The most glorious, golden, chilly wind and warm sun evening with flitting dark poofy clouds and gulls careening and dogs galloping and frisbees flying. My soul and every cell of my earthly self having just bladed and feeling as giddy as a teenager who has just been winked at by the object of her affection. I am in love with this earth. Thank you God for your artistry and imagination and humor and sense of drama and playfulness and sensitivity and wisdom and timing and ever present love and passion for your creations. I love you. And now I must turn my face towards an invitation that has been extended to me for the evening.
A group of female shamans that meets once a month on Wednesday nights has reached out to include me and this is the night.
The mind boggles at the number of doors there are on this planet and the who’s and what’s that lie behind each and every one. Entire universes. Unique expressions of what it is to be on the human adventure. Not a single one like any other.
And so I followed my mapquest instructions to the address that I had been given for my experiential introduction into Shamanism. The google directions led me to a dead end and there I was staring at the grand white fortress of Sony Productions. Perhaps a sign? Nevermind. I needed to sort this out and not be late!
After a bit of reconnoitering I walk/skipped up the driveway of the place and passed two adobe-type chalets before landing on the doorstep of the third. Burning sage wafted through the door-cracks and female laughter from within. Yes.
This group of three women had been been meeting for months but I instantly felt one with them, as a woman and one on a spiritual path. They had been journeying with their spirit animals for weeks together and they spoke of rituals and entities that I was not familiar with. I was open to being serenaded by drumming and singing while I envisioned the dunes of Lake Michigan from my childhood, and spiraling down beneath them into the world of animals so that I could be claimed by mine. One has to be faced by one specific animal three times in a journey before it becomes yours. Porcupines, otters, butterflies, bears, turtles and a deer presented themselves twice each and then the spotted deer came forth for a third to claim me. She and I shall trip the world fandango together. I shall never forget those giant soft eyes and the black shiny nose gazing at and through me with gentleness.
Then we women were each taught to make medicine bundles with specific home grown herbs and tie them in red felt squares. My three sit here next to me and as I am transient so shall they be. One day each will have a place in my home.
After this a healing session began on one of the women. The power and mystery of the Medicine Woman’s actions and words spun us into another time and place where primal natures ruled and inhibitions were not welcome. A cure occurred. The ‘poison’ was sucked and cut out. The recipient immediately sat up and chatted and nibbled pound cake with total refreshment and freedom almost as if nothing had happened.
My dreams that night were hardly recognizable to me. They were disturbed and filled with animal spirits. This is a path that is divergent from mine and I shall embrace all that I can. No matter what the gift of being invited into this sacred circle by these women and sharing for one brief shining moment their world will always live with me.