"what you do is of little significance. but it is very important that you do it."-- gandhi
we are all shamen. there is no particular dogma with shamanism. all it requires is a cultivation of awareness and the nurturing of one's consciousness. with thoughtfullness and a sense of devotion, nearly everything can become a ritual that can guide one toward a sense of healing and spirit restoration. shamanism is a world view based on the belief that everything in the universe is connected and interdependant. it necessitates a profound respect for the natural world and it considers spiritual development to be the most significant task one can dedicate to. to conjure a desirable reality, one must align with the elemental realm--become open and connected to the earth plane--just as much as the ethereal plane. i've become very aware lately of my own disconnection from earth, from dirt, mud, flora, nature. i hunger to take long rural walks. meander about a tall grass meadow. stare up at the wide open sky. lay down on the earthbed and let gaia spirit envelop me. i keep thinking of when i used to sneak off to michigan in the late 80s and early 90s. i'd wander around alone in sleeping bear dunes or saugatuck's curving oval beach or more often, mancelona's green celtic forests. townfolk in mancelona would say that the forests were enchanted, inhabited no doubt by all manner of wee folk. i'd take three hour walks in the woods there, smell wildflowers in the open glen, sit by the riverbeds, meditate on the wind blowing through branches, and come out utterly changed . .my thoughts would clear, i'd feel completely recharged and centered. one of my summer goals is to locate forest trails and prairie paths around my own home. it's a perk of living in a western burb after all. back to thoreau. back to the woods. it is very important that i do it.
why is it that, as a culture, we are more comfortable seeing two men holding guns than holding hands?
--ernest gaines
i can hardly read the news anymore. i'm much more interested in creating and participating in an alternative reality than i am in accepting the dire conditions i am witness to everyday. i am more focused on sustaining a peaceful sanctuary where love prevails. i am dedicated to the birthing of new worlds through poetry, visual art, communion with soul sharers and fellow travelers. i believe that sometimes it is better to simply walk away from the prevailing standards and archaic institutions, and start anew. there is a lot to be said for reinvention and reclaiming one's selfhood--moving away from those outworn forces that limit, shame, or denounce.
first full moon in june. the greyest rain. stevie nicks playing on my computer all afternoon. drizzle and consternation. i could write pages on how i need to take better care of myself. need to make an acupuncture appointment. need to schedule in that second massage. on and on. for now, i'll listen to tchaikovsky's "serenade for strings in c" and call it a day. let myself drift. get swallowed by the fog. for just a little while. i'll be back.
