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So I think of the Urban Shaman or the Post-industrial Shaman and the different jungles and wildernesses that must be traveled and explored, less trees and more concrete.
Less drum circles and more poetry and writings in blogs and Tweets that connect us in many ways, such as this website. 🙂
I’m I getting too far off subject here? Lol, I’ll try to reign it in.
Hmmm. There is some truth to be found in the concrete and steel world.
But I would hazard that the Truth which will transcend and connect you to others will be found in the natural world, even if only in your Inner Experience.
The Elders are emphasising that we need to connect to the Earth in order to survive the coming disasters, and I have a feeling that urban skills are not going to be much use when we are hungry and fighting for resources.
In fact, it is the “fighting for resources,” which is driving the cities – and is driving the destruction of the planet.
I’m going to take a moment here to talk about what I call “Wizardly skills.”
Do not meddle in the affairs of Wizards, for they are subtle and quick to anger
Anyone who has come into contact with “the occult,” will be aware that there are magicians. Order of the Golden Dawn, Aleister Crowley, Kabbalists and Wizards. These people learn to control Powers to gain Benefit. They might learn how to bind an angel or a demon to learn its secrets.
Most Wizardly practice, in my experience, involves Power Over, or the desire to Control the elements – and is part of the Sickness we have unleashed upon the planet.
We need, instead, to cultivate Power With.
So the Urban Shaman who works with Spells of the City might gain Power and Knowledge – but is this Wisdom? For me, all Wisdom, the best Tome we have, is the Earth itself, and our Bodies. The Order of the Universe is laid out before us, showing us cycles and seasons, matter and energy, particle and wave, species and habitats, and Health.
I would hazard that most Urban practice – that is – pursuing Spiritual Secrets using the City as a tool – is Power Over work.
I noticed that your Journeys became more – comforting – as soon as the natural elements crept in. As soon as you experienced birds, trees, Frogs. The secrets of nature are as alive in the City as they are in what remains of the Wilderness.
Our nature, our health, is a key to understanding our place in the world and our relationship to it.
I’m not sure that the City – densification, specialisation, consumerism, greed – is the symbol to pursue for that health.
I’m not saying that health isn’t possible in the City – obviously it is. But I reckon that it lies in the pursuit of nature, of balance in spite of the City, not because of it.
Helpers, Powers and Guardians
Coda writes:
In order to acquire a guardian spirit (usually a power animal) is to go on a spirit quest. This is done in a remote place in the wilderness. Interestingly, many – if not all of us – have had guardian spirits, as it’s thought that in order to achieve adulthood, we’d have to have them. So simply having a spirit helper does not make one a shaman.
The difference lies in how the guardian helper is used while in an altered state. According to Harner, “The shaman frequently sees and consults with his guardian spirit, travels with it on the shamanic journey, has it help him, and uses it to help others to recover from illness and injury.”
It is rare that we have the ability to make a Vision Quest in today’s society.
It is valuable to spend time in the wilderness, alone, fasting. Listening to nature. I remember doing this in my 20’s to consecrate a set of Runes. I listened to the coyotes running, and I was afraid. Looking back now I think about how easy it would have been for me to be savaged by coyotes – I had no fire. It was just me and the forest. I could hear their path below me, I’m sure they could smell me.
But I had no teacher, no community to pray for me. When a young person goes on a vision quest, the community prays for them, that the Vision will come and the young person will return with their New Name and a sense of Identity. I recently saw a program in Arizona/New Mexico which was months long, in preparation for a 7-day Vision Quest – and the community would pray for you while you called for a Vision. This is often the Vision where your Guardian reveals him/herself to you.
So – it seems there are several “classes” of Beings who are around us assisting us at all times. I call them Helper, Medicine, Power Animal, and Guardian.
- Helper
– is any Being, Animal, Stone, Plant who aids you in your Journey in Non-Ordinary Reality and Ordinary Reality. I include “Allies” in this (see Carlos Casteneda Thread where I’m exploring relationships to Allies).
- Medicine
– after you have worked with a Helper for a time, you develop a relationship with them. They may have a special place on your medicine wheel (for example, my Frog comes to me from Sky/Above, is a gift from G-d to me), or a certain role they serve in your life (Wolf helps me teach). Medicine is a deeper relationship than Helper.
- Power
– This is unique to you. Your Power animal is always there for you, waits for you at the boundaries of Non-Ordinary Reality, and accompanies you on the Journey, supporting and guiding you on the Non-Ordinary path. The challenge with Power Animals is feeling them in Ordinary reality. They are there – they empower you to deal with the mundane world – but it is a different level to perceive their support in the Ordinary Realm. This came up in the drum circle last Friday.
The Power Animal may be what Michael Harner is calling the “Guardian Helper.” But it also relates to what Don Juan speaks about Mescalito as being a Power instead of an Ally. It is a deeper relationship, a twinning of souls, that an Ally cannot provide. So it can relate to Plant Medicine, as well.
- Guardian
– Popular New Age lore says we all have Guardian Angels. Michael Harner alludes to this – that we would not have survived to adulthood without Guardians. I have, over the years, seen a Guardian on occasion. My Guardians look human, albeit eccentric. I speak to them often, even though they are frequently invisible. More often, I feel them as invisible presences, and speak to them to help me solve the problems of my life, or help me to understand better, or to bring me the lessons I need to grow.
It is the “Power Animal” or the “Guardian Helper” that I believe comes in a proper Vision Quest. I believe there are other Helpers along the way – I believe that the Universe itself supports us when we seek to better ourselves, and that when we are on a path to do so – synchronicities and events will aid us on that path.
I also learned a new technique recently from a Wise Man in California: when you are entering a new situation, or want to solve a problem which involves others:
Ask your Guides to speak to their Guides to find the best solution for all. I have found this to be highly fruitful, and now practice this on a regular basis. I include it in my prayers and meditation, and also ask on the fly as situations arise.
Aho! (you will hear me saying this on occasion, it is Lakota for “It is Good,” or “I agree,” or even “your prayers are my prayers” and is occasionally translated into “Amen.”)
and
Mitakuye Oyasin (All my relations)
Would you consider a writer / poet to qualify, as they are able to link Inner experiences to the consensual world.
Art is truth.
It can be music, poetry, writing, dance, community, ceremony, yoga.
Anywhere that synchronicity can make the connection between dream and manifestation.
This is a good tie-in into the next chapter, which explores the dream in the context of Power Practice.
I like that all the art forms are listed.
So the Urban Shaman who works with Spells of the City might gain Power and Knowledge – but is this Wisdom? For me, all Wisdom, the best Tome we have, is the Earth itself, and our Bodies. The Order of the Universe is laid out before us, showing us cycles and seasons, matter and energy, particle and wave, species and habitats, and Health.
I would hazard that most Urban practice – that is – pursuing Spiritual Secrets using the City as a tool – is Power Over work.
I noticed that your Journeys became more – comforting – as soon as the natural elements crept in. As soon as you experienced birds, trees, Frogs. The secrets of nature are as alive in the City as they are in what remains of the Wilderness.
This “speaks” to me and let’s me know that all is not lost in the city.
But you are quite correct – there is a profound sense of peace when there is nature. I’ve written about “sudden” journeys taken (not intentional) that involved visions of rivers in skies and trees emitting from highly-trafficked streets. This is where I see my helper animals like Bright.
So it’s there in the city and as long as the intention of the journey is nature, it seems that the city because the background noise and nature takes the center stage.
If we could do that collectively, we could solve climate change. Nature MUST come first.
But I had no teacher, no community to pray for me. When a young person goes on a vision quest, the community prays for them, that the Vision will come and the young person will return with their New Name and a sense of Identity. I recently saw a program in Arizona/New Mexico which was months long, in preparation for a 7-day Vision Quest – and the community would pray for you while you called for a Vision. This is often the Vision where your Guardian reveals him/herself to you.
I spent days (and sometimes nights) alone in the mountains when I was growing up, but like you, I had no teacher, no community was praying. There was no context to place the erratic wanderings.
But I do believe those early experiences set a place for future awakening, if presented with the right timing and space. I hope so, anyway.
Thanks for explaining Helper, Medicine, Power Animal, and Guardian. They seem to have differing levels of power, but in my own journeys, I didn’t come to them like going up a ladder, with one level of power leading to the next. My first experience was a visual – a human helper and teacher. And then came others, such as Bright. Is that typical?
I feel sometimes like that kid exploring the mountains without a teacher or guide as I’m doing these journeys. But at least I have some idea of what’s going on now.
The Mitakuye Oyasin (All my relations) video is beautiful. Thanks for posting it.
Chapter 6
Power PracticeThere seems to be a connection between staying in contact with your guardian animal power and staying in contact with your emotions. A kind of shamanic CBT, only nature replaces words, positive spaces of nature replacing the negative and toxic day-to-day . .. . Or perhaps I’m reading too much into Harner’s words?
Harner states, “Before proceeding to more advanced work, you should make a number of journeys down into the Tunnel to see your guardian animal and to consult it.” So does that involve Lower World journeys? I’ve seen doors (maybe leading to Tunnels in the Middle World journeys).
The two main reasons to consult your power animal is to solve a personal problem and to find treatment for a patient’s illness. But it’s also good to just visit with your power animal without any reason.
Harner writes about the nature of sleep and the dangers of sudden awakenings, including the fact that it’s not “shamanically healthy” to awaken to an alarm clock. I agree with that!
Harner writes about dreams and the differences between “big dreams” and “ordinary dreams”. The big dreams can be reoccurring dreams or they can be so vivid, it’s like being awake. Perhaps he’s referring to lucid dreaming?
Big dreams are literal – if you dream of being in a car crash, it’s a warning from your guardian spirit that you will be in a car crash.
I’m a bit confused by the concept that a shaman can “enact the dream to prevent the reality of the crash on this plane of consciousness.”
In this chapter, Harner explores the healing power of a shaman, both in a hospital setting (only allowed in certain hospitals and only for Native Americans) and for distance healing. He cautions that the power needs to be transmitted from your power animal to the patient’s power animal, not directly to the person, as it could cause damage. And do not send your own energy, just the energy of your power animal. This prevents burnout.
Question – are there videos or tutorials on how to do “visualizations”? This was written about in this chapter, but I’m interested in learning more, if possible.
Harner writes about “power objects”, mentioning a rabbit’s foot that you might have had in childhood. I used to collect pieces of quartz and mica rocks. I never thought of them as being power objects, but I do remember being very curious about them and I felt comfort from having them around. Perhaps I need to go back to that mindset of childlike curiosity and comfort.
Then, according to various creation myths, the animals became physically differentiated into the forms in which they are found today. Accordingly, the myths explain, it is no longer possible for humans and animals to converse together, or for animals to have human form.”
But it is interesting to note, in early cave paintings and early Human art, that the merging of animal and human is not so distinct.
Egyptian art, for example, frequently blends and animal head (intelligence) on the body of a human.
Before we had taxonomy and compendiums of species – we wondered and dreamed, and in these places the lines between human and animal were blurred.
At the Drumming, I like to describe animals as our Past Selves, what we have evolved from, the traits we can incorporate into our Humanity to make us more Human, the Powers we can Remember to enhance our growth and learning.
Harner speaks of becoming One with the Power Animal. I call this a Gift – the Gift of Transformation or Shapeshifting. Not all communications with the Medicine or Power Animal involve transforming into that animal. We have a lot to learn from walking with the Animal, side-by-side, of gazing into his/her eyes, of listening to his/her song, of dialog – asking questions, and listening, and of exchange of gifts, the formula of: “What do you have for me? What can I give you?”
Other Gifts include Prescience, Far Seeing, Sensitivity to Another Human (often called Healing), Time and Space Travel, The Ability to Choose where you are going, or what form you are travelling in.
For example, you might borrow the wings of an Eagle, without becoming that Eagle. Or you might ride upon the Eagle’s back – and the Eagle may not be your Power Animal, but a Helper to guide you on your way.
I do love the Tlinglit Bear song, and it is true that many Native societies created dances to learn from the animals, and to become those animals during the dance. Probably the highest form of this is in Kung Fu, where the Crane, Tiger, and Snake are manifested in fighting styles and forms.
It’s not carved in stone how you interact with your Helpers, Medicine, Power animals. Transformation is not a prerequisite – though – it is more likely to happen when you have a deep affinity for that animal.
At the Drumming, I like to describe animals as our Past Selves, what we have evolved from, the traits we can incorporate into our Humanity to make us more Human, the Powers we can Remember to enhance our growth and learning.
Harner speaks of becoming One with the Power Animal. I call this a Gift – the Gift of Transformation or Shapeshifting. Not all communications with the Medicine or Power Animal involve transforming into that animal. We have a lot to learn from walking with the Animal, side-by-side, of gazing into his/her eyes, of listening to his/her song, of dialog – asking questions, and listening, and of exchange of gifts, the formula of: “What do you have for me? What can I give you?”
I had a bit of a “lightbulb” moment here. The Past Selves. Yes, this might be why some spirit animals feel “familiar”. I feel that way with my spirit friend Bright, a frog. He’s like an old friend, a wise friend.
It’s not carved in stone how you interact with your Helpers, Medicine, Power animals. Transformation is not a prerequisite – though – it is more likely to happen when you have a deep affinity for that animal.
So I guess if you have a fear of certain animals, it’s unlikely you would bond with them in this way.
Chapter 7
Extracting Harmful IntrusionsThis chapter goes into detail about healing a patient using shamanic medicine with both animal power and plant power. Although plant helpers do not have as much power as spirit helpers, it’s a cumulative process with a wide variety of plants to help.
This chapter started out very difficult for me because of my own prejudices and belief systems that run contrary to the concept of “hostile energy intrusions”.
But then I took a really good look at some of my belief systems from my own religion (Judaism) – what is taught, what is no longer considered valid, what is outdated – and it’s clear – all belief systems and faiths look strange from an outside perspective. When you’re raised with a religion, you don’t see it the same way as someone on the outside does.
So I shifted away from “this is strange” to a more curiosity-based stance. “I want to learn from this,” I told myself.
And here are a few things I learned:
Many of western medicine customs and potions are based on the placebo effect and involve great risks to the patient, but the doctor stays safe. But a shaman takes a risk by using ayahuasca. And even if he chooses not to go that method, he is directly removing a power intrusion from the patient, which carries risk. So shamans are more invested in the healing process. Therefore, it’s much more humane.
I have to wonder if one of the reasons western medicine uses so many downers and anesthesia is because it removes the power from the intrusion or in terms of western medicine, from the infection (even if using the anesthesia removed the power of the intrusion without it being intentional, as western medicine doesn’t carry that belief system).
A major takeaway I gained from this chapter is how lost the western human really is. As Harner writes, “From a shamanic point of view, the very fact that certain animals and plants have been tamed and domesticated for food and other forms of exploitation is symptomatic of their lack of power.”
Another major takeaway lies in the concept of a shaman “becoming the patient”. This involves an enormous amount of empathetic creativity, something not seen in western medicine, especially in the current climate of only seeing a patient for a few minutes and then writing out a prescription. As Harner writes, “When the shaman is satisfied that he can identify emotionally with the patient, he is ready to undertake the critical phase of the healing work.”
The concept that a shaman needs to “learn what it is like to be the patient, what the patient’s outlook on life is, what are the patient’s problems and hopes.”
Compared to western medicine, this is indeed enlightened.
So I left this chapter feeling ashamed of my earlier beliefs that this was somehow primitive and unscientific.
In fact, there’s a certain sense of “grace” and “enlightenment” that not only serves the shaman and his or her people well, but unlike western cultures, they heal themselves AND they heal the planet.
As we venture farther into the extreme weather patterns of climate change, our own lack of insight and empathy – for planet for animals and for people – shows how little progress we have made and how much we really can learn from the culture of the shaman.
Thanks for explaining Helper, Medicine, Power Animal, and Guardian. They seem to have differing levels of power, but in my own journeys, I didn’t come to them like going up a ladder, with one level of power leading to the next. My first experience was a visual – a human helper and teacher. And then came others, such as Bright. Is that typical?
I’ve done a blog post based on what you tickled out from me here.
I don’t think of it as hierarchical, any more than your brother is more than your mother, or your companion animal is greater than your Power animal. They are all relationships to be approached respectfully, gratefully, and individually. They may have different roles or approach you in different ways. But not hierarchical, even though your life partner is more intimate than your brother, or your Power Animal is closer than your Helper.
I feel sometimes like that kid exploring the mountains without a teacher or guide as I’m doing these journeys. But at least I have some idea of what’s going on now.
Every journey is new each time you take them. You might develop landmarks. One person said that when she hears crickets, it means something special to her. Another says a certain smell repels her or draws her forward. Or perhaps certain characters are more frequent than others, like Bright, or the Guardian.
We’re all travellers, and the exciting part about being a traveller is the journey. Hopefully, you will revisit places you’ve been before – but you will also go places which are new to you.
As you travel, you develop more control and skill. You are able to focus on where you go, or who you want to meet. Even a skilled traveller might find himself in a strange situation and have to quickly adapt to what he finds. It is the nature of travelling.
There seems to be a connection between staying in contact with your guardian animal power and staying in contact with your emotions. A kind of shamanic CBT, only nature replaces words, positive spaces of nature replacing the negative and toxic day-to-day.
Yes! This is a valuable insight!
I traditionally think of my Body as my Guru, my teacher. It tells me when my stomach seizes up with stress, or when I’m exhausted from a long conversation. The better I listen, the more it tells me – like what kind of food to eat, or maybe I shouldn’t walk down that street just now.
So now I have to think – the Power Animal, too. Owl tells me to listen and watch for secrets, intuition. Dog reminds me that Love is the bestest thing and loyalty is oh so important. Hawk swoops in when I need to listen, pay attention. Wolf is there when I’m afraid, but want to help the community. Lynx – well, that’s private.
So it’s about ways to connect with – emotions, drives – heck, let’s look at the whole Medicine Wheel: ideas, passions, feelings, and practical considerations.
Wow, thanks for touching on this.
Harner writes about dreams and the differences between “big dreams” and “ordinary dreams”. The big dreams can be reoccurring dreams or they can be so vivid, it’s like being awake. Perhaps he’s referring to lucid dreaming?
Big dreams are literal – if you dream of being in a car crash, it’s a warning from your guardian spirit that you will be in a car crash.
I’m a bit confused by the concept that a shaman can “enact the dream to prevent the reality of the crash on this plane of consciousness.”
Big Dreams are True dreams. Ordinary dreams are usually how we work out our stress. Ordinary dreams are like a download to long term memory, and a bit of processing of our problems. Ordinary dreams are incredibly useful if harnessed, and can be used to solve day-to-day problems. “If I move the stove over here, then the fridge opens the wrong way.” Inventors and artists have used ordinary dreams for millenia to gain insight into problem solving.
Then there are the Big Dreams. Big Dreams are dipping deeper into the Collective, and you receive a message that affects more than just yourself. It will tell you the role you might play in this event. It might foretell disaster.
But I am more Jungian than Harner. I believe that the car crash in a Big Dream – can be figurative. A car crash might mean that you feel your life is careening out of control and that there is danger if it continues.
That is where you, as a shaman, can enact the dream to prevent the disaster.
It requires some skill at interpreting the subconscious and unconscious and collective unconscious. These undercurrents are pre-verbal. They might speak in scent or image, symbol or archetype. Sometimes they even speak in puns. An outsider can be valuable in giving new insight to putting the images together.
Like the Pharoah who consulted Joseph about his dream of seven healthy cows eaten by seven sickly ones. Joseph had the wisdom to see that this was about famine – and that stockpiling and preparation would save the people from starvation. This wisdom followed the true dream, and prevented disaster.
There is a special practice called “Dream Yoga.” Castaneda writes of it, and I have some other books here about it. We can ride and steer our dreams, just as we can learn to ride and steer our journeys. It really is the same realms. You may even see clues in your dreams that you are “Middle World”, “Lower World”, or “Upper World.” This is called lucid dreaming.
The first step to lucid dreaming is a technique I have given you, called “This is my hand.”
When you can look at your hand, in a dream, in a journey – then it gives you steering control over the dream, the journey. That is why it is a good tool to use in your day-to-day. It might get you out of a nightmare someday!
In this chapter, Harner explores the healing power of a shaman, both in a hospital setting (only allowed in certain hospitals and only for Native Americans) and for distance healing. He cautions that the power needs to be transmitted from your power animal to the patient’s power animal, not directly to the person, as it could cause damage. And do not send your own energy, just the energy of your power animal. This prevents burnout.
This is wise advice. Some schools of shamanism teach the shaman to take the illness into themselves (like the darts, but there are other techniques), and in so doing, let the Earth and the Wisdom guide them to healing it in their own body.
This makes for a tough, disciplined shaman, but it is a dangerous practice.
Asking the power animal is wise – it is offering the Ordinary to the Non Ordinary, and letting the rivers beneath us merge and flow to solve the problem.
I would take it a step further: to ask your power animal to work with their guardians.
Because what I know about healing – someone can heal me again and again, and I’ll fall back into the same life patterns that made me sick to begin with. In order to really heal, I have to enact change within myself.
So if a healer asks my Guardians, they will prod, push, and guide me in the lessons I need to change and grow, and heal. And the healer’s Power Animal likely can speak more clearly to the Guardians than the healer could.
One of the things I frequently say about my practice is I do not “go in” to people and remove “icky stickies.” However, this healing practice, I could do. I could ask a Medicine or Power animal to speak to the Guardians of the person who needs help. Anyone can.
Brilliant, wise advice!
Question – are there videos or tutorials on how to do “visualizations”? This was written about in this chapter, but I’m interested in learning more, if possible.
Yes. I will come back to write more about this. I have written a few short exercises for improving visualisation. I will have to find them for you.
I don’t think of it as hierarchical, any more than your brother is more than your mother, or your companion animal is greater than your Power animal. They are all relationships to be approached respectfully, gratefully, and individually. They may have different roles or approach you in different ways. But not hierarchical, even though your life partner is more intimate than your brother, or your Power Animal is closer than your Helper.
Thanks, this is very helpful. I’m starting to meet more helpers and guides and this kind of contextual knowledge will help in knowing what to expect of them and what I should offer them.
As you travel, you develop more control and skill. You are able to focus on where you go, or who you want to meet. Even a skilled traveller might find himself in a strange situation and have to quickly adapt to what he finds. It is the nature of travelling.
Thanks, this puts things into perspective, as I’m sure even seasoned shamans have times when they get turned around. It’s “the nature of travelling” as you wisely say.
I traditionally think of my Body as my Guru, my teacher. It tells me when my stomach seizes up with stress, or when I’m exhausted from a long conversation. The better I listen, the more it tells me – like what kind of food to eat, or maybe I shouldn’t walk down that street just now.
This seems to tie in with the entire concept of shamanism – we are constantly advised to be in tune with what is not only around us, but what is in us. I like the way you phrase this.
There is a special practice called “Dream Yoga.” Castaneda writes of it, and I have some other books here about it. We can ride and steer our dreams, just as we can learn to ride and steer our journeys. It really is the same realms. You may even see clues in your dreams that you are “Middle World”, “Lower World”, or “Upper World.” This is called lucid dreaming.
The first step to lucid dreaming is a technique I have given you, called “This is my hand.”
When you can look at your hand, in a dream, in a journey – then it gives you steering control over the dream, the journey. That is why it is a good tool to use in your day-to-day. It might get you out of a nightmare someday!
I’ve been doing the “this is my hand”. In fact, I recently started wearing my watch again and that seems to get me “grounded” in the now-time. It doesn’t keep me from going into altered states, but it does help me keep up with the day, date, and time of day/night so I’m less disoriented.
I like this tool. Thank you. 🙂
Yes. I will come back to write more about this. I have written a few short exercises for improving visualisation. I will have to find them for you.
Many thanks! I look forward to reading them.
Okay – visualisation exercises.
Let’s start with a simple one – a breathing one.
You are familiar with 4-7-8 breathing.
To make your inner vision stronger, visualise the numbers as you count them.
You can visualise them in different colors – you can visualise the inhale numbers as expanding, and the exhale numbers as shrinking or contracting.
Or, if you want to dedicate a Practice to visualisation skills, set a time aside and practice “counting.” Visualizing 0-9. Put the 0 at the end. You can use any number of representations for the numbers – dice faces, roman numerals, numbers, or even a quantity of bunnies. One bunny. Two bunnies, etc. until you get to No bunnies.
This can be done – more advanced – with letters of the alphabet (or Runes, or Hebrew, Sanskrit, Arabic).
If, as you are visualising, you lose your place (it will happen), start over. If the chain is too long – go back to the last letter you remember.
Other things to do while visualising:
- Colours
– Start with primary colours – just the 3 of them, and black, and white. Expand your practice to include green, orange, purple. Expand your practice to include pastels – or neons. Expand your practice to include shades, like turquoise, jade, vermillion. As you see, the development of this skill is infinite.
- Shapes
– Start with polygons. Circle, Triangle, Square, Pentagon, Pentagram, Hexagon, Hexagram, Star of David, Septagon – etc.
- Colours and Shapes
– Blend your practice of visualising colours with shapes. I like to use the yantra forms here – as they tie chakras into the Medicine Wheel:
So – Red Square, Orange Crescent, Yellow Liberating Triangle, Green and Pink Hexagon.
- Medicine
– Practice honoring your Medicine animals, stones, plants by visualising them in great detail. Every hair on their head, every petal and stamen, the texture of the trunk, the inclusions in the stone. Colour, texture, form, emotional expression – how much can you tune yourself with this image of your Medicine Animal?
That’s enough for a few years of training! Start small and simple, and build.
I used the moments before sleep to work on my visualisation. It’s dark, your eyes are closed, you are comfortable – how many images can you get in before you go to sleep? Usually I get all the way through the Rune set.
These exercises also require concentration. Visualisation is an Air quality – but concentration is a fire quality. Focus of Will. This is a step beyond Mindfulness into Creation. You aren’t just observing, but you are actually creating the images, and choosing which images to create.
Recommended reading: “Creative Visualization” by Shakti Gawain.
Coda is having trouble posting – here is what she wrote:
Afterward
This is the final part of the book and Harner starts it off with a brilliant quote from Albert Schweitzer:
“The witch doctor succeeds for the same reason all the rest of us [doctors] succeed. Each patient carries his own doctor inside him. They come to us not knowing this truth. We are at our best when we give the doctor who resides within each patient a chance to go to to work.”
Harner then touches on the concept that in an altered state of consciousness, “The mind may be able to will the body’s immune system into action through the hypothalamus.”
I had to look up the hypothalamus in Wikipedia because I wasn’t sure what exactly it does. According to Wiki: “The hypothalamus is a portion of the brain that contains a number of small nuclei with a variety of functions. One of the most important functions of the hypothalamus is to link the nervous system to the endocrine system via the pituitary gland (hypophysis).”
There are a lot of problems in the modern world with nervous system dysregulation, so this is something that is desperately needed. Perhaps the altered state of consciousness is a deep meditation state that when practiced regularly, helps with insomnia, anxiety, and stress, and thereby really does heal the nervous system and other areas of the mind/body.
Harner goes onto explain the holistic fields of modern medicine that can bring this about: visualization, altered state of consciousness, aspects of psychoanalysis, hypnotherapy, meditation, positive attitude, stress-reduction, and mental and emotional expression of personal will for health and healing.
I liked the fact that hypnotherapy is listed because there’s a very wise doctor named Bessel van der Kolk who advocates its use for trauma:
Using Hypnosis In Trauma Treatment
This seems like a very good way of altering a patient’s consciousness in order to treat their distress and bring them to a place of healing.
Harner links today’s holistic treatments within the context of shamanism and hopes that more will come from this. In fact, he says there is no conflict between the two and in shamanic cultures, they encourage their people to use technological (i.e. western) treatment, adding in shamanic techniques such as visualization to accompany the western treatment.
Of course, as Harner notes, there still is a cultural and societal barrier if you decide to become a shaman. Harner writes, “You will not be burned at the stake, but you will not receive the Nobel Prize in medicine, either.”
Very true. In fact, in my experience here in the US, it’s very hard to find insurance to cover holistic medicine. But that’s not because holistic medicine is inferior. Far from it. It’s because of our capitalistic economic system where the pharmaceutical companies have vested interests in keeping us sick so we stay consumers.
Harner recommends the use of shamanic medicine as a supplement to western medicine, and that seems to be a good compromise.
And thus ends the book. A very good read and a book I would definitely recommend.
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