Feeling Good

There is nothing in the world so much like prayer as music is. ~William P. Merrill

I very recently obtained a Native American style flute made by Dennis Frederiksen of NZT Designs that has very quickly become a pleasing and relaxing way of centering myself and reconnecting with my source. The particular flute that found its way to me, was constructed from the combination of a large piece of river cane and a block of cedar. The cedar makes up the portion of the flute from which the sound emanates. This combination creates an extremely pleasing sound that I believe rivals many flutes constructed entirely of wood. As an added bonus, the flute that chose me, features what is often referred to as a “loon’s head” cut into the end of the instrument.

After receiving the flute, I wrote back to Dennis to tell him how pleased I was with the sound. He shared that “…the cedar nest was an idea I had a few years back. In [the] Cherokee [tradition], the cedar tree is a representation of the creator. It stays green to remind us he is always here around us. The fragrant smell is his breath. The cedar block on my flutes, I feel may be the creator’s voice and song.”

Cedar was actually used across many Native American tribes for a variety of reasons including both ceremonial and medicinal purposes. Cedar is considered a spiritual kin to sage and sweet grass and is very often used for smudging (a ritual cleansing or purification).

As I’ve begun the process of learning to play, I’ve purposefully tried to hear not only the beautiful musical tones created by this instrument, but also that little bit of the Creator’s voice that I believe is present in every musical instrument. If you’ve never heard a Native American flute, I would highly recommend that you seek out some examples of this awe inspiring sound. It’s peaceful, restful and a joy to listen to.

And, who knows, you may just hear more than you expect.

Let your mind start a journey thru a strange new world. Leave all thoughts of the world you knew before. Let your soul take you where you long to be…Close your eyes let your spirit start to soar, and you’ll live as you’ve never lived before.  –Erich Fromm

As the Core Shamanism class I recently took continued to unfold, the time finally came to take our first Shamanic Journey.  This journey was to be to the Underworld which is accessed via a hole in the earth such as a natural spring, a sinkhole, or a hole created by a burrowing animal, just to mention a few possibilities.  Using the “mind’s eye,” the Underworld is accessed by entering the desired hole and journeying down through the earth.  As I stated in a previous post, the Underworld cannot be equated to the concept of Hell as their respective purposes are not in alignment.

As with our other class activities, our journey was aided by the quick but constant drumming performed by a helper, in this case our instructor, who changes the rhythm pattern at the appropriate time to call us back.  Once we chose our starting place, which was a hole we have seen in person at some point, we were ready to begin.

I chose a natural spring that I once saw in the mountains of northern Alabama just a short distance from the Tennessee border.  A hole in the earth about two feet in diameter, it brought forth some of the best tasting water I’ve ever had.  Flowing effortlessly up and out toward the stream further down the mountain, the life sustaining liquid followed its own path, with no concern for trivial matters,  as if to provide a perfect example of how I should live my life.

So, lying on the floor with our eyes covered, the drumming began.   In my mind’s eye I saw the spring and when the moment felt right, I dove in.  Almost immediately, I came out of yet another spring in the mountains but this was obviously not the same place I started.  It was a similar spring but these were different mountains! As I surveyed the area around the spring, I couldn’t help but notice what appeared to be a stone channel what was diverting the water off the mountain in a deliberate direction.  I decided to follow the channel to see where it might lead.  As I followed the water along, the channel became a Roman style aqueduct several stories tall in certain places.  I could see both the top and sides almost simultaneously and was impressed with the amount of water I could see moving along the top.  I followed the water’s flow from the mountain for a time when suddenly I found myself flying above a set of railroad tracks.

The tracks were also in the mountains and I enjoyed the way it felt to fly following the twists and turns along the path.   The gravel that comprised the top layer of the track bed was milky white next to the tops of the evergreens I could see flanking the path.  I flew for several minutes taking in the scenery as I went.  As I began to take notice of the trees, I came upon a tree that dwarfed the others.  It, like the others, was an evergreen.

The sight of this huge tree caused me to pause for a moment and notice that the Sun was setting.  From my current vantage point, I could see across the tops of the smaller trees and view the reds, oranges and yellows behind the giant evergreen.  It was beautiful.  I stayed to enjoy the scene but before too long the tree and the brilliant colors behind it morphed into a fire.  The fire popped and cracked as if trying desperately to tell me something.

It was nighttime now and the fire was particularly engrossing.  As I studied it, I became aware of the fact that I was not the only presence enjoying this beacon in the night.  Although I could not see anything at this point other than the fire, I began to hear voices and sense movements encircling my immediate area.  The voices were unfamiliar and the comments indistinguishable.  Beyond that, I knew nothing of what this meant other than my very distinct impression that the fire was ceremonial in purpose.  It was at this point the series of scenes I had been witness to thus far made the most drastic change.  Instead of a fire in the night, I now saw a male face.

I can’t say exactly what this man looked like for I could only see him from just below his eyes to the top of his forehead.  It was as if he were very close to me looking at me through an opening of some sort.  The area surrounding his face on the top and sides was pure bright white.   He looked at me as if studying me or trying to see “into” me.  Neither of us said anything.  We were just looking at each other when I heard the drum beat change signaling me it was time to return.  As I started back, I felt compelled to be thankful.  As such, while making my way back the way I came, I paused only long enough to offer my thanks at the point of each scene I had been shown.

While this was my first Shamanic Journey, I know that it’s only the beginning of many more journeys yet to come.

Be sure to stay tuned for the next installment in this series where I’ll discuss how went in search of our Power Animal and sought advice on behalf of a partner in the class!

The Choral Dance represents the organized excitement reflex of a community. The oldest form of the Choral Dance is the circle. Even the chimpanzees dance in a circle and people of every continent still do it.  –Curt Sachs, World History of the Dance

In the continuing story of the Core Shamanism class that I took, the next item on the agenda was an animal dance.

The idea here was to allow the spirit of an animal to express itself through our bodies via a circular “dance”.  We were encouraged to follow the desires of the animal.  Dance if they wanted to dance, fly if they wanted to fly.  With our eyes open only enough so as not to bump into a wall or one another, we proceeded to walk a circular path around our instructor who was providing the every steady beat of the drum.

With a clear and open mind, I walked. 

Before too long, I couldn’t help but notice a rather strange sensation in my arms.  They literally felt as though they were getting longer!  I didn’t know what to make of this at first so I just kept walking.  Very soon I noticed that I was no longer walking completely upright and that my gait was much less deliberate – more like a shuffle.  I was beginning to think that I was perhaps being visited by the spirit of a primate when my thoughts were confirmed by a growing preoccupation with my nose!

All doubts were removed when a strong sense of playfulness came over me in a flash.  My chimp wanted nothing more than to play and have loads of fun doing it!  As we continued the circle, he couldn’t resist, on a couple of occasions, the desire to walk in the opposite direction of the others just to be playful.  He darted about savoring every moment!

As the dance was nearing its end, I could feel that my chimp was getting a bit tired and may need to find a place to lounge for a bit but he made to the end of the dance with me.  After we took a moment to make some notes we reflected on and shared our experiences.  I told the group of my long arms, sideways walk, and itchy nose.  And it was at this point our instructor asked me a very pointed question.

“What can you take from this experience to apply to your life?”

For me the answer was quite obvious.  The chimp’s playfulness was outside of my often overly serious nature.  I could take this chimp’s example and get over my serious self! 

I could, and will, lighten up and have some fun!  I could, and will, enjoy life and everything it has to offer!

Life is the Sacred Mystery singing to itself,
dancing to its drum, telling stories, improvising, playing.
And we are all that Spirit,
our stories tell but one cosmic story that we are love indeed, that perfect love in me seeks the love in you
and if our eyes could ever meet without fear
we would recognize each other and rejoice,
for love is life believing in itself. -Except From Manitongquat’s Prayer

The shaman can reach the altered state of consciousness necessary to perform his or her spiritual work through the use of repetitive motions or sounds such as a drum beat, the use of a shaker, or dancing, just to mention a few.  Of these methods, the drum seems to be a particularly powerful method for facilitating the shamanic journey.

During the workshop on core shamanism put on by the Foundation for Shamanic Studies that I recently attended, the use of the drum was the method of choice for learning to take our own journeys.  Following some introductory information, we began our time together by drumming (a few had shakers) in a constant rapid rhythm.  I closed my eyes and within moments I could feel my muscles relaxing.  This rhythmic repetition was, and is, quite hypnotic.  Everyone in attendance applied his or her own forcefulness to their respective implements.  I personally found I rather enjoyed putting a bit of “umph” behind each strike!  When we concluded this particular session at the end of the 10 or 15 minutes, I opened my eyes and took an inventory of how I felt.  Basically, it was a bit like having had a “power nap”.  I felt refreshed and calm.

All of our journeys during the two day workshop were aided by this rhythmic drumming though it’s common that a helper does the actual drumming for the journey.  It’s very easy to understand why this approach to inducing the altered state of consciousness is so popular and widely used as it seems to not only aid in making the journey, but it’s actually quite a bit of fun.  Think about how much fun children have banging away on almost any type of surface that’s percussive in nature!  I am personally convinced that as children we have a much greater connection to the unseen and are often taught to turn away from that connection as we mature.  I further believe that reestablishing those child-like tendencies can have a significant impact on how we experience our physical existence.

I’ll continue discussing the activities of our workshop in future posts so stay tuned.  The “Animal Dance” is up next!

The slenderest knowledge that may be obtained of the highest things is more desirable than the most certain knowledge obtained of lesser things. - Thomas Aquinas

I recently attended a basic shamanism workshop put on by the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.  The course was designed to impart the knowledge needed to take the “shamanic journey” that’s often associated with healing among indigenous cultures all over the world.  I plan to make several posts detailing my experiences in the workshop but it seems appropriate to begin with a few definitions and some background information regarding shamanism. 

First of all, let’s address a few definitions and some basic concepts.

• An internet search of the term shaman seems to indicate that the term was “…derived from the Tungas language of Siberia, it is a generic term for healers and spiritual leaders in tribal societies. Traditional shamans induced trance states through drums, dancing, ingesting hallucinogens, self-mutilation and deprivation and virtually any means by which one might achieve an altered state of consciousness. While in such a trance, the shaman crosses over into another world to get information for his people such as the cause of illnesses and other misfortunes. The shaman is the peoples’ link to the spirit world.”
• Considering the preceding definition, the concept of shamanism can be considered the practice of the shaman as he or she carries out the work brought to them by the tribe.
• The shamanic journey is the activity which takes place while the shaman is in an altered state of consciousness
• The shaman will journey to one of three spirit worlds depending on the work or information the shaman is seeking.
  • The Lower World is where a shaman will go to meet power animals or other spirit guides.  The Lower World is accessed via a hole in the earth such as a hole created by a burrowing animal or a natural hole like a spring or cave.  It’s important to note that the shamanic Lower World cannot be equated to the concept of Hell as eternal damnation is not the purpose of the Lower World.
  • The Middle World is the world that is most like what we know as the physical world.  This world is accessed by the shaman for the purposes of obtaining information needed in our physical existence, like the location of lost items.
  • The Upper World is where a shaman will travel to meet teachers and other helping spirits.  The Upper World is accessed via an upward movement such as a stairway, escalator, or elevator.  During the upward journey a barrier, like clouds, is usually encountered and must be passed through to enter the Upper World.  Additionally, just as the Lower World cannot be equated to Hell, the Upper World cannot be viewed as Heaven.  The concepts of Heaven and Hell belong to modern religion and are not part of the shamanic traditions.

Moving on to the workshop, I was, first of all, quite surprised at the size and makeup of the class.  I had been expecting a small handful of mature gentlemen with more grey hair on their faces than on top of their heads.  I was shocked to find that of the 20 individuals in attendance, I was the one with the least amount of hair!  Further, both genders were adequately represented and the ages ranged from 22 on up.  This was a very diverse and interesting group covering occupations from computer programmer to teacher.

The weekend workshop was an absolute blast and when all was said and done we experienced several wondrous shamanic journeys.  Stay tuned for the continuing story of how this workshop unfolded in future posts.