In my late 20’s, through a sequence of external events, life like dreams that sometimes left scars in the morning, and spirit visitors in the night, I began to awaken to the path of the shaman, the shaman’s sensibility.  For me this was an awakening of my soul’s purpose, a remembering of past lifetimes and what I feel my true calling and service in this lifetime entails.

Over the next 11 moon cycles we will explore the world of the shaman, how to awaken the shaman within, the shaman’s archetypes and perceptual states, seeing through the veil, shaman’s rites of passage, becoming a steward of the new earth and shape shifting.  We will also explore the use of ritual, ceremony and shamanic journeying that aid in the process of transformation that our physical, emotional, mental bodies and our souls are under going.  I will share techniques for soul retrieval, harnessing power and life force, and aligning with your destiny.  I will also share some of my personal encounters to aid in understanding and to hopefully propel you on, or into, your own shamanic path.  To begin the awakening it is important to understand the role of the shaman and life on the shamanic path.  I found very early on that this path is a path that requires endless selflessness, courage, a continual surrendering to the unknown and a capacity to love and accept unconditionally.

 I still have many people ask me what a shaman is, but to hear the word shaman or shamanism is becoming more common in the modern day.  This is partly due to more and more people awakening to a shamanic calling.  It is also because the ancient wisdom keepers are coming out to share their knowledge and the energetic transmissions that are necessary for the survival, rebalancing and evolution of humanity and our Mother Earth.

The shaman and the shaman’s way is what has been missing in our modern world and why so many people are feeling disconnected, are living in fear and don’t know where to turn.  It is our hope that more people will return the sacred ways of the earth stewards.

 

 What is shamanism?

In the indigenous cultures, it has been the shaman that has lived in devotion to their community members and in devotion to holding their community together.

Shamanism has existed all over the world for tens of thousands of years.   There are of course many cultural variations of shamanism, but at the core of all living and established shamanic ways there are many base similarities.  All shamanic practices are based on the wisdom that we live in an animate world, a world in which everything in it is alive and possesses a spirit.  All shamans are profoundly aware of this and that the world is filled with spirits and spiritual energy.  Shamans live a life of action based on this wisdom.  Shamanism is about living proactively and in harmony with all our relations, the rivers, the trees, the whales, our star ancestors and all who live and walk on the belly of Mother Earth.

The shaman’s daily rituals and ceremonies hold meaning in their purpose to maintain a harmonious relationship between the spirit world, the two-leggeds and the natural world.  Many of our rituals involve daily chants and song, making offerings of simple ingredients such as tobacco and herbs, or more elaborate offerings that involve pilgrimage, day and week-long ceremony.   

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Andean Despacho: A ceremonial offering to the Pachamama (earth mother) and an energetic exchange with creation

 

 

 

Who is the shaman?

There is something I refer to as shaman sensibility.  To me this sensibility is the state of sacred awareness in which the shaman resides.  And shamanism is the practice of living this sacred awareness.  A shaman is one who lives in oneness with the natural world.  It is the integration and embodiment of the secrets of the natural world that allow the shaman to step out of their rational mind and into direct knowingness.  This knowingness is then brought into action.  Part of the shaman’s role and responsibility is to dream the world into being.  What kind of world are you dreaming?

Shamans are healers, teachers, leaders, visionaries, priests and priestesses of their communities.  They have the knowledge of the spiritual structure of life.  They are mediators between the spirit world and the world of man.  Shamans learn to travel and communicate in the spirit world and learn to understand and navigate the fluid nature of existence.  In essence, they assist with the dance of life and the molding of creation.

Although many people are learning the shamanic techniques, the original definition of a shaman is the one who is born with a special relationship to time and an innate ability to journey to other dimensions, time and space.  For the shaman there is the linear time of the watches we wear, but true time for shamans is not linear, it is circular and it is synchronistic.  And it is through attaining illuminated states of awareness, trance states and with the assistance of plant and spirit allies that the shaman is able to journey through this circular time and act as a mediator between the worlds and between people. Through this mediation the shaman is able to bring healing to events of the past and facilitate multidimensional healing in the present and future.

What is the significance of shamanism in the modern world?

The ancient wisdom keepers and earth stewards, also known as shamans, have not only maintained a healthy relationship to the earth, but a relationship to the stars as well.  For them, the stars are a place of pure cosmic energy that not only symbolizes order and direction, but also provide a navigational map for humanity’s wellbeing and evolutionary process.  For the indigenous people, the Milky Way is our cosmic mother, and the stars, in particular the star cluster Pleiades, also known as the seven sisters, are the keepers of our collective becoming.  The astrologers of ancient cultures in the Americas believe that the Pleiades are repositories of energy and information that hold the keys to humanities next phase of evolution.  Ceremonies are performed regularly to commune and receive this information.

Almost everyone alive is aware, on some level, of the dramatic changes that the earth and humanity are going through at this time.  There is a rebirthing of the Feminine principal and a restructuring that is breaking down old paradigms and the patriarchal systems of an age in passing.  We are in a stage of purification, as well an activation of higher frequencies and consciousness.  This is creating what appears to be more chaos and is causing a lot of agitation for people.  Not only is this stage a part of the natural course of our evolutionary process, but when seen and approached with new perspective, provides an opportunity for growth and mastery.  

For ages, it has been the shaman who has led the people through dark times and guided them to new ground.   It is my feeling and the feeling of my elders that all beings, because we come from the same source of life, contain seeds of shamanic wisdom and understanding.  It is also my understanding that as we transition through what is commonly referred to as the “Shift of the Ages”, and as we awaken from a deep and long sleep in the denser realms of consciousness, what many shamans refer to as the collective nightmare, each one of us will resonate and reconnect with some or all aspects of the shaman’s sensibility and the innate wisdom of the shaman’s way.  The shaman’s wisdom is what has been missing in our technologically based, modern day living.  And it is the wisdom of the shaman’s path that will help guide us into the future. 

A man named Drunvalo Melchezidek, author and spokes person for the Mayan Council, describes in his book, The Ancient Secret of the Flower of Life, about a law in nature that man has very closely explained through a series of numbers known as the Fibonacci sequence.  It is too long to go into here, but in essence, Drunvalo speaks of the importance of this sequence and his interpretation as to why it is important.  The Fibonacci spiral describes how life evolves through a series of numbers and creates new life by taking into account where it has come from.   The ancient earth people and wisdom keepers know this.  That is why many of them are now sharing their wisdom and their rituals.  Indigenous prophecy around the world speaks of the time we are in and the need to merge the old ways with the new world.  It’s important that each of us connect with our roots and seek out the ancient knowledge and the elders who have kept the oral traditions and timeless knowledge alive.  The importance of keeping these teachings alive through action-based integration in our daily lives and is a major key to our happiness and the understanding our existence.  The old wisdom and earth keeper’s way is essential for humanities evolution and ascension process. 

AWAKENING THE SHAMAN WITHIN:

As I mentioned earlier, many people are awakening to the shaman’s way and to an inner calling to once again be a steward and caretaker of the new earth.  Many are spontaneously awakening through dreams and others through the guidance from teachers.  My journey began with dreams I didn’t always understand and a one time meeting with a shaman of North America.  The following story details that meeting and my first awakening to an old power within.

 

THE OPENING

 “Please come in.   Make yourself comfortable.”

I was hesitant. My palms were sweaty and my head felt light, almost like I might faint, and I was a bit disoriented.  I was hardly comfortable.  

I raised my eyes from the floor to meet her invitation and stepped through the narrow doorway, as she pulled back the grey blanket that covered its opening.  I entered a small room that was dimly lit with candles. Strange shapes and shadows danced on the walls.  Smoke from the burning incense, which I recognized as sage and eucalyptus, hung in the air, making it even more difficult to see.  Once my eyes adjusted to the light I was able to make out some of the objects that were poised around the room.  I looked around slowly, trying to conceal my nervousness and quiet the chatter swirling inside my head.  Feathers, drums, stones, pottery and what looked like ancient artifacts and crystals adorned the room.  There was a picture of an eagle in flight to my right, a mountain lion posed on a rocky outcropping in front of me, and a black bear sauntering through a pine tree forest to my left.  They all possessed life like qualities and the potential to jump out of their frames at any moment.  I wasn’t able to identify exactly what was under my feet, but it was definitely some kind of animal pelt.

The woman standing before me wore a long sleeve suede shirt with an eagle embroidered on the back.   Her hair was dark brown and her skin seemed to match almost perfectly.   She had soft, emerald green eyes.  The kind that have the power to draw you in, and leave you feeling like you’ve just been on a journey to some unknown, mystical place.  I couldn’t tell how old she was, but I got the sense she had no age.

A few weeks back I was talking to friend about a sadness and melancholy I’d been trying to shake for some time, but nothing was really working.  I was living a busy and exciting life in Los Angeles at the time, working as personal trainer and racing bicycles.  I had lots of friends, lots of clients, plenty of money and was doing what I enjoyed.  I had also just begun my studies in the healing arts with Thai Yoga Therapy.  But for some reason I could not get over the low-grade depression I felt.  I had been seeing a therapist for about a year who specialized in mind/body treatment and was a practicing Buddhist.   It was going well and I had definitely come to know myself better, but no matter how hard I tried, there was something that couldn’t be touched with word, my mind or therapy.  It sat hidden in my heart and the only words I had for the feeling was that it felt like a longing. 

So, my friend suggested I go to see this healer who was known as a shaman and worked in the world of energy and spirit.  Not sure what that meant, but excited, I took her number and called immediately to set up a session.  “This would be cool”, I thought,  “I love adventure and new experiences.”  

I had no idea the course of my life was about to change.

The dark skinned woman was patient as I took in my surroundings, until once again my eyes met hers.Still standing, she motioned me to have a seat on the floor across from her.  Her presence was one of power and grace and her movements had a fluid quality.  She slowly lowered herself to the floor in front of me.   A slight gesture with her hand for me to lower my chin towards my chest was all that was needed for me to understand what she wanted.  She did the same and then closed her eyes.  I closed mine too. 

“Follow your breath for a few minutes and when you feel ready match your rhythm to mine.”

 Her voice was warm and assuring.  After several minutes of nervous, shallow inhales and tightly controlled exhales I was finally able to relax and my breath smoothed out.  As my breath smoothed and became more rhythmic I noticed that my thoughts slowed and eventually my mind surrendered.   She sensed this immediately and instructed me to lie down.

“I’m going to journey for you,” she said softly,  “tracking your soul’s path and looking for what will bring healing for you.  All you need to do is focus on your breath and relax.  When I am finished we will talk more.”
The room was silent for a few minutes and then she began to sing a chant of the Chumash Indians, the native people who used to live abundantly on the land where I was now lying.   I didn’t understand them, but the words felt familiar and my eyes swelled with tears.  Then a deep toned boom from her drum began toning the rhythm of a heartbeat. It felt like an explosion in my heart.  My breath sped up and then slowed again as the beat of the drum changed to a fast, repetitive four-count beat. 

I slipped into darkness.

Not knowing how much time had passed the next thing I remember was feeling someone above me, blowing into my chest and running feathers over my body.   Curious, I opened my eyes, but no one was there and the beautiful woman at my feet was still drumming with her eyes closed.  There was no time for trying to make sense of this, because almost as quickly as I had opened my eyes, they fell shut with heaviness and I was out again.  

This happened a few more times throughout the drumming, with different streams of information, messages and visions coming through, until slowly the beat changed back to gagong, gagong, pause, gagong, gagong, and she once again began to chant those ancient words of the indigenous people.  This time the words brought a smile to my face.  Drifting in and out of awareness as I lay on the floor, I had the feeling of floating.  Floating somewhere between my body, the earth and the vast expanse of the stars. I became acutely aware of all my senses.  It seemed my hearing was clearer, my sense of smell stronger and there was a powerful buzz and electrical current running the length of my spine, out my hands and feet. I wanted her singing and the sensations I was experiencing to last forever.  But after a few minutes her singing stopped and there was a long pause of silence as I tried to regain “my senses”.   Like a child, I felt anxious to talk and tell her of all the cool things I saw during the journey, but she shushed me gently and began to speak.

“Leave your eyes closed and listen to me intently.”  Her voice was still soft, but more firm this time, as if to stress the importance of what I was about to hear.  “The journey was good and we brought back much for you.  A long time ago you lived as I and many other medicine people live today, close to the earth and practicing ancient ways of  knowledge and healing.  Your soul longs return to this and it is time.  There will be many other souls who will be awakening to the call and remembering the earth way.  You have a strong connection with the Mother Earth and part of the sadness you feel is her pain.  It is the pain we all feel as we continue to stray from living in harmony with her and each other.  You must spend more time sitting and walking in nature.  Moving slowly, observing the animals and elements. You must also pay close attention to your dreams.   They will guide you and reveal clues along the way. You will be guided to other lands and traditions.   Teachers will come and bring gifts for your journey, but remember that the true teacher is within. I have retrieved aspects of your soul.  They are seeds of unborn potential and their qualities will develop over time if you nurture them by listening and following the path of your heart. Your destiny is in your hands and it is your choice what you do with this calling.  But remember, to fulfill your destiny is to align and act in accordance to your highest nature and soul’s purpose.   I have spoken the words of the ancestors and so it is.”

She then lifted herself from the floor and helped me to my feet.   I felt deep relief as she held my ankles and encouraged me to breath deep into her hands.  Finally someone had helped me touch the aching piece and unknown calling in heart.

“Can I see you again?”  I asked.  Her answer was confusing to me, but it was obvious I was not to rebut.

“We have done good work together and you have what you need to begin.  Go knowing that you do not walk alone and you will be guided.”   She gave me a long hug and placed a stone in my hand.  “Carry this with you.”  And then she walked me to the small opening where I had first entered the room. 

I was sad to go and I had so many questions that leaving felt like jumping into the abyss.   Wondering if I would ever see her again, I walked down the rocky path that led back to my car, wanting desperately to remember everything that had happened and everything she had told me.  My body felt light and unencumbered, like I could walk and walk and never get tired.   “Maybe I could walk home,”  I thought.  But the home I felt like walking to seemed oceans away.  And my home in the city was three freeways and 30 miles south.  So I got into my maroon, Toyota truck, tuned the stereo to Bob Marley and turned the key. 

That was twelve years ago.