What is Animism?

Animism, derived from the Latin word "anima" meaning soul or breath, is a belief system that attributes spiritual essence to all things, both animate and inanimate. It is one of the oldest forms of religious beliefs and is often considered the foundation of human spirituality. This blog post explores the concept of animism, its historical context, core beliefs, and its relevance in contemporary society.

 

Historical Context
 

Animism is believed to have originated in the Paleolithic era, long before organized religions took shape. Early humans, deeply connected to their environment, perceived a living spirit in everything around them. Rocks, trees, rivers, animals, and even weather patterns were seen as imbued with spirits. This perspective fostered a profound respect for nature and a recognition of the interconnectedness of all life forms.
 

As human societies evolved, animistic beliefs laid the groundwork for many indigenous and tribal religions. Shamanism, totemism, and various forms of nature worship can be traced back to animistic principles. These practices were not merely spiritual but also integral to the social and cultural fabric of early communities.
 

Core Beliefs of Animism
 

At its heart, animism is about recognizing and respecting the spiritual essence in all things. Here are some of the core beliefs that define animistic traditions:
 

1. Spiritual Interconnectedness
 

Animists believe that everything in the universe is interconnected through a web of spiritual relationships. This includes humans, animals, plants, rocks, rivers, and even celestial bodies. The spirit or soul is not exclusive to living creatures but is inherent in all elements of nature. This interconnectedness fosters a sense of kinship and mutual respect among all entities.
 

2. Spirit Communication
 

In animistic traditions, communication with spirits is a common practice. Shamans, spiritual leaders, or medicine men and women often act as intermediaries between the human world and the spirit world. Through rituals, trances, and other practices, they seek guidance, healing, and wisdom from the spirits.
 

3. Respect for Nature
 

Animism promotes a deep respect for nature and its cycles. Natural features such as mountains, rivers, forests, and animals are revered and often considered sacred. This respect translates into sustainable practices and a harmonious relationship with the environment, emphasizing the importance of preserving natural resources.
 

4. Ancestral Worship
 

Ancestral worship is a significant aspect of animistic belief systems. Ancestors are believed to continue their existence in the spirit world, influencing and guiding the living. Rituals and offerings are made to honor and seek blessings from ancestors, maintaining a strong bond between past and present generations.
 

Animism in Different Cultures
 

Animism is not confined to a single culture or region; it is a universal belief system found across various societies. Here are a few examples of animistic traditions from different parts of the world:
 

1. Indigenous Tribes in North America
 

Many Native American tribes, such as the Lakota, Cherokee, and Navajo, hold animistic beliefs. They view the earth as a living entity and emphasize harmony with nature. The concept of "Wakan Tanka" or the Great Spirit in Lakota spirituality exemplifies the animistic belief in a life force pervading all things.
 

2. African Traditional Religions
 

In Africa, animism is prevalent among various ethnic groups. The Yoruba religion, for instance, recognizes numerous deities and spirits associated with natural elements. These spirits, known as Orishas, play a vital role in the daily lives of the Yoruba people, influencing everything from health to weather.
 

3. Shinto in Japan
 

Shinto, the indigenous religion of Japan, is deeply rooted in animistic beliefs. Kami, or spirits, inhabit natural features such as mountains, rivers, trees, and even human-made objects. Shinto practices involve rituals and offerings to honor these kami, fostering a connection between the physical and spiritual worlds.
 

4. Aboriginal Spirituality in Australia
 

Australian Aboriginal spirituality is inherently animistic. The concept of "Dreamtime" refers to the creation period when ancestral spirits shaped the land and its inhabitants. These spirits continue to exist in the natural world, and Aboriginal rituals and stories reflect their ongoing presence and influence.
 

Relevance of Animism in Contemporary Society
 

In today's world, animism may seem distant from mainstream religious practices, yet its principles remain relevant. The growing environmental movement, with its emphasis on sustainability and respect for nature, echoes animistic values. By recognizing the intrinsic value of all living and non-living things, animism offers a philosophical foundation for ecological conservation.
 

Furthermore, animism encourages mindfulness and a holistic approach to life. It reminds us to see beyond the material and acknowledge the spiritual dimensions of existence. This perspective can foster greater empathy, compassion, and a sense of responsibility toward the planet and its inhabitants.
 

Conclusion
 

Animism, with its profound respect for the spiritual essence of all things, offers timeless wisdom. It teaches us about the interconnectedness of life, the importance of respecting nature, and the value of maintaining spiritual relationships. While modern society may have moved away from animistic practices, the core beliefs continue to inspire and guide those seeking a deeper connection with the world around them. By embracing the principles of animism, we can cultivate a more harmonious and sustainable way of living, honoring the spirit that resides in every aspect of our existence.

"The Shamanic Drum" Audiobook Release

I am excited to announce the release of the audiobook version of my bestselling books The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming and Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits. The Shamanic Drum is my definitive guide to shamanic drumming, a form of repetitive rhythmic drumming. Its purpose is to induce ecstatic trance states in order to access innate wisdom and guidance. The essence of shamanism is the experience of direct revelation from within. Shamanism is about remembering, exploring and developing the true self. Shamanic practice heightens the ability of perception and enables you to see into the deeper realms of the self. Once connected with your inner self, you can find help, healing and a continual source of guidance. To practice shamanism is to reconnect with your deepest core values and your highest vision of who you are and why you are here.

Drawing from 30 years of shamanic practice and teaching, I present the first practical guide to applying this ancient healing art to our modern lives. Through a series of simple exercises and lessons, I teach the basic shamanic methods of drumming. The focus is on creating sacred space, journeying, power practice, power animals, drum circles and the therapeutic effects of drumming. There are no prerequisites to learning shamanic drumming. Whether you are an accomplished percussionist or a total beginner, this user-friendly book will help you harness the power of drumming. Listen to a sample of The Shamanic Drum.

In my book Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits, I recount my journey into shamanic practice and explore what someone should do if they feel the call to become a shaman. Many people in today's world are being called by spirit to become shamans. A yearning exists deep within many of us to reconnect to the natural world. It is a call to a life lived in balance with awareness of nature, of spirit, and of self. Following up on my book, The Shamanic Drum, I provide a new series of exercises and lessons that allow for a deeper understanding and utilization of this core shamanic practice. I have written a guide to becoming a shamanic healer that encompasses the power of the drum, of community, and of the accountability inherent in authentic shamanic practice.

This empowering book is a call to build relationships with helping spirits. Spirit helpers are the caretakers in the unseen world who want to support the earth and her inhabitants at this time. They are here to teach us how to gather wisdom from the spiritual realms, the natural world, the past, the present and the future in order to give birth to new ways of being. The shamanic relationship between humans and helping spirits supports our spirit's quest for self-realization. Helping spirits, if engaged regularly and skillfully, offer flexibility, creativity and perseverance in fulfilling our own unique path. The spirits are here to assist us in doing the principal, unique thing we have come here to do in a way that benefits all living things. Listen to a sample of Shamanic Drumming.

Virtual Voice Narration

These audiobooks use Virtual Voice narration. Virtual Voice is a computer-generated speech technology designed explicitly to create Audible audiobooks. Audible is an Amazon-owned company renowned for its vast library of audiobooks. Audible's Virtual Voice is a cutting-edge technology that utilizes advanced artificial intelligence (AI) to generate lifelike voice narrations for audiobooks. Unlike traditional methods that require human narrators, Virtual Voice can create high-quality narrations using synthesized voices. This technology leverages deep learning and natural language processing (NLP) to produce voices that sound remarkably human.  

One of the significant advantages of Virtual Voice is the consistency it offers. Human narrators, while talented, can introduce variability in their performances due to factors like mood, health, or fatigue. Virtual Voice eliminates these inconsistencies, ensuring that every chapter of a book is narrated with the same level of quality and energy. I was hesitant to publish any of my books using Virtual Voice, however the quality of the narration is much better than I could have ever imagined it would be. 

The Rise of Audiobooks 

In the fast-paced digital age, the way we consume content has significantly evolved. Audiobooks, once considered a niche market, have surged in popularity, providing a convenient and engaging way for people to enjoy literature. Audiobooks have grown exponentially over the past decade, thanks in part to the proliferation of smartphones and the increasing popularity of multitasking. People can now listen to books while commuting, exercising, or performing household chores. This convenience has turned audiobooks into a preferred medium for many readers. Audible has been at the forefront of this transformation, offering a vast selection of titles across various genres. 

For those who listen to audiobooks, the arrival of Virtual Voice will be seamless to the existing customer experience. Audible users will be able to easily discover and enjoy audiobooks featuring virtual voices, and audiobooks created with Virtual Voice will be clearly marked to avoid any confusion with traditional, human-narrated audiobooks. Customers will be able to listen to samples prior to purchase, just like with any other audiobook, and decide for themselves whether they want to give this new technology a chance. Whether you're a long-time audiobook enthusiast or a newcomer to the format, Virtual Voice promises to enhance your listening experience in ways you never imagined.

Myth as a Map for Inner Journeys

Shamanism is based on the principle that innate wisdom and guidance can be accessed through the inner senses in ecstatic trance. Ecstatic trance is an academic term referring to those inwardly focused experiences of cosmic oneness, that mystical connection to a living, intelligent Universe that exists within each of us. Practitioners enter altered states of consciousness in order to perceive and interact with the inner world of the self. The act of entering an ecstatic trance state is called the soul flight or shamanic journey. 

 

The capacity to enter a range of trance states is a natural manifestation of human consciousness. A landmark study by Michael Winkelman, one of the foremost scholars on shamanism today, reveals that the cross-cultural manifestations of basic experiences related to shamanism (e.g., soul flight, death-and-rebirth, animal identities) are rooted in innate functions of the brain, mind and consciousness.(1) The inherent ability to enter trance states makes us human, not shamans. What makes shamans unique is their mastery over an otherwise normal human trait. It requires a great deal of training, practice and devotion to master any expressive art. Shamans master the art of ecstasy to see the true nature of the Universe.
 

Rhythmic drumming is a simple and effective way to induce ecstatic trance states. When a drum is played at an even tempo of three to four beats per second for at least 15 minutes, most people can journey successfully even on their first attempt. Transported by the driving beat of the drum, the journeyer travels to the inner planes of consciousness, using myth as an inner map to guide their journey. Myth is the reality of the soul, just as history is the reality of the temporal world.
 

The Shaman's Mythic Cosmos
 

According to shamanic cosmology, there are three inner planes of consciousness: the Upper, Middle and Lower Worlds. There are numerous levels in both the Lower and Upper Worlds and they exist outside of time. The upper or celestial realm is the home of the Star Nations and Thunder Beings--a related family of divine beings who bring about weather changes and sustain life on Earth. This shamanic realm relates to our higher self or superconsciousness. It is the domain of divine archetypes such as angels, deities and evolved teachers. They may include great spiritual teachers such as Jesus, Buddha, Lao-Tzu, and so on. In this realm are the archetypal patterns or original energetic blueprints of everything that has or will ever exist. The celestial realm forms the matrix of possibilities that correspond to the world we experience through our mind and senses. All situations, conditions and states of being are a manifestation of a world of archetypes--as above, so below. Every event in the visible world is the effect of a "seed" image or pattern in the unseen world.

We can journey to the Upper World to acquire archetypal knowledge, to bring a vision into being, or to influence events in the material world. By interacting with the archetypes, we interact with their counterparts in the outer world. We can also go there for inspiration, insight, or to find ways to restore balance in the world. As anthropologist Felicitas Goodman points out, "One of the most pervasive traditions of shamanic cultures is the insight that there exists a patterned cosmological order, which can be disturbed by human activity."(2) When harmony between the human realm and the original intended pattern is disturbed, we can journey to the celestial realm to bring back the balance. To journey up, you can visualize a tree or ladder that you climb up, soar on the wings of an eagle, or simply lift off the ground and rise into the air. Once you get to the upper realm, the landscape is typically more ethereal, higher in frequency and scintillating in light.

The Middle World is where spirit meets matter and is related to our ego or conscious self. The Middle World can be thought of as a non-ordinary mirror of ordinary reality. It is the spirit counterpart of the material realm and the inner region most like outer reality. The middle realm is so parallel to the world in which we live that a skilled journeyer can travel across it and visit all the places, people and things they know in ordinary reality. Spirit journeys in the Middle World provide a means of travel and communication without cars, planes or cell phones. It is a means of exploring our temporal landscape to find the location of healing herbs or lost objects, or to establish communication links over great distances.

To take a Middle World journey, simply imagine yourself walking out your front door and traveling through the landscape very quickly to look for something you have lost or to reach a distant destination. However, I do not recommend journeying to the Middle World unless you have a very good reason to go there. Unlike the upper and lower realms, where everything is guided by benevolence, the middle realm does not have benevolence or ethics at its core. That does not mean that it is a bad place. Rather, it is a place that mirrors what is happening in ordinary reality--the chaos of our times. It is a place full of risks and hidden dangers, such as holes in the ground that can entrap you. Traveling in this realm can be tricky even for an experienced journeyer. Moreover, the spirits who dwell in this realm cannot provide the wisdom, healing and empowerment you find in the Upper or Lower Worlds.
 

The Lower World relates to our unconscious mind. It is the realm of animal spirits, spirit guides and the ancestors, the place to which human spirits travel upon physical death. This inner plane is the domain of power animals, also known as guardian spirits, spirit allies, totem animals and tutelary animals. A power animal is the primeval oversoul that represents the entire species of that animal. A spirit journey to the Lower World is generally undertaken to seek the help and guidance of one's power animal, to connect with benevolent ancestors, to recover lost power, or to find and return a sick person's wandering spirit. Moreover, just to clear up any misconceptions, the shamanic underworld is not associated with anything dark, sinister or evil. That concept belongs to a completely different, often monotheistic religious belief system and cosmology.

For your first journeys, I recommend traveling to the Lower World, using the technique taught by the late Michael Harner. Founder of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Harner was widely acknowledged as the world's foremost authority on experiential and practical shamanism. To take a Lower World journey, Harner suggests that you visualize an opening into the earth that you remember from sometime in your life. The entrance could be an animal burrow, hollow tree stump, cave, and so on. When the journey begins, you will go down the hole and a tunnel will appear. The tunnel often appears ribbed and may bend or spiral around. This tunnel-like imagery is related to the central axis that links the three inner planes of consciousness. Enter the tunnel and you will emerge into the Lower World. The terrain that you traverse is typically very natural and very Earth-like.

 

The three cosmic realms are linked together by a vertical axis that is commonly referred to as the World Tree or axis mundi. The roots of the cosmic World Tree touch the Lower World. Its trunk is the Middle World, and its branches hold up the Upper World. This central axis (spinal column) exists within each of us. Through the sound of the drum, which is invariably made of wood from the World Tree, the shaman is transported to the cosmic axis within and conveyed from plane to plane. As Tuvan Siberian ethnomusicologist Valentina Suzukei explains, "There is a bridge on these sound waves so you can go from one world to another. In the sound world, a tunnel opens through which we can pass, or the shaman's spirits come to us. When you stop playing the drum, the bridge disappears."(3)

 

The Inner Journey

 

The shaman traverses the inner planes in order to mediate between the needs of the spirit world and those of the material world. It is an inward spiritual journey of rapture in which the shaman interacts with the inner spirit world, thereby influencing the outer material world. In the shaman's world, all human experience is self-generated. Experience is shaped from within since the three realms or resonant fields that define our experience of reality exist within each of us.

 

The essence of shamanism is the experience of direct revelation from within. Shamanism is about remembering, exploring and developing the true self. Shamanism places emphasis on the individual, of breaking free and discovering one's own uniqueness in order to bring something new back to the community. Shamanic practice heightens the ability of perception and enables you to see into the deeper realms of the self. Once connected with your inner self, you can find help, healing and a continual source of guidance. To practice shamanism is to reconnect with your deepest core values and your highest vision of who you are and why you are here.

 

We can engage the blueprint of our soul path through the vehicle of journeying. Shamanic journeying is a time-tested medium for individual self-realization. We can journey within to access wisdom and energies that can help awaken our soul calling and restore us to wholeness. It heightens our sense of mission and purpose, empowering our personal evolution. I invite you to try a shamanic journey.

1. Michael Winkelman, Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing (Praeger, 2 edition 2010), p. 38.
2. Felicitas D. Goodman, Jewels on the Path: A Spirit Notebook, vol. II (Cuyamungue Institute, 1994), p. 55.
3. Kira Van Deusen, "Shamanism and Music in Tuva and Khakassia," Shaman's Drum, No. 47, Winter 1997, p. 24.

Love, Nature, Magic: Shamanic Journeys into the Heart of My Garden

In her new book Love, Nature, Magic: Shamanic Journeys into the Heart of My Garden, Maria Rodale takes the reader on an unusual autobiographical journey through her life. Rodale combines her love of nature and gardening with her experience in shamanic journeying, embarking on an epic adventure to learn from plants, animals and insects--including some of the most misunderstood beings in nature. Maria asks them their purpose and listens as they show and declare what they want us humans to know. From Thistles to Snakes, Poison Ivy to Mosquitoes, these nature beings convey messages that are relevant to every human, showing us how to live in balance and harmony on this Earth.

Rodale is the former CEO of now defunct Rodale Publishing, famous for magazine titles such as Men's Health, Runner's World, and Prevention, and also books including Al Gore's blockbuster, An Inconvenient Truth. Her approach to storytelling is fascinating and unique. She tells us at one point that her original intention was to write a straightforward book about plants, animals and insects, but somehow somewhere along the way she took a different path. The book is less of a single narrative than a series of episodes. In her garden, she periodically slips into a shamanic state of consciousness and communes with nature beings like bat, vulture, mosquito, mugwort, aspen, dandelion and milkweed. This allows her to transition easily from a mundane activity like weeding into a serious topic such as the genocide of Native Americans.
 

This is a beautiful book by a thoughtful author whose writing is both humorous and uplifting. However, it can be uneven at times. Some of the creatures she gives voice to are so preachy as to feel contrived--like the fireflies pleading against the use of pesticides and forever chemicals. At other times her thoughts flow so fast and free they are difficult to follow, like where she jumps from feminism to overpopulation to mosquitoes laying eggs in car tires. But overall she skillfully weaves together snippets of science with thoughts of nature and human existence in the future and episodes of her own life. She also gives voice to some of nature's most overlooked organisms with a wonderful imagination.
 

Rodale is hopeful and optimistic about the future. As she concludes at the beginning of her book, "I now believe it's possible to create a new Eden where knowledge is not a sin, desire is recognized as part of our human purpose, and love and understanding are the original blessings to be nourished and cultivated in the garden of our lives." To learn more, look inside Love, Nature, Magic: Shamanic Journeys into the Heart of My Garden.

Your Guide to Shamanic Drumming

I am pleased to announce the publication of my first online course, Your Guide to Shamanic Drumming, on Insight Timer. Insight Timer is a free smartphone app and online community with over seven million meditators, making it the most active meditation community on the planet. The meditation app made Women's Health and Time magazine's list of best apps. Three thousand meditation teachers publish free guided meditations, music and talks on the app. With 130,000 free guided meditations, including six of my shamanic drumming tracks to support your shamanic journeys, you can meditate on Insight Timer for as long as you want without ever paying a cent. Please note that courses are a premium offering and require either an individual purchase or an active subscription. You can purchase my course for $19.99 or start your 7 day free trial then subscribe to unlock all 1,871 Insight courses, playlists and premium features. Download the Insight Timer app here.
 

Course Description 

In this four-part audio course, best-selling author Michael Drake teaches about the power of shamanic drumming to improve well-being, promote spiritual growth and deepen our understanding of the inner self. Shamanic drumming is a form of repetitive rhythmic drumming. Its purpose is to induce ecstatic trance states in order to access innate wisdom and guidance. The essence of shamanism is the experience of direct revelation from within. Shamanism is about remembering, exploring and developing the true self. Shamanic practice heightens the ability of perception and enables you to see into the deeper realms of the self. Once connected with your inner self, you can find help, healing and a continual source of guidance. To practice shamanism is to reconnect with your deepest core values and your highest vision of who you are and why you are here.

Drawing from 30 years of shamanic practice and teaching, Michael presents the first practical guide to applying this ancient healing art to our modern lives. Through a series of simple lessons and exercises, he teaches the basic shamanic methods of drumming, journeying, power practice and healing the earth. You will learn how to alter your state of consciousness to access higher wisdom, renewed power and untapped insight. There are no prerequisites to learning shamanic drumming. Whether you are an accomplished percussionist or a total beginner, this course will help you harness the power of drumming. 

 

Drumming is a spiritual practice that can help us heal and restore ourselves and our communities. It is one of the quickest and most powerful ways to open the heart and connect with a power greater than ourselves. The drum is a time-tested vehicle for healing and self-expression. It can be used to address any number of health issues including trauma, addiction, depression and chronic pain. Recent research reviews indicate that drumming accelerates physical healing, boosts the immune system and produces feelings of well-being, a release of emotional trauma and reintegration of self. You can listen to the introduction and read the course outline here.

The Origin of Disease and Medicine

An excerpt from The Sacred Formulas of the Cherokees by James Mooney
 

In the old days, the beasts, birds, fish, insects, and plants could all talk. They and the people lived together in peace and friendship. As time went on, however, the people increased so rapidly that their settlement spread over the whole earth, and the poor animals found themselves cramped for room. To make things worse, Man invented bows, knives, spears, and hooks, and began to slaughter the larger animals, birds, and fish for their flesh or their skins. The smaller creatures, such as the frogs and worms, were crushed and trodden upon without thought, out of pure carelessness or contempt. So the animals resolved to consult upon measures for their common safety.
 

The Bears were the first to meet in council, led by old White Bear. After each in turn had complained of the way in which Man killed their friends, ate their flesh, and used their skins for his own purposes, it was decided to begin war at once against him. Once the angry crowd calmed down, White Bear told them that the human beings had a decided advantage -- the bow and arrow. So the Bears decided to make their own weapons.
 

However, the Bears had a problem. Their claws made it impossible to properly draw back on a bow. Some of the younger Bears thought of cutting their claws, but White Bear objected, " If we cut off our claws, we will all starve together. It is better to trust the teeth and claws that nature gave us, for it is plain that Man's weapons were not intended for us."
 

No one could think of any better plan, so the old chief dismissed the council and the Bears dispersed to the woods and thickets without having concerted any way to prevent the increase of the human race. Had the result of the council been otherwise, we should now be at war with the Bears, but as it is, the hunter does not even ask the Bear's permission when he kills one.
 

The Deer next held a council under their chief, Little Deer. After some talk, they resolved to use their magic. Thenceforth, if a hunter wished to kill a Deer, he must take care to ask their pardon for the offense. Any human hunter failing to do so would be stricken with rheumatism. The Deer sent notice of their decision to the nearest settlement of Indians and told them at the same time what to do when necessity forced them to kill one of the Deer tribe. No hunter, who has regard for his health, ever fails to ask pardon of the Deer for killing it.
 

Next came the Fish and Reptiles, who had their own complaints against Man. They held council together and determined to make their victims dream of snakes twining about them in slimy folds and blowing foul breath in their faces, or to make them dream of eating raw or decaying fish, so that they would lose appetite, sicken, and die. This is why people dream about snakes and fish.
 

Finally, the Birds, Insects, and smaller animals came together for the same purpose. They decided to spread disease among the humans. They began then to devise and name so many new diseases, one after another, that had not their invention at last failed them, no one of the human race would have been able to survive.
 

When the Plants, who were friendly to Man, heard what the animals had done, they determined to defeat the latter's evil designs. Each Tree, Shrub, and Herb, down even to the Grasses and Mosses, said, "I shall appear to help Man when he calls upon me in his need." Thus was medicine born. The plants, every one of which has its use if we only knew it, furnish the remedy to counteract the evil wrought by the vengeful animals. Even weeds were made for some good purpose, which we must find out for ourselves. When the doctor (shaman) does not know what medicine to use for a sick man, the spirit of the plant tells him.
 

Source: James Mooney, The Sacred Formulas Of The Cherokees. Published in the Seventh Annual Report, Bureau of American Ethnology, pp. 301-399. 1886.

Black Horse Symbolism

I recently did a deep meditation, seeking guidance regarding a life-changing decision. I closed my eyes and stilled the chatter of my mind by focusing on my breath as I inhaled and exhaled. The first image that popped into my mind was the spinning vortex of a tornado in the distance. Tornadoes tend to represent worry and anxiety, spinning out of control. Tornados are a sign you must slow down and regain clarity and calmness in your life. Since tornadoes destroy everything they come in contact with, dreams and visions about them could represent your unacknowledged desire to carve a new path for yourself.
 

Next, I saw the Tashi Gomang Stupa, located about two miles from my Crestone, Colorado home. Since the time of the Buddha's death around 483 BCE, Buddhists have constructed stupas to contain the relics of enlightened teachers. A stupa is an architectural rendering of the Buddhist path, the stages and aspects of enlightenment. When a great Buddhist teacher leaves his or her physical existence, the body that remains is considered to be permeated with the very essence of awakened mind, possessing tremendous intrinsic power and blessings. The appropriate vessel for containing these relics is a stupa.
 

Each stupa is designed according to ancient sacred geometry; situated on land selected for its beneficial properties and graced with the sanction of the elemental forces. Through its design and contents, a stupa is regarded as having the power to transmit the essence of awakened mind, on the spot, to anyone ready to receive it. The Buddha said that whoever sees the stupa will be liberated by the sight of it. Feeling the breeze around the stupa liberates by its touch. Having thus seen or experienced the stupa, by thinking of one's experience of it, one is liberated through recollection.
 

Atop the golden spire in the center of the 42-foot-tall bell-shaped stupa, I saw a winged horse wind vane spinning in the wind. The wind vane represented my unsettled emotions; the weather of my mind. One cannot forcibly subdue an emotional struggle by an exertion of the will. If you attempt to force stillness upon restless emotions you will only create deep inner conflict. Equanimity must develop naturally out of the tranquility of a meditative state. I focused on the stupa and it instantly brought me calm and clarity.
 

The Black Horse
 

The next imagery that I saw was a galloping black horse. Black horses are messengers and carriers of positive, mysterious energy. Seeing a black horse in your meditation means there is an energy that is about to enter your life. This energy will have a positive effect on your life, though it may not be obvious at first. This energy can come into your life in a myriad of ways. It could be a person, a career change or an unexpected event. Actually, it could be anything. The key here is that the sequence of events that will be set into motion by this energy will have an overall positive effect. If you see a black horse, be on the lookout for something extraordinary on the horizon.
 

Black horses symbolize the ability to overcome obstacles and come out on the other side. It is also widely known to be a symbol for death. This does not always mean death in the literal sense; in this case it means leaving behind things which no longer serve you. The black steed symbolism is both death-defying and death-seeking. In other words, it is symbolic of death and rebirth. It signifies the closing of one door and the opening of another. It can also symbolize the need for you to take a leap of faith. Trust your intuition even if you can't see the reason or the result.
 

If a black horse appears in your life, you may need some reassurance that you are powerful enough to take on any challenge that comes your way. While many people hold on to things that no longer serve them out of fear, you must be brave enough to take the power and do what you need to do in order to come out on the other side. A black horse is an omen of powerful and courageous transformation. The notion of death and rebirth portends that the black horse will bring an end to things and relationships which no longer serve you. In doing this without fear or hesitation, the horse is transforming and creating a better version of you.
 

Horse medicine teaches you to be true to your authentic self. Though you may be quite attached to your plans, ideas, self-image, social position, security and relationships, it is time to strip away old ideas and habits; eliminate the outmoded or worn out. Dive into the problem without thought of immediate gain or purpose. This is the end of an old cycle and the beginning of a new one. Now is the time for bold action.

Meeting My Spirit Guide

An excerpt from my new book, Shamanic Journeys: An Anthology.
 

My journey into shamanism began in 1988 when I learned how to take a shamanic journey. Learning to journey is the first step in becoming a shamanic practitioner. Once I learned to journey, my shamanic training began. I sought out and met my spirit helpers and guardian spirit. I made friends with the spirits of Nature. I communed with the archetypal realms of the collective soul. The spirit world became my classroom, and the spirits became my teachers. My first powerful journeys took place outside in the wild, immersed in the natural world. They were transcendent flights of the soul that I shall never forget.
 

I remember riding my bicycle through the forest one summer day when a monarch butterfly flew directly into my path. The butterfly is an archetypal symbol of transformation, transmutation and the human soul in world mythology and religion. Virtually all cultures have marveled at the process that transforms a caterpillar into a fluttering butterfly. When I encounter one of these remarkable beings, I stop and observe them carefully. I have learned to trust these endearing spirit guides. I once had the soul of a deceased relative appear to me as a butterfly on the day that she passed away. The butterfly landed on my nose while I was hiking that day. I felt her presence and knew that she was with me. Butterflies have brought me messages from my ancestors and guided me to specific places of power in the web of life on many occasions.
 

The monarch butterfly fluttered across the road in front of my bicycle and into the pine forest. I felt the urge to follow it. Over the years, I have learned to trust my intuition and follow my inner urges. This is a common form of communication and instruction by helping spirits.
 

I got off my bike and pursued the butterfly into the woods on foot. When it paused or changed directions so did I. If I lost sight of it, the monarch would soon reappear. Eventually, the butterfly led me to an area of disturbed soil under the forest canopy. I found several badger burrows dug into the sandy pumice soil. Badger is a spirit helper who connects us to our inner knowing and helps us see below the surface of things. The energy felt different here. There was an electrical tingle in my hands and scalp. I knew instantly that this was a power place for me -- a place to journey.
 

I returned the next day on my bike, bringing a Walkman cassette player and headphones so I could journey listening to the sound of drumming. I also brought a voice activated micro-cassette recorder so that I could narrate and record my journey as it transpired. This can be distracting at first, but it is one of the best ways I know to make sure you are getting all the information your helping spirits are giving you. On my first journey sitting near the entrance to a badger den, I encountered some very influential teachers.

The drumbeats carry me away on the wings of an eagle. I soar high over South Sister (a volcanic peak in the Central Oregon Cascades) and then dive into a cave on her south flank. Clear quartz crystals shimmer from the walls, floor and ceiling. I transform into a man and follow a narrow path through the crystal cave. The path leads me through a labyrinth of twists and turns until the cave ends abruptly in a wall of crystals. A small portal appears in the wall and sucks my awareness into a dark tunnel. I spiral downward and come out of the tunnel onto the rim of a red mesa. I see a pueblo below me at the base of the mesa. I hear drumming and chanting and see many dancers.

Suddenly, I become one of the dancers. I gaze at the man who plays the booming drum. He wears a ceremonial kilt, sash and red headband. He smiles at me and chants loudly. At the sound of his voice, I transform into a golden eagle and take flight. I circle the pueblo and then glide over the desert. I soar towards the sun high above the Earth. I see the Earth below transform into a beautiful crystal globe. I fold my wings and plunge to the Earth below. I fly across the desert to the ruins of an ancestral Puebloan cliff dwelling built high in the alcove of a towering sandstone cliff. I fly into a doorway and transform once again into a man. 

 

I look at the floor of the room and see the white bones of a human skeleton. The skeleton rises, transforming into a beautiful Pueblo woman wearing a royal blue shawl and a radiant white knee-length manta-dress embroidered with corn designs. Her black hair is styled in a traditional butterfly whorl. She wears white buckskin moccasins and a woven red sash around her waist. She walks toward me and gently caresses my cheek with her hand. She smiles and says, "I am your guide."  

 

I clasp her outstretched hand and we both transform into golden eagles. We fly away from the cliff dwelling and soar high above the desert. As the sun begins to set on the horizon, we separate and I return rapidly to the red mesa above the pueblo. I enter a small portal in the top of the mesa and retrace the passage back to my body.

The spirit guide I encountered in the preceding journey became my mentor in the ways of the spirit world. Known as Corn Woman or Corn Mother, she is an important deity archetype in Pueblo mythology. She represents fertility, life and the feminine aspects of this world. The importance of corn deities in Pueblo mythology reflects the importance of corn in the Pueblo diet. Each pueblo performs a ritual Corn Dance to honor Corn Woman and pray for rain, growth and fertility. A drummer and a chorus of chanting men support the lines of colorful dancers who move in a continually changing zigzag pattern. The dancers make gestures to indicate their requests to Corn Woman: lowering the arms depicts the lowering clouds, moving the arms in a zigzag motion denotes lightning, lowering the palms signifies rain, and lifting the hands symbolizes the growing stalks of corn.
 

The drummer I met in my spirit journey later manifested as a human guide in the physical world. Like the drummer in my journey, he wore a red bandana around his forehead and carried a drum. The shaman's name is Jade Grigori, and he mentored me in shamanic drumming.

Hummingbird Medicine

Hummingbirds always capture my attention when they fly into my life. I am dazzled by their humming wings and iridescent light. I am awakened to the beauty of the present moment. There's something about the hummingbird that makes me think of healing beauty, that something that beautiful can't possibly exist in flesh, and yet it does. When I see this magical bird, the boundaries of flesh cease to exist, for a moment, for a second I am in non-verbal space, and am one with the Hummingbird, with the flower, with the water and air, with all of nature, in a great glorious symphony of joy and celebration.

Hummingbird's exist only in the western hemisphere, but their magic is available to everyone in the world. They are extremely adaptable because they can hover, fly up, down, backwards and forwards with great speed. Generally speaking, Hummingbird brings joy, happiness, good luck and light to the world. It speaks to the heart in all of us and tells us that a closed heart shuts away life's radiant energy and color. Without an open and loving heart, we can never taste the nectar and pure bliss of life. Hummingbird disdains ugliness or harshness, and quickly flies away from discord or disharmony. Hummingbird’s message is: "Do not judge, assume, make conjecture about others, rather, laugh, sing and celebrate differences. In doing so you will elevate the world."

Mayan legends explain that the reason Hummingbird is so tiny is because it was created out of the scraps of feathers left over when other flying creatures were made. This tiny iridescent bird is a dynamo of energy, darting tirelessly from flower to flower in search of nectar. Hummingbirds can teach us how to use flowers for healing and to win hearts in love. Hummingbird is also a retriever of lost souls because it can fly quickly into small spaces and bring back the soul undetected. The playful Hummingbird sings a vibration of pure joy and shows us how to find happiness in all things. Invoke Hummingbird to help you find joy and sweetness in any situation. To learn more, look inside Bird Medicine: The Sacred Power of Bird Shamanism.

Return of the Horse Nation

The horse originated in the Americas more than 40 million years ago. After spreading to Asia and Europe, it became extinct in its homeland. In 1493, the horse returned to the Western Hemisphere when Columbus brought a herd of 25 on his second voyage. Back in the Americas, its native land, the horse flourished.
 

For Native peoples, the first sight of a horse must have been terrifying. A Spanish soldier on horseback would appear to be a single monstrous creature. The Spanish used this terror to advance their conquest, sometimes attaching bells to their armor to add more noise and confusion. The Spanish used horses as powerful weapons of conquest and made every effort to keep them out of Native hands.
 

But gradually, Spanish horses became Indian horses, and Native people began to weave a close relationship with the Horse Nation. Strays from colonial ranches and settlements formed wild herds that Native people caught and tamed. Other horses were captured in raids and rebellions against colonial forces. As horses spread across the Americas, they transformed Native lifestyles and became an important ally in fighting the European invaders. As each tribe encountered the horse, they coined a name for it. A number of tribes used names that likened it to the dog, which was used to pull the travois when tribes traveled.
 
The Pueblo Revolt
 
In 1680, after a century of Spanish domination, the Pueblo Indians rose up against their colonial rulers in the region now known as New Mexico. Led by Popé, a Tewa religious leader, they attacked Santa Fe, killing some 400 Spaniards and forcing many more to flee. Hundreds of horses--perhaps more than 1,500--were left behind, the largest number to pass into Native hands at one time. These horses became the ancestors of many tribal herds. The Pueblo people traded horses to neighboring tribes, and the horse population expanded rapidly across North America. Spain's monopoly of horses in the Americas was over.
 
In the West, horses dispersed quickly along Native American trading routes--first from the Pueblo to the Navajo, Ute, and Apache. The Comanche on the southern Plains traded them north to their kinsmen the Shoshone. These were among the first tribes to incorporate horses into their way of life. By 1700 horses had reached tribes in the far northwest--the Bannock, Nez Perce, Cayuse, Umatilla, and others. Trading links sent them east to the River and Mountain Crow and Missouri River tribes.
 
By the late 1700s, virtually every tribe in the West was mounted. Horses strengthened Native communities and helped in the fight for Indian lands. Horses revolutionized Native life and became an integral part of tribal cultures, honored in objects, stories, songs, and ceremonies. Horses changed methods of hunting and warfare, modes of travel, lifestyles, and standards of wealth and prestige. Horses brought abundance: more food from the hunt, more leisure time. Horse ownership, or an association with horses, conferred status and respect within the community.
 
Native peoples forged spiritual relationships with the Horse Nation. Plains tribes embraced the horse as a spirit brother and a link to the supernatural realm, and incorporated the horse into ceremonies. Embodiments of beauty, courage, and healing power, images of horses on ceremonial objects represent this spiritual connection. Horse visions are still reported by traditional believers who seek knowledge and strength through fasting and vision quests. Although visions are intensely personal, some may be shared through song, performance, and art.
 
Among Native American tribes today, the horse is a symbol of freedom--and protest as a way to achieve this freedom. Horses are an integral part of life for many Indigenous people of this country, so it’s no surprise the animals play a significant role in demonstrations, from the Dakota Access Pipeline protests at Standing Rock to the annual Dakota 38 + 2 Memorial Ride that honors those Dakota warriors killed in the largest mass execution in U.S. history. The medicine power of the Sunktanka Oyate (the Horse Nation in Dakota language) has helped strengthen, heal and empower Native people and youth through these efforts.

Shamanic Dreaming

Humans have always looked beyond the factual world of ordinary reality for something solid on which to ground their lives. The models of the mystery of life have always been based on the myths of an immemorial imagination. According to Joseph Campbell, one of the great mythologists of the 20th century, "Mythological cosmologies do not correspond to the world of gross facts, but are functions of dreams and visions." Dreams and visions have always been, and will always be, the creative forces that shape our understanding of the fundamental nature of reality. It is an inherent product of the psyche, a symbolic language of metaphysics recognized by shamans and seers.

Dreams are a doorway to the spirit world. In dreams we experience the shamanic world. Everything is alive; everything is connected. We can fly. Ancestors come to us. Animals talk to us. In his book, Honoring the Medicine: The Essential Guide to Native American Healing, Kenneth Cohen writes that John Trehero, a Shoshone Sun Dance chief, derived his healing power from frequent dreams about the beaver. He described his spirit helper thus: "I dreamed about the beaver. The beaver said here is my power, and then he showed me his front paws. If a person has pain I feel with my hand on him, and that pain comes in my hand. I use my own hands for beaver paws."

The accumulation of shamanic power and knowledge comes primarily through journeys, visions and dreams. Dreams are a doorway through which the shamanic practitioner can travel to the inner realms and interact with helping spirits. Shamanic dreaming is different from modern lucid dreaming: in the latter there tends to be an emphasis on controlling your dreams. In shamanic dreaming the spirits are in charge, not the humans. Spirit teachers or guardian animals come to us in nightly encounters and we can receive teachings and guidance. In other words, the spirits begin to train us in the dream state, and we may receive certain initiations along the way. This is one of the classical ways of being called onto the shamanic path.

Dream interpretation is an important skill that shamanic practitioners should develop. However, you can't interpret your dreams if you can't remember them. Dreams tend to fade quickly from conscious awareness upon awakening. To help me remember my dreams, I repeat the affirmation that I will remember all that occurs during sleep. On awakening, I note all of my dreams in a dream journal. Keeping a journal provides a record of your spiritual growth and allows you to reflect upon and better interpret dreams.

Journaling is a contemplative practice that can help you become more aware of your inner life and feel more connected to your experiences and the world around you. This process engages the subjective mind and intuitive awareness. In some cases, your dreams will be clear and easy to understand. At other times, your dreams will be full of symbolism. Interpret such dreams by looking for possible associations related to each symbol or image. Don't overanalyze the dream, for its meaning will become clear at the appropriate time.

When you are first starting out with dream interpretation, you would do well to invest in a dream dictionary as this can suggest common meanings for certain symbols. But as you continue recording your dreams, you may notice certain patterns repeat and your personal connection to certain symbols doesn't match the collective meaning. Both are valid.

There are a number of ways you can encourage and enhance shamanic dreaming. You can begin by asking your spirit helpers or guardian animals when you go to sleep to bring you a shamanic dream. Remember to thank your helping spirits when they bring you a dream. It also helps to smudge your bedroom before going to sleep each night. Smudging clarifies the mind and cleanses the environment by dispelling any stagnant or unwanted energy. The ability to have shamanic dreams on a regular basis requires energy. If you feel exhausted when you go to bed, and collapse into sleep every night, you don't have sufficient energy for this kind of dreaming. Eating well, exercising and meditating are some basic steps to build up your energy. With more energy new doorways may open up.

You can also put ritual objects into a dream bundle to open up the doorway to shamanic dreaming. According to Nicholas Breeze Wood, editor of "Sacred Hoop Magazine" -- a leading international magazine about shamanism, "The use of ritual objects to encourage and enhance dreaming is quite widespread within the Native American traditions -- everyone is probably familiar with the dreamcatcher... Dreams have always been an important channel through which to receive instruction and communication from Spirit, and not surprisingly there is a wealth of rich folklore and tradition concerning it." Read more about dream bundles.

Bat Medicine and the Coronavirus

I am not a medical professional or an expert on epidemics. I leave the critical information in those important fields for the experts who have the appropriate training to help us get through the coronavirus pandemic. Even though I do not possess medical knowledge, as a shamanic practitioner, I believe I can try to humbly offer some insight into the spiritual significance of the pandemic that is spreading rapidly through much of the world. We are all navigating challenges as a result of COVID-19. Whether those issues are health related, economically related, or otherwise, we are being given an opportunity for growth.

Scientists say that the bat is the likely origin of the coronavirus near Wuhan, China, but humans are to blame for the spread of the disease. In the shaman's world everything happens for a reason -- there are no accidents. Furthermore, everything that happens in the physical world has its ultimate cause in the spirit world. So, what is the spiritual significance of the bat coronavirus? Bat represents rebirth, transition, and intuition. Bats often represent death in the sense of letting go of the old, and bringing in the new. They are symbols of transition, of initiation, and the start of a new beginning.

The word "medicine" in shamanic practice refers to the healing aspects that a particular animal brings to our consciousness. When bat medicine appears in our life, it is a call for the end of a way of life and the new beginning of another. This transition can be very frightening for many. But we will not grow spiritually until we let go of those old parts of us that are no longer needed. Success depends on our willingness to plow old habits into the soil in order to cultivate new patterns that enhance our natural growth. By facing the darkness before us, we will find the light of rebirth.

The bat is a symbol of death and rebirth because it is an animal that lives in the dark underworld of the Earth. From caves in the Earth Mother's womb, it emerges every evening at twilight. Thus, from the womb it is symbolically reborn every evening. Bat medicine embraces the idea of symbolic death in which the personal ego identity and the old ways of life give way to the new.

The Dismemberment Journey

In shamanism, there is an archetypal visionary experience known as the dismemberment journey. The student or practitioner of shamanism recognizes an illusion or fear that impedes the expansion of their soul. The practitioner prays for this flaw to be healed and, in doing so, surrenders to the wisdom of the higher powers of the universe to remove the impediment. In a classic dismemberment journey, the petitioner witnesses their own body being torn apart and perhaps completely destroyed. The individual dies a symbolic death and is then restored and brought back to life, whole and empowered, the fear or illusion vanquished.

From a shamanic perspective, the global coronavirus pandemic represents a mass shamanic dismemberment -- the experience of being taken apart, devoured, or torn to pieces on a global scale, allowing for a shift of awareness and transformation of collective consciousness. At its deepest level, the dismemberment experience dismantles our old identity. It is a powerful death-and-rebirth process. The experience of being stripped, layer by layer, down to bare bones forces us to examine the bare essence of what we truly are.

The viewpoint emerging from the shamanic community suggests the times we live in have a theme of planetary and cosmological initiation. Shamanic initiation is most often precipitated by physical, psychological, emotional, or spiritual events that force the ego into submission. Who we believe ourselves to be is not who we truly are. No matter how many years one has been developing their consciousness, no one is exempt from this shamanic death-and-rebirth. This is a shamanic initiation on the grandest cosmological scale.

The times we find ourselves in are like a great river in flood. We can try to hold on to the shore to save ourselves from being swept along with the current. But this is a futile effort, for nothing can resist the great tide of change that is sweeping through and forever altering life as we have known it for millennia. Instead, we are being challenged to let go and go with the flow. We are being given the opportunity to surrender to the current of change so that new dreams and visions can emerge.

As humans, we are being asked to go within and search our hearts in order to change those patterns of thought and behavior that work against us. It is necessary to still the mind and quiet the emotions so that inner knowing and intuition can emerge into our consciousness. Personal isolation and contemplation help us gain deeper insight and clarity of mind. Bat medicine gives us the wisdom required to make the appropriate changes for the birthing of our new identity.

Soul Flight: A Spiritual Prescription for Coronavirus

I am not a medical professional or an expert on epidemics. I leave the critical information in those important fields for the experts who have the appropriate training to help us get through the coronavirus pandemic. Even though I do not possess medical knowledge, as a shamanic practitioner, I believe I can try to humbly prescribe a vaccine that can heal the spirit -- the soul flight or shamanic journey. In the shamanic world, all healing begins with the spirit.

Shamanism is based on the principle that innate wisdom and guidance can be accessed through the inner senses in ecstatic trance. Basically, shamanic journeying is a way of communicating with your inner or true self and retrieving information. Your inner self is in constant communication with all aspects of your environment, seen and unseen. You need only journey within to find answers to your questions. You should have a question or objective in mind from the start. Shamanic journeying may be undertaken for purposes of divination, for personal healing, or for any number of other reasons. After the journey, you must then interpret the meaning of your trance experience.

Drumming (or listening to a shamanic drumming recording) is a simple and effective way to induce this ecstatic trance state. When a drum is played at an even tempo of three to four beats per second for at least fifteen minutes, most novices report that they can journey successfully even on their first attempt. Transported by the driving beat of the drum; the shamanic traveler journeys to the inner planes of consciousness: the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds. You should always journey with a purpose, question or intention. Some good reasons to take a shamanic journey at this challenging time are….

1. To reconnect with your inner or spirit self: Shamanic journeying heightens the ability of perception and enables you to see into the deeper realms of the self. The moment you bond with your spirit is the moment your heart opens. The first time you glimpse your spirit self, you gasp and cry. You know who you are. That is the moment you begin to heal. Journey work reconnects us to our core, enhancing our sense of empowerment and stimulating our creative expression.

2. To clarify life purpose: When we are unaware of our soul's true purpose or simply not aligned in our actions, we often experience a malaise of the spirit. We can engage the blueprint of our soul path through the vehicle of journeying. Shamanic journeying is a time-tested medium for individual self-realization. We can journey within to access wisdom and energies that can help awaken our soul calling and restore us to wholeness. Journey work reconnects us with our deepest core values and our highest vision of who we are and why we are here. It heightens our sense of mission and purpose, empowering our personal evolution.

3. To access a higher power: Shamanism provides a secular approach to accessing a higher power. Shamanic methodology directly supports the introduction of spiritual factors found significant in the healing process. According to the American Journal of Public Health, "Shamanic activities bring people efficiently and directly into immediate encounters with spiritual forces, focusing the client on the whole body and integrating healing at physical and spiritual levels. This process allows them to connect with the power of the universe, to externalize their own knowledge, and to internalize their answers; it also enhances their sense of empowerment and responsibility. These experiences are healing, bringing the restorative powers of nature to clinical settings."

4. To divine information: You can journey within to obtain information about personal and community issues. Your helping spirits are a good resource when it comes to answering questions pertaining to relationships, health issues, or any issue. To divine information in a journey, begin with a clear question that you would like to ask of your helping spirits. Decide which of your helping spirits you would like to answer your question, and then journey to the place where you normally meet them in non-ordinary reality. Of course you can ask your question to as many of your helping spirits as you wish. When divining or healing on behalf of others, it is vital that you have their permission.

5. To develop relationships with the helping spirits who dwell in the three inner planes of consciousness -- the Upper, Middle, and Lower Worlds: Shamanism is a sacred call to build relationship with the caretakers in the unseen world who want to support the earth and her inhabitants at this time. These helping spirits might be the spirits of nature, animals, plants, the elements, or ancestors. The reason for developing personal relationships with spirit helpers is to gain wisdom, healing techniques, and other vital information that can benefit the community. Similar to the way friendships develop gradually, our relationships with spirits grow and deepen based on repeated interaction and building trust over time.

6. To reconnect with benevolent ancestors: Your ancestors and the collective spiritual power of all those who went before you reside in the spirit world. When your own time comes to pass on, you will become part of this vast collective unconscious. If you embark on a journey with the intention of connecting with those who have passed, they may come to meet you. Keep in mind that spirits choose to come into relationship with the person seeking. You can seek ancestral spirits, but the spirits must choose.

7. To prepare for death: Shamans believe that learning to leave the physical body is important, for without this experience, the soul may become confused after death and remain stuck in the Middle World. When a person dies, there is usually a smooth transition into the afterlife, but when a person suffers a traumatic death, they may not have an awareness of who and where they are. This makes it difficult for them to make their journey to the afterlife. Other souls linger in the space between life and the afterlife for fear of going to hell. Sadly, most of the psychopomp rites of passage that once helped prepare a person for death have disappeared. Hence, journeying is one of the most important shamanic skills that we can develop. By journeying to the Lower World, the place to which human souls travel upon physical death, we can prepare for our own death. That said, perhaps the most compelling reason to journey is...

8. To find ways to restore balance in the world: As anthropologist and author Felicitas Goodman points out, "One of the most pervasive traditions of shamanic cultures is the insight that there exists a patterned cosmological order, which can be disturbed by human activity." When harmony between the human realm and the original intended pattern is disturbed, the shaman makes a spirit journey to the Upper World to bring back the balance. Shamans also go there to acquire archetypal knowledge, to bring a vision into being, or to influence events in the material world. By interacting with the archetypes, the shaman interacts with their counterparts in the outer world.

Try a Shamanic Journey

To enter a trance state and support your journey, click here to listen to a track from my CD "Shamanic Journey Drumming." Reflect for a moment on the purpose of your journey, and then close your eyes. Focus your attention on the sound of the drum and feel yourself being carried away by the sound. If for any reason you want to return, just retrace your steps back. You will hear a call back signal near the end of the video, followed by a short period of slow heartbeat drumming to assist you in refocusing your awareness back to your physical body. Sit quietly for a few moments, and then open your eyes.

After the journey, you must then interpret the meaning of your trance experience.  In some cases, your journey experiences will be clear and easy to understand. At other times, your journey may be dreamlike and full of symbolism. Interpret such journeys as you would any dream. Look for possible associations related to each symbol or image. The key is to observe whatever happens without trying to analyze the experience. Like developing any skill, journeying takes practice. Nothing may happen on your first journeys. You may only experience darkness. When this happens, simply try again at a different time. To learn more, read my article Shamanic Journeying.

The Mythical Paradise

Indigenous peoples around the world were cosmocentric: a vision of reality that places the highest importance in the universe or nature, as opposite to an anthropocentric vision, which strongly focuses on humankind as the most important element of existence. Indigenous myths take place at a time when the Cosmos' multiple entities shared a collective human condition and were thus able to communicate with each other. The mythology and creation stories of all indigenous peoples speak of a primordial, but now lost paradise in which humanity lived in harmony with all that existed. The Cosmos had total access to itself. There was but one language for all creatures and elements. Humans were able to converse with animals, birds, minerals; all nature's creations.

As respected Nakoda elder John Snow puts it, "We talked to the rocks, the streams, the trees, the plants, the herbs, and all nature's creations. We called the animals our brothers. They understood our language; we understood theirs. Sometimes they talked to us in dreams and visions. At times they revealed important events or visited us on our vision quests to the mountain tops." (Excerpt from These Mountains Are Our Sacred Places, pg. 3)

While in the primeval times, all beings were perceived as human and nonhuman simultaneously, or in a state of constant transformation into one or another of these forms. Mythical animal characters were commonly portrayed as essentially human in physical form, but possessed the individual characteristics attributed to the various types of animals as they exist in nature today. Myths describe how, at some point, this generic human condition undergoes severe disruption, resulting in the transformation of the many types of humans that existed -- already differentiated by the physical or behavioral characteristics of the nonhuman beings they would eventually become -- into the different present-day species of animals, plants and other kinds of beings.

After the cosmic rupture, the shaman became essential as he could reconstitute the mythical paradise. In our day, as in times past, the shaman is able to access the mythic realm of reality through techniques of ecstasy. Shamanism is based on the principle that other species and realms may be contacted through the inner senses in ecstatic trance induced by shamanic practices such as repetitive drumming. The drum provides the shaman a relatively easy means of controlled transcendence. Researchers have found that if a drum beat frequency of around three to four beats per second is sustained for at least fifteen minutes, it will induce significant trance states in most people, even on their first attempt.

The act of entering an ecstatic trance state is called the soul flight or shamanic journey, and it allows the journeyer to once again communicate with animals, plants and all living things. Shamans believe that this direct communication is possible because the entire universe exists within human consciousness. The capacity to enter a range of trance states is a natural manifestation of human consciousness. Our journeying ability is part of our human heritage. The ability to enter trance states makes us a human, not a shaman. What makes shamans unique is their mastery over an otherwise normal human trait. It requires training, practice and devotion to master any expressive art. Shamanic practitioners master the art of ecstasy to see the different realities of the universe.

Five Books for Connecting With Power Animals

Shamanism is the endeavor to cultivate ongoing relationships with power animals to gain insight, healing methods, and other vital information that can benefit the community. Power animals are also called guardian spirits, spirit allies, totem animals, and tutelary animals. A power animal is the archetypal oversoul that represents the entire species of that animal. It is actually the spirit of one of the First People, as they are called, who at the end of mythic times turned into the animals as we know them today. The following books will help connect you with the collective strength and wisdom of power animals:

1. Medicine Cards: The Discovery of Power Through the Ways of Animals by Jamie Sams: Jamie Sams is a best-selling author and medicine teacher of Iroquois and Cherokee descent. I have used her unique and innovative divination tool since its publication in 1988 for guidance, insight, and help in finding answers to life's questions. The messages always clearly reflect whatever life situation I am going through at the time. This card-based divination system draws upon ancient wisdom and tradition to teach the healing medicine of animals. The deck of cards and book connect the natural attributes and behaviors of the animal with the native lore relating to each creature in a way that is both sensible and spiritual. The suggestions for introspection are evocative, and I find myself returning to them again and again.

2. Animal-Speak: The Spiritual & Magical Powers of Creatures Great & Small by Ted Andrews: Easy-to-read and understand, Ted Andrews's bestselling Animal Speak shows readers how to identify his or her animal totem and learn how to invoke its energy and use it for personal growth and inner discovery. Nature lovers will love this insightful compendium filled with touching stories about animals, natural history, and animal folklore. Readers will also learn magical animal rites and how to read omens of nature. Animal Speak includes a dictionary of bird, animal, reptile, and insect totems, which describe each creature's meaning. This bestselling guide has become a classic reference for anyone wishing to forge a spiritual connection with the power and wisdom of the animal world. 

3. Bird Medicine: The Sacred Power of Bird Shamanism by Evan T. Pritchard: Evan T. Pritchard is a descendant of the Mi'kmaq people (part of the Algonquin nation) and the founder of The Center for Algonquin Culture. Pritchard's scholarly and illuminating book is based on his field interviews with people in the Native community on birds as teachers, guardians, role models, counselors, healers, clowns, peacemakers, and meteorologists. They carry messages and warnings from loved ones and the spirit world, report deaths and injuries, and channel divine intelligence to answer our questions. Bird Medicine is a treasure trove of ornithological insight and indigenous wisdom. It provides numerous examples of everyday bird sign interpretations that can be applied in your own encounters with birds as well as ways we can help protect birds and encourage them to communicate with us.

4. Power Animals: How to Connect with Your Animal Spirit Guide by Steven D Farmer: Dr. Steven Farmer is a psychotherapist, shamanic healer, and the author of several best-selling books. In Power Animals, Dr. Farmer guides you through a journey on the accompanying audio download to connect with your power animal. Once you meet your power animal, you can refer to the text to learn what this says about you and read a channeled message for you from that animal spirit. This is an easy-to-read introduction to the concept of power animals, and provides descriptions on 40 different animals. It's clear, insightful, fully developed but not overly wordy, and all of it is helpful.

5. Animal Spirit Guides: An Easy-to-Use Handbook for Identifying and Understanding Your Power Animals and Animal Spirit Helpers by Steven D Farmer: After the publication of his book Power Animals, many readers inquired about the meaning of power animals that were not contained in that work. In Animal Spirit Guides, Dr. Farmer provides concise, relevant details about the significance of more than 200 animals that may come to you in physical or symbolic form as guides and teachers. He lists three things for each animal: 1) if the animal shows up, what does it mean, 2) when you should call on the particular animal that you are reading about, and 3) if the animal is your power animal what does it mean. This makes the information very concise and easy to find and understand. It is an excellent reference book to have on the shelf.

Journey To Meet Your Power Animal

The practice of shamanism is one of direct revelation and therefore anyone can find and meet their spirit animal. To meet your power animal, I recommend traveling to the Lower World using the technique taught by the late Michael Harner. Founder of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Harner was widely acknowledged as the world's foremost authority on experiential and practical shamanism. In his book, "The Way of the Shaman," Harner suggests that you visualize an  opening into the earth that you remember from sometime in your life. The entrance could be an animal burrow, hollow tree stump, cave, and so on. When the journey begins, you will go down the hole and a tunnel will appear. The tunnel often appears ribbed and may bend or spiral around. Enter the tunnel and you will emerge into the Lower World, the realm of power animals and spirit guides. It is an earth-like dimension where we can connect with helping spirits.

To enter a trance state and support your journey, you will need a drum or a shamanic drumming recording. Shamanic drumming is drumming for the purpose of shamanic journeying. A good shamanic drumming recording should be pulsed at around three to four beats per second. Read through the exercise first to familiarize yourself with the process. The basic steps for a journey to the Lower World are as follows:

1. The first step is to select a private and quiet space. Make whatever arrangements are necessary to assure that you will not be disturbed. No phones, no interruptions.

2. Next, you should smudge the space, yourself, and your drum with the smoke of an herb. Smudging is a method of using smoke from burning herbs to purify a space in preparation for spiritual or inner work. The sacred smoke dispels any stagnant or unwanted energy. Sage, cedar, and sweetgrass are traditionally used for smudging, but any dried herb is acceptable. Light the herbs in a fire-resistant receptacle and then blow out the flames. Then use a feather or your hands to draw the smoke over your heart, throat, and face to purify the body, mind, and spirit. Next, smudge your drum by passing it through the smoke. Conclude the smudging by thanking the plant or tree spirit whose body made the cleansing possible.

3. After smudging, dim the lights and sit comfortably in a chair or on the floor. Close your eyes and focus on the breath as it enters the nose and fills your lungs, then gently exhale any tension you might feel. Continue this breathing exercise until you are calm and relaxed.

4. Once you are fully relaxed, it is important to frame a simple and clear statement of your intent. You should always journey with a purpose, question, or intention. You might phrase your intention something like, "I choose to meet my power animal."

5. The next step is to enter a trance state. Either listen to a shamanic journey drumming recording, or begin drumming a steady, metronome-like pattern at a tempo of about three to four beats per second. This rapid beat creates the sensation of inner movement, which, if you allow it, will carry you along. Close your eyes, focus your attention on the sound of the drum, and vividly imagine with every sense the entrance to a cave or an opening in the earth that you have seen or visited. Clear your mind of everything but this image.

6. Approach the entrance or opening and enter it. Typically, someone or something will be waiting there to guide you. It may appear to you as an animal, a person, a light, a voice, or have no discernable form at all. If you are uncomfortable or put off by whatever appears, ask it to take another form. It is important that you see, feel, hear, or in some way sense the presence of a spirit guide that you trust and feel at ease with before proceeding with your journey. If you do not, then come back through the entrance and journey another time.

7. When you are ready to proceed, state your intention to the spirit guide and begin the journey. Follow your guide's lead and instructions in every respect. If asked to leave, do so at once. If the spirit waiting to guide you is an animal, ask it, "Are you my power animal?" It might answer you telepathically, or it might lead you somewhere and show you something. If it indicates that it is not your helping spirit, ask it to take you to your power animal. Your spirit guide may ask you to accompany it in some fashion. Typically, you will proceed rapidly down a passage or tunnel. If you encounter an obstacle, just go around it or look for an opening through it.

8. When you emerge from the tunnel, you will find yourself in the Lower World. It is here that you will find your power animal. Allow a landscape to materialize before you. It can be a desert, a forest, a beach, or a wilderness area that you have seen or visited. To make it more real, infuse your vision with all the sensations you can muster.

9. Then allow an image of an animal to appear in that landscape. Should a spirit animal present itself, ask it, "Are you my power animal?" Listen carefully to its response, and don't worry if you feel like you are just making up the answers. It often feels this way in the beginning. Be open to the sensations and feelings of being that animal. It is not uncommon to be and see the animal simultaneously. Moreover, it is best to avoid menacing animals with bared fangs. Such animals represent obstacles and challenges to be confronted at a time when you have the assistance of a power animal.

10. Next, thank the animal for its assistance, and then allow the image of that animal to fade and another image to open up before you. Repeat this imagery with as many different animals as you wish. The key to recognizing your power animal is that it will repeatedly appear to you at least four times. It may appear to you at different angles, in different aspects, or as different animals of the same species.

11. After an animal has presented itself to you four times, ask the spirit animal to be your ally, to merge with your being. Imagine yourself embracing the animal, and then return rapidly to ordinary reality. Envision bringing the animal spirit back with you. Your power animal will readily return with you, otherwise it would not have revealed itself. Bring nothing else back with you on this journey. The spirit acting as your guide, however, may or may not accompany you. If not, try to return via the same route that you took to arrive. Upon your return to the entrance, thank your spirit guide, emerge from the opening, and return to your body.

12. Once you have returned to ordinary reality, end your drum journey with four strong beats to signal that the sacred time of focus is ended. If listening to a shamanic drumming recording, you will hear a similar call back signal near the end of the track, followed by a short period of drumming to assist you in refocusing your awareness back to your physical body. If for any reason you want to come back before the call back, just retrace your steps back. Sit quietly for a few moments, and then open your eyes. To learn more, look inside The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming.