HOW YOUR SHAMANISTIC LIFE START?

When I was in my early teens my best friend and I (this was in the sixties)Like most teens of the time were curious about things we used to get some beer, wine and a lid of the pot and sneak out at night when everyone was asleep and go visit a graveyard across the road. We would drink and smoke our dope in what we thought was peace very disrespectful I know but we were early teens. The first few times were uneventful but as the summer progressed thing started to change and we started hearing and seeing things we were not prepared for voices shadows lights moving around, It seemed to open a door I was never able to close.

Some things followed me home they scared the crap out of me, I tried talking to some friend they thought I was going mental or bull s..ting them I couldn't talk to my folks without confessing about going out and drinking and smoking dope so I learned to live with it most of it was scary but harmless but the shadow people are another problem at about age 16 one hit me in the forehead left a large cut while I was getting ready for bed one night I came out of my room howling who hit me ,family thought I was crazy thing like this followed me all of my life. I learned all I could about these things and started helping others that have these problems they still try to sneak up on me even today last fall while sleeping one came up to the side of my bed while sleeping I awoke and buried my foot in its midsection heard it crash into the wall it was solid but just for a bit turned on the light nothing there . Got up checked the house, all the doors and windows still locked. Did another protection ceremony and went back to bed now my question is anyone else get started like this or have these experiences? Or have encountered shadow beings that turn physical? I await your responses.

Author: Martin Gindulis

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DOLLS AND SHAMANISM

Many shamanic (and other magical) traditions across the world use dolls of one kind or another.

In Mongolia and Siberia, they are used as houses for the helper spirits or ancestors (ongons) to live in, and the same is found in Tibetan Buddhism - all the statues of the Buddhist beings are 'blessed and awoken,' and the spirit invited to live inside the statue.

Idolatry has a bad name because of silly Abrahamic rules - but idolatry is important and idols are cool.

Dolls are also used in healing (and cursing) a lot too.

I did a ceremony recently with a Nepalese shaman friend where we made clay dolls which represented us - filled with our hair and toenail clippings, and then our illness, attachments, defilements, pollutions, were ceremonially put into these clay dolls, and then the dolls were put out in the wilds - so the harmful spirits would attach and eat them - not us. You get the same kind of ceremony - often called a 'ransom ceremony' in lots of shamanic traditions.

I was in a conversation with Jennifer Kim - a traditional Korean shaman - this morning, about her way of working, and she shared some photos of the dolls used in Korean shamanism for healing... perhaps we can tempt her to post here about them too :) ....... but I'm not sure how 'open' that tradition is, a lot of shamanic ways - in all cultures - are not 'open' to just anyone - they are esoteric (closed) instead of exoteric (open)

I use dolls a lot in my shamanism, for healing and protection work with people.

The basic way I do it is simple, and I give this teaching here openly, for anyone here to do, or adapt.

I use a small figure of the person I have been asked to work for. Remember you need permission from the person - or in the case of a child their parents - you don't just 'do it' on people - that's unethical.

I use either a small cut out figure, made of leather, or a bronze doll. I have a selection of bronze shaman's dolls from Inner Mongolia - these are traditionally made to represent ancestral figures and spirits, but I often use them to represent the person I'm working for. I also have one or two wooden dolls I use sometimes.

I call my spirits, and then when I am in the ceremony, I call the spirit of the sick person and put them into the doll. If you don't know how to do this you are not really capable of doing this work yet.

I then place the person onto a bronze shaman's mirror.

Bronze mirrors (toli) are important things in traditional shamanism and they have a lot of uses. One thing they are used for is as a connection to the sacred centre of everything - so by putting a doll-person on a mirror, you are symbolically putting them in the very centre of creation.. a place of perfect balance and great power. They are truly centred.

Placing them on a mirror is also very protective.

Now, I know, most of you don't work with shaman's mirrors like I do - so here you have to listen to your own spirits about what you should use.

I have a bag of dried flower petals from an inca dispachio ceremony I was in once, and I sometimes use those as a bed for the doll-person to rest on. I also have a a square of white rabbit fur I use sometimes. You have to find what is right for you. Ask your spirits.

I quite often wind red wooden thread, or red ribbons, around the doll-person too. Red is a protective colour (the colour of blood, and therefore life) and so, by winding red around them, you are winding protection around them.

Once the doll-person is ready, I then often - generally - put a Buddhist mala (prayer beads) around them too. Again, this is symbolism i work with, because as well as doing shamanism I am a Tibetan Buddhist, and so, for me, they are an ideal powerful thing to make a band of protection and healing around a person.

If the person is needing protection, I often put a secondary protective 'fence' around them - by placing phurbas (ritual demon destroying daggers) around them - facing outwards.

Again this is drawing on my Tibetan Buddhist practices - I work a lot with phurbas, and am initiated into the practice in a Tibetan way, so I often do quite specific phurba practice around people too - the aim of which is to kill (or at least immobile) any spirits which are provoking them (causing them fear, being hostile to them, or causing illness)

You can ask your spirits about other things you can do. A circle of salt around someone is an excellent barrier for example. When I am working with physical people I often use a circle of eagle feathers or a circle of sage (smudge) or a circle of tobacco, or blue cornmeal - any of these can be used with a doll-person.

Then the doll-person is there - with you - on your altar (even if physically they are 1000 miles away), and you then can work with them - using the doll-person as a surrogate.

I often have people on my altar like this for weeks if it's a long healing process, or if they are in great need. Sometimes - a few people - are on my altar in doll form permanently, until they die - for years sometimes.

When the time comes to dismantle the doll-person healing - i thank the spirits, and I dismantle the doll, and it's bed.

The spirit of the person is still in the doll - so it has to be sent back. Again, if you don't know how to do this you should not be working in this way yet.

The doll is now empty and ready to be used for the next healing.

Author: Nicholas Breeze Wood

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