The Reiki Cafe 

I am reading a cool new book about Shamanism. Written by a woman who is mixed blood.

Last year my mother told me that there was native blood in our family. She was not able to tell me the exactly how, or specifically what tribe etc... just that there was native blood. She showed me a picture of a great, great, great aunt and I could see clearly that she had predominant native characteristics.
She gave me this information as I had just got hired to work at a Native Crisis Centre at the time.

Now I have always been a person who has been drawn to books for my life lessons. This is how my spirit teaches me where it wants me to go and what it wants me to know. So I am in the library one day and this book jumps out at me called Bone Medicine. Now the title seemed weird to me but once I read the book I understood that it really just means medicine for the physical from the medicine wheel teachings.

This woman says that shamanism is a way of life that is based on an understanding of communication with the spirit world. It is a daily discipline that you recieve and apply to actions in your life. It is living in two worlds, the physical blue road and the spiritual red road. When I read that I thought perhaps that this is what I have been in training for spiritually since I was 30 years old. Maybe my spirit wants me to be a practicing shaman. Whoosh! I am excited, but scared. I feel humbled by such an amazing possiblity. I'll see where this takes me. I had an experience recently where I was drawn into a drumming and spiritual dance groups, both bam! bam!, one after the other. The invites just came to me out of the blue. Is spirit talking to me? I think so!

Anyone out there who has anything to share on shamanism experiences or reading please share.

peace, love & healing
angellover

Kenneth Meadows has written some good ones on the medicine way....think one of the books is called that.

It is a daily walk. To open yourself up, to awaken to our natural being, to learn to listen to the plants, animals, stones. Spirit world is only apart. All things speak to those that are respectful and willing to listen. We effect all things around us by are thoughts and actiions. A shaman knows this. A shaman also knows that all things have the power to effect us......unless we choose otherwise.

blackearth

Blackearth,

Thanks, I am currently reading his book also, it is called Earth Medicine. Very good, I really relate to everything in it. It reasonates with the very essence of who I am.

I actually teach a workshop that is all about the role that thoughts play in creating our realities. People just love it, it wakes them up!

I am very much an earth person by nature and have really been in touch with the earth and it's healing qualities for many years. I am a real crystal and gemstone freak!

peace, love & healing
angellover

Otoharo!

angellover, shamanism is not the only spiritual path. Perhaps if one looks at the charcteristics of wlking the spitirual path, one can see how all the so called paths look pretty much the same. Know yourself and how you click. Know your Higher Self and make these become one.

finality

finality,

Yes I understand shamanism is not the only spiritual path finality,and that shamanism can be found in many cultures. I have had many experiences in my spiritual path in the last 17 years that have constantly connected me to native people in many different ways. Some of my connections and lessons have been very pleasant and some have been quite devestatingly abusive. So much so that I felt afraid of native people for awhile. Now my best friend who is a healthy spiritually connected native person is my saving grace!
Anyways I am fascinated by the shamanism ways of living. I have an understanding and relationship with the earth and my spirit that is quite out of the norm as far as the material world is concerned. Many people I know would think I was a bit strange if they knew some of the things I do. I talk to my crystals and gemstones because I know they are alive and have a spirit inside. I have merged with cows, unearthly creatures,trees, flowers, grass, and water in meditation outside and had peak experiences as a result. I have felt exhilarated by these experiences so much so that it made me feel as if I was high on drugs. I have only spoke of this to a few people as it is to sacred to share with those that would only mock me.
Anyway, I love who I am, and I believe that my heart will lead me to wherever it really wants me to be. I believe in myself, my life path and my souls purpose. I listen for it intently everyday.

Trust me my higher self and I are closer now than we have ever been and keep growing more so everyday. It is a beautiful dance and there is ebb and flow. Lately much more flow!!!

peace, love & healing
angellover