New Leaf Mentoring … new thought. new health. new life.

Posts tagged ‘shamanism’

Dancing To the Beat of A Sacred Drum


When I was introduced to Shamanism some 20 years ago some thing in me woke up. I’m not native by blood nor pretend to be, yet that said, my blood resonates with the sap flowing throughout nature. In my soul I am one with all manifestations of nature, the birds and animals, the herbs and trees, the crystals and stones, and the waters and soil, we are intrinsically entrained to each other. We all are. When the Shaman’s Drum beats my heart answers. My head forgets all ideas of separation, individuation and ego, there exists only the steady beating of a sacred heart that connects all life force as one.

I have practiced and studied shamanism, but this dance, this feeling that I speak of here is primal, natural and inherent to all. It is beyond culture or race or borders. It belongs to each of us, to humanity. The earth and us humans belong together  – we breathe one breath, we sing one song, and we pound out the beat together of one heart. This that I am speaking of doesn’t need to be studied – it needs to be felt and experienced. It needs only to be re-awakened.

As I began to wake up to the sacred beat of life there awoke in me also the power of healing. As I awoke to the power of healing in myself I also understood that what I healed in me I healed in the world around me. I further understood that that’s why we are all here at this time, to heal; ourselves, each other and our beloved earth. We are here and now because our consciousness is duty bound to evolve into health. Not to grow beyond the need to be on earth, but rather to celebrate a glorious manifestation of vibrant healthy life – all together. Let me attempt to share what I feel when the drum beats.

The Drum Speaks

The drum beats. Low, steady, monotonous beats. A heart beat. The heart beat of the Earth. Lying on the ground I envision my sacred dance.

My feet firmly planted on the soil as I intentionally attempt to connect with the heart of the Earth. My eyes closed, arms hanging relaxed and head gently falling forward I focus on my core, my center. I intend to connect with the earth as I listen to the beat of the drum. I feel my energy reach toward that heart of the great mother with every drum beat, with every breath I consciously send my energy deeper, deeper into the soil, to the soul of Earth. My intentions however, can only go so far. “Trust your heart to take you to Her”,  I hear the words as clearly as if they were spoken in my ear. My heart meets the drum. My soul reaches to meet with Hers. The drum keeps beating. The beats resonate with the vibration of my heart, with the vibration of the earth mother. It is undeniable. At essence we are one. Her and I. My spine begins to sway, in time with the beat, lost in the rhythm all conscious thought stops, only the rhythm is known now. Only the beat, only the vibration matters, all else fades away. The drum beat changes to match the vibration of my energy and the energy of the earth under my feet. The dance begins.

One Heart

The drums of the whole world come together to beat the same rhythm. All the dancers on the earth begin to dance the same dance. We are one, bound through the dance and our love for earth, bound through the heart of Earth, through our feet. All feet that walk upon this same soil of Earth can feel this rhythm, belong to this same rhythm. We are one, bound through our beating hearts and our beating drums. And as the beat goes on, and my spine sways, I feel my energy swell beyond my body, undulating with the pleasure of having found my homing rhythm. I become empowered as the earth shares her energy and power with me, just  as I have shared all of mine with her. We have transfused each other. We have nourished each other and now we celebrate.  The drum beat changes again.

Now she is pushing, pushing me to recall all that I know about myself and my world. As I hesitate, she pushes harder, until in a flood of emotion I recall another hidden part. More energy surges through me, reaching through up to the heavens. The drum beat is complex, tantalizing, teasing, pushing, pulling, the entire body moving easily with the beat of the drum. No mind. Just feeling, responding, initiating, trying to keep up with the relentless energy of the drum. I rely on the energy of the drum to keep my heart pumping, knowing that it will, always, be in sync with the mother, as she keeps me. The ecstatic moment of realization of Oneness comes and holds fast. All is well. The moment never passes. All of the past catches up instead. All of the future collapses into here and now.  Nothing is lost, everything is gained. And the drum changes again.

It slows to match the heart of earth. We have discovered a new understanding. A mutual evolution. There is a stronger bond now than before and as the drum beat slows once again to a heart beat . The Earth and I  and all the dancers of the earth send  prayers of gratitude for each other as we hold each other in sacred space until our next dance.

In this way does the drum speak to me. So profoundly. Each dance changes me, each one more memorable than the last. Invariably there comes emotional releasing and then emotional relief. The pent-up anxieties that have been niggling and bothering me are gone, the body feels freer, more able to be of health and vitality. Yes definitely more vital. More in tune, attuned to Life Energy as it surrounds me, there comes a greater ability to stand outside the chaos and see more accurately within the soul of life. The oneness of life between us all touches me deeper than ever before. The chaotic separateness of individual struggle is further removed. And with that come peace and with that the ability to be of service to a fellow traveller.

Advertisement

Category:

Healing

Tagged with:

Spirit Guides Come in All Different Skins!


Some people have angels as spiritual guides, I have Snakes.

This is no huge surprise, I have a love for the earth, her plants and her animal species. I love the myths of dragons and transformation. I love the philosophies of death and rebirth, of what goes around, comes around, of the renewal and evolution of life, fertility and egg symbolism. Serpent is the keeper of all of these ancient wisdoms. That said, it still took me a long time to see snake as a spiritual guide.

Many, many moons ago I took part in my first Shamanic workshop, it was an experience I’ll never forget. It was during that first workshop I met Snake in a very personal creepy way.

We were on a quest to meet our power animals. The first couple of times we journeyed I had trouble seeing anything. I was very jammed up in my linear mind. I hated looking stupid or falling for stupid things. So until I was crystal clear, I wasn’t willing to acknowledge anything. I was afraid of knowing what there was to know. I very much wanted to control the information that I received. My ego was also always getting in my way. If I had my choice I would have wished Eagle into my vision, or an Elk or even a Hummingbird, something pleasant, regal and easily accepted. So when I went on my journey and didn’t see any of these likable animals I apparently didn’t want to see anything. So the teacher lined me up with another classmate and we went on a journey to find my power animal together. In about 30 seconds flat I was covered in writhing, squirming snakes of various sizes and colors. Yuck…but I figured I could still be wrong, it could just  be a hyper active imagination. When we came back from our journey and I was asked what I saw, I said “Nothing.” My teacher was astounded.

Down we went again. This time one very large fat white snake cuddled up next to me – have you ever been cuddled by a snake? It wasn’t my idea of fun! We were quickly summoned back to the room by the drum and this time the teacher didn’t even ask me, and turned to my partner instead “well?” he inquired. Jody answered simply and matter of factly, “Snake.” The teacher turned to me with an inquisitive look on his face for some sign of my concurrence. I shuddered and confirmed Jody’s experience. That was more than 15 years ago. Today snake and I meet regularly for journeys, meditations and conversations. And no I’m not nuts!

Snake and I have an agreement. If I’m jammed up and trapped in my linear mind and can’t see something I need to be noticing, or if there is something I need to be paying special attention to, or if there is something I need to go through and I’m blind to it, He will show up in my path somehow. Now I know that when I see, feel or even just think of Snake I have to open my eyes, ears and other senses; something important is afoot. The rap on the knuckles is the same; get out of your head, ground, and pay attention.

It has been an interesting coincidence that almost all of my Reiki and metaphysics students also have a relationship with snake, not all of them friendly I might add, but they’re learning. I strongly encourage them to build a solid kind appreciative relationship with Snake. Snake teaches us to be flexible, on guard, on patience and on being quiet. He teaches us the value of shedding old skins of belief systems as we grow and learn. As we out grow our old way of being in the world to easily let go and move on.

Today Snake is once again making a very big appearance in my life. My cats keep dropping big garter snakes on my doorstep. Snake has appeared in my dreams, through the stories of my clients, through references in the books I’m reading and while working in the garden. So I’m paying attention. I notice the growth and letting go that is happening in my own life. I see how differently I cope with life around me compared to how I used to. These days I am happy to see Snake appear. I know that I am progressing through change. I am grateful for all my friends that also have snake as their totem, we’re a clan of a specific vibration.

What ever your special affinity with any animal is, make friends with it, build your relationship, embrace your ally. Recognize that this is a spiritual relationship to help you through your transitions. Not all spirit guides are beautiful angels with iridescent wings from ethereal realms, some are right in  front of our noses with all the reality of earth-bound living.

Category:

Metaphysics

Tagged with: