THE GOOD TEACHER

A friend was telling me what he liked about my book The Medicine Wheel. He began by saying that it had helped him gain confidence in his own spirituality. That hit the nail on the head for me, I was very pleased to hear it. Because that is the best sort of teaching: it's not so much about imparting information and practices and traditional wisdom (though that has its place), as it is about bringing people to the point where they trust the guidance that comes from within: we have all the wisdom we will ever need within, if we listen to ourselves - or to the spirits, depending on how you look at it.

That is what humans find so difficult. We tend to rely on authority for our guidance, though few people will see or admit that. It is a big transition, even a crisis, when we let get of the stabilisers and begin to put our own wisdom above received wisdom. It can feel like chutzpah: who am I to think I know better than these elders who have been around since the year dot? I don't mean this in a blind, rebellious way. It involves listening and taking in what others have to say, but making your point of reference your own genuine response to whatever matter it is. And you will always have your own response: listen to it, take it seriously, and hone it against the views of people who think differently.

It is not just about views. It is, probably more importantly, about knowing what to do, and feeling confident you are doing the right thing with your life. A limited teacher or astrologer or tarot reader will give you answers and tell you what to do with your life. A good teacher will ascertain what it is you want to do, and support that. I think we always know the right thing to do in the moment, that is congruent with how we are within, even though we may have no idea about the long-term. This is a difficult training, but it is about living your own life and not someone else's idea of how you should live. The good teacher always backs that. The only purpose of all the practices and ceremonies and teachings is to steer us to this point, repeatedly, with all our fallings away, until it becomes the way we live. It is a deep thing, and it takes a lifetime to build. It is why, in the Far East, you get the shamanic illness: ordinary humans often do not want to live from this sort of depth. But, if we are lucky, life will not let us away with living superficially.

 

Above is my other book, on Astrology. Treat yourself for Christmas, or treat your friends and relatives. They are a feast, though I say so myself. And very readable. I defy you to read the numerous reviews on Amazon and not be sorely tempted 😎

 

TALKING TO TREES

Plants, and particularly trees, are the life-form that stays in one place, that has physical roots. They are at home to themselves. If you are feeling out of sorts, talk to a tree and you will come back to yourself. That within you which has yet to unfold will be given the attention it needs.

I recently planted a Japanese Snowbell tree in my garden. It brought the fairies with it from down the road, and I spoke to them, and my prayers were quickly answered in the usual tricksy way the fairies have, where you learn something. The fairies have always taken care of me, which often means leading me by the nose into a difficult situation that acts as a wake-up call.

The top picture is my tree as it will look in summer. Below that is how it is now. 

 

This picture is of another fairy tree that I visit on my walks over Butterdon Down.

SHAMANISM AT THE EDGE

 I just saw an ad for Contemporary Shamanism - Safe Practices. Harrumph! Is the Sundance, where you dance until you are exhausted and your breast torn open, 'safe'? Is a Sweatlodge, where you struggle to bear the searing steam, 'safe'? Is a Vision Quest, where you are exposed to the elements for 4 days, with no food, 'safe'? Is a trance dance that takes you to the point of possession by the spirits, writhing on the floor and speaking in tongues, 'safe'? No, the whole point of these things is that they are not 'safe'. Think of the young Siberian Shaman, called by the spirits to his vocation, and ill until he accepts the calling. An illness that may kill him unless he yields: an offer he cannot refuse.

The whole point of this shamanic path is that it takes us to the edge, it dismembers and rebuilds us. There is risk involved. And in that process we find gold, a source of guidance and connection that comes from deep within - or without - that can be trusted, that renews us, and that serves the world. If your shamanic practice is 'safe', it will remain superficial. The role of teacher is often safe too, they hide behind it.

Enough of this coddling and safety. There will be trigger warnings next, and a #metoo group for anyone who has had a fierce power animal. We have been prosperous for too long, we have cast out the warrior instinct as toxic and patriarchal, and little that is real can happen in that context. Though the groups we attend may serve our social needs and award badges of shamanic attainment: everyone's a winner. Good luck with that 😎