The Shamanic Muse

"When the Earth is sick, the animals will begin to disappear, when that happens, The Warriors of the Rainbow will come to save them." - Chief Sealth (Seattle), Suquamish

"If you talk to the animals they will talk with you and you will know each other. If you do not talk to them you will not know them and what you do not know, you will fear. What one fears, one destroys." - Chief Dan George

"In the beginning of all things, wisdom and knowledge were with the animals, for Tirawa, the One Above, did not speak to man. He sent certain animals to tell men that he showed himself through the beasts, and that from them, and from the stars and the moon, man should learn." - Pawnee Chief Lekota-Lesa

Read the original article series, Answering the Call of the Wild, which explores our relationship to our wild Brothers, the Wolves.

Shamanism, the world's oldest form of healing, is founded on the belief that the universe is one in spirit - a universe in which animals, birds, stones, rivers, mountains are messengers and allies.

Shamanic training teaches you to connect with forces of nature, deepening your relationship with the earth while shedding of layers of the past and healing old wounds. The Peruvian shamanic tradition utilizes ancient and powerful ceremonies and Rites of Passage, empowering and freeing the student, and offering assistance in creating new alliances. It is a path that teaches you to live in Grace and with Spirit.

The following was written by one of my students from the class Spirited Living: A Shamanic Journey into Self-Healing. I asked Leslie's permission to share it here as I felt its evocative imagery captured the transformative power and beauty of the shamanic process well.

POEM TO PACHAMAMA

Santa Tierra, giver of beauties
gentle as raindrops or the sharp claws of tigers,
red as the eyes of ancient tortoises,
redolent as coffees in the damp cool night,
round as ferns glowing green in deep forest,
thunderous as moth wings, rainbows, still pools...
You crack open our hearts with feather-soft fingers,
flood us loose from our fears with such munay
we can only be healed of our bitter tears.
we feed you, Pachamama, our shell shards and offerings,
nestle down in your warm sands
to nurture our becoming
by the whispering lullabies of Mama Cocha.
we dream lavender and roses, sunlight fluttering on leaves,
unicorns charging, lightning rippling on violet hills.
we wrap our roots deep in your diamond heart,
open owl eyes within your dark womb,
to radiant crystals, gushing fountains,
sweet-grass and sage, swift merlins, yellow lotuses,
the crawling jeweled glory of beetles.
you are blood and bone of us all, Nuestra Mama,
birther and healer of our burns,
bringer of death, bearing our freedom
and all balance in your bright cruel sword.
we cherish you, Nuestra Amada,
as saguaro cherishes water,
as aspen cherishes sunlight,
as the dying cherish mercy;
and we bless you, Sagrada Mama,
in our hearts, our words, our deeds;
we aid your precious children,
and we grow your sacred seeds.

~Leslie Morris Britt ©2009

Translation key
Santa Tierra: Holy Earth
Pachamama: Our Mother Place
Mama Cocha: Mother of the Waters
Nuestra Mama: Our Mother
Nuestra Amada: Our Beloved
Sagrada Mama: Sacred Mother

Bio: Winner of the Dave Fairly Award for Balladry, Leslie Morris Britt writes poetry, short fiction, novels, screenplays, and nonfiction. Her poetry has been published in Supralurid and elsewhere, her nonfiction book Speak To Me was accepted for publication by HarperSanFrancisco, and her story "Animal Dreams" was in the top 12 of Glimmer Train's 2007 Flash Fiction Competition. A mesa carrier and earth steward in the Q'ero shamanic lineage and a Reiki healer/ teacher, Leslie works to heal, empower, and reconnect all species through Shamanic Reiki and narrative.

Photo: Forest Path, Rose De Dan©2009

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Rose De Dan
Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing LLC
building bridges between people and animals
Website: www.reikishamanic.com
Animal and Reiki Art: www.cafepress.com/reikishamanic

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The following are two interviews, now archived for those who might have missed the live broadcast on the 7th Wave Network program, "Living Wisdom" with Dr. Liana Carbón, Institute of Shamanic Wisdom.

The Wisdom of the Animals: Shamanism for Modern Times
with Rose De Dan and Dr. Liana Carbón

Do you love animals or have an animal companion that shares your life? Ever wondered what it is like to experience the world through their eyes, what is it like to be an animal healer? Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing, energy worker and animal communicator and author of "Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism" has been a voice for the animals since 1996. Our technology has set in motion rapid change worldwide, and the animals those changes affect want to be heard. Join Dr. Liana Carbon as she interviews Rose on what it means to be an animal shaman for domestic and wild animals and what messages they have for us. To listen to this archive, click here.

9/16/08
The Wisdom of the Animals and Global Warming
with Rose De Dan and Dr. Liana Carbón

Have you wondered how the animals are being affected by global warming and what their perspective is? The animals are reaching out to us to help restore balance, are we ready to answer the call and help save them from species extinction? In this show Rose De Dan, Wild Reiki and Shamanic Healing, and author of "Tails of a Healer: Animals, Reiki and Shamanism," shares her shamanic vision from the animals of how to change the trajectory of global warming through the use of ceremony, energy work, and practical changes in our daily lives. Rose has been a voice for the animals since 1996, helping reconnect people, animals, and the natural world. Join Dr. Liana Carbon as she interviews Rose on how the ancient technologies of shamanism can be used alongside modern science to bridge the gap we have created and restore balance. To listen to this archive, click here.

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