wagon

Zoomie Casualty – Day 1082

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Butter Wouldn’t Melt In Their Mouths – Photo: L. Weikel

Zoomie Casualty

That didn’t take long, did it? I wrote about the ‘zoomies’ but two short nights ago and have already sustained a zoomie casualty. What’s that oft-used phrase popular in the vernacular? “F*#% around and find out?” Yep. That’s it.

Well, the pups did – and we found out.

It happened so quickly it was akin to a lightning strike. Our eyes met. Karl and I, although on opposite sides of the room, both knew immediately what that thud meant. It meant that the pups, in the midst of their zoomies (which we were only just starting to realize might be a normal thing and not some dietary anomaly) had tangled with the charger cord to my laptop and whisked the machine from its esteemed perch on a tray table and crashed it to the floor.

“I’m not going to look,” I said to Karl as I picked the laptop up off the floor. “Broken or not, there’s nothing I can do about it tonight. So whatever its status, it’ll hold until tomorrow. Truth be told, though? I could see the charger cord light was still on, so I took that as a good sign. I told myself the laptop was unscathed and I’d be pleasantly surprised in the morning.

Sadly, that turned out to be wishful thinking.

Could’ve Been Worse

The next morning revealed a disappointing fact: while the charger obviously was still getting juice from the wall, it was no longer effectively transmitting it to the machine. The black screen remained unresponsive, even when I pressed the power button. A brief (oh-so-brief) flicker of life appeared in the form of a light underneath the power button, but it faded with but a whimper of effort.

I checked my warranty – the super duper extended version had expired in January of this year. My only recourse was to take it to a local repair shop.

Enter D’town Tech. It turned out that the zoomie casualty was indeed the charger. This was confirmed by Taylor, who kindly recharged my battery long enough to properly close everything down. After  that, I went on a hunt for a charger and discovered they are not as easy to find as one might think – yet another victim of the dreaded Covid shortages.

Just More Fun

After more running around than I would’ve liked, I ended up ordering it off Amazon. But that left me with the dilemma of giving a Wagon (a group journey as part of my ongoing Shamanic Caravan) with a totally different machine.

Those of you who’ve been reading my blog throughout this 1111 Devotion know that technological wizardry is not my forté. Initially I ran into the same problems I’d had in the beginning of this project, which was the machine deliberately ‘canceling’ the ‘noise’ of the rattle.

But I’m delighted to report that I figured it out. I didn’t panic. And the Wagon went off without a hitch.

Well, no. That’s not entirely true. I forgot – 7:00 p.m. (the Wagon’s start time), is also the ‘witching’ time for Pacha and Brutus to begin their crazy-antic running around ritual.

Let’s just say tonight’s journeyers received an extra layer of practice in conducting their work with – and without – distractions.

Tired Brutie – Photo: L. Weikel

(T-29)

Unsettled – Day 1061

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Unsettled Weather – Photo: L. Weikel

Unsettled

Things felt weird tonight. We had one of the Shamanic Caravan ‘Wagons’ I offer (usually twice a week), and the journeys described by almost everyone attending yielded unexpected, disappointing, or unsettled results. Most of the participants felt a bit ‘off.’

Given the celestial influences bombarding all of us on the planet and the odd energy most of us felt this evening in our Wagon, I thought I would ask for some guidance from the Crone. It seems to me that her wisdom could come in handy as life becomes a bit more intense. Things are roiling just below the surface, it seems to me. And it will soon become impossible to ‘keep a lid’ on it any longer. Again.

Three of Swords – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

Top Card

“Three of Swords – Inspiration

Within confusion
I find my way
I find a place to discover
Thoughts greater than my own

Thee blades of light strike the head of a figure, cutting and flashing through her to create a footpath in a dark and mysterious landscape. The principle of creation in the realm of mind becomes inspiration. This is the lightning flash, the intake of breath, the birth of a new awareness. Look for a light that shines in the darkness; follow the vision that beckons you on to bigger things. For it is the compelling image of the mountain seen at a distance that gievs you the idea the mountain can be reached at all.”

Shadow of Cups – Tarot of the Crone by Ellen Lorenzi-Prince

Underneath/Foundation Card

“Shadow of Cups – Drowning

All I feel
Is all I am
And I am
No more

A naked figure hangs unmoving in dark waters. Shadow in the suit of Cups is drowning and dissolution. A powerful emotion has flooded all boundaries, broken down all solid ground. Your behavior may or may not be passive at this time, but your soul is. Inside you are sinking, accepting obsession, heaviness and darkness. Allowing one thing to comprise your entire life and denying yourself a separate identity. It could be it’s time for this and you need to rest here until some understanding is found. Just take care you don’t lose yourself in this forever.”

My Take

I just want to let out a huge sigh. Not a sigh of relief necessarily, although I guess I’m glad the order of these two cards weren’t reversed. More a sigh of mixed sadness, hope, and exhaustion.

The foundational (underneath) card, “Drowning,” holds particular depth and pain to me, as might be imagined. It’s depressing. And quite honestly, I feel it is where we, as a nation and perhaps even many of us as individuals, are finding ourselves in this moment. That’s especially true given the revelations that are coming to light day after day this week. The magnitude of complicity, greed, and downright malignancy we’ve both wittingly and unwittingly been subjected to year after year is stunning. The erosion it’s caused on the very underpinnings of our democracy, of our understanding of who we are (again, as a nation and as individuals), can’t be overstated.

And yet it feels as though we had to get here. We had to reach this place where we’re drowning in our own denial. We had to see it all ‘die’ (or come darn close) before we would choose to lift our heads in the midst of the storm and see the mountain in the distance that’s being revealed by the lightning of the storms we’re weathering.

Inspiration

I’m heartened that the top card, the main card I chose, was the Three of Swords. We desperately need to call Inspiration into our lives. We need to realize that what we thought we had has died. That’s a powerful admission, and one very few people come to willingly.

But that’s the energy of now. That’s the influence of Pluto (Lord of Death and the Underworld) squaring Eris (the Goddess of Chaos) and beginning to move ‘direct’ or forward. Pluto is catalyzing inspiration within us in order to bring something new into being. This new moon, conjunct with Mars (another character in the nature of Pluto and Eris) is birthing something new – but the struggle is real.

Is the struggle over the final realization that something has died? Or is the struggle tied to the fear of being struck by the lightning of inspiration that will lead to something new and better – something we’ve only glimpsed from afar? Inspiration is something most of us yearn to experience and channel into our lives. But the prospect of being struck by lightning is scary. No wonder we feel unsettled.

Will we survive the jolt?

(T-50)

Galloping – Day 854

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Cave Painting Cloud Horse – Photo: L. Weikel

Galloping

New, new, new. Saturday was a new moon and this coming Saturday is the Equinox – heralding a new season and, in many traditions, a new year. On our walk early this evening, Karl and I were once again buffeted by the wild March winds we’ve been experiencing of late. Drawing our jackets close and looking to the east, the place of the rising sun and birthplace of each new day, we watched as the clouds shifted before our eyes into the form of a horse galloping into the future.

Perhaps I’m indulging my inner Cloud Whisperer. Indeed, I’ve felt a bit of a lull in that department of late, so the appearance of this singular conglomeration of water vapor in the midst of gusting dry winds caught my attention. To me the Cloud Horse was immediately reminiscent of prehistoric images such as those in the Caves of Lascaux.

But the fact that an image is primitive doesn’t diminish its message. In fact, in some situations I’d argue that the more basic the representation, the greater the visceral impact.

Connections to Ancestors

The way this particular Horse reminded me of the images found in the caves of our prehistoric ancestors felt like an affirmation of the fascinating experience of those who’d just participated in today’s Sunday Wagon of the Shamanic Caravan project. It felt like a continuation or validation of the thread that began when the participants shared their journey experiences.

Having set their own unique intentions and of course having no occasion to discuss those intentions ahead of time (or even afterward) with each other, the fascinating theme weaving throughout their experiences was that they encountered and had conversations with their ancestors.

An Astrological Tie-in

And so it felt significant this evening, just before I began writing this post, when I noticed a link to an astrological site I respect, posted by a friend on Facebook. Upon reading the overarching message reflected in the sky above for this week, the sense that our ancestors are especially close right now was yet again reinforced.

This feels like a week ripe for reflection on what is truly closing out in our lives and what yearns to be born anew.

If the relentless urging of the gusting March winds is any indication, there’s some seriously sludgy, old stuff mucking up our systems that needs to get blown out once and for all. And our Ancestors are all for it. In fact, they’re cheering us on and even sent a Horse to help us send it galloping off into the sunset.

(T-257)

Shamanic Caravan – Day 780

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Mesa and Rattles – Photo: L. Weikel

Shamanic Caravan

If you’ve been following my 1111 Devotion posts, you may vaguely recall that in late August I asked Spirit what ‘we,’ as a collective, might be wise to bear in mind as we entered September (and all that came with that, from kids returning – or not – to school, keeping an eye on the unfolding development of the pandemic, the final two months of the election season, etc.).

As you can read about here, I selected an intriguing card from the Mystic Art Medicine Oracle Deck: Perception.

As some of you who’ve worked with me in the Merkabah Medicine Program know, for a couple thousand years, most people have been taught to live in and relate to the world through the lens of Precept or “law and order.” When living through precept, we are told: “Live your life this way and you’ll go to heaven, be a success, stay safe. Break the rules and you’ll fail, be punished, or otherwise find things not working out well for you.”

Perception

The way of shamanism, however, encourages experiencing the world through the lens of Percept – perception and attention. How we choose to perceive the world both within and around us can change our experience dramatically. Living life based on perception encourages all of us to take more responsibility for our lives.

Our perception, how we choose to perceive ourselves, our circumstances, the world, and our role in it, holds incredible power and opportunity. Yet few people know how to shift their perception in order to gain access to ‘new’ concepts and realities that lay waiting only to be discovered. Fewer still practice engaging in perception-shifting methods that provide them with direct access to guidance, wisdom, and answers to their own unique set of circumstances.

Guidance

The very day after I chose the Perception card and wrote about it, I received another powerful nudge from the Universe via the Tarot of the Crone, reminding me (and ‘us’) of the importance, right now especially, of minding our perceptions. I definitely got the impression that these messages were more than a passing reminder. They were a push to take responsibility for ourselves.

As I watch the events continuing to unfold not only here in our country but all over the world, I can feel the yearning so many of us have for answers and reassurance, for guidance about what we can, should, or would be wise to do – not only to keep ourselves ‘safe,’ but also to move forward in our lives with confidence and excitement. And the wisdom and necessity of going within – seeking and securing guidance tailored specifically to our unique talents, skills, and purposes in life – is what keeps coming back to me again and again.

Listening Retreats

One of the benefits of attending my Listening Retreats was learning how to take a shamanic journey. Journeying is a powerful practice that shifts your perception and grants you access to your unique guides, guardians, and allies.

Given the pandemic and the likelihood that I won’t be offering any Listening Retreats (in person, anyway) anytime soon, I feel it’s important to teach this skill to as many people as possible. But just because you know how to do something doesn’t mean you necessarily take the time to do it.

After knowing how to journey for over 30 years, one thing I can tell you is this: the art of journeying is just like any other skill. It improves with practice. And a corollary to that? It’s almost always easier to journey, especially as we’re becoming comfortable with the process as a practice, when we journey with other people. That’s why I enjoyed teaching people how to journey at my Listening Retreats.

Caravans

That week at the end of August began with two powerful nights of being reminded by Spirit of the power of perception and the importance of shifting our perceptions. It was clear from the cards presented that it is incumbent upon each of us to do our part to reclaim our individual power – and in so doing, create a greater and more diverse world in the process.

As I contemplated how I could foster putting into practice the shifting of our perceptions, the word and concept of caravans popped into my head. I balked. There’s a word that could use some shifting, eh? But the message kept coming to me. “Caravan. We need to create a caravan.”

So I looked the word up. And of course, I had to smile at Spirit’s crafty ways.

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.

Yes! Confirmation that we are being called to create an environment that embraces accessing our own unique inner support network, while engaging in that practice in the company of fellow journeyers! And goodness knows, 2020 had us traversing a desert or hostile territory.

Creating a Shamanic Caravan

And so it is coming to pass.

I am offering 90 minute sessions (called ‘wagons’) at varying times each week. During these wagons, I will create sacred space, go over the ‘rules of the road,’ and then rattle or drum you on a journey. Each traveler will set their own unique, private intention but will be supported by and benefit from the fuel of the group energy.

I’ll initially limit each wagon of the Shamanic Caravan to 8-10 travelers, providing an opportunity to share our journeys (although that’s never a requirement) within the 90 minute time frame. As our work unfolds, if there’s time for a second journey during any particular wagon, we’ll take it.

Travelers can shift between wagons or be a part of lots of different ones. In other words, you can choose one day/time and stick with that on perhaps a weekly, semi-monthly, or monthly basis, or you can try a couple different days/times and see what works best for you. The early adopters (yes, we’ve been experimenting for a couple of months now) have gravitated to preferring a few favorite days and times.

Journeys

With respect to specific journeys, sometimes we’ll get very specific advice or guidance. Other times we may receive warnings to steer clear of certain activities or be given information that surprises or delights us. And occasionally people will find that our allies lead us to a place where we can just ‘be’ in a place of utter relaxation and respite, where we can rest, clear our minds, and replenish our energy.

Every journey is different. You will discover this for yourself once you start making journeying a regular practice in your life.

You’ll cultivate true relationships with your allies, be they power animals, guardians, guides, nature spirits, angelic beings, ascended masters, or whatever, whomever, or however they appear to you. You’ll also cultivate relationships with your fellow travelers, your compatriots in this Shamanic Caravan.

Pricing and Frequency

I’m initially offering this service – providing a safe and private space for like-minded people to journey together, sharing the collective power that comes with focused intention – at the price of $20 per wagon, $35 for couples.

You will receive unique invitations to join each Zoom wagon you request, (provided there is room).

Wagon reservations will be filled on a first come – first serve basis, with payment in advance required for a reservation.

I will be offering the ‘Wagons for the Week’ via email. Ideally, we’ll discover our rhythms and identify particular wagons that work for us on a long-term basis. I am currently exploring implementation of a monthly calendar accessible on my website. But until that happens, I’ll be making the weekly offerings via email.

Who’s With Me?

I believe the Shamanic Caravan concept provides us with the best of both worlds: accessing our own unique inner knowing and guidance while cultivating a community of fellow travelers. Together we’ll navigate these tumultuous times with unique insight, respect, awe, and a powerful shift in perception. Hopefully, we’ll also find some laughter sneaking in as well.

I’m really looking forward to providing fellow travelers with a framework to shift your perceptions and access your power, as well as a convenient means of bringing a little discipline and regularity to your practice.

Email me to let me know you want to be a Traveler in the Shamanic Caravan. Put “Shamanic Caravan” in the subject line and we’ll get this Caravan on the road as 2021 begins.

(T-331)