Throughout its history, Hermeticism was closely associated with the idea of a primeval, divine wisdom, revealed only to the most ancient of sages. In the Renaissance, this developed into the notion of an ancient theology, which asserted that there is a single, true theology which was given by God to some of the first humans, and traces of which may still be found in various ancient systems of thought. As a divine fountain of writing, the Hermetic texts contain the natural laws of the Universe. Knowing these principles will broaden your viewpoint, expand your horizons, and aid you in the pursuit of fuller, happier, more meaningful life. The Seven Hermetic Principles are:
1. The Principle of Mentalism: All is mind, the Universe is mental. The structure of our Universe is thought, mind and consciousness. Consciousness determines the form of our experience. Consciousness is the "theater of perceptual awareness." It is the collective consciousness of humanity that shapes physical reality. We are the Universe made conscious to experience itself. We are mind. We live in a Universe of mind. From photons to galaxies, life is conscious intelligent energy that can form itself into any pattern or function.
2. The Principle of Correspondence: As above, so below; as below, so above. Humanity is a microcosm of the macrocosm we call the Universe. Each human being is a hologram of the Cosmos, a weaving together of universal information from a particular point of view. Essentially, we are the Universe experiencing itself in human form.
3. The Principle of Vibration: Nothing rests, everything moves, everything vibrates. The Universe is made of vibrational energy. Everything in the Universe, from the smallest subatomic particle to the largest star, has an inherent vibrational pattern. The entire Universe is created through vibration and can be influenced through vibration.
4. The Principle of Polarity: Everything is dual; everything has poles; everything has its pair of complementary opposites; like and unlike are the same. A dual or binary progression underlies the structure of reality. At a fundamental level, the laws of the Universe are written in a binary code. The binary mathematical system forms the basis of computer languages and applies to everything from crystalline structures to the genetic code.
5. The Principle of Rhythm: Life is a rhythmic existence. Polarity gave birth to the pulse of life. Pulsation gave birth to time and material form, while the intervals of pulsation remained timeless and formless. All things are born of rhythm and it is rhythm that holds them in form. Rhythm and resonance order the natural world. Dissonance and disharmony arise only when we limit our capacity to resonate totally and completely with the rhythms of life.
6. The Principle of Cause and Effect: Every cause has its effect; every effect has its cause. Nothing happens by chance. Everything that we see in our world is a result of causes. For every effect in your life there is a specific cause. The intent and actions of an individual (cause) influence the future of that individual (effect).
7. The Principle of Gender: Gender is in everything; everything has its masculine and feminine principles; gender manifests on all planes. In the Hermetic texts, masculine energy is described as active, projective, expansive and corresponds to spirit. Feminine energy is described as passive, receptive, nurturing and corresponds to matter.
I love shamanic Drumming though I am and do not claimto be a shamanic drummer or a shamanic healer at all. I volunteer at a group to drum and I do it in my own way that I feel connects me and others to what we need for that moment. However I had a friend that does claim to be a shamanic practitioner and master of ther things. They have taken training courses over yrs and now has been qualified to be a teacher. They learned about my little drumming and were very u happy with me. They said I was not qualified to be drumming to a group and that I didn't understand wat I was doing and I am basically a fraud and a fake. I don't have much that I do that I really enjoy but the Drumming I enjoy and it makes me feel good. I feel like with there words they just tried to blow out my light my candle. Isn't the teachers also the student and the student also the teacher. Or am I doing something shameful and disrespectful by drumming? I don't know and would like some light shine on this please?
ReplyDeleteThere is no right or wrong way to drum. Intention is the most important element of effective ritual and ceremony. It's what's in your heart that matters most. I address this issue in my book Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide:
DeleteDrum circle facilitation can be challenging at times. In his book Drum Circle Facilitation: Building Community Through Rhythm, Arthur Hull recounts the story of a rip-roaring drunk who showed up at a closing celebration and graduation exercise for a facilitator training workshop in Japan. Throughout the program, the drunk offered a good balance of challenging distractions and disruptive behavior for the beginning-beginner facilitators. After the circle, Hull critiqued the event with the graduates. He told them that the presence of the drunk was a blessing in disguise and represented three types of challenges that facilitators encounter in drum circles. As Hull puts it, "He was an unconscious distracter, a random factor disruptor and the kid who would not behave."
According to facilitator Larry Dillenbeck, "Another challenge to circle facilitation is when one person 'triggers' another and people get upset. Sometimes that can quickly spread and dominate the energy and attention of the group. I've seen it handled two ways that seem opposite, but both were effective at the time. One facilitator asked the people to leave the circle and resolve the issue outside, which they did, and allowed the rest of the group to continue with the session. Another time, the facilitators used the incident as a way of processing and using shamanic skills to bring resolution within the group. Even though it was a deviation from the plan for that day, it was a great demonstration of healing and the skill of the facilitators to 'hold space' and deal with the matter elegantly."
"Traditionalists" can also present challenges to leadership. As circle keeper Madge Peinkofer points out, "My biggest challenge is when a person joins the circle with specific beliefs about what is right or wrong in 'their tradition.' They usually have strong feelings about 'their way' being the right way. They can bring the energy down very quickly and change it in a way that makes others feel uncomfortable. One way I handle this is to listen respectfully until I feel the integrity of the circle is being compromised. At this point, I politely intervene to explain that all people are honored in this circle and our only rule is that everyone be respectful of others. I then redirect the attention and energy of the circle to an activity that gets everyone involved." Another way the facilitator can address this issue is to clarify the focus and intent of the circle from the beginning. As Larry Dillenbeck suggests, "I think part of what helps in those situations is when the facilitator sets the 'tone' or 'Spirit' of the ceremony at the beginning by setting the intent to honor all attendees and their particular beliefs and traditions and invite the attendees to do the same."