The Old Ways are many paths...
And there's nothing wrong with combining the best of all worlds, or what you think is the best because what you think IS.
Just in case you don't know I have Native Canadian blood, from both my parents. Dad's side is from Labrador
and Mom's from the Maritime provinces . Never knew about Dad's side until a few years before he died, when he wasn't in a place where he was willing to talk about the summers he spent with that family, so that's all I know: one of his grandmothers was an Inuit. Mom's father's father was a Mic Mac; she said he was a medicine man and very tall, kinda scary even.I guess it was inevitable that I'd eventually look into the spiritual practices of the non-European sides of the family.
During this time I was a member of a few online groups and it seemed they were all talking about their "totem animal" as if it was something sent to them even when it made no sense. Someone noticed a lot of squirrels on her walks and decided that was hers. Another said hers was a spider because she followed Lilith. Neither made any sense to me; I live in the country where small animals and sometimes deer and moose have been known to stroll down Main Street. An animal guide wouldn't simply walk across your sight and smile at you. "Hi! I'm your animal guide." One guy I know says his guides are draconian...
Conscious thought and meditation had to figure into it., so I read about "vision quests". Yeah, lots of meditation, solitude, sleep deprivation, hunger and even pain, not to mention days away from the world. When was I suppose to carve out a week to what? Sit in the woods day and night for days and maybe- -nothing appeared or happened. Ahh, thanks, but no thanks. Even then I was too old to sleep on the ground with no food for that long, not to mention that I'd have to have someone willing to check on me, make sure the coy-dogs hadn't gotten me... So I gave up on exploring the whole "shaman " idea.
But,(as some of you may know me well enough to realize what's coming...) I kept having the idea of an animal guide thrown at me-- books, tv, the internet, friends and family talking about it. I can take a hint. So, one night before I went to bed I said, "Ok. If this is important to my path and what I need to learn--show me. I lay down, went to sleep and had this dream:
It was as if I was sitting on the top of a hill , watching a movie play out for me. I saw a young man, scrawny and being made fun of by his people because he couldn't hunt, wasn't talented in anything that meant anything to them. The only thing even his parents could say in praise of him was that he loved his little brother and always watched over him. One day he decided it was time to go on a vision quest to see if there was anything inside him that would serve his people or if he was meant to be a decent husband and a good father. He walked away from home with some kind of blanket, something that held water and nothing else. He settled on top of another hill and closed his eyes to pray. Night came and it got cold; he wrapped up in the blanket and prayed. Days passed like this. The sun was hot; he was exhausted about ready to give up; go home and find a good woman to have a family with. I remember him thinking that it was probably his little brother who was destined to do great things--just a child and all ready he could throw toy spears further than anyone else his age. He was tired and turned toward home when he saw his little brother running to meet him. He smiled and waved. From out of the woods came a grizzly bear. With one swipe of its huge paw Little brother was dead. The bear picked up the broken body in its jaws and lumbered away. The young man sank to his knees, sobbing in his shock and sorrow when he heard a great growl from the sky. He raised his head and cried out, "Take me! I am worth nothing!" Between the nearby hills appeared the head of an enormous bear. On his nose danced Little Brother as the bear smiled. The man heard a voice form every where, "From those who are given great gifts, great sacrifice is expected. Go home and learn to heal your people."
Before I woke I heard a voice tell me This was my great grandfather, my animal guide and I'd learn more when the time was right.
That's part one. Part two is under the other cut because years passed.
and I got used to the idea that I had a guide who wasn't very vocal, wasn't vocal at all. I read up on what the bear means and yes, I am like one- tenacious about family, quiet and protective, gruff exterior - you know.
So years passed and I didn't think much about it. I wasn't sure of what I'd seen and heard--it seemed too easy- too simple a way to learn, know what I mean? Anyway, years later I saw an ad for a class on Shamanistic Healing and spirit guides was going to be held at the local middle school. I re arranged my schedule at work and went. It was - interesting; the type of people you'd expect to see there, mostly middle aged women (like me) who all ready knew the instructor and wanted to share their experiences more than try to actually learn anything. New-age "more spiritual than you are" types.. must wear only natural materials, eat natural foods, save the whale and tell everyone how bad humans are for the Great Mother Earth. *sigh* In my mind they give spirituality as bad a name as do the sparkling little gemstones can teach us if we listen types.. But I digress! Imagine that...
As people got tired of the sound of their own voices the instructor said it was time to try a guided meditation. She told us not to be disappointed if we saw nothing, but she told us to close our eyes, get comfortable and imagine being in a quiet place outside..you probably know the drill.
I can visualize easily, so I closed my eyes and was in the back 40. I sat down and leaned back against a big old pine tree; light breeze blowing, warm sun shining, the smell of a Maine forest filling me with a sense of peace and quiet. (She told us to open our eyes in the visualization and look around- any animal we saw was our guide) I opened mine and saw my great grandfather, standing back to me, several yards away. I asked him to face me and as he turned he changed into me, then my son and then this grizzly bear standing there just as calmly as I sat. I asked him (as she directed) if he had any message for me. He said "All you need, you have." before he walked into the woods.
I told the instructor what I'd seen, but not what I'd heard. Told her my path is that of a witch..why does that shock people who claim to be learned in the ways of spirituality? LOL! I saw her a few weeks later in the grocery store and told her what he'd said. Stunned her into silence that time.
Just in case you don't know I have Native Canadian blood, from both my parents. Dad's side is from Labrador
and Mom's from the Maritime provinces . Never knew about Dad's side until a few years before he died, when he wasn't in a place where he was willing to talk about the summers he spent with that family, so that's all I know: one of his grandmothers was an Inuit. Mom's father's father was a Mic Mac; she said he was a medicine man and very tall, kinda scary even.I guess it was inevitable that I'd eventually look into the spiritual practices of the non-European sides of the family.
During this time I was a member of a few online groups and it seemed they were all talking about their "totem animal" as if it was something sent to them even when it made no sense. Someone noticed a lot of squirrels on her walks and decided that was hers. Another said hers was a spider because she followed Lilith. Neither made any sense to me; I live in the country where small animals and sometimes deer and moose have been known to stroll down Main Street. An animal guide wouldn't simply walk across your sight and smile at you. "Hi! I'm your animal guide." One guy I know says his guides are draconian...
Conscious thought and meditation had to figure into it., so I read about "vision quests". Yeah, lots of meditation, solitude, sleep deprivation, hunger and even pain, not to mention days away from the world. When was I suppose to carve out a week to what? Sit in the woods day and night for days and maybe- -nothing appeared or happened. Ahh, thanks, but no thanks. Even then I was too old to sleep on the ground with no food for that long, not to mention that I'd have to have someone willing to check on me, make sure the coy-dogs hadn't gotten me... So I gave up on exploring the whole "shaman " idea.
But,(as some of you may know me well enough to realize what's coming...) I kept having the idea of an animal guide thrown at me-- books, tv, the internet, friends and family talking about it. I can take a hint. So, one night before I went to bed I said, "Ok. If this is important to my path and what I need to learn--show me. I lay down, went to sleep and had this dream:
It was as if I was sitting on the top of a hill , watching a movie play out for me. I saw a young man, scrawny and being made fun of by his people because he couldn't hunt, wasn't talented in anything that meant anything to them. The only thing even his parents could say in praise of him was that he loved his little brother and always watched over him. One day he decided it was time to go on a vision quest to see if there was anything inside him that would serve his people or if he was meant to be a decent husband and a good father. He walked away from home with some kind of blanket, something that held water and nothing else. He settled on top of another hill and closed his eyes to pray. Night came and it got cold; he wrapped up in the blanket and prayed. Days passed like this. The sun was hot; he was exhausted about ready to give up; go home and find a good woman to have a family with. I remember him thinking that it was probably his little brother who was destined to do great things--just a child and all ready he could throw toy spears further than anyone else his age. He was tired and turned toward home when he saw his little brother running to meet him. He smiled and waved. From out of the woods came a grizzly bear. With one swipe of its huge paw Little brother was dead. The bear picked up the broken body in its jaws and lumbered away. The young man sank to his knees, sobbing in his shock and sorrow when he heard a great growl from the sky. He raised his head and cried out, "Take me! I am worth nothing!" Between the nearby hills appeared the head of an enormous bear. On his nose danced Little Brother as the bear smiled. The man heard a voice form every where, "From those who are given great gifts, great sacrifice is expected. Go home and learn to heal your people."
Before I woke I heard a voice tell me This was my great grandfather, my animal guide and I'd learn more when the time was right.
That's part one. Part two is under the other cut because years passed.
and I got used to the idea that I had a guide who wasn't very vocal, wasn't vocal at all. I read up on what the bear means and yes, I am like one- tenacious about family, quiet and protective, gruff exterior - you know.
So years passed and I didn't think much about it. I wasn't sure of what I'd seen and heard--it seemed too easy- too simple a way to learn, know what I mean? Anyway, years later I saw an ad for a class on Shamanistic Healing and spirit guides was going to be held at the local middle school. I re arranged my schedule at work and went. It was - interesting; the type of people you'd expect to see there, mostly middle aged women (like me) who all ready knew the instructor and wanted to share their experiences more than try to actually learn anything. New-age "more spiritual than you are" types.. must wear only natural materials, eat natural foods, save the whale and tell everyone how bad humans are for the Great Mother Earth. *sigh* In my mind they give spirituality as bad a name as do the sparkling little gemstones can teach us if we listen types.. But I digress! Imagine that...
As people got tired of the sound of their own voices the instructor said it was time to try a guided meditation. She told us not to be disappointed if we saw nothing, but she told us to close our eyes, get comfortable and imagine being in a quiet place outside..you probably know the drill.
I can visualize easily, so I closed my eyes and was in the back 40. I sat down and leaned back against a big old pine tree; light breeze blowing, warm sun shining, the smell of a Maine forest filling me with a sense of peace and quiet. (She told us to open our eyes in the visualization and look around- any animal we saw was our guide) I opened mine and saw my great grandfather, standing back to me, several yards away. I asked him to face me and as he turned he changed into me, then my son and then this grizzly bear standing there just as calmly as I sat. I asked him (as she directed) if he had any message for me. He said "All you need, you have." before he walked into the woods.
I told the instructor what I'd seen, but not what I'd heard. Told her my path is that of a witch..why does that shock people who claim to be learned in the ways of spirituality? LOL! I saw her a few weeks later in the grocery store and told her what he'd said. Stunned her into silence that time.