As someone who grew up in traditional Shamanism from family teachings passed down, I have always been intrigued by the ebb and flow of spiritual evolution here in the United States.
As a young apprentice in the 60s I listened to my great uncle express hope at what he interpreted as the information of the land that had steered “the people”, (Natives) now, finally integrating into the whites. He thought we would see a beneficial change towards the land and other peoples (winged, four leggers, fin,). I have seen some interesting changes.
For instance, in Shamanism, there’s no need now for an 8 year apprenticeship. One can take a course to become certified to teach it.
If one doesn’t want to complete the course, they can just channel the information.
One needs not worry about the accuracy in said information because the inaccuracies aren’t really so since they are gifted tools to implement the hidden lessons the other person needed to experience. Would it be presumptuous to say learn the lessons?
Shamans don’t need to follow the rule of ” the body is the product of the character” anymore. The course can be taught to anyone in the comfort of an air conditioned room while energetic resonance on the body and mind from ceremonies, healings, exorcisms can be alleviated with a pill.
A few years ago I was asked to attend a meeting of international Shaman. I refused the first invitation until I heard who would be there, knowing that these people wouldn’t attend a hebegebe kind of meeting. I was surprised to learn that it was my work that was being reviewed and used as teaching material. I was asked to speak about the Peace Chamber projects I was a part of with Painted Arrow, Kogan and Edwin Crusoe and how I integrated the process of programming an inanimate object with animate information in creating a living vortex.
At the end of the meeting came my biggest surprise when was being “acknowledged” as Master Shaman for my achievements. I was stunned. How absurd. When asked if I had anything to say, I replied, “That’s insane. I started this journey in 1964. Over 40 years in the front line of Shamanism and I have more questions than answers. How can you say this?” A few moments passed. ”That’s it, I’m done. Consider me retired.”
These people I respected just sat there looking at me. One said she ”saw” the same sound around me at 14 when I got my black belt. I realized when I got that belt, the only thing it meant was I had general control of intentional physical movement, nothing more.
The audience was quiet. I was asked again if I had anything to say.
“Yeah. Funny. Thanks.”
There’s a point in Shamanism where your accomplishments put you into the peers of “Masters”. A place where those who you looked up to, look up to you. Not in an overall level but in your specialty. While they were reviewing my work and sharing my accomplishments it brought back the memories of conclusions I had made when I thought I figured something out. I filed these re conclusions under “to be continued”. In typical Shamanic humor, they were just paying me a compliment.
The ancient guidelines for Shamanism are in place for good reason. They temper the body and mind, forging an instrument of catalyst from human essence. Like all levels of achievement, they apply to their direct environment, i.e. an Olympic swimmer of the pool may drown in a rough sea at night.
Shamanism is so much more than a course. A Shaman is a living book. As a catalyst, the Shaman is the Showman with the difference of returned exclamations of ahh, and oh! Training starts by learning mythology, venturing into sociology and quantum physics. We’ve come a long way from the drumming ya ya hey hey sessions when we told of the Great Raven flapping his wings to create the universe.
I think one of the most important spiritual courses to be taught would be how to find a good teacher. Where’s the proof? What’s their credentials? For obvious reasons, the person to teach this course would be someone not really looking for students. Teaching self sufficiency is a good goal in any topic.
I’ve watched my children’s births and wouldn’t think to tell anyone I knew anything about it.
The healing I was a part of was just that. I wouldn’t say I was a healer or could teach it.
I’ve not heard of anyone going farther than I in Geomancy or Sacred Geometry/Site building yet all I am qualified to do is relate the results I witnessed from my actions at those particular times and locations.
On a project in what some would consider a third world country I heard a description of America. ”America a third world country with toys. Crazy spoiled brats with the most destructive weapons in the world. Their men take a pill to get hard so the can impregnate their wives on fertility drugs that have litters of deformed children. As long as they have cheap gas and something to watch on TV, they don’t care about anything. Why do they call themselves America. What about the rest of us?”
I love my country. I could have told them of the mountain hospitality I grew up with or how we all pull together after disasters and make humor from our hardships, but when people watch big business from big countries destroy their culture, the silver lining is obscured.
It is all connected. Combine our pretentious spirituality with our apathetic inaction towards American politics and we slide into the slot of possibilities that end all empires. The Mayans have an important day coming soon. Where will we be?
USA. United Shamanic America? Unified Spiritual America? Uncaring Spiteful Assholes?
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