Medicine Wheel and the Body

The last few days, as you can tell from my lack of blog entries, I have been very ill. My body basically laid itself down and said to the rest of me, "Enough". So now that I am on the other side of this event, I have found a lot of things have shifted for me. During my illness I released a LOT of fears. You name it. I dug into the deep dark shadowy corners of my psyche, cleared away the cobwebs and the flakes of debris, and found myself some strength and courage to make the next number of required steps on my path.

In shamanism we don't look at illness as a set of symptoms. We look at it in a more holistic fashion. We see the subtle and complex interrelatedness of all things within us and around us. Sometimes people who hear I have been ill (doesn't happen that often, but when it does, look out!) say stuff like, "What? But you're a shaman! Shamans don't get sick!" I shake my head at this sort of ignorance. Do they say that about lawyers, doctors, carpenters or mechanics? Basically the only difference is in how we treat the illness. We don't tend to medicate unless absolutely necessary and we look for more natural cures and seek more down to earth causations. That way we go about the healing in a very respectful and thorough way.

I am actually quite glad that I have walked through this one. It has made me more clear on my priorities and helped me to infuse myself with an abundance of self-respect. We all have little programs that disrespect ourselves from within. Those cobwebs are now done. Yea!!

Blessed Be

Trent
www.deerhornshamanic.com

Castles and Self-care

There are certain things that castles need in order to function. The first thing is a good set of fortress walls. This helps keep out invaders who are full of malice. A castle also does well with a moat. This serves as an additional boundary before one even gets to the walls. If there is a moat, then there also needs to be a drawbridge, which can be lowered when guests are arriving and raised when danger is afoot, or when it is time to turn in for the night. Castles also need a warm hearth, a place to gather around the fire and connect with those near and dear to us. On the walls there is often a series of tapestries that bring color to the gray walls and also serve to keep out drafts. It is also important that a castle has a flag that is raised to indicate such things as when the occupants are home, when someone has died, when there is distress and so on.

As individuals, we also need proper walls. These walls are not just to keep everyone out, but to protect us from those with malice in their hearts. In shamanic terms this would be known as a Medicine Shield. We need distinct emotions that are displayed (emotions are the water element...the moat) at appropriate moments and let others know where we are and if we are approachable. We also need to be able to bridge across our emotions and connect with others when we would like to invite them into our sacred space. At the same time, we need the awareness within to know when it is time to draw up the bridge. The hearth is similar to a warm heart. When we meet the world with a warm heart, we find that the world warms to us very well, for the most part. This allows us to connect with those in our lives who are most important, and to be friendly with others who are around us. The tapestries that we create with our lives weave us into the fabric of others' lives, and vise versa. The communication with others can, as a result, become colorful and beautiful in design. This communication with others also helps to keep us warm in their embrace, and they in ours. Now and then, we also need to pay attention to our "flags" of communication. We need to make sure that we send out the correct signals to others, and don't simply expect them to "know" what is going on inside the castle if we don't have the flags functioning. When we are in distress, we need to be able to communicate this clearly so that others can come and help. If we are available, then we also need to communicate this with the proper signals (or flags) so that others can respond by getting together with us for friendly connections.

In many ways, we as humans are like castles. If we take care of our castles they will keep us safe and warm for years and years. If we neglect them, they deteriorate and fall down. The same can be said of our bodies. And when we pay attention to our own inner signals, they also keep us safe for years. When we confuse the signals within ourselves, then we learn to mistrust them and set ourselves up for many a fall over the years.

So keep your castles in good running condition. Treat them well and enjoy sharing them with others who are worthy. Stay connected with the signals and pay attention to the signals in others as well.

Blessed Be

Trent

The Body

We have such strange messages about our bodies....too fat, too thin, not toned enough, not tanned enough, not strong enough, not soft enough, too short, too tall, the list can go on and on and on.

The thing is that the body is the temple. It is the only one we have this time around. The temple is for holding. This speaks to a number of layers. From the time we are born to the time we die we all need to be held. It does not matter how much time passes between these two major events. We still need to be held. Our bodies heal faster with human touch. Our emotions heal when we are held. And our bodies also hold our soul energies while we are here. Our bodies are the temples of our souls. This is why we simply need to love it, bless it, and keep it as healthy as we possibly can with the cards that we are dealt. If we abuse our bodies or if we dirty them up with silly stuff, we are abusing our souls. We need to appreciate our bodies for what they are and to celebrate our bodies as something of the Divine, instead of something that is out of "original sin", whatever the heck that is supposed to mean. We all have a piece of God/Goddess in us. That makes our bodies as Holy as any Deity. Our bodies are sacred vessels that house our souls and through which our spirits are able to express themselves.

So for all of us who have ever in our lifetimes had negative messages about our bodies, I encourage a real re-evaluation of the validity of any of these messages as well as a serious infusion of Holy consciousness into who and what our bodies and ourselves really are.

Blessed Be

Trent