Sunday, March 13, 2016

16 Uneasy Feelings That Signal We're On The Right Path

Challenges, uncomfortable as they may be, afford us an incredible opportunity for learning. We can either choose to let the negative experiences we encounter bring us down, or we can choose to embrace them and thereby rise above them. Discomfort is what happens when we are on the precipice of change. Unfortunately, we often confuse it for unhappiness, and cope with the latter while running from the former. It usually takes a bit of discomfort to break through to a new understanding, to release a limiting belief, to motivate ourselves to create real change. Discomfort is a signal, one that is often very helpful. Click here to learn a few undesirable feelings that may indicate you're on the right path after all.

Sunday, March 6, 2016

A Drum Called "Rolling Thunder"

The community drum in this photo is named "Rolling Thunder." She is a Taos cottonwood log drum with a buffalo hide head. She is the most powerful, healing drum I have ever had the good fortune to connect with. True to her name, she sounds and feels like rolling thunder! Rolling Thunder has been the heartbeat of our community drum circle for over twenty years. We put our prayers into the drum before we play. We then send our prayers out into the circle of life on the voice of the drum. The resonance of the drum "shakes the earth" and the earth stops to listen.

Also called council drums, these are large drums that can be played by many people at the same time. A community drum symbolizes the heartbeat of the circle. Community drums foster and sustain a culture of engagement and collaboration. Playing together on a community drum bonds the individual members of the circle. Moreover, a communal drum can be ritually awakened and dedicated to the work, process or mission the circle. Read more about community drums.

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Shamanic Artist Caroline Manière

"Sacred Drumming"
Born in 1968 in Dijon, France, Caroline Manière lives and works in Bourron-Marlotte (Paris region).

SHAMAN’S DRUM

Oh! My many-colored drum
Ye who standeth in the forward corner!
Oh! My merry and painted drum,
Ye who standeth here!
Let thy shoulder and neck be strong.

Hark, oh hark my horse—ye female maral deer!
Hark, oh hark my horse—ye bear!
Hark, oh hark ye!

Oh, painted drum who standeth in the forward corner!
My mounts—male and female maral deer.
Be silent sonorous drum,
Skin-covered drum,
Fulfill my wishes.

Like flitting clouds, carry me
Through the lands of dusk
And below the leaden sky,
Sweep along like wind
Over the mountain peaks!

—Tuvas of Siberia

Sunday, February 21, 2016

Joanne Shenandoah Transplant Drive

Joanne Shenandoah (born 1958, Oneida) is a singer, composer and acoustic guitarist based in the United States. She is a member of the Wolf Clan; the Oneida Nation is part of the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois Confederacy). Her music is a combination of traditional songs and melodies with a blend of instrumentation. She has recorded more than 15 albums and won numerous awards, including a Grammy Award for her part in the album Sacred Ground: A Tribute to Mother Earth (2005), which had tracks by numerous artists. Joanne has been diagnosed with non-alcohol cirrhosis of the liver due to her entire immune system shut down during her struggle for 10 days on life support. So now she is seeking the transplant and will have a host of expenses related. To donate, visit Joanne Shenandoah Transplant Drive.

Sunday, February 14, 2016

Power Song

Buryat Shamanic Poles photo by Simon Matzinger
Power Song

Oh spirits awaken with light,
On wings of the Eagle take flight.
Soar between the Earth and Sky,
And in harmony unite with me.

From the Lower World you arise,
To bring me power and advise.
Ride the winds of the World’s Rim,
Then descend to me at the Center.

—Michael Drake