Ecopsychology: Restoring the Earth, Healing the Mind edited by Roszak, Gomes and Kanner

I'm posting this here because, IMO, ecopsychology is animism for Western cultures. There are countless parallels between traditional animism and ecopsych, and some ecopsychologists integrate core shamanism and other spiritual practices into their therapeutic techniques. At any rate, it's something that I think any animist should consider reading. (Click the link to read my full review.)

I'm working on a story, that involves shapeshifters, humans, and the Seelie/UnSeelie courts. Takes place in the relative future...

I am hunting information on shape shifters - not just weres, but selkies, swanmays (I know, so D&D), any creature in legend that was known to alter shape from one (animal) to another (human).

Cross posting to a few places.

Earthway: A Native American Visionary’s Path to Total Mind, Body and Spirit Health by Mary Summer Rain - so did I agree with those who label Mary Summer Rain a plastic shaman? Click the link to read the full review

Spiritual Tattoo: A Cultural History of Tattooing, Piercing, Scarification, Branding and Implants by John A. Rush - a really interesting in-depth look at body modifications as spiritual practices, historically and today

Click the links to read the review:

The Shamanic Drum by Michael Drake - a core shamanic perspective on drumming, journeying and more

How important is the death-rebirth initiation, in your opinion, to being a shaman in a non-indigenous tradition? Specifically the experience (in journeying/altered state of consciousness) of being eaten by animals, or otherwise disassembled? Does this motif still hold true in a culture where we're generally detached from nature? Can other things substitute--deconstructing the self through survival of mental illness/trauma, way of life being completely uprooted, intense self-reflection, etc. and then rebuilding the self through therapy and other healing means? Or might the death be of another sort--I've heard of people "experiencing" deconstruction through the dissolution of the body into atoms.

Is it the death-rebirth motif that's important, or the end result (recreation of self with greater sensitivity and awareness?), or both/other?

First thing--I checked with moonvoice, who said it was okay to post this. I am putting together an anthology regarding animal sacrifice in neopagan and other modern spiritual practices; the call for essays may be found here. While shamanism doesn't necessarily include animal sacrifice, I'm trying to collect a good selection of essays, both pro and con, since it's one of those topics that doesn't get talked about--but needs to be. (Also, I am still accepting essays for the animism anthology until Nov. 1)

Second, as I've been getting more into journeying, I've noticed there are some distinct differences between journeying and guided meditations, which I talk about more here. (The short version is that journeying is more intense, and I have a lot less control than I do in guided meditation.) Has anyone else noted significant differences between one and the other? Or do you consider them one and the same?

Basic Rules/Laws of the Otherworlds

1. Never give your true name (the name given to you by birth, or a name gifted to you by gods). Do not expect to be given 'true names' by others either.

( 18 more behind the cut )

So, do you have anything else to add? Do you agree or disagree? Do you (as I do) feel there are exceptions to some of the rules?) Do you feel that you work by an entirely different set of rules - and if so, why?

(X-posted a few places; thank you for your patience, and for this little bit of promo space! I promise to keep it short and return to my usual book reviews and occasional commentary. If this needs to be removed, please let me know.)

I'm pleased to announce that my newest book, DIY Totemism: Your Personal Guide to Animal Totems, just arrived on the doorstep! Would you like to bypass prefabricated totem animal dictionaries and rehashes of the same trying-but-not-trying-to-be-like-the-Indians material? Click here for details!

Just poking my head in even though I'm unbelievably tired, haha. I don't know why I didn't join this community earlier. I don't know what the heck was up with that.

Anyways, Hi! I generally go by Elodeer on the internets. I'm all sorts of crazy, but I've generally decided on the name "Moondancer" for the spirituality/religion that has come to rest on my shoulders. And by rest on my shoulders I mean I pretty much sat down one day, outlined everything I believed in, and then built up a religion around it. It's got a lot of shamanism, a lot of spirituality, a ton of animism. But it's not really just one of those things. Except maybe spirituality.

Er.

Anyways.

I work with all manner of deities, land spirits, animal spirits, totem-like entities, guide-like entities, i-don't-know-what-you-are entities...I work on healing, and I'm trying to learn to be patient and listen to the Earth and all that hokeypokey.

Hrrhuh. So yeah. I'm not really an expert or nothin, but I'm happily forging my own path. I figured I could give or gain some insight here, and since it's run by the lovely and totally awesome moonvoice, well, srsly, why stay away?

So yep. That's me. I'm completely loopy right now. Ready to go to sleep. Word.

I thought I would share a sort of practice I've been inspired to do, both by being called by the local river, as well as inspired by a practice from the Bön tradition.

I live in western North Carolina, and we have been having a drought - nearly no rain for the past two month until yesterday - thanks to Hurricane Fay dispersing over this area. Drought conditions actually began last summer, with some recovery over the winter, but overall precipitation has never really caught up.

For the past month or so, I'd really been missing water - not as in rain, but bodies of water... lakes I guess... I didn't realize I'd miss the lakes I'd always been around in Wisconsin and Minnesota (where I'd lived most of my life) so much when I moved down here, but there you have it. So I got a strong call to visit the French Broad River - which had hit a record low - about a week before I heard about the record low. It was a visible shock.
( Read more... )

Greetings and happy to join this community. I've looked over some past posts and I like the topics in this group.

I definitely consider myself an animist, and I think I always have. I think the life force, or soul, can be sensed in all biologically living beings (in spite of that sensitivity usually being deadened in modern so-called "civilized" cultures), and I also think that other forms made up of all the elements have their own form of consciousness as well, which can also be sensed. An ongoing learning for me is cultivating that kind of sensitivity.

I would also say that I'm a Pagan, though I've never really become engaged in any particular group. I think part of that is that my view most closely resembles the Buddhist view of life, which often I don't think is shared by a lot of Pagans (which is fine) but it makes connecting difficult. On the other hand, I have had the opposite experience with Buddhists - even thought they may consider themselves green or nature-friendly, etc - there is often more of focus on the other tenets of Buddhism that to me leave out the more Pagan aspects that I'm interested in.

Interestingly, I have found a form of Buddhism that meets both ends of my own spiritual spectrum, which is the Bön tradition of Tibet. Bön was the original indigenous tradition of Tibet (before Buddhism was introduced from India), and it also encompasses all the major tenets of Tibetan Buddhism. It openly retains, however, the more pagan, animist, and shamanistic aspects of the indigenous culture (for instance, one of the teachers I know just led a soul retrieval retreat this past spring). This has made for an interesting history, because the mainstream Tibetan Buddhists have persecuted the Bön people for being "not Buddhist"/ supersticious / magicians / etc (similar to the prejudice you find in other areas of the world of the mainstream religion toward the indigenous peoples). Things are changing for the better in that regard - for instance the Dalai Lama has recognized and supports Bön as a legitimate tradition - but from what I hear prejudice still exists.

Anyway, the reason I'm getting into the detail is that I would like to post some of what I'm doing in my own life that is within and inspired by the Bön tradition. It seems to me that there are also a lot of similarities with Native American views, which I am also attracted to, but respect from afar, as I am of European descent. I am also interested in the pre-Christian religions of both Germanic and Celtic peoples, and for the moment I don't really do any kinds of practices associated with those, but am open to that as well.

I've recently been reminded of a tendency of some to try and seek out their Totem Animal. They will often seek this out under the phrasing "My Totem", which tends to imply a Singular Entity that has always been, and will always be, with the individual in question, often to the exclusion of other "lesser" Totemic Spirits. To be fair, this sort of belief structure is often found in all manner of Human endeavors. Thelemites are seeking out their (one) True Will, many Ceremonial Magi seek out their (singular) "Holy Guardian Angel", many seek out "The One True God", whilst the more romantically inclined seek out their "Soul Mate", etc.

I think that seeking out and believing there to be only a singular (pinnacle?) "answer" to any of the above quandries--or anything else in this seemingly infinite universe--is unnecessarily limiting one's selves to a much more narrow range of Results than might otherwise be possible. To return to more concrete examples in my own personal Animistic Practices, I have found that a wide variety of Animal Powers have enriched my life with different relationships with them all (not unlike my relationships with "real life" people). Crow has been everpresent since I can remember, but has never seemed to get too close--he stays within sight, but out of reach, as it were. Mother Bear has always been a protective presence in my life, whereas Coyote is more recent (not until I was 24ish), although he & I seem to resonate more intimately within one another. I.e., Bear has been with me my whole life, whereas Coyote could be said to represent me since I was around 24. But I have phases where another Animistic Spirit either comes to me or I call unto hir. I also find that I still have somewhat of a connection (a "Gift from the Animal Spirit", as some would say) with those whom I've worked for perhaps several months (a phase of my life), or others who seem to come and go--like Elephant.

I guess my point--if I have one--is to not Limit your options. If you pursue each Relationship with each Animal Power (etc.)--each on its own Individual terms--you will find the Relationships to be much richer and more rewarding. And even if there is such a thing as a "singular answer" for any of the above-mentioned, I think that this "truth" will become self-evident quite quickly, even adopting this more open-ended approach.

If we are all truly Reflective of the Infinite Cosmos (as above, so below), then we shouldn't limit ourselves with only Identifying with a single anything, but rather, we should embrace the Infinite that we are the Manifestation of.


X-posted

Nine Worlds of Seid-Magic by Jenny Blain

An academic exploration of seithr (a form of Northern European shamanism) from someone who is also a practitioner--click link for full review

I've noticed that whenever I smoke american spirits the animals always crowd around me. Could this hold some truth, the Native American spirituality? Maybe I can continue smoking, can someone teach me the right way to smoke for ceremonial purposes. I am reading all about Native American Medicine and Shamanist ways. I have been practicing eclectic pagan ideas, but I am leaning towards honoring the Native Americans, believing in Animism and Celtic Recon. I love religions that honor the earth. I love animals and learning from them.

So, I was wondering what is considered alive with spirit as opposed to stagnant....energy? thanks.

Following in cutiexbunnie's footsteps... :)

I'm a member of a multiple system - simply put, several people in one body - and I'm not sure if I'll be the only one of us posting here or not. We'll all sign our names so that you know who you're talking to.

All of us who've declared a stance on the issue are animist. I use shamanistic techniques in my religious practice and consider my relationship with the local spirits important. I'm also teaching another system member, my son Cai, who knows as much as I do (shared memory is great ^^) but doesn't have as much experience.

We mainly work within the Germanic culture but borrow from outside for techniques. If it works and there's no reason why it would be considered disrespectful to appropriate it, we feel we may as well use it.

-Val

Well, hello. I never thought I'd end up here, but spirituality takes you to interesting places. :3

I was directed here via lupabitch , though I know moonvoice as well. Hallo!

My spiritual interests first guided me in the direction of totemism, and I met my totem four years ago. Through totemism, I became interested in the idea of working with animal pelts. Now, I actually do not consider myself an animist. Currently, I do not believe that inanimate things have souls, fragmented or whole. So, initially the idea was to symbolically wear rabbit furs and invoke Rabbit as a totem, but I'm not quite sure if I'm going to that stage yet. See, I got a nearly full rabbit pelt the other day, and we quickly bonded. Long story short, I'm actually quite astounded to feel a lot more in Lucy (what the pelt chose to be called), than what I believed would simply be remnant energy. So, I think for now we will just be working together, but I will definitely be trying to invoke Rabbit and dance that way.

This is the most recent and final happening which has guided me here. My interests still lie in animal remains and shapeshifting dances, but I will definitely be reading nearly everything posted here. :3 And even though I do have my set of beliefs, they are always inclined to change as I grow and experience spiritually. My experience with Lucy is fine proof of that.

Questions are most welcome. And please, poke around in my profile, as you can see what communities I belong to and there's also a link to my website there. Thank you!

I Am of This Land by Dan Landeen and Jeremy Crow - neat book that combines natural history and Nez Perce mythology

Reason For Hope by Jane Goodall - she's not pagan, but she has a lot of good insights

The Book of the Vision Quest by Steven Foster - I have a love-hate relationship with this book

Hey, folks,

Due to my getting accepted to graduate school (woohoo!) I am moving the deadline for essay submissions for Engaging the Spirit World: Shamanism, Totemism and Other Animistic Practices to November 1, 2008. Also, i have updated the submission guidelines. Please go here for the guidelines and other pertinent information. Also, you may pass the link along to anyone you think may be interested in submitting essays.

Thanks!

I thought about this a lot, and have decided finally to post this prompt up in this community. I recognise that not all of you may believe in soul-retrieval (as it's possible to be an animist and absolutely not accept it), but I also know that some of you may.

Maybe you will get something of these questions. :)

*

Do you believe that you have experienced soul fragmentation? (There is some basic soul fragmentation / injury information here if you are unfamiliar). It doesn't matter if you're not exactly sure if you have, or if it's just a 'sense', I'm not asking you to prove it. Just if you think it may have, or has occurred.

What caused that fragmentation? Was it one, or many things? (You don't have to answer this if you don't feel comfortable.)

If you have experienced fragmentation, do you think you've ever healed from fragmentation or soul injury before? (and if so, what methods did you use? Therapy? Chatting with friends? Being in nature? Shamanising? Something else?)

If you have experienced fragmentation, do you think you are, or may, still be soul-wounded?