Shamanic Pathways 01 - quiet thoughts.

[moonvoice]

My animal companion, or 'pet', Moet - a champagne tabby - has spent most of today lounging in the sunbeams by the blinds I left open specifically for him. Specifically so he could lounge in front of them.

Sometimes it's easy to forget that I live with a feline who has the leashed spirit of tigers and lions inside of him, until of course I see him playing, or his blown black pupils pop up over my bed, a second before he wraps himself around my foot, all claws and teeth.

We too, are humans with the leashed spirits of primates and goodness knows what else inside of us. We sit at our computers, we lie docile in our beds at night (or some of us do), we cook our meals and live our lives leashed by society, jobs, sometimes even our friends and families.

So when do our pupils dilate black with the sheer joy of the hunt? When do we unleash and play for the sake of playing? When do we climb, run, crawl, frolic and revel in our environments and surroundings? Do you know what furniture would carry your weight if you jumped on it? Have you ever hid, breathless, waiting for a friend to come round the door before shouting 'BOO!' and revelling in this jump of fear?

I unleash, sometimes, in the otherworlds. Specifically, in my 'starting place' (no really, one day I will give it a name), in the middle-realms. I am lucky to have a few spirit helpers who remind me that I am not just a leashed creature, someone's animal companion, but a fierce and at times ferocious spirit. Capable of holding great power, and - when necessary - letting it go. Play is serious business.

When do you unleash? And how?

Comments

[dingo-yellowdog.livejournal.com]

Tile does hurt! That's actually how I broke my hand: roughhousing with the dog in the kitchen. :P

[deathofone.livejournal.com]

I used to unleash in various ways. I would 'stalk' around town in the middle of the night, just being hyperaware of everything going on. I would also stalk crickets, heh. Listen to them chirping and track them down. Dancing, particularly when alone, was an extreme energetic thing for me. I'd dance really wildly and tune into something, end only when I was out of breath and ready to collapse.

And this last one might sound really silly, but my late kitty that I was closest to, we'd sometimes spar in the middle of the night with the lights off. We'd stalk each other, score in some batting at one another and eventually wrestle. We also chased each other back and forth through the house (with the lights on, of course).

Most of those, I obviously can no longer do simply because of my physical disability. I don't get to unleash nearly as much as I used to and I don't think I've found a way that is as extreme as any of those either. I probably need to explore finding a way while journeying.

[witchchild]

no, but maybe I should, even though I am not one for personal rituals. (as in I almost never do them unless it's a ritual written by someone else)

*sighs*
if I have an issue with this, it's that I am far too fierce for most of the environments in which I operate. even a hint of that fierceness seems to scare the people I am around. it's not an easy way to live, bit I also don't know yet how to change those circumstances.

[alphaviolet.livejournal.com]

Sometimes I wish I were more domesticated. But it just isn't happening :). Even though my LJ is serious, I do trance dance at least once a week and am very mischievous.

[alphaviolet.livejournal.com]

Totally! I used to play fight with three of my exes. My housemates thought we were a hoot.

[alphaviolet.livejournal.com]

PS. *Not* at the same time!

[bewylderbeast.livejournal.com]

In that case, I think there is very little I keep "leashed". I have a temporary block when I have to be in the office, but beyond that I'm pretty free and expressive.

[lunar-amaranth.livejournal.com]

Have you ever tried persisting through the feeling of 'stupid' that you get?

Unfortunately, my first instinct when I feel stupid is to stop, immediately...but once I do that, it's twice as hard to get going again.

My three year old son is a help, because I can act goofy with him and I feel like I have a legitimate "excuse". Helps suppress the stupid response.

[white9-fox.livejournal.com]

I like this start of these shamanic writings here. A lot of people act as if magic, spirituality, nad all these things are out of the ordinary nad out of reach, but but it really starts with the realization of "simple" things like this. Recognizing that we are more than what we think we are, or what we seem to be.

And the tiger within the tabby bit is SO true XD

As for your question, I tend to unleash myself pretty much whenever I have the energy to do so, and when I can get away with it XD Most of the time it's fooling around and playing tricks like that BOO example you mentioned, though I tend to stay on a light-hearted level. No need for people to get hurt then, and I really don't have any intent of doing so.

But in times of anger and sadness I have to restrain myself through calming methods, or unleashing it out on my (horribly abused) pillow until my mood wears off and/or the situation is resolved. I might not be very physically strong, but without restraint I would go all Hulk-man on people.

I think I've gotten better in that area though, and I have less of an urge to kick the crap out of those that make me mad. Most of it stems from family anyway, so I'm trying to understand them better to help with this. Not BIG big issues like some people have, but annoying, grating ones nonetheless.

[white9-fox.livejournal.com]

LOL, that would be a hell of a sight to see XD

[white9-fox.livejournal.com]

Why do I need to unleash? I scream, dance, play and go nuts a little bit every day!'

Man, I should have read this before I posted. This sentence basically sums up most of my reply XD

Oh well, lesson learned!

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

It's awesome that you get to unleash on a regular basis, and I'm really impressed by that, because I still struggle with it myself! :D

[white9-fox.livejournal.com]

Do you struggle with unleashing period, or struggle because you have certain emotions that you want to unleash, but feel like you can't? Anger (as a general example) is one I think is restrained the most because of the rather nasty consequences of it, while more positive emotions are ok to unleash.

[moonvoice.livejournal.com]

I struggle with unleashing in general. There were often negative consequences if I unleashed too much as a child, and as I got older, I came to prize self-control to the point where... I lost control over my ability to unleash!

It's why I prize it so much I guess, because I know what it can do to people like myself, and friends, if they don't.

[apocalypsegrrl.livejournal.com]

I could try that. My other concern about public pools is hygiene. I have a super-low immune system, so I'm much more vunerable to catching infections of any type.

I'm actually thinking of leaving New York in the next few years because of this. I love the city but I need a place that's more supportive of my health. :(

[mirrorred-star.livejournal.com]

I used to playfight sometimes with friends as well.

And bark at the dogs :D