Tamed by a Bear
Coming Home to Nature-Spirit-Self
“What if your still small voice had a name?
In this memoir of one transformative year, Stuckey comes to know her spirit helper as a jovial and affectionate Bear. Through shamanic-style journeys, Bear nudges her toward joy and offers gentle wisdom for navigating life’s rough patches. Tamed by a Bear shows one person responding to the call of her heart, which is also the call of Earth to all human beings today: to listen to a more-than-human wisdom in order to address the social and environmental crises born of our separation from nature.
This book is for anyone wishing to grow in love and in their ability to hear the quiet voice of Spirit.”
from Counterpoint Press
I experienced Bear’s strategy for what it was—a taking apart of my accomplished adult self, piece by piece. But at the same time, I had to admit that letting go of the self I thought I knew seemed to be delivering me to a place I may have inhabited long, long ago. Even though I was leaving familiar territory, I sensed—I hoped—that I might be returning home.
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“Writer and religious studies professor Stuckey draws on wisdom learned from nature about how to listen and trust our own perceptions more deeply.”
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“This book is not another philosophical discourse on the relationship between nature and spirit. Nor is it an abstract discussion about the value of invisible realities. Rather, it is a love story between two very real beings, who together will open both your heart and mind.”
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“An openhearted, playful account of learning to listen to the wisdom of interconnection.”
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“In Tamed by a Bear, Priscilla Stuckey chronicles her journey into the heart of this numinous living world, guided by a stunningly wise and delightfully down-to-earth bear spirit. This story is an extraordinary and courageous gift, full of wisdom riding on the shoulders of joy. And of course, as Bear says, love, the thing we humans do best, and which we need so much more of, especially now. May we all learn to listen to the rich wisdom of nature and spirit, and may we all find more joy, wonder, trust, and, yes, love along the way, as Stuckey has with Bear.”
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“Taking up a shamanic practice brought Priscilla Stuckey to the infinitely wise and tender teacher she calls, simply, ‘Bear.’ Their conversations . . . demonstrate the age-old power of the mystical dialogue itself—to draw us in and make us feel that Bear is our teacher too.”
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“Tamed by a Bear is an exquisitely written book. The writing carries the reader along, with ‘oohs’ and ‘ahs’ as the author pens one beautiful turn of phrase after another. Her story—both the outer story of her search for a new place to live and the inner one of her journey to come home to herself—is told in a powerful narrative you won’t soon forget.”
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“This is a groundbreaking book, written with extraordinary clarity, beauty, and radical honesty.”
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“In a time when technological clamor threatens to overwhelm our lives and devastate the planet, Priscilla Stuckey offers a simple, but not easy, path forward through the noise. This is essential reading for any spiritual or ecological warrior.”
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“An account both personal and heartfelt about the author’s journey to listen more fully to the voice within and the world without, even when that means—especially when that means—letting go of the known for uncharted territory.”
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“As Priscilla finds her path unfolding, one step at a time, we too are shown how to listen deeply and find more acceptance and joy . . . and a deeper relationship with all of life. Like Bear, this book is warm, engaging and wise. A journey worth taking.”
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“This is not another DIY shamanism or self-help manual. It is an intimate reflection on listening, on trusting our senses, on being in the world. It is about rooting ourselves in concern for well-being for everyone we know and encounter, including ourselves.”
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“Stuckey's book teaches me to pay attention to the other beings accompanying us on our daily journeys. Whether we listen to their voices or not will make the difference in our future together.”