Teachings and Techniques
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Teachings and Techniques |
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How To Perform A Shamanic Ceremony
by Joseph Bearwalker Wilson
The ceremony I've outlined here is basically the way I work. It is merely a suggestion for something you might do. It's an aid you can use to get started in something approaching shamanic practices, give you some basic experience, get you aquatinted with certain positive spiritual forces, and get you prepared for more intense shamanic work in the future. As you progress in your shamanic vocation you should be changing the elements within it to suit the discoveries you have made in your own journeys, your dreams, and visions. The space in which you do this is relatively unimportant. Weather permitting I like to work out of doors within a stone circle, but that isn't always possible. When I work indoors I will often lay out a stone circle similar to my out-of-doors one. I do this by laying down eight rocks, one in each of the cardinal directions, and one half way between each of those. Again the exact manner in which you do this is unimportant, but your attitude while doing it is essential. You need to remember that you are creating a sacred place in which to work. The rock people are there, and will help you. I don't use a formal altar or anything like that. To me the space called an altar is simply a place to put items that might or will be used during a ceremony. In the center of the circle I'd place either a large abalone shell or an earthenware bowl filled with sand on which to burn sage. Some sage, sweet grass, my rattle, my drums, and any other item I might need for whatever special working I'm about to do. Once my space is selected or laid out I cleanse it and myself by burning a small amount of sage, fumigating myself with it first then carrying the smoke around the circle. If there are people with me I'll then hand the container of smoking sage to them so they can cleanse themselves in the smoke. Sage has the property of driving away negativity. I like to use white mountain sage, but any sage will work, including that which you can buy at the spice counter in the grocery store. Sometimes I'll use an abalone shell to hold the burning sage, other times I'll use an earthenware bowl filled with sand upon which I have some lighted charcoal. By the way, I don't like to use the self-lighting charcoal found in occult and religious supply shops. I find the smell of the sulfur to be offensive and distracting. If I am working out of doors I'll use a few hot coals from a wood fire. If indoors I'll use one or two ordinary charcoal briquettes such as those used to light a barbecue. When fumigating the room I usually sing or chant simple songs. I'll take the abalone shell, or earthenware bowl with the smoldering sage to the east, blow the smoke in that direction and sing, "Harmful spirits of the East, Smell the sent of sacred sage, Take the sent of sacred sage, and be gone from us!" Then I'd do the same for the South, West, North, Above, and Below. I sing the verse four times in each direction while visualizing all negativity leaving the area. The song was the same except the word for the direction changed each time. If there are people with me they are welcome to drum or shake their rattles in time with my chanting and singing, and sing along with me. If you choose to do this feel free to use the words, but don't just say them. It will be much more effective if you sing or chant them to your own tune. If there are people with me I'll ask one of them to drum as I begin. Otherwise I'll simply use my rattle. The beat I use is usually a steady 4/4 tempo of about 180 beats per minute. My drum gives a nice deep resonant sound that vibrates through my heart. I mentally associate the sounds with going into an altered state of consciousness, each thump of the drum, and each shake of the rattle taking me deeper into the shamanic trance. After a few moments I'll begin singing one of the songs that came to me in one of my visions. This song also helps me to get into a deeper shamanic trance in the same way that the drumming does. I mentally associate the sound of the words with going into a more and more profound shamanic trance. I continue to sing it until I feel that I am in the right state of mind. Usually this is between four and six repetitions, though sometimes it's more. It's never less than four. I cannot write out the notes for you but the words, if you want to use them, are, "Hey yah hey yah hey yah yah. Hey yah hey yah hey yah yah. Hey yah hey yah hey yah yah. Hey yah. Hey yah." If you choose to use this song for yourself simply chant the words in time with the shake of your rattle or the beat of the drum. After doing it a few times a tune will come to you. That will be yours to use from then on. Later you are likely to discover your own song to use and when you do that song should replace this one. When I feel that I am in the right state of mind I will then take my rattle again and stand facing the east. I'll shake it four times sharply, in the shape of an equal armed cross (up, down, right, and left) representing the four directions, then shake it in a rapid steady movement drawing a circle around that cross. Then I'll slow the rattling down to a steady 4/4 beat and begin singing a welcoming song as I visualize the spirit powers of the East coming with the dawn and bringing the gifts of birth, new beginnings, and enlightenment. These spirits appear in a special way to me. The way they appear to you will be unique and special to you. I am intentionally not giving you a description of what I see so that what you see will be real for you and not simply a result of my suggestion. At first you may simply get a vague feeling of the qualities of the Spirit. After you do this a few times the Spirit will appear in a more visible and concrete form. Words to a song or chant you might use are, "Spirit Keeper of the East, Sacred Power of the East, Guardian Spirit of the East, Come and be with us!" The songs should all be repeated until you feel the presence of the spirit, and at least four times. I'll continue to rattle while I turn to the South and repeat the process visualizing the Spirit Keeper of the South coming with the Midday sun and bringing the gifts of love, growth, and trust. You may use the same song as above, changing the name of the direction, of course. When I feel that spirit keeper's presence I'll turn to the west and visualize the Spirit Keeper of that direction coming with the setting sun and bringing the gifts of maturity, physical strength, and introspection. Again you may use the same song as above, changing the name of the direction, of course. Then I turn to the north and visualize the Spirit Keeper of that direction coming with the full moon (the midnight sun) and bringing the gifts of cleansing, purity, and renewal. Again you may use the same song, as above. I'll now turn my attention upwards and feel Sky Father, the powers of the universe, coming and giving me his gifts, specifically the gifts of moral strength and courage. Here the song is a bit different. I sing, "Comes now the Sky Father, Greet we the Sky Father, Praise to the Sky Father, Thanks to the Sky Father." And finally I'll turn my attention downwards and feel the Earth Mother and all of her loving strength, coming and giving me her gifts, the gifts of all things that are necessary for life. The song I sing is similar to that above. "Comes now the Earth Mother, Greet we the Earth Mother, Praise to the Earth Mother, Thanks to the Earth Mother." In addition to deepening my shamanic trance the above six steps help me to accumulate power (or manna) that I will need in journeys to the other worlds. At this point I will journey for some specific purpose such as retrieving a power animal for someone, diagnosing a spiritual illness or problem, soul retrieval, general healing, gaining information, or what have you. The purposes can be many and varied. If there is someone with me who can continue drumming I find it to be very useful. If not I simply use my rattle to shake out a steady 4/4 beat in time with my personal power song. If you do not have a personal power song yet, simply begin humming in time with the drumbeat. Later the spirits will give a song to you. I don't dance in a traditional manner, but I do dance a gentle toe-heal step to the beat of the drum and shake of the rattle. As I begin my dance I visualize myself traveling along a pathway in a forest until I get to my special place. This place is a hill is across a stream that I cross on a fallen log. On the side of the hill grows a large oak tree and beside the tree is a cave. Going out from the tree are footpaths leading into the four directions. Once I reach that area I will either lay down (if someone is drumming for me) to continue the journey, or sit in a cross-legged position and continue to rattle if I am working alone. If I am going into the Lowerworld I will enter the cave and travel through it until I reach the other side. Within the cave are several tunnels, each one taking me to a different part of the Lowerworld. It is here that you can find your own power animals, find the spirits and souls of the sick or dead, collect helping spirits, and so forth. If I am going into the Upperworld I climb the oak tree, continuing to go up until I break through several levels of clouds. There are actually several levels to the Upperworld, just as there are different areas of the Lowerworld. In each level of the Upperworld you will find a Spirit Teacher who will instruct you in the specifics you need for that area. If I am going to one of the areas of the Middleworld I will follow the appropriate path away from the tree. I found that the path to the East leads to the land of intellect and beginnings, the path to the South leads to the land of youth and growth, the path to the West leads to the land of maturity and understanding, the path to the North leads to the land of wisdom and cleansing. You may find something different. Regardless in each of those areas you should find a personal protective spirit and a personal helping spirit. These are different than the Power Animal you will find in the Lowerworld. Each will teach you special things that you need to know if you are truly called to be a shaman. I recommend that you make several exploratory journeys to each of these realms in turn. Be cautious and polite to the beings you meet there. Ask them questions, but do not attempt to bring them back with you or otherwise use them while you are there. Your Power Animal will probably let you know its purpose and voluntarily join with you. The others will not. Your teacher in the Upperworld will probably give you specific instructions. Pay attention to those instructions! Beginning with journeys to the Lowerworld, then one level of the Upperworld, then to each of the directions in the Middleworld. My personal journeys last as long as is necessary for whatever I'm there to do. Sometimes it's only a few minutes; sometimes it's more than an hour. That's one of the reasons I don't like to use such modern aids as a tape recording of a drumbeat. When the tape stops my journey is jarred! When I've finished with my journey I'll return to my special place following the same route I took when I left. Then I'll physically shake my rattle hard four or five times to help my consciousness return to normal, and sit or stand up. To end the ceremony I'll simply burn some more sage to send away any negativity that might have been attracted to my goings on, and say a few words of thanks to all of the spirits that helped, the Spirit Keepers of the Directions, Grandmother Earth, Grandfather Sky, my personal spirits and so forth. |