Dear Friends,
As the period of sunlight has
increased, so have the various
animals here that use this seasonal
phase as the time to grow quickly
- especially those birthed in
the Spring. Observing the increase
of Squirrels, Rabbits, Birds,
Gophers and Deer to both our
garden and feeders, I am aware
how my shamanic consciousness
has left me less able to adapt
to old ways of being. In the
old ways, I was quite creative
in creating barriers for these
beings so they would not "poach" my
gardens nor steal food meant
for the birds.
Solutions ranged from using Lion's
blood hanging from plants, gopher
baskets, bitter sprays, squirrel-proof
feeders, and fenced areas. The
fences themselves ranged from
enclosing acres to creating smaller
fenced plots. None of these worked
and resulted in a never-ending
struggle with other beings that
consider this their territory
too. Over time I discovered that
as I fence "against them," I
felt both fenced in and separated
from these Kin. I adopted a strategy
of making unbreakable boundaries
for the smallest areas possible
while still allowing me the joy
of growing flowers, vegetables,
and fruit trees.
Only this year have I finally
(!) realized the failure of all
my clever strategies. What I
had not fully appreciated was
how my shamanic perspective has
resulted in new alliances and
realities hinted in the phrase:
shamanism without borders. This
change has unfolded from years
of shamanic walking and the dance
that is involved in the process
of transformation - whether of
thought or of body. It's rather
humbling to realize that what
I valued at the retreat centers,
where I taught, were ways of
living within the Land that I
had failed to encourage in my
home surroundings. I am referring
to centers where the necessary
corridors for all beings are
kept open; where the interaction
between humans and our wild Kin
develop from continuing conversations
and mutual respect.
I'm sharing this with you
because my last newsletter surfaced
the issue of how caring for animals
on planet Earth is related to
caring for our invisible Power
Animals... how freely we permit
them to move among us is an issue
applicable to all realms and
worlds.
Seeing the Larger Pattern -
Shamanic Ecology
As the Summer Solstice approaches,
I am using these days to cast
increasing Light upon the issue: how
can I learn and create in my
immediate environment ways
of living that prosper each
Being...and thus nurture the
Whole?
I truly think that what I learn
from living this way daily
will assist me in knowing how
to respond to these very same
issues as they are presented
in our relationship with larger
patterns.
It's not enough to take pleasure
in observing bears, deer, birds,
fish and other beings in the
wild places: they need for
us to behave wisely if such
places will continue to be
available to them. And for
me to act wisely means my consciousness
needs to be informed by attention
to the details involved in
prospering such ecology within
the very Land where I live.
I have always believed that
applied shamanism needs both
receptive hearts and informed
intelligence. We can gain both
through our daily living and
by paying attention to the
observations gleaned from scientific
inquiries.
I am also curious to know how
others in the shamanic community
experience and address these
concerns. If you wish to respond,
I will share your observations
with others at my website (provided
I have your permission) as
well as reply to you.

Jumping Mouse's Journey - the
Journey of Everyone
This year I have again turned
my attention to the Plains
Medicine Wheel for reflection
on Summer Solstice themes
- and in such perusal, I
find the Wheel also reflects
concerns related to how we
share the planet with other
beings. Consider that in
this paradigm, Mouse is the
totemic Being and Animal
Teacher. Mouse exemplifies
the importance of paying
close attention to the smallest
of details while the life
cycle of the South points
to the phase of "fast growing."
Everything in the Northern
Hemisphere is now drawing upon
all resources available for
development and flowering.
As we are affected by global
warming and related weather
systems, animals that used
to find sustenance in the wild
now draw closer and closer
to human-created communities
or to where water is available.
Do we understand and appreciate
their needs or do we perceive
them as threats to our survival?
Do we allow them to wander
new yet necessary corridors
or do we fence them out? Is
there enough for everyone or
is there "just enough" for
a few species (esp. the human
species). Where shall we find
our guidance as we make decisions
on how to live together?
If we dance in the South of
the Wheel we find that Mouse
offers one source of guidance.
Mouse teachers the significance
of going on a journey to learn
how to be. As Frog says to
Mouse: "crouch as low as you
can crouch and jump as high
as you can jump" and "tell
me what you see." Then crouching
and jumping, Mouse exclaims
to Frog: "I see the Sacred
Mountains" to which Frog enjoins
him to proceed. It is a long,
challenging and exciting journey
with various terrors and allies
along the way.
On the Sacred Mountain, Mouse
sees the whole World reflected
in the Sacred Mountain Lake...
and is transformed by his vision.
We are invited to crouch low
and jump high and "see" our
own destination----which upon
arriving will offer us the
World reflected before our
very eyes---and from that Reflection
we will know the Pattern of
the World as shaped by Spirit
or Creator's Intent. The rest
of our journey becomes one
of discovering how to do that
which only I can do to keep
the Dream thriving as was intended.
Dancing the Wheel - Summer
Solstice Ceremony
Over the years various Circles
have posted their Summer Solstice
Ceremony and those of you interested,
can peruse them at this website.
I encourage Circles planning
ceremonies to send an announcement
and/or description to Dan Jordinelli
(jordinelli@earthlink.net)
and we will post them too.
Dan coordinates listings and
activities for our Global Circles
web section. Please let Dan
know if the Solstice ceremonies
are open to others... we do
have individuals who check
this listing because they may
not be affiliated with a Circle
but want to partake in such
celebration.
The last two newsletters have
focused on "Calling the Spirits" and
tending other Beings with whom
we share Planet Earth. There
are other issues that I wish
to address in future writing. But
I'm so aware that we have arrived
to a time when the issues of
sharing this planet are so
critical. Equally true, the
real possibility of profound
change by humans has never
been greater and more globally
recognized. We in the shamanic
community have a special perspective
to offer as well as a responsibility
to learn and walk the way of
harmony and beauty. On this
Summer Solstice may all our
ceremonies Call to us Helpers
in this task and may our Dance
make joyful steps upon Earth
Mother.
Continuing Conversations Together
In closing, I invite any of
you, wishing for some particular
shamanic concern to be addressed
in this monthly newsletter,
to write me. This is not a
forum for questions and answers
but rather for meditation grounded
in shamanic concerns. I received
many responses to my last newsletter
and in coming months, I intend
to address the concerns raised
by some of you. I really appreciate
your responses... I don't write
these for myself (!) but rather
with the hope of keeping alive
the ancient art of Word Doctoring:
that is, to use our language
in the service of healing.
Spoken Newsletter
And speaking of "using our
language," we have a new addition
to the shamaniccircles.org
website. Susan Gilliland, my
teaching partner, is creating
soundfiles of my newsletters.
The sound file of the May
newsletter is now available.
We are both off on a shamanic
river journey from June 1 -
10th. Upon returning, she will
create the soundfile of this
newsletter.
When Susan first
proposed making sound
files and podcasts,
I wondered just what
could be the value
but she clearly had
a vision for doing these. Having
listened to her speaking the
May newsletter, I was struck
by how the auditory can have
different effects than reading
with the eyes.
If you listen to
this, as with other
material posted at
the website, we would
appreciate hearing
your response and
to know if this was
a useful media for
you. Both of us are
endeavoring now to
find different ways
of teaching, and of sharing,
from the shamanic perspective.
We look forward to using technology
for the presentation of articles,
stories, songs, drumming and
circle experiences.
Conclusion
And now Sun is moving
higher in the Sky...
day here has fully
arrived... out one
window do I see Squirrel
and furry fingers
grabbing at the bird
seed... out the other window,
a group of Rabbits clustering
around my beloved Oriental
Irises... the barriers I created
do not succeed so I'm
seeking to simply enjoy their
delight as they feed... .and
thinking, too, to myself: "Well,
Carol, thirty-three years ago,
when the County required that
you establish an official road
name and sign, you and Bob
decided to name this Rabbits
Run Rd... now, what did you
expect? That Rabbits cannot
read?... "
Summer Solstice Blessings
And
Joy while Dancing on the Wheel...
Carol Proudfoot-Edgar
On behalf of Shamanic Circles
Workshops in Santa Cruz
June and July
full description of each workshop
is available at www.shamaniccircles.org and www.shamanicvisions.com.
Registration forms and coordinator
contact information are also
available online. If you are
interested, please contact
Pirkko, our coordinator.
**Scholarships are available
for those needing financial support.
June
26 - 28: Shamanism and the Medicine
Wheel Way (see
description)
July
17 - 19: Giving Voice to the
Animals - Healing Our Souls (see
description)
July
23 - 26 Buffalo and BearMedicine
for our Present Age (see
description)
We will soon be posting materials
(stories, reflections, songs, & information)
related to the themes of these
workshops. I invite you to bookmark
the workshop web pages and return
to peruse these materials.
More Information
- Complete information about workshops
can be found at Carol's
website or will be sent
to you upon request.
- These workshops welcome
commuters as well as residential
participants.
- Partial scholarships are
available and can be applied
for when registering.
To
register for one or more
workshops with Carol, contact
the Coordinator for
Shamanic Visions:
Pirkko
Miller at Pirkko@embarqmail.com
--------------------------------------------------------
P.S. We invite you to visit
our Home
Page to see if there are
other shamanic activities listed
there in which you might be
interested.
Or if you wish to join in
a Circle, check our Global
Circles web page to see
if there is one in your area.
If not, then please start one
because Circles can be powerful
places of support for each
of us on the shamanic path. |