Soaring Eagle, Spirit of the Wind is the telling of two quests.
Rosalie, a self-destructive woman, is summoned into the spirit world and persuaded to embark upon her own quest of discovery. Along the way she must develop the will to battle the greatest of all foes, herself, a battle she is destined to lose if not for the aid of the shaman, Soaring Eagle.
Soaring Eagle, engaged in an endless quest to serve his people, sees Rosalie’s plight in a vision, and propels himself into the spirit world to retrieve her soul.
The plot is designed around three shamanic journeys that have been adapted from the author's personal experiences. Written in a style devised to keep pace with the shaman’s drum, the story is composed at a conceptual level difficult to achieve and is destined to become a cult classic.
Starved of fresh kindling, the heart of the circle of stone lay as victim to the cool morning dew. Stars fade as Grandfather Sun prepares His return. Creatures of night retreat to places oblivious to the coming day. Creatures of day stir amidst the failing shroud of darkness. A broadening glow splashes red across Father Sky, and, Soaring Eagle, rising from his vigil, is washed by the sacred beacon of the newborn day. Bathed in the warmth of dawn, he reverently embraces the virgin light.
Mother Earth breathes a gentle sigh bringing humility to a heart still open to divine allusion and his eyes draw to delicate stirring within a stand of brush. There, an apparition appears whose head and shoulders are adorned by the tanned hide of Wolf. Trinkets of claw and talon trim a breastplate of bone. Hair, straight and bleak, mingle with feathers of Hawk and Eagle, distinguishing him as the spirit of his people, the last to walk this sacred ground, thrust upon the land in perpetual wandering.
A blade of obsidian radiates a reflection of early light as the apparition turns away. Segments of breastplate tap softly in a voice, hollow and forlorn, and the vision withers. Stepping through the brush, Soaring Eagle finds himself at the threshold of a primeval trail discernible by subtle openings in the forests growth now reclaimed by She who sculpts the whole of Creation. He kneels. Touching his palm to Earth he feels the pale memory of human footsteps. Reverently he accepts the divine guidance and continues along the pristine path, for where Father Sky and Mother Earth converge lay the reason the spirits call his name.
Professional Reviews
BookIdeas.com
The rise in interest of nature religions has led to an abundance of books on wicca and witchcraft, shamanism, earth traditions and paganism. Soaring Eagle, Spirit of the Wind by H.J. Courtright is one of those books - a visually stunning and enchanting fable of a modern woman who partakes in the ancient ritual of a shamanic journey to retrieve her soul from the underworld. This book will appeal to readers who are anxious to learn more about the intriguing world of the shaman as well as our longing to reconnect with our subconscious and the world of spirit and intuition.
The story centers on a young woman named Rosalie, who has deep emotional wounds from her childhood and the loss of her parents. She seeks to make peace with her past, and herself, but cannot find a way to do so without hurting herself even more with addictive behaviors and recklessness. But when Rosalie, while on a camping trip with her friend Alison, encounters a mysterious Goddess named Amaranda, she is led into a spirit world she must learn to navigate, with the help of a special shamanic guide named Soaring Eagle.
As Soaring Eagle leads the soul retrieval ritual, we the reader are taken along on the journey through his eyes as he guides Rosalie through the underworld in search of sacred stones and the Great Mystery that will ultimately bring her back to wholeness. Using the help of totem animals such as Wolf and Badger, Soaring Eagle helps a frightened but willing Rosalie to find the Great Mother of creation, and to discover the Great Mystery within her in order to bring about the healing that will save her soul, and her life.
The story does get bogged down in heavy description that may seem way too adjective-heavy and overdone for many readers, but if one imagines an actual shamanic journey, the vibrancy of the author’s descriptive writing makes sense, and does work on that more ethereal level. This is a short book, and a sweet read, especially in these materialistic, technical days when the powers of the natural world and the invisible spirit realms seem non-existent. This lovely book reminds us that not only are they there, but that we can access them, and maybe even have our own souls saved in the process.
Review by Marie Jones
BookReview.com
A journey of the spirit, three souls play out roles in this book about Shamanism, finding oneself, and helping others. It is a work of fiction based upon real experiences of the author; it is a novella of powerful message and great substance.
Rosalie is a wounded soul. She has never forgiven her parents for dying and she has taken to hurting herself in what seems to be a self destruct mode. She takes a hike with a friend in an effort to recapture her childhood memories at a camp in the woods, only to fall and hit her head in a cave behind the waterfall.
Soaring Eagle is a Shaman. On a spirit journey he witnesses the young woman's dangerous predicament. He is shown that he is needed, and makes his way to the wilderness where her body awaits. There he finds Rosalie's friend, desperate to find help, and she leads him, or rather he leads her, back to the waterfall. They attend to Roasalie's body with blankets and fire, but Soaring Eagle knows that he needs to help her spirit to find its way back.
Rosalie's soul leaves her body and is embraced by the spirit of the falls. The spirit leads her into the spirit world of Akasha and tells her that she must solve the Great Mystery or she will not be able to return to her body. Her task is to collect the four stones of the four corners, ask the cardinal spirits for help after proving her worthiness. Then she must solve the mystery. She must make peace with the dead so that they can move on. She must find herself and allow the child she was to breath again.
Soaring Eagle teaches Rosalie's friend to keep the beat of the drum in support of spiritual journey. He seeks to help Rosalie in the spirit world. With the help of animal guides he is able to do so. Will it be enough to bring Rosalie back to her body? Will the Shaman be successful in his attempt to rescue this lost soul? Will Rosalie accomplish her soul's task?
Throughout history and before, Shamans have had the calling to go out into the spirit world. Sometimes it is for guidance for their people, sometimes it is to save the souls of the people themselves. This gift is highly revered, as it should be, but many have forgotten the ways of the Shaman, and need a reminder. H.J. Courtright has provided that reminder in this tale.
A highly descriptive work, it befits the topic and emits a feeling of reverence for it. It is a soul touching book that you will read over and over again.
Review by Heather Froeschl of www.Quilldipper.com
CoffeeTimeRomance.com
This book is a true blend of New Age Spirituality as defined by Shamanism. The author takes the reader through the mysterious, yet very real world of Native American mysticism, with a clear and precise view.
Having studied under a shaman for two years, I found this book to be relevant and profound at the same time. The author uses the gifts of the spirit, through a sometimes tough journey for the main character, to show the layman the way of the spirit; and the journey of the soul to find healing from emotional pain. Each chapter brings a different step along the way and leads to the final conclusion of peace.
This book was very intense. To the reader who is interested in learning more about the path of the Shaman, it is invaluable. I believe Mr. Courtright has performed a great service to the Native American community by sharing this ‘way’ with the initiated. It is a great introduction for those interested in learning how to walk the Red Path.
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