Shamanism Divinity Enlightment Money & New Age Pop Culture

I am a shaman. Oh did I say that? Now I can't be a shaman because I just announced I was a shaman and no actually, as a matter of fact, I'm not a shaman. No I'm not, of course I'm not.

I'm not the right color. Well I'm not of color, I'm white and I'm not over 75 so I am definitely not a shaman. No I'm not. No way. No.

I'm a holy man. No I can't be a holy man. I'm not a priest, or a bishop or a pope, and certainly I'm not a monk in red robes or famous. No I'm just a 50 year old white guy with a gift and no book. So I certainly couldn't be really enlightened.

"Hell no!" Oops I just said hell. So I couldn't be a shaman, or a holy man, or enlightened because all these archetypes don't swear, unless they bang there finger with a nail...and even then I bet they curse in holy gibberish.

Why do I know I'm not a shaman or a holy man? Why? Well I know I'm not a shaman or holy man because when people ask if I have trouble with money? I have to admit that "Yes I do." And then they all say "Ah to bad."

I respond with a question? "Is there a problem?" and then they answer "Well you have trouble manifesting prosperity."

"Which means?" I ask.

"Well you couldn't be enlightened if you can't manifest money."

Then I have this weird, bizarre, roundy roundy conversation in my head with myself, trying to figure out the contradiction:

The Dali Lama's people are in exile and are being tortured, and he's still enlightened but of course he has lotsa money.

The Pope is enlightened even though he belives women are subservent and gay people are not well or right or whole or a part of god. Even though appears quite of priests happen to be gay and like younger boys. The Pope doesn't have money but he's around money and wear's money but it's not his though but that doesn't matter he's the Pope and we can forgive him for that and he's still considered enlightened.

Robert Doweny Jr is a Hollywood star with tons of moo la and fame who is idolized as something special and people look to him as some sort of guru of emlightenment of money and career and manifester of his own destiny.

When I happened to point out that he maybe just maybe, a little flawed:

"Huge addiction, unable to meet responsibilities, has unhealthy relationships and has a few troubles with the law, from time to time..."

"Yes..." People answer feverishly "...but he is a brilliant actor."

Suddenly he is put on a pinnacle so high that he is within the touch of god. Maybe he is a holy man then?

But what am I? Some one who's is (in the land of psychopaths) being honest, not wanting to lie, steal or cheat (you may now, consider me tragically flawed)destined to eek out a meer existence unlike everyone else. (Well not unlike everyone, although it certainly appears unlike everyone). But I'm not enlightened because I can't manifest money. Or so they say.Them guys who are called Corporate America. Who know all about manifesting monies...bruhahaha!!(evil laugh). No I'm a nonshanonholymanifester of monies, who is living simply, has a supportive family, lives in a caring community, and I have a wonderful wife and daughter (we all love each other...really) and live on a hill, with a view (of the ocean) one and half blocks away from the beach, in paradise...a rainy paradise but a paradise none the less. Who has to say, "yes I'll admit it, I have trouble manifesting money..."

"...but not prosperity by the sounds of it."(c)

Where do you go when you die?

Death, done, over, finished, final end is getting put into the ground with white little crawly bugs? I thinking...no.

From my experience it doesn't happen that way. Oh and I'm not just talking about "Life After Death," to me that's a gimme and not worth even running a debate, cause seriously they're bigger fish to fry, more interesting issues to discuss. I'm going beyond into the great mystery, the big wow.

Some would say you go to heaven, others hell, others still yet limbo this is may was my journey to the other side and back again.

I was 30 years old, I was learning how to be a channel, for the layman, a "Deep Trance Medium," for those who know the deeper parts of an old British spiritualist teachings.

I would go to my friend Loyd's house and we would sit in a circle with 5 other people. Loyd would sit in this specially design fabric cubical (this helps to contain his energies). I was at least 30 years younger than everyone else in the room.

There where all Catholic, two wonderful older retired ladies from the catholic school system, both in there nineties, a excommunicated Monk in his late sixty's another fellow in his 60's and Loyd (who I found out later was the leading Spiritualist Medium in Ontario) who was in his seventies. All incredible caring supportive people.

I szt in this circle (some would call it a seance)every Friday night for a year, learning. This story is about life after death, without dieing, but if I chose to leave that night and not come back I would have die.

The room is pitch black, you cannot see your hand in front of your face and we sat side by side within a foot of each other. Also please keep in mind that I am very respectful of Elders (very respectful) and I would not ever swear in the presences of the Elderly, it's not in my nature. I'd feel horrible if I did that. I say this because its makes (for me) this story more authentic. I leave everything in the story the way it happened. Nothing has been edited out.

The Journey begins with Loyd talking to one of the entities (Dema - Irsh approx 6oo years old in our linear way of thinking) that comes through me to talk. All my Spirit Friends (Guides) call me the little one (Just so you don't get confused about who Dema is referring too. Loyd is talking to Dema in the beginning then Dema leaves and I come back into my body.

" Were did you say you where Dema?" The clouds where white around his feet. Not used to being confused Dema glanced around. "At the misty place." Lloyd asked again. "We are you now Dema?" Puzzling Dema return to the room. " Oh its the little one you be wanting for this then."

Lloyd left his seat. Stood up and wandered to my side in the dark. "John?" I pause in seeing the misty place I had seen when I was nineteen. (the night with Old Mrs Thorn, my Mom, my Aunt, my Uncle) "John tell me, what do you see?" I investigated closer. It was a misty place. More like a place of waiting, in the clouds. "I see some clouds. Misty white." Lloyd was very close. His hand was near my head. I think. I could feel some warmth from his hand. He was helping. "Go there." "Okay" I said."I see a bridge all made of wood and rope. Like the old ones you might find going across great casims." It was suggested that I cross the bridge. So I did. When I got to the other side I notice people in a huge line all asleep all walking into a dark void. Being very curios I went to see what the whole thing was about. "John, we're you going?" I stopped "To the dark void of course." Lloyd prodded. "Do you see the light?" I didn't see any light what so ever. "John, turn around." I turned to be blinded by such force that my being wanted to run not walk to the nearest exit! "John, do you see it?"

"Holy shit!!!! " Lloyd paused at my description. "John what do you see?" I stood before something that took my breath away. "A light. A huge light! Holy shit, holy shit!!" "Go towards it." "No" "John, its okay, go to it." "No" "John, how do you feel?" "Scared, really, really scared." "John can you see someone their with you?" "Yes" "Where is he?" " He is standing in the light." "Go to him John." "No" "Why" "I don't think its a good idea." "Can you see his hand?" "Yes" "Go to him John. He'll take care of you...Where are you now?" "I'm close to the light" "How do you feel?" "Scared! REALLY, REALLY SCARED!!!" "Go closer" "OKay....Jesussss....oh my god, oh my god!!!!!" "John, we're you now?" "Close,close, really close...oh my god, oh my god, oh my god!" "Go into the light." "No." "Is your friend going into the light?" "yes." Take his hand. Can you see his hand?" "yes...oh my god, on my godddddddddd!!!!!!!!!" "John, how do you feel?" Scared, so scared. God oh god I'm really scared." "Go deeper into the light." "Okay..." "John where are you?...John?" ...

..."Holy shit. Holy shit! Holy shit!!!! This is incredible!!!! Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit holy shit, holy shitttt!!!!!!!!!" John, how do you feel? " I feel Great!!!!!!! Really, really, really incredible....Holy shit! HOLY SHHHITTT!!!!!!!" "What do you see?" "Oh my god, oh my god, I see thousands and hunderds of thousands of little light all apart, all together. Separate, whole. Close, near. Holy shit, holy shit!!!!!! Its incredible you should see this. Hahhhhhhhahahaha!!!!! Holy shit, holy shit!!!!! Everything is apart of eachother. A humungess mass of lights. WOOOOWW!!!!

"John, come back."

"No." "John, you've got to come back." "No I don't" "John.Give me one good reason why I ought to come back?"

It took Lloyd along time to come up answer and if he didn't I promise you I would not have come back.

....You've got more work to do."

"Why did you have to go and say that? If you had said anything else, I could have argued with you. Why that?"

"John?"

"I'm coming."

"....We're are you now?"

"Its hard." "John?..." "I'm coming but its hard." "...Are you out of the light?" "I'm out of the light." "Are you at the bridge?" "I'm at the bridge." "Are you across the bridge?" "I'm across the bridge." "Are you in the misty place?" "I'm in the misty place." "Are you back?" "I'm back." "Are you hear?" "I'm hear." "John, are you with us?" "I'm with you."

"Are you Home?"

"Yes I am Home." (c)

An 8 year olds Mantra

My daughter was given this verse from her school to help with her lifes journey.

I read it this morning and I thought:

"Oh, this could help me on mine."

Rich treasures planted long ago

Within my soul, so dark and deep,

Are wakened from a dreamy sleep.

They stream into the world; they grow.

They bear star-substances of greatest worth,

Through loving deeds of mine, uniting heaven and earth.

It reminds me of ancestral medicine, of my peoples long passed on still supporting me.

That the information is seeded deep within my being, it lies within and if I want dig up those seeds of lost secrets I can. Finally that what I do every day is keeping me connected to be able to "Walk Between Worlds," my medicine, my life, my journey.(c)

Are you looking for a “Soul Mate?”

Oh, ah, eeeeee! So you are looking the “Soul Mate”, hunting for the one, the only.

Who started the notion that all humanity has “One” single love for there whole life. One, just one! Your twin soul, your partner for life your completion, your other half your…..wow!

Wikipedia defines Soul Mate as: “somebody with whom one has a feeling of deep and natural affinity, love, intimacy, sexuality, spirituality, and/or compatibility. A related concept is that of the twin flame or twin soul – which is thought to be the ultimate soulmate, the one and only other half of one's soul, for which all souls are driven to find and join. However, not everyone who uses these terms intends them to carry such mystical connotations.

One theory of soulmates, presented by Aristophanes in Plato's Symposium, is that humans originally consisted of four arms, four legs, and a single head made of two faces, but Zeus feared their power and split them all in half, condemning them to spend their lives searching for the other half to complete them:

[Primeval man] could walk upright as men now do, backwards or forwards as he pleased, and he could also roll over and over at a great pace, turning on his four hands and four feet, eight in all, like tumblers going over and over with their legs in the air; this was when he wanted to run fast …Terrible was their might and strength, and the thoughts of their hearts were great, and they made an attack upon the gods ... Doubt reigned in the celestial councils. Should they kill them and annihilate the race with thunderbolts, as they had done the giants, then there would be an end of the sacrifices and worship which men offered to them; but, on the other hand, the gods could not suffer their insolence to be unrestrained. At last, after a good deal of reflection, Zeus discovered a way. He said: 'Methinks I have a plan which will humble their pride and improve their manners; men shall continue to exist, but I will cut them in two and then they will be diminished in strength and increased in numbers; this will have the advantage of making them more profitable to us. They shall walk upright on two legs, and if they continue insolent and will not be quiet, I will split them again and they shall hop about on a single leg.'

Some people believe that souls are literally made and/or fated to be the mates of each other, or to play certain other important roles in each other's lives.

According to theories popularized by Theosophy and in a modified form by Edgar Cayce, God created androgynous souls, equally male and female. Later theories postulate that the souls split into separate genders, perhaps because they incurred karma while playing around on the Earth, or "separation from God". Over a number of reincarnations, each half seeks the other. When all karmic debt is purged, the two will fuse back together and return to the ultimate.^”

Waahhhhhhh “what the F#!k?” Doesn’t this sound crazy to you?! It does to me. In fact it sounds extremely lonely unless you’re lucky. Or delusional. Could it have started along time ago, subliminally and then later perpetuated by broken child adults? Who then grew up and became “enlightened” (but still broken) continued this cycle of love madness.

Even our fair tales that we grew up with may have been a contributed factor to this craziness.

John Bradshaw suggests: “Little girls are taught fairy talks that are filled with magic. Cinderella is taught to wait in the kitchen for a guy with the right shoe! Snow White is given the message that if she waits long enough, her prince will come. On a literal level, that story tells women that their destiny depends on waiting for a necrophilia (someone who likes to kiss dead people) to stumble through the woods at the right time. Not a pretty picture.

Boys too are taught magical expectations by fairy tales. Many stories contain the message that there is one right woman, whom they must travel far, traversing dark woods and conquering dangerous and frightening dragons. Finally, he will know, without a doubt, when he finds her. (this is why many men are so anxious standing at the altar.)

Often the male’s detiny is shaped by arcane things like magical beans or miraculous swords. He may even have to hand around with a frog. If he can muster the courage to kiss it, the frog may turn into a princess. (Women have their own version of the frog story).

For women, the magic consists of waiting for the right man; for men, it is the searching endlessly for the right women.

I’m a strong believer in love and soul mates, but really just “ONE,” for the whole of your life, forever and forever? Hmm ahhhhh…..no. That’s like creating a destiny of “Needle in the Hay Stack” misery.

I knew this couple who met and fell in love and found that they’d grown up together but didn’t realize it. Just one block away from each other as kids and went to school together, in the same class. And they both told me that they’d had found there soul mate. They moved in right away and then the synchronistic events that followed to prove that they yes in deed where “Soul Mates” came pouring in. They found 15 different separate events that all pointed to them being “Soul Mates,” each one of them more unbelievable than the first. Then 15 months down the road they crashed and burned.

I too fell to the “Soul Mate” leg hold trap. When I was doing my very first spirit “bird”dance at the local “Pow Wow”. A friend of mine took pictures (I have no other pictures accept for these ) of me dancing. Well 3 years later I was dating this lady and we had an incredible intense spiritual connection. I had framed one of the pictures and she looked at the picture and announce that she was in the picture and her two children where just within my wing span. At that very moment I was absolutely(beyond any shadow of a doubt) convinced that I had met my one and only “Soul Mate.”

We crashed and burned 6 months later. Hahahaha! I mean what are the odds of her and her two kids being in that a photo. There where thousands of people that day at that pow wow in a city of 1 ½ million people.

Maybe just maybe we don't have just "One Soul Mate” but many many and not all of them have to be life partners. Maybe just maybe we could have “Soul Mates” who are sisters and brothers or cousin or friends or mentors. Maybe we could just recognize the intense spiritual connection and not feel like we have to give up family and friends and go off into the land of broken child delusional romanticness and sleep with every "Soul Mate" we meet.

For what it is worth as soon as I let go of finding my “Soul Mate”, I found a wonderfully healthy partner.

Is she my “Soul Mate?” Yes and so is my friend that runs the daycare, my cousin, my buddy who's First Nations, my sculpture friend, the Netherlander folks that visit from our workshops, and my mom and, and so it goes. My tribe, my soul, my people. I = we.(c)

Indigo Crystal Children and we are old and what?

A friend of mine said, “Did you know about the highly enlightened children? They’re called the Indigo and the Crystal children and they will be bringing in the golden age. ”

I looked at him and said “So what are we Quartz?”

I’m 50 years old and I have been clairvoyant since I can remember and from the stories my parents have told I was seeing things no one else could see before that.
I have never been shut down and thanks to my mother I have grown up with my imaginary friends who now help me to help other people. These days I’m a “Deep Trance Medium, a medical intuitive, a laughing shaman (but you already know that) a dream walker, a shape changer and I was born in 1959 in a white English suburban home.

The thing that drives me crazy is all this hype about the “ Indigo Children” and the “Crystal Children” its like its an all of a sudden out of the blue discovery that psychic kids exist and we’ve been here right in front of everyone’s noses since the beginning of time.

It’s funny to think people have to label kids to identify them. My daughter has the gift but I’m not going to label her indigo or crystal just so I can understand her and then have the horror to see her grow up feeling isolated. My wife (who is also Quartz) and I spend most of our time buffering our daughter from this Sociopathic Society we live in. I’m not going to label my daughter, (I don’t have to because I know who she is) no I won’t do that but I will help her navigate her gift through well meaning family, friends and passers by. We will support her to keep her magic alive and give her a foundation to help survive this world.

The only great thing I can see about labeling kids, (Indigo or Crystal) is that it will help parents who have no idea who they’ve got. Children that are doing extraordinary things don’t always bring positive, comfortable feed back to families that are just trying to be normal (that’s from any walk of life or rich or poor, black, white, red, brown or yellow). In fact it may go like this in any house hold around the world: “She’s doing it again honey….I walked into the rec-room and there she was levitating 3 feet off the floor again. What are the neighbors going to say when they find that out? They’ll say the Shemdilhoppers are witches….we can’t have that Hon. You’ve got to tell her to stop before this gets out of control.”

Thanks to the witch hunts the propaganda still goes on. So I guess there is a good reason to create labels, I guess it’s so we can move pass antiquated demonizing…
Hahhahaha….

“But there are more of them than ever before.” My friend suggested.

I wonder if that has to do with the increase in population more than anything else. From my experience 1% of the worlds population is really gifted no matter what time in history it’s been, in fact it may have been more before the genocide of aboriginal (including the lost white aboriginal tribe aka witches and pagans) cultures because there was so much more support then than there is now. One percent? Yes it’s not very high. That does not mean to say that there is not another 2 % who could become stronger with there gift if they where supported. Check out our Asylums and you’ll find quite a few of them in there. Not that they are crazy when they went in its just our society is so scared of the unknown they don’t know what to do with genius’s or anything beyond the norm.

I hear all the time “we all have the gift”. Yes that is true but I ask you this “We can all run but how many make it to the Olympics?” “We can all cook but how many become Chefs?”

Now what to do if your child is Indigo, Crystal...or if you are Quartz:

1. Be supportive. If they say that they saw grandpa ask them: Where, How is he or did he have a message he wanted to share.

2. Keep a journal of all the happenings that have gone on in there lives from the time there a born to 19 years of age. That way when they begin to deny that they have the gift at the age of 13 to 19 (and most will because of peer pressure) then you can hand them the journal. Make sure you photo copy it in case they throw it out.

3. Try not to over play the gift. It’s better if it’s normalized unless the opposites have been happening in the household and in the community.

4. Be discerning in your looking for help. A lot of aboriginal communities are struggle with the resurgence of there ancestral medicines so they may not have the answers you are looking for. They may be closer to it but because of the decimation of cultures that is not always so.

5. If you want to go towards the medical model be extremely careful which therapist you go looking for. There are a lot of them out there but few are any good, even if they specialize in this field.

6. Keep the magic alive and it will keep them alive. Stay away from black and white thinking. Absolutes shut clairvoyant kids down.

7. If you can create a life of rituals (no not just Christmas, or Easter) I mean earth/heart based rituals. For example: we have fire ceremonies, for spirit namings at the age of 6months, 6 years, 13 years of age. Or letting go ceremony. We also do burning rituals for people who pass over.

8. Go camping, hiking and long walks in nature.

9. Create a save time and a save place to share. Let them know who they can share with, who’s safe to talk to about magic and who’s not. Young and old.

10. Let them know that they are not alone and that they’re other people like them and if they would like you could help find them.

11. Look for gifted, down to earth particle people who are gifted young or old.

12. Find a mentor who can support your child’s and your own process.

13. Be strong. Be wise. Be loving. Follow you heart with your Indigo, crystal child or your Quartz self.

14. Assist, support, lift up, let go.(c)

The World Loves the Slow Prophet

There are two men, one is in robes and sitting on the beach, in a cross legged position (index finger touching thumb, hands facing upwards on either knee) meditating. The other is on a surf board, riding an 8 foot curl (a wave). Who is more spiritual?

They both are. What? No, how can that be? Surely it is the Zen Monk meditating and not the crazed surfing just seeking out one endorphin rush after another.

Nope they both are but the “World Loves the Slow Prophet” and most people would answer the Monk sitting crossed legged on the beach not the surfer? Why, why, why why? Well because the surfer is in the zone, he is at one with everything, he is in the moment, he is in the “Now “ to quote the quintessential slowest of slow Prophets, Eckhart Toile.

Oh, now look I’m dissing Eckhart. How dare I, he’s a lovely quiet man. Yes he is but he isn’t any more special, or wiser because of the way he talks, or how fast he doesn’t move. Am I making fun of or even (heaven forbid) mocking Eckhart? Oh yes I am.

Our society bestows all sorts of extra spiritual depth on the snail, the slug, the sloth like Monk the slow prophet but fails to recognize the depth in the coyote, the heyokahs (the scared clown). Maybe because one is easier on the eyes, easier to follow between long pauses between each word, it gives lots of time to figure out what the slow prophet is saying.

Or is our world just caught up with the archetype?

I once had the great pleasure of listening to Don Jose Ruiz tell this story:

“When I was younger I loved to where my hair long, down to my bottom of my back and I would always would where robes because I just loved to where robes. I was in a New Age book store in Hollywood looking for a book and everyone kept coming up and asking me so many questions. I felt very wonderful. That day I had so many insightful conversations and everyone wanted my wisdom.

Several months later I returned to the same book store in Hollywood and I was wearing blue jeans and I had cut my hair. Nobody came up to me for my insights or wisdom. I had become invisible and I did not know why and then it came to me…it was the robes, the long hair, and the look. That made me laugh.”

The Dali Lama, Eckhart, Deepak, and Reverend Desmond Tutu are all amazing slow moving monks but don’t miss out on the surfer sage, or heyokah prophet…they move faster which makes them harder to see and they are not quite as politically correct but they are cracker jack filled with wisdom...oh and they have a tendency to be loud, funny, irreverent and move quickly.
HeyokahHumor/Opposites
The Heyokah is a contrary clown who holds total wisdom and teaches the People through laughter and opposites. This Sacred Trickster is one who makes you wonder if what they are saying, or doing is actually correct, thereby making you think and figure it out for yourself. When people are made to think on their own, the wobbly beliefs that have been a rubber crutch for them in the past are tested. If the rubber crutch gives way and they end up on the ground on their rump, a lesson was learned. If they stop and think, test out a teaching for themselves and it stands in good stead, the wobbly belief becomes a Knowing System for their lives.
This Divine Trickster is called Heyokah by the Plains Tribes and Koshari by the Hopi and Pueblo Indians. Many Tribes have Trickster Teachers who dress in costume for Ceremony and wear regular clothing in daily life. Their jokes do not stop just because it is not a feast day. All Heyokahs operate through opposites. The Heyokah's purported wisdom, imparted to a seeker, could be the exact opposite of the answers the person would find for the Self. The laughter surrounding the results could be a lesson for the entire community.
The Heyokah is known for creating lessons at the expense of another's seriousness. Laughter is the ultimate lesson that breaks the bonds that destroy balance in people. If the Heyokah is successful, all is taken in good fun, and the bonds of old habits, no longer helpful, are broken. The Medicine Ally of the Heyokah is Coyote. The Heyokah is a master at Coyote Medicine and can use the joking part of Coyote's nature to trick others into enlightened states of understanding. Occasionally the Coyote Medicine will backfire and zap the Heyokah in a blind spot. If this happens, the true Heyokah will take it in stride and laugh at the backfire, learning from the lesson along with others.
Native People understood the value of being good sports. In earlier times it was not considered "losing face" to have the Heyokah play a trick on someone. In fact it was an honor to be singled out for a trick that contained a valuable spiritual lesson. Each Tribal Member was a valuable part of the whole, and many times the joke had consequences for more than one person. Everyone seeing the actual prank or talking of it later could relate those events to personal situations and grow from the lesson. All are forced to reflect on how they would react if they were the person the joke was played on. The Heyokah is able to master the art of balancing the sacredness with irreverence.
The Application
If the Trickster has appeared on your horizon, you are in for a barrel of laughs. You may be doing exactly the opposite of what you need to be doing and are about to get busted for it. Stop leaking your creative energy on other people's problems or high drama. Stop being so serious and crack a smile, or Coyote will dog your dreams. Remember that some days you are the fireplug and some days you are the Dog. That goes for everyone, so don't let getting pooped on get you down. Learning through laughter or opposites can be fun.
The keynote to the Heyokah is to lighten up and start balancing the sacredness with irreverence. If you are just being stubborn, it may be time to create a contrary lesson that will force you to crack up, crack a smile, or trick you into going into the crack in the universe to find out what's really important!(C)
http://www.planetdeb.net/spirit/heyokah.htm