The Feeling of Aloneness

I took Simon and Garfunkel’s song, I am a Rock, as my theme when I was in high school oh so many years ago.  If you are not familiar with the song, the lyrics are:

 A winter's day
In a deep and dark December;
I am alone,
Gazing from my window to the streets below
On a freshly fallen silent shroud of snow.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

I've built walls,
A fortress deep and mighty,
That none may penetrate.
I have no need of friendship; friendship causes pain.
It's laughter and it's loving I disdain.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

Don't talk of love,
But I've heard the words before;
It's sleeping in my memory.
I won't disturb the slumber of feelings that have died.
If I never loved I never would have cried.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

I have my books
And my poetry to protect me;
I am shielded in my armor,
Hiding in my room, safe within my womb.
I touch no one and no one touches me.
I am a rock,
I am an island.

And a rock feels no pain;
And an island never cries.

And of course you can hear the song on YouTube.

While I am still a rock, and an island, and a bird and so many other things I realize that I am

not alone.  In fact, I am part of everything (rock, island, bird . . .) and everything is part of me.  

Oneness, aloneness and separation are all illusions.  Those feelings are caused by the social

conditioning of our experiences, collective social values, and a lack of awareness on our part.

When we chose, either consciously or unconsciously to dissociate ourselves from nature,

from each other, and from our helping spirits be feel alone.  Science is no substitute for cmmunity.

Communal societies have not made that mistake.  They still share energy and know that

whatever happens to one person happens to all, to the group.

As a practitioner of core shamanism I believe that the world (and us as a part of it) is the way

that it (we) is (are) because we have dreamed it into being.  If we continue to dream the same

dreams the world will continue to be as it is.  To change the dream get go outside and connect

with nature.  If separation from nature is one of the causes or spiritual and physical dis-ease

then connection with nature is part of the cure.  I find that wandering in nature (as I did this

morning) feeds my spirit and frees my mind from its connections with the mundane material

world . . . only when I do this are my mind and soul able to unite tougher to seek.

You are not alone . . . you are never alone . . .you and I always have been and always will be connected.

Getting Back To Basics

I spent most of the last week in Washington D.C., and no, it wasn't for pleasure. While there I was struck over and over by the realization that this world would be a much happier and kinder place if we all remembered the basics that we were taught as children. The basics are the magic words:

• Please,
• Thank you,
• I'm sorry,
• Yes,
• No, and
• Always tell the truth

Imagine that someone else thinks that they need you to do something. How do you feel if they say, “Do this, now!” Are you likely to do it? Maybe if they have more authority than do you, but even then, are you likely to do it with a happy heart? I doubt it. What if they said, “Please, can you do this, it would really help me and I would be grateful.” Notice, there was no question mark, it was still more of a command, but I bet you felt a lot better. How do others feel when you ask for help. Do you fill their hearts with resentment or with joy?

The only thing that we really have that is our own is our time. When someone spends their precious time or other resources to do something for you then thank them. Saying “thank you” is easy, costless and it builds grateful hearts.

Most of us display the fundamental attribution error on a daily basis. When good things happen to other people we attribute the result to their good luck and fortune. When something bad happens to them we attribute the bad result to their lack of effort, stupidity, or lack of preparation. However, when good things happen to us we attribute the result to our efforts. When something bad happens to us we find someone or something else to blame. That is the fundamental attribution error. Own up. When you screw up, and we all do, all the time, then say “I'm sorry.” Finger pointing doesn't solve problems, all it does is divert attention to another finger pointer. The only way to move forward is for the problem creator to say, “I'm sorry, that didn't work. I screwed up. Let's try something else.” Novel idea.

How often do people say “yes” when they mean “no”? When you say “yes” mean “yes” and demand the same honesty from everyone else. And this is related to the last point above. No matter what, always tell the truth. Sometimes the truth hurts and it can hurt deeply. However, we recover from truth-based hurt. Not so with a lie. Lies persist. Lies lead to other lies and the wounds caused by lies can fester for generations.

As a shamanic practitioner I think that it is important to uses these magic words with other hollow-bone, two-legged walkers on the earth (you and me). However, I also think that it is important to use these magic words with the energies and spirits of the earth. For example, before beginning a ritual I ask the land if it will please share its energy with the circle. At the end of the ritual I thank the land. After all, how would you feel if someone walked into your living room and started sucking your energy without permission. 
 

Here are a few ways that I try to apply the magic words:

• State my intention and ask for permission.
• Do my work and thank those (humans, spirits) who made is possible.
• Honor all spirits as if they were my own.
• When I make a mess, I take responsibility, say “I'm sorry”, and clean it up.
• Ask what needs to be done for the good of all life, listen, then do it.
• I am responsible for my orientation in life. Spirit answers the questions that I ask, the fact that they answer doesn't imply that I asked the right question.

I once heard that The Buddha said that we are all born with 108 problems, every time we solve one problem we get another. So sail through life without creating more problems. Sometimes when kayaking I like to look behind me and see if I am leaving a wake. Try to leave as little a wake as possible.

Did You Lose Something?

Don't follow in the footsteps of the ancients.

Rather, seek what they sought while following your own path.

 -- Dr. D. --

SOUL LOSS

Soul retrieval is based on the concept that events, especially traumatic ones, cause pieces of our soul to become lost. Soul loss is a natural coping response to a trauma. A part of us may leave to wait in non-ordinary reality when we are traumatized and it is too painful for us to be present and aware. Psychologists often refer to this as dissociation.

Hank Wesselman and his wife, Jill Kuykendall, identified the following symptoms of soul loss in their 2004 book, Spirit Medicine:

• A failure to thrive
• A lack of initiative, enthusiasm, or joy
• A sudden onset of apathy or listlessness
• Addictions
• An inability to make decisions or discriminate
• Being unable to feel love or receive love from another
• Blocked memory—an inability to remember parts of one’s life
• Chronic depression
• Chronic negativity
• Emotional remoteness
• Feelings of being fragmented, of not being all here
• Melancholy or despair
• Suicidal tendencies

The feeling that something is missing, not your keys silly, but part of you, may be an indication that you have experienced soul loss. Soul loss is identifiable through apathy, an absence of joy, an inability to feel love or receive it, suicidal thoughts, addictions, chronic despair and depression. Some people who have experienced soul loss try to fill the hole through addictions, compulsive behavior, or by being energy vampires. You can look and act competent on the outside, but still feel inadequate or disquieted on the inside.

Soul loss may occur when a person goes through a serious illness or accidents, through depression or strong emotional events, or even through being the victim of an attack. Some people are "soul-thieves" do not know that they are stealing soul parts from others. These soul thieves may be people close to us, people like our parents, grandparents, siblings, lovers and even teachers. While no one can make use of our missing soul essence but us when it is with another person we feel unnaturally connected to them or they may weigh on our thoughts more often and more intensely than is warranted.

It is sometimes helpful to review our lives and try to identify the times and places where we may have lost or given away part of our soul. Often you can recover the lost part by calling it back and lovingly accepting it back into your life. For example, I lost part of my soul and became an adult when I was six years old. My father, a graduate student at the time, was away working in another state and I was the oldest of three boys at he time (6, 5 and 4 years old). We were too much for my mother and she had a nervous breakdown. I had to care for her and my two brothers for a couple of days while my mother laid in the fetal position crying. A neighbor final stopped by to see why no one had been outside, called the hospital, and my mother was carted away. I had suppressed the pain and memory of that experience my entire life until about five years ago when, while meditating, I asked myself why I had never played as a child. The memory came back, I cried a lot, and I asked the child part of my soul to come back. It did and now at times I feel like a six year old, and probably act like one too.

If you feel like you have experienced soul loss and like some help then you might want to talk to a shamanic practitioner who does soul retrieval or to a hypnotherapist who does parts (soul) integration. I'll write about my approach to soul retrieval in my next blog.

Peace . . .

Feel Like a Shaman

I haven't done this since I was a freshman in college back in '70 and stayed up all night to read Catch 22.   A couple of days ago  I ordered a copy of John and Sharon Franklin's book, Gift of the Jaguar, from Amazon and it arrived yesterday.  I flipped through the book after opening the package and then set it next to my bed to read once the boys were in bed.  I got started at about 11:00 last night and couldn't put the book down . . . I loved every page and read it cover-to-cover, finally closing the book at about 3:00 this morning.  John and Sharon weave a wonderful and engaging tale; but its more than that.  It will give you insight into the formation of an Andean shaman.

I have been making trips to Bolivia and Peru since 1971 when my benevolent draft board gave me a two-year deferment to run a Spanish language adult literacy program in the highlands of Bolivia.  I know both countries better than most gringos.  And, I have read way too many books that claim to be framed in the Andes by authors who have never been there and get the culture, the people and the geography all wrong.  This book is an exception; it gets everything right.

If you want to know what it is like to become an Andean curandero (shaman) then this an entertaining and realistic novel.  For example page 86 recounts the blessing of a newborn child.  Change the words spoken in the book from English to Quechua and it reads like ceremonies that I have observed on the Altiplano.  It brought tears of rememberence to my eyes.

I shared my daily invocation with you in an earlier blog.  The pachamama  invocation on page 117 mirrors the spirit of a short-form invocation that I learned from one of my Bolivian teachers 15 years ago who would touch the earth and say something like:  "Pachamama (mother earth) bone of our bone and Spirit of our Spirit, may we walk in harmony with all creation." (from page 117).

I highly recommend this book.  The message is profound and the tale is engaging.  I have placed a link to the book on the resource page on my web site.  It is a great read.

It's Not Mysterious . . . But It's Good

It has been a while since I have put on my ND hat to write a blog, and actually this morning I was going to write about shamanic soul retrieval.  That will have to wait.  I came across an article this morning that you need to read.  It is titled, "Mysterious Honey That Kills All Bacteria Scientists Throw At It".  You can find the study here. 

The honey is made, obviously by bees, from the tea tree.  Now tea tree oil is one of nature's wonders.  I keep a big bottle of tea tree oil in my medicine cabinet, a vial in my backpacking first-aid kit, and another vial in my bike bag.  Tea Tree oil is a very powerful immune stimulant that helps to fight infections.  I use it in place of antibacterial ointments.

An aside on being a parent . . .  A couple of years ago I was on a bike ride with my sons and Ernie, then about 7 years old, took a bad spill going down a gravel road.  It was one of those, "Look dad, I'm going really fast . . . crash" moments.  Amid his tears I washed his scrapes off with water from my water bottle and told him, "You will be fine."  He responded, "Dad, where is my bandaid?  I need a bandaid."  I responded that I didn't have one with me and he told me in no uncertain terms, "Dad its your responsibility to always have some bandaids with you."  I thought about it and decided that he was right, it was my responsibility to be prepared.  Now I always have a couple of bandaids in my wallet, and first-aid kits in the car, bike, kayak, canoe, backpack, house and in my office.  Be prepared.

I have told you before that I get most of my herbal supplies from Swanson Vitamins.  Same disclaimer as in the past . . . I don't work for and receive any compensation from Swanson . . . its just the place that I like to shop, especially since the health food store here in my town closed due to lack of customers . . . says a lot about this town. 

Swanson sells a variety of tea tree honey, usually called "Manuka" honey.  You can also find tea tree oil on their web site.  Check it out, do your own research and then be prepared.

Curried Garbanzos

Quick lunch . . . Curried Garbanzos

Ingredients

2 C canned garbanzo beans, drained
3 medium potatoes, diced
1 medium onion, chopped finely
2 T tamarind paste
8 T water
1 1/2 t curry powder
2 t sugar
1 t salt

Steps

1. Cook the diced potatoes in a pan of water and cook until tender. Drain and set aside.
2. Place drained garbanzo beans in a bowl.
3. Mix tamarind paste with water in a small bowl.
4. Add curry poweder, sugar and salt to tamarind paste and mix.
5. Pour the tamarind mixture over the garbanzo beans, stir to mix.  Add salt to taste.
6. Add the potatoes and chopped onion and mix again.
7. Garnish with sliced tomato and fresh cilantro leaves

Serves 6

Enjoy. 

I would post a picture but it was so good we ate it all up before I remembered to get my camera out.)

More Zuchinni

Yup, I ate zuchinni again . . . just can't help myself.  Here is a quick and easy lunch casserole.

Mexican Vegi Casserole

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F

Filling Ingredients

1 Can Kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1 Can corn, drained
1 Can chopped tomatoes, partially drained
1 large zuchinni, diced into bite-sized pieces
2 garlic cloves, crushed (use a garlic press if you have one)
1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
1 medium yellow onion, diced
1 T corn oil
1 t chili powder
salt and pepper to taste

Crust Ingredients

2/3 C cornmeal
1 T all-purpose organic flour
1/2 t salt
2 t baking powder
1 egg, beaten
6 T milk
1 T corn oil
1 C grated chedder cheese

Steps

1. Saute garlic, bell pepper, and onion in corn oil for 5 to 6 minutes until the onion is transparent.
2. Stir in chili powder, beans, corn, tomatoes and zuchinni and simmer for 10 minutes.  Season with salt and pepper.
3. Pour mixture into an ovenproof casserole dish.
4. Mix cornmeal, flour, salt, and baking powder together.  Add the egg and milk to the dry mixture and beat until a smooth batter if formed.
5. Spoon crust mixture over the corn/bean/zuchinni mix.  Cover with grated cheese.
6. Bake for 25-30 minutes until crust is firm and golden brown.

Serve with a lettuce, tomato and palta (avacado) salad.

Note:
     C = Cup
     T = Tablespoon
      t = Teaspoon

Summer Brunch -- Vegie Burgers

In my last receip I told you how much I like Zuchinni . . . well if you have too many in your garden, of if you're like me and you just like them a lot then here is another way to use them. 

Vegie Burgers

Serves six

Ingredients

4 large carrots pealed
4 medium Zuchinni
1 small onion, quartered
6 oz crumbled fetta cheese -- I like the package with sun dried tomatoes and basil
4 T flour (aprox, use your own judgement)
1/2 t cumin seeds
2 t curry powder
1 egg, beaten
2 T butter
2 T olive oil
salt and peper to taste

Steps

1. Grate carrots, zuchinni and onion in a food processor (or by hand if you wish), mix in fetta cheese.
2. Mix spices and flour in a large bowl, season with salt and peper.
3. Add vegies and cheese to the flour mix
4. Mix well, adding egg
5. If the mixture doesn't hold together well enough to make patties you may need to add a little more flour
6. Heat butter and olive oil in fry pan
7. Place heaping tablespoons of mix on fry pan, flatten a little, and cook of low heat on each side for about 2 minutes
8. Drain on paper towels and serve warm

Summer Muffins

I wait all year for summer so that I can eat tons and tons of, yes really, zuchinni.  I eat them sauted in olive oil  with onions and a little tumeric.  I love a crip zuchinni/tomato/fetta cheese salad with olive oil and balsamic vinegar.  But, one of my favorites is to use zuchinni to make vegie muffins:

                                                                          Vegie Muffins

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F  (200 degrees C)

Mix together:

2 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
½ tsp salt

Then add:

1 cup whole milk
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 large egg (or 2 medium)
4 oz butter (½ stick)  -- Please use real butter
1 Cup shredded zuchinni

Pour mixture into a greased muffin pan or use paper cupcake inserts (ouch . . . you will miss out on the yummy crust).

Bake for 20 minutes

Enjoy . . . one or two of these makes a great summer lunch.

Hot and Dark

It appears that we are located at the center of the wind storm that hit the East Coast last Friday night.  We have now gone seven days without power and there is no end it sight.  Power poles on our street still need to be replaced before new power lines can be hung. 

Through all of this we have learned a few things.  I have been typing them on an a good-old typewriter and will scan and edit the text once power comes back.  For the last couple of days we have been able to get internet connections at Barnes and Nobel and a local McDonalds for about 30 minutes a time.  We have been using a power inverter in the van to keep basic electronics (cell phone, lap top) charged up.

I expect that life will get back to normal next week.  Hope so.  Sitting in the dark with no AC in 100+ degree weather is not my idea of fun. 

Blessings to all . . .

Dave

Steve's Art

My "little" brother Steve just sent me pictures of his last four paintings.  [We are actually too old to worry about who is "little" and every year we are the same age for 10 days.  I have greatly enjoyed those ten days for the past 60 years.]  Anyway, here is an image of my current favoirte:

If you are interested in his art, which is all for sale, send me an email and I'll forward it to Steve.  In any event, I hope that you enjoy his art (and the two birds and bunny rabbit at the bottom of this picture).

We Are All Connected -- Really

Most practitioners of core shamanism, as I explained in an earlier post, are animists.  That is, we believe that spirit indewells all things.  We also believe that we are all connected, or in the words of quantum physics, we are quantum entangled. 

The following is an example of that kind of connection. 

Lawrence Anthony, convervationist and author of The Elephant Whisperer, died March 2. His family has reported that two herds of of wild South African elephants slowly made their way for 12 hours through the Zululand bush in a solemn procession until they reached the house of late author Lawrence Anthony, the conservationist who saved their lives. 

For two days the herds hung out at Anthony’s rural compound on the vast Thula Thula game reserve in the South African KwaZulu – to say good-bye to the man they loved.

“A good man died suddenly,” says Rabbi Leila Gal Berner, Ph.D., “and from miles and miles away, two herds of elephants, sensing that they had lost a beloved human friend, moved in a solemn, almost ‘funereal’ procession to make a call on the bereaved family at the deceased man’s home.”

May we all be such people . . .

Dave

Solar Eclipse -- Vedic Astrology Analysis

The May 20 annular solar eclipse in Taurus  (in Scorpio in Western Astrology) can be seen in the following ephemeris (location: Central Virginia):

                   Sun           Moon        Mars         Merc          Jupt              Venus          Sat             Rah

5/20/12    5°Ta21'   24°Ar36'   16°Le17'    26°Ar29'    0°Ta40'    29°Ta34'R   29°Vi46'R   11°Sc01'

5/21/12    6°Ta19'    6°Ta24'    16°Le37'    28°Ar34'    0°Ta54'    29°Ta22'R   29°Vi43'R   11°Sc01'

Taurus – Stability

Sun in Taurus – Sun signifies self and also activity. When placed in Taurus it leads to persevering activity but can also cause one to be overly cautions

Moon in Taurus – Moon, which signifies the emotional mind as opposed to Mercury, the intellectual mind, is exalted in Taurus. This leads to steady emotions but may also cause one to be overly self controlled.

Jupiter in Taurus – I find that Jupiter is the planet of expansion and spirituality. In Taurus it leads to expansion of spiritual, humanitarian and philosophical studies while staying within fixed philosophical and religious views (the Taurus effect). In Taurus it can also cause one to be lethargic and stagnant and self-indulgent

Venus in Taurus – Venus is comfortable in Taurus; in own sign it feels like it is home, able to take its shoes off and prop its feet up. Venus in Taurus leads to well-developed love and prosperity but may also result in one spending too much time in leisure.

Yogas – Yoga in Sanskrit means “union”. In Vedic astrology yoga as planetary combinations or conjunctions. As you can see in the ephemeris above, several planets find themselves toether in Taurus over the May 20-21 window.

Sun + Moon – This conjunction results in high spiritual capacity, and the ability to fore go the world for enlightenment.

Sun + Jupiter – Active wisdom

Sun + Venus – Activity beauty

Moon + Jupiter – Gaja Kesari Yoga – an auspicious yoga that helps one overcome obstacles and reach the fullness of expansion.

Moon + Venus – Imagination and beauty

Jupiter + Venus – Expansion of beauty.

Geomagnetic Risk Analysis

This eclipse marks the second major storm, tide and seismic risk factor this month. Every eclipse is similar to a SuperMoon, although generally less potent. So expect increasing chances for damaging storms with high winds and heavy precipitation (we have already had a good dose here in Virginia and looking at the weather forecast for the next week more is on the way starting on Sunday). The eclipse also results in a moderate to severe risk of seismic activity (magnitude 5 and up) and volcanic eruptions.

The geomagnetic shock window caused by a solar eclipses typically usually extends from seven days before to seven days after the exact alignment The shock window for the May 20 eclipse began on the 13th but extends into the 30^th because Moon will be moving southward, crossing the celestial equator on the 29th.

The eclipse will be visible over parts of Asia, the Pacific Ocean and western North America. Consequently the risk of geomagnetic action resulting in storms and seismic activity are higher here. My astrolocality mapping indicates other target zones including the longitudinal zone through west Africa and Western Europe (including the UK) in the western hemisphere, and New Zealand in the east. Central America, the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast of North America fall under a horizon arc target zone. This arc target zone crosses southern Greenland and just touches Iceland on its way across Russia, the ‘stans and into India. While these won’t be the only locations for the storm and seismic activity during the May 20 eclipse window the risk level his higher in these areas.

The Best Bread in the World

Yesterday was bread making day at our house.  Ernie, our almost 11 year old son, is the family baker and because I was an apprentice baker in high school oh so many years ago, I am his assistant.  Its fun for him to tell dad what to do for a change.  Ernie bakes the best bread in the world.  Here, after a lot of tweeking and practice, is his recipe.

Oh, but first, the flour.  Ernie has tried all of the different brands of flour that we find in our local grocery stores and Ernie asserts that King Arthur Flour is by far the best (they didn't pay me to say that).  My taste buds agree.  King Arthur Flour costs a little bit more, but it is well worth it.  If you haven't tried it then give it a try.  Anyway, here is Ernie's recipe:

Ingredients:

• 2 C warm water
• 1/4 C sugar
• 1 envelop active dry yeast
• 2 C King Arthur's whole wheat flour
• 1 T salt
• 1/4 C vegetable oil
• 4 C King Aruthr's unbleached all-purpose flour

Total time:  3 1/2 hours (but most of the time you can be off doing something else)

Steps:

1. Combine water, sugar and yeast in a large stainless steel bowl
2. Cover and let stand 5 minutes until bubbly.
3. Add 2 C whole wheat flour, cover and let stand for 10 minutes until bubbly.
4. Stir in salt and vegetable oil
5. Stir in 3 C of unbleached all-purpose flour
6. Add 1 more C of unbleached all-purpose flour, a little at a time, until the dough starts to hold together and is no longer sticky.  You may not need all of the 4th C of flour.
7. Sprinkly your work surface with flour and coat your hands with flour.
8. Turn the dough out onto your work surface and knead the dough for 5 minutes (Ernie's favorite step).  Sprinkle more flour on the doough as needed if it starts to get sticky.
9. Let the dough rest while you clean the bowl out and then coat it with vegatable oil.
10. Knead the dough for 3 more minutes and then place it in the oil-coated mixing bowl.  Move the dough around so that it is completely coated with oil.
11. Cover the mixing bowl with a clean kitchen towel, place it in a warm location, and let it raise until it has doubled in size (about an hour and a half . . . this is when Ernie and I sit down togther with good books).
12. Gently deflate the dough (don't knead it again) and turn it out onto a flour-covered surface.  Cut the dough into two piece and form into loaves.  Ernie likes to make one round loaf and one oblong loaf.  No need to use a loaf pan; artisan bread is cool.
13. Place the loaves on a greased baking sheet and cover the loaves with plastic wrap.  Let the dough rise for 30 minutes (a good time to take the dog for a walk).  Set the oven to 375 degrees F so that it is hot when the 30 minutes are up.
14. Remove the plastic wrap, carefully slice the tops of the bread if you wish, and sprinkle yummy seeds on top as well (optional).  Place the bread in the oven and bake for about 30 minutes.  The bread is done when the crust is golden brown and the loaves sound hollow when tapped on the bottom.
15. Cool the bread on a rack
16. Slice and eat when cool . . . try not to eat it all up in one afternoon.

Core Shamanism -- Part 6

The last time that I wrote about practical shamanism I wrote about journeys into the lower world.  Let's go the other direction this time.  Recall that in a journey to the lower world shamans travel down through an opening in the earth.  Not into the dirt, but into another dimension or world. 

In the shamanic cosmology the universe is divided into three regions, the lower, middle and upper worlds.   In an upper world journey shamans use smoke, a tree, a bird, a vine, a sunbeam or rainbow, the wind or anything else that will take them up into the sky.  Some shamanic practitioners view the Pole Star as an entry point into the sky.  Other view the stars as holes in the "great tent" of the sky.  Twilight and sunrise are viewed by some as a crack between worlds.  I encourage you to develop your own cosmology and shamanic view of the universie.

In any event, if you are going to journey to the upper world you will have to ascend.   I ofen let Spirit take me up or down by sitting in my canoe on a river, during trance state, and rather than paddle the canoe I let the current take me.  Sometimes it takes me to the shore and I do a middle world journey, sometimes a whirpool appears in the middle of the river and it takes me into a lower world journey and sometimes (to be honest, my favorite times) my canoe with me sitting inside of it falls over a waterfall.  However, rather than screaming down the waterfall my canoe lifts me up and we fly to the upper world.  Aren't trance states wonderful?

You are not traveling into the sky.  You are traveling to the upper world locate on the other side of the sky.  You might ask you power animal to travel with you or you may meet your power animal at the entry to the upper world.  Your power animal will conduct you through your experiences in the upper world.  You may meet your spirit guide or other higher-vibrational beings in the upper world.

Use druming like you did in your journey to the lower world to help induce the trance state, and to bring you back to ordinary reality at the end of your journey.

The Purposes of Life and Vedic Philosophy

            The four purposes of life, according to the Vedas, are Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.  Dharma is the fulfillment of our right purpose in life.  This is often associated with the selection of the most appropriate career.  However, it is more related performing right actions to fulfill one's purpose.  We will see how Vedic astrology can help you identify your dharma.

Artha is the achievement of goals.  It is related to the acquisition of the material resources needed to fulfill one's dharma.  After all, you can't realize your life purpose if you spend all of your time eking out a living.  An analysis of specific houses, signs and the planets that affect them will help you understand your ability or struggles in achieving your goals.  Kama is the realization of desires and emotional and sensory happiness, and Moksha is freedom, liberation or spiritual growth.  Again, Vedic astrology can help us understand our paths towards Kama and Moksha.   Astrology needs to be able to help us find the answers to these questions if it is to be useful in our lives.  Vedic Astrology gives us profound insight into our Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha.

            The teachings of the Vedas can have a profound effect on our world view.  When we learn to see things as they really are and use them according to their true potential we are able to take "right action".  There is a big difference between doing the "right" thing and doing things "right".  We like to define "doing things right" as being efficient in life and "doing the right things" as being effective.  We often find ourselves efficiently doing the wrong things or doing the wrong things right.  An understanding of Vedic astrology can help us have an effective and fulfilling life.  We eventually come to recognize that we are not the body . . . the body is only a vehicle for the expression of consciousness.  In fact, we are not even our minds.  They too are just an expression of our consciousness.

Intro to Vedic Astrology

I thought that I would share some excerpts from a book that I am writing on Vedic Astrology.  This is from Chapter 1 . . .

Astrology is the divine science.  People have looked to the sky find their connection to the universe since the beginning of time.  Turning to the stars they have looked to find answer life's most difficult questions:  Who am I?  Why am I here?  What should I accomplish with my life?  Why is this happening to me?  After thousands of years many of us are still asking the same questions.  We are driven to find our own answers and astrology is still most appropriate science to direct our search.

            Millennia ago sages in India asked these same questions.  The inspired answers that they received resulted in the development of Vedic Astrology.  Chances are good that you are more familiar with Western astrology than with Vedic astrology.  Western astrology is sometimes known as personality astrology because it does a very good job of identifying peoples' personality types, or as tropical astrology because the placement of the signs is determined by the vernal equinox.  Vedic astrology is better known for its predictive value.  In addition, Vedic astrology is closely tied to Ayurveda, the traditional medicine of India.  That means that Vedic astrology is also a useful tool for understanding current and future health issues.

A Short History of Vedic Astrology

            The inspired answers the sages received millennia ago were passed down orally until sometime between 5,000 and 6,000 years ago when they began to be written down in the Vedas.  The Vedas are the written documents (scripture) of divine origin that contain the knowledge that was heard from the Cosmic Intelligence.  The four vedas are know as the Rig Veda, Sama Veda, Yajur Veda,  and the Atharva Veda.  The Rig Veda is considered to be the oldest book in the world and has passages that refer to dates before 6,000 B.C.  Sometimes called the "Book of Cosmic Law" it addresses the science of mantra.

The Sama Veda develops the science of mantra into the science of sound and music.  Sound and music are essential for transforming the mind and emotions.  The Yajur Veda is the science of action and provides the foundation for practices like yoga and meditation.  Finally, the Atharva Veda contains mantras related to treating diseases as well as names of plants used for healing it provides the foundation for Ayurveda.

Both the Rig Veda and the Atharva Veda contain information relevant to Vedic Astrology.  For example, the Rig Veda includes a system of astronomical calculations including twelve signs and a 360 degree circle.  The Atharva Veda also contains information about the Sun, Moon, and nakshatras or moon signs. Later sages like Parashara, Agastya, Brighu and Vashishta wrote large works on astrology called horas.  The rules and techniques used by modern Vedic astrologers are derived, for the most part, from the horas.

Next time I'll post about Vedic philosophy and the purpose of life.  Hope you enjoy . . .

Earth Day with L. A.

Today is Earth Day so I thought that rather than blog more about core shamanism I would honor Earth Day with a little tune and no, you don't have to suffer through me playing a flute or drum.  Rather, here is a link to Louis Armstrong singing, "What a Wonderful World".  This tune lifts be up whenever I feel a little down. 

Just in case you want to sing along . . .

I see trees of green, red roses too
I see them bloom, for me and you
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

I see skies of blue, and clouds of white
The bright blessed days, dark sacred nights
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

The colors of the rainbow, so pretty in the sky
Are also on the faces, of people going by
I see friends shaking hands, sayin', "How do you do?"
They're really sayin', "I love you"

I hear babies cryin', I watch them grow
They'll learn much more, than I'll ever know
And I think to myself
What a wonderful world

Yes, I think to myself
What a wonderful world
Oh yeah

Louis releasted the song about 1968 and the link above takes you to a cut from about there era.  Love that man's heart, soul and music.

I'll get back to core shamanism next week with a post about upper-world journeys.

Have a wonderful Earth Day and every day.

Core Shamanism -- Part 5 -- Axis Mundi

In shamanism the axis mundi (also  known as the world tree, cosmic axis, world axis, world pillar, columna cerului, center of the world) is the world center and the connection between Heaven and Earth. It is a point of connection between the upper world, the middle world (where we normally reside) and the lower world and the point where the four compass directions meet.

I discussed shamanic journeys to the lower world in my last post.  In that post I described entering an opening or portal through which you could descend into the lower world. 

One of My Favorite Openings

What you were doing was traveling down the axis mundi from the middle world to the lower world.  For me at least, it is easiest to view the axis mundi as the world tree.  For me the world tree functions like an elevator.  I enter the door (picture above) and the “elevator” takes me down to the lower world or up to the world above.

A World Tree

A world tree or cosmic tree serve as images of the axis mundi. The image of the World Tree provides an axis symbol that unites three planes: upper world (branches), earth or middle world (trunk) and lower world (roots).  Many stories keep the image of the world tree alive for us.  Remember Jack and the Beanstock?  He ascended up the world tree to a realm above the earth.

The axis mundi can take many forms.  One of the most common is a high mountain and in fact shrines are often erected at the summit or base of these locations.  Mount Fuji in Japan, has long symbolized the world axis in Japanese culture.  In China Mount Kun-Lun, "the mountain at the middle of the world", fills a similar role.  Mount Zion probably served the same purpose for the ancient Hebrews.   The Sioux view the Black Hills as the axis mundi.   To Hindus, Mount Kailash is holy.  The Pitjantjatjara people in central Australia consider Uluruto be central to both their world and culture. In ancient Mesopotamia the cultures of ancient Sumer and Babylon erected artificial mountains, or ziggurats, on the flat river plain. These supported staircases leading to temples at the top.  The pre-Columbian residents of Teotihuacán in Mexico erected huge pyramids featuring staircases leading to heaven. For Christians the Cross on Mount Calvary expresses the symbol.  Recall that Christian literature has Christ descending and ascending from the Cross.

It doesn’t really matter what image or place you use as your axis mundi.  Select an site or a tree or anything else that can serve as a symbol for you of the connection of the our realm, the middle world, with the lower world and the upper world.  This will help you remember that you are not stuck in the middle world but that you are a shamanic traveler and that you can find wisdom by traveling between realms

I noted above that the axis mundi is also the point of contact of the four directions.  East is the direction of beginnings.  It is the direction of the rising sun where a new day is announced.  Over the course of the day the sun rises higher in the South, reaching its maximum at mid-day.  The West is the direction of the setting sun, the direction of fulfillment, completion and death.  North, the direction in which the sun never travels, is the place of shadows.  It is the direction of sleep, dreams, visions, and regeneration; the place where the earth and the human spirit wait to be reborn in a new dawn. 

Today try and be conscious of the directions as you face them and the feelings that they may engender within you.

Be Blessed



Core Shamanism -- Part 4

Your First Shamanic Journey

If you have been reading along as I have posted about core shamanism you might be ready to try your first shamanic journey.  As I mentioned in a previous post, the big difference between a shamanic journey and a dream is that shamanic journeys are intentional.  So, given your intention, let’s get started.

Before you begin your journey you need to do a couple of things.  First, determine the purpose of your first journey.  To common objectives are to (1) explore the lower world just to get to know your way around, like how to get there and how to return, or (2) to meet your power animal.  The second thing that you need to do is to identify your portal.  I use an opening in the bottom of a big oak tree that is along a path where I frequently hike.  Your portal can be any opening into the earth, it might be a well, a lake, a waterfall, a cave, the roots of a tree, an opening in a wall  (see below) or you can borrow my opening at the bottom of the oak tree.  Don’t worry about the size of your portal.  You will not enter it with your physical body, rather your intention will lead you through the portal.

Opening in a Wall

Your opening might be a place that you have seen before, once or many times, or one that you imagine.  I prefer openings that really exist in the physical world because they help me experience passing from one reality into another.  I think that the best portals or openings are ones where you feel that the veil that separates one reality from another is thin.  The opening in the wall (above) is one that I dive through (it's less than a foot wide) so my imagination dives through it, not my physical body (which is a good thing because its about 30 feet to the ground on the other side of this opening).

If you are ready to proceed then:

1.    Lay down in dark, quiet place where you won’t be disturbed.  Get comfortable.  It may help to put a pillow under your head or knees.  You might want to put an eye pillow over your eyes.  If you don’t feel totally relax then tighten all of your muscles and then starting at your feet and working up to the top of your head slowly relax each muscle.

2.    Turn on a shamanic drumming track (you can download one from iTunes, get a CD of shamanic drumming, or check YouTube (I’ll post one later and will update this page with the link).   You can easily find 10, 15, 20 and 30 minutes tracks.  I usually use a 15 minute track.  I suggest that you use a track or have someone else drum for you until you are an experienced traveler, then you can drum yourself.

3.    When the drumming starts then find your opening.  I usually take a few minutes and walk, in my mind, through the forest to my portal.  Go through your entry point.

4.    As you pass through your portal see or imagine that you have entered a dimly lit tunnel, hall way, or passage way.  The tunnel may be only a few feet long or it may go on for hundreds of feet, either way see or imagine that you can see a bright light at the end of the tunnel.  That bright light is the opening into the otherworld, the lower world.

Note:  Some of you may be able to close your eyes as see visual images that are as real as the world around you.  Others, like me, close your eyes and “see” darkness.  Your ability to “see” images with your eyes closed is irrelevant.  If you can’t “see” in the dark, then imagine or “know” what is around you.  Some people don’t “know” or “see”, they may hear.  Use whatever sense seems to work best for you.

Don’t worry if you have to “imagine” to get things started.  Aristotle said that image is the language of the soul.  It’s alright to help your soul get started on this journey by using your imagination to image a new reality.

5.     When you enter your portal or opening  don’t try to go into the ground.  Our objective isn’t to see the dirt, bugs, or roots that are under the surface.  We are traveling to a different realm that we perceive as existing beneath the surface of ordinary reality.

6.     Once you are in the passage way take a few minutes to get centered.  Breathe deeply, relax and become familiar with the sensations or thoughts of being out of ordinary reality.  You might want to look around and notice the texture of the walls, the smells, the flow of the air, temperature, humidity and anything else that will help you get a sense of the place.  If your intention was only to go and return then once you have soaked in the sensations of the passage way, turn around and move back up and out of your opening.

7.    If your intention was to meet your power animal then walk to the end of the passage way into the light.  Look around a get a feel for the other world.  When I enter the otherworld I don’t find myself in a dimly lit cave under the earth.  I find myself in a different reality, a different world with bright light, sky, trees, rivers, and mountains.  Call to your power animal and ask it to accompany you and to introduce you to the otherworld.  Enjoy your stay.

8.    When the drumming changes (usually the drummer will stop for an instant, and then change the drum beat to a very fast beat for about 30 seconds, and then takes up a slow and quiet beat.)  you have your signal to return to ordinary reality.  Ask your power animal to take you back to your passage way.  Power animals sometimes take you back, retracing your steps, to your passage way.  Sometimes they just point and say, “There it is.”, and sometimes they use my favorite way and transport you at the speed of thought back to the entrance to your passage way.  Return through the passage way up through your original opening and back into ordinary reality.

To summarize, here is a general template for lower-world journeys:

1.    Lie on the floor, cover your eyes and relax.

2.    State the intention of your journey.

3.    Begin the drumming.

4.    Find your entry point to the lower world

5.    Go through the entry point and into the passage way.

6.    Emerge from the passage way into the lower world

7.    Call to your power animal.

8.    State the purpose of your journey to your power animal.

9.    Let your power animal conduct you on your journey.

10. Return to the passage way when the drumming changes.

11. Go through the passage way, up and out of your entry point, and back into ordinary reality.

Enjoy your first journey . . . more next time.