the. -M Y S T I C .W O R L D- .of .the
ALTERNATIVE BELIEFS ..Some qualities that you would do well to look for in a shaman would be: kindness, compassion, respectfulness, and truthfulness. You would be wise to avoid a shaman that is conceited, shortsighted, overly serious, overbearing, and/or controlling MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
..Forget
what you may have known pertaining to Shamans. Not
all shamans are Native American as some movies and/or the popular
m ..SYMBOLIC DEATH INITIATION ..This involves going into a trance state and visualing their body being destroyed in a very graphic manner. They will visualize such things as the flesh being stripped from their bones and their organs being removed and cast aside. Even visions of their limbs being ripped from their body would not be unusual. The place of this initiation is the land of the dead, also referred to as the underworld. ..CONNECTIONS WITH NATURE ..Shamans
do not think of mankind as separate entities from nature. Quite
the contrary, they know and believe that all of mankind is
interconnected with nature. Many shamans prefer to be outdoors
as much as possible because of the connection between the spirit
body and the physical body are stronger outdoors. Most people
when they look at a rock or a plant that is all they see. These
are
important resources to the shaman. After all, us humans are
largely made up of water, we breathe the air and produce heat.
..THE SPIRIT OF FIRE ..For
a shaman the spirit of fire has great significance since fire
(and heat) are associated with tremendous journeys. Everyone
most likely watched a
..PLACES OF POWER ..There
are many places on earth that emit particularly high frequencies
of energy. The largest ones have been used by p
..TRANCES - "Altered States" ..In order for a Shaman to go on a spirit journey they must be in an altered state of consciousness. During this journey they are aware and remain in full control of their trance state. That does differentiate them from a medium who lets spirits use their body as a vessel to communicate with friends and loved ones. The Shaman uses drumming, dancing, chanting, breath work, sensory deprivation and there are some that use various hallucinogens (psychotropic plants). To the Shaman the plant is a spirit teacher and when they ingest these plants they take the spirit’s properties into themselves. Thus the hidden reality is revealed using these plants.
..PSYCHOTROPIC PLANTS ..Psychotropic plants are found throughout the world, however, usage is most prevalent in the New World, especially in South America. Shamans look upon a plant as a spirit teacher and when ingested the Shaman takes the Spirit’s properties into themselves. Peyote (Lophophora Williamsii) and San Pedro (Trichocereus Pachanoi) cactus are most notably used amongst Shamans and for ritual use. The substance Mescaline is what causes the hallucinogenic effect. Many members of the Trichocereus cactus family are psycho active. One species in particular, Trichocereus Peruvianus, is several more times as potent by weight as the other Trichocereus species.
..The earliest depiction of the San Pedro cactus was found on a stone tablet located in Peru dating back to 1300 B.C. Even ritual objects have been found that contain images of Peyote dating back to 500 B.C. Sometime in the late 1800s Peyote was being used in the U.S. and Canada and was known to be used amongst North American Indian tribes. In 1918 the Native American Church was formed. Despite attempts by the Roman Catholic Church Peyote is legal for members of the Native American Church. Today there are still Peyote rituals being performed by Native Americans. In South America Shamans still hold ceremonies that assist them with healing, supernatural and divinatory forces. It is said that the San Pedro experience is one that creates an astral journey that transports one across time and space. Such a journey can take one to distant parts of the world or into metaphysical realms.
..Some priests were known for their attempts at suppressing Peyote usage. A manual published in 1760 by a priest near San Antonio, Texas read: Have you eaten the flesh of man ? Have you eaten Peyote ? ..Another priest, Padre Nidolas de Leon examined converts with the following questions: Dost thy foretell events by reading omens, interpreting dreams or by tracing circles and figures on water ? Dost thou suck blood of others ? Dost thou wander about at night, calling about demons to help thee ? Hast thou drunk Peyote or given to others to drink, in order to discover secrets or to discover where stolen or lost articles were ? ..As a preparation for gathering Peyote there takes place a ritual confession and purification. This encompasses public recitations of all sexual encounters without shame, resentment, jealousy or hostility. To symbolize each offense, the shaman makes a knot in a string, which is then burned at the end of the ritual. After this confession the group before journeying to Wirikuta must be cleansed. ..Prayers for rain and fertility begin and are ritually washed upon their arrival to the sacred mountains of Wirikuta. There is praying and chanting and now the dangerous crossing into the otherworld begins. The emotionally charged journey to the “Gateway of the Clashing Clouds” and the “Opening of the Clouds” begins. These are not actual physical locations but are reached during an astral journey. Its is tradition to tell stories from the ancient Peyotetradition while invoking protection for the events to come. Newcomers to the journey are blindfolded and are led by the Shaman to the “cosmic threshold” which only the Shaman can see. Candles are lit and prayers are recited while the Shaman are imbued with supernatural forces.
|
||||||||||||||||
|
s
passed on or perhaps get some insight about future events
or past lives the shaman is
the expert you should seek out. Seeking answers to difficult
life situations could be another reason to consult a shaman.
edia would have you believe. Very few of them actually live
on tribal land. The word "Shaman" originates from the
Tungus people of Siberia, being a group of hunters and reindeer
herders who spoke in a ancient language known as "Evenk". Shamans
have existed since the very beginning of time. You will find them
in many different walks of life today. Its fair to say that many,
if not most of them, hold traditional jobs and have families. It's
important to realize that Shamanism is not a religion, but
rather a spiritual belief.
infinite
and that the power is mainly directed one way, this being
into the physical world (tonal). Nothing
in this physical world can harm the spirit world. Shamans
regard the
spirts of all the elements, sun, moon, stars, plants, animals
and nature as guides and advisors. 
eople
for centuries. I am talking 
about
places such as Stonehenge, Mt. Shasta (NC) and the great pyramids
in Egypt and in Central
and South America. The
power behind these locations are the frequencies and
juxtaposition of the rocks that lie beneath them. Being
near to these locations
can amplify your own intuitiveness and raise spiritual
awareness. 
..Mescaline (the
ingredient responsible for the hallucinogenic
effect) belongs
to the family of compounds
known as phenethylamines
and is very distinct from the other major psychedelics which
belong to the indole family. Other indoles would be LSD,
psilocybin, harmaline and DMT. Classified as “designer” psychedelics
are ecstacy (MDMA) and 2 C-B and are related to the chemistry
of mescaline. The potency of Peyote can vary widely. Some
people can achieve an effect from 3-4 Peyote buttons, while
others need
12-15. The quantity of mescaline sulfate
required for a full experience is 500 mg. (Or
approximately 350 mg. Of mescaline
hydrochloride). Pure mescaline, if taken in 2, one-half doses,
30 minutes apart can minimize disturbances of the
stomach. (SAN PEDRO CACTUS - LEFT PICTURE)
.Peyote can
be in short supply since a typical 2" diameter
Peyote button could require 20 years to reach that size.
It has been harvested much
faster than it can grow. Needless to say,
synthetic or pure crystalline mescaline is rare indeed.
It is rare for it to be produced for the underground market.
It would
require ½ gram of mescaline for a trip. To experience
the same intensity of a mescaline trip one would need
4 doses of ecstacy, 20 doses of 2 CD and 50 doses of
psilocin
or
2500 doses of LSD. Mescaline is entirely too expensive
to become
the next popular street drug. The normal price range
for mescaline being $100-$200 per gram ($50-$100
per dose). (PEYOTE CACTUS
- RIGHT PICTURE)
..It
wasn’t until the 1960s that anthropologists were permitted
by Huichol indians to join their Peyote pilgramage. The journey
was roughly a 200 mile hunt. The only food taken for the journey
to Wirikuta (the archetypal beginning and end of a mythical past).
They carry tobacco gouds, a necessary part of the ritual. A modern
Huichol “mara’kame” (another term for Shaman)
expressed the following: “One day all will be as
you have seen it there, in Wirikuta. The first People will come
back.
The fields will be pure and crystalline, all this is not clear
to me, but in five more years I will know it, through more revelations.
The world will end, and the unity will be here again. But only
for pure Huichol.”
rs,
since the Huichol 
believe
they are descended from the Wolf People. ..Scorpions or
Tortukas are viewed as a protector against evil despite
the fact that many Huichol die yearly from scorpion
bites. ..Gila
Monsters or Eemuukwee are believed
to have magical healing powers. It is common to see
a piece
of the gila monster’s tail in the Shaman’s
medicine basket. ..Birds are
messengers to the gods. The eagle being referred to
as Wealika. The feathers of eagles are turkeys being
the
most sought after. The doubled-headed eagle represents
the Shaman’s omnipotent power and ability to
see in all directions. The goddess, Mother Eagle, Mother
of the Sky and Queen of the Heavens is embodies by
the
eagle.| . |
(Editor’s
Note): What
follows is the personal knowledge of the Shaman practice
from the Shaman Hurley, which I referred to at the very
beginning of this
article, and have had Very Positive -PERSONAL- readings
with.
|
.. I have been a "Spiritual Seeker" ever since I can remember...
.. I always had a interest in ghosts and astrology, and as I reached adulthood I started networking and searching for seminars of topics I wanted to explore. I became interested in the healing powers of Reiki when I was caring for a sick friend. I often visited a Spiritualist Camp where readers from all over the country would gather during the summer months. These individuals used a variety of methods such as psychic art, aura readings, tarot, trance, to name just a few. My world continued to open up as I attended channeling sessions of Guiding Spirits. I used hypnosis to help others discover their past lives, and mediumship to connect with loved ones. When I came across a course on Shamanism I immediately enrolled. We first learned of tools, such as the medicine wheel, animal totems, power shields, ceremony and rituals, healings, crystals and guides. We next learned that we do not need these tools at all, but we can work through Spirit and journey instead.
..I use my Shamanic Name "Wildflower Meadowspirit" instead of my birthright when practicing and I prefer to do readings over the phone so that I am not influenced by the physical presence of who I am working with. I am most successful when I start with a clear mind and have no timeline. If I had a long line of clients waiting outside of my door I would never be able to do my work effectively, nor would it be beneficial to the person seeking guidance. I have a running advertisement on Ebay under the ID of -shamanhurley- and others find me through word of mouth. This keeps a steady stream of clients yet is not over whelming.
..Everything is Energy... As quantum physics have shown, everything is energy. Even colors vibrate at different levels and this is how we recognize them. The color red's vibrations are higher than the color blue. Many times you will correlate red with empowerment, action, a catalyst. Blue is often associated with calmness. We do this without even thinking, at a subconscious level we distinguish the difference in energy. What we think of as our physical bodies is actually a shell that contains our distinctive energy, that which makes us individuals and helps define who we are.
..Reiki: For those that are initiated into Reiki, part of the ritual raises your vibratory level four to twelve times higher depending upon what level you are striving to attain to. As your vibration increases, so does your access to spiritual realms. In shamanism this is done through journey. Our Spirit leaves our physical bodies and we enter into a higher energy field. This takes us to different dimensions within the Lower, Middle and Upper worlds which also have their own vibratory levels.
..Earthbound Spirits: We often hear about earthbound spirits, those that do not realize they have died, or for some reason resist crossing into the Light. These spirits are at a lower vibratory level, and often result in hauntings. Their voices can be captured on electronic devices, we may see glimpses of their apparitions through more sophisticated tools such as infrared or thermal cameras that pick up heat or cold. This is also where kinetic energy or poltergeist activity can be found.
..The souls that have crossed over into the Light no longer have the attachment to our physical plane as they return to Spirit, and this is often described as going Home. Our Spirit's vibratory level changes to higher energy fields. It is much harder to lower your vibration. It goes against Universal Law. Why would we want to lower ourselves to a frequency through which radiowaves exist and just how would we set about accomplishing that? Part of our purpose on the Earth Plane is to be spiritual seekers and to bring ourselves closer to God or however you define him/her.
..Spirit Retrieval (Emotional Healing): An emotional healing resulted from a journey was that of a female client I have many sessions with. In journey (entering a trance state to communicate with spirit energy) I was shown the horrible abuse she had undergone in her childhood. Her innocence lost, her inner child deeply injured, and hiding within herself. Her healing would begin by performing a “Soul Retrieval.” In her particular case I was met by her Spirit Guide and we worked together to find the pieces of her soul that were destroyed with many of the experiences she suffered through. We brought these critical pieces back to her soul... little by little. Through many sessions we performed the soul retrieval, and eventually introduced her to her spiritual helpers that would continue to support her on her spiritual recovery.
Your path can only be seen from where you are standing, and it only reveals from where you have come. It is where you next place your foot that will determine where you are going from this moment.
Empower -yourself- by creating what it is you want to experience in this lifetime... In what direction do you wish to go ?
..There
are still many tribes that believe you must have
a lineage of shamans in order to become
one. It is forthis reason that I call myself
a 
Shamanic
Practitioner,
so as not to offend what is sacred to them.The most common
form of shamanism used can
be found in "The
Way of the Shaman" by
Michael Harner. This may be
a good resource for you, as well as "Soul
Retrieval" by
Sandra Ingerman, a lifelong
student of Harner. And you are absolutely right
when you
say shamanism is not
a religion but a way of thought.
Thus the famous quote " Ah, Horatio,
there is much between heaven and earth of which
we cannot yet imagine". (...not
positive of exact
words). ...Shakespeare?
..Most of us have spirit guides and animal spirits that help teach us of their medicine and how to use it for it's highest good. We have many that influence our lives during different times. "Raccoon" is my main totem. I have learned to use many masks in my practice, as it is key to recognize and respect how each individual will best understand the information they are given. Changing my mask to compliment theirs will result in a successful and useful reading. I also am dexterious, my hands and fingers can work with the smallest of objects, such as beadwork, jewelry making and repairs, just as a Raccoon uses it's hands. I do not like bright light and I don't have any light bulbs higher than 40 watts in my home. I am a keen observer from inside my hollow log and I am not above stealing a cookie right from under your nose!
.. I call on Raccoon to accompany me on my journeys but he does not always stay with me. Often other animals/birds/etc will take over. Many times Eagle will whisk me away and we'll soar thru the skies. Eagle shares its gift of being able to see things from the big picture instead of getting caught up in our little dramas and obstacles we are facing on the earth plane. Its medicine is often helpful to clients who need to step back and view their life from a different perspective.
..Other
times a dragon will
take me to the bottom of an ocean where there are caves
or crystal
cities, other worlds and teachers. When I journey to find a client's
animal totem, it is surprising how many people already have these
totems in their lives. For instance: I recently
worked with a client who asked me to find her totem, and I was shown
Bear, then a coke bottle
- Polar Bear of course! It turned out she had a collection of Coca-cola
polar bears. She was drawn to this animal and had studied much of
their habits and ways. When you are introduced to your totem I always
suggest that you find as much information as you can about it, study
the movements, the way they sustain themselves, their habitats, etc.
It is in this way you begin to develop a relationship with your totem.
..Here
is a story I like to share: I
had been working on an intense project for 2 days, and I began to notice
that I was getting shaky, a bit queasy with a headache coming on. I
decided to take a short
break and went out on my patio to get some fresh air. Something
caught my eye, and there was a turtle, crawling under the lattice and
walking along without a care in the world. This was unusual, as there
was no body of water close to my home. It is then I remembered that
turtle was Raccoons favorite food and I realized I had not eaten a
hot meal in the last 48 hours. Once I had a good dinner I was ready
to
get on with the project again... and the turtle was no where to
be found.
..I'll touch on one more thing that is crucial for anyone seeking a reading from a shaman. The role of the shaman is that of a messenger. With the help of the Spirits of the Directions/Elements as well as Mother Earth and Father Sky you offer yourself as a hollow tube of which Spirit can communicate to the person who has a request. Spirit will not always give you the information you are seeking, as it knows what is most important for your highest good at that time. Someone may express a curiosity of their past lives, but that doesn't necessarily mean that is what Spirit will share with you. It may be that this knowledge will have no use to you or may be detrimental to your spiritual progress. Instead Spirit may reveal your Spirit Guides, or journey to the Elders for guidance. I would be suspect of any reading that was tailor-made to your specific request.
..I absolutely love what you are doing, there are so many people who have found religion is a politically based business, as the scandals becoming public verifies. In this coming Age of Aquarius, and the emphasis many new agers are putting on the 2012 theories, people are looking for spiritual guidance, something more personal that makes sense to them. The bulk of my clients are middle aged, the childhood religion in which they were brought up no longer serves them or has credibility. They are in search of answers and a new path to pursue. Look at all the shows on TV, with ghost stories, psychic readers, spiritual cleansers. It's everywhere and keeps on growing. People are much more open-minded in this generation.
| -REFERENCES of ONLINE RESEARCH- |
| BOOKS | The SHAMIN by Piers Vitebsky |
| Secrets of the Shamin by Jose Stevens PHD. and Lena S. Stevens | |
| OnLine | http://www.mescline.com/exp/index.htm |
| http://www.peyote.org |
| . |
| The opinions, beliefs and practices presented within this article are- NOT- necessarily those of the Visionsmagazineonline.com editorial staff. However, we do believe in giving our readers diversity in the many subjects we put forth in front of you. The words in this article are those of the author. They are edited for content and clairification. The Author's methodology, procedures, and evidence presented here in this article are theirs and theirs alone. We are not endorsing nor condemning them for these practices. We are presenting you with information of what other people involved in paranormal investigations today are doing on a worldwide basis. The choice is yours. |
|
|
 |
| . |
| ALL CONTENTS / IMAGES / VIDEO / TEXT © 2009 VISIONS MAGAZINE ONLINE / TARA CIAMPA - EDITOR |