do."
Pilar Mejía (Ometeotl) Decolonizing and Healing Ancestral Trauma
>A Decolonization Movement<

"I am very happy and appreciative that I have read Ancient Spirit Rising. Many times as I moved through the book I kept saying to myself, 'Now this is another good section. I wish that all the non-indigenous people who are lost and confused about their spirituality (through no fault of their own) would read and reflect on what Pegi is saying.' There is a way for non-indigenous people to heal and connect to our great Mother and Creation, without having to appropriate our ways and teachings."
Alice Olsen Williams (Anishnaabe), Pimaatisiwin Quilts
www.pimaatisiwin-quilts.com

"Ancient Spirit Rising kick-starts the conversation that First Nations and Settlers need to be having........"
Linda Post (Odawa), author of "Ojibway Drive from Crumpled Sheets"
Enaajmotaaged Publishing

"I am opposed to violence, but now IS the time for a revolution. A pencil, a pen, a typewriter or a computer are the perfect weapons, and Ancient Spirit Rising is the perfect array of bullets. I highly recommend the work of Pegi Eyers as a means for people to find their own roots, and not appropriate the teachings of First Nations."
Rita Gonzales (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw/Squamish)

"The ideas in Ancient Spirit Rising are the exact same themes that interest FUTURE PRIMITIVE the most! As immigrants we are homesick people, but home is actually within us, and accessible through our own memories of indigeneity. What I find absolutely fascinating in your book and in your life, is that you are one of the few people who are really making an effort to define what it is, to remember the indigeneity of being a Celtic, or other European person. And that you have blossomed into writing this very learned, dense and heartfelt book, about what you have learned from the land and the First Peoples. The concept of your family being in [so-called] Canada for eight generations is beautiful, as is your evolution into respect and wisdom from the ancient peoples of Turtle Island. As an interruption of the previous generations with integrity and ancestral mind, so much work has gone into this book. We live in an extraordinary era, when the governments and the rich are fortifying capitalism, but we know in our hearts that this is our Ancient Spirit Rising moment. What is truly important in your book is the marriage of our DNA with the place where we are rooted, and Ancient Spirit Rising is a beautiful mythology for that process. Thank you."
FUTURE PRIMITIVE ~ Joanna Harcourt Smith
https://futureprimitive.org

"I am reading Ancient Spirit Rising and this is one of the most brilliant, profound, insightful, and dimensional books I have ever encountered. I feel like I will need to read it three more times to absorb the magic contained within as fully as possible. I feel inspired, challenged, validated, thrilled, and very much enlivened whenever I read it. It is a sacred text. With deep respect and gratitude."
Sadee Whip, The Hag in the Woods: Reclaim Your Magic
https://thehaginthewoods.com

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a fearless and radical call to action. In this bold work, author Pegi Eyers challenges us to approach, with deep humility and respect, the complex issues of cultural identity, privilege, and ecology. Her book is a valuable contribution to some difficult, but necessary, conversations, ultimately aimed at fostering positive social change, equity, and peace."
Chloé McFeters, Director of the film "You Look a Lot Like Me"
www.youlookalotlikeme.com

"Pegi Eyers offers some very profound research, heart-based intuitive wisdom, and spiritual insights that those of us on a 'spiritual path' can reference to unpack, dismantle, and redefine our belief systems. Following her work continues to help us come back home into our own internal knowing of what is true and right for us on intellectual and moral levels.....with room to continue to play, grow, expand and explore in the mystical realm."
Alexandra Pallas, "Pallas: Ancient Wisdom for Healing, Life
Empowerment, and Unapologetic Self-Care" www.apallas.com

"Ancient Spirit Rising honors the ancestors and our own lineage, and affirms that we are connected to the Earth and to all of life. Author Pegi Eyers has a passion and mission to bring that insight and wisdom to each one of us, so that by weaving the past and the future together we can create a new dream for the planet. As an advocate for the ancestors and an advocate for the earth, Ancient Spirit Rising captures the essence of deep connection and the honouring of our past, and how to bring that forward to heal self, community and world. I absolutely love this book!"
Teri Griffin Williams, Author & Radio Host ~ Soul Practices: The Art of Impeccable Soul Care & Soulful Living Radio   www.soulpractices.com

"If you wish to untangle yourself from our colonized mentality, then run, leap into the wisdom that Pegi Eyers is so generously offering. For me, Ancient Spirit Rising is a profound guide to really looking at my 'white privilege,' and to begin the journey of unlearning and learning from my ancestral bones! With gratitude for your wisdom and remembering, for the blood, sweat and tears, and for the sacrifice and beauty. I am in awe - you are a most potent voice for the times we are living. Ancestors smiling upon you! Pegi is a blessed gift to this world, and Ancient Spirit Rising is a must read."
Bonewoman (Reda Rackley)   True to Her Nature
Bonewoman Outsider Art / Bonewoman Speaks Facebook Group
Bonewoman Wisdom & Outsider Art (book)

"Dear Pegi ~ I'm in the process of reading Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community, and there is so much of importance in your book! Besides being interested in European Indigenous roots (and the reclamation & responsibility of that), I am also appreciative of your words about the appropriation of the Indigenous cultures of the Americas. Including allyship, the topics you cover are all critically important at this time, and yet in many ways oddly rare. You have an incredible ability to bring the unspoken into language, and are a really good translator between the linear and non-linear worlds. I am so happy to have had you as a guest on Pivot Point, to share your thoughts over the airwaves with Northern California. Your book is truly an essential compendium for change! Thank you, thank you for your contributions and the work you have done - with enduring gratitude for Ancient Spirit Rising!"
Christy Wagner, Producer/Host, Pivot Point, KZYX Mendocino County Public Radio

"Ancient Spirit Rising is an important and eye-opening book that everyone needs to be reading! If you are looking to understand what it means to be a true ally and deepen your connections to ancestral roots this book is a must. The conversations opened by Pegi Eyers are deeply nourishing and validating - thank you for being part of my online courses and offerings~!"
Nikiah Seeds, Spirit Worker/Healer/Northern European Animist Tradition http://www.nikiahseeds.com

"I recently finished Ancient Spirit Rising, and I really appreciate the clear, comprehensive research and analysis you offer. It's quite a piece of work - congratulations on birthing this into the world, and thank you so much! Ancient Spirit Rising helped things click into place for me in a whole new way, and I am sure I'm not the only one."
Darcy Ottey, Staff & Leadership Circle, Coordinator, Youth Passageways and Pacific Quest
http://youthpassageways.org   www.pacificquest.org

"Give yourself the gift of Ancient Spirit Rising by Pegi Eyers, and you will have this guide forever. It has become a comfort in times of uncertainty in how I feel, what I should do, and how I should be myself. Thank you Pegi, for this education and spiritual awakening!"
Cathi-Anne Galbraith, Community Advocate, Greenwood Coalition
www.greenwoodcoalition.com

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a very significant book for our time. It challenges current trends toward borrowing Indigenous Knowledge, and points out that this tendency further precipitates intrusion on the ways of Indigenous peoples. Pegi Eyers lays out her case against colonial thinking, and challenges the booming trend to borrow identities from other cultures. Given the numbers of white people re-creating sweat lodges etc. Eyers challenges these behaviors and asks why people are not cultivating their own indigenous roots. Why not learn more about the European IK traditions of Nordic and Celtic paganism as well as a host of others from Nordic, Russian or Siberian lands? Eyers discusses the current quest toward ancient ways of reverencing, ancestral practices and re-connecting with Earth and its spirits, but she also asks readers to replace colonial thinking with practices related to one’s own history. Ancient Spirit Rising is an important, significant and timely read, and I recommend keeping it as a resource toward further exploration and thought. Pegi Eyers has gone to great depths in presenting her thesis, and it is well thought out, well written and referenced. And most importantly, Ancient Spirit Rising presents significant issues for the era in which we are living—a time in which all of humanity is confronted by tremendous change."
Sharon G. Mijares, PhD, Psychologist, Speaker, Professor and Author/Editor of "Modern Psychology and Ancient Wisdom: Psychological Healing Practices from the World’s Religious Traditions" www.psychospiritual.org

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a really important book and highly informative, especially as more and more people start digging into decolonization, Indigenous rights and allyship. There are an incredible amount of footnotes, and yet Ancient Spirit Rising is not "collegiate." It is the perfect teaching text, and totally accessible to the layperson who has begun delving into these concepts and wants to learn more. I am learning more and more about my own southern European roots, the spiritual practices and IK of that region, and reclaiming it for myself. It has been a beautiful process, especially as I learn to ally with the local Indigenous people where I am currently living. Thank you so much, Pegi, for writing this book!"
dori mondon, Abundant Content   http://abundantcontent.com and
Faerwear: Enchanted Adornments for Lovers of the Natural World         www.faerwear.com

"Thank you Pegi Eyers, beautiful author of Ancient Spirit Rising for sharing your life’s work - with the interfacing of Turtle Island First Nations and settler society, personal ancestral recovery, social justice and earth emergent healing, among so much more !! Your generous offerings, your consistent diligence in assisting so many of us to come home to acknowledging the truth of these times and our existence with history - ongoing still – and how we might weave critical settler thought, clear thinking, conscious action, Turtle Island Honoring, and personal ancestral honoring into the beauty of our lives, with life-giving Mother Earth is so appreciated ! Thank you for shining light so that we can truly recover what is so near and dear, and has never left the essence of our hearts. Thank you for assisting us with clarity over not appropriating First Nations ways, ceremonies and teachings, and for remembering how to spiritually recover our own and return to peaceful relationship with Earth Community. Love & Gratitude for You !!"
Susan Estep MS, MS, NCC, Deerheart Counseling

"Pegi Eyers is to be commended for her deeply thoughtful and intelligent, inspiring and passionate compendium text Ancient Spirit Rising. The knowledge, spirit, and generosity of this book is of priceless value. It is an honest testimony of the past and a vision into the future. Ancient Spirit Rising can be experienced slowly one chapter at a time, and the book concludes in poem prayer (poesis - to make, to create) to begin again, that we as Earth's Children remove our blindness so that we may truly see. Ancient Spirit Rising awakens us. It is an essential, important, and healing experience to be taken into hand, heart and mind, again and again."
Diane Leslie Kaufman, Arts Medicine for Health and Healing
www.artsmedicineforhealthandhealing.com

"Ancient Spirit Rising by Pegi Eyers is focused on Turtle Island, and yet the encompassing conversation about the common patterns of learning we have assumed from the dominant society - cultural/spiritual appropriation and addressing the need for those of European ancestry to return to European Indigenous Knowledge (EIK) - is relevant to all of us. I would encourage anyone (especially my Pagan friends) to invest in the book and increase awareness. There is always room for learning, transforming and revitalizing our sense of belonging through our own cultural lineage on this brief journey through life."
Louise Hewett, artist, Egg & Serpent Studio, and author of the Pictish Spirit series "Mist," "Wind" and "Flowers"

"The 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Award is a well-deserved prize for Ancient Spirit Rising, a superbly researched book. A book that you'll think has absolutely nothing to do with you, but it does. It certainly blind-sided me with some punches I wasn't expecting!"
Jude Lally, Celtic Soul Craft    https://celticsoulcraft.com

"Ancient Spirit Rising kick-started me to address the shame I’ve felt at coming from a lineage of colonizers, and to embrace my personal Indigenous European roots. It can be a jarring read, especially in the beginning as the author outlines the problems of cultural appropriation and oppression in Shamanic/Spiritual communities. This book will ask you to take a hard look at the rituals, teachings, and ceremonies you facilitate, AND it will inspire you to find authentic-to-you practices. Through exploring this material, I discovered ways to bridge my current location/ecosystem (Southern California) with my genetic heritage (Saxon, Germanic, Celtic, and Norse) and my initiations into Peruvian shamanism. My ceremonies now feel more aligned and potent than ever, and I feel more solidly rooted in my practices and local herbal studies."
Lola Medicine Keeper, Ancestral Detective, Wild Playground
https://wildplayground.com

"So excited! I have Pegi Eyers' new book Ancient Spirit Rising, and I am beside myself with joy! This is going to be one heckuva intense read. I can't wait to get through my marketing tasks today to dive into the book. Thank you Pegi, for having written this book! Quite a brave task, especially considering the subject matter. Or rather, matters."
Cher Edwards, ZINGHA   www.nzingha.ca ZINGHA is a social business that seeks to increase inclusiveness, and combat sexism and anti-Black racism through positive self-education. We create and sell Black-positive products to empower those of African descent and their allies. >>Afrocentric, Black-Oriented, Afro-Canadian, African American<<

"What I find remarkable about Pegi Eyers is that she is an academic, but is also committed to being an ally on the front lines, and to taking a stand at times when people don’t want to hear. I have a great deal of respect for her, and Ancient Spirit Rising is probably one of the best resource books I have ever seen. It was 3 years in the writing process, and what I love is the Bibliography, which is 40 pages long. The amazing thing, is that she gives credit to the First Nations and individuals she has consulted with, which is extremely rare. She shares information in a loving and respectful way, and is someone I really look up to. Ancient Spirit Rising says it all~!"
Victoria Sage, Executive Director, Center for Sacred Studies

"Pegi's voice is fundamental to understanding what it means to find your ancestral connection. This book is changing my understanding of so many things. A must read! Thank you Pegi, for all the research you have done and the sharing of so many truths."
Barb Phillips, Thanadoula, Educator & Contemplative End-of-Life Care, Whispering Pines Studios   www.barbphillips.ca

"A truly handsome, deeply considered and broadly researched collection of inspirations, Ancient Spirit Rising is a definitive statement of the social, spiritual and ecological havoc colonialism and the appropriation of indigenous cultures has wreaked. Pegi Eyers 'Unsettles the Settler Mentality' and brings us into the light of what this consumptive 'progress' and frontierism at all costs has done to affect our psycho-social and planetary environments. She reminds us that 'we are all indigenous to the Earth,' and shares soulful and centered ways to live a life of Earth-honoring, eco-spiritual activism and deep ecology - if only we will. Thank you Pegi Eyers."
Marcie Telander, Founding Director, Earth Wisdom Institute Mystery School, President of East River Counseling and Creator of the Vinotok Environmental Activism Theatre Festival, Crested Butte CO

"The issues we are having conversations about in the podcast - the First Nations Peoples of Canada and the Americas, colonization, genocide, cultural appropriation and knowing whose land you are on - all these things are in Ancient Spirit Rising by Pegi Eyers. Her book is about reclaiming for white folks our Indigenous European knowledge, so that we can stop looking so much to the Indigenous Knowledge of people from the Americas. Eyers is a good critical thinker, and she quotes a LOT of different people. It’s almost like a compilation of thoughts coming from Native American and First Nation communities, as it is a book structured around her own discourse. Especially for people who might be confused about these issues, or feel like, 'what exactly are people talking about here?' or 'what’s right?' or 'what’s wrong?' - it is a good resource. Ancient Spirit Rising is very dense - it’s thick - but it’s well worth it. And as an almost 100% European-ancestored person, something I’ve talked a lot about on Mythic Medicine is reminding people that we have Indigenous Wisdom in our own lines as well. We don’t have to go back very far at all in time - a few thousand years - to find ancestors who were of the land, which is what “Indigenous” means. I highly recommend Ancient Spirit Rising."
Amber Magnolia Hill ~ MYTHIC MEDICINE PODCAST
https://mythicmedicine.love/podcast

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a timely Canadian contribution to the growing field of critical whiteness theory, which is very dominated by the American experience of race, racism, and white privilege. I believe many white Canadians are looking for a deeper understanding of their own complex histories and identities, and Eyers’ extensive research and urgent call to action provides us with much to think about. A very rewarding read for anyone concerned about justice and our ability to live in harmony with our environment!"
Debbie Harrison, Human Rights Educator, Coordinator of Diversity, Accessibility & International Student Support, Fleming College, Peterborough http://ruralantiracistwhite.blogspot.ca

"As a white woman, I have learned from Pegi Eyers and her book Ancient Spirit Rising, and she has opened doors to learning that I would have lacked without that connection. She has been a way-shower, and I have been introduced to writers and leaders from Indigenous communities that I may have struggled to discover, from where I am in the UK.  For this I am grateful. Pegi has encouraged me when I have been at my wit’s end regarding cultural appropriation in Glastonbury, and she has also been supportive for setting up my reading group with peers. I highly recommend Ancient Spirit Rising!"
Stephanie Mathivet, Priestess, Goddess House Healing, Glastonbury, UK

"For white women in the Americas who are drawn to the Goddess Path, few boundaries exist in our search for spiritual expression. But we need to acknowledge that our adoption of Indigenous or shamanic identities and practice of 'Native Spirituality' may in fact harm and demean the very groups we profess to admire. In Ancient Spirit Rising, Pegi Eyers lays out clearly the difference between cultural appropriation and cultural exchange, and how we can do better. In fact, our pursuit of authentic practice rooted in our own ancient pre-colonial heritage(s) may be an effective way to undo the internalized imperialism and patriarchal homogenization in ourselves and others. Ancient Spirit Rising is an in-depth guide to reclaiming our root cultures (including those of Old Europe), and rejuvenating an earth-connected worldview that reflects our interconnectivity with all life."
Karen Tate, Host of "Voices of the Sacred Feminine: Conversations to ReShape the World" and author of "Walking An Ancient Path: Rebirthing Goddess on Planet Earth."   www.karentate.net

“I found Ancient Spirit Rising to be a fascinating read with a volume of information, including amazing footnotes and quotations.  Pegi Eyers reminds us that becoming aware of First Nations traditions brings us closer to the earth spirituality that was lost in our own white culture, and opens the door to learning about our own European Indigenous Knowledge.”
Kris Steinnes, Founder & Co-leader at Women of Wisdom Foundation, Host of Voices of Women Radio Show, and owner of Krysalis Leadership

"Ancient Spirit Rising is an excellent resource for all people who wish to continue educating themselves about Canadian history, as well as solid solutions for moving into a peaceful and healthy future. I am savoring every page of this insightful, clear, direct, and very compelling book!   Pegi Eyers delves into the many ways local communities are working toward transition, stable off-grid and self-sustaining networks, and how international and particularly European communities can return to their own Indigenous roots. We can rediscover our own Indigenous Knowledge no matter where we live or where we came from, and re-connecting with our own ancient and undeniable relationship with the Earth must now be our primary responsibility! Ancient Spirit Rising is full of descriptions, resources, research material, references, explanations, guides and inspiration - all helping to steer us back to our own connection to each other and Earth Community."
Patricia White, Front-Line Activist and Revered Elder

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a good read - very well-written and excellently researched - and it’s easy to see that Pegi Eyers speaks from the heart. This beautiful book has been an enormous amount of work, and I commend Pegi for that effort. She definitely has a gift for writing, and we desperately need people who can present coherent thoughts about challenging issues, to keep us informed of both our human history, and as we prepare to live in the future as a global community. Effective communication such as this is in danger of becoming a lost art! Thank you Pegi for your ongoing support of First Peoples."
Jean Koning, Elder & founder of the Kawartha Truth & Reconciliation Support Group (KTRSG)   www.kawarthatruthandreconciliation.ca

"Ancient Spirit Rising is an incredibly important book for our times, and a monumental work addressing the ever-evolving relationship between the traditional Indigenous people of Turtle Island and their Eurocentric political dominators, a situation which demands immediate redress."
Suzanne Stratton, Homestead Publishing

"Ancient Spirit Rising is an important part of the conversation surrounding the recovery of culture and ancestral traditions for those of us who are descended from the European diaspora in the Americas. Focused both on reclaiming European Indigenous Knowledge and combating appropriation and the colonization of Indigenous cultures, she tackles concepts that have been (until now) difficult to articulate. Pegi has found new ways to explore these two conflicts in the North American psyche, as well as the answers that healing them demands. By following her into the wilderness of our own unknown Indigenous Knowledge, we often find it’s been there buried in Grandma’s recipes and the imagery of our dreams all along. The healing required of the homogenized American mind before we can authentically join Earth community, is at hand. Thank you Pegi, for carrying this bright torch!"
Allison Peacock, Teacher, Consultant, Coach ~ White Horse Medicine
http://allisonpeacock.com

"Can we be honest about our ancestral past? Can we have a truthful conversation about the stolen treasures and cultures of virtually every indigenous society as a result of a small minority group that has thrived on exploitation, violence, and greed? Pegi presents these conversations and personal observations with a clarity and depth that allows the reader to see the truth not found in traditional history. Once we acknowledge the past for what is truly was, we can begin to rebuild an authentic society based on our own indigenous values - not someone else’s."
Dawn James, Author of "Raise Your Vibration, Transform Your Life"
www.raiseyourvibration.ca

“Ancient Spirit Rising is full of hard facts, yet is both poetic and mystic at the same time. This is a book I don't just *suggest* that people read, but dare them to read! I dare them to strip themselves of invisible layers they didn't know were there. I dare them to attempt a confrontation. I dare them to travel down a road full of crestfallen ancestors and a power that has long awaited our awakening. Ancient Spirit Rising may provoke you and push you into action, but most of all, it will make you true.”
Lisa Marchant, Eco-Artist and proprietor of “The Green Butler,” a gardening & sustainable agriculture business.

"Pegi Eyers is an organic intellectual. Her wide reading and first-hand experience in First Nations community for which she is an articulate advocate, makes her work original, accessible and important at this time in Canadian history. No more borrowing of cultural identity! Ancient Spirit Rising is an excellent guide for discovering our own ancestral roots."
Rosemary Ganley, founder, Jamaican Self-Help, and author of "Jamaica Journal: The Story of a Grassroots Canadian Aid Organization"
www.yellowdragonflypress.ca

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a well-researched and inspiring book. Thank you so much Pegi Eyers for this amazing, ethical, and timely work of mind, heart and soul! Your inspiring and guiding work figures prominently in the recovery project, on both the micro and meta levels. Beaming huge energy of gratitude your way, to energize and animate your purpose on the planet. Virtual hugs!"
Sel M. Mullins www.selmullinsrmt.com

"For anyone who has awoken to the fact that this modern neo-capitalist culture has forgotten something profound and vital, please check out Pegi Eyers's work. It is a deep call for those of us whose ancestors are not from Turtle Island to return to a different way of relating to one another and the land."
Mark Erde, Nature Guide at Medicine Kitchens

"I have appreciated reading through Ancient Spirit Rising. Pegi's book helps to begin the conversation on how to heal the Euro-North American soul. She bravely challenges some Neo-Pagan 'orthodoxies,' but as well highlights a path towards regaining our own ancestral path and how to live accordingly in this world."
Daniel J. Miess, Author & Editor, Blue Dandelion Blog
https://bluedandelionblog.wordpress.com
https://danieljmiess.wordpress.com

"Those of us living in earth-destructive, industrial societies may not realize that the presently dysfunctional human relationship with the rest of nature is of fairly recent vintage and specific Western origin. Many Indigenous, earth-centered cultures and village societies around the world watch us with dismay. We have much to learn from these cultures about how to live in harmony with the rest of nature. Amazingly, a number of elders and teachers from cultures we have abused and decimated are willing to share their recommendations with us. But we need to be humble in our approach, extremely sensitive to the dangers of cultural appropriation and not rush to undertake wilderness fasts, smudging, sweat lodges or other wonderful Indigenous practices that may be specific to a particular culture or nation. Pegi Eyers, an ecospiritual writer and author of Ancient Spirit Rising, recommends that before adopting other cultures’ practices, those of Western European descent explore the nature-based, pre-Christian practices of Old Europe."
Linda Buzzell-Saltzman and Craig Chalquist, editors of Ecotherapy: Healing with Nature in Mind >Chalquist.com<

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a powerful and well-researched voice that advocates ending the erasure of Indigenous peoples through cultural appropriation. Indeed, Pegi Eyers encourages all who are non-native to explore their own indigenous roots, be they Celtic, Nordic, or other. The end goal is to recover a close and essential connection to Mother Earth, and Eyers offers strategies for 'rewilding our thinking' to create a sustainable future and 're-landing local community' in peaceful co-existence. Ancient Spirit Rising is an important contribution to the discussion on racism and ethnic identity. Much can be done to rectify injustices - both past and, shockingly, present - and with the alternatives as offered by Ancient Spirit Rising, Pegi Eyers gives us much to contemplate."
Diane Taylor, author of "The Gift of Memoir: Show Up, Open Up, Write" https://dianemtaylor.com

"I bow to you, your heart, your integrity for the Sacred, and to your beautiful book Ancient Spirit Rising.   You have created a powerful addition to the body of human history. With much appreciation to you!  As a scholar of Settler/First Nations relations you are a brilliant resource for those wanting to learn more. I am excited to share your insights with as many folks as I can, for this is an important book. I highly recommend this fascinating read."
Constance McClain, Ventura College and the University of California at Santa Barbara   https://mindfulpaths.com

"I think Pegi Eyers work is amazing and unlike anything else out there for pointing out ways Europeans co-opt Indigenous Knowledge in the present. It is my belief that we've been doing it for thousands of years, that we covered up its origins, and that to this day 'Western' (aka 'white') civilization is laying claim to intellectual, philosophical, scientific and mathematical systems that we didn't invent."   El Jah Khem

"Ancient Spirit Rising describes the spirituality of Turtle Island, and how the values of Indigenous societies can be a role model for all people, without appropriation or identity theft. Creating a sustainable future, and living in harmony, humility and respect for the planet, each other and other species, is imperative and possible for today's world. Pegi Eyers is a cultural visionary who challenges worldviews and tells us a paradigm shift is required to recover our ancestral knowledge and tradition to honor the Ancestors, live in wisdom and well-being, and save other species and the health of our planet."
Wendy Stokes, author and columnist, http://www.wendystokes.co.uk

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a passionate and urgent call to non-aboriginal peoples to listen deeply and to act with respect and great care in acquiring the necessary intercultural competencies to bring us through the challenging relationship-righting between First Nations and Settlers. The book offers a profusion of reasons and actions for doing so, including many helpful sources for tracing one's own European Indigenous Knowledge and spiritual ancestry."
Cheryl Lyon, Transition Town Peterborough
www.transitiontownpeterborough.ca

"Blessings and congratulations! To work through these ideas requires openness, determination, self awareness, respect and courage. Only you could have told this story, and the confluence of writer and ideas will enrich readers lives. With much gratitude."
Steve Guthrie CHEX TV Peterborough, Ontario, Canada

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a work of genius, uncompromising in its presentation of many viewpoints and supported by extensive documentation. The book is both encyclopedic in scope and focused on the central theme of earth-grounded spirituality, its multi-various roots, and how they manifest today. These studies form an essential part of the emerging consciousness that may sustain us in resolving the predicaments we face. Ancient Spirit Rising is valuable in helping to think through a viable and well-mannered approach to indigenous knowledge for living successfully on Earth. It also makes clear the need to support the many indigenous peoples actively opposing threats to the integrity of their lands, now endangered by an imperial economy of exploitation."
Philip Kienholz, Author & Poet, New Roots Press

“I am so glad I did not have the assignment to write this marvelous book. Thank you, Pegi Eyers! You have written what I deeply know and don't have the skill to write in such grand fashion. One thing I love about Ancient Spirit Rising is that it encourages individuals to get back in touch with their own Indigenous roots, and the value held there. I also highly recommend it for all who are examining issues of racism. I am honored to share wisdom from Pegi's book, and suggest you purchase a copy.” Sharon Riegie Maynard, author of  Remembering Earth Mission

"As stated so well in Ancient Spirit Rising, our European Indigenous Knowledge systems emphasis the cosmological dynamics of the universe, in which the human, earth and cosmos form an interconnected triad. And as we conceptualize our way into the future, Ancient Spirit Rising can be a significant tool in that process. Pegi Eyers’ organic intellectualism and marvelous summations such as ‘Eco-Soul’ have much to contribute. For our collective future, thank you Pegi for giving us the language, quotations and insights to communicate with others more meaningfully the deepest values of Ancient Spirit Rising!"
John Devan, Elderberry Connection, a group that celebrates the unfolding story of the universe, and fosters a planetary spirituality to inspire and support action for ecological and social justice.  Our name refers to our inspiration Thomas Berry, and the elderberry tree, rich in life-giving properties and creation mythology.

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a marvelous and important book full of learning for these challenging times of awakening in right relations. Pegi Eyers is deeply involved in decolonization work, and Ancient Spirit Rising provides all the factual details I have yearned to have at my fingertips. Many thanks for all the good work you are doing in the world, as I continue to read this wonderful book!"
Kathie Wallace, Sacred Earth Network

"Drawing upon cultural studies and aspects of contemporary social justice, Ancient Spirit Rising is a unique contribution to the ever-expanding library of books of interest to modern Pagans, and goes into more depth than most. Eyers explores the loss of vital ethnocultural connections to tribe and place, undoubtedly a major factor in the collective soul loss and environmental crises we currently experience. The book is dense and informative, and contains much food for thought: it is best read through slowly and contemplatively."
Sharon Paice MacLeod, author of Celtic Myth and Religion: A Study of Traditional Belief, and The Divine Feminine in Ancient Europe

"Phenomenal Work by Pegi Eyers, author of Ancient Spirit Rising! Valuing the enlightening principles within this timely book of wisdom and insights, that invite us to re-connect more deeply, more consciously and more courageously, with the natural world and our sovereign selves. The time is now. For those in the western world benefiting from Empire and the privilege of whiteness, it is time to wake up (!) and actively re-examine the toxicity of inherited conditioning. And, by choosing not to continue culturally-appropriating, we can choose liberty for all, and actively dismantle these abusive cycles. All levels of acceptable, casual racism must end, and Ancient Spirit Rising offers healthy alternatives to the dehumanizing perpetuation of white supremacy. We can, at the individual level, each awaken to our inner knowing, our uniqueness, and our personal responsibility."
Jay Pat, Creative Nature Club

"Ancient Spirit Rising is phenomenal - a must-read!"
Wendy McConkey, TESL Trainer, ESL Tutor, Executive Administrator, One World ESL School, Peterborough, ON

"Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community is a brave approach to reconciliation with the Earth and with one another."
Peace Council Peterborough Facebook Page

"I've been reading your book for just a short time now, but I want you to know I think it is a complete masterpiece. Thank you so much for birthing this marvel into the world."
Phoenix Laurel, Roots of Activism

"Ancient Spirit Rising is a passionately written volume, as most dealing with cultural appropriation will be, and there is much to ponder and learn here. The author’s relationship with Turtle Island First Nations is fascinating, deeply felt, and supported by some thoughtful analysis. As one would expect, her discussion of historical colonialism and its effects on Indigenous cultures in Part One is not an easy read. From my own experiences with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, I am aware of the adoption and cultural theft of practices and spirituality, and as such I appreciate much in this book. Well researched and crammed with references and footnotes, this is a volume that gives food for thought, but no easy answers."
Paul Pearson, Greenmantle Magazine

"Congratulations on the publishing of your new book! May it travel far and encourage many hearts."
Dennis Rivers, author and activist, Resources for the Great Turning, www.earthcitizens.net

"Pegi Eyers is an explorer, working to find an escape route for our long journey home. Her book Ancient Spirit Rising presents readers with a wide variety of ideas, and forces us to do a lot of thinking. I’m glad that I have taken the time to explore the history of my own bloodlines, and to better understand who I am. For now, my plan is to strengthen my connections to the Circle of Life in the here and now, the world outside my door. I have much to learn. As Eyers tells us, 'We must all face directly our innate need to be at one with wild nature, to enjoy the blessings of Mother Earth and Her many creatures, to experience green spaces as an opening to mystery and magic, and to work tirelessly at preserving nature for nature’s own sake.' "
Richard Adrian Reese, Author of "What is Sustainable"
http://wildancestors.blogspot.ca

"An important title ~ kudos to Pegi Eyers for producing such a labor of love! For more readers than I can imagine, this admirable compendium will prove a valuable guide back to the home territory of earth-rootedness, that we all most desperately need in these fraught times. I believe wholeheartedly in every one of the valuable messages in Ancient Spirit Rising, and submit gladly to the author’s wonderful spell."
William R. Stimson, PhD, author of "Glimpses From Beyond The Ego: Dreams, Zen, & Nature"

"I so appreciate the work that you are doing in re-weaving the healing cloak of the ancients, comprised of all the threads – new and old – from all over the world. Thank you so much for your work with Ancient Spirit Rising, and for your part in restoring herbal medicine as the people’s medicine today."
Susun Weed, Natural Health, Herbal Medicine and Spirit Healing the Wise Woman Way   www.susunweed.com

"I am really enjoying Ancient Spirit Rising – so much of it resonates with me, and you bring up things I’ve never thought of before! I keep thinking about your suggestion that we re-connect to the indigenous roots of our own lineage. This is something I will try to incorporate into my own life."
Cathy Kuntz, Cottage Wordsmith and Personal Historian

"Thank you for your care toward the journey of right relations."
Cathy Underhill, Centre for Christian Studies
http://ccsonline.ca

"With Ancient Spirit Rising, Pegi Eyers offers her extensive research, study and insight, and reminds us of how necessary it is for all people to work towards planet-friendly eco-spiritual guidance. Thank you Pegi!"
Phyllis Kirk, Designer & Visual Artist   www.phyllis-kirk.com

"Ancient Spirit Rising: Reclaiming Your Roots & Restoring Earth Community" is an award-winning book that explores strategies for intercultural competency, healing our relationships with Turtle Island First Nations, uncolonization, recovering an ecocentric worldview, rewilding, creating a sustainable future and reclaiming peaceful co-existence in Earth Community.
Stone Circle Press

Honesty Will Set Humanity Free

8/19/2015

0 Comments

Ancient Spirit Rising reviewed by Dawn James, author
and transformational coach. www.raiseyourvibration.ca

If I had to use one phrase to describe what I felt as I read Ancient Spirit Rising.......it is "honesty will set humanity free." Can we be honest about our ancestral past? Can we be honest about the past failures and flaws of the mega-experiment of the Eurocentric empire in the Americas? Can we have a truthful conversation about the vast stolen treasures and stolen cultures of virtually every indigenous society on the planet as a result of a small minority group that has thrived on exploitation, violence, greed and oppression?

Pegi presents these conversations and personal observations with clarity and depth, supported by historic accounts – that allows the reader to see many truths not found in traditional history books. Once we acknowledge the past for what is truly was, we can begin to rebuild an authentic society based on our own IK (indigenous knowledge) values - not someone else’s.

What I truly appreciate is that Ancient Spirit Rising offers us a bridge to revitalize indigenous societies both in the Americas and Europe. It begins with establishing a new value system based on our own IK. Ancient Spirit Rising offers us a path to move away from capitalism, materialism and global pollution towards eco-consciousness, eco-living and the acknowledgment of Earth Rights.

Ancient Spirit Rising also encourages the reader to explore their own ancestry, their own IK and above all, a call for humanity to live in peaceful co-existence with each other and the planet. Honesty will set us free.

0 Comments

BOOK REVIEW by Sharon G. Mijares PhD

REVIEW BY DORI MORDEN

Thank you for all the wonderful endorsements, comments and testimonials!The dialogue continues ~

Ancient Spirit Rising reviewed by Dawn James, authorand transformational coach. ﻿www.raiseyourvibration.ca﻿

Join our e-mail list for updates and newsletters from "Ancient Spirit Rising" ~

Thank you for all the wonderful endorsements, comments and testimonials!
The dialogue continues ~

Ancient Spirit Rising reviewed by Dawn James, author
and transformational coach. www.raiseyourvibration.ca