Shamanic Jounrneying Defined

 

Shamanic Journeying is the art of unconsciously journeying to the Lower World, the Middle World or the Upper World.  Steps to Shamanic Journeying include:

1.      Preparation For Entering Unconscious Reality: The Shaman prepares herself through spiritual cleansing, ritual, prayers and spiritual breathing (inhaling purity and cleanliness of spirit and exhaling impurity and unclean energy). 

2.      Purpose: After cleansing and prayers, the Shaman determines a specific purpose for the Journey and verbalizes it.  Practical Reason and Human Choice, along with Common Sense are always in the forefront of the Shaman’s mind when s/he is journeying.  The Journeyer is always in control and can leave the Journey at any time.

3.      Entering Unconscious Reality: having verbalized one’s purpose, the Shaman chooses to enter one of the Three Worlds: the Lower World, the Middle World or the Upper World.

4.      Encountering Nature-Symbols In Unconscious Reality: the Shaman encounters an unconscious nature symbol (a rock, a plant, an animal, a star, the moon, a cloud, etc.) and asks the nature symbol a question: “What is your message to me?”  (In our story, the nature symbols are Cousin Bear, Brother Fox and Grand Eagle.)  S/he then listens or sees intuitively. The answer may come in the form of a symbol or perhaps a metaphor.   The answer may be visual, auditory or kinesthetic.  It may also come in the form of a taste or smell.

5.      Interpreting Nature-Symbols:  If there is no answer, s/he is confident that an answer will come in its own proper time.  The Shaman reserves interpretation for a later time unless the interpretation is revealed immediately.  Now is the time for intuitive seeing, hearing, and sensing.  Interpretation occurs in the Middle World, the world of logic, problem solving and decision making.

Note: Conscious Reason is always primary in any and all decision-making processes.  Conscious Reason must always be preeminent.

6.      Coming back to Conscious reality: the Shaman comes back to ordinary reality gradually through prayers, ritual and spiritual breathing.

 

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