A Test of Will

The material world is designed in a way that prevents one from keeping one's thoughts on the spiritual, this I have seen. Everyday we feel the pressures of money, status, and fear coursing through our bodies like viper venom, paralyzing us mentally and stranding us here. Can we deny that we would all be better with 30 minutes of each day spent dwelling on spiritual things? Yet when it comes down to it, how hard is it to actually achieve that goal?

No wonder the medieval monks hid themselves away from the world, content to see nothing outside the monastery walls and take oaths of silence. but that is the way of the hermit, of the mystic, of those who cross fully into the spiritual. It is the duty of the Shaman to mediate between the many worlds, to be a vertex of the Six Directions. The shaman not only knows of the worlds beyond, but communicates with these worlds for the betterment of his tribe.

I sit, wondering if I myself have the courage and will to bound myself to 30 minutes of journeying everyday. Can I make it? I admit that I am void-touched, too happy to be all potential and no kinetic, to simply sit and allow the world to flow through me. So, I will try to journey for 30 minutes a day, though I understand I might fail. This shall be a test to show how much improvement is needed, and to see just how stacked against the spiritual the material really is.

Drawing in and Drawing Down

I grow restless for my journey. Everyday my mind can only dwell on the wondrous time ahead, and the desire to simply leave grows stronger and stronger. I find myself almost wishing for a good reason, a good excuse to simply rejoin my tribe, and provide them with my Medicine Mojo.

On Monday I had a chance to at least put my beliefs into practice. I sent two of my friends on a guided spiritual journey, and I showed them their respective Totems. They were amazed, and begged me all night after words to do it again. Something deep inside me was happy, happy I could finally fulfill my destiny in at least some small part.

2012 draws nearer each day fellow seekers, can you see the clues?
Watch for the children marked with indigo, for as their numbers rise, Quetzalcoatl draws ever nearer to our world.

Power Animals Explained: Part 3

LESSON 3 - Meditating with your Power Animal

Shaman are spiritual beings with the ability to heal, work with Earth, animal, plant, mineral, and elemental energies and even 'see' visions.

The ability to consciously move beyond the physical body is the particular specialty of the traditional shaman. These journeys of Soul may take the shaman into the nether realms, higher levels of existence or to parallel physical worlds or other regions of this world. Shamanic Flight, is in most instances, an experience not of an inner imaginary landscape, but is reported to be the shamans flight beyond the limitations of the physical body.

Today you are going to become a Shaman - in the sense that you will connect with your power animal to heal and bring light to the planet.

Please take your time . . .

As you are now seated at a computer - begin by returning to your cave, using all your senses to make it appear real.

Call your power animal to you and establish a connection.

'Tell' the animal you wish it to remain with you today so that you can connect at various times to experience.

If you can physically go into nature - or even make contact with a piece of nature such as a rock, tree, creek, etc (indoors or outdoors) - this would enhance your experience.

You may use music to enhance your experience.

The use of any kind of mind altering drugs is your option.

Once you are ready - close your eyes.

Take two long, slow breaths (inhaling through the nose and - exhaling slowly through the mouth).

Feel totally relaxed.

Disconnected from your physical environment.

See yourself slowly shape-shifting from your physical form - to that of a Shaman Healer.

(Shamans have the ability to shape shift).

Experience your physical body - its age, skin color, 'make-up' you may have applied, your geographic location, your confidence to heal, your personal power returned, the secrets you possess from the ages

Become one with that person - and experience.

Slowly shape shift again - this time into your power animal. . .

Feel each cell in your body changing . . .

Go into nature - physically or telepathically!

Move through nature as your power animal would.

Listen to the sounds. Experience all of the sensations of nature - on a higher level.

Listen to the animals communicating with each other.

Sense the Oneness of all things.

Sense portals that open to other realms.

Observe how they open and close.

You stop near a piece of nature, perhaps a stone, or tree, or even another power animal. Make a connection - physical or telepathic.

Determine how it can help you.

Ask to use it's energy or ask for it's help on your behalf.

If you asked for energy and they agreed, feel their energy surging through all that you are - the power animal, the shaman, your physical expression. If you asked for their help and they agreed see them doing as you asked.

Connect with the healing of the shaman energies of the indigenous people around the world, and the spirits that surround us.

Ask other Shaman to teach you new techniques or things they have learned if you wish.

Bask in the inter dimensional web-of consciousness, as you are connected to all things in this world and the many after.

Contemplate higher thoughts.

Ask the spirits what you might do to help the Mother Earth, Father Void, the Spirits, the Dead, or your fellow man.

Go on a Shamanic Journey to accomplish the goal shown.

This may result in your initiation into higher realms of spirit and healing.

Is Change Near?

I won't go into details, but it appears as if I might begin my journey far earlier then I wanted, due to certain circumstances. I have no supplies as I did in the old days, and will begin assembling a new hobo bag at once.

It seems the strands of fate are twisting in the shadows, and my eyes cannot pierce their veil quite yet. I shall spirit journey and consult my Totem Animals, and perhaps I shall have a "view from above" on the whole situation.

What a Journey

This journey was intense and dreamlike, so the details are a bit muddled.

I sat down, turned off the lights, put on my "Lifepuzzler" station on Pandora, and began to rattle. For some reason tonight I felt as if I didn't need it. I knew tonight was special almost instantly. I felt Brother Bat as clearly as I had the first time, and his voice seemed to boom. My body seemed to be more relaxed, and the images more clear then ever before.

I had interpreted a dream for someone earlier today, and I asked Brother Bat if my interpretation was correct. He told me it was, and that my powers of intuition were growing. I asked that this person's power animal be sent to them through a dream, and we visited Frog(the power animal in question). He agreed and was on his way. I decided to continue journeying.

On my street there is a rock that resembles a pagan standing stone. I had always been interested in the rock, and tonight before I came home I decided to lay my hand on it and feel it. I felt energy funnel through my body as if I had become part of an electrical circuit. I decided that tonight I would finally communicate with a mineral spirit, and so I called out to the rock in the spirit world.

I saw my spirit body sitting cross legged on the street in front of the rock. He began to speak, and the energy from the rock made me feel as if I was floating out of my body. I almost passed out. I asked him what his properties were, and he said he was descended from a Cairn, and that he could amplify my power greatly. I asked him if, when I make my medicine/mojo bag, I might use of a piece of him in it. "No, of course you can" he said. I asked him if he had any wisdom for me.

He told me to stay on my path, to never be ashamed of who or what I am, and one third piece of advice I can't seem to recall. I thanked him and returned to the part of the spirit world I most often visited, carried on the back of Brother Bat and feeling amazing. There was a knock on my door, and I knew I had to return. I gave thanks. "Thank you Brother Bat, thank you Brother Frog, thank you Sister Rock." The word sister seemed to fly right from my mouth, as if I had meant to say it. Yet I had reffered to the rock in the male sense, and it responded in tow.

An amazing experiance.

Thank You Brothers! Thank You Mother!

It had been a long time since I had gone on a Spirit Journey, and I had feared I had lost contact with the Spirit World. Earlier in the week, Brother Bat had made it clear I had drifted away, and that I would have to win my trust back. So, I lit my candles and asked my Spirit Warrior, Xeizer, if he might help me reach the entrance to my Spirit Cave. He agreed, and picked me up in his gigantic hand, carrying me as he strided through the jungle. Finally we reached the cave, and I felt Brother Bat, my power animal, flying around my head.

I greeted him, and he returned the greeting, glad to see me back. I told him I was sorry for my absence, and that I wished to re-learn what had been lost. He agreed, taking my through the cave and down into the lower tunnels. There greeted the other Spirit Animals. Bear was not to happy to see me, and Lizard was his usual dreamy self. I sat upon a rock, in front of a creek, and focused on my spirit body.

I noticed a strange blockage in my fourth tunnel of power, the one located in the middle of my chest. It was hard to breathe, and I asked Brother Bat for help in figuring out the problem. I peered inside, and saw a large elephant leaning against the tunnel walls, acting as if it was drunk. Almost immediately I seemed to sense just what it was: there had been an emotional "elephant in the room" I had been avoiding for a long time, and now it seemed it had come back to haunt me.

I explained to the elephant that the problem was being addressed, and that I accepted whatever outcome I was given. It seemed happy about this and promptly left, allowing the tunnel to shrink back to size. I asked Brother Bat to create stalagmites and stalactites within the tunnel to defend against intruders, and he agreed.

I had been sick for quite awhile, and since I already had had success, I decided to cure it through Shamanism. I asked Brother Bat to sweep through my body, snatching the flu virus like insects and devouring them. He agreed, and I instantly felt as if my inside had more space. I decided to continue and sought the Sun's help with my stuffy nose. Again, he was all to happy to comply, and I felt heat and light radiate from my spirit body, giving me a huge boost of energy, making me smile, and causing the snot in my stuffy nose to simply disappear. Finally I extended my spirit body into a long tail and traveled downward, towards the core of Mother Earth. I was in a hurry to draw power from here, and I accidentally began drawing power from the rocks just above the core. I felt my body become slower, and my insides felt as if there were becoming stronger, but slower.

I excused myself, thanking Rock for its help, but continuing to the core. mother Earth was happy to see me, and when I drew her power into me, it was as if my insides were somehow being repaired. I felt as if my skin was becoming stronger, my mind lighter, and my inner peace restored.

I returned to this world, offering thanks to all the spirits who had helped me feel whole again.

(About the picture, from National Geographic: A painting in Gua Tewet records a shaman's trek into the spirit world, Chazine says. The lizard in the center represents the shaman. The jagged line under the lizard-a sort of stairway-stands for the shaman's difficult path. The smooth lines on the right symbolize the successful completion of the journey, when the shaman attains an altered state of consciousness that affects all parts of his body and allows him to communicate with spirits. The hand stencils themselves evoke traditional healing rituals in which a shaman lays his hands on a sick person, then sprays medicine from his mouth onto the patient to cure him.)