The Shamanic Handbook of Sacred Tools and Ceremonies, published by Moon Books July 2015 is a new text from Barbara Meiklejohn-Free and Flavia Kate Peters. Here’s the introduction to give you a flavour... Imagine standing in a room with a hundred drummers. As they hold their shamanic hand drums, poised ready to journey and ride the spirit horse to new levels, you feel your heart beating fast in anticipation. You feel a little scared, frightened, but yet excited that something amazing is about to happen. Then the drums start and you feel the beat pulsating through your entire body. The connection with Spirit moves and flows deep into the very stream of your consciousness, stirring your soul’s essence as it moves and shapes into a renewed, awakened life force. As the drums gain momentum they beat faster and faster and you feel yourself losing control, spinning in a vortex of energy. Suddenly you find yourself surround by animals, spirits and strange places that you have never encountered before, or have you? Something feels all too familiar. You surrender and finally relax as you sink into the depths – you have come home...ya Many may feel an affinity with the pathway of the Shaman, sensing the call. The Shaman within stirs each of us from our deep slumber. For it is time to wake up and acknowledge that the world of nature is on equal terms with humankind in keeping this planet going, as we know it. For two millennia, mankind has believed that everything on this planet is his for his own taking, to have dominion over. It is time to redress the balance and to live up to the sacred role of the Shaman. But where will this journey of mystery take you, you may ask, and where do you start? A Shaman is someone who has always been drawn to nature, who naturally hears the whispers of Spirit through the breeze, who welcomes the rains, glorifies in the heat of the sun and connects with the nourishment of the earth. A Shaman embraces each season, rejoices at every new bud during the first stirrings of spring, the harvest abundance that summer supplies, the falling leaves of autumn and the deep dark mystery that accompanies the winter months. The Shaman’s heart sings at the mere notion of the workings of Spirit, has an affinity with the ways of natural healing and believes in another world of mystical beings. The Shaman is able to naturally connect with this ‘other world’, perceiving the spirits that are all around, in all that is alive. This is the belief system of Shamanism, for it is not a religion, but a wonderful world of freedom, magic and connection with the natural world, and that of Spirit. Our ancestors, and other indigenous peoples, lived their lives trusting in, recognising and interacting with the spirits of the land, living in accordance with the magical law of nature. The Shaman is a healer, a counsellor and ambassador for the spirits of nature, taking a responsible attitude in guardianship for this beloved planet. Instead of having to pick up a dozen books on the subject of Shamanism, we have combined all that the beginner needs to know into this, The Shamanic Handbook of Sacred Tools and Ceremonies. As you begin your path as a Shaman, of the ‘one who knows’, your journey will be one of remembrance as you connect with the earth-centred traditions of the ancestors. But do not be fooled, for walking the shamanic path is a hard journey of soul-searching experiences. You may find yourself suddenly dropping everything to be on top of a mountain in some far away land, to embrace yourself in a vision quest. Or you might end up taking part in a sweat lodge or walk across hot coals in a firewalk, because you were called to be in the right place at the right time. The art is not to question, but to be ready to answer and to surrender. It will challenge you, it will push you over the edge and you may find yourself screaming that you cannot, or will not, continue. Some will walk away forever, whilst others may keep dipping their toes in, now and then. We have known people to turn their backs on Shamanism even after experiencing the most incredible feelings of ecstasy through the vibrational sounds of shamanic drums, having journeyed into the abyss of the self and healed wholly and fully, and endured heart attacks, which have lead them to an incredible connection with Spirit and their true life purpose. The sacred pathway of the Shaman is uncertain, but necessary, if you wish to connect with the magic that is within and all around you. There may be pitfalls and great losses along the way, but you can be assured that wherever this path leads you to, the overall outcome will be more satisfactory than you could even imagine. You may find this book at: www.amazon.com |
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