shamanic journeying

Love Nature Magic

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment

Love Nature Magic

I have exciting news! Today (February 21, 2023) is the release date for the book Love Nature Magic*, by my friend Maria Rodale.

I’m thrilled to be sharing the publication of Love Nature Magic* because it’s a delightful and approachable introduction to the wonder of shamanic journeying and the insights we can gain by opening our minds to new (but actually ancient) ways of communicating with the unseen world.

A Little Background

Some of you may recall that, back in late 2020, as the isolation of the pandemic was starting to wear thin on so many of us, I received a nudge from Spirit to create what I called a Shamanic Caravan. My reclamation of the word caravan (which had been conveniently misappropriated for political fear-mongering) was based on the definition of the word as follows:

Merriam-Webster.com – caravan: noun 1. a company of travelers on a journey through desert or hostile regions.

Dictionary.com – caravan: noun 1. a group of travelers, as merchants or pilgrims, journeying together for safety in passing through deserts, hostile territory, etc.

As a person who knows first-hand the value of shamanic journeying, I felt I was being called to create an environment that encourages us to access our own unique inner support network. The ‘caravan’ aspect was based on engaging in that practice in the company of fellow journeyers. And goodness knows, 2020 definitely had us traversing a desert or hostile territory.

One of the people who often participated (i.e., hopped on a ‘Wagon’ – my term for the unique sessions I would offer twice a week) was Maria. And the benefit she derived from her excursions into the ‘Uhupacha’ (a Quechua term for the Underworld)? She started conversing with the nature spirits that reside in her garden – and discovered they had some astonishing perspectives to share with her.

One Thing Led to Another

After receiving unexpected insight from her garden nemesis, Mugwort, Maria realized the spirits of the creatures in her garden had more to share with her than aggravation. In fact, their wisdom (and occasional irritation with humans) shifted her perception of the world in ways I don’t think she ever expected. And now she is generously sharing their messages with all of us.

Journeys to and conversations with the spirits of twenty-six plants and animals later, Love Nature Magic* was born.

My Perspective

I’ve been taking shamanic journeys for over thirty years, and I consider it a privilege to access other realms of reality. I love that Maria approaches the process of journeying respectfully and with integrity. The Beings she encounters are real. They have messages to tell. And Maria was the perfect messenger.

She’s neither flighty nor naïve. She’s practical and logical. A respected businesswoman. It’s my hope that this book will make journeying more accessible to everyone.

Indeed, that was my hope when I introduced the concept of the Shamanic Caravan.

I am delighted to recommend you purchase and enjoy the messages from nature Maria has so generously shared.

*affiliate link

ND #138

Spark to My Imagination – Day 864

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Photo: L. Weikel

Spark to My Imagination

I recently had a chance to spend some time near a tributary to Lake Nockamixon, and – shock of all shocks – it wasn’t my favorite creek in the whole world, the Tohickon. I forget the name of the one I visited, and I apologize for not researching it before settling in to write this post. Despite not knowing its name, however – I do want to pay homage to its soothing, rippling presence and spark to my imagination.

Even though the photos I’m including in this post aren’t capable of conveying the ‘live’ feature that I so enjoy on my iPhone photos, I hope you can sense the gentle rolling waves (if you can even call them waves) that I saw. They were so mellow, they created no sound as they rolled to shore.

Perhaps it was the reflection of the blue sky on the surface of the dark water; I don’t know. It just felt…different.

Photo: L. Weikel

A Magical Tree

There was a tree nearby that seemingly grew out of the water – yet also seemed to be hovering above the rolling undulations of the lake. Long, sinewy roots grew parallel to the water’s surface, yet were protected by the grass above them. Darkness was the only thing visible between the roots and my imagination conjured turtles, snakes, and perhaps even an errant duck’s nest.

But in the crook of the tree was a dimple that called to me. It looked like a perfect potential portal – an opening that could be a viable entry point into another realm of reality. (You never know until you try.)

For whatever reason, the placement of this tree on land coupled with its hovering relationship to the water beneath it beckoned even more seductively than many other potential portals I’ve noticed recently. I’ve not yet had a chance to give it a try and see if it takes me somewhere…fecund.

Journeying

Of course, when I talk of portals and traveling to other realms of reality, I’m speaking of the practice of shamanic journeying. If you’ve ever journeyed  and would like to become more disciplined, join me – and kindred spirits – and hop on a ‘Wagon’ in my Shamanic Caravan.

Follow the links if you’re curious.

Potential Portal – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-247)

Astral Magnificence – Day 806

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Photo: L. Weikel

Astral Magnificence

If you read my post from last night, you know I was hoping to write about photos I’d taken during the walk Karl and I took last night. Sometimes circumstances all dovetail perfectly to create a moment of such astral magnificence that your breath catches in your throat and you wonder if your heart can hold it all. That’s kind of what we felt last night.

And it’s also why I talked about the Wagons of fellow journeyers (Travelers) I’m setting up each week as part of my Shamanic Caravan. One of the participants last night tried to describe the ‘space’ she’d experienced and it was obvious to all of us that the experience bordered on indescribable loveliness.

Over the years I’ve had a few journeys in which I’ve traveled to places that reminded me of being in the middle of a photograph from the Hubble Spacecraft. They sort of gave me an exquisite sense of being immersed in infinity.

Trust me, the vast majority of journeys that I’ve experienced have been far more mundane. Just writing that sentence sort of makes me laugh, though. What’s mundane – ever – about a first-hand experience of another reality?

Winter Night Sky – Photo: L.Weikel

Last Night’s Sky

The first set of photos I sent to myself last night never arrived. By the time it got to be 4:30 this afternoon and they still hadn’t appeared, I re-sent them to myself. Voila! But a short hour later (eye roll), they arrived in my inbox.

The sky this evening was overcast and the moon, which is waxing to reach fullness by this Thursday, was barely visible behind a thick layer of wooly clouds full of winter wetness. The look and feel of the two nights, while back to back, could barely have been more disparate.

No.

Tonight we were closed in. Colors all around us were muted and bleak. The murky sky admitted a moon existed but gave it no respect.

Last night? We witnessed majesty. Shadows, although sharply defined, weren’t at all scary. They simply offered refreshing clarity. But the greatest gift was when we looked up. Up and out and drank in the stars and the light catching wispy forms of…something.

One of the photos gives me the unmistakable sense of the presence of Great Beings. And perhaps we were. Or are. Maybe last night we were peeking behind the curtain of the Wizard of Oz and seeing the truth of what’s actually the foundation of the journeys we’re taking.

All I know is, I want to share this magnificence with all of you.

Astral Magnificence – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-305)

We CAN Do Something – Day 284

Posted on by Lisa Weikel Leave a comment
My “Perelandra Stash” – Photo: L. Weikel

We CAN Do Something                 

I have a couple of subjects I was contemplating writing about tonight. That’s a rare occurrence, let me assure you. I just hope I remember what they were tomorrow!

But I realize there’s one thing I intended to write about last month, but let the time slip away until it was too late. I don’t want that to happen again this month, so I’m making it a priority tonight.

It’s In Our Faces

It’s probably all the more timely that I write this post tonight because it’s likely everyone has at least seen some of the photos and perhaps read an article or two on the astonishingly huge fires raging in the Amazon at the moment. This should be of global concern (and outrage), as the fires are so massive they can be seen from space. And it bears repeating that the Amazon rainforest acts as the lungs of our planet.

If Mother Earth’s lungs burn up, we die. And the speed of our demise is all the more accelerated by the double devastation wrought by the burning of the rainforests: (Wammy #1) Losing the rainforests means we lose all those trees that breathe in the carbon dioxide in our atmosphere (and in turn ‘exhale’ oxygen for us to breathe); and (Wammy #2) Beyond the loss described in Wammy #1, the actual burning of the trees creates more carbon being released into the atmosphere, thereby doubling the devastating effects on the world.

To make matters worse, the forest fires in the taiga of Siberia are also far worse this year than usual. Again, these raging, out of control forest fires are having a doubly devastating effect on the global environment.

One Unconventional Method of Addressing the Fires

One means of addressing these out of control, raging fires is via weather shamanism. I’ve linked that phrase to a wonderful book I’ve owned and read many times and refer to often. This practice is common and an essential aspect of a shaman’s duties to her or his community in Siberia. Wildfires in the taiga are not uncommon, often being sparked by lightning and dry or drought conditions. Shamans are routinely asked to step up and journey to the spirit of the fire to see if there is a message or a demand that can be met. Journeys are also often taken to the atmosphere, with efforts made to communicate with the essential natures of clouds and water vapor in the atmosphere.

The shamanic aspect of journeying to work with the spirits of these Beings can have profound effects, and I could probably write more on this subject.

Perelandra

But for now, I want to introduce you to an organization based in Virginia that is dedicated to working with the sentience that is Nature. It’s called Perelandra.

There’s a pretty amazing story of how (from very unlikely circumstances) Machaelle Small Wright discovered she could communicate with the devic realm, including Pan. Working in concert with Nature and her own Higher Self, she discovered she could not only co-create a physical environment that supported astonishing growth in a seemingly inhospitable environment (not unlike Findhorn, with whom she consulted and collaborated when first beginning this work some 40 years ago), but also work with these Beings to bring balance to human beings.

I am both grossly oversimplifying the story of Perelandra and simultaneously making it sound far more complicated than it is. There are short versions to be found on the website, and for those of you who, like me, enjoy memoir and learning in an author’s own words how they came to ‘be’ who they ‘are,’ she has written several books documenting her rather remarkable journey.

An Easier Way (If You Don’t Journey)

Just as I could wax on about weather shamanism, I could write a lot more about Perelandra and my experience with it beginning at least 30 years ago. (Man, I was busy discovering lots of cool stuff back in my 20s and 30s!) If you’re intrigued, I suggest you to go the website and poke around there.

I can assure you, I work with these essences every day. I also work with my MAP team, which you can also learn about on the website. (And maybe I’ll write about that sometime, too.)

But for right now? I’d like you to consider investing in a bottle of Essence of Perelandra (also known as EoP) so you can participate in the monthly EoP Biodiversity Project Machaelle just recently instituted. It is a very simple protocol that takes no more than five minutes – and only ten drops of EoP. The power of the process is magnified exponentially by the power of all of us working with Nature on the 1stday of each month.

Check It Out For Yourself

Click on some of the links I’m providing in this post and read about it for yourself. It’s a simple thing. But it is a tangible act you can take, joining with thousands of other people around the world, all in an effort to work with Nature to contribute to the overall health of the planet.

If you order EoP now, Perelandra is running a great sale on EoP. They want to encourage as many people as possible to participate. I feel extremely confident in the integrity of Machaelle Small Wright and Perelandra.

And I hope this gives you the opportunity to feel you are taking a tangible step to stop the insanity.

I’ll also wager you’ll find the astonishing variety of applications of Perelandra essences to be intriguing and very possibly holding the potential of dramatically improving your well-being.

(T-827)