by Amari Magdalena
By Rev. Amari Magdalena
In a world that has lost its footing, a world with lots of
egoic conflict, a world with few restraints on environmental issues, a world of
I, Me and Mine vs. Us, Them and All, shamanism is critical.
Consider that shamanic belief demands living in harmony with
all of creation, no matter the particular kingdom. It is a system that that
thrives on codependence with all things in the manifest universe. In it, each
of us is responsible for every step we take and where and how we place our
feet. Our imprint not only affects me and mine but absolutely everything in our
universe. We simply cannot take one step without impacting another living cell.
It is other focused, not self.
Shamanism teaches respect for all that in existence in the
universe. It does not give us a pass for partially adhering to its precepts. It
recognizes just how inter-dependent we must be for its survival. It’s a
philosophy that is passed down intergenerationally.
Many years ago, I was visiting one of the Mississippi
Mounds, Etowah. It was my habit to go down to the nearby river and meditate
asking the ancient ones how I could help.
To my great surprise, in the meditation, they spoke “give the land
back to the people.” Not a small order and first interpreting it literally,
I was overwhelmed by the request. Just
how was I to give it back?
What I came to understand, with a broader brush interpretation,
was that by further embracing shamanism and then finding opportunities to teach
it in the heretofore conservative south. I had an encounter with a man who had
an alternative school for adults. He was
fascinated with my background and asked me to put together a class.
To my amazement, that first class ended with most of the
attendees asking, “is there more.” From that second teaching and further
requests, I ended up founding The Institute for Shamanic Synthesis which this
year celebrates 30 years.
In those three decades, I’ve been privileged to instruct people
of all ages, backgrounds, occupations, and ethnicity. I’ve seen people completely
change their life trajectory with the teachings. It has been most gratifying and certainly succeeded
in fulfilling the request of the elders: “give the land to the people.”
If you should ever visit mounds or ancient dwellings in the
Southwest, or other sacred places, stop. Ask permission to proceed. Remove your
shoes and walk barefoot. Touch the walls of the dwelling. Talk to the ancestors and discover what
message they may have for you.
I still teach though it has been much scaled down due to infirmities
of advancing age and body breakdown. Some of that teaching is through Magdala
Spiritual Healing (a 509 2a non-profit) where I’ve incorporated much of my
offerings. I’ve posted former talks, interviews, and classes there.
When people recognize the importance of taking on the mantle
or cognition of all that is, each kingdom, and committing to preservation of
the eco system, shamanism shines. We are indeed on a very small planet in a
vast universe. Only we can change years of ignoring the other kingdoms and
embracing the way that each of us is connected to the other. The word shamanism
sometimes gets in the way of prejudice. Earth-based spirituality seems to play
better with diverse populations.
I encourage you to find teachers and resources that can give
you the basics of shamanism so that you can take up the mantle and proactively
save our precious planet. Seeking new planets is, in my mind, thoughtless until
we begin to take care of the real estate we now occupy. You may find some
information in El Mundo Bueno: Saving Humanity and Our Glorious Planet.
“Since all mythical figures correspond to inner psychic experience
and originally sprang from them, it is not surprising to find certain phenomena
in the field of parapsychology which remind us of the trickster …. His
universality is co-extensive, so to speak, with that of shamanism, to which the
whole phenomenology of spiritualism belongs.” – Carl Jung
“We don't heal in isolation, but in community.” ― S.
Kelley Harrell, Gift of the Dreamtime - Reader's Companion
“The core practice of magic is: The execution of a willed intent
to create change in the material world, which either defies, hastens or
purifies the consequences of natural cause and effect.”
― Zeena
Schreck
“The soul is not a land-locked entity. It can grow feathers.” ― Frank
LaRue Owen, The School of Soft Attention
No comments:
Post a Comment