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Medicine Wheel the Experience.

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Imagine the Medicine Wheel as a wigwam (tepee). The anchors hold the wigwam fasten to the ground. In the east there’s the door. The clans are at the center where the fire should be. The moons are orbiting at the top where there’s usually an opening to let out smoke. The poles which give the three dimensional aspect to the wigwam are the mysteries. The elements identify everything that moves or remains within the dwelling: People, stories, blankets etc… The winds refer to life’s challenges: Natural storms, death, accidents, war etc… Lots of people come knocking at my door to learn about the Medicine Wheel. Most will say that the reason why they are approaching this indigenous philosophy is because they are looking for healing and self-discovery. From a Western point of view or from a New Age point of view this actually makes sense; but from a Sacred Circle perspective it hides a few inconsistencies. The whole idea behind the Medicine Wheel is that we are born and we live ...
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Drums and Rattles.

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Lately I’ve received a few e-mails and letters from people asking questions about drums and rattles. I don’t think I’ve written a blog on this topic yet. JB wrote in his e-mail: “I often read that Drums are connected to Shamanism and often the tool of choice for Shamans. How do Shamans use drums differently than anyone else who’s in Shamanism?” I thought it was a great question. For starters, one of the reasons why a drum is an interesting tool in Shamanism is because it can mimic a heartbeat and induce a state of trance. A rapid heartbeat can trigger nervousness, excitement and even aggression. A very slow heartbeat can help in relaxation, sleep and dreaming. Every rhythm can inspire an emotion and can bring about the memory of a past experience or a parallel reality. In Shamanic circles the drum can be instrumental in healing, teaching, ceremony or ritual, expansion of consciousness as well as dreaming and journeying. Almost a decade ago I participated in a Mohawk namin...
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Fragments or Ancestors...

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In the last few days our 10th month old puppy has been recognizing dogs on television. Every time she sees a dog on the screen she becomes alert and makes these whimpering sounds. When the dog disappears from the scene she becomes agitated and starts looking for the dog around the house. Soon she’s looking under the television, through the glass door of the bureau, thinking that perhaps the dog is hiding there. Nobody believed me at first when I told them that our dog actually watched TV until they finally saw Bella attempt to engage a TV pooch to play with her. One thing that I’ve noticed in the last 40 years of my life is that people don’t blindly believe in the stories of others. Proof is often needed. If you tell people that in order to reach wholeness people have to work through countless fragments, the statement makes sense to them; but if you tell them that past lives exist, it’s harder to believe. One suggests proof or confirmation whereas the other relies on faith. O...
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