The Smell Of Rain On Dust

More about the book

Inspiring hope and courage through loss, author Martín Prechtel, trained in the Tzutujil Maya shamanic tradition, offers teachings on the connection between grief and praise in our culture. He highlights how our inability to grieve properly for the dead is tied to our struggle to give praise for the living. In modern society, grief is often experienced in isolation, without community support. Prechtel asserts that "Grief expressed out loud for someone we have lost... is the greatest praise we could ever give them," emphasizing that grief is a natural way love honors what it misses. He argues that unexpressed grief contributes to many social, cultural, and individual issues today. With two centuries of unresolved grief, it manifests as "ghosts" affecting future generations. These "ghosts" can appear as diseases, like tumors, which the Maya term "solidified tears," or through behavioral problems and depression. Prechtel reveals how this collective, unexpressed grief represents our ancestors' long-held sorrow, and he discusses ways to liberate this energy for healing from trauma, loss, and suffering. This "little book" serves as a companion of encouragement, illuminating the deep and noble parts within us all.