The Shamanic Journey ...and some basic instructions on how to go on a Shamanic Journey... • Click here to hear a sample of journey drumming >> • Click here for weaver's shamanic journeying CD/mp3 >>
Journeying is a classic and very ancient techniue that has !een practiced !y healers" shamans and shamanic practitioners all over the world for over #$"$$$ years in many cultures on every continent% &ou &ou may remem!er accounts of journeying in our fairy tales and stories%%% lice in (onderland journeyed deep into mother earth down a ra!!it hole%%% Dorothy" Dorothy" in the (i)ard of *) journeyed up through a funnel in a hurriane's eye to the upper world%%% Journeying ena!les you to mindfully intend and send your awareness into the hidden realms of your own consciousness to connect with inner wisdom" teachings" receive healing" answers to pro!lems or to discover information that can facilitate your personal growth and understanding% shaman is one who can go into an altered state of consciousness at will% (hile in this altered state" he or she makes a conscious choice to journey to another reality" a reality which is outside of time and space% +his other reality is composed of three realms%%% +he lower world, world, the middle world or the upper world and is inha!ited !y helping spirits or guides% +he shaman is a!le to esta!lish relationships with these spirit,guides and to !ring !ack information and healing for the community or the individual% -hamanic journeys are always undertaken with a specific purpose in mind% +he classic way of entering the spirit world is !y using a steady rhythm of drumming% +his encourages theta !rain waves that induce the altered state of consciousness reuired to travel to the spirit worlds% +he drum is known as .the shaman's horse. where the shaman .rides. on and with the drumming rhythm to ena!le him/her to get to the spirit world and like a lifeline to find their way !ack !ac k uickly and easily%
Basic instruction on how to Journey... *Note: these steps can vary depending on the type of journey the be!ow is just a genera! guide!ine...
" #reate sacred space in a private, $uiet space , (hen we create mindful" sacred space !efore !eginning to journey%%% we create a safe container from which to do our inner work%%% remem!er that you are always in charge of your own journey%%%
" %ie or sit down & get comfortab!e , it's important to really rela when learning and taking shamanic journeys and to !e in a place where you won't !e distur!ed%%% don't !e discouraged if you don't .receive. anything the first few times while attempting to learn how to journey at the !eginning%%% 0earning to take or go on a shamanic journey does reuire some practice like any new skill , think of it as .eercising. a part of your self that hasn't !een accessed !efore , the more you practice" the easier it will !ecome%%%
1e patient with yourself and trust your own inner guidance%%% what has worked for me is to really trust that .first hit. that you receive while journeying%%% 1ecome presently aware of 00 your senses%%% what is it that you are smelling2%%% hearing2%%% feeling2%%% seeing2%%% what does your !ody sense2%%% what is around you" !ehind you%%% a!ove or !elow you2%%% if you're still having trou!le receiving%%% you may need to learn how to rela more deeply , practice relaation techniues first !efore journeying%%% lso know that not everyone .sees. while journeying%%% some people just feel information through their !ody or they only receive scents%%% others hear sounds%%% know what works !est for you and go with it%%% also after much practice" you will receive more and more as time goes !y%%%
" 'e!a(, cover & c!ose your eyes & start sound of drumming , it reallly helps to cover your eyes or !e in a darkened room while journeying , !eing in complete darkness really assists you to go within
deeper%%% especially if you want to !e a!le to .see. or .sense. !etter during your journey%%% also recommend that you learn to journey sitting up instead of lying down%%% lying down runs you the risk of falling asleep%%% although" also know that when you sleep while journeying sometimes that can also mean that you are going very deep%%% !ut you might not remem!er much either%%% 4se a shamanic journeying CD like the one i offer . journey with laughing wolf . or tape yourself drumming for some drumming to listen to%%% &ou can also drum for your self to journey !ut for !eginners" this might !e a !it difficult and reuires practice with much concentration to do !oth drum and journey , listening to a journeying CD can !e much easier when starting to learn how to journey%%% (hat i do when i drum for myself is" sometimes" is" to sit up with the drum resting vertically on the floor and then i gently rest my forehead gently against the side,rim of the drum%%% where the sound of the drum really focuses me within , my mind is literally physically .riding. the drum%%% drumming with a uick pulse 56$7 !eats per minute is recommended8 works !est for journeying than a slow !eat%%%
" )ormu!ate the $uestion you wish to as before you journey , to really receive a clear answer" !e really clear with your uestions , !e specific and keep your uestions simple%%% and you will receive answers%%%
" *+isua!ie-picture an opening in the earth , !e creative%%% go to a place in your mind where you have gone to !efore or dream of a place and let it !e a special" safe and private place that is calm and serene%%% -ome of the places that i go to enter the earth to journey are%%% an old favourite apple tree that used to !e in my !ack yard when i was growing up , i enter the earth !y through the !ase of the tree's trunk where it meets the earth%%% another place i enter is !y walking up to" parting with !oth hands" and step through a very large !eautiful spider we! into the middle world%%% *r walk through a large cave at the !each%%% i always stop for a moment !efore entering and ask the spirits for permission to enter first%%% it is my way of honouring and respecting the spirits and the process%%% journeying is a gift%%%
" *nter the opening, journey either down a tunne! to the underwor!d or /f!y/ up to the upperwor!d , after you have entered down into the earth%%% imagine going down some sort of tunnel%%% !e acutely aware , use all of your senses as you journey and travel down%%% what does the earth smell like2%%% what do you see2%%% what direction are you going%%% staight down or in a spiral2%%% is it cold or warm2%%% what do you feel or touch on the way2%%% , to fly to the upperworld can happen in many ways%%% if you wish to journey to the upperworld" state your intent clearly !efore you !egin%%% when i journey up" i often visuali)e myself riding on the !ack of an eagle or any other type of !ird%%% friend of mine often journeys on a winged,horse%%% !e creative%%% it could a magic carpet%%% or holding our your arms and simply float up%%% or go up the rungs of a ladder or clim! some stairs%%% i have often journeyed to grandmother moon and the stars%%%
" )ind yourse!f at a river or c!ear running spring , go into this river or spring to wash and .cleanse. yourself as you are entering sacred space within your inner realms of consciousness%%% to also further your respect your own intent of why you are there%%% you come refreshed having left the remnents letting go of ego and a linear mindset%%%
" 0eet guide or a!!y , a guide or an ally can !e a animal totem of any kind or a !eing from another realm or an ancestor that you have once known or not known%%% !e respectful when your guide or ally shows up%%% they are meeting you in this realm for the first time and wish to know your intent and why you are there%%% offer them a sacred gift like to!acco" a sacred stone or chocolate" etc%%% for the gift that they will offer you of information or an answer to your uestion%%% , (e are taught while going through the teachings of the traditional nca/nka 9edicine (heel journeying,process that we always call,for to work with a archetype,!eing named :uascar 5pronounced .wascar.8%%% :uascar was a 63th nca emperor 5ruled 6;<=,3<8" having sei)ed the throne after the sudden death of his father" :uayna Capac% :uascar was captured and eecuted !y his !rother in 6;3< and didn't complete his .ayni. 5right relationship8 and went to the lower world" the 4khupacha" to complete his
ayni% (hen we journey to the lower world" we always ask for :uascar's guidance and permission to enter the lower world of the 4kupacha% %%% :uascar as archetype can !e male nor female showing up as many forms%%% :uascar usually shows up for me as a wild and old shaman,like character" with very long hair in ragged clothes with all kinds of .stuff. hanging off of him and he has a large horned,headdress%%% and he communicates with me telepathically with no sound%%% another guide that i work with is a grandmother white wolf who is very old and wise%%%
" State or as about prob!em or $uestion to guide again" during your journey" !e specific and clear a!out what it is that you seek%%% with respect%%% keeping your uestions simple is more effective%%%
" )o!!ow the guide1s !ead & instructions imp!icit!y trust their wisdom even when their message or gift to you doesn't make any sense at all%%% *nce" information that i was given during a journey didn't make any sense to me until almost # years later%%% t's interesting to note%%% f you ever visit eru and receive a soul,retrieval or journey,message from a shaman there" they often only .through their !reath" !low. the information or message they received into one of your chakras" not telling you any information they received , they !elieve it is up to you to discover what the teaching/message was for yourself? %%%it was .your. journey not theirs%%%
" 'eturn from the journey via the same route you came from the start when you hear the drum /ca!!bac/ ...23 beats together 4 times5 it's important to have some kind of call,!ack when returning from your journey%%% the shamanic journey takes you very deep into a trance%%% a call, !ack helps you come !ack into the middle world and !ack to life as it is%%% if you don't use a call,!ack with the drum%%% at your !ody" legs and arm and clap a few times to wake you up to return !ack%%% do not drive a vehicle or operate any machinery during or right after a journey%%% give yourself time to return fully%%% other ways that hep is to also !urn some smudge 5sage/cedar8 incence or drink some water%%%
" 6ffer & give thans to your guide & c!ose sacred space
!e appreciate and mindful of the gifts and sacred knowledge you have received%%% and honour and thank your guides in some way%%% when they know you come with a pure heart of spirit they will honour and respect you !ack%% and always know that your guides and allies are always there for you%%% ask them for their name and they will tell you%%% ask them anything@ all you need do is ask?
" 7ou may choose to journa! your e(perience to deepen your understanding writing down the teachings and learnings we have recieved .grounds. our eperience and also opens the way for more understanding and also keeps a record of your path and journey%%%
" Specia! Note: f you meet or see something while journeying that is uncomforta!le or fearful , a good practice to remem!er is to A*+ BAB with whatever you sense or see@knowing this journey is your journey and you are not availa!le to !e manipulated%%% a good practice to journeying is to !e in the role of the .o!server. , especially when first learning%%% or more detailed information or to %%%learn how to journey where you live" go to www.shamanism.org :appy journeying to you%%% weaver 555o888 • copyright E <$$F , carol weaver , all rights reserved%%% please do not copy" it's really not good for your karma%%%
!ove%%% weaver with grandmother .laughing wolf. at Deer 0ake ark photo by Joan P. Wright © 2006
