The Bowl of Light: Ancestral Wisdom from a Hawaiian Shaman

Before you start The Bowl of Light: Ancestral Wisdom from a Hawaiian Shaman, heed this warning: it’s going to make most people at least a little sad. It’s not the story that’s going to evoke this reaction, it’s the realization of how much of the magic that is Hawaii was destroyed by its American takeover.

Set in the mid 1990s, the story depicts a series of conversations between American author and anthropologist Dr. Hank Wesselman and kahuna wisdom-keeper Hale Makua. It’s packed full of both real-time and ancestral realizations as elder Makua shared many lifetimes of stories with Dr. Wesselman — trusting him to properly share those with the rest of the world.

No topic is off limits–even sexuality–as the conversation between these two men changes each time they meet.

Take care in recommending this book to anyone who hasn’t sat with the medicine, as many of the stories may seem outrageous to those not used to experiencing alternative timelines, energy, dimensions, and subsequent knowledge gained by metaphysical means.

While I appreciated the overall story, I did find the heavy use of direct quotes, especially from the author, a little off-putting as it felt like the author kept inserting himself into a story that really wasn’t his to tell. While this approach did make it feel like I was watching a live interview, the energy required to absorb such powerful information was exhausting. Many of the reviews recommended that this book only be read a few pages at a times, and I agree — I absorbed the lessons far better when I had time to process each before moving on to the next one. There’s just so much information presented in every page that reading for longer than 15 or so minutes felt overwhelming. Setting aside less time, but more often, made for an enjoyable reading experience.

The Bowl Of Light is available on both audiobook and paperback via most services, including Amazon.