Mongolia's Ten Sacred Mountains

Mongolia is unique in that it has ten sacred mountains protected by Presidential Decree. Paying homage to sacred mountains has been integral to shamanic practice in Mongolia, and the country has some of the oldest, official, continuously protected sites in the world, dating back to the 13th century. Mongolia's commitment to the veneration and protection of sacred natural sites is both a spiritual and practical custom that weaves together religious traditions, cultural practices and political legitimacy. The rituals and practices involved with revering these sacred places -- and the environmental stewardship that results -- intersects with longstanding political tradition and leadership of the state. No other country in the world can claim this history. Mongolia's political respect for and deference to the sacred landscape connects the sacred with the profane, equating spiritual well-being with the health of the people and the interests of the nation. In turn, these policies have become central to ecological conservation today. While other countries search for ways to incorporate environmentalism into their national conversation and impress upon their citizens the need for ecological awareness and conservation, Mongolia's approach to conservation as both a spiritual and practical matter is compelling. As Mongolian shaman Buyanbadrakh says, "The traditional ways of worshiping and protecting sacred places are the best way to care for nature." Read more.

Is Shamanism the World's Oldest Profession?

A new study published in the journal Behavioral and Brain Sciences suggests shamans acted as the first professional class in human society. Manvir Singh, a graduate student in the Department of Human Evolutionary Biology in the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences at Harvard University argues in a new paper that shamanism develops as specialists compete to provide magical services to their community. Those services could range from healing disease to exorcising evil spirits to telling fortunes, or even changing the weather. According to Singh, "The theory is that there are important things we really want to have control over -- calling rain, summoning animals, healing illness. All around the world, people believe that these important, uncertain outcomes are influenced by invisible forces -- gods, witches, their ancestors, fairies, and more. But a shaman says, 'I can control that. I can talk to fairies. I can see signs of witches. I can be possessed by a god or speak to them.'" The key to the community's trust that a shaman has those abilities, Singh said, comes from the belief that the shaman is transformed into something more than human, and able to interact with supernatural forces. This helps explain how shamans became the first professional class in human societies. Read more.

Smashwords End of Year eBook Sale

Mark your calendar! I am taking part in the Smashwords End of Year eBook Sale. From December 25, 2018 through January 1, 2019, thousands of Smashwords authors and publishers will offer readers exclusive discounts on their eBooks. For these eight days only, you can download any of my titles for 25% off list price. 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 25% discount automatically by adding my books to your cart: Smashwords End of Year Sale.

Winter Solstice 2018

In the Northern Hemisphere, the Winter Solstice is the shortest day of the year and the first day of winter. This occurs December 20, 21, or 22, varying from year to year, dependent upon the elliptical path of the Earth around our Sun. Ancient peoples in our northern climes regarded Winter Solstice as the pivotal time of year. It is a time of transition in the annual cycle when the old year ends and our journey into the New Year begins. It is a sacred time to conduct ceremonies focused on the return of light and warmth. Rituals designed to divert nature from the path toward eternal winter and oblivion to one directed toward light and prosperity. Most cultures planned festivals and celebrations at or around the Winter Solstice to ensure that the Sun would return.

Winter Solstice is an affirmation of the continuation of life; that the cyclical order of time and the cosmos will continue intact. Fire and light have always played a central role in the Winter Solstice ceremonies. In much of northern Europe people ignited huge bonfires. Lighted candles were often placed on the branches of evergreen trees, which symbolized survival and eternal life. These symbols of warmth and lasting life were lit to hasten the "old" Sun's waning and the "new" Sun's rebirth. On the Winter Solstice we are all praying, on some level, for the darkness to end. "Just return the light!" the ceremonies seem to say. As we celebrate the return of the light, we affirm the continuation of life at the very moment of dissolution. To be sure, dark days lie ahead. But contained within each is the promise of brighter tomorrows.

Shapeshifting the World

Shapeshifting is the shamanic art of shifting our old, entrenched thought patterns and perspectives in order to transform ourselves, both as individuals and communities. Shapeshifting is about changing from one energetic state to another, and it occurs on two different levels. The first level is personal, such as when an individual shifts their energy to match that of an animal or helping spirit. The purpose of personal shapeshifting is to take on the perspective of a helping spirit in order to see the world through their eyes and to build a mutually supportive relationship. The reason for building a relationship with a spirit helper is to acquire knowledge, wisdom, and a broader, deeper understanding of the world.
 

The second level of shapeshifting is social, such as when people collectively transform their organizations and communities. The purpose of social shapeshifting is to develop new thought and behavior patterns in order to change the social world. We can only change our social reality by changing the way we think -- by changing our beliefs, expectations and assumptions which keep us stuck in a narrow perspective. Since all energy follows thought, shapeshifting is one of the most effective means of transforming societies. We create ourselves by how we invest this energy. What we focus our attention on is what our world becomes. By utilizing the principles of shapeshifting, we can transform our existing world into a sustainable, peaceful world where all our relations can thrive. 

 

To bring about social change, we cannot fight who we are. We cannot beat the existing system; we have to build a better one instead. As American architect, systems theorist, and author R. Buckminster Fuller put it, "You never change things by fighting against the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the old model obsolete." We cannot change our political system by fighting it. We cannot change an oppressive government by voting for more progressive politicians. We cannot bring about the kind of social change we want by trying to tear down the parts of the old system that we do not like. We can only change the social structure by building a new model that is so desirable and so successful that people will clamor for it. From a shamanic perspective, we need to shapeshift a new world into being. To learn more, look inside The Great Shift.