Taking the Shamanic Journey

An excerpt from my book, Shamanic Journeys: An Anthology

 

Shamanism is based on the principle that the spiritual world may be contacted through the inner senses in ecstatic trance. Basically, shamanic journeying is a way of communicating with your inner or spirit 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, to meet one's power animal or spirit guide, or for any number of other reasons. After the journey, you must then interpret the meaning of your trance experience.
 
When we journey within, we are engaging the imaginal realm. Imagination is our portal to the spirit world. Internal imagery enables us to perceive and connect with the inner realms. If a shaman wants to retrieve information or a lost guardian spirit, "imagining what to look for" is the first step in achieving any result. According to C. Michael Smith, author of Jung and Shamanism in Dialogue, "The shaman's journey employs the imagination, and the use of myth as inner map gives the shaman a way of imagining non-ordinary reality, so that he or she may move about intentionally in it."(1) By consciously interacting with the inner imagery, the shaman is able to communicate with spirit guides and power animals.
 

Communication in non-ordinary reality is characteristically archetypal, nonverbal and nonlinear in nature. The images we see during a shamanic journey have a universal, archetypical quality. Imagery from these experiences is a combination of our imagination and information conveyed to us by the spirits. Our imagination gives the journey a "container," which helps us to understand the messages we receive. It provides us with a way to understand and articulate the experience for ourselves and to others.
 

The Journey Process
 

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. There should be a 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. You may also rattle, chant or sing to induce trance. There is no right or wrong way to journey. Be innovative and try different ways of journeying. Many people need to move, dance or sing their journeys. My first journeys were supported by listening to a shamanic drumming recording, but now I have much stronger journeys when I drum for myself.
 

Another way to train yourself to focus and concentrate is to narrate your journey as you are experiencing it. To set this up, you need headphones to listen to the drumming recording and a recorder of some kind. The simultaneous narration and recording technique can be distracting at first, but it is a good way to make sure you are getting all the information your helping spirits are giving you.
 
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. 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. 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 realm of power animals, spirit guides and ancestral spirits. It is an Earth-like dimension where we can connect with helping spirits. The basic steps for a journey to the Lower World are as follows:
 

1. Smudge to create a purified space, and then open sacred space by calling in the benevolent powers of the seven directions: East, South, West, North, Up, Down and Within. Dim the lights and sit erect in a chair or on the floor. Close your eyes and ground yourself with some mindful breathing until you are calm and relaxed.
 

2. Having established sacred space, it is important to form your intention or objective for the journey. It is best to have only one inquiry or question per journey. It is important to focus on the issue that you want to know more about. Focusing on an issue develops a receptive state of mind and helps you clarify what it is you are truly seeking.
 

3. After clarifying the intended objective, begin playing a repetitive rhythm that begins slowly, and then gradually builds in intensity to a steady tempo of three to four beats per second (or listen to your shamanic drumming recording). As the drumming begins, close your eyes and focus a moment on the inquiry free of any distractions, emotions or attachments that could distort the response.
 

4. Next, you should clear your mind of everything. Focused intent, to be effective, should be followed by complete surrender and detachment. Focus your attention on the sound of the drum, thereby stilling the mind. Allow the drum to empty you. Become one with the drum.
 

5. At this point, you may find it helpful to imagine with all your senses the entrance to a cave, an opening in the Earth, or a hollow tree trunk that you have seen or visited. Use an image that you are comfortable with and one that you can clearly visualize. Clear your mind of everything but this image.
 

6. Approach the entrance or opening and enter it. You may have to pass through some swirling energy, water or fog in order to enter the portal. Typically, you will meet an entity here that will act as your spirit guide. It may appear to you as an animal, a person, a light, a voice, or have no discernible 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 an ally that you trust and feel at ease with before proceeding with your first journey. If you do not, then return through the entrance and journey another time.
 

7. Pose your query to the guide. Your spirit guide may simply answer your question, but most likely will lead you on a journey. Your guide may become your mount for the journey. Follow your guide's instructions implicitly. If asked to leave, do so at once. Typically, you will proceed down a tunnel at a rapid pace. If you encounter an obstacle, just go over or around it, or look for an opening through it.
 

8. When you emerge from the passage, you will find yourself in the Lower World. You may be led to a helping spirit that can answer your question. You may go through different landscapes and experience different situations. The possibilities are endless. Just go with the flow and observe whatever happens without trying to analyze anything.
 

9. When it feels appropriate, gradually slow the tempo of your drumming and retrace your steps back. To achieve this, simply do your journey in reverse. There is no need to rush, and it is not critical that you retrace your route precisely. The reason for retracing your steps is to help you remember the route so that in subsequent journeys you will be able to travel to and from the Lower World with greater ease and efficiency. Upon your return to the entrance, thank your guide, emerge from the opening and return to your body.
 

10. 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 you are listening to a shamanic drumming recording, most recordings have a similar call back signal near the end of the track to indicate that you should return to ordinary reality. 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.
 

It would be advisable to record your journey in a journal as soon as you have returned to ordinary reality. Journeys, like dreams, tend to fade quickly from conscious awareness. Very little may happen on your first journeys. You may only experience darkness. When this happens, simply try again at a different time. Shamanic journey work is a learned skill that improves with practice. The key is to practice and to establish a long-term relationship with your spirit guides.

1. C. Michael Smith, Jung and Shamanism in Dialogue (New York: Paulist Press, 1997) p 16.

"A Journey Into Shamanism" Book Sale

I am now offering a 50% discount on my ebook Riding Spirit Horse: A Journey Into Shamanism. The ebook sale price is $2.99. Offer good through July 31st, 2023. In this spiritual memoir, I recount my journey into shamanic practice. The narrative of my story moves from my first ecstatic experience as a youth at a church revival to my mystical shamanic awakening in the wilderness, transformational pilgrimages to sacred places, working with indigenous wisdom keepers, to the experiences that prompted my writing, particularly my trance experiences "riding the drum" or Spirit Horse. Studying with Native elders and shamans, I discovered my shamanic gifts as a drummer, storyteller and ceremonialist.
 

A journey into shamanism is a pilgrimage of the soul. My journey has taken me down many spiritual paths. As a youth growing up, I embraced the teachings of Christ; I later studied and practiced the teachings of Taoism and Buddhism, all of which have their roots in shamanic practices from the earliest tribal communities. Shared core principles and truths weave a common thread through all spiritual traditions. This golden thread runs through the lives and the teachings of all the great prophets, seers and sages in the world's history.
 
Ultimately, all contemplative spiritual practice leads to the evolution of conscious awareness and union with the divine in the present moment. The perennial wisdom traditions teach us that the "here and now" is eternal, unchanging and omnipresent; it should be the primary focus of our life. When we are not present in the moment, we become a victim of time. Our mind is pulled into the past or the future or both. The present moment is all we ever have. The eternal now is the fundamental ceremony of life. When we bring ourselves fully into the present moment, our life becomes a spiritual practice and an opportunity to ride in beauty on the windhorse of authentic presence! I invite you to read Riding Spirit Horse: A Journey into Shamanism.

Expanded States of Consciousness World Summit

The Expanded States of Consciousness World Summit is a free 9-day online event featuring 65+ world-class experts, including Deepak Chopra, Luisah Teish, Wim Hof, Rosalind Watts, Andrew Weil, Grandmother Flordemayo, Paul Stamets, Gita Vaid, Ken Wilber, Sandra Ingerman, Dan Siegel, Krishna Das, and many more. This summit is designed to create a profound journey and transformative learning experience for anyone interested in expanded states of consciousness and their potential for our individual and collective healing, spiritual evolution and awakening. This includes practitioners, clinicians, researchers, guides, coaches and other helping professionals, researchers, and the general public.
 

Over nine days, you will have the opportunity to learn learn about the potential of expanded states of consciousness for healing trauma, healing attachment wounds, and deepening resilience. Discover how these practices can help us unlock our full potential, leading to a more fulfilling life with greater meaning and purpose. The summit will cover a wide range of methods, including:

•     Meditation
•     Breathwork
•     Psychedelics
•     Plant medicines
•     Shamanism
•     Music, chanting, and sound healing
•     Tools and practices for integration

 

During the Summit, you'll hear about the cutting-edge research on consciousness and expanded states and be able to explore different practices and techniques for accessing and integrating these states…While connecting with a global community of like-minded individuals exploring the further reaches of consciousness and human potential. Whether you're an experienced practitioner or just curious about the nature of consciousness, this Summit is sure to be an illuminating and transformative experience. Free streaming of the summit starts Tuesday, April 18th at 7:00 am EDT USA, click here to claim your free ticket.

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.

Rhythm Healing

The key to understanding the shaman's world is to realize that the universe is made of vibrational energy. According to quantum physics, 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 the healing vibrations of shamanic drumming. The shamanic drum is a tool for altering the vibrational state of the shaman and/or the healee or a particular situation in the community. To put it simply, shamanic drumming is an ancient form of rhythm healing.

Rhythm healing is an approach that uses therapeutic rhythm techniques to promote health and well-being. Rhythm healing employs specialized rhythmic drumming patterns designed to influence the internal rhythmic patterns of the individual and harmonize those which are thought to be causing the illness or imbalance. When administered correctly, specific rhythms may be used to accelerate physical healing, stimulate the release of emotional trauma and produce deeper self-awareness. This technique has been used for thousands of years by indigenous cultures around the planet to treat a variety of conditions.

Rhythm healing relies on the natural laws of resonance and entrainment to restore the vibrational integrity of body, mind and spirit. In resonance, the sound waves produced by the drum impart their energy to the resonating systems of the body, mind and spirit, making them vibrate in sympathy. When we drum, our living flesh, brainwaves and auric energy field entrain to the sound waves and rhythms. This sympathetic resonance forms new harmonic alignments, opens the body's energy meridians, releases blocked emotional patterns, promotes healing, and helps connect us to our core, enhancing our sense of empowerment and stimulating our creative expression. A single-headed frame or hoop drum works best for rhythm healing -- the larger the drum, the greater the resonance.

Finding the right rhythm

A rhythm healer may have a repertory of established rhythms or improvise a new rhythm, uniquely indicated for the situation. Determining the right rhythm in each case is a highly individual matter. No predetermined formulas are given. The rhythmist needs to create a dialogue between the sounds he/she produces and the responses of the person being treated. The drumming is not restricted to a regular tempo, but may pause, speed up or slow down with irregular accents. The practitioner may stop playing altogether, or suddenly hoist the drum skyward and bang it violently, throwing the disease into the heavens, returning it to the spirit world.

Tuvan shamans, for example, often improvise sounds, rhythms and chants in order to converse with both the spirit world and the healee. The sounds produced by the shaman and the drum go out and certain frequencies and overtones are then reflected back. Information is generally received as subtle vibrations, which the shaman then interprets as sounds, images or as rhythms.

To find the right rhythm, invoke the spirit of your drum, and ask it to come to you and become your ally. State your intention -- what you desire or expect to accomplish -- in a clear and concise manner, and then sit and meditate with your drum for a few minutes. By stilling the mind, you will be able to connect with the spirit of the drum. When you feel ready, pick up your drumstick and begin to play whatever feels appropriate. When you focus on the spiritual intention or the energy of what is being played, it allows the music to become very loose, spontaneous and innovative.

I learned that when I trust my intuition to play the appropriate rhythm, which I do not know in advance, I cannot go wrong. I know that when I open up and play what I feel, the drumming is fresh, different and spontaneous each time. Rhythmic improvisation is a musical expression of the soul. It is a way to let spirit work through you for the purpose of healing and helping others.

Rhythm healing is about finding the right rhythm. Rhythm and resonance order the natural world. Dissonance and disharmony arise only when we limit our capacity to resonate completely with the rhythms of life. The origin of the word rhythm is Greek meaning "to flow." We can learn to flow with the rhythms of life by simply learning to feel the beat or pulse while drumming. It is a way of bringing the essential self into accord with the flow of a boundless, interrelated universe, helping us feel connected rather than isolated and estranged. To learn more, look inside The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming.

"Shamanism in the 21st Century"

Copyright © 2022 by Jade Grigori

Shamanism is humanity's oldest and most enduring spiritual practice. From the very origins of the human race there is evidence of our relationship with the Divine expressed through ceremony as a means of maintaining harmonious union with Creation. Whether in the placement of flowers upon the graves of our Neanderthal ancestors or the markings upon cave walls to magically establish empowered embodiments of a totem animal's knowledge, the antecedents of our own desire for personal and conscious union with the All-That-Is connects us with the continuum of the spiritual quest as being an innate human drive.

Inherent within the Shamanic perspective is the understanding that each person has their own unique and autonomous path of reunification with Creator. Shamanism provides a compendium of ceremonies, dances, songs, approaches to Spirit, meditations and understandings of the underlying principles of reality and human nature based upon generations-upon-generations of experiential interaction with Creator through the Creation of which we are a part. Being free of dogma and doctrine, Shamanism enables each individual in their personal quest of each their own Spirit's path, purpose and truth.

This recognition of the individual's right and responsibility of his or her own spiritual awakening and fulfillment is but one of the very specific elements of Shamanism which establishes it as a viable means of meeting today's Spiritual Questor's desire for an honest and authentic approach to self realization. That Shamanism as a whole is humanity's spiritual inheritance of our ancestors' contribution to the collective unconscious of our species provides a firm and proven system of knowledge, and direct access to that wisdom through ceremonial forms, which can serve any individual's understanding of the realms of Spirit expressed as Nature and Cosmos, and our part within it. Because Shamanism is the birthright of every woman and man of this planet, rather than the provenance of the few select or elite, it is a spiritual form which is available to any and all.

Shamanism is the Spirit's direct expression of it's yearning to bring body/mind consciousness into the full realization that we are Spirit. Through Shamanic practices we have the direct experience with our senses that we are, indeed, One with the All-That-Is. It is this cellular perception of our Truth that brings us to the humble realization that we are accountable for all our deeds, actions and behaviors- and the consequences thereof. From this awakened state of being compassion is born. When compassion, born of the empathetic relationship with all life, is brought to conscious embodied awareness, we, individually and ultimately collectively, will emerge in chrysalis to become the fully realized beings that is our potential.

This passionate and compassionate embrace and respect for all life, inherent within the Shamanic perspective, makes of Shamanism a survival skill of the human race. It is as important, and here in the 21st century, perhaps even more important, if we are to be able to continue life on this planet, as the ability to make fire or shelter and feed and clothe ourselves. For if we do not once again, as our ancestors who have left us this endowment of Shamanic ways, honor as sacred all manifest Creation as the singular expression of Spirit, we may surely perish, taking all life with us.

Shamanism provides us with an opportunity to fulfill our own Spirit's quest for awakening and also bond us as a Community of Creation in the service of Life. This is the bequest of this ancient spiritual practice of our ancestors to us here, today, in the 21st century.

Jade Grigori mentored me in shamanic drumming and helped me to find my own path of rhythm. Jade is a Curator of the Sacred on behalf of his community, the community of All Peoples. He underwent his first Shamanic Initiation, that of Death-by-Intent, in 1956 at 5 years of age. Jade Grigori received direct initiations and training from his Ancestral Spirits who guided and instructed him in the rigorous endeavors of journeying into the spirit-realms, ways of healing and accessing Knowledge. Rigorous apprenticeship and oversight by his Elders prepared him for the eventual responsibilities of being a Curator of the Sacred. To learn more, log onto Jade's web site at: https://jadegrigori.com/

Shamanic Visioning

One of the most crucial aspects of power practice in all shamanic cultures is the development of inner vision. In altered states, shamans develop such vivid internal imagery that external sensory input and bodily sensations are blocked out. Once vivid life like imagery is experienced, the next phase of practice is to develop control over the internal imagery. By orchestrating the inner imagery, the shaman is able to contact spirit guides and power animals. Over a period of time, the shaman develops the ability to see past, present, and future events. In these altered states, the shaman accumulates knowledge and inner power and is capable of influencing events for social benefit.

 

Shamanic visioning is a technique that uses imagination to create mental pictures in a multidimensional way by using all of the senses. Shamans form mental images using sound, smell, taste, and touch, as well as sight. For example, if you were to envision an apple, you would see it, hold and feel it, smell it, and hear the crunch as you took a bite and tasted it. The ability to create multidimensional images is vital to successful journeying. Like developing any skill, visioning takes practice. Exercising your imagination through visioning develops your ability to journey. The following exercise is designed to acquaint you with the basics of shamanic visioning. The steps are as follows:
 
1. First, select an object in your home.
2. Sit comfortably with the object in your line of sight.
3. Take several deep breaths and exhale any tension you might feel.
4. Gaze at the object for a few moments.
5. Close your eyes and visualize the object as clearly as possible, including every detail that you can remember. If you need to refresh your memory, open your eyes and look at the object again.
6. When you have created the most vivid image that you can, begin to focus on each part of it, using all of the senses. Observe every quality: size, shape, color, texture, feel, sound, smell, taste.
7. Now vividly imagine with every sense making changes to the object. Change the feel, sound, scent, flavor, and appearance of the object. Spend as much time with this imagery as you would like. 

"The Shamanic Drum" July eBook Sale

Mark your calendar! I am taking part in the 14th annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale, taking place Friday, July 1 through Sunday, July 31 2022. For the entire month of July, all of my ebooks are 50% off list price: The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming, I Ching: The Tao of Drumming, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits, Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide, The Great Shift, Riding Spirit Horse: A Journey into Shamanism and Shamanic Journeys: An Anthology. Choose from multiple file formats including .epub, .mobi for Kindles, and PDF. Click on the following link to my Smashwords author page and you will receive the 50% discount automatically by adding my books to your cart: Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale.
 

Why does Smashwords call it "Summer/Winter"? Here in the Northern hemisphere, it's mid-summer. Readers are loading their e-reading devices for summer beach reading and long-awaited vacations. South of the equator, readers are now in the middle of winter. They're ready to curl up in front of the fireplace and enjoy a great read too! Smashwords is the world's largest distributor of indie ebooks. They make it fast, free and easy for any author or publisher, anywhere in the world, to publish and distribute ebooks to the major retailers and thousands of libraries. The Smashwords Store provides an opportunity to discover new voices in all categories and genres of the written word.

Shamanic Initiation Dreams

Many people in today's world are being called by Spirit to become shamans or shamanic practitioners. 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. We live in a culture that has severed itself from Nature and Spirit. Humans have lost touch with the spirit world and the wisdom of inner knowing. The spirits, however, have not forgotten us. They are calling us to a path of environmental sanity, to rejoining the miraculous cycle of Nature. 

Spirit calls us to a path of shamanism in many ways. It can be as dramatic as a life threatening illness or as simple as a dream. Some people receive signs of a shamanic calling through their dreams. Future shamans may dream of spirits and ancestors or hear their voices. Others may have recurring dreams in which they meet certain animal or teacher figures that are manifestations of the very spirits who are calling them. Also, in dreams the candidate is sometimes given initiatory directives and learns which objects will be needed to perform cures. These instructions are given by the spirits and by the older master shamans and are equivalent to an initiation.

 
During a shamanic dream initiation, the candidate usually experiences suffering, death, and resurrection, including a symbolic cutting up of the body, such as dismemberment or disembowelment by ancestral or animal spirits. The candidate dies a symbolic death and is then restored and brought back to life, whole and empowered. Sometimes initiation dreams begin even in childhood. Usually, the premonitory dreams of future shamans are followed by mortal illnesses if they are not rightly respected.
 

The souls of the dead are regarded as a source of shamanic powers among some tribes like the Paviotso, the Shoshone, the Paiute, the Lillooet, and the Thompson Salish. In northern California this method of bestowing shamanic powers is widespread. The Yurok shamans dream of a dead man, usually a shaman. Among the Sinkyone the power is sometimes received in dreams in which the candidate's deceased relatives appear; the Wintu also become shamans after such dreams, especially if they dream of their own dead children. In the Shasta tribe the first indication of shamanic power follows dreams of a departed mother, father, or ancestor.

 
Among the Mohave and the Yuma of southern California, power comes from the mythical beings who transmitted it to shamans at the beginning of the world. Transmission takes place in dreams and includes an initiation scenario. In their dreams the Yuma shamans witness the beginning of the world and experience mythical times. Such dreams may include a mystical journey to the archetypal Cosmic Tree or World Tree. Among the Maricopa, initiatory dreams involve a spirit taking the future shaman's soul and leading it from mountain to mountain, each time revealing songs and cures. Ultimately, it is the spirits who choose and make the shaman.

"The Shamanic Drum" eBook Sale

Mark your calendar! I am taking part in the 13th annual Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale, taking place Thursday, July 1 through Saturday, July 31, 2021. For the entire month of July, all of my ebooks are 50% off list price: The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming, I Ching: The Tao of Drumming, Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits, Shamanic Drumming Circles Guide, and The Great Shift: And How To Navigate It. Choose from multiple file formats including .epub, .mobi for Kindles, and PDF. Click on the following link to my Smashwords author page and you will receive the 50% discount automatically by adding my books to your cart: Smashwords July Summer/Winter Sale.
 

Why does Smashwords call it "Summer/Winter"? Here in the Northern hemisphere, it's mid-summer. Readers are loading their e-reading devices for summer beach reading and long-awaited vacations. South of the equator, readers are now in the middle of winter. They're ready to curl up in front of the fireplace and enjoy a great read too! Smashwords is the world's largest distributor of indie ebooks. They make it fast, free and easy for any author or publisher, anywhere in the world, to publish and distribute ebooks to the major retailers and thousands of libraries. The Smashwords Store provides an opportunity to discover new voices in all categories and genres of the written word.

Becoming 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. We live in a culture that has severed itself from nature and spirit. Humans have lost touch with the spirit world and the wisdom of inner knowing. The spirits, however, have not forgotten us. They are calling us to a path of environmental sanity, to rejoining the miraculous cycle of nature.
 

The spirits call many to work with them, but only a few may respond to the call. Choosing to ignore a calling may have undesirable consequences or none at all. For some, it can lead to depression and illness as the life force is constricted and thwarted. Those who choose to follow their shamanic calling may have no idea how to begin.

What do you do if the ancestral shamanic tradition no longer exists in your culture, but you still feel the call today? While traditional, indigenous shamanism continues to decline around the world, shamanic ideology has gradually entered Western humanities and social sciences and developed into the neo-shamanic movement. Neo-shamanism is a term used to describe the creation or revival of a shamanic culture. Most modern shamanic practitioners fall into this category. Neo-shamanism is not a single, cohesive belief system, but a collective term for many such philosophies. Neo-shamans use a variety of core techniques from different shamanic disciplines. 

Mircea Eliade, a religious scholar, was perhaps the first to write about neo-shamanism. In his classic work, "Shamanism: Archaic Techniques of Ecstasy," Eliade discusses the three stages of becoming a shaman: the Call, Training, and Initiation. The first stage to becoming a healer, as described by Eliade, is that of the calling--this call comes from the family, the community, or from the world beyond. Some are called, initiated and trained by spirit guides and/or human teachers from childhood.

Spirit calls us to a path of shamanism in many ways. It can be as dramatic as a life threatening illness or as simple as a dream. Some people receive signs of a shamanic calling through their dreams. Shamans frequently journey during their dreams, often flying through the air. Shamans may have recurring dreams in which they meet certain animal or teacher figures that are manifestations of the very spirits who are calling them.

The more common signs of a shamanic calling are ones of personality, such as a desire to spend time alone in nature. Shamanic candidates tend to be loners and are often considered eccentric or "different." One of the most reliable signs of a shamanic calling is the urge to learn about shamanism. One of the things I have learned working with spirits is that they often prompt me through urges to do one thing or another. This is a common form of communication and instruction by helping spirits. The very fact that you are reading this post at this time is meaningful. It is the spirits themselves who are guiding you to search for information about shamanism. Your yearning to learn more about shamanism is a sign that the spirits are calling you. The call functions to awaken your own inner knowing and the yearning to express your true self through the artistry of the shaman. 

Shamans are called, and then receive rigorous instruction. Training may follow an ordered tradition or take a spontaneous course guided by the shaman's spirit helpers. The function of training is to develop the skills and talents so that shamanic practitioners don't unintentionally hurt themselves or others. Though the spirits give shamans their healing powers, shamans must learn the technique of invoking them. Traditional shamanic training requires considerable devotion and personal sacrifice, not so much to gain power, but to become the person who can wield that power responsibly. Ongoing practice and learning are essential to perfecting any art or skill.

Where does one find shamanic training in the digital age? There are growing numbers of spiritual seekers who learn about shamanism from the internet or through reading the published works of individuals who have received shamanic training. Though a handbook is no substitute for an apprenticeship program, it can convey the fundamental methodological information. Authentic shamanic knowledge can only be acquired through individual experience; however, one must first acquire the methods in order to utilize them. Once you have learned the basic skills, your helping spirits can provide you all the training you need.

Then there is Initiation. Shamanic initiation is a rite of passage, connecting the apprentice shaman intimately to the spirit world. It is typically the final step in shamanic training, though initiation may be set in motion at any time by spirit's intervention into the initiate's life. Ultimately, shamanic initiation takes place between the initiate and the spirit world. It is the spirits who choose and make the shaman.
 

How does someone embark on the shamanic path? To be an effective shamanic healer, one must go through the three steps. The first step is to acknowledge the calling.

Working with Shamanic Drums

As a drum circle facilitator, I get asked a lot about how to work with shamanic drums. Drums are an essential part of shamanic work; we use them for journeying, healing and celebration, both for ourselves and for the community. Additionally, the shamanic techniques of extraction, soul retrieval and divination can all be performed with the drum. Yet many people I meet who acquire a drum say they want to work with it but they are not sure how to.
 

Before shamanizing with a drum, sit and meditate with the instrument for a few minutes. By quieting the mind, you will be able to connect with the spirit of the drum. When you feel ready, pick up your drumstick and grip it with the thumb at the side and the fingers curled underneath. Hold the stick with a tight, relaxed grip and start playing at the rhythm the spirits direct you to use. Remember to "stroke" the drum, rather than "beat" it. Never vent your frustrations by pounding on a drum. One should always "drum the beat," rather than "beat the drum."
 

Always begin a drumming session by softly stroking the drum, and then gradually increase the intensity of your playing. It is not necessary to hammer the drum to bring out its unique voice and resonance. It is best to stroke the drum firmly, producing ringing tones and overtones. Use short strokes with a minimal amount of motion to pull the sound out of the drum. Keep your arms and shoulders relaxed, breathing slowly and deeply as you play. By playing the drum in this manner, you will have greater precision and endurance.
 

When a stick hits a drumhead, it rebounds in the opposite direction. The drummer who plays with too much tension, or hammers the stick into the drum, will find that the direction of the stick continues to move downward contrary to the upward push of the rebound. Rather than bouncing off the head, the stick is forced into the head by a hand still pushing down on the stick after it should have changed direction. The result is a loss of speed, control and clean, distinct strokes.
 

The less tension there is in the muscles of the arms and hands, the easier it is to respond to the bounce off the head. Moreover, by incorporating the energy coming off the drumhead into the upstroke, the drummer's playing will become quicker, more fluid and relaxed. That way the energy circulates, comes back and you can use it again. The key is to focus your energy to that point on the drumhead's surface that you are striking, not beyond it. Transfer your energy and intention into the drum, using a smooth, relaxed stroke. With practice, you learn just how much energy to send out to achieve a desired result and how much to retain so that you don't tire.
 

Move the drumstick around the head of the drum as you play, allowing the various tones and overtones to resonate through you. You will find the higher tones around the outer edges of the drumhead and the deeper sounds toward the center of the drum. If you can, find the sweet spot--that place where the drum begins to hum and sing. The drum has to sing in order to reach its full potential for healing and empowerment.
 

When playing a drum, life force energy flows between the drumhead and the drumstick. With practice, you should be able to feel this subtle force pushing and pulling on the stick. Allow this force to guide your drumming in order to draw out what is already within the drum. Shamanic drumming is about transposing already existing harmonics into sound by stroking them from the drum.

Five Groundbreaking Books on Shamanism

1. Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing by Michael Winkelman (2010): Michael Winkelman's volume on shamanism has replaced Mircea Eliade's classic text as the most authoritative and innovative book on the topic. This book examines shamanism from evolutionary and biological perspectives to identify the origins of shamanic healing in rituals that enhance individual and group function. Winkelman presents the shamanic paradigm within a biopsychosocial framework for explaining successful human evolution through group rituals. According to Winkelman, shamanism is rooted in innate functions of the brain, mind, and consciousness. As Winkelman puts it, "The cross-cultural manifestations of basic experiences related to shamanism (e.g., soul flight, death-and-rebirth, animal identities) illustrates that these practices are not strictly cultural but are structured by underlying, biologically inherent structures. These are neurobiological structures of knowing that provide the universal aspects of the human brain/mind." Winkelman's Shamanism is essential reading for anyone interested in shamanism, human evolution, the origin of religion, and traditional healing practice.

2. An Encyclopedia of Shamanism by Christina Pratt (2007): Christina Pratt's outstanding two-volume encyclopedia combines the philosophy, concepts, and practical elements that make up shamanism. Pratt has compiled a potentially useful -- although rather expensive -- reference tool that bears testimony to how far shamanism has come in the last few decades. Thirty years ago, shamanism was rarely discussed outside of scholarly anthropological circles. Today, we find this two-volume encyclopedia set offered by a mainstream academic press that specializes in educational books for young readers. Moreover, the set's contents are rich enough to provide shamanic practitioners with some stimulating windows into the transformative worlds of both traditional and contemporary shamanism. Unlike many cross-cultural overviews on shamanism, the essays and many of the entries in these volumes are enriched by the author's personal background in several experiential shamanic traditions.

3. Ecstatic Body Postures: An Alternate Reality Workbook by Belinda Gore (1995): Anthropologist Felicitas Goodman discovered that specific yoga-like poses recur in the art and artifacts of world cultures, even societies widely separated by time and space. Goodman's hypothesis, therefore, was that these postures represented coded instructions on how to produce consistent trance-like effects. Goodman researched and explored ritual body postures as a means to achieve a bodily induced trance experience. She discovered that people who assume these body postures report strikingly similar trance experiences irrespective of their worldview or belief systems. With clear instructions and illustrations, Belinda Gore, one of Dr. Goodman's prominent students, demonstrates these shamanic postures and how to work with them. There are different postures that facilitate divination, shapeshifting, spirit journeys, and more.

4. Soul Retrieval: Mending the Fragmented Self by Sandra Ingerman (1991): Ingerman's visionary book revives the ancient shamanic tradition of soul retrieval for healing emotional and physical illness. Most shamanic cultures around the world believe that whenever we suffer an emotional or physical trauma a part of our soul flees the body in order to survive the experience. By soul I mean our spiritual essence, life force, the part of our vitality that keeps us alive and thriving. It has always been the role of the shaman to go into an altered state of consciousness and track down where the soul fled to in the alternate realities and restore it. The loss of life force is known as soul loss. It is important to understand that soul loss is a natural thing that happens to us. It is how we survive pain. Our psyche cannot endure the kind of pain associated with a severe emotional or physical trauma. So our psyches have this self protect mechanism where a part of our essence or soul leaves the body so that we do not feel the full impact of a painful experience. In psychology we call this disassociation. The major characteristic of all dissociative phenomena involves a detachment from reality. It isn't hard to recognize that there is a lot of planetary soul loss today based on how we behave towards each other and the web of life.

5. The Way of the Shaman: A Guide to Power and Healing by Michael Harner (1980): Founder of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Harner blazed the trail for the worldwide revival of shamanism and shamanic drumming with his 1980 seminal classic. This informative guide to core shamanic practice set me on a new course in life. From this guide, I learned to hone my skills of shamanic journeying. Harner teaches core shamanism, the universal and common methods of the shaman to enter "non-ordinary reality" for problem solving and healing. Particular emphasis is on the classic shamanic journey; one of the most remarkable visionary methods used by humankind to access inner wisdom and guidance by the teachers within. Learning to journey is the first step in becoming a shamanic practitioner.

"The Shamanic Drum" Book Sale

Amazon is now offering a 16% discount on the paperback edition of my book "The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming." The paperback sale price is $11.69. Shamanic drumming is an ancient approach that uses rhythm to promote healing and self-expression. Based on my studies and personal shamanic experience, 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 therapy, drum circles and the therapeutic effects of drumming. Whether you are an accomplished percussionist or a total beginner, this user-friendly book will help you harness the power of drumming. Recent studies demonstrate that drumming is a valuable treatment for stress, chronic pain, cancer, stroke, trauma, addictions, mental illness, emotional disorders and a wide range of physical disabilities. The benefits include relaxation, healing, more energy, greater mental clarity, enhanced creativity and deeper self-awareness. Look inside "The Shamanic Drum."

Indie Shaman: The Shamanism Magazine

Indie Shaman is a leading shamanism magazine published in the United Kingdom and distributed internationally for those interested in shamanism, animism and all things shamanic. With pages packed full of informative illustrated articles by established authors in the field of shamanism, this magazine is aimed at people interested in living ethically according to shamanic principles. The 'Indie' in Indie Shaman stands for independent, meaning all inclusive regardless of tradition or area of shamanic interest. Indie also means independent people who thinks for themselves as in their slogan 'For Independent Spirits', a very shamanic trait found in both indigenous and contemporary shamans. Indie Shaman seeks to provide a supportive network for those interested in shamanism or a shamanic way of life, as well as for shamanic practitioners from all cultures. In doing this they endeavor to help people answer questions about life, promote self-discovery and self-development, and encourage respect for the self, the community and the land. To learn more visit Indie Shaman.

"The Shamanic Drum" Audiobook Release

I am pleased to announce the release of my audiobook "The Shamanic Drum: A Guide to Sacred Drumming." Shamanic drumming is an ancient approach that uses rhythm to promote healing and self-expression. Based on my studies and personal shamanic experience, 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 therapy, drum circles and the therapeutic effects of drumming. Whether you are an accomplished percussionist or a total beginner, this user-friendly audiobook will help you harness the power of drumming. Recent studies demonstrate that drumming is a valuable treatment for stress, chronic pain, cancer, stroke, trauma, addictions, mental illness, emotional disorders and a wide range of physical disabilities. The benefits include relaxation, healing, more energy, greater mental clarity, enhanced creativity and deeper self-awareness. 

 

Conveniently listen to the book on your phone, computer, tablet or in the car. Available on Amazon and iTunes. I invite you to listen to the Introduction on YouTube.

Contents (1994 Revised Edition)
Introduction
Chapter 1 - The Role of the Drum
Chapter 2 - The Fundamentals of Shamanic Drumming
Chapter 3 - Power Practice
Chapter 4 - Drumbeat of the Rainbow Fire
Chapter 5 - Healing the Earth
Afterword
Appendix A - Drums
Appendix B - Journeys

The Way of the Shaman Documentary

Michael Harner

Michael Harner blazed the trail for the worldwide revival of shamanism and shamanic drumming with his 1980 seminal classic The Way of the Shaman (over 600,000 sold). Founder of The Foundation for Shamanic Studies, Michael Harner is widely acknowledged as the world's foremost authority on experiential and practical shamanism, and has had an enormous influence on both the academic and lay worlds. This documentary movie takes us through Michael's early expeditions as a young anthropologist in the jungles of the Ecuadorian and Peruvian Amazon and his life-altering insights into shamanic power. The film is an informative and inspiring look at the people behind the evolution of this groundbreaking spiritual healing methodology that honors and builds upon the ancient knowledge of the world's shamans. Movie available free online: https://vimeo.com/220889134

10 Reasons Why You Should be Making Prayer Ties

The sacrament tobacco is used cross-culturally as a unifying thread of communication between humans and the spiritual powers. Offering tobacco smoke or a pinch of dry tobacco carries our prayers to the "Loom of Creation," thereby reweaving the pattern of existence in accordance with those prayers. Prayer ties are spiritual offerings created by wrapping tobacco into a cloth while praying and focusing on your intention -- what you desire or expect to accomplish. They should be thought of as a physical manifestation of your prayer.

A prayer tie is made with a small (about 2") square of 100% cotton cloth and it is usually tied with 100% cotton string. The cotton cloth is usually red, but can be of any color, depending on the circumstances, which tradition you are following, or what your intuition tells you. To make a prayer tie, begin by smudging yourself and your materials. After smudging, take a pinch of tobacco and focus on your intention while holding it. Next, place the pinch of tobacco at the center of the cloth. Gently bundle the tobacco into the cloth, and then loop the string around the bundle and pull tightly. If you are making more than one prayer tie, space them evenly on the string. I usually make a tobacco tie for each of the six directions -- East, South, West, North, Above and Below.

Making a small sacred bundle to hold the tobacco makes it easier to carry on your person, to make an offering of to another person, and to hold onto for longer periods of time. As with any sacred object, treat your prayer ties with the honor and respect they deserve. Upon completion, prayer tie offerings might be left hanging in a tree, buried in the ground, left on a mountain top, added to your sacred space, or offered to grandfather fire. When prayer ties are ritually burned, they open a path of communication between the human world and the spirit world. Here are 10 good reasons for making prayer ties:

1. For personal protection. Everyone should make personal prayer ties and then carry them at all times for protection from negativity. I carry my prayer ties in a small leather pouch that I wear around my neck.

2. To protect your home from negative or unwanted energies. You should hang a string of prayer ties over each door to your home. I also hang a strand of ties over the main east-facing window of my home.

3. As a way to honor and safeguard sacred objects. I always store a string of prayer ties in with items like my sacred pipe and shamanic drum.

4. When someone is ill. Making prayer ties is a good way to pray for friends and loved ones who are sick or injured. 

5. To prepare for ceremony. The making of prayer ties is a wonderful way to prepare for ceremonies such as sweat lodge, vision quest, or whenever there is a sacred fire.

6. When someone has died. Creating prayer ties is a good way to pray for the safe passage of newly deceased souls. Unfortunately, many of the psychopomp myths and rituals that once helped prepare people for this final rite of passage have become lost or forgotten. When people are unprepared to face death, they often need additional assistance crossing over into the spirit world.

7. As a sign of friendship. Gifting someone with a prayer tie is a great way to show how much you value their friendship.

8. When you are seeking advice or information from someone. Giving a tobacco tie to someone who has helped you is a good way to show your appreciation for what they have done for you.

9. As an offering of gratitude to Mother Earth. Foster a reciprocal relationship of meaning to the Earth. Take time to honor and respect the reciprocal cycle of give and take, for Mother Earth provides everything we need to live and flourish.

10. Anytime you feel called to pray to the Creator. Regular prayer is a cornerstone of spiritual practice. Over time, frequent prayers help to dissolve our mind and through them we gain access to Divine consciousness. Praying brings us Divine help, reduces our ego, grants us forgiveness of mistakes, and much more.

The 7 Keys to Accessing Shamanic Consciousness

Shamanism has achieved a dramatic modern resurgence. Recent studies by some of the world's foremost scholars on shamanism reveal that the contemporary world still hungers for transcendent experiences because the shamanic narrative is hard-wired in us all. Study results demonstrate that the cross-cultural manifestations of shamanism and its contemporary appeal are rooted in innate functions of the brain, mind, and consciousness. 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. Learn the fundamentals of this sacred ancient practice in this in-depth guide to shamanism.

"Shamanic Transformations"

I am a contributing writer for the new book "Shamanic Transformations: True Stories of the Moment of Awakening." It is a collection of inspiring accounts from contemporary shamans about their first moments of spiritual epiphany. Contributing writers include Sandra Ingerman, Hank Wesselman, John Perkins, Alberto Villoldo, Lewis Mehl-Madrona, Tom Cowan, Linda Star Wolf, and others. My contribution is "The Calling," which is an excerpt from my book "Shamanic Drumming: Calling the Spirits." How does one receive the "call" to enter onto the shamanic path? What causes some people to change their safe, uneventful, and ordinary lives and start on a spiritual search? To learn more, look inside "Shamanic Transformations." To read the entire excerpt of "The Calling," click here.