www.indieshaman.co.uk

Issue 27 £3.99

ISSN 2050-568X (Online)

Birth of Shamanism: from Russia with love

Initiation & Shamanic

Sickness in the Modern World

Roebuck Drum

Plus: Competition: Win Your Very Own ‘Sacred Site’ Original Artwork Plus Oracle

Cards & CD!

Indie Shamanfor independent spirits

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Indie ShamanFor Independent Spirits

Honouring our Ancestors Honouring the Land

Honouring our Community and Ourselves

Indie Shaman aims to provide a means of helping people answer questions about life, promote self discovery and self development and encourage respect for the self, the community and the land. We aim to do this by providing a supportive network for those interested in a Shamanic way of life, as well as for Shaman and Shamanic Practitioners from all cultures and for those of mixed heritage as well as those who are unsure yet as to where their cultural heritage lies.

The answer to the question “what does the ‘Indie’ in Indie Shaman stand for?” is, as most people guess, independent; meaning all inclusive regardless of tradition or area of shamanic interest. Indie Shaman was set up with the aim of being approachable and providing accessible support, advice and information, spanning across traditional indigenous shamanism, contemporary shamanism and multiculturalism. The ‘Indie’ in Indie Shaman also means independent person who thinks for themselves as in our slogan ‘For Independent Spirits’, a very shamanic trait found in both indigenous and contemporary shaman. Plus we liked the pun!

HistoryIndie Shaman began as a discussion board/forum in 2006. When it moved to its own hosted website, forum members suggested they could help contribute to the cost of running the site through membership and Indie Shaman as we know it now was formed, with the company being registered in June 2007. The shop was started shortly after with the aim of financially supporting the free services Indie Shaman offered. As our membership had expanded from those interested in training in shamanism to include those interested in shamanism in a wider context the concept of a ‘shamanic lifestyle’ was explored and included.

In 2008 members suggested starting up a Charity Fund with donations being made by Indie Shaman including from shop sales and in 2009 we first adopted a hedgehog from Secret World Wildlife Sanctuary. We were pleasantly surprised to then receive a rather cuddly hedgehog and it was decided he could travel and visit members around the world. Shaman Sham the Wandering Hedgehog was born! Starting in the UK Sham has now visited many countries including Ireland, Scotland, Greece, the US, Peru and Spain. Most notably attending 2 courses in shamanism with Ross Heaven earning his own ‘ologies’ and discovering his true name, Ezekiel. A member’s suggestion and further fundraiser in 2010 led to the adoption of Madadh, a beautiful wolf from Wolf Watch UK.

By 2009 Indie Shaman could afford to offer something more to members and the Indie Shaman magazine was launched. Summer 2012 was the first edition of the magazine to have an ISSN number, being officially available for sale to the general public and stored for posterity with the British Library. 2012 was also the year when we first launched a pdf subscription giving an affordable, ecological option particularly suitable for our growing number of subscribers outside the UK. We have, of course continued to give free membership benefits to all subscribers to continue the sense of community.

Indie Shaman offers free information sharing to facilitate finding events, workshops or a practitioner and 2013 saw the expansion of both pages on our website. Sharing information about relevant books and the growing number of books reviewed for the magazine led to the birth of our book review website Shamanism Books.

The Future Indie Shaman has been through a few changes in response to demand since that first year and aims to continue to respond to the needs of those who approach us so if you have a good idea do contact us!

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Indie Shaman

REGISTERED OFFICE 18 Bradwell GroveDanesmoorChesterfieldDerbyshireS45 9TA

WEBSITEwww.indieshaman.co.uk

EDITORJune Kent

CONTACTeditor@indieshaman.co.uk01246 251768

INDIE SHAMAN LIMITEDCompany no 6290381Director: June KentCompany Secretary: Simon Harding

All articles and images are © Indie Shaman 2009-2015 or to the artist, photographer, writer where named unless otherwise stated. All rights reserved.

The views expressed in the articles and advertisements in the Indie Shaman Magazine are those of the authors and are not necessarily those of Indie Shaman Limited. Indie Shaman Limited takes no responsibility for errors, omissions or the consequences thereof and or for any actions taken in relation to any article herein or for any contract entered into with any third party.

Environmental and Accessibility

Indie Shaman is committed to minimize the effects of its activities on the environment. The Indie Shaman

Magazine is produced by Minuteman Press, Bristol, whose products are Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) www.fsc.org certificated and meet the requirements of the

Programme for the Endorsement of Forest Certification Schemes (PEFC) Chain of Custody wwwpefc.org.

Indie Shaman is committed to aiming towards equality of accessibility. For this reason this magazine uses a book rather than traditional magazine layout, with clear print

size and spacing.

We carried out research with the help of our subscribers to make sure we are providing the service you want and we value your feedback. If you have any comments or

questions on any of the above please contact us:

by email to: editor@indieshaman.co.uk

or by post to: June Kent, Indie Shaman,

18 Bradwell Grove, DanesmoorChesterfield, Derbyshire, S45 9TA

Cover Features:

7

Birth of Shamanism

- from Russia with

loveInitiation &

Shamanic Sickness in the Modern

World

16 Competition: Win Your Very Own ‘Sacred Site’ Original Artwork Plus

Oracle Cards & CD

11

12

Roebuck Drum

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Contributors

ArticlesBarbara Meiklejohn-FreeDavid HillElen SentierEoghan OdinssonJez HughesJulie Dollman Rochelle Kent-Ellis

PhotographyFront Cover: courtesy of Elen SentierBack Cover: Mixed media artwork: Simon Harding. Photo: Rochelle Kent-Ellis. www.flickr.com/photos/tesauphotography. ‘Crow Moon Mandala’ Cat Hawkins http://shaktimandala.co.uk/

ColumnistsBrenda El-Leithy Yvonne Ryves, Shaman Moon

PoetMartin Pallot, moonmadantlerman@aol.com

‘Shay Mann’Simon Harding.

Book ReviewsJune Kent

Editorial and ProductionEditor, Design & Production - June KentProofreading - Moonmad AntlermanPrinting - Minuteman Press, BristolDistribution - www.indieshaman.co.ukIndie Shaman Magazine is published by Indie Shaman Limited, Publishing

ContentsFeatures

7 Birth of Shamanism - from Russia with love 12 Roebuck Drum

16 Initiation & Shamanic Sickness in the Modern World

18 Lose your mind and come to your senses

21 Wildlife feature: The Question of Collective Nouns

25 Northern Plantlore: Cowslip/ Primrose

31 Living Shamanism – Bridging Realities

Regulars & Snippets

3 About Indie Shaman

6 Community Page

11 Competition: Win Your Very Own ‘Sacred Site’ Original Artwork Plus Oracle Cards and CD

34 Columnist Brenda El-Leithy on ‘Soul Purpose and the Perpetrator’

36 Shaman Moon

38 Book Reviews

42 Shay Mann

43 Events Calendar

www.indieshaman.co.ukwww.facebook.com/IndieShamanhttps://twitter.com/JuneKent

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Magazine subscriptions are available at www.indieshaman.co.uk. Only £10.00 a year for pdf subscriptions via email and from £20.72 a year (UK subscription price) for print editions. Subscription includes other benefits and offers plus 50p from all subscriptions go to support wildlife charities!

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Editor’s LetterWelcome to Issue 27 of Indie Shaman magazine.

Wishing everyone a wonderful 2016 and hoping all those who were affected by the UK floods are now recovering. In fact, as I’m writing this in early January, it is still raining here and has been doing so on a daily basis for weeks on end, so maybe I should also hope that there is less rainfall by the time you are reading this! Although we have been very lucky here in this part of Derbyshire; we have been fortunate in avoiding flooding although our garden is now more muddy trenches and pools than grass!

Many thanks to everyone who gave feedback to say how much they had enjoyed our new wildlife feature and appreciate the current balance of articles. My special thanks for this edition to Barbara Meiklejohn-Free for her generous competiton offer and to Elen Sentier for allowing me to use her photo of making her Roebuck Drum on the front cover.

As I mention in the news section I recently had a small issue with a lack of fully functioning arms and am still having to limit my computer time. I’m hoping this issue arrives with you by the end of January but I’m a bit behind schedule so if it’s a little late please do accept my apologies.

Fortunately I had rather a lot of books to read and review so I enjoyed the reading while I wasn’t able to do much else! If you are looking for a new book to read for 2016, or maybe a new set of Oracle cards, you will find my reviews towards the end of this issue.

NEWSOur best competition yet!

Indie Shaman was fortunate in being able to team up with author and shaman Barbara Meiklejohn-Free to give one lucky reader the opportunity to win the coveted ‘FROG MOUNTAIN’ original drawing from her private collection of ‘Sacred Sites’ artworks by renowned Westcountry artist Yuri Leitch.

Alongside this stunning picture the winner will

also receive a copy of the Sacred Sites Oracle Cards and a copy of the popular ‘Sacred Sounds Of The Shaman ‘ meditation CD. Two runners up will receive cards and CD’s, in total £300 worth of prizes.

Full details of this amazing competition are on page 11 of this issue of Indie Shaman magazine.

Ethical Stores February Sale

Indie Shaman’s online ‘January’ shop sale at Ethical Stores is actually due to start at around the time UK readers receive their copy of this issue.

This is in part because, due to an ongoing shoulder issue which resurfaced over the festive period late last year, I got rather behind with my ‘to do’ list. However it also made sense once I thought of having a late January/early February sale as it meant magazine readers would be the first to know!

So if you are shopping for a bargain do take a look at the clearance section at https://ethicalstores.co.uk/

Community Page

Many blessings, June

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Birth of Shamanism- from Russia with love

Barbara Meiklejohn-FreeToday the term ‘shaman’ covers a vast array of people all across the world and of varying cultures, having knowledge of both the natural and supernatural worlds that surround us. They are the way-showers, the medicine people, the teachers and the great communers… but the name has real physical roots and it is that place and two other sacred shamanic sites, where the connection to the animal kingdom is so prevalent, that I invite you to discover now. Reveal what it is to walk the path of a ‘shaman’ and learn from the bounty that the natural world and the cosmos have to offer…

We start our journey at Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. Here the legend of Bear, son of the Supreme Being, is told. Bear was cradled in golden lights as he was lowered to earth, bringing knowledge of fire, of hunting with weapons, of honesty and of justice. He was instructed never to attack humans, but this he sadly soon forgot. So men killed him, taking possession of the fire and weapons. Marking the cycle of life, Bear transitioned back to the stars, where he became the Great Bear constellation, known today as Ursa Major.

Lake Baikal is also associated with a divine rod or ‘pole’ that can be likened to the axis mundi or World Tree, and divides the waters, which local people believe shelter all the spirits and are therefore sacred. The deepest lake in the world, it is also, at 25–30 million years old, one of the most ancient, supporting thousands of species of plants and animals. The aboriginal people of the island of Olkhon, known as the Buryats, consider their home to be of great spiritual significance, revering most highly the Shaman ka, or Shaman’s Rock. A cave here is believed to be an earthly residence of Burkhun (God). This is said to be the birthplace of Shamanism.

At this time there was no distinction between people, animals and birds. The shaman walked between the worlds and was able to shape-shift, to become one with all life. Have you ever dreamed you could fly like a bird or swim like a fish? Are you drawn to the idea of shape-shifting? You are being called to learn more about power animals and consider having a reading to identify your personal animal spirit guide if you aren’t already familiar with one.

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Explore the idea of past lives that may not be limited to human ones, so that you may connect fully to all you are and have been. Nurture your ability to connect with the spirit world and allow Shamanka to reveal the way of the shaman, perhaps by trying a vision quest, visiting a medicine wheel, reading books about shamanism or undertaking a shamanic course.

Some people today struggle to live in our world, feeling imprisoned by office walls and finding modern technology intrusive and draining. Our health can suffer, physically, emotionally and spiritually. Being ill at ease with everyday life is a sign that you need to make big changes in the way you live. You can make small changes today by spending time sitting around open fires, listening to the whispers in the wind, honouring the elements and working with the spirits of nature. You, too, can become a walker between worlds and find your way back to the heartlands of your ancient ancestry.

Journey to Great BearImagine that you are sitting on Shamanka at dusk. The clear, turquoise waters of Lake Baikal lap against the rock. The constellation of Ursa Major, the Great Bear, is twinkling above you. Now see the stars swirl all around you as Bear takes form before your eyes. He speaks: ‘I have been called to sit with you on your vision quest. You have come to this ancient and sacred land of regeneration. This is your opportunity to grow your abilities and gifts. Draw on this good air to revive your spirit and cleanse yourself in these waters. Let the energies within this rock surge through you and rejuvenate any mineral deficiency in your body. Heal on every level. I will be with you as Spirit seeks you out to bring you back into balance in mind, body, spirit. You are the elder, the ancestor, the wise person returned. You have the power; you have the gifts – so put that in your pipe and smoke it!’

Re-align Yourself with the Natural World energies and heal yourself. At play here are the Scottish sea fairies, the mer-folk; a purifying presence in the seas around the isle. Legend reveals that the Callanish stones were erected, perhaps as long as 5,000 years ago, by a Gaelic bard, dressed in a coat of mallard and swan feathers, who arrived with a tribe of black-skinned people. They brought black swans, tethered by silver chains. Look through the eyes of the swan in this image and dive deep within yourself to explore memories of a past hurt that still lingers. Perhaps the event had a positive outcome that you missed before; for example, losing a particular person may have allowed you to join a new group of friends. To heal your hurt, draw on the restorative power of water, through meditative swimming or bathing.

The arrangement of stones at Callanish resembles a Celtic cross. Callanish is aligned with lunar activity; every 18.6 years, the moon, seen from the site, appears to skim the womanly silhouette of a nearby mountain range, vanishing for a while only to reappear as if reborn. Fairy lights dance in and out of the stones as guardians, one white and one black, keep watch. Between them they balance the chaos and order in your life; they are a reminder that what is made in the dark will be born into the light. Your thoughts all have the potential to become manifest, for good or for ill. If you are wrestling with ideas about doing things differently then know that you need to give the situation time to come into a better alignment. Before you act, it would be worth sounding out somebody neutral about your ideas.

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The constellation of Cygnus (the Swan) is the primary celestial focus here. Also known as the Northern Cross, it has the shape of a Celtic cross – as above, so below! Could it be that the purposefully erected stones at Callanish were situated above flowing waters deep in the earth, and imbued with encoded memories? This site calls to the part of you that can, no matter what struggles you face, bring about order and stability, from which you can move forward with confidence when you are ready to do so. Know that there are always at least two sides to every argument and idea and that the best decision for you can only come from an understanding of both. Don’t be afraid to take a stance but inform yourself well before you do so.

Stone Circle Visualization Picture yourself standing barefoot inside the stone circle at Callanish on a warm summer’s night. Tiny orbs of light flit around the silhouetted megaliths and the damp grass tickles your feet. Now look down, through the earth, to see the fairies in the catacombs of the Underworld. Inhale the earth magic and allow its energy to surge through you, attuning every cell in your body. Look up and observe the moon rise above the hills, as the Cygnus constellation glistens in the sky. Notice that a being of white swan feathers, the White Guardian, is watching you. The Black Guardian appears and you realize that you are being called to acknowledge your shadow self. Take time to do this and allow these beings to come to you together and align your energies. Next, watch the moon disappear behind a mountain and bring your focus to the avenue of stones. As the moon reappears, you see its brilliant light coming toward you down the avenue. It is the Shining One. As you are engulfed in light, allow your darkness and all that weighed you down to be dissolved, raising your vibration and connecting you with the stars.

Climb every mountain For our final destination we behold ‘Frog Mountain’ in the Slocan Valley, West Kootenay, sacred to the Sinixt tribe. This First Nations people were classed ‘extinct’ by the Canadian government in 1956. To be no longer recognized, after living on the land for thousands of years, is an atrocity. Do you sense that one or more of your ancestors suffered a similar fate, wrested from the land that was theirs by the powerful or ruling class? If so, this trauma may have been passed down the generations to Frog Mountain you. Your longing for a sense of home and family has been with you for many years, perhaps even across lifetimes. As with the spawning salmon, your homing instinct lies within. By returning home to regenerate, through the waters of your emotions, wisdom will finally be yours. It’s time to understand your history, to leap with anticipation and joy.

This image depicts a little girl on the reservation, who cannot go to school because of the legal fiction that her family are ‘extinct’. Are you facing a challenge to your identity from the government or another social group or individual? It may be to do with lands, home, family, birthright. When will it stop? It is time to make a stand and to refuse to allow anyone to take away what is rightfully yours. The power symbol is a sacred hoop, shown radiating out to the four directions which nourish you. The beam from the east brings peace and light into your life. The beam from the south brings warmth. The west offers the rains to wash away all fears, while the north gives you the strength and

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endurance to sustain what you are going through. Call upon the four quarters of the earth to help you on your journey to wholeness and wellbeing.

After a terrible drought, the Sinixt people were ready to leave the land. One of the elders went to pray for guidance. A frog appeared and told him that his people would be saved if they dug caves in the riverbanks. When the people retreated into the caves, the frogs offered themselves as food to sustain them. The last frog became Frog Mountain. Do you have a power animal to guide you through adversity? The white wolf waits for you upon Frog Mountain. He asks you to keep your spirit alive and to trust your instincts. Let Wolf teach you the value of treading your own path. By listening to the animals, as the Sinixt elder did, you can become an explorer rather than struggling to fit in with conventional people or situations. It’s not about being a lone wolf but about being authentic in your life. Time to travel and encounter your power animal…

Meeting Your Power Animal Sitting comfortably, breathe deeply till you really sense the ground below you and place a bubble of white protective light around yourself. Imagine that this ball of light carries you to wherever you wish in the natural world – a forest, a jungle, a meadow, a beach, a riverbank, a desert, a mountaintop. Wherever you land, know that you are safe, and with all your heart call out to the animal world for guidance. Now wait. Which animal makes itself known? Is it a bird, a mammal, an insect, a reptile, an amphibian? Keep your heart open and invite the animal closer. And it appears. Take time to note the characteristics of this creature. What could it be telling you? Listen, watch and use your instincts to understand why this animal has come to you and what you can learn from it. When you have finished communicating, thank it for coming. Know that you can draw on its strengths and qualities for your current situation. This is its gift to you. Return to the here and now. You may wish to bring into your house pictures or ornaments that represent the spirit of your new animal guide.

More information: Sacred Sites Oracle Cards by Barbara Meiklejohn-Free with illustrations by Yuri Leitch (published by Watkins) are available from all good book stores, Amazon and from www.spiritvisions.com

Author’s BioBest selling and award winning author, teacher, advocate and protector of the great Earth-centred traditions, Barbara has been working with the spirits of the ancestors since the age of three. She grew up in the Highlands of Scotland, working with the Highland Seer, Swein Macdonald, from the age of 13 who taught her the craft of the wise, handed down from generation to generation. Drawing on her extensive work with the Native American traditions, as well as that of many other indigenous cultures including her own Pagan heritage, she is a recognized expert in assisting people to explore ‘the calling’, to part-take in ‘vision questing’ and introduce the lost arts of ‘initiations’ as well as hosting rites, rituals and ceremonies across the world.

For more information visit www.barbarameiklejohnfree.com

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WIN YOUR VERY OWN ‘SACRED SITE’ ORIGINAL ARTWORK PLUS ORACLE CARDS & CD Indie Shaman has teamed up with author and shaman Barbara Meiklejohn-Free to give one lucky reader the opportunity to win the coveted ‘FROG MOUNTAIN’ original drawing from her private collection of ‘Sacred Sites’ artworks by renowned Westcountry artist Yuri Leitch.

The ‘Frog Mountain’ site, which epitomises all that it is to walk the path in balance with the natural, spiritual and human world comes from the stunning Sacred Site Oracle Cards published by Watkins. It is depicted in three realms and was one of the trilogy of inspirational shamanic sites for this best-selling divination deck. ‘Frog Mountain’ itself represents the unification of peoples and their place or homeland on earth and is synonymous with connecting to animal guides. It is a place very dear to Barbara’s spirit. The artwork exudes the grace and beauty in all living things and the power of the natural world to heal.

Alongside this stunning picture the winner will also receive a copy of the Sacred Sites Oracle Cards and a copy of the popular ‘Sacred Sounds Of The Shaman ‘ meditation CD. Two runners up will receive cards and CD’s, in total £300 worth of prizes.

All you have to do to be in with a chance of owning this wonderful artwork is to tell us (in 300 words or less) about a place sacred to you and why. It may well be a site of global significance like ‘Petra’, or a place of incredible natural beauty like ‘Frog Mountain’, or it might be a favourite park, woodland or your actual home.

Email kate@solarusltd.com or write to ‘FROG MOUNTAIN COMP’ co Solarus Ltd, 99 Fern Road, Aller Park, Newton Abbot, DEVON TQ12 4NZ with your sacred site story. Closing date is 07.03.16 and the winners will be announced in the following issue. Good luck!

Sacred Sites Oracle Deck is widely available in all good book stores, through Amazon and from www.barbarameiklejohnfree.com

‘With so much of our natural world being exploited for profit, even the very elements beneath the earth’s crust coming under threat, our reverence of them now is more significant than ever,’ says Barbara.

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Roebuck Drum

Elen SentierI’ve made Roebuck Drum. I made him in September with Suzi Crockford of Dartmoor Drums and did pretty well all of it myself, including the final tensioning which I’m really pleased about.

Roebuck came to me on my birthday, he offered himself to be shot at dawn that morning and the shooter took him down perfectly with a head shot, through his ear, which was very good shooting. From a human point of view that wasn’t designed, they didn’t know it was my birthday. It “just happened” to be the right day for taking the elders of the Hiuchol, Dogon and Australian peoples out to show how we take deer, and do so respectfully. Roebuck and two fallows were shot for the celebration feast at Reigniting the Ancient Ways from 7-9 August in 2015 and very good they tasted too. The Huichol folk had his head – although I would have loved to have it but they wanted him to meet the Blue Deer who works with them. Roebuck seemed quite content with this; I had a chat with him just before he was skinned and while he wanted me to make a drum from his skin he was happy for his head to go travelling. He was a young buck, not more than a year old and very handsome.

So his skin came home with me and he had to go to sleep in the freezer for a few weeks while I fixed a time with Suzi for her to cure his hide. I took him down to Dartmoor at the beginning of September and we took a picture of him before he went into the lye bath. His coat was such a beautiful golden colour it was a bit of a wrench to lose it in the lye but he was a drum not a skin to sit on and he was really jumping to get going! Into the lye he went and the process began.

Suzi told me he spent a week in the lye, losing his hair and cleaning himself up, then she rinsed and sensed and rinsed him before she scraped him clean - cleaner than clean. Then he took a trip to Buckfastleigh Tannery where they stretched him really well and blew him dry. And all this time he was chatting to me! I’d get little chats and comments about how luxurious (?!) the lye bath felt and then the rinsing, how the scraping made him feel all excited. When he got to Buckfastleigh there was “Oooo!” and “Ahhhh!” for a bit while he was put on the stretcher – none of it seemed painful but all felt good and exciting to him. Then he went home to Suzi and I travelled down to make him on 24th September at Suzi’s – or rather “up” not “down” as I was coming up from a few days near Boscastle. Oh that was a good day!

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Making a frame-drum is not precisely rocket-science but it does require focus, thought and understanding … and of course, the willingness to work with the spirit who wishes to be embodied in the drum. That latter was not too much of a problem with Roebuck, he was all there and had been from the start. He and I had bonded before he was even born, even conceived I think because I knew I’d have him over three years ago, I just had to wait for him to come. Well, wait and keep focused on him and do all I could to enable the opportunity for him to come as well. There were several times I thought I had him but it wasn’t. One time I was watching a grallocking done with a group of friends on the edge of Dartmoor and I thought that skin might be mine but it was a doe, not a buck, and so not for me. You really do have to work with this, not try to force things but also keep the pressure on so the energy has enough current, juice, to flow successfully. It’s a fine line, of course, but one you learn to walk (wobble, some of the time!) successfully so things can happen. That takes loads of on-the-job self-training!

When Roebuck arrived – and I really had no idea it was happening (often the best way!) - I just knew, instantly, when Ben told me they had a roebuck, I knew he was my friend, my familiar, the skin for my drum. When I went down and saw him, cuddled, stroked and chatted with his head and stroked his skin, it was like two old and dear friends meeting up again after being apart for a long time - absolutely wonderful.

Roe, along with red, are one of our original deer species in Britain and there used to be reindeer too – and are again now in the Cairngorms. Fallow deer came in later but are now very well established. One of our deer, the little muntjac, is a very new arrival as is the sika, only arriving in the last hundred years. Now I have a red deer drum, a fallow drum and my little roebuck along with my lovely Spider-Lady from North America and my Irish bodran. I’d like a Dartmoor pony drum and this may happen next year and I would love a reindeer drum but that will take a bit more working out as I really feel the reindeer should have been born and lived in Britain and this is quite hard to find … however, The Lady says there’s a way so we’re working on it.

Making Roebuck was delightful and he was so involved in the whole process. I stained his ash-frame with dark red ochre from the Clearwell Caves in the Forest of Dean, just down the road from me. I love to use our own native stuff as much as possible. The ochres are really lovely and not expensive; I’d recommend anyone who wants native materials to use them.

At one point when I was punching the holes for his lacing he said, “I never guessed life after death would be such fun! It’s fabulous becoming a drum!” He then wanted to whiz off and tell all his friends and relations they should all be drums too! I dissuaded him, saying not everyone wanted to be a drum and it wasn’t everyone’s destiny … he’s a very young roebuck!

The tensioning, learning to hear the beginning of his voice in the wet drum-skin as you tighten the lacing is a journey in itself. You have to be focused on the drum, on the voice of the drum, on the spirit of the drum and, gradually, you hear it begin to come through. You can’t stop as soon as you hear it but you have to listen after each round of tightening. It’s like a voice that you hear very faintly in the huge darkness that begins to come towards you, a pinpoint of light coming closer and closer as you tension each round. And you have to know when to stop! The skin is sodden as you work with it and so is the hide you’re lacing with. It will dry and as it dries it shrinks so you have to know just the moment to stop the tensioning, when the voice has come as far as it can that way and must now grow by drying.

You learn this by osmosis from your drum-making teacher – and Suzi is a brilliant one – and from your

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own inner listening and most of all, working with the spirit of your drum. You work together with this, you and the spirit, as you do with all spirit-crafting; you never impose your will but listen and discuss and work-with the spirit. I just so love that work, it does things to you, inside and out and it works in all crafts and arts whatever they may be, painting, drawing, sculpture, textiles, wood, metal, writing … and in what we call the sciences too! Go and read about the way the big discoveries in science came about, you’ll find they all had what we call magic in them, knowing, intuition, focus, persistence in following the thread – all the things we know are part of the magical work and life we lead. In all these crafts you need a teacher who knows this too and doesn’t impose on you but enables you, leads you into enabling yourself. Suzi is such a one.

So, Roebuck came home, sat on a shelf in the cool, dim scullery and grew his voice. He has a roe vertebra from Kai Seidr at Wild Wizard Crafts who also got me the roe shin-bone which will be his beater. And I’ve added a raven’s claw which was gifted me at Tarr Steps on Exmoor. He may also have another bone and a toe from Scottish roe again via Kai Seidr.

He got a bit scared when I told him it was time to go home from Dartmoor and said, “I don’t have to go back in the freezer, do I?” I had to laugh but reassured him that his life was certainly not in the freezer any more, that had just been a temporary time to keep him good before I could get him to Suzi. Like I said, he’s a very young Roebuck! But, wow, is he going to be good and bright and show me lots of new stuff too! He wants to be painted as soon as he can too, and has the most amazing patterns on his skin for me to follow; looking forward to that!

I tapped him gently when I went down to make the first pot of tea this morning, saying hello. He is a lovely, handsome singer whose voice is beautifull!

Further informationDartmoor Drums - all drums are made to the highest standards with materials sourced in an ethical and sustainable way. The skins are from Deer who live on either Dartmoor or Exmoor, some are farmed, some wild, they are all prepared for drum-making by Suzi. Making a drum from these skins is an exquisite way to respectfully use parts of the animal which would otherwise be wasted. For more information visit http://www.dartmoordrums.co.uk/ and Wild Wizard Crafts - https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/wildwizardcrafts.

Author’s BioElen Sentier was born on Dartmoor and grew up on the edge of Exmoor where her father, uncles, aunts and the elders of the village introduced her to the old ways of Britain. She has followed these ways all her life. She is an awenydd (spirit keeper) and cyfarwydd (storyteller) from a long family lineage in the British native tradition. Her mother’s mother was a witch from the Isle of Man and her father’s family worked with Annie Besant and Rudolph Steiner. One of her uncles could call a wild falcon down to his fist or sit with an adder twined around his wrist while another would carry a ball of swarmed bees in his bare hands; they taught Elen tree, plant and animal lore. The next-door neighbour was the village midwife and healer who also did the laying out of the dead, she taught Elen herb lore, healing and lyke-lore (the ways of the dead). Elen is also a transpersonal psychotherapist and now lives with her husband, cats and a host of wildlife in the Welsh Marches where she writes and teaches British native shamanism.

Elen is the author of several books about Native British Shamanism: Dreamweaver; Trees of the Goddess; Elen of the Ways; The Celtic Chakras and Following the Deer Trods. Owl Woman was Elen’s first novel which was followed by Moon Song, republished by Moon books in 2015. Elen is currently working on her third novel. For more information visit www.elensentier.co.uk

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Super Early Bird Places - 105 EurosEarly Bird - 125 EurosStandard Ticket - 149 Euros(Plus PayPal booking fees)

www.animystics-ireland.com

A 2 day shamanic journey of holistic teachings for the modern world

7th & 8th May 2016Dunderry Park, Navan, Co MeathIreland9.00-18.00

Philip Carr-Gomm

Dr Patrick MacManaway

Eimear Burke

Karen Ward

Danu Forest

Caz Coronel

Emma Farrell

TREE MAGIC

DREAM WORK

DRAGONENERGY

SOVEREIGNTY PLANT SPIRITHEALING

DRUIDRY

FIELD OF CONSCIOUSNESS

RECONNECTTO SOURCE

Ger Lyons

Gratitude to our event supporters:

O B O D

Seeing Spirit In Everything

Practical Geomancy 2016 Workshopswith Dr Patrick MacManaway

Earth Energies25 & 26 June

Dragon whispering, developing relationship

with earth energies & healing of geopathic stress.

Spirit Communication & Healing 6 & 7 August

Nature spirit communication,

landscape trauma healing & spirit release.

Sacred Space8 & 9 October

Locate & craft sacred spaces using traditional

temple construction techniques.

Patrick’s workshop ‘Introduction To Practical Geomancy’ on 24th June is a pre-requisite for all of the modules.

www.theshamaniclands.com/patrick-macmanaway

Lane End Centre, Church Road, Lane End, High Wycombe, Bucks, HP14 3HHEach module is £240 including lunch each day. Accommodation available

15

Initiation & Shamanic Sickness in the Modern World

Jez HughesWhen I was fourteen I had a convulsive fit that then led to an ecstatic experience of being touched by the raw intensity and power of the universe. It was an overwhelming experience, being spontaneously cracked open and having been on a shamanic and spiritual path for nearly twenty years, nothing has ever matched the sheer intensity of it. Yet, at the time, I had no concept or context for it; I had no idea about anything vaguely spiritual. Because of this and because of the preceding fit which was terrifying, it was the catalyst for a journey through what I have since known as a ‘shamanic sickness’. For 15 years, on and off, I suffered convulsive fits, intense anxiety, panic attacks and psychotic experiences that led to mental breakdowns. But I was stubborn and strong willed by nature and didn’t trust or seek help from conventional western medicine. Instead, I went on a journey to heal myself and eventually, discovering shamanism, I managed to do just that. I found my way back to that ecstatic experience when I was fourteen by realising that the sickness I was experiencing was a doorway, a portal to the otherworld of spirit. And by learning ways to harness this consciously, I was able to travel through the doorway at will, instead of spending my whole life being forced through and then resisting it, creating the inner conflict that then manifested as sickness.

This was my initiation and having been through it I am now able to assist others in their own initiations, through treating the sickness they are experiencing - mental, physical, emotional or spiritual - from a shamanic perspective; to bring healing using these ancient techniques. Not all sickness is shamanic, yet most sickness I believe, has a spiritual causality and therefore can be treated in a shamanic way. This is why shamanic sickness is so important for prospective healers, as it gives them a visceral experience of the nature of sickness, how it can manifest and more importantly the journey it takes you on in order to find healing.

In many ways I feel the whole world is going through an initiation that resembles a shamanic sickness at the moment. The modern world has disconnected from nature and from spirit and as a consequence is suffering a disease of the soul. It has lost its soul. Sickness is often used in nature as a ‘righting’ tool as it brings things back into balance. Often this is done by cutting things back to their roots as they are growing in ways that are unhealthy and out of relationship, both with themselves and their environment. Thus nature cuts things back to their roots, a time when they were growing in the ‘right’ way.

So on an individual level whenever sickness comes into someone’s life (including from a shamanic perspective ‘bad luck’) people often experience a stripping down. Their sense of self and everything that has brought them feelings of security can be challenged and often completely lost. Their world comes crashing down around them. This is when I normally see people for healings. This can then precipitate what has been referred to as ‘a dark night of the soul’- a journey into the depths and difficulties of being alive.

This is a journey where we have to become completely lost in order to find ourselves again; a journey that involves immense courage and faith (although both these qualities may often feel illusive). And ultimately this is a journey into surrender - to things far beyond our control. This again is why shamanic sickness can be so important to prospective healers - because we have to learn to surrender ultimately to spirit. We then learn a trust far beyond anything theoretical and knowing the art of surrender intimately keeps us humble when being a conduit for these powerful energies into the world. For anyone suffering, when we surrender, we let go and nature can get on with the job of bringing us back into balance with the world. Nature and the spirits can heal us.

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When this happens, the value of life can increase manifold as the healing journey that the sickness has taken us on can make us realise just how lucky we are to be alive. The small things, things that in the normal state of health we may overlook or take for granted, suddenly we notice again. We then become grateful and in this act of gratitude we are already beginning to feed back to the world, feed back to nature, rather than constantly just taking. Gratitude makes us want to give back. So the healing journey can then be instilling within us simple spiritual principals in an organic way.

On a global level this stripping down can take on immense proportions, especially when culturally the act of surrender is pathologically seen as a sign of weakness. When control is everywhere, when every sickness is blasted into submission through increasingly powerful drugs or ‘therapies’, when every seeming threat, real or perceived, is met with the same response - aggression. When the perception of nature is something to be dominated and brought under the will and power of the human. This can even happen spiritually when people seek to bring the spirits and their power under their command, which can then be used to dominate others. Powerful leaders have understood this well, sometimes unconsciously, sometimes with insight. It is also always a danger to anyone on this path.

So how will nature right this imbalance in the world? How will she bring us back into harmony? Quite simply, by bringing in sickness on a mass scale to help strip things back to their roots. This I can see in the way the planet is responding to the human devastation that is being wrought upon her. She is becoming sick which is reflected in the mass extinction of species, the unstable weather patterns, the poisons that are flooding our waters and all other symptoms of a diseased planet.

Yet it is also reflected in the sicknesses affecting humans. Especially the ‘soul sicknesses’ that those sensitive enough to feel the pain of the Mother are manifesting - the myriad of mental illnesses affecting individuals (in Britain alone a quarter of the population are being diagnosed at any one time). But also in other mental and physical illnesses that can manifest as addictions (to money, to power, to fear, to food, drugs, alcohol etc.) and other illnesses. Take the current phenomenon of obesity. In many ways this reflects the very modern disease of the human, to consume so much that it threatens the survival of the host, be that the physical body or the world itself. The problem is that we do not see individual illness as a symptom of an underlying cultural pathology. This also means we do not connect our individual actions with the problems facing the world.

However, the good news is that if such sickness is nature’s way of righting itself, it means this is the initiation that we are going through as a species. Viewed in this way it can become an opportunity for us to realign ourselves once more with nature, to bring ourselves and our communities back into harmony with the world, both manifest and invisible. And it is the role of the shaman (or whatever we call ourselves) of the modern world to assist in being the catalysts for this transformation.

The sensitivity to the suffering of the world that the shaman may naturally feel, which may have precipitated their descent into their own dark night of the soul, their own grapple with meaninglessness and their own shamanic sickness is then their gift to the world. It means they are able to assist others in these times of crises. Thus, to be a shaman or healer does not mean being perfect or floating above the world, it does not mean being so full of ‘power’ they don’t feel pain or suffering, as this is the meat and blood of their work. It just means being able to find ways to transmute these feelings into something positive, even if this is merely the drive to somehow find a way to help others or the world at this time.

One thing that can greatly assist with this, I feel, is to not take things personally. These are indeed times of crises and sickness on a grand scale. These are, in many ways, perilous times. We’re all going to feel that, especially when engaged in deep spiritual work. Yet, if we can learn not to take things personally; if we can unlearn the individualistic consciousness that drives all of western civilisation, the thing that is in many ways the root of our problem; if we can join together in our communities and undertake our ceremonies to once again praise and give back to the earth; if we can meet sickness and disease with open hearts as catalysts for deep healing journeys … if we can do these things we may just find our way (or rather be led) back into harmony with nature and the spirit that sits at heart of all of life.

Author’s BioJez Hughes is the founder of Second Sight Healing and has worked full time as a shamanic healer and teacher for ten years. His own initiation was a 15 year experience of mental illness and convulsive fits which he cured himself from using shamanic methods. He teaches and initiates people onto the path from the heart of the woods in Sussex. His passion is empowering people to reawaken their ancestors, the land where they reside and their spiritual heritages to heal the relationship between the human and natural world. His new book- The Heart of Life- Shamanic Initiation & Healing in the Modern World has just been released.

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Lose your mind and come to your senses

David Hill I think that one of the biggest problems we face in the world today is the growing trend for human beings to live in a fantasy world, outside the space their bodies inhabit and outside the time on their watches. We overload our senses with earphone music as we walk along looking at texts and texting. We seek distraction through electronic media. We increasingly communicate without body language or voice tone and make up our own meaning from a few black letters on a white background.

Our senses are in retreat as a result, so that we pass through the space we inhabit without really seeing it, hearing it, smelling it, tasting it or feeling it. We are presented with so many horror stories in the media that we are inured to the suffering of our environment and our fellow humans. It is just too big to do anything other than be concerned. We don’t notice our instincts, never mind act on them.

We are using less than 5 per cent of our sensory potential, we are becoming depressed and we are slowly going mad.

So what do we do about this? We could try and influence politicians and big business in the same way as Jamie Oliver is trying to do regarding the impact of sugar on our bodies. The Times reported the growing problem of 10 to 15 years old children suffering mental illness because they are spending too much time on their computers. I think the growing problem of mental illness is self-evident so, rather than press the point with politicians, I want to focus on an antidote.

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I think we need to start reversing the process. The mind has become so overwhelmed with data and our fantasies that we need to give it a rest. We need to lose our mind and come to our senses. Here are some practical ways to do this for yourself and your children.

1. When you walk, turn off the iPod and the mobiles and notice what is happening around you; the people, the birds, the trees and flowers, the buildings, the traffic, the children. In particular, on familiar routes, notice how much has changed since the last time you really looked.

2. Stop taking in the negative stories and views of the media and instead look around you and notice the things you can be grateful for. Build the list. If we focus on things that we are concerned about but cannot influence or control we waste our energy and become frustrated. Instead find something local that you can influence and become involved and excited.

3. Avoid people who make you feel bad about yourself and find someone who cares about you, who will listen and talk to you face to face, voice tone, body language and all. There are always enough people who care to go around. There is a lovely Hindu word Genshai, which means never treat another person in a manner that will make them feel small. Apply that to your life.

4. Become reconnected with Nature.

I just got back from walking the trail I am using for a sensory walk. I am 63 but I always feel 18 in the woods, as my senses soak in the smells, the sounds of birds and running water, my eyes fill with the light and greens and I notice the feel of the breeze and sun on my skin. Whatever else you are doing today get out in the woods for a while even if it just leaning against a tree in your garden or local park. You will feel younger too!

At often as possible walk really slowly into fields and woods and parks and notice the feeling of connection to the earth as you place each foot. I teach children fox walking, the way our ancestors walked, placing the front of the foot gently on the ground before transferring the weight. This way we can move without needing to watch the path so our eyes can come up.

I teach them owl eyes, using wide-angle vision to take in as much of nature as you can; focusing only when you spot movement or hear noise, just like all the other animals and birds do.

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I learned to meditate in a dark room, in silence with incense and using a mantra. What a joy it was to discover I could slip into the same sense of peacefulness and connection by fox walking with owl eyes in nature for 15 minutes.

I teach children about deer ears, how to put your hands behind your ears to increase your hearing by 50 per cent. And I teach them to listen for bird alarms, how every creature is tuned into them and how, by watching how high the robin or the blackbird rises from the ground when they are alarming, you guess what is disturbing them.

Sit down for a while. It takes 20 minutes of you not moving for nature to come back to normal once you have alarmed the birds.

Notice the sensation of the wind and sun and rain and the brush of any leaves against your skin. See the hands of the wind as it pushes against the trees and their branches. Listen to the birds and running water and rustling leaves. Take in the smells of the season.

Tune in all your senses to everything that is going on around you and feel that connection to nature and know that here you are not judged. You are perfect and everything is here for your enjoyment.

As your senses return to you, you will find your inner sense will grow too and you will find more and more ways to return to a better feeling.

I know these are not the only answers to depression and children’s mental illness but I am certain they will help.

Author’s BioDavid Hill is a business trainer and shaman who trains senior and middle managers in large organisations in leadership, communication and teamwork. He teaches children nature awareness. With his wife Susan he has run personal development workshops and meditation groups for 30 years.

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The Question of Collective Nouns

Rochelle Kent-EllisEver wondered how or why certain names - or collective nouns - get given to different groups of animals? The answers lie within a fascinating tangle of medieval folklore, species characteristics and a whole lot of superstition. Most of us are familiar with terms such as a ‘pride’ of lions, or a ‘gaggle’ of geese, but did you know that the official term for a group of rhinoceroses is a ‘crash’ and for the much-loved coots, you’re looking at a ‘covert’?

It is known that the vast majority of collective nouns originate from hunters of wildfowl and game way back when such activities were widely considered a gentleman’s sport. The 1468 publication Book of St Albans is considered to be the first book of its kind, detailing descriptions of hawking and hunting from which an extensive list of group names were assigned to the sought-after wildlife. Even with the ever-evolving English language, a huge number of these have stood the test of time. Scientists and writers alike have studied the stories behind these names and although there is little empirical evidence as to why they are what they are, the terms still hold great integrity as many of them are very much relevant today.

A murder of crowsAs one of Britain’s most common birds, the carrion crow Corvus corone is a familiar face. Crows are native to and widespread in Western Europe and Eastern Asia, boasting great adaptability to both urban and rural areas. The high intelligence of the crow family is only a recent discovery and might just be changing how we perceive these feathered friends. But first, let’s take a look at how they may have been assigned such a negative sounding name.21

Jet black feathers, gloomy hang-out spots and eye-pecking tendencies; corvids are innate scavengers and often associated with death. Crows are known to congregate around the dead and the dying therefore it was believed by the superstitious that if one was spotted on a house rooftop then the homeowner was soon to meet his maker.

It is suggested that when large numbers of crows flocked to battle sites to look for a free meal, people began to associate them with lost lives and so the term ‘murder’ seemed apt. In fact, their name came all the way from Middle English where early works note the term ‘Murthre of crows’, murthre translating to murder of course. Interestingly, common folklore states that crows will often group together and collectively decide whether or not an outsider crow should meet his maker or go free. A rather beady-eyed jury service indeed!

From science we now know that crows are highly intelligent beings who can both fashion and manipulate tools to excel just like primates. So whether or not you are superstitious, you have to hand it to these guys. So much for bird-brain!

A cete of badgersThe badger: a recent hot topic and one of the few wild mammals still thriving in Britain. Despite carrying snouts that brag a sense of smell close to 800 times greater than our own, badgers aren’t a particularly nosy bunch and prefer their privacy. An elusive and mysterious creature of the night, the badger holds a special place in the hearts of many of us although is often misunderstood.

I was fortunate enough to once meet a badger in the early hours of one Sunday morning whilst walking home from a night on the tiles in Brighton, where I studied at University. Mainstream media will have you think they are aggressive and in need of controlling but like many others who have had an encounter with one I know quite the opposite is true. The little guy accidently walked into me as he was trotting down the hill I was walking up before stopping to look up at me and carrying on his path. Once upon a time we believed that badgers were somewhat otherworldly. Magical creatures with the gift of second sight, badgers were the source of great mystery and intrigue. As many are aware, a badger’s dwelling in the ground is called a ‘sett’. We should not, however, assume that the term ‘cete’ derives from this term as it has its roots elsewhere. The Egerton Manuscript refers to a ‘syght’ of badgers, which as we know the species does not have especially outstanding eyesight (poor enough in fact to miss me in the street), suggests that there is a superstitious rather than scientific origin. Another theory explores the possibility that cete comes from the Latin coetus which literally translates to ‘gathering’. This eighteenth century rhyme provides an insight into how people once perceived badgers: a far cry from their reputation today.

A host of sparrowsOnce as common as rain in July, sparrows are now sadly declining at an unprecedented rate in Britain. In the UK we host two native species of sparrow; the tree sparrow passer montanus and the house sparrow passer domesticus. Both are ‘red status’ birds according to the RSPB, meaning that populations are seriously threatened. Sparrows prefer nesting in urban gardens which often contain dense

Should one hear a badger call, And then an ullot cry,Make thy peace with God, good soul,For thou shall shortly die

(Rhodes. An Unkindness of Ravens)

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shrubby hedges and cavities in roofing, but are thought to be declining due to a lack of nesting sites and invertebrates in these areas. Additionally, the abundance of domestic moggies and birds of prey presents further challenges to sparrow populations. The house sparrow is the more common of the two and is the bird you will see hopping around on your suburban garden patio. Considering their miniature size, they are a cheeky and feisty bunch with large squabbling families and a large appetite. The Book of St Albans refers to ‘an ost of sparrowis’, which today we read as a host of sparrows. The medieval Latin word for host is hostis, which translates as an ‘army’ and today the Latin refers to an ‘enemy’. Seemingly an extreme term for these little brown birds, it is thought that the appetite of the sparrow may have made them quite the nuisance back then! Today sparrows prefer urban settlements but back when they were more abundant and widespread, crop damage made them pests in the eyes of small-time farmers who were dependent on their harvest. In addition to this, sparrows invade cavities in people’s homes and have been observed destroying the nests of more desirable birds such as swallows. It is therefore believed that the origin of this bird’s collective name is rooted in its behaviour. Let’s hope this cheeky natured species can bounce back in numbers as it has in our hearts.

A game of swansRegal, elegant and often nerve-inducing, the swan is a familiar waterbird that most of us have had several encounters with. Of course, the majority of my personal swan experiences involve running for my life after unintentionally getting too close whilst trying to feed the ducks! We typically think of the mute swan sygnus olor when picturing the large white character; however this collective noun also applies to the lesser-known whooper and Bewick’s swan species. The swan has deep roots in Greek mythology and British history.

Swans were once traded amongst folk and considered a very valuable commodity. Noblemen and the well-to-do would mark the beak of the birds in their ‘game’ to display ownership in the same way that a farmer brands her cattle. ‘Swan upping’ was a yearly tradition whereby individuals would attend the breeding grounds of swans and mark the beaks of hatchlings. In 1554, amongst others in the 16th century, William Romsey of Bieton claimed in his will to leave his ‘game of swannes’ to his wife. Their royal status has stood the test of time and the Queen of England is still considered the official swan keeper and owner of all sygnus.

A bloat of hippopotamiHippopotamus amphibius were named ‘river horse’ by the Greeks due to their water-loving tendencies. Restricted to certain zones in Africa, these giant mammals are often highly sought after by eco-tourists and trophy hunters alike. Unfortunately, as with many other glamorous species, the hippo is suffering significant population decline and is in need of conservation efforts.

If you’ve ever likened yourself 23

to a hippo when feeling big and bloated, you will get this one. Unlike many other collective nouns, the root of this is pretty self-explanatory. It first appeared in black and white in an old hunting manual named The Language of Field Sports back in 1939. The manual featured many terms that were already familiar, such as pride of lions, but left room for C.E.Hare to make up a few of his own too. The amusing phrase has since wormed itself into modern language- likely due to the joyously true image that it creates of the hippo.

A pride of lionsIt’s difficult to digest the fact that Panthera leo, one of the most charismatic and treasured species of the globe, is facing such deadly decline. The IUCN lists lions as Vulnerable but indicates that overall population trends leave the cat looking at a more realistic and tragic category: Endangered. Compared to other big cats, the lion has a much larger, more highly developed cerebral cortex. This area of the brain is also prominent in apes and responsible for helping to develop social intelligence. It is believed that this is why lions are the only social feline.

The etymology of pride of lions is better-studied than most collective nouns and the expression is one of the oldest, most familiar terms that has well and truly stood the test of time.

Lions sit comfortably at the top of the food chain, with no natural predators of their own (that includes American dentists). They have been used historically as symbols of the noble, the royal and the head of the social hierarchy, featuring on the Royal Arms of England, Royal Standard of Scotland and Flag of Castile and León. It makes sense then to use the term pride when describing an animal once so untouchable and still so high-standing.

It is evident that the origins of the different collective terms for groups of animals vary from relating to an animal’s appearance to its symbolism in the eyes of the hunters and naturalists that first came into contact with them. By looking at the history of what’s in a name, we are provided with a deeper insight and appreciation for these groups of animals together with a sneak peek into the minds of our ancestors.

Author’s BioRochelle Kent-Ellis is a zoologist who is passionate about wildlife and environmental issues. She has participated in a diverse range of conservation work including: tracking wolves and lynx in Poland; working as a volunteer conservation assistant at a fishing cat research and conservation project in the wetlands of Sam Roi Yot, Thailand; working on the Mankwe Wildlife Reserve in South Africa and initiating a project erecting barn owl nest boxes in Wiltshire, England! Rochelle is also a keen wildlife photographer and some of her portfolio of wildlife photography can be found at https://www.flickr.com/photos/tesauphotography/.

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northern plantlore:cowslip/primrose

Eoghan

Odinsson

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Quick Facts - Herb and Leaf

Other Uses: Culinary: Cowslip leaves have been traditionally used in Spanish cooking as a salad green. Uses in English cookery includes using the flowers to flavour country wine and vinegars; sugared to be a sweet or eaten as part of a composed salad while the juice of the cowslip is used to prepare tansy for frying. The close cousin of the cowslip, the primrose (P. vulgaris), has often been confused with the cowslip and its uses in cuisine are similar with the addition of its flowers being used as a colouring agent in desserts.

Action: Secretolytic , Expectorant

Indicated For: Flower : Catarrhs of the respiratory tract / Root : same

Preparation: Flower: Comminuted herb for teas and other galenical preparations for internal use. Root: Comminuted drug for teas and cold macerations, as well as other galenical preparations for internal use.

Primula veris (Cowslip; syn. Primula officinalis Hill) is a flowering plant in the genus Primula. The species is native throughout most of temperate Europe and Asia, and although absent from more northerly areas including much of northwest Scotland, it reappears in northernmost Sutherland and Orkney.

The common name cowslip derives from the Old English cūslyppe meaning “cow dung”, probably because the plant was often found growing amongst the manure in cow pastures.

Latin/Linnaen: Primula veris

Family: Primulaceae

Old English : Cusloppe, Cūslyppe,

Synonyms: Primula officinalis L., Paigle, Cuy lippe, Herb Peter, Paigle, Peggle, Key Flower, Key of Heaven, Fairy Cups, Petty Mulleins, Crewel, Buckles, Palsywort, Plumrocks.

Part Used: Flower/Root

Dosage: Flower: Daily dosage: 2-4g of drug; 2.5-7.5g of tincture equivalent preparation. Root: Daily dosage: 0.5-1.5 g of drug; 1.5-3g of tincture equivalent preparations

Cautions: Flower : Known allergies to primrose / root:none Stomach upsets and nausea can occur.

Description

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Hardiness Zone: 4-9

Cultivation

Soil pH: 6.1-7.8

Soil type: Well drained moist light soil

Cultivation: Division or by seed

Sunlight: Full sun-partial shade

Habitat: Native to temperate Europe and Asia, often found in open fields.

Cowslip is a perennial that thrives in moist soil. Their flowers appear in late winter/early spring and make an attractive show if naturalized in lawns. Let them self seed to encourage spreading before mowing.

The species name vēris means "of spring".

Folk names include Cowslip, Cuy lippe, Herb Peter, Paigle, Peggle, Key Flower, Key of Heaven, Fairy Cups, Petty Mulleins, Crewel, Buckles, Palsywort, Plumrocks.

Primula veris is a low growing herbaceous perennial plant with a rosette of leaves 5–15 cm long and 2–6 cm broad. The deep yellow flowers are produced in the spring between April and May; they are in clusters of 10-30 together on a single stem 5–20 cm tall, each flower 9–15 mm broad. Red-flowered plants occur rarely.

Cowslip is frequently found on more open ground than Primula vulgaris (primrose) including open fields, meadows, and coastal dunes and clifftops. The seeds are often included in wild-flower seed mixes used to landscape motorway banks and similar civil engineering earth-works where the plants may be seen in dense stands.

Similar species: It may be confused with the closely related Primula elatior (oxlip) which has a similar general appearance although the oxlip has larger, pale yellow flowers more like a primrose, and a corolla tube without folds.

Historical Notes

Many of the Primrose tribe possess active medicinal properties. Besides the Cowslip and the Primrose, this family includes the little Scarlet Pimpernel (Anagallis), as truly a herald of warm summer weather as the Primrose is of spring, the Yellow Loosestrife and the Moneywort (Lysimachia vulgaris and Nummularia), the handsome Water Violet (Hottonia) and the nodding Cyclamen or Sowbread, all of which have medicinal value to a greater or lesser degree. Less important British members of the group are the Chaffweed (Centunculus minimus), one of the smallest among British plants, the Chickweed Wintergreen (Trientalis), the Sea Milk-wort (Glaux maritima), which has succulent salty leaves and has been used as a pickle, and the Common Brookweed or Water Pimpernel (Samolus).

The botanical name of the order, Primulaceae, is based on that of the genus Primula, to which belong not only those favourite spring flowers of the country-side, the Primrose, Cowslip, and their less

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common relative the Oxlip, but also the delicately-tinted greenhouse species that are such welcome pot plants for our rooms in mid-winter.

Linnaeus considered the Primrose, Cowslip and Oxlip to be but varieties of one species, but in this opinion later botanists have not followed him, though in all essential points they are identical.

Quite early in the spring, the Cowslip begins to produce its leaves. At first, each is just two tight coils, rolled backwards and lying side by side; these slowly unroll and a leaf similar to that of a Primrose, but shorter and rounder, appears. All the leaves lie nearly flat on the ground in a rosette, from the centre of which rises a long stalk, crowned by the flowers, which spring all from one point, in separate little stalks, and thus form an ‘umbel.’ The number of the flowers in an umbel varies very much in different specimens.

We quote the following from Familiar Wild Flowers:

The sepals of the flowers are united to form pale green crinkled bags, from which the corolla projects, showing a golden disk about inch across with scalloped edges, the petals being united into a narrow tube within the calyx. On the yellow disk are five red spots, one on each petal.

The Midsummer Night’s Dream refers to the old belief that the flower held a magic value for the complexion.

The origin of Cowslip is obscure: it has been suggested that it is a corruption of ‘Cow’s Leek,’ leek being derived from the Anglo-Saxon word leac, meaning a plant (comp. Houseleek).

In old Herbals we find the plant called Herb Peter and Key Flower, the pendent flowers suggesting a bunch of keys, the emblem of St. Peter, the idea having descended from old pagan times, for in Norse mythology the flower was dedicated to Freya, the Key Virgin, and was thought to admit to her treasure palace. In northern Europe the idea of dedication to the goddess was transferred with the change of religion, and it became dedicated to the Virgin Mary, so we find it called ‘Our Lady’s Keys’ and ‘Key of Heaven,’ and ‘Keyflower’ remains still the most usual name.

The flowers have a very distinctive and fresh fragrance and somewhat narcotic juices, which have given rise to their use in making the fermented liquor called Cowslip Wine, which had formerly a great and deserved reputation and is still largely drunk in country parts, being much produced in the Midlands. It is made from the ‘peeps,’ i.e. the yellow petal rings, in the following way: A gallon of ‘peeps’ with 4 lb. of lump sugar and the rind of 3 lemons is added to a gallon of cold spring water. A cup of fresh yeast is then included and the liquor stirred every day for a week. It is then put into a barrel with the juice of the lemons and left to ‘work.’ When ‘quiet,’ it is corked down for eight or nine months and finally bottled. The wine should be perfectly clear and of a pale yellow colour and has almost the value of a liqueur. In certain children’s ailments, Cowslip Wine, given in small doses as a medicine, is particularly beneficial.

Young Cowslip leaves were at one time eaten in country salads and mixed with other herbs to stuff meat, whilst the flowers were made into a delicate conserve. Cowslip salad from the petals, with white sugar, is said to make an excellent and refreshing dish.

'It is a curious fact that the inflorescence of the Primrose is as truly umbellate as that of the Cowslip, though in the former case it can only be detected by carefully tracing the flower stems to their base, when all will be found to spring from one common point. In some varieties of the Primrose the umbel is raised on a stalk, as in the Cowslip. This form is sometimes called Oxlip; it is by some writers raised to the dignity of an independent position as a true and distinct species. . . . Primrose roots may at times be met with bearing both forms, one or more stalked umbels together with a number of the ordinary type of flower.'

'In their gold coats spots you see,These be rubies fairy favoursIn those freckles lie their savours.'

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Children delight in making Cowslip Balls, or ‘tosties,’ from the flowers. The umbels are picked off close to the top of the main flowerstalk and about fifty to sixty are hung across a string which may be stretched for convenience between the backs of two chairs. The flowers are then pressed carefully together and the string tied tightly so as to collect them into a ball. Care must be taken to choose only such heads or umbels in which all the flowers are open, as otherwise the surface of the ball will be uneven.

Historical Medicinal Uses - For Entertainment ONLY

Part Used Medicinally: The yellow corolla is alone needed, no stalk or green part whatever is required, only the yellow part, plucked out of the green calyx.

Constituents: The roots and the flowers have somewhat of the odour of Anise, due to their containing some volatile oil identical with Mannite. Their acrid principle is Saponin.

Medicinal Action and Uses: Sedative, antispasmodic.

In olden days, Cowslip flowers were in great request for homely remedies, their special value lying in strengthening the nerves and the brain and relieving restlessness and insomnia. The Cowslip was held good ‘to ease paines in the head and is accounted next with Betony, the best for that purpose.’

Cowslip Wine made from the flowers, as above described, is an excellent sedative. Also, 1 lb. of the freshly gathered blossom infused in 1 1/2 pint of boiling water and simmered down with loaf sugar to a fine yellow syrup, taken with a little water is admirable for giddiness from nervous debility or from previous nervous excitement, and this syrup was formerly given against palsy.

In earlier times, the Cowslip was considered beneficial in all paralytic ailments, being, as we have seen, often called Palsy Wort or Herba paralysis. The root was also called in old Herbals Radix arthritica, from its use as a cure for muscular rheumatisrm.

The old writers give a long list of ills that may be remedied by application of the roots or leaves of the plant; the juice of the flowers ‘takes off spots and wrinkles from the face and other vices of the skin,’ the water of the flowers being ‘very proper medicine for weakly people.’

Author’s BioCanadian born Eoghan Odinsson is an award winning journalist and author with a lifelong passion for the knowledge of our Northern forefathers – or “folk lore”. Literally, the knowledge of our people.

Graduating from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland with his Masters of Science degree, he subsequently taught for the University and was a dissertation advisor for graduate students. In addition to his academic background, Eoghan also holds a Black Belt in Chito-Ryu Karate, and has taught Martial Arts in Canada and the USA. Eoghan has just returned from a 10 year stretch working in the Washington D.C. area and is now back in his native Ottawa Valley where he lives with his wife, son and three dogs. Eoghan is a professional member of the Canadian Authors Association.

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Living Shamanism – Bridging Realities

Julie DollmanMy mobile handset, a masterpiece teemed full of glorious and magical apps. informs me via alarm that it is nearly time for our guests to arrive. The house has been cleaned, preened and plumped and staged as a sacred and welcoming space. There are meals prepared and ready inside the fridge, as we know full well that the next few days are going to be a heady round of hectic workshops and personal shamanic healing sessions.

As we wait anxiously for our guest’s imminent arrival, time ticks by. 10 minutes late…20 minutes late… 45 minutes late… then like curious meerkats, our attention is drawn to a small blue Nissan car driving hesitantly up our lane. Inside the driver breathes an animated sigh of relief as she is clearly relieved to have found us. While opposite her in the passenger seat, without a care in the world, our guest an Andean Shaman is relaxing horizontally with the passenger seat in a sleeping position. Roberto Flores Solis has come a very long way to meet us, travelling from his home in Cusco Peru, for the very first time to Ireland, guided by his unseen Masters to bring messages and healing to this country.

Excited, yet anticipatory, we wait to greet him and his slightly ruffled Spanish translator Leonor. He seems to take forever to get out of the car, as they pull bags, condor feathers and cases from the rear seat. He finally alights with his face beaming with a wide and playful smile. He greets my husband and I with a wonderful intimate and warm hug, as he plants a kiss firmly on my lips, he looks deep into my soul as he addresses me knowingly…“Ah Princess” are the only words I understand from his long and thoughtful greeting, yet the hold of attention seems to go on for minutes, as my western, uncomfortable awkwardness isn’t really sure how to hold this sacred attention without fidgeting and turning away. Leonor sprang to action as she purposefully translated Roberto’s words of greeting to us. Within minutes and safe in the knowledge that his greeting was delivered securely translated, he runs to the land at the front of our house and throws himself prostrate onto the lawn, his belly firmly planted like a loving kiss to the Mother, Pachamama. Afterwards we welcome them inside our home, like eager and excited children we show them the sleeping and toilet logistics. Ending up in the kitchen, Roberto lets out a long sigh as he soaks up the prepared energy of the space and land like a parched traveller. Within minutes he is drawn to our American Motorhome, parked to the side of the house. He is eager to venture inside, as this vehicle is clearly unknown to his culture.

We all march outside the house with teas and coffees in hand, into the space we once called home for a short while. Without hesitation Roberto makes himself at home, sprawling out on the two seater settee, while eager to understand the vehicle’s present use. We tell our tale in tantalising and slow chunks to Roberto, as Leonor translated it into Spanish. ‘Betty the Bus’, as she is affectionately known, was our ticket away from the suburban business of Gloucestershire in the UK. A place we left late November 2008 to travel across the sea to Ireland. Our Western minds had a plan, wherein we wanted to escape the rumbustious world of routinised conformity. Our inner souls guided us to take a break so we would be able to return to a more authentic version of our original selves. Without a hint of time-frame or agenda we packed all we needed into the many pods, inner cupboards and wardrobes and headed off with our black Labrador to search for this elusive holy grail of originality. We found a place to stay amidst a horse breeding farm owned by a somewhat eccentric, yet kind Irish landowner who without question or inquisition allowed us to hook our bus up to his water and electricity supply. All he wanted in return was some help around his land, coupled with some information to satisfy his curiosity about our backgrounds, fascinated about the story that brought us to him. As they say here in Ireland, ‘gossip is currency’ and we happily shared stories back and forth with him. We lived here happily amongst the horse stables and sheds, returning to a manageable and basic type of existence. Using only what we needed and responsible for our own gas, water and sewage waste disposal. We

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bought our food fresh every day and spent our time pleasing ourselves. Day after day we would walk the beautiful and wild local beaches, where we laughed, played and sometimes cried as we allowed our old outdated skin and roles to slip away. Our evenings were spent relaxing and watching a very limited TV channel where one of the three channels was in Irish. We slept each and every night so soundly and deeply, often sleeping late into the morning. Frequently only awakening to our landlord knocking softly at the RV’s door. ‘Just to check we were still alive and hadn’t fallen foul to gas poisoning’ as he put it. This amazing lifestyle continued for the next year, until all our masks had been peeled from us. Some of which being self-adorned to respectfully assure self-importance, others placed by society’s expectations of its citizens. Don’t misunderstand me, we certainly didn’t have a bad life or lifestyle in the UK. But we had become prime examples of a society that measured success via the jobs you kept, the house you lived in and the material appendages you owned. Our children grew into well-adjusted and personable young adults who at this time were continuing a road of self-discovery at University.

We continued unfolding our story to our Peruvian guest, over what seemed like hours. Darkness had descended in ‘Betty Bus’, as we shared with Roberto about an intimate meeting we both had with a manifest form of living energy. The visitation came after a while when we had settled into life here in Ireland, my husband began to have some ‘strange experiences’ in the early hours of the mornings. Having told me about them the next day, it wasn’t long until I too began to experience the same. Night after night for around a month, either or both of us would be brought to an awakened state, only to be met by a green mass like fluid energy that would weave around us in mid-air. Without translation or communication, we began to understand its curious nature. Maybe it was sussing us out and trying to ascertain what the intention of these strange British shamans was and what did we want from this land? Maybe the question for us was, “What is it you have to offer humanity”? Our Peruvian guest sat silently with a knowing smile on his face as he received each translated instalment. He would offer back wise interpretations received straight from the source of his Masters, as he shared their insights and teachings. We closed our sharing with Roberto about our continuing work as Shaman healers and teachers.

Just before we decided to go in to eat, I told him about how my first book Living Shamanism, Unveiling the Mystery was birthed in the midst of our first winter while living on ‘Betty’. The urge to write had never been present in me, until I remembered awakening from a deep dream one night. One that showed me writing a book. In the dream I clearly saw the contents page with all the chapters laid out. The very next morning I awoke to begin creating the story that unfolds throughout the book. Sat in my pyjamas and with hair all over the place and under several extra layers of warm clothing, I was to be found typing like a mad woman… by 4 o’clock that day I had written the contents page and began the very first chapter. By the end of what became an epic unfolding of our lives, we were all sat huddled together, laughing and giggling in the dark of the night, caught up in the magical womb of ‘Betty Bus’. Even after going inside to cook dinner, our conversation went on into the small hours, as we shared food and wine. I think we all eventually fell into bed that night, knowing that we had crossed a bridge into unseen realms, our purpose in life even more established.

Clarity of purpose here has a contrast of meaning. After we had left a somewhat defined lifestyle in the UK, our lives were headed towards living a life purpose described as ‘Unconditional Universal Service’ This really is a leap into an unknown abyss to say the least. Yet affirmation arrived that night spent with Roberto and was further confirmed the next day.

We hosted a workshop for Roberto to teach in a beautiful restored barn here in Wexford, That day as we all sat down to listen to his teachings, we watched how Roberto bridged the realities seamlessly, sharing the insights and messages from the high Andes in a true and heart realising form. We moved away from the questioning space of our heads and opened our hearts as we sat and listened to his words, these insights being translated from source into English, to a mixed group of various spiritual seekers. The teachings were so simple, yet I knew our westernised minds fought for supremacy and was eager to beg for more complexity.

His message to us all that day came in the guise of a gifted golden key. One that when offered would unlock a door to a mythical tower, where we had locked ourselves away long ago. We had closed the door on our inner selves, after embodying each and every testing experience of our Earth Walk, through fear, forgetfulness and doubt. Our golden ticket to freedom arrived that day in the words and urgings of the High Masters, telling us that we should forgive all the ostensibly heinous crimes that had been committed against us. Learning how to forgive would indeed free us from the tower, but foremost forgiveness needs to be accepted on three levels of existence: firstly we should forgive ourselves; then

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we forgive others; and last but not least, we should forgive the Universe. When we learn to ‘let go’ we will free ourselves and consequently open our hearts. Then if we also allowed love to be the light to guide us down those darkened steps towards our independence, do you see how simple this is?

The last and final part to the great western puzzle was to remind us to let joy back into our lives. If we allow ourselves a chance to live a rich and fulfilling life, one steered only from the natural pursuits of being with our family, friends and loved ones. If we became fulfilled in our humility yet gracious in gratitude, we are able to remain in service and be able to help and guide others out of the dark woods, held in the knowledge that Earth is now on course for its transcendence into the next dimension. We are changing our vibration and frequency alongside and in accordance with the frequency of Mother Earth. There is a clear division between dark and light and especially for those engaged in trying to accomplish a balance between the light and dark, whether in an attempt to save those from the dark or by attempting to clear the dark from others. Now at this time we are all called to bypass the need to try to harmonise and balance these two polarities. Furthermore, to understand that we have now moved into a different space and dimension… As the world literally turns on its axis and everything is upside down.

Ah Hoh.

Author’s BioSpirit Heart is Julie Dollman, Master Shamanic Practitioner and Healer; she offers healing relief and opens the doors to possibility for her clients who come from all over the world. She is the author of Living Shamanism, Unveiling the Mystery and The Constant Healer. She writes for several esoteric magazines and offers many healing modalities; she conducts alternative sacred ceremonies for weddings, baby naming and transformational ceremonies. Along with her husband they have launched The Ayni School of Experiential Wisdom Teachings, in Ireland. Classes offered include the Primordial Medicine Journey of Andean Shamanism, as well as specific Shamanic Mastery Classes and other experiential teachings. The understanding of our teachings here at Ayni is simple… In order that we reconnect by means of Sacred Manifestation, we must change our perceptions, behaviours and belief systems.

Her website is www.aynishamanichealing.eu

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Soul Purpose and the Perpetrator

Brenda El-Leithy7 November 2015, Turkey

Yesterday friends lost their young dog, Amber – she ran off on a walk and was later found dead by the river, apparently having been shot and killed, possibly by a local farmer who found her on his land – it happens here.

It reminded me of my own loss of my three young cats last year – all within weeks of each other. I never found out what happened to them but the circumstances lead me to believe their disappearance was not accidental – it happens here.

On hearing the news, I felt the need to do a Shamanic journey to see if Amber needed any help in moving on, given her traumatic death.

Well, she didn’t; she made it quite clear she was fine; it was her time, her soul decision, to embark on her next adventure. The physical body she left behind was no more Amber than the skin that the snake sheds and wriggles away from.

So where did that leave me with my assumptions of untimely death, the anger at the perpetrator(s) and the emotions of sorrow and loss (brought up by reminding me of my cats as well as the death of a young and joyful dog)?

I found myself facing a dilemma – am I right to hold on to the feelings of anger and hate (yes, I have to acknowledge that too) towards those I think were the perpetrators of the deaths of these animals? Amber’s spirit/soul (also those of my cats, who also showed up in the journey) showed no distress or regret at the death of her physical body, nor of the manner in which it died. In fact, the impression I got was that it all happened in perfect order!

So, where does that leave the perpetrator(s)? Were they just a means to a ‘perfect’ end? Was their action necessary for that soul to make its transition in a meaningful and predetermined way? Were they part of the plan? Was this act part of their soul plan? Was there a ‘contract’ between the animal soul and the human soul before they embarked on their physical journey?

It reminds me of the story of The Little Soul and the Sun by Neale Donald Walsch1 in which the friendly soul agrees to do something really bad in order for another soul to experience forgiveness:

1 Neale Donald Walsch. Little Soul and the Sun: A Children’s Parable Adapted from Conversations with God. Hampton Roads Publishing Co ,U.S. (1 Jun. 1998). ISBN-10: 1571740872. ISBN-13: 978-1571740878

“In the moment that I strike you and smite you,” the Friendly Soul replied, “in the moment that I do the worst to you that you could possibly imagine ~ in that very moment...”

“Yes?” the Little Soul interrupted, “yes...?”

“Remember Who I Really Am.”

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So then, is there an interaction at soul level not just between those embarking on a human existence, but also those souls embarking on an animal existence? And how far do we take this? How far does the interactive web of soul experience on this planet extend and influence all life forms?

A small window of understanding opens and beckons, and as usual, the view invites more questions and more (soul) searching – as well as a change in perception! Sometimes these insights are all too much for our human minds to grasp in one fell swoop and we have to be fed the knowledge in small doses and be allowed to digest it, before the fullness of understanding flows through us!

But, to go back to the original motivation for my meanderings - what of the perpetrators and my feelings towards them and what of my emotions around the circumstances of the death of Amber and my cats? And especially, my reluctance to have other animals because I don’t feel I could keep them ‘safe’, and don’t want to suffer a similar emotional loss?

It seems that Amber had a lesson for me that I failed to learn with the loss of my cats, despite having met her only once or twice! Which comes back to my earlier speculation about the teachings of animal/human relationships.

I came to the conclusion that Amber’s lesson is that avoiding emotional risk is selfish:

• If I accept that I have no power to keep anything or anyone “safe” to please myself when that does not fit in with their soul purpose, then I respect, not oppose, their soul decision;

• If I can give shelter, warmth, food and love to any living being for whatever duration that receiving soul determines, then it nourishes my soul both in the giving and the response;

• If I can accept that I have no right or reason to be angry if that soul decides to move on, then I can accept their transition without sorrow;

• If I can honour the role of the ‘perpetrator’ (“Remember who I really am”), even if I don’t understand it, then I am overcoming the human impulse to judge.

We can only play a part in another soul’s purpose - whatever form the soul inhabits. We can’t change it to suit ourselves just because we think with our “human minds” that what happens is wrong, unfair, cruel, unjust, etc. or causes us distress!

My meanderings are all to do with my own feelings about having pets and keeping animals, the sorrow of loss and the emotional risk involved. No doubt this resonates with many others who have lost a beloved pet.

When we extend the principles of these lessons to our human-human soul interactions too and to the loss of loved ones, perhaps in traumatic circumstances, then we are challenged even further to understand and accept the role of the perpetrator in soul purpose and soul decision. A difficult task when the clouds of emotion hide the radiance of enlightenment!

Perhaps we first need to integrate this one small lesson about our relationship with animals in order to move towards considering the wider implications of our relationship with our fellow man and the role of the ‘perpetrator’!

The wider question requires yet more thought but what’s immediately changed for me is that I have overcome my reluctance to have animals again, pets or otherwise. It doesn’t matter if I am only blessed with their presence for a short time – I can make a difference to their quality of life and ‘emotional risk’ only exists if I choose to see their transition as a loss. I can enjoy the time those souls choose to spend with me and then wish them well on their next journey. As the saying goes, “Givers Gain”.

Thank you, Amber!

BiographyBrenda El-Leithy has trained and practıced as a Clinical Hypnotherapist, Spiritual Healer, Reiki Practitioner, and Personal Development Coach, finally finding the Shamanic path and incorporating it into her work and lıfe as a Shamanıc Practıtıoner. She has lived in Sweden, Libya, India, Swaziland, Egypt, and Jamaica – finally leaving England three years ago for the blue skies, lakes and mountains of Southern Turkey, where she now lives with her husband. When she’s not walking the mountain paths, or planting and pruning in their garden and citrus orchard, or feeding the wildlife, or chasing chickens, she holds a monthly women’s spiritual development group in Köyceğiz, runs Shamanic workshops and Shamanic gatherings, and conducts the occasional Handfasting ceremony. For more information visit www.mind2mind.co.uk

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Shaman Moon

Yvonne RyvesThere are many things that I am aware I am not good at, things I envy others for their skill in, things I wish I was able to do or at least do better. Some of these are way down the list in terms of importance but one that is close to the top of my imaginary ‘would love to be able to do this’ list, weirdly just beneath the ability to eat, breathe and spin fire, is the ability to tell stories.

As a writer the ability to spin a yarn would, I am sure, come in handy in many ways. The ability to capture and hold the reader’s attention, to weave a good tale, to play with words, characters and situations, to create scenarios and bring a story to life must be an amazing gift to have.

As someone who lives in a country that still values the ‘party piece’, being able to tell a story would come in mighty handy as also on my list of things I’m not good at are the other party pieces, singing and reciting poetry. I am always the one trying to hide at the back or slip out of the room at that certain point in the evening. Story telling would save me!

Once upon a time I worked with the most amazing storyteller. She could take any subject and make it come to life, spinning the pieces around as if in some magical dance. I used to listen to her closely to try and work out how it all happened but it made no difference, a story teller I am not.

It’s strange as storytelling and shamanism really go hand in hand. When I journey to non-ordinary reality I often feel that I am living inside a story, at times it can even feel as if I am telling myself a story as things unfold, a story that has all the answers I seek in ordinary reality but can’t find there. The symbolism of the world of stories appears in all of my journeys and I carry it back with me more than able to record the reality I have been exploring or to share it with the person I have journeyed for but the ability to turn this into a full blown story escapes me.

Many stories that we listened to as children and perhaps revisit as adults, such as Alice in Wonderland,

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are shamanic journeys. My favourite storyteller Stephen King is perhaps the most shamanic story tellerI know of, although I am sure those of you reading this can suggest many others. If I were a story teller I also might be able to weave my journeys into wondrous tales that inform and entertain.

If we look closely at shamanism, in almost all cultures we find that the role was closely linked with stories and storytelling, be those stories sung, chanted or spoken. Both shaman and story tellers walk the line, able to see beyond ordinary reality, delve into other realms and work with spirits. Historically a large part of the role of a shaman was the sharing of stories relating to a culture’s origins, their ancestors, the way their world came into being; stories of ritual, ceremony, initiations, of life, death and rebirth. Shaman were in fact the keepers of knowledge and one way of keeping knowledge alive is of course through the telling of stories.

Knowing and learning from the stories the shaman told was what kept communities alive, for many of the stories were connected with the survival of the community. When the shaman journeyed to speak to the spirits on behalf of their community, for example to negotiate with the weather spirits, or to gain insight into where the best place to hunt was, the story the shaman told on their return was of vital importance for the community. When a shaman worked with their allies to heal an individual or community the stories they told contained advice to be followed for healing to take place, advice that was again linked with survival.

We no longer need to rely on stories or storytelling to keep us alive but we still need stories, for just like shamanic journeys, stories have power. Stories can change moods, inform, teach, enlighten and heal. They can impart mythical, symbolic and historical information and they can of course entertain.

Elen Sentier is both a natural storyteller and British shaman who weaves the ancient tale of Tristan and Isolde into a modern day romance set in the beautiful world of Devon in her book Moon Song. In doing so she not only entertains but brings mythology and magic to life.

Another storyteller whose work I have just discovered is Sheena Cundy whose first book Madness and the Magic has just been published by Moon Books. This is pure magic and entertainment … after all combine a menopausal witch with magic, a hormonal daughter and a man of the cloth and what could possibly happen!

BiographyYvonne Ryves is a Shamanic Healer, Reiki Master, Chios Energy Healing Master Teacher and Past Life Regression Therapist as well as being the author of Web of Life published by Moon Books as part of their Shaman Pathways Series. She offers healing sessions as well as running workshops and courses from her home in West Cork, Ireland. Yvonne is currently training as an Ovate with OBOD. You can find out more about Yvonne at www.yvonneryves.com

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Sacred Site Oracle Cards One of the best sets of oracle cards I have seen and used, Barbara Meiklejohn-Free’s Sacred Sites oracle cards are beautifully presented in an illustrated box with ribbon pull out for easy access. The cards come complete with a very useful, fully illustrated book which contains an introduction to the author’s reason for producing the cards, together with guidance on how to read them and a full guide to the interpretation of individual cards.

Each card is wonderfully illustrated by Yuri Leitch and has 3 aspects: the Lower World at the bottom of the card, representing the past, the Middle World (present) and the Upper World (future) and is also associated with one of the 4 Directions. A wide range of sacred sites throughout the world are explored including Stonehenge in England, Newgrange in Ireland, Big Horn Medicine Wheel and Devils Mountain in the US, Giza in Egypt and Die Externsteine in Germany.

Every card profile also contains an exercise, ceremony or meditation to carry out. The cards themselves are a good size, easy to handle and a wonderful quality – very sturdy.

The card set as a whole is very easy and intuitive to use. The reading the cards gave me was very appropriate and I managed to draw a card then open the book on the exact page I needed!

Highly recommended especially if you like your oracle cards to give a little bit more – I think these cards will appeal to a very wide range of people.

Reviews

VISIT PAGE 11 OF THIS ISSUE

OF INDIE SHAMAN!

FOR YOUR CHANCETO WIN THE WONDERFULORIGINAL ARTWORK‘FROG MOUNTAIN’BY ARTIST YURI LEITCHPLUS A SET OFBARBARAMEIKLEJOHN-FREE’S‘SACRED SITES’ORACLE CARDS &‘SACRED SOUNDS OFTHE SHAMAN’ MEDITATION CD

Two runners upprizes of

cards and CD’s!

Barbara Meiklejohn-Free. Sacred Sites Oracle Cards. Watkins (2015). ISBN 978-1-78028-842-0.

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Reviews

Shamanic TransformationsA wonderfully inspirational ‘feel good’ book containing self-told tales from many well-known shamanic practitioners on their moment of shamanic awakening, Shamanic Transformations demonstrates well the variety of forms that personal realization of the ‘call’ to enter a shamanic path can take. Shamanic Transformations has 47 stories in total including contributions by Sandra Ingerman, Hank Wesselman, John Perkins, Alberto Villoldo, Lewis Mehl-Madrona, Tom Cowan, Don Oscar Miro-Quesada, Lynn Andrews, Linda Star Wolf, Jose Luis Stevens and others.

Recommended purely as an enjoyable read for anyone interested in or practicing shamanism. However Shamanic Transformations may also inspire personal recollections in practitioners and in addition the stories it contains provide a useful source of information for those new to shamanism and looking to interpret their own experiences. Maybe one will even provide a comparative source leading to a personal ‘aha’ moment for some readers!

Itzhak Beery (ed.). Shamanic Transformations. Destiny Books. (2015). ISBN 978-1-62055-475-3 (pbk.) ISBN-978-1-62055-476-0 (e-book).

The Heart of LifeIn The Heart of Life author Jez Hughes takes a thoughtful and insightful look into how the path of shamanism can bring solutions to the many current issues the human race suffers, both collectively and as individuals.

The author includes aspects from his own personal life story and experiences – it was during his first seizure as a child he first encountered a sensation he could only describe as ‘absolute ecstasy’. This was followed by a period of ill health, self-medication, travel, exploration and the search for personal healing. His initiation lasted a long time, over 15 years, at the end of which he felt connected to a far bigger reality. Following his own healing from shamanism Hughes went on to become a healer and teacher.

As Hughes states he is ‘deeply physiological as a person, as might be blindingly obvious through reading this book!’ and The Heart of Life is an in-depth, honest and interesting read into his personal insight, experiences and discoveries as well as relating these to the wider picture/issues demonstrating how the practices of shamanism are very much needed today.

Jez Hughes. The Heart of Life. Moon Books (2015). ISBN: 978-1785350269.

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Reviews

The Rush Hour ShamanAuthor, Janet Gale, noticed that people returning to urban life after attending a rural workshop believed they couldn’t stay connected to the earth nor carry out shamanic work in an urban setting, so wrote The Rush Hour Shaman as a ‘how to’ book for living shamanically in the modern world. Chapter headings are entitled like a car journey in contemporary Canada or America with chapters on ‘Merging onto the Freeway’, ‘Packing for the Trip’ and ‘Using a High Occupancy Lane’ (one with spiritual guides in it!) but the comparisons should also be obvious to readers in the UK.

The book includes a useful tool kit of exercises including: creating a sacred space; a morning meditation to set your intention for the day; a full moon and new moon ritual to reconnect to the cycles of life; meeting your spirit helpers including use of a drumming CD for journeying; dealing with doubt; plus working with some basic tools of the trade, drums and rattles.

If you are setting off on a new journey into core or contemporary shamanism The Rush Hour Shaman is worth looking at as a ‘sat nav’ to guide you on your way.

I, EnergySince shaman, artist and writer, Gonzalo Bénard, was a child he accepted and understood that he was ‘just energy’ but, as he details in I, Energy, he has also experienced being in the trap common to many of us, created by our inner battles between logic and intuition caused by ‘Western thinking’. Bénard went through 3 days of brain death in order to ‘come back to life’, lived for 3 years in the Himalayas learning with shaman elders and from Buddhist masters and also spent time in Africa with indigenous shaman and healers.

As Bénard states, old shamanic wisdom is now being verified with more and more evidence provided by science including that we inherit memories from our ancestors and that we are made of energy. There is a collective consciousness in the world and multiverse of which we are all a part and we all have an important gift to share. Bénard has previously published 3 books on photography as well as The Sacred Book of G, a book of memoirs and philosophy through an autistic mind. I,

Energy shares Bénard’s personal experiences and discoveries as well as his thoughts and insight into a multitude of topics connected to shamanism and how these practices can benefit us all individually as well as the collective as a whole.

I, Energy is captivatingly honest and refreshingly unconventional. The book is written in English which is not Bénard’s first language - nor even his third – he speaks his native Portuguese plus French and Spanish as well as English but this adds to the charm as well as to the sense that you are hearing his voice through his words. And Bénard has a voice well worth listening too.

Janet Elizabeth Gale. The Rush Hour Shaman. Moon Books (2014). ISBN: 978-1782794660.

Gonzalo W. Bénard. I, Energy. Blurb (2015). For more information and to purchase please visit http://www.gbenard.com/books

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Reviews

Runes & RainbowsRunes and Rainbows details author Kay Cook’s innovative system of combining rune readings with chakra, aura and energy work. If this appeals to you the book contains all the information and instructions you will need on how to use this method yourself including rune interpretations, chakra information charts, colour interpretation charts and guidance on working with clients.

Unlock Your Life WithPendulum Dowsing

Unlock Your Life With Pendulum Dowsing is a small handbook which provides basic advice on how to dowse with a pendulum plus some ideas on things you can dowse for.

Written in an informal style this book isn’t an in depth look at the topic. However it does offer a useful introduction for those who know nothing about dowsing and want to give it a try for the first time.

In Search of SilenceIn Search of Silence is a collection of 45 poems by Chris Roe, some beautifully illustrated by the watercolour artwork of his brother Paul Roe.

Some works are hard to review because the mere act of reading takes your breath away and this is the case with In Search of Silence. Subtitled ‘A personal journey in search of spiritual peace’ Roe’s poetry will touch your soul and hold you spellbound.

Evocative, inspirational and immensely beautiful …

Dean Fraser. Unlock Your Life With Pendulum Dowsing. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform (2015). ISBN-10: 1499768222. ISBN-13: 978-1499768220.

Kay T Cook. Runes and Rainbows. Mirador Publishing (6 Nov. 2014). ISBN-10: 1910530166. ISBN-13: 978-1910530160.

Chris Roe. In Search of Silence. Silent Flight Publications (2008). ISBN: 1-4955-4995-98. For more information and to purchase visit http://www.silentflightpublications.co.uk/

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Shay Mann

www.yvonneryves.com42

Events and WorkshopsDRUM CIRCLESCambridgeshire Wellbeing Drumming Circle. CAMBRIDGESHIRE. Meets on 2nd Saturday afternoon each Month. Raise Your Level of Vibration! Let Your Spontaneous Creativity Flow! Beginners welcome, drums provided. www.sunflower-health.com/shamanicworkshops.htm#Workshops ‘The Buzzard Circles’, Wilmslow Clan. Meets on the first Monday of the month at Friends Meeting House, 1a Bourne Street, WILMSLOW, CHESHIRE, SK9 5HD. Spend the evening creating a beautiful sacred space and connecting with other like minded souls. Contact Nicola and Jason Smalley contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/about-our-circles/‘Spirit of The Wind’ Shamanic Drumming Group Ings near Staveley, Kendal, CUMBRIA, UK. A monthly meeting to help support shamanic practice and journeying. A chance to journey for healing for yourself and others. Ability to journey is essential. We meet on the third Thursday of the month. https://www.facebook.com/shamanicdrummingkendal?ref=hl‘The Shamans Drum’ Monthly Drumming circle The Arkwright Hall, Moorside Lane, HOLBROOK, Nr Belper, DERBYSHIRE, DE56 0TW, UK. Unite with the Spirit of your Drum. Journey. Find your Spirit Guides. Designed to connect you with your Drum and Spirits. E-mail: dunnwoddrums@live.com.Phone: 01332880984. http://dunnwooddrums.com/#/drumming-groups/4533077917Monthly Shamanic Drumming Circle. TOTNES NATURAL HEALTH CENTRE, TOTNES, DEVON. http://www.southdevonshamanism.co.uk/workshops/‘Call of the Drums’ Addington Village Hall, Park Road, Addington, nr West Malling, KENT. 4th Thursday of every month.7.30pm - 10.30pm, £6 per person. http://www.woodspirit.org.uk/. Email rob@woodspirit.org.uk.The Buzzard Circles, Chorley Clan Meets on the second Tuesday of the month in the stable block behind The Bay Horse pub, Heath Charnock, CHORLEY, LANCASHIRE, PR6 9ER, starting 8th March 2016, 7.30pm. Connect in with other like minded souls .Contact Nicola and Jason Smalley contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk, 01257 233909. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/buzzardcircles/The Buzzard Circles, Lancaster Clan Meets on the First Thursday of the month in Halton Mill, Mill Lane, Halton, LANCASTER, LANCASHIRE, LA2 6ND, starting 3rd March 2016, 7.30pm. Spend the evening creating a beautiful sacred space. Contact Nicola and Jason Smalley contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk, 01257 233909 http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/buzzardcircles/‘The Buzzard Circles’, Cuerdan Clan Meets on the second Monday of the month at The Barn, Berkeley Drive, Bamber Bridge, PRESTON, LANCASHIRE, PR5 6BY. Celebrate, share, reflect, journey, drum, sing, chant and deepen into our connection together. Contact Nicola and Jason Smalley contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/about-our-circles/‘The Buzzard Circles’, Stockport Clan Meets on the third Thursday of the month at The Friends Meeting House, Cooper Street, STOCKPORT, SK1 3QL. Spend the evening creating a beautiful sacred space and connecting with other like minded souls. Contact Nicola and Jason Smalley contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/about-our-circles/Evening Shamanic Drumming Circle Monthly from Wednesday 1st July (then every 1st wed in month). £15 7.30 - 9pm Baby Moon Camp, DUNSDALE, NORTH YORKSHIRE, TS14 6RH. With journeys, healing & huge energy raising! Plus, a grounding cup of tea or hot chocolate to close. Please contact me for availability: phone 07933 718368 or via http://www.innerpeacehealing.org/Monthly Shamanic Drum Circle. Crystal Space, Silsden, WEST YORKSHIRE. All welcome. Second Wednesdays. 7-9pm. https://bearfootconnections.wordpress.com/. Shamanic Journey and Drumming Circle BRECON, WALES. Wednesday April 8thth 7pm to 9pm, and fortnightly. Drum, journey, dance, heal, learn and empower yourself – everyone welcome! With Sarah Howcroft. Phone 07968 010103. http://www.shamanism-wales.co.uk/Shamanic Journey and Drumming Circle. Insole Court, CARDIFF, WALES. 7pm every first Thursday monthly. Drum, journey, dance, heal, learn, and empower yourself – everyone welcome! With Sarah Howcroft. Phone 07968 010103 http://www.shamanism-wales.co.uk/ONGOING EVENTSIntroduction to Shamanism days. with Paul Francis, Therapeutic Shamanism. Various locations in the UK. These one-day workshops run at various times in the year. The day is experiential, and covers the basics of shamanic practice. For more information or if you would be interested in organising an Introductory Day in your area email paulfran@gmail.com. http://www.therapeutic-shamanism.co.uk

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Events and WorkshopsShamanic Beginners’ and Development Days or Weekends with Sarah Howcroft - IN WALES OR WHEREVER YOU ARE! Explore journeying, Shamanic healing, guides and power animals, nature spirits, working with tree spirits, the elements, altars and ceremonies, wilderness experiences. I can structure the weekend according to the experience and needs of your group. http://www.shamanism-wales.co.uk/ – or phone 07968 010103.Shamanic Sundays. with Mandy Pullen. FOREST OF DEAN, GLOUCESTERSHIRE. Usually on the first Sunday of every month 10.30am - 1pm. Monthly journeying circle suitable for those who can already journey and beginners. Regular Introduction to Shamanism workshops are held for those who wish to go on and learn the technique. Contact details: Mandy Pullen Tel:01594 541850 or Email: info@mandypullen. co.uk. http://www.mandypullen.co.uk/Workshops_Groups.htmlWander the Wheel Sabbat celebrations with Nicola & Jason Smalley, The Way of the Buzzard. Day long celebrations at Imbolc, Beltane, Lammas, Samhain, the Equinoxes and the Solstices. West Pennine Moors near Chorley, LANCASHIRE, with time in an old converted stable block, out on the moorlands, in the meadows, woodlands and at lancient sacred sites. Contact Nicola and Jason on contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk, 01257 233909. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/sabbat-celebrations/Shamanic day workshops & weekend retreats throughout the year in the PEAK DISTRICT, YORKSHIRE DALES, LAKE DISTRICT, FOREST OF BOWLAND and the WEST PENNINE MOORS with Nicola & Jason Smalley, The Way of the Buzzard. Develop your shamanic practice through nature connection, journeying, drumming, crafting, working with spirit guides and tree spirit medicine. contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk, 01257 233909. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/workshops/Monthly Open ‘Warrior’ Soul Rescue Circle with Shirley Flint and Kieron Morgan. St Michael’s Church The Sanctuary, EWELL VILLAGE,SURREY, ENGLAND. 7.00 pm for a 7.30 pm start. An evening for those who have died as a result of war throughout all ages and lands. Enquiries please contact Shirley Flint on 07889 018713 or shirley.flint789@gmail.com. No charge for the evening but donations to St Michael’s are welcome. http://www.ravens-wing.uk/events-warriors-soul-rescue-circle.htmlCrystal Space Events. Meet up at ‘Our Space’. Plus events including drum making. SILSDEN, WEST YORKSHIRE. http://www.crystalspace.co.uk/Munay Ki Network. YORKSHIRE http://crystalspaceally.wix.com/munay-ki-networkAyahuasca Apprenticeship Retreats ongoing Ayahuasca and shamanic plant diet apprenticeship retreats with Shipibo Maestra Rosa, in SACHA HUARMI, PERUVIAN AMAZON. 1-26 weeks. Certificate from 13 weeks onwards. http://www.elmundomagico.org/EVENTS DIARY 2016Naming, Arming & Wedding 5-7 Feb 2016, ARCHENLAND, HEREFORDSHIRE, with Elen Sentier. This weekend revolves around the old tale of Llew Llaw Gyffes and his growth from callow, unthinking youth to king. It’s the journey we all make during our lives. Following Llew’s path over this weekend you will have the opportunity to meet and come to terms with your spirit-self. Contact: elen.sentier@yahoo.co.uk and via website at elensentier.co.uk Shaman Training. https://elensentier.wordpress.com.Power Up and Connect with Sarah Howcroft. Developing your Shamanic Skills. February 6th and 7th 2016, 10am to approx 5.00pm, NEAR BRECON, WALES. With some innovative journeying exercises to hone your skills, trance dance for fun healing and release, and shared journeys for other people to develop your connection to your guides and your experience. Cost £99. Email spirit@shamanism-wales.co.uk. Phone/text 07968 010103. http://www.shamanism-wales.co.uk/#!power-up/c1u40Curanderismo - Mexican Healing and Shamanism with Ross Heaven. AUKLAND, NEW ZEALAND, Feb 9 - 13. Traditional forms of healing as practiced by the indigenous shamans of Mexico. This event will include a ceremony with Ska Maria, the divine plant of future-seeing and dimensional shifts. For details please email glenn@chakanapacific.co.nz. http://www.thefourgates.org/Weekend residential retreat: Ignite the Spark with Nicola & Jason Smalley from The Way of the Buzzard. Friday 19th February – Sunday 21st February 2016. ROBURNDALE, FOREST OF BOWLAND, LANCASHIRE. We might not know exactly what it is we want, but we have an inkling and can feel it in our bones. Join us to give space and time to tease that idea out into reality. £245. Phone: 01257 233909, contact@ thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/ignite-the-spark/Plant Spirit Shamanism with Ross Heaven. HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND, Feb 20 - 21. A workshop which will teach you just about everything you ever need to know to become a plant spirit shaman and shamanic herbalist. Yes, in just two days! For details please email celtchick@gmail.com. http://www.thefourgates.org/

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Events and WorkshopsShamanic Healing & Soul Retrieval with Ross Heaven. HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND, Feb 22 - 27. A course for those who wish to work as healers. The fullest course of its kind, it includes training in soul retrieval, spirit extraction (exorcism) and energy rebalancing. For details please email celtchick@gmail.com.Drum birthing day with Nicola & Jason Smalley from The Way of the Buzzard. Friday 26th February / Friday 1st April/ Saturday 2nd April 2016. ANGLEZARKE, NEAR CHORLEY, LANCASHIRE. Join us for this day where you will birth your own drum. Cost from £190. Contact Nicola or Jason on 01257 233909, contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/drum-birthing-day/Exploring The Medicine Wheel with Ross Heaven. HAMILTON, NEW ZEALAND, March 5 - 6. The purpose of this workshop is to discover where we are in the wheel of life, to confront and release our blockages and to move forward into a more fulfilling life, at the centre of the wheel: the still place. For details please email celtchick@gmail.comBeneath the Tor Book Launch Author and Druid Nina Milton is launching the third book in her Shaman Mystery series, Beneath the Tor, at the Avalon Room, Glastonbury Experience, GLASTONBURY, UK, 2pm, Saturday 27th February 2016. Ronald Hutton will give a talk and Arthur Billington will provide aucoustic music. Refreshments, readings and signings. All are welcome to the party! FFD: Contact Nina on ninahare00@googlemail.com. http://kitchentablewriters.blogspot.com. ‘Sangoma Retreat’. 10 days of shamanic adventure with John Lockley and Jan Engels Smith from 3-13 March 2016 in SOUTH AFRICA. 7 days of immersion in the African bush on a private game farm near the Kruger National Park. Participants will have an opportunity to walk alongside Lions, Elephants, Leopard, Buffalo. To book please contact Jan via jan@lightsong.net. USA Fall Tour. 22 – 28 October – BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA. Contact: Seyta seytaselter@gmail.com.The Buzzards Call – Introduction to Shamanism Day with Nicola & Jason Smalley from The Way of the Buzzard. Saturday 12th March 2016, HEATH CHARNOCK, CHORLEY. This day is perfect for those of you who would like to know more about shamanism, how to journey and to meet your power animal. £60. Contact Nicola or Jason on 01257 233909, contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.ukhttp://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/the-buzzards-call-introduction-to-shamanism-day/Discover Shamanism One Day Workshop with Liz McWatt and Jayne Birkett. Saturday 12th March & Sunday 13th March 2016. DUMFRIES, SCOTLAND. This experiential course covers the basics of shamanic practice, the history and key concepts of shamanism, shamanic journeying, finding your power animal and the basics of how to journey for others. Cost £55. liz@holistic-healing.org.uk, phone 01539 728188; jaynebirkett@sky.com, phone 07717725672. http://www.holistic-healing.org.uk/Weekend residential retreat: Spring into Life with Nicola & Jason Smalley, The Way of the Buzzard. Friday 8th April – Sunday 10th April 2016 ROBURNDALE, FOREST OF BOWLAND, LANCASHIRE. Drawing on the spring energies, we will explore what stands in our way from walking in the shamanic path more fully and step into our power with shamanism. £245. Contact Nicola or Jason on 01257 233909, contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/spring-into-life/The Shaman’s Lifescape with Mandy Pullen FOREST OF DEAN, GLOUCESTERSHIRE, UK. Six weekends beginning Friday 8th April, finishing March 2017. Year’s course on contemporary shamanism where you will learn all the major healing techniques whilst embarking on your own personal shamanic lifescape. Early bird £780, full fee £870. You need to know how to journey and have a drum. Email: info@mandypullen.co.uk Tel: 01594 541850. http://www.mandypullen.co.uk/Workshops_Groups.htmlAnimystics- Ireland 7th-8th May, DUNDERRY PARK, CO. MEATH, IRELAND. Plant Spirit Healing Apprenticeship with Pam Montgomery . Module 1 - 12th-15th May. Module 2 - Sept 1st - 4th. Organised by The Shamanic Lands events organisers, Archetype Events. http://www.theshamaniclands.com/Space to Emerge – Shamanic Festival in the Lake District with The Way of the Buzzard. Friday 13th to Sunday 15th May 2016. FELL FOOT WOOD, CUMBRIA. With views over Lake Windermere we will connect with nature and celebrate life on Earth. There will be a whole variety of workshops, space to relax and simply just be, all included in the one ticket price. Accommodation is camping or campervans. Cost £60 adults, £15 children. Contact Nicola or Jason on 01257 233909, contact@thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk. http://thewayofthebuzzard.co.uk/space-to-emerge-festival/

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Walking Between Worlds, with Elen Sentier 15-19 May 2016, NORTH CORNWALL, UK. A 5-day experiential and residential workshop in Cornwall. We visit and work at 3 sacred sites – Tintagel Island, Nectan’s Kieve and Lady’s Window. We work with the spirits of place at each site who teach us about walking between worlds. The workshop is residential including full board and tuition.Contact details: elen.sentier@yahoo.co.uk. https://elensentier.wordpress.com/Mary Magdalene pilgrimage in mystical SOUTHERN FRANCE, May 17-26. Join Brooke Medicine Eagle and sacred troubadour Ani Williams in the Languedoc and Provence regions for an exceptional journey to visit Magdalene, Cathar, Templar and Black Madonna sites. Sing and do ceremony and join the annual Gypsy festival in Saintes Maries de la Mer for celebration of the arrival of their patron saint from across the waters. email bme@MedicineEagle.com for more information. http://www.medicineeagle.com/The Holy Children ‘Velada’: The Healing, Spiritual and Divinatory Powers of ‘˜Los Ninos’. with Ross Heaven. SWEDEN. May 27, 28 AND 29. Three unique one-day events which flow from the work of the Mazatec shamans (curanderos) of Mexico and explores some of the most important aspects of this system of plant medicines and healing, followed by a night-time velada (ceremony) in the style of Maria Sabina. Email dguy_8@yahoo.com.au for full course details. http://www.thefourgates.org/Living a Shamanic Life by adopting ancient practice – Further down the rabbit hole With Bradley McKenzie Wednesday 8th June 2016 until 27th July 2016 at 19:00 UTC + 1 Hour. 8 week LIVE WEBINAR series. Bradley will hold space and rattle/drum for Shamanic journeys and meditations, transmutation practices, and rituals within many Shamanic techniques for transformation. £190. Contact bradley@bradleymckenzie.com. http://bradleymckenzie.com/events-calender/The Beauty and Power of the Shamanic journey. With Bradley McKenzie Thursday 9th June 2016 until 28th July 2016 at 17:00 UTC + 1 Hour. 8 week LIVE WEBINAR £190. Within this webinar we will explore the Shamanic journey to receive healing and answers to our questions. We will work with ancient Shamanic techniques like dismemberment healing, transfiguration and merging with our power animals. Contact bradley@bradleymckenzie.com. http://bradleymckenzie.com/events-calender/The Shamanic Lands, LONDON, UK, 11th & 12th June, UK. http://www.theshamaniclands.com/ Seneca Clan Multi-dimensional Shamanic Dreaming One day workshop with Sandy Corcoran, 13th June, LONDON, UK. Organised by The Shamanic Lands events organisers, Archetype Events. http://www.theshamaniclands.com/Intro To Practical Geomancy with Patrick MacManaway organised by The Shamanic Lands events organisers, Archetype Events. 24th June - HIGHT WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND. http://theshamaniclands.com/practical-geomancy.htmlAdvanced Land Shamanism with Patrick MacManaway organised by The Shamanic Lands events organisers, Archetype Events. Module 1‘Earth Energies’ - June 25th - 26th, Module 2‘Spirit Communication & Healing’ - August 6-7th. HIGH WYCOMBE, BUCKINGHAMSHIRE, ENGLAND.Stonehenge Moonlight tour 2016 with David Rowan, STONEHENGE, SALISBURY, ENGLAND. 24th-25th September. 2016 http://www.davidrowan.co.uk/solar/moonlight_stonehenge.htmlPlant Consciousness. Regents University, LONDON, UK. 24th-25th September. http://www.plantconsciousness.com/English Speaker’s Nepal Himalayan Experiential Shamanic Trip to NEPAL with Bhola Banstola. September 27, 2016. Includes pilgrimage and retreat to sacred mountain site, 4 days shamanic experiential exercises, 3 days and 2 nights trip to Pokhara, visit to sacred sites, temples, inner and outer ceremonies, visits to different shamans, healing sessions, rituals and much more. With 2 options for this ‘once in a life time trip to Nepal’: 1) begin September 27 or 2) participants with physical challenges or walking problems can join the group on October 1. For more information email Bhola at bhumi1008@outlook.com. http://www.nepal-shaman.com/

Events and Workshops

For full listings, more information plus more events please visit https://indieshaman.co.uk/events.html

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WhenIn this darkest midnight of the year,All is silent, slumbering,Still.Held fast at home By winters wailing wyrd.

WhenThe hunter walks the heavens,The wolf haunts the homestead,And trees raise shrunken limbsIn supplication to the sleeping sun.

ThenThe Raven,In memory of the time that’s gone,In honour of the time to come,Shakes the moon embroidered silverFrom his wing tips,And, soaring upwardThrough the graylag sky,Chants the ancient spell of wakingTo the frozen Earth.

Then,A maiden,Still sleeping snugBeneath her snow-white blanket.Begins to stir,And dream of stags…..

And snowdrops.

Poetry: ‘Mid-Winter’; Martin Pallot Website: martinpallot.wordpress.com. Contact: moonmadantlerman@aol.comMixed media art: Simon Harding. Photo: Rochelle Kent-Ellis. www.flickr.com/photos/ tesauphotography. ‘Crow Moon Mandala’: Cat Hawkins http://shaktimandala. co.uk/

MID-WINTER