"There are many routes we can take to heaven. God has established so many different paths and means for us that there is a way for everyone...if you are ready." Sri Harold Klemp , Present Mahanta of Eckankar
There are countless sites out there with an incredible amount of excellent information that is path-specific. This page is designed to be a bite-sized portion that you can easily digest over a coffee, skip what is not relevant to your interest or path and then carry on with your day. It is updated bi-weekly with new articles so don't be shy about dropping by again.
Whatever your chosen path or calling, I sincerely wish you well on your journey.
Namaste.
What is Shamanism?
Shamanism is a set of practices performed by a shaman in order to gain knowledge for healing, understanding and helping in their communities. Shamans are both healers and seers. Chief among their methods are the ecstatic trance, sometimes referred to as journeywork, and the manipulation of energy through knowledge gained by their practices. In short, shamanism is about energy, all energy and learning to see in ways which are new and radically different to most people.
So, why shamanism?
People who practice shamanism are driven to it. No one in their right mind would "choose" to follow a shamanic path. Many people are called, driven or even feel hounded to understand the path and the practices. Many people come to it after realizing they have essentially been on the path for years without understanding what was happening to them. Shamans are not special, but they are unique. Despite what you see from the new-agers, real shamans who have done their work and achieved some mastery of the skills required are few and far between. The 'why' isn't the issue anymore to someone called to it, why becomes irrelevant.
Where does shamanism come from?
The word itself comes from the Tungis tribe in Siberia. The word has been applied and misapplied since the 19th century to describe many indigenous practices. Shamanism itself most likely was one of the earliest expressions of man's understanding of things larger than himself. Almost all cultures have, or have had shamanic traditions.
Can anyone be a shaman?
No. The title is not one which is taken; it is one that is given by the communities in which they serve. Becoming a shaman means a great deal more than just being psychic or seeing auras. The way is difficult at best and not all people have the ability, talent or are capable of the sacrifices the path often demands. Don't be discouraged though. If you feel driven to either the study or practice of shamanism then you should pursue an understanding of that drive.
Courtesy of The Shaman's Cave, where you'll find a very comprehensive selection of articles and essays designed to familiarize and inform about this sacred path and calling. I HIGHLY recommend taking some time to browse through this site. It really is an excellent resource.
DREAM MAGICK
Most of us who keep a dream diary or journal already do some Dreamcraft. A dreamcraft-y person (practitioner) recalls their dreams and records them, either by writing them out in notebook form or recording them on audio tape, in order to later study and analyze them. By studying the images in our dreams, we can come to a better understanding of ourselves and our world. Sometimes we can weed out specific information from our dreams which we can use to help us deal with a situation or resolve a problem. And what better way to deal with what bothers us than by "sleeping on it?!"
| Giving Giving (called Dana in Sanskrit) is one of the most important virtues. It is basic to all other virtues or soul qualities since it is expressed through the physical body. In fact, it is the primary means of overcoming inertia to which our physical nature is inclined. The Buddha considered it the foundation of the spiritual journey, and that it is. Our practice of giving helps us to develop a sensitivity to others and to circumstances around us. It helps us to grow in respect and in generosity. Giving begins the process of transformation, even without seeking it. The Buddha said: “Before giving, the mind of the giver is happy; while giving, the mind of the giver is made peaceful; and having given, the mind of the giver is uplifted.” It is through giving who and what we are that we experience happiness. The soul always seeks to manifest something of value to the world through your thoughts, feelings and actions. Soul is not motivated by what you will get out of it, but rather by what you can give. It is motivated by awareness of need. It knows that you have the ability to respond to that need, thereby restoring something or someone to a stature of dignity or value. Giving and receiving Giving is not done to fulfill a psychological need to receive. That would be self-centred egoic manipulation. Giving is done as a natural _expression of the soul beginning to awaken the heart. To give with true generosity, we need to cultivate the ability to receive graciously without taking or grasping. When we are able to receive with equanimity, we have the spirit to give without expectation. According to the Bhagavad Gita, giving and receiving are the same when done with detachment. This implies that one both gives and receives with gratitude. It is as much a privilege to give as to receive. And one can do both without being attached to them. This requires that one focuses on the love that is shared more than on the object or act through which it is expressed. This way, one stays soul connected. The detachment that accompanies giving then does not give preference to anyone. One gives to strangers as well as to familiars. Be aware of your motives Putting forth efforts to reach out, such as by doing good deeds, helping others, and the like, are fine, but they do not necessarily lead us to be less self-centred. It all depends on our motivation. Do we act out of a desire for comfort or security or appreciation? Do we act to make life around us conform to our image of the way life should be? Or do we respond with detachment to what we perceive as real need? We have to know ourselves sufficiently to know what our true motives are. Helping others as a way of fulfilling one’s own psychological needs is not necessarily harmful to others, but it is not the most healthy approach. The motivation to help others can be mixed altruism and selfishness. It can be a way to avoid dealing with what is going on within ourselves. If we are to honour the soul, we cannot use others to get the comfort, solace, security and love we feel we are lacking. Our motives will usually be mixed. We give because we recognize a need, and we feel good or get some appreciation because of our giving. We must not stop giving just because our motivation might not be pure. To gain greater awareness does not necessarily require us to stop our practice that was conducted without awareness. Being aware during the act of giving purifies intention and can help us develop detachment and get beyond our self absorption. Our gifts to life On the spiritual journey there are always two essential elements. One is relating to a reality greater than oneself, and the other is helping or giving to others. These two elements speak to one reality – that is, our unity with all life and our specific duty to serve the other in the situations in which we find ourselves. The Buddha taught that “the greatest gift is the act of giving itself” because it portrays the true nature of all life, which is to give itself that all might live and love. Although the motivation is not self-centred, giving to help and free others also helps and frees us because I and the other are one. It was with this understanding that when asked why he gave so much and helped so many people, Ghandi humbly replied: “I don’t give to anyone. I do it all for myself.” To make our giving a true gift, we could be aware of some guidelines: Courtesy of The Soul Journey. |
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