Well. I am Lady Wolf, or Judy, a shaman, mother, nurse, wife, friend, and grandmother (all that, and I'll be 44 next week). Mundanely, I have been a Registered Nurse for 20 years, and a nursing assistant/crash cart aide for 5 years before that. I have been studying alternative healing practices and beliefs for about 12 years, been a Spirit Talker for 5 years, and a declared Shaman for about 3 years. I have studied Reiki, Hands of Light, Crystalmancy, and Spiritual healing and (the one my husband loves) Reflexology. Speaking of which, this class will be conducted in duet so to speak. I am using his fingers on the keyboard. I am a nurse and hate computers (grin) but am watching him very closely to make sure he types what I say (grin) On this plane, I am a 47 year old white male. You can call me Papa, LB, Dan, PowderKeg, or what ever. I use the nick Lord Bear for three reasons. 1) It is my working name when dealing with Circle People outside our family 2) It is slightly remenisant of my other passion, the SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) and 3) It sounds pretty butch, don't you think? As for who I am inside, I am shaman. I have been studying the world beyond the cross (one of my favorite expressions, BTW) for about 25 years - ever since I discovered I had a propensity for reading the Tarot, and realized about 3 years ago that I was shaman. Having studied comparative religions and explored my own sprituality most of my life, I discovered others like me (closet pagans you might say) about 16 or 17 years ago.. I first became a Public Pagan about 10 years ago. Mundanely, I am a small business consultant part time, and a full time Home School teacher (MunchKin, age 7). For fun and profit I also write web pages, do electronic art, and dress up in armor and try to kill my friends without hurting them. It is also MY kitchen ... Lady Wolf stays out of it. When BrmHilda approached us to do this class, we tried to figure out the easiest way to do it... and so what we came up with was putting together a "FAQ" so to speak of the questions we get when we first mention we are shaman. We are not "Classical Shaman" if you can call ANY form of shamanism classical. -> [SpiderWlf] ping We are shaman in the sense that we view the world as a world of spirits. QUESTION: What is Shamanism? Who is a Shaman? Before we can really answer that question, lets lay the groundwork by giving what to some might be old news but might be puzzling others. That being: What makes a person a pagan? There is one thing in common with most pagans, from the deepest dyed wiccan to the hidingest hermit... That being that they recognize that all paths followed faithfully lead to the light. Shamanism takes that particular idea and expands on it. For us, not only does every path lead to the light, but every shaman must walk a different path from other shamans. Shamanism is, for me, seeking guidance from the spirits all around, and paying honor to the Wheel, to Life, and to the All. Its a spiritual path honoring the Mother, Earth, and the "Life" that is in all things. Its a path of self awareness, for in shamanism we are truly our own teachers. The spirits are here only to advise us, not to direct us. Shamanism is having dis-embodied friends. QUESTION: What do you mean by all these spirits? Are these Spirit Guides? Totems? A spirit is the essesnce of something. Everything has a spirit within that holds within it a the image of what that thing is. Spirits are also the "souls" of those who have gone before, some I speak to even call themselves "ghosts". Spirits can be the voices in the wind, communications with the animals and nature, or in the sound of water falling down a mountain. They can even be your higher self communicating with the you that is trying to learn. Everything reflects the Powers That Be in their own way. We call this its spirit. When we see a tree, we see the spirit of that tree. When we see a rock we see the spirit of that rock. The spirit can be thought of (but please don't limit it to) the "essense" of what ever the object is. What makes a shaman's outlook different is that a shaman deals directly with the spirits of the world. We see the spirits in everything. For instance.... We do not just see the spirit in the corn. We see the spirit in the air that brings the spirit called water to nurish the spirit in the corn. We see the spirit of the sun helping the corn spirit to grow, the earth spirit giving the corn nourishment, and when we finally harvest it, we give thanks to the spirit of the corn. Simply put, Spirit Talking is what the shaman does. We have been taught that there is a major difference between what we do and channeling. Channelling is speaking for some being that has never lived on this plane. Spirit talking is talking with those who have crossed over and have returned to this plane in spirit to help others advance along the path. * Lady_Wolf is giggling ... the keyboard is an electronic talking stick) > :) QUESTION: So what do totems have to do with all this spirit stuff? Are they spirit animals or something like that? Totems (also called power animals) can be any kind of animal: birds, mystical creatures, reptiles, or even insects, that come into your awareness to teach you. You do not SEEK to be the wolf by growling and acting like a wolf but learn from the spirit of the wolf. in our tradition we have 5 primary and 5 secondary totems. (10 in all) Totems are, in fact, the essense of the creature they represent. The totem is the spirit of the creature and what it has to teach us from within our selves and of the world outside of ourselves. As Lady Wolf said, it is our teaching that there are a minimum of 10 totems that we are interacting with at any one time, and that we should be trying to learn what each of them is here to teach us. Right about now, I think, you are all going TEN TOTEMS????? How in the HELLLLLL????? I'm having enough trouble finding ONE!!! There are two ways to learn from a totem. The first is to find the totem within ourselves and to thus learn more about ourselves. The other is to have a totem come into your awareness that has a lesson we need to learn (sometimes whether we wish to learn the lesson or not). There are 5 types of totems that cover the various aspects of our relationships with life. Each of these areas of our lives has an Inner totem and an Outer Totem The inner totem is the aspects of the totem creature of that life area that we are within ourselvs .. that totem will hardly ever, IF ever, change. It is that part of the totem that makes you who you are. The outer totem is the totem creature of that life area from which you are seeking to learn. Our child is a Fox, but wants to learn the lessons of the Wolf. She is a Turtle, and wants to learn from the Butterfly. I am a wolf, and have yet to learn all that wolf has to teach me. The five Areas of Life are: 1&2: The Preditor Totems and the Prey Totems (they are closely related. The Preditor Totem is in direct relationship to the way you APPROACH the world. The Prey Totem is in direct relationship to the way you REACT TO the world. 3: The Flying Totem is the inner you. The way you imagine and relate emotionally with the world. It is your Vision and your Inner Gifts. 4: The "Other" Totem is that part of you that you will never fully understand or do not wish to acknowledge. 5: The Spiritual Totem is your Inner or Higher Self. You are also taught by creatures OTHER THAN your primary or secondary totems. Just because MunchKin is a FOX, learning from the Wolf, doesn't mean Coyote isn't going to come along and teach her something. All totems should be respected and watched for what they have to teach us. They are the Voice of the All for a shaman. they are the world in which we live Actually, I have been taught that Music is the voice of the All. That's why I love drums and dancing around the fire. To be honest, I like to drum, and watch OTHERS dance around the fire. QUESTION: Then what ARE spirit guides? Spirit guides are the voices that guide us. They don't TELL us what to do, but they do give us a slight edge on life. For US, spirit guides are people like you and I who have crossed over (died, if you will) and have chosen to guide others. A Shaman must walk his own path, in lands where there are no maps, and a shaman finds help on his way through a point of view not possible to the living - that of his Spirit Guides. My spirit guides are an interesting mix, believe me. They have names, and they lived in what is history to us. I have learned a little of their cultures, and a lot of their wisdom. They have counseled me, protected me, guided me, and befriended me. And not just me. Through them I have helped my daughters, my husband (Bear), our grandson, and even complete strangers. They have taught me how to work with all types of energy, how to be a part of the great Pattern, healing ways, and even a practical lesson or two. They were shamans in their times, and chose to remain outside "The Wheel" to help guide others. I have followed their advice to my benefit. and they have cried with me. and I have been angry with what they have had to say. All this. And I have also learned so much from them, and know how much more I have to learn. now ... that brings us to ... THE ... question the one question that usually causes the most problems for those new to the shaman path (or those with shamanistic leanings) QUESTION: How Do I Find My T O T E M ? ? ?? well ... I read an AWFUL lot of books to get where I am There's a booklist you wouldn't believe .. BUT ... the easy answer is ... be aware be aware of your Self recognize that which you have been drawn to those are a part of the things that are within you. Be aware as little things that mean nothing to others become meaningful to you ... a crow caws ... a squirrell on the roof ... a hawk on the wing .. a lot of things ... gifts from others a coffee cup a shawl a bag of feathers. ANYthing. > thank you ladywolf and lord bear we are open for discussion now wascal has a question: (if you're ready) this might be a touch superficial bu tits something ive wondered for awhile... on your idea of ten ; taht seems to be in line with the medicine wheel the title 'ahaman' when is it appropriate.. i use it for lack of a better word for recognition.. and though i know a good deal.. and have learned quite some more tonite (thanks) i dont think im anywhere near that "level" (tho if youve seen my tirades you know i dont give a hill of beans for 'titles' and hierarchy) so the question is what does a 'student of shamanism'; call him/herself? and when is it appropriate to use the term Wascal: when is the term Wiccan appropriate? or Baptist? Same rules apply. * windwolf raises her hand to ask the next question.. BTW ... as far as titles (grin) mine is SORT of a put on ... shaman's don't use titles. true enough.. as i thought * lilith smiles they are what they are supposed to be at the time. wascal... I'm glad you asked that question, I've wondered too * Lord_Bear tickles windwolf with the talking stick. more probably a medicine /person * Lady_Wolf slaps lord bear on the arm a few things, i'll try to be brief... One: you mentioned your tradition having ten totems, but did not mention what your tradition was? also.. in your tradition are there a set number of spirit guides as there are totems? ok .. let me clear the decks with this one ... in our tradition .. there is no such thing as tradition. lol *grin* EXCEPT that there is a rightness of things =) * lilith nods that's the way the Celts put it, and I like it best put that way. The Rightness of Things. . we have been taught by many traditions. oops bear do yall call on mother earth sister moon grandfather sky/ thudner gods? (just wondering??) ok, two more quick things... we claim NO affinity for the Native American tradition, though I can trace a good deal of my heritage to the tribes, and she can trace almost 3/4ths of hers to the tribes we do not claim their customs, though we honor and practice their many of their teachings. * Ozguy has a question, when convenient "MM All" first, I have long been drawn to shamanism but have been reluctant to follow up on it out of respect for the Native American's righeous anger over so-called "new-agers" stealing from their spirituality w/o asking. How do you feel about this? For they are the same as shaman has been throughout time. shh, dart... bear i was aksing not grilling; i really enjoyed yall! :) mp all sleep time... one last thing, Lady, care to dcc me that reading list? :) Would you recommend spending time with Native American Indians to further develop connection with totem/spiritual guides? Grilled? were we being grilled? *-sniff-* grilled trout? lol > :) throws a nice large trout to bera for all his ahrd work! > ladywolf, lordbear i also have a question when others are done ??? About reighteous anger: I do not take their ceremonys, I create my own Kazmira: I would recommend spending more time with your SELF, not someone of any one particular heritage. Lord and Lady: As totems reveal themselves, how does one determine which position they take in the ten totem model you spoke of? * SpiderWlf also has a question when its her turn =) > good one gale * Brrrigid does also. ozguy .. what was your question * lilith would like to know that one, too * Nightngle was excited and jumped in.....sorry... * pixi too I am intriged by the use of inanimate objects as totems well: Preditors are things like wolves, cats, bears,etc. Native Australians tend to use only animate objects. same here, didn't know there were turns... :} prey would antelope, rabbit, buffalo, etc. oz: yes, me too... Otter? How does the inanimate object guide Ozguy there is a system of bleiefs that beleive all thigns have mana/spirit and what position would it take...? THAT is a good one: the otter .. it depends on the role it is fulfilling. * lilith nod at birchna lady wolf: please continue.... what about "other" totems... what would fall into that category? slow down, folks .. let us catch up. me smiles * Nightngle smiles, we're all so eager to hear what you have to teach! :) ozguy: from what i understand, the abos. of Oz have inanimate objects that they have made to look like something special to them and have the spirit of something special invested into it. It was a way for them to focus .. to bring the voices through the veil Who was next? WindWolf did we answer all of yours? Spidey, I think. pixi might have beennext This is true i thought brm was before me Me, when you get around to it.... * lilith shrugs geez .. talk about a passive agressive bunch .... > well....hahaha this is funny we are all so considerate rofl (for a change) Mine's short brm .. you be the next vi tem * lilith explains gently that she has been that way all her life > ok oh .. victem > i am aware of spirit in all things and of most of my totems but i have been having trouble reaching or hearing my guides any advise? Lady: yes, you did, thank you. I would like to get some book recomendations from you sometime.. you don't reach your guides .. you let them reach you. > ahhhh so is there something you can recommend to open to them? * lilith has a question also....put me on the list of victims! you allow yourself to be ... nothing ... and they come to you ... you allow yourself to be a bowl that is filled with their being. > hmm.....ok thankyou :) > all done You don't listen for their voice .. it is very subjective .. you hear it though. spidey? what connections do you see between jungian archtypes and totems? (and id love a copy of that booklist, too!) Lord_Bear, Lady_Wolf, thank you... I have learned a lot tonight. :) * windwolf gets at the end of the line for questions..she one more short one on a specific animal... g'nite all... I'm drooping here > mp mom mma I don't know. I was a pschiatric nurse for 8 years and always thought Jung was too high brow for me. hugs Drkmom * lilith kiss drkmom on cheek night drkmom, mma! * Nightngle would like the booklist, too if it is available to dcc brb...don't give away my place in line! *grin* ok ladywolf thankya well .. I am more aware of Jungian archtypes ... but only as they would apply to the Tarot .. I have really never made any conection between jung and the totems .... though totems could be considered archtypes, I suppose. brigid? *nod* just both are ways of reaching the higher self...some osrt of image thru which we identify ourselves, i suppose Lord, Lady: you mentioned the totems that would fall into the 1, 2, and 3 categories. What would fall into the 4th category... "that which you will never fully understand or don't wish to acknowledge"? those are things like turtles, lizards, spiders, insects, etc > hmmm..... Lady... oh. Of course! I understand! spider: *nod* what i like about totems is precisely that they are not necessarily human, i think it helps us to connect more with the world around us. Bear the differences i would see only; *grin* is the idea of preditor and/prey and there only a lose conenction, for all are part of the whole I'm back. the comparison was made thus to us: We are warm blooded animals, the Other totems are not .. no matter how much we learn about them, we can never be them... that is why they are "other" > brigid you are next (had to turn up the heat...) * brownie bows politely, sorry to interrupt, Begging your pardons > mm brownie Lady... that does clear things up... thank you! > yes it does cool :) Now? birchna: yes .. all are part of the whole .. we are all part of the great wheel. yes brigid .. what was your question ... we refused to answer any other question till you got back. (me has his claws crossed) I was unfortunately detained because of family...you may have touched on this...do one's totem animals be strictly of the mundane world? not at all ... For example, might one find that one has Dragon or Basilisk or such as totem? as a matter of fact the spiritual totems is often mythical in nature, especially in the practice of shamanism in the modern world. And where do they fit in the classification of totems? they normally epitomize the spiritual totems Ooohhhh Lady... that explains it! Thank you, thank you! > *nod* BUT .. EVERY totem will and can be turned to fit a class it is not normally a part of. *nod* A mouse can be a preditor of a spider or a mosue of a sleeping snake! or vs versa who is next? > gale??? * windwolf hhad one more quick question.. * Lord_Bear would like to mention that #Shaman is open when ever he is on the undernet and an Application to X has been sent. go for it!! > cool!!! so do i have a question, that is Thank you, LadyWolf and LordBear. i'm still struggling to figure out how to order the totems, esp if they are trees or flowers, etc > sorry trying to keep track it is ordered not by the totem but by the part of your life you are looking at. ok..I know a little about the attributes of owl, but was wondering if there is any special qualities attributed to white owls. ( I had and interesting run iin with one last night and was just curious..) the areas of life are what are important oh! so if i meditate on the position, the totem will "fit"... they are the way you approach live and the way you react to life, they are your inner self, your higher self, and the hidden self. or the totem will find you ... i was thinking of it "backward" - i see now - thanks! you can also use the totem to meditate on to asume the personal qualities of the totem animal. AH!!! Winwolf: the owl usually was a messenger what did the owl bring you? lord: *nod* yes, called night eagle by some.. white owl also carries hidden messages as it's ability to hide in winter > yayaya this is soo exiciting!!!!!!! "I heard the owl call my name..." lord: i'm not sure yet, i need to meditate on the experience a bit.. > i read that book I wish I could share the owl song with everybody here. > lillith is next........ MunchKin is known as the Pagan Choir Director .... always leading songs > awww one thing .... when meditating, or trancing ... or ANYTHING like that okay, here is my question: what difference is there (if any) between liking particular totems a lot and being truly drawn to certain ones? i have problems with being able to seperate the two. PLEASE DO PRACTICE ALL SAFETY PROCEDURES AND PROTOCOLS - INCLUDING Shielding, Grounding, Centering, and Protection. > *nod* understood here.. *nod* Lady, *that* much i do know! :) what you feel as a conflict here, lilith, may be nothing more than the fact that BOTH have lessons to teach you. (thank you Lady!) one may in fact be that that is part of you, but if you feel drawn to both, the chances are that you need a lesson taught by each. lady, my problem then is that so many of them want to teach me and i am going crazy trying to ttell them all "one at a time, please" ! Lilith that is o.k. to do as well lilith... *grin* Lord_Bear, Lady_Wolf: thank you both so much for your talk, it was wonderful! mp all, mma sigh...being popular is one thing, swamped is another > mp,mma windy *mwah* Lady can you recomend simple prtections for dealing with this? I agree with Windy!!! Thank you! hugs windwolf this is wonderful, i agree, thank you!! * pixi says... mp all! mma! nite pixi MP, Pixi....kiss our bebe... Recognizing spirits on this plane, or calling spirits from beyond the veil takes, above all, knowledge that these spirits are there BECAUSE YOU CALLED, and YOU HAVE THE ABILITY to DISMISS them. * SpiderWlf has to relog...sorry...she will be right back.. this for your problem of too many teachers, lillith okay, so i really can tell them to hold on a sec.....thank you! hey .. when she comes back lets act like we were talking about her!!!! Thank you, LB and LW... * Nightngle blows a kiss - many thanks and bright blessings to Lord Bear and Lady Wolf - thank you very much for your teachings! :) > hahahahaha Bear (cute grin) > mp,mma gale * lilith hugs all, especially lord bear and lady wolf for the wonderful lessons you are most welcome, nightngale .. this has been a wonderful reception. Lady thats becasue yall were good at what you did! for those going back to #wicca, cya there! and don't forget about #Shaman ! ! ! ! we won't...(he he) > is that all the questions??? muah! mp and mma! does this mean I can go to sleep? thank you both for your time and effort! thank you so very much lord and lady, this has been a most imformative class!! > Lordbear ladywolf i just wat to say how much we appreciated you doing this and how wonderful it was *mwah* * Lady_Wolf has to get up and talk to 150 irate patients tomorrow thanx yes lady, you deserve a nap! thank you and a great big hug! thank you both :) Session Close: Wed Mar 06 23:27:07 1996