On 2009-08-04 Dragan, Australia wrote: As per my other reviews for the first two of Carlos Castaneda´s books `The teachings of Don Juan´ and `A separate reality´ the question as to fiction or `something else´ still stands. This 3rd book however still holds the same magic as the other first two books and I am eager to read the next book `Tales of Power´.
This present book deals with Don Juan teaching Carlos how to become a hunter and a warrior. The philosophy behind this very fascinating and even if the book is fiction; you can certainly learn something here.
Dreaming & Astral travel: A very nice practice given on page 112 regarding strengthening one´s experience. Don Juan tells Carlos to look at ones hands when he becomes conscious in his Dream. He tells him that he can use other objects (4 at most to start with) to look at, this until he loses focus and then should look at another object. Don Juan also gives another practice regarding astral travelling to imagined places. This is a very similar practice that I´ve seen from Gnostic practices.
I love the teachings of Don Juan regarding Shadows in this book Don Juan tells Carlos to look at the shadows to delve into the spiritual and gain great understanding and insight. Never really looked at this before and am very intrigued as to wether this would really work.
Once again we find Carlos having to deal with his `Worthy adversary´ in this book i.e. a witch intent on attacking Carlos. I´m interested to know what happens between these two as I further read Carlos Castaneda´s books.
Non-doing & stopping the world: Surely there is profoundness to real spiritual practices and teaching here. What a wonderful way at looking at this. We have all been taught ´to do´, from the youngest of years. According to Don Juan, this doing holds the very fabric of our reality together. One must go against this and learn the art of Non-doing. The philosophy is not as straight forward as you may think. This philosophy is truly insightful and must be read to truly be understood and appreciated; too much for me to go into with this review. Just on this point, this is another reason why people must re-read Carlos´s books i.e. once is not enough to allow this to sink in. All in all a wonderful book to expand ones potential as to the `non-ordinary reality´.. And summed up by saying The Magic Continues. Currently Journey to Ixtlan has an overall rating of 8 over 10.
Journey to Ixtlan can also be found in the following searches:
Pocket claimed The third book in a series recording Castaneda´s initiation into the mysteries of sorcery under the guidance of the Yaqui Indian, don Juan. It reveals how Castaneda learns the wisdom of the hunter - he who is ´without routines, free, fluid, unpredictable´.
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