The Spirit of Intimacy: Ancient African Teachings in the Ways of Relationships Paperback – January 5, 2000

This is a truly UNIQUE BOOK. It`s a CALEIDOSCOPIC view in short terms of the Folklore.A true interest for me is the Spirit of The Song/s - presumable Folk Songs.As You can see on the pictures, the book is structured as Passages. It looks like more of a Diary on certain Topic/s, in the Research Field of Folkloreq but in an Observationists way.Actually they are really edited and written down, so presumably, at some point there was a Tour Advertising view on this text. Finally turns out as authentic author, sharing observations, as an outline guide to a tourist experiance in the Foklore-Cultural field.This truly is Folkloristic !Certainly the mesh between observations and researched data, historical facts, and the diary styleq promote The Feeling of This Place and their cultural knowledge and experiance.I`d say it is more on the popular science as a genre for delivery.TeoPeace

I remember how much we liked Kahlil Gibran's 'The Prophet' back in 1969. This is another little book (even easier to carry around) which is chock full of knowledge and wisdom, but it's even more. It will get you high just reading it, even though to truly practice what Ms. Some writes about will truly take a lot of work. But if you can find a group of people who want to support each other in this way, by all means . . .Sobonfu (I met her and her husband in Michigan about 10 years ago) grew up in a Dagaara community in southern Burkina Faso (West Aftica); most of what she writes about is what they actually practice, and to good effect, in the villages there. It's all tried, tested, and true to life.She, like her husband, is extremely smooth and articulate in her use of language, and really gets her point across . . . reading this will change your mind about a lot of things. It's golden knowledge, really.Her explanations about how spirit works in the context of an intimate relationship, about the place of ritual in a community lifestyle, and so on, are full of heart, and very, very practical. Wiccans and other modern-day 'ritualists' will find a great deal here upon which to ruminate. It's simply put, but never simplistic; there's not a gram of cookie-cutter mentality here. The methods work because things are set up to be responsive to any kind of situation that may crop up. Not necessarily infallible, but there's not much to screw up here if you pursue things honestly and with good support people.Towards the end there were some things that I didn't completely understand, but I imagine it's a matter of getting more experience.All of hers and her husband's books formulate multiple structures of thought/feeling which can give the reader numerous opportunities [while reading/thinking - or even sub/unconsiously) to re-envision/reclaim all kinds of experiences that you have passed through and that have passed you by in your life. It's almost as if you can travel to any point in your past, re-insert part of yourself, and relive the moment in a better way. And that can have a wondrous and powerfully positive effect on the present. I don't understand whether this is a by-product, or if it occurs as if by design. Sobonfu would probably say it hardly matters - that it's part of the workings of spirit. And I can live with that. And as she says in closing, "People may say that you're weird, and that you're reading about weird people, but you know, perhaps it's time to celebrate being weird."

I didn’t know what to expect when I started this book but it spoke to my soul!!! Reading The Spirit of Intimacy, I felt like I wasn’t alone in my spiritual journey. I haven’t been connecting with anyone fr lately. I’ve craved solitude and connection at the same time!!!! I just felt like no one was really understanding me. I wanted more that others couldn’t give me, that I had to give myself first! This book talked about the importance of community (support system) a lot of it made sense. There are no secrets. Nothing but vulnerability, rituals, the importance of our individuality, gaining knowledge, and knowing our born purpose! I read a chapter and sat with my feelings. I journaled and even did some highlighting. If you want to bring intimacy back to your relationships (romantic and/or platonic) or even learn about intimacy, this book is a START. The rest of the work is up to you! 🫵🏾 “People May say that you’re weird, that you are reading about weird people, but you know, perhaps it is time to celebrate being weird.”

Good book and informative.

I feel at home while reading this book