A Deeper Look Into Our History

Power Animals have a long history in the practice of shamanism. They are one of our primary spirit helpers. We have acknowledged such wisdom and ancientness in our circles this year.

 In circles past and articles written I have talked about caves with ancient altars to Bears and Jaguars. Cave paintings still adorn the walls where our Ancestors lived for thousands of years. Most cave artefacts were left between 35,000 and 10, 000 BCE. The most beautiful of what remains of cave art was obviously made during this long time period.

 In the cave Les Trois Freres inPyrenees, there are over 500 paintings and engravings. Many of the ancient paintings represent figures of man in various transitions between animal and human. From top to bottom a whole wall is covered with engravings. The surface has been worked by your ancestors with tools of stone, creating the animals that lived at this time in southern France: the mammoth, rhinoceros, bison, wild horse, bear, wild ass, reindeer, wolverine, musk ox; also, the smaller animals have been engraved: snowy owls, hares, and fish. In many of the pictures are seen darts everywhere, flying at the game, enacting the hunt. Several engravings of bears have holes where the images were struck and blood is shown spouting from their mouths.

 In circles past we gathered to do Jaguar postures. The postures we chose to do were of the jaguar shamans, half Jaguar/half shaman, referred to as the shapeshifter. Many of these paintings have very intricate details of the animals going so far in detail as to show movement. I believe the most intense of all of the trance postures I have ever done, Jaguar has been the most powerful.

 The Inuit call the shaman “lord of the beasts”. I think that we created such beautiful creations of animals because we found a medium to express our experiences traveling through the doorway. We could finally translate what we experienced. That very thought leaves an indelible impression upon me. The paintings of the animals are not symbolic, or at least rarely. Man is often a stick figure, not a great deal of attention was paid to humans. That may be for two reasons, first the artist knew everyone knew what a human looked like, and secondly the artist may have been attempting to portray that his presence was of little consequence. We move again to the cave, to the depth of the cave. I don’t think it is a hard leap to make, to say that the deeper we move into the darkness of caves in our journeys, the deeper we feel connected to the Sacred.

 We were originally hunter/gatherer societies. The animal would have been the most sacred and sought after spiritual helper. Glossolalia must have its origins in the first days of animal human relationships. For those who don’t know, glossolalia is the proper word for Tongues.  Shamans globally learnt the language of the animals, through sounds, gestures, observations, costumes… the shaman remembered the importance of NOT separating from a sacred language. One of the first things you learn at any basic shamanic workshop is to journey, or to take a voyage, to meet your power animal. This has been a basic step of shamanism throughout its history, which incidentally stems from the Ice Age and has continued without interruption to present day. If we look to the myths and stories we have studied this circle season we have seen a pattern. The myths tells us of a time when animals and humans spoke the same language and were in harmony. For various reasons the worlds, as they were, could no longer exist together. Separation occurred. The shaman’s first journey is to reunite the connection between the land of the animals and the land of the humans. That is an ecstatic experience. A balance between the human’s need to eat and the animal’s (often referred to as brother, sister, grandmother, grandfather…) right to life.

 In circles past I have talked about bear ceremonies and the altars.  Any trip to the library will allow the casual observer of shamanism the opportunity to see pictures in various books of shamans wearing head dresses of birds, coats of wolf skin as well as masks of all shapes and sizes. Power Animals still enable us, as they did our Ancestors, access to both the inner and the outer world. Over time we heal the rift that has developed and separated us into accepting that there is an inner and outer world, nasty duality.

 Story telling is an important part of our shamanic heritage. Some of the caves the initiates walked through ranged in depth of ½ kilometre to several kilometres. The use of stories told not only the initiates, but others involved as witnesses, the complex relationship between the world of the human and the world of the Spirits.  The stories also held deep meanings.

 Have you read the stories Bone Collector and Skeleton Woman? Skeleton woman is an Inuit story instructing the initiate about the importance of the skeleton. They believed that the skeleton was both death and resurrection. The flesh died away but the bones often did not decay, so it was an immortal event. Initiates journey to with the hope of finding their skeleton when they reach the Spirit World, for they then have truly crossed the barrier between the place where time exists, to the place where no time exists.

 The Bone Collector is a story of resurrection, however it also teaches the initiates to listen to the bones and to hear the language they speak. The phrase “the shaman is to be like a hollow bone” comes from these very thoughts. Shamans feel spirit in their bones, whether in their physical body or in the spiritual body. The Bone Collector sang to the bones, the vibration creating life in the bones. Healers sing to the bones of the dead, asking them to take their messages to the spirits and grant their request. Some Bear Shamans, as have been mentioned elsewhere on my site, were particularly adept at fixing bones, most times these shamans sang to their patients, the power of the song is what is used to bring the shattered parts of the bones back together. The divining shaman throws bones to find where the animals have gone. Animal bones played an enormous part in the role of the shaman.

Bear Medicine

 Bear Medicine

www.bearshaman.com

Power specifically associated with the Spirit of the Bear. Bear Shamans have been blessed particularly with the ability to heal. Anthropologists have remarked on this occurence as it is known in virtually all cultures within the bear’s range. In 1926, anthropologist A. Irving Hallowell studied bear ceremonialism throughout Europe, Asia and North America and noted that very different cultures shared language taboos when referring to bears. Often they called them Brother – and begged Brother not to hurt them. Sometimes the word for Bear in certain languages cannot be used when hunting them. They are often hunted with spears or axes even when guns were available. Many elaborate, and at times days long, rituals were held to honor Bear Body. It would be decorated beautifully, perhaps placed on a platform as a place of honor. Tribal members would make speeches.  It is also common in various tribes to observe similar restrictions on the eating of bear meat. Different tribes had different rituals or preparation ceremonies for the Bear Bones. 

Hallowell concluded that these ceremonial hunting practices shared a single, paleolithic origin that was then widely distributed around the boreal zone in Eurasia andNorth America. Even with much new data available about Siberian, Lapland Saami, and Japanese Ainu bear ceremonialism, scholars continue to agree with Hallowell’s thesis. Bears are referred to as the Constant Dreamer. In many traditions Bear is one of the Primal, or First Beings. So, to a simple person such as myself, it makes sense that Bear spoke to everyone who dreamed. Bear, apparently, was very specific regarding their treatment. I find that fascinating.

Certainly the bear’s liminal ability to navigate above and below ground gives it shamanic status in many cultures.  I use the word liminal to imply that Bear has the ability to see between worlds, as in between life and death. (hibernation).  

In western Siberia, the bear is thought to mediate between the living and the dead. In Jewish tradition, the bear is sometimes associated with one of the six directions—that of the earth.

 The bear is also known in many cultures as a great healer, since it seeks out plants for its own healing. North American brown bears and Kodiak bears are known to dig up Ligusticum porteri (also known, not surprisingly, as “bear root”) and chew on it and then rub it on their fur; the plant is known to have antibiotic properties, be good for stomachaches, and repel insects. I have been given a piece of bear root to stick in my mouth while singing. It worked quite well. Alaskan brown bears are known to chew on sedge to rid themselves of tapeworm and parasites before hibernating. And the common names of many other plants reflect bears’ usage: bearberry, bear’s paw, bear tongue, bear clover.

 As an animal that disappears in winter to reappear only in spring, the bear is also the symbol of renewal, rebirth, and the regaining of health. The ancient Greeks associated Artemis, goddess of plants and regeneration, with Bear; indeed, before marriage young Greek girls were secluded and called arktoi, or “she-bears” (interestingly, a menstruating Ojibwa woman was called Mako-wii, “bear woman”).

 Bear is also a species known for its strong maternal ties. The she-bear was worshipped by the Celts as the bear goddess Artio. And of course, Zeus changed Callisto into Ursa Major, the “Great She-Bear” of the sky.

 Bear medicine is powerful medicine, bringing healing, renewal, and rebirth. This is the gift that Grandmother Bear brings those who live in bear country.

Carl Jung referred to Bear energy as feminine. Many myths refer to Bear as Female. In my shamanic journeys I have often met Bear when she is digging or just inside her den. All around her are roots of many plants hanging down. She has been a good teacher of medicine for me. One of my journeys I was buried in the Earth and Bear dug me out tearing the nose off my face. She got my attention. I did take her advice and dug around deep into my self,  ‘rooting’ out what was hidden. Caverns, Caves, Grottos are often referred to as symbols for our deepest levels of subconscious.

Spend some time with Bear. I have found Mudjekeewis to be a splendid teacher. Not always a gentle teacher, but deeply loved and appreciated by myself.

The Mysterious and Sacred Raven

Surely we have all heard the legends of raven. Raven, like coyote and other spirit beings of the Northwest mythology, was as fickle and unpredictable as nature and its seasons. Raven was a shape-shifter, who could assume any form – human or animal.

The Raven Stories are both entertaining – as raven’s mischief often backfired, but also instructive – teaching us about the Northwest Indians’ way of life and the origin of their customs.  The raven is traditionally associated with death and blackness, acting as intermediaries between us and the afterlife, or associated them with sorrow and dying. In fact, carrion birds were usually the first scavengers on the scene after a death, and feasted on man and beast alike. Their reputation among such peoples was grim one, and many scorned the birds, or cursed their presence.

Among other peoples, however, it was the wit and curiosity these birds displayed which colored their spiritual significance. They were associated with joy and laughter, and a spirit of mischief. The native tribes of the pacific northwest were among the latter of these two. They called Raven the Great Trickster, and boasted that the creation of mankind was Raven’s doing. They also claimed that Raven’s tricks brought fire to mankind so they wouldn’t freeze in the darkness; Raven supplied water during a great drought; and Raven made Salmon for the people to eat (Of course that was after he stole it from the Beaver!). When totem poles were erected to honor the spiritual guardians of these tribes, Raven was a common feature on them. There are also totem poles which depict raven and beaver together, of course raven is on top!

The idea of Raven as a creator was not unique to North American peoples, even in Siberia there were myths and stories told of how Raven created the world. It appears that as humans we could watch and admire the raven for its creativity and fortitude. In Australia, kookaburra is the laughing trickster, so the raven (the story of Whan) has a slightly different role, a bird of sorrows. He takes the sadness from humanity, and flies away with it. The Australian raven’s mournful call reflects the burden he carries.

But when I read European mythology in doing comparison work I found that they were mostly messengers, or an alternate shape for various deities and spirits. The ones that I can call to mind are Bran, (whom I have met in my journeys both as god-form and raven form) the Morrigan, and of course Odin

A circle mate explained more to me about Odin’s ravens, Huginn and Muninn, when we were together for the Three Worlds workshop.  I read a bit further and it seems that there is a split between active and passive roles; Huginn is Thought (active), and Muninn is Memory (passive), and Odin sends these two birds off around the world at daybreak, to bring him the daily news.

 Wolves and ravens have an old and close relationship in the wild. In countries where both animals live together, a great deal of a raven’s food comes from scavenging carcasses left by wolves, particularly in winter. Both animals would have been a common sight on the battlefield, scavenging on the bodies of the slain

 Ravens are fascinating birds.  I guess what attracted our ancestors to them, still attracts modern people to them.  Ravens are very common spirits in our circle.  There are people who have taken the name Raven.  Raven is still referred to as Grandfather by the Haida people.  Raven is still considered a trickster when it arrives at pow wows and others ceremonies. 

 How could they not capture our imaginations? Ravens have been a part of our global history for over 3 million years, it is obviously embedded into the global psyche.

 References:

Raven’s End – Ben Gadd

The Celtic Shaman –  John Matthews

Mind of the raven: investigations and adventures with wolf-birds – Bernd Heinrich

Shadow Power Animals

A Power Animal is any natural object, being, or animal that symbolizes a specific kind of energy. When one awakens to a Power Animal and honors it, the mythical energies behind it are released into one’s life.  My first power animal was Deer.  Deer taught me patience, gentleness, healing and many other important qualities. 

 

The first shamans watched Animals very carefully, their traits, abilities, habits and learnt to respect them.  Through time, myths and stories were told and retold by shamans to explain their understanding of the spiritual animal to their village mates.  We encounter that in circle, the similarities between journeys, the similar characteristics between our Power Animals. They may be present in their earthly manifestations, but they aren’t bound by physical forms. One does not worship a Power Animal; one follows it. The way of a Power Animal is something you aspire to, rather like someone who aspires to live according to a code of honor. A Power Animal will share information through our voyages, our visions and dreams. Animals come to us because they have a lesson we need to learn or a power they are willing to share. They seek to give us understanding, love, energy and knowledge.

 

The Power Animals that come to us offer us power and wisdom once we learn to communicate with, respect, trust and understand it. Each animal has its own special power and message, for each animal has a powerful spirit and an inherent skill. Animal Spirits choose a person to be a companion to, a friend to, not the other way around. The animal will choose you and make itself known to you.

 

Eventually, everyone who practices the shamanic journey will encounter the Shadow Power Animal. They are sometimes frightening and threatening, but always intimidating.

 

From a psychological perspective the Shadow represent those aspects of our psyche that we choose to ignore – our fears, our secrets and dark thoughts. They characterize our personal boundaries, our self-imposed limitations and those parts of ourselves that rejects spontaneity, risk taking and the development of self-esteem.

 

I have a weakness for Grey’s anatomy, so I watched it last night.  The entire show was dedicated to playing with Shadow.  The characters fears of ‘not being seen”, or “judgment”, “loss of a best friend”. The duality played out in the writing was very coincidental, I thought! I pondered the hardest parts of our drama, our tragedy. Playing right into our shadow. Each main character was presented with a mirror of him or herself, and had the embrace the ensuing chaos that inevitably comes when they faced themselves.   

 

Shadow Power Animals represent our dark side – the shadow aspect of our soul that we tend to ignore or suppress due to the connotations that they represent and the responsibilities they force upon us. They make us to look at ourselves, to stand before our weaknesses and our frailties and to honour them as lessons and as stepping-stones to power.

 

The Shadow Animal is a substantial presence in the Spirit world, similar to a nightmare in your dreaming reality. It usually presents itself as the scariest, most frightening animal, or being, you can imagine. They can be fire-breathing dragons, trolls or skeletons wielding arm sized machetes, really anything.  A Shadow Power Animal tests us. They have keys for us, but will put us through tests before they will let their power work with, and for us, instead of against us. In all of nature there is prey and predator. In the spiritual world there is the same.

 

Shadow Power Animals are equally as important and as valuable a teacher as one’s Power Animal. Remember it is Shadow because it is unconscious.  We cannot see what we are unconscious of.  The Shadow Self operates mostly in unconscious reflex, it is not based upon instinctual desires alone, but is a sum total of many parts including fear, anger, repressed drives and needs, past pain not yet been healed, resolved and integrated, as well as our early childhood conditioning.

 

Shamanic work is not always fun and fluffy and light.  It is very serious work.  Many times we have left this temple, this circle, in tears, in confusion, frustrated… or light and fluffy with lots of giggles… kinda a crap shoot eh!!

 

The Spirit World has, often times, a very different agenda then our waking reality.  Walking somnambulists are not welcome there.  To participate in the land of the spirits you do have to be awake and take a certain level of responsibility for yourself and your walk.  To get our attention we are often presented with what may scare us, or what may frustrate us.  A snake may be very frightening for some, for others who don’t have a great deal of fear they may encounter barriers to this world or that. The idea is we are taken deep into ourselves in order to understand ourselves, the challenge we face is to bring our newly awoken CONSCIOUS SELF back to our waking reality and incorporate it.

 

A shadow Power Animal is one that initially you fear. The shadow Power Animal often represents inner fears that you must overcome. Until you face the fears of the shadow Power Animal, its powers may very well work against you, not letting you soar. When you overcome the fear of the shadow Power Animal, it becomes one of your most powerful allies. Your goal with a shadow Power Animal is to learn the lessons and incorporate that animal into your life. If you are scared by something over and over then you still have not accepted the lesson that animal has for you.

  

Your shadow does not have to be scary.  It does not have to harm you, you don’t at all have to be afraid to encounter or meet your shadow side.  You may be at the point in your life where you are friends with your shadow.  I have found over the years my shadows counsel has been invaluable to me.  I have been able to see my limitations emotionally, physically, and above all spiritually.