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Elemental
Shamanism: Fire, Earth, Water, and Air
by Omar
Rosales
From the steppes of the
Himalaya to the jungles of Guatemala, shamanism is a ritual belief
system that has been practiced for over 27,000 years. From cave
paintings in France to aboriginal art in Australia, shamans have
recorded what they experience during altered states of consciousness
and journeys into non-ordinary realms of reality. These remarkable
drawings show flight, communication with anthropomorphic spirit guides,
and arcane knowledge of the universe. By understanding how shamanic
beliefs correspond to the four elements, we can gain a unique
understanding of this enigmatic spiritual tradition.
Shamanism is the set of
rituals and beliefs that are used by indigenous societies to effectuate
change in our world. Shamanism is characterized by its practitioners
entering Altered States of Consciousness (ASCs) to journey into
Non-Ordinary Realms (NORs) of Reality. At the molecular level, the
quantum level, a shaman will change their energy field to interact with
the energy field of living and non-living objects. Shamans can be both
female and male, and are found in many different cultures from around
the world. Vajrayana Buddhist monks in Bhutan and Tibet, as well as
Maya A’j r’ijs from Central America and Cherokee
Spiritwalkers from North America understand the connection between
shamanic rites and the Four Elements of Fire, Earth, Water, and Air.
The shamanic journey first begins with the Fire element.
FIRE
Before a shaman is accepted by her or his community, and the healer is
imbued with powers from the realm of spirit, the shaman must first
undergo a ritualized initiation process. The first step of the
initiation process is the destruction of the self or the ego. A person
must be reborn to become a shaman and harness a new set of abilities,
which include astral travel, soul retrieval, divination, healing, and
spirit communication. But to be born again, a person must first die.
The Fire Element serves this end, because Fire is symbolic of ritual
purification and death. By undergoing a great and sudden traumatic
event, which destroys the ego and former aspects of the self, the
shamanic initiate is letting of old belief systems and old ways of
thinking. Fire does this by burning away antiquated aspects of the self
and limiting beliefs.
Through fire, an initiate
will discard their former identity, and may even die. A catastrophic
illness is one way that communities find new shamans. Many shamans have
undergone bouts with near-fatal diseases, and many have had Near Death
Experiences (NDEs). The NDEs provide the shaman a gateway. By hovering
between the realms of life and death, flesh and spirit, the shaman
learns to communicate with spirit guides. The shaman is then offered a
choice by the spirit guides—to accept the new destiny as a
shamanic healer and practitioner or become a permanent resident of the
spirit world. Thankfully for us, many initiates choose to continue
along the shamanic path.
Click here to
read
the full article.
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Over
100 Llewellyn Titles Now Available on Kindle
by
Llewellyn
Leading
Metaphysical Book Publisher Now Offering e-Books Through
Amazon.com
Leading metaphysical book
publisher Llewellyn Worldwide has announced that they have
over 100
books now available for Kindle, Amazon.com’s e-book reader.
The publisher is dedicated
to providing its catalog via new formats, such as e-books, to ensure
that its readers have access to their titles in the formats that are
convenient for them.
“We are highly
excited that Llewellyn titles are available for readers via
Amazon’s Kindle reader,” said Llewellyn Worldwide
Chairman Carl Llewellyn Weschcke. “We are moving forward into
an online era, and though print remains a mainstay of the publishing
world, we have many readers who are technologically savvy and are
hungry for the convenience of e-books.”
Among the books available
via Amazon’s Kindle Store are many of its best-selling titles:
- Llewellyn's Complete Book of Astrology,
by Kris Brandt Riske
- Hospital Stay Handbook,
by Jari Holland Buck
- Beyond Reincarnation, by
Joe H. Slate
- You Are Psychic, by Debra
Lynne Katz
- Cunningham’s Encyclopedia
of Wicca in the Kitchen, by Scott Cunningham
For more information about
Amazon’s Kindle reader and for a full list of available
Llewellyn titles, visit: http://www.amazon.com.
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Letting Your Subconscious Know What You
Really Want
Andrieh
Vitimus
When we desire or need
something, we might set out to do a spell to capture that which we want
or need. Whatever we are seeking, it doesn't matter how long we prepare
or research the perfect ingredients, chants, and timing for our spell
if
our subconscious mind is working against us with questions of fear and
doubt. How can we overcome the subconscious to make our spells and
rituals work to achieve that which we need or want? Andrieh Vitimus,
author of Hands-On Chaos Magic,
details how.
Read More
Seasons of
Tarot: Spring
by
Barbara Moore
Spring is a time when
possibilities
abound and seeds, both literal and metaphorical, are planted with high
hopes. What cards in the tarot represent the energy of spring better
than the Aces? Tarot expert Barbara Moore details three spreads to use
the Aces to their full potential.
Read More
The Magick of
Writing Your Own Magick: 8 Easy Steps to Creating Your Own Spells
by
Susan Pesznecker
Most magickal people work with spells, charms, and rituals on a regular
basis. Many of us are perfectly happy to pull out a spellbook and use
an already existing spell or formula. Susan Pesznecker, author of Crafting Magick with Pen and Ink,
feels that doing so robs us of the magical intention that comes with
creating your own spells, and guides us through eight simple steps to
creating our own spells.
Read More
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