My son – THE STARFISH

There are certain moments in your life which you will treasure forever, especially when it comes to your children. Due to my present circumstances I do not get to see enough of my son, so when these magic moments appear they are even more precious.

The last few weeks I have been taking Ieuan swimming, on his insessant nagging that he could swim.  Our first visit dissproved that theory and I resigned myself to the idea that I would need to teach Ieuan how to swim.  Well yesterday was, in my opinion, a milestone achievement for Ieuan, he actually managed to float on his back without the aid of any form of swimming aid, not even his dad’s reassuring hand holding him in the water.  He laid there, bobbing in the water with his eyes closed, face all peaceful, his arms and legs stretched out like a starfish.  I just cannot wait for next weekend now, but, as they say, patience is a virtue.

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Weight loss update

As my twitter has probably told everyone I went to tesco today with my mam.  While there I took the opportunity to weigh myself on their big machine, it does load so f stuff, but the main one is weight. 

I went down about 2 months ago and was 23st 12.6lb now I am 23st and 3.6lb (thats computers for you, ever so precise).  So folks here’s to seeing less and less of me over the next few months (I might even have a look at those weights again – only look mind you).

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SMS Post

This is a test of sms bloging

Shamanism 101 – Lesson 6

All that exists Lives – Wow, what a statement that is!

But what exactly does it mean, do we take it in the very literal sense of the phrase.

An example if you will, a small pebble on a beach exists, so does it live? and does it live more or less that a large outcropping of rock on the same beach.  Do both of them have a spirit? or is there some general spirit of rocks, stones, pebbles and other silicon life forms?

Exactly, its a bit weird to really get you head around it, isn’t it, so lets look at it from a different point of reference.

Everything that exists is part of the universe, the universe as a whole exists, we as ’sentient’ or ‘living’ creatures, as defined by traditional perceptions do not and should not have a greater part in the Universe than any other singular part of the universe.  We are not more important that a bird in a tree, or an insect on the ground, or even that same lonely pebble on the beach.  We are all equals, and co-habitate in this universe.  I actually liked the way that Delenn put it across to John Sheridan in Babylon 5, I think she said ‘We are the stuff of stars, the universe learning to understand itself’.

So my computer exists, so does it also live?, and what about my chair?

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Shamanism 101 – Lesson 5

How do you visualise?

Try to explain to a blind person what a rainbow looks like, that is very difficult, you will use words that ultimately have little r no meaning to a blind person, its the same with visualisation (just to a lesser degree).

My very first lower world journey was difficult in the extreme, simply because I had no reference, no benchmark to set anything by.  Usually people are asked to think of somewhere that means a lot to them, somewhere , when they close their eyes they can see it clearly, a place which has a dark passage, tunnel, corridor or doorway, through which they can pass to begin their lower world journey.  With celtic shamanism its traditional to use the roots of a tree to descend to the lower world.  Personally, its whatever gets you there.  After serval shakey attempts at a lower world journet I discovered that the location that worked for me, the place that I could see more clearly that most other places, and at the same time a place vague enough to allow my imagination to run free, was a place that truelly did not exist in this world.  It was a ficticious location created by myself for a roleplaying game I used to play quite often (and wish I still could).  This location meant so much to me that it almost ached in every fibre of my body.  When I accepted what seemed to be such an absurd idea, I managed to journey there with relative ease,and did so several times for my power object and power animal.

When I then needed to make a similar journey to the upper world I immediately thought of another appropriate location that I knew intimately from my roleplaying days.  My first journey to the upper world was to a huge and magnificent flying castle that floated above the clouds.

So this lesson, if anything, will hopefully teach you this.  Its not ridiculous if it works.  Shamanism is traditionally a very individual path, there are very few rules, only guidelines.

While we are on this subject of visualisation we might as well look at the three basic types of journeys; Lower, Upper and Middle world journeys.

Lower world Journeys are normally regarded as the ‘bread and butter’ journeys for a shaman.  They tend to be very direct and very obvious journeys.  You will have a specific purpose to the journey, like finding a power object, or to gain the friendship of a power animal, or to talk to your power animal about a specific task.  Sometimes you might just want to have a question answered and will walk around the lower world until a sign or omen gives you the answer you need (not necessarily want).

Upper world journeys tend to be a bit more mysterious and might even leave you more confused (but then you can always go on a lower world journey to help clarify a few things).  An upper world jouney might help to give you some direction but not tell you how to achieve it, or even tell you the first few steps.

Middle World journeys are something I do not have enough information on, but tend to involve things like out of body experiences, astral progjection, etc.  The middle world mirrors the real world and is connected with it on many levels.

These are , however only guidelines and I feel, from personal experience, that you can easily slip from one world to another, all within the same journey.

In this illustration the shaman sits at the base of the world tree, the branches above stretch to the upper world and the stars, the sun and the moon.  Where the shaman sits is the middle world and stretches outwards to the hoop of the universe.  Below the shaman, in the earth, extend the roots of the world tree, descending to the lower world and the stars of the earth which are the precious and semi precious stones and crystals that mirror the sky above.

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kitten Watch – update 20-07-07

As you can see they are still black and tabby is doing a good job of being a mammy.  One of the little angels had little white socks and a white V on its chest.  the other one is all black (and tends to sleep a lot)

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Tabby and her newborn kittens

Well today has been a day of ups and downs in the cat world. I woke up this morning to see Tabby proudly showing me a small ball of black fur, new to this world. By the time I was leaving for work I had helped to deliver the second ball of fur which had its little head stuck. Sadly however, when I returned home from work I found a further ball of fur gently pushed to one side, cold and lifeless. Ieaun and I took the third outside and buried it in the garden.

Here is a little video clip of the proud mother with her two kittens.

Shamanism 101 – Lesson 4

Sacred Space

Now this is an interesting subject in it’s own right, but manages to affect probably most every other aspect of shamanism (and paganism in general).

When you are about to do some journey work (visualisation) or shamanic healing, or even spending time creating your shamanic tools (ideally), you need to set these tasks and activities apart from the everyday world.  The process of creating sacred space is a way of leaving the everyday clutter of the world behind (even if only for a short while) before proceeding onwards with a task.  For instance whenever I used to go up Kilvey hill to do some visualisation, I would deliberately take my watch off my wrist and turn my mobile phone off.  These were symbols and distractions of the mundane world.  Then the actual walk to where I would normally sit (which would take some 20-30 minutes) would help me to focus on what I wanted to do.  After I had finished, the process of walking back home was a way of gently re-intergrating me back into the normal life, which was just as important, as the time could be used to  process whatever knowledge I had gained. From the time I removed my watch to when I put it back on my wrist was sacred space.  In a way its similar to how an athelete would warm up ready for some sporting activity and then warm down after it.

Another simple way of declaring sacred space, is the lighting of a candle, incense stick or smudge stick.  While the candle burns the outside wolrd is not allowed to intrude.  I quite often make a point of using candles in a dark room to signify sacred space.  I have a room set aside where I have as few electrical items as possible.  I draw the curtains, turn the light off and light some candles.  Then I prepare my altar, spend time doing what ever I need to then give thanks to ‘All That Is’ blowing the candles out.  Sometimes you just do not want the candles to go out, it can be so peaceful while they flicker, but sooner or later we have to face the normal world around us.

‘You are what makes the space sacred. The main concern of your space is that it must be clear of fear and confusion. You create the space to fit your needs, ability and desire. Richard Bach wrote, “argue for your limitations, and they are yours.” We all tend to draw mental boundaries on what is and is not acceptable. Your sacred space is and will be your power center to erect your altar, perform rituals, or simply commune with the universe. It is a place that has to be respected for various reasons.’ – http://www.angelfire.com/realm2/amethystbt/sacredspace.html

Below is a link to a more wiccan concept of sacred space, although it is no less valid;

http://fullmoon-magic.com/space.htmlAnd another link http://www.paganspath.com/magik/sacdspac.htm

 and another  http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/soul_quest/81896

OK then, thats all on this subject for now, I hope you have some time to start creating your own sacred space, whether in your home or out in the wilds somewhere.

Shamanism 101 – Lesson 3

Visualisation (aka Trance Work, Journey Work or Ecstasy)

This is quite a big subject really so I will only brush on it for now and talk about it’s component parts in more detail as seperate subjects. So what exactly is visualisation, a simple question which I will start answering with a simple response. Visualisation is a like a type of guided meditation, one where you have a question or situation on your mind that you need to find some answer too. By using visualisation you attempt to enter into a place where you can possibly receive an answer.

Typically a shaman regards visualisation as an ‘altered state of reality’, one where they journey to either seek an answer or to help someone. In a shamanic cosmology they divide their experiences into three distinct areas, these are; Lower world , Upper world and Middle world journeys (more on these in other lessons).

Ok here is someone else’s word on this subject;

‘Falling into a trance state is simply another way of saying that you are entering a space within you, in which you are able to filter out the concerns of your everyday consciousness and become aware of other states of being. these are sometimes refered to as altered states of consciousness, or a religious ecstasy, during which the individual becomes conscious of a greater dimension of reality.’ John Matthews – The Celtic Shaman

Below is a link to an earlier entry in this blog which speaks of one of my first significant visualisations in which I first encountered what was to become my power animal. This was a lower world journey.

http://kilveyshaman.wordpress.com/2003/04/06/power-object-visualisation/

This link, talks about what could be described as an ;out of body experience’ and as such would be regarded as a middle world journey (which co-exists with normal reality).

http://kilveyshaman.wordpress.com/2003/04/13/out-of-body-experience/

Shamanism 101 – Lesson 2

Here are some other people’s definitions of what a shaman is, then I will say my piece at the bottom;

‘A shaman is a person who is profoundly aware that the world is alive with spirits and spiritual energy, and who does something with that knowledge’

‘For the shaman, everything is alive and possesses a spirit. Everything is part of creation and equal to all other parts’
Nicholas Wood – The Book of the Shaman

‘Shamanism is evasive and elusive, shaping itself to the needs of its practicioners and their communities; sooner catch mist in a jam-jar than find easy definitions within a shamanic world’
Gordon MacLellan – Dancing on the Edge

‘My favourite description of a shaman is someone who walks with one foot in the everyday world and one foot in the spirit world’
Leo Rutherford – Your Shamanic Path

‘We can define a shaman as a person who is able to percieve the world of souls, spirits and gods, and who, in a state of ecstatic trance, is able to travel this other world, gaining special knowledge of this supernatural realm.’

Nevill Drury – Shamanism

‘I define a shaman as a healer of relationships: between mind and body, between people, between people and circumstances, between humans and nature, and between matter and spirit’Serge Kahili King – the Urban Shaman

So where does that put me, what do I believe a shaman is, at least as far as living in todays world, and especially in Swansea. Well the concept of a community healer certainly seemed to work for me for a while and fitted in nicely with my role at the time, but at present that is not so much the case. I still have a desire to help those around me (without sticking my noise in where its not wanted), and there are times when I wish I could involve myself in community matters more, but before I do that I need to make sure that I am strong enough (as it were).

Also there are other issues, Do shamans recycle? Are shamans vegetarians? Do shamans believe in fairtrade? Are shamans in tune with nature?- Are these questions really that important? I think that each of these and many more questions have to be answered by the individual and by their circumstances. At the end of the day a shaman’s path is a very individual journey, just remember we live as part of the world around us, not apart.

Next Lesson – Visualisation

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