Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna

Reviews

“Belloni has done her homework and her heart work, danced the dance, drummed the drums and tambourines, bled while doing so, in a shamanistic gift for our times.” “In her book Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna, master musician, dance and music historian, and imaginative storyteller Alessandra Belloni captures the magic of the feminine soul of Southern Italy. She explores the origins of the Black Madonna from the ancient goddesses of Greece and North Africa to the syncretism with Catholicism in Italy. With brilliant storytelling, she shares of the spirit of the Black Madonna as she is experienced in modern Italy. Most importantly, this book transports readers on an inner journey in which they experience the archetype of the Black Madonna within, so they may continue to keep her mystery and healing alive in today’s world. Read this book and be transformed!” “Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna is an emotional tour de force that will leave you astonished by its power. But I warn you, this is not a book for those who are not ready to reflect deeply on their wounds, how they were created, and the path of recovery. The honesty within these pages is rare and appreciated in a world that often thrives off of gilded artifice and the excuses it often births. Do yourself a favor and purchase two copies of this book, one for yourself and one for someone else. The Black Madonna will let you know who is in need.” “Alessandra Belloni weaves a magical web, enabling readers to feel as if they are traveling alongside her. We share her profound experiences as she visits Black Madonnas and communes with goddesses. Packed with music and art, Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna is simultaneously memoir, spiritual guide, travelogue, and a shamanic document that serves as a reminder that rhythm is the cure. This is a book to read not once but again and again. “ “Alessandra Belloni is an international living treasure. Her deep and profound knowledge of the Black Madonna is unsurpassed, and her sacred performances are literal transmissions of numinous truth to the audience. She brings us all gems of timeless spiritual knowing. Those passionate about the Black Madonna and the eternal Goddess can find no better guide to the inner esoteric awareness and hidden secrets than Belloni. She is the carrier of magic, which she shares generously with us all.” “Alessandra’s superb book is a surprising revelation and a powerful reminder to many of us who lost touch with the rich shamanic heritage of the Old World. She is a real passionate pioneer in the revival of this universal divine Earth Goddess archetype, a tradition from the remote villages of Southern Italy. This personal and illuminating book is an essential addition to the modern shamanic renaissance.” “As a drumming and dancing shaman, Alessandra Belloni embodies everything that the Black Madonna represents: entering the depths of self for healing and transformation, honoring the earth and the rhythm of life, finding balance and wholeness, interconnection, reclaiming the power of the Divine Feminine, embracing the mysterious to find awe and wonder. She guides us to enlightenment.” “People have been trying to find a cure for their anxiety and depression since the dawn of time. Today we might consider psychoanalysis, psychotherapy, or psychopharmacology, but in Southern Italy they have been using erotic dance, chants, sensual shamanic drumming, and songs for centuries to accomplish a cure. Alessandra takes us on a journey back in time to Southern Italy to reveal the rituals of the Black Madonna where she experienced the cure firsthand. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in learning alternative ways to relieving anxiety and depression.” “There are so many different ways to heal - and art is one of the most powerful, yet least understood. For years I have marveled at Alessandra Belloni’s performances of Southern Italian ritual dance and music, and I am thrilled that she is sharing her unique voice with the world through The Healing Journeys with the Black Madonna. While exploring the history and spirit of the Black Madonna, Belloni reminds us of the tremendous restorative and therapeutic power of art, music and dance. At a time when the stigma surrounding mental health causes so many people to suffer in silence, Belloni charts a welcome path to the joy that is part of being human.” Expand reviews