Foundation Practices of
Practical Shamanism
Let’s
Begin!!! Steps for your PRACTICE
In Native America we call “making Medicine” as
anything we can do to help or to heal.
Before we “make Medicine” as practitioners of Practical Shamanism, we
follow time proven steps for our own safety, for a more effective practice and
to maintain harmony and balance in nature.
These steps are:
1.
Release ego, become a hollow
bone, a clear channel
2.
Power Up
3.
Cleanse and protect your practice
space
4.
Align yourself with your Personal
God Source
5.
Make your “Medicine” for helping
or healing
6.
Release negativity. Clear yourself and your space
7.
Recharge, Give Thanks and Know
that all is in Divine Order
We
can talk about releasing ego and becoming a hollow bone, but talk is
cheap. This work is not an intellectual
pursuit, but a fairly gut retching painful job in the real world. The Shaman’s doorway is the heart. The step of releasing ego and becoming a
hollow bone is often the result of a Shaman’s death experience. Near Death Experiences, loss of personal
possessions and other tragedies finally bring us to the point of Letting Go and
Letting God. In traditional shamanic
cultures, vision quests, prayer vigils on mountain tops and other strenuous
rites of passage in non-ordinary reality moved the process along.
Right
now, I find that the biggest block to our becoming hollow bones is lack of
forgiveness by us to others. Therefore,
we will focus on forgiveness processes and other ancient and modern ways to
release painful memories, core trauma and emotional blockages as we move
further along in the practice and in the path to becoming hollow bones.
As
a matter of practicality we will begin the study with the basics of powering up
with circular breath. Then balancing and
building clarity with triangular smudging will be studied. Also, the practice of clearing and cleansing
your energy body (aura) and your living space is very important to beginners
and advance students. After all, you brush
your teeth each morning to avoid tooth decay.
Equally important, is to avoid your own energy decay and that of others
while you are on a fast track of shamanic learning. To pray, heal, meditate, gain dreamtime
knowledge, vision and live in balance, these practices are most valuable because
the higher frequency energy required in these practices begins with clarity in
mind, body and environment.
Circular
Transformative Breath and Triangular Smudging
The
First Few Steps Through the Shaman’s Doorway
Several
years ago, during a shamanic journey, I was flown on White Eagle’s back to a
large nest overlooking the world. White
Eagle is a Spirit Doctor, an ancient master shaman who vowed to stay close to
Earth after his death in order to help and heal. He is the superintendent of the White
Eagle School of Shamanic Healing Arts. His special gift to my students
is as a matchmaker between master healers in the spirit world and healers
working in our reality so that these “spirit doctors” can continue to work through
us. When he finds a frequency match, an
alliance begins. In this way we can
reclaim “lost knowledge” and invent creative answers to new health challenges
with the help of masters who have gone before.
I
was told by White Eagle to brief you on two basic disciplines for building
power and awareness and for building clarity in your dreams and visions. These disciplines are the first steps Through
the Shaman’s Doorway. These
disciplines are those on which all future knowledge is built and help in the
process of gaining and cementing ties to your Spirit Doctors, animal, plant and
stone allies. These disciplines are
circular transformative breathing and triangular smudging.
I
first became aware of circular transformative breathing through reading an
interview with Dhyani Ywahoo, a Cherokee medicine woman, founder of the Sunray
Meditation Society, Chief of the Green Mountain Cherokee, and author of Voices
of Our Ancestors – Cherokee Teachings from the Wisdom Fire. When she said that one way Cherokee people
stay young looking is the use of this discipline, I said, “That’s for
me!”. My vanity led me to take a step
which would forever change my life for the better. As my own practice of circular breath grew, I
increased my ability to stay clear, focused and strong in shamanic journey,
meditation, dreamwork and in my healing practice. The practice has also helped me to stay young
looking and acting. I’ve since found
this same discipline in use by many other shamanic cultures. It closely resembles practices taught by
monks from Tibet who practice ancient Atlantean knowledge.
Truth
is Truth anywhere! Real truth is usually
simple. It abides by the Universal Laws
of Nature and is available to all who can tune into their celestial and DNA
broadcasting stations! Complicated
teachings are man’s ego making simple natural laws difficult. This simple technique can help you stay
stable while the rest of the world is shaken up by earthquake energy,
electromagnetic field shifts, and other natural and manmade disasters. Think about it. Where on a globe is the most stable
point? The center is, of course. So, if you have an energy axis anchored to
the core of the Earth and one to the Sun or Grandmother Moon, wouldn’t you be
more stable in turbulent times?
Circular
Transformative Breathing
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The
first step in circular breathing is to sit erect in a straight back chair with
legs uncrossed or sit on the ground.
Imagine all the tensions of the day draining from the top of your head
down through your body and exiting in a spiral from your root chakra and feet
into the molten core/center of the Earth to be transmuted. Second, on the in-breath, actively draw
energy from the Earth’s center, spiraling through the many layers of rock,
dirt, underground water, through the floor to the root, up your back, through
the spine to the top of your head. This
energy trail is the River of Life.
Third, on the out-breath, allow in a passive receptive state, the energy
from Father Sky, the Sun, Moon and Celestials to flow down the front River of
Life of your body from head to root.
Begin again the in-breath up your back.
When you have the visualization down, begin to breathe to the count of 7
up, hold 4, 7 down, hold 4, etc. Also
breathe in your nose and out of your mouth.
It
is very important to keep the tip of your tongue right behind your teeth at the
roof of your mouth so as to make a complete circuit of energy on the front of
your circle. It is helpful to see and
feel the circle as bright neon and make the pathway of energy easier to
follow. In class I will trace this
circle with my intent, visualization and rattle or drum to build a stronger
path for you to follow. As in
everything, practice makes perfect. Do
this for ten minutes each day and you’ll be refreshed, energized and glow like
a light bulb!
Since
the illusion of disease comes from a disharmony in the natural pattern of our
perfection, and manifests in a lack or trauma of our energy field, building and
reinforcing our River of Life with Circular Breathing can go a long way in
helping a body correct its own imbalances.
Because we engage in an active pulling up on the in-breath from the core
of the Earth and a passive flowing down of energy from a celestial on the
out-breath, we also balance our male/female energies in this practice. So I think you can see why this is such a
good place to start your experience of Practical Shamanism.
Triangular
Smudging
The next process that White Eagle wishes to
impress on you is the discipline of smudging.
Smudging is the ritual purification of a person, place, or thing using
the burning of sacred herbs such a cedar, sage, sweet grass, lavender, copal,
or pine. In class we use a mixture of
cedar for purification and protection, sage for clearing negativity and
lavender for bringing the essence of love and increased ability to
journey. I use sweet grass after sage
for bringing balance, and the sweet spirits.
You can use a seashell, turtle shell, or a pottery dish for a smudge
container. Light the smudge and use a
feather to fan the smoke over your body.
One student at my Nashville White Eagle School
found smudging nearly saved her sanity and health. She was a social worker calling on some of
the most angry, depressing places in the city.
She keeps smudge in her car and uses it between calls to clear the
negativity that cleans to her energy field like de-energizing psychic
lint. Just a tiny leaf of California
White Sage stuck on a safety pin to burn in the ashtray of her car was a life
saver. Thus she could offer a clear,
helpful and healing attitude to all her clients. Try it!
For interstate and big city driving this safety pin trick is a
must! I certainly could have never
brought the XAT Native American Medicine Society’s Ceremonial Drum into the
exercise yard of Tennessee’s Death Row and held a ceremony with the Native
American Circle there without a whole lot of sage smudging during and
afterward!
A few years ago, the ancestors and the Little
People gave the late Dorrine Running Deer, a fellow shamanic practitioner, a special
triangular smudging practice for clarity and balance. It goes far beyond to traditional practice of
smudging. Like the circular breathing,
this practice helps to balance us between Earth and Sky.
Too many students of metaphysics get so involved
with the top three gateways (chakras) that they forget the root, navel and
solar plexus. The top gateways of crown,
throat and heart bring energy down from Father Sky. The lower gateways of root, navel and solar
plexus draw energy from the Earth into our energy body so that we can function
in the here and now and manifest our good intent. The heart draws energy from the Middle World
in which we live and is the Shaman’s Doorway.
Too much attention to the top chakras makes for a real spacey person who
may have good ideas but just can’t make it happen.
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We were born to be in balance. If we spend time in close communion with
Mother Earth and Father Sky we are naturally balanced by their energies. However, our dependence on false sources of
energy, far away from the original source such as computers, television, video
games, cell phones, etc. weakens us and
warps our natural energy balance.
Remember, simple is better! So,
you see, a triangular healing form to balance, add clarity and to help cement
our Mother Earth – Father Sky connection is very important!
The first step in triangular smudging is to power
up with circular breathing and affirmation.
See the affirmations on the following pages and choose one. Or use a Psalm or the Lord’s Prayer or other
such positive, God centered power building statements. Light your smudge. Set you intention for healing, balance and
clarity. Feel these qualities in
yourself. Open up to be a hollow bone
for Spirit to work through. Then blow
the smudge smoke through the heart of the friend you are working on with the
intention of healing balance and clarity.
See and feel the smoke clearing away any darkness from the heart.
Have your friend hold their arms out to the
side. Next, in a clockwise manner, fan
the smoke from the heart (to your left) to the tip of their finger. Then fan the smoke in a triangle to the top
of the head and back down (to your right) to the other fingertip. Then fan the smoke fingertip to fingertip
across the body to complete the bottom of the first triangle.
From there, fan the smoke diagonally down to the
Earth at the toes, and then diagonally back up to the fingertip and across the
heart to complete the bottom triangle.
You are moving in a figure eight direction except the pattern you are
drawing is triangles. Make your
triangles nice and crisp because the sacred geometry is much of the “Medicine”
here. I also go up to the head and
smudge of the top of the head at this point.
Now turn your friend around and do the same thing
in the back. You’ll make a figure eight
movement as you draw two triangles joined at the base. This geometric form works with the way energy
comes into your body from Mother Earth, Father Sky, and environment is
processed into vital life force.
The Triangular Smudge Ceremony is a great gift for
a friend who is spacey, out of balance, needs to get a grip on reality, or has
experienced trauma. Later on we’ll learn
how to use this pattern and add two other geometric planes to make a tetrahedron
– which is the ultimate balancing form in Nature. This Triangular and Tetrahedronal healing
form can be followed with your own breath or by drawing the energy form with
rattles, drums, feather wands or crystal healing wands.
Use these two simple
disciplines of Practical Shamanism and you’ll find your first steps Through
the Shaman’s Doorway very gratifying!
More about Smudging!
We will discuss smudging which is a form of ritual
cleansing using a variety of herbs and/or incense in more detail because it is
so important to your healing practice.
Coming from a Native American background myself and because these herbs
are so available locally in Nature, I suggest you use a mixture of sage, cedar,
and lavender. ( I make this and sell it. it's called Dreamtime Smudge) There are other herbs
which do the same thing in other cultures, and if those are your culturally
accepted herbs, then use them. However,
a basic natural law of Herb Medicine is to use herbs from your own Medicine
Wheel, which is a fifty mile radius of you home. This is because the Earth energy of the
plants is the same as you and your home and will be more in harmony with you.
I use the sage, cedar, lavender mixture because it
works on several levels for shamanic healing and purification. Sage Cleanses and purifies any negative
energy. Cedar purifies and offers a
protective shield. Lavender is also a powerful antimicrobial, it kills
germs. It has also been noted that the
lavender essence attracts the Mother Mary/White Buffalo Calf Woman
energies and releases stress! All are very beneficial to our
practice.
Put your smudge mixture in a large shell, a
pottery dish, or a turtle shell. If you
use a turtle shell, line the bottom with a small pot pie tin so you won’t burn
the bottom. I use a turtle shell because
it is taught that herbs mixed or otherwise used from a turtle shell are more
powerful. Many traditional American
Indians teach that the smudge mixture is not to be blown on just to be fanned
with a feather. If this is your
philosophy, follow it. However the
cedar, sage, lavender mixture is sometimes hard to start. So, if you use your breath to start the fire,
set you intention first for cleansing, protection, peace and love. The breath is a powerful tool for shamanic
healing. Do not use it carelessly.
As you noticed from the preceding page, we
discussed Circular Transformative Breathing.
This practice is the foundation of all others. First the circular transformative breath work
helps you stay in balance with the energy of the Earth and Sky thus avoiding
much of the chaotic energy prevalent during these Earth Changes. Second, circular transformative breath work
helps you “power up” so that following the breath work, you can do more
advanced practices. How can you get to
the top of the mountain with now gas? Third,
by visualizing the circle of energy around your body and letting your breath
and vital life force energy around your body flow, you build a River of Life
that eventually opens up your higher consciousness and improves your gifts of
vision and healing. As you are
conducting your smudging activity, use the circular breathing technique.
Pause now to practice your circular breathing and
then proceed!
Now that you have powered up, let’s work on the
practice of cleansing your bedroom or other sacred space where you do
meditation or healing.
Smudging your Sacred Space to the 7 Directions
First, you power up using circular breath and
affirmation. For this technique I power
up using the affirmation “I invoke the light of the Christ within. I am a clear and pure channel. Light is my guide”. The more you say this, the more you open up
to be a hollow bone for Spirit’s power to work through you. Lighting your smudge bowl of cedar, sage and
lavender, you fan the fire and release a good smoke. Then, starting at any corner of the room, you
go around the room clockwise, corner to corner making a wall of smoke to clear the room
of any negative energy or entity. As you
offer the smoke to each corner you say, “Any energy or entity which is not
for the highest good, be gone and go to the light!”
Say this with power, focused intent and
conviction. You might see or feel a dark
shadow in human or animal form or a dark blob of thought form energy. If so, just help this energy to the
light. I imagine a doorway of bright
light to the heavenly planes above my head and using my feather I help move the
energy through the doorway. This is not
that big of a deal! I’ve taught all
kinds of beginners this and they all do well!
If you sense the entity is a ghost they will be released easier if you
give them the opportunity to speak their peace.
Then imagine them shrinking to a size that fits your hand and send them
through the Doorway of Light. You may
mention to them that friends and loved ones are waiting for them on the other
side of the Doorway of Light.
Now after you’ve cleared the room, walk to the
center of the room, holding your smudge bowl up to the ceiling and say, “I
honor Father Sky”, now to the floor, “I honor Mother Earth”, and
finally to your heart, “I honor the Spirit Within”. So with this completes the Smudging Room
Clearing to the Seven Directions. Now
Practice.
Smokeless
Smudging
Many of us work in situations where it is not
possible to use smoke. Many nurses,
counselors and teachers may find these techniques useful. Others may have allergic reactions to the
smoke. If you are allergic to sage try
using just cedar. Her are two methods
for smokeless smudging of a space and one for smudging yourself. I have found these to be very effective and
relative easy to learn.
Cleansing
with the Violet Flame
The violet flame has been used through time as
cleansing and transformative energy discipline.
I recently bought a “weight loss” meditation tape, which used the violet
flame. Many people associate the violet
flame meditations with Saint Germaine.
The color violet calls the energy of healing masters and transmutes
negativity. The real “Medicine” here is
the cleansing power of the color combined with your intent. When using the violet flame, choose a time at
home or office when nobody else is about (early or late). You might want to combine lavender or
amethyst stones with your cleansing.
They carry the same frequency.
First, you must power up using the Light
Invocation and Circular Breathing. As
you become more tuned into your breath, begin to visualize and feel a spiral of
energy coming up from the molten core of the Earth. Breathe through your nose on each in-breath
bringing the Earth energy up your back.
On each out-breath through your mouth see and feel a spiral of energy
coming down from the sky. Keep your
tongue at the top of your mouth. Fill
your body with energy. Now send the
extra energy out of your solar plexus or heart.
Let this energy begin to build in front of you as a large ball. Now see and feel this energy turn into a
violet flame that grows and grows to fill the room. You can affirm, “Any energy or entity, which
is not for the highest good, be gone and transformed in the violet light”. Then say a prayer of blessing for your
workplace and all your relations there.
Rattle
Cleansing Ceremony
The rattle is a medicine tool that is of great use
to all healers and visionaries around the world. The sound of the rattle brings in the energy
of the wind and the sky. Many people
store all the information in their mind in an auditory databank. Others are visual or kinesthetic (feeling)
and they store information in visual or feeling databanks. The rattle can work more effectively on those
who are programmed to store information in the auditory mode than any visionary
or touch/feeling based healing method.
The rattles I build are gourd rattles filled with tiny crystals or
semi-precious stones. They amplify your
healing intent more than those filled with beans or corn.
When you use a rattle, first smudge it. With your
breath you can program your rattle when you blow you intention into it. In this case we will blow through the handle
and on the shaker with the intention of cleansing and protection.
Walking in a clockwise manner around the room,
shake the rattle. Using the circular
breathing draw the energy in from the center of the Earth and down from the Sun
and fill your body with this energy. Continue
the energy channeling and begin sending energy through your arm and out through
the rattle. With your intent,
visualization and your feelings, experience the room as clearing of negative
energy. You may say the Light Clearing
Affirmation, “Any energy of Entity which is not for the highest good, be
gone and go to the light”. You may
also sing a song full of light to fill the room with light and love after you
have cleansed it, rattling these energies around. Follow the same pattern honoring Father Sky,
Mother Earth and Spirit Within as you’re closing your practice.
The
Rainbow Garment Cleansing
Nurses, coaches, salespeople, teachers,
counselors, social workers, healers and housewives have all requested a way to
smudge themselves with the least possible hassle. What you will need is a place
and time to yourself. Use your intent,
power up, visualize and feel this Rainbow Cleansing.
First, imagine yourself being covered with a
rubber glove type substance. On top of
the rubber glove is the negative energy field made of your own negative energy
from out processed stress and negative energy that you pick up from the
environment. This energy hangs like
psychic lint on your aura. Next, begin
to peel the rubber glove from your head down.
Don’t forget your arms and hands!
When you have peeled down to the ground, put your hands on the floor and
see the negative energy being sent down through the layers of ground to the
molten core of the Earth to be transmuted.
Next see and feel a beautiful rainbow robe of iridescent colors
spiraling up from the Earth and pull this up around your body. Pat this down all over your body to make sure
it is a good fit. Congratulations! You have your celestial robes!
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