Responses...

So since some have checked out my last blog entry, I have had a number of responses.  A glaring 98% have been in total agreement that the Y generation has a vast number of useless members in it.  Do remember that I never said that all of them are useless.  Of that 98%, only 14% agreed that we should perhaps sterilize them to prevent them from passing their crappy attitude on to future generations (And here is my off the wall sense of humor raising its head again as I say, "Shucks.").  2% of the emails that I received were expressions of disappointment in MY attitude toward young people.  Hmmm.

I think that perhaps the humor of the entry was lost on the 2%.  Some people just don't get humor that is direct and cutting, or that comes across as harsh to make a point.  That is what most of the entry was intended to be.  Oh well.  Can't please them all.  And by the way, this is my blog, so I can say whatever I please in it whether anyone agrees or not.  I am simply sharing my never to be so humble opinion.  Sometimes it comes across gently, and sometimes not.  I am, after all, human.  I also have the right to rant now and then.  This was a rant brought on from extreme frustration and the stupidity I have found in people of late.  Their work ethic sucks and their attitude sucks worse.  So I say it as I see it.

Having said that, I would also be remiss if I did not take into account the words of the 2% as well.  So I will try to curb my harshness in the future and stick to humor that is, shall we say, more "palatable."  And I may also, being human, slip on that one now and then.  So cut me as much slack as you would expect me to cut some idiot behind a till.  Thanks.  :-)

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Work Ethic

This Christmas season I discovered a couple of times that what they say about some young people is true. They have no work ethic. They are like that because they have not endured the hardships that their parents and grandparents endured. They think that their parents are just boring and their grandparents are just boring old farts. They don't realize that these people were not born boring. They became boring while putting a roof over these kids' sorry heads, clothes on their sorry butts, and food on their sorry tables.

The mistake that their grandparents and parents did make lies in not wanting their children to endure the same hardships that they had to endure. So they gave their children everything that they perceived themselves to have never had when they were young, thus overindulging their children and grandchildren. Because indulgence is a subtle form of abuse, the effect is that they ended up creating children and grandchildren who feel entitled to have whatever they want simply by virtue of wanting it instead of having it because they worked for it and earned it themselves.  Instead, they give attitude.

So whenever you get someone serving you in a store or cafe or "service station" who is clueless beyond belief and doesn't even give a damn about "customer service", don't waste your time getting angry with them. Pity them. They are the products of their pathetic, materialistic, commercialized upbringing...and they should really only be sterilized so that they are no longer able to pass that crap on to future generations!

All I Want for Christmas...

Is to be able to avoid the Malls!!! I believe I have mentioned this before, but I really prefer to have my Christmas shopping DONE by mid-July. This year...that did not happen. Here we are on the 22nd of December at Midtown Plaza doing the "last minute shopping" that was, obviously, not accomplished prior to this date. Now to be perfectly fair, I must say that some of what we were giving people was ordered through a company a friend distributes for but, because of the Christmas Craze, it all ended up being unavailable. So we were left in the lurch (Donna...not mentioning any names...Donna) and had to hit the mall. An hour and a half in this place and I was almost ready to rip people's heads off!

The only redeeming quality of this mall is the nice decorative display, which is featured in this photo. I actually took the photo as proof that I WAS AT THE MALL ON DECEMBER 22ND! I knew that if I just wrote that some of you would not believe me at all. So here is the proof! Had I been able to think straight I would have snapped a photo of MYSELF IN FRONT OF THE DECORATIVE DISPLAY so that there is absolutely no doubt whatsoever that I am telling the truth.  A nice little profile shot of me hanging by the neck from it would have conveyed the sentiment adequately.

After shopping for about 30 minutes, I went for hot chocolate and sat in the Timothy's coffee place in the centre of the mall, on a really nice comfortable leather chair, and read some papers while sipping my drink.  While I did this, the mall continued to get louder by the minute. When my phone rang (I was ever so grateful) and my Love said she was done early, we met and high tailed it outa there! I couldn't even have the CD or radio playing in the car because I was already so bombarded with the noise of the mall. It took till we were home about 20 minutes later for my ears to stop ringing.

I am so done with Christmas! If possible, next year I would like to go on a cruise ship instead. Oh...wait....that means more mobs of people in a confined space. NOT COOL!!!!!

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

A Star! A Star!

Shining in the night, it will bring us goodness and Light! It will bring us goodness and Light!

That was one of my favorite Christmas carols when I was a kid. Mostly because it was about the star heralding the arrival. Later, in university, I discovered that this is part of a birth myth for many Religious leaders. Lao Tsu, Buddha, Krishna, Jesus, Kokapelli...they all had a star or comet associated with their births. Makes one wonder if this isn't just code for "They are among us!" Ya, I know. Not the most original thought in the world....the great religious leaders were all aliens trying to wake humanity up so that we could join the intergalactic federation of planets.....so star warsy and star trecky.

But if it wasn't that, then what were they saying? Were the stars just aligned correctly for these particular births? Was is just that in order to make someone sound important in later texts they had to create some cosmic event to parallel the birth so that this person was one that "stood out amongst the rest"?

I don't know. I don't think anyone really knows. I happen to like stars of all kinds (well, other than Death Stars), so I utilize the image at my altar, in my home and definitely at Christmas. For me it is a reminder that beneath all the false humility that people pretend and play with, we are all a STAR!

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Strange Things in the Sky

A few weeks ago I saw these two strange trails of "smoke?" in the sky while coming home early one morning from dropping my Love off at work. They were not attached to anything in particular. They just hung there, disembodied, in the sky. When I got home I took a photo of them. It was very difficult to do because of the lack of light that early in the morning. This was the best of all the photos I attempted. I have not touched it up in any way. The "smoke" didn't drift in the wind. It just hung there, seemingly unaffected by anything. Now, you know how, now and then, one will see something that is supposed to look like something else, but it doesn't quite have all the attributes of that something else? Like when a person is wearing one of those creepy rubber Hallowe'en masks and you can see the eyes are not those of the mask's but something else beneath? That is the creepy feeling that these two "puffs of smoke" gave me. It was like I was supposed to see smoke, but the thing I was seeing wasn't actually smoke. So what was it?

I don't know. But what I do know is that when I went into the house to get my gloves from the closet just inside the front door (an act that would have taken perhaps 7 seconds) and came back outside....they were GONE. Smoke doesn't do that either. Nor do clouds or "weather balloons" or anything else that I can think of.

I will always wonder what these were. Or should I say....."Who these were."?

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

A BLAST from the Past!

Can you guess who this is? Look closely...check out the hair and the eyes and the smile....there you go. It's ME! I recently came into possession of my convocation photos from waaaaay back. I hung them on the wall in the hallway and so far everyone who has seen them has asked, "Who is this?" And when they are told who this is, they say stuff like, "Shut the front door!"

What this reminds me of is how much, thank heavens, we CHANGE. I look at this photo and I know the guy back then, but that is not at all who I am today. Back then I was stressed to the max with finals and essays and a first marriage that had just ended and left me with $5 in my bank account just days before my rent was due. Yes, I learned a LOT about keeping my own accounts and not just flooding everything into a joint account. Hard life lessons are the most well-learned ones, indeed.

I also learned that no matter what life throws my way, I will come out on top. All the events of that time in my life that were indications that "something was trying to hold me back" could not stop me. I was driven to succeed and walk away with a degree under my belt. And so that is what I did. And yes, there were people who helped me during this time. My parents kicked in with a couple month's rent so that I could get settled again, a friend of mine took me out for workouts and coffee three times a week so that he could help me get all the frustration out of my system and talk it out afterwards, and another friend invited me to her lakeside cabin for a weekend where we roasted hot dogs and canoed around the lakes. For all of these things I am quite grateful. Without them, I don't know that the journey would have been as smooth as it was, given the rough waters I was crossing.

But still, I look at this photo and, along with the pride I feel about that particular accomplishment, I see, behind the smile, someone who's life was falling apart...so that, much later, it could find its way back together again in a new and amazing way. Sometimes things have to come crashing down around our ears for us to be able to "get our acts together" and make the changes we need to make. I am glad that these things all happened in my life. Without that experience, I would not be able to be who I have become.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Fairies Among Us 2

And here is the first photo that was taken after the bright flash of light....oh yea. That really looks like a mosquito to me! LOL!

Fairies Among Us

A couple of months ago a friend of mine took this photo at the Crooked Bush in Saskatchewan. Before taking the photo of her group of girls there was a flash of light from the left. She snapped a photo of whatever was in that direction and got a similar picture of what we see in this, her second photo. Yup...a fairy! Some have tried to tell her that it is just a mosquito. But, as you can see, the mosquitoes are much smaller in size and do show up as well. This is nowhere near the shape or size of a mosquito. It was much larger, emitted light, and flew around the girls heads. Mosquitoes also don't show up with a brilliant flash of light. They just show up and proceed to eat you. The fairy did not do any harm at all.

The Crooked Bush is a magical place and has been for quite a while (hundreds of years from what I am told). So why is it so hard to believe that a fairy would show up when other apparitions have been witnessed in and around the bush? Humans don't like to be challenged intellectually. We, as a species, are somewhat lazy when it comes to opening our perceptions of what is right there in front of us. That way we don't have to live up to the responsibility of what we have perceived. It is so much easier and comfortable to just say that we must have been crazy and move on. Imagine what the world would be like if everyone actually allowed their perceptions to flow and grow...I think I would like that world!

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Peek-A-Boo!

Some of you may recognize this portrait from a few years ago. It was one that was done for my daughters in honour of their connection to the Fairy realm. This is, of course, a very close up crop of the centre of the portrait. The reason that I cropped it so close is that I wanted you to be able to see what was in the centre of the portrait. Do you see it? Look closely...right....in....the....centre.....THERE YOU GO!

Yes, that is very distinct. It is a bead that was used to create the centre of the mandala. The bead is clear. There is NOTHING inside the bead.....well.....unless you perhaps include such things as THE FACE OF A FAIRY!!!!

From within the portrait this little one has been watching us all the time, unbeknownst to most who gazed upon the portrait. Talk about fun, eh?! I just had to share that for the heck of it. I hope everyone reading this enjoys it....

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Dining Out

My friend from San Francisco is in town this weekend to pick her mom up and take her home with her.  I spent yesterday with her and some of it with her mom as well.  After doing all her elderly mother's banking etc we decided to go for a mid afternoon snack at Calories on Broadway.  It was 4:30 and her mom was looking quite hungry.  When we all arrived at Calories we were asked if we had reservations....AT 4:30 IN THE AFTERNOON!  AND the restaurant was virtually EMPTY, with all of maybe four tables occupied!  Of course the answer was no.  Then we were asked if we were planning on eating.  The answer was yes.  Then we were asked if we would like to make reservations for 5:30, when the dinner time chef was on.  At this point I am wondering what the hell the deal is with this coffee shop/restaurant?  We said "No, we are here now.  Don't you have anything on the menu for this time?"  Turns out they have an "Anytime" menu.  So we were seated and the menu was given to us.  But then, after we ordered our meals (burgers, sandwiches and soups etc) our cloth napkins that wrapped our cutlery were taken AWAY.  We asked if we were supposed to eat with our hands?  The server told us that we would get different cutlery.  We did....WRAPPED IN PAPER SERVIETTES!!!!

This was a very clear message that the owner of this establishment was a TOOL.  Seriously???  We can't use the cloth napkins because it isn't 5:30 in the afternoon yet?????!!!!!!  And since WHEN did this little hole in the wall require RESERVATIONS  in the first place?

All the major cities have absolutely top notch restaurants who NEVER TAKE RESERVATIONS.  It is good business to have people lined up out the door waiting to get in.  Why?  BECAUSE IT DELIVERS THE MESSAGE THAT THE ESTABLISHMENT IS SO FARKIN' GOOD THAT PEOPLE ARE WILLING TO LINE UP OUT THE DOOR.  This means that everyone is treated equally and it is first come/first serve.  And you can bet your ass that no one takes away the cloth napkins on you!

The service at Calories was great, the attitude sucked.

Calories, you have permanently lost my business.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Helping Herbs

"Wherever there is destruction, Sage will grow." This is a statement that I have heard over and over from many different sources of spiritual teachers throughout my lifetime. This says to me that the concept is universal, as my teachers have come from many different backgrounds and many different countries and continents. So when I hear that only "certain" people are "allowed" to utilize sage for smudging in ceremony, my blood boils. That is like saying, "Hey, you can't use candles in your ceremonies because those were first used exclusively by Anglo Saxons and therefore are the exclusive property of said Anglo Saxon descendants." How ridiculous. We don't OWN the earth and we certainly don't have copy write on any of Her gifts. They are there so that we can utilize them as needed. They are there so that ANYONE can utilize them as needed. I make smudges out of sage. That is sage that I have properly picked and sage that I have grown myself. I also make healing teas out of sage. I also use/grow/harvest my own sweet grass.

When the first people came to North America (and yes, they immigrated just like everyone else, only they did it first) they utilized the local herbs, just as they had when they lived in the European countries for thousands of years before. It just so happens that North America is not the only continent that grows sage in the wild. Go figure! So when my grandmother taught me how to smudge with sage, use it in ceremony, make healing tea out of it, she was basing her knowledge on multi-generational teachings that came from waaay back...in Europe. She did not "steal" anyone else's practices. These were HER practices and those of our ancestors. So not only is it ignorant and dogmatic when someone tries to "own" a practice, but it is also insulting.

Unfortunately there are still some circles who are so desperate to cling on to whatever remnants they have of their teachings that they are willing to trash others' practices, knowledge, and beliefs in order to do it. This is an extremely RACIST practice in and of itself, and my hope is that by publishing this entry in my blog there will be more who will read it, acknowledge the truth in it, and carry THAT forward into the world, thus obliterating this insidious racist practice.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Stairway to Heaven

We all have those days when it seems we are climbing an endless staircase. The journey has already been exhausting and we are dead tired, but we can't stop now so we plug away at the staircase, unsure of where, exactly it is headed. When I have those days I go to my Portal Portrait and sit and gaze at it. As you can see from the photo, it has the set of stairs. I have titled this one Portal Portrait #1 Stairway to Heaven. Along the edge of the stairway are pillars. It felt right to have them there for support. But the top of the stairway leads to....who knows? A Portal Portrait helps us to bridge the gap between this dimension and other dimensional consciousness. This one in particular always inspires me to lift myself up to a higher level of consciousness and to see things from an overview perspective.

I am reminded by it as well that there is only so much we can do all on our own. So if I can be of service in someone else's climb, then I will be one of their pillars. And while I am doing my own climb I am grateful for those who have become pillars for me. Perhaps when I reach the top and look down upon everything I will notice that it all seems so small now. Perhaps with one more step I will discover that I can actually fly and will never again need to take the journey step by step but instead with soaring wings! Either way, I know that every step that has thus far been taken is an important one. Each step along the way has taught me something and inspired within me some aspect of myself that was before unknown. I have, as a result of the journey become something more than I came into this world originally being. Whether I change the world with one big glorious act or with one simple kindness at a time, my presence will not go unnoticed. I will remain grounded and secure while at the same time reaching new heights.

Where are you at in you journey today?

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Remembrance Day

As most of you hopefully know, we have Remembrance Day coming up on November 11th. Just a wee little day in the year that most of the stores don't even so much as acknowledge. It amazes me that you can find Halloween, Christmas, Easter and St. Patrick's Day decorations galore but you can't find a single thing for Remembrance Day.

I think that this is indicative of the apathy that is felt by our culture and community. This is an apathy that I find to be unacceptable. This is the one day of the year that we are asked only to remember those who sacrificed their lives in a war that, had it not been won, would have screwed us up for generations. I have family that died in the war, not necessarily in defending the country we live in, but because they were of the wrong blood decent and were therefore exterminated. Generations of people are now, as a result, unborn. To think that Remembrance Day is simply a "Celebration of War" is the most indecent and ignorant perspective I have ever heard. If it is a celebration at all it is one that celebrates FREEDOM! We were able to escape the clutches of one of the world's biggest terrorists when we were able to defeat him in World War II. As a result, we are able to experience the freedom to worship whenever we want, write whatever we want, listen to whatever music we want, talk to whomever we want, and express our opinions whenever we want, even if those opinions are stupid. In a culture that is plagued with entitlement issues and tunes the rest of the world out on their ipods and iphones and generally doesn't give a rats ass about other people and only collects people on face book, I find myself disgusted that Remembrance Day is reduced to a simple ceremony that lasts all of 1 hour and then closes up shop so that our consumer-oriented society can get back to shopping. It is pathetic at best and egregious at worst.

So, for the love of God, let's honour those who sacrificed themselves and make Remembrance Day a time when we actually REMEMBER.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Hallowe'en

Today is Hallowe'en, or Samhain. It is a time when the Veils between the worlds are thinnest so the communication with the Ancestral Spirits can be easy and strong. These skulls (photo by Gail Fulkerson) on my Samhain Drum Circle altar, represent the lines of ancestors that each of us is connected to, and the DNA strands that run through our veins and in the deepest parts of our psyches. Each participant was able to find his or her two lines of ancestors in the form of two skulls. Then we did some bonding and connecting with those spirits in ceremony. It was fabulous and powerful. I feel very blessed that I was able to partake in this ceremony and to provide it for those in my community who were interested in experiencing it.

The skull represents the connection to the crown and third eye chakras. It is a very spiritual image and allows those who are conscious of it to "tap into" realms of consciousness that were experienced by ancestors from way back. That consciousness brings with it challenges and powerful medicines that we can then carry into this time and realm.

I look forward to working with my own skulls and seeing what all they are going to be leading me to remember on a deep genetic level.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Freeze Up Moon

The Freeze Up Moon (October 24-November21) is the moon that brings us the ability to go deep within and to discover the mysteries that lay in wait for us. As it waits, we ripen to the point where we are ready and able to take the journey within. The Snake is the power animal for all those born during this moon. It brings the medicine of shedding the old and birthing the new in life. But as the Snake sheds its skin to birth the new, every nerve end is RAW. So it tries to find a crevice into which to crawl in order to let its skin toughen up a bit before coming back into the world, anew. The Snake is the animal of the Earth Goddess. It is able to crawl deep into her womb and discover the deep, dark mysteries She has for us. Snake people often have a 6th sense about them that helps them to understand life from a much deeper perspective than others do. They are also ultra sensitive and can be offended easily if they are in an out of balance state of being.

The Blessed Thistle is the totem plant for Snake People. It cures a LOT of things, from the common cold to some forms of cancer. It all lies in the application thereof, I am told. Copper and Malachite are the mineral totems. They grow side by side in the earth and serve on a number of levels. Copper helps to ease arthritic aches and pains, as many of those are apparently the result of lack of copper in the system. And malachite helps to bridge the gap between the waking state and the dream time state. So it helps for all sorts of sleep deprivation issues, bringing balance back into the system. Having it beside the bed or under the pillow allows its energy to flow to you when and where it is needed most. Malachite can only be made into an Elixir in its POLISHED form, as the raw malachite will emit toxins into the system.

I look at the Freeze Up Moon as a time of doing the work that is needed in order to let go of all the old "stuff" that has been holding me back, thus freeing me up to embracing the new opportunities in my life.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Success!

So often I have felt like I am such a loser because I don't drive a certain kind of car or live in a certain neighbourhood or wear a certain type of clothing. Thank heavens I have lived long enough to understand that these things in life mean nothing when it comes to what really matters.

People get all caught up in what "success" looks like and forget about what it feels like. The ladder to success is actually a series of steps that serve to assist you on your quest to personal betterment. They do not lead to a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow or the end of a legal hearing or the end of a business merger. They lead to personal betterment and lend support along the way. The stairs can be crooked and bend here and there and really who knows where they end up? The thing is that it is the journey that matters and not the destination.

As I have been climbing these steps myself there are a few things that I have learned. There are, so far as I can tell, four different kinds of success. There is Financial success, whereby one gets himself set up financially to never be in want of anything. This only goes so far really, because money can't buy happiness or health. Indeed some folks who are very wealthy admit to feeling hollow inside because they have nothing to look forward to. It is all right there in the palm of their hands.

There is also Personal success. This is the one where we begin to realize that those little milestones along the way matter and that they create who we are to become in life. I remember learning how to ride my two wheeler bike. My sister was helping me. Before I ever put my foot on the pedals she went over the entire bike with me and explained the mechanisms. Then she had me sit on it and held the seat while, in a stationary position, I learned how to balance on it. Then slowly she walked beside me as I pedalled my way down the lane. Softly she said, "You might doubt that you can do this, but I know that you can and that you will be great at it." Suddenly I was on my way and she was no longer having to support me by holding onto the seat. Yes, I wiped out. And yes, I wiped out numerous times in the course of a lifetime of bicycling. But each time I knew that I would get back on and do better. No mamsy pamsy training wheels for this dood! And so I have carried through my life the knowledge that, just when I may doubt myself, I will succeed. This is a form of Personal Success.

There is also Community success. This happens when one works with others on a project and it comes out successfully. Teamwork is learned in this and also knowing that the team has to have a leader and that everyone will, through teamwork, have others they can lean on when they need assistance with their contribution. A hockey player will not be able to score a goal without an assist at times. So the team needs to be people we can rely upon to do their job and it needs to consist of those who will build us up and encourage us so that we can do our best for the team. Community success is also the type of success that holds reputation. So even though someone in the community may be dirt poor, if they are the one that you should go to for help with your car engine or painting your house because they are the best at it, then that is who you go to. The community has recognized this person's expertise and supports that expertise. Being the best artist does not necessarily mean having your work hung on the walls of a gallery. It could mean that you are wicked talented and share that talent by encouraging up and coming artists as well.  I remember when I was told that I would only be a shaman once the community recognized me as such.  Well, for that to happen I had to first recognize myself as a shaman.  Then it was a few years before I would ever hang a shingle to that effect.  I kept it under wraps.  Then my clients started calling me a shaman.  Then a woman needing shamanic healing showed up at my doorstep and said, "Is this where the shaman lives?" and I had to say, "Yes."  I had developed a reputation simply by doing the work.

Then there is Spiritual success. This type goes way beyond anything that any of the other three can accomplish. Spiritual success allows you the ability to look beyond yourself and see things from a much higher perspective. As you do, you are able to move beyond the duality of "good" and "bad" and find the middle ground of "knowing". This is when the pumpkin head that we all are initially gets its eyes, ears, nose and mouth cut open and has the top of its head opened up and all the pulp taken out to make way for the light of the spirit fire within the lantern that has just been created. And with the light of that lantern within us we are able to shine our light out onto everything and everyone around us.

So next time you are struggling to make a mortgage payment or to pay a utility bill, don't be so hard on yourself. Look at what really matters in your life and give yourself credit for the other forms of success that you have accomplished along your life journey. The mortgage will get paid and the utility bill will get paid. It will all be good. Breathe. Take the next step upward on your journey.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

All We Need To Do Is....Stop!

We've all done it. At one time or another we let our mouths run off and then let something slip that was supposed to be confidential or we accidentally offend someone with the wrong choice of words. It happens. What I wonder about is why it happens?

I have a theory about this one. You see, one of the teachings in shamanism is that we need to use our mouths in proportion to our ears. This not only stops us from saying things we would otherwise not, but it also creates good listeners. It is an indication of a scattered mind if someone constantly interrupts the flow of conversation, regardless of whether the interruption has anything to do with the subject matter at hand or not. It is an even more scattered mind that doesn't allow the conversation to flow in the direction that it is naturally flowing and instead inserts irrelevant things into the otherwise sensible conversation. So a scattered mind needs to insert the self-discipline of two ears to one mouth even more than the calm mind. Sometimes those interruptions are a result of someone actually thinking that they are more important than the conversation or those having the conversation. That narcissistic viewpoint will always, as any narcissist likes, draw the attention back to the narcissist him or herself. So besides the fact that it is downright rude to constantly interrupt and have 10 different conversations at once, it is also self-centred.

I find my tolerance level for such things lessening each day. Maybe this is because I have reached an age where I know that people need to show respect, not just to me but to others and themselves, and maybe it is because there has simply been too many people out there with two mouths and one ear. I have noticed that the two mouths and one ear get folks into trouble daily. Those very same people then wonder why it is that friends and colleagues prefer to spend their time with others. The answer is simple. People tend to like to be with those who respect them enough to listen to what they have to say without interrupting them or changing the conversation. When they don't get that from you, they don't want to be around you.

Have you ever, for example, been on the phone with someone who can't even have a conversation because of all the distractions going on around them in their home? Kids, pets, spouses, ambulances....the list can go on. You find that you are trying to maintain the flow of the conversation when it is obviously NOT the time to be talking with this person. So say goodbye and hang up and call again another time and ask if it is a good time to talk. If it turns out well, it will be. If they say it is but then the distractions continue, say goodbye and hang up.

Or have you ever been on the phone with one person while another is in earshot and calling out to you what to say to the person on the other end of the phone even though they only hear half of the conversation and really don't know at all what is being said and obviously don't care that you are trying to actually hear the person on the other end of the line and their interruptions are preventing that? DRIVES ME CRAZY!! So I leave and go into another room to talk to the person on the phone. The cordless phone is one of the types of modern technology that I soooooo appreciate!

Or have you been trying to tell someone about an event in your day or a conversation that you had and they can't even hear you because they are projecting their view of the conversation verbally into your description of what actually happened or was said? Again, they are making it all about themselves instead of listening to what you are saying. Their responses could easily wait till the end of the story, but no, it has to be all about them and their reactions. Next thing you know, you don't even know where the hell you left off in the sharing because of so many interruptions. For me, this is an indication that the person really doesn't want to know about the event or conversation so, screw it, they don't need to know anymore. You can share it with someone another time who actually has honed their listening skills.

All of this could be avoided if one would simply STOP. Listen to what the person has to say and then respond. Take mental note of what they are saying and the points you want to make when they are done talking and then say each one. Then it will, when you are done, be their turn again. And be conscious of how your words are coming across.  You can't just blurt stuff out that could hurt someone's feelings and then expect them to not respond or, worse, expect them to still like you.  IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY! For example, humour.  Some people think that good humour consists, at times, of putting someone down.  IT DOESN'T.  There are a couple of things about humour that a LOT of people don't know yet.  The first is that it is NOT FUNNY IF YOU ARE THE ONLY ONE LAUGHING.  The second is that good humour LAUGHS WITH SOMEONE, NOT AT SOMEONE.  Admittedly, having grown up in a home where that last one was not understood makes me more sensitive to that than I am to other things.  But this is also something that should be understood simply through the aspect of COMMON COURTESY.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Autumn is Here!

I find there are no other seasons that can match that of Autumn. The colors and the smells and the crunch of leaves under my feet all make me feel like I am "home". Perhaps this stems from growing up in a rural area where I could explore autumn with great delight and get completely lost in the revelry of a nature walk. I think it also, however, appeals to my inner artist. The colors especially are what appeal to me.

Seeing this tree brought forth some interesting feelings while I was out for my walk this morning. When I saw it the first thing that came to mind was a tarot card by Master Osho. The tarot card is called "Friendliness" and in it is a picture of two trees dropping blossoms which are mingling around the base of the two trees. The teachings have to do with staying well-rooted and stable and knowing whose space is whose and allowing a "sharing" that is represented by the mingling blossoms. This tree indeed seemed to me to be quite friendly, although there were no other trees close enough to share the blanket of leaves it had already laid around its base.

So, felling compelled by friendliness, I walked up the the tree and hugged it and told it how much I appreciate its gifts. I could feel the tree sigh. Under the canopy of golden leaves the light changed. Everything became a strange color of gold and green, even my skin color changed! The sun was shining through each leaf, creating a stained glass effect on everything that the light then touched. It was delicious.

Although I am rarely out in the wilderness anymore, I do so appreciate the pockets of nature that the city provides with its parks and walking paths. In another park I had to stop and just listen to the rustling of the Aspen leaves. I could have sworn I heard the voice of the Green Man whispering "I am always with you..."

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Ghost Girl

When I go on my morning walks I usually end up walking through a neighbourhood park that has this little playground in it. The other day as I was walking, I noticed this tire swing swinging all by itself, seemingly. Then as I got closer I noticed that there was a little girl on it. She looked no more than 5 or 6 years of age and perfectly happy, except for one thing....she was dead. This was an apparition of her spirit. Understand that I have been communicating with ghosts all my life. So sometimes there is this thing where they appear as solid as anyone of us living folk. She was pretty solid. She noticed me smiling at her as I walked past. Even though I communicate with ghosts, I like to leave the initial contact to them. Much like when I encounter an animal I leave the lead to them as to whether or not they are going to approach. So I walked past and got about 20 paces or so when suddenly I felt a little hand in mine. At first I thought that someone's child was in the park and mistook me for their dad. But when I looked down I saw the same little ghost girl.

"Cant you take me home?" she asked. I knew that she didn't mean my home. She meant her home. But I also knew that I could not take her to her earthly home without disrupting her home and family. But I could see her into the Light.

"Yes," I said, "I can certainly do that for you."

"Do you know my address?" she asked.

"I don't need to, sweetie," I said, "I can take you to your home in heaven." With that I opened a vortex to the Light in the middle of a small grove of trees and bushes. The Light was very bright and she saw it right away. She looked so excited.

"Will my grandma be there?" she asked, "My mom says she's in heaven."

"I'm sure she will meet you there," I replied. With that she ran into the Light, the vortex closed and she was gone.

I did not ask her who she was or her life's story. I was, after all, on my morning walk and not officially on duty. But this is also why when people ask me how I like being a shaman I tell them that 90% of the work I do I actually don't get paid for because I have no way of billing the Universe. I feel honoured that they come to me for help. I feel honoured that I was chosen to have the gifts that I do. And it humbles me when a little girl ghost, so trustingly, asks me if I can take her home. It brings tears to my eyes that such a young spirit would have walked this earth for such a short time. I know that somewhere out there is a set of parents and possibly siblings who miss this little one. I hope that some day they read this and can know for sure that she is now okay. She is safe and in the Light. I feel no need to track them down to share this event. If the time is right and they are guided, they will find me. It would not be the first time that I have assisted a crossing and later encountered the family members of the one I crossed over. It happens. This is also why I like to avoid hospitals as much as possible and why I like to breathe as much as possible.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http//:www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Ducks Fly Moon

According to the Medicine Wheel teachings, we have, as of September 23rd, entered into the Ducks Fly Moon phase. The medicine of this moon is that of knowing when it is time to pick up and exit stage left. This medicine allows us the ability to pay attention to our inner instincts and migrate to wherever the environment will be more appealing and supportive of our needs.

The Raven is the power animal who adopts all those who are born during the Ducks Fly Moon (Sept. 23-Oct.23). Raven medicine is that of understanding on very deep levels the mysteries of the Void. These mysteries hold deep and powerful magic and intuitive processes. When you encounter a Raven person you will be encountering a person who had deep intuitive insights into you and any situation. When in balance these people can become great "seers" and extremely creative in their communication skills. They make excellent diplomats, writers, and visionaries who strive for justice. When out of balance they can become self-critical and self-destructive.

The Mineral totem for the Ducks Fly Moon is the Jasper, which allows one to be grounded, come from the heart and receive visions. The Plant totem for the Ducks Fly Moon is the Mullein plant, which helps with respiratory disorders (an imbalance from which most born during this moon suffer).

Those born during this moon are included in the Butterfly Clan, which allows one to be aware of various stages of development with a variety of issues all happening at one time. The social butterfly aspect is one that belongs to the butterfly clan and the need to cocoon from aspects of harsh reality helps a butterfly clan person to adjust and adapt and emerge a whole new being.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
https://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

The Night Life

I am really not that good at taking night time photos, so I apologize for the blurriness on this one, the best of what I had to offer. This is my beautiful city at night. At least, this is the way it looks from on the ground. I must admit that most often I see it from above as I am astrally flying over it to other locations. It looks different from the ground. When I am up above it I wonder why anyone like God/dess would be bothered worrying about anything down below considering how small and insignificant it appears. But care S/he does.

Sometimes people ask me what I see when I look at them. It is difficult to explain the appearance of the energy system, a series of colors and lights that appear anything from similar to Aurora Borealis to fireworks. I prefer it when the colors are more settled, like the city at night. Soft hues blend gently into one another and sparkle from pinpoints. Things get reflected back as the energy system assimilates the information around it, thus creating a response that is immediate but not everlasting.

Sometimes I want to wonder the streets at night and just see the city from the perspective of the blanket of darkness. I know that there are many locations that would not be safe to be in at night, but the urge is always there. I feel the thrum of the heartbeat of the city when it is quiet at night. The majority of folks are safe and sound in their snugly beds and the others flit from here to there, barely noticed. I like higher locations to look down from. The top of one of those towers would be great.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

The White Tornado

It usually happens suddenly. Without any warning whatsoever, the White Tornado rips through our lives. There we are, feeling all comfortable, content and secure and suddenly it sets down and runs disaster into all of it, taking away with it all sorts of debris and rubble. This experience is akin to the Spirit of Destruction that I wrote about in my previous entry. Afterwards we are left feeling traumatized and can sometimes be in shock for a LONG time following such an event.

I think that this is what some people may be experiencing around the 9/11 event from 10 years ago. Although I don't think that I would personally attribute that event with the "Spirit of Destruction" as much as with the evil in the hearts of mankind, the after effects can be similar. I think that is why the media won't let go of it. But in dwelling upon it the media is sort of picking at scabs and not allowing them to heal, but instead making them fester and possibly become infected. That is just my opinion on the matter.

It doesn't have to be something as big as 9/11 that is experienced as the White Tornado. It can be something as simple as losing one's job, failing an exam, or the death of a pet. Nonetheless the effect is the same. We can never really compare what one person's pain is with what another person's pain is. Sometimes people bounce back from events quite well. At least initially they can go on functioning. Some, afterwards, find that they are not functioning quite as well as they thought. Those are the ones who really haven't moved on but instead buried the event inside in hopes of just being able to get on with life. It really is hard to say how any of us will respond to the White Tornado when it hits. There usually isn't time to head for the basement.

I had a dream about a tornado last year that was very vivid. Perhaps it is because of growing up in the "tornado alley" of Saskatchewan. But in the dream there was nowhere to run or hide and I told my companions to get onto the ground beneath a willow bush that was there, lay flat and hang onto the base of the bush for dear life. The willow bush laid itself down over us and protected us from being sucked up into the tornado like others had been. There are a LOT of meanings within this dream, only part of which I have shared here with you. What I found particularly interesting about this segment was my personal resourcefulness in the face of such an event. It made me realize that, whether it be in the dream world or in this world, I am an extremely resourceful individual. Perhaps that is part of my Coyote medicine. Coyotes can survive in anything from the wilderness to downtown New York City.

I think that in the face of the White Tornado, whenever and however it hits, we need to draw upon our own personal resourcefulness in order to get through it and heal in the aftermath. And we all need to realize that it is okay to not be okay and that we all need to lean on others now and then to help us get through the rough patches that life has to offer. After all, those rough patches will always be there, waiting for us. So if we can accept our vulnerability and see that as a strength that will help us to heal, the process will be 10 times easier in the long run.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

The Spirit of Destruction

I often have people asking me, "What the heck is with this Spirit of Destruction?" So I thought I would write down a few words regarding this in hopes that I can promote some thought and consideration of the topic. The ancients used to paint images of the Spirit of Destruction on cave walls. These images are powerful and puzzling all at the same time. The Spirit of Destruction does not necessarily "look" the same to everyone. But its job is always for the betterment of the individual and, with a ripple effect, the people in general.

The purpose of the Spirit of Destruction is to destroy negativity. Thus it forces us to address the deepest and darkest recesses of our minds to heal our own destructive natures. We are often plagued by negative emotions and don't know what the heck to do with them. These negative emotions can completely destroy our chances at happiness, joy, contentment and fulfillment. They only serve to undermine our own sense of our true selves. The Spirit of Destruction will, by its own nature, annihilate these negative emotions within us. This thing is (and here's the THING) in order to do so it must help us to see that no emotion can operate without our own personal consent. So it forces us to look at truths about ourselves that are uncomfortable and frightening, things that we really don't want to have to look at, but if left unchecked will successfully ruin our lives. Sometimes in the process of this healing we feel like we have experienced violence of some unexplainable form. This is because the violent healing is happening and it is something that rocks us to the core. Afterward, however, we are also left with a soothing sense of peace and calm. I think of this as sort of the calm after the violent storm.

Every culture, and in fact every individual, has its own version of the Spirit of Destruction. Each is scary and downright frightening in and of itself, but each also represents that amazingly powerful force of the Divine that refuses to allow us to lollygag along and have no care in the world for what our own negativity is creating. So, essentially, it gives us an ethereal kick in the butt.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Don't be Alarmed!

You can't see it, but it's there. It has a way of hiding away just long enough to catch you by surprise. Just when you think that it is safe to completely relax, it rears its ugly head and screams at you. It is....the much feared and hated....ALARM CLOCK! It is on the bedside table, just behind the pillows, on the left side.

I am one who likes to wake up naturally. I am also one who normally will wake up no later than 7:30, so morning rituals are easy for me. But when, at 6:15, the alarm clock comes on with the radio talk/music, I find that the first reaction to morning is something along the lines of scrambling to shut the darn thing off as quickly as possible while muttering profanities and immediately trying to get back to sleep for a few more precious minutes. My Love and I switch sides of the bed every week (a healthy thing to do), so when I am on the right side of the bed and the alarm sounds and she is not waking up within a half second to turn it off, I find myself scrambling over top of her to hit the off switch. Of course, scrambling over top of her can have its benefits, but that is not the purpose of the scramble in the first place.

So why, when I dislike alarm clocks so much, is one even set? Did I mention my Love? She has to be at dialysis by just after 7 in the morning 3 days a week, and at work by 8 in the morning 2 days a week. I don't need to be to work till 10 (a delicious plot set out by myself with complete awareness of the benefits of being self-employed!) Needless to say, I LOVE weekend mornings when the alarm does not have to be on at all. Mind you, those are the mornings when, sometimes, some idiot will call you up at 6:30 having dialed the wrong number in a still drunken state from the night before. Well, at least that doesn't happen all that often, but it has happened now and then. Oh, to have the power to zap those idgits through the telephone receiver!

I am looking forward to tomorrow (Saturday) when I can sleep peacefully till 7:30. That, for me, is SLEEPING IN! Can you believe it?!

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Idgits Everywhere

I don't think that the photo has anything to do with the text. However, you never know what may be inspired, so just keep referring back to it, just in case. I like to have a photo at the top of each blog entry. It gives me something nice to look at while I am typing away.

Okay, so there are some people who will do some pretty silly things. Whether it is ignoring your presence when you are standing right there in front of them and thinking that they can look right through you and you won't even notice, or whether it is dining with you and continually critiquing the meal that has been served because they know so much better how it should be prepared or have eaten something that tasted soooo much better elsewhere, or whether it is simply speaking rudely to someone that they think they have power over just because they think they can get away with it, all of this falls into a special category according to the Book of Trent. That category is the one of "Social Retard".

Yes, I said it. Retard, Retard, RETARD! The Social Retard is the one who hasn't a clue about how rude, stupid or disrespectful he or she is being while being it. Social graces? No a chance! Just go ahead and hork up that wad of phlegm at the dinner table, and spit it into the same bucket that you spat your tobacco into a minute before. Go ahead, pick your nose at the red light and then touch the steering wheel once again. Oh, and my personal techno-age favourite.....go ahead and text someone else while sitting across the dinner table from me. Just go ahead....you SOCIAL RETARD!

Now, I know that Retard is not a politically correct term. But I am not talking about mentally challenged individuals here. I am talking about "normal" folks who should freakin' know better and have no excuse except for the fact that they are inept at social graces. These people aggravate me to no end. I know that I have no control over their actions, but their actions are also setting an example for generations to come. Any time I have an opportunity to correct a social retard, I will. That is my privilege seeing as how I am now in the age category where I can be referred to as an "old fart". So I won't put up with teens who think that on the street or in the mall they can "look beyond you" and not make way. Nope. I will PLOW RIGHT THROUGH THEM! Or I will stand in place and let them make their way around me. YOU WANNA PLAY CHICKEN BUDDY? WELL MY ENERGY IS MUCH BIGGER THAN YOURS, SO GO AHEAD AND MAKE MY DAY!

Although some who fall into the category of "Social Retard" are able to learn better and make necessary social adjustments, most are too stupid to even get a clue that they need to. So lead implants to the temporal lobe is the final solution. Not that I am suggesting anyone go to those extremes....I'm just sayin'.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Sunflower Season

It is indeed Sunflower Season. This is the time when the sunflowers are all in bloom and tracking the sun across the sky. This photo is of a rather short one that I grew last year. This year, the giants are around 16 feet high. The enormous heads on them are so large that they threaten to bend the entire stem over. I have them anchored to my fence, hoping that as the tree sized flowers lean they won't take my fence with them!

Sunflower medicine is that of the Divine Masculine. It watches over us with bright anticipation and shines beams of yellow toward anyone who gazes upon them. The spirals of the centre of the blossom guide the bees and wasps in towards the nectar of the plant, just as the stripes on the floor of a casino guide the attendees towards the blackjack table!

Although I love the sunflowers, I must admit that I do not love the wasps. They are in abundance this year. Between the sunflowers and the hollyhocks, the wasps have pleanty to keep them busy. But they can also be annoying. Try eating a meal outside these days....impossible. There must be some sort of spell to rid one of these pesky kritters, but I have not yet discovered one that works. In the meantime, I am just reminding myself to not wear any brightly colored shirts, which the wasps also enjoy. YIKES!

Blessed Be
Trent
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Risk

I have discovered something about old time war and world domination....my 11 year old nephew is totally into conquering the world and my 7 year old niece is totally into being the queen and telling him where to move his men. How did I discover this? The game RISK. Now you have to understand that I am soooo not into war games. Even when I was in the military, briefly, and was very good at it, I did not like it at all. So this board game could not be too bad, right?

As it turns out, one should never, NEVER, begin a new board game at 9:30 at night. Your defences are low to begin with, everyone's voice is louder because you are tired from the 14 hour day you have already put in, and you miss the treachery that is in the minds of children in lieu of the cuteness factor they exhibit on the outside. Needless to say, I lost old Alberta and could barely hold onto South Africa and Madagascar. What is the world coming to?! I was so desperate to stay on the board that I almost declared war on my Allie! Then I remembered she was my Allie and could not, in good conscience, do that.

Isn't it funny how a board game can teach us about life? We can get totally snowed by those who look "cute" and completely compromise our better judgement. We can be blind to the hidden agendas people have because they are so pretty, or rich, or popular. We can become desperate to the point of lashing out at those who support us, and, when fatigued, we sometimes need to be reminded of who those people are before we wreck our existing relationship.

So, believe it or not, I recommend the board game, RISK. I just don't recommend that you begin to learn the game at 9:30 at night.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Men are from Mars

I absolutely LOVE this photo, by my friend, Gail Fulkerson. It brings to mind a few things. The first is that there is that expression, "Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus." I find a lot of times that the message in this expression is very true. Although equal, men and women simply are different. Not just biologically different, but psychologically different as well. It all stems back to how we were hard wired in primordia in order to survive. Now in our "refined" ways, that hard wiring still exists. We communicate so completely differently at times and wonder what the heck went wrong when the other freaks out on us. Let's face it....it happens. And much of it is because of the way we were hard wired millenia ago.

The other thing that this photo evokes is the awareness that if we constantly wear a frown we are always going to end up being parched, dried out.......lifeless. Our emotions belong to the water element. When we flow with our emotions we allow the water to saturate our beings and replenish our souls. We become vibrant and radiant. We become the epitome of the lush, rich soil of Gaia.

The third thing that this photo inspires is the awareness that we all need the light and the shadow aspects of our lives in order to become whole. Without the shadow part (that which most folks are afraid of and fight against) we would not be able to fully appreciate the Light part. Without the Light, we would also become oblivious to the shadow. Each is needed in balance with one another in order to allow ourselves to fully become the beautiful portrait of our lives that we were each meant to be.

The more we relax into life, the more we enjoy the richness of all the experiences it has to offer.

Blessed Be
Trent
http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn
www.deerhornshamanic.com