|
|
Journeying Mankind alone amongst the beasts demonstrably examines and actively seeks to understand and quantify his existence. Until he examines the physical, spiritual and mental as an integrated whole, the Question will not be answered. Until viewed wholistically, any answers can make no sense because the Questions themselves are not understood. -- Craig Berry |
|
|
Psi Field *
Preface *
Jealousy & possessiveness Shamanism Light Work Shadow Work Dark Work |
The journey, as accepted in meaning through industrialised societies, is a process where an individual lowers their brain activity to enter into the theta levels with a target of four cycles per second. This is achieved by a number of means described in the introduction to Shamanic Journeying but the use of repetitive beats at 240 beats per minute is - in my opinion - the safest and most effective method. A shaman will often assist a person in their early journeying experiences or journey for them through the lower, middle or upper worlds. The lower world is the realm of their power animals and animal guides. Information of a direct, worldly nature is oftensought in the middle world; and meeting with, identifying or questioning spirit guides or exercising any of the other gifts described in these pages generally occurs in the upper world . For those seeking to journey, a few words of guidance: A clear and respectful intent is required prior to embarking on a journey. When entering into the shamanic world of energy, physical and spirit, one must walk with respect and intent. A common thread in all shamanic traditions is being highly respectful of these aspects and not wasting time of spirits by invocations for the sake of an ego buzz.
Imagine someone calling you on the phone, begging your to get into your car and drive to their place; you get there and they have no reason, intent or purpose for their request or your presence other than the reassurance of you having responded. What is your mood likely to be? So before setting out on a journey, have a clear purpose for that journey, well defined within your mind. You may not go on that particular journey as your guide may have a more pressing matter for you to see, but a starting point of clear intent is a great thing to have in place. Next, find a place of peace. Music beyond suitable rhythm is distracting. There are plenty of sites on the web that can supply a 15 or 30 minute MP3 file of drumming with a call back. The call back is a different set of rhythms played at the end. Have the full intent of coming back immediately with the call-back and decide now that your return on call-back is not negotiable. Skip to the end of the file if using an MP3 so you know what the call-back sounds like. Have a suitable eye covering to avoid variations in visual environment impacting on your journey. A bandana or eye-mask like those issued by airlines etc is great. Make sure you are well insulated from sources of electrical or electro-magnetic "noise". Power off any stereos or televisions etc that are not being used in the journey. Understand that any information given to you in a journey still must be run through your own, "bullshit filters" until you have developed a great sense of what is solid and trustworthy information and what is not. There are no hard and fast rules in journeying other than going with a clear intent. There are some schools of thought holding to the belief that all information yielded in the shamanic state of consciousness is perfect and true. In the first instance, a shaman must be an accurate observer of life and nature. Deception and deflection are just as prevalent in the physical world as are truth and beauty. Does it not stand to reason then that this same duality of truth and deception would exist in the worlds which reflect and make us. If this is your first journey, do it with someone who is well experienced in journeying. I would suggest just staying in the middle world with an intent of doing a remote viewing of your immediate surroundings (neighbourhood). This journey is enough to start to get the feel of what the shamanic state of consciousness feels like and how you navigate within it. A nice second journey is to go with the intent of finding the upper world and meeting a guide, one who will guide you accurately and safely. A variety of means are used to find the upper world. Some go in smoke, fly like (or on) a bird, climb through the top of a tree etc. You will find what works best for you. An excellent third journey is to find an animal guide, or power animal. These are typically found in the lower world and are normally real, existent animals but may also be animals of mythology if very well defined and believed in. Pegasus, the winged horse, is a great example of this. I have had an entire forest (from the middle world), which is one large singular entity in reality, as a guide for one series in my life; an interesting and ultimately very accurate and rewarding experience that I accept with much thanks. I strongly suggest before going any further than this point, seek the counsel of one who is experienced in shamanic journeying for guidance and support. What else might be encountered? This is a, "how long is a piece of string?" type of question. I have encountered trickster entities, possessive entities and in a few cases, my own imagination (I think!). How I find the difference at once is in the nature and motivations behind information given and received. An entity building your ego, wanting your trust, asking for service or providing some form of self aggrandisement is a good start to identifying falsity within a journey. Reiterating the warming of above; plumb the legends of any people and you will find many, many examples of trickster and deceptive spirits. Blind belief in all that is conveyed on a journey is, in my own opinion, like believing every telemarketer that calls you promising that a small investment of $XXX dollars will see you wealthy beyond all possible dreams! A clue,.. shamanic practitioners do not charge for their services. Instead, you may consider carefully and respectfully what their service means to you and make a gift accordingly. I do charge for my time within my clinic as there is rent to pay, staff and other costs to be met and my practice of myotherapy is arguably far from shamanic in its origins. I can not and do not charge a set fee for counsel outside of those parameters though and leave it to the individual's good conscience. No part of shamanic practice negates or even asks that one disbelieve or dishonour a religious conviction. Think of it a little as one person seeing a "pretty flower" that happens to be called a, "rose" by some, "French Rose" by others or even a, "Rosa Gallica" by some. They are all the same flower, just known by different names with different understandings of origin and complexity AND none more correct than the other. Judeo-Christian beliefs could easily translate the upper world and its spirit guides and guardian angels and those positive entities of the lower world as other angels taking forms to guide believers. Call the tricksters and deceivers dark or fallen angels and demons and we have a common point of reference regardless of what name is given.
|
About Craig:
|
