I had a dream this morning in which Prince Charles had renounced his
claim to the throne. It felt good, like he was claiming his own power.
It did not feel like a dodging of responsibility.
This dream followed on a conversation about a Pipe Ceremony that I had run, over at the ‘Shamanism’ group on Facebook, which at 62000 members, seems to be by far the largest FB Shamanic group. And it is also guided by, let's say, some quite definite ideas as to what is and is not Shamanism.
I’m not
an ‘anything goes’ sort of person, but nor am I a traditionalist in the
sense of adherence to forms as though they are the main thing that keeps
everything ‘sacred’. I have a strong sense of tradition, but it is more
to do with personal connection to Spirit. This is what really matters.
The real tradition, the secret, perennial tradition is the unfoldment of
Spirit in our lives. And I think if we have put in the years and the
work, then it gives us the right to be flexible, even creative with the
forms. But not before that!
I was asked at one point if I am a ‘Pipe Carrier’, and I said no, and that I have no intention of becoming one. I am not part of that tradition, and that if anything is Cultural Appropriation (a term I am skeptical about), claiming to represent a foreign culture is. It was suggested that I was therefore coming close to disrespecting the Pipe. And that I shouldn’t have put a photo of a Pipe up – I can see the reasoning, but I say it is helpful. I also made the point that I do not regard the Pipe Ceremony I run as Native American. It is inspired by them, and I was shown the heart of the ceremony – the prayer – in a Native American way over a period of years. I was also told in the group that I cannot do this, that the ceremony has to be seen as Native American.
But I trust what I was shown and not shown, because of the way it came to me.
And here is the point: WE NEED TO CREATE OUR OWN TRADITIONS. In the case of the Pipe, we need to start at the heart of it, and build our own forms and symbolism around that.
I have been through quite a journey of self-doubt around this. I have felt wrong-footed at times by those who claim to know all about the sacred protocols that have to be followed.
“If it’s real, it works; if it works, it’s real.” (Jim Tree, The Way of the Sacred Pipe).
But last night was a bit of a watershed for me, a moment of clarity. I have it within me to carry the spirit of the Pipe in a way that is authentic. And because of that, the freedom to create and build over time in a way that works here, where people are not beholden to a tradition from several thousand miles away. I am claiming this, and it feels right, like I’m being asked to. Like Prince Charles, who chose his own power above institutional power.
It’s quite a thing, because the Pipe IS sacred. And we often don’t know much about the sacred anymore, and we need to spend years learning and reflecting on it. You don’t mess with the sacred. But the sacred also wants us to be able to adapt, to present in ways that are appropriate and close to home.
This dream followed on a conversation about a Pipe Ceremony that I had run, over at the ‘Shamanism’ group on Facebook, which at 62000 members, seems to be by far the largest FB Shamanic group. And it is also guided by, let's say, some quite definite ideas as to what is and is not Shamanism.
I was asked at one point if I am a ‘Pipe Carrier’, and I said no, and that I have no intention of becoming one. I am not part of that tradition, and that if anything is Cultural Appropriation (a term I am skeptical about), claiming to represent a foreign culture is. It was suggested that I was therefore coming close to disrespecting the Pipe. And that I shouldn’t have put a photo of a Pipe up – I can see the reasoning, but I say it is helpful. I also made the point that I do not regard the Pipe Ceremony I run as Native American. It is inspired by them, and I was shown the heart of the ceremony – the prayer – in a Native American way over a period of years. I was also told in the group that I cannot do this, that the ceremony has to be seen as Native American.
But I trust what I was shown and not shown, because of the way it came to me.
And here is the point: WE NEED TO CREATE OUR OWN TRADITIONS. In the case of the Pipe, we need to start at the heart of it, and build our own forms and symbolism around that.
I have been through quite a journey of self-doubt around this. I have felt wrong-footed at times by those who claim to know all about the sacred protocols that have to be followed.
“If it’s real, it works; if it works, it’s real.” (Jim Tree, The Way of the Sacred Pipe).
But last night was a bit of a watershed for me, a moment of clarity. I have it within me to carry the spirit of the Pipe in a way that is authentic. And because of that, the freedom to create and build over time in a way that works here, where people are not beholden to a tradition from several thousand miles away. I am claiming this, and it feels right, like I’m being asked to. Like Prince Charles, who chose his own power above institutional power.
It’s quite a thing, because the Pipe IS sacred. And we often don’t know much about the sacred anymore, and we need to spend years learning and reflecting on it. You don’t mess with the sacred. But the sacred also wants us to be able to adapt, to present in ways that are appropriate and close to home.
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