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About Shamanism
Shaman (pronounced SHAH-maan) is a word from the language of the Tungus people
of Siberia. A Shaman is a man or woman who enters and altered state of
consciousness at will. The Shaman does this to contact and utilize an ordinarily
hidden reality to acquire knowledge, power, and to help others. The Shaman usually
has at least one or more spirits in his or her personal service.
The trance or "ecstatic" state of consciousness the Shaman enters can be termed as the
Samanistic State of Consciousness (SSC). The shaman does not enter this state for
play, but only for serious purposes. The Shaman must also know the basic methods of
accomplishing the work in the SSC before entering such a state. For example, if the
Shaman wishes to recover a patient's guardian animal, he must know the techniques
for reaching the Lowerworld, entering it, finding the spirit animal and bringing it
back safely. Subsequently, he must know what instructions to give the patient in the
ordinary State of Consciousness (OSC).
The Shaman is an accomplished seer who works in the dark, or at least with the eyes
covered in order to see clearly. For this reason, the Shaman usually engages in such
practices at night. Some kind of Shamanistic seeing can be done with the eyes open,
but that kind of perception is usually less profound. In darkness, the distractions of
ordinary reality are less, making it possible for the Shaman to concentrate on aspects
of non-ordinary reality essential for the Shaman's work. The SSC must also be entered
with the assistance of drumming, singing, dancing and the use of rattles.
Shamanistic Enlightenment is the literal ability to lighten the darkness and see what
others cannot perceive.
Animal Allies
As humans, we each have one or more animal guardians that have come to us at the
time of our births to protect us, whether we are conscious of it or not. Generally,
these guardians, or power animals, are our spirit allies that have volunteered to do us
service. Their job is to keep us healthy-physically, emotionally, mentally and
spiritually. A person may have many different power animals during his or her life.
These animal beings may be any type of animal: of the Earth, of the Sea, of the Air,
extinct in this realm, seemingly "mythological" etc., though they generally are not
insects or domesticated animals. Though a power animal can have a distinct gender,
age and personality, it is representative of the entire genus or species. For example, if
your animal guardian happens to be Bear, the spiritual power and guidance comes not
only from that one specific bear, but from the entire genus or species of Bear. Also,
there is no hierarchy of power animals. No particular animal is more power-full or
more beneficial than another.
Power Animals are only helpful and never bring harm, no matter how fiercely they
may present themselves. They are here to help us. Though your animal ally is
available to help you in times of crisis, illness and/or danger, they can also offer
guidance and support in your day-to-day life. Power animals often awaken our
creativity as well as the ability to perceive the beauty and magic that surrounds us.
Shamans may call upon their power animal(s) for many reasons: in the diagnosis of an
illness, to assist the shaman in spiritual journeys through other realms of reality, to
bring power to a ceremony or to provide needed information and teaching.
Calling upon your animal can be as simple or as elaborate as you want. However, the
most important ingredient is your intent and focus. You can call out with your voice
or quietly in your heart. You can simply repeat its name or recite many beautiful
words of welcome. Whatever you do, be sincere and not frivolous in your request.
There is a story of a poor Tibetan man that spent much of his day turning the prayer
wheels of a monastery as he circled the complex repeating the prayers of a certain
female deity. From the monastery, the monks could see that as the man prayed, the
deity followed behind him. One day, a monk overheard the man's prayers. Realizing
the man had some of words wrong, he promptly corrected him. The next day, the
monks saw the man as usual but no longer did the deity follow behind.
Acknowledging the error, the monk returned to the man and instructed him to recite
his prayers as before. Because, though the man now said the correct words, his heart
was no longer in it.
In building a relationship with your power animal, it is also beneficial and important
to often honor your animal in some way. Once again, this can be as simple or
elaborate as you want. In general, gifting the animal with your attention is a way to
honor and respect it. The simple act of silently greeting your animal in the morning
as you wake and, for a few moments, opening yourself to being receptive to any
information your animal may have for you can be a transformative experience.
Giving thanks to the animal for Big Dreams you may have, drawing or creating
images of the animal as well as physically exercising your animal by inviting it into
your body as you hike or swim are also ways to honor your animal guardian. In this
way, the power animal has the pleasure of experiencing the material world. It is
important that the animal feel welcome and appreciated. Shamans often honor their
animal allies by singing of the animal and\or inviting the animal into their body and
dancing the animal. This is not mere imitation, but transformation.
So, how can you know if you have a power animal and what it may be? I invite you to
look about your home. Are there pictures or figures of a particular animal that occur
throughout your home that you feel an emotional connection to? Is there an animal
that comes to you in dreams or meditations that provides you with guidance or
answers to questions? These are valuable observations and worth investigating
further. All things are significant in some way. One way a shaman can discover
whether or not an individual currently has the help of a particular guardian animal is
to undertake a spiritual journey into non-ordinary reality, and ask the spirits.
How They Communicate With Us
In ancient times, there was unity between the animal beings and the human beings.
We conversed freely and easily with one another. Now, however, this unity is lost in
this physical world of limitation. Though the shaman is able to journey to realms
where this unity continues, it is important for all to be aware of when an animal ally
is communicating with us and what information they are bringing.
Power animals are not the only animals that can and do communicate with us. Any
animal can bring us a teaching at any time. An animal may come for an extended
period of time to help us with a particular issue, or it may appear only to bring a
timely message or teaching and then be gone. Most helpful in building relations with
the animal beings and opening yourself to their assistance, is to see them as sacred
beings worthy of your attention and respect, rather than viewing them as objects,
inferior, or stupid.
There are some practical steps you can take in learning to understand an animal's
message. Observe the animal. What does it look like? How is it moving? How is it
relating to its environment? Perhaps most importantly, how are you feeling as you
observe the animal? What thoughts or memories are you having? Where is your
attention drawn? Often, animals will attract our attention in some way before they
offer us the message. Be patient. Use all of your senses. Silently ask the animal what it
has for you and then be receptive to what comes to fill the space after your question.
Some people worry that they are 'making up' the information. It is possible that in
that moment you may fill the space with mind chatter rather than hearing any
message the animal has for you. Even so, this is also an important message to you.
Perhaps it is a teaching about the importance of truly listening to others, or perhaps
an awareness that your mental chatter is blocking you in some way. There is no
pretend, all things are significant and meaningful. Sometimes all that is needed is a
view from a different perspective.
There are books available that can help in deciphering the message or gifts of a
particular animal. Some of these books are quite insightful. Above all, pay attention to
how the visit from the animal felt to you. For example, if you were to search in a
book for the meaning of a visit by Bee, you may learn about the importance of
productivity or the value of community. However, Bee came to me with some
unexpected information, information that I'd not seen in any book. During a time
when I was doing research on the nature of prayer, I was approached by Bee during
one of my journeys. She told me that all Bees live their life as a prayer. She went on
to share with me much information about prayer and how to pray. Recently, during a
time of loss, I was again visited by Bee. She asked that I ask the Bees to pray for me
and also to go out into my gardens. Sitting beneath the Spring blooming trees, my
attention was drawn to a loud humming. I looked up to see a cloud of Bumble Bees
among the branches of the trees. I began to hum along with them and felt a peace
settle over me. For months after that day, I encountered Bees in the most unlikely
places. Reminders for me that they continued to pray, and also that I was not alone.
Neither are you.
Animals
Aardvark:
Aardvark Finding hidden things
Alligator:
Alligator Survival, stealth, initiation, power, patience, basic earth energy, hold
onto your money
Ant:
Ant Patience, industry, community, craftsmanship
Anteater:
Anteater Ability to find lost objects, connection to the insect world, ability to
smell out trouble before seeing it, understanding the value of rooting around to
find solutions
Antelope:
Antelope Action, grace, speed, rapid advancement
Apes:
Apes Communication, group government
Armadillo:
Armadillo Boundaries, personal protection, empathy
Badger:
Badger Aggressiveness, courage, bold self-expression
Barracuda:
Barracuda Making it your own
Bat:
Bat Rebirth, vision, the souls journey
Bear:
Bear Introspection, healing, solitude, charge, communication with spirit, death
and rebirth, transformation, astral travel, creature of dreams, shamans and mystics
visionaries, defense and revenge, wisdom, medical diagnosis, strength, power,
cycles, guardian energy, sacred to Odin and Artemis
Beaver:
Beaver Building, shaping, structure
Bee:
Bee Community, clan, work, industry, organization, messages, communication,
luck, sacred to Venus
Blackbird:
Blackbird Enchantment, between-the-worlds work
Black Widow Spider:
Spider Weaving a new fate
Blue Jay:
Jay Communication, magickal mimicry, guardian energy
Boar:
Boar Strength, family protection, warrior spirit, leadership
Bobcat:
Bobcat Solitary magick, psychic warning, secrets
Buffalo:
Buffalo Prayer, abundance, healing, good fortune
Bull:
Bull Wealth, creativity, ability to expand opportunities
Butterfly:
Butterfly Transformation, balance, grace, dance, artistic endeavors,
enlightenment, reincarnation, sacred to the Horae
Camel:
Camel Survival during lean times
Caribou:
Caribou Travel, mobility
Cat:
Cat Magick, mystery, independence, psychic warning, grace, playfulness,
equilibrium, grace, sacred to Bast
Chameleon:
Chameleon Changing environment, camouflage
Cheetah:
Cheetah Speed, flexibility
Chicken:
Chicken Divination, fertility, health
Chipmunk:
Chipmunk Finding treasures in the earth, working for the future
Cicada:
Cicada Happiness, joy
Clam:
Clam Closing ranks for protection
Cobra:
Cobra Swift decisive action
Copperhead:
Copperhead Aggressive healing, psychism
Cougar:
Cougar Balance, majesty, power, agility
Coyote:
Coyote Humor, trickiness, reversal of fortune
Cow:
Cow Prosperity, the goddess aspect, sacred to Hathor
Crab:
Crab Good luck, protection, success
Crane:
Crane Balance, majesty
Cricket:
Cricket Luck, faith, intuition, happiness, abundance, blessings
Crocodile:
Crocodile Primal strength, creation, patience, Great Mother, balance
Crow:
Crow Council, wisdom, resourcefulness, law
Daddy Longlegs Spider:
Spider Invisibility
Deer:
Deer Gentleness, sensitivity, peace, nature, education (spiritual), security, sacred
to Artemis, Aphrodite, and Diana
Dingo:
Dingo Relentless pursuit of goals
Dog:
Dog Loyalty, guidance, protection, friendship, service, trust, devotion, psychic
vision
Dolphin:
Dolphin Joy, harmony, connection with self, intelligence, psychism, community,
protection, oracles, divine messages, the breath of life, sacred to Apollo
Dragonfly:
Dragonfly Skill, refinement, relentlessness, dreams, psychism, artistry
Eagle:
Eagle Potency, healing power, illumination, spirit, intelligence, courage, decision
making, carrier of prayers
Earthworm:
Earthworm Reworking old projects, investigation
Elephant:
Elephant Prosperity, power, strength
Elk:
Elk Stamina, pride, power, majesty
Ferret:
Ferret Stealth, agility, uncovering the truth
Firefly:
Firefly Hope, inspiration, beginnings, ideas, creativity
Fish:
Fish Fertility, perseverance, providence, sacred to Oannes and Vishnu
Fox:
Fox Camouflage, cleverness, subtlety, discretion, shapeshifting, transformation,
cunning, diplomacy, invisibility, half-truths, quick action, sacred to Bacchus and
Enki
Frog:
Frog Cleansing, peace, emotional healing, new beginnings, abundance, medicine,
hidden beauty, fertility, health, honesty, sacred to Hekt
Garter Snake:
Snake Activity, opportunity
Gecko:
Gecko Overcoming strife
Goat:
Goat Tenacity, diligence, reaching success, confidence
Goose:
Goose Safe return, love of home, protection, parenting, perseverance
Goldfish:
Goldfish Peace, prosperity
Guinea Pig:
Pig Group mind
Hare:
Hare The moon, fecundity, sacred to Aphrodite and Eros
Hawk:
Hawk Awareness, truth, cleansing, nobility, remembering, clarity, spirit
messenger
Hedgehog:
Hedgehog Self-preservation
Hippopotamus:
Hippopotamus Transformation, initiation, creative power
Horse:
Horse Freedom, power, safe movement, the Goddess, travel between the worlds,
rebirth, grace, fertility, divination, sacred to Mars and Kwannon
Hummingbird:
Hummingbird Beauty, wonder, agility, joy, repair relationship difficulties,
healing
Hyena:
Hyena Family/clan life, group mind, heightened perception
Impala:
Impala Grace
Jackal:
Jackal Protection from hidden dangers, guidance
Jaguar:
Jaguar Reclaiming power, strength, speed, ability
Jellyfish:
Jellyfish Sensitivity to water energy, emotions, understanding of the value of
floating rather than swimming through trying emotional times, proper use of
softness (not being rigid), ability to become untangled from the webs of peril in
life
Kangaroo:
Kangaroo Forward movement
Kola:
Kola Serenity, peace, removing sickness
Komodo Dragon:
Dragon Long life, survival
Lady Bug:
Bug Wish fulfillment, luck, protection, prosperity
Lark:
Lark Cheerfulness, solar magick
Lemur:
Lemur Heralds ghosts
Leopard:
Leopard Ghost buster, overcoming bad habits, destroying jealousy, intuition
Lion:
Lion Courage, strength, loyalty
Lizard:
Lizard Dreaming, letting go, elusiveness, patience
Loon:
Loon Communication, serenity, creative inspiration, fidelity
Lynx:
Lynx Secrets, vision questing, visionary work, cutting-edge mentality
Mole:
Mole Luck, revealing secret matters
Moose:
Moose Self-esteem, unpredictability, spontaneity
Moth:
Moth Sending and receiving messages
Mountain Lion:
Lion Leadership
Mouse:
Mouse Attention to detail, economy, getting around barriers, sacred to Apollo
Muskrat:
Muskrat Navigating through tricky situations
Mussels:
Mussels Filtering information
Nightingale:
Nightingale Love, lightening burdens, sacred to Adonis and Attis
Octopus:
Octopus Creative center, intelligence, power
Opossum:
Opossum Diversion
Otter:
Otter Medicine (woman), joy, laughter, lightness, sharing, playfulness, grace in
the water, learning to swim
Owl:
Owl Wisdom, vision, insight, heightened perception, female magick, messages to
and from the dead, self-truth, sacred to Athena
Panda
Panda:
da Nourishment, finding the heart of a problem
Panther:
Panther Regaining ones power, protection, finding information, Dark Mother
Pig:
Pig Abundance, fertility, intelligence, renewal
Polar
Polar Bear:
Bear Supernatural power, guides between worlds
Porcupine:
Porcupine Innocence, humility
Praying Mantis:
Mantis Finding solutions to problems, dreaming, using the higher mind
Quail:
Quail Protectiveness group harmony
Rabbit:
Rabbit Conquering fear, safety, innocence, balance, rebirth, intuition, messages
from the Spirit world
Raccoon:
Raccoon Dexterity, glamouries, secrecy
Ram:
Ram Achievement, strength, success
Rat:
Rat Intelligence, socialization, success
Rattlesnake:
Rattlesnake Transformation, healing, cycle of life and death
Raven:
Raven Mystery, exploration of the unknown, magick, healing, initiation,
protection, messages, wisdom, balance, prophesy, sacred to Hellios
Rhinoceros:
Rhinoceros Ancient wisdom
Robin:
Robin Harbinger of spring, the fire element, sacred to Thor
Salamander:
Salamander Inspiration, help, creativity
Salmon:
Salmon Trust, strength, determination, persistence
Sandpiper:
Sandpiper Quickness, foraging, scavenging
Scorpion:
corpion Transformation, success, cycle of life and death, protection, weather
Sea Horse:
Horse Honor, codes of conduct, creativity
Seagull
Seagull:
agull Carefree attitude, versatility, freedom
Seal:
Seal Contentment, dreaming, the collective conscious, birth, imagination
Shark:
Shark Relentless ferocity, intuition
Siberian Tiger:
Tiger Creativity, power, passion, unpredictable
Skunk:
Skunk Caution, warning, respect, reputation
Snail:
Snail Perseverance, determination, birth, luck, divination, sacred to Tecciztecatl
Snake
Snake: Transmutation, power, life force, sexual potency, initiation, wisdom,
health, sacred to Hermes, Ra, and Hygeia
Sparrow:
Sparrow Desire, fertility, manifesting new love in ones life, understanding the
aspects of race, ability to use the power of music, all aspects of color
Spider:
Spider Web of life, interconnectedness, industrious, weaving strong magick, fate,
spiral energy, destiny, networks, sacred to Holda, the Norns, Spider Woman, and
the Fates
Squirrel:
Squirrel Trust, thrift, gathering, preparation, saving money, collecting, storage,
sacred to Medb
* Stag:
Stag The God, independence, purification, protection of forests
Starfish:
Starfish Working towards your desires, regeneration
Stick Bug (Walkingstick):
(Walkingstick) Camouflage, focus
Swan:
Swan Grace, elegance, nurturing together, relationship, oneness
Tiger:
Tiger Strength, power, new adventures, family magick
Toad:
Toad Inner strength, protection
Turkey:
Turkey Giveaway, increase material abundance, charity, self sacrifice
Turtle/Tortoise:
Turtle/Tortoise Symbol of the earth, connection with the center, navigation
skills, patience, self-boundaries, associated with the feminine, power to heal
female diseases, respecting the boundaries of others, developing new ideas,
psychically protecting oneself, self-reliance, tenacity, non-violent defense, faith,
patience, rewards, wisdom, creation, creativity, regeneration, sacred to Vishnu,
Hsi Wang-Mu, and Ea-Oannes
Whale:
Whale Record keeper, creativity and intuition, the water element, rejuvenation,
sacred to many oceanic deities
Weasel:
Weasel Stealth
Wolf:
Wolf Facing the end of ones cycle with dignity and courage, death and rebirth,
spirit teaching, guidance in dreams and meditations, instinct linked with
intelligence, social and familial values, outwitting enemies, ability to pass unseen,
steadfastness, skill in protection of self and family, taking advantage of chance,
family, clan, teaching, protection, intuition, strength
Wolverine
Wolverine: Boldness, ferocity
Zebra:
Zebra Agility, finding individuality within a group
Animals in Witchcraft
Witches and Cats
"The rise of Christianity in Europe heralded a fundamental shift in attitudes to cats.
During the Middle Ages, the cat's links with the ancient, pagan cult of the mother
goddess inspired a wave of persecution that lasted several hundred years. Branded as
agents of the Devil, and the chosen companions of witches and necromancers, cats,
especially black ones, were enthusiastically tortured and executed during Christian
festivals all over Europe. It was also believed that witches disguised themselves as cats
as a means of traveling around incognito, so anyone encountering a stray cat at night
felt obliged to try and kill or maim the animal. By teaching people to associate cats
with the Devil and bad luck, it appears that the Church provided the underprivileged
and superstitious masses with a sort of universal scapegoat, something to blame for all
of the many hardships and misfortunes of life. Fortunately for cats, such attitudes
began to disappear gradually during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries with
the dawn of the so-called Age of Enlightenment. However, not until the middle of
the nineteenth century did cats eventually begin to regain the popularity they once
enjoyed in Ancient Egypt."
Locust on Trial
The discussion so far has put me in mind of a terrific book I once read on European
animal trials, which were conducted up until I think the 17th century. One example
especially pertinent to the topic at hand: if a plague of caterpillars or locusts or
whatever infested an area, the local legal community would put the swarm on trial. A
locust would be captured and taken to the courthouse. It would become the
"defendant", and would in effect stand-in for the whole swarm. The trial would be
conducted with all pomp and circumstance, with a lawyer appointed to represent the
swarm and etc. There were a number of standard defensive strategies, and sometimes
the swarm was even judged innocent if their lawyer was especially able. If judged
guilty, however, the locusts were ordered to get out of town. If the infestation abated,
the trial was given credit. If the infestation continued, this does not appear to have
been seen as an argument against conducting animal trials in the future. I trust the
resemblance to the rain dance ceremony is fairly clear here.
The author of the book (I cannot recall the title or author; I remember that it was
published in the early 1900s and the cover shows a reproduction of an old print,
portraying the public execution of a pig by hanging) argues that such trials are an
attempt by the human community to intervene in the natural order, to exert its will
over the world. I think this is a pretty insightful comment.
"Exerting human will over the world" could serve as a definition of the goal of
science. Bacon sometimes describes science as the human "conquest" of nature, and
certainly many modern critiques of science (feminist, for example) have taken this to
be the self-defined goal of scientific inquiry. I'm not arguing for the ultimate truth of
this particular position, but on the other hand if you look at things along these lines
than certain aspects of religious and scientific thought seem to be closely related, at
least in their purpose. Bacon's studies of heat are supposed to yield a (universal)
process for making heat, the shaman leading a rain dance is trying to make it rain, the
animal trial is an attempt to bring the plague to an end etc.
Note that the various rituals used for bringing about these interventions don't have to
work very well in each case for the ritual to be accepted within the community. The
community may simply accept that human powers are limited in what they can
accomplish. I believe that within alchemical studies this was a common view; even if
all the processes were carried out correctly, you might still not create gold from lead
or whatever, and in fact usually would not. Note also that the ritual might have
multiple functions within the community. The rain-dance both be used for bringing
rain and bringing about group solidarity. These are not mutually exclusive. Again, I
have read something similar with respect to alchemical procedures; that the alchemist
"purifying" metals with his various tools is also going through a process of spiritual
purification. And certainly the animal trial, even if it does not drive out the
infestation, makes the community feel better. The community is "doing something"
about its situation, even if its acts are ineffective.
I also like the animal trial example because it muddies the waters here in interesting
ways. The conversation to date has concerned itself with comparing/contrasting
religious/scientific thought. Yet here we see legal institutions using their procedures
in a way that suggests a religious ritual. Conversations on the distinctions/similarities
between legal and religious thought, and legal and scientific thought, would also be
good to have.
The Animals of Salem
Salem Story: Reading the Witch Trials of 1692 by Bernard Rosenthal Cambridge
University Press 1993
p.18 John Hughes, while testifying about seeing beast transform into Sarah Good,
Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, also mentions that on March 2 "a great white dog
followed him and then disappeared, and then that night in bed he saw a great light
and a cat at the foot of his bed." (from Narratives of the WC Cases 1648-1706 ed. G.
LO. Burr)
not proved to happen, but it was one prosecution among many. By the way, Tree god
said that he was 120 years old.
Fifthly, we have some cases where a witch has used a snake to do some crime. One
witch argued with his wife and then separated. Later that ex-wife got pregnant from a
snake, and later gave birth to some snakes. In one another case the snake had gone
inside of a woman (and they used a Lappish healer to try to get it out).
Snakes had also a strong part of shamanism, but I don't know what really was the
function of shamans snake-shape belongings(??instruments??). Finnish folkloristics
seem to believe that the snake was for the shamans protection.
We had few cases where a snake's head was used by magical meanings.
Sixthly, in 1732 court was dealing with a case, where Lauri Heikinpoika Tervo
accused his neighbor "of sending a bird with fire on its head (nose)" to burn his house,
which burned. Due to losses of protocols, we don't know how the case was handled,
but I'm sure the court did not find neighbor guilty. Birds have been known to used to
carry fire in saami tradition (says Finnish folklorist Aune Nystrom).
Seventhly, we have found one case where a woman gave birth to some frogs, and one
case where a frog was put in a box and buried inside of a church. The box was just
like those boxes they used with human bodies.
Eighth, we have a case where they used a fish to heal sick person. The idea was that
the "Grande mal" (falling sickness) would be moved from people to fish. So they did
it, but unfortunately one innocent person touched the fish and got himself sick. And
of course the sickness was grande mal.
Ninth, I have a strong feeling, that Finnish courts did not tried to found out if the
accused had animal helper or not. The law mentioned nothing about animal imps or
spirituals, so they were not needed as evidence. Maleficium was maleficium and it
could be proofed without any animal helpers or spirits.
10th According the old folk tradition the bear will not harm the cattle if one takes a
blind puppy dog and buries it with some rites in the land on area, where the bear
lives. But I have no evidence that this has ever been done.
11th In Finland was believed, that milking others cow, would steal not only the milk
but the further milk lucky too. I think this believe is common in whole Scandinavia.
12th A bear could be sent to harm neighbor's cattle. But at least in one case (1746)
shows, that it could also to sent back to harm the original witch.
13th I have no reason to believe that the animal (except the bear or wolf sent to do
harm) were real ones. If it was so that the helpers were real pets, why they did not
execute the pets too?
I think that the judges has sent the animals to death as they did with cases where
humans had sexual intercourse with animal. They executed both! One reason to not
to do so could be, that the animal was not "guilty" for anything because it could not
differ the right and the wrong from each other. But so did the raped animal neither.
14th The worms. At least in one case the witch used worms to destroy a pig. He used
some magical technique and the victims pig get "full of worms" as they found out
when they slaughtered the sick pig. Worms could be sent to a human being too.
15th The lycanthropy. Werewolves had no part of Finnish trials, but they had one in
Estonia. Why? The Finnish people have common roots with Estonian people and our
languages are still quite similar. Our oldest pre-Christian religion is common, and
there is no werewolves in that tradition, as far as I know. So, where the Estonians got
the idea about werewolves? I think that they have adopted it from Germans. Estonia
has been under strong German influence, but Finland hasn't. So, I believe, that they
must have copied the idea from German "Werewolffe".
According Maia Madar (Estonia I: Werewolves and prisoners, in Early Modern
European Witchcraft ed. Bengt Ankarloo and Gustav Henningsen, Clarendon Press,
Oxford 1990).
"Belief in werewolves was widespread. At eighteen trials, eighteen women and
thirteen men were accused of causing damage while werewolves. At Meremoisa 1623,
the defendant Ann testified that she had been a werewolf for four years, and had
killed a horse as well as some smaller animals. She had later hidden the wolf skin
under a stone in the fields." (page 270)
Maia Madar tells other examples, too. And in one case where 18-year old Hans had
confessed that he had hunted as a werewolf for two years, "when asked by the judges
if his body took part in the hunt, or if only his soul was transmuted, Hans confirmed
that he had found a dog's teeth-marks on his own leg, which he had received while a
werewolf. Further asked whether he felt himself to be a man or a beast while
transmuted, he told that he felt himself to be beast." (page 271)
Madar writes: "It was acknowledged that people could be transmuted not only into
werewolves, but also into bears."
So as a lawyer I must ask why they were confessing that they were hunting as
werewolves in Estonia. The answer must be torture. Torture was widely used in
Estonia ecen it was under the Swedish jurisdiction, where torture was forbidden.
16th The devil in a shape of a dog. All over the Scandinavia we had trials where the
accused said, that the devil they've met had a shape of a dog. Why the dog? Danish
witchhistorian Jens Christian V. Johanssen writes (in book mentioned above), that
the popular culture (peoples believes) borrowed ideas for wall-paintings in the
church.
"In Ejsing church, Christ is tempted in the desert by the devil in the shape of a
ferocious-looking dog! Popular imagination was so vivid that on given occasions the
devil came to take his form". (Johansen: Denmark: The Sociology of Accusations in
Early Modern European Witchcraft.. page 363-364).
Well, so and so. But surely the popular culture appointed ideas from elite's culture.
17th The shamanism. I have not specialized about shamanism, so I'll now follow the
ideas that Finnish shamanism expert Anna-Leena Siikala writes in her book
"Suomalainen samanismi" (Finnish Shamanism), Hameenlinna 1992.
Siikala writes about moving the demon from someone to another. In Finnish folklore
it is usual to remove a disease from patient to an animal or some idol, like wooden
puppet. This is common between Middle- and East-Siperia shaman too. She remind,
that even Jesus removed demon from a man to some pigs. (page 187)
There is information about this kind of "removing" in German and Estonia too. In
Finland this was usually done by soothsaying, but this was not common in MiddleEurope or Scandinavia.
Siikala guesses, that this habit has very old shamanistic roots and that the churches
middle-age tradition has forced this old religion. (pages 188-189)
In these cases animals are shamans helpers and they carry the evil demon away.
Shamans (spiritual) animal helpers are also spies, Shaman can send them far away to
collect information what is happening. Helpers also carry the information from here
to the "heaven". "Because shamans helper animal do not only to take the disease to
themselves, but carry it to "heaven" (or "to the other side" as shamans say), they are
evidence either way. I wasn't aware of the Salem dog execution but will now look
into this. In the bestiality trials, the animals were not generally executed as criminals.
Rather they seem to have been regarded as polluted creatures which might have a
corrupting influence on public morality if allowed to remain alive. Thus, there was a
particular incentive to identify these (real) animals and kill them.
Badgers
I looked through all my information, but as far as the Seminoles go I couldn't find any
reference to the Badger. I'm not saying that it doesn't exist, I just couldn't find any.
Here is something from one of my books that I thought you might find interesting:
"Badgers are 2-3 feet long and are about 12 inches high. Family members mark each
other with scent for recognition since their sight is poor. Their senses of smell and
hearing, however, are excellent. Their diet includes a wide variety of roots, herbs,
plant, and many small animals. They dig with remarkable speed to catch burrowing
prey and when they need to get underground quickly. Badgers live in simple but
extremely clean, well kept dens. They pay close attention to details within their
home environments. They change their bedding often, backing carefully into their
dens with straw, so as not to make a mess in the process.
Badgers bring us gifts of tidiness and organization. They are fastidious about their
surroundings and will correct any disorder quickly. If Badger has come to you in
some way, it may be saying that you need to concentrate on maintaining an orderly
environment to better facilitate your day to day living. Badger can also be helpful to
call upon for aid in managing your time. This can be useful for those of us who are
trying to satisfy our need to devote time to ceremonies and the spirit realm and still
work a job.
Badger will fight to the death if cornered. While this may be a useful trait in the wild,
men used this quality of Badger to exploit it in the so-called sport of Badger-baiting.
Captured Badgers were put into small enclosed areas with a dog or dogs, and bets
were placed on the outcome of the fight. Are you stuck in a pattern that served you
well once, but is now damaging? Badger could be warning you that a change of
behavior is in order if you don't want to be cornered or used."
safe solution to keeping bats out of your attic or garage, is to see where bats leave the
building at dusk to feed. Then identify the specific holes or cracks during the day by
looking for brownish stains at the exit sites. These sites will frequently be found
where a wall meets a roof or a chimney, behind a loose board or in holes made by
other animals. Wait until the young can fly or the bats migrate, then hang bird
netting over the exit points, allowing it to hang at least two feet below the nesting
site exit. Wait three more days after the netting has been in place, and close over the
holes with screening, caulking or boards. Please refrain from using chemical or
ultrasonic device techniques or repellents.
There are now organizations to assist in protecting bats, and in fact, more and more
people are becoming concerned with the conservation of bats, through private as well
as governmental organizations. The increased awareness is most certainly die to the
efforts of the Bat Conservation International, and numerous other organizations that
emphasize education, which is ultimately the key to conserving our bat friends.
You can invite bats to your own backyard and become active in bat conservation by
using an artificial roost to attract bats. Bat houses are enjoyed by a variety of bat
species that also use natural crevices and tree hollows. Even if the house is not used
by bats, its presence causes visitors to ask about the house which provides the owner
an excellent opportunity to educate friends about bats.
Bat houses are inexpensive and easy to build. You can buy these at garden centers,
order them from conservation groups, or build your own.
Big Dreams
Dreams from a Shamanistic point of view are of two types, 'ordinary' and 'nonordinary' or 'Big Dreams'.
Big Dreams are ones that occur several times, or ones that are so vivid that they
almost seem real. Big Dreams are considered to be communication from your
Guardian. These are not symbolic, but are literal.
Should you have a Big Dream that has negative connotations, e.g. an automobile
accident, you should immediately enact the dream once you are awake. The dream is
not symbolic, but your enacting of it is. Just go through the notions of the incident in
a simple way and get it over with.
Start shaking your tattles loudly, but in a slow tempo of about 60 beats per minute.
Start dancing around the room in time to the rattle. Move slowly and in a free form.
Try to pick up the feeling of some kind of mammal, bird, fish, reptile or a
combination of these. Once you feel the sense of something, concentrate on it and
slowly move your body in accordance with the creature. Be open to the experience
and emotion of the creature.
Don't hesitate to make noises or cries. By keeping your eyes half closed, you might be
able to see the non-ordinary environment in which the animal is living. You may
even be able to see the animal. Do this for about 5 minutes. Without pausing, shift to
a higher state of rattle shaking and movement. Do this for about 4 minutes. Another
shift to a still faster pace of rattle and body movements. Do this for about 4 minutes.
Stop dancing and mentally welcome the animal into your body. To do this, shake the
rattle four times and draw it and the animal towards your solar plexes.
Face the East and shake the rattle four times, while standing still. This is the signal
that your work has ended.
Once you have successfully gained your power animal, make it content enough to say
with you. This is done through exercising your animal through dancing and singing
songs of the animal.
Guardian animals usually only stay with a person for a few years, and then depart. So
in the course of a life long shamanistic practice, a person will have a number of
animals.
Cat History
For thousands of years, cats have been regarded as mysterious creatures with
supernatural powers. These beliefs certainly did not disappear during the European
witch-craze. The witch trials started in the 13th century. People began to believe that
witches had the ability to turn into an animal, usually a hare or a cat, in order to
transport themselves to a sabbat (a midnight meeting) presided over by the Devil. The
idea of familiar spirits soon developed. These were imps or minor demons who took
the form of any small animal, from a hedgehog to a toad. A familiar acted as an
intermediary for the witch, carrying out her orders so that she wouldn't have to be at
the scene of the crime when the evil deed was done. A witch's cat came to be called a
"grimalkin". The Scottish goddess of witches was called "Mither o' the Mawkins", a
mawkin or malkin being either a cat or a hare. Originally a gremalkin was a gray cat.
Later the term came to refer to the "pussies" or "catkins" on a pussy willow, as well as
to the witch's cat.
* Some of the above info from John Richard Stephens, author of "The Enchanted Cat"
Cat Folklore and Magic
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 catsized sarcophagi crafted for cats who had died, who were often embalmed as humans
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.
Cat Dream Interpretations
To dream of a black cat is lucky.
To dream of a tortoiseshell cat means luck in love.
To dream of a ginger cat means luck in money and business.
To dream of a white cat means luck in, spiritual matters, divination and spell-craft.
To dream of a black-and-white cat means luck with children; or the birth of a child.
To dream of a tabby cat means luck for the home and all who live there.
To dream of a gray cat means to be guided by your dreams.
To dream of a calico or multi-colored cat means luck with new friends and old ones.
relate well to the signs of bear, cat and owl. Difficulties may be expected in relation to
all other signs.
Date of Birth: June 10 - July 7
Animal: Otter
Gaelic Name: Dobhran (Approximate pronunciation: dav-rhan.)
Ruling Planet: Jupiter
Key Words: Family, Helpfulness, Intuitive.
Gift Quality or Ability: Otter people are enterprising with a wide breadth of vision.
Very optimistic with a personal magnetism. Protection, shape shifting, and
journeying.
Birth Stone: Diamond
Compatibility: Harmonious relations with the signs of goose and seal. Will also relate
well to the signs of salmon, adder, and stag. Difficulties may be expected in relation to
all other signs.
Date of Birth: July 8 - August 4
Animal: Cat
Gaelic Name: Kati (Approximate pronunciation: ka-Chi.)
Ruling Planet: Earth
Key Words: Creative, Sensual, Nobility
Gift Quality or Ability: Cat people have a strong sense of personal integrity and a
firm set of values. Loyal and trustworthy. Deep devotion to family. Affectionate.
Protection, shape shifting and sensitivity to the other world.
Birth Stone: Red Carnelian
Compatibility: Harmonious relations with the signs of owl and bear. Will also relate
well to the signs of the crane, bee, and swan. Difficulties may be expected in relation
to all other signs.
Date of Birth: August 5 - September 1
Animal: Salmon
Gaelic Name: Bradan (Approximate pronunciation: bra-TAN.)
Ruling Planet: Mercury
Key Words: Wisdom, Inspiration, Rejuvenation
Gift Quality or Ability: Salmon people have knowledge of the arts and science as well
as good reasoning powers. Perceptive and clever. Keen observers. Initiation, shape
shifting, connection with Faerie.
Birth Stone: Amethyst
Compatibility: Harmonious relations with the signs of adder and stag. Will also relate
well to the signs of otter, seal and goose. Difficulties may be expected in relation to all
other signs.
Date of Birth: September 2 - September 29
Animal: Swan
Gaelic Name: Eala (Approximate pronunciation: ellah.)
Ruling
Ruling Planet: Venus
Key Words: Beauty, Love and Soul.
Gift Quality or Ability: Swan people are kind and gentle, adept in love and the social
arts. Calm and serene with a strong domestic sense. Connection with faerie, shape
shifting, and creativity.
Birth Stone:
Stone: Emerald
Compatibility: Harmonious relations with the signs of crane and bee. Will also relate
well to the owl, cat and bear. Difficulties may be expected in relation to all other
signs.
Date of Birth: September 30 - October 27
Animal: Goose
Gaelic Name:
Name: Geadh (Approximate pronunciation: Gia-gh.)
Ruling Planet: Moon
Keywords: Veiling, Direction, Vigilance, Stamina
Gift Quality or Ability: Goose people are generous providers but also thrifty savers
and investors regarding their future security. They have a sharp intellect as well as a
wit. Artistic. Protection, fertility, and creativity.
Birth Stone: Opal
Compatibility: Harmonious relations with the signs of seal and otter. Will also relate
well to the signs of adder, stag and salmon. Difficulties may be expected in relation to
all other signs.
Date of Birth: October 28 - November 24
Animal: Owl
Gaelic Name: Cailleach-oidhche (Approximate pronunciation: Kall-eeck Oheeche.)
Ruling Planet: Pluto
Keywords: Wisdom, Change, Detachment.
Gift Quality or Ability:
Ability: Owl people have a powerful presence and personal
magnetism that can both attract and overpower sensitive people. Highly imaginative
and passionate. Initiation, sensitivity to the other world, magick.
Birth Stone: Jasper
Compatibility: Harmonious relations with the signs of cat and bear. Will also relate
well to the signs of bee, swan and crane. Difficulties may be expected in relation to all
other signs.
Guides shall make reasonable preparations to protect each participant's health and
safety during spiritual practices and in the vulnerable periods that may follow. Limits
on the behaviors of participants and facilitators are to be made clear and agreed upon
in advance of any session. Appropriate customs of confidentiality are to be established
and honored.
4. Competence Spiritual guides shall assist with only those practices for which they
are qualified by personal experience and by training or education.
5. Integrity Spiritual guides shall strive to be aware of how their own belief systems,
values, needs, and limitations affect their work. During primary religious practices,
participants may be especially vulnerable to suggestion, manipulation, and
exploitation; therefore, guides pledge to protect participants and not to allow anyone
to use that vulnerability in ways that harm participants or others.
6. Quiet Presence To help safeguard against the harmful consequences of personal
and organizational ambition, spiritual communities are usually better allowed to grow
through attraction rather than active promotion.
7. Not for Profit Spiritual practices are to be conducted in the spirit of service.
Spiritual guides shall strive to accommodate participants without regard to their
ability to pay or make donations.
8. Tolerance Spiritual guides shall practice openness and respect towards people
whose beliefs are in apparent contradiction to their own.
9. Peer Review Each guide shall seek the counsel of other guides to help ensure the
wholesomeness of his or her practices and shall offer counsel when there is need.
symbolized by the Thunder Spirits that he dreams of. When this occurs, a
death/rebirth sequence is begun, which gives the shaman the capacity to control some
of the manifestations of life-force. This would include an ability to influence storms
and, as is typical of the shamanic experience, the power to heal. He also becomes a
very potent teacher. This last is where the "contrariness" comes into focus, in two
ways. The first is that the heyokah is teaching us about our selves. By "mirroring" all
of our doubts, fears, hatreds, weaknesses, etc. he forces us to examine what we really
are. For example, if you have any self-hatred (a common malady in our society) this
sacred teacher will make you look at it. The second aspect of his mirroring is that, as
we are taught, the heyokah heals us of our hurts. This is the most important and
remarkable part of the holy man's clowning. For this wonderful shaman takes our
pain and transforms it into laughter. And what can heal a human beings faster than to
laugh at ourselves?
As you can see, these "sacred clowns" had a very important role in traditional
societies. And personally, I think we could use a few more of them in today's world.
Suggested Reading
Seven Arrows, Hyemeyosts Storm
Song of Heyokah, Hyemeyosts Storm
Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions, Richard Erdoes and Lame Deer
Shamanic Voices, Joan Halifax
and get to know your new partner. If you have seen the animal after a ritual, plan
sometime to go into the meditative state to cement your relationship, get to know the
animal and the wisdom it represents. It is important to remember that in many cases,
we are chosen and not the one making the choices when it comes to the alliance with
an animal spirit. We may wish to seek the wisdom of a particular guide but others
will show up instead. Remember to be receptive to any or all who appear because
they all have important lessons or wisdom to impart. It is also possible that before we
can progress to our next level of understanding, we must first resolve or overcome
some underlying issues that we may not be fully aware of or are denying within
ourselves. Once you have met and began your relationship with an animal spirit,
what do you do with it? Power animals are great advice givers, often representing
aspects of our higher selves that we haven't been paying close enough attention to. In
a meditative state you can ask for their assistance on problems that have been nagging
at you. At times, it is also necessary to seek the assistance of more than one power
animal at the same time to maintain balance, as is the case between Badger and Deer.
How to Discover Your Guide:
Guide:
One way of starting to discover your animal guides by examining the animals you
have been most interested in and the times of your life that interest was piqued. Also
examine the animals that have appeared in your dreams or in your everyday life,
especially the ones that have appeared over and over and at odd times. The following
questions can help you determine which animals might be guides in your life. Has a
specific creature or specific creatures, be it animal, bird, reptile, Amphibian, insect or
mythological beast, always fascinated you? We are drawn to that which most
resonates with us. Those animals, which fascinate us or the ones that we fear the
most, have something to teach us. Animal guides are not always those that we have
the most similarities with. Often they are in our lives to help us learn what we are
lacking. When you visit the zoo, which animal do you wish to visit first? This is
especially true with children and this question is easy for them to answer since they
are often more receptive than teens or adults. What animal or animals do you see
most frequently when you are out in nature? The animals we encounter in their city
or wild environments have significance for us. We can learn from them about
survival within their environment and often much more. Of all the creatures, which
are you most interested in now? Our interests in animals change. Yes, we usually
have one or two that are lifetime power animals, but others become prominent in our
lives when there is something of importance to learn from them. Do any animals
frighten you? That which we fear is often something we must learn to come to terms
with. When we do that, the fears then become power. Some Shamans believe that
fears will take the shape of animals, and only when we confront them without fear do
their powers/medicine work for us instead of against us. Such an animal then
becomes a shadow totem. Have you ever been attacked or badly wounded by an
animal? Historically, if a Shaman survived an attack, it was believed that the animal
was the Shaman's spirit totem and the attack was the totem's way of testing the
Shaman's ability to understand and handle its power. Do you have dreams with
animals in them or are there animal dreams you have never forgotten? This is
especially important if the dreams are recurring or if a specific animal image keeps
popping up in your dreams.
Children often dream of animals and attention should be given to these animals. They
will often reflect specific animal guides of the child or areas of weakness where the
parents can help in their child's growth.
Meet Your Spirit Guides
Before retiring, or going to bed, spend a few minutes in bed relaxing. Just focus on
being relaxed. Be relaxed. While relaxed, imagine a Veil in front of your eyes. A
curtain, or a wall. Imagine the Veil, or the wall, as being void, black. Accept the Veil,
or the wall. Do not be threatened by the Veil, because you are relaxed, and because
you know the Veil is an illusion, and serves purpose. You are still relaxed. Then, you
visualize the Veil (or wall) slowly lifting. You see the Veil lifting, and you see stars,
you see lights. You know you can see things you haven't seen before. You are still
relaxed. When you are ready, you ask for Spirit to join you. You ask Spirit to touch
you, and to embrace you, because you are ready to embrace Spirit. You know that
Spirit is Divine Love, you know you are safe, you know you are loved. You know you
are ready to meet Spirit. Hold your hands out. Let your fingertips feel the touch of
Spirit. Know that when you are ready, you can ask Spirit to embrace your arms; ask
for Spirit to give you a huge hug. You will feel it. Accept the love that is given to you,
and know that you have earned it, that the love is yours. You may feel many things.
Electricity, and an urge to cry, is what I felt, and great joy. There are many methods
regarding meeting your spirit guides. I met my guides in delayed stages. I had two
human guides and three critter guides. This is not "common" but is also not unheardof. What is common is for people to have two human guides. For those who study
critter-paths, I believe that they also have two human guides, but that they are
working more consciously with critter-wisdom, and therefore it is likely that they
have "critter-medicine", and may actually have critter guides, as I do. Names?
Gender? These are generally the first two issues we would like to distinguish within
our guides. What I would recommend, as a matter of deduction, is that you ask your
inner voice, if your entity is Male or Female. You will receive a definite impression.
Lesson number one - learn to trust yourself. (I like to ask the gender question first, as
it's an easy one-two, this or that approach, and helps to distinguish our own
emotional responses.) When it comes to names, let your mind be open to receive
impressions. When I first met Elmo, my bear, I had a hard time believing that was his
name, because I am a "serious" person, I associated "Elmo" as being playful, and
therefore antithetical to what I thought his name should be. (Yet, I've learned a lot
from Elmo, including "not being so uptight" I also learned more about not judging a
person - or entity - by their name.) When I first met Garulf, as a spirit, I thought he
had a fascinating name. Weird name, dynamic personality. This was the label I
hanged on him. How was I to know Garulf was a fairly common, respectable name
several hundreds of years ago, in Denmark? How was I to know Garulf was actually a
Soul name, befitting him perfectly as a spirit, and as a person? So, in other words,
whatever name you get in meditation, or whatever, really is their name? Sometimes,
the names of your spirits will help you bust up your own preconceptions of what
names mean - or what roles people should play in your lives. What it all really comes
down to is trusting your impressions. If you can do that (we salute you!), but more,
you are already on a healthy journey of rediscovery. Your spirits will help you find
the way.
Familiars
Non-Pagan history describes familiars as low-ranking demons in constant attention to
Witches for the purpose of carrying out spells and bewitchments. Familiars usually
assumed animal forms - cats, toads, owls, mice and dogs seem to have been the most
common - though virtually any animal or insect could be suspected. In the
Witchcraft Trials, if so much as a fly buzzed in the window while someone suspected
of being a witch was being questioned or tried, it was said to be her (or his) familiar.
The inquisitors took the Bile to heart: those who had familiars were "an abomination
unto the Lord" and should be "Put to death: they shall stone them with stones: Their
blood shall be upon them" (Lev. 20:27).
Familiars - also called imps - were said to be given to Witches by the Devil or bought
or inherited from other Witches. A Witch could have several of them. Cats were the
favored forms, especially black ones. The fear that all cats were Witches' familiars was
one of the primary reasons for the famous cat massacres that swept through medieval
Europe.
Familiars were given names like any household pet, which most of them undoubtedly
were. Perhaps the best known familiar name is Pyewackett, the moniker the Witch's
cat in the movie Bell, Book and Candle, and a name that dates back to Renaissance
England. Pyewackett, Matthew Hopkins (the famous Witch hunter) stated, was a
name "no mortal could invent."
During the Witch hysteria of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the obsession with
familiars was confined mostly to England and Scotland, where they are mentioned in
numerous trial records, especially those related to Hopkins. The Witchcraft Act of
1604 made it a felony to "consult, convene with, entertain, employ, feed, or reward
any evil and wicked spirit to or for any intent or purpose." But the Malleus
Maleficarum (1486), the major Witch inquisitor's handbook, offers no instructions
concerning familiars in the interrogation and trial of Witches. The book does
acknowledge that an animal familiar "always works with the Witch in everything."
There is a scant evidence of familiars in early American Witch trials. In the Salem
Trials in 1692, John Bradsheet was indicted for "inciting a dog to afflict." The dog was
tried and hanged as a Witch. Outside of Witch trials, more benevolent familiars were
believed to exist, serving wizards and wise men (and women) who were magicians or
village healers. The familiars helped diagnose illnesses and the sources of
bewitchment and were used for divining and finding lost objects and treasures.
Magicians conjured them in rituals, then locked then in bottles, rings and stones.
They sometimes sold them as charms, claiming the spirits would ensure success in
gambling, love, business or whatever the customer wanted. This sort of familiar was
technically not illegal; England's Witchcraft Act of 1604 prohibited only evil and
wicked spirits. Some familiars were said to be Faeries. Oberon was a popular name for
fairy familiars in 15th and 16th century England.
Many modern Witches have animal familiars, usually cats, which are their magical
helpers. Some also have dogs, birds, snakes or toads. Witches do not believe the
familiars are "demons" or spirits in animal form but simply animals whose psychic
attunement makes them ideal partners in magical workings. Some Witches say that it
is possible to endow pets with magical powers and turn them into familiars, though
others don't believe it should be done. Still others believe familiars are never "pets"
(and should never be treated as such) but are animals who volunteer to work as
familiars and are Karmically attracted to Witches. Witches who do not have familiars
send out psychic "calls" to draw the right animal.
Familiars reputedly are sensitive to psychic vibrations and power and are welcomed
partners inside the magic circle and other magical work. They also serve as psychic
radar, reacting visibly to the presence of any negative or evil energy, whether it be an
unseen force or a person who dabbles in the wrong kind of magic. Familiars are also
given psychic protection by their Witches. Some Witches it seems also use the term
familiar to describe thought-forms created magically and empowered to carry out a
certain task on the astral plane.
Sorcerers and shamans in cultures around the world also have helpers in the form of
spirits. Dispatching them on errands to heal, harm or kill - called sending. The
physical shape of a familiar varies. New Guinea sorcerers rely on snakes and
crocodiles, while in Malaya, the familiar is usually an owl or badger passed down
from generation to generation.
Throughout Africa, the wild creatures of the bush are said to be Witches' familiars:
for the Lugbara, they are said to be the toad, snake, lizard, water frog, bat, owl,
leopard, jackal and a type of monkey that screeches in the night; for the Dinka, they
are black cobras and hyenas. The Zulus' familiars are said to be corpses dug up and reanimated with magic; they are sent out at on night errands to scare travelers with
their shrieking and pranks. In Shamanism, a novice shaman acquires his familiar
spirits, usually manifesting in animal, reptile or bird shapes, when he completes his
initiation. He or she may send them out to do battle in his or her place, but if they
die, so does the shaman. Familiars usually stay with their shaman until death, then
disappear. Among certain Eskimos, the familiar is embodied in an artificial seal, not a
live animal.
In closing, what I usually instruct in this area is that the student of magic who feels
that they have found a familiar is that they should practice an exercise called "Trading
Places" by Keith Harry. This exercise is simple enough to memorize and to practice,
and though it was not written specifically for bonding with an animal familiar it was
designed for becoming familiar with an animal, and inducing a mystical experience. I
think you will readily discern its value in the acquiring of a familiar.
Trading
Trading Places Exercise
Objective:
To trade places (mentally) with a dog or cat, or other animal.
Setting:
Home, Zoo, Wilderness, etc.
Instructions:
1. Relax your body as completely as you can. Calm your mind, eliminating all
thoughts which do not relate to your intent and purpose. Sit so that you are
comfortable, and as nearly as possible on the same level with the animal you will be
working with. Lie down if you like. The important thing is that you are able to
comfortably make eye contact with your animal partner in this exercise. It is also
important to satisfy yourself that the animal is likewise comfortable and secure with
you.
2. Take a deep breath. As you slowly exhale, look into the animal's eyes, and imagine
that a part of your awareness is being transmitted through your breath into the
animal's mind. Watch the animal breathe, and imagine that a part of its awareness is
being transmitted into your mind.
3. Continue looking directly into the animal's eyes until you fell your consciousness
merge with the animal's consciousness.
Benefits:
As the boundaries between you and the animal dissolve, you may feel as if you've
really traded places with a member of another species, as though a part of you has
become the animal - this is the height of subjective merging. You may begin to feel
compassion for another species. You'll also probably recognize some of the artificial
differences between the human and animal worlds. You may be able to feel or sense
the actual flow of the animals emotions and mental imagery. Should you accomplish
this then it should be no trouble for you to contract with the animal to serve as your
magical partner. Asking another to become such a partner also places upon you the
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!
Familiars
To most people today, a familiar is a Witch's companion, a small animal 'pet' that
helps the Witch with magick. The idea of the familiar is a very ancient concept and is
generally applied to such creatures as cats, dogs, ferrets, toads, snakes, and some birds.
Unfortunately, familiars have been given negative connotations by those who know
nothing about them and do not bother to separate fact from propaganda.
Anyone can have a familiar. You may already have an actual physical familiar living
in your home in the guise of a pet. You can also attract an astral-bodied animal
familiar. This can be a particular creature that is impossible to have as a 'pet' in the
physical.
Most people have at least a little knowledge about the power of animals of the Native
American traditions. However, the Native American's were not the only ones who
knew of and used the powers of familiars, which is what power animals are. For
centuries, European cultures called upon animals allies in shamanistic rites. European
shamanism eventually evolved into Wicca and Paganism.
Types of Familiars
There are different types of familiars. The first king is an actual physical creature who
lives with and has a rapport with a human. These familiars are the ones who establish
a psychic link with the human of their choice. They can communicate their needs
without vocalizing and are usually very good at telepathy.
The second kind of familiar is an astral creature of animal form that attaches itself to a
human for the purpose of aiding the human. This type of familiar can be a creature
that cannot be kept in the house, and cane be drawn to the human by the person's
intense rapport with it. It may also appear because of specific need within the
human's life. Deceased pets sometimes return in this capacity.
The third category of familiars are elemental spirits or other world entities. Although
ceremonial magicians sometimes call upon such an elemental to inhabit an object,
such as a talisman, statue, crystal, magick mirror, or peace of jewelry, most magicians
do not command or imprison such beings. The mythical, fantastic beasts such and
such entities as faeries and brownies often work as familiars and co-magicians in
magick. Even if your circumstances prohibit you from having a physical 'pet', you are
never barred from having an astral familiar. Common sense should tell you that
having a panther or bear in the house is impossible, if not illegal. Allergies may
prohibit you from sharing your life with an animal, but you can enjoy the
companionship of an astral creature safely and completely. The only restrictions are
your own desires to be friends with such a familiar, to learn from them, and to grow
spiritually and magically.
Benefits of Familiars
The familiar (physical, astral, or elemental) can help you by strengthening you
magickal power. Some physical creatures do this by actually being in the room
whenever you work a ritual.
Familiars can improve your life by warning you of danger, or defending you when
danger arises. Animals, such as cats and dogs, can warn you when danger is present
by hissing, growling, and even refusing to enter a room if someone they consider
questionable is there. They will also awaken their owners during the night to alert
them to fires, intruders, or other potential disaster. Quite often they, will refuse to
enter an area that has a malicious, troublesome ghost.
An example of subtle warning is when a cat or dog leaves the room when a particular
person enters, or when the animal avoids a person altogether. The animal may also sit
and stare at the questionable person. If you listen to these warnings, and are truthful
to yourself about the person in question, you will find in some way that the person is
not compatible with or healthy for you.
Animals are also good healers. They seem to know when someone they care about is
sick. It does not matter to them whether the illness is emotional or physical. They get
as close as they can and send comforting, healing vibrations. When it comes to
strengthening the magickal power during a ritual or spell working, there is nothing
better than familiar. Some physical creatures simply cannot be kept out of the room
when magickal happenings are in progress. The buildup of energy draws them like a
magnet. You can tell if your 'pet' is a true familiar if the power builds up even more
with his or her presence. A very few pets, like some people, siphon off energy, but
this is rarer in the animal kingdom that it is among humans.
A good familiar can also let you know by telepathy and subtle actions whether or not
you are using the appropriate type of magickal procedure. If you are not, they
sometimes become disruptive until you listen to them. Usually, only an adjustment in
viewpoint of the desired result is necessary to bring back their help.
Another benefit of familiars is learning certain techniques from them. By studying a
creature a magician can learn how to temporarily adopt some of their traits which
may be necessary to cope with a situation. For example, you may find yourself
wanting to make a stealthy exit from a crowded room. By concentrating on the
quietness of a mouse or the cunning of a fox, it is possible to leave the room without
being noticed. In a way, this is becoming 'invisible.'
Physical or astral familiars are frequent companions during astral travels or
meditations. They are protectors and guides in otherworld realms. Often, by
following them, you are led to new sources of information and understanding,
particularly those of a spiritual nature. There is nothing evil about having a familiar,
whether they are creatures of the earth plane or the astral plane.
Non-pagans sometimes do not understand the companionships and working
relationship between Pagans and their familiars, and sometimes fear the very idea of
familiars. However, having a familiar makes one more aware of the connection
between humans and all other creatures, and the more intricate connection between
all creatures (humans and otherwise) and the universal source of spiritual power.
Syrphid flies These flies are called by several names such as flower flies or hover
flies. Most are brightly colored, yellow or orange and black, and may resemble bees or
yellow jacket wasps. However, syrphid flied are harmless to humans. Usually they
can be seen feeding on flowers. It is the larval stage of the syrphid fly that is an insect
predator. Variously colored, the tapered "maggots" crawl over foliage and daily can
feed on dozens of small, soft-bodied insects. Syrphid flies are particularly important
in controlling aphid infestations early in the season when cooler temperatures may
inhibit other predators.
Similar in appearance to the syphid fly larvae is a small, bright orange predatory
midge (Aphidoletes). These insects often can be seen feeding within aphid colonies
late in the season.
Many of these substances can make you forget that, as well as make you think that
you can do anything.
That is a very, very dangerous combination.
I am all for learning your path on your own.
Self-teaching can be a wonderful experience, but not in this case.
Besides, any and all of the effects that shamans achieve through the use of drugs can,
and have been, achieved without them.
Spiritual growth takes time, but so do most things and drugs are not a quick solution.
If you have come to a decision that you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, please
get help. Your doctor can recommend various treatment organizations and Narcotics
Anonymous and Alcoholics Anonymous are in the phone book.
Mythical Beasts
Name
Represents
Centaur
Gargoyles
Griffin
Horned Snake
Phoenix
Rainbow Serpent
Sphinx
Unicorns
Winged Horse
Dance we now
The Power dances.
Awaken now
All Spirit Beings,
To dance the dances
With your human kin.
Dance the Cycles
Of Life and Death,
Hope and Fear,
Good and Evil.
Dance the Cycles,
Now and Again.
Lowerworld, Upperworld,
Journeying now
and forevermore.
Of Time and Space
All is Once,
There is none.
Dance the dances
Again and again.
Shamanic Binding
There are many "heavens", as I see it.
One of these, which I go to for information, is the Realm of Spirit Animals. I do the
usual preparations for a journey, then halfway up (I use a rickety wooden ladder) my
teacher suggested a ladder when I was very young, and I haven't rebuilt it yet. It's had
many years of almost constant use, and I think that it's time to repair this mental
tool), and though the ladder continues (both up, down, several other ways) I swing
through a little hole and come up underneath an enormous tree. The place is filled
with animals (of course) and I can find out from them, generally, whatever I need to
know. There's usually something I do in return; I was taught (and believe, since it
works for me) that there are essentially five (5) known ways to relate to a spirit. The
first rule, as I believe it, is that no matter what, in any dealing between entity and
entity, the relationship must be made clear for there to be useful communication. It
doesn't matter as much what the relationship is (although I have preferences), so long
as it is clear. The five ways I am aware of are:
1. Binding by Gift.
2. Binding by Love.
3. Binding by Trade.
4. Binding by Spirit.
5. Binding by Weapon.
Since the last one is, in my way of thinking, least desirable, we'll start there: Binding
by weapon, for me, is only used when a spirit or entity comes to me with something
nasty planned, and only if there is no other way. It is kind of like putting the genie in
the bottle (the old Arabian Nights Genies were very tricky, and would just as soon
devour someone who lets them free as grant them wishes): first, you must have
superior force, and superior will. And Plenty of Reasons.
Binding by Spirit is much more preferable: This is the link you have with your spirit
animals: A link from like to like, regardless of form. It usually happens to you, rather
than you causing it to happen.
Binding by Trade is offering something in return for what you wish to receive. Not as
wonderful an experience as Binding by Spirit, but still worthwhile. It is necessary to
find some entity willing to trade, however, and for this the Realm of Animals is
where I use it most. After a while, you can get into a routine, whereupon in becomes
Binding By Gift:
Binding by Gift is when the shaman leaves a gift or gives a gift, in expectation of
needing a favor later. This can be considered the case when a spirit comes to you for
help, but generally I classify that as Trade, since it is the same as trade, just the other
way around. Binding by Gift, you do the thing first: If I need information that I think
the Squirrels, for instance, in the Animal Realm can offer, I'll leave out a selection of
nuts underneath the pine tree in the front yard, for I know that there are squirrels
which frequent it. Then, later, I'll go up to the Animals and ask for what I need. This
originally started as Binding by Trade, where they'd tell me the information I needed
to know, and then say, "In Trade, you can leave nuts for the Little Brothers." Now, I
do it a forehand, knowing. This is a much more comfortable relationship than Trade,
as Trade is generally a one-or-two-time thing, while Gift is something much more
meaningful and long-lasting.
Binding by Love is actually entering into a friendship (or deeper) with a spirit. Most
of the shamans to whom I speak agree with me that the relationship they have with
their Spirit Helpers/Guides is a love or lover relationship. Some explain that they are
soul-mated to their guides. This makes sense to me, and is the last form of
relationship of which I am aware in this context.
Shamanism
Shamanism is perhaps one of the oldest divinatory practices in the world to promote
healing. By archaeological and anthropological evidence the practice has existed for
some 20,000 to 30,000 years, perhaps since the beginning of the human race.
Evidence of shamanism has been found globally in isolated regions of the Americas,
Asia, Africa, regions of Europe and Australia.
It is most prominent in tribal cultures. Although differences of the practices are found
among the cultures similarities are found too. The shaman is a person who can enter
an ecstatic state of altered consciousness. While in the state of altered consciousness
or trance he communicates with his guardian spirit who gives him information
and/or power to heal the sick person. Usually the shaman who enters the trance is
said to seek information in another reality.
Most believe that they must have a close connection with nature because their
guardian spirit usually is that of a plant or animal. Many say the guardian spirit takes
the shaman to the other reality where he is given his needed knowledge and power
through a hole in the world. The shaman may also seek information to help his
people and village.
In the various cultures trances are induced by singing, dancing, chanting, and
drumming. Some cultures also used psychedelic drugs to actuate trances.
Shamanistic Glossary
Deity
A common concept is that of a dual divinity. A creator who is responsible for
the creation of the world and is recognized in religious ritual and prayers. A mythical
individual, a hero or trickster who teaches culture, proper behavior and provides
sustenance to the tribe. There are also spirits which control the weather, spirits which
interact with humans, and others who inhabit the underworld. Simultaneously, the
Creator and the spirits may be perceived as a single spiritual force, as in the unity
called Wakan Tanks by the Lakuta and Dakota.
Creation
In the beginning, the world was populated by many people. Most were
subsequently transformed into animals, thus feeling a close bond with animals.
Natives, because of their shared human ancestry. Dogs are excluded from this
relationship. This bond is shown in the frequent rituals in which animal behavior is
simulated. Each species has its deer who is larger than all the others. Master, for
example. The deer have a master. The master of humans is the Creator.
Emergence of the Tribe
This is a concept found extensively in the Southwest. The universe is believed
to consist of many dark, underground layers through which the humans had to climb.
They emerged into the present world through a small hole in the ground - the world's
navel.
Sacred Texts
Native traditions have been preserved as an oral tradition, not in written form.
As a result, traditions are often updated and changed as a result of dreams and visions.
Afterlife
In general, native religions have no precise belief about life after death. Some
believe in reincarnation, with a person being reborn either as a human or animal after
death. Others believe that humans return as ghosts, or that people go to another
would. Others believe that nothing definitely can be known about one's fate after this
life. Combinations of belief are common.
Cosmology
Cosmology
The universe is understood as being composed of multiple layers, with the
natural world as a middle segment. These layers are thought to be linked by the
World Tree, which has it's roots in the undergrounds, has a trunk passing through the
Shapeshifting
There are two types of shapeshifting; changing your light body in the astral to power
animal, and 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 and 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 and 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 and your own health
at the time of the travel. Also indicate the reason for the exercise.
Spirit Familiars
Spirit familiars can be the spirits of animals that have once lived or they can be those
animal spirits a witch or magician has come into contact with through divination,
astral travel or other extra sensory communications.
These beings have either lived as animals in a past incarnation (and thus contain all
the species' totem characteristics) or they exist as spirit "governors" of a sort. They
watch over and govern the spirits of their species in between incarnations. They also
teach the attributes of their species to magicians, witches, shamans and other seekers
of arcane and esoteric knowledge.
Most commonly, the operational spirit familiars of witches and magicians are animals
that they have loved and cared for in life. On occasion a spirit familiar from a past life
will contact its human counterpart in a later life. This can happens when there was a
strong connection in a past life between the two entities but the animal has a strong
reason to remain in the non-physical planes rather than reincarnate and rejoin its
loved one.
In this case the witch might feel the strong presence of an animal spirit and not know
the source. Divination and past life regressions through hypnosis can be helpful in
"remembering" and reconnecting with the spirit.
Sometimes magicians and witches will find themselves patronized by a High Animal
Spirit, one who is evolved and acts as a governor for its species' spirits members. The
feeling of being patronized is different from the feeling of connection with an animal
that one has loved in the past.
A High Animal Spirit will seek to raise the consciousness of the person it patronizes
to encourage spiritual evolution. The spirit's goal in this case is to make the witch's
own spirit stronger, more evolved, and more god-like. This can sometimes involve
tests that that individual will not understand at the time and sometimes even leaving
the witch to handle difficult situations on his or her own.
On the other hand, former pets that have an emotional connection with living
individuals will probably have entirely different goals for their loved ones than a
High Animal Spirit. Instead of encouraging spiritual evolution, they will probably
wish only to help prevent anguish and suffering in their loved ones. Since they
themselves are not as evolved as spirits occupying the upper planes (as High Animal
Spirits do), they will be unable to see that the lessons are sometimes in our best
Another main difference between High Animal Spirits and lower animal spirits is that
High Animal Spirits will not perform actions of magick for the witch or magician that
will cause considerable imbalances to result in the fabric of our universe. Lower
animal spirits on the other hand, will perform most magickal acts for their human
counterpart regardless of their intentions or impact.
Splitting Clouds
In many parts of the world, one of the first lessons that a Shaman was taught is
Weather working. Learning to control the weather is an integral part of a Shaman's
training. A shaman was expected to call in the rains when needed, and if he couldn't,
then he wouldn't get much respect. When I was taught how to control the weather,
the first thing I was taught was splitting clouds. It's really a very simple technique
and most people can do it after practice. Go outside and pick out a cloud. Stare at it
and take slow deep breaths. Do not force the breath, just allow it to be deep and
natural. Now send out from your Third Eye (area in the forehead and between the
eyebrows) a beam of white light to cloud. Visualize (with eyes open) the cloud
splitting into two, and mentally command/will it to do so. It may take a few seconds
or minutes, but if this technique is done properly, the cloud will usually split. Once
you have learned how to do this, you are well on your way to becoming a weather
worker, and in the future I may teach you how to bring in the rain, winds, or sun.
Just be careful not to jump ahead of yourself. Weather working is something that
takes practice and guidance from an experienced teacher, because you may end up
causing a flood in your area. May the Thunder Gods help ya!
cannot be a Christian and worship the Greco-Roman pantheon. However this does
not imply the condemnation of other Paradigms, nor impel a duty to "convert" others.
We stand by other Pagans who do not share our paradigms, IE. Wiccans, Asatruans,
Hellenists, and other Shamanic traditions, (African and neo-African (Santeria &
Voudoun), Australian, Siberian, Traditional Native American, and Polynesian, to
name a few) and even though we may disagree with some or all of their practices and
beliefs, they are Brothers, Sisters and Cousins, and in times of persecution as well as
times of goodwill we must defend them. We may even share in their open rituals and
allow them to share in our open ceremonials. But that which is ours must remain
ours, just as that which is theirs must remain theirs.
2) The(a)olgy:
The(a)olgy
As our Fellowship is inherently religious, we must declare a The(a)ology. (The
strange spelling refers to the fact that we acknowledge a Goddess as well as a God)
This is summed up very easily. There are three main powers we worship, Usen' the
Life Giver, The Earth Mother, and The Sky Father. The latter Two are emanations of
the First, as all, including the God and the Goddess, are emanations from Usen',
which is the primeval First Cause.
Usen': One cannot look upon The Life Giver as either Male or Female, for The Life
Giver is beyond those distinctions. Usen', and The Life Giver, are names for this First
Cause, this Force that pervades all and caused all to come into being. From Usen', the
God, Sky Father, and the Goddess, Earth Mother, emanate, as the lesser Deities
emanate from Them.
The Earth Mother: We live and walk and are sustained from The Earth Mother,
which is our Earth. She is alive, and we all exist within Her as part of Her structure.
Science, through the Gaea Hypothesis, has finally acknowledged Her existence, and
some even have learned the lesson that our duty in this life is to care for and honor
Her. This is a lesson that all must learn, for as long as we despoil Her, we risk Her
wrath. She is expressed through the faces of White Painted Woman, Who is The
Woman Warrior, through Corn Mother, Who is The Nourishing Mother, and
through Spider Woman, Who is The Wise Woman, The Ancient One, The Custodian
of Wisdom. Women are acknowledged as being human representatives of The Earth
Mother.
The Sky Father: Just as among we Humans, there is both Man and Woman, so there is
no Earth Mother without Sky Father. Sky Father is the air we breathe, the flame that
gives us warmth and cooks our food, and brings forth the rain that fertilizes Our
Mother and allows Her to provide us with the crops and animals that sustain us. Sky
Father is also express-ed as The Hunter, The Warrior, and First Shaman, and is also
expressed in Killer Of Enemies and The Child Of Water. He is also present and
acknowledged as being present in every Man.There are other spirits that exist in the
Universe, some beneficent, some maleficient. But most important is Usen', Earth
Mother, and Sky Father. By walking in harmony with the God(esse)s, one can tell the
Good from the Evil, welcoming in Good, and protecting each other from Evil.
3) Ethics:
Ethics
We have our code of Ethics. It is neither lengthy nor overly restrictive. We do not
include ancient taboos in this list, such as Mother-In-Law avoidance or the taboo
against Fish, because they may not apply nowadays. If you wish to not eat fish or to
avoid your Mother-In-Law for religious reasons, it is your prerogative. But it is not a
requirement.
1. If the action does not harm yourself, other people or intelligent beings, or Our
Mother The Earth, you are free to do as you wish.
2. To charge for healings, sweats or ceremonials is totally wrong and extremely
offensive. Also, to charge excessively for teaching is equally offensive, but a
modest fee over expenses is allowable. Your conscience is the best guide, that and
the Will of the Deities.
3. Magick should be limited only to protection of Self and Loved Ones, and to
healing and helping those in need, provided that permission is given by the
patient and that help other than healing does not interfere with the Will of
others. Magick that is used in a coercive (IE. Love spells) or destructive (harming
or killing magick) way is patently wrong and is considered Black Magick.
4. Contact of spirits by any means other than Shamanic journeying or the Vision
Quest is very risky, and Possession is a real possibility. The practice of
mediumship, or "channeling" has no place in the Lifeway, and exposes not only
Self but others to danger.
5. Permission must always be asked of the spirits of plants and/or animals before
taking them for either sustenance or for medicine.
6. One's visions and one's personal ceremonies are one's own. Personal visions
should not be spoken of, but shared visions are for all of the group.
7. It is wrong to criticize another within the group or outside the group. Racism,
sexism, xenophobia or general disrespect of others has no place in the Fellowship.
Individual decisions about lifestyle and other ethical issues not covered here are
an individual's own affair.
4) Group Structure and Initiation Practices:
Practices
There is only one Initiation, which is the Initiation that makes one Kin within the
group and in the sight of The Deities. It is given after one has taken their first Vision
Quest, has found their Power Animal(s) and has met the Shaman Within. It can only
be denied to those who have met these requirements, is younger than the legal Age
Of Consent (in most places, 18 years) is not of sound mind, and/or is under suspicion
of being a Law Enforcement Officer or other person antipathetic to Pagan and/or
Shamanic belief who requests initiation for fraudulent purposes (usually to infiltrate
to either sabotage or publicly discredit the Fellowship) Initiation must not be denied
on account of physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, or sterility, nor on account of
sex, race, nationality, political belief, or sexual preference.
There are no set offices within the Fellowship. Ideally, leadership should be by
consensus, with true leaders being temporary and purpose-oriented. Facilitation of
rituals may be done by any Initiate of the Fellowship. Anyone who represents themthemselves as a high priest/ess of the Lifeway shamanic fellowship is a fraud,
fraud, and is
ethics.
doing so contrary to this statement of principles and ethics
Support of the Fellowship is done on a purely voluntary and mutual basis. No tithe or
dues should be assessed unless they have been agreed upon by all members, initiates
and non-initiates alike.
Membership is extended to all. But initiation is reserved for those who meet the
criteria mentioned above. Non-initiates can participate in open ceremonials and in
basic workshops, but may be denied participation in certain ceremonials and
advanced workshops.
5) The Question of Recognizing Shamans:
Shamans
In traditional societies, the title Shaman was not just an honorific, or recognition of
talents. Nor was it the highest initiatory level in a Shamanic society. The Shaman
was, in most cases, above the Chief in decision-making power and was judge, doctor,
father-confessor, and intercessor with the Deities for the tribe. Some Shamanic
societies are now providing their membership with "Shaman training seminars" and
"Shaman apprenticeships" that can be had for an exorbitant price. This implies that
the cost of being a Shaman can be paid in money and in a set amount of time. This is
not the case. Many tribes believe that the office of Shaman is not one that is earned,
but one that one is born into. Certainly, the skills are never something one is born
with, and this is not merely hereditary. Rather, when a child is born, the current
Shaman would recognize that the child had the potential of being the next one, and
the child's training would begin when they were considered ready by the Shaman. At
adulthood, they would be tested. If they passed the test, they would become the next
Shaman. If they failed, usually the test was such that they would either die outright,
or they would go insane. Many "heroic quest" tales, and most notably the Arthurian
legends have echoes of this practice within the ancient Shamanic traditions of
Europe.
But the point that is being made here is that we should not go back to that sort of way
of doing things, because in this society it is nigh on impossible. The stand I am
offering here is that recognition as a Shaman can be conferred only through shared
vision, and signs from the Deities. It is not my place to say what the signs are...it will
be obvious to the Fellowship. I am not Shaman myself, and will not brook anyone
calling me that. This is something I place in the lap of the Deities to decide. I cannot
do anything more. It is a mockery of those people that can truly be called Shamans,
who are respected, powerful people of traditional tribes, to do anything less. In any
event, to claim such a title is definitely not enough, and is punishable by withdrawing
Fellowship from the one who claims to be Shaman falsely.
6) Festivals and Worship Days:
Days
The festivals are reckoned as they have been for centuries by most Southwestern
tribes, by both the Sun and the Moon. The seasons begin on the first full moon after a
Solstice or an Equinox. The Solstices and Equinoxes themselves are times of
celebration as well, and perhaps the period between the two (which usually works
out to be no more than a week or so) could be considered a time of Holiday. Lesser
ceremonials are held on New Moons and Full Moons between the first Full Moons of
the seasons. Optionally certain Pagan festivals could be celebrated in conjunction
with other groups, but they are not to be adopted as official Lifeway Fellowship
ceremonial days.
There are other ceremonials that are personal in nature, and can be held at any time,
although synchronizing them with the Festivals and the New and Full Moons is
advisable. They are Naming, where a newborn child is named in the presence of the
group and their Life-beads given; Coming Of Age, where the child's physical maturity
is acknowledged, and where, for a short time, they become Child of the Water (if a
boy) or White Painted Woman (if a girl); Initiation, where a person becomes a fullfledged member of the group, given after a person becomes a legal adult; Joining,
where a man and a woman consent to be married; Unjoining, where a man and
woman who are married consent to have the bond dissolved, which is to be done
only after four reconciliation attempts fail or after evidence of marital infidelity or
abuse is given before the group; the Moonlodge, which is a special sweat for women
in their Moon-time; and Release, where a ceremony for a dead member of the
Fellowship is done to guide their soul Back Home. Other ceremonials that are
dreamed or envisioned by a person or group are also encouraged.
7) Summing Up:
Up
A few quick ones: One can be either clothed or unclothed at ceremonies, but it
should be known that none of the Southwestern tribes did ceremonies in the nude.
However, one should disrobe for the sweat lodge, as clothes are not only
uncomfortable within the sweat lodge, but interfere with the cleansing process of the
lodge.
This Statement can be accepted or rejected by individual groups that federate
themselves with Lifeway Fellowship. But federation can be denied to those groups
who stray too far from some of the basic guidelines, or do anything that would sully
the reputation of the Fellowship in general.
7. Make a note of any animal that has bitten or attacked you in the past. Have you
been bitten by a dog, snake, lizard, bird, horse, cat, mosquito, chased by a bull or
goat, or been stung by a bee? Traditionally, this means that the power animal is
testing your ability to deal with its power. If you survive the attack, you have
attained a powerful spirit animal.
8. Which animals do you see most often when you go outdoors? The animals you see
and encounter outside in the city and country have helpful messages for you.
They teach ways of surviving in their world through their actions and behaviors,
ways that can be utilized by people. For example, the squirrel teaches the value of
saving for a rainy day, the dog teaches loyalty and tracking ability, while the
pigeon teaches homing and directional skills. In addition, by becoming aware of
an animals niche in the ecosystem, it becomes easier to understand where
humans fit in.
9. When presented with the opportunity to go to a large aquarium, zoo, animal
reserve, or farm, which animals do you focus on? Which animals do you find
yourself looking at again and again? As you grow older, you will most likely still
home in on the same animals you have for years, but you may also find that you
begin to pay more attention to other animals, adding a new favorite or two. This is
an indication that these animals have something of value to teach you, something
that can help you in daily life.
10. Which animal(s) are you most interested in right now, at this moment, as you
read this sentence? Dont so much think about your answer, but feel it. Write
down your first response. If the animal you have written down is a power animal
you are already aware of, then this animal has more to teach you, especially in the
next year. If you have written down an animal that is not already one of your
power animals, then spend time becoming familiar with the animals behaviors,
habitat, and other qualities. This animal has great power to offer you if you open
yourself up to receiving his/her natural gifts and abilities.
others.
This is what happens in a twelve-step fellowship. Through the process of healing
ourselves, we come to the point where we can help others by "carrying the message"
after having had a "spiritual awakening" as the result of taking the first eleven steps.
Here are some books that can help any Pagan, Shaman, Druid, Witch, Practitioner of
Feminist Spirituality, or other Magickal folk as they walk the steps in the process of
recovering, while retaining their own unique spiritual path.
Truth or Dare by Starhawk (San Francisco, Harper and Row, 1987) This contains
many references to the 12-step programs, especially Alcoholics Anonymous and
Adult Children of Alcoholics, in a work on Wicca by a well-known priestess of the
Craft who is also a psychotherapist.
Crystal Clear by Connie Church (Bew York, Willard books 1987) It contains a good
section on how to use quartz crystals to help in relieving yourself of bad habits,
compulsions, and obsessions, specifically for use with the various twelve-step
programs. (note - amethyst is traditionally said to help in all these areas)
Birth of a Modern Shaman, mentioned above, tells the story of a blind Native
American woman who was a survivor of Child abuse and had been Psychotic as well
as Alcoholic. This is the story of her complete recovery, including her eyesight,
(documented by doctors) and the discovery of her Psychic gifts with her Native roots.
Her healing occurred through a process that began for her in Alcoholics Anonymous.
The Twelve Steps for Everyone published by Compcare (Minneapolis MN.) This is a
non-sexist book on the steps by a grateful recovering member of Emotional Health
Anonymous written in non-sexist language. The author draws heavily on the Eastern
traditions of spirituality as well as the traditional Western monotheistic ones.
Everyday a New Beginning Published by Hazelden corp. (Also in Minneapolis, MN. I
believe) This is a daily meditation guide BY women in Anonymous fellowships and
for women in these same self-help groups. Unlike the Twenty-Four Hours a Day book
(published by the same company and widely used in AA) it doesn't use quotes from
the Bible. Instead it uses quotes from various women authors. Many men also claim to
have benefited from it due to its non-religious approach.
Pagans in Recovery a networking newsletter for Magickal folk, Shamans, Druids,
Feminist Priestesses, Witches, Pagans, Pantheists, etc. who are in recovery via a 12step fellowship of any type. It has contacts, reviews, articles, recovery techniques and
more. It is a great source of support and inspiration to any Pagan in any of the
Anonymous support groups. It is $8.00 a year and the address is P.I.R. c/o Bekki 6500
S.R. 356 New Marshfield, Ohio 45766
Addition
Addition to Reading List
Reflections in the Light by Shakti Gawain, published by New World Library, San
Rafael, California 1978. While not only for the 12-step programs this book does go
into the problems of addictions in light of the New-Age, Psychic Awareness as well as
many other subjects. It provides a inspirational message and/or a creative
visualization exercise with a non-sectarian affirmation for each day. The book is
neither sexist nor sectarian and is truly a beautiful aid to anyone seeking to work the
program of recovery. It is also a great way to share what you are doing with friends
who share your spirituality but not your program, as it makes no direct references to
the 12-step groups at all. It is very useful to those of us who prefer a daily meditation
to the "prayer" people in the monotheistic Churches and Synagogues tend to use in
their application of the program to their lives.
go and start by pretending you can shift into the animal. Allow the animals energy to
flow into you, like a force field that moves both ways, back and forth.
Learning to pretend and have fun with the shapeshifting experience has an
immediate positive impact on the results because suddenly you enter a conducive
state of mind for shapeshifting forms. When you actually shape shift, you will
recognize the experience because your view of reality shifts. Everything from the feel
of the earth to your sense of what an animal is becomes altered in a very real way.
Every time you shape shift you are awakening some hidden part of yourself.
Ultimately shapeshifting brings humankind closer to nature and animals, to a point
where we understand our inherent connection to nature. With every animal that
becomes extinct, we lose an inherent part of ourselves. On a very literal and basic
level, when we kill endangered animals, we are killing a part of ourselves. The
importance of saving species and habitats is crucial to our very existence as they are
extensions of our Divine connection to Oneness.
The Deer
The Deer's keynote is that of Gentleness and innocence a gentle luring to new
adventure. While its cycle of power is that of autumn and spring. The deer has always
captured the imagination of humanity. It is one of the most successful families of
mammals, native to every continent except Australia. They have been able to adapt to
every sort of habitat. The white-tailed deer, the mule deer and the caribou are three
that are prominent on the North American continent. The moose and the wapiti (Elk)
are also part of the deer family, but they are described separately.
Each type of deer has its own special qualities and characteristics, while sharing some
of the qualities of all deer in general. Caribou, for example, make long migrations
twice a year, reflecting the need for those who have it as a totem to use that same
pattern in their life. They begin running in fall and early winter, and these then are
the power times. The mule deer is also a wanderer. It never follows the same path
twice. This is part of its natural defense, making it less predictable to predators. Most
of the information in this section will focus on deer in general, and the white-tailed
specifically.
The name "deer" has several variations on its origin. These may provide clues to past
lives for those with this totem. The Anglo-Saxon word "deor" was a general word for
animals and was often used just in the general sense. In the German language, it has
its root in "tier", simply meaning wild animal also. It can also be traced to the Sanskrit
"mriga", also meaning wild animal.
To many the deer is considered the most important animal ever hunted. The hunt of
the deer is what transfers our civilization to the wilderness. There are many stories
and myths of deer luring hunters or even kings deep into the woods until they are
lost and begin to encounter new adventures. One such example is found in the tales
of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Sir Gawain follows a white hart
to many adventurous encounters. A reading of Sir Thomas Malory's Le Morte
D'Arthur will also provide more examples.
The deer is also a central religious image for Buddhism. Buddha is often pictured with
a deer, and legend tells how he first preached in a deer park. This image itself
reasserts the meaning of the deer as representing innocence and a return to the
wilderness.
The white-tailed deer is the most common in the United States. One of its most
outstanding features is the set of antlers that the male develops. In other members of
the deer family, i.e. reindeer and caribou, both the male and the females grow them.
The antlers are solid bone, and they are shed every year. Antlers grow behind the
eyes and are very protective.
Each year until the age of five, the antlers grow bigger and with more points. If you
encounter a deer in the wild, try to make count of the number of points. This will tell
you some of the significance the deer will have for you. Remember that numerology
can help define the essence.
Antlers are symbols of antennae, connections to higher forms of attainment. Deer
with antlers thus can be a signal to pay attention to your inner thoughts and
perceptions, as they are probably more accurate than you think.
The antlers are shed every year, and each year they grow back larger and with more
points, for five years. If a deer has entered your life, look for new perceptions and
degrees of perceptions to grow and expand for as much as the next five years. It can
indicate that there will be opportunities to stimulate gentle new growth increasingly
over the next few years.
One to two young are born. Fawns are born a color that protects and hides them. In
the first few days, they hardly move, and the mother nurses them often. This is very
significant for those with this totem. Many societies taught the importance of staying
with the new-born for a prescribed period of time. No visitors, no family members
other than the father were allowed to contact with the new-born. Even today in the
Muslim religion, a mother who breast feeds for a prescribed time makes that child her
own, whether or not it is her biological child. This kind of attention and separateness
enables the child to link with the family more strongly and protects the new-born
from subtle outside influences.
Our auras or energy fields are electromagnetic and exchanges of energy do occur with
other people and places. The kind of energy a child is exposed to can have strong
effects. Until the child's energy is strong and firmly grounded, it should be protected
from extraneous influences.
The deer leads us back to the primal wisdom of those old teachings. It reminds us to
establish a strong healthy connection with the child before we expose it to many
people and other strange energies. It is a reminder that there is a tradition that is
natural and suitable for family units and for the health of the young. It is for the
child's best interest.
After the first few days, the fawn can usually stand and follow its mother about. Doe
fawns may stay with the mother for as much as a year. The buck or male will usually
leave after a few months. The father takes no part in the rearing of the young; it is all
the rule of the mother. Again this can be a reminder for us to move gently back to the
traditional family unit and roles. It may indicate, if the deer has shown up in your
life, that you have gotten too far away from the role that would be most beneficial to
you at this time.
A deer's senses are very acute. Its vision is designed for clarity at a distance. It is
especially effective at detecting contrasts and edges in dim light. Its hearing is equally
acute. Anyone who has deer as a totem will find increasing ability to detect subtle
movements and appearances. They will begin to hear what may not be said directly.
When deer shows up in your life it is time to be gentle with yourself and others. A
new innocence and freshness is about to be awakened or born. There is going to be a
gentle, enticing lure of new adventures. Ask yourself important questions. Are you
trying to force things? Are others? Are you being too critical and uncaring of
yourself? When deer shows up there is an opportunity to express gentle love that will
open new doors to adventure for you.
Chant
The Raven
The Raven's keynote is that of magic, shape shifting, and creation. While its cycle of
power is that of winter solstice. The raven is one of those birds that has a tremendous
amount of lore and mythology surrounding it, and it is often contradictory. It is a bird
of birth and death, and it is a bird of mysticism and magic.
In the near East, the raven was considered unclean because it is a scavenger. It is one
of the foods listed as forbidden in the Bible. The raven is one of the birds that Noah
sent out after the floods, but it did not return to the ark. On the other hand, also in
Biblical lore is the tale of how a raven fed the prophet Elijah when hiding from King
Ahab.
In Scandinavian lore, the raven played a significant role. The Norse god Odin had a
pair of ravens who were his messengers. Their names were Hugin (thought) and
Munin (memory). Odin was known to shape shift as a raven himself. This reflects the
idea of raven being a messenger of the great spiritual realm.
In the Middle Ages the croak of the raven was believed to foretell a death or the
outcome of a battle. It was even taught to the common folk in Christian communities
that wicked priests became ravens when they died. Even today, some old timers tell
how you can expect hot weather when a raven is seen facing a clouded sun.
The raven is a member of the corvids family, to which belong crows and magpies and
other such birds. In truth, the only really significant difference between the crow and
the raven is in size, the raven being much larger. It would be beneficial to study the
information on the crow for anyone who has a raven as a totem. Much of the same
information that applies to one, also applies to the other. It is simply a matter of
degree. Rather than repeat that information here, I would like to give you some
information not generally associated with the crow itself.
The raven has a wealth of myth and lore surrounding it. In many ways it is
comparable to the coyote tales of the plains Indians, the Bushmen tales of the mantis
and other societies in which an animal plays both a significant and yet confusing role.
The coyote was both trickster and wise being-fool and wise one. This was true of the
mantis in the tales of the Kalahari Bushmen.
In the Pacific Northwest the raven has this same aura about him. In the Pacific
Northwest, raven brought forth life and order Raven stole the sunlight from one who
would keep the world in darkness. Nothing could exist without raven. Raven is
honored in art and on totem poles, reflecting the tales and mysticism that have
developed around it.
With raven, human and animal spirits intermingle and become as one. This is
reflected in its deep, rich shiny black. In blackness, everything mingles until drawn
forth, out into the light. Because of this, raven can help you shape shift your life or
your being. Raven has the knowledge of how to become other animals and how to
speak their languages.
Ravens are great at vocalizations, and they can be taught to speak. They incorporate
and mimic the calls of other species. In the Northwest are tales of the Kwakiutl
Indians who offered the afterbirth of male newborns to Raven so that when they
grew up, they would understand their cries. Raven can teach you to understand the
language of animals.
Ravens are playful, and they are excellent tool users. They will use stones and
anything else that is available to help them crack nuts and such. They are birds not
intimidated by others, and they are very fast and wary Because of this, they are not
easy prey for other animals or birds. This implies the ability to teach you how to stir
the magic of life without fear They are also known for their amorous behavior,
reflecting the strong creative life force to which they have access.
This creative life force can be used to work the magic of spiritual laws upon the
physical plane. It can be used to go into the void and stir the energies to manifest that
which you most need. All this and more is what raven teaches. If raven has come into
your life, expect magic. Somewhere in your life, magic is at play Raven activates the
energy of magic, linking it with your will and intention.
Raven speaks of the opportunity to become the magician and/or enchantress of your
life. Each of us has a magician within, and it is Raven which can show us how to
bring that part of us out of the dark into the light. Raven speaks of messages from the
spirit realm that can shape shift your life dramatically Raven teaches how to take that
which is unformed and give it the form you desire.
The winter solstice and winter season is the time of greatest power for those with the
raven as a totem. The solstice is the shortest day of the year The sun shines the least
on this day, thus it is the darkest. From that day forth, the light shines a little more
each day This is symbolic of the influence of raven. It teaches how to go into the dark
and bring forth the light. With each trip in, we develop the ability to bring more light
out. This is creation.
Chant
Qualities
Wolf
Bear
Fox
Hawk
Mouse
Eagle
Dolphin
Heron
Intuition, organization
Horse
Stability, courage
Rabbit
Faith, nurturance
Jaguar
Deer
Raven
Owl
Mountain Lion
Strength, elusiveness
Unicorns
'All of the beasts obeyed Noah when he admitted them into the ark. All but the
unicorn. Confident of his strength he boasted 'I shall swim!'. For forty days and forty
nights the rains poured down and the oceans boiled as in a pot and all the heights
were flooded. The birds of the air clung onto the ark and when the ark pitched they
were all engulfed. But the unicorn kept on swimming. When, however, the birds
emerged again they perched on his horn and he went under-- and that's why there
are no more unicorns now.'
-- from a Ukranian folk tale
The unicorn has been a topic of wonder and speculation for centuries. The writings of
such men as Aristotle, Genghis Khan, Saint Thomas, and Saint Gregory reflect the
fact that these men considered the unicorn as a very real creature.
Webester's Seventh defines a unicorn as 'a mythical animal generally depicted with
the body and head of a horse, hind legs of a stag, tail of a lion, and a single horn in the
middle of its forehead'. The word 'unicorn' comes from the Latin 'Uni', meaning one,
and 'Cornu, meaning horn.
The unicorn has been depicted in the folklore and legends of other cultures besides
ours. The Chinese believed that they had the body of a deer, with horses' hooves and
an ox's tail. Where in the west the horn was made of bone, the Oriental unicorn's
horn was made of flesh. The coat of the unicorn was of the five sacred colors of the
Chinese; red, yellow, blue, white, and black.
The Chinese called the unicorn 'K'i-lin'. To them, it was a symbol of wisdom. Around
2800 BC, the Emperor Fu Hsi wrote of seeing a k'i-lin. He saw markings on the coat
of the animal, and perceived those symbols as a written language, thus giving credit
to the k'i-lin for the establishment of the written Chinese language.
The sighting of a K'i-in was a considered a good omen, and often signified the birth of
a good ruler. Other times, it appeared to give a warning to men. A scouting party for
Genghis Khan reported seeing a Chio-tuan, a type of K'i-lin, that warned the party to
stop the war, and that 'moderation will give boundless pleasure'. Upon receiving the
report, the Mongol stopped his battle plans.
Unicorns were reported in India as well. The Greek Ctesias wrote of seeing a 'wild
ass' there, which was as large as a horse. He said that the horn of the unicorn was
about a foot and a half long, and three colored, with the base being white, the middle
to face with a unicorn and not know for sure that we are. We know a certain animal
with a mane is a horse and that a certain animal with horns is a bull. We do not know
what the unicorn looks like'.
Even though the existence of the unicorn is questionable, its symbolism is not. The
beast, like all mythological creatures, has been a reflection of man's hopes and fears,
dreams and nightmares, and inner consciousness. Freud considered mythological
beasts as representations of 'universal fears and feelings'. Specifically, Jung thought
that the purity of the unicorn was of greater importance. Most mythological creatures
represent man's worst traits, and are usually more evil than animals, or man. They kill
for pleasure, and are often involved in unspeakable atrocities. The unicorn is an
exception to the rule, being a symbol of purity, hope, love, and majesty.
The decline of the unicorn began with the Renaissance and the advent of scientific
thought. The beliefs that had held for thousands of years began to crumble when man
could not prove the existence of the unicorn. Systematically, report after report of a
unicorn was attributed to a more believable occurrence of a more mundane animal.
Rhinos, goats, and horses were all considered explanations of unicorns. As technology
advanced, more exact tests and record keeping were developed, which added to the
mounting evidence against the unicorn. Finally, the unicorn was added to the list of
animals regarded as 'mythical', and would later only be found in children's stories and
other fables.
What of the unicorn today? The unicorn is returning, if only symbolically. It is that
symbolism that people are seeking today, the idea of natural truth, purity, and love
that much of society has lost in the shadow of technology. Odell Shepard wrote, 'It is
not that the men of the Middle Ages who believed in unicorns were less intelligent
than we; their intelligence was turned in a different direction... we wrong ourselves
when we insist that if they cannot make good their flesh and blood actuality on our
level we will have none of them'. To find the unicorn, as the ancients did, we have to
unlearn what we have learned; we must go back to an earlier way of looking at the
world. Only then will we find the unicorn.
'Well, now we have seen each other,' said the unicorn, 'if you'll believe in me, I'll
believe in you. Is that a bargain?'
What is Shamanism?
Pardon me for asking, but what is Shamanism? That's one area of "the occult" that I
don't remember hearing about.
Ok, I guess I'm the resident shamanism maven here, so I'll try to define it. Shamanism
is the name (from the Tungus Shaman, meaning miracle-worker) for any tradition of
ecstatic worship of the Earth, and the forces that reside and pervade Her. Most
traditions of shamanism worship two deities, the God and the Goddess. In the
European shamanic tradition, also known as Wicca, the God and Goddess are most
commonly known as The Lord and The Lady, or Great Mother and the Lord of the
Hunt. In the Yoruban tradition, they are known as Ogun and Yemaja. In the
shamanic tradition of the Chiricahua Teneh (Apache), they are known as Earth
Mother and Sky Father, and also as White Painted Woman and Killer of Enemies. In
other traditions, there are more deities worshipped, and in most of those named,
there are other lesser deities. Some forms of shamanic tradition can be classified as
true polytheism, some, like the tradition of the Australian Dreamtime, are truly
pantheistic (the God-force is in all, and all exists in the God-force, or as they put it,
the Dreamtime) and at least in the tradition of the Yoruba (Nigerian African) and in
most Native American traditions, these Gods and Goddesses are seen as emanations
from a Great Spirit. In the Teneh tongue, this spirit is known as Usen', Who is neither
Male nor Female but encompasses both. Joe Wilson describes the difference between
the path of the Shaman and the path of the Priest this way: the Priest is the custodian
of tradition and rite, the Shaman is the one who journeys within and experiences the
God(desse)s directly. The path of the shaman is the path of healing, direct
involvement with ones Gods/Goddesses, and the path of acquiring Power for The
Good. Modern Shamanism in America is usually of two currents: Wiccan and Native.
Wicca is a reconstructed system, which is probably similar but not identical to the
pre-Christian religion of the Keltoi (the Britons, the Gallics, the Irish and Scottish
Gael, the Picts, and the Cymri (Welsh) It used to claim quite an impressive history,
but is reliably traceable to people like Gerald Gardner, who designed a system of
Wiccan practice from various sources, including, supposedly, a wealthy woman
whose family had practiced witchcraft for generations. He obviously had a good grasp
of some of the Anthropological works on the subject, but liberally borrowed as well
from Crowley, Freemasonry, and fin de Siecle occultism like the Order of the Golden
Dawn. Artificial or authentic, it seems to still work.
Native shamanism works with either traditions of a native people like the Native
Americans or the Yoruba tribe (present in Santeria), or is a distillation of many
practices, as is the shamanism taught by Dr. Michael Harner and by Joseph Wilson of
Toteg Tribe. The true native traditions are dying out quickly, and most native
Shamans are unwilling to transmit their knowledge. In some cases, the knowledge
has died out, and those descendants who remain and wish to embrace the Old Ways
must re-invent their tradition. My teacher, Misha Sacred Wolf of the Naiche-Tosawi
band of the Chiricahua, is in that unenviable position. The Apache still exist, and
they celebrate some of the old festivals for the benefit of tourists. But much of the
Old Knowledge died with the coming of the white man, the reservation, and the
missionaries that considered the reservation their rightful "mission field".
While it is true that many Native peoples are indignant about any non-Native
involvement in shamanism, and the new age movement is full to the brim with
hucksters and shysters who if you give them money will teach you "how to become a
Shaman", there are two non-Natives who seem to respect the Ways, and have
attempted to present the teachings of Native shamanism in a respectful, reverential
way. One is Dr. Michael Harner, author of "The Way of the Shaman" (Bantam) and
his "core shamanism" system. His approach is sometimes a little too eclectic, with a
glaring lack of the ritual and mythos that makes shamanism so powerful. He has
reduced the shamanic experience to a few major elements: The Lowerworld Journey,
where the shamanist comes face-to- face with their "Power Animal", which is a
representative of the person's basic animal energy; The Upperworld Journey, where
the person journeys to contact their "Teacher Within", who is a representation of the
person's Higher Self; the Middleworld Journey, where ordinary reality is seen
through non-ordinary eyes; and various techniques of healing, primarily the Jivaro
"sucking doctor"technique. A non-ordinary state of consciousness is reached through
rhythmic drumming, singing, and visualization. Despite the very clinical "self-help"
aspect of Harner's work, it is very valuable. If you live in the Los Angeles area, you
are quite fortunate in that perhaps the most exciting work in the eclectic shamanic
way is going on through Toteg Tribe, a shamanic society founded and facilitated by
Joseph Wilson. Joseph was a participant in the Neo-Pagan (Wiccan-shamanic)
movement for more than 25 years, and is now trying to forge a new shamanic way for
**all
all people of the Americas. He has built on the techniques of Harner with insight
from both traditional Native peoples of this land that he has studied with and entirely
new ways of expression that he and others that work with him have spontaneously
come up with. He does not claim to teach traditional shamanic ways, but his work is
quite valuable and instead of looking behind to the old days of Tribal America, is
aimed towards the 21st century and beyond. Again, I study with a woman who is of
the Chiricahua Apache tradition, but I also find Wilson's work to be exciting and
very important.
I hope this cleared up a few things there's a lot of good info in the file areas about
shamanic practice.
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 analysis 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 ethnologist. 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 ethnologist to make exhaustive studies of the
shaman's costume and drum, to describe the sances, 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
sances), the ethnologist-joined when circumstances demand it, by a corporatist and
historian-will succeed 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 ethnologist 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 numerous works of historical
ethnology: in the overwhelming "gray mass" of cultural data stemming from the socalled "a historical" 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 history 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
all magicians, whether primitive or modern. But beyond this, he is a psycho pomp,
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 Central 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 magicoreligious 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 people 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 shamanism
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 shamanic techniques of ecstasy, they do not exhaust all the varieties of
ecstatic experience documented in the history of religions and religious ethnology.
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 should 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
Whither Werewolf
"Even a man who's pure of heart
and says his prayers by night
May become a wolf when the wolfsbane blooms
and the Autumn Moon is bright."
- Curt Siodmak
Modern film makers and writers have done much to make the werewolf a pitiable
creature. A man trapped by his own baser desires, unable to control the change or the
urges that come upon him when the Moon shows Her full form each month. But deep
in our hazy past there was a time when the 'werwulf,' (spirit-wolf or man-wolf) was
honored among our ancestors. The Wolf and those able to take her shape were
worshiped as Goddesses and heroes.
Belief in shape shifters was found throughout the range of the wolf's former habitats:
from Europe and Asia as far east as India and China and throughout North America.
What ties the legend if the werewolf together in all of these places is the fact that the
wolf was the largest predator indigenous to those regions. The violence and
aggression of were-beasts make this seem on the surface to be a hunting and warfare
legend. True, it is this, but also much more.
Prehistoric peoples learned the ways of the hunt from the animals around them, and
they learned the concept of time from watching the phases of the Moon. The Moon
phases also concurred with the female menstrual cycles and so hunting, sex and time
became totally enmeshed. The Full Moon was also the time in which the women of
the tribe bled, in effect, canceling all sexual activity. The men's minds turned to the
Hunt, knowing that sexual activity would resume after they had brought enough
meat home to supplement the diet of grains and berries the women provided.
It is this circular reasoning that created the association of a female deity concerned
with hunting, and in many cultures She was a Wolf. Apollo Lycaeus (Wolfish Apollo)
was mated to Artemis as the "divine Wolf-bitch." The Sabine Goddess Feronia was
"Mother of Wolves." Perhaps the most well-known of all was Diana, Mistress of the
Hunt. Gaulish Diana under her totemic name Lupa, "She Wolf," was Mother of wild
animals. Young men learned magic and shape shifting from Her and She guided and
protected them (provided, of course, that they never set foot inside a Christian
Church.) Her follower's shape shifting ability followed the Moon phases and the
Moon was another form of the Goddess.
Shape shifting abilities usually lay within the realm of one person in the tribe, the
shaman. It was reasoned that at the moment of death, the animals that the hunters
killed and/or emulated took themselves to the spiritual "other-world." For the
shamans to 'speak' to these animals, so that they could intervene on behalf of the
humans, the shamans themselves must lose their own bodies and take on the aspects
of the animals. And so the first shape shifters were born.
Down through the years the werewolf was known in almost every culture. The title
of the shaman who held high position in the life of the Slavs was 'volkhvi.' Variants
are the German Volk, 'people' and the Russian Vrach, 'physician.' This indicates that
the werewolves were people, shamanic healers in wolf masks.
It wasn't until Christianity came on the scene that the werewolf became the demonic
creature that he is today. Christ was known as the Lamb of God and the enemy of the
lamb is of course the wolf. The shift toward the imagery of the Lamb of Christ led in
natural sequence to the wolf as satanic. The werewolf whose first meaning in biblical
translations meant 'outlaw,' devolved from that into 'ravening wolf,' as in Matthew
7:15: "Beware of false prophets which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly
they are ravening wolves." Werewolves were captured and tortured by the
Inquisition alongside accused Witches.
And so the werewolf descended throughout the centuries; from deity to demi-god,
from shaman to satanic. The noble wolf, whose only crime was to howl at the Moon
and teach awkward humans to hunt was demonized by those who would rather be
led by a lamb than a true king or queen of beasts.
Wiccan Shamanism
Shamanism exists in tribal cultures around the world and has done so for centuries.
Yet, in reading most anthropological texts on Shamanism, there is little, if any
reference made to shamanism in Europe. However Shamanism has existed among the
peoples of Europe not only in ancient times, but also through the present day. During
the Middle Ages, the Old Ways largely disappeared from public view because of
persecution. Yet they were not eradicated but took a more underground existence.
Today, there are some of us of European ancestry that are bringing Shamanic ways
rooted in pre-Christian Europe back into the light.
Wiccan Shamanism is a term I began using several years ago in an attempt to describe
my own path of magick and spirituality in relation to the other forms of Shamanism
on the Planet. Wiccan Shamanism draws on the Old but it is not simply an attempt
reconstruction and revival of the Old Ways of tribal Europe. Wiccan Shamanism
blends both the Old and the New to suit the modern times in which we live.
Although emphasis is on European symbology and traditions Wiccan Shamanism is
multi-cultural, incorporating ways of other healers and magick workers from many
places and eras.
What follows is a glimpse into Wiccan Shamanism as I know it and practice it. While
Jim, Dennis, and others who help with various aspects of **circles
circles work may share
many of these concepts, I speak here only for myself - for at the heart of this spiritual
approach is the idea that each person must seek their own connection with the
Divine, within their own Self, rather than having me or anyone else do this for them.
This is not a path of a leader with followers, but a path where each becomes their
own leader.
I call to the Powers of the Four Quarters- to Earth in the North which is the Realm of
the Physical Body and Material Plane, to Air in the East which is the Realm of
Thoughts and Intellect, to Fire in the South which is the Realm of Will Power and
Action, and Water in the West which is the Realm of Emotions and Intuition. My
Medicine Wheel is the Magick Circle which connects the Four Quarters. The sacred
places I frequent include a high rock, a crystal clear spring fed pool in a hidden valley
and a circle of stones in a grove of Oak and Birch on a mound.
I am a channel between Planet Earth beneath my feet and the Heavens above my
head. I become the World tree when I Shamanize, linking the transforming Dark of
the Underworld with the Awakening Light of the Upperworld.
I am the Crystal Light that is at the Center of the Circle and is the fifth Element
Spirit. I seek always to act out of MY own Inner Self which is at the enter of MY
being, for my Inner Self in the Balance of all the Elements, of my Female and Male
sides, of my Lunar and Solar natures of my intellect and intuition my Inner Self is my
doorway into the realm where All is One.
I see the Circle of Life from the Center. I watch the Seasons change as the Wheel of
the Year turns and I celebrate the 8 Sabbats. I connect with the dance of Night and
Day, of Fair and Stormy Weathers, of the Waxing and Waning Moon. I see the cycle
of Birth, Growth, Maturity, Death, and Rebirth in all of Nature. I examine the cycles
of my own life and of the lives of those who seek healing aid from me.
I am the traveler between the World of Daily Life and the Otherworld which is the
land of Dreams, visions and Spirits. I am a Consciousness Explorer. The Otherworld is
as real and as important to me as the Day-to-Day World. I bridge the Worlds rather
than seeking to dwell solely in one or the other. I journey into the Otherworld for a
reason - to bring back healing and knowledge to apply to Daily Life, helping others,
myself and the Planet.
I see the Divine in all things. My friends and allies include not only humans but also
plants, animals, rocks, winds, waters, fire, stars, and other life forms. I commune with
the Source some call "God" as both Mother Goddess and Father God, for both aspects
are necessary for the Unity.
The main focus of my Shamanic work is Healing. I was called to this path as a young
child in dreams and Out-of-Body experiences, but I didn't begin my work until my
adult years when I started Healing myself. To do this I journeyed alone into the Pit of
my Shadow Self and came face-to-face with my problems and hang-ups; my doubts,
fears, disillusionments, rejections, angers and hurts; with all my false self images.
Words can not begin to express the misery, the utter despair the powerlessness I felt
during this time. Yet coming apart was essential; it enabled me to break through the
barriers which I had formed and let others form in my psyche that had kept me from
being one with my True Self. In the deepest Darkness, I felt the Light of my own
Inner Self beginning to shine through. I focused on the Light and slowly emerged
from the Pit, stronger and more integrated than ever before and with the power to
heal others as well as myself. As a result of this transformation process, my life's work
became clear. I now help others from their own pits of negativity and become whole
again.
Yet my work also extends to more than Humankind; it involves bringing Healing to
the Planet as a whole. In my communing with the Land, I have heard the cries of the
Earth mother, sorrowing over the self-centered, greedy, intolerant, and destructive
behaviors of many of Her human children, who are polluting the soiled, waters, and
air; who are playing power games with nuclear fire; and who are polluting the
spiritual atmosphere of the entire world with their narrow mindedness and hate. I am
deeply concerned about survival - not of the Planer Herself for all the humans in the
world can not destroy Her even with all their weapons; She is too strong and
powerful for that to happen. What I am concerned about is the survival of the human
race. - will we annihilate ourselves and many of the life forms around us, or will we
wake up in time to see the larger picture, find and implement creative solutions to the
worlds problems, and enter a New Age of expanded consciousness?
The Balance of Life can be restored on Planet Earth; Harmony can be restored
between humankind and other life forms; Love consciousness can increase and be
prevalent on the Earth. I, along with numerous other healers and ministers from a
variety of spiritual traditions around the world today have responded to the upset of
Mother Earth by dedicating our lives to this Planetary Healing Work, each in our
own way. It is this Great Work that underlies all the healing and other things I do. It
is the Heart of Wiccan Shamanism.