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31
Spiritual Technology / Re: Talking to Your Other-than-human Self
« on: April 24, 2008, 11:23:47 AM »
Haha! Swans?! They can be pretty intimidating.
They can break your arm with a strong blow from their wings.
Still, I don't worry about 'em. To me, part of re-wilding is sharpening and learning to tune into your awareness of your environment. When you are present, you can notice when you are being disrespectful to that swan and you can leave the place he is defend (i.e. nesting site).
There is no real reason to ever have to mess with a swan, anyway. Plus, throughout most of the USA, they are rare. The native Tundra and Trumpter swans here in WA, were I live, are only winter visitors.
On the East side of the Cascades, rattlesnakes are a potentially life threatening creature. Again, my feeling is that if you are present when stalking through areas they are likely to be in (talus slopes, dense brush near water, etc.) then your odds of getting bit are close to nil. Continue working on cutting your unnecessary mental chatter down, and bringing yourself into the present moment.
I have had a beyond-words communication experience with a wild Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, and learned from that encounter that most of the stories you hear about rattlesnakes are bunk. They are generally one of the first creatures to run at sight or smell of man. They are also rather gentle and curious animals.
Mind you, tread on one and it will most likely bite.
They can break your arm with a strong blow from their wings.
Still, I don't worry about 'em. To me, part of re-wilding is sharpening and learning to tune into your awareness of your environment. When you are present, you can notice when you are being disrespectful to that swan and you can leave the place he is defend (i.e. nesting site).
There is no real reason to ever have to mess with a swan, anyway. Plus, throughout most of the USA, they are rare. The native Tundra and Trumpter swans here in WA, were I live, are only winter visitors.
On the East side of the Cascades, rattlesnakes are a potentially life threatening creature. Again, my feeling is that if you are present when stalking through areas they are likely to be in (talus slopes, dense brush near water, etc.) then your odds of getting bit are close to nil. Continue working on cutting your unnecessary mental chatter down, and bringing yourself into the present moment.
I have had a beyond-words communication experience with a wild Northern Pacific Rattlesnake, and learned from that encounter that most of the stories you hear about rattlesnakes are bunk. They are generally one of the first creatures to run at sight or smell of man. They are also rather gentle and curious animals.
Mind you, tread on one and it will most likely bite.
32
Spiritual Technology / Re: Talking to Your Other-than-human Self
« on: April 23, 2008, 09:58:47 PM »
Coyote and his big brother, Wolf have been scapegoats of our civilization for hundreds of years. They are also some of our most powerful teachers of the wild spiritual core within.
I still run into people all the time who are afraid of coyotes. Its odd to think a 30 lbs animal is something to fear, especially one that eats mostly small mammals generally no bigger than a rabbit or house cat...
I feel that even cougars and bears live under the constant dark cloud of exaggerated fear. My intuitive feeling is that they have an understanding with those in touch with their wild self, and generally pose no real threat to them. It is people who spend most of their lives in an unconscious state that are out of the balance, and are therefore seen as prey. Just as the sick or injured deer would appear to a cougar... so does a oblivious cyclist.
Did you know that the only animal (other than pack mates) that can walk up to a wolf den and take out the pups without being attacked is... man?
I wonder what sacred trust the wolf and our ancestors must have made?
I still run into people all the time who are afraid of coyotes. Its odd to think a 30 lbs animal is something to fear, especially one that eats mostly small mammals generally no bigger than a rabbit or house cat...
I feel that even cougars and bears live under the constant dark cloud of exaggerated fear. My intuitive feeling is that they have an understanding with those in touch with their wild self, and generally pose no real threat to them. It is people who spend most of their lives in an unconscious state that are out of the balance, and are therefore seen as prey. Just as the sick or injured deer would appear to a cougar... so does a oblivious cyclist.
Did you know that the only animal (other than pack mates) that can walk up to a wolf den and take out the pups without being attacked is... man?
I wonder what sacred trust the wolf and our ancestors must have made?
33
Spiritual Technology / Re: Talking to Your Other-than-human Self
« on: April 23, 2008, 07:26:44 PM »
Great thread. I connect with this strongly.
One of my teachers said to me once, use what you find useful and drop the rest. I have heard this repeated many times since.
Another of my teachers once said and still continues to say, Pay Attention!
Those of us who have woken up to our wild cores, our inner voices, and who happen to live in the city are certainly faced with many challenges. Though, city or country it seems we face the same source of enslavement to the dollar. Short of bailing totally, and becoming a hermit, we face a lot of potential hurtles to freedom.
Those of us with the awareness of wildness within are shapeshifters... We are meant to change.... to transform this civilization, just as things seem at their darkest and most hopeless. That is something I know deep in my heart. But, what that entails for each of us is a deep and personal mystery.
I would love to say that my best insights have always come in the woods, in nature. But, honestly most have occured in urban and suburban areas. But, isn't that part of our enslavement? To separate urban from woods, city from wilderness? Isn't nature present everywhere WE are? Isn't wildness?
Our language itself is often one of the greatest sources separation, of the sorcery that enslaves us. We understand mainly only that which we talk about... but the scary thing is, we really don't understand anything at all. So few of us know the actual nature of "cedar tree" or "coyote" because these very words are what we reflect on, instead of seeing into the mystery of the thing in question.
Hence the need for and power of quiet observation. Sacred Silence.
Great book called SPELL OF THE SENSUOUS discusses this in great detail. Good re-wilding read.
I love hearing from all of you and how you take part in the re-wilding process.
One of my teachers said to me once, use what you find useful and drop the rest. I have heard this repeated many times since.
Another of my teachers once said and still continues to say, Pay Attention!
Those of us who have woken up to our wild cores, our inner voices, and who happen to live in the city are certainly faced with many challenges. Though, city or country it seems we face the same source of enslavement to the dollar. Short of bailing totally, and becoming a hermit, we face a lot of potential hurtles to freedom.
Those of us with the awareness of wildness within are shapeshifters... We are meant to change.... to transform this civilization, just as things seem at their darkest and most hopeless. That is something I know deep in my heart. But, what that entails for each of us is a deep and personal mystery.
I would love to say that my best insights have always come in the woods, in nature. But, honestly most have occured in urban and suburban areas. But, isn't that part of our enslavement? To separate urban from woods, city from wilderness? Isn't nature present everywhere WE are? Isn't wildness?
Our language itself is often one of the greatest sources separation, of the sorcery that enslaves us. We understand mainly only that which we talk about... but the scary thing is, we really don't understand anything at all. So few of us know the actual nature of "cedar tree" or "coyote" because these very words are what we reflect on, instead of seeing into the mystery of the thing in question.
Hence the need for and power of quiet observation. Sacred Silence.
Great book called SPELL OF THE SENSUOUS discusses this in great detail. Good re-wilding read.
I love hearing from all of you and how you take part in the re-wilding process.
34
Tracking & Awareness / Re: Identification Support & Help
« on: December 28, 2007, 02:04:15 AM »
Looks large for a shrew skull. I think it might be a mole. What part of the country are you in?
35
Visions of the Rewilding Renaissance / Re: 2012?
« on: December 26, 2007, 11:32:41 PM »
Thought you guys and gals might enjoy reading this....
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071212-AP-arctic-melt.html
I don't think the scientist picked 2012 at random.
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/12/071212-AP-arctic-melt.html
I don't think the scientist picked 2012 at random.
36
Spiritual Technology / Re: The best spiritual technologies:
« on: August 24, 2007, 07:46:45 PM »Quote
What contraptions or tools would you utilize to inspire respect for our existence and the things that allow us to ponder it?
Gratitude.
Giving thanks. Quietly and out loud. Personally and formally. One of the most powerful tools in my experience is giving thanks ... for the herbs, trees, waters, sun, moon, earth, birds, mammals, herps, invertebrates, clouds, wind, stars, and whatever else you feel thankful for. Everyday. Even several times a day.
An extension of that... Keep your mind on what you want more of in your world, and off of what you don't want. To be specific, acknowledge when you see something that works, something that you admire, find beautiful, and that you want.
A daily sitspot.
A spot you have chosen in nature, whether in the city or suburbs or wilds that you can sit with, sit in and be part of for at least 30 minutes a day. If that's not doable, do it for 5 days a week. Or as many times as possible.
Combine the two...
Powerful stuff...
Straight outta the Kamana Naturalist Training Program from Wilderness Awareness School.
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I think at one point in my life I was convinced that mother nature had put ethenogens on earth to help human beings relate to her on a spiritual level. Why else would the chemicals fit our receptors so perfectly?
Have you since changed your mind?
I think it is a good theory, but is also often used as a great excuse by those who see them as you said as an amusement park ride for the mind.
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Sadly, the western society that condemned it now has turned it into an amusement park ride, rather than the humbling and enlightening journey that shamans of milennias past have taken to help their people. The awe is gone.
Hmmm. The awe is gone... perhaps for many, it is. Yet, there are those who are conscious of the power plants that can help to re-connect us with the Spirit World. As with times in the past, the few carry the knowledge forward. Even in times of great oppression or indifference.
The best thing to do with the knowledge seems to be to master it and carry it on, as well as share it with those eager to learn. The trick is to share it with those who show respect and awareness of the power, not just as a tool for their amusement. Also, seek those who know and care and share with them, as well as learn from them. That seems to be in part what this website is all about...
37
Spiritual Technology / Re: Shamanism, Daoism
« on: July 15, 2007, 10:37:39 PM »
Beautifully written response, Richard.
Anyone with a strong connection to nature and a true awareness of him or herself has the potential to be a shaman, only the depth of knowledge and experience as a shaman will vary from individual to individual.
Our connection to Spirit (or The Great Mystery) is a very personal affair. We humans do not have a mind that can grasp fully all the possibilities of the effects one individual might have on another person, group or place. But, there is no doubt we have a power that can ripple in its effect in all directions, even well into the future.
That reminds me of the Bushmen in Africa. In some tribes up to 60% of the men and 40-50% of the women could act as shaman for their group. The Bushmen have a very interesting history, being probably the oldest group of humans on earth with the oldest unbroken connection to very ancient ancestors. This is a curious fact and reminds me of a story I heard told to me by one of the instructors at Wilderness Awareness School. I believe this was a story about Bradford Keaney, who did extensive research with the Bushmen.
Mr. Keaney made an amazing and rather amusing discovery about the way the Bushmen arranged and understood the Spiritworld. He spent some time talking with his host, who was a Bushmen shaman, about these things. One day the Bushmen answers one of his questions about some particular aspect of the Spiritworld, and subsequently gave an answer which was very elaborate and structured. The following day, Mr. Keaney asks about the same thing and gets a totally different answer. In his confusion, he asks his host why he answered this way this time but totally differently yesterday... To which his host replies, "That was yesterday! Today is different. I told you because I thought that is what you wanted."
So I got several things out of hearing that story. For one, the Bushmen did not see the Spiritworld in a fixed way, and therefore, answering the same way each time did not make sense. Second, they did not organize their understanding of it in the typical, compartmentalized Western way. So the Bushmen who was sharing with Keaney was really trying to be a good host. He was telling Keaney what he thought he wanted to hear. But, to his people making a bunch of boxes and analyzing the Spiritworld with the intellect was not part of their tradition.
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You never know - the bar band might write a lyric that plays a pivotal role in the life of someone who goes off to do something so miraculous it eclipses all the effects brought about by the music of the more popular one.
Anyone with a strong connection to nature and a true awareness of him or herself has the potential to be a shaman, only the depth of knowledge and experience as a shaman will vary from individual to individual.
Our connection to Spirit (or The Great Mystery) is a very personal affair. We humans do not have a mind that can grasp fully all the possibilities of the effects one individual might have on another person, group or place. But, there is no doubt we have a power that can ripple in its effect in all directions, even well into the future.
Quote
“Among the Barasana, there is no absolute difference between those men recognised as shamans and those who are not. At the lowest level, most adult men have some abilities as shamans and will carry out some of the same functions as those men who have a widespread reputation for their powers and knowledge [36] â€
That reminds me of the Bushmen in Africa. In some tribes up to 60% of the men and 40-50% of the women could act as shaman for their group. The Bushmen have a very interesting history, being probably the oldest group of humans on earth with the oldest unbroken connection to very ancient ancestors. This is a curious fact and reminds me of a story I heard told to me by one of the instructors at Wilderness Awareness School. I believe this was a story about Bradford Keaney, who did extensive research with the Bushmen.
Mr. Keaney made an amazing and rather amusing discovery about the way the Bushmen arranged and understood the Spiritworld. He spent some time talking with his host, who was a Bushmen shaman, about these things. One day the Bushmen answers one of his questions about some particular aspect of the Spiritworld, and subsequently gave an answer which was very elaborate and structured. The following day, Mr. Keaney asks about the same thing and gets a totally different answer. In his confusion, he asks his host why he answered this way this time but totally differently yesterday... To which his host replies, "That was yesterday! Today is different. I told you because I thought that is what you wanted."
So I got several things out of hearing that story. For one, the Bushmen did not see the Spiritworld in a fixed way, and therefore, answering the same way each time did not make sense. Second, they did not organize their understanding of it in the typical, compartmentalized Western way. So the Bushmen who was sharing with Keaney was really trying to be a good host. He was telling Keaney what he thought he wanted to hear. But, to his people making a bunch of boxes and analyzing the Spiritworld with the intellect was not part of their tradition.
38
Spiritual Technology / Re: Shamanism, Daoism
« on: July 04, 2007, 11:19:59 AM »
Bill your post made me think a lot about the matters discussed here, especially my own words...
It seems that often for the ease of talking, I reduce things down to saying I follow or am feel most connected with (insert your favorite religion/path/etc.)... in my case maybe I say Huna (a form of hawai'ian shamanism), Taoism, Animisim...
But, truly I don't follow those paths. They are not my path. My path, is my own. The best teachers in my life always seem to bring me back to that point. I would have to say the best teacher out there is Nature herself.
I believe that there is a path for everyone, and that is ultimately there own... I have agreed many times in the past that all religious spiritual paths are correct for someone. To this day, I still see this as true to a point. From my limited observations and conversations with others, I have grown to believe that finding your path is something that happens between the lines.... or you might say, between the praying, chanting, reading scripture, drumming, or whatever other practice is involved in the spiritual or religious group or denomination you choose to work within.
Praying, chanting, etc. are great tools mind you... and they can give you consistant results, but.... finding your path to Spirit happens in a way that is more your own than the skin on your back. No book, person or practice can capture that and hand it to you on a silver platter. They are mainly there, it seems, to get your mind out of the way.
It seems that often for the ease of talking, I reduce things down to saying I follow or am feel most connected with (insert your favorite religion/path/etc.)... in my case maybe I say Huna (a form of hawai'ian shamanism), Taoism, Animisim...
But, truly I don't follow those paths. They are not my path. My path, is my own. The best teachers in my life always seem to bring me back to that point. I would have to say the best teacher out there is Nature herself.
I believe that there is a path for everyone, and that is ultimately there own... I have agreed many times in the past that all religious spiritual paths are correct for someone. To this day, I still see this as true to a point. From my limited observations and conversations with others, I have grown to believe that finding your path is something that happens between the lines.... or you might say, between the praying, chanting, reading scripture, drumming, or whatever other practice is involved in the spiritual or religious group or denomination you choose to work within.
Praying, chanting, etc. are great tools mind you... and they can give you consistant results, but.... finding your path to Spirit happens in a way that is more your own than the skin on your back. No book, person or practice can capture that and hand it to you on a silver platter. They are mainly there, it seems, to get your mind out of the way.
39
Spiritual Technology / Re: Shamanism, Daoism
« on: April 08, 2007, 09:13:06 AM »
To me, a shaman is a person who works with all the many layers of what we call reality to bring harmony between humans and the natural world. This includes being able to call upon and interact with spirits, faeries, the dead and so on to bring about that harmony. This is a form of healing. They also might heal a person individually, but that's actually the same thing if you really think about it.
I have certainly met some who call themselves shaman, but who are caught up in the game of inflating their own selfworth and ego. Those who pratice shamanic skills for the sake of being admired or feared fall into this realm. But personally, those people are not shamans to me. They are huckersters and cons, with a vested interest in themselves but not true compassion or calling for healing.
Anyone who tries to do a shamanic healing on someone else will have to realize in the process that they are not healing anyone... Healing comes about through a combination of energy and assistance from the spirits and the cooperation of the person being healed. The shaman in can not claim credit for this, since all he or she does is to help assist that relationship and perhaps act as a channel to feed more energy into the process. But, the energy is not from the shaman... it comes through the shaman. To claim that the shaman owns it, is like a drain pipe claiming it owns the water that flows through it...
To me, it is a bit like the paradox of understanding the essential nature of Zen or the Tao. You might hear someone claim to understand the Tao. Anyone who makes such a statement, immediately proves that he or she does not know what they claim to know. The need for that person's ego to claim possession and control over something immediately proves that they don't really know it. It is the same for a shaman... any shaman who claims to be a great healer, immediately proves their ignorance and arrogance.
I have certainly met some who call themselves shaman, but who are caught up in the game of inflating their own selfworth and ego. Those who pratice shamanic skills for the sake of being admired or feared fall into this realm. But personally, those people are not shamans to me. They are huckersters and cons, with a vested interest in themselves but not true compassion or calling for healing.
Anyone who tries to do a shamanic healing on someone else will have to realize in the process that they are not healing anyone... Healing comes about through a combination of energy and assistance from the spirits and the cooperation of the person being healed. The shaman in can not claim credit for this, since all he or she does is to help assist that relationship and perhaps act as a channel to feed more energy into the process. But, the energy is not from the shaman... it comes through the shaman. To claim that the shaman owns it, is like a drain pipe claiming it owns the water that flows through it...
To me, it is a bit like the paradox of understanding the essential nature of Zen or the Tao. You might hear someone claim to understand the Tao. Anyone who makes such a statement, immediately proves that he or she does not know what they claim to know. The need for that person's ego to claim possession and control over something immediately proves that they don't really know it. It is the same for a shaman... any shaman who claims to be a great healer, immediately proves their ignorance and arrogance.
40
Spiritual Technology / Re: Shamanism, Daoism
« on: March 19, 2007, 08:57:47 PM »
Here is another link from the Huna site that I think is insightful:
There are practices within Huna which I am excited to share with you here. However, a little bit of reading would be a nice intro so as I can spend less time explaining unnecessarily in the near future.
Quote
http://huna.org/html/ethuna.html
There are practices within Huna which I am excited to share with you here. However, a little bit of reading would be a nice intro so as I can spend less time explaining unnecessarily in the near future.
41
Spiritual Technology / Re: Shamanism, Daoism
« on: March 19, 2007, 08:14:05 PM »
Mmmm. Excellent point. Mentors are so important.
I have felt pretty stuck in some of my spiritual practices because I lack a mentor in that area. I can totally relate to what you are saying here, Penny.
I will find some good stuff to share with you and post it here.
For now, I can say that one of the links I shared earlier is very useful to me:
First, I would suggest checking out the principles of Huna:
You could say that all practices come from these principles in Huna. The principles are working assumptions about the world. One way to quickly get started with Huna, is to play with the ideas found in that link.
Also, there is this great practice called Blessing... you could look at it as a somewhat altered form of the Thanksgiving address taught by Wilderness Awareness School and Chief Jake Swamp. If you are not familiar with that, I can explain it a bit in my next message. Here is the blessing practice:
I will go through some of my favorite material and post it here in the next few messages. Till then, enjoy!
I have felt pretty stuck in some of my spiritual practices because I lack a mentor in that area. I can totally relate to what you are saying here, Penny.
I will find some good stuff to share with you and post it here.
For now, I can say that one of the links I shared earlier is very useful to me:
Quote
http://huna.org/html/teaching.html
First, I would suggest checking out the principles of Huna:
Quote
http://huna.org/html/huna.html
You could say that all practices come from these principles in Huna. The principles are working assumptions about the world. One way to quickly get started with Huna, is to play with the ideas found in that link.
Also, there is this great practice called Blessing... you could look at it as a somewhat altered form of the Thanksgiving address taught by Wilderness Awareness School and Chief Jake Swamp. If you are not familiar with that, I can explain it a bit in my next message. Here is the blessing practice:
Quote
http://huna.org/html/aspirit.html
I will go through some of my favorite material and post it here in the next few messages. Till then, enjoy!
42
Spiritual Technology / Re: Shamanism, Daoism
« on: March 19, 2007, 06:14:14 PM »Quote
I'm getting father off topic here and breaking the positive rule I know but I guess I feel a need to vent.
It was no rule, just a preference. I understand your need to vent, though.
Quote
So where does this leave me? Am I just lazy and scatterbrained unable to stick with anything long enough to know if it really works or have I just not found my path yet? Either way I'm not overly concerned with it at this point. I just want to practice my primtive skills. Maybe that is my path for now.
I don't feel righteous, and don't feel I can tell you or anyone here or anywhere how to act or think. I am not perfect nor superhuman and don't pretend to be. So now that we have all that shit outta the way...
A simple observation on your writings... everything you mentioned starting you also mention not completing. Gives a bit of a skewed perspective, don't you agree?
It has been my experience that I am a poor judge of anything if I don't experience it in its entirety. Judging a joke without hearing the punchline or walking out of a movie without seeing the ending, definitely affects how accurately I see it. I by no means am the best at seeing things through to the end, but then again don't consider myself an accurate judge of them if I don't follow through. Guess what I'm getting at is... feel free to vent if it makes you feel btter, but consider not judging stuff if you haven't stuck with it to completion.
Hey, even at completion you might think something sucks ass. But that's life. I was a Catholic for 16 years of my life (born into a Catholic famliy) and found that after experiencing it for all those years, I really didn't like it. Infact, I found it harmful and inhibiting to my growth as a person and so decided to let it go.
As you mentioned, I believe that for some of us.. just living life (for you that might mean primitive living) is all the spiritual practice we need. Take a look at the Fukuoka guy... he is just a farmer, but his insight into life is pretty incredible and some might say, spiritual. He was not of any particular religious inclination as far as I know, nor did he spend hours meditating in a lotus position on a cold floor. He just watched life and flowed with it... that to me is the purest form of spirituality... its simply being in life. Relatedness.
43
Visions of the Rewilding Renaissance / Re: The Five Year Plan
« on: March 19, 2007, 03:45:18 PM »
TonyZ, what does earth weaving magic entail?
44
Spiritual Technology / Re: Shamanism, Daoism
« on: March 19, 2007, 02:56:55 PM »Quote
Anyhow, my life improved a lot when I no longer projected innate wisdom onto skillful shaman that I'd meet, but instead took them as they came, with foibles and all. And I've benefitted greatly from really wise shamans, along with the fairly foolish ones.
Sage advice. I can say I have ran into some shaman who definitely don't have their ego straightened out nor are wise, but are more like technitions. Infact, the odd thing is that I seem to find more and more of them lately. Shamanism is a skill, and like any trade there are wonderful people in it and not so wonderful people in it, wise and not so wise, caring and selfish...
In different traditional cultures, there are different levels of internal balance and selflessness that is needed in shamanic work. Some cultures require the shaman to be a very well balanced and selfless individual who works for the people when they request his help. That is what I found is and was required in the Hawai'ian traditions. There is a great qoute from Hank Wesselman's book VISIONSEEKER that captures the challenge of being on the path very well...
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The greater our personal advancement along the path of power, the more vulnerable we become to the flaws in our own character.
I am thankful to have had the pleasure of being taught by and spent time with Shamans who were bright, light-hearted, humble human beings with a knack for understanding people and helping them when they are asked too. These same people live regular lives like the rest of us, and don't hold a high opinion of themselves.
Being able to practice shamanism doesn't make one a shaman, either. To me a real shaman is one who is out there to help, has reined in his or her own ego and is willing to put it aside at a moments notice, and who is also able to admit just as swiftly that they don't really know. That has been the slice of the pie that I have been most inspired by...
If you go to a place like Peru (where I spent the month of August in 2006) you can run into shamans left and right. Many of them are sadly out there to make money, and even more sadly the best way for them to make that money is by doing negative sorcery on others at a clients request. Not all of them do this, but many do. There are also those who compete with other shamans to be the best and will go to war against them to be top dog. Like any craft or trade, this one can be influenced by the human ego.
In the same mouthful, I can say that the shamans I had the pleasure of working with really did healing work only to help others and feed their families. Many of them have had to deal with the negative side of things and some even continue to work to heal others at great personal risk. Such is life in the Amazon... where shamanism is part of everyday.
The book recommendation sounds excellent. I will put it on my booklist. Thanks.
45
Spiritual Technology / Re: Shamanism, Daoism
« on: March 19, 2007, 10:01:15 AM »
Animism plays a strong role in my own personal shamanic/Daoist influenced beliefs.
Willem, I get what you mean. Shamans are often like basketmakers or other people with a particular skill set.
I guess my personal experience with them has been that they are often also wisemen and wisewomen, counselors, elders and much more.
Shamanism is a skill set which allows people to journey into the Spirit World and interract with it for healing, problem solving and gaining knowledge. I find that it is a powerful skill to have, especially in a primitive setting where healing people requires methods other than taking them to hospitals and popping pills. Not everything can be healed with herbs... Its really a totally different perspective on healing to begin with.
In my personal journey and philosophy I find it extremely difficult to extricate shamanic and animistic world views, since in many cultures they are united as one fluid unit. I find that as I walk through the woods, talk to trees and birds, make a friction fire or a shelter, look for food... I am practicing both animism and shamanism.
I agree. I suppose to me the label shaman is defined more along the lines of the Hawai'ian word Kahuna which translates to "master." Anotherwards, one who not only has a skill set but has also mastered him or herself to a large extent. In old Hawai'i, you could have a kahuna in shamanism, in basket making, in gardening, in fishing and so on.
I find, like you that the folk Taoism is the closest thing to what I do most of the time. Relatedness... I like that one a lot too. I suppose they are all just labels that are ultimately unnecessary to tack onto these experiences... I just find myself feeling compelled to do so only because I need to communicate with others about it.
Tony, I checked out an article about Fukuoka-San. He sounds like a kahuna to me.
I have learned some simple ways of praying and working with growing plants that could be called shamanic or animistic or Daoist or whatever else. But, what matters is it works. I am sure some of you know this already, but if you speak with your plants, pray for them and gently supply them with energy as they grow they are going to be much happier and healthier not to mention more productive. This is best done according to what nature tells you and shows you.
This is a great artcile about Fukuoka-San:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1982-07-01/The-Plowboy-Interview-Masanobu-Fukuoka.aspx
Willem, I get what you mean. Shamans are often like basketmakers or other people with a particular skill set.
I guess my personal experience with them has been that they are often also wisemen and wisewomen, counselors, elders and much more.
Shamanism is a skill set which allows people to journey into the Spirit World and interract with it for healing, problem solving and gaining knowledge. I find that it is a powerful skill to have, especially in a primitive setting where healing people requires methods other than taking them to hospitals and popping pills. Not everything can be healed with herbs... Its really a totally different perspective on healing to begin with.
In my personal journey and philosophy I find it extremely difficult to extricate shamanic and animistic world views, since in many cultures they are united as one fluid unit. I find that as I walk through the woods, talk to trees and birds, make a friction fire or a shelter, look for food... I am practicing both animism and shamanism.
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I used to equate 'shamanism' with spirituality, but now I see it as just a role, a craft, like basket making. And the one who makes baskets may have a deeper and wiser sense of 'spirituality' than the shaman.
In any case, I notice that the world keeps speaking to anyone who'll listen. I guess you'd call that relationship animism...you could also just call it relatedness. I do see folk Taoism as very close to (or indistinguishible from) this attitude.
I agree. I suppose to me the label shaman is defined more along the lines of the Hawai'ian word Kahuna which translates to "master." Anotherwards, one who not only has a skill set but has also mastered him or herself to a large extent. In old Hawai'i, you could have a kahuna in shamanism, in basket making, in gardening, in fishing and so on.
I find, like you that the folk Taoism is the closest thing to what I do most of the time. Relatedness... I like that one a lot too. I suppose they are all just labels that are ultimately unnecessary to tack onto these experiences... I just find myself feeling compelled to do so only because I need to communicate with others about it.
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Taoist principles of knowing how to act in accordance with 'The Way(s)' is key here, and Fukuoka-San would be the earth weaving guru of our time.
Tony, I checked out an article about Fukuoka-San. He sounds like a kahuna to me.
I have learned some simple ways of praying and working with growing plants that could be called shamanic or animistic or Daoist or whatever else. But, what matters is it works. I am sure some of you know this already, but if you speak with your plants, pray for them and gently supply them with energy as they grow they are going to be much happier and healthier not to mention more productive. This is best done according to what nature tells you and shows you.
This is a great artcile about Fukuoka-San:
http://www.motherearthnews.com/DIY/1982-07-01/The-Plowboy-Interview-Masanobu-Fukuoka.aspx