Just a reminder:
Tuesday, February 9, Women’s Talking Evening Circle
Thursday, February 11, Open Healing Circle
Saturday, February 13, Women’s Morning Talking Circle
Saturday, February 20, Psycho Pom Class (by permission only)
Saturday, February 27, Beginning Shamanic Journey class
More details available at meetup.
Why sit in a Circle
It doesn’t interest me what you do for a living. I want to know what you ache for and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart’s longing.
It doesn’t interest me how old you are. I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool for love, for your dream, for the adventure of being alive.
It doesn’t interest me what planets are squaring your moon. I want to know if you have touched the centre of your own sorrow, if you have been opened by life’s betrayals or have become shrivelled and closed from fear of further pain.
I want to know if you can sit with pain, mine or your own, without moving to hide it, or fade it, or fix it.
I want to know if you can be with joy, mine or your own; if you can dance with wildness and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your fingers and toes without cautioning us to be careful, be realistic, remember the limitations of being human.
It doesn’t interest me if the story you are telling me is true. I want to know if you can disappoint another to be true to yourself. If you can bear the accusation of betrayal and not betray your own soul. If you can be faithless and therefore trustworthy.
I want to know if you can see Beauty even when it is not pretty every day. And if you can source your own life from its presence.
I want to know if you can live with failure, yours and mine, and still stand at the edge of the lake and shout to the silver of the full moon, ‘Yes.’
It doesn’t interest me to know where you live or how much money you have. I want to know if you can get up after the night of grief and despair, weary and bruised to the bone and do what needs to be done to feed the children.
It doesn’t interest me who you know or how you came to be here. I want to know if you will stand in the centre of the fire with me and not shrink back.
It doesn’t interest me where or what or with whom you have studied. I want to know what sustains you from the inside when all else falls away.
I want to know if you can be alone with yourself and if you truly like the company you keep in the empty moments.
As requested:
THOU ART MY SISTER
Thou art my sister, because we were born of the same Great Spirit;
Conceived from the same mound of earth;
Slept quietly together in the cradle of unknowing until Great Spirit gently set us in the midst of humanity…
You are my sister, I love you.
You and I are destined to be companions on the highway of life;
Together or apart. You are my sister, I love you.
If the color of my skin is different from yours,
It mattereth not, only let the beauty of our souls be kindred…
I will honor your wisdom and understanding, as you will mine. Together
We shall seek the seeds of truth in the distant rooms of the Great Spirit;
The reflection of inner knowledge shall wear as beauty upon our faces…
You are my sister, I love you.
If death takes from me the lamp of life, and the veil of eternal sleep falls across my eyes before yours, I will wait for you.
I will come to lead you a cross the bridge of night into the meadows of Great Spirit… You are my sister, I love you.
Adapted from a poem by Jean Humphrey Chaillie, Navajo 1940
MAY THE MOUNTAINS’S OWN GREAT SPIRIT
MAKE YOUR LIFE A SINGING STREAM.
MAY THE TWELVE NEW MOONS NOW COMING BRING A PURPOSE TO YOUR DREAMS
MAY A RAINBOW TOUCH YOUR SHOULDER
WITH A PROMISE OF ITS GLOW,
MAY THE SUNLIGHT FALL UPON YOU
AS YOU WALK IN MANY SNOWS.
Traditional Native American prayer
THOU ART MY FAMILY
Thou art my family, because we were born of the same Great Spirit;
Conceived from the same mound of earth;
Slept quietly together in the cradle of unknowing until Great Spirit gently set us in the midst of humanity…
You are my family, I love you.
You and I are destined to be companions on the highway of life;
Together or apart. You are my family, I love you.
If the color of my skin is different from yours,
It mattereth not, only let the beauty of our souls be kindred…
I will honor your wisdom and understanding, as you will mine. Together
We shall seek the seeds of truth in the distant rooms of the Great Spirit;
The reflection of inner knowledge shall wear as beauty upon our faces…
You are my family, I love you.
If death takes from me the lamp of life, and the veil of eternal sleep falls across my eyes before yours, I will wait for you.
I will come to lead you a cross the bridge of night into the meadows of Great Spirit… You are my family, I love you.
Adapted from a poem by Jean Humphrey Chaillie, Navajo 1940
Sometimes we can be so startled by the magnitude of a change which has happened during a healing that we look back rather than forward. Often it is hard to believe that a goal, long sought, is accomplished. Changes such as the loss of something unwanted, such as an emotion, or a connection to something, or positive change in health do happen. It can be hard to believe.
Sometimes our brilliant analytic mind, in trying to understand how this change happened, attempts to trace events. This looking back can undo a lot of good. In some cases, look toward what you want, not what you don’t want is best. I don’t mean neglect reality. Continue appropriate treatment. But, be brave in facing the unknown which is your new reality with the changes that have been made. It is like a child clinging to an abusive parent because it is all they know. We run a risk of become what I call, “united in our woundedness”. Run or tiptoe bravely toward what is next.
A simple, easy and effective self-healing technique
Following any deep spiritual work one can feel overwhelmed by the remaining energy of what has passed. Many, many years ago I learned this technique and still use it today. I’m sorry I don’t remember exactly who taught it to me. I hope it can help you.
It can be done in any physical position but I will describe is as though you are standing.
If you are not able to lift your feet or if you must do this seated or laying down just imagine your “wings” extending into the ground, chair, or bed.
I urge you to try this. It works. After a few times using this technique, you way start to be aware of a thick, sticky substance that is removed. It always leaves me feeling calmer and lighter. Good luck!
I’m having a meeting this Thursday night at my house at 7:00 p.m. to hear what people want. I announced it on my meetup: Santa Cruz Shaman meetup. If you invited. If you prefer, you can email me at: lindanadeau33@gmail.com
Classes, retreats, sweat lodges, etc.????
Christmas means a good dog pile. When my kids were little we would get up early on Christmas morning, open gifts, drink cocoa, eat croissants with raspberry freezer jam then lay around enjoying each other with looks of contentment on our faces. I have always thought of these special times as dog piles. I think we looked like a pile of puppies with full bellies laying across each other on the sofa half asleep. My kids are grown now but happily time with them still feels much the same. My wish for you is that you have many such special times with your family and friends.
My thoughts turn to others less fortunate and I am reminded of a time many years ago when I was reminded of the need for compassion for others. One evening I turned on the television and began to flick the remote control to move through the channels. I came across the image of a woman just as she said that her boyfriend asked her to give him her five-year-old daughter for sex in exchange for drugs and that she had done so.
Repulsed, I swiftly moved to another channel. But, it was too late. The assault to my senses was intense. My inner voice shouting at me, “She is you and you are her. You must love her.” This was in stark contrast to my mind which was saying “how could she, she is the lowest of the low, and why put such a horrible person on television?” My safe little cocoon was assaulted.
I felt the opportunity for a big lesson, as usual, suddenly and unexpectedly. Reluctantly I turned back to that channel and saw what a truly pathetic person she was. I would estimate her age at 35 but she looked 50. As she spoke, the effects of her self-confessed drug use, criminal past, and bad relationships began to explain how this incident had occurred. Her description of the Hell she had been through was a profound and, possibly, life changing for some of us in the audience.
And I was asked to open my heart to her. This was not an easy task as I had seen the lives of loved ones devastated by such acts. In an act of faith in my unseen teacher, I followed instruction. I began to open myself to a greater self, the part of me which remembers how it feels to be a tiny grain of sand in a beautiful and shimmering universe. This part of me feels no edges between places, things, and beings. It feels joy at being alive and part of all things. From this place of unity I could truly love this person, see that we were much more alike than different, and that, yes, we were each other. I could offer her love and support as she worked to forgive herself and make a positive difference in this world. I could see that given different circumstances I could have been her. Now I was observer. In the past, present, and future I was, had been or would be both victim and perpetrator. I too needed forgiveness, compassion and support. As I offered these to this nameless woman I received them. I was changed by this moment and was reminded why it is better to give than receive. Please join me in praying for love and compassion for all, for good health, the joy of having loved ones near, and for our loved ones near and far.
I encourage you to visit a practitioner if you want to. What is holding you back?
For most Americans a belief in magic, evil, and/or demons is considered:
Primitive – It is certainly true that the people most connected to undiluted shamanic practice are found in the most remote areas of the world and certainly don’t live by modern western standards. They may or may not have historic records of their civilization going back centuries and have complex medical, social, and political histories. It is very likely that they have not been fully involved in our narrowly defined “western civilization” so I’m okay with primitive so long as we don’t think it means less than, just different. They live in the natural world far more than we, often with access to traditional knowledge we have lost.
Lower Income and Status – Let’s face it, who needs control over their lives most, the wealthy and successful or those of us who struggle with economic reality. Shamanic healing isn’t covered by health insurance. If you don’t have health insurance maybe you are more open to other possibilities. Also, many of our immigrant poor carry shamanic experience with them to our shores.
Foolish – I don’t think it is foolish to listen to your intuition, learn from nature, seek an authentic spiritual life, and not allow others to make you fearful of the unknown. If you are afraid of looking foolish just don’t tell anyone.
Irrational and Unscientific – Many things are irrational and unscientific. The scientist who thinks of the answer to a difficult question while standing in the shower doesn’t question it, nor does the composer who has a breakthrough during a daydream, nor does someone who falls in love, or you when you just know your sister is going to call just before the phone rings. I’m okay with that. I believe old knowledge has been lost in the pursuit of all that is new and scientific, especially spiritual knowledge.
Unscrupulous charlatans – they are out there. This work is difficult, often thankless, and a service not a business. Those who seek to brand “their” methods and find followers may make better teachers than healers.
The Last Resort
The most common words I hear from someone entering my door are, “I’ve tried everything else”. They have usually been to doctors, therapists, and an amazing assortment of practitioners before, as a last resort (their words); they came to try something they didn’t believe in. Most likely a friend has referred them after having spoken about their own skepticism, experience, and change of heart. I respect their hesitation because I was there once too.
The Two Foot Rule – If you visit a shamanic practitioner it should feel safe. If it doesn’t, use your two feet to walk away.
Dear Friends-
Welcome to those of you who are new subscribers to my website. I value the time you take to read this and hope you find the content helpful.
It has been longer than expected since I blogged last. A wedding, the flu, and now catching up on stuff I postponed while I was sick, have kept me away from my computer.
While I was sick I heard messages I do not hear when I am in the normal rhythm of my life. On one hand I wished to be available to do the things I love, and even some of the mundane chores like cleaning the house seem important and luxurious. On the other hand, I observed how well things went on without any participation from me. I considered a number of topics to blog about and found my thoughts trivial. I ruminated on the question: what does one really need to do to be a worthwhile member of society?
Then I recovered and rushed happily to catch up on cancelled appointments and obligations. Among these appointments I had a number of shamanic healing sessions. As is often the case, I saw clients with a variety of problems who seem to have one important thing in common. It is so common to see clients with a “theme” that I believe it is my focus and not something they bring. That, however, does not prevent specific and unique treatment for their individual conditions.
The theme I am currently observing is that clients seem to intently focus on their personal failings. The events currently causing trauma in their life are viewed as a result, challenge, or perpetuation of their personal failings. This become a self-fulfilling prophecy. But more important, it prevents one from seeing beyond their current perception and leads to them feeling guilty about and responsible for what is happening in their life. They often say something like, “I can’t change because I haven’t been able to in the past, don’t deserve anything better, am depressed and lack the energy.”
Their questions seem to be about how they got where they are, even though they are usually able to explain that to me in detail. There is probably shamanic help for their situation in so far as it involves things outside their control.
But something else is needed that they can only do for themselves.
Self Forgiveness
The important thing is self forgiveness. Focus less on how one got here and a focus on nurturing one’s self, forgiving one’s mistakes, and giving one’s self the loving kindness one would give to a beloved child. That is so easy to say and so hard to do. It is a practice worth a lifetime of work and one that will lead to so many good things.
So, begin this practice despite the difficulties, and keep giving yourself that forgiveness, kindness, and compassion as many times as it takes. If we even think we have mastered it, life repeatedly givens us opportunities to practice. As you practice this, also try to become the observer of yourself. With even a little detachment you may start to see other possible interpretations of your life events. Perhaps life is a still precious gift full of infinite grace if we can just lift ourselves out of our sick bed of self-criticism and see beyond our narrow focus. Treasure yourself. Somewhere within, you are a bright, powerful, important, worthwhile person even if all you usually see in the tarnish of life that has obscured that light.
This is a good news, bad news, story. Aama has been having some significant health issues. For some time it was considered unlikely that she would be well enough to travel to the US this summer. The very good news is that she will be traveling to the 11th International Council of the 13 Indigenous Grandmothers in Montana on July 26 through 29th.
On her past two visits to the US she has also had several healing events in California which included visits to my home. She will not be making these visits with the exception of a small gathering in the LA area which will not include the type of individual healings she has done here. Please join me in praying for Aama’s good health.
The gathering in Montana sounds to be an amazing event. Having attended one of these gatherings I know that Aama will pour her healing out in their public events, though again not like the individual ones she has done here. Perhaps you can consider traveling there. The cost is minimal and the opportunity to camp on the Northern Cheyenne land is marvelous.
Please join me also in extending our prayers and healing rituals for and to the land, people, animals, plants, and spirits currently threatened by fire in that area.
Santa Cruz Shaman 