People of the Circle, People of the Four Directions
by Scott McCarthy
Category: Social Science

Publisher Marketing: A Gathering of Native American Prayers, Rituals, and Traditions. People of the Circle, People of the Four Directions explores the common spiritual symbols of the Native People of North and South America. Drawing on poems, stories, ceremonies, and ethnological writings, Scott McCarthy gives examples of the use of circles, the four directions, and the number four, both individually and in combination, as common themes that run through all the Native cultures of the Americas. The ceremonies and lifeways presented here will encourage a sharing and understanding between cultures, as cultures meet, sometimes colliding, sometimes entwining.Contributor Bio: Born in London, England, Scott McCarthy received a Master of Divinity, and a Master of Arts from St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, California, and was ordained a Catholic priest in 1974. Over the years he has attended numerous Native ceremonies throughout North and South America. He currently serves as pastor of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Carmel Valley, California, and as director of the diocesan Native American ministry.