Posts in Category: Shamanism
The Role of Animism in Healing
I recently enjoyed watching The Last of the Mohicans and the insight it gave into the Native American spirit and way of life. The opening scene gave an informative view into the Shamanic tradition of animism demonstrating the reverence tribal people had for animals and the Web of Life. In this scene, three hunters chase a Stag through the woods and strike a final blow. As the animal emits its last breath they say a prayer over the dead body.
We do honour to your courage and speed, your strength.
We’re sorry to kill you, Brother.
By honouring and respecting the spirit of the Stag they are living in spiritual harmony with nature. They killed the animal to eat, not for sport, and expressed gratitude for the spirit of the animal leaving its host body to enable them to receive nourishment.
Animism is an ancient belief system that attributes spiritual essence or consciousness to all entities, including animals, plants, inanimate objects, and natural phenomena such as the wind and rain. It is the idea that everything in the natural world has a soul and is animated by a spirit, being alive and interconnected.
Animism is not a single, unified religion but rather a belief system found in various forms across the remaining indigenous cultures. This belief system was prevalent up to 5,000 years ago until urbanization caused humanity to progressively forget about nature and the Web of Life. Each culture may have its own unique practices and interpretations of animistic principles but there are some broad themes:
Spiritual Essence
Animism posits that all things, whether living or non-living, have a spirit or soul. This includes all the expressions of nature including humans, animals, plants, rocks, rivers, and mountains;
Interconnectedness
In animistic beliefs, all entities are interconnected through their spirits. This interconnectedness often leads to a worldview where humans are part of a larger, spiritually interconnected ecosystem. Tribal communities understood that they had a responsibility to be the custodians of nature as part of this web of life;
Respect for Nature
Animism promotes a deep respect for nature and the environment, seeing it as alive and deserving of reverence. This respect often translates into sustainable living practices and rituals to honour the spirits of the natural world. Indigenous shamanic culture also knew the importance of treating the spirits of plants and animals with respect by asking for their permission before using them for food or medicine; and
Communication
Many animistic traditions involve communication with the spirits of nature through rituals, offerings, and prayers. Shamans or spiritual leaders often act as intermediaries between the human community and the spirit world. This communication with the spirits of animals and plants assists with deep healing.
The advent of religion in the West resulted in the patriarchal attitude of dominion over nature which caused a decline of animism in our culture. This has disrupted our connection with nature, traditional healing methods, and the origins of our food. Shopping at supermarkets distances us from natural foods, leaving us unaware of how they were produced or whether animals suffered. While the Christian tradition of saying grace before meals offers a nod to the gratitude of our tribal ancestors, this practice has largely faded in contemporary society.
Contemporary shamanism is bringing shamanic practices back into our culture. Although often linked with ancient or indigenous traditions, animism still impacts contemporary spiritual practices and environmental movements. It encourages a deep connection to nature and advocates for environmental stewardship, highlighting an increasing recognition of the importance of sustainable and harmonious living with the natural world. We can travel on shamanic journeys to seek guidance and healing from spirit allies and to restore balance with Mother Earth and nature.
As a Shamanic Practitioner, I can utilise animism for medicinal purposes and to resolve addictions and dependencies. Some plants such as Cannabis are medicinal but can have a possessing spirit which can create a dependency or addiction. By travelling to meet with the plant spirit and communicating with it the dependency can be resolved, alongside healing the cause. However, the individual will also be required to make lifestyle changes to support the healing.
For further information about Shamanic Healing and the Shamanic Techniques that I use, please go to www.roseautumn.com
Wolf Spirit
Having seen Wolf misrepresented on social media recently, I decided to share the lesser-known, positive qualities and energies of this magnificent Spirit Guide.
Wolf has appeared to me in Shamanic Journeys several times over recent months and I have enjoyed interacting with him. For me, he is a loyal protector holding physical strength that is moderated by the wisdom which can be found in the Divine Masculine.
Contemporary society has a lot to learn from Wolf Medicine at a time when men acting for greedy corporations intimidate single mothers and grandparents who are experiencing fuel poverty due to falsely inflated prices.
Over years of reading, I have noticed that Wolf is often associated with danger and destruction, being depicted as a fierce predator roaming around looking for something vulnerable to kill. However, further research demonstrates that this ferocious reputation is a misrepresentation, causing him to be misunderstood as an egotistical creature in service to self.
The modern notion of the Big Bad Wolf arises from European folklore which has its origins in the Bible, which contains 13 references to wolves, usually as metaphors for negative traits such as greed and destructiveness:
- Ferocious – Habakkuk 1:8;
- Sheep-eating – John 10:12.
- Treachery – Genesis 49:27;
- Desolation – Isaiah 13:22; 34:14; Jeremiah 50:39;
- Wicked leaders -Ezekiel 22:27; Zephaniah 3:3;
- False prophets/teachers – Matthew 7:15; Acts 20:29.
These traits are further embedded through several pre-17th-century folk tales around the theme of Little Red Riding Hood where the wolf is presented as a sly, cunning creature who wants to take advantage of the young and the old in service of his selfish greed without any consideration for others.
Later, the fable of The Three Little Pigs presents the Big Bad Wolf; an intimidating force that causes fear through the unnecessary harm done to the pigs by destroying their homes.
In Peter and the Wolf, Prokofiev’s 1936 musical symphony for children, Peters’s grandfather is in fear of wolves when a ferocious wolf comes out of the forest to attack Peter and his animals. The response is to humiliate the beast by parading him at a zoo. Of course, given that we create our own reality via the Seven Hermetic Principles, the grandfather’s fear likely attracted the wolf – see https://www.roseautumn.com/2022/01/the-seven-hermetic-principles/.
In America, the notion of there being two wolves inside us continually competing for supremacy comes from an old Cherokee story; but instead of being seen as an aggressive fighter, this intelligent creature deserves our respect as a caring animal who observes consideration for their fellow pack members.
When they are on the move, the pack leader shows respect to his elders and those less able than himself by walking at the back to allow the slowest members to lead at their own pace. This is evidenced in the following picture showing the Wolf Pack Formation.
The first three (circled in yellow) are the weakest pack members, the old and sick, who walk at the front to set the pace so that the others have to slow down to their speed. They also serve as a form of protection; they will lose their lives first from a frontal attack, preserving the young and the women who can bear more children.
Behind them, the wolves in the red box are the five strongest of the pack who will protect the young and the mothers behind them. By walking at a slower pace they will conserve their energy ready for a frontal attack.
In the middle are the females and young wolves who are fully protected from the front and rear. They receive the most protection as they represent the future of the pack.
Following are another five strong wolves to protect them from behind.
Finally, the leader of the pack (blue arrow) watches over them all. He ensures that no one is left behind. He keeps the pack tight and on the same path. He is ready to run in any direction to protect his fellow members from danger.
A Wolf leader reminds us that it is not important to be at the front; it is more important to equally value and take care of all members of your team. If our leaders in the government, the councils, and other community groups took some Wolf Medicine our society would be a better and safer place to be: women would be respected in their nurturing role as mothers; children would be properly nurtured by the women and supported by the men; and the old would remain a respected part of the community.
Wolves have other traits that cause them to deserve our respect:
- They do not mate with their sisters or mothers;
- They are monogamous mating for life with one partner and if one dies, the other remains alone;
- It is the only animal that helps their parents by bringing them food in old age;
- They are not scavengers; they do not eat meat that is already dead when they find it;
- As a wild animal, their main focus is survival so they will only kill for food, not sport, and do so as part of a very adept team;
- They are very intuitive with an instinct for detecting risky situations and as such they will also have strong spiritual connections.
Wolf Sprit Medicine
As a Spirit Animal, they symbolise an intriguing mix of power, loyalty, guardianship, teamwork, and the importance of social connections whilst retaining one’s independence, together with being wild and free.
Wolves are often associated with several spiritual personality traits across various cultures and belief systems. Some of these include:
1. **Intelligence and Instinct**: Wolves are revered for their intelligence and deeply ingrained instincts. They are seen as symbols of guidance and wisdom in navigating life’s complexities.
2. **Freedom**: Wolves symbolize a strong sense of freedom. They are known for their wild nature and the ability to roam large territories, embodying the spirit of independence.
3. **Social Connection**: Despite their association with independence, wolves are also very social creatures. They emphasize the importance of family and community, often represented in the spiritual context as loyalty and the value of strong social connections.
4. **Protection**: In many cultures, wolves are considered protectors. They are vigilant and brave, often seen as guardians in spiritual realms who guide and protect individuals or communities.
5. **Resilience and Endurance**: The wolf embodies resilience and endurance, able to survive and thrive in harsh conditions. This trait is often mirrored spiritually as the ability to endure challenges and adapt.
6. **Mystery and Mysticism**: Wolves also carry an air of mystery and are frequently associated with the spiritual and supernatural world. They are often connected to the moon and night, enhancing their mystical qualities.
7. **Teacher**: Spiritually, wolves are seen as teachers or pathfinders, guiding souls in the physical and spiritual world, helping to uncover deeper truths and explore the unknown.
These traits make the wolf a powerful symbol in many spiritual narratives, often used to teach important life lessons or as a guide in personal development.
Norse Warriors
The Úlfheðnar were the ultimate Norse warriors holding the spirit of the wolf and wore wolf pelts. As such they viewed wolves as being sacred and did not hunt them, being instead gifted their pelt upon the animal’s death. They were capable of performing feats far beyond the abilities of other warriors due to their having reached exceptional levels of spirituality, self-control, and group cohesion.
Runecraft; Reading the Runes
In a previous post I talked about a book that was recently recommended to me called Galdrbok, Practical Heathen Runecraft, Shamanism, & Magic by Nathan J Johnson and Robert J Wallis. This book is a fascinating attempt to recover our indigenous European shamanism known as the Northern Tradition, as practised by our Saxon ancestors in the ancient Old North. See the original post here:
Book Review: Galdrbok, Practial Heathen Runecraft, Shamanism & Magic
In this post I would like to focus on the topic of Runecraft; the powerful technique of reading Runes.
Runes are small, coin-sized objects on which various glyphs are inscribed. They can be bought or made from pebbles, stones, pieces of wood, or metallic objects. They are kept in a pouch or box and the container acts as a device for casting the runes by pulling one out or shaking the bag until the appropriate number falls out.
Runes are commonly presented as tools for divination or magic and our Anglo-Saxon ancestors inscribed them onto weapons and jewellery as a form of coded messages or magical spells.
As well as using them for magic and divination, the authors use Runic practice as a method for inducing the trance state.
We know that a common feature of all Shamanic practice across the Earth is entering into a trace state in order to travel to Non-Ordinary Reality (NOR) or ‘Spirit Mind’ to access the healing and wisdom of spirit guides. This state can be achieved through plant medicines but was more commonly accessed through percussion sounds, particularly drumming.
The Runester accesses the trance state via the Runes to explore the nine realms of the world tree, Yggdrasil and meet the corresponding Sprits that inhabit them for personal development work.
The Runic alphabet originates in the Mediterranean alphabets of Etruscan, Greek, and Latin and also the Runic glyphs of the various Scandinavian, Germanic, and English systems. The glyphs give runes more in common with the Egyptian and Mayan Hieroglyphs or the Hebrew letters than with the Greek and Latin scripts.
There are several Runic alphabets across Northwest Europe with many similarities as well as differences in the number, shape, and order as well as the associated poems. Each version varies according to the time and place, with no definitive or authentic set or official version to follow.
The Younger Futhark comprises sixteen runes.
The common Germanic or Elder Futhark has twenty-four runes.
The Anglo-Saxon Futhorc has twenty-nine runes.
The Northumbrian row has thirty-three runes.
The authors have done their research, discovering that the most complete and informative of the rune poems is the Anglo-Saxon Futhorc which is presented in the book as a coherent system.
Each Rune comprises a letter and a symbol and the meaning is taken from a stanza of the Anglo-Saxon rune poem.
The book contains a new translation of the Anglo-Saxon rune poem with one rune and interpretation filling one page, providing the Rune Glyph with the Anglo-Saxon name and a modern translation.
The method of using the Runes as a divination tool is to hold the bag in your hand, attune yourself, and shake it thoroughly before focusing on the question and casting or selecting a rune.
Once a rune has been selected you can refer to the appropriate stanza of the poem and meditate on the meaning in your life.
I enjoyed making my own rune set and I have found the poem fascinating to read. I have recorded my questions and answers in a notebook so that I can develop my own, personal interpretation of their meaning.
Book Review: Galdrbok, Practial Heathen Runecraft, Shamanism & Magic
This is a partial book review of Galdrbok, Practical Heathen Runecraft, Shamanism, & Magic by Nathan J Johnson and Robert J Wallis.
This eloquent book attempts to recover our indigenous European shamanism known as the Northern Tradition, as practiced by our ancestors in the ancient Old North. It describes an initiatory system inspired by the spiritual legacy of Heathen communities of the Migration Age, dating from around 300 to 700 CE marking the transition from Late Antiquity to the Early Middle Ages.
By mapping the altered conscious states which enable shamanic travel, including scrying (‘to descry’/‘foresee’/ crystal gaze), galdr (‘sung spells’), runic mediation, and other powerful techniques for entering ecstasy, it offers us access to the nine otherworlds of Yggdrasil, the Northwest European shamanic world tree. Thus we can learn how to walk between the nine worlds in the footsteps of Woden and Freyja, the Northern shamanic deities par excellence.
Galdrbok was recommended to me by one of the people involved in its research due to my interest in shamanism. After reading the introduction I was attracted to it because I realised that as a woman with a strong English heritage, I had an unmet need to connect with the shamanic practices of my ancient ancestors. School history lessons had led me to believe that the British Isles had been invaded so many times over thousands of years that our ancient cultural practices had been eroded out of existence. To the extent that as a teenager I noticed that contemporary Western culture presented Pagan practices such as crystal ball gazing, witchcraft, spell casting, and the use of herbs etc to the realm of fiction for entertainment purposes only.
Later in my adult life, after using many natural healing methods for my poor state of health, I had an appetite to research the history of shamanism. This led me to the work of Mircea Eliade, John G. Neihardt, Thomas E Mails, Carlos Castaneda, and Michael Harner, who in the twentieth century revealed that there are many indigenous cultures across Mother Earth still managing to hold onto their rich spiritual heritage and natural healing methods. They have done so successfully through direct oral teachings down the generations for thousands of years. As such they have some very well-tested methods for physical and mental healing accessed through altered states of consciousness through the use of psychedelic plant medicines and, more commonly, percussion sounds.
As a Shamanic Practitioner for the past four years I have been healing myself and others through a contemporary method of shamanic healing devised by my shamanic teacher, Scott Silverston who based it on the teachings he received from a Native American Shamaness in Arizona. It is similar to Harner’s Core-Shamanism in that it employs a rapid drumming beat to induce an altered state of consciousness to access Spirit Mind or Shamanic Consciousness to communicate with benevolent spirits for guidance and healing.
It wasn’t a lack of interest in ancient cultural practices from the British Isles that led me on this path, it was an interest in healing myself through spiritual practices that have been uncommon in contemporary Western society.
In their preface, the authors of Galdrbok are very dismissive about Neo-Shamanism, in particular, the work of Michael Harner:
Harner argues that ‘core shamanism’ is based on certain universal principles which can be disassociated from cultural contexts … we argue, in contrast, that Core-Shamanism is a Western ideal version of what is, in all of its examples worldwide, intrinsically culturally embedded.
This quote exhibits a lack of perspective about what Harner’s work has achieved. If we look at Neo-Shamanism as an empowering tool for Westerners to reconnect with Spirit and our Creator for much-needed healing, then the lack of cultural embeddedness is a moot point. It simply doesn’t matter whether or not the universal principles that form Core-Shamanism are disassociated from cultural contexts if they are effective tools for healing the huge amounts of trauma and abuse that remain unhealed in the West.
Since the Romans took control of Western spirituality through their invention of Christianity, Westerners have lacked any real connection with Father Sky and Mother Earth. Religion brought fear of God and embedded the notion that we are all sinners and intrinsically unworthy of God’s love. By removing the possibility for individuals to directly connect with Spirit in favour of a hierarchical priesthood, the result has been rampant egotism that expresses itself through a culture of consumerism, misuse of sex, competitiveness, greed, lust, and total lack of care about the Earth or her animals.
Harner’s work demonstrates that indigenous tribal cultures continued certain common shamanic practices during that time, ensuring the maintenance of their direct connection to Creator for healing and optimal wellbeing. In turn, Harner brought such teachings to wider awareness in his own country of America, arguably one of the most damaged societies on Earth. In this context, I see him as a modern saint who brought the gift of shamanic healing to the unhealed masses.
The authors of Galdrbok claim:
Many people find shamanism appealing because it is perceived to be a ‘personal’, ‘free’ and ‘eclectic’ spiritual path …. But the notion that it is free and eclectic is largely a Western Stereotype imposted on shamanism as we have universalised it and removed curltural diversity from it.
However, they do not cite any research to back up this claim, which makes it simply a sweeping statement of no value. In my informed opinion, I would say that the students of Harner and Ingerman are drawn to shamanism not as the authors say, but because it provides empowerment and a simple method of self-healing for those wishing to recover from the abuse and trauma so prevalent in our contemporary age.
Sandra Ingerman was a student of Harner and in her book ‘Soul Retrieval’ she describes how shamanic drumming enabled her to access healing for sexual abuse. I know a man whose wife never sought healing for the sexual abuse she had experienced as a teenager and the trauma caused her to become very narcissistic. Her behaviour towards him was abusive throughout his 20 loyal years with her before she finally drove him from the marriage. Had she been as motivated as Ingerman to heal her trauma it would not have been externalised and passed on to her husband and son.
Ingerman has revealed that she was initially afraid to follow the direction of her spirit guides to start writing her books. It was by working through her blocks she became empowered to write several as well as recording a drumming CD, deliver lectures, record regular podcasts, and set up several support groups. Through her dedicated work, she has brought the ability to self-heal through simple methods to a much wider audience.
Galdrbok certainly appears to be a well-researched, scholarly record of ancient magic and spirituality, and I’m looking forward to discovering if it can provide access to individual healing to the extent that Neo-Shamanism has over recent years.
I shall make further posts as I better understand what Heathen shamanism is and what the practical use of ancient rune magick can achieve for the contemporary individual.
I have started my journey by making my own set of runes and buying a crystal ball.
I prefer to buy in-print books directly from the author or independent bookshops. Sadly, this book is only available from Amazon online but you may be able to order it from your local independent bookshop:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Galdrbok-Practical-Heathen-Runecraft-Shamanism/dp/0954960955
Living with Humility & Frugality
I also know that some of us have the capacity to heal others, and achieve other physcic abilbities, but we have to work on ourselves to create a clear channel, or hollow bone. Few holy people have been as open about their spiritual practices as Frank Fools Crow, who allowed his powers to be written about in books by non-Native authors. Before he died at the age of 99 on Nov. 27, 1989, Fools Crow spent time in the late 1970s with Thomas E Mails, a Lutheran minister who wrote about him in several books, including the well-received Fools Crow Wisdom and Power. In it, the old man explained how he affected cures, consulted with “talking” stones to learn of future events, “lured” to him what he needed in his life, spirit-travelled, and shape-shifted. He accomplished all of this by becoming a “clean, hollow bone” through which Wakan Tanka’s (The Great Mystery’s) powers funnelled through him. Fools Crow repeatedly told Mails that the more humble and unselfish a person is, the more willing Wakan Tanka and his helpers of the four directions are willing to work through them. “Wakan Tanka is concerned with human needs, and not luxuries. If we want luxuries, He has given us at birth the power to work for and obtain these,” he said. People who have rid themselves of self-serving ego, like medicine and holy people, are the cleanest bones, he explained. The cleaner the bone, the more water you can pour through it, and the faster it will run.” Fools Crow, the nephew of the visionary Black Elk, immortalized in John Neihardt’s Black Elk Speaks, explained he was able to handle the self-sacrifice of being a holy person because he possessed “a clear self image.” As a Sioux person, he was taught to understand there was no limit to what the higher powers could do through him. “What we hollow bones really become is the pipeline that connects Wakan Tanka and our community together. Wakan Tanka tells us the direction our curing and healing work must follow and establishes the kind of life we must lead. It also keeps us working at things that do not bring us much income … We have to be strong and committed to stick with this, otherwise we will get very little spiritual power and we will probably give up the curing and healing work.” Fools Crow described his life as being “filled with power” and he thought about Wakan Tanka constantly. To remain a clean, hollow bone, he refrained from arguing, gossiping and womanizing. He didn’t charge for his healing, although he accepted gifts and gratitude from people he helped. He abstained from mind-altering substances, even the peyote used in the Native American church, because Wakan Tanka could take him higher than any drug ever could. In his lifetime, he struggled to find someone to pass his medicine to because so few wanted to live morally and frugally. “While many talk a lot about wanting to do this, they do not really want to give up pleasure and material things. Also, you can tell a true medicine person from an imitator by what they ask you for in return for their help. According to where they live, everyone needs enough to live on and pay their bills. But if they ask for more than a fair payment for this, walk away from them. They are only imitators and their power will be very limited.” As a child born near Wounded Knee in South Dakota around 1890, Fools Crow was forced to quit school in the third grade so he could work and support his family. He travelled around the United States later with the Buffalo Bill Cody Wild West Show before becoming a healer after his initial vision quest in 1903. He married Fannie Afraid, who passed away in 1954, and his second wife, Kate, died in 1988. Both wives assisted Fools Crow in his curing rites and watched over him while he spirit-travelled inside his sweatlodge. “Actually, this spirit travel I do has frightened both of my wives,” he once confessed to Mails, explaining he would sometimes remain unconscious inside the lodge for as long as two days. Fannie and Kate have had to stay with me and watch over me during this time, and they have told me that sometimes they are afraid I have died.” Fools Crow used his “mind screen” – the blackness he saw when he closed his eyes and rolled his eyes upward – to receive information from Wakan Tanka. If he saw that a patient’s organs were damaged beyond repair, he revealed to he or she that they could not be cured, but could still be healed. “Healing is a process that helps the person get rid of anger and blaming” and reconcile unfinished business in their lives, Fools Crow said. “When we are finished with the healing, the person is calm and ready, even anxious to die. ‘Die’ is not really the best word, because it suggests that it is the end, when it is really the beginning. I take them outside to pray with me, and I tell them some of the great secrets I have been shown. At night, I make them a bed under the stars, and I sit beside them for a while. As we continue to talk, I tell them to think about Wakan Tanka being up there and waiting to receive them. If they are Christians, I talk about Jesus’ saying he went to make a place for them.” Fools Crow asked people who came for curing to spend four days with him. If the weather was good, he fixed a bed for them outdoors under the trees on his property. He loved bringing people to his Pine Ridge reservation home because there was “nothing tall enough to get between us and the higher powers. So we are more conscious of them than people who live in cities are.” Fools Crow lived long enough to mediate between the U.S. government and AIM activists at Wounded Knee in 1973. At the Elder’s funeral, eulogist and AIM leader Russell Means credited Fools Crow with the peaceful ending of the famous confrontation. Fools Crow was well-loved for keeping alive Lakota ceremonies that had been outlawed by the government, and is famous for pleading before a congressional subcommittee that the Black Hills be returned to his people.“Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father.
John 14:12
The Sun Goddess and Her Female Reindeer
During this time of the Winter Solstice, I have enjoyed researching its rich history and origins in Shamanism. But I have been saddened to discover how the Patriarchal energy, that has pervaded the World for thousands of years, has distorted our ancient traditions into a celebration of superficial excess whilst also negating the role of the feminine.
This negative energy concocted the religions and customs of the West by taking elements that had previously been known in Shamanic culture as belonging to the feminine and flipping them into the Patriarchal masculine inversion. Here I am making a distinction between the toxic Patriarchal Masculine of the ego as the opposite of the true Divine Masculine of pure love which, when partnered with its Divine Feminine counterpart, both internally and in a physical relationship, creates a powerful toroidal field capable of smashing the Archontic control matrix.
This shift from the Divine Feminine to the toxic masculine has also had the effect of causing an important celebration of the seasonal calendar to turn into an opportunity for the retail industry to make greater profits. The concept of Father Christmas has become a recent symbol of our consumerist society which requires us to buy more stuff for each other as a national custom. This is a subversion of the original notion held by the ancient indigenous shamanic cultures of Siberia, Norther Norway, Finland, and the Arctic Circle.
The patriarchal energy further distorts the truth of the Winter Solstice by negating its feminine origins, using the male as the central figure: that of Father Christmas delivering gifts on a sleigh pulled by his male reindeer Rudolph. Thousands of years ago it was the female reindeer who drew the sleigh of the Sun Goddess at the time of the Winter Solstice. She was the ancient Deer Mother who flew through the darkest night with the life-giving light of the sun in her horns.
Across the British Isles, Scandinavia, Russia, and Siberia she was a revered spiritual figure associated with fertility, motherhood, regeneration, and the central theme of the winter solstice: the rebirth of the sun. It was the Deer Mother who took flight from the dark of the old year to return the light and new life.
She is the only one able to take on this role because it is only the doe who retains her antlers at this time of year; the male reindeer shed their antlers. And because of this is the female who leads the herd in winter. Therefore, in indigenous shamanic cultures, it would be impossible for Rudolph to take on this role. The symbology of a male reindeer with antlers during the winter can only exist as a distortion in the false illusion of our contemporary world.
Since the early Neolithic period, the female reindeer as leader of the winter herd was honoured by the Northern people as the ‘life-giving mother’. As a symbol of her importance, her antlers were placed in shrines and on altars, used in ceremonial burials, and worn as shamanic headdresses. The antlers were often depicted as the tree of life, holding birds together with the sun, moon, and stars.
Her image was celebrated in carved stone, woven ceremonial cloth, painted drums, jewellery, and tattoos and reindeer, with their antlers intact, were depicted leaping or flying through the air.
The Sun Goddess is known in Nordic countries as Beaivi and she is associated with motherhood, fertility of plants, and the reindeer. She was often depicted with her daughter in an enclosure of reindeer antlers performing a ceremony for the return of green to the land.
Other Winter Goddesses from Northern legend also flew through the skies with flying animals. The Lithuanian and Latvian goddess of the Sun, Saule, travelled the heavens in a sleigh pulled by horned reindeer throwing amber pebbles into chimneys as symbols of the regenerating sun.
It is often said that the Pagan origins of Christmas can be observed through Santa’s red and white outfit, which has its origins in the red and white amanita mushrooms ingested by shamen to travel to other dimensions. But it was the female medicine healers, not the male shamen, who wore ceremonial red and white costumes trimmed with fur together with horned headdresses or red felt hats. So Santa’s outfit is another Patriarchal distortion of the feminine which takes elements from an ancient ceremonial healing tradition and turns them into superficial symbols of consumerism.
Let us remember our Celtic origins by celebrating this important date on our seasonal calendar.
Interview with Shaman Ngarene Stevens
Scott Silverston of Shamanic Spirit Medicine Interview
I have been studying Shamanism for the past year via an apprenticeship with Scott Silverston having progressed through the three main modules: the Fundamentals of Shamanism, Shamanic Self Care, and finally Advanced Shamanic Practices.
This interview with Anne Kensho is a summary of his approach to contemporary Shamanic teaching.
He starts by talking about his own path through finance to Shamanism and other healing modalities before being guided by spirit to teach others. He says that although he was successful in his job as a Finance Director in Manhattan he wasn’t happy or fulfilled.
He says that this is a common problem with his clients who are also programmed by family and society into a life path that may not feel right. Scott says that we can sense that something isn’t right in the way we are living our lives because it will show as anger, frustration, sadness, fear, and profound dissatisfaction for no apparent reason. He calls such programmed behaviour ‘societal false agreements’ which can be cancelled and changed via Shamanic Consciousness.
Scott’s methodology is very different from most contemporary Shamanic teaching because he designates ten classes within the intermediate module to personal development. This ensures that each graduate understands how to clear their own channel and protect their energy giving them greater strength and the ability to avoid practitioner burn-out, which he says is common within the healing arts.
The Shamanic Spirit Medicine courses are also different in that they place an emphasis on the importance of spiritual grounding in order to overcome the filters that can distort our ability to take effective action when we receive spiritual guidance. He describes his approach to Shamanic teaching as Applied Shamanism which he says is the embodiment and grounding of the guidance from the spirit guides in the energetic realms.
He goes on to discuss Shamanic Consciousness which is the Australian indigenous tribal ‘Dreamtime’ a place of spiritual function and intuitive senses which all members of the tribe could access. This is something that Westerners are now cut-off from which causes blockages, sickness, and an inability to progress with life goals.
He goes on to discuss the role of the Medicine Wheel when applied to life experiences and projects and emphasises the importance of going into Winter to understand what the Harvest brought. Many people do not do any introspection when things go wrong with their relationships or projects which causes them to continue with the same cycle without learning from mistakes.
You can view the full interview here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nut08pPZH0
Patriarchy Against the Feminine in Shamanism
I feel saddened to be having to write this post, which is about men being triggered by women talking about the feminine in Shamanic culture. This sadness stems from the realisation that patriarchal energy is still alive and strong even in the spiritual community – and I have seen it flowing through women too.
When I read this post from a Shamanic group on my FaceBook newsfeed I felt my heart open with a really powerful resonance.
I received the realisation of looking back at a long linage of women who were in service to others and I felt fortified by that strong female heritage behind me. It felt empowering to be part of that history.
At no point did I consider that making a statement about the feminine in relation to Shamanism would be considered to be controversial by anyone. Surely my male friends would want to celebrate the feminine energy if they knew of its power?
Apparently not. It seems that some men read this post and became upset. But instead of walking away from it with the realisation that they need to go and work on their own stuff, they stopped to take the time to project their issues onto me.
The first man said ‘why not a man?’. Well my initial response was that I didn’t say that a Shaman couldn’t be a man. Indeed much of the history of Shamanism is written by men and is about men. As a female Shaman I often feel excluded by the strong masculine energy within the practice which is similar to how I felt twenty years ago as an art student walking the halls of big museums looking at the world through the male gaze.
The past 5,000 years of patriarchy have successfully edited the feminine influence from every aspect of social history so that as a female scholar one struggles to find books about women artists or Shamen written by women and focussing on feminine perspectives. The further back in history we go the stronger the male narrative becomes with misogynistic tendencies completely normalised and accepted.
I was listening to a podcast by Gene Decode last night. He is a former military man who had a spiritual awakening and is now an intuitive in the truther movement discerning what is true intelligence about current events by using his psychic abilities. A caller into Gene’s Q&A show asked why there were missing elements from both the Platonic Solids (Spheres and Toroids) and the Greek Elements (Aether, Wood, and Metal). Gene responded that the missing elements are feminine and that feminine has been disregarded by the control system because of its power. Hence we had witch hunts where it was acceptable to falsely accuse a woman, subject her to sexual abuse, and then kill her in the most horrific way as a sacrifice to Satan.
He said that if society knew the true power women hold then all the repression would stop.
Later on another post popped up on my newsfeed which again observed the role of the feminine in Shamanic practice and related it to creative force women hold. It was attributed to an article in Tom Tom magazine but the author was not mentioned.
The most interesting and least well-known aspect of shamanism is the traditional role of women, both as shamans and drummers. British scholar Geoffrey Ashe wrote that shamans were originally women, and that the oldest form of the word ‘shaman’ is gendered female. Across Asia, female shamans have been observed since the dawn of modern anthropology, and even male shamans in some native cultures around the world have worn women’s clothes and striven for an androgynous persona in ritual to better connect with the spirit world. Some of the oldest known ritual burials were of female shamans or priestesses, in areas as far apart as Germany and Israel, dated from 8,000-12,000 years ago. How women came to embody this role so early in human history isn’t known, though their ability to produce life is most likely the answer. Ritual drums were often painted red to depict menstrual blood, had symbols of the vulva, and rituals centered around fertility and fecundity.
Feminine power therefore stems from the womb and the unique female ability to create new life which in turn feeds into the healing role of the Matriarch in tribal culture. It is an older woman’s life experience and deep understanding of the body and its natural cycles and magical rites of passage from maiden, mother, to crone that brings her to the role of healer. By coming to terms with the rhythms and changes in her own body she can assist others who are experiencing the same issues. She can guide the younger woman through menstruration, pregnancy, birth, mothering, and the menopause helping her to find the lessons and gifts they bring.
This notion of feminine bodily experience as the root of healing others is echoed in the words of Jane Hardwicke Collings founder of the School of Shamanic Womancraft in Australia:
The shaman was the community healer, seer and gatekeeper between the worlds, the spiritual ceremonialist and often the midwife. She worked with herbs, dreams, symbols, ceremony, ritual, oracles and journeying in trance states to other realms for the purpose of healing and mediation for others. Nature was her guide; she understood the interconnectedness of all things.
https://schoolofshamanicwomancraft.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/Shamanism.pdf
It is likely that early tribal cultures would have found the process of gestation and birth a magical alchemical act. The ability to make another human from sperm inside the magical space of the womb would have revered the feminine in society. Men perhaps would have marvelled at the ability of their beloved to bring an heir of a blood lineage. This reverence is likely what first created the matriarchal cultures that came before patriarchy.
But I experienced anything but reverence for the feminine from a male Shaman friend of mine. When I read his response my heart shuddered with disgust for what he had written: that I was wrong. It is interesting that he was projecting his anger at me because the words I posted were not mine, they were written by a male writer. Therefore should it not be the writer who is wrong?
As a former admin on a natural health group I know how those who are Archontically controlled can deplete our energy with pointless arguing. As such I have learned to let others hold their own opinions without wasting my time giving the alternative view. If people try to argue with me now I just scroll past and feel confident in my ability to not allow others to intrude into my personal space. I hold my frequency high and am unaffected by the anger of others.
I deleted the comment and deleted the person as a friend as it isn’t the first time I have felt this intense negative energy directed towards me from him. I wondered though, what evidence is there that I am wrong? Of course in his egoic state of anger at my audacity as a female to associate Shamanism with the feminine he did not cite any published works.
So I decided to do my own research into the notion of the feminine in Shamanism and I’ve been fascinated with the research I have found – expect more from me on this topic.
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