Shamanic Living Today

Should We Be Suspicious of All Stories or Just Certain Ones?

2012-01-21T00:41:00.000-05:00

When Tyler Cowen says we should be suspicious of stories, he comes across as either an enlightened being or a total hypocrite. I don't buy a lot of his premises--because he adds caveat after caveat in his Tedtalk, and the fact that he's using Tedtalks to share his message, arguably one of the most potent storytelling technologies out there, is tellingly inconsistent in and of itself.

Cowen, an economist by trade, says that storytelling makes life too simple. He uses words such as "self-deceptive," "manipulative," and "predictably irrational" to describe those who harness or are too susceptible to the power of stories.

He may have a point, especially when it comes to societal conflicts and how we add layers of hurt to our lives through certain stories we tell ourselves, which we become attached to over time.

I noted the dangers of clinging to certain stories in a post about September 11th ten years on--but the reality is that human beings have been and always will be fascinated with stories. The man of the millenium is William Shakespeare, not a priest or an economist, or a political leader, but a bard-- a storyteller. Research is showing that the vast majority of people base their view of the world on their values, which may be reflected in stories, and then cherrypick stats, info and evidence when it suits them to support their values-based pre-conclusions.

We are not automaton machines, therefore we can never escape the very things that exist to animate our lives and our souls. Furthermore, many stories can empower us, bring us hope, and teach us about compassion: they reflect our desires, perceptions, and the human condition. In this way, stories are not necessarily the source of self-deception, but rather possible reinforcers and context builders of who we believe we are, and who we can strive to be. In which case, Cowen's ire should not be aimed at stories but rather the content of certain stories.

What might better serve Cowen is a talk that discusses how we sometimes need to trade in the stories we buy into that may decieve, manipulate, and hold us down for ones that are more reflective of simple acceptance and the development of a more mindful lifestyle or higher consciousness.

Here is a nice excerpt from an article by Jungian and Shadow Psychology expert, Jeremiah Abrams, that expands on this point:

We are many-storied creatures. Every morning, we wake up and tell ourselves into our story. When you study a life, as I have many times as a therapist, you realize that how we tell ourselves into our story generally determines how things will go for us. As American Buddhist teacher Jack Kornfield says, “We can tell stories that lead us to greater suffering and desperation, blame and fear, or we can use stories to open the heart of compassion. We can use stories to support the generous impulse that’s there in us. We can use stories to connect us to one another.” The problem is that much of our personal story is unconscious to us, a jumble of scripts generated by the imprints of our experiences, often running and ruling us from underneath.

The places where we run into trouble and suffer in life are the places where our stories have gone awry, where things have gone badly and where we have chosen inappropriate responses or just avoided the powerful emotions and effects attending such events.

Which kind of story would you want to live by?

Dave Stringer and Healing Chants

2011-11-12T11:32:00.000-05:00

Dave Stringer Performs at The Yoga Barn, Bali

An excerpt from my new article on the unifying power of chant in Newsvoice.se . It is a feature about respected Kirtan singer, Dave Stringer, who recently performed at the Yoga Barn. Stringer discussed singing in gibberish to be therepeutic in a way that reminded me of a practice used by some shamans.

In certain shamanic chants or mantras bits and pieces of words come through in a vocal soup that makes little sense to most. Still, some believe there is a healing force that can be traced to the quality, shape and combination of the sounds themselves.

After learning about Kototama, an ancient study of sound, I was made aware that certain vocal sounds can stimulate while others sedate and that different combinations of vowels and consonants have symbolic and universal significance--it can start with how you utter your name--the name being each person's principal mantra for life.

ICARO TO MOTHER NATURE AMAZONIAN CHANT
Dairandaidrandidai
Hasto cielo mantchini cinchi cinchi medicoy

Mediconche coy na mi hapa morish vwa miquay

Dairandaidrandidai

Dairandaidrandidai

In this way, may be sounds do make up a world language like Stringer suggests--most musicians call music a universal language for a reason, and the words used in their songs don't have to make much transliteral sense.

To access the healing power of sound, there is an implied delinking of the mind involved, which is simply another altered state or pathway to the second attention.

The most interesting aspect of Stringer was his personal history and how he came to discover the therapeutic power of song. As a youngster, Dave would sing gibberish to himself—uttering a string of vocal sounds that often made no coherent sense– “it appeared and I just followed it,” he recalled.

Dave described this practice as a spiritual communication process from within, “it was the kind of nonsense that was meaningful to me,” He acknowledged there were possible shamanic elements to these non-linear vocalizations. And he came to consider them as ways to take negative emotions and to release and replace them with positive ones.

Dave discovered Kirtan later on while traveling in India... as a study and practice that gave structure and definition to the inner processes that he had privately engaged in all along. In a sense, Kirtan validated the gibberish.

“It gave my life a rich meaning—I could transform what was dark and difficult into something brighter and allow it to spread. So I went around the world singing.”

The full piece can be found here

September 11th's Inner World Influence

2011-10-03T03:41:00.000-04:00

Here are excerpts of my edited article about the ongoing influence of the most influential tragedy of our age: 9/11. The full edit can be found on Margot Anand's Blog and the longer version was published in Europe's NewsVoice.

To me, the shamanic elements are clear in that 9/11shows how persons and societies may generate stories that justify behaviors, that can keep us bound to the past. Throughout life we are challenged to let go of stories that inhibit our personal growth, but the stories that rule the collective subconscious are the most difficult to release and can be the most damaging:

TEN YEARS ON: THE SUBCONSCIOUS POWER OF 9/11
We each recall the stark images of planes flying into sky scrapers; the heroism, the villainy, the suffering, the imagination slipping into what it could have been like for the senses to experience the fire, smoke, and collapsing rubble. Every society has versions of its own 9/11 and Ground Zero.

Are We Stuck in a Story?
On the personal side, I believe that if such tragic forces are not converted into platforms for conscious awakening and compassion, they will soon become a heavyweight distraction.

In their book, “Spontaneous Evolution,” American scientist, Bruce Lipton, and political scientist, Steve Bareman, discuss the limitations and sabotaging influences of the collective subconscious experience, “We are storymaking creatures…in order to make meaning of the world, we create stories”—

The urge for victims of violence is to instead develop a story that creates a self-serving struggle between good and evil, right and wrong, hero and villain. Yet Lipton and Bareman and others like Eckhart Tolle remind us that we are meant to move beyond our stories. Why?

If a person is to transform and awaken to their gifts, then it becomes nearly impossible to do so when still clinging to a recurring cycle of past hurts and injustices.

when it gets in the way of identifying with a positive meaning in a big-picture context, then it can be hypnotizing to allow cultural belief to dominate our lives.

Bare explains in more detail, “We often find people who have a wound, or an affliction, or problem. And their entire lives become about this problem and then to let go of that problem they would lose all of the meaning in their lives. This gets played out in cultures…Each time one side does something bad to the other side, that enhances the story and it builds the story one more storey high.”
Dropping the Story to Celebrate Life
After 9/11, “national security” arguably became the dominant political and cultural story in the US and many parts of the world, and the values of strength and valor against terror (as well as their ugly shadows) took center stage.
If you still think that it’s worthwhile to cling to the shared experience of those violent images from 9/11, consider Lipton and Bareman’s rationale that it empowers our conscious capacity to participate in the world when beliefs that are limiting are reprogrammed.

This way the heavy coat of armor that preserves the ego from fear of violence can be replaced with a radiant mirror reflection of a responsible vibrant and more complete being; free to avoid storybook dramas that come and go in life.

FIRST CONTACT

2011-09-09T05:16:00.000-04:00

An undisturbed tribe of indigenous Amazonians were caught on video this year for the first time to verify their true existence to Brazilian authorities. The rainforest tribespeople were filmed from a helicopter about 1 km away, using cutting-edge camera technology.

The reason for this exercise, according to Jose Carlos Meirelles, of FUNAI (the National Indian Foundation of Brazil), was to preserve the tribe’s lands and culture from loggers and other powerful interests who have plans to develop the land.

The intention of keeping the tribe shielded behind the trees; perfectly preserved inside its own natural bubble of frozen time is important and noble although ultimately futile. Not to sound pessimistic, but it seems unlikely to work for long. Whatever little is left of the world’s mysteries is rapidly being overturned, analyzed, and exploited by the hyperthinkers and doers who want everything figured out and turned into profit. The cost of the damage done is rarely factored and the earth’s natural harmony seems only to warrant fixing under this model.

As humanity looks to explore and conquor more physical space, the most important discoveries left to most of us remain buried away inside the psyche’s deepest wounds and greatest hopes--the inner frontiers, as poet David Whyte might describe them.

Advocates of a modern lifestyle might argue that these “primitives” would benefit from a dose of space-age enlightenment and other scientific and social advancements, which are only accessible to the industrialized person, and that they should be approached and "made better" by our ways.

Guardians of the world’s dying mysteries would say that the simple ways and practices of these people can better help them remain connected with the heart of nature and thereby the natural self, and they should be left alone.

Another cadre of people might believe that in order for both our peoples to survive, their voices and experiences ought to be heard, shared, honored, and integrated into society; for theirs is an essential wisdom that we can learn from; a wisdom that is healing and rapidly disappearing.

I belong to this last group. But the question still begs: should they be left alone? I regret that the answer is 'yes.'

In the end, the essential course of action may be to empower these people from a distance as we would a beautifully mysterious and forgotten version of ourselves that ghosts in and out of view when we sometimes look in the mirror. As you suit up to go to work, consider allowing the inner tribesperson in you to materialize today. It will help you look back at your mind’s camera mounted atop your inner observer’s helicopter with a stronger sense of wonder.

To read an article about the Tribe, visit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12325690

David Jubb: Life Food Shaman Reshapes Raw

2011-09-08T04:43:00.001-04:00

According to loyal supporters of David Jubb, raw food is out and "Life" food is IN. Jubb is a pioneer nutritionist, author, lecturer and shaman, who was a leading figure at this year’s Raw Life Festival at Angsbacka Course Center. According to one follower, Jubb once inspired the founders of the Landmark Education phenomenon, and his teacher, Cloud TwoChildren, remains his own top inspiration.

PLAY AWAKENS THE MIND
With a PhD and a list of other scientific credentials to his name, Jubb’s 40 years of experience have honed his remarkable abilities to read the body "like a book"; integrating indigenous wisdom and scientific methods along the way.

He started out using a series of games to read body language and he believes that such games are the best ways to tap a person’s highest potential. “Playfulness is a suspension of ordinary time. It reveals a state of mind and a state of being.”

To Jubb games were a way of exploring the “universe inside our mind,” which also became the name of his controversial TV show on Manhattan cable. His show explores subjects such as how the human “gut” has its own intelligence and the damaging effect of growth hormones. But Jubb is more than an entertainer and educator.

In earlier years, Jubb designed simple machines and techniques to help determine direction, focus and balance in people as a way of discerning how they approach life’s challenges.

“Every single thing which one does is a metaphor of the clearest of things happening in the unconscious mind.

He believes that sweat lodges, prayer circles, and similar ceremonies are places where people go to deliberately create darkness—which may start as a seeming situation of suffering, but ultimately these sacred spaces teach people how to think without interference.

LIFE COLLOID: A Soil Based Supervitalizer?
Jubb enthusiastically shared his discovery of “Life Colloid”—a supervitalizer mineral-organo complex, “It’s what is missing in the world. It can preserve you,” he says.

According to Jubb, the Life Colloid substance is found only in the earth’s oldest forests, “it’s the most ancient stuff and it carries every phytonutrient in the forest.” Life Colloid's rare availability only meant that Jubb had to spend hours studying satellite images to find a suitable enough deposit source in Australia.

Jubb’s research suggests that the intestinal tract carries 1,000 species of “good” bacteria, but it should carry around 80,000 species. And Life Colloid is meant to help with restoring these organisms to improve digestion and food absorbtion.

The Life Colloid provides a number of other benefits including increased immunity and glutathianperoxidase production, but the most interesting are the claims that it “snacks on contaminants,” in the body, and Jubb says that it supports DNA generation.

“People who try it feel something of themselves coming back more,” Jubb claims. “When you have it, you gain the intelligence of a wolf,” Jubb continues, suggesting that a significant increase in perception and awareness returns to those who ingest Life Colloid.

GREENS VS. FRUITS
Jubb believes that Irish Moss is the best green superfood substitute available, but he cautions against the intake of too much in the way of green juices because of the alarmingly high amount of phospherous in these so-called superfoods. “A small amount of greens is fine, but it shouldn’t be relied on too heavily,” Jubb reasons. The high phospherous-calcium ratio in Spirulina, for example, creates bone deposits, fail to support the production of serotonin, and impact our sensitivity to bright light, according to Jubb.

Believing that humans are meant to be more “frugivorous,” Jubb encourages consumption of foods that come either from the body of a flower or the flower itself.

He also called on the raw food community to more actively promote the principal of life force in food, and use restraint with respect to certain foods like bananas, which are susceptible to “mould, fungus, and yeast.”

SCIENCE RIPE FOR REFORM
Jubb believes that the scientific establishment needs to be more environmentally focused and that there needs to be greater government disclosure about technologies that support clean energy, “the hand needs to be the people,” he says.

Limited by a collective agreement, science would benefit by shifting from shortsighted and unsustainable economic demands to a rational, logical process that it was designed to be, Jubb reasons. Moreover Jubb argues that the research world’s carrot and stick driven model of observation needs to instead be driven by the internal generation of intrinsic interests like learning, achievement, recognition and growth.

Jubb subscribes to 50,000 year old “Toltec” technologies from the Lemurian era, which he believes are the most naturally powerful teachings available. By putting nature first, Jubb finds that technology can naturalize humanity, “These are principals that are tried and tested from time immemorial.”

Finally, Jubb’s gentle nature and generous time availability struck me as a model of how healers can put forward their crafts as a service first.

In spite of 40 years of dedication and his global celebrity, every night Jubb spent at least a couple of hours offering a specialized sauna massage treatment to guests and providing diet consultations during the day, without the expectation of pay. Thank you, David.

For more information, visit, http://www.jubbslongevityeurope.com/

Radio Show: Why Shamanism Now?

2011-07-26T09:48:00.000-04:00

Christina Pratt, expert shaman, Qi Gong teacher, and author of the mammoth Encyclopedia of Shamanism, has been hosting her own online radio show, Why Shamanism Now?, since April of last year. You can listen to it here live every Tuesday at 11 a.m. (Pacific Time).

This week (today), Pratt hosts film producer, Dan McGuire, to “explore the world-view of Balinese healers and their attitudes towards sickness, health, and the healing power of transformative ritual.” A subject of importance since Bali is one of the few societies left where the shaman is revered (you can read about my experience with a Balinese healer, Jero Ayu, here).

“Through the story of Mangku Pogog, McGuire illustrates the effect of globalization on the belief systems of traditional people and poses the questions: What new challenges are presented to traditional healers as people come for healing with different worldviews and diverse beliefs about healing? Will traditional wisdom survive or be changed by “spiritual tourism?” McGuire, a journalist with many years experience in Indonesia is currently completing his documentary “Balian”.

A shamanic practitioner for 21 years, Pratt calls herself an authentic, non-traditional contemporary shaman and is the founder of the Last Mask Centers for Shamanic Healing

Archives of her prior shows are available here. Here are some of the more interesting titles:

The Power of Joy
What is a Wounded Healer?
Shamanism and the Spiritual Warrior
Why You Need to Heal Your Ancestral Lines
Vitality and Life Force of Your Purpose
Transforming Pain

Melody of Grace

2011-07-19T17:29:00.000-04:00

Listen... listen
To this voice of air and light
It writes me into motion
Effortlessly slides, Deftly glides
With healing purpose
Following the surface
Into me
Deeply...deeply

Listen... closely
Under layers of my being
This body speaks completely
A universal language
A rippling liquid-luscious correspondence
Molecule and sound
Surround me
Beams...hues

Listen to this natural union
Wings above fluttering
Streams that gush belowing
Leaves rustling in between
Oh so gently integrate
Mother Earth-Father sky
Delicate, they move sublimely
Sway...safely

Take me...Take me now
Trace me to the source entirely
Inspire me blissfully
Lift me into higher realms
The orbits of awakening
To my senses lead me
Back to sound
Listen...listen
To this Melody of Grace

David Wolfe: A Reminder to Honor Healing Foods and Sacred Plants

2011-07-15T17:59:00.001-04:00

I saw the popular raw food nutritionist, author, and herbalist, David Avocado Wolfe, speak at a private event this Spring. Wolfe is the dynamic speaker from the informative documentary film “Food Matters”, and he calls himself an advocate for raw vegetarian nutrient-rich “superfood” and superherb diets. His belief is that modern practices have removed humanity from its connection to natural and “sacred” foods and plants and he made some comments about the value of restoring shamanic wisdom, which caught my ear.

Wolfe believes that people are naturally omnivorous in that they have the option to get nutrition from all possible types of diets. His personal preference was to eat uncooked vegetarian raw food varieties, “I create choice in foods for people to eat, and I like to give them vegetarian choices. That is personally my choice and it’s a Yogic bias.”

Some of the reasons for Wolfe’s meatless raw food fondness are: his belief that most foods that are heated lose their nutritional value and digestive enzymes; the higher up the food chain we eat, the more likelihood of increased toxicity; and that nutrient-rich plant-based superfoods are naturally healing for the body, efficient to produce, and take less from the earth.

According to Wolfe, “the goal is to eat as many plants as possible, to drink the best water possible, so that we can eat as little as possible…High nutrient dense superfoods mean that we don’t need high volumes of food.”

It is important to Wolfe to learn about the top herbal remedies used by ancient traditions: “Herbs are allies to the human race-- the great Daoist sages knew this and brought their favorite herbs; the great Yogis brought their herbs; the South American shamans brought their herbs; the North American shamans had their herbs.”

Wolfe had learned through his time spent with shamans about the relationship between certain plants and the body parts that they resemble. “If you are with eye problems, then they may suggest taking a plant that is shaped like the eye and has color.”

It was through shamanic processes that modern society had experienced breakthroughs in technology (including the computer age), Wolfe reasoned, and he felt these processes deserved greater credit. “The lesson is that we need to go back to our original shamanic values that these things came out of. We need to get ourselves sorted out, set the right intentions, be in a sacred setting, be supported by people with a shamanic lineage who are trained. We don’t want to mess around with this stuff,” he said.

Wolfe considered shamanic tools to be double-edged swords if not approached with reverence and caution, noting medicines like tobacco which he says can support advances in consciousness while also being among the most maligned substances on the planet.

“Tobacco in its natural form dilates the capillaries, allows someone to go deep, and is 27 percent mineral,” Wolfe reported, “the longest lived peoples in the world are tobacco smokers.”

But he went on to point out that typical chemically-laced cigarette tobacco introduces 4,000 toxic chemicals into the system. “Tobacco has nothing to do with lung cancer. It’s the chemicals breathed through plastic that are responsible.”

Wolfe pointed to the misuse and abuse of tobacco and cacao beans as examples of what happens when sacredness is undermined by improper production and consumption: “The human addicts, the plant doesn’t cause the addiction. Chemical stuff is designed to addict… The organic substance is sprayed with nicotine.”

For more information about David Avocado Wolfe, visit his websites: http://www.davidwolfe.com/ and http://www.thebestdayever.com/ . A second article about the event can be read here.

Multi-Instrumentalist, Joseph "Pepe" Danza

2011-06-11T20:11:00.000-04:00

One of my articles recently included in the Yoga Barn's newsletter:

International Musician, Pepe Danza, Brings Sacred Chants and Rhythms to the Yoga Barn

BALI, Indonesia – On May 22, 2011; Yoga Barn guests were treated to a multi-instrumental sound healing, meditation, and prayer performance from Uruguayan sound sculptor, Joseph “Pepe” Danza. Danza, a traveling musician with 35 years of world music experience, wove a mystical music-tapestry at the live recital using many instruments from various indigenous traditions.

“Wherever I would go, I would spend years trying to understand and get into the culture,” said Danza, who is a collector of over 400 instruments and is trained in the musical practices of Africa, Japan, India, and Tibet as well as his native South America.

According to Danza, his “Ocean of Sound” performance was a 100 percent improvised musical experience involving voice, woodwinds, crystal bowls, and percussion instruments, among others.

Integrating the full range of his multiethnic music gifts, Danza’s sound alternated from ethereal wavelike swells to frenetic drum solos, and he often played different musical instruments simultaneously and in unorthodox ways. Danza skillfully blended the entire range of his voice into his music: from impromptu chants to staccato rhythmic stabs.

“It’s very shamanic,” noted accompanying musician, Sparrow Deviyani, implying that Danza’s unrehearsed mystical sounds could induce powerful altered states through what Danza called a “sonic journey.”

Guests in the audience each took what they needed from the different sound modes on offer. Some sat or lay on their backs in meditative states while others moved their limbs to the rapid beats that would phase in and out of Danza’s music performance.

Pepe Danza comes to Bali and the Yoga Barn annually and will return in February of 2012. He considers Bali as “one of the highest civilizations on earth right now.” “As a whole, they live in a sacred way,” Danza said with appreciation.

As someone who honors the sacred dimensions of his own work, Danza emphasized the spiritual undercurrents that he offers, “I develop my techniques to a very high degree and then get out of the way,” he said, “I gather all these treasures in a ceremonial way.”

Danza will travel to Vancouver, Uruguay, and Mexico over the next few months. Learn more about him by visiting his website: http://www.pepedanza.com/home.html

Some Principals of Sound Therapy

2011-06-08T15:46:00.000-04:00

I drafted this article which is drawn mostly from the Fabien Maman radio interview with Jonathan Goldman last year and his Tama-Do Academy books. In a nutshell, it describes the science and reasoning behind his pioneering sound therapy treatment system.

According to those in the sound healing world, music is the universal language. Fabien Maman experienced what he calls his first “meditative concert”—when touring Japan as a musician. He was first confused because Japanese audiences did not clap after each song like most Western audiences. It was this experience that helped Maman discover that music has a cosmic vibration that can travel through the field, become absorbed by the listener and then can return to the musician; and that clapping hands can get in the way of this feedback.

CELLULAR RESEARCH
Fabien’s most famous book, “The Role of Music in the 21st Century” contains the story of Maman’s research. At that time he was testing the effects of musical instruments and tones on human cells. His experiments evaluated the double bass, human voice, vibraphone, flute, gong, and guitar, among others, and were conducted from 1 a.m.-5 a.m., between the hours when the Paris subway was closed. He played musical notes on a scale with different instruments, one note at a time and each time examined how blood cells changed shape and appearance. Maman discovered through this process that sound was changing the cells' shape and color; “doing something around people and cells; and around the aura of people.” To Maman, this was proof positive on the power of sound and its ability to help the body on a cellular level-- not just internally but externally.

Maman believes that sound travels first through the layers of the “subtle bodies” surrounding the cells and then it travels through to the physical body. On one hand, his results showed that different notes enabled healthy cells to expand, change shape or change color. On the other hand, cancer cells responded negatively to dissonant tones, which they could not handle in vitro, according to Maman. "With enough time, these cells would explode." Certain cells responded well to a frequency of a certain instrument, while others did not. But The human voice, he concluded, was the most powerful timbre of sound of all the instruments he tested. "The human voice carries something in its vibration that makes it more powerful than any musical instrument: consciousness."

Consistently, around the middle of the scale, there would form what Maman calls “a mandala, which represented what might be described as a sonic sweet-spot particular to an individual, or what Maman calls the "fundamental sound" of the person. To Fabien, these results confirmed that sound is a more powerful healing agent than we think.

THE “AURA OF SOUND”
Maman believes that the healing force of sound is not primarily in the striking of a note, it lies in the overtones and the harmonics that occur when the tone starts to fade, even when the tone can no longer be heard or is out of the range of human hearing. He believes that these can penetrate the aura and the body when it is naturally struck and acoustically shaped. Having to contend with the loud volumes and harsh modern urban sounds can expose people to detrimental sound waves that deplete the subtle field and shoot energy out of the body. People are often unaware of how sound can bombard their space. If the healing part of sound is primarily in the overtone, as Maman suggests, and the power of the harmonics is in the shape of the sound then most healing sounds "must be very subtle. Bigger and louder is not always better."

TAMA-DO ACADEMY--THE WAY OF THE SOUL
Maman was taught early on about the Kototama, which is an ancient science of vocalization and sound. After putting on hold his musical career, he was given the inspiration to start an academy for the development of human beings while he was in Egypt. His academy combines sound, color and movement and much of the science is based on acupuncture and the Chinese Medicine system. Maman's aim has been to marry music and acupuncture through this system, and he has developed 30 techniques that involve healing with sound over the years.

Why Acupuncture?—Maman found that this historic and precise practice provided an excellent established structure and preestablished body of knowledge for the application of Fabien’s research. Seven years after gaining his license to practice acupuncture in Paris and experimenting with tuning forks, Maman found connections and correspondences between tuning fork notes and each organ in the body. He finished the research in 1989 and started the Tama-Do Academy at that point. “The body is like a Swiss clock, every thing is precise; is in tune. So we have to apply sound in a precise way.”

Maman presented his work and findings at the World Research Foundation in 1988 and is considered the founding father of tuning fork therapy. When he returned to the US, he discovered a series of new tuning fork schools and theories. He was critical of the development of the massive wave of tuning fork therapists, and considers a lot of the work behind them as “incoherent”. “People who use tuning forks today, it is such a mess.”

For more information, visit the Tama-Do Academy site.

Yoga Meets Shamanism: Danny Paradise

2011-05-28T22:45:00.001-04:00

At the BaliSpirit Festival this year, I met my first yoga master who openly incorporates shamanism into his yoga practice and instruction. With 35 years experience as a yogi, American Danny Paradise is also a gifted musician, philosopher, political commentator and practicing shaman. He believes “yoga is shamanism,” because “both are about healing and awakening the body.”

Danny is an advanced master of Ashtanga Yoga, which is among the most physically demanding forms of yoga around. He balances out Ashtanga’s intensity by encouraging “a sacred, safe, meditative, healing, joyful, expanding, and pain-free,” practice for himself and his students.

A YOGI AND SHAMAN?
Danny's shamanic experiences draw from the wisdom of various indigenous cultures including those of Hawaiian, Mayan and Native North and South American cultures. “It’s the same exploration all over the world,” he says, “we’re all part of nature, so we’re all part of Spirit.”

Danny links yoga and shamanism especially because of the underlying spiritual lineage of both, calling shamanism “the root of all religions,” and describing yoga as a way to “allow clarity to increase, and to step outside the regular order of things.”

“They have a crossing over point,” Danny says, “they both explore deeper levels of consciousness… These are sophisticated practices.”

While yoga is normally more physical in nature than shamanism, Danny talked about the inextricable link that unites both, “You can’t separate spirituality from humanness. If you start with the bones, human breath, your intuitive nature, then you are in tune with the shamanic realms,” he affirmed.

ACTIVE ENGAGEMENT IS YOGIC
Paradise also devotes time to expanding his knowledge of history, power politics, self-development and other fields. He promotes community activism and personal education as well as spiritual and physical practices in his classes too, which may start with a group discussion about spirituality, yogic and shamanic values, philosophy or the current world order.

During his class sessions he may also cite authors, share his definitions of shamanism, or give his students a reading list handout, which contains his favorite texts on shamanism and yoga.

BODY-MIND-SPIRIT
Many of us in the West start practicing yoga strictly as an alternative physical fitness exercise. Danny Paradise reminds us that doing yoga is not just about getting in shape or even closing our eyes and meditating—there’s something special about synching both. The ancients likely realized this.

It’s the movement-meditation, body-mind combo that is integral to Yoga, Qi-Gong and other similar physio-spiritual practices that, I believe, make them significant doorways to the creative realms/Spirit worlds.

Could growing interest in these forms be related to a blending of the body-mind in a way that supports a more direct experience of the divine/shamanic? Yes, I think so.

By emphasizing shamanic awareness through yoga, I believe Danny Paradise is signaling to us that making contact with our bodies in a mindful way creates a potent opening to energy, power, and information.

The benefit of mainstream yoga in this age is that Spirit can be accessed more readily by larger numbers of people—sometimes intended; other times not. Either way, yoga supports an expanded state of mind, which, in my view, and perhaps Danny’s too, can be the gateway to a deeper and more fulfilling co-existence with our inner and outer worlds.

For more information on Danny Paradise, visit his website at: http://www.dannyparadise.com/

Observations as a Healer

2011-05-16T01:52:00.000-04:00

There are many aspects of training in the healing arts that came up for me lately. They have allowed me to reflect more deeply about what it means to fill the role of a healer. I have only had a limited number of years experience as a trainee, but I already can feel that the value of the healer is in raising consciousness by knowing, managing, and balancing what lies inside the entire human experience. It starts with the healer’s own consciousness, so here are a few observations and challenges in relation to my in-progress Tama-Do Academy training:

Set a Boundary—“Being open to receive” is a message that is consistent with practitioner and receiver and there is a fine art to trusting your intuition, knowing your protocols, inviting your guides in to your space to support you, and opening another person to receive your gifts. This work may involve opening your field to a person’s trauma and wounds and it will inevitably take some awareness to avoid getting caught in someone’s story or “stuff.” This has been a common theme in all the trainings I have received, and it sounds perfectly clear enough on paper. What I hadn’t noticed was that even when I consciously set the intention of not becoming involved that inevitably part of me could get unstuck if I was not careful, especially if there was a detection of what might be described as stagnant or heavy energy.

At Tama Do, we are advised to shower after each session, to remain physically clean and mentally present and to keep the conversation light. I would add that taking the time at the end of the day to check in with your body, your energy centers, and your guides to “feel” if there is anything unwanted that has unnecessarily stayed with you for release is worthwhile. Grounding through daily Chi Gong practice and sounding are methods used by Tama-Do trainees to help with this.

Beware of Doing Too Much—The feeling of being too involved can lead to feeling the need to do too much or to produce a miracle on demand with each healing given. This is the biggest impediment to remaining present with the person seeking help and remaining aligned—both are needed if I am to be effective. If a practitioner isn’t careful I believe they can get stuck in the idea of fixing a person and will burn themselves out on the healing work. The fact remains that no matter how well or poorly trained you are, some people may not respond or be open to the treatment—especially when it is more rooted in raising vibrations and not routine hands-on bodywork.

I have tried to close my eyes and go deeper within to find stillness during moments of doubt when I question my skills; when I need to impress the receiver or when I have an urge to do more unnecessarily. Daily affirmations/prayers in a ritualistic setting help me flow more freely, faithfully and effortlessly into my role.

Remaining Detached—The power of the work being done can be easy to get lost in. I have felt the receiver experience emotional reactions to the treatments and some of the places you take the receiver of the treatment can be quite intense or overwhelming for them. The Tama-Do practice is meant to remain light and let the waves come and go on their own, making sure that the practitioner doesn’t get overcooked.

Checking in—This is related to remaining present, although it is more along the lines of opening and maintaining the energy field to whatever may be happening. There can be a tendency to zone out while working on someone and getting lost in thought or surroundings. Sometimes I get too narrowly stuck in my head about the protocols or the way I am holding a tuning fork. I have to have faith in the training and just do what I can in the moment. One way to remain present is to open a window and just call in the energy of any outdoor natural setting into the room (even a plant’s chi will do). Or send any tension out through your feet into the core of the earth with an exhale.

Creativity—There is usually space for creative work within protocols and structure you are given in your field, after all we are dealing with the healing arts. Once you have begun to master the underlying work, try developing your own healer’s signature and consider what you look and feel like as a healer. I believe I am developing an individual expression based on what my personal field creates and how it interacts with others.

Developing relationships with my guides (see below) is part of establishing a stronger capacity to be creative in my own right without giving up the given structure and guidelines. It might be compared to delivering a solo during a jazz performance. This takes time and practice, of course. Once you can tune in to your healer’s energetic signature, you can invite this special unique energy in and let it flow into the practice.

Check Your Energy Levels—If you’re working other jobs to make money or are living in a challenging or unhealthy environment, there is a danger that your work will be impeded. The healer does not function with a working professional’s mindset. Further, toxicity on any level can have a negative impact on the ability to reach and read others. The added sensitivity from my daily training improve my energy and heighten my perception. I am reminded to honor my body first and to make sure that I am being nourished physically, nutritionally, and spiritually. Meditation and Chi Gong are great for improving energy levels. Still, I may feel like I need a solid chunk of time prior to any session to shift into the space of a healer and to further ground my energy levels. Jumping from one activity (or receiver) to the next is not optimal.

Create Sacred Space—Clearing the work space prior to the start of a session can help with the process of relaxation for the receiver. Sound and burning sage can effectively provide this. Let your space be inviting and allow it to carry your safety and comfort. I would not advise doing too many healings in other people’s spaces, especially if you have not inspected the space first.

Facilitate Openings- Inspiration works best when there is a certain emptiness and freedom involved. This is again where the word arts comes into play. There is more than just physical interaction when a healer and receiver connect, there are hidden energy field subtleties making themselves available to both participants and what some would call guides-- subtle energy entities—that are invited into the circle to facilitate action. In order to make the experience a dance, the practitioner’s energy is best off being drawn to his/her back and all other thoughts that prevent the ability to be present should be sent into the earth.

Build Relationships with Guides –Asking to be guided by your highest guides is not something that can happen overnight. In Tama Do, there are colors and essences involved, as well as personal guides. Each one carries energy and vibration and this energy can be called in more effectively when the practitioner has a deeper and more nuanced understanding of the energy itself. Poems, prayers, blessings, paintings, sketches, visual representations of the energy that is being invoked can all allow you to build a relationship with your guides over time. Call in your highest guides to know more about them and feel how they want to speak/work through you. If you feel a block between you and your guides, try to understand what it is rooted in. What does this energy want?

For more information about Tama-Do practitioner training, visit http://www.tama-do.com/

Daoism Training in China

2011-04-10T06:21:00.000-04:00

The Zhi-Zhi-An Temple in the WuYi Shan Mountains, China

Last year, I visited a Daoist monastery to study Qi Gong, Daoist scripts, and meditation. Zhi-Zhi-An monastery in China was originally built over 1,800 years ago, and was just recently restored after being leveled by the Chinese government decades back. Today it houses monks, scholars, and visitors year-round and is considered one of the most significant Daoist holy places in China.

Every day a ceremony was held at the Zhi-Zhi-An Temple Shrine

According to the retreat organizer, Medical Qi Gong Master Daniel Li Ox, Daoism is heavily rooted in shamanism and alchemy. And there were many overlaps--the toning, the offerings to archetypes and mythological figures, the content of the shrines, the imagery, and the effort to create sharper awareness. There was also an emphasis on personal empowerment, rather than dogma, in my view, which was well received.

The monastery’s top lecturer and chief Abbott, Master Wang Li-Ming is known as one of China’s leading experts on Daoist sacred texts such as the Book of Changes or “I-Ching,” which he has studied for 30 years. Even high level Chinese government officials have consulted with him to learn more about the Dao.

Perfectly Fengshuid at the base of one of the highest peaks

Wang says he practices the most advanced form of Qi Gong in China and has received the highest caliber of training available. Well versed in traditional Chinese Medicine and calling himself a practitioner of Chinese alchemy, Wang is one of the very few in the world who has gained the “Golden Elixir” in his body, according to our translator.

“Qi Gong is a discipline which combines patience, skill, and collaboration between the individual’s mind and body,” said Master Wang. Over 14 days of theory and practice, Wang showed us how to explore those elements as healing forces to support the body through meditation training. His aim was to help, “see with the heart in a still condition.”

Throughout this period, I took part in daily meditations, sound toning activities, Qi Gong practices, Dao Yin stretching exercises, a Chi Nei Tsang (specialized form of abdominal massage) training course, Chinese calligraphy lessons with an outstanding local artist, local tea culture, Daoist philosophy lectures, and free time to explore the UNESCO cultural heritage site location.

I received several gifts and expansive moments during my time in China, but the most valuable was being able to find a deeper degree of inner stillness. May be this had something to do with learning meditation from a master with an ancient lineage. When I was training with Wang, I could profoundly sense there was more happening energetically, perhaps on a shamanic level--especially when our eyes would close and we would reach back to a theoretical point in the universe where all potentiality resides--"the Great Non-Ultimate."

I could concentrate more in these sessions and eased through any stiffness or aches that would normally keep me from going deeper. Wang's presence seemed to make it easy to surrender to the practise and open wider to the wisdom of his teachings. And this is something I feel like I can always return to.

Master Wang (left) and his apprentice

Wang emphasized self-development through discipline and called on us each to “transmute” his teachings subjectively. We would have to approach the Dao in our own way based on our soul’s individual journey, challenges, gifts, and developmental needs, he believed. “No one else can do this work for you, not even an enlightened Master.”

Another retreat is planned for the Summer. I recommend it highly-- http://www.wanderingdao.com/activities/wuyi/china_retreat.html

MORE JERO AYU PICS

2011-03-04T00:11:00.000-05:00

Jero Ayu greeting a guest. Only ceremonial clothes are allowed.

The Balinese-Chinese shrine flanked by Kuan Yin images

A Balinese Hindu priest and his wife wait in line with others to receive a blessing from Ayu.

One of Ayu's followers stands and starts to dance during a meditation session

Some observers waiting for their turn

My Guide and wood master, Wak, who is also one of Ayu's followers

A meal for all visitors prepared by friends and family members

Balinese Mystic Jero Ayu

2011-03-03T00:00:00.003-05:00

Last month, I met twice with Jero Ayu. She is a young mystic, who is reported to be highly respected by Bali’s Hindu clerical establishment. For a prodigy to take the island’s ancient religious order by storm is no small task.

Ayu endured a tragic childhood and gained her extraordinary ability to channel and memorize ancients texts mysteriously after falling ill and sinking into a coma. When she returned to consciousness, she claimed she was able to "communicate with spirits." She apparaently went on to passed tests of knowledge, religious scholarship and spiritual wisdom--all after only a week of training-- a monumental achievement that normally takes priests-in-training 10 years to complete.

According to one source, after Ayu experienced her near death episode that sent her into a coma for days, she gained an uncanny ability to recite ancient mantras and sacred texts by heart, as well as an incredible knack for speaking the Chinese language fluently—she was reported to have been a poor Balinese native prior to these events, who had never left the island let alone be exposed to other languages.

It was said that Ayo had activated the incarnation of a spiritual master when she almost died, and took on the essence of "Kuan Yin," a Buddhist figure of compassion. Her subsequent feats of healing and mastery of the ancient texts and rites made waves, and elevated her personal shrine into a place of pilgrimage for Hindus and Buddhists alike. She now receives visitors from all over Asia.

During my brief visit with her, which included a Full Moon ceremony, I watched her as she channeled different energies, and conducted healings and offered blessings for those who came to her.

Balinese Hinduism is a special blend of two indigenous spiritual traditions from India—Hinduism and Buddhism. Indonesia recognizes 5 official world religions—Islam, Hinduism, Catholicism, Christianity, and Buddhism. On Bali, one of Indonesia’s smallest islands and popular tourist destinations, ceremony and spirituality are a big part of life. It seems that at every corner, there is a shrine, temple, sacred carving, or an offering being shared with the Spirits. Bali is also known for its prolific mysticism, popularized by Laurence Blair's "Ring of Fire" and Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love."

When I arrived at Ayu's temple residence after a breathtaking motorcycle ride through the Balinese countryside, I could tell that there was something special and ancient about the energy in her compound. It made me pause, smile, and breathe deeply in acknowledgement. Others were waiting to be blessed by Ayu when I got there, including priests who were much older and more established. I sat at a balee close to the mouth of her shrine next to an older man who was a credentialed priest. He had arrived especially for her. We talked about his reasons for visiting against the backdrop of a 12-second pre-recorded Chinese mantra, which looped over and over. The words of the mantra paid homage to Kuan Yin and after a while created a hypnotic atmosphere.

Before I was given the go ahead to enter the shrine area for prayer, blessing, and meditation, Ayu personally approached me and gave me a warm welcome. Her handshake was gentle and tender. I thought I sensed an electrical charge go into my body when we made physical contact. She definitely had a strong presence.

I noticed that Ayu’s shrine was adorned with the color red, with many Chinese decorations—it was a totally different environment than any other Balinese holy site I had encountered, but her traditional clothing along with the dress of her visitors clearly suggested that she and her guests were all Balinese Hindus.

I thought at first that the unfamiliar décor and Chinese recording might have been a special way to celebrate the Chinese New Year. When I finally got a closer look, I realized that this was the normal view of the shrine. I must have witnessed a half-dozen images of Kuan Yin posted all around the area of worship. There were also other shrine elements that drew from Buddhism, Daoism, and Hindu mythology, as well as flowers, incense, and holy water containers.

My guide and friend, who was one of her followers, explained to me that Ayu united three energies—those of: Kuan Yin, Shiva (who is said to be present in Bali’s Mount Agung), and a well known Balinese water goddess. Three different forces and energies united in one. When I visited her again at night, I finally witnessed her channel Kuan Yin. Later that same evening she also took on what came across to me as a more irreverent male energy-- a spirit who appeared to represent wealth or commerce— With her eyes still closed, Ayu proceeded to light a cigarette and down two shots of liquor and take on an entirely different persona.

Whenever she would slip into her alternative identities, the crowd around her would huddle together, all eager to receive a nugget of wisdom or advice from the visiting energy she was reportedly channeling.

We proceeded to make an offering, receive a blessing, meditate, light incense, and pray. Afterwards, I received a personal blessing and message from Ayu and was sent away with a smile, a meal, and an invitation to return any time.

I saw that Ayu’s youthfulness kept an atmosphere of lightness and friendship among her visitors. Although I could not understand a word she said, she did not set herself apart from the rest the way some priests do and often joked and made her visitors feel at ease with humor and cheerful banter. Occasionally, Ayu would sit behind other meditators and place her hands at either side of their spine in what looked like an energy transfer.

I believe that Ayu may have undergone one of those radical shamanic experiences or awakenings that cracked her open and initiated her as a human bridge to the spirit world. She emerged from her traumatic episode with a knowing and a power that allowed her to introduce a unique combination of elements to an ancient culture. Her status among the priests allowed her to safely advance and share her shapeshift experiences with her people-- a rare occurance. While winning over the religious establishment with her wisdom, was a stunning enough feat all on its own, fortunately for her, the institutions of worship from her society opted to support and integrate her powers, and open up space for her unique mystical gifts to thrive. As a result, she now provides an alternative for worshippers on the island, seemingly without threatening her peers or the current order. But who really knows if there are those who feel threatened?

Ayu is said to be preparing for a visit to other parts of the world, including Australia and China.

IMAGERY AND DANCE

2011-02-24T23:38:00.000-05:00

As the Sufis well know, movement (especially repetitive motion) can be an ideal way of inducing ecstasy; whereby the body creates its own rhythmic energy channel and doubles as an instrument of inspiration and expression from other worlds. Indigenous people throughout the ages have also tapped into a movement-driven ecstatic experience, often telling stories or reenacting myths through dance; to call up the energies of the story’s elements and give them physical form.

I picked out an interesting book called Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance by Eric Franklin, and have extracted a few key passages that to me have elements of shamanism and spirit expressions through the body. The book offers techniques for visualization as a way of enhancing the experience of movement, dance and physical expression. The book contains a quote from Arnold Mindell, who is an authority on shamanism and has a relationship to our tribe. We used Mindell’s book, “the Shaman’s Body” as one of our assigned texts.

Connections through the Body (P.15):
The native American hoop dance informs us about connections: “A legend tells of a dying man who wished to leave something on earth. The creator gave him a hoop and told him that for each living thing he could create, one more hoop would be added. As he added hoops he became stronger and each year he created other living things. The dancer forms these shapes- a butterfly, a turtle, an eagle, flowers, a snake—showing how all living things are connected and grow and change.” (from American Indian Dance Theater, program notes, Dec. 1993). Everything in the hoop dance is created from the same hoop—circles. One could also think of the human body as circles of interconnected energy.
Exercising with Your Environment (P.47)
Native Images can evoke deep emotional reactions. These images have floated in the eyes of humankind for tens of thousands of years; they are imprinted in our genes. In the grass dances of the American Plains Indians, the dancers become the movement of the tall rippling grass as they stomp the area to create the dance circle.
Discovering Imagery (P.63)
An image that presents itself during a massage or a body session may tell you something about the nature of a particular ache or pain. According to psychologist, Arnold Mindell (1985), founder of process oriented psychology, a bodily symptom is trying to tell you something. The symptom may give rise to an image that can clarify the situation. Imagery seems to be closely related to insight and discovery. The astronomer, Johannes Kepler, in keeping with Plato’s philosophy, believed that his scientific discoveries resulted when images or ideas already in his mind matched external events. Eastern sages such as the Rishis of India, authors of the Vedas, “were men of vision who saw things in their meditation in images often symbolic images which might precede or accompany an experience and put it in concrete form.” Writes Sri Aurobindo (1971, 12). The flow of imagery often results from sensory resources and experiences.

Diet, Chi, and the Relationship to Food

2011-01-31T22:26:00.001-05:00

During my trip to a monastery in China last year, I learned how my relationship with food improves my ability to connect with the higher self. A lecture from one of the Masters at the Zhe-Zhe-An Temple particularly discussed the importance of a good diet as one of the pre-requisites to self-awareness and not just as a part of good health and physical self-care.

We often hear about exercise and diet as elements of a healthy lifestyle, but there is not enough of a detailed discussion, from what I have seen, about how both of these can contribute to a person’s capacity to access information from other realms more readily, or more fully enter altered states.

Diet as a starting point for accessing higher vibrations doesn’t appear on the list for many shamanic practitioners either, although there is a growing awareness about how the quality of the energy conatined in food and how it has an impact on a person’s concentration and longevity.
In our urban shaman’s apprenticeship, food was a ritual for social bonding and a source of offering for the formless, but we stopped short of making it a focus of study, and the Tribe rarely went into the impact of diet and exercise on their practice, although we were discouraged from journeying after eating a heavy meal.

According to Master Wang-Li Ming, a Daoist Chi Gong Master and resident Abbot at a centuries-old temple in China, reinforcing the body’s life force or “chi” is an all-important foundation and goal for any spiritual practice. What is more, the area of the Tan-Tien (second chakra), where food digestion takes place, is regarded as the “fertile field” of the body. It is in this space where the body absorbs food, processes emotions, and stores chi.

“Food has chi,” Master Wang asserted, “the chi can be lost if the food is not fresh.” According to Wang, “raw vegetables have more chi than if they are cooked. If they are overcooked, then most of the food’s essence disappears.”

The food served at the monastery was mostly fresh, local, and vegetarian, and the stews and sauces were very lightly cooked. I began to appreciate how non-processed, fresh, and organic foods helped me with finding alignment and connecting with divine source during my daily practice of meditation.
I was a vegetarian for years before making raw locally grown vegetables a bigger part of my diet and it has had a significant impact. Just from my recent and limited experience with a partially raw and organic food diet, I can feel a big difference after my meals. I feel lighter, more alert and more energized. I also feel like I am more present to my senses and my organs are clearer. Overall, this condition has only helped me receive more from the spirit realms.

It may have been a tough transition at first but I recommend making diet a priority to all practitioners.

Time and the Mayans

2010-12-17T04:42:00.001-05:00

I have written a series of articles to publicize "consciousness raising speakers" for an online publication based in Bali, Indonesia. Pasted below is one of the most recent ones. Vasumi's Tjikaa Telos conceives of time as a deeply personal and subjective experience, while still following a structure that falls in line with the motions of celestial bodies. This provides some legitimacy to the varying experiences of time and explains why people respond to shifts in energy that might be seasonal, monthly, weekly etc. One of Vasumi's assistants explained that the Mayan system serves more as an individual's "synchronometer" rather than a calendar.

Vasumi went on to tell me that the Mayan calendar has a great deal in common with astrology as well as a way to measure time-- although it can appear more meticulous than mainstream astrology.

The "experience" of time going hand in hand with the more superficial "telling" of time brings to mind: (1) the degree to which an altered state can help better attune or synchronize with the energetic shifts of the earth and the universe; and (2) that all the astrological traditions I have come across (Western, Mayan, Chinese etc.) are likely to derive from the same root, or at least have common links about the impact of time and energy patterns on a person's emotions, health, relationships, challenges etc.

Time is an essential dimension of this existence, which the Shaman can navigate. There are gods of time and there is a necessary relationship to time as a principal energy force that drives the process of life on earth, and also its experience. When we honor the ancients, the elders, the ancestors, or the nature forces that outlast us; when we undergo rituals to unite our paths with those who have preceded us, then I believe we are deepening our relationship with time and calling for the wisdom of Time's masters to guide us through its cyclical processes and experiences.

What would be your greatest request of time? How would you have your wish granted?

MAYAN CALENDAR SPECIALIST RECASTS CONCEPT OF TIME

At a Villa Gaia workshop on October 9th, Vasumi Tjikaa Telos introduced guests to their Mayan astrology symbols and shared details about a system of timekeeping that is synchronized with harmonious natural rhythms and based on the Mayan calendar. Sharing her reflections on what is known as the Mayan Dreamspell, Vasumi encouraged attendees to be more receptive to a dynamic form of living that is aligned with biological, spiritual, emotional, and mental patterns, rather than linear time.

A Mayan calendar adept of 14 years, Vasumi feels compelled to conduct workshops partly to share her revelations about the limitations of traditional concepts of linear time that have come to dominate the lives of people from the Western world.

Her research and training suggest that time is best experienced as a subjective relationship between the seasons and the mind and body. By following a modern-day fixed calendar of what she calls ‘disharmonic time’, Vasumi believes people are stifling themselves and becoming removed from the living composite of multiple energies that govern the Mayan calendar.

“In the current age, it stands to reason that when we program to ‘disharmonic’ time, we are programming our minds to look for disharmony, according to Vasumi. Instead, she reasons that “the mind’s major job is to define pattern, and when the pattern is flawed, as it is in the Gregorian calendar; with arbitrary months, this affects the mind’s capacity to program to harmony and live a harmonious life.”

Using the Mayan calendar system’s tools to provide “source wisdom teachings,” Vasumi determined each attendee’s Mayan symbols based on their birth details. Commenting on personality traits, personal challenges and opportunities for growth, Vasumi often made startlingly accurate predictions that resonated strongly with many workshop participants, some of whom had never before experienced a reading based on the Mayan system.

During her workshops, Vasumi also took the time to explain the perceptions initially shared by one of her inspirations, Mayan cultural authority Jose Arguelles– the expert who she says is primarily responsible for the world’s interest in the 2012 end date prophesized by the Mayan calendar.

Sharing revelations that point towards a new time of hope and change, beyond 2012, Vasumi stipulated that the end date could signify a new beginning and an essential global consciousness shift rather than a cataclysmic end to life on earth.

Vasumi provided a detailed description of the methods and mechanics behind the process of reading the Mayan system and outlined the benefits of following its ancient harmonic time schedule, mainly based on the so-called “13:20 grid” of the Mayan ‘Tzolkin’ or 260-day year.

According to the 260-day Mayan calendar, the elements of time are based on a sophisticated system that corresponds to the human anatomy. For example one Mayan year can be calculated as a cycle of 20 Glyphs (each glyph being related to the 20 fingers and toes of the body) and 13 Tones (each related to the 13 major joints in the body (2 ankles, 2 knees, 2 hips, 2 wrists, 2 elbows, 2 shoulder joints and the joint connecting the spine to the head). Each day falls on one point along the 13:20 cycle, influenced to different degrees by the traits of the 20 glyphs or universal truths that “inhabit every day,” and the 13 ways in which those truths act or manifest.

Vasumi suggests that each day’s position reveals a different intersection point between the 20 Glyphs and the 13 Tones, implying an attunement to the different waves and phases that cycle along the Glyph-Tone axes.

The 260-day Mayan cycle matrix also falls in line with the number of days from human conception to birth. Vasumi further illustrated how other examples of the system can be found in our biology—referring to the formula as “a natural system reflected in a human form.”

The Mayan Dreamspell experience was presented as part of Bali Angels’ ongoing “Consciousness Raisers” speaker series. For more information about Bali Angels, visit us at http://www.baliangels.org/ . For more information on Vasumi, who is currently staying in Ubud, Bali, or details about the Mayan calendar, visit, http://www.vasumi.com/ and http://www.lawoftime.org/

Shaman Kiesha Crowther, "Little Grandmother"

2010-12-16T09:47:00.001-05:00

I have received news and notes from three different sources over a matter of days concerning Kiesha Crowther, otherwise known as Little Grandmother, so that's got to be a clear signal from Spirit to share.

Kiesha, is part North American Indian and she is the continent's official "Wisdom Keeper," according to the Continental Council of Indigenous Elders. I have had trouble downloading her talks on Youtube, but from her bio it is clear that she has a remarkable story and an essential mission before her.

In her travels across America and the world, Little Grandmother, who is barely in her thirties, is encouraging us to "live in the heart in right relationship with Mother Earth."

Like the other bridgebuilding figures from classic books like Secrets of the Talking Jaguar, Mutant Message Down Under, and Entering the Circle, Kiesha has undergone an unexpected shamanic initiation--(I've been told that she was reluctantly thrust into a leadership responsibility she never asked for) and become a conduit for the transfer of sacred knowledge from the Elders to the dwellers of this modern age. The message seems to be a consistent one: to remind people of the overarching need for a shift in human consciousness.

This little gem is from her official website:

The best way to support my work and the message is to truly start living from your heart and understanding that you are the Great I AM--that everything you need to create, the change you want to see in the world and in your life is within you. This involves:1) Developing a living relationship with Mother Earth 2) Develop a relationship with your own highest self, and 3) Asking yourself, "Why am I here? The answer to this question will be different for each of us, yet within this lay the answer to what each of us need to "do". Rather than thinking in terms of "doing," we need to think now in terms of "being". The answer is truly "being" the vibration of Love, rather than in doing. When you are vibrating in Love, and acting out of Love, everything you do will be what you are meant to do, and will have a positive effect. Living from the heart is not just a nice concept--it is a practice of listening and opening on a moment by moment level, and of "feeling" oneself to be interconnected to all life and to the planet intimately. Spending time deeply listening and feeling your connection to Mother Earth's energy and her great love for us is the surest way to reconnect to your heart, and to your highest self.

May it be so, sister.

Glossary of Holistic Practices

2010-11-14T00:07:00.000-05:00

This year's May/June issue of Asia Spa magazine contained a pretty comprehensive and concise A-Z of different holistic healing disciplines available to those interested. To view a pdf of the article, written by Nicole Chabot, go here.

While the chabot article provides a pretty good overview, and different elements of shamanism are reviewed, shamanism itself is ommitted from the article. I think this is a glaring problem and a shame. Even though shamanism may not always qualify as a spa-centered practice, it is an essential part of the mix of holistic options.

Oliver Sacks and Music Therapy

2010-11-13T23:26:00.001-05:00

I saw Oliver Sacks deliver a lecture in Southern California a while back and I wanted to share some of my notes about the points he shared. He is a groundbreaking medical researcher and he recently wrote a book about music therapy. He was famously portrayed by Robin Williams in the movie, Awakenings, and is known for his groundbreaking work with disabled patients.

In my view, his research is providing space for scientists to explore the healing properties of sound energy in a tangible way.
According to Sacks, "music therapy" is an exclusively human phenomenon. Sacks considers music to be a "crucial" treatment for people with Parkinson and Alzheimer’s disease, and those recovering from strokes. It can also help patients resist amnesia. To support this theory, he discovered that music uses parts of the brain that govern language, memory, and emotions—language is normally a left brain function but parts of the right brain are also used when music is involved--something that is not normally possible. For Sacks' Alzheimers patients—their music memory kept them grounded even when they lost all other memory capacity. Those worse Amnesia cases can still sing and conduct an orchestra. According to Sacks, the only fundamental requirements are that the music used has to have rhythm and a beat.

Sacks's research also suggests that Music triggers memories not normally accessible to schizophrenics and Parkinson’s patients. He remarked that different parts of the brain are used for listening and different parts for playing music back. Some of his patients responded to the music in such a way that the “music was playing" them, leading Sacks to believe, “Music is a direct, unmediated connection to feeling and real feeling.”

Sacks posits that music can appear in dreams and is contextual although it is not always beneficial. He used the example of how we have "all been infected by a jingle, a hook or an earworm." In this way, themes and phrases have the propensity to go around and around in the head in a way that is not always constructive, Sacks believes.

While all of this information created a lot to ponder, the most interesting and perhaps shamanically oriented part of Sacks' lecture was when he went into the topic of what he called, "Musical Hallucinations." Sacks said that music can follow you around while you are conscious to the fact that there may be no external source. He says that this is a common outcome for the hearing impaired and children. He doesn't know what creates them and dismissed them as something that "some people just have." He also noted that those who experience seizures hear music.

It strikes me that this is evidence of a residual sound energy that could be caught in a person's field. Thinking of the times I have felt music hallucinations, I wonder if these signatures provide clues about past experiences or if they might be an audio manifestation of journeying. The experience of a hallucination, by definition, is in some way related to an altered state. Perhaps sound and vibration is not only a way to induce an altered state, but it could be another dimension drawing in information from the spirit world.

While he is deeply involved in the practice, Sacks thinks that the way music works is still a deep mystery and he suspects it will remain one. Sacks asserts that almost everyone is musical and that the therapeutic powers of music are just being investigated now. He strongly believes that music healing will be recognized more in the future.

Interview with Sound Therapy Master Fabien Maman, September 8, 2010

2010-09-06T06:10:00.001-04:00

I am training with Fabien Maman, who will be interviewed by Jonathan Goldman, on his Healing Sounds Radio show this Wednesday. Fabien is a pioneer in vibrational sound therapy--he created the 12 meridian acupuncture point tuning fork system.

Although it is not mentioned in the text below, Fabien also incorporates shamanic soundscapes into his healing practices--using different frequencies, the voice, and acoustic instruments to clear subtle body fields and help realign and balance energy channels. For more information on Maman, visit the Tama-Do Academy website at: http://www.tama-do.com/roothtmls/aboutfabien.html

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Healing Sounds Newsletter

HEALING SOUNDS RADIO with Jonathan Goldman & Fabien Maman

http://www.healthylife.net/ --September 2010

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Please tune in September 8th, Wednesday, at 12 noon US Eastern Time, to http://www.healthylife.net/ when I present "The Healing Sounds Show". My guest for this show will be Fabien Maman .

Fabien Maman is a musician, composer, acupuncturist, author, researcher, healer, teacher, "bioenergetician" and martial artist. As a musician/composer, he performed his original compositions in the great concert halls of the world, including Carnegie Hall, the Tokyo Opera, the Paris Olympia and the Berlin Philharmonic. He was the recipient of the Grande Prix de Composition Francaise (Grand prize of French composition). In 1977, Fabien became an acupuncturist, linking music with acupuncture. He created the now famous system which uses tuning forks instead of needles on acupuncture command points. In the early 80's, Fabien conducted his revolutionary biology experiments at the University of Jussieu in Paris, showing the impacts of acoustic sound on human cells and their energy fields. Fabien found that through a series of acoustic sounds, he could explode cancer cells, as well as energize and empower healthy ones. This would become the driving theory behind Fabien's life's work: 'that blockages in our subtle energy fields can result in physical illness if they are allowed to crystallize. Sound, Color and Movement are the most effective tools we can use to dissolve these negative energetic patterns.'

In 1988 Fabien founded Tama-Do ("Way of the Soul"), the Academy of Sound, Color and Movement®, offering a three-year training program for the evolution of consciousness using non-invasive vibrational techniques composed of Sound, Color and Movement® and Seasonal Healing Concerts. For nearly 30 years, Fabien has created research and practical applications to balance the body, mind and spirit through the subtle energy fields. He is the author of numerous books including: The Role of Music in the 21st Century and Raising Human Frequencies. He has also created several music healing CDs. He may be contacted at: http://www.tama-do.com/

Fabien is an extraordinary healer and pioneer in this field. This will be a remarkable radio show. Please join us on September 8th.

If you have a question and would like to be "live" on the air with us on the Healing Sounds show, here's the audience call in telephone number: 800 - 555 - 5453

Please tune in to this Internet Radio Show Wednesday, September 8th, at 12 noon Eastern Time to healthylife.net

Harmonically Yours,

Jonathan Goldman

Why Shamanic Tools?

2010-08-23T03:06:00.001-04:00

In a prior entry, I discussed the simplistic lifestyle of the Ancients and how it was suggested that they had an easier time of accessing Spirit in the past. I noted that our ancestors may have channeled wisdom from outside realms using shamanic tools during an era when it was acceptable to tune in to explore the mind’s gifts.

Today, we talk about shamanic technology or tools as those natural instruments or substances that are used by a shaman to heighten their senses or travel to other realms/altered states and gain insights not normally accessible —others call this psychonavigation.

With shamanic technology, I come at life with the view that I can overcome my challenges because I believe we each carry the necessary wisdom within us to do so.

There is also an intention to heal and an implicit trust in a shaman’s goal of reminding the individual about their innate power to make the best choices. Under this model, technology is used as a support for raising the consciousness and elevating the mind. In other words, the nature of shamanic tools is to quiet or focus the mind’s busy operations and machinelike functions, so Spirit can be set in motion. Much like a hidden force activating the lotus flower to open in bloom from the murk of mud and water, these tools remind us to use our inner resources to honor our natural path and have faith in the process of development.

It seems to me that while we consider modern technology to be neutral, most new tools are “designed” to inhibit our psychonavigation powers and elevate the hyper-processing behavior of the “monkey mind.”

From the ages of industry to information, we have been more focused as a society on producing toys, machines, and other tools that provide luxury, maximize efficiency, and increase access to entertainment. Many argue that the costs outweigh the benefits of these new models and the multimillion dollar marketing campaigns that go with them because they create a culture of dependency and wastefulness. These designs are in stark contrast to the direct experience of clarity brought about from the shamanic tool. And its ability to help us explore fresh ways of thinking independently.

There are three key considerations that come to mind here: while new technologies are great for improving certain functions, any tool or technology in a profit-driven society is frequently subject to abuse and misuse. Multiple threats to health, for example, are associated with side effects and unintended consequences of modern technology. We’re aware of the damage done to eyes by peering at monitors for too long, or the health risks of using microwaves, synthetic pharmaceuticals and cellphones, to name a few. Other technological terrors like modern weaponry and factory farms are self-explanatory.

Secondly, efficiency and mass consumption of replaceable parts and products as a goal makes it easier to routinely deplete and pollute natural resources; destroying the environment and distancing us further from nature’s lessons, chi energy, and holistic healing. An assault on nature is an attack on the self.

Finally, while all these matters exist, we cannot roll back time and we cannot be deterred. We cannot deny that we are in an high-tech age, and we can’t reject what is already here. As modern shamans, this truth makes it incumbent upon us to be facilitators of a modern consciousness, to help form communities that integrate technology creatively and constructively. The few shamans of old who are left are deliberately keeping the knowledge and wisdom of the ancients alive for people like us to receive it and bridge the gap, finding ways to unite the two worlds.

In coming full circle, hope can be found in our capacity to awaken to our potential; as original thinkers; and as those who can combine the best elements of the past’s high awareness and the future’s opportunities for advancement. I’d like to think more about ways our work can merge the two and realign appropriate modern technologies into shamanic tools-- or at least to prevent them from actively dumbing us down. One possibility is a shamanic intermediary network or guild, to more formally explore some of these concepts and present positions that represent us as a collective.

###

“One of the science fiction fantasies that haunts the collective unconscious is expressed in the phrase "a world run by machines," in the 1950s this was first articulated in the notion, "perhaps the future will be a terrible place where the world is run by machines". Well now, let's think about machines for a moment. They are extremely impartial, very predictable, not subject to moral suasion, value neutral and very long lived in their functioning.

Now let's think about what machines are made of, in the light of Sheldrake's morphogenetic field theory. Machines are made of metal, glass. gold, silicon, and plastic ; they are made of what the earth is made of. Now wouldn't it be strange if biology were a way for earth to alchemically transform itself into a self-reflecting thing. In which case then, what we're headed for; inevitably what we are in fact creating, is a world run by machines. And once these machines are in place, they can be expected to manage our economies, languages, social aspirations, and so forth, in such a way that we stop killing each other, stop starving each other, stop destroying land, and so forth. Actually the fear of being ruled by machines is the male ego's fear of relinquishing control of the planet to the maternal matrix of Gaia.”

--Terence McKenna

Astrology and Shamanism

2010-07-26T01:57:00.001-04:00

It seems to me that while important distinctions remain, there are overlaps linking Astrology and Shamanism; and I believe we can make the connection thanks to this beautifully written article by an international Astrology expert, Paul Six. It could be that ancient astrologers accessed information about the cosmos with the help of shamanic tools in the first place. Moreover, the planets and astrological signs themselves are described as permutations of different “energies” that become more and less available to humans based on different time windows. This is not such a far cry when we think of the changing feel of the seasons, so why should the same thing not apply to days or hours of the day?

If each planet governs unique qualities that can be made available to us, then it is no wonder that we developed mythologies assigning human featured gods to represent each of the planets. A shamanic empowerment exercise would involve making offerings to those gods as a way of invoking or inviting their energies. Finally, Six’s suggestion that a return to our intuitive natures can allow us to access the map of the planets inside us also corresponds with the notion that we are each carrying every point of the human holographic existence within us. This is a classic paraphrase of our inherent power to “shapeshift.”

I have included excerpts from the article below. For more information on Paul Six, visit his website at http://www.paulsix.com/ .

Astrology is as Real as Anything Else by Paul Six
Every concept we have of time is based on celestial operations. Hours, days, months and years are all solely based on the relationship between the Sun, the Moon and the Earth.

Astrology is a body of knowledge that is anchored in time.

It is true that astrology is the study of patterns in the sky. It is not a study, however, that can be understood at face value. It is a symbol system.

Celestial bodies are not causing things to happen here on Earth… The basic premise of astrology is that different energies prevail at different times.

The greatest fallacy about astrology is that it is about the stars…The truth is the only star that plays a role in the astrological story is the Sun that shines upon us.

“…The astrologers of that time,” --Six is referring to the ancients-- “experienced a more constant connection with nature and a more intimate one, as they lived at a much simpler time. They came to understand that their planetary home was connected to an entire cosmic family and that the sky patterns they observed corresponded with the way their lives were patterned—both seemed to vibrate to the same fundamental rhythms. This supported the notion of the universe as an interconnected network of energies that undergoes constant change in an orderly manner.”

Astrology states that any life that emerges in a moment of time is endowed with the qualities of that moment… When a newborn child takes the first breath, the patterns we see in the sky indicate possibilities the growing child can convert into realities in due time.

The birth chart maps out the potential growth of each individual’s consciousness, just as the genetic code communicates the potential growth of the physical body. The chart captures in freeze frame a picture of the sky… An understanding of any chart gives us an indication of what the individual could do; however, as free will is in operation, it cannot predict what any individual will do.

Astrology is not a science nor is it a religion. It is a language. It is not something to believe in; it is a body of knowledge that can be studied, learned and put into practice. The premise of the astrological language is that the universe has a means of communicating with us.

In many cases the scientifically-oriented individual, having abandoned the value of using the right brain in processing information, will do all it can to invalidate the ancient wisdom.

The answer as to how the astrologers came to understand what they did is that it is because of their innocence that the cosmic principles of astrology were revealed to them.

…In this state of innocence, the universe revealed some of its secrets through revelations to these humble folk living in a humble world for they were not driven by the ego-mind; they were not suspicious and skeptical... They were pure of heart and open to the miraculous and they were entrusted with the most precious knowledge about our lives and our destiny that has ever been brought into the light of human understanding.

What Can Astrology Do For You?
Increasing numbers of people are starting to see how much the world is of our own making and that we attract to us what we think, feel, say and do… Once we accept the truth that we co-facilitate our experience of reality with the creative living process, the information we gain from learning about the potentials of our birth chart becomes as useful and productive as anything that exists in the material world.

NEW VISION IIa

2010-07-18T23:21:00.001-04:00

Image from www.alexgrey.com

Lifting into higher realms
In color coats I shift the walls
They do and don't exist
In radiant hues they bend and penetrate

A threshold to the spirit world
Somewhere in between
Death and invitation to invent
I and future self embrace in soft diffuse

Impatiently debating pulse
I slow mine completely still
Beyond duality’s confines my second core
Awakens many-into-one spins subtlety

It begins an artist’s instrument of thought, an inner sphere’s incision
Unmasked, made weak from all the astral plasma spills
Something sharp has pierced and in the skewering
Instilled a seed of inspiration—cut away my inhibition’s weighty husk

“I want you to create”
A voice astride each minute particle a story weaves
“Take time to be my maker,”
Whispers each tinted splash of brush-blot sheen

Just then an inner light
Shoots in and out of body
To the terrifying wilds
I’m unafraid to go

A barrage of concepts beyond words
A language from the disarray of paint punched through
Imagination’s rainbow merging birth with arcing mind
Blown free of shape, a smeary tale casts back a look in canvas form

I feel the race of heart tear fascination into fashioning
Seed of thought to cellular existence cycles into matter flowering
Left behind through points of skin abrazed empowering
My substance induced altered state is lost, the unseen part of me is gained

Together we progress to any point
To turn illusion on its pregnant skull
My pool of life reflects the me
Concealed in dreams

Alive or dead or
Somewhere in between
I see: a dawn of worlds sees back
—Infinity

Pilgrimages, Mandalas, and Meditations

2010-07-18T02:32:00.003-04:00

BoroBudur
As part of this Summer’s creative/spiritual retreat, I made a pilgrimage to the largest Buddhist temple in the world. BoroBudur is an epically-proportioned, three-dimensional tantric mandala, which was constructed sometime between 700 and 800 A.D., with about 55,000 cubic meters of stone. To make the full trip around and up each of the temple’s 9 platforms to the giant stupa in the center is about a 3 km hike, and for much of it, the visitor can experience thousands of detailed ancient carved reliefs, stupas, and statues that line the walls.

I experienced moments of walking meditation stillness, while on this journey. The feeling sporadically resembled the experience of the labyrinth walk. But the intense heat, busy atmosphere from the thousands of other visitors and the visual beauty of my novel surroundings prevented me from drifting into much of a meditative state.

It was also somewhat of a challenge to get to the temple, with hoards of street vendors descending on any tourist in sight. And who can blame them?

BoroBudur is a UNESCO world heritage site and Wonder of the World, and we traveled there on the Buddhist religion’s holiest of days, Waisak—the full moon in May or June. This is an annual Holiday to celebrate the birthday of Gautama Buddha, so there were many saffron robed Buddhist monks on site, as well as other visitors from around the world.

Mandala-the Genesis of Realization
“Mandalas are commonly used by tantric Buddhists as an aid to meditation. More specifically, a Buddhist mandala is envisaged as a "sacred space," a "Pure Buddha Realm,” and also as an abode of fully realised beings or deities.” --Wikipedia

The main reflection that comes to me as I write this entry is how much the Borobudur pilgrimage experience felt like it was there to support a form of creation or genesis. The Mandala is associated with a flower, the womb, realization, and consciousness itself. I believed I was there circling around this mammoth oval symbol of reproductive power to plant a seed of some kind—perhaps to conceive (in the context of giving life to) of something consciously-- and that each step forward on this sacred spiraling walk toward the heart of the central dome would in some way help the process of giving form or shape to whatever inchoate concept I wished to introduce and sustain in my thoughts.

Because of Borobudur, when I now think of a pilgrimage, I consider it as a parallel to the experience of how an idea goes through the different stages of development until it transforms and becomes a creation. As a person makes progress in a grand and spiritually charged environment through forward motion, somehow it makes it possible to bring total attention to the necessary aspects of our lives which need forward motion; to make steps toward fertilizing a dream.

We had been instructed to set an intention when we got to a certain sculpture in the center (the Black Buddha), but now I understand the importance of keeping that intention in mind and alive while journeying through the Mandala’s layers and platforms. I believe this mindful approach can provide an added dimension to the process of engaging in any kind of pilgrimage anywhere, holy or otherwise.

Mendut Meditation
While, I enjoyed the visual beauty of BoroBudur, I would have to wait until dusk, to experience the most memorable and piercing aspect of the trip. This came in the form of a powerful sitting meditation at the nearby Mendut temple. The shrine inside the temple contained a magnificent three meter tall stone Buddha, flanked by Boddhisatvas on either side of him. Flowers, incense sticks, and other offerings adorned the alter in front of the statues.

At every hour on Vaisak, a different contingency of monks would arrive at the temple and pay homage by leading a chant or prayer in honor of their spiritual teacher and prophet.

While it had a tall spiral ceiling, the shrine was a tiny space relative to other places of worship I had visited, and its compactness created a much more intimate setting for myself and the four others in my group who had received special passes to attend the meditations. It was a stark contrast to the heat and vast open spaces at Borobudur and it did not take long to slip into what Arnold Mindell would call the "Second Attention," or the altered state.

The chants were delivered and amplified with such intensity and devotion that it was hard not to be entranced by the worshippers’ voices. But the chants in combination with the ancient temple’s bright colors and visual majesty, the intoxicating aroma of flowers and incense, and the mental image created by the Buddha, made it difficult not to be completely enthralled by the experience.

It was one of those rare and rich spiritually synesthetic moments, when multiple senses feel stimulated at the same time. Except, as a meditator I felt like I had to try and disengage from them all. Of course, I failed miserably and gave up on that task. Instead, I intended to open my heart to the feeling, my Third Eye to the unseen imagery, and my body to the presence of Spirit.

Special thanks to Carrie-Ann and my Alex Grey Retreat friends for capturing such beautiful images of BoroBodur and Mendut.

drum meditation workshop

2010-07-12T12:56:00.001-04:00

This is a description of a Rhythm Gym called "A Rhythm Runs Through
It," offered by percussionist Steve Bloom this Friday, July 16, from
7-9 pm at Circle Yoga 3838 Northampton Street Northwest DC 20015
(202) 686-1104

Residing within us all, Grace wishes to inform each expression. This
workshop is designed to enable the body's flowing "connectedness" by
tapping our own natural musicality. We will progress from a warm-up
with synchronous mild breathing, stretching and stepping patterns
driven by selected polyrhythmic music. To further internalize key
rhythms, we'll mimic the recorded voices and instruments vocally and
gesturally, and, "physicalize," do subtle, specific movements and
shifts of body weight that best express the anchor rhythms in the
music. The music calls, and the Spirit responds— through the body.

Together we'll harness the genius of "child's play" for mimicry,
parroting things in the recorded hand-drummers' styles, like timbre,
time, meter, tempo, pitch, and attack. We'll "look over the masters'
shoulders" at their skillcraft: choices like a stroke's dynamic force,
and how they express humor, elegance, technique, and themes and their
variations.

Sufi hand drums may be used for demonstration. Dress light, eat light,
and avoid caffeine prior to the session. Bring a blanket or yoga mat.

http://circleyoga.com/workshops/workshops-and-events
Date and Time: Fri Jul 16 2010, 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Cost: $40.00

About Steve Bloom
Steve Bloom has played percussion in thousands of performances and
recordings in over a dozen countries from the Middle East to Nigeria
to Canada with a wide variety of artists including Tito Puente, King
Sunny Ade', Andy Gonzales, and Babatunde Olatunji.

With an academic foundation including Music Theory and Composition,
Piano and Percussion technique, Bloom has since achieved command via
the Oral Tradition of:

* Cuban and related African traditions of drumming and song by the
Oral Tradition, apprenticing with several fine Cuban masters and a
Senegalese Griot. He is initiated to play sacred drums in rituals of
Santeria.
* Middle Eastern, Arabic, and Persian drumming traditions, as a prime
apprentice of three Sufi master drummers: Adnan Sarhan, dervish of
Bagdad, with whom Bloom has trained for several decades; Dr. Ali
Analoui, and Naser Khorasani (both from Iran). With Analoui and
Khorasani, Bloom now co-directs the SAMA Ensemble, featuring ancient
Persian Sufi poetry and drumming. Recently they performed for the
entire United Nations General Assembly, introduced by Ban Ki-Moon.

For more information about Steve Bloom, visit http://www.musicbyhand.com

Alex Grey Retreat Reflections

2010-06-09T12:24:00.001-04:00

I had the pleasure of staffing a creative retreat with internationally renowned artists, Alex and Allyson Grey, and wanted to provide a brief write up of my rich experience in their company.

Alex Grey's work has been described as psychedelic, shamanic, clarevoyant, spiritual, visionary, life altering and an exploration of polarities. He has developed art work and set designs for bands such as Tool and Nirvana and he teaches workshops for the Omega Institute in New York.

As a person, Alex is kind, extremely contemplative and sensitive. A soft spoken, philosophical and spiritual scholar as well as accomplished artist, he carries great hope for the future of human consciousness.

Both he and Allyson were a source of inspiration and wisdom throughout the 10 day experience; and although Alex welcomed interaction with others in the group, he seemed more at ease when sketching, reflecting or writing in his own quiet solitude.

My impression of Alex as an artist is that he has an advanced capacity to access his own unique and authentic power source. You might call it a symbiotic connection with the higher self that merges the inner and outer (nonphysical) realms-- or a fully developed "secret language" as his wife Allyson might put it. Grey's vision and perception allow him to channel information from those unseen worlds to the physical one, as a conduit or bridge-- finding a way to capture and bring back his encounters and share them on the canvas. One might call Alex Grey one of the few visual ambassadors to the spirit world doing integrative spirit work.

A fan of Ken Wilbur's philosophical writings, Grey told me that he was testing applications of Wilbur's theories on the world of art and artists. He commented that each person's version of how the world is perceived and experienced is simultaneously individual and collective. The conversation with art is a question of getting from one to the other and cycling back again, according to Grey. Much of the forward motion along this cyclical progression hinges on how far the artist is willing to take their visions from the conceptual inner world to physical manifestation, dissemination and openness to societal scrutiny.

In consideration of art as a healing expression, it strikes me that getting out of the "spirit" or "world inside the head" and into physical form is the most essential stage for anyone with a creative story trapped within them. Some are content and at peace even if their art fails to see the light of day, just to give form to their thoughts.

It may be more about honoring and expressing the energy that spawned the creative impulse in the first place than trying to carry it out into the outside world for me. That being said, it's only when I produce and receive feedback about how my art is received that I get a better idea of how to package and refine my secret language to better communicate my individual creative world's contents.

What I most admire about Alex is his awareness of the depths of his responsibility as an artist and healer. He understands that his gifts have launched him into a position of service that comes along with success.

It may be this call to service that explains why both Alex and Allyson are intent on helping to build a bridge between mindscape and physical reality for others through their workshops and other projects. Their workshops, for example, each start with a guided meditation or journey through the individual's inner world, placing focus on allowing the artist to feel stillness, safety, and peace; to better capture essential inner symbols and images. The Greys understand that laying emphasis on clearing and opening the mind to its natural creative power is the best and perhaps only way to unearth the artist and her abundant supplies of artistic treasure.

Anyone who has developed a craft, found their unique creative voice and who feels compelled to deliver their message has the rare ability to give form to the formless; therein, I believe, explains Alex Grey's popularity and the love he receives from his supporters.

The Greys are touring the world to lead workshops for other artists and to build a network of support for their vision in progress, which they call the Chapel of Sacred Mirrors (COSM)-- a place for artists to come together to promote spiritual and creative integration and expression. This is a multimillion dollar project and it is still in its fledgling phases, but land just outside Manhattan has been purchased and the design for the chapel is already complete.

I am deeply grateful to the Greys for sharing their time and insights. I wish them the very best in fulfilling their important vision and invite you to be part of the COSM project. Visit their website for more information and upcoming events.

Thanks to Chris, Jessa and Joe for sharing their pictures with me.

ceremony in apology to spirits of the ocean

2010-06-03T11:00:00.002-04:00

by New Orleans Healing Center

A public prayer ceremony for the Spirits of the Sea, to apologize for oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and encourage natural healing of the waters.
Sunday June 27th, on the uptown levee next to Oak st at the Mississippi River( the batcher), New Orleans, LA.
wear all white , or white with blue headscarves.
5pm reike circle
5:30 kirtan-yoga and sufi musical prayer
6:30 prayers of atonment by local religious leaders
7:00 ceremony to La Siren and Agwe
10:00 drumming and dancing for all

This is lead by Sallie Ann Glassman and La Source Anicenne Ounfo. Sallie Ann is a very strong mambo who I have been lucky enough to do ceremony with over 15 years. She will acompanied by the wonderful jazz bassist James Singleton and poet Moose Jackson, and many artisst from the area. If you are interested in the truth of New Orleans Vodoo as a healing path, this is a wonderful opprotunity to experience it.

John Chang Chi-Kung Master

2010-05-15T17:26:00.002-04:00

This is a fascinating video that captures some incredible footage of an Indonesian Chi healer at work. The footage includes a somewhat successful attempt to scientifically test his healing capabilities. It also gives us an idea of the dangers of trivializing this power.

According to one expert, Agustin Madruga, the system John Chang uses, known as Chi Kung, concerns metabolizing Chi energy internally, while the more renowned Chi Gong involves drawing in the energy from the outside world.

WisdomKeepers Excerpts-- PART ONE

2010-05-11T13:57:00.003-04:00

Here are some excerpts from the book "Wisdomkeepers, Meetings with Native American Spiritual Elders", which contains several interviews with important figures from a number of tribes. I have focused on text and wisdom that would best be suited for this blog:

"If you know my song, you know Charlie. Everyone has a song. God gives us each a song. That's how we know who we are. Our song tells us who we are. And there are other songs, different songs for different things, some for dancing, some for singing, some for healing. Every sickness takes a different song. You tune the water drum different for each song, Little person inside you tells you what song to sing. Little person comes from God, teaches Charlie the song he knows. You got to hear the little person to learn the songs."

When Charlie was 32 or 33, he got his healing song. Charlie lay down on his back on the ground, hands out. In the vision, the Creator came down, like a big light. There's a light coming out and he's got angels all around him, all made of light. The Creator came down and touched me here on my hands, then He taught Charlie his healing song, He taught me how to heal. he showed me how to use the eagle feather to find the sick place in a person. He told me: 'sing the healing song then build a fire. Take a burning coal in your hands. It won't burn if you pray right. Then take the heat out of the coal into your hands, and then rub the person's body in the sick place. Put your hands in water and do it again. Do it seven times. The sickness will go away if the Creator wants."

--Charlie Knight, Ute Medicine Man

"There is no word for 'nature' in my language. Nature, in English, seems to refer to that which is separate from human beings...It is foolish arrogance for humans to think themselves superior to all the life-support system. How can one be superior to that which one depends for life? Humans have invented marvelous technologies. The result has been that parts of the world live in unnecessary and debilitating surplus while people in other parts of the world are dying for lack of food, water, and shelter. Priorities need to be directed so that peple who have plenty need not feel shame while others hunger and die....

I would argue the whole concept of Nature be rethought. Nature, the land, must not mean money, it must designate life. Nature is the storehouse of potential life of future generations and is sacred...Spirituality is our foundation."

--Audrey Shenandoah, Onondaga Tribe

God gave us medicine to share with people, but if the White Man gets his hands on it he'll charge you a great price and will let you die if you don't have it. God's medicine is free. We don't give money to God. We give him our prayers, our thanks. And sometimes we give Him the only thing that's really ours: our flesh, our pain. That's what the Sun Dance is all about--giving God our flesh, our pain, and--never forget--a prayer of thanks.

--Matthew King, Lakota Tribe

The spiritual heritage of Native American people is here--it has not been extinguished. I believe the spiritual fire still burns and is beckoning for America, indeed, the world, to some closer, to listen, to learn, and to share in its warmth and comfort."

I, as a spiritual Indian man, am convinced that it is time to reach out to my white brothers and sisters and to share with whomever wishes to partake of what we, the indigenous people of this land, still have. It is time that the buckskin curtain be drawn back. It is time, I know it."

--Eddie Benton-Banai, Ojibway

Bali Retreat with Alex Grey: May 21-June1, 2010

2010-05-04T06:14:00.004-04:00

There are still spaces available for this adventure of a lifetime with world famous shamanic artist, Alex Grey. I will be staffing this retreat and I invite you to join in if it calls to you. Contact me for an available half price option.

For more information on Alex Grey or the retreat, visit his website.

Spirals, Hearts, and Steel

2010-04-13T19:17:00.007-04:00

I recently took some time to see the Tim Burton special exhibit at the NY City Museum of Modern Art. It was a worthwhile and wonderfully rich experience to follow Burton's evolution as a storyteller and be given a chance to examine his creative process from sketch to screen.

To me, his greatest creative contribution is his ability to recast the scary into the misunderstood. In other words, what normally would be prejudged as dark, malign, and dangerous is instead cast by him as lighthearted, warm, even tender. His greatest achievement is shifting the public's perception of "darkness" on a mainstream level: and telling me that I ignore the light within the darkness at my peril. He does this humourously and without being preachy about it.

Darkness to me is the quiet core of the subconscious. It is the very place where I need to listen most intently. It needs such delicate attention from me because it holds such special wisdom and because when ignored the many voices hidden away in the depths of that darkness have the potential to do a great deal of damage.

When I explore darkness, I walk a fine line between the moonlight's still illumination and the shadowy realm of extreme heaviness from out-of-control negative emotions. This often explains why lightchasers tend to give less consideration to the darkness--for fear of giving its negative side too much energy and thus allowing it to spread. But to me, light has just as much of a negative side too--artificial light can often be the most extreme and insidious form of darkness. As the Taoist symbol shows, true darkness is a companion to true light; it completes rather than competes with the light; it is its precursor and sequel--the dark tells me where my inner light is most needed--where the natural cycle of day and night needs to appear next.

Like with all energy, a relationship has to be established and built up with the dark over time for any breakthroughs to be made. Burton discovered a way to identify, honor, and give form to the voices of the night that occupy the low lit rooms of his psyche--many of which are illustrated and tracked by the exhibit from conception to completion. I wonder what more I could discover if I did the same thing?

It's not the greatest resource but here is the official exhibit interactive webpage.

Avatar's Real Life Impact--

2010-04-13T18:57:00.004-04:00

A recent NY Times article discusses Jim Cameron's efforts to engage Brazilian indigenous leaders. It's hugely important to see this Hollywood director taking action and building on the messages and themes of his film. It takes courage to work and to apply the lessons of a story to a real life situation involving real people and a real threat to tribes in the Amazon. His analogy is accurate and the surprise appearance of the snake is all too telling.

I have experienced the magic of the Amazon and its transformational powers firsthand when I visited Peru a few years ago. Nowhere had I been more captivated by nature's power and awe than there. For those in tune, the jungle has spiritual as well as scientifically proven healing properties. It gives me hope that a film like Avatar (and support from its creators) can help prevent this global treasure from slipping away from us.

Tribes of Amazon Find an Ally Out of ‘Avatar’
By ALEXEI BARRIONUEVO
VOLTA GRANDE DO XINGU, Brazil — They came from the far reaches of the Amazon, traveling in small boats and canoes for up to three days to discuss their fate. James Cameron, the Hollywood titan, stood before them with orange warrior streaks painted on his face, comparing the threats on their lands to a snake eating its prey.

“The snake kills by squeezing very slowly,” Mr. Cameron said to more than 70 indigenous people, some holding spears and bows and arrows, under a tree here along the Xingu River. “This is how the civilized world slowly, slowly pushes into the forest and takes away the world that used to be,” he added.

As if to underscore the point, seconds later a poisonous green snake fell out of a tree, just feet from where Mr. Cameron’s wife sat on a log. Screams rang out. Villagers scattered. The snake was killed. Then indigenous leaders set off on a dance of appreciation, ending at the boat that took Mr. Cameron away. All the while, Mr. Cameron danced haltingly, shaking a spear, a chief’s feathery yellow and white headdress atop his head.

In the 15 years since he wrote the script for “Avatar,” his epic tale of greed versus nature, Mr. Cameron said, he had become an avid environmentalist. But he said that until his trip to the Brazilian Amazon last month, his advocacy was mostly limited to the environmentally responsible way he tried to live his life: solar and wind energy power his Santa Barbara home, he said, and he and his wife drive hybrid vehicles and do their own organic gardening.

“Avatar” — and its nearly $2.7 billion in global tickets sales — has changed all that, flooding Mr. Cameron with kudos for helping to “emotionalize” environmental issues and pleas to get more involved.

Now, Mr. Cameron said, he has been spurred to action, to speak out against the looming environmental destruction endangering indigenous groups around the world — a cause that is fueling his inner rage and inspiring his work on an “Avatar” sequel.

“Any direct experience that I have with indigenous peoples and their plights may feed into the nature of the story I choose to tell,” he said. “In fact, it almost certainly will.” Referring to his Amazon trip, he added, “It just makes me madder.”

Mr. Cameron is so fired up, in fact, that he said he was planning to go back to the Amazon this week, this time with Sigourney Weaver and at least another member of the “Avatar” cast in tow.

The focus is the huge Belo Monte dam planned by the Brazilian government. It would be the third largest in the world, and environmentalists say it would flood hundreds of square miles of the Amazon and dry up a 60-mile stretch of the Xingu River, devastating the indigenous communities that live along it. For years the project was on the shelf, but the government now plans to hold an April 20 auction to award contracts for its construction.

Stopping the dam has become a fresh personal crusade for the director, who came here as indigenous leaders from 13 tribes held a special council to discuss their last-ditch options. It was Mr. Cameron’s first visit to the Amazon, he said, even though he based the fictional planet in “Avatar” on Amazon rain forests. Still, he found the real-life similarities to the themes in his movie undeniable.

The dam is a “quintessential example of the type of thing we are showing in ‘Avatar’ — the collision of a technological civilization’s vision for progress at the expense of the natural world and the cultures of the indigenous people that live there,” he said.

Mr. Cameron said that he was writing a letter to President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva urging him to reconsider the dam and that he would press for a meeting with the president. “They need to listen to these people here,” he said.

Mr. Cameron, 55, first encountered the cause in February, after being presented with a letter from advocacy organizations and Native American groups saying they wanted Mr. Cameron to highlight “the real Pandoras in the world,” referring to the lush world under assault in his movie.

Atossa Soltani, executive director of Amazon Watch, who accompanied him on his trip last month, said Mr. Cameron lit up at the idea of learning more, saying he had grown up in the Canadian woods and had even logged thousands of hours underwater exploring the world’s oceans.

As for Mr. Cameron’s Amazon adventure, it got off to a rocky start. The boat he traveled to the village in flooded when a hose became disconnected. Mr. Cameron chipped in, grabbing a plastic bucket to help bail for a few hours in the searing midday heat, he and others on the boat said.

Many of the indigenous leaders he was planning to meet with had never heard of him before, much less seen his movie. All they knew was that “a powerful ally” would be attending their gathering, Ms. Soltani said.

So, the night before Mr. Cameron and his wife, Suzy Amis, arrived with three bodyguards, a dozen or so villagers gathered in the house of José Carlos Arara, the chief of the Arara tribe here, to watch a DVD of “Avatar.”

“What happens in the film is what is happening here,” said Chief Arara, 30.

The morning after Mr. Cameron’s party arrived in the village, Chief Arara led them on a walk through the rain forest. Mr. Cameron, almost mirroring the enraptured scientists in his movie, was calm but wide-eyed, peppering the chief with questions about the local fauna and flora and traditional indigenous ways. In seconds, the chief showed how he could fashion ankle braces from leaves to help him scale an açaí tree.

The leaders then invited Mr. Cameron to participate in their meeting. He sat at a small wooden school desk as they made speeches condemning the impending dam and the Brazilian government. Mr. Cameron seemed to tear up when some leaders said they would be willing to die to stop the dam.

Finally, Mr. Cameron was asked to speak. He stood and complimented the leaders on their unity, saying they needed to fight off efforts by the government to divide them and weaken their resistance.

“That is what can stop the snake; that is what can stop the dam,” he said.

A rush of applause swept through the crowd. When the real snake fell from the tree, the director seemed unfazed. After clearing it away, indigenous leaders thanked him with gifts. One gave him a spear, another a black and red necklace of seeds. A third, Chief Jaguar from the Kaiapo nation, one of Brazil’s most respected, gave him his headdress before the dances in Mr. Cameron’s honor began.

“It’s not like there is any pressure on me or anything,” he said, half-joking, moments before boarding the boat. “These people really are looking for me to do something about their situation. We have to try to stop this dam. Their whole way of life, their society as they know it, depends on it.”

aztec healing in anacostia

2010-01-21T10:33:00.001-05:00

hello all

hope to see you there:

thursday Jan 28th 2010 7 pm
901 Ft Place se
wa dc 20020
Anacostia Community Museum
www.anacostia.si.edu
RSVP 202 633 4844

Eliseo Torres , of the University of New Mexico, speaks on tradional
Mexican healing influences by Aztecs, Moors, Christians. Discover the
merits of curanderos' rituals, plants and advice.

films of shamanic themes

2009-12-11T23:03:00.003-05:00

THE PATHFINDER "Ofelas" Norway
old Sami legend, first film in Sami
1987 by Nils Gaup

COLD FEVER
Japan, 1995 by Friorik Frioriksson
Japanese businessman goes to Iceland to perform burial ritual for parents.

THE PEACEFUL WARRIOR
2006 USA
by Victor Salva. College gymnast is transformed by encounter with unlikely teacher.

EL TOPO
Mexico 1970 by Jodorowsky
early psychedelic symbolism, teacher student relationships.
also The Magic Mountain.

RIVERS AND TIDES- ART OF ANDY GOLDSWORTHY
2001 by Thomas Riedelsheimer
The artist works is temporary, natural forms, exposed to elements.

the whirling

2009-11-26T01:28:00.002-05:00

Many techinques are traditional.Nothing is pure.The whirling ,a kind
of moving meditation used by Sufi dervish or seekers,has roots in
shamanic Central Asia.Every small child loves to whirl,till dizzy and
altered.It is not the possession of any culture or gender.Sometimes
called turning, or sema,it has a charming story of the 13th cent.
teacher known here as Rumi , hearing a goldsmith's hammer and
disolving into ecstatic ,rhythmic turning in the street.
Begin with an empty room, free of furniture or objects which hender
or distract . You may use music, or not.Choose traditional whirling
music, or anything calming. Stand with eyes at looking toward the point where
the ceiling meets the walls, keep them unfocused and blank. (You
should not use the spotting technique of dancers).You may like to
begin with hands crossed over heart, right hand on top. Slowly turn
left only , pivating on the left foot, opening arms fully. Right hand is palm up to the sky, left hand is palm down to earth.This is the direction of casting
off toxins, mental, physical, spiritual.Begin slowly,find your own
speed,end slowly.

OWL Poem

2009-10-23T21:58:00.003-04:00

Your eyes are wide like sky-city bubble jewels
Lighting up the night
A crystalline metropolis of intrigue
A knowingness humming behind these double orbs
Twin portals of deep thought
Blown open
Like a thrust of air and wave
I feel your gaze shoot through my singing bowels of sight
Home in on my tune
A ringing ghostly sound you make
Finetuning corner into curve
Dead end into destiny
Primal predatory panic into patient pause
I need only ask
You engineer escapes
Before I turn to smile in thanks
You devise another way to disappear
I feel the thumping of your wings
Lift with elegance
Elevating higher
From your gaping eyes I hear only heartlife
I see only panoramic palisades
The curtain of dark undrawn in a blink
Is to know what you know
Think what you think

old keres pueblo song

2009-10-22T15:42:00.002-04:00

I add my breath to your breath
That our days may be long on the Earth
That the days of our people may be long
That we may be one person
That we may finish our roads together
May our Mother bless you with life
May our life paths be fulfilled

The Horse Boy Trailer

2009-10-20T11:24:00.005-04:00

Allowing the Light sent this film trailer around to some of us and I was blown away by the story. I have yet to see the film, but just from the promo it seems to explore one case illustrating what Jeremy Narby might call a "Blind Spot" for science. In other words, the nature of our intellectual training in the West when it comes to understanding how "primitive" cultures deal with certain "mental illnesses" creates an inherent contradiction. How can a rational analysis explain Rowan's nonrational case?

Narby is author of "the Cosmic Serpent: DNA and the Origins of Knowledge." More on this book later.

Gabrielle Roth's 5Rhythms

2009-10-19T19:51:00.003-04:00

I attended a 5Rhythms movement meditation session in Maryland. It was my second time participating in 5Rhythms and I loved it. 5Rhythms involves different phases of dance and different physical expressions to correspond with those phases. Each dancer follows general guidelines that go along with each movement but is encouraged to move to the music in their own unique style. Phases progress from Flow to Staccato to Chaos to Lyrical and finally Stillness. The Rhythms gradually build up to create an ecstatic feeling for those dancing, and then the final phase brings the dancer down. Although I have to take it easy, I found the experience fun and healing. There's a brief description included below. Go to Gabrielle Roth's website for more information.

5Rhythms is practised internationally in many major cities. A DC group is scheduled to start up in the New Year.

5RHYTHMS
The 5Rhythms are a simple, powerful moving meditation that anyone - of any age, size, or physical ability - can practice. There are no steps to follow, no choreography to learn, no way to do it wrong. The only requirement is a body that is still breathing, a heart that is still beating, and mind that is still curious! Just like light, sound or ocean waves, a dancing body when moving freely passes through 5 distinct rhythmic patterns. These patterns continuously repeat themselves in a wave of motion.

FLOW
fluid, continuous, grounded glide of our own movements

STACCATO
percussive, pulsing beat that shapes us a thousand different ways

CHAOS
rhythm of letting go, releasing into a catalytic wildness that can never be planned or repeated

LYRICAL
rhythm of trance, where the weight of self-consciousness dissolves as we lighten up and disappear into our own uniqueness

STILLNESS
quiet emptiness, where gentle movements rise and fall, start and end, in a field of silence

The Labyrinth by Jorge Gomez

2009-10-18T14:46:00.002-04:00

Jorge beautifully captures the stillness and flow of time and emotion experienced in the labyrinth walk.

In the labyrinth I walk, there I feel peace.
Beauty everywhere, the song, the breeze.
Most journeys should not be taken alone.
Is life not a labyrinth?

The feathers, the water, the sweet scents,
the fire that kept us three warm,
the chants, the sake, the wines, the sake.

In the labyrinth there is neither today,
nor tomorrow, nor past; all then melts
into one from the depth of my heart.

Find me in the labyrinth I am not far,
and though I am far I am near.
Like touching the clouds with one's hand
yet touching the fountain's water, same no?

Your silence, your talk, your happiness, your smile
God is one )! And God is three T.
One plus one is two and one plus one is three.

free will

2009-10-14T23:31:00.002-04:00

just on the chance you havent come across this, its a poetic/archtypal
approach.
also ' pronoia as the antidote for paranoia ' is always right on time.

www.FreeWillAstrology.com

MANASSAS AMERICAN INDIAN POWWOW

2009-10-07T10:34:00.001-04:00

October 17-18, 2009 -
Location: Manassas, Virginia.
Notes: Public invited to enjoy Traditional powwow to be held Sat & Sun 11am-6pm at the Prince William County Fairgrounds. Outdoors unless it rains, will be in exhibition hall. MC: Keith Colston, Host Drum: Stoney Creek; Aztec Dancers. (Adm. $7.kids $5.) Lots of great Native American dancers, drums, music. Craft demonstrations and lots of quality Native American jewelry, art, crafts, flutes and drums available to purchase. Open to all dancers in proper regalia.
Contact: Barry 252/257-5383, Email: powwow@vance.net .

Thanks to Laura Zamfir for sharing this announcement with us.

Labyrinth Walk

2009-10-01T20:57:00.004-04:00

I recently discovered a labyrinth and was exposed to its healing power. There are a few dotted around the city in unsuspecting places. While there are no hedges to demark their walls, walking on the labyrinth's winding path created a peaceful feeling of flow and an active medititation for me. Overall, I got the sensation of being inside and outside myself simultaneously; slipping in and out of micro and macro; inner and outer. I also felt a certain connectivity to the surrounding area the deeper I went. The complex patterns of life seemed to simplify themselves and become more focused with every step along the labyrinth journey's pathway. As I made my way to the center, I could detect these patterns imprinted on the water, the breeze, the trees, the dying sunlight, my veins.

This excerpt is from the book "Labyrinth Walking" by Patricia Telesco:

"By creating labyrinths, mandalas, and mazes the ancients were trying to illustrate a trusim that modern-minded folk are also starting to re-acknowledge. All of life can become a sacred pattern that guides us toward a reunion with Spirit. When we don't recognize or activate this aspect of life's potential, our souls remain lost in old patterns, old ways of thinking, old ways of being, and often lose sight of the sacred powers alltogether...

"Whether you want to deal more effectively with the constantly changing world, create new patterns that will help you become a truly magickal person in thought and deed, or strengthen the positive patterns you've already created, walking a sacred path, following a sacred pattern, is one answer to that desire."

John Perkins Keynote, D.C. GreenFest

2009-09-28T11:29:00.004-04:00

Another upcoming event (October 10/11) is the DC Greenfest at the Convention Center. John Perkins, a fellow Shaman and author of several Shamanism books, will be delivering a keynote address at 2 p.m., on October 10th. His lecture doesn't look like it will deal directly with his shamanic practices; nevertheless, he is a true champion for the environmental cause.

I read Perkins' Shapeshifting book over the Summer and he went over much of what we learned-- the importance of shifting stories, shifting dreams, even the power of shifting form on a molecular level.

His personal transformation story was an inspirational shapeshift on its own: after working as a highlevel corporate operative with all kinds of exposure to crooked practices and access to world leaders, he then chose to turn his back on the world of international finance and reveal its dirty secrets.

His story also touches on one of the apprenticeship's tenets--the absolute necessity of reintroducing the wisdom of primal cultures into the West. He is as convinced as I am that our survival as a species may depend on it.

Go here for more info on John's work.

teepees, drums and alters at washington monument

2009-09-26T17:53:00.001-04:00

17th annual prayer vigil
washington monument
saturday oct 10th at sunrise 7am
till sunday oct 11th 1pm
www.oneprayer.org
to participate in program
oneprayer4@aol.com
volunteer for friday and sunday
chrisoceanshaman@comcast.net

free and open to all

Sound and Visuals

2009-09-26T09:42:00.005-04:00

I attended a group sound healing session last night in Falls Church, VA. The practitioner, Barry Goldstein, used tuning forks to open and balance the 7 basic chakras. Laughter Yoga, chanting, and listening to his original music were included in the mix of evening activities. He also took the time to have each member of the group use one word to describe their association with joy and then a barrier to their joy. Using guided imagery and relaxational sounds, he asked the group to visualize and then cross a rainbow bridge leaving their own self-defined island of despair for their island of joy. Holding and maintaining the vision seemed to be just as critical as the type of sounds he was using to create a meditative space. A shaman might go further by allowing these energies to be expressed or channeled physically as a way of giving form to the mind's nebulous contents.

It's always been interesting to me how certain frequencies can assist in the removal of blocks that form in and around the body. There is no standardized tuning fork method--different masters use different frequencies and scales. Barry was trained by Joseph Crane. I plan to train with a West coast healer later this year. More to come on that.

walking

2009-09-24T12:34:00.002-04:00

A dear friend now lives in U.A.E. ,so I haven't seen her in a couple years. Yet here she came walking through my backyard and into my house a few nights ago, with another friend (each of us has been a student of Adnan Sarhan, Sufi master from Bagdad.Steve for decades, I a few years, Leilas for weeks.) We were telling funny stories of our own, a lizard in the bath room, a horse in the orchard, then slipt into
the stories we just carry from one lover to another .

A student was walking on the outskirts of town, and came upon his teacher riding a horse. They strolled along talking. The teacher began to spur the horse, and the student had to run to keep up."Look at me. Concentrate on what I am asking you" said the teacher. The student ran, and had to use all his attention to answer the questions, listen and barely keep up. Faster they went, still faster, still harder. Abruptly they stopped. He looked back over the great distance they had covered through a thorn field, but had not one scratch on him.

The water carrier for a village was a woman, who took a large yolk with two large clay pots everyday to the river and back . One of the vessels, on the right, had a flaw and lost 1/2 the water each time. It felt terrible about this and after many months said to the woman, "I really want to apologize for not being a perfect vessel. I wish I could carry my share."
The woman replied,"Look at the ground. The left side of the road is lifeless, just dirt. But the right side is lush and green and full of flowers . I knew this all along."

TaKeTiNa: Dance and Chant

2009-09-19T11:50:00.005-04:00

TaKeTiNa is an up and coming rhythm, dance, and chant discipline. It involves basic beats layered with gentle body movements and uses a single stringed musical instrument (the berimbau) as an accompanying drone. After completing the exercise, the participants (usually in a euphoric state) all lay down and are asked to bring their focus inward. I tried it recently and found it enjoyable and insightful.

Celebrate Scars

2009-08-02T20:42:00.002-04:00

A rapturous shriek and a gash
That’s how it starts
This intolerable tear in a fabric-like womb-tunnel shoots
Opens a break away channel for water and blood to seep
An escape
Through the tug of gravity’s downward slope
I pierce through skintightness and numbness
Into the arms of a new world I land
Violently parting curtains of tissue
Lifting window panes of separation
The way back spins shut
Awakened by my severed connection’s pull
I grieve contemplating this journey’s price
The losses, exchanges of comfort
One cut to the cord and the ensuing emotional sting
Lingers to tell me nothing will ever again be assured
Further from home, closer to knowing it(’)s nature in all that I am
I run my fingers over
Open wounds I have emerged from my organic tomb
The parted fibers seal, harden fast and fold into scar
A rippling reminder that
The unseen mystery can sail into flesh
And ship out again anytime with the tide
Change is a tattoo
I am etched in and out of its portals
From far away worlds to this one and back I have passed
The first order of business
Survive
The blackness of travel
The agony sung from the struggle to sustain a unit of delicate life
Learn to willfully die a little each day
And every morning again be
Recreated
This biosuit demands much from its host
I make peace with my body’s wasteful consumption
I will breathe, feed, and take
from Ocean and Earth only what's needed
But I will wither away if attunement to beauty and purpose is denied
A tear from her glittering eyes to my kiss
A sliver of gold uncoiling eternal verve from her breaching lips
Carried from inside her belly to mine
Food for my soul lends me enough strength to dream a return to her shores
By braving these scars as entryway points to much more
I can be sure
Before I drain away
That the Beloved exists
and will always be here
Arise

I WAIT...

2009-07-17T20:45:00.003-04:00

I wait,
I wait,
I wait..
As I remember
I am not really here until I breathe
To draw in the wind
And animate,
Contort and create a solid drop of spirit-world wisdom
Feels right to be kept alive by the ether
They swim in
I ponder what must be said to send me forth to
The doorway between us and them-
The mystical oxygen dwellers
And my absorbing lungs--
This is our song.
I am a reed
and they are a cosmic exhale of the master musician's breath
I've struggled to turn this melody key that already fits
Instead-- I grip to a whip and a crack
Defacing an effortless action that requires little or no motion on my part
My singing heart is my beat and my feet. Do you hear?
No need to wrestle with locks on my lips until they twist into chains.
No violent revolt exists
I'm bought back and set free by my slaves.
For it is my place to be
Emancipated-
Now, in the flesh drawing breath
My contents-- a love letter inspired by atmosphere's kiss and carress.
My intent-- to let loose of this seal
I want you to open me, read me, release by your hand my tucked away dreams
Unfold the crease in my back and my neck
Deliver these reams of my story.
I am to be heard and received--
A sensory-carbon-based-connective-tissue-communication-exchange
Lies between earth and all its otherworld children
A spirit-umbilical cord feeds the land of the
Tall ape with soul.
Down deep inside this call to just be
I can live as if life's end never mattered at
All times I wake, every day
Finding myself marooned
without water and food
I hoist my sail and I wait
and I wait
and I wait
Till the wind blows me back to this shore
from the deep sea despair, I am spared
When I recall the distant rush of
Lush waterfalls and the rustle of leaves
The sounds that remind me of home
Intervene

Wisdom from American Mystic, Jeru Kabbal

2009-07-16T07:09:00.002-04:00

Each day is a day unto itself
Each breath is a breath unto itself.
Live for that which is truly happening
Not for that which is dead and gone.
Live life as you listen to music
As you hear each note you release it
Making space for the next note
And even though you’re constantly releasing the music that you hear
You still hear the melody, you still hear the majesty, you still hear the harmony
And so it is with life.
Let it flow through you
Don’t try to hold it fast.
And above all
Don’t hold old memories for these are dead and deadening
Trust existence, trust life, trust yourself.

-Jeru Kabbal

Animal Totem Website

2009-07-14T08:34:00.003-04:00

This website is a great resource for those who want to learn more about the nature of their animal spirit guides. Here's what it has to say about the wolf- perhaps the most well known night singer.

"To understand totem wolf symbols, one must first understand the heart of the Wolf. This takes time because the Wolf has had to endure many false stereotypes, misconceptions and misunderstandings.

Some common traits that accompany totem wolf symbols:

Intelligence
Cunning
Communication
Friendliness
Loyalty
Generosity
Compassionate

Not at all the picture of ferocity or terror, the Wolf is a creature with a high sense of loyalty and strength. Another misconception is that of the “lone wolf.” To the contrary, the Wolf is actually a social creature, friendly, and gregarious with its counterparts. ***googlesmall.sthml***

The Wolf is an incredible communicator. By using touch, body movements, eye contact as well as many complex vocal expressions – the wolf makes his point understood. Those with totem wolf symbols are of the same inclination – they are expressive both vocally and physically. Those who have the wolf as their totem animal are naturally eloquent in speech, and also have knack for creative writing.

Totem wolf symbols belong to those who truly understand the depth of passion that belong to this noble creature. The Wolf is a representative of deep faith, and profound understanding.

Further, the Wolf possess a high intellect, and have been observed using strategies about hunting, habitat and migration.

In history, the totem Wolf symbol appears with the founders of Rome, Romulus and Remus. Legend has it that the two founding brothers were raised and suckled by a she-wolf.

In Norse mythology, the Wolf is a symbol for victory when ridden by Odin and the Valkyries upon the battlefield.

As a Celtic symbol, the Wolf was a source of lunar power. Celtic lore states that the Wolf would hunt down the sun and devour it at each dusk so as to allow the power of the moon to come forth.

In Asia, the wolf guards the doors that allow entrance to heavenly, celestial realms. The Wolf is also said to be among the ancestry of Genghis Khan.

When this gracious creature appears to us, and serves as a totem in our lives, the Wolf beckons us to ask these questions:

Are you thinking about a different form of education?
Are you being a true friend, and are your friends being true to you?
Are you communicating yourself clearly to others?
Are you being loyal to yourself?
Are you incorporating strategies and planning to achieve your goals?
Are you spending enough quality time with yourself, friends and family?

Click here to find more about other animal totems as well as totem wolf symbols and discover if the Wolf is your Native American zodiac sign.

Take some time to know more about the Wolf, you will be amazed at the knowledge these regal creatures can share with you."

Night Sings Our New Moderator!

2009-04-02T08:46:00.000-04:00

Many thanks to Night Sings for taking over the role of moderator of this blog! He is our greatest poster, and wishes to make this blog come alive again. In the coming weeks and months, he will be remaking any/all of the display, inviting others, and having a great time of it! Welcome Night Sings, and many thanks! Robin

Duo

2009-04-01T19:10:00.000-04:00

Two appear from none
I felt less sure about one
Once upon a time
No longer alone in the cosmos
I now roast inside their lotus flower gazes
Ablaze at their touch
These helpless droplets of sun
Breaking the mind-baking arena's sodium hazes
Illuminating forgotten fumbled through mazes
Underneath my soul's arrival
I heard their voices announced
Traveling from yet another world
Uncoiling from the web of my dreams
I catch life and steal health from these echoes
anew
In a quick second
My being's memory too will pass
But not before
Two faces appear from the stars
Their beauty a breeze to the comet tail's fire
That fueled their arrival
Upon impact
They sear away
Traces of plague
In the undergrowth of my fears
If I knew not what a father sees in the reshuffled
Wilderness of his heart
I now cannot part from the vision of truth
From their eyes
I shoot further up
Before leaping back into earth's womb
I've been reborn by my own mortality
immortalized

Ursula Le Guin

2009-03-25T15:44:00.000-04:00

I believe that all the best faculties of a mature human being exist in the child, and that if these faculties are encouraged in youth they will act well and wisely in the adult, but if they are repressed and denied in the child they will stunt and cripple the adult personality. And, I believe that one of the most deeply human, and humane, of these faculties is the power of imagination: so that it is our pleasant duty, as librarians, or teachers, or parents, or writers, or simply as grownups, to encourage that faculty of imagination in our children, to encourage it to grow freely, to flourish like the green bay tree, by giving it the best, absolutely the best and purest, nourishment that it can absorb. And never, under any circumstances, to squelch it, or sneer at it, or imply that it is childish, or unmanly, or untrue.

For fantasy is true, of course. It isn't factual, but it is true. Children know that. Adults know it too, and that is precisely why many of them are afraid of fantasy. They know that its truth challenges, even threatens, all that is false, all that is phony, unnecessary, and trivial in the life they have let themselves be forced into living. They are afraid of fantasy, because they are afraid of freedom.
- Ursula K. Le Guin -
From: The Language of the Night

Wolf

2009-03-18T23:08:00.000-04:00

I hear your song echo through
Pores and flesh and hair
You lie there
In the white wilderness dress of my
Mind's winter coat
Melting the frost
On my body and
Inside my voice
Warmth rises
From deep within
the forest
Undisturbed
by the nighttime
mist of breath
From your howl;
A sailing medicine
ascends to the sky
And flies
No shade of dark
Can constrain this
Smooth, soothing voice
All I hear
When I shut my eyes
is your image
Running wild in the snow
The moon undresses
My wounds
And frustrations are laid out
To satisfy your hunger
I feed them to you
And surrender to
Ressurection

Terence McKenna

2009-03-01T13:36:00.000-05:00

The apprenticeship is over :( The blog is a resource and a repository of information for those with an interest in Shamanism. Is there any objection to continuing with posts?

A good friend recently introduced me to Terence McKenna. I've collected a few of his talks and think he's an important philosopher and writer of the psychedelic movement. He frequently lectured about the corrupting influence of Western culture and ideologies, and he believed shamans were bearers of "spiritual technologies," which could be used to help improve the consciousness. To me his main message is that we can explore the world's mysteries and unlock the mind's potential through restoring our relationship with the earth and the plants. Here is an excerpt from one of his talks complemented with some beautiful graphics.

The Shamanic Origins of Christmas

2008-12-14T17:33:00.000-05:00

I found this post at http://erocx1.blogspot.com/2008/12/shamanic-origins-of-christmas.html,
it's helps us remember where we come from.
Marry Christmas!

Well its that time of the year again. So I would like to share Dana Larsen's wonderful essay "Modern Christmas traditions are based on ancient mushroom-using shamans" as I do every Christmas. Just to help spread a little clarity, history and truth about this special season, its rituals and meaning that was hijacked by the Judeo-Christian religions long ago. Who have consequently lost it to our cultures new religion, Consumerism.

Modern Christmas Traditions are Based on Ancient Mushroom-using Shamans.

by: Dana Larsen

Although most people see Christmas as a Christian holiday, most of the symbols and icons we associate with Christmas celebrations are actually derived from the shamanistic traditions of the tribal peoples of pre-Christian Northern Europe. The sacred mushroom of these people was the red and white amanita muscaria mushroom, also known as "fly agaric." These mushrooms are now commonly seen in books of fairy tales, and are usually associated with magic and fairies. This is because they contain potent hallucinogenic compounds, and were used by ancient peoples for insight and transcendental experiences. Most of the major elements of the modern Christmas celebration, such as Santa Claus, Christmas trees, magical reindeer and the giving of gifts, are originally based upon the traditions surrounding the harvest and consumption of these most sacred mushrooms.

The world tree
These ancient peoples, including the Lapps of modern-day Finland, and the Koyak tribes of the central Russian steppes, believed in the idea of a World Tree. The World Tree was seen as a kind of cosmic axis, onto which the planes of the universe are fixed. The roots of the World Tree stretch down into the underworld, its trunk is the "middle earth" of everyday existence, and its branches reach upwards into the heavenly realm. The amanita muscaria mushrooms grow only under certain types of trees, mostly firs and evergreens. The mushroom caps are the fruit of the larger mycelium beneath the soil which exists in a symbiotic relationship with the roots of the tree. To ancient people, these mushrooms were literally "the fruit of the tree." The North Star was also considered sacred, since all other stars in the sky revolved around its fixed point. They associated this "Pole Star" with the World Tree and the central axis of the universe. The top of the World Tree touched the North Star, and the spirit of the shaman would climb the metaphorical tree, thereby passing into the realm of the gods. This is the true meaning of the star on top of the modern Christmas tree, and also the reason that the super-shaman Santa makes his home at the North Pole. Ancient peoples were amazed at how these magical mushrooms sprang from the earth without any visible seed. They considered this "virgin birth" to have been the result of the morning dew, which was seen as the semen of the deity. The silver tinsel we drape onto our modern Christmas tree represents this divine fluid.

Reindeer games
The active ingredients of the amanita mushrooms are not metabolized by the body, and so they remain active in the urine. In fact, it is safer to drink the urine of one who has consumed the mushrooms than to eat the mushrooms directly, as many of the toxic compounds are processed and eliminated on the first pass through the body. It was common practice among ancient people to recycle the potent effects of the mushroom by drinking each other's urine. The amanita's ingredients can remain potent even after six passes through the human body. Some scholars argue that this is the origin of the phrase "to get pissed," as this urine-drinking activity preceded alcohol by thousands of years. Reindeer were the sacred animals of these semi-nomadic people, as the reindeer provided food, shelter, clothing and other necessities. Reindeer are also fond of eating the amanita mushrooms; they will seek them out, then prance about while under their influence. Often the urine of tripped-out reindeer would be consumed for its psychedelic effects. This effect goes the other way too, as reindeer also enjoy the urine of a human, especially one who has consumed the mushrooms. In fact, reindeer will seek out human urine to drink, and some tribesmen carry sealskin containers of their own collected piss, which they use to attract stray reindeer back into the herd. The effects of the amanita mushroom usually include sensations of size distortion and flying. The feeling of flying could account for the legends of flying reindeer, and legends of shamanic journeys included stories of winged reindeer, transporting their riders up to the highest branches of the World Tree.

Santa Claus, super shaman
Although the modern image of Santa Claus was created at least in part by the advertising department of Coca-Cola, in truth his appearance, clothing, mannerisms and companions all mark him as the reincarnation of these ancient mushroom-gathering shamans. One of the side effects of eating amanita mushrooms is that the skin and facial features take on a flushed, ruddy glow. This is why Santa is always shown with glowing red cheeks and nose. Even Santa's jolly "Ho, ho, ho!" is the euphoric laugh of one who has indulged in the magic fungus. Santa also dresses like a mushroom gatherer. When it was time to go out and harvest the magical mushrooms, the ancient shamans would dress much like Santa, wearing red and white fur-trimmed coats and long black boots. These peoples lived in dwellings made of birch and reindeer hide, called "yurts." Somewhat similar to a teepee, the yurt's central smokehole is often also used as an entrance. After gathering the mushrooms from under the sacred trees where they appeared, the shamans would fill their sacks and return home. Climbing down the chimney-entrances, they would share out the mushroom's gifts with those within. The amanita mushroom needs to be dried before being consumed; the drying process reduces the mushroom's toxicity while increasing its potency. The shaman would guide the group in stringing the mushrooms and hanging them around the hearth-fire to dry. This tradition is echoed in the modern stringing of popcorn and other items. The psychedelic journeys taken under the influence of the amanita were also symbolized by a stick reaching up through the smokehole in the top of the yurt. The smokehole was the portal where the spirit of the shaman exited the physical plane. Santa's famous magical journey, where his sleigh takes him around the whole planet in a single night, is developed from the "heavenly chariot," used by the gods from whom Santa and other shamanic figures are descended. The chariot of Odin, Thor and even the Egyptian god Osiris is now known as the Big Dipper, which circles around the North Star in a 24-hour period. In different versions of the ancient story, the chariot was pulled by reindeer or horses. As the animals grow exhausted, their mingled spit and blood falls to the ground, forming the amanita mushrooms.

St Nicholas and Old Nick
Saint Nicholas is a legendary figure who supposedly lived during the fourth Century. His cult spread quickly and Nicholas became the patron saint of many varied groups, including judges, pawnbrokers, criminals, merchants, sailors, bakers, travelers, the poor, and children. Most religious historians agree that St Nicholas did not actually exist as a real person, and was instead a Christianized version of earlier Pagan gods. Nicholas' legends were mainly created out of stories about the Teutonic god called Hold Nickar, known as Poseidon to the Greeks. This powerful sea god was known to gallop through the sky during the winter solstice, granting boons to his worshippers below. When the Catholic Church created the character of St Nicholas, they took his name from "Nickar" and gave him Poseidon's title of "the Sailor." There are thousands of churches named in St Nicholas' honor, most of which were converted from temples to Poseidon and Hold Nickar. (As the ancient pagan deities were demonized by the Christian church, Hold Nickar's name also became associated with Satan, known as "Old Nick!") Local traditions were incorporated into the new Christian holidays to make them more acceptable to the new converts. To these early Christians, Saint Nicholas became a sort of "super-shaman" who was overlaid upon their own shamanic cultural practices. Many images of Saint Nicholas from these early times show him wearing red and white, or standing in front of a red background with white spots, the design of the amanita mushroom. St Nicholas also adopted some of the qualities of the legendary "Grandmother Befana" from Italy, who filled children's stockings with gifts. Her shrine at Bari, Italy, became a shrine to St Nicholas.

Modern world, ancient traditions
Some psychologists have discussed the "cognitive dissonance" which occurs when children are encouraged to believe in the literal existence of Santa Claus, only to have their parents' lie revealed when they are older. By so deceiving our children we rob them of a richer heritage, for the actual origin of these ancient rituals is rooted deep in our history and our collective unconscious. By better understanding the truths within these popular celebrations, we can better understand the modern world, and our place in it. Many people in the modern world have rejected Christmas as being too commercial, claiming that this ritual of giving is actually a celebration of materialism and greed. Yet the true spirit of this winter festival lies not in the exchange of plastic toys, but in celebrating a gift from the earth: the fruiting top of a magical mushroom, and the revelatory experiences it can provide. Instead of perpetuating outdated and confusing holiday myths, it might be more fulfilling to return to the original source of these seasonal celebrations. How about getting back to basics and enjoying some magical mushrooms with your loved ones this solstice? What better gift can a family share than a little piece of love and enlightenment?

Contemporary Shaman Larry Ford

2008-12-10T09:32:00.000-05:00

A feature article on a shaman and financial consultant in this week's Washington Post Magazine and a follow up conversation on NPR. This is great exposure for our brothers and sisters on the path. More of us are waking up to our gifts. It's particularly important for those of us who have been locked into the current paradigm to enjoy more space and comfort to step out and share our practices. Seems contrary to experience a ghostly existence in the "real" world; and once spirit comes to the forefront of life, to finally feel real.

Michael Meade and Veterans

2008-12-03T17:56:00.000-05:00

This Youtube video shows the author of "Men and the Water of Life" drumming and inviting veterans of war to share their stories and poems. There is a very powerful segment in the 21st minute when he begins to sing an African hymn with the participants--while poetry is layered on top.

Brings to mind the healing power of sound and the effects of using creativity and ritual to manage grief. I value the huge importance of this service, but I think it would have been even more powerful to have united Iraqis, Afghanis, and Vietnamese vets together with their so called American "enemies" to really get to the heart of the collective hurt wars create, and to address and dress even deeper wounds.

12,000-Year-Old Shaman Unearthed in Israel

2008-11-11T09:37:00.000-05:00

Interesting article!

12,000-Year-Old Shaman Unearthed in Israel

Print By ISHAAN THAROOR Ishaan Tharoor – Tue Nov 11, 5:50 am ETA

A new figure in humanity's history emerged last week when archaeologists announced the discovery of what could be one of the world's oldest known spiritual figures. After years of meticulous excavation just miles from Israel's Mediterranean coast, scientists from the Institute of Archaeology at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem unearthed a 12,000-year-old grave that held the remains of a diminutive "shaman" woman. Buried alongside the woman's small, huddled corpse were selected pieces of animal bone, a cowtail, an eagle wing, the foot of another human, and, most curiously, some fifty tortoise shells deliberately arranged around the woman's body - all tell-tale signs, experts say, of her lofty social status at the time. "This is something very special; it stands apart," says Leore Grosman, the project's lead archaeologist.

How mankind emerged from Paleolithic prehistory into a world of alphabets and cities is still a story riddled with questions. Even the first settled agriculturalist communities from which our records begin seem far removed from the cave-dwelling, fur-clad hunter-gatherers whom we imagine to be mankind's ancestors. The discovery of a shaman this ancient offers a startling glimpse into this little-known past, a portrait of prehistoric ritual belief and of clear lines of social hierarchy taking shape.

The grave is thought to belong to the Natufian culture, a nomadic society which existed along the eastern Mediterranean roughly between 11,500 and 15,000 years ago. Located near other burial sites, the woman's body was distinctly encased in a limestone enclosure, a tomb sealed by a rock slab that Grosman's team managed to lift in 2006. The following two years were spent painstakingly analyzing the remains found within. Pieces of jewelry, ornamental seashells, or the odd tool have been found in other Natufian graves, but the careful arrangement of the woman's body - her back rested against a wall, legs spread and bent inward from the knee - as well as the surrounding ring of tortoise shells piqued the archaeologists' interest. "This kind of assemblage is different from everything you find elsewhere," says Ofer Bar-Yosef, a Harvard anthropologist who has worked on previous Natufian excavations. "It's the sign of a sort of elite emerging among hunter-gatherers."

Shamans are mystics whose common function in traditional cultures was that of a healer. Analysis of the woman's remains date her as being 45-years-old, a significant age at a time when life was nasty, brutish and short. She was under five feet tall and deformities in her spinal and pelvic bones give the impression that she may have walked with a limp, or dragged her feet. The presence of the hollowed-out tortoise shells, combined with intact bone pieces of leopards and other creatures - the complete forearm of a wild boar, for example, was placed under the woman's own arm - suggest that those living around her believed she had some sort of animist power.

The common narrative of mankind's development generally starts with humans planting crops and settling down in one place to reap what they sow, founding villages that would form the building blocks of human civilization. But further study of the Natufian culture and other parallel societies, such as those living by China's Yellow River, is complicating that belief. Agriculture was not established in the Levant when the Natufians lived there, but they still erected rudimentary structures to inhabit. Traces in the soil of the remains of mice and sparrows - animals that exist most commonly in places of human settlement - point to a significant population boom in the Natufian period. They may not have had seasonal harvests, but the people of this time lived in a complex and perhaps even flourishing society. "What we see [with the Natufian burial rites] is the beginning of a tribal system," says Bar-Yosef. The shaman, buried with her mysteries, looms mercurially over this moment.

Grosman speculates that the elaborate ritual behind the shaman's burial probably helped bind people together at a time of great social transformation. The Natufian culture, she says, was "transitional," moving from the era of the nomadic life of hunter-gatherers into a more stable, sedentary mode. Their descendants were likely the inhabitants of West Asia's great kingdoms of antiquity. Somewhere beneath our vision of sceptered monarchs in their pillared palaces, it can be surmised, rests a hobbled woman upon a bed of tortoise shells.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20081111/wl_time/12000yearoldshamanunearthedinisrael

Shape Shifting Steps

2008-11-10T16:50:00.003-05:00

Being present can be a problem. A mind tends to drift to the future or the past instead of right where it is. It creates distractions to draw attention away from what are perceived as aspects of reality that are too harsh to navigate. So it can resort to generating pain as the ultimate distraction, and before too long the mind becomes a drive-by-shooting operation in its relationship to the body--creating harm for it's own protection's sake. For some, distraction can turn to addiction and then everything is engulfed in ocean and mist. When addiction turns to depression then comes the mind alteration with synthetics. I'm not knocking the need for chemical balancing acts, but there is something underlying it all that needs revisiting and correcting. Shapeshifting is the Shaman's way of communicating with the missing spirit that has long been ignored or drowned out by the distractions. I believe it can help with staying present.

Here is a good series of steps by Evan Aleister Rainer that to me would seem to help effect better shapeshifting.

1. Become aware of what has just happened, namely a shift of consciousness into the edges of a chamber or parallel world just adjacent to the one that we habitually all crawl about in.
2. Drop all pretensions of being a conscious, important, capable, multi-skilled, superbly adapted being and realize that you stand on the edge of an action of being and creative power such as you have no concept of and which certainly has no concept of or concern of you.
3.With your new-found humility, which is the only possible survival-kit for the beginning Shaman, try to focus your attention on what is around you, both within and without. That means, what remains of your physically oriented senses and what you are perceiving with your inner senses at the same time.
4. Try to locate yourself in this space and do not, repeat, do not, try to LEAVE THE SPACE, under any circumstances, especially if someone is asking you to politely respond to some incredibly important question such as `Would you like more honey in that tea, dear'? Get the message? Good, because if you don't you will have crash-landed on your take-off. Not a joke.
5.Keep a sense of humour about all this, even though there is nothing to laugh at.
6.If you keep attention directed on to the inner and outer incidents, without responding to them in any normal or usual way, you will have started to grasp the difference between a Shaman and a mortal. And, even better, you will merge back into your normal consciousness with a gentle sliding sort of motion that you will only notice after you have completed it.
7.Remember that the basis of all genuine spirituality is the experience you are having, and endeavor to defend the experience from the primate; your own and others.

Tuvan Shamans

2008-11-07T16:21:00.001-05:00

Here is a link to a short national geographic video about the Tuvan Shamans.

Tuva is a Russian republic that was an independent state until the 1940s, with two official spiritual practices: Buddhism and Shamanism. The report suggests that the government wants to attract people from other countries to preserve the area's shamanic healing traditions. I wonder what kind of incentives they're offering? :)

Below is some info about Tuva and its shamans found at the Foundation for Shamanic Studies website. The full article can be read here:

Shamans and Spirits

A significant part of Tuvan respect for nature is expressed through shamanic traditions. All of nature is considered sacred, the fabric of their world view being woven in the sacred thread of their myths. Here, features of the landscape and the creatures inhabiting it are settings and characters in great stories that describe and explain the world. Principal places and characters of this mythic and natural world are Tuva's nine sacred springs, nine sacred mountains, and nine sacred celestial objects; the Sun, Moon and seven stars of the "Great Bear" (the Big Dipper). There are dragons in the sky, sirens who inhabit the steppe, and a sacred flower that has the power to hold strangers together in marriage. Each place in nature has its special spiritual inhabitants. This spiritual aspect of nature is equally as important to Tuvans as are physical attributes. It requires attention from people who are sensitive to, and trained in, relating to this side of nature. These people are the shamans.

The shamans of pre-Soviet Tuva were healers, diviners, and conductors of ritual necessary for Tuvan life. Both men and women became shamans after they were visited with the "shaman's sickness." Often, a shaman interpreted this as invasion by the spirit of a dead shaman. This invading Being, wanted the living person to become a shaman. The onset of this illness was commonly early in life, but also occurred in people more than 40 years of age. If the person ignored the calling, continued sickness or even death occurred. The illness frequently manifested itself as fainting spells, memory loss, or convulsions. Heeding the call resulted in a complete remission of symptoms.

The shamanic vocation often had an hereditary aspect in Tuva, as in much of the rest of Siberia. Relatives watched children carefully for the appearance of characteristics that signaled a new shaman. Training under an existing shaman was necessary, as was a drum, garment, and feather headdress. Relatives were responsible for making the new shaman's equipment. There was a ceremony of investment for the new shaman during which relatives enlivened the new drum (the shaman's horse) by beating it.

Shamans were central to Tuvan society. Not only did they represent their kin and work for them spiritually, but they were respected repositories of important knowledge. They conducted necessary rituals such as the yearly "fire ceremony" and rituals to bless the land and promote fertility. Tuvan shamanic ceremony was quite colorful, with shamans reciting long verses, dancing, and singing to the accompaniment of their drums. They also employed a jew's harp in their performances. Healing work included extraction, removing harmful spirits from places, purification, and soul work involving the transition at death. Their garments were knee-length shirts, upon which were sewn long streamers that represented their spirit helpers (called "snakes"), bells and rods of metal, and metal effigies. Besides their symbolic value, costume decorations moved with the dancing shaman, producing auditory and visual stimulation.

Secrecy, independence, and competition also characterized Tuvan shamans. They were each unique in the way they worked and typically worked alone. Like tribal shamans in other places, they sometimes engaged in competitive struggles with each other.

Shamans were considered very special people, being revered and feared at the same time. When they died, they were not interred like ordinary people, but were placed in open wooden sarcophaguses elevated above the ground by four posts. Here, their bodies lay exposed to the elements while their spirits continued to serve their people. That servitude was, however, frustrated by the forces of history. The living and dead shamans would have to deal with an ambitious state to the north, called Russia.

Peruvian Shamans and the US Election

2008-10-30T10:40:00.001-04:00

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/us_elections_2008/7699066.stm

This 1.5 minute video looks more like a publicity stunt, and is a little over the top in a "look at the savages play with their voodoo dolls" kind of way. But it's an interesting exposure on the Andean Shaman and their views on the election.

Journey

2008-10-22T13:00:00.000-04:00

I leave the place-holder boiler plate cold furnace state
Under my face and drop down
I tune into the drumming I hear and out bounce vibrations
And waves replace linear thoughts
If I was blind, in this world I see, seek and soar
Guided by nothing but sound and the self.

I feel I am reading and writing and breaking the news
When I shatter the walls and to
these other dimensions I voyage,
I am an objective observer and agent of change
I excavate answers from spirits
Undertake quests in the name of the soul

Companions and guides call to me and are called to my side
They advise and send signals disguised as next steps
Ancient wisdom they bring from the Source
To the drum driven wheels that revolve in my head
From the land to the court of my Spirit-King warrior throne

I return items lost and thought gone,
Record all the specs and trace a path back to
My physical base of operations
The drum stops and palatial silence durates and I hum
With information

If it's all in my mind and it's real at the same time,
How can one feel and know what is wrong and what's right
Without logic, science, and stats, and a map of the way?
Yet are there not
Actions I take,
Decisions I make, and
Visions I create, fulfill and forsake every day in my cold furnace state?

I sense, deal, and feel out the answers
To enigmas I think I have mastered
As I'm told that I travel alone, in control
On this circling-spherical-planetary train
Called conscious existence, survival and home.

So, when it's night and my earth eyes are closed
When reason is docile and dormant, I rise from my skintight cocoon
And the links that connect me to gods and their fire connect
I tune into the journey and sing a new name
as I steal away into "Alive"
While I can seat only one on the ride
I'm reminded that infinite sight awaits the awake.

How A Tree Shaman Lives

2008-10-10T14:26:00.000-04:00

This is really worth the read...it shows how EVERY job can be a shamanic job...thanks to the Tree Shamans for all they do. Hugs, Walks In Two Worlds

Marking Timber
June 01, 2008
by Bob Perschel

We are easy to spot. Look for boots spattered with blue paint.

Blue paint dots our wool hats in the winter and speckles our hair and baseball caps in the summer. In the fall, because the accumulation of paint turns our once brightly colored orange vests into a strange camouflage, some of us tie orange marking tape to our clothes to alert the hunters.

We are foresters. Within the profession we are known as dirt foresters, and a great deal of our time in the woods is spent selecting and marking timber for harvest.

People everywhere endow trees with psychic energy and layers of meaning. Trees appear in our poems, our paintings, and our songs. When they live interdependently in groups known as woods or forests, they signify that the whole is much greater than the sum of the parts, teaching us that when we live together as whole communities and nations, we can be more than what we are as individuals. What a responsibility, then, to choose which trees to cut and which to leave standing.

Among themselves, foresters acknowledge that they walk a thin line through the woods, paint gun in hand, straddling the opposing worlds of life and death. One friend calls his forester wife the angel of death when she picks up her marking gun and prepares for the days work.

I spent almost 15 years working in the woods of New England as a forester. There were long strings of days I spent marking timber sales. Alone. In the woods. I was there when the first snarls of snow fell out of the northern sky and softly filled up the woods. I was there marking trees when the first green shoots forced their way out of the wet mud and unfurled in a blanket of green. I was there when the first orange color etched itself on the edges of the maple leaves and I watched the first leaf let loose its hold on life and flutter to the ground. Through the marking of timber, we become a part of a natural system that can teach us how to live more fully and with greater awareness. Approached in this way, the task of putting paint on trees becomes a meditation, even as we acknowledge that cutting trees is at its heart an economic decision.

You spend all day weaving your way back and forth through the hardwood forest, examining each tree in turn and deciding whether it should live or die. You repeat this each day, considering perhaps 30,000 or 40,000 trees and selecting perhaps 300 of them to mark with a blue paint spot. Each decision involves factors such as age, size, health, soil, slope, aspect, economic value, competition, potential growth, wildlife values, and more. You calculate all these in your forestry-educated brain. You raise your paint gun to deliver the death sentence, and then something unnamable crawls up from your belly and asks: Is this the right thing to do? How well does this action fit into the natural flow of the forest? What harm is this causing? What does this have to do with me? What is the best way to balance your love for the forest, your desire to keep it healthy and functioning well for wildlife and other benefits, and your need and the landowners desire to earn money?

You squeeze the trigger, or dont squeeze the trigger, and move on to repeat the process again and again, thousands of times each day, day after day, season after season, year after year. This is work that can change you if you open yourself to the hard questions that are about yourself: who you are as a human being and what is your purpose, your responsibility, your role, and your relationship to the natural world.

If you are willing to do that, I guarantee you that each step through the forest will change you. Each difficult and complicated decision to mark a tree and alter the forest will alter you as well. But only if you are willing to bring your spirit the essence of who you are as well as your body into the forest with you when you mark timber. It is this very need to acknowledge and engage in the entire life cycle, including death, that makes marking timber such a transformative experience. After all, birth, growth, maturation, senescence, death, and rebirth are the way of the forest.

During my time practicing forestry in New England, I had the opportunity to train several young foresters. I remember one particular day I was in the woods marking timber with a young man just beginning his career. There were several inches of snow on the ground, and we were in a beautiful stand of oak. When you mark timber together, you choose a compass bearing through the woods, and the lead marker works his way forward along that line by marking trees in a swath thats perpendicular to that line and perhaps 100 to 150 feet wide. The next marker follows alongside and to the right of the first, using the last trees marked by the lead marker as the left boundary of his or her swath. So it is important for the lead marker to stay in front.

I took the lead marking position, but as we moved through the woods, I kept noticing my partner right on my shoulder. He was marking faster than I was and really pushing me to keep ahead. I watched him for awhile, and he was really moving through the woods marking one tree and then quickly moving on to select another. Finally, our marking paths came to an intersection point and I stopped him for a talk in the woods. Like anyone else, foresters take a break once in a while either to talk about this particular woodlot or about any topic that might normally occur around the water cooler or coffee machine. In this case we talked about marking timber. I remember getting right to the point, since I knew him well enough to take a risk. I asked him what he thought about when he marked timber. Did he just see trees as timber, board feet, and dollar signs for him and the landowner? We stood in front of a large oak tree. I pointed to it and asked, What is this in front of you? Is it just a tree? Is it only an object for you to mark and pass by? Its lived 70 years. What does that mean to you? What is your relationship with this entity?

I put my hand on the tree. I slapped it hard and asked him, What is this? I had him put his hands on the tree, and then I gently pushed his head against the tree until his red beard was flush with the bark and said, If you are going to do this job it is important that you know what this is. I stepped back and asked if he knew what I was talking about. When he turned to look at me, there was a different look in his eyes. He simply said, Yeah, I do. And, quite simply, that was that. Our feet were growing cold, and the light was fading, so we turned back to our work.

We continued marking along our lines and I soon was aware that he was no longer on my shoulder. In fact, now he was nowhere in sight. I came to the end of my line and turned to walk back through the snow in the now-darkening woods. Finally, I came to a place where I could see him. He was standing motionless in front of a tree. Then he looked up and then down. Then he looked to the sides and the adjacent trees, and then he explored the forest floor. Next he moved around to the other side and repeated the process. He was holding his marking stick in one hand and his paint gun in the other. Finally, I saw him shift the paint gun and tuck it under the armpit of his other arm. Then, with his free hand, he reached out in the dimming light to touch the tree.

Thats when I turned away and headed back to the truck. This was his moment and his own way of learning his craft. But there was also a selfish reason for my abrupt departure. I wanted to hold this singular image and etch it forever in my minds eye. The darkening woods, the long, straight oak trunks, the covering of snow, the blue jeans, the orange marking vest, the plaid shirt, the red beard, the orange cap, and the gray woolen gloves spattered with blue paint, fingers splayed reaching out to touch an oak tree.

I wanted that image burned in my mind so that on those days when things arent going so well when it seems like we are losing ground, and despair begins to creep in like a cold wind through a crack in the door I can call up that image of this young man in the woods, reaching out.

Bob Perschel is the Northeast Region Director for the Forest Guild. In his spare time, he is writing a book called The Heart and Mind of Environmental Leadership.

This story was first printed in Northern Woodlands Magazine

Thanks Bob for permission to reprint this story.

The Stories

2008-10-08T19:34:00.000-04:00

And so, "It is written."

The Stories, just like the one above, are still being told.

This story can be very inspiring to those who are willing listen--to see it, to feel it, and experience it.

Each walk thru The Woods, reveals another chapter or a new story.

Perhaps, it's the mushroom showing off by dissolving himself. Or, the Woodpecker who's just "checking in." Maybe it's the Leaf that "let's go" of the Tree allowing herself to Free fall. Or, the playful wind that sends an acorn bouncing off my head.

In times like this--I am inspired by The Stories of Mother Earth. Her Truth is deep and palpable on many levels. On Sunday, she "let go" with a 2.0 earthquake nearby--the ripple could felt by many. On a personal note, I felt like I cracked open, some things burst out, while I waited and waited to catch my breath.

And, by Monday morning I was able to breathe once again.

For now during the Media's referenced times of trouble; I choose to connect only by a thread. Allowing the the rest of me to breathe and expand in the only TRUTH that I know.

Mastering the Cycle

2008-10-03T14:46:00.000-04:00

I have been grappling with and wooing at the truths we explored in our last call. I feel like the books and Walks in Two Worlds have been trying to explain to us the common theme of learning to ride the cycle as a key to unlocking the story and its elements. This is of massive importance to fusion and evolution--our own, the earth's, humankind's. Learning to identify and be comfortable with all the different points along the spectrum of the human condition is like a martial artist studying and practicing a counter move for every move and developing a soundness of mind, spirit, AND physique while in the process. In my own life I've developed a unique persona and the qualities that go along with that persona but then to detach and drop in and out of that persona and into another one willfully, effortlessly is an unmatched artform, a discipline, a craft. It requires a firm foundation and a full spirit presence to not get lost; and when mastered, it can assist me, and those who seek my help, in dropping out of unhealthy habitual cycles and creating new more fulfilling ones.

To me, entering the cycle/the wheel/the circle/the globe is about motion: entering a state of new perception and then abandoning it--both actions require a certain fortitude and courage. Like dealing with day and night; life and death; audience and performer; flesh and spirit; the first attention and the second attention. Creating and entering the revolving door between these two points and laying a new path creates a certain nourishing energy-that's the energy we've been experimenting with and harnessing. This in-between energy gives both destination and journey meaning--This in-between energy creates a flow of consciousness or alchemy that keeps with human growth and decline and acts as a bridge/portal for our cells to venture back and forth between home and here.

But where is home? Why did each of us choose to manifest a physical form here? This is a question I am working on, and I believe it's of huge importance. Make sense of home--make sense of the mission. Home is the source of comfort in this world but it is a source of supreme power, purpose, and peace for the shaman.

We Are All Shamans: Interview with Itzhak Beery

2008-09-27T20:16:00.000-04:00

I found this podcast about Itzhak Beery. Born in Israel, Beery was initiated into the family tradition of a powerful Quechuan Yachak from Ecuador and has studied under the Brazilian elder Ipupiara and Peruvian curandera Cleicha.

He speaks of his apprenticeship and experience in becoming a Shaman. I found some of it insightful. He also speaks of the candle and egg healing/readings which we just learned.

The podcast can be found at:

http://www.realitysandwich.com/interview_itzhak_beery#comments

Connected

2008-09-27T19:16:00.000-04:00

Last week, I felt a desperate need to shut down. I wanted to do nothing more than breath and partake in deeply nourishing activities. Thinking, feeling, analyzing, discussing...all those activities felt extremely exauhsting and irritating to me.

Tuesday morning, I woke up with the message that I should just call in and take the day off from work and allow myself the space and opportunity to do just that. Stop my world for a while. Upon contemplation,I was filled with reminders of all my responsibilities and the fact that I had no vacation or sick time available to me. I pushed through it and went to work. After having arrived, I found that I could not continue. I stated that I was not feeling well and that I had made the choice to leave for the day. Despite their dismay, I left and went home and spent the day in peace. Doing only that which nourished me.

The next day I got a call from two good friends of mine. They both individually informed me that they had the exact same experience, the same intuition, both pushed through it went to work only to leave at the same time I did using the same excuse. In addition to that, they also participated in most of the same nourishing activities.

It shows me once again, my illusion of control and how truly connected we are only appearing to be living separate lives and responding to that which is only our own.

Anyone have any similar experiences last week?

Sacrificing Convenience

2008-09-24T22:02:00.000-04:00

As I think back on our past weekend and the experiences and messages that were shared a few things stand out in my mind. We are a society of convenience.. I know that I try to push myself to do the right things and constantly know myself so that I can improve. I also know that those that I’ve called to surround me in my life all have aspects or lessons that I need to draw from.

We’ve all talked about sacrifice and giving back to Spirit as a way of honoring Spirit for helping us on our path. As I look at me.. what do I sacrifice or give back for Spirit’s wisdom? I could list many things that I’ve thrown in the “here’s what I’m doing” column.. but as I really look at it closely I’ve noticed that it also has a nice flavor of convenience about it. Don’t get me wrong, it still is a sacrifice and does have meaning to me.. but it seems to stop just short of stepping outside of my box.. It’s a “convenient” sacrifice.. the message that jumps out at me is “to show my thanks I’m willing to give back… just enough to not put me out”.

Well, that’s an eye opener.

Noticing this about myself obviously didn’t make me jump up and down :-) What it did do is flash back many many conversations I’ve had with those around me on that topic… as Spirit was presenting me with this message for quite a while now and I just got it. It seems that I was able to convince myself or put a nice wrapper on what I was “sacrificing” so that it seemed that I was giving a lot… but in reality what was it at all?

I had a hard time stepping back into Muggle-ville as I just couldn’t understand why we would create this reality. Well, I still don’t get that but have come to the understanding that maybe I’m not supposed to know that right now. What I do know is that I’m here and that there is a lot of work to do.

We all come from different backgrounds and have experienced many different things. We are all the same energy but different beings in this world. I think the message that we have to give is the same message.. but we’re all presenting it in our own unique way. Many times we don’t realize that others are hearing that message.. I think it’s our responsibility to listen to Spirit and get our message out there.. even if we think that no one is listening. Be it by teaching others, writing, creating, counseling; whatever the method is really doesn’t matter. For those of you who want to push outside the box, please let me know. I would like to help get our messages out there!

I am going to work on taking the pressure cooker and putting the world in it. I feel it's time to take the fight to the enemy. I would ask each of you for your wisdom, guidance, and kick in the ass along the way. I also want to again thank each of you (and Spirit) for the messages you have passed on.. knowingly or unknowingly!! They all seem to be floating up and slapping me in the face :-)

Love to all!

Still Waters

All At Once

2008-09-21T16:52:00.000-04:00

I've been a fan of Jack Johnson for quite a few years now. There's something about his insightful lyrics and overall vibe of his music that I connect heavily with. Here are the lyrics and a video link to one of my favorite songs off his latest album.

All at Once - Sleep Through the Static

All at once
The world can overwhelm me
There’s almost nothing that you could tell me
That could ease my mind

Which way will you run?
When it’s always all around you
And the feeling lost and found you again
A feeling that we have no control

Around the sun
Some say it’s going to be the new hell
Some say it’s still too early to tell
Some say it really ain’t no myth at all

We keep asking ourselves
Are we really strong enough?
There’re so many things
That we got too proud of

I want to take the preconceived
Out from underneath your feet
We could shake it off
And instead we’ll plant some seeds
We’ll watch them as they grow
And with each new beat
From your heart the roots grow deeper
The branches, well they reach for what?

Nobody really knows
But underneath it all
There’s this heart all alone
What about when it’s gone?
It really won’t be so long
Sometimes it feels like a heart
Is no place to be singing from at all

There’s a world we’ve never seen
There’s still hope between the dreams
The weight of it all could blow away with a breeze
But if you’re waiting on the wind
Don’t forget to breathe
Because as the darkness gets deeper
We’re sinking so we reach for love

At least something we can hold
But I’ll reach to you
From where time just can’t go
What about when it’s gone?
It really won’t be so long
Sometimes it feels like a heart
Is no place to be singing from at all

World Peace Day, September 21st

2008-09-19T14:33:00.000-04:00

This video was inspiring and it felt right to share. I wonder if there is something we can do as a tribe to "lift the consciousness around the most fundamental issue: protection of each other"?

What a Year Can Bring

2008-09-17T09:15:00.000-04:00

I entered this apprenticeship with the idea of spending much, if not most, of my non-work time studying, as I realized that it was a rare opportunity. I did not plan on my mental illness kicking up to a new phase. I knew that I was frequently depressed, and that medications helped; what I had not seen was that I cycle within the depressive phase and that the cycling itself is very debilitating. One moment everything is fine, the next for no reason I'm in the absolute pits of existence and questioning whethe it's worth it. No reson, no logic, just whammy. With the new understanding - new meds. Lifestyle changes can't deal iwth this one. With the new meds - new side effects; I'll spare you the details, they're nasty and debilitating. With meds and side feects, my resolve and abilities went out the window. BUT, life happens. For me certainly, I should have known that life wouldn't stop for the program, and that what counts ultimately is that I'm learning despite the pains, fungi, mood swings, lapses of judgment, impulsiveness, etc. I may not be following Robin through the jungle, but I've got my own jungle in my head, and the struggle makes what I learn all the sweeter.

Stealing Fire and Telling Stories

2008-09-11T19:34:00.001-04:00

Here's a link to a James Bonnet interview I came across. But this youtube segment captures a much more interesting interview with NPR's Ira Glass on the craft of storytelling--He is the host of "This American Life". He says, "The whole shape of the story is that you're throwing out questions to keep people watching and listening, and answering them along the way."

New Vision

2008-08-27T00:21:00.000-04:00

NEW VISION
Seeing higher realms
In color coats they shift the walls
They do and don't exist
In radiant hues they penetrate
The spirits on the mundane breed
And I await in fascination's delivery room
Tending to
All the newborn elemental codes
They go fro and back and mate and multiply and paint for me
With senses splashed in colored brush blot sprays
They birth a smeary story I have never dared to read
How stabbing is the artist's sharpened tip
On my three-piece throbbing head
Mischievious is their play
Was it they
Or did I just prick myself?
Exhausted, weak from all the astral plasma spills
Something stays and through the point of skin abrazed
My loss is their gain
And now to turn illusion on its head
I see that I am different not
When I come back
Alive or dead or somewhere in between
I see
And the world sees back less worrisome to me

National Geographic Article

2008-08-20T10:20:00.000-04:00

Shamanism finally going mainstream? Here is an article on Shamans and Ayahuasca in National Geographic, of all places. http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/0603/features/peru.html

It involves the familiar story of an American, Hamilton, who had once lived in desperation and was called to the other realms by the inexplicable. He made his way to Peru and is now a practicing master shaman there.

I just skimmed through it but here are my favorite excerpts:

To prepare the brew, apprentices spend years under the tutelage of an elder shaman getting to know the different plant ingredients, passing weeks or months at a time learning their individual healing properties and governing spirits. These beings, they claim, teach them icaros, or spirit songs, which, when sung or whistled, call forth the plants' unique assistance during ceremonies.
The training isn't easy; those like Hamilton who earn the title of "master shaman"—highly respected members of Amazonian communities—receive patients from far and wide. Based on the individual needs of their patients, shamans must know which plants are required for a ceremony (there are two primary ingredients, but any of an estimated 100 species have been used in ayahuasca brews), how much of them to harvest, and how to prepare them for ingestion. The plants' spirits are then said to work together to produce the most successful possible healing for each person, regardless of what ails them.

According to Grob, ayahuasca provokes a profound state of altered consciousness that can lead to temporary "ego disintegration," as he calls it, allowing people to move beyond their defense mechanisms into the depths of their unconscious minds—a unique opportunity, he says, that cannot be duplicated by any nondrug therapy methods.

"You come back with images, messages, even communications," he explains. "You're learning about yourself, reconceptualizing prior experiences. Having had a profound psycho-spiritual epiphany, you're not the same person you were before."

But the curious should take heed: The unconscious mind holds many things you don't want to look at. All those self-destructive beliefs, suppressed traumatic events, denied emotions. Little wonder that an ayahuasca vision can reveal itself as a kind of hell in which a person is forced—literally—to face his or her demons.

Hamilton explains it this way: Everyone has an energetic body run by an inextinguishable life force. In Eastern traditions, this force, known as chi or prana, is manipulated through such things as acupuncture or yoga to run smoothly and prevent the buildup of the negative energies that cause bodily disease, mental illness, and even death. To Amazonian shamans, however, these negative energies are actual spirit entities that attach themselves to the body and cause mischief. In everyone, Hamilton asserts, there is a loving "higher self," but whenever unpleasant thoughts enter a person's mind—anger, fear, sorrow—it's because a dark spirit is hooked to the body and is temporarily commandeering the person's mind. In some cases, he adds, particularly evil spirits from the lowest hell of the "astral realms" take over a person
permanently—known as full-blown demonic possession—creating a psychopathic mind that seeks only to harm others.

Shamans will tell you that during an ayahuasca cleansing they're not working with the contents of a person's hallucination but are actually visiting that person in whatever plane of reality his or her spirit happens to be. We are not, they insist, confined to the reality of our five senses, but can transcend it and enter a multidimensional universe.

And this notion of a spiritual experience marks the very juncture where Western science and analytic thought depart on the subject of ayahuasca and where indigenous culture and mysticism come in. Most ayahuasca researchers agree that, curiously, the compound appears to affect people on three different levels—the physical, psychological, and spiritual—complicating efforts to definitively catalog its effects, let alone explain specific therapeutic benefits.

Lectures on Shamanism

2008-08-13T23:15:00.000-04:00

A dear friend shared this link with me. She's recently been inspired by shamanism and I thought that the resource was good enough to share with the tribe.

I've only listened to Ingerman's lecture so far. She goes through the functions of a shaman and into indigenous rituals. One thing she suggests, which we have experienced in a collective journey before, is the power to help souls move along and transition into death. She calls this service "Psychopomp Work." She reminds us that there is a growing trend of mass trauma in the world and that the human devastation imposed on the environment and other humans is so extreme that bad energy can collect from souls caught in limbo and unable to move on to the other realms. It's implied that these souls stay here and create mischief or pain. Trapped wandering souls need love, evolution, and healing, according to Ingerman. She then goes into alchemy some and suggests that within its secrets are the keys to healing the earth and reversing the damage caused to the environment. My favorite quote of hers,"It’s who we become that changes the world not what we do."

indigenous wisdom / shamanism
	Spirit Medicine by Hank Wesselman, Ph.D. » The Prophets Conference Sedona \| Introduction by Cody Johnson
	Shamanism: Healing Ourselves and the Planet by Sandra Ingerman » Just For The Health Of It! Boulder \| Introduction by Cody Johnson
	Shaman, Healer, Sage: Energy Medicine of the Americas by Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D. » The Prophets Conference Palm Springs: Transforming Ourselves and Our Planet

The Mask and Energy Healing

2008-08-06T20:48:00.000-04:00

I went to a European museum earlier this year and caught a "masks" exhibit that fascinated me. I took this picture of a procession mask. Masks from this exhibit were used in festivals and processions as a way to chase away bad spirits, to disguise identity, but also to take on the strength of the beast/figure represented. Recall our shapeshifting exercise months ago. It's interesting that the mask is both a tool of psychic combat and a transmutation device. It's as if you can live out a hero's journey in the waking world and in real time with their use.

One of the panels at the exhibit showed a teenager's prosthetic mask and described her shapeshifting processes as she took on the role of a fantasy figure engaged in what is known as Live Action Role Playing (LARP). In LARP, "masked participants get together and perform a story. It's a chance to experiment with roles and identities that do not fit into ordinary life. " Here's what she had to say about it, "It is awesome to act out in a way I could never do in reality. I love letting out my masculine side, taking the initiative, and testing the limits. I love being in charge."

There is something to be said about the energy created through this process. As the Hands of Light book suggests, we suffer from various blocks in different parts of the body that can lead to disease if untreated. The author specifically differentiates between forms of energy that are associated with different parts of the body. Western medicine can help with repairing anatomical damage but the energetic and soul level healing is hardly addressed by our doctors and surgeons. Could the mask have been used in the past as an energy healing instrument; to channel in energy to different parts of the body, to take on human energy field blockages and balance the chakras? I believe so.

The young woman quoted above seems like she craves assertive, masculine energy and "being in charge." Through LARP, not only is she engaging in a fun activity, she may be undergoing a form of energetic body treatment. It might be a good experiment to examine her pendulum patterns before and after LARPing.

Teenagers are our most vulnerable population. They exist in the unenviable position of being unsure about their identities while traveling through and transitioning between new and old realms of human being every day (while unsure about both). It's no wonder that teens are likely to experience a high level of satisfaction from the mask's healing powers--the mask can serve as armor against upheaval. It can be their spirit guides' embodiment in the waking world.

I would submit that unless these alternative "spirit" identities are explored and given space in their right time in a healthy way and through these types of energy charging exercises, chakras can cease functioning and close.

Journeying Amnesia

2008-08-04T19:48:00.000-04:00

My inner universe sparkles when I enter altered realities and tap into visions of different worlds inside my head. But one of the challenges I am just beginning to overcome is trying to recall the details of my visions. Sometimes I get swallowed up by the whole experience entirely. Unless I write the points down in my journal immediately after surfacing, I'm often stranded trying to remember what just happened.

I believe this kind of struggle carries over into the waking world. I need notes with me to organize my thoughts like airline pilots need a flight plan before they ascend into the sky. To some extent, memory blocks are somewhat conditioned appropriately. I rarely ever recall memories or stories exactly the way they were first introduced to me; I hone in on the most critical aspects of moments gone by and try to resurrect the past based on my perception of what occurred. I do this with every kind of stimuli--art, meetings, speeches, news reports--cherry-picking the points that speak to me and reinforcing or challenging the stories that dominate my current state.

I realize that I spent a big chunk of my life not being aware of some of the basic things happening to me--I don't know if this changed or started when I began to record my thoughts. When employing a listening or recording device, part of the magic of being in the moment is lost by concentrating on the documentation itself. But the clarity of feeling and thought at each point seems essential to recomposing the story. I am fixated on trying to recall it all and end up building a reliance on the device rather than the spirit chase--the present is lost in favor of a more accurate historical account. The sword of technology cuts both ways.

There may also be unexpected interruptions after I've gone under, where one vision thread gets overlapped with another. This is frustrating and requires concentration. It seems I am a social butterfly in the spirit world with many pre-engagements--it's like my altered state cellphone going off left and right, forcing me to remove the battery.

I have been journeying regularly in recent weeks and have gotten to the point where I can use the beat of my ticking clock to sink into visions. When a space inside calls for attention and its message is finally received and opened, it makes the voluntary journey all the more easier. The awareness of the chakras thanks to the Hands on Healing book is also helping me link the journeys to the different body parts that feel neglected and target areas that have felt blocked.

Shrinking Lake

2008-08-04T19:29:00.001-04:00

Much was not shared about our last reading assignment, so I'm going to add a reflection or two about the shrinking lake metaphor in "Entering the Circle". The shrinking lake to me is the beleaguered self. Defeat comes when our inner sea becomes completely overwhelmed or occupied. Sometimes we give up ownership and actively invite outsiders to garrison the lake. May be invaders infiltrate parts of it and we are locked in a struggle for recovery. When it flourishes with life, we too flourish. Sometimes it freezes over as if in a state of perpetual winter.

My lake has appeared in my visions as far back as the first month of our apprenticeship. It appeared as a still and serene body of water. Everything about it is perfect. I was introduced to the lake by a personal guide: a ferryman. I was shown three cities lying on its shores, forming a perfect triangle. They were abandoned at the time-- I had planned to draw a map of these locations and journey there further. Has anyone else journeyed to their lake/sea?

Veiws from Sedona

2008-08-04T18:00:00.000-04:00

Cockscomb

Kachina Woman

Cathedral Rock

Grand Canyon

Coffe Pot Rock

Bell Rock

Colorful Local

Yellow Phase Rattle Snake

2008-07-28T09:02:00.000-04:00

This beautiful 3 y.o. female Rattlesnake came to visit us about two weeks ago.

It's interesting how one little creature can invoke so many varied human responses. Ranging from: the on-call Erlich man who stated that he would only come out to kill it, Wildlife Nuisance guy who came out at 9:30 at night and for $95 removed it safely, Fish Commission RS project manager who along with DCNR biologists returned her to her den. (which is shown on the picture). And, it all started with my son who calmly and accurately identified it--notified me, and together as a family we were able to plan a safe re-location with a good outcome for everyone.

Yesterday, during a 20 mile bike ride, two more showed up.

On the bike trail: the response was anything from skidding to a halt to get a glimpse of this elusive creature to riders bolting ahead in a panic on their bikes.

Yes, it was a grand Homeschool experience. The pictures add a great memory of her release back to the den. We're now more informed and better prepared to hold a calm space when one encounters such a beautiful creature both feared and revered.

For me, well, there's much to learn from Rattlesnake...

So, here's an invitation to share your very own response / experience.

For My Friends in Sedona

2008-07-23T21:55:00.000-04:00

Protection

Be unharmed, be at at peace
Release and be
Present
Envision any coming shock's charge
As a bolt of beauty
A new space unvisited
Reveals a breath change unlimited

My you find your way
with protection absolute
Let the day and Night within you
Bring you
Sing you through
Fixed journeys and moving destinations

Tradition vs Heritage

2008-07-03T17:03:00.000-04:00

Definitions from the Webster's New World:

Tradition: The process of preserving orally. Syn - legend, wisdom of the ages, oral history.

Heritage: Inheritance, birthright, ancestry. The most general of these words, applies either to property passed on to an heir, or a tradition, culture, etc. passed on to a later generation (our heritage of freedom)

I believe that I've acquired my "Wisdom of the Ages" and my unique abilities possibly thru my ancestry line, but "directly from Spirit." It is indeed Spirit's voice and direction that I hear everyday.

The discussion below triggers a similar feeling to the age-old dispute between Religions. I cannot see much difference between the Religions--perhaps, they've blended together in my eyes, connected by a common thread. LOVE

LOVE: Passionate and tender devotion.

Therefore, I'm not sure that I want to spend time dissecting Shamanic Traditions/Heritages.

I'm comfortable with knowing what I know. So is Spirit !

On not having a tradition

2008-06-26T23:21:00.000-04:00

I have no regrets whatsoever that I am not owrking within the framework of a single tradition.

In our conference call, I mentioned suggesting to a client that she use salt to help detoxify a room with negative vibrations. It was a technique suggested to me years ago by a QiGong teacher from Korea. I also suggested smudging the room in a native American tradition. Neither of these traditions are ones in which I am fluent, but tyhey were in my "toolbox" and popped out when I asked Spirit for help. My client agreed with these suggestions and will try them.

I would contrast this with an experience I had two years ago when a much loved teacher of mine came in clearly inhabited by another entity. At that time, I could deal with this situation, but I needed my extraction crystal which I did not have that night. I simply had no idea what to do, and a colleague who was willing to act "as if" did the work. Now, I would ask, is the crystal a tool or a hindrance? Clearly it is a tool when I use it, but if I dont think I can do the work without it, I've got a problem.

I'm thinking of tradition in the same way - very rich very useful, very full and comfortable IF you can address all your needs within it and IF you do not have to distort your situation, your request to Spirit or your answer to fit within the tradition. Certainly it helps to have a core of belief for stability and for ongoing work with and contact with Spirit, and it certainly helps not to have your work or your belief system become a grab bag where you pull something out and hope it fits, but too tight a system distorts perception and limits possibilities, and the ability to address the novel situation (and we will certainly be seeing more that is novel in the future).

It is also frequently the case that as traditions age, they become more rigid, formal, and structured. The Tibetan Bon tradtion was originally (and still is) Shamanic, but it is overlaid with Buddhbist iconography and belief to an extent to which it is barely recognizable (same Deities, same properties, different names, etc.) Increasingly we will need to be flexible and able to accomodate rapid change. Shamanic work and teachings that are not tied to a single way of doing things, and consequently a single way of seeing things, would not seem to be a disadvantage here.

About Olga Kharitidi

2008-06-25T14:04:00.000-04:00

As I finished Olga’s book “Entering the circle”, I did a quick search on internet because I was curious of what she was doing these days. I thought that others in the group would be interested in knowing what she has become.

She now lives and works in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She published another book “The Master of Lucid Dreams”, about her experiences in Samarkand, ancient capital of Uzbekistan (apparently in the same vein as “Entering the circle”).

Here name is now Olga Yahontova and she has just created Cliffhouse Publications; there is not much on the website yet, including on her blog “Breaking the Walls”, created on 06/09/2008. So all of this is fairly new. She posted two articles since then, one on practicing magic today, the other one on addiction. Still to see what will come. For some reason, I have felt sad and uneasy reading what she is now writing and looking at her picture on the website, as if something had happened to her in the meantime. In one of her posts, she writes “After years of extreme experiences and searching, I have found nothing. No concepts, no recipes, no solutions, no mysteries solved. I have arrived at this point in my life with more confusion, bewilderment, and amazement for life and its riddles than I ever had before. And I like it. Because all of those things - concepts, solutions, and resolutions are truly just the building blocks of more walls inside the mind…” Maybe it is just the way it should be.

For those interested in having a look at her blog:
http://www.cliffhousepublications.com/index.php/cliff_main/olgas_thoughts/

Summer Solstice

2008-06-20T09:02:00.000-04:00

Here's an interesting article regarding Summer Solstice--thought I'd share it:

http://www.carolbarbeau.com/2008_summer_solstice.html

Happy Weeding !

The Chant

2008-06-16T16:21:00.000-04:00

Chanting is described as a part of the shaman's toolbox, although we haven't gone into it much. The Kam in our reading uses the chant to take a hold of Dr. Kharitidi's consciousness. The healer I met in the rainforest relied on chant as a central part of his ceremonies. Chanting a mantra seems like a natural complement to the drum and creates a point of focus for the mind.

Major religions and many mystical traditions use some form of chant in their rituals. On a secular level, many modern day music group singers have gained icon status based on the quality of their voice and the power of their songs. I believe there are shamanic elements at work here that can explain this.

Sometimes the content of the message being conveyed creates meaning for the listener, but oftentimes I can enjoy and be carried away by a beautiful vocal pattern without having to know the words. When my mind is clear, I can tap into what feelings are being expressed indirectly by grabbing onto and riding different pieces of the melody--chant, like all music, is there both as a reinforcing agent and transformational one. It is a powerful arrow through the heart of the hearing sense; its tip can pierce all the way to the feeling sense.

Here are excerpts from two articles about chanting--one by a Hindu, the other by a Pagan:

The Power of Chanting By Swami Vasudevananda

The sages who gave us the ancient Vedic mantras and hymns were evolved beings who had either attained or come very close to a state of pure consciousness. In their meditations they heard perfect words and sounds - sublime mantras, sacred wisdom arising from within. They passed this sacred wisdom on to their disciples by singing it.

Chanting also has significant effect on our bodies and minds. Like everything in this universe, our body is made up of vibrating energy. Even though our body appears to be dense, every cell of the human body has its own frequency. All the different parts of the body, all its cells, want to move in unison, the way a shoal of fish or a flock of birds does, always moving but never bumping into each other. When this natural rhythm and harmony is disrupted in the body, that's when disease and disorders arise. However, when the vibrations of the chant sound within our bodies, the cells themselves respond; they resonate with the pure vibration of the mantras so that harmony can be restored.

Gurumayi says, ''When you chant the Name, it actually moves through your whole being - purifying you, bestowing grace, and making you sacred''. As chanting bathes us in its purifying sounds, it opens our hearts; it opens us to receive the outpouring of grace from the guru. Baba Muktananda, Gurumayi 's guru said, ''Chanting is a magnet that draws God's power''. http://www.gurumayi.com.au/power_chanting.html

The Power of Chants
Date: 2004-04-12 By: Christopher Penczak

Here are some tips in using music in your own circles:
* Find traditional chants and more recently composed ones that you can use. Metaphysical stores often have a section of pagan music, song and chants.
* If you visit larger pagan festivals, you may be taught some of the traditional chants if you don’t know them and can’t find a recording. Many are passed along through the oral tradition of pagan gatherings. Take notes and write down lyrics so you won’t forget.
* Use simple melodies with a limited vocal range so everybody can sing them without straining their voices.
* Try setting pagan poetry to familiar melodies, such as well-known holiday songs. Sometimes they sound silly, but they can be a great way to focus everybody on a melody they already know sung with different words.
* Use simple beats and rhythms to keep the group focused – or use a drum to help induce an altered state. Beats that fall on even numbers (based on groups of two or four beats) are more direct and dynamic. Some consider them more masculine. Beats based in 3, like the familiar waltz pattern, are considered more feminine and have a connection to the triple goddess.
* Feel the music as you perform it. Let the vibration fill your body, heart, and mind. Let it move you. When you are open to sound, you can make the experience very healing or energizing.
* Don’t be afraid to be loud or to make a mistake. Sing with feeling and worry about the technicalities later. If everyone is into the chant, that’s more important than sounding perfect. Don’t make anyone feel bad if they don’t have a perfect voice. Remember the circle is about Perfect Love, Perfect Trust, and celebration.Keep the spirit alive when you chant and when you pass the cakes. Each is an opportunity for love, compassion, and transformation. Many blessings on your magical path and I hope music lightens your step and opens your heart.
http://www.llewellynjournal.com/article/579

More on Rituals (from The Atlantis Blueprint by Colin Wilson and Rand Flem-Ath

2008-06-16T09:22:00.000-04:00

An excerpt from The Atlantis Blueprint: It was in the immense Temple of Horus at Edfu, midway between Luxor and Aswan, that my attention was drawn to the importance of sound. An Egyptian historian, Emil Shaker, showed me some hieroglyphics on the wall close to the sanctuary, pointing out how they specified the number of times the temple ritual had to be performed. In this case, it was three. He explained: "It is no use performing the ritual two or four times. It will not work. If it says three times, it means three times.' This ritual, like all religious rituals, involves chanting a hymn to the sun and presenting the god with offerings."

The author indicated that the ritual "activates the temple." "Exactly like switching on a light." This notion is fascinating--a ritual involving chanting could 'activate' a temple.

The book also notes that the King's Chamber suggest that the pyramid was constructed with a sonic purpose. Danley identifies four resident frequencies, or notes, that are enhanced by the structure of the pyramid and by the materials used in its construction. The notes from an F sharp chord---according to ancient Egyptian texts were the harmonic of the planet.

Tests show these are the frequencies in the King's chamber even when no sounds are being produced. According to Danley, these vibrations are caused by the wind blowing across the ends of the so-called shafts in the same way as sounds are created when on blows across the neck of the bottle.

Also, many of the Native American sacred flutes, created to 'serenade' Mother Earth, are tuned to the key of F sharp.

Sound analysis has confirmed recordings of the King's chamber showed it was designed as a resonance chamber. Christopher Dunn's own conviction was that the important clue was the fact that the Great Pyramid's proportions are the same as those of the earth, suggesting that the 'sounding box' was intended to vibrate to the earth. Or, as he puts it in his book, The Giza Power Plant, the pyramid acts as a receiver of energy from within the earth itself.

My own experience with rituals--is that I often see things in threes or feel that I need to perform things in threes. For instance, in Kundalini Yoga, we begin our practice by chanting three times. (anything less or more, just doesn't feel right)
The very idea of 'activating the temple' by chanting three times, feels so right to me.

A Lesson from Our Feathered Friends

2008-06-16T09:05:00.000-04:00

Last week I was visited by a family of Blue Jays. I had run into them earlier in the morning on my way to work and then later on in the evening when I returned from work they resurfaced again. That evening, they were outside my door all perched on a white chair and the parents were pushing each fledgling off the chair in hopes of teaching them how to fly. It was such a delightful sight to see! I walked away for a while and later on returned to find the entire family gone with the exception of one small fledgling (the one shown in the photo). The fledgling was sitting out there looking up toward the sky. I walked outside to see if I could locate the remainder of the family but they were no where to be found. The bird did not know to be threatened by me and made no attempts to leave or distance itself from me. It just looked up at me trustingly.

I had determined that the parents and remainder of the tribe would soon be back to retrieve the baby and I got out of the way. Hours passed and the baby fledgling was still sitting on my door step peering up at me each time I peered outside. I checked throughout the night and it was still out there in the corner and still no family. I, of course, was battling with my thoughts that the baby must be scared and abandoned. It also occured to me that the bird could be killed by the neighborhood cat. My instinct was to want to rescue it. However, I knew if I did so it would greatly reduce the bird’s chances of being reunited with its family. I journeyed to the mother Blue Jay and I got the message that this was the fledgling’s initiation. It was learning to survive out in the world alone. She assured me that she was watching close by and that all was well.

I checked throughout the night and into the morning and the baby bird was still there. Despite my desire to rescue what I assumed was truly an abandoned bird at that point, I trusted the message I recieved in my journey and walked away without intervening. This was difficult for me! I walked upstairs to the kitchen and my landlord/roommate came in and told me that throughout the night there was a blue jay that kept coming up to his window sill and peering down. I realized that although I did not see her, the mother Blue Jay true to her word, was watching over the fledgling. At that point I peered outside and the mother emerged looking down over the baby.

The birds had provided me with a great teaching. I was dealing with some internal challenges regarding fear of the void at that moment. This experience taught me that despite the fact that we may feel alone on our journey, even while having to walk through some dark times, spirit is always there watching over us, urging us to strengthen our wings, grow our abilities, and find peace in solace even if we do not realize that spirit is there.

Summer Solstice Rituals

2008-06-13T11:27:00.000-04:00

I just love the Universe's sense of timing and synchronicity. Right at a time we are all working on improving our relationship with Spirit, a friend came to me and asked if I could help her put together a ceremony or some sort of ritual for a summer solstice party that she is having next weekend. I'm going to look into some of the Wiccan rituals. My friend is Danish and she's got some rituals from her culture she wants to incorporate as well.

I was thinking that we should be bringing in an aspect of all of the elements, but more importantly, the element of fire. I was thinking it would be a great exercise if we did the flower wreath, like we had done at our retreat at the ocean. The solstice is a time of shifting energy, of movement of nature and time, I'd like the focus of the ceremony to be about having the participants bring something they'd like to shift in their lives. As we all know, it's more about making the effort to change more than the ceremony or ritual items used themselves, but I'd love to hear what anyone else has to suggest!

TRICKSTERS

2008-06-11T15:20:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been running into tricksters in my journeys. Robin has given us some good indications of somehing not quire Kosher going on - a Fox wearing boots - etc., but in addition I'm learning that when a guide meets me at my back door when a journey begins, that I'm getting more of a trip than I bargained for. My last journey was really distressing because the beings that I met looked like my guides and were at the place where I usually meet my guides, but they did not act like a guide would. At Robin's sugestion, I've asked a tribe member to journey for me to my guides to ask about this journey, and I will do some work myself when I have assimilated things more, but I would like to know if anyone else is having Trickster activity, and if so, how they are handling it.

Enter Sandman

2008-06-11T13:49:00.000-04:00

I’ve been having a difficult time lately integrating my shamanic self and ordinary reality self. Sometimes it feels like I am not really walking in either world. I am stuck in between dreams. After reading so much about Mendel’s dreaming body and recognizing that the dreamstate is what defines our vision as a shaman, I feel like I am missing out on a huge part of my shamanic identity and my connection to non-ordinary reality. I often feel like there is work being done in another realm, but I still don’t feel attached to my dreams, and often have a hard time remembering them. I do keep a dream journal, however if I don’t write in it immediately after waking, I quickly disconnect from the dreamstate.

I’ve recently journeyed and meditated on how I can be honoring Spirit more and connecting more with my shamanic self. The answer I received was that I should be doing more with ceremony. When we honor Spirit, we also engage Spirit to work with us, and through us, as an ally. I needed to seek out shamanic tools; items that I would need to make sacred, and have a contract with in the spirit world.

In my journeys, I get a lot of images of water, goblets, and drinking. I definitely relate to the element of water more than any other element. Drinking water is often symbolic of consuming some sort of energy/power or in engaging some sort of transformation. I meditated on how I can engage myself more in the dreamstate. I wanted to be lucid while I am dreaming and be able to remember my dreams in my conscious mind, which usually has great recall ability. The images of water, goblets, and drinking once again came through in a journey. I also got that I should be incorporating all of the elements. While I was looking for a goblet to make my sacred vessel to the dream world, I found a bunch of small wine glass charms, all with suitable representations of the 4 elements.

By leaving the goblet on my altar, and also honoring it during ceremony where I thank all of my allies and tools, it becomes sacred. At bed time, I fill the goblet with water, hold my hands over the goblet and ask the water to be my ally in remembering my dreams and being lucid in the dreamstate. I drink half of the water and leave the other half for the morning when I wake up, as a symbol of drinking the energy from my dreams.

I’ve only recently begun to do this and have not always remembered to perform the ceremony every night. From the few times I have, I should note that there were lucid moments in a few dreams and I was able to recall parts of other dreams too. I think it will take more time and actual commitment to connecting to the Spirit realm before there is more clarity for me. This will be another step in becoming more integrated in both worlds.

Additions to your tool bag

2008-06-11T10:38:00.000-04:00

I found this article on the internet http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wyldkat/shmnthng.htm

I feel it provides a few additional suggestions that can be added to one's shamanic tool bag.

Time

Most of us are taught to think of time as a linear thing. Minutes, seconds, hours.... These are just words humans have given to a concept that we choose to call time. For shamans this is a very restricted view of time. We all know the sayings, "Time flies" and "the minutes just crawled by." Time flows forward and backward, swiftly and slowly. It is a relative concept. You can ask your guide to teach you how to slow time or speed up time. Slowing time is especially useful before journeying. You can experience hours in the spirit world in what seems like minutes in the physical world. Your guide can also teach you how to travel to the future or retrieve things or change events from the past. This is a good way to get closure with events that have haunted you, even if the change is in the spiritual world instead of the physical.

Songs and Chants:

Each type of shamanism has many traditional songs and chants. There are also personal ones that you are born with or are given by your spirit guides to help raise power or gain protection. Songs and chants allow you to clear you mind and get a different mind set. They are often used for important events or when you feel you need aid.

You can meditate to learn your songs or ask your guide to teach you if it is time for you to learn or you can drum till one comes to you. Once you learn a song practice it until you will not forget it. The songs can be long or short, but are most often set to a strong beat. One of mine is actually set to the cadence of my walk. DonÕt worry if you feel that you are just making it up, your guides will lead you to the right words. Shamanism can often feel like make believe, but it is not.

Dancing:
Shamans often dance to help them get closer to the spirit world, to help raise energy and to open and clear the way for them to access their power. Dancing helps make a visualization become reality. Dancing can help tell the story of a journey. Practice dancing and moving rhythmically to a strong beat for at least five minutes at a time to build up your stamina. Half jogging in place is a good way to start. Try dancing one of your journeys. Show what you do with your motions. Don't worry about what you look like, just let yourself move, even if it is as simple as walking and gesturing.

Talismans:

Talismans, like amulets or pouches containing symbolic items, crystals and/or herbs, can help protect you on your journeys and in real life. For example I have a small leather pouch filled with certain sayings, crystals, and symbols. I feel that it helps keep my connection with my spirit guides strong and I rarely go far from home without it. It is the trust in the energy that gives the protection not the talisman itself. The talisman is only a physical symbol of the energy. You can have talismans that exist only in the spirit world and the power and protection will be the same as long as your belief is the same. Gifts that you receive on your journeys are powerful talismans, even if you cannot see them with open eyes. Talismans serve as one of many reminders that the spirit world is out there and available for help if we remember to ask.

Crystals:

Shamans have a very close connection to the earth and therefore to rocks and crystals. Shamans use crystals to amplify energy and to help heal. Since crystals are used as tools they are often prepared and then kept until needed, not worn or displayed publicly. The clearer and more even the crystal the better it can exchange energy. Remember to cleanse crystals, especially bought crystals, before you work with them. There are many ways to cleanse crystals, rinsing in ocean water, burying in salt, placing in running water, running through incense or sage smoke, or freezing. For example, I run crystals through running water to energize them, let them air dry, in the sun if possible, and then run them through incense smoke while tuning them to myself. Cleanse crystals whenever you feel they need it.

Although I feel that just handling a cleansed crystal tunes it to you, you may wish to tune them to you by greeting the crystal, and then projecting your name into it three times. You should also ask it if it has any special properties. If you wish to use it for anything specific now is the time to set that idea into the crystal and ask its permission.

To draw energy to a certain place, like your work area, studio, or ritual space, you can set up six (or four if you prefer) clear quartz crystals four in a circle around the area, one in each of the four directions, and two in the center, one pointing up for the sky and one pointing down for the earth. Try to stay out of this area if you are feeling negative or sick since the crystals will magnify you feelings.

For the alchemists

2008-06-11T08:28:00.000-04:00

http://www.hermetics.org/pdf/alchemy/The_Great_Art.pdf
A TREATISE
ON
The Great Art
A SYSTEM OF PHYSICS ACCORDING TO HERMETIC PHILOSOPHY
AND THEORY AND PRACTICE OF THE
MAGISTERIUM.
BY
Dom ANTOINE-JOSEPH PERNETY,
Benedictine Monk of the Congregation of Saint-Maur, Abbot of Burgel in
Thuringe,
Librarian of Frederick the Great, king of Prussia, etc.
EDITED BY
EDOUARD BLITZ, M. D.,
Doctor In Kabbalah, Doctor in Hermetic Sciences, Member of the “ASSOCIATION
ALCHIMIQUE DE FRANCE”: President of the Grand Council
of the MARTINIST ORDER, etc.
AGNZ
...
NEVADA, MISSOURI, March 3, 1898.

Spirit Expression

2008-06-10T10:40:00.000-04:00

When you work you are a flute through whose
heart the whispering of the hours turns to music.
. . . And what is it to work with love? It is to
weave the cloth with threads drawn from your
heart, even as if your beloved were to wear that
cloth . . .

- - - Kahlil Gibran, The Prophet

To be content

2008-06-08T18:23:00.000-04:00

"Be content with what you have
Rejoice in the way things are
When you realize there is nothing lacking,
the whole world belongs to you"

Lao-Tzu

I came across this quote the other night and it made me think of all that we have been discussing with regard to integration and being present. Just wanted to share it.