Seeing In The Dark Claim Your Own Shamanic Power Now And In The Coming Age

Book: Seeing In The Dark Claim Your Own Shamanic Power Now And In The Coming Age by Colleen Deatsman

If you are feeling unfulfilled or incomplete in some way, if you cannot quite figure out why your life isn't working the way you expect, or if you are just searching for something more, then you have found the right book. I've recently read Eckhart Tolle's New Earth and began to put it into practice, that is, to some extent. There was still something not quite right. I was having difficulty staying clear. After reading Seeing in the Dark, I discovered that it was my "programs" or things I learned as a child that became self limiting behavioral patterns that blocked my progress. This book shines a light on that and follows through with a direction. Where Eckhart lays the groundwork for new thought patterns, Seeing in the Dark drives it home with insight, knowledge, and airy meditations. Seeing in the Dark is clearly THE FORERUNNER to ALL shaman books. If you are ready to clear the fog of your self deluding behaviors, this IS THE PRIMER!!!

"Seeing in the Dark" takes on and succeeds at the herculean task of reintroducing shamanism with language we are familiar with in the 21st Century. This book is a bridge between the flights of fancy of what was, and the concrete pragmatism of what will be, indeed must be, in the years to come as we pull away from the wish-fulfillment thinking which has plagued the New Age. What worked for the ancients will not work for us in the same way. Post-modern man is unfamiliar with the spirit of the buffalo. It is meaningless to him and therefore empty. But, the structure of the human thinking machinery, the understanding that soul is the prime mover in the genesis of human thought, is something we can employ to our benefit and make work as citizens of the new millennium. Deatsman and Bowersox weave the old throughout the new, never stripping shamanism of its mysticism, but unrelentingly championing the retooling of the shamanic worldview towards practical application. If you want to see where shamanism has been, and still catch a ride on where it is going, buy this book. You will be glad you did.

"Shamanism is many things to many people--at its core it is an ancient Spiritual Tradition dedicated to becoming fully human.A Through partnership with the compassionate spirits, shamanic practitioners bring blessings of balance and healing to our world.A In Seeing in the Dark, Colleen and Paul offer us their inspired, multi-faceted perspective, helping to make this powerful tradition more readily available at a time when our need for it has never been greater." --Nan Moss and David Corbin, authors ofA Weather Shamanism: Harmonizing Our Connection with the Elements

"A shaman is never truly alone. Instead, there is an unwavering belief that loving companions are always traveling with us. Feeling this fills us with boundless joy and deep gratitude for our life and our beautiful planet. Seeing in the Dark is both a step-by-step guide to developing powerful kinships with the spirits who surround us and to nurturing a clearer understanding of ourA placeA in the Universe." --Evelyn C. Rysdyk, Shamanic teacher and healer, author of Modern Shamanic Living, and on the editorial board of The Journal of Shamanic Practice

"Colleen Deatsman and Paul Bowersox draw on their diverse spiritual training and personal experience to craft a book that gives readers tools with which to traverse the turmoils of everyday life, economic downturns, and personal struggles. This is the sort of "engaged shamanism" that can light up the dark." --Larry G. Peters Ph.D., anthropologist, licensed psychotherapist, and author (leads groups to Nepal to study Tibetan shamanism)

"Seeing in the Dark is the kind of book that offers newcomers to shamanism a safe and sensible program and also reminds experienced practitioners why they fell in love with shamanism in the first place. The authors carefully guide readers through the many aspects of the shamanic life and offer practical suggestions for journeys, ceremonies, and personal healing. This book will become a comforting and reliable companion for those on the shaman's path." --Tom Cowan, author of Shamanism: A Spiritual Practice for Daily Life and Fire in the Head

"Seeing in the Dark is a wonderful gateway to shamanic practice. Packed with wonderful exercises and journey suggestions, Deatsman and Bowersox gently guide readers to find insight and healing through spirit connections and energy work." --Kristin Madden, author of Magick, Mystery, and Medicine, The Book of Shamanic Healing, and Shamanic Guide to Death and Dying

Seeing in the DarkA reveals shamanic ritual in terms of its practical application to the process of unfolding individual and collective consciousness, making it a ground-breaking work of startling authenticity. This book is a necessity for those who wish to understand how personal reality can be shaped by one's beliefs and how the fate of individuals and nations can be shifted by the focused intent of inwardly directed individuals.A Seeing in the Dark is idealA for those seeking a practical application of material garnered from readings in comparative religious studies, folklore, and mythology but were left looking for the next step--here it is.A Take it if you dare. --Mark Stavish, Director of Studies, Institute for Hermetic Studies and author of Between the Gates: Lucid Dreaming, Astral Projection and the Body of Light in Western Esotericism

"Seeing in the Dark unveils the mysteries of shamanism in a clear, well-written book.A It teaches and demystifies the journeys of the shaman and gives many suggestions for continued success.A Deatsman and Bowersox tell you that you can do this and then show you how!A An essential guide for learning to practice shamanism and the experienced practitioner will find more wonders to explore. Shamanism explores the world of the soul in trance, guided by the drum, the rattle, and our own power. The world of the soul often seems too mystical for us to travel, and yet we know the mysteries are there, hidden just beyond our view. Colleen Deatsman and Paul Bowersox dispel those myths inA Seeing in the Dark, a book thatA shines a light to guide us into the pathways of wonder, the world of the soul.A This well-written book teaches the student how to begin and thenA guides the experienced practitioner on ways to continue. Every reader will deepen their understanding of their own soul and the spiritual worlds of mystery."

Buy Colleen Deatsman's book: Seeing In The Dark Claim Your Own Shamanic Power Now And In The Coming Age

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Another View Of Shamanism

Since the term "shamanism" has been used in a number of ways during the discussions here I thought it might be helpful to present some basic information on shamanism as the inter-disicplinary subject that it has become since Mircea Eliade wrote "Shamanism". The following is from the Foreward, which explains the approach that Eliade took to study Shamanism as a magico-religious phenomena, and which has been the foundation that shamanism as a Spiritual Tradition, as well as explaining how other academic disciplines approach the subject.

Mircea Eliade "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy" Princeton University, Bollingen Series LXXVI 1964

Originally published in French as _Le Chamanisme et les techniques archaiques de l'extase, Librairie Payot, Paris, 1951. Revised and enlarged for the Bollinger edition.

ISBN 0-691-01779-4 pbk 0-691-09827-1 hdbk

To the best of our knowledge the present book is the first to cover the entire phenomenon of shamanism and at the same time to situate it in the General History of religions. To say this is to imply its liability to imperfection and approximation and the risks that it takes. Today the student has at his disposition a considerable quantity of documents for the various shamanisms-Siberian, North American, South American, Indonesian, Oceanian, and so on. Then too, a number of works, important in their several ways have broken ground for the ethnological, sociological, and psychological study of shamanism (or rather, of a particular type of shamanism). But with a few notable exceptions--we refer especially to the studies of Altaic shamanism by Holmberg (Harva)--the immense shamanic bibliography has neglected to interpret this extremely complex phenomenon in the framework of the history of religion. It is as a historian of religions that we, in our turn, have attempted to approach, understand, and present shamanism. Far be it from us to think of belittling the admirable studies undertaken from the viewpoints of psychology, sociology, or ethnology; we consider them indispensable to understanding the various aspects of shamanism. But we believe that there is room for another approach--that
which we have sought to implement in the following pages.

The writer who approaches shamanism as a psychologist will be led to regard it as primarily the manifestation of a psyche in crisis or even in retrogression; he will not fail to compare it with certain aberrant psychic behavior patterns or to class it among mental diseases of the hysteroid or epileptoid type.

We shall explain why we consider it unacceptable to assimilate shamanism to any kind of mental disease. But one point remains (and it is an important one), to which the psychologist will always be justified in drawing attention: like any other religious vocation, the shamanic vocation is manifested by a crisis, a temporary derangement of the future shaman's spiritual equilibrium. All the observations and analyses that have been made on this point are particularly valuable. They show us, in actual process as it were, the repercussions, within the psyche, of what we have called the "dialectic of hierophanies"--the radical separation between profane and sacred and the resulting splitting of the world. To say this is to indicate all the importance that we attribute to such studies in religious psychology.

The sociologist, for his part, is concerned with the social function of the shaman, the priest, the magician. He will study prestige originating from magical powers, its role in the structure of society, the relations between religious and political leaders and so on. A sociological analysis of the myths of the First Shaman will elicit revealing indications concerning the exceptional position of the earliest shamans in certain archaic societies. The sociology of shamanism remains to be written, and it will be among the most important chapters in general sociology of religion. The historian of religions must take all these studies and their conclusions into account. Added to the psychological conditions brought out by the psychologist, the social conditions, in the broadest sense of the term, reinforce the element of human and historical concreteness in the documents that he is called upon to handle.

The concreteness will be accented by the studies of the ehtnologist. It will be the task of ethnological monographs to situate the shaman in his cultural milieu. There is danger of misunderstanding the true personality of a Chukchee shaman, for example, if one reads of his exploits without knowing anything about the life and traditions of the Chukchee. Again, it will be for the ehtnologist to make exhaustive studies of the shaman's costume and drum, to describe the soances, to record texts and melodies, and so on. By undertaking to establish the "history" of one or another constituent element of shaman-ism (the drum, for example, or the use of narcotics during seances), the ethnologist--joined when circumstances demand it, by a comparatist and historian--will suceed in showing the circulation of the particular motif in time and space; so far as possible, he will define its center of expansion and the stages and the chronology of its dissemination. In short, the ethnolgist will also become a "historian," whether or not he adopts the
Graebner-Schmidt-Koppers method of cultural cycles. In any case, in addition to an admirable purely descriptive ethnographical literature, there are now available numer-ous works of historical ethnology: in the overwhelming "gray mass" of cultural data stemming from the so-called "ahistorical" peoples, we now begin to see certain lines of force appearing; we begin to distinguish "history" where we were in the habit of finding only "Naturvolker," "primitives," or "savages."

It is unnecessary to dwell here on the great services that historical ethnology has already rendered to the histroy of religions. But we do not believe that it can take the place of the history of religions. The latter's mission is to integrate the results
of ethnology, psychology, and sociology. Yet in doing so, it will not renounce its own method of investigation or the viewpoint that specifically defines it. Cultural ethnology may have demonstrated the relation of shamanism to certain cultural cycles, for example, or the dissemination of one or another shamanic complex; yet its object is not to reveal the deeper meaning of all these religious phenomena, to illuminate their symbolism, and to place them in the general history of religions. In the last analysis, it is for the historian of religions to synthesize all the studies of particular aspects of shamanism and to present a comprehensive view which shall be at once a morphology and a history of this complex religious phenomena.

pg. xi-xiii

Chapter One, General considerations. REcruiting Methods. Shamanism and Mystical Vocation.

Since the beginning of the century, ehtnologists have fallen into the habit of using the terms, "shaman," "medicine man," "sorcerer," and "magician" interchangeably to designate certain individuals possessing magico-religious powers and found in all "primitive" societies. By extension, the same terminology has been applied in studying the religious history of "civilized" peoples, and there have been discussions, for example, of an Indian, an Iranian, a Germanic, a Chinese, and even a Babylonian "shamanism" With Reference to the "primitive" elements attested in the corresponding religions. For many reasons this confusion can only militate against any understanding of the shamanic phenomenon. If the word "shaman" is taken to mean any magician, sorcerer, medicine man, or ecstatic found throughout the history of religions and religious ethnology, we arrive at a notion at once extremely complex and extremely vague; it seems, furthermore, to serve no purpose, for we already have the terms "magician" or "sorcerer" to express notions as unlike and as ill-defined as "primitive magic" or "primitive mysticism."

We consider it advantageous to restrict the use of the words "shaman" and "shaman-ism" precisely to avoid misunderstandings and to cast a clearer light on the history of "magic" and "sorcery." For of course, the shaman is also a magician and medicine man; he is believed to cure, like all doctors, and to perform miracles of the fakir type, like all magicians, whether primitive or modern. But beyond this, he is a psychopomp, and he may also be priest, mystic and power. In the dim, "confusionistic" mass of the religious life of archaic societies considered as a whole, shamanism--taken in its strict and exact sense--already shows a structure of its own and implies a "history" that there is every reason to clarify.

Shamanism in the strict sense is pre-eminently a religious phenomenon of Siberia and Central Asia. The word comes to us, through the Russian, from the Tungusic _saman_. In the other languages of Centeral and North Asia the corresponding terms are Yakut _ojuna_ (_oyuna_), Mongolian _buga_, _boga_ (_buge_, _bu_) and _udagan_ (cf. also Buryat _udayan_, Yukut _udoyan_: "shamaness")_, Turko-Tartar _kam_ (Altaic _kam_, _gam_, Mongolian _kami_, etc.) It has been sought to explain the Tungusic term by the Pali _samana_, and
we shall return to this possible etymology (which is part of the great problem of Indian influences on Siberian religions) in the last chapter of this book.

Throughout the immense area comprising Central and North Asia, the magico-religious life of society centers on the shaman. This, of course, does not mean that he is the one and only manipulator of the sacred, nor that religious activity is completely usurped by him. IN many tribes the sacrificing priest coexists with the shaman, not to mention the fact that every head of a family is also the head of the domestic cult. Nevertheless the shaman remains the dominating figure; for through the whole region in which the ecstatic experience is considered the religious experience par excellence, the shaman, and he alone, is the great master of ecstasy. A first definition of this complex phenomenon, and perhaps the least hazardous, will be: shamanism = _technique of ecstasy_.

pgs 3-4

Yet one observation must be made at the outset: the presence of a shamanistic complex in one region or another does not necessarily mean that the magico-religious life of the corresponding poeple is crystallized around shamanism. This can occur (as, for example, in certain parts of Indonesia), but it is not the most usual state of affairs. Generally shamanism coexists with other forms of magic and religion.

It is here that we see all the advantage of implying the term "shamanism" in its strict and proper sense. For, if we take the trouble to differentiate the shaman from other magicians and medicine men of primitive societies, the identification of shamanic complexes in one or another region immediately acquires definite significance. Magic and magicians are to be found more or less all over the world, where as shamaism exhibits a particular magical specialty, on which we shall dwell at length: "master over fire," "magical flight," and so on. By virtue of this fact, though the shaman is, among other things, a magician, not every magician can properly be termed a shaman. The same distinction must be applied in regard to shamanic healing; ever medicine man is a healer, but the
shaman employs a method that is his and his alone. As for the shaman-ic techniques of ecstasy, they do not exhaust all the varieties of ecstatic experience documented in the history of religions and religious ethnolgoy. Hence any ecstatic cannot be considered a shaman; the shaman specializes in a trance during which his should is believed to leave his body and ascend to the sky or descend to the underworld.

A similar distinction is also necessary to define the shaman's relation to "spirits." All through the primitive and modern worlds we find individuals who profess to maintain relations with "spirits," whether they are "possessed" by them or control them. Several volumes would be needed for an adequate study of all the problems that arise in connection with the mere idea of "spirits" and of their possible relations with human beings; for a "spirit" can equally well be the sould of a dead person, a "nature spirit," a mythical animal, and so on. But the study of shamanism does not require going into all this; we need only define the shaman's relation to his helping spirits. It will easily be seen wherein a shaman differs from a "possessed" person, for example; the shaman controls his "spirits," in the sense that he, a human being, is able to communicate with the dead, "demons," and "nature spirits," without thereby becoming their instrument. To be sure, shamans are sometimes found to be "possessed," but these are exceptional cases for which there is a particular explanation.

These few preliminary observations already indicate the course that we propose to follow in order to reach an adequate understanding of shamanism. In view of the fact that this magico-religious phenomenon has had its most complete manifestation in North and Central Asia, we shall take the shaman of these regions as our typical example. We are not unaware, and we shall endeavor to show, that Central and North Asian shamanism, at least in its present form, is not a primordial phenomenon that has a long "history." But this Central Asian and Siberian shamanism has the advantage of presenting a structure in which elements that exist independently elsewhere in the world--i.e., special relations with "spirits," ecstatic capacities permitting of magical flight, ascents to the sky,
descents to the underworld, mastery over fire, etc.--are here already found integrated with a particular ideology and validating specific techniques.

pgs. 5-6

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Reconstructionist Paganism An Extremely Brief Guide

Book: Reconstructionist Paganism An Extremely Brief Guide by The Troth

Many people in Reconstructionist groups enjoy dressing in period costume, trying traditional crafts or foods or games or combat styles, and so on. Some gain spiritual satisfaction from doing so—and besides, it can be a lot of fun. But our religions are meant to be meaningful to us, here and now. We’re modern people, With Modern-day concerns: we can never be Egyptians of 1300 BC, or Vikings of 800 AD, or Romans of 100 AD—nor should we try. Furthermore, there are Some Aspects of ancient cultures that really should not be brought back, such as slavery and human sacrifice. But we believe that our ancient religions, and the cultures of which they were integral parts, do contain much that is deeply true for us now, and that should be brought back into the world.

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The Troth - Reconstructionist Paganism An Extremely Brief Guide

Teutonic Magic The Magical And Spiritual Practices Of The Germanic Peoples

Book: Teutonic Magic The Magical And Spiritual Practices Of The Germanic Peoples by Kveldulf Gundarsson

This is not a dry academic book. Gundarssons' writing flows like the sagas themselves, covering subjects such as norse deities and rituals. It describes the structure of the spiritual realms in which the Norse Magician would walk. It is no wonder that this book is considered the classic text book of anyone who would study runes or the Northern tradition.

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Power Animal Horse

HORSE's medicine includes freedom, Clairvoyance, endurance.

"HORSE, TEACH ME TO SEE THE TRUTH.
SHOW ME THE TIES OF FRIENDSHIP.
FREE MY WARRIOR SPIRIT."

Horse is a beautiful, powerful, proud creature who has taken many forms in mythology. Pegasus, Unicorn, Centaur, and many other creatures in mythology are brothers to Horse. Horse is a magickal creature who can see into man's soul.

Horse shows his devotion in his willingness to carry man on his back, giving him a freedom of movement and travel that no other animal can provide.

The lesson Horse brings to man is that there is strength in numbers. He teaches that cooperation, collaboration, and the ties of friendship equal power. Horse shows us that when we can synchronize our motive with the motives of others, we have the power to do anything and reach any goal.

A Horse person has a wild spirit that cannot be broken. Horse loves freedom, but also is unquestioning and faithful to his master. A warrior lies inside those with Horse medicine. This warrior spirit keeps you safe in your travels and fills you with stamina.

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Foundation For Shamanic Studies

The Foundation for Shamanic Studies is dedicated to the preservation, study, and teaching of shamanic knowledge for the welfare of the Planet and its Inhabitants.

“What Yogananda did for Hinduism and D.T. Suzuki did for Zen, Michael Harner has done for shamanism, namely bring the tradition and its richness to Western awareness,” say Roger Walsh and Charles S. Grob, in their book, Higher Wisdom. “Michael Harner is widely acknowledged as the world’s foremost authority on shamanism and has had an enormous influence on both the academic and lay worlds.”

Started in 1979 as the Center for Shamanic Studies, the Foundation for Shamanic Studies presents the world’s foremost training programs in shamanism and shamanic healing. They are based on the pioneering work of anthropologist Michael Harner, who brought shamanism to contemporary life in the West after extensive field and cross-cultural investigation, experimentation, and personal practice. He originated, researched, and developed core shamanism, a system designed for Westerners to apply shamanism and shamanic healing successfully to their daily lives. This system is based upon the underlying universal or near-universal principles and practices of shamanism, rather than upon culture-specific variations and elaborations.

Since the West overwhelmingly lost its shamanic knowledge centuries ago due to religious oppression, the Foundation’s programs in core shamanism are particularly intended for Westerners to reacquire access to their rightful spiritual heritage through quality workshops and training courses. Training in core shamanism includes teaching students to alter their Consciousness through classic shamanic non-drug techniques such as repetitive drumming so that they can discover their own hidden spiritual resources, transform Their Lives, and learn how to help others. Core shamanism does not focus on ceremonies, such as those of Native Americans, which are part of the work of medicine men and women, persons who do both shamanism and ceremonial work.

When invited by indigenous peoples who have largely lost their shamanic knowledge, the Foundation may send a team to help them establish firsthand shamanic contact with their own spirits and learn from them. With this work done in short time, the team leaves. The Foundation has done this by invitation in various parts of the world, including the Arctic of Eurasia and Canada, and in central Asia.

Where the survival of indigenous shamanism is threatened by outside forces such as religious and political persecution, the Foundation may designate elderly shamans as Living Treasures of Shamanism and provide lifetime stipends to help them pass their precious knowledge on to their peoples.

The Foundation also maintains a great archive, the Shamanic Knowledge Conservatory, containing irreplaceable documents, books, audio-visual media, and artifacts to preserve endangered shamanic knowledge for future generations.

Income from donations, workshops, and other activities of the Foundation help support these and other projects of the Foundation, which is a nonprofit public charitable and educational organization.

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Power Animal Snake

SNAKE's medicine includes change, immortality.

"SNAKE, YOUR VENOM IS SWEET.
MY FEAR IS GONE,
I AM READY FOR CHANGE.
I FOLLOW YOU DOWN THE NEW PATH
YOU HAVE GUARDED."

Snake medicine is rare and is most often presented to the person using the approach of fear. A person with Snake medicine will find that they are fearful of this Shadow Animal most of their lives. But after Surviving many venomous snake attacks, they conquer their fear and are opened to the world of Snake's medicine.

Snake comes to you at a time when you are heading for change. You are ready to explore the mysterious, voyage where you have never gone before, whether in the Physical world or in the depths of the mind and soul. People with Snake medicine know the power of renewal. Snake sheds his skin leaving it behind and slithering away completely renewed. Snake people can do the same, shedding their dull layers to reveal a brilliant new self underneath.

Snake people are also creative and have strong psychic intuitive powers. Snake represents the silver cord that connects the physical body to the astral body, so Snake people may also be especially adept in astral travel.

The snake is a symbol of Goddess energy and he will protect you from religious persecution.

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The Power Of Familiars

I am sure you are familiar with the typical figure of the witch and her black cat. Witches have been using animals to help them with their magickal works for a very long time. It is said that the familiar is the animal that the witch has. The familiar lives with the witch and assists him/her in magickal works. Traditionally cats are associate with witches. Other animals, like dogs, rabbits, horses, and snakes, can be familiars too.

However, your pet is not necessarily your familiar. I have a small fish tank with a Beta fish in my room where I perform most of my magickal works. Even though I love it dearly, my red Beta fish is not my familiar. A familiar represents all the good qualities of that animal, and it is attune to the witch. It provides the witch with a link to the animal kingdom and the essence of their power.

Totem/Power Animals

Witches cannot always work with Physical familiars due to many reasons. Perhaps the most common one will be space limitation. Let's face it, who can keep a tiger in his/her house? Sigfried and Roy do NOT count! Therefore, many witches work with their totem animals in the astral. Totems are not specific animals but mystical powers. Totem animals are sought in the astral world. Witches choose those Power Animals that closely represent their higher selves. In other words, power animals are chosen by their affinity to the witch. Power animals are used for specific purposes too. For example, a Witch may choose the animal that lends to a specific kind of magick. Maybe the spell needs some "medicine" from the Snake. Some animals are associated with the quarters. Sometimes these energies are activated with the quarter calls. Totem animals are great advisers. So if you are confused about something, call the
Wolf!

-part of the Information was taken from: "Indian Power Animals and Totems" by Marguerite Elsbeth, To Ride a Silver Broomstick and To Stir a Magick Cauldron by Silver RavenWolf

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Power Animal Turtle

TURTLE's medicine includes Earth wisdom, protection.

"TURTLE, TEACH ME YOUR MAGIC.
I FOLLOW YOU TO THE SOURCE OF POWER
TO LEARN THE EARTH'S GREATEST SECRETS."

Turtle has many Mystical powers – earth magic, water magic, psychic protection, healing. Turtle can allow you to find balance in Your Life as well as freedom from struggles. He teaches carefulness, tenacity, and patience as the keys to Reaching your goal.

Turtle people can feel at home anywhere they go because they carry their protective shell with them. But when Turtle finds himself in an uncomfortable situation, he tends to retreat into his shell instead of facing the problem. While sometimes this keeps Turtle from learning valuable lessons, it also means that people with Turtle medicine are survivors. They can chase new opportunities but feel safe knowing that they can withdraw into the refuge of their "shell" when trouble rears it's head.

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Shaman Healer Sage How To Heal Yourself And Others With The Energy Medicine Of The Americas

Book: Shaman Healer Sage How To Heal Yourself And Others With The Energy Medicine Of The Americas by Alberto Villoldo

Anthropologist Villoldo has studied shamanic healing techniques with the descendants of the Incas for more than 25 years. Perhaps more than any westerner, he has mastered the ancient art of "seeing," which gives more direct insight into the true causes of disease than can be revealed through all the technological advances of Western medicine. He has written ten previous books chronicling his adventures on the path to becoming a master shaman, and teaches energy medicine to thousands every year. Now he reveals the concept of working with the "luminous energy field" that surrounds our physical bodies in a practical, easy-to-Understand format. Although shamanism is often shrouded in riddle and mystery, Villoldo has managed to present the Basic Principles in a step-by-step program, beginning with a series of simple exercises to cleanse and activate the chakras, the key entry points of the luminous body. By interweaving Stories From his personal journey, he makes energy work accessible to a broad audience, and paves the way to its acceptance by the medical community.

This book has completely changed my life, as well as the lives of the many people I have touched, since reading Shaman, Healer Sage in late 2003. After finding myself (totally unexpectedly) on the path of shamanism, I found and read this book. I will admit, I did have many reservations on much of the books teachings. Frankly, it just didn't seem possible that such a profound level of healing, could be so simple. I mean, if it was this easy, why hadn't I heard of it before, or come across someone who was a shaman and could do these wondrous things. At 50 years old, I really didn't know what a shaman was, short of the 1992 Sean Connery movie "Medicine Man", in which the diminutive shaman (who Connery had made very angry) scared the hell out of me. Not a good start for me.

Anyway, I had just spent several months, looking for someone to teach me about shamanism. After reading his book, I decided that the good Dr. was probably a very good place to start. I read two more of his books, just because I'm an eternal skeptic, then I reread Shaman, Healer Sage again. Did I mention that I'm a skeptic???

I began formal study with Dr. Villoldo and his staff of shaman instructors in July of 2004. The work of the south was true to the teachings of the book, and I saw (and experienced) healing work that I still find unbelievable. The teachings are just as simple and eloquent as the book that led me to these classes. I found the same to be true about the next two classes. The gifts of healing I have learned so far, have allowed me to heal people of both physical and psychological ailments. In some cases, these people have been treated for, and suffered from these illnesses, for several years. I do not take credit for this work. If you have read the book, you will know why.

I am leaving for two more weeks of study in March of 2005. I read Shaman, Healer Sage before I leave for every class. I noticed that many of my fellow students who took the class on the teachings of the west, seemed to have their copy of the book with them. I believe that not only does the book serve as a helpful reference to what we are learning, but it also serves as an inspiration to those of us who have dedicated our lives to this calling.

Before I close this, I would like to say that I do not intend what I write in this review, to make anyone think this road is an easy one to follow. Much to the contrary. To learn, and apply Dr. Villoldo's teachings take total commitment, and intentions that must be pure. It isn't something you do on a whim, as your entire life will never be the same, and you won't either. This is a serious way of life, that is sometimes a heavy weight to carry. I will say that to be able to do something about someone's suffering, instead of standing by and watching them suffer, is a gift that goes beyond any gift I could ever imagine. I can think of nothing more wonderful to do for someone, than to remove their pain.

If you are going to read one book on shamanism, read Shaman, Healer Sage. You will be glad you did. To Dr. Villoldo, who has taught me so much, as well as all of the teachers who taught him, and the people who are instructors in his classes, I (and the people I have healed) thank you.

Buy Alberto Villoldo's book: Shaman Healer Sage How To Heal Yourself And Others With The Energy Medicine Of The Americas

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How To Become A Shaman

To the beginner, it would seem that the primary goal of everything one does is to become a Shaman.

It is a common misconception that experiencing Shamanic ecstasy or embarking on that first shamanic journey makes you a Shaman. It is more complicated then this.

Not everyone can become a Shaman...it is a terrible experience to survive a calling and thus one should not "wish" to be a Shaman.

However, anyone may still benefit from the experience of practicing Shamanic techniques and ecstasy without being a Shaman.

A Shaman is a master of the Shamanic abilities, journeying, ecstasy, even healing.

A Shaman is also one depended on by some form of a group or community, while I believe one might be a Shaman to their own Brotherhood or family, in most cases this is a village or some nation of people.

To these people, the Shaman is their window between the worlds. So to answer the question, there are three ways most Shamanic Traditions agree one can become a Shaman.

1- By birth into a Shamanic family, one can receive the hereditary right to be a Shaman.
2- One might be called as a Shaman. Often a person will become seriously ill (physically, mentally or psychically) during this calling.They will then realize, or be informed of, their calling. Once the person begins their training and accepts their calling, they will be freed of their illness.This calling is not a request, but rather a divine command. Once may be raised in a Christian family which rejects the path of the Shaman, but to ignore the call would not be acceptable. Most Shamanic cultures believe that rejecting a call is a fatal mistake. Surviving the call is what gives the Shaman the experience needed to begin healing others.
3- One may choose to become a Shaman.This involves an intense, personal quest towards being a Shaman, including the traditional training and studying. According to "orthodox" beliefs, a Shaman who chooses his path is less powerful.

Many cultures believe there is no such thing as one who chooses to be a Shaman and such a person is either fake or simply unrespectable. Survival of the calling is part of the experience and to choose this path is to surpass the calling.

Regardless of the way one initiates the journey, it is a very tough and devoted path to follow. A Shaman must endure intense physical discipline, days in sweat lodges, seeking visions, long journeys between the worlds, and deep study of deities, myths, the secret language, and their heritage.

This is why Shamanism is not a religion but a way of life that becomes the nature of the individual.

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Seidr Seid Sol Iss Burs And Nordic Shamanism

Book: Seidr Seid Sol Iss Burs And Nordic Shamanism by Yves Kodratoff

The first part is personal, and it exposes my practice of seidr, by comparing it several times to the one coming from Diana Paxson’s group and in Jordsvin’s papers. I thus recommend to read at first these papers before mine. The second part explains and supports my own practice of seidr, but the facts it contains are independent of any belief. It is subdivided in two sections. The first is a rather scholarly description of the linguistic problems involved with the word seidr in Old Norse, the ancient Norwegian, (and Icelandic, Danish, Swedish) language, used in the sagas and the Eddic and Skaldic poems. The second is an annotated presentation of the runic inscriptions referring or alluding to seidr. (Yves Kodratoff)

Download Yves Kodratoff's eBook: Seidr Seid Sol Iss Burs And Nordic Shamanism

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Power Animal Fox

FOX's Medicine includes cleverness, camouflage.

"FOX, SHARE WITH ME YOUR WISDOM,
TO SEE THE UNSEEN,
AND UNSEEN, SEE."

Fox reminds all people to stay in touch with their Feminine side. Fox people often have an affinity for faeries, elves, gnomes and other Magickal creatures of the faerie kingdom.

Fox has a keen sense of small, so you may notice odors more then most people or have a stronger sense of taste that allows you to pick up subtle flavors in foods.

A master of camouflage, Fox can blend in to any background. A Fox person can enter a room and meld into the surroundings, going unnoticed for a long while. This "invisibility" allows Fox to silently observe his surroundings and use his conclusions to his advantage.

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To Get An Animal To Follow You

From Egyptian Secrets: Or White and Black Art for Man or Beast:

To compel a dog, horse or other Animal to follow you

Casper Guide Thee, Balthsar Bind Thee, Melchior Kee Thee thee times. These words uttered into the right ear

Probatum Est. Useful for pet owners with companions prone to wandering off.

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Power Animal Owl

OWL's medicine includes Clairvoyance, awareness, intuition.

"OWL, LET ME SEE AND HEAR ALL AROUND ME.
TEACH ME TO Understand EVEN THAT WITH IS HIDDEN,
TO HAVE CLARITY WHEN OTHERS DO NOT."

Owl has a very keen Perception of everything that is going on. She is aware of everything that is happening around her at all times and she can see whatever she focuses on with sharp clarity. People with Owl medicine know what's going on and have clairvoyant or psychic powers. Their intuition is accurate, clear and precise.

Those with Owl medicine are the least gullible of all people. Nobody can get a lie or a con past them because Owl sees right through them, peering past their mask to see the truth beneath.

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Of Water And The Spirit Ritual Magic And Initiation In The Life Of An African Shaman

Book: Of Water And The Spirit Ritual Magic And Initiation In The Life Of An African Shaman by Malidoma Patrice Some

Born in West Africa in the early 1950s--the author is indefinite about the year--Some was kidnapped at age four by a French Jesuit missionary to be trained as a priest, for the next 15 years enduring the harsh regimen of a seminary where his native language and tribal traditions were systematically suppressed. At age 20 he escaped, but when he returned to his Dugara people in Upper Volta (now Burkina Faso) they rejected him as an outsider. To reconnect with his native culture, Some underwent a month-long Initiation Into shamanism during which he reports that he journeyed to the underworld, became a bird, then a porcupine and was buried alive. A self-described "man of two worlds," Some, who holds a doctoral degree in political science from the Sorbonne and one in literature from Brandeis, is a speaker at men's movement conferences in the US. This vivid autobiography takes readers into a world of black magic, palpable spirits, Walking Dead people, force fields, transdimensional journeys--a world as strange as anything in imaginative fiction.

A wonderful book!!! Even from the introduction, Malidoma Patrice Some engages the reader with compelling Observations on the limitations of the "Western" worldview, but does not do so in a derisive way. He conveys, in a very moving life story, his role in the current world and tells how he has lived up to the mission foretold in his given name. What I especially liked, having read several other books on various spiritual traditions, was how the rituals and beliefs of the Dagara resonate with the wisdom found in traditions from Wicca to the "new age" ideas put forth in books like The Celestine Prophecy and Conversations with God. I was sad to come to the end of this book, because I wanted to learn more. I hope Some' will write a sequel that continues his story, as well as those of his father, Guisso, Nyangoli, and others he has encountered on his path through his adult life. This book reaffirms the truth of our divine nature; and powers that we in the West need to accept and "understand" without needing scientific "proof".

There are many of us in-between Africans for whom the mindless runaway train of Western living has failed. After shunning our pasts, our land, our blackness and our ancestors, no matter how hard we may have tried to lose ourselves in foreign ideaologies, there's still an emptiness inside. Thank God that Malidoma appeared. When I read this book a few years ago, whatever complexes lingered in me about my African-ness flew out the window. I have grown tired of en vogue directionless movements that exist almost only for the purpose of allowing individuals to feel good - in the guise of spiritual growth - without the necessary psychological catharsis. Thank God I'm an African woman, albeit an angry one. My anger and consternation increases everyday when I see the continuous exploitation and decimation of my people and our continent. But more than that, I am angered by the fact that so many Africans seem oblivious to the status quo and aren't interested in finding out what role we have played in the destruction of our race and home. A people will always be what they have always been. We Africans need to realise once and for all that spiritual awareness will never come from losing ourselves in another's ways. Find out who you are and where you come from. Go back to your source. Because surely, what have we gained from the West that is so much more meaningful than the knowledge of who we really are? May Malidoma keep helping us.

Buy Malidoma Patrice Some's book: Of Water And The Spirit Ritual Magic And Initiation In The Life Of An African Shaman

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Herbs For Animals

On reflection perhaps I should have called this piece Herbs for Horses! Nearly all of these remedies were used by the European Gypsies and they have proven their effectivness through many generations. I am sure that you too, will them helpful.

Most horses will take herbs when mixed with molasses or honey. Many times a brew with strong tasting herbs can be disguised with black currant syrup or honey, particularly if cider vinegar has been added.

Hops (Humulus lupulus)

"Hop tops" young shoots given to colts to condition them. A good tonic. Flowers fed in fodder to quiet restless animals, 1 or 2 cups for young animals, 2 or 3 cups (1 cup equals 1 handful) for adults.

Ivy, Common (Glechoma Hederacea)

Very good for internal cleansing after birth, 1 to 2 cups chopped herb for mares immediately after giving birth. In treating retained afterbirth make a strong brew; in 1 pint of water add 1 to 2 cups of common Ivy half pint drenches approximately every 3 hours. Do not confuse with Poison Ivy please!

Lady's Mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris)

Horses like this herb so do sheep and goats. A good tonic. Parsley piert or Alchemilla arvensis is a gypsy cure for stones and a tonic after treating colic. It has been said that should man or animals take this herb on mid summers eve they could become invisible!! I have not tried that one, maybe one would have to take Woad (Ivatis tinctoria) to bring one back in sight.

Of course the bluish hue might startle a few animals and people!

Meadowsweet (Filipendula ulmaria)

Used by gypsies as a spring tonic for horses, 1 to 2 cups of flowers cut up and mixed with mash or corn brew in 1.5 pints of water.

Nettle, Common (Urtica dioica)

Good forage dried for horses, rich in minerals, lime, sodium, iron, chlorine and a naturally good in protein value. Nettle juice mixed with nettle seeds is a good hair tonic: use internally 1 cup of juice in the animals mash. Use externally to wash the coat, it will give it a Beautiful shine, beneficial for show or racehorses.

Oak (Quercus robur)

Gypsies used the ripe acorns ground and dried them and mixed them with wheat flour to make a gruel. The green cups are very astringent and made into a strong brew are used to check bleeding internally and externally, 1 to 2 oz to 1.5 pints water.

Poplar, Black (Populus nigra)

Buds crushed in milk, honey and wine a good tonic for horses. For sores, wounds, ulcers. Used externally too (by making an ointment with the young buds).

Puffball (Fungus)

Used to stem bleeding and promote healing. Crushed and then applied to wounds.

Quince (Pyrus Cydonia.

Hair tonic for manes and tails. The peel is made into a brew 1 cup to 1 pint.

Sanicle (Sanicula europaea)

Used as a talisman on banners and shields to protect war-horses and hopefully their riders. Good fodder. Effective for internal bleeding and wounds. Whole plant used make a brew or give 1 to 2 cupfuls of the herb in feed.

Scabious (Scabiosa arvensis) (Gypsy Rose)

Cleansing and antiseptic. A brew of the root and herb thickened with borax, removes old sores and dandruff. Mix about 2 cups herb and root to one and a half pints water. Put in 1 tablespoons of borax powder while still hot and stir well. Apply when cooled.

Strawberry or Wild Strawberry (Fragaria vesca)

Leaves help prevent abortion, fruit good for nervous or slow horses. Foliage good for show and racehorses. 2 cups of leaves or leaves and root daily or handful of berries daily.

Sweet Cicely (Myrrhus odorata)

Horses love this herb. A good tonic. Crush some or bruise the root and hold in the hand, they will usually come to one. Native Indians used this trick to catch the wild horses. Note make sure you catch the right horse!

Tea Plant (Indian tea, China tea), (Thea sinensis)

Make a strong infusion, 2 parts to 1 of vinegar, (cider if possible). Soak cotton cloth when cold and apply. Very good for sun stroke, sunburn, fine burns. Dose internally: 1 dessert-spoon cider vinegar to 3 tablespoons tea mixture. Make the tea mixture with 2 tablespoons in 10 oz. hot water, add a pinch of cinnamon or 1 to 2 cloves or both. Give cold if possible.

Willow, White (Salix alba)

Young shoots and foliage given by gypsies for cattle and horses as a tonic

Willow (Salix caprea)

Given to goats to calm their hot tempers and cool their blood. I am not sure whether that means they gave it to the old goats or not. What is good for the animals is good for man too!

That's all I have space for just now. It's easy to forget that the "beasts of the field" originally taught us much of our herb law, (by our Observations of them). They deserve more consideration than we often care to give them nowadays. By using these simple remedies we can do much to make Their Lives more comfortable and productive.

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Shapeshifting

There are two types of shapeshifting; changing your light body in the astral to power animal, & changing your Physical form on the earth plane into an animal. Perhaps this is where the lycanthropy legend actually began. Very adept shamans are said to be able to change their physical human forms into that of animals.

There is also a middle ground where we should not miss. During certain ritual dances, humans can be possessed by the animal spirit. Although they outwardly do not become the animal, their body may contort or move in the fashion that the animal is most comfortable. Vocalizations are also heard, such as the cry of the Eagle, scream of the Falcon, etc. These power dances are not harmful, as long as they are done within some type of magick circle. Inwardly, the individual melds with the animal. The human's sense of smell or sight may be heightened, there could be increased dexterity in the limbs, or a feeling of savage power that the animal may represent. It is exhilarating & enlightening.

In the astral, taking on the shape of the animal is not particularly dangerous. I had only one glitch, & that was in the form of a panther, where I had to learn to Control the beast & not let it run away with my (or its) strength.

In order to keep accurate track of your astral studies, you should use your notebook. Be sure to write the date, time, moon phase, Weather conditions & your own health at the time of the travel. Also indicate the reason for the exercise.

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Cat Folklore And Magic

Cats have been sacred to more than one religion, and at different times and places have been considered both good and bad luck-bringers. The Egyptian goddess Bast was both lion-headed and cat-headed and attended by cats and therefore cats were sacred and revered in Egypt; killing one was a heinous crime, and when a Household cat died mourning rites were performed for it. Cats were often found in Temples and were ritually fed; stray cats were treated with honor and fed, and the household cat was allowed to share the family's
food. Cat amulets were produced and elaborate cat-sized sarcophagi crafted for cats who had died, who were often embalmed ashumans were. Followers of the goddess Diana also considered the cat sacred because she once assumed the form of a cat, and cats were under her special protection. In Scandinavia, Freya's chariot was drawn by cats. The Celtic goddess Cerridwen was also attended by white cats, who carried out her orders on earth.

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How Does One Become A Shaman

Some have wondered if the experience of shamanic ecstasy or flight makes a person a shaman. Generally speaking, most would say no. A shaman is more than someone with an experience. First, he or she is a trained initiate. Usually years of trenculturalization and under a mentor precede becoming a functioning shaman. Second, a shaman is not just an initiate who has received inner and outer training, but is a master of Shamanic Journeying and Techniques (shamanic ecstasy). This is not a casual acquaintance with such abilities; there is some degree of mastery of them. Finally, a shaman is a link or bridge between this world and the next. This is a sacred trust and a service to the community. Sometimes a community that a shaman serves in is rather small. In other instances it may be an entire nation. A lot of that depends on social and cultural factors.

One becomes a shaman by one of three methods:

a) Hereditary transmission;
b) Spontaneous selection or "call" or "election";
c) personal choice and quest. (This latter method is less frequent and traditionally such a shaman is considered less powerful than one selected by one of the two preceding methods.)

The shaman is not recognized as legitimate without having undergone two types of training:

1) Ecstatic (dreams, trances, etc.)
2) Traditional ("shamanic techniques, names and functions of spirits, mythology and genealogy of the clan, secret language, etc.) The two-fold course of instruction, given by the spirits and the old master shamans is equivalent to an initiation." (Mircea Eliade, The Encyclopedia of Religion, v. 13 , p. 202; Mcmillian, N.Y., 1987.) It is also possible for the entire process to take place in the dream state or in ecstatic experience. Thus, there is more to becoming a shaman than a single experience. It requires training, perseverance and service.

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