A note from my Shaman Mentor:
Q: How do you know if you're a shaman?
A: How do you know if you're in love?
Sorry, I know that sounds flippant,
but is the easiest way to explain it.
How did you know Reiki was 'right' for
you? We just know. If you are starting
to suspect that you are a shaman, you
probably are. Let me explain what being
a shaman is like to me and see if
this seems familiar to you.
To me, being a shaman means being
aware of all the worlds at once
whenever I wish to focus my
attention or conscious mind away
from the material world. I
know that most people who teach
about shamanism say you need
to drum, or dance, or chant,
(and some say you need to take
mind altering drugs too), to
help you get out of this world
and into the Inworlds -- but I
don't find this is necessary and
don't teach that and my students
don't seem to have
much problem with going Inworld
without these methods. I think this is
because I was taken as little kid and
never knew that I was 'supposed' to
drum, etc.
Next, shamans understand --
completely comprehend to their
bones -- that everything is alive
-- everything is alive. She creates
nothing that is dead, Everything
She creates lives.
Shamans relate to all that lives
on a personal basis. We are
friends with all that lives. We
don't try to control things, we try
to find out what
things need and help them
achieve their goals. We are more
about helping and
healing, making and mending,
than about ordering and forcing,
coercing and
enslaving.
(That is one of the things that I
found very alien when I was
trying to fit into the Wiccan
community here. The "as I will so mote
it be" felt not right to me. Who am I
to insert my will into the work I am doing
for the Shining Ones. It is their work,
I just let them use my feet and
hands, and gasoline, to get their work
done. I just run the errands. Not to
mention the fact that when we will, we
are responsible for the result --
including the major screw ups. As the
errand girl I can always say, 'Whoops,
don't blame me, I just work here.' *~)
But I digress. This is the great work
of the shaman: To dwell in the perfect
shining moment of the eternal here
and now, in the heart of the Mystic Rose
and to be love in action.
There is really no more to it -- and no less.
All the rest is just the dog and pony show.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Q: Is everyone a shaman?
A: No. And not everyone can become
a shaman even if they think they want to.
I think shamans are called, not made.
How do you know if you are called? You
know. And you DO know, don't you?
The shaman simultaneously enters
into all worlds and stands at the place
where all worlds meet acting as both
kendo and mediator. The kendo is the
light bringer, the one who enters into
the Shining Realms and returns to our
world bringing us the divine gift of fire
from heaven. The kendo is the
energizer, the awakener, the torch bearer.
The mediator is the guardian of the
way, in whose hearts all ways meet,
the balancer, the harmonizer, the singer
and the song, the dreamer and the
dream.
And this is the great work of the shaman:
To dwell in the perfect shining
moment of the eternal here and now,
in the heart of the Mystic Rose and
to be love in action.
~~~~~~~~
One hundred thousand blessings to you and yours,
Tira of the Groves
Society of Celtiic Shamans
http://www.faeryshaman.org
---------------------------------------------
Elder Grove Press -- Celtic Ebooks
http://www.faeryshaman.org/egpdex.htm
Dear Tira,
I don't think you understand how much you have done for me. Because I can follow the words back to the writer - the feeling behind them to the heart of the sender, I have always felt like you accepted and respected me for who I am, with encouragement and gentle guidance when needed. I have always felt your empathic stillness embrace my words, and even my Self. Not to put you on a pedestal, or attribute to you more than your due, I only say this: that as a journey-friend and Path Elder, you are cool to walk with and one whom I would wish as a companion by any fireside, Inworld or Outworld.
Devlyn Rhys
Dear Lady Lighthawk,
I treasure your words and am filled with your kindness. You are a special
person and deserve all the best in your life. Sharing is a two way path and
all that you feel I have been to you so have you been to me. Perhaps someday
when we leave this world behind and meet in the Summerlands we will truly
and fully see all that we share.
One hundred thousand blessings to you and yours,
Tira of the Groves
Dabbling and Diving For me, it's an opening rather than a closing; but I have to be careful to open gently, carefully, and holistically, so as not to overwhelm myself. I would agree that there are areas that I'm not as knowledgeable in (cooking, too :)..., but I've learned that once you've mastered the basics, the patterns lend themselves to delving deeper... so I could cook well if I were that interested in it.... not.... Just being able to pick up the patterns and connections with things seems to spiral knowledge out like on a spider web. It's a fascinating adventure, and everyone learns in their own unique way in order to best walk their own unique Path. But my knowing isn't an intentional "read everything" type of learning; actually, I'm not big into reading and learning in that sense, unless I'm VERY interested in it. I'm a skimmer, just getting the general idea, the pattern behind the print, type of thing. I kind of just soak up learning, like a veritable "trivial pursuit" catalog. However, I dive deep enough in the important areas, to not be just an encyclopedia, but a multi-dimensional guide book, which is a misnomer because I do get lost even as a guide. Life is a trip... so to speak. I sure am glad lots of people are conversing about this. Good to listen. Fun to share. Great to learn about my journey-friends. Dev
fire elemental
I believe the Spirit-fire doesn't consume because it is of everything;
because it chooses to manifest as fire... but just manifests, without
consuming... because it is of itself, spirit. I have no words to describe
what I "know" in my head about this. There are no words, because the
concepts are not understandable in words... only in experience.
Dev
fire elemental
On my first journey, after my move to the Four Corners area of the States, I
saw a "burning" yucca bush - a spiritual affirmation of my belonging in this
place at this time...
I'm not sure I can really answer the "non-consuming" aspect. I "see" my
Web-maze of my Self as fibers that glow with azure luminoscity. I "see" the
Web-lines (the ley lines) of the Earth glow with a spirit-fire: different
colors having different meanings. I "see" the healing energy I channel
through me from Spirit leave my fingertips in different colors depending on
the healing asked for. But mostly, this is an Inworld experience, even
though I can "see" it Outworld. It works well with my Faery friends because
it does not use wood as fuel. In a mundane muggle scientific sense, it is
the Spirit, the Lifeforce, the energy, within an entity that reaches beyond
physical boundaries. It is not fire in the physio-chemical sense; it is a
fiery emanation of inner energy that is connected to the Oneness of all.
Well, that didn't seem to help define it, after reading this... The
spirit-fire feels quieter, still, smooth, a cool hand on a fevered brow. It
sounds like a soft chant, a lullaby, a soothing whisper in my chatter-filled
head. It neither takes nor gives... .. It just is.
Dev
clan lands
Wow! These Journeys to Clan-assemblies and Clan-places is pretty awesome...
and so quite diverse: each according to the Spirit's plan for us, reflecting
our unique gifts, talents, and roots. I am enjoying reading everyone's
Journey, while I sit by my Salamander fire sipping hot mint tea.
Grandmother has shown me her latest blanket, which hangs nearby. It's like
one of those designs that if you look at it not quite on, you can see
movement and depth and your own inner design as it flows and changes with
every choice made, within the larger context of the Whole. I know if I
wanted to, I could just step through it... but first I want to explore the
pool of crystal water in the far back of this cavern when I'm done with my
tea.
Dev
Dear Dev,
"You know who you are;
you know what you are; just be it."
Words of wisdom indeed. But so hard to do.
One hundred thousand blessings to you and yours,
Tira of the Groves
Dear Dev,
This is very, very interesting and, while I did not exactly enjoy reading
it, because it is not an enjoyable story, I do appreciate be allowed to read
it.
And it is very, very well told.
I had a bit of a different sense of how these locks were created, and after
asking GFM here is my sense of it. Do remember that this is just my opinion
and I may be all wet.
My sense of it is that the Findhorn elementals did not create the locks out
of anger, but that they did create the original gateways or portals --
energy centres -- within your friend when she was working with them. They
built these wonderful roths within her to help her work with them when she
vowed to be their friend and co-worker forever.
These roths or chakras were directly connected to the well springs of the
various elemental energies at the centre of each elemental realm. Each
connected to the sacred centre of the individual elemental realms.
Translation: they were each connected an elemental 'power plant'.
When she abandoned her promise and tried to escape from human nature -- that
is what all these ascension cults do, try to steal our humanity from us --
the elemental portals closed on themselves, they locked down.
If they hadn't all that elemental energy would have simply flowed away into
the void, just as when a dam breaks all the water floods undirected out onto
the plain, OR have been sucked up by Gary Smith (the merkaba group's
'glorious leader').
The merkaba people are preying on all light paths right now, including
Reiki.
They are teaching that all paths are really about merkaba and promising
people that if they join the merkaba path they will achieve physical
immortality -- they will 'ascend' to the 'ascended masters'. All of these
ascension cults -- and there are a lot of them out there -- are run by
leaders who eat light.
They prey on the gullible and they promote fear. If you don't do exactly
what they say you will die and your body will rot.
Well, yeah, duh! that is the natural order of the universe, why would I fear
my own nature? What is a body anyway, other than the chariot of one's spirit
for a time here in the material realm? It is rude to insist on driving one's
chariot into the Shining Realms.
The cult leaders that are only in it for the money are the least dangerous.
All they want is money -- big cars, sexy women, and they laugh up their
sleeves at their dupes.
The dangerious cult leaders get sucked into their own crazyness and some end
up committing suicide with as many of their followers as they can talk into
going along with them.
There are more of these groups out there than you can shake a stick at and
new ones springing up each day, and old ones changing their names and
restructing as their promised 'ascension dates' are not met.
No matter what they call themselves or what their belief systems may include
or exclude -- you can always recognize them by one thing -- they teach their
followers to fear physical death and to yearn for ascension. They teach that
the material world is an evil illusion and only by renouncing the world --
often by giving the Glorious Leader all their material possessions including
homes, cars, etc. -- can they be 'free' to ascend.
Anyway, when your friend attempted to 'escape' into the merkaba, the
elemental portals inside her shut down tight to keep the energies they
connect to from flowing out into chaos and void. So, it wasn't really so
much a matter of the elementals being angry as it was that this is the
natural result of messing around with things we don't understand.
Number one rule: Never make any promise to the Shining Folk that you can't keep.
Number two rule: Always keep all promises made to the Shining Folk.
Number three rule: There is no number three rule. *~)
Thank you for sharing this very interesting story. But next time, don't touch it, eh?
One hundred thousand blessings to you and yours,
Tira of the Groves
oneness
Well, yes, we are shadow and light, because the Earth plane is a place of
polarity, so that choice is the Path. But understanding that we can love
our shadow, embrace it with light, and grant its right to exist. This is an
interesting - sometimes overwhelming - journey... to hug unconditionally my
dark self, accept it as my rational way of dealing with an irrational world.
One thing I have learned, though. Spirit is in all: lightness and darkness
And darkness/ shadow held in love sings as warmly, deeply, and
mysteriously as the Light... just different. I am guessing that, yes, we
are being asked to deal with the Darkness - in the world, in ourselves, and
in many dimensions. The human realm is not the only one affected by this
Dark Wind (as the Navajos say). And the cognitive mind is easily duped by
the illusion of what we see and fear. The truth is we are all one;
therefore, we hold dark and light within as one and have hope. This is what
we share with the world. Hope and Light and Love. Right here. Right now.
There is no fear. That's past and future. Now about that brew...
healing
As a shaman, and connected to all things, all times, all places, all people,
how can you see yourself as separate from anyone, as not incorporating them
as One within, and that includes your closest friend to your worst
adversary: any country, any person, any thing. There are, in truth, no
boundaries only uniquenesses. We are all one. No exceptions. Any
limitations are an echo of your own issues.