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Shamanism Shaman Shamanic Journey Healing
Native American Shamanism
Native Americans communicated with the spirits by singing traditional, ceremonial, and medicine songs accompanied by drums and sometimes also by rattles, flutes, and whistles. Rattles were used by Elders during ceremonies to call the four powers to help those who seek healing, cleansing, and guidance. Rattles were also shaken to summon the Spirit of Life for those who are sick.
For Native Americans Animal Totems and Power Animals were Spirits which protected, helped, and guided others everyday. Animal totem objects when placed in the environment or worn or carried, created positive energy that result in a blessings and remembrance linkage with the animal totem that also brought constructive lessons and actions into one's life.
Personal Animal totems for an individual were called Power Animals. There were animal totems for the tribe, for the clan, for the family, for the country, and for the state. Each animal totem had certain characteristics, qualities, strengths, and weaknesses that could be utilized to learn valuable lessons and to increase harmonic understanding of life's circle dance.
Personal Power Animal(s)
might change several times over the course of a lifetime, as cycles change, and,
as new growth patterns emerge. All positive spirits like mammals and birds were Power Animals. Power animals such as the
squirrel, mouse, or bear represented qualities reflective of the innermost self
that were needed to enhance daily life but were often obscured or veiled. To learn more about Power
Animals please see the Animal Communications Power Totems Animal Speak Articles.
Native American Medicine Wheel
The Medicine Wheel Spirit Circle symbolized all of life and the lives of individual beings as they expressed the power of the world through harmonious movements. Native Americans were nourished by the spiral of constant circular motion of this wheel of Spirit.
Medicine Wheel traditions varied from tribe to tribe. An example of a medicine wheel was one where the center of the wheel is bisected by two paths. The path from North to South was the road everyone travells in life; while, the path from East to West was the road individuals travelled as they learned lessons, growing in Spirit.
The Four Powers nourished the blossoming World Tree at the center of the Circle of Life. For the Native American people to thrive and blossom, the Sacred Hoop must be whole and unbroken.
For Native Americans the Sacred Hoop symbolized the Circle of Life and the power of the circle matrix that was the creative foundation of the universe. The sky, the planet, the sun, the stars, the moon, the whirling wind, the nests of birds, the tepees, the seasons, and life cycles follow this circle round pattern.
Ceremonial teachings were strictly an oral tradition passed down from Elder to Elder to ensure their authenticity and integrity. The ceremonies were a way to commune with Spirit through prayers, offerings, and ritual.
Storytelling was passed
down through the generations and taught valuable lessons by example. This
precious oral history of stories, legends, and the teachings of the Elders has
now begun to be written down and recorded in order to preserve it for
posterity...Go
back
Read Shamanism Shaman Articles
Aboriginal Australia Shamanism,
Aboriginal Walkabout Journeying,
Celtic Shamanic Traditions,
Druid as Shaman,
Glossary Terminology,
Heathen World Tree Shamanism,
Native American Shamanism,
Receiving the Shamanic Call,
Pleiadian Shamanic Spirit Guides,
Shamanism Spiritual Beliefs,
Soul Loss Retrieval Visionquests
Visit Beliefs Faiths Religions Traditions
Aboriginal Dreamtime,
Alchemy Alchemist,
Cosmos Astronomy,
Buddhism Buddhist,
Christianity Biblical,
Daoist Confucian,
Druidry Treelore,
Heathenry Ásatrú,
Hinduism Vedas,
Islam Sunnah,
Judaism Talmud,
Native American,
Paganism Wiccan,
Shamanism Shaman,
Shintoism Kami
Shamanism
Shaman Shamanic Journey Healing Copyright © 2002-2008 Maureen Grace Burns, Blessings Cornucopia. All Rights Reserved.
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