Stories from the Time of Magic

Imagine stepping back into the rhythm of the past... into the days of vast forests, sacred groves and fires at twilight... of circles of three... women, priestesses, druids, healers... drumming and drawing stories of wisdom from the Otherworld to bless and heal the community. See yourself gathered around the sacred flame, see the faces of Maiden, Mother and Crone, and hearing their stories of wisdom and healing for the earth, the community and you...

As some of you know, my explorations of shamanism have brought me to a deep connection with Celtic shamanism, which is my heritage and spiritual connection through many, many lifetimes. It is through this connection that I have had the honor and opportunity to be a part of this circle of healing this past year. It has been a phenomenal healing and growth experience.

We came together as a circle of four women, to build on the idea of returning this tradition of story telling and healing to the community, to once again,hear the ancestors speak and share their wisdom. Our journey began to bring this ceremony to the community as a form of shamanic theater, to larger groups in a theatrical setting. But, our director was directed elsewhere as often happens with Spirit. So we were left with three. As we noted the power of three, we also noted that we each of us represented a different face of the Goddess. We truly represented the Triple Goddess as maiden, mother and crone!

Over the months we had come together to sit in circle to develop our rhythm,as well as offering healing to the earth and community at large as the stories were told to us through our shamanic journeys. The stories came forth from the depths of our souls, with the voices of the Ancestors, the Earth and the Elements. And one day we heard the voice that said we were ready to take the ceremony out to the community.

So, last month we invited family and friends to join us as a circle of community,around a circle of three, around a circle of fire to listen to the wisdom offered by the Ancestors. Last night, we opened the circle to the community and had a wonderfully full group, ready to experience this ancient ceremony.

Just imagine walking into a darkened room where only candles flickered, dancing along the walls. An in the center, around a sacred flame, sit three women as Maiden, Mother and Crone, ready to begin an ancient ceremony. You are immediately transported back to the "Time of Magic", when we gathered around the fire as a community to listen to the wisdom of the Ancestors, offered through shamanic ceremony to our heal hearts, souls and community.

After setting a sacred circle, we begin with all three of us women drumming a rhythmic beat to begin to take us into a shamanic trance state, feeling the energy of the Ancestors and the community, waiting to be shown what healing needs to take place this night, what story needs to be heard. Then in turn,we each stop drumming, enter altered state to journey, and return to tell the story that is gifted through us. One by one, we journey and tell the stories,some pin pointed to an individual in the community that needs a certain piece of wisdom (although we don't know who that may be) and some to the community as a whole and some stories are offered for the global community and the Earth. When the last story has ended the drum moves into a rhythm to call us back from our journeys to return to a waking state of consciousness.

Once back in our reality, the community joins hands in a circle, around the circle of three, around the circle of fire. Thanks and blessings are offered to the Ancestors, other spirits present and the elements and the circle is closed.

The circle is closed, but the stories still reverberate in the souls of each person who gathered, rekindling that spark of magic that whispers … "Remember".

Each circle leaves me deeply moved and awestruck (even after all these years of shamanic journeying), and humbled to be chosen as a tool for Spirit.

If you would like to know more about the circle, you can contact me at debbie@shamanicconnection.com. We are beginning to discuss the idea of traveling to other communities, so we may possibly be able to bring this powerful healing experience to your community.

Until next time…

Mitakuye Oyasin ( A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),

Debbie

A Coyote's Tale

My deepest apologies to those who follow our blog. Hopefully some of our readers have not quit checking in thinking we’d abandon everyone. Like each of you, sometimes life gets really crazy. Shamans are not exempt for the worldly chaos. We reside physically in this plane and experience it to it’s fullest – ups and downs.

Over a year ago, we decided we would be returning to Oregon soon. Well, soon is rapidly arriving and there is a lot to be done here to make that transition. We are finishing some much needed upgrades in our house to prepare it for renting, and that always takes a lot longer than we plan. So, if ever we’re away for a long period, you will likely find us under a pile of sawdust or covered in paint :-)

A couple of blogs ago, I told you the story of the coyote’s tail and promised to fill you in on the coyote’s “tale”. It wasn’t a very big or exciting story, but here is the Coyote’s Tale.

When I prepared for the journey, I removed the tail and fur tufts from the freezer where I had placed them for safe keeping until I could do what ever processing is necessary. (When we get to Oregon, I’ll need another freezer or bigger one, as it often contains a healthy dose of “road kill” awaiting processing.) To my surprise, the tail was pretty well disintegrated. Maybe I hadn’t checked it closely in all my excitement, as it appeared intact, but the bone was actually gone, but the fur was still placed exactly as if it still surrounded the bone. So, this coyote tail certainly isn’t going to embellish my south shield that was in the planning.

I gathered a piece of the fur and stepped into journey space. I was immediately taken to the meadow where I found the tail and was introduced to a young coyote pup. His name was Chip (strange for a coyote, but probably easier to pronounce). We spent some time just romping and playing in the meadow with him and the other pups. It was really a pleasant and fun time. No particular messages, just lots of fun and play.

Month’s past and Chip was now an adolescent coyote. We got to spend “a day in the life of a coyote”, searching for food, enjoying the hunt and spending time enjoying the rays of Grandfather Sun. The next thing I knew, I heard a shot and Chip’s yelp as he fell to the ground. My guides and I surrounded him, and knowing there was nothing we could do on the physical, we assisted him in making his transition.

It was here I found myself back in the meadow, standing over the remains that I had found. As I was gathering the offerings Chip had left for me, and said my prayers, I asked that his spirit be guided home. When I did this, one of the elders from his pack came forward and thanked me for assisting Chip and seeing that his spirit reached a place of rest. The elder said I would always be one of the coyote family and I was welcomed into the clan with a rollicking howl.

At this point, Chips entered as a spirit guide, and under took some personal level work with me. He did some very deep digging in both my navel and throat chakras. This had to do with unearthing some of my buried creativity and clearing the communication channels. From our conversations, it seems I have some writing and teaching in my future. This also cleared my ability to howl. So, if you hear a strange sounding coyote howling off pitch, it's probably me :-)

Once I returned to this reality, I remembered back to when I discovered Chip in the field. When I had completed my offering, we heard the coyotes howling off in the distance and Gary and I felt I was being thanked for clearing the space and healing the animal's spirit.

So, now I get to run with the coyotes. Sounds like fun! I wonder where it will take me???

Don’t forget our Fall Harvest Give Away for a bear rattle. To enter this drawing, send me an email to admin@shamanicconnection.com with the word "drawing" in the subject line. Or better yet, become our "fan" on Facebook and automatically be entered in the drawing.

On December 1, we'll pull a name from the basket!

Until next time (and I promise it won’t be so long).

Mitakuye Oyasin ( A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),

Debbie

Announcing the Fall Harvest Give Away

The Give Away

The Give Away ceremony is a Native American Tradition. In Native American cultures, the give away ceremony is the ultimate act of selfless giving. Rather than expect the community to shower a person with gifts on a special occasion, the reverse occurs: the honored individual presents everyone else with something special. Another underlying value of the give away held over from the nomadic days is keeping one's belongings to a minimum and sharing abundance with all those around. Once something is given away, all strings to that gift are broken and the gift is given with no expectations. There is a high value placed on giving away and sharing what is ours. We all know the saying "It is better to give than receive". This is the give away ceremony.

So, we want to share a gift with you because we are honored to count you among our friends.

The Winner Of The Summer Give Away

Congratulations to DeAnn Thompson of Phoenix -- DeAnn's name just jumped out of the basket into Gary's hand. She received a lovely abolone shell, turkey feather fan and white sage we ceremonially gathered for smudging. Since DeAnn lives in the Phoenix Metro area, we even got to hand deliver her winnings and chat over a glass of iced tea.

The Fall Harvest Give Away

This fall's give away will come from the abundance of raw hide we have lurking in our attic. We will be creating a bear rattle to remind you of your journeys through the West Gate (check out our fall newsletter for more info on the West Gate of the Medicine Wheel.)

To enter this drawing, send me an email to admin@shamanicconnection.com with the word "drawing" in the subject line. Or better yet, become our "fan" on Facebook and automatically be entered in the drawing.

On December 1, we'll pull a name from the basket!

A Coyote's Tail

Back at the beginning of the month, I required a “mental health weekend”. I was nearing a point of completion with a shamanic death and restructuring process that began with the full moon and lunar eclipse in July and was due for the final integration at the full moon and lunar eclipse in August. This was a intensely deep process that completely picked my bones clean, disintegrated me down to my DNA and slowly began the process of recreating me. Needless to say, this certainly rattled my cage and shifted many things in and around me, much to the dismay of some people and situations that no longer fit into the new me. But, that’s another story. Verging on the point of explosion, I called for a “mental health weekend”.

Often I’ll tell Gary “I need a vacation” and we both agree and that’s where it gets left. Not this time. Immediately after I made my declaration, I returned and asked just where we were going camping. I needed to spend time with Mother Earth and the Elementals. So, we packed up the Taj Mahal (our roomy tent), air mattress and the rest of our camping gear and headed toward north eastern Arizona.

We found a lovely primitive place to camp, amidst the noise of several families with little ones. And, in spite of the screaming babies, we reveled in the cooler weather, journeyed to the moon and stars, danced with the fire spirits and played with the Elementals and ravens that happened by, and just sat and did NOTHING!

On Sunday we did take a trip along an old Forest Service road. The road had markers along the way pointing out special points of interest from the 1800’s and early 1900’s. We had headed out to see the petro glyphs and the Apache cliff dwelling along the route, which by the way were fabulous. I don’t do well with heights and the trails were rocky and steep. I kept reminding myself the whole way “I am a goat, I must be a goat, I’m climbing these rocky trails”. The cliff dwelling and petro glyphs were well worth shape shifting into a goat. I have visited other rock art sights before, and these were extremely clear and protected from the elements, as you can see. The energy at the cliff dwelling was sublime. We had left our pipe in camp and proceeded to offer a pipe ceremony to the ancestors from journey space. The ancestors were happy to be recognized and honored in this way. It was one of those “way cool” experiences.

For me, the highlight of the trip happened before we reached the cliffs. We had stopped at the first marker that was one of the original ranger stations in the area. We got out and read the marker, and I decided I had to pee. So I headed off to a stand of trees to take care of nature’s call. On my way I heard an “over hear”. I looked around and there was another stand of trees off to my right that was calling me. Now, I’m pretty equal opportunity when it comes to peeing in the woods, as long as there’s no one around, so I headed for that stand of trees. As I reached the group of standing ones, I was informed to “pay attention and look”. As I looked down, right at my feet was a decayed coyote carcass!

The carcass was pretty clean, no meat and the bones were somewhat scattered. But, directly in front of me was a fully intact coyote tail! The tail was perfect, with a couple of vertebrae still attached. I squealed with delight and called Gary over to the sight. What a find! I gathered my medicine bag from the truck and returned to the coyote. We checked over the carcass looking to see if any more parts were usable. The leg bones were still intact as well and I thought they may be good for rattle handles for my upcoming rattle making class, but they were too small. The skull had been crushed, but the tail… the tail was so perfect and waiting just for me.

I made my offering and blessed the coyote’s spirit and sent it on its way, gathered my tail and a nice tuft of fur into my “road kill bag” and stuck it in the truck. During this time, you could hear the coyotes off in the distance, bidding farewell to their clan member.

Now mind you, I still had to pee! (I can get side tracked pretty easy sometimes). So off I went to finally water the forest floor. When I returned and walked past the coyote sight, right at my feet was a hawk feather!

Coyote and Hawk medicine all in one day! This was a very special find. It’s not often one finds a tail perfectly intact like this. When we returned home, we placed my little tail (it looked like a pup as the tail was small) in the freezer to be sure to kill any critters. Don’t want to bring them into the house. So, right now, the tail sits in the freezer, awaiting the full moon on Friday. It will be time to journey with my coyote tail to find out the “coyote’s tale” and see what medicine and message it brings.

So, next time… the Coyote’s Tale.

Until then,

Mitakuye Oyasin ( A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),

Debbie

Stepping into the Medicine Wheel - The South Gate

I just got our summer newsletter published and am finally getting the info into this blog as well... only 3 weeks into summer! I'm beginning to think that being behind is my normal state of affairs as I move through this mid portion of my life. One of these days I'll move into those elder years and being behind won't matter :-)

Here is Phoenix, we are entering the "belly of the monssons" as of weather guesser put it last night. So, we are fully in the throws of summer here. It's time for indoor activities or slow roasting outdoors. So, maybe I'm not so behind as I thought to discuss the south gate of the medicine wheel. (Hey, we can rationalize anything... right?)

In the winter we began our journey around the medicine wheel. You can read this information in the introduction to the medicine wheel in our spring newseltter. Although we usually enter the medicine wheel from the east gate you can enter anywhere that feels appropriate. So I invite you to begin your explorations here in the south gate.

The South Gate - Transformation and Passion

Summer is finally upon us as we move from the stirring of spring energy into the fiery flow of the south. It is in the south that what we planted in the spring is growing rapidly, reaching toward our goals so quickly that we are learning to trust the path that Spirit has laid out for us. South is a great place to learn to "Go with the flow."

South energy also teaches us about love and relationships. Through the heated passion of the south, we learn to bloom, like the plants, and be vulnerable. This is the place to come to when you want to heal your heart, or learn how to love, unconditionally. South teaches us about trust, vulnerability and to have an open heart with a discerning mind.

One of the spirit guardians of the south is Coyote. Coyote is the both the keeper of wisdom and the trickster, the sacred clown, who shows us how to see life from different perspectives, to find the possible in the seemingly impossible and to laugh at ourselves. Coyote teaches us the balance of wisdom and folly and how they go hand in hand.

We encourage you to "go with the flow" during summer, run through the sprinklers, laugh (AT yourself and WITH others) and spend plenty of time playing with Coyote.

Our Summer Give Away

An underlying value of the give away is to keep one's belongings to a minimum, sharing abundance with all those around. So, we would like to share with you.

Since summer is about fire and purification, this give away will be a smudging package, inlcuding a bowl, sacred white sage sticks we harvested and tied and a feather. You'll be all ready to smudge yourself, your space and others.

To enter this drawing, simply send us an email with the word "drawing" in the subject line or join our newsletter mailing list. On September 1, we'll pull a name from the basket to receive this give away!

Until next time, let your inner child out to enjoy the summer and have a popcicle for me too!


Mitakuye Oyasin ( A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),

Debbie

Moving from the bottom of "The List"

Over the years, working at a deeply personal level with clients, we have become acutely aware of how much people undervalue themselves. During our debriefing after a soul retrieval, we discuss the soul pieces that have returned to be integrated and how they may shift and change a person’s life. One of the toughest changes for most people to embrace is when they are challenged to take time or do something for themselves on a routine basis.

We both seem to always be amazed at how our domestication and socio-religious training teaches the individual to have close to zero value of self. We see this most clearly in a large share of the women we work with. Their pattern is to “do” for everyone else and spend no time taking care of themselves. They have been well trained to place themselves at the bottom of "The List”. They see their personal value based on how much they are able to DO for others. This is how they determine if they are a good friend, wife, mother, employee etc. The question of “So Joan, what do you do to take care of Joan?” is often met by stammering or simply silence as they ponder and respond with “Well, nothing. By the time I take work and take care of ______ there’s no time for left in my day for me.” And the conversation moves on to “Okay, but who takes care of Joan?” followed by more silence. One of the simplest reminders we use is that we are human BEings not human DOings. Another common reminder is “if you keep doing __________ for them, how are they ever going to learn to handle it for themselves?” followed by “I never thought of it that way.”

Men or not immune to this pattern, but generally have a more material pattern for determining their self worth. We’ve all seen the bumper sticker “He who dies with the most toys wins”. In our consumer society, we are saturated with continuous messages to buy “things” whether we need them or not. Today’s advertising is mainly geared around ego and sex appeal. Almost all advertising is designed to show you just how good you will look and/or feel if you own ________. The general population is so trained to buy “things” then buy new “things” to replace the old “things” that this pattern puts into place the cycle of having to spend more time working to pay for all the “things” they have bought and buy more “things”. All these “things” make them stand out and feel more important, but leave few resources of both money, time or energy to invest in themselves. They fall into that human DOing, with not time left for BEing. They fall prey to patterns excesses, of unhealthy eating and drinking, as well as lack of rest and not knowing who they truly are. Then, when something happens, like our current economic situation, and some of the “things” go away, they totally lose their sense of value along with their "things". Now, women are not exempt from this pattern. We see a lot of cross over in both areas.

So, today we offer you a challenge ... to move YOU toward the top of your “List”. We won’t say “to the top” yet, as that would scare off many from this important challenge. Take as big a leap or as small a step as you choose (just remember to step just outside your comfort zone). Learn to become “self-ish” (for self) in a positive way. This can be a real challenge as those around you will certainly let you know that they are not getting their usual share of your attention or resources, but persist. Change is tough on all who are affected but the rewards are great. Whether it’s for five minutes or five days, keep moving toward the top of your “List”. You can always see things more clearly from the top….

Your new mantra is “I am a human BEing, not a human DOing.” And the final and most important reminder…. HAVE FUN!!!

Until next time....

Mitakuye Oyasin ( A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),

Gary & Debbie

Sedona and a Hopi Blessing

After over eleven years of living in Arizona and many trips to Sedona, Gary and I decided it was high time to take one of the vortex tours in Sedona. I have started work on a new set of guided journey CDs and am collecting medicine wheel photos to use for cover art. So we decided that a medicine wheel and vortex tour would be fun.

A good friend recommended Earth Wisdom Tours (www.earthwisdomtours.com) to us, so I called and arranged the tour. Gary and I made an overnight trip and spent Friday evening enjoying some quiet time together and window shopping in Sedona (town closes down between 5 and 6 pm).

Saturday morning we met up with our tour guide, Clint, to begin the day’s adventures. When we introduced ourselves, we discussed our reason for the tour, and Clint commented that just last week someone had asked him to do a voice recording of a medicine wheel ceremony. Spirit had certainly aligned us with the right guide, as would be expected.

We hopped into the open jeep and set out for a journey. Riding in the jeep was like riding in the back of the pickup as a kid. It was a whole different perspective from our other trips to Sedona. Throughout the day, I was able to see and chat with the guardians who protect this sacred area of Mother Earth.

Gary, Clint and I chatted about our work on the way to pick up the other couple who was going on the tour. Clint, Gary and I were all on the same page and bonded well. We had lived and travelled in many of the same places throughout the years. Turns out, he also does guide work (http://sedonasacredearth.com/) and also follows a very shamanic path as well as his “Sweetie” (as he says) leads shamanic tours in South America. It’s always so much fun to meet other travelers along the road. And, we know our paths will cross again.

Our first stop for the day was at an overlook where we were given a geology lesson. Along the way, we all talked about the importance of this area to the Hopi. They see this as the birthplace of the People. Then, off to Red Rock Creek Park and the vortex area around Cathedral Rock. Here we crossed the creek and after a discussion of the vortexes for the uninitiated, we went off to experience the energy, which for us meant “journey time”. What follows is my journey with the Hopi that day.

As I laid on the rock in the beautifully Arizona sunshine, I called upon my guides to ask for guidance on my medicine wheel CD project. I found myself at the walls of Cathedral Rock, being drawn in by the energy, like a tractor beam from Star Trek. As I stood looking at the wall, an entry way appeared, and before I entered, I found I had shape shifted into Bear. Bear is one of my animal spirit guides or totems. Now, in bear form, I was permitted entry into the vast cavern inside Cathedral Rock. Inside this huge room, I was greeted by many Hopi Elders. I made my way around the circle introducing myself to each elder as I went along. Once the greetings were complete, I was asked to step into the center of the circle and asked why I had come.

I stated that I had come to ask for their guidance and blessing on the project that I was birthing and also seek permission to photograph the medicine wheel that is under their stewardship. As soon as my purpose was stated, I found myself again in human form, standing in the center of the circle, naked as the day I was born. (What I find when working in journey space is that nakedness symbolizes vulnerability and lack of protection. In this case the lack of protection had more to do with my own defenses.)

As I stood there naked, the Elders examined me, looking deep into my soul…what was my intention, was I pure of heart, why was I engaging in this work, checking my integrity. Each answer stripped away layers of my being, until all that was left was my pure essence, kneeling in the center of the circle. (This was dismemberment from a totally different level … but this is the subject of another Blog). I must have passed all their tests. At this point, each Elder came forward, placed their hand on my head or shoulder and each bestowed me with a different blessing. When they were done, they moved, silently and in single file, deeper into the vastness of the cavern.

My essence rekindled, I dressed and moved through the door, out into the sunshine of the canyon, back to the physical plane, changed and renewed by the blessings of the Hopi.

I invite you to check out Clint’s website and look him up when you are in Sedona for a fun and informative jaunt into Arizona.

Until next time –

Mitakuye Oyasin ( A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),

Debbie

When Children Won’t Sleep – The Monster Under the Bed

It’s bedtime, Mom and Dad are exhausted, and little Billy refuses to go to sleep. He throws this huge tantrum each and every night, giving you all sorts of excuses as to why he can’t go to sleep. “There’s a monster under my bed”, “I’m scared”, “There’s something in my room”… Every parent has been through this at least a few times in their parenting career. Sometimes it is simply an excuse for Billy to stay up and play longer, but what about when this goes on night after night after night?

From the shamanic perspective, there may truly be an interloper in Billy’s room or in his dreams. Children are more open to experiencing the energies that surround them and have clear connections to their spiritual guides. As parents we see them talking to their “imaginary friends” and tease about the Boogey Man, but to the children, they are very real. The younger the child, the more closely they are still connected to the spiritual realm.

As a shaman, I have been called more than once to clean a child’s room and have quite literally removed the monster from under the bed. How or why it was there is anyone’s guess. Entities are often drawn to the light, and children are pure light. Other entities simply remain on the land or in the premises when they should be crossed over. Every shaman carries their own bottle of “Monster Spray” and once the entities are removed the child relaxes and is able to sleep.

Helping on the physical plane with the bottle of “Monster Repellant” is also helpful, especially when the bottle contains flower essences to cleanse and protect the room. I have used these successfully over the years to energetically clear the room and relax the babies to sleep. “Monster Repel” is available through www.shamansmarketplace.com.

But, what about when the child refuses to sleep ALL THE TIME? Is there more going on? This was a recent case that was brought to me. The child was about 18 months old and getting him to sleep was a constant struggle. Other than bedtime, he was a very peaceful, happy child. Mom and Dad were at wit’s end. Grandpa was one of my regular clients and called to ask me to check out his room for any unwelcome energies or to assist him in any way.

My guides and I began our “critter hunt” by visiting the child’s house and found the house was clear. There were no monsters in the closets anywhere. So I asked if he had any soul pieces that needed to be returned relating to this issue. We were immediately taken to a past life somewhere around 500 AD. The infant was swaddled and placed in a cave at the beginning of spring as a sacrifice to the awakening animals. Here, he was left to be devoured by these animals in the dark. My guides entered the cave and removed the little guy and brought him out to safety. We unwrapped him and returned the soul piece home.

No wonder this little guy didn’t want to go into a crib in a dark room!!! This lost soul piece created an intense fear of the dark that he had been carrying with him for many lifetimes. Thanks to this very savvy Grandpa, this fear is now released and he no longer has to carry it with him. And, when they checked in, I was told the little guy was now sleeping peacefully at night and Mom and Dad were getting some over due rest.

Ah, the power of soul retrieval… It certainly makes me grateful every day to be able to serve as a tool for Spirit to assist people in making their lives more _________ (Fill in the blank. This could be peaceful, happy, healthy… or simply MORE.).

Until Next Time ----

Mitakuye Oyasin (A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),

Debbie

Spirit Timing

Have you ever had one of those projects where you get going great guns and then boom, every step you take forward you take three back or come to a complete halt? When this happens to me, I call it “Spirit Timing”. There is something going on out of my sight that just isn’t ready for what I think I’m ready for. Usually it’s just a few days and all is in rhythm again.

Well, I told you a few blogs back about the DVD we were working on putting together called The Healing Ways of the Shaman – Shamanism and Soul Recovery. Well, now that it’s complete, I can look back and “smile and nod” as Gary would say, at the process, but at times it felt like we were mating llamas (it takes a lot of patience and they are what’s called “forced breeders” – they don’t just naturally “hook up”. But that’s another l-o-n-g story from our past).

The longer I walk the shamanic path, the more closely I find myself living in balance with the natural cycles of the seasons and the energy that it manifests. This is all part of my “Spirit Timing”. We began working on the DVDs around September and thought they would take about a month to get together. Well, we had to get the audio enhanced which meant going to an outside vender. Then there was the cover art, a new intro to record and a few other aspects that took us smack dab into November … right into my winter cycle. And as you know from my last blog, that’s hibernation time! What I get accomplished during the winter season is s-l-o-w. So, every time I would start on the completion of the DVD project, I would move ahead a step or two and then back two or three. Finally in frustration, I asked my guides what was the issue (just like everyone else, it takes me some head banging against the wall before I ask for help). I kept hearing "Wait for Imbolc. Wait for Imbolc."

For those who are not familiar, Imbolc is the threshold to spring (see Spring and the Sacred Garden blog 3/08). This is the time when the Earth begins to wake and the new energies of life begin to flow. So, I finally got to relax and turn the rest of my hibernation over to Spirit.

February 2 and Imbolc arrived and there was a flurry of activity. We had to record the new introduction (in the shadow of a Mercury Retrograde – so all the audio equipment was still giving up fits) AND I had a drum that had been waiting for Imbolc that was to be birthed that day. Imbolc was a long and busy day and I finally collapsed into my nice warm bed still warm from hibernation VERY early then next morning.

So, the lesson here is that next time you do the one step forward two steps back dance, STOP and listen. Ask you guidance what’s going on. More than likely somewhere you are out of sync with your cycle, whether it be personal or nature’s cycle. We really don’t need to wear bangs to cover up the head banging bruises!

On the up side, the DVD is done and available on our website and at the Shaman's Marketplace. We are currently offering an introductory special AND for our blog readers, if you enter the coupon code “blog” at check out your will receive a free 17 minute shamanic drumming CD! Check out The Healing Ways of the Shaman – Shamanism and Soul Recovery.

Until Next Time –

Mitakuye Oyasin ( A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),
Debbie