Shaman Notes

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

I believe that we are all spiritual beings on a human journey. To try to envision this group (all of us, Tira included)as something more, something beyond, that is non-productive. This community is a "safe" and "healing" place. Why restrict that to the few willing to open themselves beyond the bounds of "shamanic experience". Being human, at its greatest potential is a shamanic experience. What we take issue with, is that which reflects our own inner issues. We are supposed to be able to look between the lines, look beyond the mundane, look to the heart and reach out to those in pain, regardless of how they present that pain. How arrogant to presume otherwise. A shaman must make a heart-connection or nothing is really gained, healed, or changed. A shaman must realize that any and all interactions are reflections of themselves, interconnected to all sentience and Spirit; mutual re-awakenings and mutual processing of both shaman and the other sentient life. Who can say that all that has recently transpired was not an Intent by the Spirit? Who can say that it has not produced a wake-up call in this time of great change? Some answers in this group show a discernment and awareness of this; some do not. The depth of your conscience is measured by the truth of your own self-centeredness. Let us make a Circle about the Clan Fire and renew our commitment to stand by each other, giving and receiving the energy of Hope, Love, and Light, that we might send it out into this world to achieve the Highest Good for all. We each make a difference by our very being and intent. To believe otherwise is to believe the Illusion. IMHO.
Devlyn, Lady Lighthawk

Anyone who does shaman-work through this program draws the Spirit through themselves. Anyone who does this in-depth work becomes both a "healing" space and a "safe" place for those who are near them. This does not need to be a conscious awareness; it just is. We can only know the Path at our own feet. Our vision gets clouded when we have dispersed our energy or fogged up our own window in trying to see (and somehow "fix") another's Path. You are only responsible for your own Path. The responsibility to your son is to provide the knowing you have attained to him; to model honesty, compassion, and the Truth of what a "calling" means. But you are not responsible for his calling, his Path, his feelings or his way of dealing with the world (or anyone else's). The more you heal and balance yourself, the more you become that safe and healing place. You don't have to DO anything; you have to BE the deep and true connection to Spirit that you are Give yourself permission. Nurture yourself. Draw up the shamanic healing boundaries that protect you, by allowing Light out and no negativity in. Choose to carry only your own baggage. Indeed, that is enough for me! (some days too much!) As for your art, well, that is a special spiritual healing in its own right. There are pictures that have meant so much more to me than healing-hands-on done by someone who is clueless (not to be negative, as I am -and know many who are- gifted in that area...but some let ego determine rather than spirit). I have big and little pictures...ones that hang, ones in my wallet, ones at work and home...reminding me who I am, that I'm not alone, and that Spirit is near. These messages are incredibly important to a desperate and lost-in-hopelessness world. People feel alone, cut-off, abandoned, and search for meaning in drugs, war, abuse, and all the other things that ultimately hurt ourselves....kind of like existential suicide/genocide. I have my own "dark days"; we all do. That's when, somehow, for some reason, we have chosen to separate ourselves from Spirit. That's when I ask for discernment to see what I know is there...and "poof!" I get to see again... well, maybe not that quick but it does come. Perhaps your art can give people that "poof" of discernment of Spirit; you do make a difference; that's why you're here. You are uniquely important. And Spirit awaits your choosing to reveal Itself through you. Lady Lighthawk

Shielding and safety
Which goes along with the mandate of knowing the laws (physics, legal, spiritual) of the realms you travel. You are definitely right about understanding the incarnate muggle world. I didn't mean to minimize that, but rather expand on it. It could be misunderstood that I dismiss muggle to live in magic. What I have worked hard to do is to be in both simultaneously; aware of both (all) dimensions at once... and find the way to walk that provides safety in all dimensions for me. I find that peace in the Still place. I become aware of the safety needs of each muggle or spirit dimension and avail myself of that knowledge. As a parent, I emphasized the muggle needs of safety to my children. They are not where I am in the simultaneousness of existence nor in the Still center of awareness. But they are sensitive to such places, and have had angels intercede to protect them. This planet called Earth is very special to me, because I am intrinsically connected to her, and share knowing and feeling with her. But we are not an island in the Universe. It is good to know that safety is a concept, that trust is inherent in that, and truth its solid foundation.

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.