Just wanted to share some of my nature photos with you.... I am itching to get outside and just waiting for warmer weather.... enjoy!



This is a farmhouse not too far from where I live...



This is down in Tennessee .. a cold mountain stream...



This is from one of our local parks ..I took it from the overlook bridge...

Have a great Friday!

PolarB ;)

Journeying

One of the things I do when I am seeking answers to my questions or if I am looking for direction or guidance is called Shamanic Journeying which means I go into a deep deep meditation to spiritual realm of being…. I know you heard me talk of that before in my short stories and in my poetry, and it is actually based on my journeying experiences. So I thought I would share that process with you. I will explain how it is done and share my own experiences with you. So if you think I am a little off my rocker after reading this, well that’s okay too. I know the things I experience and can only share my truth with you. You can choose to read or not to read…as always you have the choice.

Before you journey it is good to have a goal in mind. What are you hoping to get out of the experience? Do you want answers to a question, maybe you are seeking guidance, or perhaps you want to meet your spirit guides- power animals or other guides. Sometimes I journey because I need to feel grounded and connected to Mother Earth and need peace and relaxation in my life. Journey with a focus of what you want out of the experience.

Typically when you journey it is a deep meditation that is done to the sound of a rhythmic beat such as a steady drumbeat or rattles. You usually lie flat on the floor, as if you are meditating. To Native Americans, the drumbeat is the symbol of the heartbeat of life. The beating of your heart and your breath synchronizes with the drumbeat and the drumming enhances your journey. It connects your heart to the center of powerful Mother Earth. It has been my experience that you will find different ways of journeying so you will have to decide which one works best for you and feels right to you. I would suggest to experiment with different ways until you find the way that connects with your heart.

I will describe my experience when I journeyed to find my power animal. There are also some books that describe different ways to journey. I will list some others that may be of interest to you as well.

Journeying is like a visualization that is on a much deeper level- it actually to me is going into a deeper plane or realm of trance-like state of being. There is an Upper world, a Middle world and a Lower world. No it’s not Heaven and Hell. The Upper world is considered to be up above the sky yet not like outer space. To me it seems a lot brighter for some reason. Usually if I travel to the Upper world I am on clouds or way up in trees kind of like a floating sensation. Rarely do I go to the Upper world… no reason really….
The Middle world is much like the physical world we live in today except that it has a spiritual dimension to it. The landscape for me looks pretty much the same as the normal world. I spend a lot of time in my journeying in the Middle world talking to Grandmother Sun in a forest setting. The Lower world is accessed through some sort of opening like a tree stump or a narrow cavern or tunnel. It is a downward movement through some sort of a passageway or hole in the earth. Once in the Lower world it is a natural setting but usually includes a lot more water or forest and bodies of waters and caves. At least in my experience it has always been that way for me.

When I journey, I go to an inner landscape, I imagine myself walking or sitting in a nature surroundings such as a beach, or the forest or on a mountain. Whatever feels right to you. I sit in my surroundings and get the feel of being there. Try to visualize every detail about the surroundings. What does it smell like? What sounds do you hear? What does it look like? Is the air blowing or is the wind calm? Engage all of your senses in being there. Sometimes I sit in the middle of the forest. I see the trees around me. I see how tall they are. I feel the texture of the grass and the moss that I am sitting on beneath me, I feel a slight breeze gently swaying the trees and hear the rustling of the leaves. I smell the earthy musk of the earth and the lush greenness of everything surrounding me. I hear and see small animals of the forest scampering about hiding nuts and berries. There is no fear- only calm and serenity. It is a very safe place and I feel totally at ease.

In order to journey to the Lower world there is usually a portal to the other world that you go through. It could be a crack in the earth, a shell on the beach, a hole. Something that has an opening. A lot of times, mine is an old rotting tree stump. I have also traveled down through a cave like tunnel before. Imagine yourself going in through the opening and traveling down through a tunnel into another world. It doesn’t matter the size of the opening for you will fit no matter what the size. Sometimes the journey in the tunnel is fast and seems surreal- sometimes it seems difficult to travel. Again engage all of your senses of traveling in the tunnel. Can you see it? What does it look like? I felt the dampness of the tunnel and felt the moss and the texture of the walls the first time I did it. I heard the echo of my own voice and saw and felt drops of water falling on my head from overhead. Other times when it has been difficult to travel, it sometimes depends of my own state of being- is my body relaxed, Are there other thoughts invading my mind? However it is for you is okay. There are no preconceived notions; it is what ever it is for you. Do what feels comfortable. Sometimes it has felt like the walls to the cavernous tunnel are speeding by lightening fast, sometimes it’s very slow.

At some point I usually come to the end and find myself in a very similar place that I started, only it is different. I came out of the tunnel in a clearing in the middle of a forest however, I knew I was in a different place because the colors were much more vivid and alive. The flowers and the field ahead of me were vibrating with energies and aliveness. Wherever I looked, it was ever changing and so vibrant – things swayed and changed so that went I looked at something, it changed into something else. It felt like such a peace I have never experienced in my life before. It was so calming and filled me with such joy and completeness. I found myself walking along the flowers and in an instant was walking by a stream, and then in another instant I was transported to the top of a cliff looking down over the flowing waters. It was magical.

I don’t know if you’ve ever seen the movie “What Dreams May Come” with Robin Williams, but if you did, and you see his character when he died and the other world he went to where the colors where so vivid and it was like paint shifting into shapes with energy and aliveness. Well, when I saw the movie, I was amazed with the similarities to my journey experiences to those scenes in the movie. I had been journeying for a while before the movie even came out, so it was amazing to me. It made me wonder if the writer of the movie had his own journey experiences and incorporated it into the movie in a different way.

They say that if you ask your power animal to show itself to you it will. There may be several animals that you will come across and I’ve been taught it is the one that presents itself to you three times that is your true power animal on your journey. You can also have more than one and the others may be part of them – but your true power animal will be the strongest for you and will connect with you in a way that the others don’t. Perhaps you already have a power animal and did not realize it. Are there any certain animals that you have a strong fondness for? Do you collect any animal symbols or pictures? A fellow once collected giraffes all his life; he collected figurines, pictures, pins, and statues of giraffes. He did not know why he liked them so much, only that he did- he felt he associated with the giraffe because of its long neck and he felt he was always sticking his neck out. When he journeyed, he discovered that the giraffe was his power animal, however not for the reasons he thought. The long slender legs of the giraffe symbolize the ability to maintain balance and move through life and to progress. The keen eyesight of the giraffe allows you to see what’s ahead over the horizon shows how to move through fear and resistance to accomplish goals in a graceful elegant fashion.

There are books describing what your power animal means and the attributes it brings to you. It does not matter the size of your power animal- some are large, some are as small as insects, but each and every animal has something to teach us and some gives us the attributes we need to have such as strength and grace and or fierce protection.

I connected with several animals and the one that presented itself to me three times on my journey was a white polar bear. I have had encounters throughout my life now that I look back knowing that my power animal was trying to get my attention. I have to laugh at the lengths my power animal went to speak to me. I had a really shocking experience once and I know I have told this story before on the blog, but since it is related to how I found my power animal I will tell it again for you now…

We went to the Indianapolis Zoo years and years ago before I even knew what my spiritual path was. I went to the house that has the penguins and at the end was the underground tank that you could look at the polar bears. I didn’t see any swimming around so I wanted to go outside aboveground to see them. They had a moat area with a large pool for them to swim in and there was a glass partition to see them through. I noticed several polar bears on the other side of the moat so I was standing there looking at them. One started swimming and was in the water with only his head sticking out of the water. I told Lovie- Oh look he’s coming over here. He was swimming slowly towards us. The water was at my feet level and I was standing against the partition. Suddenly the polar bear swam faster towards us and before I knew it, the polar bear leaped up out of the water and was about three feet above my head and body slammed the glass partition and slip down the glass wall not even an inch from my face. I was so startled that I could not even speak… It was soooooo funny the look on my face. As I look back now I have to laugh. What an incredible experience that was and I will never forget it in my life. Talk about getting my attention!!!!!

I also have an eagle and a turtle that are power animals to me also but the real connection is with Basheba, my polar bear, who is my power animal guide. Basheba is the one who gives me messages when I need to get them. I also have other guides such as Grandmother Sun, who helps guide me along my path. The Eagle and the Turtle have also spoken to me to give me messages however they are only there when I need a specific lesson.

On my journey in finding my power animal, I was transported to many natural scenes, maybe they represented different stages in my life, I don’t know, but it seemed like a long time. When you get the messages or guidance you came for, or get answers to your questions, it is usually time to come back. Sometimes you go to be comforted and or relax. Depending on if you go to the Middle, Upper or Lower world will depend on what you need. People automatically assume to think of the Upper world as Heaven, and the Lower world as Hell. That is not the case at all in the journey experience. The Middle world which is where we are typically in everyday life- it’s the universe in which it has the physical reality in addition to a spiritual dimension. The Upper world is typically above the sky, not in outer space but in another dimension. Most times when I choose to go to the Upper world, I go by climbing up a tree trunk and go into the sky by using clouds to move upward and upward. Mostly for me it has been used for peace and calm, healing or a deeper relaxed state of being. I go to the Lower world when I am seeking specific answers or guidance from the spirit helpers. The Lower world is mostly what I’ve been talking about in this particular experience.

I use a timed drumming tape that has the rhythmic drumming on it- Some are for 15 minutes, some are 30 minutes. There will be a signal of when it is time to come back. When you hear that signal of the drumbeats you will come back the same way you came, through the tunnel and up through the hole and into the natural setting you started with.

When you come back into your body, you will feel very relaxed and refreshed. It is much like a deep meditation. If you do not get the answers to your questions, not to worry, they will come when the time is right. Perhaps you are not ready to hear the answer to the question you are asking. I don’t always like the answers I get, but know that I am on my path and it is coming from my guides who would not lead me wrong. I may make a choice to take a wrong path or not to listen to what the spirit guides have told me, but I have never been led wrong by them.

So… there you have it.. my Journeying experiences… I know it may seem a little weird but really it isn’t, it’s just different. Anytime something is unknown it may seem weird or odd to others but I tell you, these are the things that nurture my soul and my spiritual life and it is sacred to me. If you want to learn more about Shamanic studies or Journeying or a lot of the Native American culture that I have described to you, here are some books that I have and I am sure there is a lot more on the market that I have not mentioned.

Here are some books that you might find of interest-

Totems-Brad Steiger- talks of power animals

Mother Earth Spirituality- Ed McGaa Eagle Man

Meditation- The complete guide- Patricia Monaghan/Eleanor G Diereck
(has an excellent description of Shamanic Journeying

The Smudge and Blessings book- Jane Alexander

Way of the Shaman- Michael Harner-- you may be able to find a website also on this- I also use his drumming tapes.

Animal Speak- ?

Peace & Light
Love to you all-

PolarB ;)

Well in response to a request to explain more about Reiki, I will attempt to tell you more about it in this short post...

As I said before I have not had any training or had any classes regarding Reiki, so what I know and practice is just natural to me. Reiki is like a universal energy that is healing that comes from the universe through a person to heal another. I may not explain this very good but I will do my best. Energy or Chi is within each of us and all around us in everything. If you are familiar with the Chakras in your body or your solarplex of energy it may help you to understand this a bit better. Everyone has the ability within them and it is just learning to connect with it and utilize the power of that energy. I am sure there are plenty of books that could explain this better.

For me, the Reiki energy I feel the most comes through my hands. My hands get very hot and tingly when I do Reiki work on another person or on my cat or even on myself. I can feel the energy radiating through them and it is a calming powerful energy and experience. If you hold your hands out in front of you like you are holding a ball and slowly move them further apart or closer together you can feel the energy between them within yourself. Try it. When you focus on that energy and bring the universal power of it to you and let it go through you you are tapping into a powerful healing source.

I have done Reiki on my cat Sophie before to calm and relax her and there are times she does not like it and will turn and look at me and walk away and other times she enjoys it and it soothes her bones and relaxes her deeply. I dont even have to lay my hands on her, I hold them about two inches above her skin and my hands start to get very hot and the heat generates to her and it sometimes makes my hands very tingly. I have had Reiki done to me also and the parts of my skin that it was being done too felt very tingly and like it was drawing the pain and hurt out. I have had Reiki done on my knees before and it does help to relive the pain. I have also done Reiki healing on friends before to help them feel relief and or to bring healing energy to them.

Most of the time, when I share this information with people they kinda look at me funny and you can hear them playing the X-Files theme in their head, but I know this healing module works and it real because I have experienced the benefits of it and felt the healing energy within myself and through others.

If anyone else has more to offer than I have explained please feel free to add more info.

PolarB ;)

The only thing i would add is that it is like being a conduit for electricity. Laying on hands comes from the original disciples given through them to others by Spirit. It is not we who are doing the healing but just "tuning into" the Chi/healing energy from Spirit to those who desire the healing. Belief on the part of both the Reiki giver and receiver is very important. ---Mama Bear



by Mama Bear (PM , CC ) on Thursday March 23, 2006 @ 6:33 PM

Shamanism Continued-

One of the things that is very precious to me is silence. I crave it and it seems I never have enough of it. It’s not that I want to be a loner or don’t want the company of other people around, because I do… I just need to have my times of silence. I can be in a room with Lovie and say let’s just enjoy the peace and quiet and we can be happily content in each other’s presence but in complete silence.

It is the connection I feel to Spirit when I am silent… It is when I look within and find the answers to the questions in moments of silence. It is the rejuvenation of my soul that I feel in silence…. To me silence is golden. I know of others who cannot stand the silence… it seems to drive them crazy yet I on the other hand would go crazy without silence. There are many benefits to be still and entering the quiet. You can observe the world more clearly when you are quiet. You can get clarity and retrospection in those quiet moments. For me I talk to my spirit guides Grandmother Sun and my power animal. Sometimes you may think you would just fall asleep if you quiet yourself and your mind but actually I find I am more focused and the answers become clear and concise with whatever I am seeking. Within the silence we can access ancient wisdoms far beyond our own mental capabilities- It is a direct lifeline to the Web of Life. Shamans have been using this sacred practice for millions of years. Through silence we can find healing and balance and calming energy. It is that connection to the spirit world that can be accessed through quieting yourself and being willing enough to listen and to trust and to open up to it.

This is an exercise to practice if you have never focused on being silent. Try it for ten or fifteen minutes a day until it becomes comfortable for you.

1. Find a place and time when you will be undisturbed.
2. Sit or lie down comfortably with your spine straight.
Close your eyes.
3. Feel the weight of your body where it is supported by the
chair or the floor.
4. Feel your breath passing easily in and out of your body,
unhurried and flowing.
5. Enter the silence and allow any thoughts to pass by like
bubbles in a stream without engaging any of them.
6. When you are ready to re-enter the everyday, open your
eyes slowly. Feel the weight of your body then take a deep breath.

If you are already used to entering the silence, use this exercise to explore the vibration of Creation.

1. Enter the silence as done in the previous exercise.
2. Listen with all of your senses to the sky, rocks, birds,
and creatures, plants and trees. Let them sing to you as
they have sung from the beginning of time, each with their
own voice.
3. When you have listened for a while, watch them or listen to
the vibration of your own being flowing into the Web-
This is your own song.
4. When you are ready, return to reality. Take time to get
back into focus as this can be a powerful experience.

This is also the same type of techniques used for meditations which can be very beneficial to you if you practice it on a regular basis. It may feel odd at first and you may even feel silly doing it, but if you can get in a habit, you will notice a difference in your daily life.

One of the other things that I have done for my soul is a “sweat lodge” experience. It was a very powerful and spiritual experience for me and to be honest I would love to do it again and continue it on a regular basis. However they are very hard to find and you usually have to know somebody to be a part of the ritual. They are mostly done on private property in a wood setting and it is a very sacred thing. You also have to know the intent of the people doing it as there can be ones out there that may not have a true healing spiritual purpose. I have noticed that in my online searches on the web that a few spa resort type facilities are starting to have sweat lodges as part of what they offer. I have no idea if this would be similar to the one I have experienced.

A “sweat lodge” is a low dome like structure made of bent sapling trees that is covered in tarps and blankets to make it air tight and light proof. It has a small opening that is covered by a flap for a doorway that is large enough to crawl through. Inside the structure the floor is covered with cedar and herbs. In the very center, a small pit is dug out inside the lodge and a sacred fire is lit outside the lodge in line with the door and the firepit. Stones are heated in the fire until they glow with the heat they are holding. Sometimes this fire is prepared the day ahead and a fire keeper keeps watch and tends to the fire until the rocks are ready.

The ceremony participants go into the lodge after being smudged, symbolically entering Mother Earth’s womb of darkness. When all are seated, the fire keeper brings in the rocks which are put into the center pit. They are sprinkled with water and herbs, filling the tiny space with clouds of aromatic steam. The ceremony proceeds with prayers and chanting and periods of silence. The leader may use skills of healing on participants present. There are several times when songs may be sung as more water is poured on the rocks. It gets extremely hot in there, hence the name sweat lodge. People may or may not be dressed and depending on who is the ceremony leader, it may be for only women or only men or mixed. I experienced a mixed one and we were clothed.

People do sweat lodges for different reasons. It can be used for purification and cleansing or clarity purposes or you may be seeking a vision or seeking an answer to a problem or issue. Many times Spirit Guides will speak through others and you may get your answer or a message that way. You endure the heat and the ceremony for as long as it is comfortable for you. Sometimes people come out after the first water is poured over the rocks. Many times people will stay in until the ceremony is over. Your body will tell you when it is time to come out. After you come out of the sweat lodge, you are left with a deep feeling of well being and a connection to the Web and you feel calmness and the stillness of your experience.

When I did my sweat lodge, it was by invitation only. We drove for hours to get there and it was on someone’s private property. It felt very sacred. The ceremony took a couple of hours and afterwards we sat together in a field in the sunshine breaking bread together. There were about twenty people there which they had two ceremony sweats. We were instructed to leave a small token or gift for the leader and for the fire keeper as a way to show respect and give thanks. This was neither a monetary gift nor a typical gift. It was something that had meaning. I left a crystal that meant a lot to me for the fire keeper and I gave a beautiful peacock feather to the leader. Feathers are highly regarded and very sacred in the Native American beliefs and cultures.

I went seeking clarification and confirmation and I received both. Whenever you are part of a ritual or a ceremony, it is important to give thanks and to offer something in return. If you’ve ever been to a Pow-wow or a drumming celebration, you will most likely notice that they offer tobacco and herbs to the Spirits and the Four Directions which play a big part in Native American culture. It is about giving thanks and being grateful for what you have received or will receive. Being thankful isn’t just for Thanksgiving Day. When you become thankful and appreciative and respectful of all living things it becomes a way of life and you find your perspectives are more balanced and you feel calm within your heart.

I think that is one of the things about my beliefs and traditions that mean the most to me. It really does change your whole outlook on life. The things that used to make me uptight and rageful do not bother me anymore. I have a more positive demeanor and I feel joy in my life. That’s not to say I don’t get upset at things still because there are times I still do but it just does not effect me the way it used to and it doesn’t last as long.

Okay… Well I guess that’s all for tonight... I will write more.—glad you are enjoying reading about an important part of my life.

Mitakuye Oyasin- HO!
To all my relations- Amen!

PolarB ;)

Shamanism continued....

One of the things I do to clear away negative energy is called smudging. Smudging involves purifying, cleansing and protecting by burning herbs, usually sage and sweetgrass and occasionally I use lavender too. Different herbs have different purposes. Lavender is used for relaxation, Sweetgrass brings blessings and is soothing, Sage banishes negativity, and Rosemary can be used in sickrooms, Smudging is used for clearing away emotional energy from a room or an object. It is used when there has been negativity around you, if you are sick, if you want to clear out any residual energy from others who have been in your home, it can provide protection on a spiritual level or if you want to prepare a space for ceremonies or special sacred work. I grow and dry my own sage and lavender but usually buy sweetgrass from Native American shops or herbal places I grow rosemary too but have not used it much in my traditions or rituals.
These herbs are dried and bundled together and burned for their healing effects. I usually burn sage for smudging purposes (warning it does smell like wacky tabacky but it is not illegal nor does it produce the same effects as weed and you don’t smoke it.) I burn it in a large shell or dish and use a feather to fan the smoke over and around me.

When we bought our house five years ago, you could tell a lot of negativity took place here. There were holes punched in the wall in several places from somebody’s anger. I smudge our whole house and blessed each room and I usually smudge the whole house several times a year. I smudge my art room and work area more often and we smudge every time we have a drumming circle. I would smudge my work office too but because it smells so similar to the illegal herb I don’t but instead I carry a small amount of sage in my medicine bag and wear it to work. Whatever works…

Your Medicine Path is the journey you are on to become self reliant human beings connected to your spiritual path. We all have lessons to learn for our souls and life gives us plenty of opportunities to learn those lessons. Perhaps one of your lessons is to learn patience… well the Great Spirit will present many challenges along our path to enable us to learn and embrace the lesson… if you don’t get it the first or even the third or fourth time.. not to worry because it will keep presenting itself to you in many forms until you are able to grasp it and get a firm understanding of it. The term “Medicine” means your knowledge or your power. We walk our Medicine Path only by finding out who we truly are…To me when you discovery who you are and what you stand for and know what you believe in and you live you life respecting yourself and all other living things of this world, I refer to that as me walking the Red Road, meaning I am living the life the Great Spirit meant for me to live. Does that mean I am perfect….no not by any means… we are never going to be perfect, but we can do the best we can in this life with the tools we have and we respect one another and all living things and we try to find the joy in everything, even in your worse moments there is always something to be thankful for. Am I able to walk my path 100% of the time all the time…No… I’m human… but even when I take a sidestep off my path, I learn valuable lessons.. not only about myself but about others and the human condition around me. It also helps me to be closer to my spiritual guides. These are the things I believe in for me…. Is my belief right for everyone….No…. I think each person has to find what connects with them spiritually and they need to find what gives their heart joy and makes them content and peaceful within their own hearts.

Only you can answer that for your own self. I can only share my experiences and if it helps someone then so be it… Take what you like and leave the rest has always been a favorite saying of mine because it is true. We all have a wonderful power within each of us…and do you know what that power is? It’s the power of CHOICE… You get to choose what you want to believe in…you get to choose how you are going to react to any given situation… you get to choose your attitude for the day or even for the moment. Choice is power….and I know I am getting off topic here, but I feel strongly in my beliefs and I am also being led to write this by my spiritual guides so whoever this is for I hope you read this and get the message. YOU ALWAYS HAVE A CHOICE EVEN WHEN YOU THINK YOU DON’T.

With that I am going to stop but I will continue to write more until I feel I am done…

Mitakuye Oyasin - HO
PolarB ;)