Book excerpt: The inspiring firsthand account of one woman’s journey into African shamanism and the mysteries of the most sacred animal on the continent: the legendary White Lion In 1991, Linda Tucker was rescued from a pride of lions in the Timbavati game region by a medicine woman known as the “Lion Queen.” So began Linda’s lifelong journey into the wisdom and ceremonies of Old Africa, in which humans and lions are able to cross the species barrier. Such knowledge is in accordance with the most guarded secrets of Ancient Egypt and humankind’s greatest riddle, the Sphinx. Scientists in our day have established that humankind’s most significant evolutionary leap occurred as a result of our ancestors’ interaction with great cats. The White Lion is a genetic rarity within Panthera leo, and occurred in just one region on Earth: Timbavati. Today, White Lions form the center of the notorious “canned” trophy-hunting industry—hand-reared captive lions, shot in enclosures for gross sums of money. By contrast, shamans believe that killing a “lion sun god” is the ultimate sacrilege. How the human species treats such precious symbols of God in nature may determine how nature treats the human species. Whether we view them as prophetic “Lions of God” or simply as rare genetic mutations, the story of the White Lions is a true legend unfolding in our own extraordinary times. Inspiring, captivating, and thoroughly researched, Mystery of the White Lions is an unforgettable portrait of these magnificent beasts and of the overwhelming love that has driven Linda's every action to save them. “Through understanding the White Lion we will understand ourselves and our great role in the chain of being.” —Deepak Chopra