Chosen by the Spirits: Following Your Shamanic Calling

This book helped me with understanding my own situation better, and giving me steps to working with it. Since I don’t have shamanism in my culture, I needed a guide for welcoming and working with my spirits who came 23 years ago, so this book is one of many that has given me a better understanding of how to do that. I’m really grateful to the author for writing it while she was alive and I look forward to reading her other book.

After realigning Sky Shamans of Mongolia, I wanted more detailed information. This book was a great way to see the subject through the eyes of a practitioner. Details are provided on many rituals, elements on cosmology, and language.

It's suprising to see folks claiming that Sarangerel was practicing black magic or was not actually Mongolian.She was a friend and someone I had the blessing to know before her passing. Here is what I learned from her directly: Her mother's people are of Mongolian ancestry and her father's people are of European ancestry. She was not raised with the traditions but was guided to reconnect with her mom's ancestral people by early Native American teachers. She spent over a decade living mostly in Buryatia and I know that she spoke fluent Mongolian because I heard her speak it often enough with her Mongolian husband or with the Mongolians that showed up here in the Bay Area or in Ohio when she offered ceremony. I also met after her death briefly with Batbayar Gonchigdorj and several other Mongolian shamans who knew and thought highly of Sarangerel. That and she was a part of Golomt Center which I believe is still operational. One of her teachers was Brambadorj who from what I understand is a very well-respected preserver of Mongolian traditions. So...the notion that Sarangerel didn't have enough Mongolian 'cred' is just not an informed position.And about her practicing black magic, that's hardly the case. I hosted her to offer healing sessions in my home and witnessed the positive transformations that came from that. Writing about and educating folks about real risks is *totally* different from practicing black magic. I knew Sarangerel to be a loving, kind, and humble shaman.About the book itself, it's a gem. For practitioners it's full of great perspective and practices and for those with more of an intellectual interest, it's a great window into how this particular practitioner of traditional ways approaches things. And for those interested in the history/culture of the region, it's also useful. Sarangerel was also a scholar and was interested in pursuing a PhD in Central Asian folklore/traditions before she passed.Daniel Foor

This book and the beautiful practices and stories touched me deeply and inspired my work. A blessing in words.

It give a good inside into Mongolian Shamans

The world lost a wonderful person with the passing of Sarangerel. I have been interested in Shamanic Spirituality for some time now and this was the first book I've read on the subject. Outstanding read!

This book repeats much of what is in her first book, buts adds quite a bit. It's loaded with information, most of which seems accurate. There are a few places where the information seems wrong or incomplete, but that may be due to the breadth of info that she tried to cover. My main criticism is that the two books are so bland and matter-of-fact: the author somehow manages to make shamanism sound like a trade like any other, just a skill set that anyone can pick up. There is no mystery or wonder.

I liked this book because it taught me more about the shamanic cultures of areas that I have never been to before. very interesting.

If you're interested in Siberian shamanism it's a must read. Informative and interesting, and easy to understand, despite use of many different words. Laying the groundwork to understand the mind of a shaman and this long rich tradition. Sarangerel is a good writer. You won't find it boring.

Well written and easy to read especially for new Shamans, haven't finished the book yet but have had a lot of my learning reinforced.

wonderful book

One of the best books on Shamans ever written

Excellent book with so much information. Lots of ceremonies and guidance throughout. Really enjoying this book!