moonvoice (ravenari)

The other day, I was writing a comment in response to someone's post on Livejournal; I can't remember who off the top of my head. Essentially - to paraphrase - they constantly had totems in their life that pushed and challenged them, and didn't always have the energy to be challenged. Sometimes it was just comfort, or reassurance they needed. I have seen this sentiment expressed before, in many places, so I asked them if they had ever thought of just searching for totems or spirits who would simply offer comfort, and reassurance. They hadn't, and so I think they began their search.

Spirit helpers and totem animals can help with a lot of different things. They can be the energies that take you apart during an initiation, they can be the ones to tell you to 'get your act together!' and the ones to give you a metaphysical kick up the backside to get you back on track, they can be the ones to offer advice in a difficult situation, or offer silence to remind you that you really can figure it out on your own; honest. They can be the creatures we are terrified of, or the ones we adore and admire, and they can be animal energies we didn't know we could appreciate until they came into our lives.

But they can also be the energies that simply love us for who we are, and soothe us when things are hard. Who offer comfort without us 'working' for it. Who take us in when we are broken and overhwelmed and give succour in exchange.

Heron, actually, is the animal energy that offers this to me. It's quite strange, really, because although I have always loved herons, I have mostly seen them as bold, powerful, graceful animals. Not ones I would immediately associated with softness and love. But then - as some of you probably know - animal totems never just fit into a box of select keywords. I mean sometimes they do, but very often they don't.

The heron that comes to me is large and grey/white, essentially a super-sized white-faced heron (Egretta novaehollandiae), he very rarely says anything, only comes into my life and lays his wings upon me when I think I cannot go on; when I think I cannot keep loving and caring for myself; when I just need some help. He doesn't ask for anything in return, though he has my love and gratitude always, and he has never pushed me away.

That said, I do not work with him as much as I could, because accepting comfort, and reassurance, and unconditional love is - of itself - very challenging for me, and for many of us. It's why so many of us don't even think about searching out or asking if there are any energies in our lives that would offer this to us. And no wonder, when so many of us struggle to offer comfort and succour to ourselves when we most need it. We are so often pushing ourselves past the next frontier, throwing ourselves into the next challenge, worrying we won't be good enough, or simply forgetting that accepting love, peace and comfort (from ourselves, as well as from spirits) is a form of valid spiritual nourishment; just as giving others love and comfort is as well.

For those of you who work with spirits of any kind, are there any who simply offer you comfort, love and reassurance? Did they come to you at a tough time in your life? Or did you have to search them out? If you have no spirits of energies in your life that could offer this, why do you think this is the case? Do you think you would benefit from knowing there was someone other than human who you could approach for succour?

I have a non-conventional way of approaching some of the problems in my life. A lot of people do, I'm not alone. But I feel that some of my problem-solving methods are distinctly shamanic in nature. They are spirit-oriented. They look towards the sacredness of something.

Since moving into this new house, in a semi-rural, dry environment, I've been dehydrated. I'm not drinking enough water. I love water, staying hydrated is usually not a problem for me. I can tell, immdiately, when I'm dehydrated. I eat more, I get headaches in the afternoon, I feel sluggish and unmotivated.

So my first objective solution was to simply make myself drink more water. Make up a schedule, drink a lot in the morning, a lot at night. It wasn't an 'all day' thing, but hey, at least I'd be doing it right?

Wrong.

I remembered for half a day, and then promptly forgot and ended up even more dehydrated than before. Rinse and repeat for about two weeks, with only one day of me really keeping to my pretty objective solution.

So then I took it to my more non-conventional place, and I decided to talk with an internalised spirit of water since humans - like almost all animals with a high water content - tend to have one (or so I believe). I withdrew into myself, into the watery places within myself, and found a gentle, young female spirit sitting calmly within the waters with her head looking down.

I introduced myself to her, feeling the dryness around me, and seeing it in her environment. It didn't feel as wet as was appropriate. I felt like I should have taken several buckets of water with me and just let them go.

So I said what came to mind, and our dialogue went like this. I asked 'why have I been so combative with you lately?' And this water maiden looked up at me, smiled softly and shrugged. 'I don't know, why have you been so combative with me lately?'

I paused and thought about it, feeling dry and unhappy inside of myself, and then thought about my environment. The land around me. I've recently made a radical shift in my living environment. From suburbia, to a semi-rural area that borders directly onto bushland. Both behind my house, and not too far away from the house. I thought 'maybe it's because the land is dry,' but then I realised that there was a lot of ground-water beneath this land. So much so, that most of Perth's water come from underground aquifers right where I am.

And then as I thought about this, I had a strange brainwave. I said, 'there's not enough water here, I feel like I have to ration how much I drink.'

The maiden looked up, and smiled, though her eyes were sad. 'There's not enough water here, not for everything and everyone, but there is enough to drink of, and drink plenty. Maybe you are more aware of the land than you were before, the falling water table, the fragile water sources. Maybe in trying to understand your environment, you have become too much like it, and forgot to nourish yourself.'

'Maybe.' I said. 'Even if I don't know why, I'd like to help you more. I don't like how it feels down here.'

'Neither do I.' She said. 'I can help you, though. Lately I have been feeling dry and unhappy, my environment is dry and unhappy. But maybe that is why you don't like water very much as a taste or a flavour. What I can do instead, is try smiling more, for you and for me. It sounds little, but it changes the atmosphere down here, right?' And she beamed at me, and suddenly I thought 'I feel like some water.'

We said our farewells and we shook on it, and I've had a lot of water to drink today. So even though my methods were ultimately non-conventional, they were useful. I feel even more inter-connected with myself and my inner state of being, experiencing 'dryness' at a literal level. I feel grateful that part of this may even be because of my interconnectedness with my environment and local spirits. And I am grateful I have found what seems to be a solution.

Now, I don't know if it's a long-term solution yet! But of course if it's not, I will write another pathway like this one to let you know my next non-conventional way of dealing with dehydration. After all, shamanism is about things that seem small and simple, because often we build our health and healthy environments, from the ground up. :)

(Making this post public, because I'm insane. Sorry to the non-interested people on my LJ!)

A lot of people are familiar with the otherworlds as places to visit in order to perform soul healing for the self or others (including soul retrieval, extractions etc.) or to psychopomp / shepherd the dead, or help a deceased spirit on its way to a more peaceable place. These functions of the shamanist have been popularised in contemporary and anthropological literature, and I personally do think they are two extremely important functions of the shamanist in the otherworlds.

However, there are other spiritual things one can do in the otherworlds. Both before you feel qualified to do active soul healing or psychopomping, and in between these events. And all are important things that can be done.

( here's a big list!!! )

This will eventually get put on my website. For now though, it's just here.

SCHI'ASKALA

Name: Sch'iaskala

Other (celebratory) names: unknown

Form: True shape-shifter (no one true form.) Schi'askala presents to me as a 'she.' She presents as fast shifting mist / fog which occasionally forms into fragments of inert objects or real creatures. More recently she has been a clear voice without form in the otherworlds. She has also appeared as a lithe, 'white' woman with white hair, eyes, lips, etc.

Alternative Forms: None. As a true shape-shifter, all her forms are her true form, while none are at the same time.

Known for: Since early 2004.

Presides Over: The upperworlds, though she can move anywhere from what I can tell.

She also presides over the custodianship of lost Vilturj lore. From what I can understand, within her quiet voice and stretching forms are the secrets of many religions. She also carries within her the secrets of eudialyte, or ch'kra, the 'shaman's blood.'

Assisted With: Journeying in the otherworlds. Discovering 'lost' knowledge.

Chants associated with her: unknown.

Potential connection with deities or recorded lore: At first I thought there was a connection with the Slavic Wila/Vila, but these days I'm pretty sure she's a direct incarnation of the non-personified weather god of heavy and storm clouds: J'shiask'la, whose similarity in name cannot be denied.

OVATNE

Name: Ovatne (pron. Oh-VAHT-nee)

Other (celebratory) names:

The Killing-Whale
D'miezak'r


Form: A mountainous, slate-grey killer whale, with markings in varying shades of grey. Ovatne is huge, words aren't 'gargantuan' enough to describe how big he appears. His eyes are cold and dead, and he has row after row of shark-like teeth. He appears while shamanising as a form within the ocean, or resting above it. Sometimes he is a disembodied voice.

More recently, he swims across the 'sky.'

Alternative Forms: A narwhal. D'miezak'r the Moon God.

Known for: Since mid-2003.

Presides Over: Ovatne appeared for the first time, when I was shamanising on behalf of two friends. He came as the embodiment of the spirits, to share their displeasure with me and my learning. In this first vision, his lesson to me was prompt. He 'killed' me twice. Essentially, he makes sure I'm not too much of an idiot. He introduces a concept of self-censorship and observation within my own practices, and attempts to aid my growth and refinement as an Oraiyjek. He is often terrifying to encounter, but oddly comforting at times.

Ovatne appears mainly in the middle and upperworlds.

He has also presided over my 'death' states. He helps me to become the best healer I can be. I try to be adequate for him, but I am a recalcitrant and immature student, and he is immeasurably wise. He can seem cruel at times, but he is also at times forgiving. I consider him just.

He presides over the Moon and the ocean, as well as all sea mammals with the exception of the beluga and dolphin (who are the domain of Karijiana).

Assisted With: Soul retrieval and healings. It was he who enabled me to find my 'moon voice,' which is a voice of spiritual truth and power. He aids reclamation of the spirit to help in making all things whole.

He doesn't often ask for a clear 'price' beyond true dedication and loyalty. Since his presence in my life, my practices have been very dedicated, and even during times of rebellion, I find myself unable to shake the constant awareness that this belief system is what I am.

He reminds me that death and the Void is always near. He also aids in journeys to dangerous places. He doesn't tend to negotiate with other spirits because his presence alone tends to send most of them packing.

Chants associated with him:

In the slime, in the darkness
of the shadows, in the bloodied waters,
the silver glint of razor teeth,
the slimy slaughters of spirit meat,
a tragic monster, a silver fiend,
to rend and bite and tear and eat
a calm fury, to kill and chaos make
to direct the death through the murk channels
to make lights at the end of decay,
wisdom in the bloodied darkness
love, in the slimy shadows, in the fury-monster
OH - VAT - NE
ouh var
ouh var
kalanatne, kalanatne
obisk!

Potential connection with deities or recorded lore: He is a manifestation of the Moon God, D'miezak'r.

Other notes: Ovatne will only be 'summoned' with a particular drum beat, on a big enough drum, which means that currently - with the small drum I am using - I cannot 'summon' him. I do not work with him often, though I am 'aware' of his presence in the otherworlds.

He is more forthcoming with physical world 'omens' than any of my other spirit helpers.

ROLE of the SPIRIT HELPER

Amongst all indigenous practices, whether derivative, native, new age, etc. there is a discrepancy across cultures when it comes to the meaning of words like 'guide,' 'spirit guide,' 'totem,' and so forth. Because of these discrepancies, I seek to make it very clear what terms I use and what they mean:

The spirit helper is an English translation I have chosen to differentiate between those amorphous terms of 'guide,' 'energy,' and an actual being which is designated to specifically help those shamanising in the otherworlds. In Vilturj, the spirit helper is traditionally called the perevrnija, or perevrni (plural).

The spirit helper, or perevrni, is neither a totem, nor is it an animal energy or guide. They are not specific gods, though they may eventually be deified. They often have no specific folklore attributed to them within a living culture. They may, at times, be an ancestor - a human Oraite (shaman) - who has chosen to exist in the otherworlds for a multitude of reasons, but often to help younger generations of Oraite on their spiritual journeys to help their community.

However, spirit helpers most often appear as animals with something 'off' about them. It may be a horse with a lizard's tail, an eagle as big as a sequoia, a white shark with iron teeth, a human with feathers for skin.

The spirit helper is an entity that appears specifically to shamanic practicioners in order to help them to shamanise and work within the otherworlds. They are different for each person and often uniquely individual, though they can also be 'inherited' from other Oraite within the bloodline or familial culture. Their appearance and symbolic meaning often tells us something of the Oraite themselves, and their practices.

The spirit helpers / perevrni can assist in several ways:

- They negotiate on behalf of the Oraite in the otherworlds.

- They increase the Oraite's ability to travel to destinations they may not be able to normally reach on their own. They also enable the Oraite to travel to destinations at speed.

- Refining the Oraite's practice through teaching specific lessons in the otherworlds. This includes overseeing shamanic death states, aiding and causing initiations, and 'gifting' the Oraite with the powers that enable him or her to be successful in their ventures.

- Aiding the Oraite in all aspects of soul retrieval and possession.

- They are able to sometimes locate the totem, animal energies, ancestors, and spirit helpers of other people. This assists greatly during healings and magical works.

- They foster a sense of humility, respect and self-confidence. Without them, the Oraite is nothing of worth in the otherworlds.

Each spirit helper is helpful in different ways Some will specifically aid one's movement between worlds. Others will help with healing, 'travelling' or negotiation. Some will specifically teach lessons of fear and humility to remind the Oraite that he or she must be focused on the community, and not just themselves. They are not slaves to the whims of the practicioner, though some will (rarely) permit to being commanded. Others will make the commands, and treat the Oraite as a slave.

Spirit helpers are bound in the otherworlds, that is their realm of existence, and they may only present themselves in the 'real world' or material plane through omens and signs. They cannot be physically present.

Spirit helpers are also limited in what they are able to do. Some are able to move between all worlds, but most - like many animal energies - cannot move everywhere. For example, one of my own spirit helpers can never be of any meaningful assistance in the underworlds, and another one likewise can never visit the upperworlds. This is why it is important for the Oraite to negotiate healthy and positive relationships with all of their spirit helpers, because one will not be enough to create a powerful Oraite.

I cannot stress this enough, without perevrni, we truly believe that the Oraite is nothing more than a figurehead without any real power in the otherworlds. There might be some places they can traverse, but many of the more dangerous places become 'off limits.' Any Oraite who attempts to 'heal' others without the aid of their perevrni are selfish, and putting the people they are trying to heal in danger. Do not trust anyone who says, 'I'm fine in the otherworlds on my own.' They are either deluding themselves, simply 'visualising' and not truly journeying, or flat out lying.

Without perevrni, or spirit helpers, the Oraite cannot attempt to heal others or the community successfully. Some might ask why the totem or 'gods' couldn't help instead, but in our belief system, the totem does not perform the function of soul-retrieval, and gods are fickle and often demand higher prices than spirit helpers which is why we only appeal to them when necessary. We also do not address gods during every healing or journey out of respect, in the same way you might not bother an elderly and respected family member every time you wanted to get dressed - after all, you can do it yourself! Or you could certainly ask a sibling to help you first.

In some practices, the spirit helper is the 'highest' entity an Oraite will worship, before turning directly to non-personified deities like 'rain' or 'forest.' They are often deified, and over time they will gain their own stories and folklore if they are successful while working with the Oraite. Some might think that the perevrni is a manifestation of the higher self, but in Vilturj, they are external entities and can exist and function in the otherworlds without us. They are generally infallible.

In my practice, totems, guides and animal energies etc. cannot ever be perevrni. They can 'help' us, certainly, but they do not fulfil the same functions of the perevrni as adeptly as they can.