Shaman Journey to the upper world

This weekend I was fortunate enough to participate in an introduction to Shamanism with Shaman and teacher Cecile Carson, M.D. In this workshop we got to "dive into" the world of Spirit (also known as non-physical reality or non-ordinary reality). What fun! What joy! Yes, another tool in my carpet bag (as mary poppins says). We were introduced to different ways to journey, different reasons why you would journey, and then got to journey for another in the class... In Journey work there are three "worlds", the upper world, the lower world and the middle world (which is very much like our physical reality world).

With that "tip of the iceberg" information I thought I would share one of my journeys from the weekend... here goes:

This is a journey to the upper world to ask for a spirit helper ~ an entity that will accompany me on my journeys and who I can call upon for help with divine guidance!

I started out expecting to travel to the upper world on smoke from a fire, but as the drum began beating Mucca (my dog) appeared and she had wings (like the dog from the never ending story) and I climbed on her back and we flew into the clouds... When we reached the upper world I had the sensation of being cold in my body and as I opened my eyes there was nothing, empty space, and we continued to fly in the empty space. Then Mucca "spotted" something and landed (in the empty space that seemed to be empty but solid ground). When I climbed off her back Richard Dawson from family feud appeared and he smiled and pointed into the haze which seemed to draw to us a large wheel that turned out to be "the wheel of fortune". Under each "peg" that would be hit to make the "flap flap flap" sound was a seed. And as he turned the wheel and the marker hit the peg a seed would pop off and in very fast motion implant into the nothingness, grow very fast and out of the top of each plant would open and a little person would jump out. So as the little people were being planted and jumping out I was asking "are you my spirit guide" and they would not respond just fade into the haze. After a few turns of the wheel a white seed was planted and as it grew the stem was like morticia's dress (from the Adam's family) only it was white and a beautiful woman was appearing at the top and she was trying to wiggle out of her dress/plant and she finally stopped and looked at me and winked. She was a white lily (I could actually smell lily). She opened her mouth and beautiful music began to stream forth. She was singing but it sounded like the song of a whale and as I was feeling it in my body the drum beat changed and it was time to "come home" to physical reality. So I climbed back onto Mucca's back and descended very quickly and she "deposited me" at my front door and the journey was over...

So much information, lots more than I expected... I connected with a helping spirit (lily), and also was reminded that reality is moving very quickly, and the pegs represented thoughts and as the thoughts are touched they grow and become and some stay planted and others grow and move on. Mucca coming solidified our relationship and when I got home I thanked her for her service and she seemed to know exactly what I was talking about!!

Ahh, what a great weekend it was indeed!

As I Try

I have a lovely client who is a most amazing poet and writer who shared a poem with me that was written after our first session together. It is a reminder that we all hold "things" within us that we hang onto until we are ready to release. Bodywork / energywork are wonderful tools that can help us human beings let go of that which no longer serves us so that we can become the person we came here to be ~ our authentic self!

Because this touched my heart so that I asked if I could share it. Now a few years later I am sharing it. This is not my story, but I am honored to be holding space with/ for/ and around this beautiful human being who is a light to many! ~~~

As I try to find my higher power
I hear the masseuse ask if I was
ever hit in the head.

"you mean was I beaten as a child?"

No, no (visibly disconcerted) I mean, were you ever in an accident, did you ever have a head injury?

I want to tell her that I just left my wife
of 29 years, or explain the chronic, odd
dyslexic challenges I have recently
discovered, thinking these seemingly once
precious facts about me might answer her
question, but all of it seems to ruin
the aromatic lavender vapor that is deep
in my sinus-even my question about beatings
seems flightless and threatens the inner calm
she has just helped me reach.

I notice that her face is angelic-it is a face you
could swim in on a warm day in Belize-all fresh
and unused just like the pictures in National Geographic.

and your throat and the area around the heart seems constricted, like you want to say something and can’t get it out.

I think about my stifled inner child and my constant need
to express myself with words
and wonder how on earth
my body, in such a relaxed state
could betray me this way.

I want to tell her that I am trying to find my Higher
Power and then she gives the final report; the middle meridian (the pelvis area) and everything below doesn’t have much energy flowing through it.

you seem to be disconnected from your source power which flows from your feet up into the body, (she gestures generously and with love) and adds; but that is probably a factor of all that lower back pain

and I think, no,
that’s not the only reason.

My boys

Quite a few months ago (almost 10) I posted that "I am surrounded by male energy" and it was interesting how much I needed to "girly up" my surroundings so that I could remain grounded in my new home. Since then lots of things have happened... We have a female iguana and more delicate decor that helps me feel like home. Now that it is summer I find that the male energy that I was so struggling with is energizing me. I get to "be a boy"... playing outside, catching frogs, hanging with the boys, exploring the creek, catching snakes in the garden, and so much more. It isn't that these activities are "just boy" activities but I thought of them as such and so they were without me even being aware of it. With that said, I thought I would post a photo of my boys and share all of their maleness with y'all!