January/February 2006 Spirituality
Contemporary Shamanism for Personal and Planetary Transformation
by Timothy A. Storlie
Shamanism, the oldest known spiritual discipline, predates all forms
of organized religion. For thousands of years our ancestors stood in
awe of the sunrise. Daily, they confronted the sheer power of life and
death in their struggle to survive. They engaged in conversations with
the Living Spirit of Truth via nature and asked the deep questions.
They listened. What was learned was passed on to others.
In the evening, they gazed into the night sky and marveled beneath
the stars, and expressed mystical feelings of awe through song, dance,
poetry, sacred stories, rites and rituals. They gathered in circles
around the mystery of fire and shared stories of a world filled with
awe-inspiring landscapes and with countless and amazing creatures.
Shamanism has evolved globally over tens of thousands of years. Today,
the Shamanic-Soul is no longer only the soul of specific people,
it is also an expression of the collective spiritual yearning of countless
seekers of Truth. Transcending national boundaries and religious divisions,
modern Shamanism is an experiential path of transformation that invites
us into a deep, living relationship with Nature and the Divine Source
of all that is. It is a creation-centered, pragmatic tradition that
provides tools for exploring lower, middle, and upper worlds and for
entering into deep relationship with the Inner Shaman of the Heart;
ancestors; stone, plant, and animal friends; earth, moon, sun, and star
friends; and with the One Source of all that is.
The times and methods may have changed, but the goals are the same;
to live fully, joyfully, passionately, and creatively; to grow in wisdom
by studying the Living Book of Nature; and to enter deeply into the
reverent awareness that everything is alive, conscious, and interconnected.
The catalytic Way of the Shaman is Compassionate Wisdom-in-Action.
The Guardians of yesterday call us to re-awaken the root-wisdom hidden
in our hearts and to act as a force for goodness for the hope of tomorrow.
Do you hear the call?
Timothy A. Storlie, www.Turtle-HeartShamanicSchool.net
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