Trickster Times

Print by Bill Lewis

Right now, we're living in Trickster Times. Because when civilizations start to become moribund; when social, economic and political systems stagnate, and empires become degenerate and unresponsive to the needs of the people, in walks Trickster to shake it all up. Trickster is the catalyst, the disruptor who triggers the breaking down of the old order. The Trickster we get is often, in Jungian terms, a reflection of the cultural Shadow. When you identify the contemporary Trickster(s) in your culture, you'll discover the nature of the contemporary cultural Shadow. It's anger, hate, alienation, xenophobia, and soul-killing fear. The cultural Shadow is part of who we are, and we all have to take responsibility for it. Read more.

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe Releases Documentary

In the midst of federal government deliberations over the Dakota Access Pipeline, the Standing Rock Sioux tribe has released a short film titled "Mni Wiconi: The Stand at Standing Rock," a new, eight-minute film exploring the nearly eight-month battle to stop construction of the pipeline on sacred tribal lands.

"This film tells the story of our prayerful and peaceful demonstrations by water protectors that have motivated thousands of tribal members and non-Native people around the world to take a stand," said the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe’s Chairman, Dave Archambault II in a release. "In it, you hear the voices of people fighting for their lives, because water is life."

From Slave to Shaman

Guarani 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. Taking responsibility for our lives involves breaking out of this robotic existence and taking responsibility for Life as a whole; for the evolution of our societies into something vastly more meaningful, creative and joyous than the moribund system we have today. Read 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.

Meet the Shamans of Siberia

Long suppressed by the government, Siberian shamanism has experienced an unprecedented revival following the collapse of the Soviet Union, and the number of shamans continues to rise. In a bewildering urban landscape where long traditions of nomadic lifestyles are things of the past, the ancient beliefs of shamanism serve to fill a spiritual void. Siberian shamans can cure illnesses, play a horse's fiddle and control the weather. Some of them can travel over long distances and even levitate by hovering over the birch trees. Meet the Shamans of Siberia.