Shamanic practices are as essential to us today in our modern world as they have been for thousands of years. Fortunately, the surviving indigenous cultures of today have retained the healing practices of their shaman healers.
The word "shaman" comes from the Tungus people of Siberia. Michael Harner, author of The Way of the Shaman shares the meaning of the word "shaman" to mean, a woman or man "who enters an altered state of consciousness - at will - to contact and utilize an ordinarily hidden reality in order to acquire knowledge, power and to help other persons.
This person can travel in both worlds of this ordinary reality to a non-ordinary reality usually with the repetitive beat of the more commonly used instrument, a drum. Shamanic practices are as essential to us today in our modern world as they have been for thousands of years. Fortunately, the surviving indigenous cultures of today have retained the shamanic practices of their healers.
The word "shaman" comes from the Tungus people of Siberia. Michael Harner, author of The Way of the Shaman writes that the meaning of the word "shaman" is a woman or man who enters an altered state of consciousness - at will - to contact and utilize an ordinarily hidden reality in order to acquire knowledge, power and to help other persons. This person can travel in both worlds of this ordinary reality to a non-ordinary reality usually with the repetitive beat of the more commonly used instrument, a drum.
The important part of this work is the - at will - portion. Shamanism is a set of disciplined practices learned usually through some form of initiation from others who have trained with shamans or who are shamans themselves. In this traveling or journeying into the spirit world, the shaman or shamanic practitioner sets an intention and is then guided by their spirit helpers or a power animal to special places or other helping spirits to gather information (divination) or collecting power such as a healing remedy, a song, a dance or a lost soul essence.
Through the courageous work of Michael and Sandra Harner and their Foundation for Shamanic Studies, they have taught thousands of people around the world these core shamanic healing practices for helping others. Having studied with them for 14 years and holding an active practice for 12 years now, I have come to witness the value in knowing the practices of core shamanism as a necessary supportive foundation for FEEL™ facilitation. If we are to be the best guides in supporting people understanding and entering a more spiritual way of being, then we need to have a personal understanding of the inner terrain of the spirit world.
For centuries the horse has acted as a prominent "power animal" for taking people into the many spiritual worlds. What I have witnessed within FEEL™ sessions is that horses sometimes take people on what I call, "waking journeys."
The experiences and places described are often similar to the reports described in a shamanic journey that is initiated by the repetitive beat of a drum usually, while lying down or sitting with eyes closed in a more trance-like state of awareness. The information that FEEL™ clients connect with and relay from their sessions with the horses, could seem really strange for a novice to traveling in both worlds, or with no spiritual training. The horse is a powerful ally in the spirit world.
I have come to witness horses, as willing helpers in a conscious state, who are also able to travel - at will - into the spirit world for healing people and each other. Horses carry information and healing, as do shamans or shamanic practitioners, and it is our challenge to open our minds and hearts to the horse1s abilities and to a new kind of listening. Horses have the unencumbered full access to the information within the Natural world, which is an unlimited ocean of wisdom.
Horses are spiritual beings. Spiritual meaning - any one sentient being who is actively connected to the natural, flowing information and energy of All That Is. In my observation, horses actually live in both worlds. They are connected to that pool of higher consciousness. They far surpass humans in their sensory awareness, emotional maturity, and social skills of self-responsibility, supporting the greater good of the whole community, and honoring the environment.
When in the wild and roaming free, you will not witness earthly destruction from horses. They communicate through telepathy among the herd, subtle movements only the heightened observer can detect, along with their expansive intuitive abilities that enable them to conduct a balanced social order, we humans pray to achieve.
With that said, a horse is a horse. A human is a human. This is not about becoming a horse. Rather, learning about all the goodness horses possess. We have our expanded abilities as up-right, conscious, intelligent, multi-faceted beings. And yet, we still don't seem to fully employ these abilities. Our species has a long way to go to lay down the irresponsible ways of: self-loathing; environmental destruction; social imbalances locally and globally; and our incessant need for the myriad of behaviors that keeps us locked in judgment, scarcity, prejudice (pre-judge) and separation.
Horses are our willing mentors, but we have to be willing to give something up to enter their world. We have to give up our attitudes of dominance and control that interferes with our ability to really listen, trust and learn. You would not want to be dominated or controlled by a friend. Why then do we feel this is okay for the horses? When we meet horses in their field, then the fullness of their huge heart is ours to learn from, anything less is a dance in the old paradigm of oppression from fear.
You cannot have a vibrantly alive relationship with any being while stuck in patterns of fear. Creativity is paramount in all successful relationships. Fear kills creativity. Fear jams our brilliant thinking, keeps us in our heads. Fear stops love flowing from the heart. Fear is putting us in peril.
of the first teachings that can come from working with horses is learning
how to befriend your emotional nature and opening to new ways of consciousness.
In order to do this successfully, one can benefit from having a strong
foothold in this world, while placing another in the spirit world.
materials and images protected ©Copyright HorseJourneys