Shamanism is ...

"Shamanism is a path of knowledge, not of faith, and that knowledge cannot come from me or anyone else in this reality. To acquire that knowledge, including the knowledge of the reality of the spirits, it is necessary to step through the shaman's doorway and acquire empirical evidence." 
  — Michael Harner

MICHAEL HARNER

"What Yogananda did for Hinduism and D.T. Suzuki did for Zen, Michael Harner has done for shamanism, namely bring the tradition and its richness to Western awareness," say Roger Walsh and Charles S. Grob, in their recent book, Higher Wisdom.

Michael Harner, Ph.D., founder of the Foundation for Shamanic Studies, pioneered the return of shamanism, the shamanic journey, and shamanic healing to contemporary life. He has done fieldwork in the upper Amazon, western North America, Samiland (Lapland), and the Canadian Arctic. His books include The Way of the Shaman, Hallucinogens and Shamanism and The Jivaro: People of the Sacred Waterfalls.

Plant Spirit Medicine

We all yearn to be connected to our spirit, a community, and the natural world, yet how often do we give ourselves the time to nurture that pure, heartfelt desire? Our modern lives have become so busy and stressful. We know the pace takes a painful toll, which we try to remedy with healthy food, therapy, a yoga class here and there, or morning meditation. All of these approaches help, yet we still wonder, is there more?

Sometimes an illness, a bad break-up, or the death of a loved one will activate our core of inner wisdom, shaking us up enough to open our hearts and commit to deeper healing.

Could the potency and mystery of ancient-wisdom traditions provide a medicine for the spectrum of illnesses and the alienation of modern culture?

Communities once worked and played together around the fire. People felt connected to each other and to the natural world around them. Healers helped with individual maladies and also maintained the emotional and spiritual wellbeing of the entire village. The medicine of the old cultures was deep and effective. It was more holistic than anything we dream of today. Despite all that modernity has undone, the Huichol people of central Mexico have kept alive their humor, their communities, and their profound medicine.

Eliot Cowan is the author of Plant Spirit Medicine, and a fully initiated Tsaurirrikame (shaman) in the Huichol Indian tradition. He began the study and practice of herbalism in the 1960’s and completed a Master of Acupuncture degree with J.R. Worsley in England in the 1970’s. Eliot subsequently apprenticed with Don Guadalupe Gonzalez Rios, an eminent Huichol Indian Shaman. On the occasion of Don Guadalupe’s retirement in 2000, he ritually recognized Eliot as a guide to shamanic apprentices in the Huichol tradition.

Eliot has shared his gift with many all over the world. In 1989, Eliot was my teacher. My year long apprenticeship program was based at Dry Creek Herb Farm north of Auburn CA. It was a wondrous year, opening me up to many life changing opportunities. The journey has continued to amaze and confirm my belief in this profound medicine.

It is only with the heart that you can see, what is essential is invisible to the eye. ~ Unknown

Woman Shaman

Women spiritual leaders, medicine women, priestesses and shamans from Africa, Asia, and the Americas. From the Women's Power dvd created by Max Dashu of the Suppressed Histories Archives www.suppressedhistories.net/womenspowerdvd.html

WOMAN SHAMAN: THE ANCIENTS

The wisdom of the ancients, the ancient wisdom, direct experience of the primordial source, the flow and flicker of spirit moving through us, through earth, water, air and fire. That luminous source that predates religious dogma and transcends all the rationals for domination . . . and scatters them.

The circle of life at which all beings are relatives. The medicine women, oracles, diviners and female prophets.

In a thousand ways they told us that woman like this didn't exist. That there were medicine men, prophets, priests, that ceremony was man's business. That women belonged in the background. This is a lie. We know better.

We remember and the cultural record remains in rock art and ceramic sculpture, bronzes and paintings.

They show us women moving in ecstasy, incantation, in trans-dance.
   

Woman Shaman  the movie pulls back the curtain bringing you the images and stories of woman who chant, dance and pray with their bodies, to deepen and unify their consciousness, to heal and to transform the world.

Woman Shaman: The Ancients.

This is the trailer for the forthcoming movie by Max Dashu on female spiritual leaders, dreamers, drummers, healers, ecstatic dancers, and psychonauts. It gives a global view of archaeology, rock art, and cultural treasures representing women shamans throughout history. See www.suppressedhistories.net for more information and links to contribute to the production fundraising, or visit the Suppressed Histories page on Facebook.

St. John's wort - a powerful healing herb

St. John's wort tinctures and oils have a long history of healing a variety of physical ailments. Susun Weed told me about the powers of St. John's wort for sunburn many years ago.

St. John’s wort (Hypericum perforatum) tincture is well known as a remedy for depression. The oil, though less well known, is one of the best medicines for regaining and maintaining healthy skin.

Hypericum oil is made by infusing the fresh yellow flowers of St. John’s/Joan’s wort in oil until it turns red. It is not an essential oil. If you live where hypericum grows, you can easily make it. If not, you can buy it at any store that sells herbs.

Because hypericum oil heals burns, I honor it with the name St. Joan’s wort. It is the only one-hundred-percent chemical-free sunscreen I know of. I apply a generous amount to all exposed skin every few hours to prevent sunburn and skin cancer.

Over the last fifty years, the rate of skin cancer in the USA has risen as fast as the usage of sunscreen. Commercial sunscreens encourage us to stay in the sun too long. St. Joan’s wort oil allows a slight reddening of the skin, so we are alerted to the need to get out of the sun, and it protects the lower levels of the skin from mutations that lead to cancer.

Hypericum oil carries its anti-viral activities deep into the nerve endings. Applied at the first sign of an outbreak, it prevents eruption of herpes and cold sores. It eliminates shingles, and eases the pain of chicken pox. Repeated use kills the herpes simplex virus and prevents further eruptions.

St. Joan’s wort oil also helps those with scaly skin conditions ranging from dry eczema to psoriasis. As an added benefit, hypericum oil eases muscle aches.

A Neighborhood Herb Walk

 Herbal pharmacist Dave LaLuzerne takes you on an herb walk in his neighborhood. Herbs covered include vervain, echinacea, solomon's seal, chicory, red clover, comfrey, spearmint, wild yam, mother wort, burdock, rosehips, burdock, and more.  Guest appearances by herbalist Jessie Conaway and Dr. Bruce Barrett.



Watch A Neighborhood Herb Walk in Lifestyle  |  View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

http://www.veoh.com/watch/v16953491FGm6TnyR

"You Can Go" - Dedicated to Lindy "Morning Star" Morris

Good-bye Morning Star



Brother at the Celtic Fling Festival, Manheim, PA, June 27, 2010

Song entitled "You Can Go"
Dedicated to Lindy "Morning Star" Morris

In honor of Lindy "Morning Star" (Little Wing) Morris

Our Australian friend, Lindy Morning Star Morris, who we also called 'Little Wing' has met with a tragic accident and passed into the spirit world on Thursday June 24, 2010, in New Jersey during a retreat teaching how to make hand drums.

We first met Lindy at the 19 +1 Earth Healing Medicine Wheel Ceremony in May 2004 in Lake Tahoe.

This was a beautiful and powerful weekend ceremony in 2004 on the shore of Lake Tahoe.

Below are photos of Morning Star that were shared by others to honor her joyous life of sharing and joining with others in spirit to share with the world ways our 'nature finds' can be re-created to be used for healing and ceremony.

Morning Star wrote, "Your light is needed NOW and the Earth mother is offering her gifts to assist us to remember we came to the Earth at this most important time to be co-creators from the Divine Within ."

This photo of Lindy was taken at a winter solstice ceremony in Alaska in 2006.

And here she is hand feeding the birds during the winter solstice in Alaska 06.

She is on the left in this New Mexico prayer performance ceremony during the 2007 Eagle and Jaguar Tour.

Morning Star welcomes the dawn with her flute ... the opening ceremony of Unificacion Maya 2009

Here Lindy is teaching one of her classes at the Lion Fires Shamanic Institute at 4 Corners, Colorado.

This is a link to her website: http://animalspiritmedicine.webs.com/ 


This is a RECENT VIDEO of Morningstar Playing Flute:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1228459406292

With love and gratitude, you will be missed here on this earth. 

Grandfather spoke about the nature of gratitude. That when someone receives something and then gives gratitude in return, that the gratitude releases a burst of energy that causes many doors to open thus creating even more opportunities for energy exchange to happen.

International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers

International Council of 13 Indigenous Grandmothers Part 1


This video gives details about the 13 indigenous grandmothers who have been chosen to share their sacred wisdom with the world.

This is a wonderful video about the 13 indigenous women elders, shamans and medicine women from around the world, who have been called together to share their sacred wisdom and practices. They are lighting the way for us to a peaceful and sustainable planet.