Shamanism Week 3

[Neamhain Riona]

Integrated Spirituality and the Web of Life

Teach your children
what we have taught our children -
that the earth is our mother.
Whatever befalls the earth
befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.
If men spit upon the ground
they spit upon themselves.

This we know.
The earth does not belong to us;
we belong to the earth.
This we know.
All things are connected
like the blood, which connects one family.
All things are connected.

Whatever befalls the earth
befalls the sons and daughters of the earth.
We did not weave the web of life;
We are merely a strand in it.
Whatever we do to the web,
we do to ourselves.

Attributed to Chief Seattle

Poem from Earth Prayers, edited by Elizabeth Roberts and Elias Amidon, Harper Collins 1991.


Unity
“Everything is One” - aspects of the Planet Earth are intricately bound up with and dependent on each other, making the Earth and all that lives upon it into one living organism, but it goes further. Our solar system is another interdependent Unit, and so is the galaxy, and so is, ultimately, the Universe.
Quantum physics has shown that matter is just dense energy, and light is energy. Everything is made out of energy vibrating at different frequencies. Energy is the substance of all that is, and gives Life to all that is. This is “Spirit” and Spirit has a consciousness and a purpose. The purpose of Spirit, which is all that there is, is to express itself as fully as possible.
Multiple Expressions
Spirit expresses itself in an abundance of ways. If it can make a multitude of a thing, it will not stop at making one. Spirit expresses itself as thousands of galaxies, as millions of stars, as multitudes of planets, as range upon range of mountains, as billions of different life forms, as uncounted species of insects and thousands of species of tree. It expresses itself as thousands of individually different flowers on a blooming apple tree and six billion individually different humans upon the Earth. Each of these things is part of Spirit. And each of these things is called upon to be the best possible expression of itself, the best possible expression of Spirit.
For a tree or a cat or an insect it is quite simple to be the best possible expression of itself. Most life forms just are what they are and nothing stands in their way. Humans are more complex creatures. Thousands of years of culture and millions of years of genetic inheritance have made things a little different for us. Most of us don't remember we are Spirit, and have no idea of the amazing power we are called to express. Most humans won't even believe you if you tell them of their innate beauty and capacities. That is why for us becoming the best possible expression of Spirit is the task of a lifetime. We have to dig through a thick layer of inherited complications before we can even begin to let our true essence manifest.
Spirits
Because everything is part of Divine Spirit, everything that exists also contains a fragment of Spirit. Like a fragment of a mirror is still a mirror in itself, so the fragments of Spirit are still Spirit. But we refer to them as the spirit of a plant or a stone or a place.
While most of these spirits are closely related to a material thing, some spirits have no material form at all. The most well known of these are Gods and Goddesses. They are powerful fragments of Spirit who express the Life Force more purely than we ever could.
Each God or Goddess has his or her particular personality and energy. It is as if the glass of each of these windows has a different colour. So if we choose to work with a particular God or Goddess, or they choose us, we perceive the light of Spirit in one particular refraction. No God or Goddess known to humans can ever express all the truth of Life and Spirit.
Web of Life


Because we are all One Spirit, we are all interconnected. These interconnections are like filaments in a spider's web. Everything is connected to everything else in an infinite Web of relationships.
We are all connected to and dependent on each other. There are obvious connections, like the one between yourself and the farmer who grew the wheat that became the bread that you eat. Or the one between yourself and the worm whose little tunnels air the soil of the field where that wheat grew.
But the relationships are also much more subtle. Our relationship with each other is also emotional and spiritual. It is believed that there will be pain and emotional distress in the human community, as long as we don't acknowledge our intimate relationship with the Earth and begin to put right some of the damage we have done to our ecosystem. <!--[endif]-->
Yet on the other hand it is also believed that we humans, individually, are powerless to correct that damage until we have healed from some of the damage that has been done to us. We have to heal our own pain inflicted on us by our culture or the circumstances of our lives in order to be able to take our rightful place on the Wheel of Life. This healing can happen through a more conscious relationship with Spirit all around us and with the cycles of Nature.
The Wheel of Life
The Wheel is a metaphor for all cycles: a lifetime, a year, a moon cycle, or a day. Every cycle is an eternal repetition of growth, death and renewal. By getting in touch with these cycles we find our place in the world and become aware of our own nature.
Spirit and the Wheel
Spirit is really the Everything. It is the purest expression of Life that permeates everything. All things are Spirit, and the other Elements are Spirit themselves, getting denser as you go down the list. It is the unmoving point at the center of the Wheel as well as the ecstatic movement at its rim. It is the place where we touch the Divine.
Divine Spirit is the Life Force that permeates all things. It is the Center and the circumference of the Wheel. It is the Wheel itself. It is all time and all space and all energy. It is the least dense of the Elements.
Deity, in the form of the Gods and Goddesses worshipped by people throughout the ages and up to this day, is the representative of Spirit. Deity lives closest to the Center of the Wheel, the still place that everything else revolves around.
The Northern Quarter
The Northern Quarter of the Wheel is associated with the Season of Winter, the dead time of the Year, but also the time of rebirth. It is a time of stillness and reflection that starts at the festival of Samhain, has its tuning point at Midwinter, and finishes at Candlemas.
This is the Quarter of Earth, the densest of the Elements. It represents abundance and fertility, and also strong foundations. It is the fertile soil that gives us everything we live from. And it is the rock that we can build our lives on.
The Eastern Quarter
At the Eastern Quarter of the Wheel we enjoy the Season of Spring. Things are beginning to grow again. At first, it is nearly imperceptible, but if you really look, you can see snowdrops peeping out of the soil in the garden, and soon they will bloom. It is the time of renewed Light that starts at the festival of Candlemas, is victorious over the dark at the Spring Equinox, and finishes at the high feast of May Day.
This is the Quarter of Air, a very ethereal element. It is the blue sky over our heads, the Equinoctial gale, and the breath that gives us life.
The Southern Quarter
The Season of Summer dominates the Southern Quarter of the Wheel. Life is at its height. Things bloom and grow and reproduce. This is the climax of the year, visible in scented roses, verdant hedgerows, teeming ponds. This time celebrates Life itself, starting at May Day, finding its climax at Midsummer, and ending at Lammas.
This is the Quarter of Fire , and anyone who has ever been out in the hot Summer Sun will know why. Fire is the candle flame, the hearth, but also the spark of energy in all of us.
The Western Quarter
The growth of Summer turns into the fruitfulness of Autumn. Hedgerows start to produce blackberries, and my apple tree yields its first fruit. Life starts to surrender its harvest and begins to recede. It finishes with an amazing flourish of colour. The Season begins with the festival of Lammas, yields to darkness at the Autumn Equinox, and finishes at Hallowmas.
This is the Quarter of Water, Element of healing and insight. It is the Autumn rain, the river, and the great ocean. It cleanses and renews, but also erodes to reveal the smooth clean surface.
The Elements
All we are and all the energy we have, ultimately comes from the Elements. They are the essential forces that are the foundations of our lives. They have much to teach us about Spirit, and all things on the Web of Life.
Air - is light and young. It dances and flies. It is Spring and dawn and waxing. It is new beginnings. It is the power of the mind and the practice of meditation.
Fire - is lively and hot. It is the fullness of life. It creates and explores. It is Summer and midday and pregnant with passion. It is the power of intuition and the practice of creativity.
Water - is flowing and mature. It surges like the sea and lies quietly, like the mirror surface of a lake. It is Autumn and dusk and waning. It is completion. It is the power of emotion and the practice of divination and healing.
Earth - is heavy and still. It is death and dying. It is the quiet between activities. It is Winter and midnight and darkness. It is fertile and full of potential. It is the power of bodily sensation and the practice of community.
Shamanic Worldview
All things are intimately connected in a vast network of relationships that forms the cosmic web of life. Just as the flower is connected to the soil it stands in, the water that refreshes it, and the sun that encourages its bud to open, so we are connected to the earth that grows our food, the water that sustains our life, and the tree that produces the air we breathe. These connections are obvious, even if we often fail to honor them.
But there is another set of connections, less obvious but just as powerful: connections with the unseen, spiritual dimension of the cosmic web. Our society often denies this unseen reality, yet it is the source of the strength and inspiration each of us needs to lead an effective and creative life. Ignoring these connections with spirit can lead to illness and disease.
Shamans travel into the Otherworld of the unseen in the company of their spirit allies and teachers, to repair broken filaments in the web of existence, and to bring back healing power and living inspiration for their people. They are bridges through which the treasures of the Otherworld can come into our lives.
Shamanism has been practiced all over the world since the dawn of time. Shamanism isn't a religion; it serves the spiritual tradition and the culture of the land where it is practiced. Because of this, its techniques and skills are still relevant and effective in our everyday world. It operates in the ever present sacred now, and re-connects us to the life-essence of the universe.
Shamanic Healing
Shamanic healing techniques address the spiritual causes that underlie life's difficulties and illnesses. They are especially effective for difficulties that cannot be cured by traditional health care, that seem never-ending or that have an unexplained cause.
Sometimes the filaments of power that connect a person to the web of life become frayed or broken. This can be caused by stress or trauma, or when our personal boundaries have been breached or neglected for a long time. This can cause loss of vital energy and soul fragmentation. It can make you:
• Feel drained, depressed, disconnected, joyless.
• Feel that something is missing or lost.
• Feel strained, overburdened, invaded.
• Unable to get over an event, loss or relationship.
To return to well being, our connections to the web of life need to be repaired. Most healing sessions involve a diagnostic conversation, work on the energy body with rattling and singing, and a shamanic journey. This is a soul journey into the Otherworld to meet spiritual allies. They offer help - which you bring back with you. Any healing or help received does not come from you, but directly from your helping spirits.
As a recognition that help comes from the spirits, bring a small token or offering to your helping spirits. It is a sign that you are willing to engage in the process of healing and completes the exchange of gifts between the worlds.
Shamanic Spirit Consultation
You can learn how to contact your own sources of power and inspiration and begin to explore the Otherworld. This work can give you more self-confidence, insight, and a deep trusting relationship with your personal sources of spiritual power. You can then draw directly from the wisdom that lives inside each of us. This is of immeasurable value in your quest to live according to the desire of your soul.
Each thing on the web of life is called to live according to the desire of its soul. The search for our place in the web can be a lifelong quest, bringing up difficulties in dealing with expectations others have of us and the conventions of our culture. But help is at hand. Each living being has its spirit helpers and allies. Even if we don't know them, they are ready to help us when we ask.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

The OtherWorlds of Shamanism



The OtherWorlds
All who are, all who ever were, and all who will be, are able to communicate with each other in the Spirit World. This incredible Web of Connection allows an individual to relate to all that has ever existed in the universe. Tradition separates this vast interface into three interlinked worlds. These are the UpperWorld, the source of inspiration and where you find “The Teacher” - The MiddleWorld, the place that we live our ordinary day-to-day life, but also a place where Spirits can be found. - And the LowerWorld, which is the home of our Ancestors and a source of personal power. We are all connected to these OtherWorlds and through these spiritual connections, we are connected to each other.
The UpperWorld
The UpperWorld is a land of ideas and creative inspiration. To get there, you must journey up. This is achieved by finding a high place in ordinary reality and launching the soul up from there. Call your Power Animal to you and ask it to make the journey at your side. Leaping from the branches of tall trees, riding up on the smoke of a fire, flying by sprouting wings, riding a broomstick or on the back of a Power Animal are popular methods of UpperWorld travel. Once you have made the journey up through the clouds, you have to tear through a membrane type “fabric”. This can be done by asking your Power Animal to puncture through with its beak, claws, or teeth, which ever of those it possesses. I usually arrive close to a Village of sorts. The Teachers of the UpperWorld often offer solutions to problems. They do this by showing the situation from a different point of view. For this reason the UpperWorld is often where the answers to questions about personal spiritual growth will be found. These Teachers work by showing you things you already know from new vantage points, allowing you to see things differently, and by explaining their understanding of a situation either verbally or visually. They also give ideas that help to show the route from where you are now in your life - to where you want to be.
The Middle World
Not only do the Spirit aspects of people and animals dwell in the MiddleWorld, but it is also filled with Spirits that most people cannot recognize. Spirits dwell in every rock and plant. From the largest Mountain range to the smallest speck of dust, you will find Spirits. It is important to listen to what is said carefully, the message of the Spirits can be easily misunderstood. There are many helpful Spirits that work to heal the relationships with the land and its inhabitants. Many Plant and Mineral Spirits live at a slower pace than people, so building a relationship with them can take some time but the effort is certainly worth it. Other kinds of Spirits that we may meet in the MiddleWorld are those that dwell in man made places, spirits live in our houses, cupboards, cars, streets, towns anywhere that can be imagined is a place where a Spirit can be. Working with Spirits to restore balance to the Earth as a whole, is a large part of Shamanic work.
The LowerWorld
The LowerWorld is a place of history, knowledge and power. To get there you must go down. Most common places of entry are caves, tunnels or some kind of doorway. This is the place where our Ancestors dwell. It is the place of old knowledge and reconnection. Connection extends beyond immediate family and friends through all time, to all life, in all places. The LowerWorld is a place of powerful healing. It is here that you search for soul energy, or Power Animals, and it is here that you will find them. Our Ancestors who can also be found here, help with reconnection, to return lost energy and give balance to those who are sick. The majority of your journeys will be to the LowerWorld.
It is disputed by some that there are even more dimensions of reality than the three described above. But it is within these realms that a Shaman can expect to do their work. In two weeks we will be taking some LowerWorld journeys, so take this time to work with altered states that shift your consciousness. Practice your Meditations and work with the other methods that you have done in the previous lessons.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Shamanic Consciousness
by: Amber Wolfe

To understand the sacred, other world journey of the shaman , it is necessary to first understand shamanic consciousness. To begin with, consciousness is usually divided into two primary types:

The focused, waking consciousness in which we are alert and aware of our surroundings.

The unfocused, non-waking consciousness in which we are either dreaming or unconscious of our surroundings.

Simply put, shamanic consciousness blends the focused awareness of waking consciousness with the unfocused flow of dreams, inner vision, and non-waking consciousness.

Although the sacred, other worlds of the shamans are sometimes called dream worlds or dream time, the shamanic state of consciousness is much more focused and alert than dreams. It is because of this special state of shamanic consciousness that the shaman can interpret and interact with the visionary contents of journeys to other worlds.

Shamanic consciousness is a special altered state of consciousness in which the shaman is able to view close surroundings as a non-ordinary reality. The shaman is aware of the concrete levels of reality that include the everyday world of Humankind. The shaman is also aware of the abstract world of Nature energies and Spirit.

Shamanic consciousness allows the shaman to be aware of all levels or worlds at the same time. This is what is meant by saying the shaman exists between the worlds. For the shaman, both the concrete and the abstract levels have significance, meaning, and validity. The shaman has the ability to draw information and wisdom from all levels, and the abilities to not confuse them with each other

Some modern psychologists and scientists have regarded the other world journeys of the shamans as a kind of mental delusion. However, it is the clear ability of the shaman to separate the concrete and abstract, while still gaining wisdom from all levels, that sets the experience well apart from a mental delusion. The shaman has psychic objectivity, which facilitates interpretations of visions and other world journeys. This is done to find the message of significance for the shaman's work.

Other psychologists have recognized the uniqueness of shamanic consciousness and have sought to develop forms of therapy based on ancient shamanic methods. One of the most familiar forms of this is guided imagery, also called active imagery. Because of the active and interactive involvement of the shaman, the experience of the other world journeys may be closely related to the active use of imagery. Basically, a shamanic journey can be considered to be a very special form of self-guided imagery. Or, perhaps it would be more appropriate to say imagery guided by the highest aspect of Self. It is the shaman’s diligent exploration of mind consciousness that enables other world journeys and return with wisdom for his/her own path and for others.

Carl Jung, the great Western psychoanalyst and mystic, once compared the mind of man to a large apartment building. While most people in an apartment building are familiar with a few floors and a few other residents of the building, very few know them all. The shaman, as an explorer and experimenter in mind and consciousness, strives to "visit all the floors and residents and return home without getting lost." This sense of exploration and experimentation is the heart of the sacred, shamanic journey. By making these explorative journeys, the shaman becomes the channel between the worlds of Self, Nature, and Spirit.

Like a living tree, the shaman is rooted in concrete consciousness while reaching into abstract consciousness. We can carry this ancient analogy of the shaman as a living tree further. The trunk of the tree can represent the shaman in relation to the middle world of Humankind—as well as the connected channel between the upper and lower worlds. The deepest roots can represent the pure energies of Nature encountered on Earth journeys. The highest limbs can represent the shaman reaching into the upper astral aspects of Spirit encountered on Vision Quests. The place where the roots of the tree meet the ground can represent the strength and balance needed by the shaman to stay centered in personal power.

When followers of the shamanic path begin to explore mind and consciousness by making other world journeys, the symbol of the shaman as the living tree is a solid reminder of the kind of balance and connectedness needed to have effective, positive results.

In order to make other world journeys, shamans often use several different methods to achieve a deeper state of shamanic consciousness. This is sometimes called "reaching the journey levels." In some traditions, these methods included forced trance, strict deprivation, and hallucinogens. The harshness of these methods reflects the attitude of some shamans that the other worlds are filled with danger and terror. It is felt that the shaman has to be extremely careful to avoid peril. This view has been called "the Way of the Warrior" to symbolize the battle attitude of the shaman.

Other traditions hold the view that life is a series of interweavings and creations, of which the other world journeys are an exciting and integral part. This view has been called the "Way of the Adventurer." Interestingly, the Way of the Adventurer invovles very gentle methods of relaxation and mental imagery to enter the journey levels. Both traditions use drums, rattles, and other simple musical instruments to create a steady rhythm that enhances their abilities to reach shamanic journey levels of consciousness.

It is certainly possible to blend aspects of both basic traditions to create your own methods of achieving shamanic journey levels. From the Way of the Warrior, we can take the harshness and translate it into a seriousness of mind and attitude about our explorations into consciousness. The perils and dangers we can see as a wise reminder to be gentle with ourselves and cautious of our own power and energies. The Warrior we can transform into a Spiritual Warrior striving for wisdom, awareness, and self-healing by using positive methods and attitudes for the good of all.

From the Way of the Adventurer, we can take the joy of life experience and create our own paths. Through the use of gentle mental imagery we can see as the use of our increased brain and mind potentials. As a follower of a shamanic path, we can experience life as a spiritual adventurer, moving to a rhythm of our own creation.

In explaining the levels of shamanic consciousness, or in making journeys to the other worlds, it is wise for the follower of the shamanic path to remember that the shaman seeks to be connected to the Earth, not detached from it.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Interpretation & Symbolism

Everything that we do, every place that we go, the things that we buy and even the food that we eat – all have some kind of symbol attached to it. A symbol is a visual image that unconsciously makes us think of something else. A symbol can be a shape, letter, series of lines, or design. Some symbols are universally recognized and retain their meaning over time and from place to place; like the Christian Cross.


Others may have started out meaning one thing but come to mean something else, such as the Swastika.





Still others have meanings that appeal only to a specific culture or sets of people; like the Eastern Star symbol of the Free Masons.



And then there are symbols that are associated with a particular company or industry.



Sometimes the use of a symbol can backfire. By this, I mean that a company can develop a visual identity and distribute it as a Trademark that speaks for their product or company – only to find out that the public misinterprets it. For instance, take a look at the symbol that is associated with the well-known company Procter & Gamble.
At first glance, what do you see? The Man in the Moon and some Stars inside of a circle -- Simple enough. Now, to me, both the Moon and Stars are “soothing”, reminding me of things like the bedtime stories that my Gramma used to tell me, which means that I also associate those things with “love”, “night” and “sleep”. A circle means, “enclosed” and “protected”. So the words that I generate to associate to this image are: Man in the Moon, Stars, Gramma, Love, Bedtime, Night, Sleep, Enclosed, Soothing and Protected -- All pretty nice things in my opinion. What a nice image to use to be a signature for a company, I would say. But “soothing” and “protected” were NOT the things that the public ended up associating with this symbol! Let’s take a look at the path this image took:
Around the 1850’s, Chicago Soap Maker’s named Procter & Gamble began shipping their product on the river and by rail across the country. At this time, most people were illiterate, so the dock and freight workers used Trademarks to determine one product from another. It is documented that the first symbol used on Procter & Gambles “Star Brand Candles”, were drawn as a plain, simple “Cross” by dockhands, so they would be easily identified when the product reached their destinations. Later, another shipper replaced the “cross” with a “Star in a Circle”. Eventually William Procter added the Man in the Moon and 13 stars to represent the original 13 US colonies.
This logo remained in use until 1985, when allegations were made that Procter & Gamble was linked to Satanism. This excerpt is taken from Word Press:
“The company received unwanted media publicity in the 1980s when an urban legend spread that their previous corporate logo was a satanic symbol. The accusation is based on a particular passage in the Bible, specifically Revelation 12:1, which states: “And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars.” Since P&G’s logo consists of a man’s face on a moon surrounded by thirteen stars, some have claimed that the logo is a mockery of the heavenly symbol alluded to in the aforementioned verse, and hence the logo is Satanic. Where the beard meets the surrounding circle, a mirror image of 666 can be seen when viewed from inside the logo, and this has been interpreted as the reflected number of the beast, again linked to Satanism. Also, there are two horns like a lamb that are said to represent the false prophet. These interpretations have been denied by company officials, and no evidence linking the company to the Church of Satan or any other occult organization has ever been presented. The company has sued and attempted to sue a number of companies and individuals who have spread rumors of this type, in some instances because they sell competitive products and have spread such rumors for the purpose of tarnishing P&G’s image to increase sales of their own brands. As stated in one of the resulting lawsuits, the logo originated in 1851 as the symbol for their Star brand of candles. It was later altered to show the man in the moon overlooking 13 stars, which were meant to commemorate the original 13 colonies. Proctor and Gamble v. Amway 242 F.3d 539”
]
The complete article can be read at:
http://grafwurks.wordpress.com/2007/10/04/proctor-gamble/

Procter & Gamble ceased using this logo to identify their products using instead just the letters “P&G”. However, some places like Hong Kong and China still use the original logo and it also remains on the company building and letterhead. They still claim no association with any Satanic Tradition.
So, you see how interpretation of symbols can end up meaning different things to different people? The whole point in me telling you about Procter & Gamble is to show you that the way someone views and processes an image is an individual thing. The same is true with any image that we see… I may think of something when I look at an image, and you make think of something else entirely. These interpretations come from the information that exists in our own subconscious mind. Symbols are just that – The Language of the Mind. <!--[endif]-->
When trying to interpret the symbols and visions that you receive when Journeying or when trying to figure out the messages that come from the Spirit World, always go with the first impressions that you get. It is okay to use a Dream Dictionary as a reference or starting point, but do not rely totally on this as a resource. Trust in your own ability to figure out the meaning of a symbol or message.

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Glossary of Terms & Abbreviations

Altered States of Consciousness -- Any time you are working with psychic input, your mind shifts slightly (or drastically) to another dimension of spiritual existence, and you are in an altered state of consciousness. There are many altered states, not just one. Altered states include your mental state when studying hard for a test, your mental and spiritual states when you meditate, the mental state when you are daydreaming, having a lucid dream or a vivid dream, the mental state when you journey to the OtherWorlds, drunkenness, the condition of being high on drugs, being in the state of shock, being in a coma, etc. All these are altered states and all of them are different from one another. There are many altered states of consciousness.

Shamanic State of Consciousness -- This phrase was originally developed by Michael Harner to describe the way the mind shifts when taking a Shamanic journey. You practice this state when you journey to the Upper World, the Lower World or in the Middle World via drumming or rattling or trance dancing. This state of consciousness is different from deep meditation and different from lucid dreaming. Practicing this state of consciousness is the only way to get to the Otherworld.

Shamanism -- The practices and way of thinking of a shaman. This would include journeying, belief in spirits and spirit communication, herbal curing, crystal therapies, divination, art as a healing medium, soul empowerment, soul retrieval, energy removal and redirection, acting as a psychopomp, integral spirituality, and "miracle" curing and healing.
Integral Spirituality -- The realization that everything you do affects everything else on the planet. Integral spirituality is a way of thinking that is common to shamans. The idea is that we all must be mindful of our thinking and actions because at every moment we are affecting the world on a grand scale. We seek balance and inclusiveness, a feeling of wholeness, not a partiality or exclusiveness. Another way of saying this is: All things are equally valuable.


Journey/ Journeying -- The method by which shamans alter their consciousness to obtain their knowledge and healing power, contact their animal guides, spirit helpers, and teachers, find lost soul parts, and ferry souls to the Land of the Dead. The shamanic journey provides one with access to a different and deeper level of consciousness than a meditation or a lucid dream.

Lucid Dream -- A dream in which you become aware that you are dreaming and to some extent, you can choose your actions in the dream. You become aware of it and you are thus, able to affect its outcome by choosing your part in the dream. You cannot alter the enter landscape of the dream nor direct all the actions in it, however. There is often a lesson in this type of dream. The matter is one brought up by your dreaming consciousness and once lucid, is one you can respond to and grow with. It is interactive. However, it may not be possible to reliably cause a dream to occur that will allow you to be lucid or to dictate the location and circumstances surrounding the actions in the dream.


Vivid Dream -- A dream in full-blown colour and in which you are acting in first person. A vivid dream comes to you from an external source. It is not one that you can direct in any way. It is a dream "vision." There is a lesson for you in this type of dream. It comes to you to tell you something. It is not interactive, although you may realize that you are dreaming. The lesson is non-negotiable. And you cannot influence the actions of yourself or others in this dream. It is like receiving an announcement or an advertisement, rather than watching a soap opera or a drama of some sort. Many vivid dreams are prophetic, but some are simply announcements of facts.

Meditation -- The act of altering your consciousness slightly by quieting the mind and relaxing the body. This practice creates a highly receptive mental state and allows the internal thoughts to surface that need to be worked on and dealt with. The same thing as "going within".
Guided Meditation -- Using the technique of meditation to alter consciousness and create a receptive mental state, but being guided in the thought process by another person, either via CD/ cassette or the spoken word. The voice doing the guiding leads your mind to see specific things by planting the suggestion of those landscapes and items in your highly receptive mind. This is not the same as Astral Travel or shamanic journeying which have nothing to do with interior landscapes.

Going within -- The use of meditation or contemplation to discover one's own thoughts and feelings. This technique is used to discover one's interior landscape. It is internal to the individual and does not require Astral Travel or exterior exploration of the Worlds. Meditation takes you 'inside' whereas the shamanic journey takes you 'outside'.

Guardian Spirit -- The shaman's main helping spirit and protector. Often a Power Animal, the Guardian Spirit chooses to be the spirit helper for the Shaman owing to mutual need and desire. The Guardian Spirit never leaves one so long as the Shaman honors his/ her help.
Messenger Spirits -- The Messenger Spirits are any types of spirit or power animal that come to the shaman in any of the worlds to bring a message or teach a single lesson. If the Messenger Spirit also finds the shaman's energy compatible, it may stay for a while or even pledge support as a helping spirit by bonding or merging with the shaman. However, Messengers may also come and go unless they are needed on a repeat basis.

Trance -- An altered state of consciousness in which the practitioner is not entirely in charge of the experience. Similar to possession, but the spirits may be only directing the experience rather than possessing the body. This is not far from the Shamanic Journey, however, and in some shamanic cultures, trance is the normal form of shamanic experience used to contact the spirits.

Trance Dance -- A form of physical movement that gets one into a trance. It may be done to the accompaniment of drums, rattles and other percussion instruments.

Possession/ Spirit Possession -- Unlike the Hollywood mentality of spirit possession being dangerous, true spirit possession is nothing of the kind. Spirit possession is the allowing of a natural spirit like a Wraith or an Animal guide to temporarily take control of your physical body in order to accomplish something, perform a dance or a song, write a poem, teach a lesson, write a report or present some other material manifestation which both YOU and the SPIRIT agree to. This is not done to you in such a way that you are out of control and have no say. Not unless YOU choose to relinquish control. There are situations when Possession is useful, such as learning the powers of one's Guardian Spirit through dance or some other physical manifestation of bonding.

The Otherworld -- Both of the non-ordinary realms of shamanic exploration taken together constitute the Otherworld. You will notice that Middle World or ordinary reality is also included in "the Worlds".

The Worlds -- All three realms of shamanic exploration. The Worlds include the Lower World or a realm inside the Earth, the Middle World or the landscape of Ordinary Reality in which we live, and the Upper World, which is NOT outer space, but a realm above the Sky.

Psychopomp -- The shaman's role when s/he is engaged in bringing a disembodied or dead spirit down to the Land of the Dead. The psychopomp role is not simply an extension of doing exorcisms, as many newly dead spirits ask for this service because they don't want to go down there alone. In short, a psychopomp is a shaman who walks with them to the gate.
Psychedelics -- Mind-altering drugs or hallucinogenic plants used to alter consciousness. Also called Psychotropic drugs/ plants. These are used by some shamanic practitioners in indigenous cultures but only under guidance of an experienced shaman. They provide a pathway to a different altered state than the trance dance or the usual shamanic journey and they are not as commonly used by shamans as other, safer techniques, like drumming, dancing, chanting and rattling. Psychedelics are not without side effects, such as vomiting, intense sweating, involuntary urination and defecation, lingering headaches, etc. which some people experience to varying degrees. The disadvantages include: you cannot journey as often with them without ill health effects; you cannot control whether you go to the Upper World or to the Lower World; memory of the journey and the lessons taught may not be as strong or as clear; your experience takes much longer in terms of time that you are in the altered state, thus it is inconvenient for all but the full-time shaman to undertake it. These disadvantages far outweigh the merits of these mind-altering substances.

Exorcism -- Removal of negative displaced energy and replacing it where it belongs. This is highly touted as a spiritual endeavor meant to save someone's soul from destruction, but it is just as likely that an exorcism would be done on a building or a site, rather than on a human being. In fact, most exorcisms are exorcisms of place. Recall the second half of the definition. You don't just pull ghosts out of a place. You put their energy where it needs to be, thus completing the task. You must exercise responsibility in doing this work. This is not a highly sought after role among shamans. It is seen as "clean up".


Commonly Used Abbreviations
AT -- Astral Travel, Astral projection
ASC/ ASCs -- Altered State(s) of Consciousness
SSC -- the Shamanic State of Consciousness
OBE/ OBEs -- Out of Body Experience(s)
NDE -- Near Death Experience
NA -- Native American

 

[Neamhain Riona]

Reasons for Shamanic Journeying


When you begin making Shamanic journeys, focusing on the specific purpose and reason for going is of utmost importance. It helps you to direct the mind and block out stray and chaotic thoughts. Thinking of why you are journeying, stating the purpose of the journey and visualizing the intent of the journey will enhance your mental focus and add to your clarity while in the Otherworld.
Why do Shamans go to the Otherworld?
The reasons a Shaman will go on an OtherWorld journey are:
To retrieve a Power Animal for the Self or someone else
To find a Teacher to instruct in the ways of the Spirit World
To get help from the Spirits in answering questions
To do a soul retrieval
To receive songs, stories and inspirations from the Spirits
To find a cure for someone who is ill
To gain a Spirit Ally
To perform an Extraction of negative energy
To help a Dead Spirit cross over by acting as a Psychopomp*

Journeying to Retrieve a Power Animal
One of the first journeys you undertake is to FIND your own Power Animal or Guardian Spirit. You go on the journey seeking an Ally and a Helper in the form of an animal. This is the reason you go and it is a frequent reason to make subsequent journeys for others. The Power Animals are Spirit Helpers that give us clues, wisdom and strength as to how to handle a variety of issues in life like health problems, emotional upsets, spiritual dilemmas, and other things of this nature. When someone suffers from a feeling of low energy or temporary depression, a Power Animal retrieval can put back some of that energy and make them feel whole again. Power Animals are also important in healing physical ailments and diseases. When a connection between a person and their animal is lost or severed, that person will most often experience a feeling of dissatisfaction, which over time can deepen into a physical illness. For this reason a Shaman would try to find the lost or missing Power Animal and return it to the person. The journey to retrieve a Power Animal is easy to perform and it is a type of journey you will undertake frequently on this path.
Journey to Find “the” Teacher
Another first journey a Shaman takes is to the UpperWorld, in which the apprentice Shaman seeks a Teacher for spiritual training. The Teacher brings important lessons into the life of the Shaman. This is a very important type of journey but it is not often performed. You do not undertake this kind of journey for another person; but it is a common reason for a new Shaman to go. If you continue on with your experiences with the Shamanic State of Consciousness, you will find that some Teachers and even some Power Animals come to you for a short time and then leave you when their jobs are completed. So you may have to journey more than once to find an UpperWorld Teacher. You can have many teachers in both the LowerWorld and the UpperWorld over time, but the "Teacher" IS your main Spiritual Guide. This is one of the most important early journeys a Shaman undertakes.
Journey to Find the Answer to a Question or a Cure for an Illness
Journeying for a healing purpose is the type most commonly connected with the path of Shamanism but it is certainly not the only reason a Shaman goes to the OtherWorld. A frequent reason to enter the Shamanic State of Consciousness is to get advice and answers to the questions you face in ordinary reality. And you might need to find a remedy or cure for someone else. The healing journey is a type of questioning journey. Another kind of questioning journey is the Divinatory journey. The Divinatory type is one you might take for yourself just as easily as for others. To find a new job, get advice about a specific situation, to decide the correct course of action to take, are some of the types of Divinatory questions you can ask your Spirit Helpers on a questioning journey.
Journey to Find Lost Parts of a Soul
One of the more difficult and emotionally charged types of Shamanic journeys is going in search of a person’s lost soul parts. How do the parts of a soul go missing? It is due to some type of trauma, abuse, injury, extreme fear, or even a serious surgery can bring about soul loss. What occurs acts a a kind of spiritual "safety button" that exists within human beings and becomes triggered at such times. During the worst part of the trauma, a portion of the Spirit actually leaves the body and goes into hiding to protect itself. Where does it go? It can go to several different places. Sometimes it goes to the LowerWorld, sometimes to a place where it had a pleasant past experience and memories. It might flee to the far into the Otherworld. Wherever it ends up, it leaves the person feeling like "a little piece was left behind" or "I don't feel like myself anymore". These types of comments often indicate soul loss. Journeying to retrieve soul parts is a skill that takes experience and mastery of the journeying technique, a strong connection with Spirit Guides and the trust of the person who needs your help. Experienced Shamans do it, however, it is still one of the less frequent journeys.
Journey to remove negative energy or "evil spirits"
When a Shaman makes a journey to heal someone, often it is discovered that some unhealthy, negative energy is floating around in a person's aura, emotions, or in the physical body. To remove the negative energy, is called performing an "extraction" because you are taking something out of the person that doesn't belong there. Removing negative energy is a type of journey that requires a great deal of skill. It needs to be well thought out and you need to be prepared with the right tools before you go. Whenever you extract energy that doesn't belong somewhere, you have to make sure you don't leave a hole behind. Nature abhors a vacuum, so it will seek to fill any space that has been left empty. What happens during an extraction, is not just a removal, something must also be put in its place. To perform an extraction is to create an opening which allows some type of energy to move in and fill it up. If there is a gap after you finish an extraction and you don't replace the negative energy with something positive, then more negative energy can come in and fill the spot you left. That's why care must be taken to leave the person some type of good energy, a Power Animal or a crystal ally, something that will fill up any empty space left by the extraction. This type of journey takes careful preparation as to how you will fill the empty spot and how you will trap the negative energy you are trying to remove. Performing an extraction is not a beginner's journey, but after some experience, you may find that you are called on to make journeys of this type.
Journey as a Psychopomp
When a Spirit lingers in the MiddleWorld after it has died and left the body behind, a Shaman can help lead it on to the Realm of the Dead. When a Shaman engages in this type of journey, he or she is called a Psychopomp. The word psychopomp comes from two Greek words, psyche meaning "soul" and pempo meaning "to send”. The role of the Psychopomp is someone who helps send or lead a soul to its destination. The Shaman does this type of work because as a "Walker between the Worlds", the Shaman has access to the Spirits' destination. Sometimes the Shaman leads the soul all the way to the Land of the Dead, other times a deceased relative will be encountered along the journey that offers to walk with the soul the rest of the way. Some Shamans do this type of journey routinely, but it is not the most frequent type made by the average Shaman.
Journey to retrieve Songs, Stories and other Creative Works
A frequent type of Shamanic journey is going to bring back a creative work, some kind of healing art. You will find embedded in that creative form a important lesson, knowledge, or advice to apply to life. MiddleWorld is the realm from which this type of journey stems. That is, sometimes you need do little more than pick up your drum and begin beating to acquire a song or a poem from your Spirit Helpers. This type of occurrence is even referred to by people who do not think a about Shamanism as the “coming in” of a Spirit! Keep in mind, that the songs and poems and stories are not YOURS. The Shaman is just a conduit. Why do these Spirits to appear in the Middle World to "inspire" this Shaman and not someone else? The respect and humility, the honor the Shaman shows to them by being open and willing to allow them a voice, that is why. Spirit helpers journey to you in this World to have a say, if you will let them. Just as in every day life, taking a journey doesn't always mean going far, sometimes the best journeys are those that keep us close to home. And sometimes, the best journeys aren't even ours.
Journey to find an Ally
One of the reasons a Shaman takes a journey is to find an Ally to help him or her. Perhaps the Shaman faces a difficult task that requires more courage than can be easily summoned. This type of journey is made to find a Spirit Helper to stand with them and teach what one needs to know or do in order to deal with the upcoming struggle. An ally might be a Power Animal or it might be a crystal or a tree or some other object. Sometimes you need the assistance or support of an ally. This type of journey is made to find that assistance you need, or to ask for that support for someone else. This journey can be a great deal of help for someone struggling with self-worth issues or leaving an abusive relationship. It can be very empowering to someone who is breaking up from a long-term relationship and feels like they have just lost an ally. Not all the Helpers you meet in the Otherworld are Animals or Plants or Crystals, there are also human, faery, plants, and other type helpers. Journeying to find an ally for someone can make a big difference in that person's life.
These are the main reasons that a Shaman journeys. In this course we will only be Journeying to the LowerWorld to retrieve our Power Animal and to the UpperWorld to find “the” Teacher. But it is important to know that there are other types of Journeys that can be taken because if you decide to continue walking the LoneWalk, you will surely encounter them.