Reflections from the Shaman's Hut

Sea Horse Medicine

2012-02-03T12:05:00.001-06:00

It is a gift and a curse....Sea Horse Medicine. On the one hand it allows you to get over stereotypicl roles that you are often subjected to in Western Culture, or ANY culture for that matter. On the other hand, it means that you have now twice as much to respond to in your day. For example, in the family of origin from which I come, if there were dirty dishes in the sink my mom was the one who would wash them....until we kids could help with that. If there was a tractor that needed to be used, my dad would do that. When Sea Horse Medicine is in your energy field, it doesn't really matter what needs to be done, if you are the one who sees it then you are the one who responds to it. I think my mother also had Sea Horse Medicine. She is the one who taught me how to cook, clean and do laundry so that I would NEVER be "co-dependent upon any woman to take care of me on basic levels". She was very forward thinking. Or perhaps she thought that instead of getting yet another daughter-in-law she would have better chances of getting another son-in-law! I don't know. I do remember punching a guy once when, as I cleared the dinner table, he said that I would make someone a very good housewife some day. He deserved that punch. Sphincter muscle!

This Sea Horse Medicine has, over time, gotten me into trouble. When I see something that needs to be done and I have a moment to do it....IT JUST GETS DONE. What that does, I have discovered, is it enables others around me to sit on their butts and DO NOTHING. This is extremely frustrating when a household can only run efficiently if all the members of the household work as a team. When the other team members are being lazy asses and don't participate, then there is a HUGE imbalance in the household and the one team member who is doing EVERYTHING is gonna get tired and bitchy and eventually break.

Now I think it is important to understand that I do not have a "Martha Stewart" anal retentiveness about my home. I do, however, have a standard of cleanliness that is healthy and I don't like stuff to become grungy or cluttered. So when someone else's standards are obviously MUCH LOWER than my own, it becomes a problem. Damn that Sea Horse Medicine!

I really am the type who likes to be involved with my kids (Sea Horse), keep a tidy house (Sea Horse), do what needs to be done (Sea Horse) and still have some time to play (Sea Horse mixed with Otter). I think perhaps I need to adopt the Sea Horse mixed with Otter attitude and just stop all the cleaning and laundry and stuff that I always do and just play........ Ya.....like THAT would last more than a day or two! LOL! Perhaps in circumstances where the rest of the team is not doing their part, I should simply join a different team....hmmmm.....does that mean my mother's unconscious wish would come true??? *head shaking here* I don't know anymore! LOL

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

A Time to Rest and Cleanse

2012-02-03T11:44:00.001-06:00

A while back (January 20th) we entered the Rest and Cleansing Moon. This is one of my favorite moon phases around the medicine wheel because, in addition to my birthday falling in that moon phase, it promotes rest, cleansing, and preparation for what is to come. Is it any wonder that the Pagan holy day Imbolc is also during this moon (February 2nd....NOT stupid Groundhog Day....sheesh)? Imbolc celebrates the first stirrings of the seeds deep inside the earth that will sprout and become vibrant plant life in the spring. As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, this is my spa. I LOVE being able to slip into the warm water (kept at body temperature by the heater in the tub....ahhh), relax, cleanse, meditate and chant to my heart's content. This, in addition to my tanning time, is a place where it is all about ME and my needs. No one else's problems enter my spa. No one else's demands enter my spa. No one else enters my spa. This is MY TIME. Sometimes we have to be very strong in declaring "MY TIME" moments. It is way too easy to allow others needs and demands to overwhelm us. But allowing them to overwhelm us makes us that much more in need of "MY TIME".

To put it frankly...when I am in my spa..... I really don't give a shit about anything else or anyone else in the whole world. I like that.

Everyone needs moments like that. When you work in a care giving field like I do and have a partner with health issues like I do, it becomes that much more important to, now and then, at least 2-3 times a week (just sayin') not give a shit.

Today I utilized crystals in the water to charge the molecules of the water and thus of myself. It was delicious! The candle light and the incense added that deeply relaxing and spiritual touch that I was so wanting, and a visit from one of my Spirit Guide who helped me to recharge my heart and third eye chakras was greatly appreciated.

Ahhhh....

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

Face Lift

2012-02-01T09:11:00.001-06:00

Yes, I know. Most plastic surgeons would tell me I need one. But seriously, our bathroom needed one more! So we had a new vanity and cupboard put in and then I went to town painting it. At first, the camel color was a Tuscany yellow. Well, although on the pallet it looked great with the burgundy red, when you walked into the bathroom and turned on the light the yellow color basically fried the retinas! So we tamed it down to the camel color. That was some very expensive primer, that yellow. It looks MARVELOUS! Both my Love and I find ourselves just going into the bathroom to just stand there and enjoy it.....frequently. And if by chance we happen to actually need to USE the bathroom, all the better because we then get to spend even more time in there! For that reason we have decided that we are going to continue this color scheme throughout the rest of the house. In comparison to the taupe/green that the former owners put in, this will certainly warm up the environment. AND when people are peeking in our front window as they pass by (and the DO do that! Could be because someone saw me streaking around my house at some point because I DO do THAT now and then) it will have much better street appeal!

I have discovered that painting a small bathroom is not easy. I am six foot three. There are so many twists and turns and crouches and stretches involved that by the time I was done with the trim I was almost too exhausted to do the rolling! And have you ever tried to paint between a vanity top and a mirror while working behind a faucet? YIKES! I just ended up breathing, brushing and wiping whatever got on whatever it wasn't supposed to get on. This would have been a much easier job when the room was basically empty, but I didn't have the time when the handyman was here doing the work, so I had to paint once everything was installed.

I have also learned that finding a shower curtain to match this color scheme is a bit of a task. We finally found a plastic one with all the colors in it. Fortunately it was el-cheapo and can be replaced easily if it falls apart. In the meantime, we will allow more time to all the stores to get their new stock in so that there is actually some selection when it comes to fabric washable shower curtains! Aquarians are always ahead of our time, I suppose! sigh.

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

Ernesto

2012-01-26T11:45:00.001-06:00

This is the neck/back massage device that my neice gave me for Christmas. It is a gift that I have chosen to name "Ernesto". Why? Well, first off I think that it is important to name all the things that make our lives easier. For example, the dishwasher is named "Mabel" and the car is named "Saphira". This shows the devices our appreciation. Yes, I also name my fish when I have fish in a tank. I don't currently have fish, but when I do they get a name. Be it animate objects or inanimate objects, they get a name. They all have energy to them and so they have consciousness to them, even if we are not fully aware of their consciousness. My Love's oxygen tank is named "O2D2". This name is because it is an oxygen (O2) tank that she or I drag (D2) to this place and that. Fortunately O2D2 is not going to be in our house for very long at all. But back to Ernesto (this is pronounced with a definite Spanish accent).

You see the smile on my face? This is the smile of someone who has just discovered that there is this thing that he now posesses that gives the most luscious feeling as it does its work. Holding the straps on the front, one can easily move this device up and down the back with a variety of massage intensities and speeds. OOOOOOH, Ernesto! I have actually admitted to having a love affair with Ernesto. I was going to give him a feminine name, but decided that would not be appropriate, regardless of the bromance I have with him.

Here's the thing. Shovel snow = Time with Ernesto. Lift heavy object = time with Ernesto. Sleep wrong and twist my back/neck = time with Ernesto. In fact, most mornings as soon as I wake up I have a session with Ernesto. So to me he has to have a masculine name. Mostly this is because I don't know any woman who would pound me from behind upon waking in the morning and make me love her so much that I don't even mind sharing her with others if they choose. I know he will always come back to ME. And I will bend over and allow him to pound me from behind yet again. In fact I will moan and groan and show my appreciation for his actions simply by turning him on. This is an entirely lucivious relationship. But it is also an open relationship. I do share him because I think it would be a cryin' shame to keep his talents secret or to keep them only to me. Yes, I am in love with Ernesto. And, this one and only time, I will admit to being in love with a masculine energy. OOOOOH, Ernesto! Thank you!

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

Soft Voice

2012-01-25T11:18:00.001-06:00

Most people tell me that I have a "soft voice". That is why I do so well in talking people through meditations. I have, however, always been unimpressed with my voice. It has always seemed to me to be a wee bit less than what I would want in a man's voice. I like deeper, more baritone voices. Me: soft and tenor. That has always equated to "weak", which is part of what people intuitively pick up on as being "pushable" and so often will think that they can get away with whatever because they think that I can be bullied.

Here's the thing...I am a very peaceful man. I have, however, learned that if one tries to push me around and step on my toes, I usually pull out a blade to slit a throat (Figuratively speaking, of course). While the blade comes out, I also suddenly have a booming voice. Why that voice can't be there all the time in a nice deep baritone I don't know. So I guess smooth rocks and candle light is the way my voice is on average and then avalanches and forest fires is how it goes when I am irked.

My voice in the morning, however, is, shall we say, seeeeeeeeeexy! Deep, gravelly and full of all the erotic innuendos that any romance novel can describe. That is why I only create my phone message manager announcements IN THE MORNING! I wouldn't want anyone calling for the first time to hear a wispy voice and expect that THAT would be who would help them on their healing journey! Nope. People like to feel confidence around them and within them. So if you phone me and hear a voice that you don't recognize as mine, that is why. It is just good public relations.....and manipulation of the media with which I am working! LOL!

Blessed Be

Trent

www.deerhornshamanic.com

http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-23T09:01:00.001-06:00

According to some, the Dragon is a creature of myth and legend. However, having seen a few up close and personal ("Dragons in the Mist" and "Dragons in Our Midst") I have to say that they are not all that "mythical" at all. They are, however, a sign of power and good fortune. Many cultures, including Oriental cultures, regard the dragon as a divine beast. Westerners tend to think of it as a monster (oh, those Westerners!) and would slay them. I prefer the Eastern philosophy that they are the deliverers of good fortune and a master of authority. According to this philosophy, people born in Dragon years are to be honored and respected. I actually think that this is true of anyone born in any year, but that is just me.

According to a site I found on Google regarding the Sign of the Dragon:

The key to the Dragon personality is that Dragons are the free spirits of the Zodiac. Conformation is a Dragon's curse. Rules and regulations are made for other people. Restrictions blow out the creative spark that is ready to flame into life. Dragons must be free and uninhibited. The Dragon is a beautiful creature, colorful and flamboyant. An extroverted bundle of energy, gifted and utterly irrepressible, everything Dragons do is on a grand scale - big ideas, ornate gestures, extreme ambitions. However, this behavior is natural and isn't meant for show. Because they are confident, fearless in the face of challenge, they are almost inevitably successful. Dragons usually make it to the top. However, dragon people be aware of their natures. Too much enthusiasm can leave them tired and unfulfilled. Even though they are willing to aid when necessary, their pride can often impede them from accepting the same kind of help from others. Dragons' generous personalities give them the ability to attract friends, but they can be rather solitary people at heart. A Dragon's self-sufficiency can mean that he or she has no need for close bonds with other people.

The year of the Dragon is a year of success and spirit driven change. Is it any wonder that it just so happened to arrive during the year 2012?

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

Year of the Dragon

2012-01-20T15:11:00.001-06:00

According to the Chinese calendar, we are, on the 23rd of January, entering into the Year of the Dragon. I found this photo on Google and thought to myself, "Self," I said, and I knew it was me because I recognized my voice, "This is the Chinese Year of the Dragon AND it is 2012, the official beginning of the Age of Aquarius and the beginning of the Divine Feminine Consciousness....so this photo is PERFECT for your blog!" And I agreed with myself about that. So there it is. Two lovely dragons are joining together, forming the symbol of the heart. Cosmic dust forms a ring around them and Universal Light radiates just behind them, giving the illusion of it emanating from where their heads join. Wow...that was poetic! Sometimes I am really good at this writing thing!

2012 is NOT the end of the world. So let's give that a rest, shall we? Okay, now that that has been set straight, I just want to say that 2012 IS the end of the world, AS WE KNOW IT. This is the time when we get ourselves as a mass consciousness out of our heads and back into our hearts. No more privileged 1%. It is now the time when the masses are recognizing their own sovereignty and their individual divinity, and that of others. This is an EXCITING time! It is not a FEARFUL time. Why do so many turn to fear? From the beginning of time the world has been "going to END!"....yet we are still here. The planet has not blown up. The earth has not opened up and swallowed us whole. Meteors have not bludgeoned us from the heavens. Lightning bolts have not struck us dead (although one almost did that to me years ago....my ears are still ringing...). Angels have not descended upon us with fiery swords to strike us down where we stand. Demons have not emerged and taken over our planet, making us their minions to control and manipulate (oh, wait a minute...Wall street..... hmmm.). Nonetheless, WE ARE STILL HERE!

I think that it is important for all of us, and each of us, as a people, to STOP FEAR MONGERING OUR KIND! Open to the JOY! Open to the LIGHT! Open our hearts and allow ourselves to be LOVED! Allow ourselves to have compassion for our fellow human beings and allow ourselves to open our hearts to these fellow human beings. And while we are at it, how about we take the ear buds out, stop tuning out our friends, family and world at large, shut off our stupid iphones and stop texting others while we are physically with someone else, and start paying ATTENTION TO WHAT IS GOING ON AROUND US RIGHT HERE AND RIGHT NOW?????!!!!! Good LORD! How are we supposed to CONNECT with others when we are freakin' ignoring them?? That is just stupid.

A lot of people have been telling me that they have been noticing things moving out of the corners of their eyes. I am here to tell you, "WELCOME TO MY WORLD!" YES! There are others around us all the time. Yes, we can communicate with them. But we can't connect if we are tuned out. Stop fearing them. Start allowing communion to happen with them. They have a LOT to share with you, with us as a people. It is time we opened ourselves to their presence and stopped trying to say that we or anyone else who notices them are just having a mental breakdown. Do you think they JUST ARRIVED??? If so, give your head a shake. They have been here for a very LONG time. Those of us who are sensitives have known that for eons. But now, NOW, the veils are thinning. The more we allow our own consciousness to perceive them, the more of us WILL perceive them. This is the state of AWAKENING. It is not to be feared. It is to be embraced. With love and trust comes growth. That is one of the universal laws. So allow yourself to grow. Don't fight it anymore. That only creates pain. There is no point to that. Simply allow. It is safe to do so...

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

Baby It's Cold Out There!

2012-01-17T21:24:00.001-06:00

Wow! That was a cold one! This photo, taken and face book shared by Shumon Khan, says it all really. So icy cold that steam rises from EVERYTHING in sight. I know that I am a Saskatchewan man, but when it goes from -10 last week to -38 this week it is a wee bit much to take. Yesterday the windows on my car froze up. This would not be a problem if I was not at the Tim Horton's Drive Thru window. I had to step out into that bitter cold to pay for the coffee. So last night I turned the furnace in the garage on (something I only ever do for workshops and drum circle gatherings) and left it on overnight. This morning it had dropped to -38 and the garage was still only at +14. Wow! I had it set for +21. Well, at least the car thawed out. Tomorrow, when it warms up to a whopping -27 I will turn the furnace off, but for now it is set for +11.

I actually ended up cancelling my tanning appointment this morning. I figured that whatever tan I would get in 10-20 minutes would freeze off in 30 seconds, so what's the use in even going outside? Then I saw the most horrible thing.....the snow blew in on my driveway. I had to go out to clean it off for foot and car traffic. Ugh. That, I must say, was the FASTEST I HAVE EVER CLEANED THAT DRIVEWAY/SIDEWALK OFF IN THE THREE YEARS WE HAVE LIVED HERE! But when I got back inside, bundled up as I was, it still took another hour for me to be able to find my scrotum! At least I know that this particular function of the male body still works....LOL!

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

Designed by the Devil

2012-01-13T12:11:00.002-06:00

This little device is called a Perplexus. It is a three dimensional maze that you have to turn all around while balancing a ball bearing on the maze floor. The object: to get the ball from #1 to #100. It is addictive. Fortunately, if you find that you wipe out at number 30, you can start just before number 27 and continue on. The same is true for, I think, number 63. When I found this game at Cole's Books I had to buy one for myself. Then I went back and bought the rest of them and gave one to several people at Christmas. My niece, whose 11 year old son is full of energy and intensity, says that she is so glad I gave her that thing because she can now go for hours without hearing a word from her son because he is so intensely working with the perplexus. By the way, he made it to number 100! That is what the photo is of. I thought that I had made it to #99, but he generously pointed out to me that that was only #66 because of the lines under the numbers. DARNIT!!!!

It was the morning of December 27th when I came downstairs to the family room to find him focused deeply on the game. I made hot chocolate for him and his sister (once she joined us) and we sat there quietly talking about stuff while he worked the game. His sister wanted a turn and he said she could have one as soon as he was done. She looked a bit disappointed (like she knew it would take FOREVER for him to be "done" with it), so I said, "Tell ya what....I can bring mine out but you can't get the two of them mixed up." So he asked, "Is yours DIFFERENT?" I said, "No, they are identical." So he asked, "Then what's the difference?" to which I replied, as any fan of the character of Sheldon on Big Bang Theory would do, "The difference is that one is YOURS and the other is MINE." I had a really hard time keeping a straight face when he looked up at me from the perplexus game with a "WTF????" look on his face. So, in the tradition of Sheldon himself, I brought mine out with a stick on star on it to differentiate the two games, one from the other, while singing, "A star! A star! Shining in the Night, just to show you that THIS ONE IS MINE!" They giggled and were off to the races with the games.

Yes, I do like to mess with the minds of children. Like when my Love's cousin was in town with her kids. The youngest came up to me and said, "Um, what's your name?" This after having hugged me just under an hour ago when they arrived. So I said, "Dude....you hugged me and you didn't even know my name?" His eyes got big and he said, "Well, my mom told me to." To this I said, "Dude...do you do EVERYTHING your mom tells you to?" and he said, "Well, no. Not really." So I smiled and said, "Good. Then you and I are going to get along just fine." He smiled the biggest smile I have ever seen on a five year old. Seriously, who really expects their child to do EVERYTHING they tell them to do? I think a wee bit of rebellion is healthy in any parent/child relationship, especially in the parent/child relationships that are not my own. It serves to keep everyone on their toes.

You got it. The perplexus is not the ONLY thing that was designed by the Devil! Mwahahahaha!

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

Boxing Day

2012-01-13T11:50:00.001-06:00

Okay, so y'all know I live in Saskatchewan, right? So where the heck is the snow at Christmas time? This was taken on Boxing Day. Normally on either side of me would be four foot snowbanks. I would not be in sock feet or even entertain wearing a Hawaiian shirt. I would be in a down filled parka, ski pants and snow boots, with a toque on my bean and leather mitts on my paws. I think that this thing called "Global Warming" just may be happening. Today is the 13th of January and just yesterday we finally had a skiff of snow. Although I used my shovel to clean off my driveway and walkway for clients, I really could have done it with a broom. Don't get me wrong. I like warm, mild winters. But I like them with SNOW. Somehow the white stuff just makes everything lighter and brighter for the darkest part of our seasons.

So, now that December and January are this way, I am actually quite frightened about how March is going to be......

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

Ellis Hall

2012-01-06T21:38:00.001-06:00

Spooky picture eh? This was taken in the tunnel that leads from Ellis Hall to the Royal University Hospital in Saskatoon. But let me give you a bit of history here...

According to my sources (Google and a good friend) Ellis Hall was designed and built as part of the University's Medical Complex that included the Medical College Building and the University Hospital. As with the other two buildings, it was clad in locally quarried greystone. Opened in January of 1956, the Hall was designed by Webster and Gilbert to meet the needs of the 275 students in the School of Nursing who would study on campus, work in the hospital and live in residence. With the opening of the University Hospital in 1954, a basic 3-year diploma program was established aimed at producing bedside nurses. Board and room, laundry and uniforms were provided without charge. In addition an allowance of six, eight and ten dollars per month for first, second and third years respectively was granted. The Hall was named after Kathleen Ellis, who served from 1938 to 1950 as the School of Nursing's first director. It has the distinction of being the only building on campus named in honour of a woman. Today Ellis Hall is linked by a walkway to the 1979 Hospital Addition and is still home to the College of Nursing.

So, the photo was taken by a might worker (maintenance worker from what I have heard). As he was walking through the tunnel, he had an odd feeling. He took this picture on his cell phone in the autumn of 2011. That pink thing at the bottom left is his finger. When some look at this photo they think it must be "doctored" (pardon the pun) in some way. But energetically this photo gives off the distinct vibe of a "ghost in the house." In the far back you can also see some shapes lying on the floor. Some think they look like dead bodies. I don't know what these actually are. But I do think that the ghost is an actual apparition.

What does she want? Who knows? Why is she there? Don't know that either. I have not had opportunity to talk with her in person. But what I do know is that when I was attending the University of Saskatchewan I did have a few encounters of my own that were at best quite weird, and at worst, downright scary. So it doesn't surprise me that something was found here in Ellis Hall. Frankly, after years and years and YEARS of seeing and talking with the dead, I am just glad that this time someone ELSE got to have that wee experience instead of me. I am also glad that this one was caught in a photograph. That brings it home to those who may scoff at the experience. So congratulations, Mr. Maintenance Worker! Oh, and WELCOME TO MY WORLD!

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

Home Spa

2012-01-03T12:20:00.001-06:00

I love things that are serene. To me this photo is indicative of those aspects of serenity. The flames of the candles represent the Spirit, the stones are the groundedness of the earth element, the metal container is the sleek peacefulness of the experience, and the darkened room is the Divine Feminine in action all around us. Ahhhhh......

Although this photo is not from my home, I do have a home spa. A nice large jet tub with lots of plants and stones and candles around it with a bathroom that is decorated in an underwater theme. When I run the water in the tub (the only one in years in which I have been able to be completely covered by the water!) I sprinkle in Baking Soda and Sea Salt. Then I pour in a few ounces of Holy Water and then add the Shaman Sphere to the mix. The Shaman Sphere brings harmony into any environment. Then I light a candle and incense, turn off the lights and immerse myself in the luxurious experience of the warm, healing waters of the home spa. You would think that with this available at my fingertips every day I would dive into that experience more frequently than I do. I allow myself 2-3 times a week for this. Any more and my water bill would skyrocket! The tub also has temperature control, which is nice because it keeps the water at body temperature for as long as that switch is on. So although the water will cool down slowly, it doesn't go lower than the temperature of my body. This is magnificent! Ahhhhh....

While I am in the spa tub, I will meditate, contemplate, pray and chant and do all sorts of fun stuff. Whatever spirit moves me to do is how it will roll. This is MY TIME and it lasts as long as I like and I can do and express whatever I wish. It always feels so much better when I am done. Even if my day has been beautiful in the first place, I still feel even BETTER.

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

Responses...

2011-12-26T22:40:00.000-06:00

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

2011-12-25T20:32:00.001-06:00

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...

2011-12-22T16:02:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-12-18T12:51:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-16T15:46:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-12-12T20:56:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-09T21:05:00.001-06:00

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

2011-12-09T20:59:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-12-06T20:28:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-19T08:57:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-14T21:18:00.001-06:00

"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

2011-11-09T16:05:00.001-06:00

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

2011-11-02T12:34:00.001-06:00

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

2011-10-31T19:03:00.001-06:00

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

2011-10-27T11:24:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-10-05T15:51:00.001-06:00

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

2011-10-05T11:49:00.001-06:00

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

2011-10-05T11:47:00.000-06:00

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!

2011-10-02T21:52:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-27T20:47:00.002-06:00

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

2011-09-24T13:00:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-15T15:47:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-12T12:05:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-10T10:18:00.001-06:00

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!

2011-09-09T07:58:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-07T14:58:00.001-06:00

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

2011-09-03T19:32:00.001-06:00

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

2011-08-29T07:35:00.002-06:00

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

2011-08-28T13:41:00.002-06:00

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

We are not alone....

2011-08-27T10:51:00.001-06:00

Some think that I am nutso because I think that the Universe is too vast to not have in it other sentient beings. Some of those beings, I am sure, have the ability to travel here. Why they would want to is still a mystery. Why would any race be interested in a Universal little island that is riddled with tribal warfare? Nonetheless, many encounters are still reported annually. This photo was taken in a rural area east of my fair city. It is not doctored in any way, other than that I enhanced the color quality so that the image could be more clearly seen. So what is it that was making the dogs on the property go completely squirly? It looks humanoid, but not human. Where is this being from? How did it get here? What does it want? Why could the person not see it until a photograph was taken? Why could the dogs see it and not him? Questions upon questions upon questions.

Whether it is from a distant galaxy or from some other dimension, it exists. I have personally seen and interacted with such beings over the course of my almost 50 years. I guess it never really occurred to me at first that they might be dangerous. The first ones that I encountered were quite friendly. Other ones, later, were not. But like humans, we can't paint them all with one broad brush and expect any particular truth to come out. I only know my own personal experiences. And I am not itching to tell anyone who comes along. That is why I find it a little unnerving to even share this with my readers. I don't want to be bombarded with millions of questions, as though I would even have any answers. I just want to bring to light the fact that we are not alone. I don't know the ramifications of that. I tend to be more trusting than suspicious. So I am, for now, perfectly comfortable with the fact that we are not alone. I am also thrilled that we may be able to, in the near future, communicate with them more clearly, interact with them on a daily basis, and maybe even (who knows?) intermingle with them on a more intimate level.

I also wonder if they are not just us in a far distant future form? Maybe they are travelling back in time to help our planet somehow. Maybe they each have personal genetic issues that need to be resolved and so they are doing a family tree research project. There are so many possibilities. I do think that we need to change our "go to" response from one of fear to one of inquiry. That way we may discover some things that would otherwise remain hidden. I don't think that just anyone who comes along is trustworthy. Please don't get me wrong there. But I do think that we can offer anyone the benefit of the doubt until they prove themselves unworthy. I also think that it is important to have all interactions in the light instead of in the shadows of existence. Why hide from us? What advantage do you seek and why would you need one? These are things that I would ask about.

So if you were to suddenly encounter an intergalactic or inter dimensional being....what would you ask?

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

Harvest Moon

2011-08-25T14:55:00.001-06:00

Okay, so I think this might actually be a Grizzly Bear, but it is brown and a bear, so for now I am just calling it Brown Bear for the sake of discussion. Now that everyone can join in on my little delusional reality, here we go.

We have just entered what, according to the Medicine Wheel, is the Harvest Moon. This is the moon whose energy medicine is that of "reaping what we sow". The power animal that adopts those born during this moon (August 23 - September 22) is the Brown Bear. "Ahhh," you say, "that is what he is jabbering about in regards to the photo!" and you would be correct. The Brown Bear brings to those it has adopted the medicine of Strength, Introspection and Transformation. It is considered by some to be the Leader of the Medicine Wheel. Brown Bear people, when in balance, are very reflective sorts who take into consideration what is best for everyone instead of bending to pressure from individual agendas. They are protective of those who are weak or less fortunate and tend to be caring individuals with big hearts. They like their sleep and benefit from it tremendously, like the bear does when hibernating. Dreams can be very insightful for Brown Bear people. What frustrates most other people is that a Brown Bear person cannot be rushed into anything. So you might as well set the car keys down on the table, pour yourself a large cup of coffee and just wait till they are ready to head out the door. If you don't you will simply find yourself in a perpetual state of frustration, which is a gross waste of energy.

The Totem Mineral for Brown Bear people is the Amethyst. This member of the Quartz family helps to access the Third Eye chakra (the inner cave) and create intense insights. It also helps to balance the dream time for those who have difficulty accessing it. The Plant Totem for Brown Bear people is the Violet, the petals of which hold properties that, when made into a light tea, balances the endocrine system. Brown Bear People also belong to the Turtle Clan, which is the Earth Element. Thus they are slow to change, but do things extremely thoroughly when they undertake a project.

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

Wicked

2011-08-16T14:52:00.001-06:00

I took my Love and my eldest daughter to Wicked on Sunday. This is a photo of the set, which in and of itself was spectacular. Pieces moved and the dragon had red glowing eyes and blew smoke out its nostrils etc. The costuming was superb, the songs were fantastic and the acting was phenomenal! There is not one thing that I could criticise Wicked for, as a production, other than that I wanted it to go on and on when it had to come to an end. It was AMAZING! I would highly recommend this production for anyone who is wanting to see absolutely excellent modern musical productions.

I loved the way it wrapped the story of The Wizzard of Oz into it. Wicked is the prequil to The Wizard of Oz. It is the story of the "Wicked Witch", Elphaba, and how she became so and why. It was funny, moving, and magical. Seriously, it takes a lot to move me to tears, and I was moved at least 5 or 6 times! Not because of sadness, but because of beauty.

I think as well that any outcast will find the story to speak personally to them. I know it touched a part of myself that I have not been in touch with for a very long time. It was not easy walking through that time in my life, and to have it acted on stage with such elegance was profound.

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

The Tribal Tattoo

2011-08-11T19:30:00.001-06:00

I am noticing a lot of "Tribal" tattoos this summer. It is as though suddenly there is a HUGE fad for that. Someone designs some funky looking pattern and calls it "Tribal" and suddenly everyone with a desire to connect with the primal within is getting at least one of them inked onto some part of their bodies. Connecting with the inner primal being can be accomplished much more easily if one attends, say, a drumming circle, or goes camping in the wilderness (and by that I don't mean Central Park!).

Please don't get me wrong. I happen to LOVE tattoos. I have found, over the years, that people instinctively, without conscious knowledge, get themselves inked with their power animal or plant totem. It might be amongst a lot of other stuff that is inked on that means something or other to that individual, but the fact that they didn't know that it was their power animal or plant totem and still were resonating enough with that energy to get it inked on is, to me, admirable. But the marketing of the "Tribal" tattoos I personally find to be silly. Most of them have no meaning unless, like the one on this guy's arm, they are linked in with something that actually does have meaning, like the Yin/Yang symbol on his wrist. The rest of it is fluff. It might look "cool", but then it becomes cool fluff.

I think that if we are going to ink ourselves with things, those things need to have deep meaning. After all, it is going to be on us forevermore, so it better be something that isn't going to just fade away as the fad disappears. That is also why I have never had one done. I have energy tattoos, that some people have seen, that move around on my body like they are "alive". It never fails to freak people out when they first become aware of these "invisible" markings. But to get something inked onto my body that will last forever, well, that is just too much of a commitment for this 21st Century shaman!

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

The City of Bridges

2011-08-02T11:59:00.001-06:00

I wish that I could get a photo of all the bridges in our city, lined up down the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon. But because of the bends in our river, that would be impossible unless you were taking an aerial photo. So this one, of two of the bridges, will have to do. This is taken from the deck of the Shearwater Riverboat Tour boat. My friend, Tamara, is the captain of this boat. One of my favorite summertime things to do is to go on a tour with her at the helm. She is a blast to talk with and shares all sorts of stories of riverboat adventures.

Saskatoon also has a few "Bermuda Triangles". Those who are sensitive, like Tamara, myself and my eldest daughter, can feel it physically. The GPS guidance system then will suddenly go all wack and tell the captain that she is driving her boat down Broadway Ave instead of down the river! Fun!

That metal bridge in the distance, the "Traffic Bridge" or the "Victoria Bridge" as it is called, will soon no longer be there. It has been declared as unstable and somewhat dangerous and is, therefore, blocked off to all traffic. It's a shame though because it is one of the more attractive bridges and was the first as well, linking up Nutana with Saskatoon proper. I believe that they will be replacing it with a new one down the road, but I am sure that it won't have the same character.

The Victoria Bridge is narrow. It was built for buggies. So when vehicular traffic started using it, things were a little tight. There was also a board walkway for pedestrians and cyclists along the side of it. My favorite thing to do was to scare the begeebers out of my sister by travelling fast in the car across the bridge with oncoming traffic. Now, you have to understand that this sister enjoyed the art of complete composure and intimidation of others. So to see her white knuckle it as I sped across the bridge with other vehicles whizzing past, just barely missing the side mirror, was soooo much fun! One has to love those moments of torturing one's older siblings.

Blessed Be

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

Ripe Berries Moon

2011-08-01T16:02:00.001-06:00

July 23rd to August 22nd is, according to the Medicine Wheel, the Ripe Berries Moon. People born during this time period get adopted by the spirit of the Sturgeon. That little critter in the photo is a Sturgeon. Now, this is a fairly small Sturgeon. They can get much bigger. The Sturgeon is the power animal that is the "King of Fishes". It brings to those it has adopted the ability to be a natural born leader and to be able to go into very "deep waters" in life and be perfectly fine. Sturgeon people don't often like the mundane chit chat that most folks see as "polite". They prefer to get into the deep soul talk quickly and not waste any time with chit chat. They can get to the point and are able to define what is a priority in any project quickly and easily.

They also belong to the Thunder Bird Clan, which means that they are fire elemental people. Spontaneous and combustible are their middle names. Striving for spiritual connection and expression is their life-long goal. Sturgeon people have, however, the ability to work with fire, water and air, for the Sturgeon will jump from the water, see all of what is out there on the surface, and dive back into the depths. The mere balance of fire with water is amazing, but putting it with the ability to also encompass the air element is astounding.

The medicine plant for the Sturgeon person is the Raspberry. It's leaves are, when made into tea, strengthening and purifying for the reproductive system for both genders. Is it any wonder so many pregnant women will drink Raspberry Leaf Tea to strengthen their uteruses? The mineral totems for the Sturgeon are Garnet and Iron, both of which help to keep the Sturgeon person grounded while doing their deep soul work.

Blessed Be

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

Dragonfly Medicine

2011-08-01T15:47:00.001-06:00

Has anyone noticed the abundance of Dragonflies around lately? There is a very good reason for it....they eat the mosquitoes that have also just previously been abundant. The mosquitoes are, for those who are unfamiliar with the little critter, the insect form of the pterodactyl. They swoop in like a swarm of hungry dinosaurs and pick you up to take you back to the hive where they feed you to their young. Shhhh! I hear them now! Don't let them find you! I have noticed that the mosquitoes are getting immune to the repellent that I have been wearing. So I had to upgrade to the heavy duty stuff that could possibly be my own demise at a later date. But at least for today I can be left alone by the little bast.....'s.

The other day, however, I had a very brief freak out. I was trying to unlock the garage door, which takes a little fernangling, and was being swarmed by those pterodactyls when suddenly I was crawling from head to toe with a strange sensation. I looked down and realized that I had been bait! The dragonflies were all over me, eating the mosquitoes! I just stood there and let them do their job. I loved seeing the process. The feeling of the dragonflies on my bare arms, legs and head was, admittedly, weird. But once the mind got over the "Oh, my God! What the he....is happening to me?" thing, it relaxed and allowed me to remain part of the circle of life. I must admit that being bait was not my idea of a good time....until now. This form of bait is okay, provided that the mosquitoes don't carry any life-threatening disease.

Dragonflies are the insect form of dragons. Is it any wonder they eat the insect form of pterodactyls? They also teach us about the aspect of illusions in our lives, whether those illusions be from out there somewhere or from within ourselves. A very handy medicine to have around.

Blessed Be

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

Down the Rabbit Hole

2011-07-31T09:10:00.001-06:00

So often I hear people ask me if because they have experienced something "weird" I think that they may be going crazy? I have to ask them, however, why they immediately equate weird with crazy? Weird is simply something with which one is not familiar. It is easy to ask ourselves, "What if I'm wrong? What if I'm just crazy?" This does, after all, eliminate any personal responsibility for whatever reality we are experiencing. It is much more difficult to ask ourselves, "What if I'm right?"

Experiencing something strange and, at the same time, being right forces us to rearrange our realities. A trip down the rabbit hole does not a crazy person make. Not many people get to take that trip, after all. And those who are chosen to do so are the lucky ones who are then able to bring that mystical experience to this realm and have a different understanding of the interconnectedness of all things, places, people and realities.

We are living in a time when the "weird" is becoming more predominant. This is because of the shifts in the energy fields of the Earth. Where one stable vortex once was there is now simply a field of grain. Where there once was just a house is now a most powerful vortex that can transport us and other beings to many different realms. We are having to create a new road map of energy lines and vortexes. As a result, more people are now also becoming aware of the "others" that are passing through. And some who have never before "travelled" are now getting their ethereal visas. This is a scary time for some, and that is why Hollywood is making millions of dollars off of that fear. But for the most part it is an exciting time because now what was once deemed as "weird" is becoming common knowledge. This can make my job as a shaman easier, which is good. It has also presented its own set of challenges in terms of helping otherwise unreceptive individuals to begin coping with their new found perceptions. It is an adjustment. We must, however, adjust. After all, if we try to stay stagnant we will simply be left in the dust as the rest of humanity evolves. So go ahead, take a trip down that rabbit hole and see what you might discover. And as you do, remember......have a sense of adventure!

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

Reflections

2011-07-08T15:40:00.001-06:00

Isn't it amazing how things look a certain way until you look at it from a different angle, then suddenly everything changes? This photo was taken by myself at the zoo. It is a photo of reflections in water. However, as soon as I turned it sideways, then, BOOM! there is a face looking back at me.

I think that this is how it is with many things in life. Just when we think we have the whole thing cased we find a surprise just around the corner. That can certainly feed into people's fears because most humans do not like the element of surprise. So often people just want things to stay the same old way and never, ever change. There is, for them, a certain amount of security in that. But the element of surprise is what motivates all of us to grow. When we have to change things, even if it is just our own personal perspectives, then we have to grow within. We are, in effect, rewiring our inner hard drives. That way we are able to adapt to and take in more information that will, over time, help us to survive as a species. The more we rely upon nothing changing, the more vulnerable we become in our stagnancy. Things that do not change in nature do not survive for very long. We may fool ourselves into thinking that because we have technology and are therefore removed that much more from nature, that we can beat nature at its own game, but that would set us up for a harsh awakening at the end of the day.

Now back to the photo. I wonder who that is? It almost looks to me like the Green Man! Is his mouth open, ready to say something? Or is he just gonna stick his tongue out at me?

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

Strong Sun Moon

2011-07-01T17:08:00.001-06:00

I have been remiss in my writings about the moons of the Medicine Wheel. Well, let's pick it up from the moon we are in and hopefully I will be able to write about the others later. We are currently in the Strong Sun Moon (June 21-July 22). The medicine of this moon is that of a bright and sunny disposition and the ability to over see the bigger picture. The Power Animal for this moon is the Flicker. This is a Robin sized bird that feeds on the ground, as the Robin does, but also feeds on the grubs in the tree bark, like a Wood Pecker does. Because of the collar around it's neck, it is often referred to as the "Tuxedo Bird". The shock of red on its cheeks indicate that this one brings to those of this moon the ability to enjoy life to the fullest and the need to be a bit "dolled up" when going out in public. The rust of the underside of the tail feathers show a great amount of creativity that is carried by Flicker people. There is often a pink stripe on the back of the neck, which indicated the great amount of compassion that Flicker people carry within their hearts.

The Flicker will tap (pound) on any surface with its beak. Sometimes they make me think that they simply like the sound that they can make! They definitely have their own rhythm, as do Flicker people. Flicker people will often confound others who don't understand the concept of flowing to the beat of your own drum. Group consciousness does not concern the Flicker person. Instead, they enjoy individuality and the ability to make their own decisions regardless of what others may think.

People born in the Strong Sun Moon have a natural vitamin C deficiency, so the Wild Rose becomes the plant totem for these people because the rose hips are laced with rich vitamin C and can be made into a healing tea. The Carnelian Agate is the mineral totem. This orange member of the agate family often has a deeper orange to red stripe through it. It helps those of this moon to stay on track with their creative flare.

Those born during this moon also belong to the Frog Clan, which is all about the water element. So tears will flow easily and laughter will ripple easily in a balance Flicker person. An imbalanced Flicker person will become guarded and dark in their emotions because they are not allowing them to flow. Walks in the rain, swimming, having a shower, playing with the garden hose and drinking water are all important activities for the Flicker person.

You won't find a more caring, loving person than a Flicker person. But they do tend to wear their hearts on their sleeves, so it is also important to be gentle with them, for their hearts become wounded easily.

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

Canada Day

2011-07-01T16:50:00.000-06:00

I have found myself wondering at times if there is such a thing as a patriotic Canadian? By that I don't just mean the folks who go all hooforah on Canada Day. I mean those of us who are proud to be Canadian every day. I get tired of people saying things like, "I don't think I'll vote this time because the choices all suck." Well, if you don't vote you don't have a right to complain. It is a privilege to be able to vote in a world where many countries have dictatorships and there is no choice whatsoever.
Now I am not saying that we have to all wave our Canadian flags every day. I am just saying that we need an attitude adjustment. Canadians can be complacent. That is something that we should never allow ourselves to become because as soon as we do we lose our power as the people of this nation. We need to be vocal and to stand up and be heard. We need to be able to strive for changes in governmental policies as well as changes within ourselves.
We did earn the "timid" and "powerless" image that other countries have of us legitimately. Yes, we are polite. But yes, we can also be pushovers. We need to stop that and grow national spines. And yes, for the love of God, wear red and white on Canada Day!!!

Blessed Be

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

Father's Day

2011-06-19T17:27:00.001-06:00

I am one of those dads who is absolutely greatful for any amount of time that I get to spend with my children. My daughters are amazing young women in the making and extremely talented as well. Whether it be a full day (my personal favorite) or just getting together for a coffee, I enjoy every single minute of their company. As you can tell, I am very proud of my girls. As far as I am concerned they have the ability to achieve absolutely anything that they put their brilliant minds to.

From the time they each were born I have always felt a "pop" in my heart chakra any time they walk into the room. Maybe this is what they mean when they say that a man is so proud of his kids that his shirt buttons pop. I don't think that it is just pride. I know that it is a deep and unending love that spans lifetimes and multiverses. Even when they want their space, I feel the deep connection between them and myself. Yes, I would prefer to be able to scoop them into my arms and never let them go, but that would eventually kill them as all kids need to be able to get out there into the world and live their own lives.

I know that between their mother and me, as well as all the other dynamic influences in their lives, they will be nicely prepared for life. I am hoping that the lessons that we have missed along the way will be gentle ones for them in the future. And I hope that they can pass on to their children the best of whatever they have received from their parents.

That's just the way I feel on this Father's Day.

Blessed Be

Trent

The Moon in My Blood

2011-06-13T07:37:00.002-06:00

I can feel it. The moon is in my blood. It has been building for the last few days, and as the Full Moon approaches, it is getting stronger. For me this means that I am going to have to do some ceremony around the Full Moon. I have not yet decided what the ceremony will entail, but by the time the night of the Full Moon arrives I will know and simply do it. I find that ceremony on or around the Full Moon is the most powerful of all. The moon has a way of drawing forth our innermost abilities on a psychic and spiritual level, much like it draws the tides of the ocean. The trick is to breathe with it.

It becomes very easy to lose grounding with such a powerful force of nature. But if we keep our grounding intact we are able to continue with our spiritual work, fly as high as we must, and remain stable throughout the entire experience, thus experiencing it in its totality. So remember to breathe when performing ceremony. Don't allow yourself to become overwhelmed by the power or strength or intensity of the ceremony. Breathe through it and you will be just fine.

Blessed Be

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

The Mystical

2011-06-13T07:30:00.002-06:00

I have been doing a lot of outdoor gardening of late. I find that the more I connect with nature, the more I connect with my inner mystical being. In honor of my inner mystical being, I created this mask a few years ago. for me, it represents the connection to earth and sky, fire and water, and a deep psychic connection to all the realms of the universe. We can all connect with the many realms, we just need to train ourselves to do this...without the use of psychotropic drugs and "medicine" plants. People get too dependent upon these substances. The mind does not really need them, other than perhaps once to open the doorway. After that, the use of them is just laziness. I equate it to a perfectly functioning person always having to push the handicap button on the door to make it open for them instead of just reaching out and pushing or pulling the door. We don't need the crutch. We simply need to do the slightest effort of work and there it is.

Some people freak out when they see my mask. They see the beauty, but also feel the intensity. That is why I don't usually have it displayed. I want folks to feel comfortable in my healing space. Now that I have written that, however, I also think it may be time to bring it out again. If nothing else, it will adorn my altar with a reminder of what is naturally within us all.

Blessed Be

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

Alterations

2011-05-18T21:29:00.000-06:00

We so often will find ourselves changing what we do or who we are in order to accommodate a person in our lives, or our cultural or societal expectations. What we really need to do is maintain our own inner altar. We need to stick to our paths and progress along them as we are meant to. Instead of altering our paths to accommodate others, we need to make alterations to our paths that will help us to enrich the paths we are on.

For example, we can decide that it is in our best interest to eat healthier (whatever that may mean for the individual) and make alterations to our path that includes healthier eating. We really don’t want to alter what we eat just because someone else is expecting us to eat a certain way, even if they have the best of intentions in suggesting it. “You need to lose weight to be healthier” is a typical thing that most women and some men have experienced. Unless that is coming from a physician who is worried about your heart, scrap the thought. If you are fit and limber and feeling good, then it really doesn’t matter what body “type” anyone else expects you to accomplish or maintain.

We also do not need to quit our jobs and go running off with the new hottie to their city of choice. The hottie can move here if he or she is interested in having a relationship with us. I have known for a long time that the city in which I live is the one I was meant to live in. Nothing will make me move from here unless it is something that will further enrich my path. I just hope that my kids, should they move away, choose locations that are really nice to visit! And I would never want them to stay here for the sake of making me more comfortable. That would be altering their paths to accommodate my expectations. No way! Fly, little black bird, fly!

Blessed Be

Trent

http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

www.deerhornshamanic.com

Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Anyone?

2011-05-18T11:33:00.000-06:00

“Remember that your mama is a worrier and your papa is a warrior...” Sarah Kay.

I have often wondered how many times my mama worried about me. I know that when I was ill and almost died, she worried. I know that when I was in a car accident that could have killed me, she worried. I know that every time I brought home another girlfriend to meet her, she worried. But how many times did she worry when I was not aware of it? I will likely never know.

My papa was, in his own way, a warrior. But he was the type of warrior who would go to war to fight for a cause. He was not the type of warrior with stamina for life’s journey. You see, a true warrior to me is one that will not just protect you but will also do whatever it takes on a daily basis. A true warrior is the guy who will make 10,000 peanut butter sandwiches over the course of a lifetime for his kids’ lunch boxes, every day, for school, before going off to his job, like it or not, every single day because that is what it takes to keep a roof over his family’s heads and clothes on their backs and food on their table. He is not the type to complain about how much food his 10 year old son is eating because it costs so much to buy groceries these days. Instead he will marvel at how much his son is eating and the fact that he is a growing boy who will grow big and strong and be a warrior like himself on day.

There are not a lot of warriors I know these days. I am very grateful for the ones that I do know. These are the guys who don’t encourage their daughters to play hockey just so that they will have something in common with them when they get older, but who will attend ballet classes with their daughters because that is what interests them. These guys will encourage their daughters to be intelligent and strong and will encourage their sons to be loving and attentive. These are the guys that are my friends.

Blessed Be

Trent

http://www.youtube.com/trentdeerhorn

www.deerhornshamanic.com

I'm Pickin' Up Good Vibrations....

2011-04-22T20:25:00.001-06:00

Have you ever noticed how easy it is to pick up on someone else's stress? They don't even have to say a word and we are feeling the tension that they are burying. Like when we are in a group and everyone knows we are going to miss our connector flight because the plane we are on is running so behind. The reason this can affect us so much is because the group tension/stress is of a lower vibration than the one we started out with. So our vibration gets pulled down by the anger and stress and frustration of those around us. It may feel like things are escalating, but in reality they are dropping in vibration.

Then we feel the excitement of what is going on around us. The thing about excitement is that it causes us to exit our own selves. Whether the excitement is due to a plane being late, or crush hour traffic, or when we are making love to someone for the first time, we are exiting ourselves. What we need to do is allow ourselves to stay grounded and centred. That way we can feel the good vibrations and not be drawn down into the lower vibrations. We remain intact within ourselves and can therefore respond more appropriately to the situation at hand.

Meditate on growing roots down into the earth and having Her nourishing energy draw up into yourself with every inhale, and with every exhale you grow the roots deeper into Her fertile body. Inhale and exhale through the nose, for this is Earth Breath and it is very grounding. Softly beat on a drum and feel the vibrations of Mother Earth move through you while you do. Take a walk in nature and connect with the earth beneath your feet. Whatever the avenue is that works best for you, incorporate it not just in the good times, but in the low vibrational times as well. You will get through the lower vibrational times much easier if you do.

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

Frogs Return Moon

2011-04-21T10:39:00.001-06:00

As promised, here I am blogging about the moons of the Medicine Wheel once again. We have just entered the Frogs Return Moon (April 20-May 20). This is the moon that carries with it the medicine of total emergence. It is a time when our inner capabilities shine through and pull us out of the rut we have been in over the last few months.

The power animal that adopts those born during this time is the Beaver. This power animal brings with it the medicine of industry. The busy beaver is always actively doing things to feed and shelter the family. Family is the most important thing to beaver people. It is also important that the beaver dam have many entrances and exits. This is a safety issue in nature, but it is also a security issue in a beaver person. The last thing a beaver person wants to feel in a relationship or in a job is "trapped". These are also people who are meticulous in everything they undertake. Just as a beaver will carefully measure the length of the log it is shaping for the dam so that the log is exactly the length from the beaver's nose to its tail, a beaver person will pay infinite attention to the details of what they are doing. These are the types of people you want to hire to build your house or do a renovation or plan a wedding! Those born during the Frogs Return Moon are also members of the Turtle Clan, so they are Earth elementals. This means that things will develop slowly but surely and with thorough attention to details.

The plant totem for those born in this moon is the Blue Camas, which is a wild onion. If one is out in nature and sees an onion growing it is important to know what color the blossom of that onion is, so that you know if it is edible or poisonous. The White Camas is a white blossomed onion that is deadly, thus earning it the nickname "Death Camas". The Blue Camas has the blue blossoms. Here is the confusing thing though...they grow side by side! Aha! Nature's little trickery! Well, find the patch in spring and watch for the blossoms. Tag the blue ones so that you can come back when the blossoms have fallen off (thus the nutrients are in the onion) and pick at that time. When in doubt, leave it in the ground. The Blue Camas is wonderful for feeding the endocrine system and is excellent in soups and stews.

The Chrysocolla is the mineral totem for this moon. It is a cousin of the turquoise and its energy is excellent for feminine reproductive system imbalances and for inter dimensional travel/consciousness. It can help you to attune to the Earth consciousness and communicate with the spiritual forces of the Earth. It can help heal things such as the pancreas and blood disorders. It can help to ameliorate disorders of the lungs and bronchial tubes. It also is a positive energy force for the home, releasing from the environment negative energies and inviting in the positive energies.

So there you have it. Explore and enjoy!

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

Elightenment Traps

2011-04-12T09:01:00.001-06:00

Personally, I love fruits and vegetables. My thing is to eat as much good food as I can while I have time left on this earth. But the fact that I love fruits and vegetables does not mean that I don't like to consume meat (charred flesh, as a good friend of mine calls it). A number of years ago I went vegetarian. I was very careful to make sure that I was getting all the iron rich foods so that I would not have low iron levels. I was consuming copious quantities of these foods. I still ended up anemic and needed to go back to having meat in my diet. Here is the thing. Once I got away from consuming meat I thought that I was going to feel so much energy and vibrance. Quite the contrary. I was sluggish and low on energy and ambition and felt somewhat depressed. After 2 years of wondering what was wrong with me, I re-introduced meat into my diet and BAM! I felt so much better!

The truth is that back then I fell into what is called an Enlightenment Trap. An Enlightenment Trap is any belief that has an undercurrent of "I know what is best for me....and for you." I had everyone around me raving about how vegetarianism and veganism were the only way to go. I completely bought in. And I almost killed myself in the process. So why is it so much easier for people to believe someone when they say, "I stopped eating meat and wow do I feel so much better" than it is for them to believe someone when they say, "I started eating meat and wow do I feel so much better"? It is the Enlightenment Trap syndrome. It may as well be something like "I chose Jesus and wow do I feel so much better!" Radicals are radicals no matter what form they come in. We don't become enlightened by embracing a particular religion or diet or even philosophy. We become enlightened when we do our personal work and get over our personal issues in life. A diet or religion or philosophy is not going to do that for you. Dogma is dogma, no matter what the form. I get really frustrated with people who think that I am not enlightened and therefore could not possibly be a good healer just because I eat meat. That is just a bunch of bull. How would they feel if I said similar stuff about them because they were one of those "wacky vegans"? I don't say stuff like that, but they think that they have the right to say stuff like that about me or anyone else who eats meat. It really is quite ridiculous. It is very much like reverse racism. I am white so I can't say anything negative regarding anyone else's race (not that I do) but oh boy! Try to tell anyone of another race that they can't say anything negative about me based on my color! Them's fighting words!

I would really like it if people would leave others alone and not threaten them with "You're gonna die of cancer if you continue to eat meat" kind of ridiculous statements. To each their own. And I love having 2/3 of a plate of salad or vegetables and 1/3 meat. So there. Deal with it. No matter how you look at it, we are gonna kill an animal or a plant in order to live. It is called the circle of life. Deal with that too. And get you head outa your a.... and grow up!

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

Rights and Freedoms

2011-03-31T21:07:00.000-06:00

It seems that the Albany airport has some issues. I just learned from a friend's face book entry that they fired a woman for being a witch. There was apparently a long history of harassment over this. Management suggested that she go into mediation with the offending party to help settle the issues. She refused because, being Wiccan, she did not see any reason that she should have to "explain" her religion to anyone anymore than someone who was, say, Jewish should have to. EHHHEM! Is this the 1950's? Is this the 4th century AD? We do have religious rights and freedoms here in North America! It doesn't matter if you live in the states or in Canada, those freedoms are supposed to be protected. In this case, the bullying was escalated to the point of no return, mostly because management was idiotic in their handling of the situation. You see, I know that there are definitely laws in place preventing people from freely arriving at your door in the middle of the night with torches in hand and burning you at the stake. Unfortunately, these laws come into effect after the fact. It is high time that there be laws that will actually do some good before a witch is burned. Anti-bullying, Anti-discriminatory, Anti-bullshit laws would be excellent.

It is amazing how the word "witch" brings into ignorant people's minds fears and paranoias about having hexes placed on their car heaters and such. For the love of God, MAINTAIN YOUR STUPID VEHICLE SO THAT IT DOESN'T BREAK DOWN AND STOP BLAMING OTHERS FOR YOUR OWN IGNORANCE!! The word "witch" has many meanings. Mostly it means "wise one". It also has connotations of bending like a willow in the wind, meaning to "go with the flow". Pagans and witches are simply nature observing folks who mind their own business and do most of their "worship" in the outdoors instead of in a church or temple. My mother used to tell me that she got more Godliness out of weeding her garden on a beautiful Sunday morning than she ever did sitting in a stale church. I had to agree. The church picnic is something that became popular as a social event that would incorporate such philosophies without actually saying, "Better to worship in the Garden than in the House of the Lord". It is amazing how absolutely everything Pagan has been adopted by the church in one form or another and then claimed as their own idea! Talk about hypocrisy! Mostly it was adopted to make the church more appealing to those who were Pagan, in hopes of converting them/us. But it really didn't work. What they got was a lot of fearful folks who quiver and shake in their ignorant boots at the mere mention of the word "witch". It is not very wise of them, now is it?

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

The Budding Trees Moon

2011-03-25T20:33:00.001-06:00

According to the Medicine Wheel, we have entered the Budding Trees Moon (March 21-April 19). The medicine of this moon is that of potential. Those born during the Budding Trees Moon are optimists who tend to see the full potential in everything and everyone around them. They serve to inspire the best out of everyone they meet, not by lecturing but by being and example. They are the ones you want on your side when you are forging ahead with a difficult task or a new venture. They see the potential in the endeavor and are willing to say so when you doubt yourself.

Those born during the Budding Trees Moon are adopted by the spirit of the Red Tailed Hawk. This one brings forth messages from Great Spirit and brings the ability to see ahead of where one is now to where one is headed. Sometimes those who are around this type of person will find the person to be a "know it all", but that is only when they are out of balance in their energies. When well-grounded the Red Tailed Hawk individual will be knowledgeable but not arrogant about it.

The plant totem for those born in this moon is the Dandelion. Those born during this time of year are more likely to have slight to large dysfunctions in the liver, and Dandelion Root Tea is what will feed that liver the nutrients it needs. It will also help the liver to detoxify and should be consumed as a weak tea as opposed to a strong tea. That way it does not shock the liver as it does its work.

The mineral totem for those born during the Budding Trees Moon is the Fire Opal. This mineral helps the energy field to remain steady. It helps to reignite the flame of one's existence so that a second wind is felt when one is feeling exhausted.

The Clan that Red Hawk people belong to is the Thunder Bird Clan. This is a clan of seers who are able to tell what is coming down the pike way before anyone else is even remotely aware of it. The first challenge is to not over react to what one sees for risk of being called "crazy" just because no one else sees it. The second challenge is to not say "I told you so" in a way that makes others feel stupid for not being aware enough. Thunder Bird Clan people are of the Fire Element, which is spontaneous and all consuming. There are many forms of fire in our world: The fire of the Sun, which warms our planet and makes life upon it possible; the fire of the Lightning, which energizes the earth's body; the fire of the Volcano, which creates the Stone People; the fire at the Core of the Earth, which keeps the earth's heart beat going; the fire of the Hearth, which warms our bodies and our food; and the fire Within, which keeps us eternally connected to the Creative Source.

With this moon, we have now gone 1/4 of the way around the Medicine Wheel. Only 3/4 of the way to go!

Blessed Be

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

Making a Woman HOT! Part 2 (Photo)

2011-03-22T11:51:00.001-06:00

Making a Woman HOT!

2011-03-21T21:03:00.002-06:00

There are a few things that I have learned on this subject over the last 40 or so years. Frankly, I don't think I even cared about it at all until I was around 11 or 12 years of age. But after that, like most young fellows I know, it became an obsession. And the funny thing is that the tips that actually work have nothing to do with how often or how well you work out. So the poor sod that posed for this picture is going to have to understand that the flesh alone is a very minimal part of what actually makes a woman HOT. So, here are just a few of the tricks of the trade that I will share with all my readers now.

1: Unless you actually have a body like the guy in the photo....just put the shirt back on. Even if you do have a body like the guy in the photo....don't flaunt it all the time. There is nothing like a tight muscle shirt to titillate the curiosity.

2: It is best to remove the shirt when working in the back yard on a hot day, not while sitting on the couch drinking beer and watching the game, while at the same time expecting her to fetch you another cold one from the fridge. She is not a golden retriever. Acting like that will not get you any at the end of the day, or even during the game.

3: Hygiene. It pains me to actually have to include this one for my clueless brethren, but you really need to create change in your life, so have a shower. That motor grease under your fingernails may be a turn on to you and your buddies, but it is definitely a turn off for her.

4: CLEAN SOMETHING.....UNASKED....yes, you read that correctly. Especially if it is a toilet or something equally disgusting. And you are not EVER to make a big deal of it. Just clean it. Don't worry. She'll notice. And are you ever gonna get lucky after that!

5: Learn how to barbecue without burning stuff. She loves seeing you cook over hot coals, especially when you just bought her a couple thousand dollars worth of stove and fridge. The reason behind this is that nothing tastes as good as it does when it comes off the barbecue. The fact that she did not have to cook it herself scores you HUGE points. Barbecue cooking brings out the primal in both of you and once you go primal......

6: Whenever you are cooking, be it on the barbecue or in the kitchen (yes, guys, that room over there where the beer is held in that frozen box thingy is called a "kitchen") CLEAN UP AFTER YOURSELF! There is nothing that turns her off as much as a guy who cooks a meal for her and expects her to do the cleanup. Know that there is a double standard in play here. If she cooks for you, CLEAN UP AFTER HER. She will be so ultimately impressed with your giving nature that naturally she will be giving in return.

7: Know when you can't fix it and call a plumber or electrician or whomever you need to do it right. This humbleness makes her HOT! Equally so will she be HOT if you stop to ask for directions, or even call CAA or AAA to get you out of the ditch instead of trying to do it yourself.

8: If you have kids, CHANGE SOME DIAPERS! Why should she always get all the crappy jobs?! If you come out of the bathroom with a baby in your arms, hand it over to her and say, "Clean as a whistle", well, let's just say that someone's whistle is gonna get some action later.

9: Never express it if you think that she is unable to lift something that you, from years of doing the brawny labor thing, know she should not attempt. Ask if you can help, and if the answer is "no" then let her decide on her own whether or not to reconsider. And if she does reconsider, be gracious about it. And remember, if it is a particularly warm day, first remove the shirt, then do the lifting!

10: Iron some clothes. Now I must admit that I don't iron her clothes because, well, I hate ironing women's clothes with all the pleats and ruffles and such. But I do iron my own and never ask her to do it for me. This is the 21st century after all. Oh, and remember that ironing clothes is a very warm business, so you need to wear less to do it.

11: Cuddling is a must. Even if you are not a cuddler, you have to learn to become one. Women love to cuddle. Women especially love to cuddle if there is no expectation that the cuddling will go anywhere else. That way she gets to do the initiating.

12: Don't be afraid to initiate. "Honey, how about if I take you out to dinner tonight" are 11 of the most welcomed words she will ever hear escape from your lips.

13: When you get up to refill your drink, always ask if you can refill hers as well.

14: Treat her friends and family as though they are as precious to you as they are to her. After all, they are the ones who will support her, whether she is with you or not. The happier they are with you, be happier she will be with you.

15: Always praise her to your friends and family. Let them all know how much she means to you. Never let any of them put her down, even if what they are saying is true. Politely let them know that what they say may be true, but that they have no right to say it. This creates healthy boundaries. If you have someone who continuously puts her down, dump them. This is a person who is trying to sabotage your relationship and is most likely jealous of it in the first place.

16: Always be willing to drive the kids to their events. The more invested you are in the family, the more invested she is in you.

17: Don't be afraid to drop her at the door of her destination. Door to door service makes her HOT!

18: Always tell her you love her when you are going out the door and when you arrive back, or when she is going out the door or arriving back.

19: Call her up in the middle of the work day to "check in". It shows her that you are thinking of her even when she is not right there with you.

20: Flowers. Not just roses. All kinds of flowers.

21: Candles. Unscented is fine, but lots of them.

22: If she asks you which pair of shoes she should purchase, the correct answer is, "Why do you have to choose?"

23: Go clothing shopping with her. She values your opinion. Learn what looks right fashion wise and put it to use. I will always let her know if an outfit is not that becoming on her. I will also always let her know, "WOW!" when an outfit looks stunning on her. Women appreciate the complete and heart felt honesty when it comes to how they appear. If you have no interest in her looks at all, then she knows you have no interest in her at all.

24: NEVER say she's fat. EVER!!!!! If she needs to actually lose weight to stay healthy, encourage her to be healthy, but never actually make it about weight.

25: Laugh out loud with her, and love out loud with her.....all the time.

So those ones should keep you all going for a little while. Remember that these are tried and true and that they can also work for you!

Blessed Be

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

So...When is enough simply enough?

2011-03-16T14:11:00.000-06:00

It saddens me that yet another citizen of our province, after suffering years of abuse from her husband, was killed by him last week. This is a subject that is all too near to my heart, having had a sister who was in an abusive relationship. She was, after years, able to get out with her life. But back then there were no resources for battered women. Now days there are. She was a big part of creating shelters for women and children of abuse in our province.

What angers me the most is that this particular woman aparently showed up to work on a regular basis with bruises all over her and no one bothered to help her. It seems that the old "I don't want to be a part of this" denial system is still rampant. It is sad and pathetic because, with the right amount of support, this woman could have lived.

Yes, she ran from him. After he killed her dog who was trying to protect her, she ran for her life. But she, like so many other women in our world, never made it to help. He ran her down and stabbed her to death.
There is a large part of me that knows there is a special place in Hell for idiots like him. That doesn't bring much comfort though. Nor will it bring much comfort to her friends or family. I hope that he is prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I hope that he spends a LOT of time behind bars and that when he dies he rots in Hell.

I also hope that everyone around her learns from this. I hope that this will inspire people to stand up for abuse victims. It doesn't matter what age, gendre, or race they are. If they are being abused and we know about it, then we need to help them.

I know why people don't step up. It is because to acknowledge an issue and help someone to become empowered means that we are automatically challenged to take responsibility. We don't have to take responsibility for the abuse itself. We need to simply respond to the situation and help in whatever way we can. But empowering others as well as ourselves does indeed come with responsibility. So get ready. If you are ever going to be strong and powerful you will have to step up to that, come what may. You will have to help others and you will have to see it through to the end.

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

Which Side?

2011-03-07T09:37:00.001-06:00

There are many reasons people have for which side of the bed they like. Hopefully when sleeping with another person your preferred side is not the middle. Sometimes people prefer the side away from the window, or closest to the door, or even where the sun doesn't shine in when morning arrives. Sometimes it has to do with which side of the room has better air flow and which one is warmer. We all have our preferences.

Did you know, however, that which side you predominantly sleep on will determine how you relate to your partner? This is fact. It has even scientifically been proven. Here is how it goes...

If you sleep with your partner always on the right of you then you will usually relate more emotionally to your partner. If you sleep with your partner always on the left of you then you will usually relate more analytically to your partner. Either way kind of sucks because it becomes limiting in the way in which you are able to relate.

So here is the solution. Change sides every week. We change the sheets once a week so on the day the sheets are changed, we change sides. That way we relate to each other in a variety of ways. Yes, sometimes someone is preferring the middle, but that just makes it a wee bit cozier.

And then, you may ask, what does it mean when the cat sleeps between the two of you? Well, in cat language that means, "I am queen of this household and you two will connect when I say you connect!" We both love her and give her pets and rubs. But we don't let her determine when the two of us connect. If there is any fuss on her part she is projectiled to her own bed on the chair across from the foot of our bed. She usually doesn't stick around for more than half an hour anyway. What will it be like when we adopt our dog?!

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

Fire Dance

2011-03-05T09:47:00.001-06:00

This is a photo of some of the hot stuff that happens at my drum circles! Singers, Drummers, Dancers all party down! It was this particular Samhain Celebration Drum Circle that sparked the idea for my friend, Jen, and I to put on our Sacred Motion Workshop coming up in April.

We figured why not incorporate all that we naturally do in a drum circle into a fabulous workshop that helps people to get in touch with their bodies, create motion that will feed the chakras and help one to do shamanic journeying, and get in touch with the sacred elements? All of this is going to build into some future workshops that we are going to put on that will include deeper Trance Dance and Ritual Dance within the context of Sacred Ceremony.

I absolutely love it when wickedly talented people can pool their resources and offer up something for the community that will nourish the soul.

If any of my readers would like to check out more about the workshop, you can visit my website at http://www.deerhornshamanic.com/ and click on Workshops for more information!

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

Stop Dragon Your Butt!

2011-03-02T18:55:00.001-06:00

So often people tell me that they have things that they just never get around to doing because they are so busy with other things in their lives and taking care of other people's things in their lives and taking care of the other people as well. This frustrates me a wee bit. I have been there. In fact, just the other day I was there. I had to remind myself of the words of wisdom that I often share with "those" people....STOP DRAGON YOUR BUTT!!!!

Really, if we want to do something we need to get to it. If we want to accomplish anything in life, we need to do it. If we are the only people in the entire world that will find that accomplishment satisfying or inspiring, we still need to do it. We are just as important as anyone else in the world is. We need to stop sacrificing our own fulfillment for the sake of others needs, no matter how valid their needs may be. If we cannot nourish our own spirits or our own minds, then we are not really fully there for anyone else.

I have Tuesdays off. I have had them off for some time, but because of scheduling and stuff, they were usually spent getting groceries and running a million errands. I have decided to just say "screw it". I need the day off. It is the last day off I have before going back to work and when I am at work I work hard, no matter how much a passionately love what it is that I do for a living. So screw it. If, for example, the groceries cannot be bought on another day, then they don't get bought at all. I am no longer pushing myself to meet everyone else's needs only to sacrifice my own. From now on my day off is as sacred as is my day with my kids. After all, if Dad is not nourished, how is he supposed to nourish the little ones?

So I invite all of my readers to look seriously at how many ways each of you sacrifices your own needs for the needs of others. Once you identify the ways, don't blame other people for it. It is you and you alone who created it. Simply stop doing it. There is too precious little time in each life to spend it doing things that we feel obligated to do while ignoring what it is we are actually responsible for, that being ourselves. Self care is the most important aspect of life. Without it, our lives get cut short.

Blessed Be

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

The Big Winds Moon

2011-02-28T12:27:00.002-06:00

Well, if anyone has looked outside or stepped outside in our area of the world, they will understand what is meant by the Big Winds Moon! The blizzard that it is blowing in is nasty to the point where I turned around on the highway this morning and came back home. Zero visibility is simply too crazy to risk driving in. So what is the purpose of the Big Winds anyway?

Well, the winds at this time of year actually serve the purpose of moving the trees around. That movement of the trees helps to gently work the roots in the ground so that the frozen ground gets shifted around the roots. This loosens everything up so that the soil is soft in the spring and when the melting happens, the nutrients are able to get to the tree roots faster. Cool, huh? It is all about preparation. That is the actual medicine of the Big Winds Moon. People born during this moon (Feb 19-March 20) tend to, when in balance, be some of the most well-prepared people in any given situation. They are the boy scouts and girl scouts of the Medicine Wheel.

Part of that preparation aspect of their personalities has to do with the fact that the Cougar is the power animal that adopts individuals born during this time. The Cougar is the power animal that brings the medicine of great Leadership. A Cougar person will not randomly do things just for the fun of it...not when they are responsible for so many others in their lives. After all, being a good leader has more to do with what is good for all the people, not just the individual agendas of small groups of people. Like the cougar will approach a ravine, assess it, backtrack another 20 paces and sit there and contemplate jumping across the ravine, the cougar person will also prepare for such things with as much diligence. Once prepared, the cougar will take a running leap, fly through the air, tail perfectly balancing its body for the mid-air journey, and then land perfectly on the other side. Once it knows that it can do this, then any other time it comes towards the same ravine it will know ahead what it did last time and simply keep running and jump...perfectly. Once the jump has become mastered, the Cougar person will also allow that to lead into quantum leaping through life.

Cougar people tend to be the types who are very independent and don't care very much about the minor needs of the individuals around them. They are more concerned with what will actually help the masses. Instead of fishing to feed everyone, the Cougar person will teach everyone how to fish for themselves. The Cougar person has no tolerance for the helpless or the pathetic. A Cougar person does not ever waste his or her time with those who cling onto the apron strings. In fact, a Cougar person is more likely to slice and dice anyone they meet who is a sniveller or a whiner. Thus the Cougar person tends to be an excellent parent who teaches the young to think for themselves and to be independent contributors to society.

When out of balance a Cougar person will take great joy in being cruel with actions and with words. They will want to be dominant at all costs and will toy with people's emotions. They will cull the weak out of the herd and eat them up.

The Plant Totem for this moon is the Plantain, which helps to nourish the body through the endocrine system. The Mineral Totem is the Turquoise, which helps the individual to express themselves and what they spiritually see as relevant with eloquence. It also helps to connect the individual to the Spirit of everything around us.

People who are Cougar People are part of the Frog Clan, which has to do with the deep water/soul level of reality. They are able to communicate in "deep talk" quickly and to have visionary insights. Frog Clan people were the first to discover the art of Scrying through the surface of the water and thus gleaning visions of what is, was and will be!

Blessed Be

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

Eye Only Have Eyes For You

2011-02-24T19:59:00.001-06:00

So many people think of themselves as humans trying to be spiritual. That is so far from the actual truth of things on a spiritual level. We are all actually Spirits trying to be human. It takes the bravest of souls to incarnate into this world. And now we have finally evolved enough that even more dynamic souls are beginning to incarnate. The Crystal Children, the Star Children, the Diamond Children....all are here to help the human race to evolve even more quickly. They would not have been able to make it here if the earth were not ready for them. The Indigo and Violet Children had that as their mission over the last 200 years. And the Indigo and Violet Children are now able to evolve into Crystal Children and so on as a result of all that hard work. Yes, even on a spiritual level there is evolution.

A large part of that evolution has to do with the re-awakening of the intuition. Once again, we are faced with a misconception. Many think that we are all "normal" folks trying to be "intuitive". Again, nothing could be further from the truth. The truth is that we are all intuitive...VASTLY INTUITIVE! Some of us are still caught in the game of trying to cap off our intuition so that we can appear to be "normal". So yes, we are intuitive folks who have been trying to be normal and now we are coming to a point where normal is not all that appealing. Normal is, indeed, becoming extremely boring. It is an old modality that is no longer serving our evolution. The only way that we are going to be able to continue to evolve is to allow ourselves to let go of "normal" and embrace "unique". All of us are equal, and each of us is also unique. We are, each one of us, an important piece of the puzzle of the Universe. If any one of us stops existing, then all of Existence misses us. So once we embrace our uniqueness and allow our intuition to flow we become more dynamic and stronger than ever before.

There was a time, in my late teens, when I tried on the normal suit. It was tight and tugged and pulled and prodded me in places that I did not previously know I had. That lasted about four years. Then I gave up and began to allow myself to be unique and to allow the intuitive flow to happen. Once we allow that, the intuition, our inner wisdom voice, will never steer us in a wrong direction. It is primal, instinctual, refined and advanced in its understanding of the world and the Universe at large. We can indeed trust it.

So let go. Allow. Receive and reap the magnificent benefits!

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

Emerging Idjits

2011-02-14T09:14:00.000-06:00

Okay, here we go. I have another rant. Ready?......
I was taking my Love to her dialysis appointment this morning and ended up in the merge lane behind a large half ton truck with doolie wheels on the back. So we are merging onto the freeway and the idjit actually merges at 40km/hour in a 90km zone!

People! And I hope none of my readers are guilty of this offense, but if you are then read and learn:
A merge lane onto a freeway is not a yield or stop intersection! You get your sorry butt up to the speed of the traffic on the freeway and you do it frickin' quickly!! If you are on the freeway and the merge lane is coming up with traffic merging, then move the heck over to the other lane so they can merge or make room for them to get in! Stupidity does come in both lanes apparently. And we wonder why accidents occur...sheesh. There is no one on the road who owns any particular lane folks! Nope, No one owns it!! So get your sorry ass over! Or speed up and move it into the lane into which you are merging! You don't slow down to merge and you certainly don't yield or stop when merging. You grow a set, put your big boy or big girl undies on, and BOOT IT!

For the love of God and all that's good, would people just for once learn how to drive?! God forbid you ever get into a larger centre than ours, you would create a 20 car frickin' pileup!

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

Artificial Intelligence

2011-02-09T10:17:00.001-06:00

I am not sure if I actually believe in artificial intelligence. I know that computers can do a lot of things. But can they predict the human nature? Can they understand the experience of how love or hate can motivate us? No. They can simply accumulate information and categorize it as it seems "logical" in computer speak.

I heard of a woman who was travelling with her GPS in the fog. Now, fog is something that can mess with computer GPS systems. Did she know this? Probably not. At least, she didn't know it until it was too late.

Or how about the fellow who backed over his kid's bicycle in the driveway? He had one of those beeper systems that is supposed to indicate when there is something in the path as you are backing up. Mind you, he hadn't washed his car in a month or so, so the sensors had nothing to work with, being caked in mud.

Artificial intelligence is definitely fallible. It cannot make up for the factors that humans present on a daily basis that simply mess it up. I read a quote somewhere once that said, "Artificial Intelligence is no match for Natural Stupidity!" How true!

Blessed Be

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

Imbolc

2011-02-02T12:04:00.001-06:00

Today, February 2, 2011, is Imbolc. Imbolc is the Pagan celebration of the First Day of Spring. It is a time when we celebrate the fact that, beneath the icy mantle of the Earth, there are seeds that are beginning to stir and that will gestate and create beautiful greenery in the Summer. It is also a time when we acknowledge the fact that the Light is returning to our world.

One of the traditions that I love to do is to light every lamp (candles included) in the house and walk through with incense chanting, "By all that's Good, and blood of Kin, We welcome the Light and let it in!" I did that this morning because I actually had time to do so. Sometimes it takes me until the evening to have the time, but it really doesn't matter when it is done, as long as it gets done. Yesterday I created more light at my Healing Altar, both as a celebration of Imbolc and, well, because I was tired of the decorations that were there. New meaning had to be expressed. And when better to create something new than on the New Moon?

I like the light that is expressed in this photo, taken by my friend, Bob Menzies, off the coast of Scotland. When an area is used to having grey skies, any amount of light becomes precious and appreciated to the fullest. That is how I have felt this winter. Not a lot of light was experienced because of cloud cover. But today is bright and sunny and beautiful.

That is truly what magic is all about. It is the honoring and expression of the beauty that is experienced in nature each and every day, each and every season, each and every moon phase. The celebration of life begins with appreciation thereof, and continues into an exuberance and abundance that overflows from our hearts to the Earth, out to the Universe and back!

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

Don't Freak Your Freak!

2011-01-30T21:48:00.001-06:00

This is Lady, an absolutely beautiful albino corn snake who is the crawler friend of a good friend of mine. A lot of people fear snakes. It seems to be hard wired into the human brain. I find that sad. I used to be afraid of them, as I have mentioned in previous blogs. But now I enjoy them. After all, they eat mice, of which I am even more afraid.

Lady came to visit the other day. He, yes it is a he, was quite the guest! He made himself at home, made new friends and brought a huge smile to my face when I first saw him. He liked my other friend more, though. Oh well. Some folks just have snake pheromones. But I was the one who made little hiding spots for him on my coffee table. So he tolerated me. I loved the opalescent sheen on his skin. And I really dug how he would wind into himself as his owner picked him up.

Snake medicine is fabulous. The ability to shed the old, to know the deepest mysteries of Mother Gaia, the ability to move with stealth and silence. They are incredible creatures of the earth and people need to understand more about them instead of allowing their fears to over ride their reason. I look forward to seeing Lady again.

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

So Small You Be!

2011-01-26T16:34:00.001-06:00

I find it amazing how mystical and wise a cat can look. That is opposed to when they look like a wild demon! This is our kitty. She is, this year, 14 years old and is one of the most gentle felines I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. There are times that she can look wise beyond her species and age, and times when she looks so silly she just cracks us up. We try not to laugh out loud though as she gets very offended.

Cats, at least house cats as I have heard, have been traced back to ancient Egypt. For some reason, they don't seem to be in any references before that. Scholars and scientists are still trying to figure out why that would be. Personally, I think that they dropped down from the stars and chose to allow us the privilege of worshipping them. After all, that is what the ancient Egyptians apparently did. I am actually more of a dog person. I love the personalities of dogs and the fact that they are a loyal friend and companion always. But I also dig cats because of their "I don't give a rat's ass about..." attitude towards life in general. They are their own boss and we are their staff.

Cats tend to adore me. Here is why...I am more aloof than they are! Have you ever noticed how a person who is allergic to cats is the first one the cats will rub up against and jump up on? It is because that person is not wanting to get near the cat. If it is a dog, I am all over the thing with pets and tussles etc. I keep my distance from cats. Suddenly the cat is all over me! It is like I slathered catnip all over me after showering and the darn thing can't get enough of me. Maybe I have cat pheromones! As much as I find this funny, I also am used to being with dogs, so I do actually make sure that the cats know that they don't own me and I will never worship them. I have to maintain my dignity after all. Suddenly, upon receiving that message, the cats are all over me again!

Come to think of it, that seems to be the same pattern that occurred in my teen years with the girls with whom I went to school! Hmmm.

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

We all know one....

2011-01-23T20:45:00.001-06:00

You know the type. This is the type of friend who thinks that they know all about you and what would be best for you in your life. They are full of ideas about what you should do and how you should go about it. They also project a lot of stuff onto you that has nothing at all to do with you. It has to do with them. Their need to help you stems from their own insecurities and a drive to make themselves indispensable in your life. The next thing you know, having taken some of their advice, you are headed in a direction that you would never have chosen for yourself otherwise, and you don't like the ride!

Here is the thing. They did nothing. You did. You are the one who accepted their "help" in the first place. You may have even asked for their help. Whether or not they took the time to really consider what is good for you, you are the one who accepted their opinion and went for it. So really, you can't be angry at them for that part. They are very well meaning.

The thing that we all have to keep in mind when getting friendly advice or even just friendly opinions is this...it is easy to suggest solutions when you know nothing about the problem. I remember a friend of mine being told by other friends that she had to cut her father out of her life. Granted, her father was acting very strangely. But this was a person who, for financial reasons, would have been committing an act of self-destruction if she did this at that time. Later on, she would be able to do this if she chose to. But it was clear to me that the thought of doing this terrified her on a multitude of levels. Did the other friends care about that? It certainly did not look like it. Full of self-righteousness, they basically demanded that she take very drastic measures. I am glad she chose not to, because things would have turned out much harder for her than they have.

The background information did not seem to matter to the other friends. Case in point. They had no knowledge of the actual problem. So why make any suggestions in the first place until you get as much information as possible? I find that people who do that create more harm than good. Some of them even emotionally blackmail their friends to get them to do the "right thing" in their minds. Not cool.

It is only when we have complete understanding of the situation that we are able to give an opinion one way or the other. The other thing about this is that we rarely will have a complete understanding of any situation. We will only have a perspective. It is not like we are ever really a fly on the wall who witnesses all events. We need to allow ourselves to understand that we know basically nothing. Then the only thing we are left with is the only thing that matters...love. We love and we support. That is all we can do. We really can't advise. The person will come to their own conclusions in their own time. We can't push that in any direction at all or we risk depriving them of the opportunity to learn from their experiences. Why would any friend want to do that to another friend?

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

Baby, It's Cold Out There!

2011-01-20T14:40:00.001-06:00

I think with the wind chill it is supposed to be something in the neighbourhood of -40 C. Yikes!! At times like this, I am forced to remind myself what the benefits are of living in such a cold climate...

1. No mosquitoes!
2. Sledding down the hills.
3. Frost on the trees...beautiful.
4. Forced cuddling!
5. Leads to Body Heat!
6. Fireplaces.
7. Hot Chocolate.
8. Brighter sunlight as it reflects off the ice.
9. Keeps riffraff off the streets.

and so on. The list can go on, but doesn't really have to. I love living where I do. The cold is something that doesn't last that long anyway and the summers....well, except for last summer where it rained for most of it, are beautiful and with really nice weather. The sun dogs are also amazing at this time of year. I have seen some that were a rainbow ring around the sun, with two more rings on either side of the first ring. This is crazy phenomena, but absolutely lovely to see. I don't read anything into it that is dreadful, as some do. I simply enjoy the spectacle. Sometimes the most amazing meditation comes from just being in the moment, without expectation or fear. Simply be in the moment and enjoy.

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

The Rest and Cleansing Moon

2011-01-16T20:45:00.001-06:00

This moon spans from January 20th to February 18th. The Rest and Cleansing Moon brings us the medicine of knowing when it is time to rest and when it is time to cleanse our bodies, both inside and out. It is an excellent time for going on a fast and internal cleanse (not for the entire duration, of course!) and to visit the spa. Rejuvenation is the key to the Rest and Cleansing Moon.

The Power Animal for this moon is the Otter. This playful one is the epitome of fun! Otter people (those born in this moon) are gregarious individuals who love to have fun and who love to know lots of people. They are the social butterfly of the Butterfly Clan. Intelligent and spontaneous, the Otter is one who is always ready to throw caution to the wind in an attempt to have a good laugh and to slide down the river bank. Otter people are naturally trusting, until betrayed. Then it can take decades to ever earn their trust back. For an Otter person, one's character is the only true thing one owns. So if someone of low or little character should betray the Otter person, that one will never gain the trust back....ever. Otter medicine is also known as "woman medicine" because, whether it is within a woman or a man, it is the most nurturing of the individual spirits of those around the Otter person. Creative and loyal, the Otter makes an excellent friend who will be there through thick and thin.

The Plant Totem for the Rest and Cleansing Moon is the Quaking Aspen. Many Otter people suffer from foot issues of one form or another, and Quaking Aspen leaves and bark, when made into a tea, help to push the toxins that have set up house in the feet completely out of their abode, thus easing the pain and discomfort of the feet. Silver is the Mineral Totem for this moon. Silver is an excellent conduit of energy and helps to purify the body, mind, emotions and spirit.

Being a part of the Butterfly Clan, the Otter person is a natural Air elemental. This brings the medicine of an uncanny, almost telepathic ability to read other's thoughts and emotions. Because of this, the Otter person has to work twice as hard to stay grounded and centered, otherwise those vibes can bombard and create complete imbalance.

Air elementals in general need to honor whatever developmental stage they may be in with whatever situation they are dealing with. There is the egg stage, where potential is understood, but not known. There is the larva stage, where great transitions take place. There is the caterpillar stage, where one is ravenous for information and very passionate about it. There is the cocoon stage, where one just needs to be completely alone and allow the integration of everything to take place. Finally, there is the moth or butterfly stage, where one must honor that at first the wings will be very wet, so not to rush things, and then as they open there is a miraculous discovery of who one truly is. This is only to be followed by yet another stage of eggs. The cycle continues. Considering that Butterfly Clan folks are excellent multi-taskers, is it any wonder there can be stress, considering the many stages that each task may be at in any given moment?

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

An Educated Child

2011-01-15T08:07:00.001-06:00

"A child miseducated is a child lost" John F. Kennedy. Sometimes people don't see the things that actually educate children. They think that education absolutely must take place in a classroom with row upon row of students with one teacher at the front of the class, dictating their assignments and lording control over the situation at all times.

I know that the basics of education (math, science and literature) are very important. Into that mix, however, is sometimes lost some essential aspects of learning. Art, Music, Physical education, and, yes, PLAY! The entire world is a classroom, and although I personally have learned a lot from books, I cannot say that my grade 10 algebra has served me well in my life. Nor has my grade 12 geotrig. My understanding of science is not vast, but has now and then come in useful. My love for reading only waned when I was in University and had to read one 500 page novel/day in an intersession class. I swore that when I got out of University I would only read the things that actually interested me. That is exactly what I have done. All in all, I must say that most of my valued education did not in any way come from a classroom setting.

I learned more from my hikes in the woods and my time raising animals on the farm than I ever did in a classroom. It is not that we did not cover things like math, science and literature in the setting of nature. We did. It was just in a far more interesting setting than the classroom could ever hope to be. I got to move around and explore while I learned. Nowadays kids are medicated if they can't sit still. I don't know a kid that can sit still for the length of time the current education system demands. I also learned about my body and how it works in the world around me. That was far more important to me than learning the rules and regulations of football. I also built personal confidence in my art and music education, most of which had nothing at all to do with my schooling.

In some ways, I think I was one of the first kids that experienced homeschooling, although I did attend school as well, boring as it was. I am also aware of the fine line between allowing a child to just be a child and allowing a child to decide that he or she is not interested in learning in general. A lot of parents, homeschooling parents or not, miss those indicators. They get so wrapped up in just day to day functioning that they miss that their child has just spent five days of his or her life and not fed the brain with activity that can stimulate growth and learning. My own children are home schooled and I think that this is an ideal environment for them to learn. I do not, however, think that it is a valid excuse to slack off when it comes to some essentials of learning. I am also quite aware that kids will learn different things at different rates. So I never compare one child to another when it comes to when each learned what. But I do want to be sure that the information is provided in a variety of ways until it sinks in...daily. That way eventually they notice that the pieces have fallen together and they have completed another piece of the puzzle of life.

This is the way to learn. Through opportunity and repetition of a theme, kids will come to their conclusions about how things work. We don't need a classroom setting to learn. We need an open invitation.

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

Publically Flogged

2011-01-12T15:49:00.001-06:00

I feel like a geriatric. I have a new computer program that is absolutely wonderful...if I were to know where to find the things that I was used to utilizing in the old program. I don't really consider myself to be set in my ways. Nor do I need to have someone tell me which finger to use to work the mouse pad on the laptop. I am not quite there yet...but close. It took me till today (three full days after the install of said computer program) to find where my emails were being forwarded to and how to access them on my screen. It is a good thing I am bald because I sure feel like there are a lot of grey hairs having their way with me!

Sheldon, on The Big Bang Theory, said it best when he said, "It's not that I think that every elderly person who struggles with technology should be publicly flogged, but if we were to do that to just one or two of them it may give the rest incentive to try harder."

I think that I may be one of the first ones out there on the whipping block!

I will try harder, Sheldon! I will! I promise I will! Ahhhhh! Stop hitting me!!!!

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

Get to the Point!

2011-01-08T10:50:00.001-06:00

Time flies like an arrow and fruit flies like a banana. Think on that one for just a moment.....chuckle! Because time flies like an arrow I find that I have very little patience with folks who beat around the bush. Communication is always much better when direct and to the point. I don't tend to play games about saving face or about buying into someone's personal drama.

Sometimes I have been called things like "heartless" when I inform someone who is talking in circles that I don't have enough time left on the earth to waste any of it with a circular discussion. People often don't know what to do with someone who tells them to get to the point. Well, here is a novel idea.....GET TO THE POINT!!

It is not that I don't have any compassion for someone who is emotionally hurting or anything like that. In fact I am, more often than not, a big soft teddy bear when it comes to emotional wounds. It is also not that I have an extremely masculine way of communicating. In fact, monosyllabic communication irritates me just as much as does circular communication. I just figure that if it can be said concisely in 10 words or less then it should be said that way, as opposed to having to sift through all the flowers and the thorns and the weeds and the vines and the rats nest of superfluous junk that comes out of people's mouths at times when all they really want to say is something like, "Yes, I would like a glass of water please," or, "No thank you, I can't stay for coffee as I need to be somewhere in 15 minutes." Nope, what we get instead are the many round about reasons why they can't stay and how coffee is awful for everyone and I should not drink it either (which I don't anymore by the way!) and how unless it is bottled water they just can't stomach it because Saskatoon City water (which by the way is the cleanest water in North America!) is so harmful to them and on and on.

So here's a communication for you.....Get out because I don't have time for this garbage.....door slams.

Believe it or not, I am actually not angry while writing this. I am having fun with it. And no, nobody has especially irritated me of late with their horrible communication. I just saw the photo of the arrows and what came to mind was "GET TO THE POINT!" so that is what I blogged about. Teehee.

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

Organ Donations

2011-01-06T17:14:00.001-06:00

Okay, so the photo is my sick sense of humor coming out. I figured it would be better than a photo of an ooey, gooey heart or kidney or something. But seriously, there is something that is relatively unknown in our culture regarding organ transplants. What is unknown is that each organ holds soul energy from the person from whom they originate. Soul energies are held in several parts of each individual. The Egyptians categorized these parts as: Ren (your name), Your Energy, Akh (your Ghost), Kah (Life Force) Bah (Your Soul) Shiut (Your Shadow Self) and Seku (Your Physical Remains). If you like, you can look up the Egyptian Book of the Dead and read more about that.

What I wanted to touch on, however, is the Seku, the physical remains, as they pertain to organ transplants. It is important to understand that each organ in the human body actually holds within it soul consciousness. So if a transplant is to occur, it is important to either introduce the soul energy of the donor to that of the recipient and make sure that all is compatible on that front, or to help the soul energy of the donor to leave the organ and go into the Light and then transfer the soul energy of the recipient's organ to that of the donor. It is not just a matter of physical tissue being involved. There are important spiritual aspects to the entire procedure. Unfortunately, you will not find many medical practitioners who are willing to address the importance of this. That is why it is up to us to ensure that the introduction or soul exchange happens.

I have noticed that when that is not addressed the risk of rejection goes up much higher than it needs to. And then if the body accepts the organ, but the spiritual aspect has not been addressed, the recipient experiences things that medical practitioners will only refer to psychiatrists, who don't usually have a clue when it comes to spiritual things. Having a loved one who has received an organ transplant and has had experiences since said transplant until we were able to address the spiritual side of things, I know how important it is to cover all bases. So my invitation to you is that if you or anyone you know is to receive an organ transplant, please make sure that the spiritual aspect is addressed. And no, you don't necessarily have to refer them to myself. Any well trained shaman will be able to help with this aspect of life.

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

Earth Renewal Moon

2011-01-05T10:21:00.002-06:00

On December 22nd we entered into the Earth Renewal Moon phase. This time, which extends to Jan 19th, is a time for us to get our second wind for the year that is coming up. We are able to now look back on the traditions and rituals that feed our souls and we are also able to let go of those that do not. There is a subtle stirring within the earth at this time and the seeds of life are beginning to get restless for the spring, but much preparation is still needed.

The power animal for this moon is the Snow Goose. The Snow Goose helps us to remember the patterns of life and the cycles of life. It helps us to know when we are to get up and move to a new destination or take on a new project. It also helps us to instinctively know how to communicate with stones and crystals and how to follow the energy of the earth, even when those energy lines are shifting!

The Birch Tree is the medicine plant for this time of year. The leaves of the birch tree make an excellent tea that calms and rejuvenates. The Clear Quartz Crystal is the mineral totem for this time. It helps us to remember the traditions of old and the meanings behind them. It also helps us to see things clearly and to channel healing energies to ourselves and to those around us.

This year I have committed to sharing some of the information that I have gleaned over the years once a month in honor of the moons around the wheel of the year. I hope that you will find the information useful and that those born within the time of each moon phase will get to know their personal medicines more intimately. You can also find some further information on this in Sun Bear's book, Medicine Wheel, Earth Astrology. It is a fascinating read. You will find that there is some information that I share that is not from this book, and that is because I don't believe in only relying upon a book for information. I gather information daily and learn through experience, as I hope you will also do.

This New Year promises to bring excellent things as we get closer to the cycle that culminates in the changes for 2012! These changes are not catastrophic in any way. Let Hollywood own that idiotic fear mongering. The changes are awesome and powerful, yes, but also healthy and positive. Enjoy them. Happy New Year!

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

Warrior Painted Face

2010-12-30T17:28:00.001-06:00

My great nephew loves hockey. He is quite a good goalie at a very early age. Like many his age he has a favorite team and favorite players etc and aspires to be a part of it all. Some of the stories that come out of this interest of his are astounding. I must say that it is much different being on a team as a kid than it is being a single mom of a kid on a team. Old standards will happen and rear their ugly heads now and then. Discrimination will happen and the next thing you know there are hockey parents who exclude his mom and him from invitations because they are too threatened by what they see as well as by a mom who actually shares healthy opinions about activities that go on around this sport. It really puts a damper on the enjoyment factor when there are such shenanigans going on in the background.

But what we need to not lose sight of is the love of the game. It doesn't have to be WWWF on Ice. In fact it should never be that. The game serves to build self-worth and self-confidence in young players. This cannot happen if parents are screaming insults at children from the stands. Sometimes they even scream them at their own children because they see their kid as a failure, not that they themselves could have done any better at that age!

There is a primal need that team sports serves as well. That primal need goes back thousands of years. Eventually it developed into things like armies that conquered foreign lands. At least that is not the focus with team sports. It serves the primal need to conquer while not actually shedding a drop of blood....hopefully. Some may argue that I am nuts in this perspective, but those who do are idiots. Of course it serves the primal need to conquer. If it did not, then competitive sports would never have developed in the first place. Look, for example, at how involved even non-sports minded folks get in the Olympics. This is an event that is actually based on the same primal need. The more gold medals that are earned by a country, the higher regard that country is held in the eyes of the rest of the world. It is like going to international war without the rifles and tanks and other anti-personnel weaponry involved. It is cultured. It is refined. And it is primal. To compete one must be able to put out 110% or more just to make the cut. One becomes a warrior who represents their respective homeland.

A lot of people do a lot of praying around such events as the Olympics. They want their own country to win more Gold than any other country. The only praying that I have ever done around the Olympics is that everyone remains safe, unharmed....healthy, and enjoys the competition to the max because that opportunity does not come around very often and certainly not for just anyone. Accidents happen and people get hurt during practices and competitions. This is unfortunate, but true. So that is what I focus my prayers on. I really don't care squat about who wins what. But not caring does not stop the warm and tingly feeling inside when my own country does well. It is a rush. Really, deep inside, we are all warriors with painted faces. Let's just accept that as truth and then allow it to become expressed in constructive ways.

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

It's Been a While...

2010-12-29T12:12:00.002-06:00

Since last I was able to write. December has been unusually horrible for my Love and I. That is not to say that all is not well. Things are completely improving. But in the second week of December we were both down with a nasty flu bug. This turned into pneumonia for her. Then her kidneys crashed (she received a transplant 9 years ago). So off to Emergency we went. A week later her pneumonia was better and with dialysis on a three times a week scheduling and IV antibiotics to be continued at home, she was sent home on the 20th. Then the morning of the 21st she was back in Emergency. On the evening of the 21st her pneumonia was rearing its ugly head and she crashed. She was taken to the Progressive Care Unit where she was hooked up to I think 5 IV's and receiving a blood transfusion. The next day she was sent to ICU where she was stabilized over the next week. She was possibly going to undergo an open Lung biopsy surgery, which was able to be prevented when the medications began really kicking in. All this could possibly have been prevented if her chronic cough for the last 24 months was actually dealt with when it was brought up. But apparently unless you are admitted into a hospital these things will slip through the cracks. So the medication has been killing the bug that was causing the cough, or at least that is what they are saying. Now she is out of the ICU and into a ward where she will gradually transition back to home.

Through all of this I have discovered a few things. Although St. Paul's hospital in Saskatoon is not the greatest for research and such, you cannot in any way beat the incredible staff that they have. The compassionate and discrete care that they give is absolutely sterling! It made ICU feel like a day spa. Well, except for the fact that the stay was for way too many days and it was an ICU. As well, I have discovered that when the times get really rough, I have more strength in me to help someone get through things than I ever gave myself credit for. We also have incredible friends who could spell me off in the wee hours of the morning when I, myself, was beginning to freak out and crash. Fortunately her parents, who had been down with the flu in Mexico, were able to get back last week. I cannot imagine how difficult it would be to know your daughter is frighteningly ill and even if you could get back you wouldn't be allowed to see her because you are also very ill. That would simply be torture.

I have also learned a few other things that most people don't think about in situations like this. And what I have learned is from both this experience and from experiences that I have had being hospitalized numerous years ago. The patient really doesn't need any worry or concern conveyed to them. The patient actually needs love and strength. Worry and concern creates negative energy that absorbs into the patient and screws things up. And then there is also the fact that the patient ends up micromanaging the emotional mess that others are experiencing. This takes way too much energy out of the patient who needs to focus all his or her energy into actually healing themselves.

People often confuse their emotional drama with love. But there really is a difference between the two. Love becomes strong and stable when someone is in a vulnerable state. The emotional crisis gets put onto the back burner to be dealt with later and not in the patient's presence. Love does not become weepy and frightened in the face of crisis. Drama does this, but love does not. In the face of crisis there needs to be stability and strength. That is the energy that will feed the patient and help them to heal exponentially faster.

It also makes no sense to yell and scream at the gods about what a lousy job they are doing in helping your loved one. That is a useless waste of energy. Thanking them for their assistance goes a heck of a lot further. The anger is just more drama with another mask.

I have also found that courtesy goes sooooo far when dealing with medical people. In crisis situations they are so used to people freaking out on them and having to micromanage them instead of taking care of the patient. My Love would thank them for whatever they were doing, be it changing an IV or taking blood pressure readings or rubbing her back. The staff absolutely fell in love with her because she was so appreciative. She really touched their hearts. And one of them thanked me as well for all the respect and courtesy that I showed them throughout the entire thing. They are used to people trying to take charge when that is not their job at all. Support is their job. Taking charge is their control issues rearing their ugly heads. A person, patient or loved one, really needs to simply live the moment and allow the healing to take place. Trying to control how and when that healing happens is counter productive to the healing process.

There are so many other things that I have learned through this, and I will probably mention them in further blog entries, but for now, I simply need to go and be with my Love. I will write more as we go.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Chick Flicks

2010-12-11T20:56:00.001-06:00

A couple of months ago my Love and I went out to eat at a local restaurant. The dining area was just across the foyer from the lounge. There was a football game being broadcast and from the dining room we could hear what sounded like dozens of bar stool fans cheering and yelling and screaming at the large flat screen tv. When our waitress came to our table I told her that I was doing a sociological survey regarding sports fans and asked her if she could answer one simple question: "Why the heck do sports fans yell and scream at a television screen when the athletes on the screen can't hear them?" Her answer was, "Beats me."

Last night I finally found out what the answer was. But I did not find the answer at a local sports bar or from a couch athlete. I learned it from within myself, and man was I shocked to discover the answer and even more shocked at the process! You see, my Love and I, still getting over the flu that ravaged our home and levelled everyone in its path, including the cat, were watching Christmas chick flicks that she had recorded earlier. I must say that normally I am not into chick flicks at all. But these two movies actually had some story line to them and a lot of outrageous humor. Suddenly I found myself screaming at the tv screen stuff like, "Noooooo! Don't marry her! She's a skank who is not in love with you! Run, man! Run like the wind! Run hard and fast and don't stop!" And then it hit me. I bought into the movie and was passionately involved in the story line! So that is what it takes...to become a tv screen screamer you have to be passionately involved! That is what the bar stool sports fans were experiencing....passionate involvement! It was truly an "Ahahhhh" moment.

While watching these movies I realized a few things that I always knew inside. First off, I am a lover. I am not what I would consider to be a "romantic", but I am a lover. Secondly, there is a difference between loving someone and actually being in love with someone. Any one of us can love any number of people. Very few of us actually get to experience the kind of crazy love that actually being in love with another brings to us. I have loved many over my lifetime, but have seldom actually been in love with someone else. Most often I have loved another who thought she was in love with me when actually she just loved me. You see, when you are in love with another there is a mutual passionate connection between the two of you through that love. It is not something that has to be mustered up or even something that can be put on hold while the rest of your life takes over your love life. No phone call is more important, no text is more important, no song on the radio is more important, no game play in the final inning is more important than the one with whom you are in love. Nothing takes the place of the person with whom you are in love. Thirdly, love should never be decided based on fear. Fear has no place in love. Fear only stands in the way of love and tries to diminish love or negate it altogether. When you are in love with another you have no problem whatsoever in risking everything for that love. Any perceived risk becomes an investment in that love.

I am very happy that I can experience being in love with another. It becomes much less enjoyable when you or the other only love the other person and neither one is actually in love with the other person. That can actually become quite painful and eventually will destroy the relationship.

Oh, and by the way, I would highly recommend the remake of the movie It Had To Be You, with Natasha Henstridge and Michael Vartan. It is an amazing story of two people who fall in love with each other while shopping for their respective weddings to other people. I laughed, I cried, it became a part of me....

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

The Return of the Light

2010-12-07T08:15:00.001-06:00

I have SADD. That is something that I have struggled with for years and years before it was ever defined by any medical practitioner. I know that I, for one, could have told them that lack of light makes me depressed. Three days of lack of light makes me so depressed I want to explode! So any form of light that I can get around at this time of year is excellent as far as I am concerned. Even the Christmas lights on the trees make my heart warm and my mind clear.

A few years ago I was dropping off something at a friend's home. Every house on the block except for his was light up and sparkling. I commented on how lovely the street looked and his bland reply was that because he is not Christian they don't do that. No acknowledgement of how pretty it is or of how nice the block looked, just a bland statement of religious preference.

Seriously, when it comes to lighting up the darkness, I don't see what religious preference has to do with anything. I am not Christian either, but I love to light up the darkness with Christmas Lights. I even put them on in the middle of summer when we are entertaining in our back yard! They are simply a thing of beauty. They don't have to mean anything about the birth of Jesus.

On the Pagan end of things, they actually indicate the celebration of Yule and the return of the light as the seasons change. After Winter Solstice, the sun becomes something we see more of in the sky. So why not celebrate that? You don't have to be Pagan to do it. Just appreciate the frickin light!

I know that I am probably more sensitive to this issue than most, what with that whole SADD and all. But even if I were not afflicted with that, I would still love the lights at this time of year. There is nothing that says "home" like the feeling that the darkness of life is being held at bay by a beautiful array of lights!

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

National Treasury

2010-12-04T09:55:00.002-06:00

I know that sometimes products need to be child proof in order to be safe. I know that there are some really mean and horribly sadistic people out there who will sometimes try to poison food products. But when breaking into my favorite chocolates during the Christmas season, which only lasts so long, becomes like breaking into the Grand National Treasury then something's gotta give!

I don't consider myself addicted to chocolate. In fact, I can easily go even for months without chocolate. I usually do not binge on it either. But this particular chocolate is, as advertised, a gift from the Gods! I know that I can only have 2-3 of the nuggets if I don't want a headache afterwards. So I go easy on it. After my first I usually wait at least 5 seconds before I have the second and then I always wait a minimum of 2.3 seconds before I have the third. After all, it is important to each chocolate respectfully and responsibly.

So you can imagine my, shall I say "frustration" (insert nervous twitch here), when yesterday it took me 20 minutes just to break into the plastic vault that they arrived in! I used a knife to break the seal, which was not functioning like a properly designed seal should in that the tag that you pull broke upon the first tug, and then I used scissors to try to cut along the edge of the lip of the container, then I twisted and tugged and tried different angles and even different ways to hold my mouth! Just at the point where I was about to pull out my sledge hammer and make chocolate pudding....POP! The lid came off! There were chocolate nuggets all over the kitchen as they spewed from the container. One even landed in the cat food dish! Did that stop me? No way! I worked hard for that prize and I was not about to let the frickin' cat have it! There is, in our house the seven second rule. If it hits the floor and within seven seconds it is picked up it can be eaten. Well, they all hit the floor at some point during this escapade, so.....

Honest.....I'm not addicted! I AM NOT! In fact, there are at least 5 left! How dare you ask me how big a
container it was! What business is that of yours? It is not relevant! Okay, fine, enough with the third degree! There were somewhere between 5 and 24. No! I did not eat them all! I think some rolled under the fridge! Honest....see? There's one under there! If you get right down on the floor and close the eye that is not on the floor and use a flashlight....oh. A dust bunny you say? Well.....THE DUST BUNNY ATE IT!

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

Smothering Love

2010-12-01T18:40:00.001-06:00

It can be like the gasses in this photo, taken from the spaceweathernews.com channel, which are a canopy for a solar flare. Sometimes we try to place a canopy of love over those for whom we have affection, hoping that the canopy will protect them from all harm. It doesn't matter whether the harm comes from outside themselves or from inside, we want to protect them from it. The thing is....we can't. Here is why.

As humans we have been gifted/cursed with something that many in the universe apparently don't have....Free Will. That free will is something that liberates us from becoming drones in life. It is also something that can trap us when we have made the wrong decisions for ourselves. But decisions we must make. Even deciding not to decide is a decision to procrastinate.

So often we think as well that if we love someone enough, that person will of course make healthy decisions for themselves. This is untrue. To expect that to be true is to be using love to control and manipulate another's thoughts and actions. If we love them, we also have to accept that they have free will to do and think whatever they choose to and there is nothing we can do to change what they think or how they feel. We have to allow them to make whatever mistakes they are going to make, even if that means they will crash and burn like a solar flare. It is their journey, not ours. Yes, we can still be loving and yes we can still be supportive, but no, we cannot decide for them and no we should never enable them when making unhealthy choices. Love does, even when unconditional, have healthy boundaries.

We don't often think of love as being destructive. Yet love, when controlling, becomes smothering and does not allow the other party to breathe and experience life to the fullest, to whatever degree that person would choose to experience it. When it is truly unconditional, love allows people to make mistakes but does not judge them for those mistakes. It simply understands their mistakes and helps them to grow from the lessons that those mistakes bring into their lives. To protect them from those lessons serves no one at all. To help them through those lessons serves everyone.

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

Leap of Faith

2010-11-27T12:02:00.001-06:00

Now and then we need to take one. Most recently I took a leap of faith in that I was able to release myself from a couple of positions and programs that were no longer serving my needs. That meant that others then had to step up, yes, but they could then go at it whole heartedly, whereas I was no longer feeling whole hearted about it. It is amazing how easy it is to let go of something when you no longer feel valued or respected.

I also do that with relationships. If I am no longer valued or respected, and if it is no longer a partnership but a burden to me...out it goes! The thing is that most people fear that sort of thing because it forces them to take a leap that is completely into the wild blue yonder! For me, I like the yonder. Perhaps it is because I am an air elemental by nature, or perhaps it is because I like the color blue, but the wide open space appeals to me. I am able to see the potential in what is out there, as opposed to fear it because it is big and scary. It may mean that I have to free fall for a part of it, but at least I am FREE!

I encourage everyone to take the leap into.....whatever.....and see what happens! Unburden yourself and allow your spirit to soar!

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

A Little Extra Padding....Please

2010-11-25T14:46:00.001-06:00

As most of you know I am not one to wear socks. I hate socks. They bug my feet tremendously. In fact, most of me is a nudist. In winter, that part of me suffers....well, except for the part that hates socks. I usually don't even wear them in winter unless for some reason I have to be "dressed up". So I find that the extra padding in my winter coat is delightful because it keeps me cozy warm. But it got me to thinking...

How often in life we need a little extra padding! It is nice to have a soft place to land when you are leaping into the unknown. It is also nice to have someone there to catch you if you fall. And it is certainly nice to have a nest egg tucked away in case there are financial hardships. The latter one I am working on. The first one is where my trust in the Universal process is having to kick in. The second one....I hope....

So many people, though, don't have that extra padding in their lives. There is no one and nothing that they have been able to count on. They struggle through life and hopefully make something better for themselves as they go. But, just like folks in a hospital, some fall through the cracks. Do we judge them? I don't think so. Do we enable them? Certainly not. Do we have compassion for them? Absolutely.

Without compassion we are unable to fully experience what this whole trip through humanity is all about. Having compassion does not mean that we need to sacrifice our own well being to be of some assistance to those in need. It simply means that we can be mindful of where and when we can actually help. That way both benefit. The person you are helping receives the assistance he or she needs and you benefit from being able to spread the good energies around and pay it forward.

Think about yourself. Where is your extra padding in life? Have you shown appreciation for that? Do you have any extra padding? If not, work on getting it. Being there for others helps you to be assisted by others when you need that as well. Put yourself out there. Allow the goodness of giving of yourself and your time be a practice that enriches your life.

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

Hangin' Around

2010-11-23T22:06:00.001-06:00

Sometimes in life things get all upside down on us. We have things go wrong, things we say come out all backwards, we accidentally offend people, not meaning to at all....

These are the times we simply need to hang around, upside down. It lends a new perspective to things. I have literally put myself in to an upside down position and have found that in just a few short minutes things straighten out in my energy field and in my mind. Maybe it is just all that blood rushing into my brain that makes me think more clearly. Maybe it is like riding backwards in a vehicle and seeing the road fall away from you instead of coming at you. I don't know and I really don't care. All I really care about is that it works! Try it!

The other day I actually felt like hanging someone else upside down. She pulled something that was extremely rude and invasive and, even though I handled it well, what I really wanted to do was turn her upside down, shake her till her teeth fell out and toss her into the gutter. Yes, even shamans have those feelings now and then. But really, what good would that have done? People who don't know boundaries certainly are not going to know them any better when they have some wine in them. So I figure that I will just be ready for the next time she pulls that stuff and then shake her up a bit.

In the meantime, I hang around, upside down, and enjoy the view!

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

Shiva and Shakti

2010-11-18T16:18:00.001-06:00

What a beautiful image of the Yin and the Yang! Shiva and Shakti are the Hindi Gods of Fertility. Shiva, the masculine, is considered to be the "Destroyer" and Shakti, the feminine, is considered to be the "Nurturer". This is a bit different from the usual concept of Yin and Yang. The Yang, or masculine, is considered to be the Light and the active, whereas the Yin, the feminine, is considered to be the Dark and receptive. The thing is that most often because she is considered to be the dark, she is also considered to be the "destroyer", seeing as how, as we all know from a Christian perspective, the dark is a devious thing that is not to be trusted. It makes me wonder just how much non-Christianized versions there actually are left?

Perhaps in the Taoist version of things, there is a concept of the feminine being dangerous. I don't think, however, that it was necessarily dangerous in destructive ways. I think that it was dangerous in that it was wild and unpredictable. These are not necessarily bad traits. The wild and unpredictable keeps us on our toes and makes us have to take stock of how fragile life actually is. Life is rarely ordered. The universe actually has a chaotic component to it that we cannot control and should not even try to control. The concept of order is only there to give us a false sense of security.

I wonder at times, and especially since going through a divorce in the last couple of years, if marital relationships are actually meant to be? I know I am stepping way outside the box in writing that. But really, marriage is something that dictates how things are supposed to look so that it is acceptable to the rest of society. People often confuse how marriage looks with, yet again, a false sense of security. When we end a marriage, the rest of society, or at least the right wing conservatives in it, responds in fear instead of from understanding or compassion. People immediately want to take sides in an issue that has nothing at all to do with them. When we allow ourselves to flow and to release each other in harmony, all those antics that outsiders go through mean nothing to us. We simply make arrangements and keep things as peaceful as possible.

I personally like the idea of Shiva and Shakti. They are completely in love with each other and allow themselves to express that love. They are the perfect image of what Tantra is all about. The sharing of love from the heart allows the expression of love on all levels. There is no shame involved in sexuality or sensuality and the honoring of each other as a God or Goddess flows freely. One is able to bring pleasure to the other and vise verse and the energy ripples and grows, just like in the picture.

My invitation for all who are in relationships with lovers or spouses is this...allow the love to flow. Allow the love to flow even in the midst of being frustrated or angry. Allow the love to flow and to wash away all fear that you may hold in your heart. Allow the love to flow and build bridges of loving energy between you and your mate. Know that when it comes right down to it, this person is, at least for the moment, your manifestation of God or Goddess in your life, in your heart and in your arms. With that awareness, as long as love shall last, you will be One.

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

The Spirals of Life

2010-11-18T12:07:00.001-06:00

Well, the return of winter to Saskatoon, Saskatchewan has arrived! I was wondering how long it would take as our autumn seemed to have lasted an exceptionally long time this year. I think that it is good that it did last that long, though, because we did not have much of a summer for weather. It was rainy and cold for most of it. The autumn actually brought us a few days of nice weather and then stayed nice for a long time. Nice, in Saskatchewan, means that it was about 7-9 degrees C. Normally once October hits we are battered with snow storms. We have actually just begun having any measurable amount of snow overnight and through today.

Having clients come and go, I have to keep on top of the shovelling. So I have already shovelled three times. Yes, my body is feeling it, but it feels good to also get out into the fresh air and have a bit of physical activity. I have been making all sorts of adjustments in my life that include things like more physical activity.

I find it amazing how we can extend ourselves beyond the breaking point at times and not even realize it until suddenly enough is enough. I have withdrawn from two programs that I was involved in because they both were taking up way too much time and energy on my part and were compensating me with very little. I was involved in them because I thought that it was an excellent way to look after the community and also have ripple effects to the world at large and, who knows, maybe beyond. But neither one were serving to feed me on a soul level. Initially, yes they were. But then the responsibilities gradually became obligations and burdens. So I asked myself, "Self," I said, "If this were one of your clients what would you be suggesting they do?" and my self replied with, "Well, I would be suggesting that they simplify their lives." So simplify I did and released myself from the programs. Voila! I could feel such a weight lift off of me it was amazing. Thus I know I made the right decision.

So my invitation to anyone who is feeling burdened with obligations is this....what can you do that will simplify your life? No one else can do this for you. Only you can do it. The more simplicity we have, the happier we become. As we allow ourselves to flow with the spirals of life we release our needs to hang on to whatever is no longer appropriate in our lives.

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

It Makes Scents!

2010-11-11T21:56:00.000-06:00

No matter how "natural" a product can be, there is still the possibility that someone's senses will be overly sensitive to it. Take the average Peony for example. I love those flowers. They are like the most humongous rose on the planet. I love seeing them and enjoying them in the back yard. But I have to be extremely careful about bringing any into the house. That is not just because of the ants that come in with them. It is because the scent that is on them permeates the rest of the house and I end up with allergic reactions.

I have had situations happen with clients who, for example, do not use perfume of any kind, yet the scent of the "natural" products that they use for washing and for styling their hair etc is so overwhelming that it closes my throat very quickly. I usually ask people to not wear that sort of thing when they are coming to see me, but then if that is the only soap that they own, it also becomes an inconvenience for them. I don't want to be inconveniencing them. Yet I have to think that if it affects me so much, perhaps it also affects the next client as well. What to do....what to do.

I guess the thing that we all have to consider is what sorts of irritants we utilize that will create problems for other people. I have not used after shave for about 25 years because I found that people would have strong allergic reactions to the scents. I use unscented lotion for my face and body so that I am not creating issues for anyone, least of all myself. I am also finding it more difficult as I go to find lotions with no scent. It seems that the hypoallergenic aspect to products is becoming less popular than it was 5 years ago. At the same time, I don't think I should have to pay three times the price to get something at a "natural foods store". So the search continues at times, and sometimes I luck in. Oh well. I know that one day it will all make scents!

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

Boxed In

2010-11-09T10:07:00.001-06:00

Every once in a while we find that we have become a little imprisoned by someone else's viewpoint of who or what we are. This is always uncomfortable and never healthy. Too often, though, we succumb to the other person's view of us and then can go years with that as a weight upon our shoulders. Being an Air elemental, I do not at all enjoy being boxed in.

So you can imagine my disappointment when I discovered that someone whom I have thought of as a dear friend has a view of me that is untrue, or at the very least way out-dated, and is not hearing me when I am trying to tell her that this may have been true 15 or 20 years ago, but is no longer the case. The thing is that I think that she just does not want to hear me. In confining me in her wee little box of an idea, she thinks that she has some form of grasp on me or control over me. I think that it is because my personal power threatens her in some way. It is never easy to have our viewpoints of how things work in the world or in the universe challenged. As you know, I challenge dogma all the time, no matter where it may show up. So I must be an extreme challenge for her because I am relentless when it comes to boxing things in for the sake of ignorant comfortability. That is not to say that I am rude or aggressive about it, just relentless. Relentlessness can be accomplished in kind and gentle ways as well.

So now I am left with what to do with this sort of thing. If it were someone I did not care that much about, then the solution would be simple. Cut her loose. This is, however, someone for whom I care a great deal. So the solution will be a wee bit more difficult than that and will perhaps take much longer than I would hope. What complicates things is that she has a view of me that can actually be spun in a positive manner, but even though it can be it is still not truth. So I have decided that I will gradually allow the process to unfold and hopefully she will see that I am not in the box that she holds so dear to her heart. If she can handle that bit of information and process it, perhaps she will be able to adjust her point of view. If not, then she will have to move on and find someone else to box in, because I am a very patient person, but will lose patience if something goes on for too long a period of time. After a certain amount of unproductive lapses of time, it becomes obvious that allowing it to continue is simply enabling that person to do this to me. That will not be acceptable. So here is to hoping that she will one day actually hear me!

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

Impulses

2010-11-05T11:15:00.003-06:00

We all have impulses. If we didn't we would not experience things such as impulse purchases or road rage. What we do with our impulses is what counts the most. Jung divided the personality into three categories. The Ego, he said, was the sense of self, the knowing about who we are in the world and within ourselves. A lot of people bash the ego because they only want to see it as rampant and self-serving. That is actually something else. The Ego is the sense of self that defines us from the rest of those around us, which is actually a very good thing, even though we are all one as well.

The Super Ego is like our conscience. It is the part of ourselves that says, "You know, you might be angry with that driver but it is really not a good idea at all to pull your gun out and blow his head off as you drive past him." We need the Super Ego to keep us in check because if we didn't have it there would be nothing but chaos all around us all the time.

The Id is that part of us that is most impulsive. I equate the Id as the "Inner Desires", which is also a part of our ID. The Id is the one that will say to us, "You know, it's only chocolate cake. What would it really hurt if you had a fourth piece?" Sometimes our inner desires are not healthy for us. We have to be able to control some of them in order to not sabotage ourselves along the way. To keep our heads in the sand and think that our bodies will simply process that fourth piece of chocolate cake with ease is simply a heart attack waiting to happen.

So when we look at our inner desires, we do have to look at what is best kept as a fantasy and what can actually be incorporated into our lives as an expression of desire. I might fantasise about rolling naked in millions of dollars of Canadian 20 dollar bills, but to I really want to experience the paper cuts on places that should never be sliced? Indulgence is something that needs moderation. When we don't moderate our indulgences we tend to overdo it and end up with deep regrets. Every year at Christmas time we indulge in Christmas dinner. Sometimes, after say the third helping, we complain about being too full and thus being in pain. Well, we could always stop after the first or second helping. Yes, Christmas is a time of indulgence, but we don't have to over do it even for a special time of year.

I invite everyone to look at what you view as indulgence vs necessity. See what you come up with and see how many antics the Id will take you through to convince you that an indulgence is a necessity. At the same time, I invite you to allow some of your deeper inner desires to come forth and allow yourself to play with them. It won't kill you or anyone else for you to allow yourself to address one or two inner desires. After all, even the Id needs some attention now and then!

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