Rattling the Bones

Last night my husband and I visited with a friend whose father has recently passed away.  FR is Jewish and yesterday was her second day of Shiva.  In every religion or culture there are special traditions dedicated to the dead.  In Judaism, immediately after the death of a loved one, relatives go into a state of grieving.  For seven days they receive family and friends at the home of the deceased where they share food, stories and prayers.  Obviously as a traditional Keeper of the Dead I’m always impressed with how people mourn or deal with death.  Most people these days understand the Keeper of the Dead as an Angel of Death :  Someone who has the ability to see death coming; and also holds the skills necessary to guide the dying to the after life.  Psychics who see or hear those who have passed on are not necessarily considered as Keepers of the Dead .  Actually in many teachings of the Wheel they are identified as Messengers :...

By Kimberley - (U.S.A author) As a little girl we only had two television channels at my house.   The only one that came in with a clear picture was PBS, the learning channel.   I remember catching a show on rock gardens and was completely enamored.   My first rock garden was made on my tree-house.   I remember lying in between all the stones that I had dragged up into my platform in the trees.   I remember thinking about Stonehenge and Easter Island and how right I felt lying in my garden of rocks.   I imagined a future garden full of stones and moss and knew that one day I would have such a garden. Not long after I married and moved into my own home I became a student of Shamanism.   I was learning about the Medicine Wheel, or Sacred Circle Tradition.   I got a very nostalgic feeling when looking at the Wheel.   It reminded me of the rock garden of my childhood.   About a year into my learning I built my fir...

I was recently asked: “How long have I been on the path and what do I love about it?”  Looking back at my personal story I can sincerely say that “I’ve always been on a Shamanic path” despite the fact it didn’t from birth carry the label.  Unlike Christianity Shamanism isn’t about biblical teachings and moral indoctrination; it’s about a sacred journey; which brings us to grow into ourselves with the instinctual knowing of what is right and wrong. "Right and Wrong" in Shamanism isn't only about morality -- it's also about sensibility.  I can't tell you how many times I was able to stay "on path" just because I listened and trusted what "I felt" whether it be by intuition; by instinct; or in the moment - by sensing.  In time, I learnt the discipline of "hyper-sensing" -- and understood that the all knowing (definition of Shaman) is not so much about intellect as it is about being present to " all of me " and what it...

“When a person becomes interested in trees, the forest bursts forth with new life as if all the trees have suddenly come alive.”   Twylah Hurd Nitsch This month has been extra busy because we moved into our new house.   Between boxing, renovating, and finally moving into our home we’ve been learning the value of surrendering and deboning.   We don’t need to carry around so many things just because they hold memories.   It’s amazing how we stay attached to things because of how they fit into a particular personal story at a precise moment in time.   I’ve been repeating all month long “if it’s not practical and hasn’t been used in the last 12 months – let it go!” Yet, it isn’t so easy to detach from mementos especially if we’ve given them the burden to carry the weight of our childhood, adolescence, or a passionate love story… Along with moving boxes this month, I’ve also been transplanting trees, bushes and plants.   25 years ag...

This blog entry was written by WHEEL KEEPER (Mary Rose Lessoway, Alberta) Please check out her blog at www.wheelkeeper.blogspot.com Some people don’t seem to know how to approach the Shaman for help. In other societies, the student-master relationship is clearly defined. In India for example, the devotees or students come to the guru or master with humility on bended knee with offerings of food, money or flowers. I remember going to see Ammachi, a holy woman from India who came to North America. It was at a large hotel in the convention room where hundreds of people lined up to receive darshan (blessings) from here. Before she even entered the room, there was chanting that put you in a calm, joyous mood. When the Holy woman entered, the energy escalated and people crowded close to see or touch the embodiment of the Divine Mother. The line-ups were often an hour long and we prayed and chanted the whole time. It was understood that we were in the presence of greatness. S...