Summer Newsletter 2020
Summer is nearly here with the Solstice less than 2 weeks away! I’m sure everyone is enjoying the nicer weather, especially after being cooped up for so long. It’s an understatement to say that we’ve all been faced with some degree of challenge, and have had to adapt to unforeseen circumstances. Witnessing so much turbulence can be draining.
Uplifting Your Soul
Last time, I mentioned harmony as one of the core teaching of shamanism. One way to move towards harmony is start with acceptance. How on earth would it be possible to experience any kind of internal harmony if you can simply accept what’s happening externally. It doesn’t mean you have to agree with anything you see, or not take action, or not speak your truth, but simply to accept what’s happening in the present moment, as it is. You still carry the wish, hope and intention for the best possible outcome, but for the sake of your own internal state, accepting things as they are is the first step towards equanimity. Only then, can you gain the clarity of mind to make the best choices for yourself and others. Acceptance leads to internal harmony, harmony leads to clarity, and clarity leads to rational decision making, and quality change—as opposed to reactivity. Think of a time when you’ve been in the middle of chaos. Undoubtedly, the times when you’ve come out the best is when you accepted the given reality, separated from the drama, and had clarity of mind to make the right decisions to resolve the situation for yourself, or for others. This is probably where the adage, “When cooler heads prevail…” came from. In any event, my wish for the upcoming solstice is to set that intention for all world leaders, and have it trickle down through all the institutions and companies, and into each household throughout the world.
Sacred Plant Initiations
Real Awakenings’ Way of the Warrior program is being finalized, which in itself has turned out to be a much bigger task than I thought! The format and outlines are created, but sorting through all the details has proven to be quite time consuming. A key component of the material will involve plant spirit initiations, so in order to finely tune that portion of the class, I’ve done some immersion back into the plant kingdom myself. In the spring issue, I spoke of the benefits of Dandelion. Well, there’s so much more to this plant, especially when meeting it directly through shamanic initiation. Spring is her season, so I dedicated an entire weekend to doing nothing but aligning with the spirit of Dandelion once again. Needless to say, it turned out to be an amazing experience which I can’t wait to share in the program. These types of initiations add an incredible shamanic richness as you move around the medicine wheel.
When traversing difficult times, Dandelion revealed 3 pearls of wisdom to me. First, she said we need to be reminded of how and why nature constructed this plant. Her stems are smooth and flexible, almost rubbery. Actually, the sap inside the stem is used to make rubber. When the wind blows, and the storms hit, Dandelion has a built-in flexibility to bend with the times, and ride out the storm without breaking. When the storm is over, she bounces right back. So, the first insight from Dandelion was for us to remain flexible, resilient, and adaptable in the midst of the storms brewing around us, so like she does with her stems, we can bounce right back. Second, she reminded me of how perfectly designed she is to work with the element of air. When her seeds turn into a puff, another one of Dandelion’s gifts is her ability to ride along the air currents, dispersing herself over a wide area. We can emulate her skill by spreading our good intentions, and seeds of consciousness along the wind onto other people directly, and on out into the wider collective. Lastly, Dandelion reminded me that by her nature, she has power and strength in numbers. Dandelion appears all over the world, with the heartiness and ability to push through the cracks of concrete. This is a reminder for us to capitalize on our far-reaching spirit and solidarity in the way she does. I thank Dandelion for all its given me, and made sure to return the favor with offerings of gratitude.
Real Awakenings Blog
Blog content is now up to 11 articles, with more on the way! So, if you’d like to read more about topics such as Plant Consciousness, Shamanism, Relationships and more, check it out here!
The goal of our newsletter is to provide you with rich content about the shamanic way of living, along with announcements of upcoming events, and special offers. With so much happening at the moment, we feel it’s a great time to share some indigenous wisdom, and of course, cool information about our friends from the plant kingdom.
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