WHAT S ON YOUR TV? RELEASING OLD PATTERNS. SO WHAT IS SHAMANISM ACTUALLY? Meeting the Need for Clarity ROMANI TREE LORE

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1 SHAMANISM ANIMISM WISDOM WAYS COMMUNITY RENEWAL ISSUE CELEBRATE THE CIRCLE OF LIFE WHAT S ON YOUR TV? SPIRIT WORLDS AND REALITY Chris Lüttichau on Retuning Your Perception Drawing Down the Spirits: Salish Spirit Carving Susan Mokelke Shamanic Power and Healing RELEASING OLD PATTERNS Connecting Through Movement The Work of Ya Acov Darling Khan Shifting Trapped Energy Dealing with Pulsaria Spirits SO WHAT IS SHAMANISM ACTUALLY? Meeting the Need for Clarity ROMANI TREE LORE

2 SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES 2

3 SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES 3

4 Tuning Your Life to a New Reality : pages 6-14 Working with Hostile Pulsaria Energy : pages EDITOR, DESIGN AND PRODUCTION: Nicholas Breeze Wood DESIGN AND EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Faith Nolton PROOF READING: Linda Booth, Faith Nolton, Martin Wilford CONTACT DETAILS: Sacred Hoop Magazine Anghorfa, Abercych, Boncath, Pembrokeshire, SA37 0EZ, Wales Nick@sacredhoop.org Tel: (01239) PUBLISHING POLICY: SACRED HOOP seeks to network those wanting to learn the spiritual teachings of indigenous peoples as a living path of knowledge. Our contents cover the integration of both old and new ways, and insights that contribute to a balanced and sustainable lifestyle in today's world. We honour all paths and peoples and do not include material from, or give support to, any individual or group which seeks to oppress or discriminate on grounds of race, lineage, age, sex, class or belief. Nor do we knowingly publish any material that is inaccurate. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the editor. ISSN DISCLAIMER: Whilst making every effort to be accurate, the editors will not be deemed responsible for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies appearing in Sacred Hoop Magazine. Sacred Hoop Magazine and-or individual contributors. No part of this magazine, either written text or visual art, may be reproduced in any way whatsoever without the written permission of the Editor. The Reality of Shamanism : pages Contents WHAT S ON YOUR TELEVISION? We each watch the world as if it was our own personal television channel, selecting what we see, what programmes we choose to be tuned to. Chris Lüttichau looks at some of the ways we can retune our reality. THE SPIRIT CARVER Chris Brosnan talks with his friend, the traditional Salish woodcarver Xwalacktun, about the Salish people s approach to art, spirit and the nature of sacred carvings. A DANCE OF MOVEMENT AND STILLNESS Ya Acov Darling Khan has been on a shamanic path since the mid 1980s and has just written an autobiography about. Nicholas Breeze Wood talks with him about his work and about how he sees shamanism in the West. SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS SHAMANISM THEN? Shamanism is a sexy word, and people use it to add spice to all sorts of things which are not actually shamanism. Nicholas Breeze Wood reflects on this, and looks at the reality of what shamanism actually is. A FIELD GUIDE TO PULSARIAS Pulsarias are malignant balls of energy which we can carry with us, due to a trauma or other events. Ruth Emsley looks at how South American Curanderos view these energy balls, and how they remove them from their patients Website: X Facebook: 4

5 Shamanism and Power : pages Sacred Salish Wood Carving : pages WITH THE SPIRITS OF THE TREES Trees are well known for being home to a huge range of other animals and plants, but according to Romani lore they are also home to many spirit beings as well. Patrick Jasper Lee shares some Romani wisdom. CORE SHAMANISM AND POWER Power has become somewhat of a dirty word in today s world, but Susan Mokelke explores the nature of it and reflects on why it is important in shamanism and for those who offer shamanic healing. BOOK AND MUSIC REVIEWS PEOPLE ON THE PATH EVENTS DIARY THE FOUNDING INSPIRATION FOR SACRED HOOP MAGAZINE IN 1993 Then I was standing on the highest mountain of them all, and around and about me was the whole hoop of the world... I was seeing in a sacred manner the shapes of all things in the spirit and the shapes of all shapes as they must live together like one being. And I saw that the Sacred Hoop of my people was one of many hoops that made one circle, wide as daylight and as starlight and in the centre grew one almighty flowering tree to shelter all the children of one mother and one father, and I saw that it was holy. (From the vision of Nicholas Black Elk Lakota Holy Man: ) Life with the Spirits of Trees : pages From the Editor Welcome to this, the 96th issue of Sacred Hoop Magazine. This issue seems to be about various aspects of power, how we dance it, and how it dances us. I hope you enjoy the read. We start with an article from Chris Lüttichau about where we invest our own power - how we build our own individual reality, our lives - and how we choose to see reality through our own windows - or television screens - of perception. But spirit power - to a traditional person, well, that s a whole other thing. And so, in our next article we look at the spirit power of North West Coast Salish cedarwood carving, and especially the work of the renowned carver Xwalacktun. But, shamanism - which deals a lot with spirit power - has become such a fuzzy word, applied to so many things nowadays. So what actually is shamanism anyway, can we define it? The seeds of the revival of shamanism came into the West during the late 1970s and early 1980s, and some of us have walked that path of power since those days. Ya Acov Darling Khan is one of those, and I interview him about his life, and about how he sees shamanism in the West at this point in time. But power - or energy - has been there in the spirit world since the year dot, and not all of it is healthy to come up against. The medicine people of Central and South American have the concept of pulsarias, balls of malignant energy which people often carry. Ruth Emsley looks at these - and look at how to remove them from people too. Spirits are all around us, and many people especially sense them in our beautiful forests, woods and individual trees. The Romani people have ancient knowledge about them, and Patrick Japser Lee shares some of this wisdom. Power has become somewhat of a dirty word in today s world, but Susan Mokelke explores the nature of it and reflects on why it is important in shamanism and for those who offer shamanic work to people. How you use and give away your power is up to you - developing our awareness of power is the key, because without that awareness we are powerless - whatever we do. Blessings to all Beings Nicholas Breeze Wood X Subscription Details: Page 58 5

6 What s on your Television? Chris Lüttichau The Arizona desert flexed and buckled in tremors of heat that rose from its surface. This was reservation land, and I almost had the road to myself. For a quarter of an hour a fast, repetitive drumbeat had accompanied a guttural vocal on a local radio station as I drove. The song was Native American, in a language I didn t understand. It was the longest song I had ever heard on a radio, and mile by mile it seemed to chant to the spirit of the desert around me. The pulsing drum wove time in sound; threads of the linear, meshed with those of another kind of time: resonant, expanding. Together they made a reverberant field where the formless could speak. Slowly the drum loosened the edges of my own sense of self and wove with them too. I began to feel the desert as acutely as a presence that entered my being. I wondered if this was how the Native Americans had known their land: with a sense of oneness with it in their souls, of inner knowing and belonging.

7 Our old dramas don t have much vital life force, but it takes a lot of our own vital life force to keep them alive I approached a gas station on my left, slowed my truck and pulled over. There was a small grocery store next to the gas pumps; cars and pick-ups were parked outside on the earth. As I alighted, a couple of old Native American women left the grocery store, and the look they gave me let me know I was a stranger. A disused outbuilding stood opposite the store. Against its faded walls native men sat with their eyes open, looking out over the desert. They appeared to meld with the land, and gazed as if they saw something out there. I was intrigued by the fact that they were not looking at the desert the way most people would, with eyes that wandered; they seemed to be in a meditative state and ignored me, completely inside what they were doing or rather, not doing. Their presence had the same timelessness as the desert s that I had just begun to feel through the drumming song. Their solidity and connection to the land were tangible. Seeing them sit there I was gripped, and the sight began to stir a remembrance within me. In that instant, I knew that the old wisdom and knowledge of the Native Americans was not lost, and that there would be a way for me to learn something very powerful 7

8 Human existence is a bit like watching television: most of us live our lives tuned in to a particular channel People who choose the Drama Channel live in such a way that they repeatedly attract and generate drama in their life. Most of us are addicted to emotional drama, especially where relationship is involved and precious about how to become a conscious human being, how to find a different state of mind from the one I was used to occupying in the modern Western world. These were people, whose land had been taken away, who d had whole populations of their ancestors exterminated, and the survivors corralled into reservations. They had been prosecuted if they practised their spiritual traditions, degraded by missionaries and liquor merchants, had children forced away from their parents into religious boarding schools; where they were beaten and tortured if they spoke their own language. These were people whose land was now under threat from politicians and corporations, where minerals or oil were found, but still - it seemed to me - their spirit had not been broken. Taking their knowledge underground had enabled them to endure as a people, preserving their mysteries and teachings. They were still here, and as miraculous as their own presence, was the fact that their esoteric earth-based ways were still alive. Human existence is a bit like watching television: most of us live our lives tuned in to a particular channel, often one that broadcasts drama. When we choose to view drama through our senses of perception, we are simultaneously part of the broadcast. Our channels are interactive. People who choose the Drama Channel live in such a way that they repeatedly attract and generate drama in their life. Life itself offers plenty of drama, even to those who aren t looking for it, but many of us want more. Of course, drama can take many forms. Most of us are addicted to emotional drama, especially where relationship is involved. Some of us are drawn to the drama of what s happening on the planet: wars, terrorism, climate disaster, the corruption of governments, scandal in the lives of public figures, or the dramas around our family, friends and colleagues. That s not to say that wars, or ecological destruction, are not happening, that they are not serious, or that we should just ignore them. But becoming identified with a mindset, which is wholly within the drama of these things, doesn t help us to combat them. Instead, by recognising that we can tune in to a different vision of reality - and of our existence - we can summon the energy needed to create a better world. Some of us prefer History Channels, and we remain tuned in to our own past, carrying with us the burden of our experiences and the issues and patterns to which they give rise. Or we might be fascinated by mysterious and powerful cultures from past centuries, and believe them to be superior. I have found that many who are drawn to shamanism have a liking for this channel, myself included. Some of us are tuned into adventure, or science fiction; we love the mystery and excitement of what s out there in the Universe. Some like documentary channels, where facts are reviewed, opinions exchanged, reality analysed and intellectual debates conducted. Others among us like Discovery Channels usually a good choice from a shamanic perspective - as these encourages qualities such as innocence, adventure and trust, which many people have lost, and they also provide an antidote to stifling, mind-based political correctness. Now, we can also Pay-per- View. This expectation is sometimes brought to spiritual and self-help workshops: people come with a belief that spiritual awakening works like tuning into a Pay-per-View channel, and that their lives are going to change in magical ways because they ve ordered the channel, paid for it, and want to see the results. Occasionally yes, reality works like that. But those are rare moments, moments when everything comes together in a wonderful pattern of truth, and where that which we seek can suddenly arise and be born in reality, and reflected back to us. When we live our lives tuned in to a certain channel, we are under the impression of watching something outside ourselves, hence a term I use Outer Mind. At the same time we also see ourselves as participants in what we re watching. Without being aware of it, we then enter a mental state of duality. This is the paradox of the Outer 8

9 Mind: it sees itself as being separate from everything else (them or us; here or there; good or bad; for or against) and at the same time part of it. When we experience frequent destructive and undermining thoughts, it is generally because we have an attachment to the channel which feeds them. It seems that the negative thoughts are not really ours, but arise from somewhere external. It s like saying: the radio is over there and it s broadcasting a story; but in reality we have chosen our own radio channel. In many cases this choice stems from traumatic experiences in our childhood in which case, to say that it is a choice just like any other, can feel painful or misleading. But although it may not feel like a choice we have willingly made, our healing can sometimes involve choosing a channel which reminds us of our trauma, one which leads us to journey through it, in the process of healing our original wound. Effective psychotherapy, counselling and somatic therapies can help us to see the choices we make in a new light. Among many native people it is considered of utmost importance to have awareness of our thoughts and to be able to choose the kind that are good for us. Louisa Wade Wetherill was a white woman who ran a trading post in a Diné (Navajo) community in the early 1900s in Arizona. In her book Wolfkiller, she recorded the life story of an old Diné shepherd of that name, who lived from about 1855 to Wolfkiller told Wetherill about his understanding of the power of thoughts and words, an understanding passed down to him by his elders, from the time of his boyhood right through to his adulthood. A thought, whether spoken or not, is a real thing, he told Wetherill; learning to have good thoughts was part of the path of light, while bad thoughts and anger led people into the dark. As a young child Wolfkiller had complained about having to go out into the cold and wind to look after the sheep. In response, his grandfather shared with him a traditional tribal teaching that encouraged Wolfkiller to recognise and appreciate the blessings of life. The Navajo knew that thoughts create our reality, and this was the central teaching that Wolfkiller s grandfather passed on. To focus on the powers of nature instead of falling prey to ongoing evil thoughts - evil in this context being equivalent to what, more than a century and a half later, we would term negative. In the process of facing such thoughts within him, the young Wolfkiller asked his grandfather: Why do we have evil in us? To which the elder replied: We must have evil in us to make us strong. If we did not have evil, we would never have gained the strength that we have now. We must have the evil so that we will fight. A struggle always gives us more strength, and the harder we fight, the more we gain in strength. The ones among us who are too lazy to fight never get anything. At times we are all tempted to sit and wait for what might come, but it is not right to do nothing. Everything is made to fight its way through life. We must work to live, and this life is not all there is, as I have told you before. If we can control ourselves, we can do anything we set out to do. Day after day we must work to gain strength to go on until the time comes when we will go out of this body. This vision of life must be understood in the context of its time, the culture and conditions in which the Diné lived, and the hardships they endured in order to survive. The point is that they were aware of the power of thoughts, and had developed a discipline around their awareness, similar to that found in Zen Buddhism, as in many other spiritual traditions that pursue stillness of mind and presence in the here and now. Mental stillness is an effective way to become aware of our mind s TV channels and to begin Some of us prefer History Channels, and we remain tuned in to our own past Some of us are tuned into Adventure, or Science Fiction Channels; we love the mystery and excitement of what s out there 9

10 Expectation is brought to spiritual workshops: people come with a belief that spiritual awakening works like tuning into a Pay-per- View channel, and that their lives are going to change in magical ways because they ve ordered the channel, paid for it, and want to see the results changing them. When a child has been trained to be able to find stillness within, they own a stabilising resource to draw on as they grow into adults, and for the rest of their lives. Very few of us can switch off the metaphorical TV or smartphone, and go directly into an inner awakening where there is stillness, peace of mind and a sense of oneness with all of life. The moment we stop swiping, we re going to want to listen to the radio. The solution is to realise which channel we are tuned into, and then to choose a new one that empowers us. This is why the first step is to learn to select our channels. Instead of watching our Drama Channel, with violence and murder, we can choose to see, for instance, a good wildlife documentary, or a wonderful film whose artistry binds us in its spell and touches our heart. When we make the choice to change to a more empowering one, it doesn t mean we have to be tuned into the new one forever. There is freedom, and if we feel like it, we can still watch a drama once in a while. It doesn t mean that we can t be sad anymore, or that we won t be disappointed anymore. But it means that something is more right. We need to understand that the channels to which we are bound are not reality. They are not the eternity of the here and now in its truth; they are part of the makings of the mind: lenses through which we perceive and interpret reality. They are part of how we understand, participate in and build our own life. We have the power to choose the channel we want to be tuned in to. We also have the power to change our channels in such a way that we come closer to our inner truth and purpose, to our spirit, and so to the divine within ourselves and in all things. When we realise this - and know it deep within our heart - we free ourself from the rule of the limited mind which has controlled us. The moment we realise that we are living our life bound to a perspective which doesn t support us in a healthy way - that is not close to our own inner truth, not in alignment with our visions and dreams for ourself or for others - we can make the choice to tune into a new perspective. Awareness and choice are two qualities that characterise the human being who is in the process of awakening. There are many possible new channels, but the first one we might like to tune into is a central one, from a shamanic standpoint. It is what we could call the Powers of Nature Channel. To focus on the powers of nature means to be open to nature s beauty and mystery, and to let ourselves be amazed and touched by them. The powers of nature can be anything in the natural world: the sun, the moon, birds and animals, an insect, trees, herbs, the seasons, the ocean, a lake, a river, a spring, clouds, a leaf, a seed. They can be death, birth, movement, a flower and life itself. This method basically entails that the moment we realise that our consciousness has been captured by random and unnecessary thoughts, we make a choice and begin to focus on the natural world instead. This means to focus on, and to be present with, what is alive, rather than with things whose energy is low or even dead. Our old dramas don t have much vital life force, but it takes a lot of our own vital life force to keep them alive. Consciously focusing on the sky, the trees, the birds and being open to be touched by their beauty is the essence of this practice. Even though repeating old dramas may give us an adrenalin boost at the time (sometimes a way for us to feel temporarily more alive), afterwards there will be a low. Nor does our History Channel have much vitality, the channel where we repeat the same old stories, beliefs and feeling about our past events. The conclusions we have drawn about the past, and the repetitive thoughts and emotions that accompany them, rarely lift our spirit. Healing and clearing the past is helpful, but compulsive, undirected obsessing about it drains our power. Of course, when we focus on the powers of nature, thoughts will arrive and lead us back into our heads, but the key is that we have the power to become aware of this process and can shift our focus back to the powers of nature: we keep interrupting the pattern of colonisation by random and unnecessary thoughts. Gradually we become more and more victorious. In shamanic practice this is very important: shamans sit and contemplate the power of the sun, or the power of a seed, or the power of the river, or the power of the wind. Oglala Lakota Chief Luther Standing Bear ( ) said, The man who sat on the ground in his tipi, meditating on life and its meaning, accepting the kinship of all 10

11 creatures, and acknowledging unity with the universe of things, was infusing into his being the true essence of civilization. What Luther Standing Bear describes is a traditional practice among many native people, and part of their general customs and teachings; being a medicine person or a shaman is not a prerequisite for having shamanic experiences. Nature is the great teacher. Let s return to the Diné shepherd Wolfkiller, from Wetherill s book. As a young boy, back in the 1850s, he was taught to focus his thoughts on nature. This began when he and his father both had a spate of nightmares about the threat of war. A medicine man was asked to conduct a ceremony for them, and he said to Wolfkiller: Fear is just part of the evil spirit in us, as hate, anger and envy are parts of this same evil spirit or evil thought. To live the right life, we must live within ourselves. Our thoughts are our own. It is ourselves we must control. Following the ceremony, Wolfkiller s grandfather said to him: Forget these evil thoughts and think of the other things you see around you. There are many pleasant things. Look down under your feet the grass is beginning to come. Soon the land will be green again and Even though repeating old dramas may give us an adrenalin boost at the time (sometimes a way for us to feel temporarily more alive), afterwards there will be a low. Nor does our History Channel have much vitality, the channel where we repeat the same old stories, beliefs and feeling about our past events there will be many more birds and animals for you to study. The practice of focusing on nature has much to do with being present, from a place of appreciation and openness. For an adult it is a way to be in touch with the pure, inner qualities of the child: trust and innocence, curiosity, a sense of adventure, awe and wonder, and enthusiasm for life. Experiencing these qualities brings us out of the endless stream of brain-mind thoughts and into a deeper place of heartmind and instinct. It is a place of direct connection with the rest of creation, and with a bit of practice it begins to teach us a new way of being which is less head-based. It brings us closer to a shamanic way of perceiving and relating to the world around us. It brings us closer to our own native soul. In that state we can just be, and at the same time we are alert and ready, alive and engaged. Ultimately this is the doorway of the shaman. Being completely present with nature takes a shaman into the shimmering : a state where we perceive not only the form of a thing, but also the force behind it. We enter the shimmering, as my teacher would put it. However, to do so in an empowering way, we must be well grounded, centred and in our body; it is not an escape from reality, but rather a journey deeper into the essence of reality. Very few of us can switch off the metaphorical TV or smartphone, and go directly into an inner awakening where there is stillness, peace of mind and a sense of oneness with all of life 11

12 To enter the shimmering is not necessarily the goal; the goal is simply to be present with, and open to, the powers of nature, and let them touch our heart. We can begin to walk this path as soon as we wake in the morning, before rushing off to start our first task, we can take a moment to connect with our body and the circle of our self. Look through a window and observe the sky, and in this way we begin our day in a conscious way connected to the Earth, rather than driven by thoughts of what we need to achieve. When we drink our first morning cup of coffee or tea, we can again look through a window (or even better, be outside and look) at the nature we can see. When we walk through a town, we can notice the trees, the weeds, the birds, the clouds, the sun, the quality of light or the rain. Whenever our thoughts drift, we can just notice that fact without any mental comment on it and bring our focus back to nature; and let ourself be touched by it. For this purpose it is very useful to break our old habits and, for instance, take another route to work now and then. When we open up to the beauty and power of a butterfly, a flower or a red kite and let ourself be moved by the mystery of who they are, we also become present in the here and now. There are not many random thoughts in that state. In whatever season we find ourself, we can focus on the forces at work around us during that time of year; they are part of what forms our consciousness. Notice how they affect our thoughts and feelings. All other creatures are directly aware of the seasons and feel their effects. The seasons begin to teach us about who we are; insights and revelations come, and we awaken our understanding. In that process we become aware of the life force in nature, and we too become more alive. Eventually there is no separation between ourselves and nature s life force. Soon we will find that this practice changes our perception of the things we thought we knew. Let s take the Sun as an example. When we live entirely in the Outer Mind, we take the Sun for granted. We think we know it, because we have named, described and classified it. When we have put a label on something the Outer Mind is happy, for a little while, but do we really know it? From a shamanic perspective, the Sun is more than just a big ball of fire out there among stars, planets and moons. To the mind of the shaman the Sun is a mystery that keeps filling them with wonder. Throughout their life it amazes and teaches them, and instead of mentally boxing and shelving the Sun, eventually the shaman becomes the Sun, in the sense that they can merge with it, knowing directly that they, and the Sun, are not separate. Once I was walking in the woods with a teacher of mine in California. A bird of prey flew overhead and I immediately named it as a species of falcon. My teacher told me off: because by naming it I had put the bird into a cage, mentally, and had lost the connection and the magic of the meeting. To him the hawk was a medicine, seeing it was a gift, and it brought a message. He was tuned into his spirit, listening to what the falcon was telling us; but I was tuned into my brain-mind, to categorise it. That was a significant lesson for me in how to think like a native person, rather than a westerner, based purely in the intellect. Once I was walking in woods with a teacher of mine. A bird of prey flew overhead and I immediately named it. My teacher told me off: because by naming it I had put the bird into a cage, mentally, and had lost the connection and the magic of the meeting. To him the bird was a medicine, seeing it was a gift, and it brought a message. He was tuned into his spirit, listening to what the bird was telling us; but I was tuned into my brain-mind, to categorise it. That was a significant lesson for me in how to think like a native person, rather than a westerner, based purely in the intellect

13 When we work in this way, with dedication and discipline, some amazing things begin to happen. Nature becomes our teacher, just as She has been for shamans in indigenous cultures for many hundreds, even thousands, of years; and like them, we become an apprentice of the Great Mother. When the powers of nature are the focus of our awareness and our thoughts, we come near to spirit, near to the source of all life. This is why most people love to walk in the woods, or by the sea: they come close to the original source, and it is healing just to be in its presence. It cleanses us, brings peace of mind, touches our heart and brings us home to our soul. Nature and spirit are the traditional sources for shamanic learning, through direct personal experience. The Photographer and TED talk senior Camille Seaman has said: In Native American philosophy we believe that we can only be a whole person through touching. And touching doesn t necessarily mean physically, but it means exploring, expanding our environment. My teachers told me that most of what we need to know about life can be learned from nature. By changing our familiar channel of thoughts and tuning in to nature, we can let it be our teacher, just as shamans do. Even though there are very few areas of true wilderness left in the world today - and most people don t have direct access to them - we can still connect with nature, and thereby establish a link to the spirit of wilderness. The fact that we might live in a city may be an impediment, but it is not an insurmountable one. The sky is still there, the sun, the moon, clouds, birds and trees. We have the capability to go beyond time and space, because we are connected to everything else in the Universe through the power of our consciousness. As we practise it is very likely that we ll soon begin to notice several things: firstly, we will learn through experience that we have the power to change the TV channel we are tune into; secondly, our awareness will settle more and more into our body, as we move from a thinking state into a being state; and thirdly, energetically, our bodies will connect to the powers that we observe and contemplate, and they may begin to give us sudden insights. Nature will take us closer to essence, and to ourselves. This doesn t mean that we need to turn our attention to nature all day long. Just doing it a few times a day can be a way to begin to interrupt the random flow of incessant thoughts and bring us into the centre of our own circle, where there is presence and life. This is what it means to direct our mind towards the powers of nature, and the practice can be a part of daily life. And if we feel called to do so, we can take this work even further. Solitude in nature has always been part of shamanic practice; shamans recognise nature s proximity to spirit. The veil between worlds is thin in the woods, the mountains and the desert. Sitting quietly by a waterfall while being fully present can begin to open the door into the world of spirit. Native Americans traditionally fast and pray alone in nature, seeking visions that can guide them through life; this is the vision quest ceremony, and other traditional cultures worldwide use similar methods. The Icelandic sagas describe how the old Norse people would sit alone in nature to seek guidance, often from the Solitude in nature has always been part of shamanic practice; shamans recognise nature s proximity to spirit. The veil between worlds is thin in the woods, the mountains and the desert. Sitting quietly by a waterfall while being fully present can begin to open the door into the world of spirit. ancestors; and how a song, or spoken prayer, could be the key that unlocked an ancestral otherworld. They called this practice

14 udesidning, literally outdoors sitting. It was usually a solo practice, involving meditation outdoors for the purpose of divining information, both to understand the past and to learn the future. The word udesidning is now used to denote vision seeking in contemporary Danish shamanic course descriptions. The hanging of the Norse god Odin, in a tree for nine days, to acquire the occult knowledge of runes also suggests an extreme form of initiatory vision quest. In Christianity, Jesus is said to have fasted for forty days in the desert in seclusion, and at Bodh Gaya in India, it is said that after Gautama Buddha had reached a place of enlightenment under the Bodhi Tree, he returned to stand in front of the tree, gazing at it every day for a week. Perhaps he was contemplating the connection he had had with that tree, how it had supported his forty-nine days of meditating, and how its power may have contributed to what he had experienced in that time. The prophet Muhammad is said to have sought solitude for periods of several weeks in a cave on Mount Jabal al-nour, over the course of years, to pray and seek guidance. In this cave he is said to have received his first revelations. The actions of these three spiritual teachers, from different cultures, indicates a shared understanding at their root: nature is sacred, and is the doorway to spirit and the divine. The land gives us food, shelter, tools and clothing, but it also provides the means to access knowledge, guidance and insight directly from the highest sources: Mother Earth and Great Spirit. To feel our relationship to nature, our place in it as humans, in a physical body of living cells, helps us to be in unison with the divine. In situating ourselves in relation to nature, we can find our place as part of a cosmos. The anthropologist Holger Kalweit writes that for the Diné: healing is a harmonisation of the psyche. Harmony is found through healing ceremonies that site individuals in relation to nature as part of a cosmos, opening a We are the Earth; the Earth and we are one. The Earth is part of the Universe, and so the Universe and we are one. All knowledge exists in the consciousness of the Universe, and in us, the human beings broader horizon for their being, which results in a sense of planetary and cosmic relatedness. It is by virtue of this capability of feeling at one with the forces of nature that healing can be attained. The world of the shaman is rich with teachings, insights, initiations and thresholds. The world is seen as a mystery, where spiritual power is all around us, in a universe which is constantly changing and evolving. Through the doorway of awareness this power is available for everyone, not just for shamans. All practical and esoteric teachings can be found in nature, if we know how to use the gateways of silence and meditation. The old wisdom keepers were aware of this fact, and to this day, knowledge on survival, spirituality, mysticism, technology and science can be found in nature. We are the Earth; the Earth and we are one. The Earth is part of the Universe, and so the Universe and we are one. All knowledge exists in the consciousness of the Universe, and in us, the human beings. Shamans worldwide have kept this ancient wisdom alive, and over the last forty years, many have begun to share their knowledge. At this point in time we are collectively beginning to awaken to it. Shamans are telling us that it is time to take the heritage of our ancient wisdom and step forward into a new world, leaving behind the old ways that have become outdated. Our remembrance emerges from the ancient shamanic practice of understanding the nature of things, as well as knowing and appreciating the sacred in its physical forms. To know the force behind the form, the spirit under the surface: this is the way of the shaman. This article is an edited extract from the book by Chris Lüttichau Calling Us Home published by Head of Zeus books, See a review of the book in this issue of Sacred Hoop. Chris Lüttichau is the author of Calling Us Home, as well as Animal Spirit Guides: Discover your power animal. He is the keeper of an integral body of teachings on shamanism and earth-based spirituality, which he shares internationally in workshops and training groups. He has appeared on TV and radio in the UK, USA and Denmark. Chris founded Northern Drum Shamanic Centre in For general enquiries: matt@northerndrum.com 14

15 His home is surrounded by thousands of hours of lovingly hand carved cedar. Incredible totem poles, masks and more; here lives an exceptionally gifted man. The spirit of his work seem to watch me, as I walk past his carving shed and up to his ornate and spellbinding front door. When I get to the door, it seems to say, speak friend and enter, so I do, taking a sideways glance at a totem to my left, depicting Bear and Eagle, with a human in the mix too - arms stretched out in the welcome gesture of the Coast Salish. Xwalacktun the carver, (whose name is pronounced Wha- luk- tun) is my friend and my brother, and I am proud to know him. From within he greets my knock with his usual cheery voice, Hey big Bear, you better come in before you scare away all the birds. We laugh, and I enter as invited. His home is much like any other museum - come gallery; and I smile as I write this, because on entering - as if the garden spirits weren t enough - I am faced with all kinds of other marvels. Glass, ornate salmon, spring from the walls, otters and a beaver peek out from their new cedar homes, and a mask of The Wild Woman of Nature rests on the kitchen table. A glass partition, which separates the two front rooms, is beautiful beyond comparison; decorated with etched waterfalls, leaping salmon, majestic bears, rivers and forests as its backdrop, all fashioned in the naturally expressive style of this talented Coast Salish carver. My people are from the Squamish Nation of the Coast Salish people, (Skwxwu7mesh Uxwumixw) [This is how it is spelt in Coast Salish; 7 is a pause, which when said phonetically is wa- untee], who are a part of the West Coast First Nations. We come from the Island mainly, and the mainland, heading North toward the Charlottes, he explains, And my mission in life is to make sure that the name of my people is not forgotten. And so far, Xwalacktun is on track with his vision. His artworks and carvings have travelled the world. The Organising Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games (Vanoc), and the Four Host THESpirit Carver Chris Brosnan Meets Traditional Salish Carver Xwalacktun Nations commissioned his intricate and rich designs to represent his people for the emblem of the 2010 Winter Olympics. That was a real proud moment for me when I got to see my work being recognised in such a way. But not only for me, it is important for my people and our ancestors. Much damage has gone on, over the years, and we are only now beginning to heal from that. I think our carvings and artwork are helping to achieve this. Xwalacktun puts the kettle on, and I sit talking with him in his kitchen, which alone is a sight to behold. I ask him to tell me about the Wild Woman of Nature mask, and his mischievous smile tells me that he s about to spin a good yarn. I carved that for my wife to honour her, and we keep it on the table right there to send off any bad energies that may try to sneak in. Does it work I ask? You bet it does. He laughs again and passes me tea. Above: Xwalacktun standing next to a bear paw mark he has just carved in a huge cedar trunk Below: carved glass salmon inside his house HOOP ISSUE

16 The carving of a mask is a secret. I don t just carve a mask, someone in my community comes to me and asks me to carve them a mask, and they become the keeper of that mask. Nobody in the community even knows who s wearing what mask when we are in ceremony. It is a secret business between the carver and the dancer wearing the mask I can t help but think that I m not surprised that the bad energies would run away at the sight of the Wild Woman, she really does look quite intimidating and wild indeed! We move to his design studio where all of his work begins life, and again I look around at the many hand drums, talking sticks, sketches, and more masks which now look on, with what feels like a raised eyebrow. Why don t we start with my name? he suggests, and so we do. Xwalacktun is an ancestral name that has been passed down for hundreds of generations. My father had carried the name and he passed it to me. When I was 28 years old. The name is so old that we don t remember where it came from, only that it was given by the ancestors. When I received the name many people gathered to hear it and be part of the ceremony of giving, which takes a whole day to do - and the lead up to the name giving takes about four years. The giving of a name is a sacred tradition to my people and we have to do give away to all of the people gathered, and feast together as part of the giving. So I gave a lot of artwork away, and I was honoured to do that, because when my relatives look at that work, they remember my name, the lineage it comes from and so the name goes on. Traditional carved and painted cedar wood masks by Xwalacktun and other artists I ask him what the name means and his smile seems to fade for a moment. Our people had their language stolen from them, and so I keep it secret. But when a man asks me I say, arm-breaker, and when a woman asks me, I say, it means good looking. At this his laughter fills the room once more and we journey on. But I m only borrowing that name, it will be passed on by me to another in my family and the whole ceremony will begin again. The most important thing about the name is that it belongs to the family, not me. And the name is connected to the land also. We may live in a house now, but we belong to the land, so does the name. I asked Xwalacktun how his artwork is connected to his ceremony work. 16 HOOP ISSUE

17 He tells me: It starts before I carve anything. I go to the tree that has called to me. I put my hands on the tree and I explain that I will be transforming its life. I make many offerings of tobacco and also of salmon, because when the eagle fishes for the salmon - and he always comes to the forest to eat it - we say that he drops pieces of the salmon for the trees. So we offer salmon to the tree too, that will be taken and carved, and we tell the spirit of the tree what it will become. Then when we take it, the spirit goes to sleep, and then when its ready for carving, the women of my community come and they bring sacred water and cedar branches to brush the tree with and sing, to wake up the spirit again, to tell it we are giving it new life. The Squamish Nation had to buy back the licenses from tree felling companies, so that they could preserve the forests where the old growth trees once flourished. Otherwise, all of the old trees would now be gone. When I carve a piece of really old tree I am very aware that I am working with an ancestor. When we carve we have to be very clear in our thoughts, so we offer prayers and smudge to keep us pure in our spirit as we work because we know that the ancestors are working through us. The piece may be for a commission, or for a ceremony, so a clear focus must be present. No bad thoughts can go into the carving. Sometime I look at the artwork I ve drawn and I know that I have been used by the spirits to draw what they want, not what I want. There s a big difference. Traces of some of the Coast Salish artwork have been dated back some 10,000 years. Bowls made of solid stone used in ceremony have been found around Vancouver, and as the Salish people carry an oral tradition of history, the spoken word is the ancestor, even in modern day terms, of the past. Many First Nations people were sent away from their families as children to live in residential schools and were not allowed to speak their language. Xwalacktun tells me: Our language is our heritage and much of that was taken away from us and with that, much of our language died. It is only through a few elders that it even stayed alive and we are doing our best to keep it so and heal the past. The conversation drops and we sit in silence for a while, sipping tea. I can t help but feel the pain that my friend hides very well behind his infectious smile, and I wonder why my ancestors felt the need for such cruelty amongst such noble and welcoming people. I ask Xwalacktun if he can tell me more about the masks, and he smiles once more. The carving of a mask is a secret. I don t just carve a mask, someone in my community comes to me and asks me to carve them a mask, and they become the keeper of that mask once I ve carved it - or it is given to a special person for good keeping. Nobody in the community even knows who s wearing what mask when we are in ceremony. It is a secret business between the carver and the dancer wearing the mask and one other person, the spirit keeper. Someone called a mask keeper holds onto the mask keeping it safely. They feed it until the next time it s needed. Only the mask keeper knows who owns a mask, and it is their sacred obligation to not tell anybody who uses what mask, for what ceremony or dance. The dancer must never tell anybody else which mask or spirit uses them throughout the dance or ceremony either, because the masks and the spirits that use them are very powerful and must not be dishonoured in any way. When we carve we have to be very clear in our thoughts, we offer prayers and smudge to keep us pure in our spirit as we work because we know that the ancestors work through us When the person is wearing a mask - let s say that it s an eagle mask - the spirit of the eagle enters the body of the person through the mask, and it is a very Above: carving the bear paw Left: Xwalacktun s Thunderbird design, used by the Organising Committee for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games Left: Completed bear paw design HOOP ISSUE

18 Islands. As you travel North you can see how the poles vary in their design, according to the local traditions, chiefs, and the story they needed to tell. Above: Xwalacktun with the tools of his craft powerful coupling of the two, and must be done to honour the ancestors on both sides; the human s and the eagle s. When the person takes off the mask, they must do so in a sacred way, because the spirit of that mask goes back into the mask, and it must be looked after by the mask keeper. Only they know how to look after the spirit properly. This is why we carve the masks in a sacred manner. The tradition of the carving of totem poles is as old as the people themselves and is usually an expression of the people as a community, or as a family. Xwalacktun tells me: When we carve a pole it is usually the story of a family, or the community, through the animal spirits that they work with. So, you may see the story of a bear eating a salmon, that was watched over by an eagle who had a serpent in his claws, and then came along a person who scared them all away and took the salmon to the forest as an offering; that is how we carve the poles. They always tell a story of some sort, and most of the pole carving tradition comes from the North People of the West Coast, right up to the Haida Gwaii of what was called the Queen Charlotte Xwalacktun s fame as a carver has even spread across the Atlantic to Scotland of all places, where he was asked to visit and carve four poles to honour the Four Directions. But that kind of exploded on me he bursts out laughing. In the end I did 34 poles in total, and they are now spread out all over Scotland. Some went to the land, some went to hotels, some went to community halls and so on. The biggest was 30ft and the smallest was about your size. Again he bursts out laughing (I am, by the way 6 5). I guess you could say we kind of invaded them for a change. And he doubles up with laughter once more. One of the most happy and joyous parts of being a carver, Xwalacktun tells me, is when we raise a pole up. Some of the big ones can take a few days to do correctly. There must be ceremony, the people must gather to welcome the spirits and it becomes a thing of great excitement as well as deeply emotional. When a pole is carved for a community it can bring up a lot of tears for people. Some people have never seen a pole Right: playing a drum he has painted besides a totem pole 18 HOOP ISSUE

19 raised before and it s a very powerful event. The pole must be honoured and the spirits fed in the right way, then the pole has to rest, find its place. But the thing that I like best, is that something so beautiful and so powerful has come for the people so that they do not forget the old ways and I feel my ancestors watching on with a smile or two. I know I do. Xwalacktun credits Native artists such as Bill Reid for helping to bring West Coast First Nations carving to the world stage, and in so doing inspiring many young artists to follow his example and tradition. Bill Reid made the world recognise West Coast art, and not just the Haida Gwaii or the Coast Salish people as a race. Before Bill, most people thought that the whole of the West Coast was Haida Gwaii, but it s not. There are many different peoples and it s important to explain this. That s why I only create Coast Salish pieces. When people come to Vancouver they are in Coast Salish territory and it s important to me that they know this. I talk to him about his people s relationship to the salmon, as the fish features a great deal in his work. Well when the great flood happened and the people were stranded in their canoes, tied to the mountain tops, the Thunderbird sent the eagle, who dropped salmon into the canoes so that the people could eat. Ever since then the people have revered the salmon as a life giver. There s a story of man in the mythologies they called Wa7untiee, who was told that he was not to eat too much salmon, but instead was to leave enough of them so that the fry could swim back to the oceans. But in his greed, he began to gobble up as many salmon as he could. The spirits saw this, and turned him into a river stone person. So, now he has to sit and watch the salmon swim past every year, but can never eat another one again - and he has to watch the babies swim back to the sea too. I hear he is very sorry. He burst into more laughter, and we were about to conclude our interview when he continued: One of the most important things that I had to face and learn about was me, myself. As a younger man, I was not who I am today in many ways, importantly in my spirit. I used to abuse alcohol and mess with weed, but it was because I was lost and grieving and didn t know it. Grieving my past, my relatives and the way my people had been treated. I didn t grow up, and wake up until something happened to me that changed my life. This is how it happened I was at a camp in the forest with some young people and we were hanging out, not doing Above: standing beside a very carefully carved ceremonial door Left: at work in his studio HOOP ISSUE

20 Above and Right: raising a newly carved and painted Totem Pole Opposite Page: Totem Pole and detail of an eagle, carved by Xwalacktun The pole must be honoured and the spirits fed in the right way, then the pole has to rest, find its place. But the thing that I like best, is that something so beautiful, and so powerful has come for the people, so that they do not forget the old ways and I feel my ancestors watching on, with a smile or two. I know I do anything focused, no ceremony or anything like that. And this bear kept coming to see the camp at night. He was a big bear, and we couldn t see him, but knew it was a bear by the way he breathed and how the forest reacted to him. We had heard it before and we could tell he was a big bear. We became fearful and I became - what I thought - was brave. I got out my rifle and I pointed it in the direction of where I thought the bear was, and pulled the trigger. The sound was deafening, the forest seemed to light up and from the cry the bear made, I knew I had hit him. He cried out so loud and ran off. I was so scared. Everybody was scared, real scared because if that bear came back, he could kill somebody and we couldn t see where he was, just the pitch black of the night forest. I couldn t sleep all night, just held my rifle and stared out into the blackness. When the dawn came, and we were still alive, I set out to track the bear. But even then, this was a dangerous thing to do. I found his trail of blood and followed it. I found him in a small, muddy pond, I could tell he had struggled to get out when he wandered in and this is where he died. I sat down at the edge of the water and began to weep, strong tears that filled all of me, I kept 20 HOOP ISSUE

21 The tradition of totem poles is as old as the people themselves and is usually an expression of the people as a community, or as a family. When we carve a pole it is usually the story of a family, or the community, through the animal spirits that they work with saying over and over that I was sorry. I will never forget him. I kept one of his claws and gave the rest away. And that was when I turned back to my spiritual being and started to carve. The very first thing I carved was a bear. I asked for his spirit to rest inside the carving and he did. I keep that carving to this day. I often look at it as a reminder of the past and of how precious life is. I often offer my thanks to him for waking me up. I also like that you are my friend and you re called Bear. Maybe he sent you? And once again the mischief in his smile and eyes shows me more, more than I think he knows he gives. Xwalacktun was born and raised in Squamish, carrying with him the rich ancestries of his father s (Squamish Nation) and mother s (Kwakwakw'wakw Nation) of the Coast Salish clans. His father, Pekultn, carried a hereditary chieftainship from Seymour Creek in North Vancouver. Xwalacktun teaches traditional Coast Salish carving, paintings, mural design, sculpting and many other aspects of his traditions in British Columbia and regularly travels the world lecturing at schools, colleges and universities. He has currently worked on a set of double doors for the West Vancouver School District as well as other projects for museums and wilderness trails. If you re really lucky, you may be able to commission him to create for you a truly stunning piece of Coast Salish tradition and spirit. Xwalacktun would like to acknowledge Capilano College and Emily Carr College of Art for teaching him the skills which started his career. Chris Bear Brosnan is a ceremonialist and medicine carrier, who has traveled the world for the past 25 years working in deep connection with shamanic tribal leaders and cultures. He is available as a healer, guide and spiritual teacher in one to one sessions and groups. His first book, 'Warrior of the Soul' will be published by Hay House later this year. Bear can be contacted via his website:

22 A Dance of Movement And Stillness Nicholas Breeze Wood talks with Ya Acov Darling Khan Yes, it s a really hot potato, one I ve watched many in the shamanic community juggle with - myself very much included. Why do you think that is? Nick: You describe yourself as a shaman in your new book, that s quite a bold statement. Could you say a bit about how you came to make that statement, and do you see any ethical considerations in claiming that title? Ya Acov: Interesting that you should begin there. I ve spent years thinking about this one. I could be wrong but it s a pretty good bet that I ve been through all the arguments both ways. It s taken me the best part of 30 years to get comfortable with the term. Good question. We ve all been wounded in our sense of self in some way, and when you add that to the woundings that several hundred years of violent oppression imposed on the wise women, medicine people and healers of our European shamanic heritage, it s not surprising that this is a thorny issue. Susannah, my wife, and I recently discovered the effect that this brutalisation was still having in the space between us. For me as a man, I felt in my heart the effect of being forced to watch as my wife, sisters, mothers, and daughters were brutalised in front of me whilst I had to watch, powerless to do anything to stop it. 22

23 Add to that our quite rightful mistrust of power - given how it s generally used in our world - I think hot potato is about right. I decided that after 30 years, it s time to stand up for what shamanism is, and how valuable and important it is for our direct experience of the powers that give us life, and our connection to them. I m aware of how much healing there is to do around this issue and avoiding it, or acting small just isn t going to help. When I first discovered that there was such a thing as shamanism in my teens, I was so relieved. Finally, here was a thread I could follow that made sense of my experience of life. Like most young men, I wanted the external acknowledgment of the people I admired. Most of them were shamans or medicine folk. I wanted the kudos, the I m special thrill of being out on the edge of the village, metaphorically speaking. When I got hit by lightning at the age of 22, I realised that this was a serious business! When I got hit by lightning at the age of 22, I realised that this was a serious business! I was on a golf course in a storm. I put up my umbrella, and the next thing I knew, I felt I d been hammered into the ground. I was shocked and elated. And I heard the words really clearly: Ya Acov, learn to use what s inside you. It s time. That s what got me seriously on my path more than 30 years ago You got hit by lightning? That s a powerful experience, in Mongolia it is one of the ways shamans are acknowledged - gaining the sky spirits approval. What happened? I was on a golf course in a storm. I put up my umbrella, and my golf partner was stood next to me. The next thing I knew, my friend had been thrown off me and I felt as if I d been hammered into the ground. I was shocked and elated. And I heard the words really clearly: Ya Acov, learn to use what s inside you. It s time. That s what got me seriously on my path more than 30 years ago. I only found out many years later that being hit by lightning was one of the old signs for being recognised as a shaman in several old traditions, and that s been useful in some of my dialogues and work with indigenous shamans. To be clear, I m not claiming the title of shaman. I m surrendering to what I feel is being asked of me. I m surrendering to the recognition that for decades, that s what my teachers have called me. And I m trusting my self-knowledge, and my intention in this, enough to be bold. I m sure it will piss some people off but that s a risk I m willing to take. Yes, one of my teachers told me off for not owning the title myself, they said; Why the big deal it s only like saying you are a doctor or a first aider. But I m always wary, because I don t want to encourage people who have done a basic weekend workshop, or read a book, and then think they are the bee s knees. Shamanism matters to me very much because of what I know it has to offer. And I think that shamanism - well delivered - holds much of the necessary medicine for the dis-eases of this time. There s so many people out there (mis-)using the term who have hardly any idea at all about what shamanism is. I suppose I ve just got fed up with standing on the side lines bitching about what others are doing. We re in trouble and maybe we just don t have the time anymore to be standing around waiting to become perfect before we act. My goal is to create the most positive impact in this beautiful world that I possibly can whilst my heart still beats. Everything and everyone I love, including my wife, our son, and my elders, understand my intention and are supporting me in this standing up for the medicine shamanism can bring. So here I am, for better or for worse, a human being and a shaman, at your service. You are a skilled practitioner, who has put decades into his path - so you calling yourself a shaman is one thing. But how do we cope with those people, who ve maybe just done a basic workshop or 23

24 Rhythm is the major medicine. We work directly with the powers of nature as they exist inside us as human beings living in bodies. Movement Medicine is a contemporary form of shamanism, it works with the body, the heart, and the mind, and brings people into the experience of their direct connection to, and responsibility to, care for the web of life, of which we are all a part two - and maybe not even workshops where shamanism - in the proper sense of the word was taught. How do we stop the word becoming meaningless and the traditions being dumbed down? Another great question Nick. Straight from the hip. For me, the best way to cope, is for those of us who have been around a while to stand up together, and from our own knowledge and experience, show in deed, as well as word, what shamanism is and what becoming a shaman actually takes. So, let s do this together as an act of power and as an offering back to life for the magnificence of the mystery and pure unbroken beauty of the earth. I like that idea of standing together very much. Do you have any dreams, or a sense of how that could be, what it would be like? Interestingly, as I say this, I realised that this would be a necessary step. Wouldn t it be wonderful if us young elders got together and shared our knowledge, and created a code of ethics and a grounded understanding of the different stages of initiation that would allow people to use the word. A seal of approval that would be a sign of quality control for people wanting to find people - shamans - who had been properly trained and initiated. A job for Sacred Hoop? Oh Lordy, that sounds quite a task, but yes I agree something like that seems to be really needed - but thats for another article, and another day I think. Yes, agreed. And yes, quite a task but I think one we re all going to have to face up to one day soon if we want shamanism to recover from the bad name it gets when people adopt what is not yet theirs to adopt. So, what, would you say, makes the path of Movement Medicine you are on, shamanic? I can understand it leads people into a very deep place, with a great sense of connection to themselves, others and creation, but lots of spiritual activities do that, and they are not necessarily shamanic - or even animistic. What are your criteria for using the word shaman and shamanic? The states that Movement Medicine brings people in to, though they can be described in many ways, are best described in shamanic terms. We work with direct, embodied experience rather than through belief. Yes, for me shamanism has always been about experience and knowing not believing. Rhythm is the major medicine. And we work directly with the powers of nature as they exist inside us as human beings living in bodies. Movement Medicine is a contemporary form of shamanism it works with the body, the heart, and the mind, and brings people into the experience of their direct connection to, and responsibility to, care for the web of life, of which we are all a part. Susannah often says that shamans were the original systems theory practitioners. Movement Medicine gives us experience of our place in the system; it brings us back to the place where we can recognise our own essence. and then it invites us to find ways to share that essence with the world, each in our own unique way. Reciprocity is at the heart of the practice, and care for the land and the spirits (or nature s unique vibrations in their manifold forms). Can you say a bit more about the idea of reciprocity? Reciprocity is the law of balance in giving and receiving. All the indigenous people I have worked with recognise that, in their relationships with the powers of nature, the spirits, the elementals and all things, there must be a balance in what we take and what we give. So much of how shamanism has been taught and shared in the west is so self-focused. I m on a spiritual journey man, and I don t need to be concerned with politics 24

25 or our place in world. I just need my next far out vision fix. That isn t shamanism. Shamanism has always been practical as well as poetic, and it s always been about how we need to feed that which feeds us. In our culture, the never enough dance has shown up in the ways in which we take from the indigenous wisdom that is offered, without thinking about what we can give back. A shaman, for me, is an intermediary between the physical and non-physical worlds - through what I ve recently heard rather well described as the info realm. Through that connection, we see the bigger system, in which particular symptoms arise, both on an individual and a community level. Dance, and Movement Medicine in particular, is the best way I ve found to access that perception. I m used to going into trance and meeting the spirits, who instruct me one to one - and I guess many of our readers will be too, because in essence thats the whole thing of the shamanic journey, but you enter altered perception through dance. So, would you say people are accessing their own inner wisdom through that way, or would you say the movement brings a connection to - and instructions and information from - the spirits? Another great question Nick. One of the differences between Western forms of healing - such as psychotherapy - and indigenous forms of healing is what I term the inside-outside business. For most of the indigenous folks I ve been lucky enough to study with, the cause of illness, and the myriad of troubles we suffer from, is outside of us. It s a troublesome spirit, or a brujo [sorcerer], who is deliberately doing damage. In psychotherapy, however, we look inside for the answers. In psychotherapy it s the meaning we give to our experiences which affects us, and we are responsible for changing our internal belief system, or the story we tell. But for me, the reality is, when we are dis-eased - the dis-ease includes both inside and outside aspects. Yes, very much agreed So, in Movement Medicine, I would say that we experience the spirit of the fire, or the spirit of the waters. through the fire inside us, through the waters inside us. And through that we can feel into the powers of the fire - or water - outside of us, and in so doing, we experience a direct connection with the greater force of the river, the mountain, the sun or the wind. We don t insist at all that people believe in the idea of the spirit of something, but the more present we are in our body - something that is now called interoception - the more able we become to sense the aliveness, the energy field, or the spirit of a thing or a place. Can you say a bit more about the process, the mechanics through which dance and movement puts people into an altered state - how do people access that perception? It s all about being able to shift our attention from our thinking about 25

26 what s going on, to experiencing what s going on, here and now in the body. When I am in, I am awake to the power of life that is already dancing through me at all times. When I give my physical body back to that intelligence, I connect to that unbroken place inside me - which is pure attention, awareness and movement. When I identify with that place, I am already in an altered state, from which I am able to perceive differently. Movement Medicine encourages an embodiment of the imaginal self, so that we can dance inside our embodied imaginations, and learn to ground what we dream, with how we walk in the world. Maybe the closest I can get to describing it for me, is like being in a lucid dream whilst awake in the body. I have spirits with which I have had a personal relationship with for decades - a relationship which has matured over time as the spirits have taught and instructed, and often challenged me. Can people enter such a long term relationship with the spirits through Movement Medicine? Yes they can. We talk about dancing in the centre of your own circle, and being able to expand that circle through movement, so that we can connect directly with the spirit of the dance, the guardians and protectors of the movement medicine mesa [altar or mandala] and of course, our own personal allies and guides. Naturally, this takes time and practice, and as you say, often decades of learning to trust our experience and make practical use of it. You ve been following your own sacred path now for a long time. How do you see the medicine and shamanic scenes having changed in the West since you started on your path, and where do you think - or at least hope - they are going? One of the testimonials for my new book comes from a western shaman who I respect very much, Daan van Kampenhout, who is the founder of the Practice for Systemic Ritual. He s the author of the book Images of the Soul and Tears of the Ancestors. In my book, Daan wrote: As the first generations of Westerners who were taught by traditional shamans and healers slowly matured through decades of practice, it was inevitable that gradually new forms of shamanism would appear. Ya Acov Darling Khan represents a shamanic practice that is thoroughly bodybased yet spiritual, archaic yet contemporary. I share that quote with you because it speaks to your question. Gabrielle Roth always taught me that shamanism is indigenous to its own culture. Though we can learn so much from shamans from other cultures, we have to bring what we learn back into our own communities. Yes I would agree with that, being - indigenous to its own culture, - but I think we need to know what authentic practice is, and what it feels like. So, for that, I think respectfully looking to, and working within other cultures and their traditions can be very important. 26

27 Martin Prechtel once said to me something along the lines of We need to know what rituals are really supposed to smell and taste like. He said he saw his job as us giving a taste of that, so we would know what was real, and what was not, the next time we were in a shamanic or ritual environment. Yes indeed. That s what we have had to do, I was given a ceremonial sacred pipe by my therapist nearly thirty years ago. I didn t want to play at being Native American, but I did want to remember how to pray again, in a way that I could feel I was in direct relationship with whatever I was praying to. I felt I had been loaned the pipe in order to remember, and I made a vow to return it once I had remembered. And that s what I did. Movement Medicine is the result of the fusion of all we have learned and shared with our indigenous brothers and sisters and modern scientific understanding of how change happens (such as neuroplasticity). That s our task I believe - to receive, learn, and then re-find the traditions which live in the rocks, the trees, the rivers, the soil and the winds of our own lands. Our Summer Long Dance is the essence of our work. It s a give-away ceremony, which we do every year. It involves 72 hours of being in ritual, fasting and prayer. It is a revival of our own shamanic practice, and, as well as being a super powerful ritual, it raises money for a whole host of extraordinary projects. So far it has raised well over 300,000. The ceremony was 20 years in the design and we had to take many, many small steps for it to land in its current form. This year, we will be honoured again by the visit of Manari Ushigua, the leader of the Sápara people of the Ecuadorian Amazon. So what I ve seen is that, since our own European medicine traditions - shamanism - was very nearly destroyed by centuries of oppression and violence; and as the need for that kind of connection to our natures - a need which shamanism answers - has risen again, we have had to import shamanism from where it was still practised. This is why we have a phoenix bird, right at the centre of the mandala which represents our work by the way. So, we ve seen waves of different representatives of many different traditions, from East and West, North and South, coming to our shores, to generously and bravely remind us of we had forgotten. But, I would suggest that we were never invited to take these traditions on wholesale, but we were to receive the invitation to remember and/or recreate our own. And that s what I dream. That those people, who have had genuine shamanic training over a decade or two and have found ways to integrate what they ve learned into our modern way of life, get together to support each other to communicate clearly, and widely, about what shamanism actually is. And to sing it, chant it, and dance it from the rooftops. I pray (as well as taking everyday steps in the direction of this prayer) that real-life, everyday shamanism can actually help people to deal with the very real issues we face as individuals, in our relationships and, as a species, rather than just providing weekend entertainment. We are given so much in this life and it takes so much investment from this earth to grow a mature human being, one who recognises what we are receiving in the everyday miracle of being alive and out of love for that I pray that real-life, everyday shamanism can actually help people to deal with the very real issues we face as individuals, in our relationships and, as a species, rather than just providing weekend entertainment which gives us life, gives everything they ve got in full gratitude for life itself. Ya Acov has studied with many gifted teachers from the Amazon to the Arctic Circle and has been recognised as a practicing shaman by elder shamans from the Sami (European tradition), and Achuar and Sápara peoples of the Amazon. He is the Co-Creator of Movement Medicine Everyday Shamanism, and runs the School of Movement Medicine with his wife Susannah. Their School offers a full programme worldwide and online, as well as an apprenticeship programme and Professional Training. Ya Acov s creations include co-authoring Movement Medicine How To Awaken, Dance and Live your Dreams (Hay House) and several CD s (available at musicmedicine.co.uk). roland@rwevents.co.uk His second book, Jaguar in the Body, Butterfly in the Heart is available in June See the review of the book in this issue of Sacred Hoop Magazine. All the photos of dancers were taken at the 2015 Summer Long Dance. 27

28 SO, WHAT EXACTLY IS SHAMANISM THEN? Nicholas Breeze Wood Above: Tuvan shamans in Southern Siberia drum around a fire during a ceremony Defining shamanism is not easy, and you may not agree with the definition I will try to give here. Shamanism is not tidy and there will be anomalies in what I write - but I hope to give at least a rough rule of thumb, despite the exceptions. The word shaman is a Western corruption of the word samaan or s amanthe, from the Siberian Evenk people (previously known as the Tungus people), which was brought into the Russian language by early explorers of Siberia. The word gradually became established as a general term for a Siberian tribal healer in Russia, and then migrated to the rest of the world in the 19th and 20th centuries via anthropologists. The word shamanka - meaning a woman shaman - was never used by Siberian people - the ending ka is a Russian way of giving a word a diminutive female form. Some say the word is of Sanskrit origin, coming from the word s'ramana - which means a Buddhist monk - but the Evenk language is not related to Sanskrit, and the Evenks were not exposed to Tibetan Buddhist monks in great numbers - with whom, some people say the word was carried from India into Siberia. So the Sanskrit origin of the word is extremely dubious. Furthermore Russian explorers first recorded the word in the 16th century and any Tibetan Buddhist contact would have been roughly around the same time. The word shaman only comes from the one tribal group, found in Siberia and Manchuria, and different tribal peoples in different regions use different names for the role. In Siberia - close to the Evenk people, the Yakut people call male shamans khamma or ayun, whereas the Mongols and Buryats call them buge or bo, the Koreans mudang or baksu, the Tartars and Altaians kam and gam, the shamans of Kyrgyzstan baksy, and the Samoyed people tadibey. But a woman shaman in Siberia has a different name, and this name is very much the same, over a very wide geographical area. Among the Mongols, Buryats, Yakuts, Altaians, Evenks, and 28

29 Kyrgyz the word for a woman shaman is udagan (or variations such as utagan, ubakan, utygan or utugun). This word probably originates from the Mongolian word Etugen which is the name of the ancient hearth-goddess. Because udagan is so universal, language experts know it to be a very old word, older than all the words for a male shaman, which shows that female shamans have been around a lot longer than male ones have. SHAMANISM AND ANIMISM A shaman has an animistic world view. An animist understands that all parts of Creation are alive in some way, and have spirits. Nothing is dead in the animist s universe - you and I have souls, and so do all the animals and plants, and likewise the rocks and rivers, mountains and clouds, stars, sun and moon, even an illness, or a concept, or a ceremony, or a ritual object has a soul - everything has a soul, and we live within a vast network of interconnectedness. All animistic and shamanic cultures understand this. All shamanic cultures are animistic - but not all animistic cultures are shamanic. Shamanic cultures are something special, something rare, something that only occurs in a few places on earth - although there are animistic cultures all over the globe. An animistic culture is a culture which has a basic world view of animism. Examples of animistic cultures include the Q ero of Peru and Bolivia, the tribes of North America, the Mayan people of Central America, the Maori of New Zealand, the Aborigines of Australia, tribal groups of Africa, the ancient Celts and Vikings, some groups in India, and many other peoples around the world. None of the above are shamanic cultures, although some aspects of ancient animistic Viking culture were shamanic - the practice of seidr specifically. Seidr is an ancient practice where seers - generally women - go into trance and have the spirits speak or sing through them. The practice died out centuries ago, but the modern shamanic movement has done a splendid job of re-creating it, and I know many powerful seidr practitioners who dive deep and swim fast and strong. A shamanic culture is an animistic culture where shamanism is practised - either within families - where the shaman heals just those immediately close to them - or where professional shamans can be found, who work for the wider community. A shaman is someone who goes into trance, and in that trance, they are either taken over by ancestor spirits - who were shamans before them - or they get taken over by local gods and spirits, such as the spirit of a mountain or a lake, or their soul leaves their body, and travels out to the other spirit worlds which are all around us - unseen - there to meet with spirits, so as to gain knowledge and power. Often all of these things happen within the same shamanic tradition. Some people within animistic cultures have experiences of trance too, for instance when on a vision quest - in the Native American traditions - the quester may fall into a trance and see visions, but that does not make them a shaman, because the trance happens without Shamans have an animistic world view, they understand that all parts of Creation are alive and have spirits. Nothing is dead in that universe - you and I have souls, and so do all the animals and plants, and likewise the rocks and rivers, mountains and clouds, stars, sun and moon, even an illness, a concept, a ceremony, or a ritual object as a soul - everything has a soul, and we live within a vast network of interconnectedness. their volition - and they can not call upon it when they wish to enter it. Animistic cultures can have a great knowledge of magic, can perform powerful healings and can have great wisdoms, but their priests and healers don t enter into controlled voluntary trance, and do Left: Buryat white shaman will ritual bell and dragon staff Siberian Shamans are generally divided up into white and black This has nothing to do with the West s concepts of white and black magic, it is more to do with the shaman s role in their community 29

30 Left: Mongolian shaman Photo C1910 Below: a Buryat shaman looks out over shaman rock on Olkhon Island, Lake Baikal, Siberia not go to the spirit worlds - instead they tend to call the spirits into this world - which although can be extremely powerful, is subtly different from shamanism, where shamans go to the spirits. The cultures where shamanism is found mostly are tribal groups across Siberia, Finland and the far North of Europe, Mongolia, Tuva, Central Asia, China, SE Asia, Tibet and Nepal. Some anthropologists consider some of the tribes from the Amazon Rainforest to be shamanistic too, whereas others don t. Personally, because their medicine people go into trance - albeit with the aid of psychoactive plants - I think they could be called shamanistic too. There are also traces of shamanic practice to be found in Hungary and other places. The map - like shamanism - is not perfectly tidy. As a rule of thumb, if you are working with a culture outside of those geographic areas you are working with an animistic culture rather than a shamanic one. But the edge between what is 30

31 shamanic and what is animistic is a very blurred one. For example a Siberian shaman performs many practices which have much in common with a Native American medicine person. This can be explained by saying that shamans also perform animistic practice - not everything they do for people is shamanic - shamanism is the extra something they do for people which a medicine person doesn t. All animistic cultures the world over have similarities - that is because the world is the way the world is, and spirits are the way that spirits are. You can look upon this as the bones of the sacred. All the bones of the world s animistic spiritual systems are the same, but each culture puts different flesh on the bones. This is why a Zulu medicine person and a Lakota medicine person will look - on the surface - different, but when you understand the bones, you will see they are doing the same basic job. WHO CAN BE A SHAMAN? The Evenk people, from whom the word shaman came, have a saying; A shaman sits on a different branch of the Tree of Souls to a normal person. This relates to a story they have that the souls of babies sit like birds on branches of the World Tree, waiting to be born. Normal babies sit on branches in the tree, but shamans sit on their own unique branch - shamans are different to other people. Can you choose to be a shaman? No you can t. You are either born a shaman, or you are not. If the spirits want you, there is nothing you can do, and if the spirits don t want you there is likewise nothing you can do. No spirits equals no shamans. Being a shaman is not a cool life, most tribal people think it s a bit of a curse and often try their hardest to get away from the role. However the spirits always have their way, and the shaman-to-be often gets ill, or may die, if they don t accept their calling. Native shamans often think people in the West are crazy if they want to become shamans, and actually seek it out. The most important teachers of a shaman are the spirits. Without the spirits a shaman is nothing, and the spirits teach the shaman, who becomes their apprentice. Human teachers are important too however, as a human teacher is a bit like a marriage arranger, they introduce the shaman to the spirits and also teach the shaman ways to interact with the spirits. Some shamanic traditions give their new shamans initiations, others don t, it depends on the culture. Some cultures say you can not be a shaman in their culture unless you have the DNA of that culture - however far back in time the DNA came from. Others say you can be a shaman in that culture without the DNA. Mostly people get the call to be a shaman because they are off with the spirits from a young age, and this will often lead to either physical or metal illness in their teenage years - often called shaman sickness. They may also have all of these and be hit by lightening as well, or get possessed by spirits and go into involuntary trance. In traditional shamanic cultures a shaman will be called to diagnose the nature of the illness, and if it is Top: a Nepalese shaman performs a ceremony Left: a Tibetan shaman holds his double skinned damaru drum 31

32 Below: Dayak shaman from Borneo Bottom: a Korean Mundang The most important teachers of a shaman are the spirits. Without the spirits a shaman is nothing, and the spirits teach the shaman, who becomes their apprentice determined that the sick person is to be a shaman, and the sickness is shaman-sickness, the shaman treating them will tell the sick person they have to learn to be a shaman, or face the consequences. However in the west, which is not a shamanic culture, things are, of course, generally not so clear. In the early 1980s a new, Western style of shamanism came along - generally known as Core Shamanism. This came about mostly through the work of Michael Harner. Core shamanism took the basic model of going into trance and journeying out to the Spirit Worlds, but stripped it of all cultural aspects, making it more easily digestible to Westeners. The basic tenet of Core Shamanism is that anyone can learn to journey and employ shamanic techniques in their life, in order to help themselves or others. This is no doubt true, and many people derive much benefit from learning Core Shamanic techniques. However the same rule of being chosen by the spirits still applies. I always think of the spirit world as being a bit like the ocean. All people can explore the shallows of shamanism; sit on the beach with their toes in the water, or paddle in the breaking waves - in other words almost everyone can learn to do a basic shamanic journey and do some things close to the shore. Some people will wade out into the ocean up to their chests, or learn to swim a little - they go deeper in. But only those chosen by the spirits will really learn to swim and dive, and hold their breath underwater, and go to the depths of the spirit world. Saying this is not elitist - it is simply true. When doing shamanism at this deep level, it can be very physically and psychologically dangerous - some shamans die in ceremony. Not all people are cut out to dive deep, and only those with the spirits blessings and help will learn to go vastly out of their depths, to return safely - if they are lucky. But everyone can live a rich animistic life and can learn some simple shamanic first aid - and I think the world would be a lot better if more people did. 32

33 SOME DO S AND DON T S There are lots of people out there who are really doing good shamanic practice - and their are lots of people who are not doing good shamanic practice at all - the New Age can be a place so full of fluff one can drown very easily, getting choked on all the fairy dust. I often come across people who think yoga, or reiki, or some other form of therapy is the same as shamanism. It is not - at best it is animistic - but it is not shamanism. I also come across many people who think shamanism is going and sitting out in nature, perhaps with their back against a tree, connecting and becoming one with everything. Again that is not shamanism. Meditating in nature is something to be encouraged - tuning in and feeling your connection with all your relatives is something of great benefit - but it s not shamanism. Shamanism is hard disciplined work, meeting the spirits and having actual dialogues with them, negotiating - or at times subduing or even fighting them - for the sake of your community. Often in the New Age community people think shamans are wonderful people - close to Spirit - who love everyone and do good deeds all day long. That too is a myth. Traditional shamans will often fight each other, and sometimes try to kill each other and steal power with the aid of their spirits. Traditional shamans will also often curse as much as cure, and make it difficult for other shamans to practise. I was recently talking with a Mongolian shaman friend about this, and they were rather envious of some of my own shamanic adventures, because I had journeyed to places they had only heard about from their elders; they themselves were unable to journey to those places, as the fear of attack from other shamans was too much a possibility for them. Thankfully these types of attacks are very rare in the Western shamanic and Core Shamanic communities, as within those communities, there are few people who have more than mere hot air, as they often lack the knowledge and power to do much damage. Also be warned, trying such dark work is not advised, you will likely open yourself to spirit forces far greater than you, and put yourselves and your loved ones in danger. You might also lose your connection to any healing spirits you have working with you. Many years ago, one of my own teachers was tempted to try to use a spirit for a little bit of low level dark work. They had a good relation with their spirit helper - who was really important to them and their practice - but when my teacher tried to get this spirit to do the dark work that spirit left them, and never came back. That was over 30 years ago now, and I know my teacher still regrets that, even to this day. Buryat shaman, wearing an iron crown set with iron antlers and holding his drum and a hobro - a horse spirit staff Photo taken C1910 Being a shaman is not a cool life, most tribal people think it s a curse and often try their hardest to get away from the role. However the spirits always have their way, and the shaman-to-be often gets ill, or may die, if they don t accept their calling. Native shamans often think people in the West are crazy if they want to become shamans and actually seek it out 33

34 Often people in the New Age community think shamans are wonderful people, close to Spirit, who love everyone and do good deeds all day long. That too is a myth. Traditional shamans will often fight each other, and sometimes try to kill each other and steal power with the aid of their spirits. Traditional shamans will often curse as much as cure Buryat shaman in trance as the spirits enter him I had a sobering warning from my own spirits too, although I was not attempting dark work at the time. My spirit helper looked at me and then casually reminded me they could turn off my shamanic ability just like that. There was the sound of a click of the fingers, and I was back out of trance in an instant, and back in normal reality - they had thrown me out. It was a lesson, there was no problem going back the next time, but I have no doubts that - should they want to - the spirits would simply turn me off like a tap. There are many, many books out there which purport to be about shamanism. Some of them are very good, others are not. Many of them are not about shamanism at all, because the word shamanism is a sexy word and book publishers use it to add fairy dust to their titles. If you want to learn about shamans, I would advise reading about actual tribal shamanism, in good, grounded books about the cultures, Some New Age books are good, but most really are best avoided. Likewise some books - which are really fiction - are often sited as important books about shamanism. Here I m especially thinking of the writings of Carlos Castaneda, but there are many other authors too. Castaneda was an excellent novelist who wrote some fine story books. He drew from many ancient traditions and his books are a cornucopia of useful metaphors about Spirit and the sacred - only please do not think they are literally true, and especially please don t think his books describe shamanism. Shamanism often gets associated with the taking of mind altering plants. In recent years tourism to the Amazon has proliferated and people take such substances as Ayahuasca, San Pedro, Peyote and various types of mind-altering mushrooms. People often seem to think this is essential when it comes to shamanism, but let me assure you it is not. Most shamanic cultures across the world do not take any mind altering substances at all - instead they rely on the spirits taking them over, aided by a mixture of ceremony, song and drumming. If you are drawn to working with what are often called teacher plants that s fine, but work with them in such a way that you respect their spirits. Every traditional culture who uses plants like this has ceremonies and songs which are part of the practice. You don t just grab a plant and ingest it in order to have a cosmic adventure; learn the traditional ways, find traditional teachers and do it properly - for your sake and for the respect and honour of the plant spirits, and the spirit of the linage. Shamanism is not a path of personal growth or personal healing. Sure both are going to happen to you along the way, but that s a by-product. 34

35 However, Core Shamanism can be excellent for those things - and there is nothing wrong with using aspects of Core Shamanism to heal yourself, in fact, again, the world would be a much better place if people worked on their stuff and got some healing, and the much more therapy-like model of Core Shamanism can be excellent for this. But primarily a shaman s job is to help their community - however you define that term. Your community can be your family. As I said before, in a lot of traditional Siberian cultures, a shaman worked only for their family - or it could be for your friends and people you know in your real world life, or it could be your internet family, or even nationally or globally. We mostly no longer live in rural, agriculturally based small villages, our concept of community has changed dramatically in the last few hundred years. You will have to work out what the word means to you now. Because we are not a shamanic culture - or even an animistic culture - we, in the West need to find ways to build an animistic worldview ourselves. Because of this, we have tended to look towards other cultures who have held their animistic worldview - such as the Native Americans or Africans - despite the West s often determined efforts to educate the savages out of their primitive ideas. So, you are likely to tread on the toes of tribal peoples who have been marginalised, and seen genocide and cultural annihilation happen to their ancestors. They might welcome you and wish to share sacred teachings with you, or they might not. That will be on a tribe by tribe, person by person basis. So tread carefully and respectfully. Learn with humility and pay attention to what is being taught to you. Treat it preciously as you carry it - like a fragile baby - into your own life and culture, as the chances are, the people you are being taught by, held on to those traditions through times of absolute horror and desperation - so act well. You might feel drawn to follow an animistic path from your own ancestors - perhaps you have Celtic or European blood, perhaps you have African blood or Central Buryat shaman drums in the smoke of a sacred fire Shamanism is not a path of personal growth or personal healing. Sure both are going to happen to you along the way, but that s a by-product. Primarily a shaman s job is to help their community - however you define that term Asian blood - and the pull of the blood on you is strong. That s a wonderful blood line to explore, but be aware, if you come from a European culture the traditions are broken, and paths such as Wicca or the Druids, are modern inventions, and bear little in common with their ancient ancestors. Our ancestors were not following their spiritual path for recreation, or self improvement, they held to their spirituality because it was there to save their lives, to help heal their sick, and to help bring crops and animals to their table. It is very easy to get off on fantasy in the West, because we are divorced from the natural world, and we don t need our ancient ways to help us survive. In the olden days, if things didn t work, people would die, now it is not like that, and the essential pragmatic point of spirituality is no longer there. We seek it to find balance in our urban world, and because we do that, it is far too easy to get seduced by the romance of it and entranced by the fantasy. Don t become so spiritual that you are no earthly good. You may indeed be called to walk a true shamanic path - but if you are, it s no big deal, you are not special, you are just chosen by the spirits to bear a heavier load on your back than many of your fellows - remember only an idiot actively wants to be a shaman. But walking an animistic lifepath, seeing the beauty in all of your relations, seeing it in every being you meet, from a raven to a rainbow, a starfish to a star, will make your life richer, and make you feel more connected - because we truly are all related. Nicholas Breeze Wood is the editor of Sacred Hoop Magazine. He has followed a shamanic path since he was a teenager but this became more formal when he met his first human teachers in 1985, when he was 27. He has received teachings and ceremonies from Native American medicine people, Mongolian, Buryat and Tuvan shamans and from Tibetan Buddhist and shamanic traditions. He is now deeply apprenticed to his own spirit helpers. Nick@SacredHoop.org Above: Buryat shaman drums in the smoke of a sacred fire 35

36 a field guide to Pulsarias Ruth Emsley Several years ago, I was lying in a garden. It was a beautiful garden, lovingly tended; the colours of the flowers and lawns were vivid in the summer sunlight; in the background, there was even the sound of a gently running stream. I was on a healing retreat, and a young woman was examining me, because, although around me people seemed to be experiencing states of peace and bliss, I was feeling sick, miserable and very alone. The woman pressed my abdomen repeatedly in different places, searching. She seemed to be listening intently. Finally, she located something. Yes! It s there. It s well-hidden. But it s there. I had to wait till the evening for a full explanation, but when I asked what she d found, she said a word that would change my life. You have a pulsaria. The impetus for writing this article comes primarily from people who have had a similar diagnosis, or suspect they may also have a pulsaria. While this is a well understood diagnosis - as far as I know - in traditional Amazonian and Mexican healing Curanderoism - the traditional shamanic-like healing ways of the region - it is virtually unknown as a condition in the West. But although the diagnosis is little known, I m convinced from my own practice that pulsarias are, nevertheless, a widespread and common condition in our culture; and that if you are working as a therapist or healer, there is a high chance that some of your clients will be carrying one. Therefore, understanding what pulsarias are, and their impact, could, I believe, be of great help to many people. THE NATURE OF A PULSARIA So what exactly had that young woman, who did the diagnosis on me during the healing retreat - a shaman who had trained in the Amazon - discovered hiding in my abdomen? What is a pulsaria? Well, basically, a pulsaria is an energy bundle, which pulses. Sometimes they pulse with a gentle butterfly-like quality, and sometimes they pulse like the pistons of a steam train. They form when there has been trauma, and the pain cannot be released. The pain causes some kind of damage to the person s energy body, and the energy of subsequent pain attaches to the original injury. They are often located in the abdomen, but can be found elsewhere, such as the heart or the head. Once sufficient energy has accumulated, an extraordinary thing happens. It seems that the pulsaria becomes a semiindependent life-form. The pulse they carry is like a heart-beat. What s more, they seem to have a low-grade awareness. While some are static in the body, others are mobile to a degree, and will even evade shamanic efforts at extraction. 36

37 They can feel like a possession when they are well developed; the person lives more in the energy field of the pulsaria than the reverse, and this colours all the person s experiences. While many form in childhood, a trauma, such as a rape in later life, could lay the basis for one. Some are inherited - passed down the ancestral line, or originating in past lives. Once well-established, they seem, most perniciously, to become self-perpetuating. The way they filter and shape experience often leads to more pain, fear and sorrow, which only helps them grow. My own diagnosis precipitated one of the most intense years of my life. Once identified, I became completely focused on finding treatment for this condition. I went to Peru for specialist work within the Amazon rainforest, but it wasn t possible to stay there long-term. On returning, I hunted down everyone and anyone I could find who could offer some kind of treatment. I was, I think, fortunate in finding a woman called Skie Hummingbird, who, with her extensive shamanic training, worked with me intensively over many months. I also sought out anyone trained in sucking extraction - a technique which medicine people from Peru and Mexico often use, in which they gradually suck out the bundle of anguished energy that people are carrying. Much of what I describe in this article comes from conversations with all these people. discovered that there are a limited number of healers trained specifically to work with this condition in the West, and so perhaps a brief self-help guide would be timely. For me the most striking thing in my own healing process was a need both for shamanic work at an energy level, and for other kinds of therapeutic work to accompany and process that. My sense is that the core mechanism at work in the formation of a pulsaria is an environment which makes the processing and discharging of pain, shock, sadness, fear or anger, difficult or impossible. Our lives will always encounter pain, but for some people there is support to be found in making sense of, digesting, and releasing such experiences. But for anyone who has an environment, or personality, which leads to the suppression of an intense feeling, that person can then become a prime candidate for the forming of a pulsaria. Shamanic extraction work during my own healing seemed absolutely vital to me; and I think it would have taken years to clear the pulsaria with conventional therapy alone. Equally necessary though, was a process which gradually reversed my habit of suppression and dissociation; a process which led me to a greater capacity for feeling, and subsequently for being. There are many such routes to generating this greater awareness, and people should be encouraged to sense for themselves what will be right for them. For me, the keys were a mix of a technique called Focusing, mixed with the Depth Empathy and Interpersonal Neuro-Biology (IPNB) work of Sarah Peyton and Gloria Lybecker. All of these together proved revolutionary. WORKING WITH PULSARIAS I hope, in due course, there will be more scholarly guides to the many advanced techniques traditional shamans use in their treatments for this condition; but in the meantime, PULSARIA PATHOLOGY That year of intense work culminated with a treatment from the shaman and ayahuascero Don Javier de Arevelo Shahuano, in the Amazon. By this time I d started my own shamanic training, and Don Javier encouraged me to follow this path. At the end of my time with him in the Amazon he declared my pulsaria gone, and told me I was fully healed. While all healing journeys are unique, I think there have been some lessons within mine which might be useful to others, either working with shamanic healing, or experiencing a pulsaria. Trips to the Amazon are not feasible for many people due to difficulties of travel, cost and time commitments. I have also Left: Don Javier treating a man s pulsaria using herbs collected in the Amazon Rainforest 37

38 Right: the personal perception of PTSD - a drawing done by a suicidal, young female psychiatric patient there are different strategies that can be taken, either in working with a client, or working with a pulsaria if you have one yourself. The very first thing to know is that it will take time. Pulsarias can rarely be extracted in one go, and sometimes need work over many months, or even years. It s worth bearing in mind how long it has taken to accumulate when coming to terms with this. I think there are several important approaches to effectivecly tackling a pulsaria. Diet: The pulsaria diet is designed to soothe the body and withdraw energy from the pulsaria itself. Antiinflammatory diets, and supplements in general, can be helpful; with a particular focus on reducing as far as possible sugar, dairy, gluten, spicy and fatty foods. There seems some indication that aloe vera in particular can be a helpful component of this approach. Reading: While I ve not been able to find anything else written directly on this topic, there are now several excellent books on trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and complex PTSD (CPTSD). All these help people to gain an understanding and perspective on their experience. Shamanic Extraction: Many people working shamanically will, I am sure, have had some training in extraction work. While the Peruvian, Brazilian and Mexican shamans I worked with used both the sucking technique, and the use of ritual objects - such as black stones from the Amazon - to draw out the energy, I would suggest using techniques which you are comfortable with, and only if you have had the appropriate training. Be aware that the pulsaria energy often seems to have a strong survival instinct, and looks to preserve its own existence, so a mix of clarity of purpose, determination and your own safeguards are essential. Other Resources: Working to remove a pulsaria can be challenging, and other aspects of shamanic work can often prove very helpful. Soul Retrievals at the appropriate time can help to return a person s core energies, which may have been lost during times of trauma. Connecting a person with their power animals, helper spirits and guides can also provide a profound sense of accompaniment and support, particularly if physical and emotional this-world support has been inadequate for them. Ancestral work is sometimes also extremely useful in clearing the patterns which may have led to this condition, and in restoring a sense of positive ancestral connection if that has been damaged. From the Peruvian tradition, if you know how, a black despacho ceremony can be performed. This ceremony allows for a deep reckoning and releasing, with the sense that the earth itself is digesting the old energies and memories. Ceasing or reducing contact with family members, schools, employers, or any other of the list of people or institutions which have caused us pain can also bring a release from old, often unconscious bonds. Sometimes even curse breaking and the clearing of black magic may be needed. HEALING MAY FEEL WORSE One of the main challenges for people with pulsarias, is that the healing process often seems to feel like the reverse is happening. As the energy is reduced in concentration, it seems to become more available to be re-experienced as emotion, and this can be a shocking and sometimes apparently destabilising experience when the body and psyche are geared to clamping down on feeling. Being aware of this process in advance can be immeasurably helpful when navigating suddenly turbulent waters. Healers might also usefully explore the wider issue of resourcing with pulsaria clients. Helping clients think about additional sources of emotional, physical, and sometimes practical, support can be a vital prompt to acknowledging and meeting the needs that emerge as work progresses. For me, Focusing was a lifesaving resource. Focusing provides a safe and gentle way to gradually come into a deeper relationship with the self, in an embodied and held way. Once learnt, exchanges can be arranged with peers, making this a cheap option for long-term work. CALLING ON THE MUKIS This is the singularly most helpful healing process that I ve found. Traditionally, this practice is undertaken before an Illumination 1 - a traditional Q'ero energy healing procedure - but it can be done by people on their own, as well as 38

39 being used as a clearing technique in its own right while working with others. The technique is beautifully described in the book The Path of the Energetic Mystic 2 Mukis are spirit beings which live deep in the earth. They are described as spirit doctors which consume hucha - in this case a type of heavy energy - which is held in the organs and the lymphatic system. The process of calling on the help of the Mukis is short, but precise, and it may take a while to find the exact points. Persistence is key! The first step is to open one s wiraqocha. This is the point of pure, divine source energy. Placing your hands at your heart level and holding them, palms together, in prayer position, the hands are then raised together, until - with arms vertical - they are joined above your head. As you do this, you imagine them deep in the source energy, which you could perhaps visualise as the Sun. Next, you turn your hands to face outwards, and you draw this solar-like energy around your body as a protective cloak. This cloak offers safety and protection during The first step is to open one s wiraqocha, the point of pure, divine source energy. You draw this solar-like energy around your body as a protective cloak, offering safety and protection during the healing the session. If you are working on someone else, you can open their wiraqocha in a similar way. After this stage has been completed, you lay down, and then you will need to find four points on your abdomen. There s a geometry to these points, which will help with their location. Two are beneath the bottom of the ribs, two are to the side of the hip bone. You start at the left, if you are a woman, or on the right if you are a man. From the outer edge of your abdomen - just under the rib - feel along, until you find a point with a slight electrical charge (fig 1). Press into this point with three fingers. Start gently, but over time you might find pressing more deeply activates these points more powerfully, stronger. Next, start feeling around the curve of the left (for women) hip, feeling for a similar point. Once again, press this point. After this, complete the process on the opposite side of your body. You will know you re in the right spot, partly Fig 1. Finding the four points. The order is shown for a woman, for a man it is opposite Fig 2. Unwinding the navel chakra Fig 3. Drawing a cross of light between the four points. Three crosses need to be drawn, one on top of the other

40 When a trauma is large, there can be experiences of other dimensions. Sometimes these can be nurturing and helpful, but sometimes encounters - and the associated terror - with demons or dark entities lurk in the shadows of pulsarias. Holding a space where this can be normalised, without undue drama for your client, can be a great gift by feel, and partly by result, but also by the maths of energetic anatomy. The rib points you activate should sit directly above the hip points. When we draw a cross linking these four points - which is the next step - the centre of the cross will pass through the navel. The next step, which is to unwind the navel chakra (fig 2). This is done with the hand, making three anti-clockwise circles close to the body, just above the navel. Next, from the side you first started, you draw a strand of light from the rib point on one side, to the hip point on the opposite side. This is the line that passes through the navel. Then draw a line of light, passing from the other rib point to its opposite hip point. You have drawn one cross (fig 3). Repeat this process, so drawing another two crosses on top of the first - making three super-imposed crosses in total. This draws a symbolic sun upon your abdomen. Once this is complete, you can call on the mukis to come and assist you. This can be done aloud, or in your mind. Call several times, with the sense that your call reaches deep into the earth. It is best if you can focus and do this for an hour or two during a healing session, but it can also be left on automatic all night for depth healing. Having done this process regularly, I have woken on several occasions with a strongly palpable sense of presences working on my body. Once I was being persuaded in a lucid dream conversation to let them take something. Being aware this is possible, and not freaking out, is helpful. After the session - however long it has lasted - it is vital to close the navel chakra. This is done simply by turning the hand three times in a clockwise direction above the navel. You can decide if you want to close your wiraqocha or not. If closing it, you simply reverse the opening sequence. This process is profoundly helpful in processing the long-held energy found within a pulsaria, and the technique can be useful for healers as well, to keep themselves clear. THE PULSARIA DARK SIDE I think it is worth mentioning that a shamanic understanding of the mechanisms of trauma can be very helpful in supporting people who are trying to make sense of their experience. I think shamanism has a more literal understanding of dissociation than is perhaps the case in psychology. Shamanic teachings often understand that some essential part of the being can leave the body in states of serious shock - hence the need for a soul retrieval, a process when this essential part is brought back. This loss can be a temporary condition, or a shock can lead to a longerterm soul loss. I have a sense that when a trauma is large - in a person s childhood particularly - there can be experiences of the other dimensions. Sometimes these can be nurturing and helpful; and there are accounts of people meeting angels or guides in traumatic contexts. But I think the reverse of these nurturing and helpful meetings are also common. Memories of encounters - and the associated terror - with demons or dark entities seem to lurk often in the shadows of pulsarias. Therefore holding a space where this can be normalised, without undue drama for your client, can be a great gift. Lightly holding a knowledge of the worlds, and the sorts of experiences which shamans can run into, and also of the kinds of beings they might encounter in these other worlds can bring 40

41 great relief to a client. I say lightly holding, as what is needed is a way to make their experiences feel safe, helping them understand that we are safe, and these beings - whether real, and outside of ourselves, or parts of our psyches - are nothing to be feared. As is the case with other spontaneous shamanic-like expereinces, over time, digesting these peak experiences can lead to insight and personal power. LOVE AND LAUGHTER Finding compassion, care, love, laughter, humour are all necessary ingredients for any healing process, and dealing with pulsarias is no exception. While the removal of a pulsaria - if it exists - seems necessary for healing, it is not always sufficient to achieve a complete healing. In a personal healing journey, which seemed to me one of compelling necessity, I have been rattled over, sung to, energetically cut open with giant condor feathers, sucked on, hugged, talked to, embraced, celebrated, challenged and confirmed. I have received channelled messages, the divine light of the goddess, alien light language transmissions, and I have danced, sung, cried - and on occasion, rolled around in ecstasy and terror. I ve also been buried in the ground, walked on hot coals, and been present at my own funeral. During all of these, I ve had visions and dreams, and I m sure the ongoing help of my spirit helpers and power animals. But, most of all I think, I have been loved, loved by people in this world and loved by beings which seem to exist beyond this dimension. I ve been seen and loved. In fact, most of all, I have come, gradually to see and love myself; and I would like to suggest that this is part of what we really need to offer to our clients. This is both what we can offer from our own experience, and from the shamanic experience itself. These can reconnect us with a world of mystery, where support and care are available beyond our rational understanding. We live in a world that, from one perspective, is disjointed and full of chaos and pain. And yet, the dimension of love is also equally true, and comes to infuse and balance this challenging existence. This is the direction, the instruction which calls above all others as we walk down our medicine path. If you, or your clients, or friends, or children, have a pulsaria, I wish you and them well with the journey. It may be long, and at times it may seem challenging beyond measure, but I want you to know that hope is reasonable and available. I encourage you to find determination and courage in the search for healing. I hope this guide is of some help in that adventure. Ruth Emsley has trained for over two decades in healing, bodywork and shamanic practice, and now works as a shamanic healer as well as a BFA recognised Focusing practitioner teaching focusing. She is an initiated curandera in an Amazonian tradition, and is exploring new ways of offering shamanic healing. Prayer is a core to her work. NOTES: 1: llluminations are a Q'ero healing technique, which aim to remove entrenched and maladaptive energetic patterns from the body and psyche. Described and taught by teachers such as Alberto Villoldo and Skie Hummingbird, the Illumination process is now described in the Path of the Energetic Mystic manuals. 2: The Path of the Energetic Mystic, Part One - the first of four books detailing a four year training of Q ero shamanism. Edited by Inge Teunisson and Dennis Alejo Mango. The information about the Mukis in this article is taken from the book with the editor s permission. The books are available on Amazon in both digital and paper formats. I ve been seen and loved. In fact, most of all, I have come, gradually to see and love myself; and I would like to suggest that this is part of what we really need to offer to our clients 41

42 Ancient spirits in trees can heal you as much as they can attack you. They behave in the way a wild animal might, in the sense that if you don t draw too much attention to yourself they consider you harmonious and leave you alone. But if you exhibit disharmonious behaviour, if you misbehave in their presence, they might well leave you with a curse, as such spirits have the power to torment us, trick us and test us in our personal lives. Their power is strong. Traditionally, therefore a person makes absolutely certain that they are respectful in woodlands at all times. I believe the animistic connection to everything around us is still alive. Seeing life in everything is a natural instinct, and where the spirits of trees are concerned, I believe this instinct is ancient. with the Spirits of Trees A Romani Gypsy Relationship with the Woodlands Patrick Jasper Lee Above: natural eyes growing in the bark of a hawthorn tree Right: ancient oak trees in Sherwood Forest, England None of us can live without trees. They are all around us, largely unnoticed, yet for those of us who understand their ancient presence here on earth, they retain a mystery and are simply awesome. This is understandable, considering they are reputed to be more than 400 million years old up against humankind s mere 2.5 million year history. The Romani Gypsy relationship with trees stretches back thousands of years, and it has always been, what I call, a living one, in the sense that trees and woodlands had as much life in them as humans always did - in fact, in many ways they had much more. The spirits living in trees need to be taken seriously at all costs because traditionally they are considered to have a direct line to the otherworld, and that otherworldly connection has always been revered and feared so much, that many Romanis have been compelled to bring trees into much of their thinking. If we are taught from an early age, that the spirits in trees are real - as I was when I was growing up - we will, as a consequence, come to believe that the spirits will shield us in times of stress, heal us in times of sickness and connect us to the otherworld if we happen to feel spiritually lost and lonely. 42

43 When thorn was put on a grave, the deceased s spirit would never return to haunt the world. A thorn tree is said to form a barrier between the worlds, keeping the dead in their world, and the living in this one I was introduced to the spirits in the trees at an early age. Encouraged by my Romani elders, I spent a lot of time alone in a garden, talking to an apple tree. I told him stories, and knew without a doubt that he was listening. Advised to communicate with all spirits, communicating with the tree spirits was part of an education in how to live in the world, which most Romani Gypsy children would receive. When we understand that hosts of spirits are hidden within the bark and leaves of our favourite trees, we instinctively want to be humble and polite to them. This makes us happy to follow the ancient rules, and even today, I have taught my son to bow to an old tree when he meets one, so that no bad luck comes his way. I believe I have passed on to him a good and respectful habit. The spirits in the trees have had a raw deal in this world without doubt, so the least we can do is respect the ancient connection we have with them, and enjoy it. FEAR OF THE EVIL EYE Different trees, of course, produce different kinds of spirits, but it s necessary to begin by seeing trees as people. Trees, after all, have faces, noses, eyes, limbs, hands, feet, skin and hair. But perhaps the most noticeable feature, which many trees have, is a natural, eyeshaped mark in the bark. Fear of the evil-eye is common in Gypsy lore, and it is likely that nomads across the ancient world went in fear of what it could do. The evil-eye, or bengesko yak in the Romani language, was traditionally considered powerful when seen within the yakescro mortsi - the eye of the bark. This is not to say that all eyes in tree bark are to be feared, but a Romani Gypsy was well prepared to encounter bad luck, as much as they were prepared to encounter good, because they considered the spirits in trees to have the edge where otherworld power was concerned. It is said that trees can change our lives if they want to, so the existence of the yakescro mortsi still encourages me to be courteous to trees at all times. PROTECTION AND BLESSING The oak tree, which we are quite likely to encounter, wherever we go, is one of the strongest trees; although really ancient oak trees are scarce in these modern times. Above: a wind-shaped hawthorn tree growing near graves on Dartmoor, England 43

44 Below: moss covered ancient trees in Ty Canol, an ancient woodland in Pembrokeshire, West Wales Ty Canol has, for centuries, been regarded as a place of spirits and especially a place of the Tylwyth Teg, the fairy folk The oak s acorns symbolise growth and great dreams, and we can all touch oak for luck. Even today, I cannot say with luck without also touching an oak beam which is within my sitting-room. Even though this beam isn t alive in the common sense, something of its spirit remains - although not as powerful as the tree was itself of course. Many in my family would ensure they touched wood - especially oak wood - if they wanted to procure luck, as to avoid touching wood at all might communicate a message to the tree s spirit that they were not serious about their request - and so, as anything could happen, it was better to keep the powerful tree spirit on your side. I am fortunate to have that oak beam in my sitting room, but if you don t have an oaken beam handy nearby, you can seek out an item made of an other kind of wood in your house. It s better to touch something of wood, than not touch anything at all. Romani Gypsies also value both holly and thorn bushes with their protective prickles. Sleeping near, or under holly protects you, because holly spirits are known to be quite ruthless.thorn bushes - such as hawthorn or blackthorn - are considered to be so strong that when thorn was put on a grave, traditionally one was sure that the deceased s spirit would never return to haunt the world. In Romani lore, flowers on graves were not always advisable, as something prickly was considered far better. A thorny bough is said to form a barrier between the worlds, keeping the dead in their world, and the living in this one. Many tree spirits radiate beauty which is manifested in the tree they inhabit. The yew is an extraordinarily stunning tree, and it is considered to have the power to help transform us. Yew helps us keep connected to the ancient lore, and the apple tree, with its beautiful comforting blossom in springtime, helps us feel light and romantic. All of these tree spirits invite us to think about them as the seasons come and go, because we are all surrounded by a wealth of spirits within the trees we meet every day - both within town and country - spirits which can educate and heal us, if only we put our trust in our animistic connections to them. If we want to build and preserve a relationship with the otherworld, we need to include what is available in our own world - knowledge, protection and wisdom - from those living things that our ancestors knew more about than we might today. The trees and the spirits have not changed, only we humans have changed. Our lives will be far richer if we include the spirits in the trees within them; if we make use of the help offered by the spirits, and make friendships with them. The old Romani Gypsy culture still has a lot to teach us about how to make the best of the natural world. Patrick Jasper Lee is from a long line of Romani Gypsies in the Purrum (Lee) clan. Growing up, he learned rare traditions from his great-grandfather and grandmother, and acquired the title Chovihano, which means medicine man in the Romani language. Patrick is author of several books on the Romani tradition, including: Coming Home to the Trees: Travelling with the Gypsy Spirit of the Past and We Borrow the Earth: An Intimate Portrait of the Gypsy Folk Tradition and Culture. 44

45 CORE SHAMANISM AND POWER Susan Mokelke When I first began studying shamanism with Michael Harner in the mid-nineties, the issue of power was not really on my radar. I took his basic workshop because I d had a profound mystical transformative experience, and in trying to understand that, I discovered it was shamanic in nature. Fortunately for me, I was living in the San Francisco Bay area, and the Foundation for Shamanic Studies (FSS) was headquartered nearby in Mill Valley, so I signed up for the soonest available beginning workshop. In that workshop, Michael told us the story of a dangerous river crossing he had made, with a band of Shuar (Jívaro), in the Upper Amazon in the February of Later in his book Cave and Cosmos, he wrote that this experience opened a door to important spiritual knowledge for him. Through it, he gradually learned from the Shuar that they were protected by spirit power against all forms of death, except epidemic disease and that such power can leave one. 1 Michael went on in the workshop to talk about illness and healing from a shamanic perspective, again relating health to spiritual power. While curious about the shamanic healing methods he described, such as psychopomp work, extraction, and soul retrieval, at that time I had no frame of reference for understanding spiritual power. Now, nearly twenty years later, I have come to see that the spiritual power Michael referred to is the essential component necessary for the vitality and health of individuals - as well as for the ultimate healing of human societies, the species who share this planet with us, and of the Earth itself. This writing is not meant to be the last word, but as a stimulus for further thought. Core shamanism is an independent democratic spirituality. My process of learning about and Above: Ancestors Posing for Posterity Anne Deon Oil on canvas 45

46 Power is a difficult concept for most of us. The entire history of our species is fraught with the abuse of power. I have never met anyone who has not experienced some form of mistreatment from those who have had authority or influence over them understanding shamanic power is unique to me - as yours will be to you - but it is of crucial importance that we do come to such an understanding. I firmly think our future depends upon significant numbers of people being able to compassionately, and powerfully, work with the helping spirits to transform our world. NATURE OF SPIRITUAL POWER After the Basic Workshop, I continued my shamanic studies with the FSS. The initial phase of my training seemed, on the surface, to be about gaining knowledge of methods, but in hindsight, alongside of that, what was really happening was that I was forming relationships with my helping spirits - beautiful, amazing, loving relationships. I was awakened to a possibility of compassion, such as I had not imagined existed in my ordinary reality life. As I learned shamanic practices, I was drawn to offer this healing to others, partly from my own desire to help, but also because of the great kindness and love the spirits were showing me. I completed a FSS Two Week Shamanic Healing Intensive, and then their Three Year Program of Advanced Initiations in Shamanism and Shamanic Healing, continuing to develop my shamanic healing practice. During this period, I became very aware of the issue of power and of my own complex relationship with it. Power is a difficult concept for most of us. The entire history of our species is fraught with the abuse of power. I have never met anyone who has not experienced some form of mistreatment from those who have had authority or influence over them. Misuse of power can express itself between individuals in hurtful and damaging physical or psychological acts. In organisations it can be reflected in petty bureaucratic strictures, harsh criticisms, punitive actions, or neglect; and on a global scale, the world has witnessed wars, violence, religious hatred, terrorism, environmental devastation, and tyranny. In my own early shamanic phase, though I was having some good results with my healing practice, I had a growing awareness that something was missing, that there was more awaiting me, if only I could but grasp it. During this time, a new shamanic client came to me who had experienced severe abuse as a child. In the process of working with her over several months, the issue of power arose for her. She had experienced such great suffering through its misuse that she had chosen to reject it, withdrawing from participating in life and spending much of her day alone and sleeping. And in working with the spirits on her behalf, I began to examine my own relationship with power. What is power? How was I using my power? If I accepted my own power, might I too misuse it? What is spiritual power? How does one gain spiritual power? As time went on, and in consultation with my spirits, I came to realise that while I trusted the compassionate spirits, I doubted my own ability and readiness to use their power appropriately. In interacting shamanically with this one client over the course of some years, I witnessed her total transformation: her refusal to let her early wounds define her and her coming to an acceptance of her own power - resulting in the freedom to truly live her life. She and the spirits taught me so much about power. In the practice of shamanism, we often say that the goal is not personal enlightenment; but while personal transformation is not the goal, it is almost inevitably the outcome for those who take shamanic healing seriously. It is impossible to merge with the spirits of the Upper and Lower Worlds regularly and not be transformed by this interaction. Once I realised that it was myself I mistrusted, something in me let go, and a sense of humility awakened. I began to examine deeply the desires of my own heart and my own very human foibles. I asked the spirits for help, to be a better vessel for their healing power, and they began teaching me at a whole new level about dealing with, and letting go of, my human shortcomings. This was not about trying to achieve some state of perfection, but about coming to terms with the aspects of self that might interfere with the full and appropriate use of spiritual power. The spirits also taught me, that the refusal to accept power - and to do one's best to help those seeking aid was a different kind of ego. In their kind but firm (and slightly humorous way), they told me: You are needed. Get over yourself. Power, per se, is not the problem - the workout for each of us is in how we use power and the nature of our intention when we use it. Practising shamanic healing has become my crucible for transformation. It is in offering the spirits curative power to others that the path to my own flowering has unfolded. Through this discipline I have come to know that the deep desire of my heart is truly to help our world heal and become the garden it was intended to be. Being human, I am not in that state all of the time, but I have come to trust in my intentions. If I get off track, the helping spirits are there to guide me back. In difficult situations, I consider my heart, reaching for patience, understanding and kindness. But this is not some ethereal state of sweetness and light, instead it is a daily earthly workout - while often swimming upstream against my own less admirable impulses and resulting mistakes - striving to see the appropriate action clearly and accepting that sometimes tough decisions are necessary. And at the same time, I, we, have to refuse to give in to blame, anger, and judgment, and instead attempt to emulate the compassionate neutrality of our helping spirits. As I have consistently strived toward goodwill, and come to trust in my own heart, I feel I have been able to receive more of the spirits gifts of power. 46

47 For example, a specific helping spirit, which came to me in the early days of my training, presented itself as a kindly and gentle spirit, and that is how it remained for many years. However, at a recent Three Year Program session I taught, there was a situation that required a great deal of power to address it. So, I called upon my helping spirits and opened myself to receive, on a scale I had never before experienced. This typically rather mild spirit was the first to come in, but the spirit became huge, filling the entire meeting room, dazzlingly radiant with power. The spirit told me: I have shown you the gentle side of love. Now I will teach you about its fiery aspect. In abandoning myself to merge with this spirit, I experienced a new degree of spiritual power, and the situation completely shifted. THE GIFT OF CORE SHAMANISM When one is free to embrace the power that the helping spirits provide, an immense resource for transformation and healing becomes available that is crucially needed now to sustain our troubled planet. Michael Harner s genius in developing core shamanism - from the standpoint of preserving our future - is three-fold: Core shamanism is accessible to humanity, regardless of culture; it can be learned and put into successful practice relatively quickly; and the practitioners of core shamanism work with fully compassionate spirits of the Upper and Lower Worlds, exclusively and explicitly for healing purposes. I have heard it expressed by some that contemporary shamanism is not real shamanism, that one must be an indigenous shaman in order to have significant power. As my own experience, and the powerful healing results achieved by thousands of core shamanic practitioners, over the last several decades, have demonstrated, this is most emphatically not the case. We are not in competition with shamans from other cultures, whose ways we value and respect. We see ourselves as colleagues with them, working to ease pain and suffering and so bringing about balance and wholeness. One could imagine that when future generations look back on us, they may perceive core shamanism as the cultural shamanism of our time. THE MANIFESTING SPIRITS Amazing healings, and miracles of teaching and transformation, are one way of experiencing the presence and power of the spirits and in addition to the growing body of shamanic healing accounts, actual physical manifestations of the spirits seem to be on the rise. The FSS has examples of spirits appearing in photos, or leaving physical evidence of their presence - particularly in its Three Year Program, and many other instances have been reported by shamanic practitioners. A few thought-provoking photos of one shamanic practitioner s experience of manifesting spirits are shown in this article, and I am fortunate to have the opportunity to discuss with colleagues about what they are learning and experiencing as they deepen in their shamanic knowledge and power. Recently, I have been receiving increasing reports from practitioners that their helping spirits are teaching them ways to bring their spirits power to bear for healing on a larger scale; such as in war zones, the plight of refugees, the suffering of animals like elephants, and the degradation of our lands, air, and waters 2. I too also have received such teachings. Futhermore, in my journeys and healing sessions, I have noted, with great hope, the presence of tremendous numbers of helping spirits pressing against ordinary reality, waiting to be invited, waiting for someone to open the way for them. Our precious Earth is on the brink, caught between opposing forces of chaos and enlightenment. From my perspective, we are standing on the edge of tremendous possibility. We can choose to fly or fall, but I perceive that shamanism can help us to fly. Susan Mokelke, J.D., is the president of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies and director of the FSS Faculty. She currently teaches the FSS two-day workshops and the Three Year Program of Advanced Initiations in Shamanism and Shamanic Healing. She can be reached through the Foundation. info@shamanism.org NOTES: 1: Michale Harner, Cave and Cosmos North Atlantic Books Read an extract from the book and a review in Sacred Hoop Issue 80 2: In many cases, the methods being taught also address issues of permission. i.e., how to offer healing on a larger scale while still maintaining ethical standards for the practice of shamanism. For more about shamanic ethics, see Ethical Considerations in Shamanic Healing: Left and Centre: During a distant shamanic healing for a child away at camp, the child shot these photos of the campfire using a phone. The practitioner identified the shape in the flames as the healing spirit they had met on the journey Below: apparent manifestation of a spirit s power: after a healing session with a client, it seems some of the power went into a large crystal ball on the floor and lit it up. This dissipated over time Photos: Janet Rodriguez, Liguna Niguel, California, USA 47

48 R EVIEWS ELWAN Tinariwen CD or Download: mins. Wedge Records: WEDGECD00117P Reviewer: Nicholas Breeze Wood This is Tinariwen s seventh album and it sees them as gritty and trancy as ever, only now with their North African Sahara desert homeland now a restricted conflict zone, threatened by islamist terrorists the band are somewhat in exile and recorded this album in the deserts of Joshua Tree national park in California and while camped at an oasis in southern Morocco (which I guess is pretty much the Northern Sahara when I come to think about it). Well, the deserts may have changed, but the gritty hypnotic nature of their music hasn t. This band of blue-robed Tuaregs continue to rock and sway across the world music scene. Having guested with a variety of musicians in recent years - including appearing on the last Cat Stevens album - they are as magnificent as ever. If this wondrous band have eluded you and you don t know their music, get out from under your bush or cave and go and seek them out. I m waiting with baited breath to see them live, in a few weeks time, as they bring their Sahara sounds to sleepy West Wales; playing in our local medieval castle no less - now that s an image to conjure with. Available from Amazon and itunes etc. On Spotify YouTube: NYN Kristi Stassinopoulou and Stathis Kalyviotis CD or Download: mins. Riverboat Records: TUGDD1093 Reviewer: Nicholas Breeze Wood Album of the Issue Kristi and Stathis are two musicians who have continually excited me over the years, fusing, as they do, a mix of traditional Greek music with trancey and often powerful electronica, electric guitars and other instruments. Always they have been fresh and innovative, and this album - their first for a few years - is no different. Greece has not, of course, been having an easy time in recent years, and these two - who are big names in Greece - are commenting on this in this album, the first song Winter is Coming is a bleak - post Game of Thrones - peek out from behind the curtains in order to what is coming down the road. Sadly, I don t have any album notes with the copy i was sent, and despite Kristi s obvious good grasp of English, shown in all my personal communications with her over the years, she, quite rightly sings the album in Greek. And so I have to rely on the feel of the music to get a sense about it. Well, it s wild and fierce - like all the best traditional Greek music is, comprised of 13 tracks, of which my favourite track by far being Wave by Wave a mix of deeply gut tangling and jangling affected accordion sampling in a hypnagogic beat, over which Kristi weaves her linguistic magic - it has the infectious beat. The album reached number one in the Transglobal World Music Charts, and number two in the World Music Charts when it came out late last year, so my advice to you is you seek out this and all her other albums, they are truly splendid. Available from Amazon and itunes etc. On Spotify TUVAN HEALING SERVICE Director: Dart Van Dijck Alfacam Wuro 1080 Axe Entertainment Films YouTube: 67mins Reviewer: Nicholas Breeze Wood An independent and interesting, well made film, about Tuvan shamanism and its relationship to wider Tuvan culture and art - especially music, made some time before the end of 2010, when one of the major figures in the film, a shaman called Ai- Churek died. The film is in Tuvan with occasional English sections courtesy of an American musician they interview, but has good subtitles throughout. The film is made up of interviews with shamans and Tuvan shamanologists, and musicologists with an interest in shamanism, including several interviews with Mongush Kenin-Lopsan, who is often considered the Grandfather of the Tuvan shamanic revival, which happened after the demise of communism. The interviews are on topic, with the shamans talking about their healing work and the nature and reality of shamanism. There is also film of several ceremonies and healings with the shamans explaining something of what they are doing. Interspersed throughout the film are glimpses of Tuvan life, both in the rural parts and in Kyzyl, the country s capital. It pulls no punches, as Tuva is in many ways a third world country, and the shamans do their best while often living in a degree of squalor and poverty. A film well worth seeking out and watching, both to look at the work of traditional Siberian shamans and also as a reality check for what shamanism is really like, and really about. Movie available for free on YouTube: 48

49 REVIEWS THE EAGLE HUNTRESS Director: Otto Bell Sony Pictures Classics DVD and Selected Cinemas: 87mins Reviewer: Nicholas Breeze Wood Filmed in the far west of Mongolia, this extraordinary documentary, or docu-drama, follows the story of Aisholpan, a 13-year-old Kazakh girl, who yearns to be an eagle hunter - which is a presented as a male-dominated tradition. For many generations, Kazakhs in this part of Mongolia - the southern ranges of the Altai mountains - have hunted foxes and other animals using golden eagles, which they take from the nest before they can fly. They bring up and train the captive birds and then release them after seven years so that - as they put it - the cycle of life can be completed. Aisholpan wishes to go where (according to the film) no girl has ever gone before, and to capture her own eagle - which nest on ledges on high cliffs. They are only accessible by a dangerous rock climb, and enter the annual Eagle Hunter Festival where eagle hunters show off their skills, and then finally hunt foxes in the frozen wilds of the wintry Altai Mountains. The film is heart-lifting, inspirational and breathtakingly beautiful, filmed as it is in glorious wild and rugged scenery. It was released to outstanding praise and has become one of those rare films that has made a place for itself with people of all walks of life - not just amidst the groups of shamanistas who might normally mutter approvingly about such films. However, it s not all as it seems. Women have been eagle huntresses for a long time, and so the film has rather hidden feminist agendas, which make the story factually untrue. Aisholpan is by no means alone in her desire, and generally men don t object - except the few crusty old ones they gathered together as the nay-sayers in the film. One critic of the film summed it up thus: Without the imposed girl-power narrative, it's a film about the fox-hunting techniques of Mongolian Kazakhs, a subject that is not exactly a banker at the box office. Does the film s inaccurate girl-power agenda make the film a bad film? No, I don t think it does, it s still a very enjoyable movie, only take all the stuff about Aisholpan being the first woman to ever become a huntress with a large pinch of salt. Movie Trailer: Available on DVD soon after this issue of Hoop is published. INTO THE INFERNO Director: Werner Herzog Netflix DVD and Online Screening: 107mins Reviewer: Nicholas Breeze Wood I debated a little about reviewing this, because I had to ask myself was a film about volcanos really part of the remit of Sacred Hoop? And then, of course, I answered myself with a resounding yes, because this is by Werner Herzog, and it is not an ordinary film about these vast natural phenomena. Volcanoes have affected humans for as long as we have been on the planet, in fact some scientists theorise that we were almost made extinct by one, about 100,000 years ago, which left perhaps no more than 600 humans alive on the planet, and from whom we are all descended. And that is what makes this fascinating and frightening film special enough for me to review, as it s as much about humans, and the spirits, as it is about volcanos. The film starts out in Vanuatu, a series of small volcanic islands in the South Pacific, talking to a tribal chief about the spirits who live in the volcano, and then - in a series of hops around the planet - visits Indonesia, Ethiopia, Iceland, North Korea and other places which have active spiritual relationships with volcanos, before coming back to Vanuatu once again to explore the John Thum cult - the spirit of an American GI - who lives in the volcano and who communicates with his followers. The film looks at both the physicality of volcanos, with jaw dropping footage, and shows how they have shaped human cultures. There are wonderful sequences about hunting for the remains of our earliest ancestors in the Great Rift Valley in Africa, and a look through the rarest Viking edda - The Codex Regius - a book written around 1270 which contains the Prophecy of the Völva (female shaman) about the end of the world. Throughout the film are the great beasts themselves, the dragons of the world, belching fire, and giving both death and life. It is full of incredible landscapes, astounding statistics and people getting far too close to lava, which splashes around like the waves on the sea. At times I found myself telling them out loud to get away from it - edge of the seat stuff! At the end, returning to Vanuatu, the tribal chief tells us how the world will eventually melt, will all turn to fiery foam like the ocean. We truly are nothing when Grandmother shakes her head and sneezes... a very sobering film that puts a lot in perspective. Movie Trailer: Full Movie on Youtube: 49

50 REVIEWS JAGUAR IN THE BODY, BUTTERFLY IN THE HEART: The real-life Initiation of an Everyday Shaman Ya'Acov Darling Khan Hay House Books PB: 300 pages /$17.99 ISBN: Reviewer: Nicholas Breeze Wood I remember when I first met Ya Acov, it was a third of a century ago. We have shared some of the same teachers, knew some of the same people and went to some of the same places, and this autobiography is full of memories - taking me, on the turn of each page, deeply down a memory lane; and for that I thank him. Back when shamanism and the medicine teachings were almost unknown in Britain, Ya Acov was seeking them out, working with different teachers and diving deeply into a mysterious world - which lay just out of sight, almost like London Below in Neil Gaiman s novel Neverwhere. And like those people drawn into London Below, for all those of us who were drawn into the mysterious medicine paths - all those many years ago - life has never been the same again... I really enjoyed this book, not just because I was there in so many ways, but also because the recollections are precious, and they need to be remembered and laid down. Ya Acov - and others - were on the cutting edge of something which is still developing and growing, and these memories are the roots of a flowering sapling, which I hope, one day, will grow to be a mighty flowering tree. If you were there you will love this book, if you were not there you will love this book - a journey through the past that lays seeds for the future. Available from Amazon etc.. CALLING US HOME Chris Lüttichau Head of Zeus Books HB: 384 pages /$14.95 ISBN: Reviewer: Nicholas Breeze Wood This is an introduction, with interspersed personal reflections, to the medicine path and shamanism by one of the leading teachers in Britain today. That sets this book apart from the world of shamanic introduction books, as so many of these type of books are written by people with little or no experience, Chris is deeply knowledgeable and has walked his path for many decades, giving the book a voice of authenticity, which is very refreshing. After the obligatory introduction section, explaining what shamanism is, the book moves on to the main course, looking at the personal path of shamanism, and especially looking at the clearing away of the obstacles which inhibit us hearing and working with the spirits effectively. There is a lot of, what I know as south work in this book - south work because in many medicine wheel teachings, the place of our past and our emotions are in the south. This south work is essential if you want to work well with the spirits and this book is mostly about that, about quieting the mind, and the raging ego, in order to come home to ourselves and our pristine, innate awareness of the deeper reality that surrounds us. If you want a feel of the book, our lead article this issue is an edited extract. It s a deep book, a wise book, a book that should get people thinking and questioning, and a very refreshing change to many of the other books on the subject that I get sent. Available from Amazon etc.. THE ACCIDENTAL SHAMAN: Journeys with Plant Teachers and Other Spirit Allies Howard G. Charing Destiny Books PB: 235 pages /$16.95 ISBN: Reviewer: Nicholas Breeze Wood A third book, in this issue s reviews, which has been written by someone who actually knows what they are talking about. Howard has walking a shamanic path for many decades, but his path has led him deeply into the traditions of the Amazon rainforest to work with plant spirits. This too is an autobiographical book, with many teachings for those who read it. As well as following a shamanic path, Howard is also a gifted painter, who knew Pablo Amaringo, the famous Peruvian artist well, as Pablo was one of his teachers. Howard is one of those people for whom art and shamanism and shamanism and art are both entwined, and so art and healing, and the art of healing, walk hand in hand throughout the book, which includes colour plates of both Pablo s and Howard s work and traditional Amazonian shamans at work in ceremony and creating ritual artwork. Because this book is about Howard s times spent working in the Amazonian traditions, it has a different feel to many other, more general books about shamanism, and throughout its pages his writing is engaging, drawing the reader in with his wit and sense of adventure. Very enjoyable and written with both clarity and integrity; I hope to arrange for an extract from this book to appear in the next issue of Sacred Hoop Available from Amazon etc. WOULD YOU LIKE TO WRITE REVIEWS FOR HOOP? Have you found some music, a film, or a book recently, which you feel would fit well here in our review pages? If so, we d love to get a review from you about it. Nick@sacredhoop.org We can t promise to publish it until we ve seen it, so why don t you send it in so we can see it. 50

51 FAITH NOLTON SACRED & SHAMANIC ART original paintings, shamanic art healing and coaching ONLINE GALLERY: LATEST BOOK GARDENS OF THE SOUL: making sacred and shamanic art (details see website and Amazon) (UK) SACRED OBJECTS FOR YOUR RITUAL LIFE UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL BUDDHIST AND SHAMANIC RITUAL ITEMS FROM TIBET, MONGOLIA AND NEPAL Sacred Objects lovingly gathered and offered to practitioners and collectors by Nicholas Breeze Wood SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES 51

52 Community and EVENTS June - Sept 2017 Right: a Buryat shaman s iron antler crown (orgay), which would be worn on top of their fringed face mask cap during some specific ceremonies Mongolia or Buryatia early C20th Community and EVENTs June - Sept 2017 JUNE JUN 2-4: PADMASAMBHAVA AND YESHE TSOGYAL EMPOWERMENTS (MID WALES) An opportunity to take this Buddhist empowerment, given by Ngakchang Rinpoche And Khandro Dechen in the wild beauty of the Spirit Horse camp in Mid Wales to mark the inauguration of a special Dakini temple built there over the last few years. (the FaceBook event page) JUN 3: THE SACRED DRUM (GLOUCESTERSHIRE) Day to make a sacred drum - limited places available. Contact (01594) info@mandypullen.co.uk JUN 3-4: INTRODUCTION TO SHAMANISM (ABERGAVENNY) Two day course exploring shamanism, the shamanic journey and how it can help you in everyday life. Maxine Smillie shamaniclife.co.uk (01873) JUN 10: JOURNEYING GROUP (LONDON) Monthly group for those who can journey to deepen practice and community. With Shenoah Taylor and David Scott. Contact shenoah@shenoahtaylor.com JUN 10: TURNING OF THE YEAR (LONDON) Start of year-long course deepening seasonal connections and shamanic practice. Five in-person meetings and ongoing work between meetings. With Shenoah Taylor and David Scott. Contact shenoah@shenoahtaylor.com JUN 11: 3 RIVERS SHAMANIC GROUP (NE ESSEX) To the woods, to the water, or in a building. Journey and socialise. Contact Julia JUN 18: PIPE CIRCLE (NORTH PEMBROKESHIRE) A chance to sit with the sacred pipe, a traditional Native American prayer ceremony. With Nick Breeze Wood. Nick@sacredhoop.org JUN 21: SUMMER SOLSTICE OPEN RITUAL (ORKNEY) Open ritual to celebrate the Summer Solstice, inclusive, family friendly, free event. Based on Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids ceremonies, this is a Scottish Pagan Federation event - please note this ritual will include a legal Pagan wedding! With: Helen and Mark Woodsford-Dean Contact: info@spiritualorkney.co.uk JUNE 22: SHAMANIC ACTIVISM - HEALING OUR WORLD (ONLINE) Find out about shamanic approaches to social transformation. By accessing spiritual wisdom and stepping into our collective spiritual power, we can heal our world. With Lenore Norrgard, CSC, info@lenorenorrgard.com, JUN 24: JOURNEYS OF DISCOVERY (NORTH CORNWALL) Drumming, healing and journey circle, all welcome, novice and experienced who would like to explore the world of the shaman. Warm, friendly and open circle. Contact Derek (07788) JUN 24: ANCIENT MYSTERIES: LIVING MYTH (OXFORD) Celebrating Roman Religion. Explores the Roman relationship to the gods from everyday rites to the ancestral Lares, to the great festivals. With Dr Kresimir Vukovic with John and Caitlín Matthews. Contact Jane May, Briarwood (01865) janedmay@btinternet.com. JUN 24-25: THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY (SHREWSBURY) A path to healing, insight and empowerment. Journeying, basic healing and working for others. Exploring a path that brings wisdom, healing, insight and empowerment into daily life. With Shenoah Taylor and Lisa Sture. courses@shamanicvoices.org.uk (01686) JUN 24-25: SHAMANIC JOURNEYING AND TRANCE DANCE (GLASTONBURY) Trance-Dance workshop with medicine wheel teachings, bringing together the richness of ancient rituals with effective modern techniques, taking participants on an inner journey outside of normal perceptions of space/time. With Leo Rutherford. (01458) office@isleofavalonfoundation.com JUN 24-25: AN INTRODUCTION TO SPACE CLEARING (STAFFORDSHIRE) A detailed and practical exploration of methods for clearing your home, workplace or therapy room of unwanted, stagnant or negative energies for personal well-being. With Roo Reygan (01785) roo@holisticwellbeingmidlands.co.uk JUN 29: INTRODUCTION TO SHAMANISM (CONWY) One-day experiential workshop in Llandudno. No prior experience needed. Contact Paul Francis (01492) paulfran@gmail.com JUN 30-JUL 3: SUN MOON DANCE (MORAYSHIRE, SCOTLAND) A beautiful sacred ceremony given to us by Joseph Rael, Beautiful Painted Arrow, with dance, song and prayers for personal and global peace. Dance 52

53 Chief: Denise Ballantyne (+44) (0) (1450) (07708) JUN 3-4: INTRODUCTION TO SHAMANISM (ABERGAVENNY) Two day course exploring shamanism, the shamanic journey and how it can help you in everyday life. Maxine Smillie shamaniclife.co.uk (01873) JULY JUL 8-9: THE PAINTED JOURNEY (TURIN, ITALY) Despite setbacks, hardships, pain, and suffering, we can choose to live a fife full of power and purpose. This course uses painting to meet and communicate with your spirits, journeying to paint our visions. No artistic skills or previous knowledge about painting needed. Course taught in English with Italian translation in 1000 year old ex-monastery. With Anna- Carin Mårtensson. Contact: kontakt@spiritroad.se twiceyes@gmail.com info@cerchiocastelvecchio.net JUL 8-9: THE ROLE OF DREAMS (STAFFORDSHIRE) Shamanic development workshop exploring the role of dreams in shamanic work, and dream building. With Roo Reygan (01785) roo@holisticwellbeingmidlands.co.uk JUL 09: 3 RIVERS SHAMANIC GROUP (N.E. ESSEX) To the woods, to the water, or in a building. Journey and socialise. For details contact Julia, via JUL :VILLAGE ENCAMPMENT AND INDIGENOUS AFRICAN GRIEF RITUAL (CUMBRIA) Limited scholarships available on application. Contact Mairead ohluaidh@gmail.com JUL 13-16: TENDING THE HEARTH (STROUD) Celtic Methods of house-clearing. Using shamanic journeying, meditation and hands-on practice, we will explore the core elements of house-clearing, learning to deal with dragon lines, underground streams, clearing of blocked energies and hauntings, to bring blessing to the home. Cáit Branigan and Caitlín Matthews (01453) JUL 16: PIPE CIRCLE (NORTH PEMBROKESHIRE) A chance to sit with the sacred pipe, a traditional Native American prayer ceremony. With Nick Breeze Wood. Nick@sacredhoop.org JUL 20-24: MEDICINE FOR THE EARTH (ABERGAVENNY) Indoor and wild Welsh woodland based. Includes fire ceremony. Learn how to transmute negative beliefs and attitudes through the practice of transfiguration. Find balance and harmony within and affect the world without. Maxine Smillie shamaniclife.co.uk (01873) JUL 21-23: THE BEST OF MT SHASTA CONFERENCE AND FESTIVAL (MOUNT SHASTA, CALIFORNIA USA) Discover Your Self Here! Meet the people who call the mountain their home! Workshops and Outdoor Festival with music, vendors, food and celebration Contact: info@thebestofmtshasta.com JUL 31: LUGHNASADH OPEN RITUAL (ORKNEY) Open ritual to celebrate Lughnasadh, inclusive, family friendly, free event. Based on Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids ceremonies, this is a Scottish Pagan Federation event. With: Helen and Mark Woodsford- Dean. Contact: info@spiritualorkney.co.uk AUGUST AUG 5-6: THE STONE PEOPLE (CONWY). Weekend 1: exploring grounding, protection, and connecting to Mother Earth. Contact Paul Francis (01492) paulfran@gmail.com AUG 5-6: INTRODUCTION TO SHAMANISM (STAFFORDSHIRE) Part One (basics). Exploring the Shamanic worlds, sacred space, journey techniques, meeting spirit allies and developing relationships with spirit. With Roo Reygan (01785) roo@holisticwellbeingmidlands.co.uk AUG 12-13: FOR ALL OUR RELATIONS (GLASTONBURY) Learn about and create powerful beneficial ceremony for our beautiful planet, clearing ourselves, calling our finest allies to sing and dance our love into the ground. With Brooke Medicine Eagle (01458) office@isleofavalonfoundation.com AUG 13: 3 RIVERS SHAMANIC GROUP (N.E. ESSEX) To the woods, to the water, or in a building. Journey and socialise. For details contact Julia, via AUG 20: PIPE CIRCLE (NORTH PEMBROKESHIRE) A chance to sit with the sacred pipe, a traditional Native American prayer ceremony. With Nick Breeze Wood. Nick@sacredhoop.org AUG 25-28: THE SACRED AND THE SENSUAL (SNOWDONIA) Women only retreat with Brooke Medicine-Eagle. Connect to the power and wisdom of your body though the magic and mystery of your Humans are so gullible... I made mine knit six pairs of socks last week... Michèle Brown 2017 The Secret Life of Power Animals Community and EVENTS June - Sept 2017 That s nothing, I made mine walk backwards for three days, while singing Bohemian Rhapsody, in French... 53

54 Community and EVENTS June - Sept 2017 Hello Relatives... I am fundraising to help the Lakota (Sioux) community on the Pine Ridge reservation in South Dakota, USA. I particularly want to assist a local community and ceremonial leader in his efforts to help the community through holding the annual summer ceremonies. Traditionally, Lakota ceremonial leaders live a humble, simple life: one of constant service to the community. They are the heart and soul of Lakota culture and tradition. They are healers, teachers of the language, wisdom keepers and community leaders. The most important ceremonies of the year are the summer ceremonies and are central to Lakota life. They are also costly to hold and require an entire year of financial planning. Where did you first meet shamanism? In my dreams - literally! In 1987, an animal spirit healed me, overnight, from decades of clinical de-pression. I had never heard of such a thing. The spirit kept visiting me, and communicated that I would be able to do what I had come into the world to do - my mission was not named - but I understood there would be support from the other side. I started reading random spiritual texts and after a few years I came upon the word shaman. It still was difficult to find anything helpful - this was well before the internet - until Sandra Ingerman s book, Soul Retrieval, was published in late Which teachers and teachings have influenced you the most? Sandra Ingerman (soul retrieval), Malidoma and Sobonfu Some (Dagara practices), Myron Eshowsky (peacemaking), and Michael Harner (shamanic journeying). Also, Thich Nhat Hanh and Jack Kornfield (Buddhism). The literary giants; bell hooks (Gloria Jean Watkins), James Baldwin, Ursula K LeGuin, Octavia Butler, Toni Morrison, Mary Oliver, Lewis Hyde. What makes your heart sing? Cedar trees, the Milky Way, people bridging across differences, a fine ritual, a fine film. What is the most bizarre situation that you have found yourself in on your shamanic path Once a shaman performed a powerful healing for me, then violated a boundary. I didn t want his violation to taint the healing, so I retreated into nature, praying that I might forgive him - and another dimension just opened. Life on the reservation poses many challenges. Due to a lack of investment in economic development, it is estimated that over 90% of Lakota live well below accepted US poverty levels. Unemployment runs at approximately 80% and basics such as electricity and a clean water supply are not available for everyone. Despite these statistics, the Lakota are a strong, generous, resourceful and resilient people. Please help me in my efforts to assist them in upholding their traditional way of life. I would be extremely grateful for any donation towards this cause. Wopila, thank you. Practitioner Profile... Lenore Norrgard location: Washington and California, USA Where on earth do you feel most at home? I feel connected all up and down Turtle Island, and in Scotland and Sweden, but feel most at home in the Salish Sea region (Puget Sound, Washington, USA). What do you do for fun? Recently I ve taken up tango, and have so much fun! Also, see great films and other art, converse and horse around with friends and strangers, go snorkeling in the tropics or hiking in the woods or mountains. Get in the zone and write or paint! What is your favourite food? Dark chocolate. Sashimi. Mushrooms of all kinds. Wild salmon. Tender greens, perfectly dressed. Homemade yogurt. What music do you like? My parents listened to political folk music, and I still enjoy Buffy Sainte-Marie, Bob Dylan, Odetta, and Joan Baez. I m pretty eclectic - I enjoy jazz, R&B, soul, world music, new music, spiritual, classical, folk. Best book and film? Books: The Dispossessed, LeGuin; Exogenesis Trilogy, Butler; And All Our Wounds Forgiven, Lester; The Gift, Hyde; Another Country, Baldwin; Beloved, Morrison; Spell of the Sensuous, Abrams; Perfection of the Morning, Butala. Film: Frozen River; Lan Yu; Stalker [Tarkovsky]; In The Mood for Love; Get Out; The Business of Fancydancing; My Life as A Dog; The Cuckoo; Paulina; The Secret of Roan Innish; Carol [Haynes]. What message would you give to your 12-year-old self? You don t have to carry the whole world on your shoulders - magic is real, and you won t always be alone! A wish for the future? To see my dramatic feature film, American Ubuntu, with a popular audience, on the big screen! 54

55 Carved cedarwood spirit mask by Da.a xiigang (Charles Edenshaw) (C ), a Haida artist from British Columbia, Canada womb, centring you within nature and her cycles. Contact Claire info@northwalesretreats.com (07970) AUG THE QUEST FOR THE SANGREAL (STROUD) Explore the origins of the Sangreal. With talks, discussions, meditation and ceremony, we celebrate the Sangreal myth for all seekers. Saturday includes a public lecture on the Jordanian Lead Codices: dated to 1-2nd century CE, these have implications for Western beliefs. John Matthews and David Elkington (01453) AUG 26-27: THE YOGA OF VOCAL SOUND (GLASTONBURY) Introducing various kinds of therapeutic vocal practices, designed to retune the subtle energy centres and create a wholeness and well-being at all levels. With James D Angelow (01458) ww.iselofavalonfoundation.com office@isleofavalonfoundation.com SEPTEMBER SEP 3-6: MIDWIFING THE SOUL (SOMERSET) Residential course teaches shamanic methods of soulretrieval, extraction of spiritual intrusions and practical ways to guard the three souls. Explore the Celtic concept of the soul and its re-enchantment, through the profound medium of soul-singing. Caitlín Matthews and Angela Cotter. Contact Jane May (01865) janedmay@btinternet.com SEP 9: REVISITING THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY (ABERGAVENNY) Wild in the Woods day of review and re-wilding your shamanic methodology. Unlearning bad habits that prevent you from deepening and expanding your connection to Spirit. We will explore journeying to self, your community and our Earth in the sanctuary of a beautiful woodland. Maxine Smillie shamaniclife.co.uk (01873) SEP 10: 3 RIVERS SHAMANIC GROUP (N.E. ESSEX) To the woods, to the water, or in a building. Journey and socialise. For details contact Julia, via SEP 23: AUTUMN EQUINOX OPEN RITUAL (ORKNEY) Celebrate the Autumn Equinox, inclusive, family friendly, free event. A Scottish Pagan Federation event. With: Helen and Mark Woodsford- Dean. Contact: info@spiritualorkney.co.uk SEP 23-24: THE STONE PEOPLE (CONWY). Weekend 1: exploring grounding, protection, and connecting to Mother Earth. Contact Paul Francis (01492) paulfran@gmail.com SEP 24: PIPE CIRCLE (NORTH PEMBROKESHIRE) A chance to sit with the sacred pipe, a traditional Native American prayer ceremony. With Nick Breeze Wood. Nick@sacredhoop.org SEP 30: INTRODUCTION TO SHAMANISM (MANCHESTER). One-day experiential workshop. No prior experience needed. Contact Paul Francis (01492) paulfran@gmail.com SEP 30-OCT 1: THE SHAMAN S MiRROR (NORTH PEMBROKESHIRE) Weekend of teachings on the use of the bronze shamans mirror. With Nick Breeze Wood. Nick@sacredhoop.org SHAMANIC EVENTS DIARY POP is open to all subscribers of Sacred Hoop Magazine to use for Free. If POP users are not subscribers to Hoop we request a small financial donation as an energy exchange to help us produce the POP pages. Donate easily with PayPal Please send your payments to this - donation@sacredhoop.org Please send: X no more than 5 ENTRIES per issue X dates for the next issue only PLEASE SEND US THE FOLLOWING: Date of event Title of event Location of event (county or country) Description (max 25 words) With: (leader or teacher s name) Contact: (phone/ /website) Please your entries to POP@sacredhoop.org Please note: we reserve the right to edit entries and we cannot guarantee publication as space is limited NEXT DEADLINE - Aug 20 th for June-Sept Issue Community and EVENTS June - Sept

56 SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES GET YOURSELF NOTICED advertise in Sacred Hoop this size is only 35 (that s about $50us) Contact us about being in our next issue! KNOWLEDGE FROM THE ANCIENTS I work with the ancients within the spirit world and those of the many dimensions of the earth and of the stars to help us in our time on the earth now. My natural psychic abilities have been passed down both from my mother and fathers side of the family. Channelled readings - on your earthly path, spiritual path, health, and any questions you may have. Sole taker removal of any unwanted negative attachments from the spirit world or entities from people or buildings. Spiritual healer E.H.A. certificated and insured. Horse whisperer physical and behavioural problems with horses and ponies. Sacred drum maker. Working with the spirit of the tree and animal in the making of the drum. Booking and Info contact; Lynn McCue (Glastonbury) Tel : lynn@mccue.net FOUNDATION FOR INSPIRATIONAL AND ORACULAR STUDIES FíOS - Vision Knowledge Dream Shamanic, Oracular and Ancestral Courses with CAITLÍN & JOHN MATTHEWS Midwifing the Soul The Ancient Roman Mysteries Tending the Hearth: Celtic House Clearing Voyages of the Soul: Death & Beyond for full details send medium SAE to Caitlín Matthews BCM Hallowquest, London WC1N 3XX, U.K. Making, Empowering and Using Shamanic Drums By Nicholas Breeze Wood Full colour, richly illustrated paperback with many photos of original shaman s drums, many never published in the Westbefore! Available World Wide - $18.95US (plus p&p) from: An important contribution to the study of shamanism! Michael Harner 56

57 HEALING THROUGH A RETURN TO THE LAND : HARTWELL Rites of passage, vision quest, movement into eldership, soul and nature Since the 80s, Annie Spencer has been creating ceremony for healing, or celebration, and to bring us back into right alignment with our mother, the earth. To learn about her work visit Centre for Shamanic Arts Sweet Medicine SunDance Path Knowledge that Changes Lives Shamanic Purification Lodges Shamanic Courses & Workshops Drumming and Chanting And much, more! info@centreforshamanicarts.co.uk Tibetan Handloom An exclusive online store of Buddhist Ritual Handicrafts. Kathmandu, Nepal UK ebay site - stores.ebay.co.uk/tibetan-handloom USA ebay site - stores.ebay.com/tibetan-handloom E: TibetanHandloom@gmail.com T: MD: Neha Goyal Advisor: Bipul Goyal The Light From Within Shamanic Energy Medicine Sacred Symbol Divinations Sacred Healing Tools C-IQ Coaching Desiree DeMars desireedemars.com The Shaman s Mirror Two Shamanic Teaching Weekends Working with Shaman s Bronze Mirrors Working with Ongons and Bundles Pembrokeshire - Sept and Oct Altre Vida Beautiful Album of Ancestral Music by Nicholas Breeze Wood An improvised wander through melodies from 12th to 14th Century England, France, Occitania and Spain Played on a Medieval Gittern, Pandiero (square frame drum) and Sinfonye FREE download - SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES 57

58 SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES The World Leading Shamanism Magazine Which Offers you Connections with the Ancient Sacred Ways in Every Single Issue Worldwide Subscription Rate: only 10 a year (approx $12.50) to subscribe, or for more details please visit Sacred Hoop Special Issue 27 Essential Articles on Shamanism Free Download: /FreeGuide Nurturing the Soul Dream XKurikindi XLeo Rutherford XAndrew Steed XRachel Caine with 'Doris' XDanu Forest XDerek Gane XHoward Malpas XMoira Lake XJonathan Weekes XElsa Malpas XBarry Goddard and many others... the 11 th UK Shamanic Gathering 2017 EarthSpirit Centre Glastonbury, England (07977) info@ukshamanicgathering.org.uk Wed 13 th - Sun 17 th Sept 2017 Residential and non-residential 58

59 Books by Geral Blanchard Ancient Ways "This book is much more than an academic work. Geral has travelled around this planet in search of indigenous otherwisdom. He has observed that wisdom as it did its work, and he allowed himself to feel it. He is as honest about feeling lost before other-learned people as he is adamant that what they say must be widely heard. We should all be grateful for his insistence on sharing his journey with the rest of us, and his expressive skills in bringing those adventures robustly into our lives." Rupert Ross, author of Returning to the Teachings and Indigenous Healing. "Blanchard has written a marvelous book about how to bring the understandings of the world's ancient cultures into our contemporary health care practices. It is important that every professional in practice and every student of the healing professions learn these ideas, and Ancient Ethics is an excellent way to explore these important concepts." Lewis Mehl-Madrona M.D., author of Coyote Medicine. Ancient Ethics "I love this book! While Blanchard speaks to his colleagues in the fields of therapy, the ethics he describes can guide all of us who want to learn from Indigenous Peoples in a non-colonising way and allow ourselves and our communities to be transformed through the healing process." Denise Breton, author and Director of Living Justice Press Available from nearipress.org or any major book distributor shamanicteachers.com An International Alliance of dedicated Shamanic Teachers Trained to teach by Sandra Ingerman, teacher and author of many well-known books on shamanic healing including: Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self and Medicine for the Earth who offer a variety of workshops on shamanic journeying, healing, and planetary healing. You can also find a local practitioner who can perform shamanic healing work. We are an alliance of teachers and practitioners who work together in the spirit of love and integrity. SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES SHAMANIC RESOURCES 59

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