This is from my unpublished book: The Handbook of Shamanic Healing. A better description of the Shamanic Journey: The Basic Shamanic Journey : To the Lower World Here are the basics. These may seem a little simplistic, but a Shamanic Practitioner must be free of preconceived notions in order to have an individual experience. In all honesty, it would be wrong for me to tell you what you are seeing, how it looks, and what you are to do next – and still call it a Shamanic Journey. You may be asked to go see something in particular, but even then, your comprehension will be unique. If someone leads you through a deep, meditative story, it’s called a Guided Meditation. Guided Meditation is valuable, but it is not a Shamanic Journey. However, here are some things that you will need to do and to know. This is your Journey. If at any time you feel uncomfortable, afraid, or threatened, change things. You have a say in what happens to you. If an entity that you encounter sets off all your alarms, be courteous and compassionate, and walk away. For a first Journey, you should not be delving into frightening experiences or looking for battles. Your first Journeys are to help you establish a personal map of the Spirit World and to meet with your Allies. Later, more in depth work can be done, but you will not be alone and you will not be new to the whole process. Know your entrances and exits. It is highly recommended that the entrance you use to get into the Spirit World is one that you know in reality. That will help you with continuity. If you make it up, it’s a bit harder to picture in your mind. And, the way that you go in should be the way that you get out. Familiarity helps make exits smooth and complete. It’s time to begin. Read the description below and get comfortable with it. I can’t recommend a trick that several teachers use: recording the instructions and playing them back while you take the Journey. I believe that such vocalized instructions are intrusive and use concepts of time that do not apply in the Spirit World. Better to allow yourself to experience things without too many restrictions. Most CDs and MP3s will have a limit on the time allotted for your Journey. That’s okay, for now. MAKE CERTAIN THAT YOU GROUND WHEN YOU COME BACK. This is the most important step. If you happen to forget the other details, other than the grounding, you will still be okay. 1. Create a sacred space in a manner that you are comfortable with. If you are new to all this, refer to the previous pages about ritual. This does not need to be elaborate, but the effort of making a special space will greatly enhance your experience. Ask your Powers, God(s), Spirits to protect your physical being while your soul is away on its Journey. Put up your proper defenses. And don’t forget to turn off your cell phone. 2. If you are not going to disturb anyone, and if you have the room, you may wish to drum, chant, and/or dance as a warm up to the Journey. Such activity opens the mind and the heart to sacred work. 3. Drumming for yourself and Journeying at the same time is difficult and may require too much attention: this is where a CD or MP3 comes in handy. Settle in, sitting or lying down comfortably (hint: horizontal = sleep to me, so I almost never lay down to Journey. See what works for you.) Cover your eyes if you need to. Start the CD. 4. Pay attention to your breath. Inhale through your nose normally, not too deeply, for a count of 4. Exhale for a count of 6. This is a normal method to help you relax. Do this for a minute or two. Clear out the chatter of your mind as much as possible (there are days when my inner voice won’t hush up, so don’t be discouraged if you can’t achieve complete silence.) Listen to the drumming and let your mind flow out with the sound. 5. Picture your entrance in your mind. For this Journey, you need an entrance into the Earth: a tunnel, tree trunk, a hole, a swimming hole, or an opening going into the ground. Check it out. Do you hear things, see things, smell things? Touch it if you wish. This entrance is uniquely your own. 6. Go down into the Earth. See what you are going to see (I’m not going to tell you what that is.) Look around. Experience the Lower World for yourself. 7. If you feel ready, go on with the rest of the Journey. If you aren’t quite ready, offer the Spirit World thanks for letting you drop by, and head out the way you came. 8. Slowly make yourself aware of your surroundings, back in normal reality. GROUND YOURSELF. Get your head back to the present, but don’t start analyzing. (And don’t go get into your car!) 9. Pick up your scratch paper and write down what you saw. Don’t think too much. Just put down what you remember. You can use words, short phrases, symbols, whatever you need. Once you have done that, stretch your body and make sure that you came back, all together and as whole as when you started your Journey (no psychic littering in the Spirit World please.) Go ahead and write out the Journey in your good journal. Now, you can try to analyze, or better describe what you saw. 10. Close your sacred space according to your traditions. Then, clean up your scared space and put things away. Congratulations. 11. If you didn’t go anywhere or had trouble focusing (I do, frequently,) please don’t give up. It is very common to not have your first Journey go exactly as planned. Also, don’t be disappointed if the Journey didn’t seem like something created by Lucas Film or another movie-maker. Often, your Journeys are very subtle. And subtlety is the norm.
Posted on: Tue, 20 Aug 2013 17:51:29 +0000
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