Today being a rainy day, I have listened to quite a few people comment on how the weather is affecting their mood. I began to wonder how conscious we are of our relationship to weather, how it effects our mood and how we contribute to weather changes. As a collective consciousness, how do our thoughts and emotions affect weather energetics? I have read of Shamans being able to connect with the spirit of the elements and create a relationship with each element to assist them when needed. They are called Weather shamans and they hold the responsibility of working with the elements on behalf of their communities. They demonstrate unusual powers to call in or stop the rain or bring in a storm. It brings me to the reality that we as a culture are not taught to view these elements as “alive” spirits. We are not taught to create a conscious relationship to each element and are not aware of our inter connectedness.
With the growing reality of global warming and the effects of pollution, this brings me to thoughts as to how, as Shamans, we can create a relationship with the elements to try to support and perhaps create a shift in earth changes. Creating a goal not only to support other humans through change but also mother earth. I am going to do some further research on this topic. Any thoughts?
Monday, April 28, 2008
The Point
Point of beginning, ending point, point of view – yours-mine-different, missing the point, point of fact, point well taken, stumbling point, getting the point, point of order, assemblage point, point in time, what’s the point?
It has no dimension, it has no bounds. It is all that there is and it is nothing. It separates and differentiates use from each other. It is where we originate from and retire to. It is our root to all there is. We choose where and when it occurs. It is.
It has no dimension, it has no bounds. It is all that there is and it is nothing. It separates and differentiates use from each other. It is where we originate from and retire to. It is our root to all there is. We choose where and when it occurs. It is.
Saturday, April 26, 2008
Being a full time shaman apprentice
I had a very slow (and late) start today, badly recovering from a tough week, very long days of work and consecutive nights of insomnia. So I knew that it was time to sit longer, reconnect and work on myself. Then I found Robin’s message to the group of apprentices: “You’re not a shaman part time!” OK, agreed but what did this REALLY mean to me? It was certainly easier to feel a shaman when people were coming to me as an apprentice healer. Not that I felt powerful or great or whatever. But I just felt so blessed, honoured of being able to witness their process, it felt so clear in those moments that I was being and doing what I was supposed to, right that minute, right at that place… Then, I felt the shaman in me, then I felt being in a shamanic apprenticeship, learning, shapeshifting. Then, I had a purpose. That part was actually easy!
But when I was struggling so badly with my useful stuff in my ordinary life… How could I even post anything on that blog when I felt that way? What would I tell people who would wonder about shamanism and being an apprentice – who would wonder about how it might change their life…? The answer came right away to me: this path has already changed everything. Not necessarily the apparent outside elements of it but it has shifted the way I look at them. Yes, I have doubts and I have moments, even hours and days when I feel again that I am stuck in the same situation as ever both in my professional and personal life. In those moments, the reality is that my life has not changed; the fiction is that I have a better life and I am happier; the reality is that I am just fooling myself… I still have those moments but they don’t last. I am now able to pause and look inside and ask: What has happened? What is happening now? What is asking for attention? First, I have disconnected myself during the week. I know that I need to touch base with the source from time to time during the day; I know that when I do not feel OK, this is the moment to pause and reconnect, I cannot wait for the end of the day or for tomorrow or the week-end to rest and reconnect, I need to reconnect NOW. Today, now, is the only thing I have. Looking forward to another time (possibly an ideal one) is REALLY fooling myself. Second, celebrate: I am being shown the stuff I still have to work on; I just need to listen to what is calling my attention and keeping me awaked until dawn, to go deep into it. Third: celebrate my awareness, the fact that even though I can still have those moments in which I feel overwhelmed, those moments don’t last and I know that I have to take responsibility for what I feel, for what is happening; this is not about other people – the way they look at me and consider me or not, love me or not, give me enough attention or not – this is my problem, the way I look at myself.
In Arnold Mindell’s words (The Shaman’s Body, p. 48): “The process of creating and dropping personal history leads to the discovery that you are neither this nor that, but the awareness of it all.” I guess that it is the way it feels for me now to be a full time shaman apprentice.
But when I was struggling so badly with my useful stuff in my ordinary life… How could I even post anything on that blog when I felt that way? What would I tell people who would wonder about shamanism and being an apprentice – who would wonder about how it might change their life…? The answer came right away to me: this path has already changed everything. Not necessarily the apparent outside elements of it but it has shifted the way I look at them. Yes, I have doubts and I have moments, even hours and days when I feel again that I am stuck in the same situation as ever both in my professional and personal life. In those moments, the reality is that my life has not changed; the fiction is that I have a better life and I am happier; the reality is that I am just fooling myself… I still have those moments but they don’t last. I am now able to pause and look inside and ask: What has happened? What is happening now? What is asking for attention? First, I have disconnected myself during the week. I know that I need to touch base with the source from time to time during the day; I know that when I do not feel OK, this is the moment to pause and reconnect, I cannot wait for the end of the day or for tomorrow or the week-end to rest and reconnect, I need to reconnect NOW. Today, now, is the only thing I have. Looking forward to another time (possibly an ideal one) is REALLY fooling myself. Second, celebrate: I am being shown the stuff I still have to work on; I just need to listen to what is calling my attention and keeping me awaked until dawn, to go deep into it. Third: celebrate my awareness, the fact that even though I can still have those moments in which I feel overwhelmed, those moments don’t last and I know that I have to take responsibility for what I feel, for what is happening; this is not about other people – the way they look at me and consider me or not, love me or not, give me enough attention or not – this is my problem, the way I look at myself.
In Arnold Mindell’s words (The Shaman’s Body, p. 48): “The process of creating and dropping personal history leads to the discovery that you are neither this nor that, but the awareness of it all.” I guess that it is the way it feels for me now to be a full time shaman apprentice.
Heavy Questions, Now?
As a shaman, I have seen this for a while. I've spoken to Brian about it for a year or more. Others in our sessions have spoken of feeling something. We are all afraid of being alarmists, of course. Who wants to think the worst? But when the wall street journal talks about something as crazy as stockpiling food as a better investment than a CD, you have to take note. What does it mean for us all? When the tsunami hit last year, the animals knew, and headed for higher water. Remarkably, they were saved. My question here is, at what point do we pay attention to the animal instincts? When is it fear? How will YOU know which is which? Can YOU handle a discussion, or does it frighten you too much? Were we to have major catastrophie, what will your shamanic skills offer our world? All just thoughts, but worthy ones, I think. Love, Robin
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/104914/Load-Up-the-Pantry
I don't want to alarm anybody, but maybe it's time for Americans to start stockpiling food.
No, this is not a drill.
You've seen the TV footage of food riots in parts of the developing world. Yes, they're a long way away from the U.S. But most foodstuffs operate in a global market. When the cost of wheat soars in Asia, it will do the same here.
href="http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120882472974233235.html?mod=yahoo_free">When Neighbors Become Farmers • Racking Up Points on Your Credit Score • You Can't Take Car Envy to the Bank
Reality: Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons to believe prices on the shelves are about to start rising a lot faster.
"Load up the pantry," says Manu Daftary, one of Wall Street's top investors and the manager of the Quaker Strategic Growth mutual fund. "I think prices are going higher. People are too complacent. They think it isn't going to happen here. But I don't know how the food companies can absorb higher costs." (Full disclosure: I am an investor in Quaker Strategic)
Stocking up on food may not replace your long-term investments, but it may make a sensible home for some of your shorter-term cash. Do the math. If you keep your standby cash in a money-market fund you'll be lucky to get a 2.5% interest rate. Even the best one-year certificate of deposit you can find is only going to pay you about 4.1%, according to Bankrate.com. And those yields are before tax.
Meanwhile the most recent government data shows food inflation for the average American household is now running at 4.5% a year.
And some prices are rising even more quickly. The latest data show cereal prices rising by more than 8% a year. Both flour and rice are up more than 13%. Milk, cheese, bananas and even peanut butter: They're all up by more than 10%. Eggs have rocketed up 30% in a year. Ground beef prices are up 4.8% and chicken by 5.4%.
These are trends that have been in place for some time.
And if you are hoping they will pass, here's the bad news: They may actually accelerate.
The reason? The prices of many underlying raw materials have risen much more quickly still. Wheat prices, for example, have roughly tripled in the past three years.
Sooner or later, the food companies are going to have to pass those costs on. Kraft saw its raw material costs soar by about $1.25 billion last year, squeezing profit margins. The company recently warned that higher prices are here to stay. Last month the chief executive of General Mills, Kendall Powell, made a similar point.
The main reason for rising prices, of course, is the surge in demand from China and India. Hundreds of millions of people are joining the middle class each year, and that means they want to eat more and better food.
A secondary reason has been the growing demand for ethanol as a fuel additive. That's soaking up some of the corn supply.
You can't easily stock up on perishables like eggs or milk. But other products will keep. Among them: Dried pasta, rice, cereals, and cans of everything from tuna fish to fruit and vegetables. The kicker: You should also save money by buying them in bulk.
If this seems a stretch, ponder this: The emerging bull market in agricultural products is following in the footsteps of oil. A few years ago, many Americans hoped $2 gas was a temporary spike. Now it's the rosy memory of a bygone age.
The good news is that it's easier to store Cap'n Crunch or cans of Starkist in your home than it is to store lots of gasoline. Safer, too.
Write to Brett Arends at brett.arends@wsj.com
http://finance.yahoo.com/banking-budgeting/article/104914/Load-Up-the-Pantry
I don't want to alarm anybody, but maybe it's time for Americans to start stockpiling food.
No, this is not a drill.
You've seen the TV footage of food riots in parts of the developing world. Yes, they're a long way away from the U.S. But most foodstuffs operate in a global market. When the cost of wheat soars in Asia, it will do the same here.
href="http://online.wsj.com/public/article/SB120882472974233235.html?mod=yahoo_free">When Neighbors Become Farmers • Racking Up Points on Your Credit Score • You Can't Take Car Envy to the Bank
Reality: Food prices are already rising here much faster than the returns you are likely to get from keeping your money in a bank or money-market fund. And there are very good reasons to believe prices on the shelves are about to start rising a lot faster.
"Load up the pantry," says Manu Daftary, one of Wall Street's top investors and the manager of the Quaker Strategic Growth mutual fund. "I think prices are going higher. People are too complacent. They think it isn't going to happen here. But I don't know how the food companies can absorb higher costs." (Full disclosure: I am an investor in Quaker Strategic)
Stocking up on food may not replace your long-term investments, but it may make a sensible home for some of your shorter-term cash. Do the math. If you keep your standby cash in a money-market fund you'll be lucky to get a 2.5% interest rate. Even the best one-year certificate of deposit you can find is only going to pay you about 4.1%, according to Bankrate.com. And those yields are before tax.
Meanwhile the most recent government data shows food inflation for the average American household is now running at 4.5% a year.
And some prices are rising even more quickly. The latest data show cereal prices rising by more than 8% a year. Both flour and rice are up more than 13%. Milk, cheese, bananas and even peanut butter: They're all up by more than 10%. Eggs have rocketed up 30% in a year. Ground beef prices are up 4.8% and chicken by 5.4%.
These are trends that have been in place for some time.
And if you are hoping they will pass, here's the bad news: They may actually accelerate.
The reason? The prices of many underlying raw materials have risen much more quickly still. Wheat prices, for example, have roughly tripled in the past three years.
Sooner or later, the food companies are going to have to pass those costs on. Kraft saw its raw material costs soar by about $1.25 billion last year, squeezing profit margins. The company recently warned that higher prices are here to stay. Last month the chief executive of General Mills, Kendall Powell, made a similar point.
The main reason for rising prices, of course, is the surge in demand from China and India. Hundreds of millions of people are joining the middle class each year, and that means they want to eat more and better food.
A secondary reason has been the growing demand for ethanol as a fuel additive. That's soaking up some of the corn supply.
You can't easily stock up on perishables like eggs or milk. But other products will keep. Among them: Dried pasta, rice, cereals, and cans of everything from tuna fish to fruit and vegetables. The kicker: You should also save money by buying them in bulk.
If this seems a stretch, ponder this: The emerging bull market in agricultural products is following in the footsteps of oil. A few years ago, many Americans hoped $2 gas was a temporary spike. Now it's the rosy memory of a bygone age.
The good news is that it's easier to store Cap'n Crunch or cans of Starkist in your home than it is to store lots of gasoline. Safer, too.
Write to Brett Arends at brett.arends@wsj.com
Saturday, April 19, 2008
On choosing a teacher
For readers who wish to study with someone, and are looking for a teacher, these are some suggestions:
Traditions - Is the teacher attached to one tradition, did s/he study in it and gain mastery, is s/he eclectic, or Spirit or self taught. Are you comfortable with this. Read books in the traditions you are considering, do they resonate, do they fit? The Shamanic world is rich and diverase. If one approach doesn't suit you, read on. If you get hit between the eyes, find a teacher who is familiar with what you are reading and can take you further.
A weekend workshop is also a good way to check out a teacher. If you're afraid of the kool-aid, or if you feel that the teacher is favoring obviously wealthy students - keep looking.
Community - Is there someone or a group with whom you can practice? It can get lonely out there. A monthly fire warms more than your body. The best fellow-students may not be community if they are a $400 plane ride away and meet every Wednesday night, do they e-mail or phone - does this work for you?
When you are studying with a teacher in a group, are you comfortable with the students who are attracted to your teacher. They are your tribe. The elder students may be your Elders. They may be extremly diverse but is there something about them that resonates.
Accessibility - If you have questions, or if you are in trouble (it happens) is there someone you can talk with or e-mail? Everyone is comfortable with a different degree of independent work, but if I mess up (ouch!) I want to fix it or work on it as soon as possible, not four months from now, especially if my work has been with another person.
These are just a few factors. I am sure that my tribe could offer more. Happy journeying
Traditions - Is the teacher attached to one tradition, did s/he study in it and gain mastery, is s/he eclectic, or Spirit or self taught. Are you comfortable with this. Read books in the traditions you are considering, do they resonate, do they fit? The Shamanic world is rich and diverase. If one approach doesn't suit you, read on. If you get hit between the eyes, find a teacher who is familiar with what you are reading and can take you further.
A weekend workshop is also a good way to check out a teacher. If you're afraid of the kool-aid, or if you feel that the teacher is favoring obviously wealthy students - keep looking.
Community - Is there someone or a group with whom you can practice? It can get lonely out there. A monthly fire warms more than your body. The best fellow-students may not be community if they are a $400 plane ride away and meet every Wednesday night, do they e-mail or phone - does this work for you?
When you are studying with a teacher in a group, are you comfortable with the students who are attracted to your teacher. They are your tribe. The elder students may be your Elders. They may be extremly diverse but is there something about them that resonates.
Accessibility - If you have questions, or if you are in trouble (it happens) is there someone you can talk with or e-mail? Everyone is comfortable with a different degree of independent work, but if I mess up (ouch!) I want to fix it or work on it as soon as possible, not four months from now, especially if my work has been with another person.
These are just a few factors. I am sure that my tribe could offer more. Happy journeying
Friday, April 18, 2008
Healing Essence Level Of Story
I wanted to put this in a section by itself so others can easily find it. I've also made a few clarifications....
Levels of story, and we heal at essence level:
Story: A person is given two bottles of water, one from the pure runoff of an ancient volcano. The other, blessed by a holy monk known to pray 20 hours a day.
Possible Symbols: container, water, intermediary, purity of nature, prayer, purity of spiritual life, lava.
Essence: Powerful, clear nourishment of what we are all made of as a blessing/offering. Those essences are needs of everyone. They bypass the judgement (prayer, bottled water, etc...) of the story, and even the hidden prejudices of symbolic interpretation -- "something is about to erupt in your life, you need to go to a mountain to heal, you were a monk in a past life, etc......:-)".
Healing at the essence level bypasses all that can get hung up, and since there is nothing to get stuck on, releases the fullness of the life force/chi within the symbol.
Levels of story, and we heal at essence level:
Story: A person is given two bottles of water, one from the pure runoff of an ancient volcano. The other, blessed by a holy monk known to pray 20 hours a day.
Possible Symbols: container, water, intermediary, purity of nature, prayer, purity of spiritual life, lava.
Essence: Powerful, clear nourishment of what we are all made of as a blessing/offering. Those essences are needs of everyone. They bypass the judgement (prayer, bottled water, etc...) of the story, and even the hidden prejudices of symbolic interpretation -- "something is about to erupt in your life, you need to go to a mountain to heal, you were a monk in a past life, etc......:-)".
Healing at the essence level bypasses all that can get hung up, and since there is nothing to get stuck on, releases the fullness of the life force/chi within the symbol.
The Chant
Chanting is described as a part of the shaman's toolbox, although we haven't done any chanting or had much discussion about it. 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 cermonies. 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 lead singers have gained icon status based on the quality of their voice and the power of their songs. I believe there is a relationship there.
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 through different elements 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.
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
Major religions and many mystical traditions use some form of chant in their rituals. On a secular level, many modern day music group lead singers have gained icon status based on the quality of their voice and the power of their songs. I believe there is a relationship there.
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 through different elements 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.
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
What's in a Story?
The power of the story is revealing itself more regularly. There is a magic to the storytelling art and our readings have formed an inner storytelling geiger counter that helps me detect this skill in those around me. A good storyteller can spark the imagination while also having to include information and use a style that engages the listener. As with certain poetry or music, while I can recognize and appreciate good storytelling, I have trouble instinctively creating my own story and letting the words flow with their own life to form a vibrant self-sustaining and coherent piece of art that effortlessly contains coded information--it's more familier for me to spend hours preparing, modifying, tweaking and rearranging my projects--sometimes rehearsing and rereading over and over to determine what sounds good. The pieces I produce without painstaking over-processing tend to be the most evocative and satisfying.
I was always under the impression that cramming the head with information and stats and mastering the arguments for and against would help me gain a person's maximum attention and to reach them with my message. Typical teaching methods train the mind to accumulate raw info and introduce buzzwords here and there to give the info context--this may be useful for a parrot, but we need more to relate to each other. I'm now seeing that in a conversation the receiver responds most warmly and attentively to association, symbols, themes, humor and the presence of the communicator. I also know that my conditioning and obsession with efficiency has pushed the noble craft of storytelling to the junk yard doldrums of my mind, and personal fears and inhibitions prevent me from recording the treasures of seemingly unremarkable daily events and picking up the way of the storyteller. By looking to the future or being gripped by the past, I've not been present enough in my own life to collect a story's golden ingredients- Instead, I've collected the most unavoidable experiences, let countless other stories and telling experiences slip by, or been malnourished by living through and replicating the stories of others-- much like a comatose sleeper kept on life support. Similarly, I haven't had patience for people's stories, or I switch the senses off when one dances across plain view. It's no wonder I am not satisfied with the contents of my own stories or my capacity to retain and deliver them.
Could it be that the combination of ingredients that make the content of the story compelling are no different to the fragments of consciousness that form a whirlpool in the head and settle once we drift into the land of our dreams. Content is only one aspect-- the storyteller's mind works an extraordinary relationship with words, the order of their use, their creation of images, and their delivery: these are all key elements that culminate with audience captivation. There is also a personal element of revealing an authentic and vulnerable side of the self that connects the storyteller to their audience.
One other observation that has relevance: the "therapist" listens to your stories and helps you draw them out, but the shaman takes notice of the quality and scope of your stories. This may explain the difference between knowing the symbols and knowing the essence of the symbols.
I was always under the impression that cramming the head with information and stats and mastering the arguments for and against would help me gain a person's maximum attention and to reach them with my message. Typical teaching methods train the mind to accumulate raw info and introduce buzzwords here and there to give the info context--this may be useful for a parrot, but we need more to relate to each other. I'm now seeing that in a conversation the receiver responds most warmly and attentively to association, symbols, themes, humor and the presence of the communicator. I also know that my conditioning and obsession with efficiency has pushed the noble craft of storytelling to the junk yard doldrums of my mind, and personal fears and inhibitions prevent me from recording the treasures of seemingly unremarkable daily events and picking up the way of the storyteller. By looking to the future or being gripped by the past, I've not been present enough in my own life to collect a story's golden ingredients- Instead, I've collected the most unavoidable experiences, let countless other stories and telling experiences slip by, or been malnourished by living through and replicating the stories of others-- much like a comatose sleeper kept on life support. Similarly, I haven't had patience for people's stories, or I switch the senses off when one dances across plain view. It's no wonder I am not satisfied with the contents of my own stories or my capacity to retain and deliver them.
Could it be that the combination of ingredients that make the content of the story compelling are no different to the fragments of consciousness that form a whirlpool in the head and settle once we drift into the land of our dreams. Content is only one aspect-- the storyteller's mind works an extraordinary relationship with words, the order of their use, their creation of images, and their delivery: these are all key elements that culminate with audience captivation. There is also a personal element of revealing an authentic and vulnerable side of the self that connects the storyteller to their audience.
One other observation that has relevance: the "therapist" listens to your stories and helps you draw them out, but the shaman takes notice of the quality and scope of your stories. This may explain the difference between knowing the symbols and knowing the essence of the symbols.
Monday, April 14, 2008
Unbelieveable! So heartwarming!
Here's an inspiring way to start the week.Take a look at these films. They are each just one minute long. They feature a choir in one country singing another country's national anthem: a simple idea that packs surprising emotional power. France sings for USA
Kenya sings for India
Japan sings for Turkey
They were shot by film directors looking to support the landmark TED project Pangea Day (which I hope you have calendared for Saturday, May 10).
Kenya sings for India
Japan sings for Turkey
They were shot by film directors looking to support the landmark TED project Pangea Day (which I hope you have calendared for Saturday, May 10).
Friday, April 11, 2008
Diving In
I realize that we are more than a quarter of the way through this year-long journey, and I haved stopped to make an assessment. My guides, as well as others who have journeyed for me indicate that I have just stuck my toe in and now need to dive in. For all of us, diving in will look different, for each of us has his/her own area that needs work before we can truly be of service.
For me, this has been more intense than any other Shamanic work I have ever done, and my fears and hesitations about putting away the excesses of my ego and of living in my head only have been intense.
As I face this, I notice that the pace has accelerated, and one lesson flows freely (though not necessarily painlessly) to the next. I know that the pace of our journey will continue to accelerate, and right now, the water feels a bit choppy, but there is nothing for me but to dive in and trust to Spirit to have a life ring if I need it. Happy swimming, tribe.
For me, this has been more intense than any other Shamanic work I have ever done, and my fears and hesitations about putting away the excesses of my ego and of living in my head only have been intense.
As I face this, I notice that the pace has accelerated, and one lesson flows freely (though not necessarily painlessly) to the next. I know that the pace of our journey will continue to accelerate, and right now, the water feels a bit choppy, but there is nothing for me but to dive in and trust to Spirit to have a life ring if I need it. Happy swimming, tribe.
Tuesday, April 8, 2008
Feeling Stuck
Well, quite a few times now I have sat down to post and found it difficult to come up with something to contribute to the group. Those who know me would be surprised at my coming to this place. Someone with few topics and few words hardly would ever describe me. Yet, here I am.
I have been reading the Emerald Tablet and feel it sinking in yet I have no solid tangible thoughts or opinions about what I have read. Again, very unusual for me. I feel something brewing below the surface. Shifts are occurring, because on some level I feel very different. Something is happening! However, I don’t know what it is. There are no words to accurately describe it other than this wonderful yet frustrating nothing.
I have attempted to journey to this place below the surface, yet no images arise. I just settle into the dark space and feel its richness and try to fill up my senses. Who knew nothing could be so empty yet so rich all at the same time.
I have been feeling stuck and frustrated by my apparent inability to post a topic that I feel would be beneficial to the group. I have been reading the posts and have felt their fullness and have found myself speechless.
It appears that my feeling senses are currently at the helm and it is how I am interpreting and processing information. My mental capacity, in some sense, seems to be on vacation.
Feeling stuck, I was then provided with the brilliant recommendation to post about my feelings of being stuck and the heart of nothing!!
So, here is my heartfelt contribution. Anyone else feel the same way?
SWR
I have been reading the Emerald Tablet and feel it sinking in yet I have no solid tangible thoughts or opinions about what I have read. Again, very unusual for me. I feel something brewing below the surface. Shifts are occurring, because on some level I feel very different. Something is happening! However, I don’t know what it is. There are no words to accurately describe it other than this wonderful yet frustrating nothing.
I have attempted to journey to this place below the surface, yet no images arise. I just settle into the dark space and feel its richness and try to fill up my senses. Who knew nothing could be so empty yet so rich all at the same time.
I have been feeling stuck and frustrated by my apparent inability to post a topic that I feel would be beneficial to the group. I have been reading the posts and have felt their fullness and have found myself speechless.
It appears that my feeling senses are currently at the helm and it is how I am interpreting and processing information. My mental capacity, in some sense, seems to be on vacation.
Feeling stuck, I was then provided with the brilliant recommendation to post about my feelings of being stuck and the heart of nothing!!
So, here is my heartfelt contribution. Anyone else feel the same way?
SWR
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Roots of Suffering: Micro and Macro
The Emerald Tablet has tuned me into many personal challenges as well as societal patterns. Are they ever really different things? Does each not serve as the other's feedback loop? I sense more signals that give away the fundamental workings of consciousness and its absence; mirrors within mirrors all around. Do others feel like there is a hidden script lying in between the lines of the text, playing on the subconscious? I sense a sublime processing of the book's teachings in a way that I'm not quite able to understand yet.
What I Do Understand
For me, ego and its manifestations are the main struggle. Ego and attachment are everywhere and they are my source of fleeting happiness and perpetual suffering. Suffering is viewed as a relative and subjective concept dependent on the individual's life-circumstance, but the book implies that the real subjectivity is the degree of value we place on ego and the objects that prop up the ego.
Macro
On a societal or civilizational level, I believe we can analogize the ego and its materially-dominated satellites with the concept of "Empire" or expansionism. In the meantime, the "Source", otherwise known as the Republic, crumbles or is placed under extreme pressure. Given the teachings of alchemy, is it natural for one society to impose the occupation of another? What does that say about the occupiers?
Another analogy might be humanity's efforts to explore outer space. Rather than driving ourselves into the farther reaches and repeating potentially destructive cycles elsewhere in the universe, those resources can be redirected to exploring and bridging the space between each other and ourselves. Hence, the distance the ego places between the outwardly perceived self and the hidden inner self largely reflects how far we must return to find true nature, according to the book.
Ego likely explains why a CEO with all manner of luxury at her/his disposal often finds life more damnable than the poor laborer from the developing world. The question is, who is more at the mercy of attachments and ego? Ego governs expectation, perverts ambition, and dictates attitude. Ego misdirects energy, hardens the body into a tank and its occupant into a cyborg. The toughest metal makes an excellent weapon, so ego's connection to bloodshed is no surprise. It is fueled by the fear of imperfection.
Micro
Different parts of me may be at different stages of alchemy, but I'm chasing the inferno's cleansing forces. In the last week or so I've sensed fire everywhere. I imagine myself bathed in flames before I slip into unconsciousness at night. At a concert today, the music introduced visions of fire; I sensed parts of my personal armor melting; transforming into mercury and releasing into the ether. . .
Healthy Ego
The healthy ego (which is relatively new to me) is the self-caretaker, it's the part of me that knows my limits and when to draw the line; where to set a boundary and enforce basic nourishment, preservation, and balance. It is a shield not a spear. It is a shelter not a citadel. What do others see it as?
What I Do Understand
For me, ego and its manifestations are the main struggle. Ego and attachment are everywhere and they are my source of fleeting happiness and perpetual suffering. Suffering is viewed as a relative and subjective concept dependent on the individual's life-circumstance, but the book implies that the real subjectivity is the degree of value we place on ego and the objects that prop up the ego.
Macro
On a societal or civilizational level, I believe we can analogize the ego and its materially-dominated satellites with the concept of "Empire" or expansionism. In the meantime, the "Source", otherwise known as the Republic, crumbles or is placed under extreme pressure. Given the teachings of alchemy, is it natural for one society to impose the occupation of another? What does that say about the occupiers?
Another analogy might be humanity's efforts to explore outer space. Rather than driving ourselves into the farther reaches and repeating potentially destructive cycles elsewhere in the universe, those resources can be redirected to exploring and bridging the space between each other and ourselves. Hence, the distance the ego places between the outwardly perceived self and the hidden inner self largely reflects how far we must return to find true nature, according to the book.
Ego likely explains why a CEO with all manner of luxury at her/his disposal often finds life more damnable than the poor laborer from the developing world. The question is, who is more at the mercy of attachments and ego? Ego governs expectation, perverts ambition, and dictates attitude. Ego misdirects energy, hardens the body into a tank and its occupant into a cyborg. The toughest metal makes an excellent weapon, so ego's connection to bloodshed is no surprise. It is fueled by the fear of imperfection.
Micro
Different parts of me may be at different stages of alchemy, but I'm chasing the inferno's cleansing forces. In the last week or so I've sensed fire everywhere. I imagine myself bathed in flames before I slip into unconsciousness at night. At a concert today, the music introduced visions of fire; I sensed parts of my personal armor melting; transforming into mercury and releasing into the ether. . .
Healthy Ego
The healthy ego (which is relatively new to me) is the self-caretaker, it's the part of me that knows my limits and when to draw the line; where to set a boundary and enforce basic nourishment, preservation, and balance. It is a shield not a spear. It is a shelter not a citadel. What do others see it as?
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