The Visionary

by alanpaints @ deviantart (Alan Hawley)

I finished reading Awakening to the Spirit World today, and began reading my second shamanism book, Spirit Walking - A Course in Shamanic Power. I feel lighter, more at peace, more enthusiastic about life, and more in-tune with the world. My eyes have really been opened, and I'm very happy to have finally reached this point in my development. 

The last couple chapters of Awakening to the Spirit World really put the history of humanity's spirituality into perspective. We're beginning to move into an age where people are taking their spirituality into their own hands. They are looking to ancient practices for answers - specifically the "primordial spirituality" that shamanism draws so heavily on. 

What I really like about this primordial spirituality is that it doesn't have a specific answer to the question: "where do we go after we die?" It doesn't have this elaborate design like many religions have. The farthest it goes is that you meet up with your guide(s), loved ones, and helping spirits and experience a life review. After that, we return to the Source, and... we won't know until we experience it ourselves. Unless you become earthbound, there's no well-crafted, comforting story detailing the life that awaits you after death.

I see things from a bigger perspective now. I can better understand exactly what our society has developed into, and how we may slowly begin to turn things around. That requires many of us to take the role of modern visionaries - modern shamans, if you will. There are millions of people "waking up" out there, and they'll need a guiding hand to ensure they help themselves - and their communities - as best they can. 

Interestingly enough, I did a small meditation last night in which I met a power animal. I tried to keep my other power animals/totems out of mind and ended up meeting a new one: Falcon. I've seen Falcon (and Hawk) in dreams before, but never really in meditations. 

The thing I learned/realized in Awakening to the Spirit World is that we shouldn't rely on the symbolism/interpretation of others. Shamanism is a path of "direct revelation"; therefore, any information received while journeying or dreaming is for you and you alone to interpret. The only problem is: in this day and age, we are so cut off from nature that it's hard for us to interpret what the spirits of the earth can teach us. We no longer observe how wolves interact in packs, or how birds hunt their prey, or how squirrels prepare for winter. Nature is "out there."

With that in mind, it seems we have two main options: to use others' insights as a foundation, or to develop our intuitive abilities to the point where we can simply ask the spirit what it's meant to represent. So I think the next time I meet with Falcon, I'll ask what he's here to help me with, although I think of a few themes already: visionary, keen sight, higher perspective, rising above, intensity... 

There's a lot on my mind right now, but I don't have the words for it all at the moment. Lately I've been trying to find a good name/domain for that blog I was talking about before, but all the ones I really want are taken. Perhaps I should ask in a journey what a good one would be (that isn't taken). 

Hope everyone's dreaming away!