shaman
Connecting With Your Spirit Animal
The concept of animals serving as spiritual guides and symbols for personal growth has deep roots in human culture, stretching back to ancient indigenous societies and persisting through to modern spiritual practices.
This enduring belief stems from the profound connection humans have observed and felt with the animal kingdom throughout history.
In many indigenous cultures around the world, animals traditionally hold a sacred significance and are believed to possess spiritual wisdom and powers. Many cultures also have animal symbolism in their myths, folklore, rituals, and everyday life.
For example, Native American tribes traditionally attribute personal qualities and character traits, such as strength, courage, wisdom, and cunning, to various animals, viewing them as embodiments of these virtues.
Acoording to these indigenous teachings our animal totems or spirit animals offer us guidance, protection, and insight on our spiritual journey.
We can connect with our spirit animal through meditation, dream interpretation, or rituals. By aligning with the characteristics of our chosen animal, we can gain strength, wisdom, and a deeper understanding of ourselves and our path in life.
The Ancient Wisdom Of The Two Wolves
The story of the Two Wolves holds a special place among my childhood favorites. The moral of this Native American wisdom tale, thought to have originated with the Cherokee tribe, serves as a daily guiding light in my life.
I must confess, there is some sentimental bias on my part, as this story also brings back lovely memories of my remarkable grandfather, Sequoia, a former medicine man and chief of the Cherokee Nation.
Variations of the story exist in various Native American cultures, and it typically goes like this:
One evening, an old Cherokee is teaching his granddaughter about life and says, “My daughter, a fight is going on inside all of us each day. It is the battle between the two wolves.”
“One wolf is evil — anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret, greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false pride, superiority, and ego. The other wolf is good — joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.”
The granddaughter thinks about it for a minute and then asks her grandfather, “Which wolf will win?”
Investigating Paranormal Activity
The existence of ghosts and the paranormal has been a topic of debate and controversy for centuries. With something so abstract it is nearly impossible to find fact in every ghost story. These tales are many times shrouded in myth, legend, and superstition.
However, there are those who make it their life’s work to prove the existence of ghosts and the paranormal. These people, known as paranormal investigators, use various tools and methods to detect any presence of energy that may be other worldly.
The modern field of paranormal investigation requires much more sophisticated tools than one may think. Professional investigators use an array of various technological gadgets and tools, each with its own unique purpose. For basic equipment, most investigators would go nowhere without some type of energy meter, a camera and a voice recorder.
For the more seasoned investigator, an electromagnetic field meter (EMF) and an infrared (IR) thermometer are crucial to a successful and thorough investigation. An EMF detects high levels of electromagnetism, but they are not ‘ghost detectors.’ An EMF only captures the information, but it is up to the investigator to decipher this data. High readings near telephone lines or wiring may be false positives, but a presence in an abandoned building or open field are likely to be more suspect.
An IR thermometer will simply detect changes in temperature, but as with EMF readings these readings must be analyzed and all other sources must be ruled out, before deeming it supernatural.
The Modern Practice Of Spiritual Healing
In a world driven by science and technology, the value of our spiritual health is rarely recognized or appreciated these days, yet it is an essential aspect of our holistic health and well-being.
The truth is that spiritual healing has been practiced since the beginning of time to promote physical, emotional, mental and spiritual well-being. Our ancestors were much wiser in this regard. They had a holistic view of health and wellness that not only focused on the physical and mental, but also honored the spiritual or metaphysical aspects of our existence.
In ancient Egypt, for example, illness was treated as a battle between good and evil, and magical remedies were used in addition to herbal medicines. In ancient Greece, holism underpinned everything, and the soul, mind, and body were considered one.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, a holistic system practiced for at least 23 centuries, healing is achieved by balancing the yin-yang life force energies that permeate everything in the universe. In the indigenous healing traditions of Native America, holistic health is represented by the four quadrants of the ‘medicine wheel’ or ‘sacred circle,’ namely the physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual states of being.
In Christianity, spiritual healing is documented with many references to the healing power of faith and prayer. The Bible also refers to the spiritual gift of healing, and there are several accounts of Jesus performing miraculous healings. In Hinduism, Ayurveda is a five-thousand-year-old Vedic system of medicine that seeks to restore the balance between the body, mind, and spirit.
The Healing Energies Of Plant Spirits
Here in Latin America there is a rich tradition of herbalism and ceremonial, shamanic spiritual medicine. There has also been in recent times a global revival of plant medicine and natural healing practices, as well as a renewed interest in related indigenous wisdom traditions found in many cultures all over the world.
As a result of modern science, we have largely abandoned and forgotten the fountain of knowledge the aborigines had regarding healing and natural harmony. It took us several centuries to realize what we have lost and overlooked in the process.
Herbalism is however not only about natural medicine potentially having fewer side effects than modern pharmaceuticals. It is also about the innate energetic qualities we share with a particular plant. This approach to healin stems from a worldview that fully integrates man and nature.
In local tradition, near the Andes, the timing is just as important as the type of plant used for healing purposes. Depending on the season, or the phase of moon, for instance, the plant’s properties will vary, and its effectiveness less than optimal if used at the inappropriate time.
Both the healer and their patient’s attitude towards the plant itself is also an important factor in the healing process, as the respect and gratitude shown to the plant will determine its healing ability.
In shamanic herbalist practices it vital to understand that all entities are considered to have elemental energy, including plants and humans. This is the metaphysical premise of all plant medicine and magic. In fact, for the traditional herbalist all plants have spirits. And each one has specific faculties and properties at different levels or frequencies that can heal us in mind, body and soul.