By Alanna Moore, July 2007
Fresh water tends to vanish when human impacts are high. But we can reverse the trend and re-connect with the wisdom and healing powers of water. In this book author Alanna Moore delves into water's mysterious origins and manifestations; its energetic and spiritual aspects; global traditions; as well as water in Australian landscapes. The book is unique in giving holistic understandings about water from a geomancer's perspective, including water divining, historical, esoteric and Indigenous perspectives.
It looks at current issues around the 'water crisis' and shows that energy guzzling de-salination plants are not necessary. It suggests greater diversification in water harvesting, such as seeking sources of 'new water' deep in the Earth, telling how people already find it. It looks at traditional modes of weather prediction, whereby changes in plant and animal behaviour can herald rain with more accuracy than meteorologists. And it outlines how farm planning and landscape design can be used to store water in the soil, where it belongs, in order to reverse the processes of desertification that are so evident in countries like Australia.
Water pollution and lack of rain may be remedied with subtle means, including prayer. Rituals can connect us to water's powerful elemental forces and help us find deep cleansing on emotional and spiritual levels. It is no wonder that it has always been the most highly revered of the elements. This book hope to re-kindle that reverence and provide inspiration for greater kindness and care for all the Earth's waters.
In addition to this book, the companion film - 'The Sacred World of Water' - has been upgraded with new footage of sacred and healing wells and springs in Ireland, Wales and South Australia; as well as an additional interview with Tasmanian Aboriginal artist Carol Horton. (The film 'Grassroots Solutions to Soil Salinity' also provides a companion to the book, with several experts in their field, from water diviners to water scientists, featured in both that film and the book..)
Water and the Rise and Fall of Civilisations,
Water in Australian landscapes, Ground water, Water Divining.
Waters special qualities, Water and phenomena, Tapping water's wisdom, Water Worship
Droughts in Australia, Weather prediction by nature, Rain-making traditions, Sky water harvesting.
Re-watering Australia's landscapes, Household water conservation, Improving water quality, Water magic today.
Price: RRP $33 plus GST.
Special price direct from Python Press/Geomantica
- $33 post paid in Australia.
Send $33 cheque or money order to
PO Box 929 Castlemaine 3450 Vic
(The companion films sell for $22 each post paid in Australia.
Paypal now available!)
Where else can you get it?
Around Australia -
bookshops can obtain either from Geomantica direct
or from distributor Melbourne based Brumby Books
In the UK, either from Nexus magazine
email - nexus@ukoffice.u-net.com
or from the UK distributor
- Counter Culture Books
email - PeterGotto@aol.com
Comments and reviews:
Professor Stuart Hill, Sydney,
- "A great book!"
2. Waters of Power and Mystery;
3. Water of the Sky and
4. Restoring the Waters.
Wisdom
of Water
'real book' by Alanna Moore, after
reviewing some her DVDs and
accompanying booklets over the
last year or so, as I quite liked her
writing (and film editing) style. I
was not disappointed. The format
of The Wisdom of Water is very
similar, but on a larger scale, with
interesting stories, myths, facts or
information inserted judiciously in
their own box space.
Divided into Four Parts, each is
subdivided under section headings
which guide you through 250 pages
of text overflowing with
mythology, history, environmental
issues, geo-biology, geomancy, and
dowsing. A good part of what is in
the book centres on Australiana,
though there is plenty of global
content too, from rain making in
India to the healing well of Celtic
saints.
The essence of the book is that
Alanna Moore treats the water
aspect of Earth holistically. She makes
connections and networks between the
element of water and the life forms of the
planet, including us, of course. By the end
of the book I was totally connected.
I did warn you, didn't I? This book is full
to brimming with 'stuff'. It had me
riveted for two days.
Part One is Waters of the Earth. This
includes for instance, the rise and fall of
civilisations in relation to water, the
Australian landscape, ground water and
divining. Here you can read about
vanishing waters and the Holy Grail,
plantations and ground water, the
Cauldron of Rebirth; ancient Aboriginal
gardens, hot springs and dowsing for
underground rivers.
Part Two is Waters of Power and Mystery.
Here we look at water's special qualities
including its relation to thunder, lightning,
ionisation, its memory and emotion. Then
we move on to Mysteries, the unexplained
but events that have a continuing profile,
such as Lights, UFOs and again, dowsing.
Now we head back into history as Alanna
talks about tapping what she calls 'water's
wisdom', the other side of the
conversation between humankind and the
element: wells, oracles, and predictions of
earthquakes and rain, and the culture of
water worship. Back again to ancient
history, this section is jam-packed with
information on amphibious Gods and
Goddesses around the Globe, healing
waters, angels, lustration (ritual
emersion), and concludes with comments
on the Water Goddess as she is perceived
today. Here Alanna makes a direct
connection with Mother Mary, which was
a bit of a surprise for me, bypassing the
biblical Mary and pointing out that the
great mother has direct descent from the
Spirit of Water. Certainly part of the
Marion cult that I had missed.
Alanna has done some truly interesting
research. The book is full of little
surprises like this.
Onward to Part Three, Waters of the Sky,
which turns our attention to Australian
droughts, weather prediction, rain making,
and how to harvest water from the sky
dew ponds and fog fences. Fascinating.
The actual mechanics of how water passes
through the daily life of the planet are
explained simply and concisely, and
there was a lot of information here
that was new to me.
Part Four, Restoring the Waters,
covers all the 'alternative' and
exploratory methods of restoring
water in the Australian landscape,
methods which actually work but are
still regarded with suspicion by
mainstream advisors. Part Four
culminates in an inspirational head
up on how we can restore not only
the degradation of our global water
environment, but our own emotional
and perhaps spiritual connection with
the element of water. Essentially, as
she discusses water's reaction to
sound vibrations, Alanna introduces
the reader to the concept that it's ok
to talk to water.
At the end of this book, I felt as
though I'd ridden a roller coaster. I
learned a lot, agreed with lots, and
went back to re-read much. The
Australian reader is totally catered
for and the whole book is well
peppered with colourful international
information, such as Balinese temple
rituals or the weather forecasting of
bees! You truly don't know what's
going to be on the next page.
For those who like to know where
facts and ideas come from, Alanna
gives book references at the end of
each section, though the text is not
footnoted. If it were so, you probably
wouldn't be able to read the text for
numerical interjections! This book
covers so much diverse subject
matter related to water, that you are
regularly invited to look up the
primary sources of you chosen
interest. I find this method very
efficient for the general reader.
What I may have previously
described as "Alanna's open door
method".
Very invigorating.
Highly recommended".
Sorry, but I haven't yet finished the book, so will give a potted summary of the first few chapters. The book is divided into 4 sections: Waters of the Earth (where water is found in Australia, and what we have done to it. An introduction to dowsing); Waters of power and mystery (waters' special qualities healing, wisdom, memory etc); Waters of the sky (drought in Australia, rain making and harvesting); and Restoring the waters (improving water conservation from the national to local levels, improving its quality, caring for water).
The first few chapters are more to my way of thinking the practicalities of where water is, what humans have done to it throughout the world, groundwater, hot springs, 'new water' and dowsing/divining for water. Somehow, I don't have a problem with dowsing for water; it's the other energies I have more problems with! I think that's because I've seen a very conservative local (Cygnet) man dowsing (and he's well known for his skills)....