Morrigan:

MERRY MEET AND WELCOME TO WICCA 101! Tonights class is hosted by Red Deer. His topic is Shamanism.

As a courtesy to our host, please keep all greetings, farewells and side converasations in IM until class is over.

KindredFlame:

::runs up to nestor and wiggles his nose::: all better now?

Morrigan:

Likewise, please hold all questions and comments until discussion is called for by our host.

Disrupters will be warned once by the Chat Host. If disruptive behavior persists their exlusion will be called for.

When an exclusion is called, all are asked to do so WITHOUT comment either to or about the excludee.

RevCyber:

ok

Morrigan:

In case of disaster {g} could one or two of you who plan on attending the entire class please log as back up?

And with that... Red Deer, you have the Floor!

KindredFlame:

I will

WizardsLady:

Ouch... got bumped

RED DEER:

Thanks, Chatty

BTW folks, I haven't planned a standard sort of class for tonight...

so...

WizardsLady:

Looking for a Wiccan beginners information book.... suggestions welcome.. :}

RED DEER:

I've a little info to start, a bit of a journey to share,

Annwyn:

Shoot

RED DEER:

and some references... then, we'll discuss whatever folks are interested in.

THE Journey (or Shamanism from the inside)

A caution to any not having embarked upon the Journey - I am not providing extensive preparatory information. Cast the Circle, Erect the Temple, Invoke Protecting Spirits, Weave White Light about you... as is your tradition. Journeying is a SERIOUS undertaking.

For your first venture, it is paramount that you seek out a spirit guide. You must ask those you meet whether they are YOUR guide. When you are answered "Yes," search within for the voice which says, "This is truth." If you are NOT able to accept this guide in Perfect Love and Perfect Trust (pardon my Wiccanism {g}) - then MOVE ON.

Do not expect all those you meet - in the World Below, the World About or the World Above - to be your friends. It is vain self-deceit to believe there are no treacherous spirits dancing withing the Web, and even more perilous to assume that you can render harmless all such whom you meet. Listen to your spirit guide(s). Follow their direction even when you fail to understand it, or RETURN.

A final caution. Unlike ritual, the Journey is NOT undertaken for its own sake. Each Journey - whether Below, About or Above - should have a singular Purpose, well thought out and prepared for ahead of time. Journey to seek knowledge. Journey to bring back that which may correct an imbalance. Journey to find something which has been lost. Journey with a Purpose, and let nothing lead you away from it.

Some use drumming, some chant, some dance to set this stage. I seek refuge within the Circle of Roots - a Familiar Tree - and seek the rhythms of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Please remember that I am a Carolinian... The rhythms I perceive and describe here may be significantly different from those you will encounter, should you attempt my method of induction. If you do not, there are many excellent resources which address chant, dance or drumming.

To (very loosely {g}) paraphrase an ancient Chinese philosopher: "The odor, the taste, the feel, the look, the sound of a ten thousand mile journey are patterned with the first step." Open yourself to our Mother and Father, to the beings we live among, and a "Journey Song" will find you. I shall attempt with words to illustrate for you the basics of a Journey I've taken... but words are only that... the experience itself can NOT be rendered - only experienced.

With that, let us embark...

"Greetings, ancient cousin!
In this world...
I ask leave to come within your embrace;
to be borne up by your roots,
to be supported by your bark,
to be covered by your leaves.
On my Journey...
I ask that you keep me safe from harm;
that you hold my body,
that you oversee my Journey,
that you Sing me home should I stray.
Welcome Deer and Falcon, who often Journey with me.
So mote it be."

I inhale aromas the evening air brings to my nostrils...
fading essences honeysuckle and wild rose gave to the day,
faint acrid ozone from tonight's blazing thunderstorm,
fresh seet rain lingering heavily upon the air;
I savor tastes the faint night breeze lays upon my tongue...
elixir of my own sweat held close by the humid night air,
richness of fertile black earth which blends into red caly at the shoreline,
pungence of juniper entwined with the heaviness of leaf mold,
faint acid bitterness from tannin in the old oak's bark,
rising steam from a teaming lake now warmer than the sky;
I recognize the subtle and bold textures brought against my skin...
rills of surface roots whose courses turn and twist beneath my legs,
curves and points of many leaves which caress my skin upon the ground,
lightness - almost tickle - of a little sister crossing my hand,
ridges and rough edges of plated bark pressing against bare skin of my back,
long hair that in the breeze dances gently upon my shoulders,
undeniable heaviness of saturated air reminiscent of swimming thought not in water;
I observe the shifting wonders dancing all about me...
myriad ripples in the wake of raindrops dancing across the lake,
sidereal dance held deep with the vigilant waters,
great blue herons milling quietly about the shoreline,
intense green of a mantis in deepest reverie,
pale glow from the white undersides of leaves,
clouds a light breeze shepherds across the midnight sky,
ochre moon gracid the the intensity of potential,
stars drawing near and receeding upon the tides of breath,
ancient oak dragon who shimmers into perception enfolding me;
I listen to the innumerable sounds of deepest night...
glass-like chimes of raindrops resonant with the lake's surface,
deep bass of bullfrogs croaking by the shoreline,
babillage of a small stream flowing ever downward,
sharp bark of a mother fox calling her kits,
singing grass - a harp plucked by the little sisters,
lusty fiddling of a million crickets,
brilliant tones of the nightingales' songs,
chirping tree frogs among the many branches,
incessant hum of mosquitoes circling in the night,
almost audible squeal of bats seeking prey,
heady buzz of irridescent dragonflies' wings,
drone of a million wings from a journey-hive of bodies protecting their queen,
incomparable hoots from a pair of great barred owls upon the hunt;
I allow these weavings to merge themselves into a singular pattern...
find the sum of them at the center point of my self,
realize there the heart beat of the earth,
the Song of my Journey;
I submerge self within this oneness...
of all that which flows,
around me,
about me,
to me,
through me,
within me.

Waves
flowing from a stone
cast upon the endless sea of life
emerge from a point
to mingle with those from myriad other nodes...
My soul
becomes a droplet,
as the stone settles through the waters,
born skyward in its wake
cast into shimmering realization of the Web...
Freed from the fetters
of objectibe reality
and of physical limitations.

Beside myself I am
awaiting those who may answer my question:
Spirit of the Oak Dragon,
Spirit of the Red Deer,
Spirit of the Peregrine Falcon,
and greet each as I perceive them:
"One hundred welcomes, Uncle
may your fire ever anchor you in the heart of the World Tree
prolifically may you grow or brilliantly bear lightening's blaze
and always take shelter in this wood."
"One hundred welcomes, Sister
may your hooves ever connect you with our Mother Earth
safely may you graze or swiftly run
and ever find a home in this forest."
"One hundred welcomes, Cousin
may your wings ever hold you within the heart of Father Sky
efficiently may hou hunt or playfully mount the clouds
and unceasingly keep aerie in these heights."

"Again I seek One of Water
a caring one who may see me safely there
a beneficient one who may guide me there
a wise one who may teach me there
I ask you all, and will follow direction from any..."

Falling silent, I look outward from the sheltering oak
to the six directions - hexagons of faint light
shimmering threads connect each life.
I await the word from one of my mentors
which opens a specific gate to One of the Three Realms...
Below, About and Above...

(so much for getting there... I shall not take you along on this Quest, for it is intensely personal... But I will bring you home, and then open the floor for discussion)

Having accomplished my goal for this Journey (or learned that now is not the time to do so),
I purposefully determine to return.
Centering, I search within for the song which brought me,
consciously out of my self and into the company of my mentors
consciously into the Web woven between the Worlds Below, About and Above;
I take the song up strand by strand, rhythm by rhythm, melody by melody,
and adding my own voice, sing myself back into that place where my body dwells.
As the droplet borne upwards upon the stone's wake
falls back into the waiting waters
I hesitate at that tenuous yet ever present surface,
thank those who have Walked Between the Worlds with me.
Then, as ever must be, I lay down within myself
to realize my anchors in the World About...

OK... a few references you may find helpful, then let's see what folks are interested in discussing:

Campbell, Joseph: The Hero with a Thousand Faces. 1968, Princeton, ISBN 0-691-09743-7.

Conway, DJ: By Oak, Ash & Thorn. 1995, Llewellyn, ISBN 1-56718-166-X.

Cowan, Tom: Fire in the Head: Shamanism and the Celtic Spirit. 1993, Herper, ISBN 0-06-25017-4.

Eliade, Mircea: Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstacy. 1964, Princeton, ISBN 0-691-09827-1.

Estes, Clarrisa Pinkola: Women Who Run With the Wolves. 1992, Ballantine, 0-345-37744-3.

Harner, Michael: The Way of the Shaman. 1990, Harper, ISBN 0-06-250373-1.

Matthews, Caitlin: Singing the Soul Back Home: Shamanism and Daily Life. 1995, Element, 1-85230-616-5.

Matthews, John: Taliesin: Shamanism and the Bardic Mysteries in Britain and Ireland. 1991, Aquarian, 1-85538-109-5.

Talbot, Michael: The Holographic Universe. 1991, Harper Collins, LCN 90-55555.

.

Discussion?

DarkWater:

Red, how does the Native american medicine wheel fit in with the 4 quarters and how do you use it in compirson, and would you sugest using it next to the 4 elements method or not?

RED DEER:

I'm sorry DW, but am not much of an NA practitioner... know more etiquette than symbolism {G}. In Wicca - and ceremonial magick - however, the directions correspond to elements... many are doing the same with the directions of the medicine wheel... BUT most NAs recognize SIX directions rather than four

DarkWater:

the journeying is the same, it just the methods that differ, i know that, i just woundered witch works better :)

RED DEER:

I think that depends completely upon the practitioner, DW...

breezerider:

Red, do you ever let guides return with you?

Nestor:

Red Derr an excellent demonstration on how a well thought out shamanistic jourey should be prepared and done! I am glad you stressed the control and discipline needed -- not just 'do it'!

RED DEER:

breeze - I don't "let" guides do anything... they let me! but, yes, have had a guide appear in the physical upon rare occasion. remember, they are INDEPENDENT sapient beings... I am not one who seeks to control - guides or anything else... I search for affiliation... magick and power lie in relationship

Annwyn:

nor would a Shaman do such... control I mean

levanahbat:

My daughter, Elanor, would ask, how does she differentiate between the spirit animals she likes and those who are her guides, or IS there a difference?

RED DEER:

I count those I meet in the Three Worlds as brothers, sisters, aunts, uncles, grandparents... trusted friends or NOT - those who are NOT I avoid {g}

Nestor:

but the 'control of the self' is critial to you success and sometimes survival -- does that not hold true in these form of journies

RED DEER:

ah, Nestor... self is the ONE thing a shaman MUST learn to control!

Annwyn:

Nestor I meant control the other beings...

RED DEER:

thanks evil twin {vbeg}

Annwyn:

control in the journey is important...

Nestor:

other bieng --must be respected and dealth with in an honorable fashion

RED DEER:

and with control of self, control of the Journey

DarkWater:

Red, well let me just thank you for the class and know that i thought it was a beautiful journey.... :) MP All

RED DEER:

except when you choose to surrender it to a trusted guide

MP DW and thanks

Annwyn:

re: the animal question... remember also... the beings that you encounter may not fit... "normal" standards... The landscape you encounter may not appear as it does in a regular waking state. Messages may be received from creatures of many forms... both verbally and through symbols

RED DEER:

Subtle

Morrigan:

ok, I'm new to this. Is this an Astral Journey?

Annwyn:

and you may find the symbols to be personal symbols rather than what you have come to expect a symbol to mean.

RED DEER:

NO!

Morrigan:

ok, then please clarify for me?

breezerider:

Red, do guides ever appear in human form?

RED DEER:

hmmm... Astral travel is basically that - travel

Morrigan:

is this like going inside yourself then? Like in meditation?

RED DEER:

'tis ok to go on a vacation {G}

RED DEER:

one would never do that shamaning... The Journey is NOT the point - the SEARCH for something IS

agathodaimon:

it is percieving in a different way

Morrigan:

I understand that

RED DEER:

just as we Pagans might ritual simply to celebrate an occasion... but not seek to do a working the Shaman, however, ONLY Journeys for a purpose! Caitlin Matthews gives specific warnings about Journeying without purpose...

Callistar:

Is it like opening yourself so you can percieve the ones that will guide you on your search???

RED DEER:

likening it to becoming addicted to drugs...

Morrigan:

ok.. I understand that, but are you delving inside your self then? Since you are not going to the Astral? In other words: Where does this Journey take place?

Annwyn:

it is another state of consciousness

RED DEER:

and in the world

Morrigan:

ok. thats what I needed. thank you.

Nestor:

well thne Red Deer -- it is not only the Journey that is the point --it is the results which occur because of the searching being successful that is also important?

RED DEER:

the subtle reality of the mundane world - where other beings and spirits continually surround us, though we may not perceive them or into the World Below - the world at the heart of the earth or into the World Above... those worlds so many mythologies record as laying about the roots, the trunk and the boughs of the World Tree

Successful is desired, Nestor... but NOTHING succeeds always... not even a Wiccan Spell

levanahbat:

Success may not be immediately perceived by us

Nestor:

agreed Red Deer my Brother

MiosDio:

What is shamanism?

levanahbat:

because a negative answer for us is often the answer we need

RED DEER:

and I'm defining success as achieving the outcome we envisioned, levan

levanahbat:

that cannot always happen...

RED DEER:

All efforts produce an effect... of some sort

levanahbat:

yes, but the effect may not be the outcome we envisioned. yet still, it is the one we need

Annwyn:

When doing this work for others sometimes also... the result may not be such that it can be passed along...

RED DEER:

levan - the Shaman does not Journey to get something so general as what someone needs... the Journey is specific every time taken. You get what you went after or you don't.

levanahbat:

Right! I certainly agree. but some DO travel with a preconceived "agenda"

RED DEER:

Many things may happen, but success is getting what you went for.

Annwyn:

Levan... sounds more like pathworking to me

levanahbat:

"agenda" and "outcome"

RED DEER:

I'm saying we all do

levanahbat:

ah so

Trollfrog:

walk in beauty all... troll be strollin to work...

RED DEER:

BB & MP Troll

levanahbat:

mp, and thanks. most interesting and illuminating!

RED DEER:

Any other questions - or experiences to share?

CryingMoon:

mm all

MiosDio:

Shamanism involves ap of the person to carry out some agenda, or for mere enjoyment of experiencing the other plane?

RED DEER:

How much of this did you catch, Mios?

MiosDio:

only a little

Annwyn:

Shamanism is about helping and healing

RED DEER:

One always shamans with a purpost, and agenda

Annwyn:

Journeying for enjoyment..no. With an agenda... for instance to find spiritual guide... yes

RED DEER:

to accomplish something - hopefully positive, but not in all cultures at all time - for another or yourself. While it IS an ecstatic experience... that has its price - VERY tiring sometimes... actually, usually

breezerider:

Red Deer, Do you do any journying for soul restoring work?

MiosDio:

thanks.

Annwyn:

which is why should be healthy in self to do this work

RED DEER:

any other questions? or shall we call it over?

Annwyn:

One thing :} just wanted to mention the language you used to describe the journey

Nestor:

well thank you again Red Deer -- very much for a beautiful and informative class -- you should write your descriptions in a book

Annwyn:

It is important that all of your senses be keenly aware on the journey

RED DEER:

sorry breeze... that is in essence what the journey for another IS... to help heal the soul so that their body may heal

Annwyn:

I supposed your use of adjectives was to reveal that need

RED DEER:

yup - awareness pushes you over the threshold and keeps you safe while across

Morrigan:

Well Red Deer, thank you for another good class!

RED DEER:

kinda like the real world, but more so

breezerider:

Thanks Red Deer, good class

Annwyn:

Thanx RD

calluna:

thank you

Morrigan:

Logs for this class will be posted on the Wicca bb by Tuesday Morning.

Annwyn:

BRB

melilot:

mm all

Morrigan:

Next weeks class will be hosted by Rebbelle Rose!

RED DEER:

Have a good evening, folks

RED DEER: