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Finding our Way Through

11/25/2020

In these challenging times, where everything around us is changing, we may feel lost, depressed, filled with grief and unknowing. The world we have known is no longer familiar. Fear arises and we feel all is lost. I believe these are the times that beg that we study shamanism and live and walk a shamanic path. It will show us the way home.

Two of the principles of core shamanism are that everything is connected and every living thing has a spirit. In the shamanic path we know that what we do affects everyone and everything, that we are a connected whole, a oneness. We also know that since everything has a spirit, this means that everything, everyone, is sacred and holy. Every person, plant, animal, insect, stone, tree, river, fire etc. is sacred and holy. The earth is alive and therefore has a spirit as do all the life that live upon her. And since we know we are connected to everything, we also know that all life is continually communicating with us.

I think what we truly need in our world is to "re-frame" how we see our world and each other. We need to look at it in the shamanic way, where all life is sacred and holy, and that everything is in communication with us. If we saw the world in this way, we would treat each other with respect and reverence, we would not pollute the earth, we would honor each person as the sacred being that they are.

I have been working with this "re-frame" of perspective and can truly say that the days that I am able to hold in my heart (shamans see with their heart), and feel in my heart the holiness of everything around me, my days just flow. There is a beautiful energy that emits from my heart and that my heart receives as I am in awe of the beauty and holiness that surrounds me. And I know others feel it to. When I went to the grocery store and finished checking out, I thanked the clerk and looked in her eyes, we held our gaze for a moment, and I felt like we were both acknowledging each other's soul. We both had tears in our eyes. I felt the holiness of the encounter.

I have also discovered that when holding this "reframe" as my perspective that I am more mindful, more present, and that each act becomes a sacred act. "Chop wood, carry water" is a sacred act. Everything we do is a sacred act as we are connected to the whole that is holy and sacred and we know everything we do affects the whole. And of course, from this understanding that everything is a sacred act, comes kindness, gentleness, respect, and compassion.

I came across a beautiful writing by David Suzuki that truly shows what a "re-frame" regarding our earth can do.

"The Way we see the world shapes the way we treat it. If a mountain is a deity, not a pile of ore; if a river is one of the veins of the land, not potential irrigation water; if a forest is a sacred grove, not timber; if other species are biological kin, not resources; or if the planet is our mother, not an opportunity--then we will treat each other with greater respect. This is the challenge, to look at the world from a different perspective."

And I believe that different perspective is from seeing and acknowledging the sacredness of everyone and everything. It is walking a shamanic path. "We're all just walking each other home." ~Ram Dass

May you walk a path of the heart, with love for all,
Blessings upon your beautiful hearts this day and all days,
Jeanne

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August 22nd, 2019

8/22/2019

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Savoring Life

The word that keeps coming to me today is "savor". I think we have lost the art of savoring.
In our modern world of instant gratification, we no longer take the time to savor life. We rush through it minute by minute. We no longer go deeply into the experience, only superficially, on an information only level.

The Merriam Webster Dictionary defines savor as, "To have experience of", and "a distinctive quality." I believe the Ancient Celts savored life fully. They had direct experience of life, land and nature around them, both seen and unseen. They immersed themselves into the experience of the Otherworld, acknowledging its presence and power in their daily lives. They did not separate themselves from the experience of all life around them. They lived it fully.

One of the first recorded poems of the Celts has the theme of All is One:
I am the wind which breathes upon the sea
I am the wave of the ocean
I am the murmur of the billows
I am the ox of the seven combats
I am the vulture upon the rocks
I am a beam of the sun
I am the fairest of plants
I am the wild boar in valour
I am the salmon in the water
I am a lake in the plain
I am a world of knowledge
I am the point of the lance of battle
I am the God who created the fire in the head.
By Amairgen (Ed. P. Murray)

When I go on my daily walk, (I am very fortunate to have a beautiful area to walk in Northern MN where nature and her animals are plenty), there is a special marshy area that pulls me to it. I feel it in my body and I experience its dampness and yet the lushness of the growing reeds and marsh flowers and bird and water life within it. I savor the marsh energy. I savor its "marshiness". I am one with it, and know of its beauty and life. It fills me full of its life.

We have a saying, "Stop and smell the roses", which translates to slow down and take time to enjoy the beauty of life, to savor life. We don't have quotes that tell us to get all the information we can about roses (which is what we do now with our rapid info technology). Getting information only, does not give you experience of the fragrance of the rose. Get out into nature. Take time to savor the roses around you. Take time to savor the land that holds your life and all of nature's beauty around you. Savor every moment of your spectacular life.

Savory Blessings to you this day,
Jeanne

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Ripening on the Vine

8/12/2019

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At the ripe old age of 71 I am so blessed with the gift of having the time each day to go with the flow of my heart in addressing life around me. With all the chaos in the world today, I find my heart calling me to move deeper into the ways of the earth. I follow the rhythms and cycles of our dear earth regarding being awake during the light times and asleep during the dark times, being active in the light times, and going within and resting in the dark times. They say that all things you prioritize in your life, including spiritual practices, should be completed before noon. Another daily rhythm to explore and honor.

To the ancient Celts, the two states of twilight each day were considered to be times that were magical, as they were betwixt and between states. Dawn and dusk hold special power and so I have made it a habit to be awake at these times in my life and to honor the sacredness of each. It is at these times when I state intentions or affirmations or prayers for those who are suffering. I also drum up the sun, welcoming the new day and gratitude for the light of the sun. At dusk I honor the journey of the sun that day across the sky with the trust it will return again. At my age, I am grateful for another day.

In the chaos of our world today, I have been hearing messages that state to go deeper into the earth, into nature, to spend more bodily time on the earth. I have spent time this summer mostly barefoot in my backyard, my sanctuary, drumming, dancing, lying upon the earth, feeling Gaia's deep love for me and her gentle embrace. I commune with the fire spirits around the campfire, honor the wisdom of the medicine wheel, I hear the singing of the birds, their many songs, the buzzing of the bees, the gentle caress of the breezes, the beauty of the flowers, the movement of the leaves and the protection of the trees that surround me. And the voice of the river brings solace and cleansing to my soul.

I am ripening, returning closer each day to the earth and sky. And one day, when the ripening is complete, I will leave the vine behind. I will return completely to the earth and my soul/spirit to the stars. And another cycle will be completed with a new one beginning. I am so blessed!

Blessings upon your heart this beautiful day,
Jeanne

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Moving into the Light with music from the Otherworld

12/22/2018

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I subscribe to Gaia TV and always find their programs fascinating. Last night I was watching Beyond Belief and the UFO Researcher Grant Cameron was being interviewed about the research he has done regarding music, musicians and UFO contact. He discovered that many musicians have had UFO contact and have even attributed the words of their songs and their melodies to "otherworldly" contact. He even discovered that whole bands had been abducted--he mentioned the Moody Blues were one of the bands that claimed they had been abducted.

Cameron stated that we are being guided by star people and that they influence our daily lives. Apparently they are connected with what we might call our intuition and our creativity. That when we are in the process of creation/creating, we are actually connecting with the star beings and they are giving us the music to influence us to grow into higher consciousness.

As I sat listening to his words I thought of my own experiences in waking up with a poem or even a phrase that I knew I had to share with others. Cameron stated that throughout time we have been guided by the star beings and have called them angels or ascended Masters etc, but they are actually star beings that live at a different level of consciousness from us. And he affirmed that our consciousness does not live in our brains, it is the whole Universe.

What struck me most with what Cameron stated was that I knew that the belief the ancient Celts held that all creativity--music, art, dance, etc. came from the Otherworld really confirmed for me what he was saying. The Celts knew this thousands of years ago. Their poets and bards were held in the highest of esteem. The poets studied for years to receive the golden branch, the highest award for a poet. They studied in darkened huts to receive the inspiration, the imbas, from the Otherworld. "imbas"--In Old Irish imbas means "inspiration", and specifically refers to the sacred poetic inspiration believed to be possessed by the fili (Old Iri inspired, visionary poets) in Early Ireland. It means illuminated or that which illuminates.

I had a student in one of my classes ask me if I ever thought about why we sleep. She was asking this from the space of how crazy this is in our life that suddenly everyone is in bed sleeping and our world pretty much shuts down and what is the real purpose of this? I've asked myself that same question over the years. We all know how important our dreams are and how helpful dreamwork can be in our lives. I like the idea that our dreamtime may be our star ancestors contacting us to "fill our heads" with the needed information to grow in consciousness.

The ancient Celts knew the importance of this connection to the Otherworld. Let us be aware when we move into those creative spaces and we wake up in the morning with songs and melodies and poems and new ideas that it just may be our star ancestors communicating with us to make the world a better place by raising and expanding our own consciousness. I think I will wake up each morning with a prayer of gratitude for their night time guidance.

May your hearts be open and your dreams filled with inspiration,
May the Mothers expand your heart to be filled with the returning light of love,
May you hold the knowledge of the star ancestors in your heart and know you are never alone,
We are One!
Blessings of the new light of love and compassion,
Jeanne

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Fomorian Energy

10/27/2017

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The times are definitely changing and "Normal" seems to have disappeared. Every day there is change, from minute to minute and hour to hour, day to day.

In the Celtic world, this time of the year as we move into the dark, is the time the Fomorians become more active. They are the spirits that create chaos and destruction in our world.
Today as I write this blog, we have a raging snowstorm occuring in October! That is definitely not "normal". There have been devastating hurricanes and earthquakes occurring. Our world is changing, not only in the way we live, but in our physical world as well.

The ancient Celts saw the Fomorians not as evil, but as a necessary force to bring about change so new life can blossom again. Other cultures have this as well. The Goddess Kali is a destructive and definitely a disruptive Goddess that destroys so new life can emerge. The Dark Night of the Soul creates wisdom.

I remember a time in my life when my whole life seemed to be falling apart and I received the message from spirit that " it was the time of Kali." I had no idea what that meant at that time as I had never heard of Kali before this. As I searched her out I began to realize that this was exactly what was happening in my life.

In those times when we have lost the "normal" in our lives, we need to go with the flow and trust that we are being led. The changing time is hard and can be confusing, but if we trust, we will come right again.

The Fomorian energy brings a balance in our world, the balance between the light and the dark. The shaman's role is to create balance and harmony in the world. So let us stay out of the fear of change and know that we are coming into balance once again, and once we are back in balance, we will have new wisdom to share with the world.

Blessings to you this day,
Jeanne

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The Times they are a changin'

2/2/2017

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This is the time of the great changing. Where we release all that no longer works for us and we envision the kind of world we truly want to live in. Like it or not, Trump is taking us into this change.

I hear the fear, and I understand it. All that we know, our values, our way of life, are being challenged. And all human decency seems lost. But I beg you to see it all on a different level. A level that offers hope.

I look at the whole world to see the bigger picture. Since Trump has taken office, the whole world is up in arms against what is seen as "wrong" in our society---racism, bigotry, violations against women's rights, civil rights etc. But what is happening is that the rest of the world is uniting. Trump's behavior has caused us all to come together and say "NO! This is not the kind of world we want to live in." And that is what is exciting. People are no longer afraid to speak out. Women have risen up. We are coming out of our complacency and we are demanding a world that works together, that offers compassion, and that cares for one another.

Changes are always difficult. There will be chaos, there will be human suffering, there will be times we want to give up. But hold onto the vision of a world united in equality and love. A world where there is no war, only diplomacy. A world where there are no poor, there are no starving children, and all are cared for. We can move toward that world, if we have the courage to use our voices and say "No more. I stand in peace and love."

To quote from Mother Teresa, "If we have no peace, it is because we have forgotten we belong to each other."

Blessings to you,
Jeanne

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Elen of the Ways

11/3/2016

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Elen of the Ways/Stars is the guardian and protector of the ancient pathways on the earth and up to the stars. She is the antlered goddess. And often shape-shifts into a deer and travels with the deer herds. You can follow her by following the deer trods and sensing her energy through the soles of your feet. You can also sense the ancestors who walked these ancient pathways.

Whenever I think of Elen, especially on my daily walks, I find myself going into this space between the worlds, not here and not there---in the betwixt and between. And it came to me that these ancient trackways, the spirit roads and the faery paths are the betwixt and between energetically that we can travel. That they are the portals between the worlds, another dimension so to speak.

Some believe these ancient pathways are the paths the shamans travel in their ecstatic journeys. I had a dream that I was flying over the earth in Ireland and I was following the edge of a rock formation across the land, perhaps an ancient boundary, and I met two other shamans also traveling the ridge, only coming toward me. We greeted each other and kept on traveling.

Ancient pathways also reach up to the stars. Some cultures believe that the Milky Way is the path of the deer, and is the primordial mother of life. They believe we came from the constellation Cygnus and travel here through the milky way and are born here, and at death we travel back to Cygnus. So Elen of the Ways is a psychopomp guiding the soul back home.

May Elen of the Ways/Stars guide you on your path today, both on land and in the stars,
Blessings,
JeanneMarie

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Finding our Way Through

August 22nd, 2019

Savoring Life

Ripening on the Vine

Moving into the Light with music from the Otherworld

Fomorian Energy

The Times they are a changin'

Elen of the Ways

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