The Sacred Power of Huna: Spirituality and Shamanism in Hawai'i: Spiritual Light in Hawaiian Shamanism [Paperback]

"Rima Morrell is to be applauded for bringing . . . to our attention: an ancient and holistic culture which is built on an unbroken tradition of accumulated human wisdom and which finds meaningfulness at all levels of our being. Dr. Morrell is uniquely able to bring academic rigour and wide knowledge of her subject to bear, yet her book is much more than dry scientific reportage of anthropological data . . . .when she leaves the work of other authors behind and describes her own direct experiences with the people and culture of Hawai'i her book really flowers. Surely this is the acme of anthropology: to take the experiences and lessons of research directly back to the people, so we can begin to remember the brightness that illuminates our lives."

Rima has seen the islands by sleeping under the stars. She has experienced them the way that few ever do.

Beneath the postcard images of paradise that depict Hawaii, anthropologist Rima Morrell found a secret and sophisticated spiritual tradition that few of its many visitors ever get to see. Far from being lost within the "civilising" influences of the last few centuries, Hawaii's indigenous traditions merely went into hiding as its people refused to volunteer information about themselves to all but the most sincere seekers. Building on the work of such early researchers as Max Freedom Long, Rima Morrell reveals knowledge about this tradition that has not been previously available - such as the role of emotion in gaining true wisdom, the shamanic aspects of the hula, the magical elements of the Hawaiian language and the sophisticated system of lunar astrology - but, also, shows how the principles of a society woven with love can help shape our own lives. The system of ancient Hawaiian wisdom, known as Huna, teaches us how to focus the light of our own being to make magic. Many Hawaiians believe that light is knowledge in a pure state and that magic is the very fabric of life. When she first visited the islands Morrell found a lighter, brighter world, where trees talked to her in ancient temples and magic regularly happened. Following her higher self - and overcoming resistance to its rainbow guidance - she discovered that we are each responsible for our own power and through practising Huna, we can create our own reality and become magicians and navigators of our own soul.

RIMA A. MORRELL has a doctorate in Hawaiian Shamanism from the Department of Geography, University ­College London, and a Masters and Honours degree in Social Anthropology from Cambridge University. She spent years in Polynesia conducting fieldwork with many ­kahuna on remote islands and teaching at universities, including the University of Hawai‘i. A ­fellow of the Royal Geographic Society and the Royal Anthropological ­Institute, she lectures at international conferences. She also teaches Huna in ­Europe. She and her husband live in London and the Scottish Highlands.