Drum Journey (Recorded drumming): ~15 minutes
Lower World Grey Wolf Mother accompanied me to the hot spring entrance in spirit form, as she had left with me before. We arrived together, and she again assumed full form as we reached LW. We walked to the Sacred Fire Circle, where all the CHSes were gathered. GWM sat in front of Reeds Blowing. Reed Blowing spoke, saying: You have accomplished the task you set out to accomplish. regardless of the outcome, we are with you always. I spoke afterward, thanking everyone, especially GWM and RB. Great Walker came out and placed a red mark on my left shoulder, I was not certain what this was for. My Nashawe symbol came ot life on my right leg. GW began to drum. He asked me to drum and dance with him, which I did. The others began to sing/vocalize in their respective ways: GWM howled, Frog chirped, the wings of Hummingbird whirred, Tree rustled its leaves, Grandmother sang a low tone, RB chanted, Bell'ana made the song of the spheres, Turtle croaked and drummed his shell, Owl hooted, Black Hawk cried, Snake hissed, Raccoon chittered... After some time, they all took a piece of my body away and performed their own work on it. My energy merged with the fire until they were done. As the Callback sounded, my pieces came flying back together and I was whole again. I thanked everyone and expressed that I was sad to leave GWM in LW. I was grateful for her protection. Return to OR
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Drum Journey (Recorded drumming): ~15 minutes
Lower World As I began my journey to LW, descending the rocks that lead to the hot springs, I felt as though the spirit of Grey Wolf Mother was with me. In fact, as I dove into the spring, I could feel her jump in next to me and travel all the way down. I landed in my usual stance—one knee down, bent, hand on the ground to steady me—I felt her land beside me, only now she was not in spirit form anymore, but fully visible to me. She urged me to walk with her, then climb on her back. Once I did, I merged with her—front legs were my arms and hands, back legs were my legs—and we ran through the terrains of LW. Soon, she/we became giant and we covered much more ground. She/we stopped at the edge of a field. She walked very deliberately through the field to a forest, then into the thick of the forest. There, we found a clearing where there was a fire already made. I unmerged and sat with her by the fire. "I wish Reeds Blowing were here as well," I said. And then he was. He sat opposite me, next to Grey Wolf Mother. Grey Wolf Mother has been my companion—our companion—for a very long time. She has helped in times of confusion and fear. She has attacked enemies and eaten them. GWM's mouth was suddenly full of blood. She licked her lips and it disappeared. "Did you ever have confusion and fear?" I asked. When I was in the human world and torn by human concerns. She was there for me then. She is here for you now. RB put a hand on GWM's head and she licked his face. She will be strong for you and help you through this journey. Your time of Nashawe is coming close. GWM came to me and I thought she might be loving to me as well. I was not afraid, but I could soon tell she was not about to lick me. Instead, she bit my left hand, then my right. It did not hurt, but it was shocking. She licked the blood from each of my hands. Now she has your blood in her. She is connected to you. [I began to weep in OR.] GWM went back over to RB and lay down next to him. But she soon bolted upright and looked off to my left. Thundering sound. A huge elephant stormed through the forest and stopped at the edge of our clearing. GWM began to howl in what I assumed was a greeting. Elephant responded with a loud trumpeting call. Elephant then curled its trunk around me and hoisted me in the air. RB laughed, Never forget! For your exam. You won't forget what you need to know. "A bit obvious, don't you think?" I joked. Elephant put me down and RB came to me. We will all be here for you. He wrapped his cloak around me and then placed his hands on my shoulders. Just then Hummingbird arrived and hovered by my ear. He placed something in each ear (liquid) with his tongue. Maybe spirit saliva. Who knows? Then GWM let me know we needed to return. I merged with her again and we came back to the Sacred Fire Circle by the LW entrance point. Elephant came with us, running and bounding across the landscape. I thanked them all (RB and Hummingbird remotely), then prepared to return. GWM leapt into the tunnel with me, again assuming spirit form. Callback When I arrived at the top of the hot springs, she jumped up and walked with me up to the cliff edge. Return to OR Drum Journey (Recording): ~15 minutes
Upper World Note: I had a difficult time beginning the journey because I was thinking about the workshop I led the day before: Introduction to Shamanic Journeying. There were five women, all of whom were new to shamanism. After a few minutes, I was able to make it to Upper World. From the moment I arrived, I felt an urgency to see Reeds Blowing. I ran all the way to his tree cave, leaving an offering of wildflower heads surrounding the triangular Taos stone I had brought to the workshop the day before (to use as a "talking stone"). I was distraught, concerned that I had not done the workshop well by spirit standards (!). I felt I had not been able to answer well the challenging questions and comments I got from one workshop attendee: Why power animals? Is there danger in the spirit world? The drum callback sounds threatening to me... Reed Blowing took the stone and blessed it. He smiled and said that I had answered fine; I explained (there is no real danger, only what you may not yet be ready to see) gave examples (I was bitten by a snake on my first journey. Later it was explained this may have been an early dismemberment.), I told her what she needed to know (According to the teachings, there was a time when animals and humans spoke the same language. Journeying is our way to reestablish our connection.). Next time, I could say that "these are the teachings" and leave it at that. As for the threatening callback (which I did not address), I could say that it is a matter of perception. Come, he said, it is time for your drumming lesson. We walked behind his tree and into a clearing at the base of a mountain. There was a large pow-wow drum on the ground. Great Walker stood at one edge. Reeds Blowing stood near him at the drum. I stood opposite Reeds Blowing. We began drumming in unison. Soon, Bell'anna joined us. The sound of the drum was incredible. The vibrations shook the land and air around us. The vibrations turned deep pink and rose in a column to the atmosphere. It surrounded Upper World and encased it in a circle of sound. The vibrations shook us and all around us.I envisioned the cells in my body all moving and re-energizing. The field enveloping UW released and the column went back into the drum, then moved out forcefully into each of the drummers. Once the drumming stopped, I sat on the ground. Great Walker handed me my drum, and told me to drum now. As I did, I saw the vision of the buffalo whose hide covers my drum. He was majestic and black-furred. I saw his watery eyes. He grazed and ambled through the field. I was amazed by his beauty. I then saw his death and the process of his skinning—blood and sinew. I tried to imagine the shift from living to dead, from spirit inhabiting the body to the skin on the wooden worktable, drying. I saw Lee Lujan receiving the skin. Working it. Making this drum. I saw the Cottonwood tree. I moved through its seasons. Buds and leaves and decay and buds again. I saw bugs and birds making homes in it. I saw its bark forming and shedding over the years. I saw it being cut down... Callback I thanked my teachers and returned. Return to Ordinary Reality. Drum Journey (Recording): ~15 minutes
Lower World The purpose of this journey was to receive a drumming teaching, but also to request guidance about the shamanic journeying workshop I am leading in two days. I went to the Sacred Fire Circle, where all the CHSes were gathered. I asked for any advice about what I should include in the workshop. Grandmother stood and said: Ancestors. It is important for those who journey to know that the ancestors are there. There are the ancestors of blood lineage and there are spirit ancestors of life incarnations. Bell'anna stood and opened her robe to reveal the universe. She said: Connection and communication. We are all connected to the universe. We communicate with all that is within it, was within it, and all that ever will be. Journey with this knowledge and purpose. Reeds Blowing stood and said: Nature. Plant life speaks to us constantly. Animals as well. Journey to hear what plants and animals want to share with us. Rekindle the communication with them. Return home to them in the journeys you make. I turned to Great Walker for his teaching on the drum. Suddenly, I was transported to a large field where I was drumming and dancing energetically, wearing a white scarf. This scarf represented both Reeds Blowing's white deerskin cape and Great Walker's white beads. I felt the message that I would wear the white scarf (or have it nearby) when I give the workshop to keep these teachers with me. As I danced and drummed, I head Great Walker tell me that I should consider the other not as the other. This means, hold the person for whom you are drumming as part of yourself, part of the great web of life. The healing drum energy moves out into the atmosphere and knows where to land. It does not know the object-beings as separate. They are connected. Therefore, when drumming, consider the other not as the other but as one of everything, including the drum, the drummer, and the beat. Callback I thanked the CHSes and returned. Return to Ordinary Reality Drum Journey (Self-drumming): ~15 minutes
Lower World My drum was waiting for me as I wandered behind the drop-off point, away from Sacred Circle. This way is tha area of many terrains, which often change and shift as I walk through them. This time, I headed along my usual dirt path, and played my drum. As I did, I noticed that several compassionate helping spirits began to join me as if we were marching in a parade! It was very joyful, even though I didn't know where I was going. I saw a ravine, but did not go down into it. I remember thinking, "Isn't it odd how often I'm on a precipice, both here and in Upper World?" I was drawn toward a jungle, which, as I approached, became a dark wooded area. I remembered this area from previous journeys. I have met forest-dwellers there. I came upon a campfire and knew to sit there. Then, Snake came with her three eggs and pushed them toward the fire opposite me. She told me to drum the eggs a healing. I did so, watching the sound of the drum envelop them and move around each of them. The sound moved to Snake and she allowed it to wrap around the length of her body. Soon, she moved on and the next CHS came, Raccoon. I realized that I was being asked to offer a drum healing to all the CHSes. After Raccoon came Owl, then Black Hawk, then Hummingbird, Frog, Tree, and Turtle. Grandmother came and danced in the waves of the drumsound. She washed it over her like sage smoke. Teacher Bell'ana opened her white robes and let the drum sound inside. Reeds Blowing also folded up the drum healing into this robe and washed it over his face. I was shy to heal him with the drum—even more than Grandmother and Bell'ana for some reason—perhaps because he has been so active in my teachings. After Reeds Blowing, Water Buffalo and Mother Bear came. Afterward, Great Walker appeared and sat opposite me and we drummed. As we did, he told me that this lesson was about staying in the moment of the drum—each beat, each resonance of the beat. Even though the beats move fast, there is a stillness in the rhythm. This was something to learn about life as well: Being suspended in the moment, listening and being healed by it. We continued to drum and I felt the sounds of drum I was beating as separate from me. There was my hand, beating the drum, but I could not feel it. I could not feel the mallet striking the drum head. I only heard the beats. We continued this for some time before I sounded the callback. I thanked all the CHSes. Return to Ordinary Reality |
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