Creative Workings

Along the three-fold path to illumination and enlightenment, the first path is that of creativity. When we create something....anything....we connect to Spirit. Have you ever noticed how completely absorbed in the creative process a child can be while making a sand castle? That is connection to Spirit. Their creativity should never be limited to molds and pails and shovels. They need to be allowed to just make the sand castle with their bare hands, feeling the wet sand with their fingertips and under their fingernails. It connects them to the earth and to the inspiration that Spirit has to offer them.

It doesn't even matter if the creation is something that lasts or something that is transitory. I sometimes prefer the things I have created to only be there for a short time. That is part of why I enjoy making sand castles just as much as my daughter does. It is magnificent, just like a sunset, and then it is gone, only to be recreated in another form at a later time. Sand castle building, like painting, carpentry, and welding, is a meditative process that can lead to some radical insights. Creativity does not need to be limited to artistic things. Sometimes it is just the way you put together an outfit or jewelry, or the way you choose to wash your car by hand. Simple, ordinary creativity is the first of the three-fold path.

Blessed Be
Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

A Totally Zen Experience

This is the Zen garden that is now in my office. It was on my computer desk at home, but I found that sand in a keyboard is not conducive to a functional computer. The box for it is made of pottery and my eldest daughter created it in her pottery class a few years ago. I keep it at the office because this is the candle I will light when I am sending her loving, healing energy. It also serves to just remind me of her throughout the day. The sand is the meditation in and of itself. The teeny weeny rake that is in the top left corner is what I use to rake the sand during the meditation.

I enjoy the Zen garden because it calms me. When I was a kid and a teenager, I was always stirring the sugar bowl at the table. This calmed me as well. It annoyed others, but it calmed me. So when I discovered the Zen garden and the art that it was and the benefits of contemplation and meditation that it promotes, I dove in with both feet (or should I say "fingers")! A Zen garden does not have to be large at all. This one is about 6 inches square. I have seen some that are the size of our new back yard. That is a little much and, the way I see it, as beautiful as it is, that size requires constant work and is like a 5 star hotel for ants and a community washroom for neighbourhood cats. Just a plain old serving bowl will do for a Zen garden. There are a couple of things to be aware of, though. First, the finer the sand the better when stirring and raking. Second, add some stones, shells or a candle for artistic effect. Third, it will take you into an altered state. Fourth, it can be addictive. With all the bad stuff that there is to become addicted to, I figure a Zen garden is the least of anyone's worries!

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Quiet

"All things that have flowered return to their root. This returning to the root has a name: Quiet." Lao-tzu.

Have you ever noticed the relaxed, quiet afterglow that follows making love? All the senses have been stimulated, the endorphins are now rushing through the brain, and the deep sense of satisfaction hums through the aura. This is a "returning to the root". The same is experienced after spirit dance. Everything has built up to a climax and afterward there is a calm within and a connection with Spirit that glows all around us. We also get this effect from drumming circles and meditation. These things nourish our bodies and our souls. On the Wheel of Life, returning to the root would be the point of crossing over to the other side of the Veil of Existence until we reincarnate. This is also the experience that is promoted during the "shaman's death", which is the death of an old way of being and the birth of a new way of being that is actually primordially older than the way that we have just sluffed off. It is a return to the shamanic roots that exist in every culture and every race around the world. It is a connection with Nature and with the Divine, internally and externally.

Some have roots that grow deeper than others. This is not about "my people have been here longer than your people" and it is not about "Our ways are older and better than your ways." This is about working on returning to the root daily. Our personal backgrounds have little to do with our personal potentials. No matter what has forced us to bloom, we each have the capacity to deepen our connections.

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Awakenings

"If every day is an awakening, you will never grow old. You will just keep growing." Gail Sheehy.

I have a new morning ritual that has awakened within me. I used to always do a 20 minute meditation absolutely every morning. I find that in doing meditation I become much more centred and grounded. This prepares me for the day in the most lovely way. Recently, however, I have found that my life is extremely busy and I have had to adapt my definition of "meditation".

I no longer have time to sit in a half lotus position and light a candle and incense and chant and breathe. The ritual has had to change according to my circumstances. Now my morning meditation has more to do with watching the sun rise on the horizon and greeting it happily as I sip my cup of coffee. This is done on my 20th floor balcony when it is warm, and in my living room when it is not. Either way, the view is spectacular and the peaceful feeling that is achieved is phenomenal.

When you look at the sun rising, how can you not know that you are witnessing the blessing of the Cosmic God upon the body of the Earth Mother? No matter what the morning rush hour traffic is like, every morning the sun rises and a new day is begun as naturally as breathing itself. I often offer a prayer to the sun, thanking it for illuminating my heart, that it, too, can do the work of the Divine. And all this I do while sipping my French Vanilla coffee. It is exquisite!

Blessed Be

Trent

www.deerhornshamanic.com

We Are One

When I was growing up, I used to absolutely love braiding my sisters' hair. I have three older sisters, and I am sure that I did this to each of them at one time or another, but to my youngest older sister the most. She had long beautiful hair and I would just love to run it through my fingers and braid it. I even did this for a few of her friends, or at least they sat through it for me. Later on in life, this got expressed when I was able to work at a friend's beauty parlor, washing clients' hair and preparing them for the cut and/or color and/or curl etc that my friend was about to do for them.

I never got to braid any clients' hair. That was okay with me, because by that time I had girlfriends who liked to have me do stuff to their hair for them. Now, I have two beautiful daughters who now and then let me braid their hair. Sometimes they ask me to do this for them, but most often I have to ask if they will let me. One of them really likes the variety of hair styles that I can create with braids.

So why the braids? I don't know. At least I didn't know back when my minor obsession first manifested in my life. The braiding process is something that I find to be meditative. It is something that makes me slow down. As I slow down, my heart rate slows and I feel calm and serene inside. But now I also understand the deeper meanings of braids. Besides the function of keeping the hair out of the eyes and face, braids are also expressions of who we are. When a woman wears a braid, the style of braid says something about her personality. I could go on for a while on this one, but I won't because there is one more thing about the braid that is even more important.

A braid is the living expression of the interwoven nature of the universe.

Hmmmm.....what the heck is this shaman dude getting at?

The braid, like us, depends on all the parts. First off, you need a clean parting of the hair. Then you need the style or pattern of the braid. Then you need to be able to weave it together so that it strengthens through the weave, and doesn't just wimp out and fall apart. You can work several braids into each other, so that it becomes like several different rivers flowing into one large river. Each strand of hair, each group, and each braid make a beautiful expression of the interdependent and interwoven nature of all things. We all rely upon other things in order to survive. When one thing collapses, it sends out a ripple effect and other things begin to collapse if we have not repaired the first thing. The next thing you know, there is a cascade effect and the entire thing comes undone and unravels everywhere. Life is like that. So these are some of the things that I think about as I braid hair. Not that deep at all, just different. And it is much better than having to count "knit one, purl one".

Blessed Be

Trent

www.deerhornshamanic.com

The Original Shaman

Did you know that the original shamans were artists as well? It is true. Shamans of ancient times would go into trance as they painted the figures of animals on the rock walls of their caves. In this trance state, they would "tune in" to where the animals were grazing. They would then let the hunters know where to go to find the herds for hunting. It was an ancient form of achieving a GPS coordinate. Considering that we all survived the ice age, I am pretty sure the system worked well.

In modern times, shamans like myself don't have to actually do that sort of thing. Yes, we purchase our groceries at the store like everybody else! Imagine that! But art still plays an important role in the work that I do as a shaman.

When I "tune in" to a person's past life, for example, one of the ways in which I do that is to start drawing them in that past life. As the portrait unfolds on the paper, the details of the lifetime also unfold. When I do a Spirit Energy Portrait I "tune in" to the person's aura, chakras, past lives, power animals, spirit guides and so on, and then place them strategically into the portrait as I paint it. There are also other images that, over time, emerge from within the painting. These images give me messages as well.

I find that even just stirring sand or sugar can put me into that trance state of consciousness, as does looking at a glassy surface such as water or ice, or a crystal. I think that once one catches on to how to access that part of the brain, then the brain takes every opportunity it can to exercise that muscle system within it. Stirring my coffee can do it, washing dishes by hand, brushing teeth, and, when I had it, washing my hair. Life itself becomes a meditation that allows me to channel whatever I need to whenever I need to in order to get the messages from Spirit through to me or others. Having said that, I am needing to be very clear that I don't want crowds of people in the bathroom while I shower! Pllllllease! Remember, I don't have hair anymore!

Blessed Be

Trent

www.deerhornshamanic.com

Hit and Miss

My daughters were at their horse riding lesson today. Apparently one of them had a difficult time getting her horse to do what she needed it to do. As a result, she did not have as much fun as usual and felt it was a waste to have gone. As she was showering off in the bathroom I was talking to her. This is something that is easier when she is riled up than if she is not in water. She is very much a water elemental. So the soothing water and the sound of my calm voice tends to bring her back into a happy place inside. By the time our conversation was done she was smiling (something that I could only tell by the sound of her voice, seeing as how the shower curtain was dividing us from each other) and looking forward to having supper together.

Sometimes people don’t listen to their inner needs. Yes, she had to have a shower after horse riding lessons anyway, but she also knows that when she is upset she likes to get in the tub or shower and wash all the upset away. As adults, we can learn a lot from that. For myself, it is going outside and feeling the breeze blow over me. It feels like all the upset energies just blow right off of me. And now that I am living in the city, I appreciate the fact that my apartment is high enough that I not only get the breeze, but I am also able to have an expansive view of the east bank of the river. That expansiveness helps me to collect myself and see things from a broader and higher perspective.

I think that I have always been that way. As a child, I would go out into nature and find a high spot in a tree. My other daughter, also an air elemental like me, does the same thing. It is amazing how we are naturally drawn to what our basic elemental needs are. It is sad that we so often get forced out of that inner honor system by those outside of ourselves who think we are only wasting our time, or their time. I have often said that one can’t confuse inactivity with laziness, or activity with productivity. My father used to get frustrated when I would meditate. He saw that as sitting around and doing nothing. Yet it was one of his friends who taught me how to meditate. The benefits of this simple practice of non-activity escaped him, I suppose. Being on a farm, anything that appeared to be non-active was seen as lazy. I really did not personally enjoy being worked like a horse, so I would get my work done as fast as possible so that I could then go on to do other things, like play or meditate. The trick with meditation was to do it up in a tree where I wasn’t noticed. Now that my own children are honoring their elemental needs, I appreciate the fact that I did not adopt my father’s version of what is productive and what is not. This way my daughters actually might have a chance to develop their inner selves with ease and with grace. Every day I look forward to seeing who they are gradually developing into. I soak up the moment and look forward to the incredible changes that I see. They truly are the most precious beings in my world.

Blessed Be

Trent

The Art Of Breathing

“Human life is the concentration of breath; when it is concentrated, there is life, when it is dispersed, there is death.” Chuang-tzu

Many years ago, I was introduced to the art of Zen meditation, or zazen, as it is called. I found this to be an incredible tool for my journey in life. Having been completely stressed out by the time it was introduced to me, I was immediately aware of the benefits of this practice as I became progressively more serene.

As time went on, though, I began to fall out of my practice of zazen. By the time I entered university, I was only practicing once a week. With the hectic schedules that university brings, I completely abandoned the practice and dedicated my time more to study, partying, and cruising for girls. Although I am exceptional, I am also a male! By the fourth year, I was toast. Gradually I introduced a variety of styles of meditation into a regime that was working for me. And then I found that my life took a quantum leap forward, as life tends to do. As a result, even that regime was abandoned.

About two years ago, I found a lovely book called Zen Mind: Beginner’s Mind by Shunryu Suzuki. This little gem of a book has reminded me of the importance of breath. I have reinstated my zazen practice on a daily basis and I don’t think I will ever be letting it go again.

I find it amazing how often in life we hold our breath instead of allowing it to flow. As we allow the breath to move deeply through us, we become more peaceful and happy, more centered and grounded, more stable and secure in our lives. This brings us to a way of existing with our world in a more harmonious fashion. Even while I am writing this, my breath is slowing and allowing the energy to flow through my body, mind and spirit. It is not something that is strictly done in a lotus position, although this is what is suggested. There is a reason for this position, but I have also found that, after numerous car accidents and a bad throw from a horse, my body will not go into the lotus anymore. I don’t even want to force it to try. If one day it unfolds from within me again, so be it. Until then, a half lotus will have to do and I will be able to still breathe in whatever pose, sitting or standing, I happen to be in.

I highly recommend that everyone introduce themselves to the art of zazen. The best part of it is that you don’t have to buy any tools, you don’t have to attend any special classes in an already busy day, you don’t even have to stop what it is you are doing. You simply need to turn your attention to your breath and allow it to flow through you. The breath is something that we were created with to allow us to live. Let’s not stop living by making ourselves stop breathing.

Blessed Be

Trent

Past Lives

If we meditate enough, for enough lifetimes, and if we allow ourselves to let go of fear through meditation and trust ourselves as we step into the Void from the Light, then we are able to remember ourselves in many past lives. We may even advance to the point of being able to connect with the mass consciousness and "remember" others' past lives for them.

This is one of the many things that I do as a shaman. I help people to remember. I don't just help them to remember all their past lives. In fact with some there are way too many to remember them all. I help them to remember who they are. We all come to a time in our lives when that memory is essential for our progress from that point onward. I have recently begun remembering some things about myself as well. Yes, the shaman also does his own healing work, as we all must do from time to time. With all of the remembering, I have also rediscovered that it is very important to stay in the moment and honor this life. If we constantly search for ourselves in the past we rob ourselves of our present and our future. So I really don't care if someone was Marie Antoinette in a past life. What I do care about is who that person is now. When I look into that person's eyes, I want to see them for their true divine nature within.

I feel such honor that I have been gifted the opportunity to get to know myself on a deeper level. And I am honored that I have the gift of helping others to do the same. I think that if we help each other to honor our personal divinity, we will elevate ourselves in vibration and, through that elevated vibration, we will be able to heal the world, one person at a time, or by the millions. And why stop at just the world we know? Why not create a whole new world? Or a new universe for that matter? What do you say to taking chances? What could we possibly lose? And how does that really compare to what we could gain?

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com