The Red Road Issue-18

inside this issue

A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO SACRED LIVING ISSUE 18 AUTUMN 1997 £2.95

RAINBOW TRIBE ED McGAA EAGLE MAN on why we are all one tribe.

TANTRIC TIBET NGAK’CHANG RINPOCHE on the many strange beings of Buddhist Ritual

WALKING

WITH

DRAGONS

HUNGARIAN SHAMANISM with PETER AZIZ A SHAMAN IN CAMBRIDGE

MEETING THE GREENWOOD ~ WORKING WITH TREE SPIRITS

recent visit of a Siberian Shaman

MAKE A MEDICINE BAG H CELTIC SWEAT LODGE

Also

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Special Readers Offers A Circle of Thirteen By Carolyn Hillyer

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ORDER ALL 3 The beautiful new book of paintings and poems by this gifted Dartmoor artist and musician. (see a review in this issue).

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NORTH AFRICAN DARABUKA A superb brass 10 inch diameter Arab - made Darabuka

£59.95 inc P&P A fantastic drum, strong, light, easy to carry and play. Loud, with a bright rim sound and a deep bass centre note. Easily tuneable, ideal for Britain’s changeable climate.

FREE COMPETITION 10 White Eagle Medicine Wheel Card Sets to be won To enter this competition, simply answer the question below and send your answer together with your name and address on a post card to the Sacred Hoop Office to reach us no later than first post November 1st.

What are the Lakota words for ‘Mother Earth’ ? SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

Inside this Issue Special Features THE RAINBOW AND THE BLUE MAN. . . . . . . . . . 10-14 The Blue man of Black Elk’s Vision is the distroyer of balanced living. The Rainbow people are the new tribe who fight him. By Ed McGaa Eagle Man.

TALKING TO THE DRAGONS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15-17 Tethatu, is a traditional Hugarian shamanic healing technique. Here we look at the ways it is worked, and the special relationship of tree spirits within its tradition. By Peter Aziz.

The wisdom of living with respect for all our relations Pages 10 -14

MEETING THE GREENWOOD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18-19 A walk in a wild wood, or even in the park among the trees can be a wonder filled event. Here we look at some simple things you can do by yourself or with others. By Jan Wood.

WEARING THE BODY OF VISIONS. . . . . . . . . . . 20-24 Peacful, joyful and wrathful Yidams. The spiritual life of Tibet is full of the strangest beings. Here we look at what all these images mean, and how they help us reach an enlightened state. By Ngak’chang Rinpoche

BLESSING OF THE REINDEER CAMPS. . . . . . . . 24-25 An personal account of a blessing ceremony performed in Cambridge by a visiting Siberian shaman. By Karen Kelly

THE STAFF AND THE SONG. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24-26 Part two of a feature in which one of the leading authorities on the Shamanic journey tells us about her experience of wise women singing circles in the tradition of the ancient Norse sagas. By Annette Høst

The strange beings of Tibetan spirituality Pages 20 - 24

CRAFT A PERSONAL MEDICINE BAG. . . . . . . . 3 0 - 3 1 Making and beadwork decorating a small personal medicine bag. By Nicholas Wood

TÉACH AN ALAIS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28-29 The sweat lodge is not a stranger to these shores. Here we look at the Celtic sweat house traditions and how echoes of them remain today. By Adrian Reid-Wolfe.

Regular Features

The Celtic Sweatlodge Pages 28 - 29

READERS OFFERS PAGE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 EDITORIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 NEWS PAGE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 EARTH TALK : FTF NEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 REVIEWS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

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SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

JAN WOOD PUTS DOWN THE HOOP REINS. MAGAZINE ISSN 1364 - 2219 EDITOR Nicholas Wood PRODUCTION Nicholas Wood ADMINISTRATION Rebecca Sargent PRODUCTION ASSISTANTS Jan Wood Celia Wearing David Stemp Stephen Fountain PUBLISHING POLICY SACRED HOOP networks those interested in the teachings of indigenous shamanic peoples as a living path of knowledge. Our contents cover the integration of old and new knowledge, and insights that contribute to a balanced and sustainable lifestyle in today's world. We honour all paths and peoples and do not include material from, or give support to, any individual or group which seeks to oppress or discriminate on grounds of race, lineage, age, sex, class or belief. Nor do we knowingly publish any material that is inaccurate. The views expressed are not necessarily those of the Editor. For All Our Relations Printed on paper from a sustainable source by Perfect Image. Tel (01386) 40435 FRONT COVER DETAILS Dragon gate: by Nicholas Wood DISCLAIMER Whilst making every effort to be accurate, the Editorial Team will not be deemed responsible for any errors, omissions or inaccuracies appearing in Sacred Hoop.

SACRED HOOP MAGAZINE 28 COWL STREET, EVESHAM, WORCS. WR11 4PL, ENGLAND. PHONE & FAX (01386) 49680 ©1997 Sacred Hoop Magazine and/or individual contributors. No part of this magazine, either written text or visual art may be reproduced in any way whatsoever without the w r i t t e n permission of the editors. SACRED HOOP

ISSUE 18 1997

Jan Wood who was the original founder and editor of Sacred Hoop and has worked on all of each issue since its beginning is taking a well-earned sabbatical to pursue her other interests. Jan who originally trained as a painter wishes to concentrate on her own art work and her shamanic work with groups and individuals. All at Sacred Hoop wish her well in her new ventures.

Editorial

To the many people who write in to say how much they love Sacred Hoop, and how important it is in their lives thank you. This is the eighteenth issue of the magazine, and we have come to a crucial time. The last editorial I wrote it seemed touched a lot of people, including the producers of Radio Four’s Afternoon shift who asked me to go on the show. In the editorial I spoke about the need to recognise and honour the teachings and the people sharing the teachings within the UK. One stage beyond this, I am pleased to ask you to read the item about the setting up of the White Horse Circle, a circle in lieu of eldership. You will find this on the Flowering Tree page. Hoop has for the whole of its history tried to share good medicine and the ethics of right relationship. We have tried to do what we do with a sense of honour and respect for the sacred teachings of the world and those who have and who still are practising them. We hope that those of you who have been with us for sometime, some of you even from issue one, have got something heartfelt out of reading it. Currently Hoop is in great need of funding and investment. We are facing several paths, Hoop can either grow in strength, it can trim its sails (sales) and become a smaller magazine, or it can cease altogether. The latter option is my least favourite, the first option my favourite. Therefore I am taking this time to ask you if you are able to to support us financially. We need to generate more income, Hoop costs £7,500 each issue to produce before any wages are drawn whatsoever. Help with this can come in various ways. First of all I would ask you if you are reading someone else’s Hoop, please subscribe, your subscription fee is the life blood of our income. Secondly, if you are able to, please consider sponsoring a page or half page. The sponsorship of a page is a way you can make a direct involvement to us. We are asking for £50 a half and £100 a full page. Sponsors get their names put into a special sponsors box appearing on this page in future issue. Thirdly, if you are able to give a gift, however small or big to the work of Hoop we would be very grateful. Together we can strengthen the traditions and practice of Shamanism in the UK, please add your voice to the circle, to the Sacred Hoop. Opposite is a sub form and a help form for your convenience. And if you can - come to our solstice party in London ~ details opposite I look forward to the next issue and the next eighteen!. For all my relations Nicholas Wood

In the last issue of Sacred Hoop we ran a competition to win an elk skin medicine drum. Congratulations to our winner R. Allen of Bath. PAGE 7

News from the Hoop Born in 1916, the traditional Cherokee medicine man John ‘Rolling Thunder’ Pope died earlier this year. As a teenager, tribal elders recognised his special abilities and gave him private instruction and training so he could become a medicine man in later life. At the age of 15 he built a cabin in the woods and lived completely alone there for several years continuing his studies and learning to listen and communicate with the plants and animals that surrounded him. Throughout his long life he battled his own alcoholism and near starvation in the Great Depression, and eventually went on to become a master herbalist and even a celebrity, giving spiritual advice to the likes of Joni Mitchell and Bob Dylan. Dylan later named a world tour after him as a mark of respect the Rolling Thunder Review. Throughout his life he always gave one clear message - return to the old ways, abolish war and pollution and respect Mother Earth, who is the life source of all beings. He was also a life long activist for Native American rights, participating in the 1973 stand off between the US government and rights activists at Wounded Knee South Dakota. His work can be read about in a book by Doug Boyd simply entitled Rolling Thunder. (Available through the Sacred Trust Tel (01225) 852615).

We would like this page to be a regular feature within Sacred Hoop, and ask readers to send in any news items they feel are suitable PAGE 8

DREAMTIME STORIES ON TRIAL Members of the Aranda tribe of central Australia are claiming their ancestral lands back with the aid of Dreamtime Stories. The Tribal lands are in possession of the Crown, and the people who lay claim to them are telling the traditional stories to the courts in an attempt to gain possession once more. This however is causing certain problems. In tribal tradition, only initiated people have the right to have dreamtime knowledge shared with them. This is especially true of sacred objects, which are important in these traditions. Only male elders who are initiated may see them, and a problem has arisen because the officials of the court looking at the case are not initiated. Attempts to get around this problem are being discussed. These involve the Aranda elders disclosing the sacred objects to the judge of the court when he is alone, after the court has been cleared. This would be an unprecedented occurrence

and it is far from certain if the Australian legal authorities will alow it to take place.

BEAUTIFUL PAINTED ARROW RETIRES FROM RUNNING DRUM DANCES The Native American visionary Beautiful Painted Arrow announced his retirement from running ceremonial dances, in New Mexico in July of this year. He said that the Spirits who inspired him to run the dances had given him permission to pass them on, and that his retirement was partly due to his knowing the time and date of his own death. He has been visiting the UK annually to run the Drum Dance, and passed the responsibility for them in Britain to Lindsay Sutton, & Carlos Philip Glover. For further information. contact: Carlos Philip Glover, Tel: 01803 867689 12 Broom Park, Dartington, Devon TQ9 6IR

LEONARD PELTIER SERIOUSLY ILL Photo : Leonard Peltier Defence Committee

Photo : Carmen Pope.

RESPECTED CHEROKEE ELDER PASSES ON

Imprisoned since 1976 on c h a r g e s considered to have been fabricated by the FBI, and sentenced to twice his natural life in prison Lakota political activist Leonard Peltier is seriously ill in prison in America. His case has caused long running conflict in the USA, despite frequent calls for a re trial. In 1995 The European Parliment passed a resolution calling for clemency, but despite even this involvement in the case Peltier remains in prison. Currently he is now very ill, remaining without remedy following unsuccessful surgery on his jaw. Initially, Leonard

suffered from a problem preventing him from fully opening his mouth. Surgery was performed to correct this, but now his jaw will not close all the way, making it impossible for him to eat solid foods. Swelling remains along one side of his jaw and he gets frequent headaches. After over six months of fighting, Leonard's people were finally able to secure copies of his medical records, which are being currently reviewed by a series of doctors. Readers are urged to write asking for a Presidential Pardon to : President Bill Clinton, 1600 Pennsylvania Ave, Washington, DC 20500 USA. Further details from : The Leonard Peltier Defence Committee, P.o. Box 583, Lawrence, KS 66044 USA. Phone (001) (913) 842 5774. Fax (001) (913) 842 5796.

SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

FLOWERING TREE FEDERATION NEWS:

EARTHTALK FROM THE POSTBAG . . . Dear FTF, I have recently discovered shamanism and done two workshops which were wonderful and really opened my eyes to a new reality. It has been life-changing. Unfortunately my family don’t want to know and treat me as if I’ve done something wrong. They have even suggested that I have become unbalanced in some way. This is a completely new experience for me, as I’ve never done anything like this before. Can you help? D.H. (Devon) FTF REPLIES . . . One of the perennial problems of spiritual and personal growth is the stress put on everyday relationships, and how you bring new perspectives and learning into everyday life. Learning has a knock on effect - all things are connected! And this is true for those who are in your family, friends and work network too. So let’s look at ‘re-entry’. We all go through ‘evangelical’ stages when we go home so excited about our new discoveries that we bore the pants off unwitting family and friends. Result - the ‘workshop come-down.’ Think of yourself as fitting into your home picture like a piece in its jigsaw; even if the fit was bad, at least everyone knew what the misfit felt like. Then you suddenly change shape, drop a lug or curve, or perhaps everyone experienced you as a corner piece and you return a confirmed middle bit; there’s bound to be pressure on you to return to your original, familiar shape. Now while the one who has grown has experienced positive change, this has happened in a setting which is not their everyday life. Meanwhile, those at home are probably wondering if the person who left Friday will SACRED HOOP ISSUE 17 1997

be the same one who returns Sunday. And if the return has been bumpy once, there will be tension around on subsequent occasions. I sometimes wish that all workshops ended with a health warning to return home gently rather than - as I have experienced at the beginning of my own path - dropping back into it, glowing with heightened awareness like an incendiary device. Of course, this is slightly exaggerating, but I know how often I put my foot in it before developing strategies that were much better for all concerned. the last thing you need is emotional angst at what can be a vulnerable time. Personally I find that stopping off somewhere on the way home for a strong coffee and some food helps to re-align. There’s nothing like caffeine and a motorway services cafe to snap me back into the everyday! Ask for blessings as you journey home, for a gentle reentry, whatever situation you are returning to. Remember that if you seek change, the chances are you will get it, and a large part of the learning is in how you bring it into your everyday life. To help integrate what you have learned, the healing received, the new perspectives, make a quiet ritual when you have reconnected with your ‘normal world’, something that will help you keep hold of and honour the reality of the changes you have undergone. This might be writing a journal or intuitive story, making a picture or craft item in celebration of gifts received, planting something appropriate in your garden, the choice is wide. Remember that there is no reason why those around you should approve or take part in your new discoveries. You may find support in one of

THE WHITE HORSE CIRCLE ‘Blend with the Earth and celebrate life’

‘The members of this circle have walked with the sweet traditions of medicine teachings in these lands for some years. We gather regularly to honour and cherish the teachings we hold, to grow together as a peer group in lieu of other forms of eldership, and give what service we are called upon to give, for the highest good of all. For all our relations.’ For all our relations Fiona Fredenburgh, Anna Gahlin Diana Griffiths, Jennifer LynnCline, Annie Spencer, Adrian Reid-Wolfe, Leo Rutherford, Duncan Wordley, David WendlBerry, Jan Wood, Nicholas Wood, Carol Youngson In preparation at the moment are guidelines for the safe conduct of Sweatlodges. Details in the next Hoop.

FLOWERING TREE FEDERATION is a growing network of those practising and learning about earth-based spirituality and shamanism. It has a book loan service and supports the creation and maintainance of circles of healing and celebration at a local level. Its members follow a simple Code of Ethics based on respect for all life Further details of membership and Code of Ethics send SAE (first class stamp) to: PAGE 9

Renowned for his plain speaking, Lakota teacher and writer

Ed McGaa Eagle Man tells us about the need to live a life with a heart connection to the ‘Natural way’, the way of the Earth

cooperation among the races of the four colours. These men were known for holding ceremony for the healing of Indians and non-Indians who sought their wisdom and counsel. I would also honour my spirit guide

in a glass house and having people examine everything I do and I wouldn’t care to put up with the jealousy that is always dropped on a medicine man, especially the successful ones. I am just a two-legged who has made my share of mistakes in life, and I don’t think that will change, I’ll make more yet. I don’t believe you have to be a holy man to acknowledge Great Spirit. Many people these days place the patriarchal belief systems of the dominant culture into their interpretation of Mother Earth Spirituality. It is important to get back to basics and ask yourself daily, how can we keep a strong connection to the Earth and the sacred Four directions?

from the world beyond whom I have come to know as Charging Shield. I regard his force or mystery as having allowed me numerous adventures and experiences in the Natural Way. Charging Shield's spirit has also been a driving force behind my writing. I also remember Plato's thought, “each of us has many teachers who alter the course of our lives. Some of these people may cross our lives for a moment and leave an indelible mark in our memories”. I want to make it clear that I do not regard myself as a medicine man, it’s tough enough just being a writer, just having the courage to call a few spades, spades! I want to avoid living

Setting your intention to getting back to nature is the key to living in harmony on the Mother Earth. The earliest Americans considered every day a spiritual association with nature, every step a connection to Great Spirit. The culmination of this association was ceremony. Ceremony is a beseechment, thanks-giving, or acknowledgment to a higher power, a higher force. If you are a traditional Sioux Indian, ceremony is directed toward Wakan Tanka, the Great Spirit, the Great Mystery, the Great Unending Circle, through the Six Powers of the universe, the six powers that Black Elk’s powerful vision describes. The function of vision, ritual and perceiving intellect is to allow us to experience our spirituality here and now.

M

a ny of you reading this have sought a teacher to learn more about the ‘Natural Way’. I think it is wise to let nature be the foremost teacher. When choosing a two-legged teacher, I watch for someone who has courage and is willing to admit that they can be wrong or in error. One of the most profound abilities to be found in a fruitful teacher is their ability to admit that they do not know the answer to most of life’s mysteries. You must decide if the knowledge they carry will be beneficial to your path. Above all, allow your teachers to be human and grant them the freedom to make their share of human mistakes. Once I identify a possible teacher, I must determine whether the teacher is authentic. It is important for you to test the teacher. Ask yourself a few questions, Do they want to control you or things in general? Are they loaded up with superstitions or strange rules that restrict sincere prayer and ceremony. Are they purposefully making the teaching difficult so that you will have to keep coming back to them? Are they warning you to avoid other people’s ceremonies or other knowledge? If their rules or procedures can be used in a practical way to restore harmony, then by all means respect them. I know a teacher who is fairly strict, but underneath he emanates a deep harmony along with some very worthwhile wisdom. The teachers I respect include some of my fellow Native Americans who have come forth to offer knowledge and their experiences. Over a half century ago, Black Elk met with a white man to tell of his deep and powerful vision. Later, he sat with another nonIndian to expand upon the seven sacred ceremonies. These men were writers1. Black Elk intended that the knowledge of the Natural Way be preserved and passed on for the benefit of all two-leggeds, tribal and non tribal. Frank Fools Crow and Bill Eagle Feather, two venerable Sioux holy men who rebirthed the Sun Dance, followed Black Elk’s example. Their ceremonies did not exclude anyone because of gender, colour or bloodline. Both holy men spoke out for unity and

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We are a manifestation of the Six Powers physically, and they are clearly visible today and every day. They are a direct manifestation of the Great Mystery and are contained in all life. Most Native Americans do not attempt to describe the Great Spirit. We believe it is rather foolish to attempt description of the Creator of time and space-things our two-legged mind cannot comprehend. I practise the Mother Earth ceremonies as a natural part of my daily living. We use the pipe 2 in the seven sacred ceremonies 3. Some of these ceremonies, including the Sun Dance and the Keeping of the Soul Ceremony, were banned by the U.S. government. Unlike the ceremonies of the dominant culture in the America’s, Sioux ceremonies are very balanced. When a woman is present, it is she who will be the first to enter the Lodge. A great deal of power and harmony manifest when a woman is allowed to take her equal place in ceremony. Probably more important, a great deal of wisdom is lost when a woman is not allowed her rightful voice in spiritual leadership. We are seeing a significant rise in numbers of those who choose to participate in the international Sun Dance. This seems peculiar to me since the prayers we make are very old and require a deep commitment to the old ways. I find it difficult to fault the respectful and well meaning use of objects for ceremonial purposes by a person who has a healthy respect for those objects and sincerely uses them to connect to the Great Spirit and who is of course concerned about the health of our Mother Earth. I hope however that you will be respectful in the use of your ceremonial tools. My teachers insist that to properly conduct ceremony, absolutely no alcohol or other chemicals were to be consumed, and this included the cactus bud called peyote. Bill Eagle Feather PAGE 12

once told me, "We get our visions from our own juices." Both holy men I mentioned were total abstainers, and it is my strong recommendation that if you are considering taking a leadership role in ceremony, you abstain from all alcohol, drugs, or mind-altering substances. For the novice wanting to bring the power of ceremony into your life, practise smudging yourself and making a simple beseechment to the four directions (or

“A great deal of wisdom is lost when a woman is not allowed her rightful voice in spiritual leadership”

what some refer to as the Medicine Wheel). Indian names, or natural names, are being sought after by many non-Indians. People are seeking a natural identity to become more aligned and related to the natural forces that flow in harmony. It is comforting to have a natural name. It is also a good feeling to have a stone, a stone that conveys a special meaning to you and has come to you in a special way. Open your heart to the rising sun while holding your Wotai stone and recognising that new knowledge can result from each new day is a form of ceremony. Your Wotai may be your teacher, protector and friend, a piece of our Mother Earth. You may someday participate in a Sweat Lodge for purification, and in time a Vision Quest for one's lone beseechment. It is my belief that spiritually balanced people with good intentions should be welcomed to conduct ceremony, and that they should not be fearful. I think it is better for this ailing world that non-Indians have the opportunity to experience these ways since it will make them a better people. That is how powerful these ceremonies are and we do not have much environmental time to be arguing over who may participate in ceremony. You must remember by living the Natural Way, the Native Americans lived in environmental tranquillity and in an intrinsic relationship with nature as dependent servants - not polluting, self-destructing masters. Unchecked industrial growth has caused perilous pollution, massive over-population and has changed all of that for the inhabitants of Mother Earth. The red people had no need to consider changing their naturebased system. Their land was kept pure and clean. It was productive and had a balanced population. History shows that my people were kind and generous peoples. We kept the Pilgrims alive and sheltered the runaway black slaves. We even SACRED HOOP

ISSUE 18 1997

taught the Pilgrims Thanksgiving and how to plant and fertilise the right way. These people did not place price tags on spiritual gifts and their expressions of gratitude could not be bought by the dominant culture. The ‘blue man’ of Black Elk's 4 vision is seen as a symbol of those who have harmed Mother Earth and all her creatures. The blue man, the great violator, symbolises greed, corruption, dishonesty and selfishness. Mother Earth, represented by the four directions, has fought back against the one who has made the grass and animals sick and the streams and air unclean. I see the Blue Man as an untruthful, greedy and destructive being. Lying is a part of their customs. We don't have to look very far in the modern world to see the consequences of amoral leadership. Although a person may be able to get away with his schemes and untruths, in the spirit world truth won’t be bought or sold and memory will be for an eternity. Natural justice will wreak its balance. It is said that in the very early days, lying was a capital offense among us. Believing that the deliberate liar is capable of committing any crime behind the scene of cowardly untruth and double dealing, the destroyer of mutual confidence was put to death. We don't have to look far to see the blue man in the tobacco industry, or the self-serving politicians who protected their secrets. I will expose many of these people and institutions in a future book about the Blue Man. But we must not lose sight of those people who have integrity. Amongst those I have come to know are the rainbow people described in my book Rainbow Tribe 5. The rainbow is a symbol of the Great Spirit and the many colours, ways, and races unifying. Black Elk said the Rainbow people SACRED HOOP

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(Lakota: Wigmunke oyate) would become the spreading flames for a unifying force of good. The rainbow symbolises fresh spirit life, and from the rainbow little flames of knowledge fall. Where they land, flowers grow. The rainbows are searching to bring forth that ancient tribal gene link that cultivates an innate spiritual consciousness, a natural flowing guidance that led native peoples to personal and collective enjoyment for

“the rainbow people practise Mother Earth spirituality or simply follow the Natural Way, whatever it is called”

thousands of years. These enlightened ones are the Rainbow Tribe, a person who allows nature to touch into his or her own inner source of wisdom - one’s own heart. Their passion has led to an international resurgence of the Sun Dance 6. There is a strong relationship between the 'matriarchal' Rainbow Tribe and the Celtic people. Some historians and archaeologists believe the Bering land bridge existed 200,000 years ago and suggest a nature-deity connection may have existed between the British Isles and the Western shores of the Atlantic. I have observed a deep respect for the Mother, (Lakota : Ina Maka), by the Rainbow people. They are opening new freedoms for the female and are ahead of many of their modern Native American counterparts, who I suspect have been unconsciously influenced by the patriarchy of the missionaries. Could the matriarchal respect being shown by the Rainbows be a reaching back to the best facets of the Druidic spirituality that obviously held a powerful connection to the Creator endowed extension of the natural entities? My personal lineage continues to draw me back to the British Isles. A few years ago, I had dinner with Phillip Carr-Gomm, chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids 7. I discovered there were many startling similarities between native American and Druid teachings and practice. The Spirit of the Circle, the Spirit of the Stones, and related stone circle (medicine wheel) ceremonies suggest a possible common past. Like the Native Americans, both the Celts and the Druids practise teaching in the oral traditions. Bards keep the identity and history alive for their people, creating a communal imagination that weaves PAGE 13

together threads of the past, present and future. Had the Celtic tribes endured the political tides, even if continued on some kind of reservation system as were the native North Americans, then a vast reservoir of natural, connecting knowledge would have been available in our time. Unfortunately, the modern twoleggeds of European lineage, the Romans and the English Kings, the ‘anti-Mothers’, destroyed the truthful records of the Celtic Earth Knowledge. I am among the many who walk amongst the stone circles looking for clues of a people and way of life which is pure. In part, my own interest in the Celtic traditions draws from my bloodline. I am part Scotch-Irish, almost as much as I am Native American. It certainly is a nature based combination. I am not a full-blood, nor do I claim a famous chief as an ancestor. There are many non-Indians with no traceable Native American lineage who declare all sorts of relationships with past tribes. Do not be untruthful to yourself. You are what you are and I am what I am. People are people, and almost everyone in the world is a mixture. I understand it makes for healthier genes. There are many Rainbows who believe they once lived as Native Americans. I cannot discredit their reincarnation theory, but neither can I substantiate it. This subject is definitely a mystery, but I have found little supportive evidence to verify such things. The most important gift we have in life is ‘this day’ and the opportunity to be with those we love one more day. Relationship is at the heart of all

‘Mother Earth’ ceremonies and beseechment. After these pages, I hope you will keep your present vision and simply go your own path strengthened in a deeper respect and understanding for our Mother Earth. It is certain that Great Spirit is at work in all of this and I’m sure it’s all much larger than any of us are able to imagine.

This article was presented to answer the questions I am most asked when teaching. I dedicate it to all my relations… Mitakuye Oyasin!

the Sweat Lodge, the Vision Quest, the Sundance, the making of relatives, the keeping of the Soul, the womanhood ceremony, and the throwing of the ball. These ceremonies are described in detail in the Sacred Pipe by Joseph Epes Brown, and also are covered in Mother Earth Spirituality By Ed McGaa. 4: The ‘blue man’ was part of of Black Elk's vision and can be found in Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt. 5: Rainbow Tribe, Ordinary People Journeying on the Red Road, Harper San Francisco, 1992. 6: See the feature on the Sundance in Sacred Hoop issue 17. 7: See the article by Phillip Carr-Gomm, chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids in Sacred Hoop issue 12.

Ed Mc Gaa, Eagle Man, is an Ogala Sioux lawyer, writer, and lecturer who has introduced thousands to Native American spirituality, ceremonies and rituals. His two best known books are : Mother Earth Spirituality, Native American Paths to Healing Ourselves and Our World, Harper San Francisco, 1990. Rainbow Tribe, Ordinary People Journeying on the Red Road, Harper San Francisco, 1992. Ed Mc Gaa, Eagle Man will be returning to Britain in October where he will be teaching two workshops together with his friend Jennifer Lynn Cline. For more information, please contact : Xenon Centre, Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland Tel: 01592 644060 (October 10, 11, 12) Teddington, London. Tel: 01923 219199 (October 17,18,19) Sacred Hoop wishes to thank Jennifer Lynn-Cline for her great help in obtaining this article. We also wish to thank Ed McGaa’s publisher for their contributions. PHOTOS Photo of Ed McGaa thanks to Four Directions Publishing. All other photos © Nicholas Wood 1997. NOTES 1: Black Elk Speaks by John Neihardt (Publishing details unavailable at the time of this article). The Sacred Pipe by Joseph Epes Brown. University of Oklahoma Press ISBN 0-8061-2124-6. 2: See features on the Sacred Pipe in Sacred Hoop issue 4. 3: The seven sacred ceremonies of the Sioux are

“It is certain that Great Spirit is at work in all of this and I’m sure it’s all much larger than any of us are able to imagine.”

ethatu is the name of the highest initiation one can reach in the healing traditions practiced by the Magyar people, and roughly translates as ‘one who talks with the Dragons’. Dragons are our strongest helpers, and the last ones we meet on this spiritual path. These traditions have three parts or bridges, and each part has it’s own specific helper spirits.

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The first helpers we work with are the tree spirits. These give us the first bridge, the bridge of death. This is so called because at this stage the shaman must experience his or her own death in order to release all of their resistance to the inner worlds. Our normal doorway into the next world is through physical death and it is our fear of death that keeps us bound to this world. Once we have faced death, we have easy access to the next world, the unconscious or underworld. The healing work done at this level is similar to the shamanic or underworld journey. This healing is done to retrieve lost fragments of the soul 1, release entities, solve conflicts in the unconscious mind and break down the elemental energy of past traumas, suppressed emotions, negative patterns and habits. The reason why tree spirits act as our allies here is that it is considered they have their main existence in the astral plane. Having no physical movement, the physical tree is just a centre for the spirit which has an active life on other planes. Tree spirits have a far greater mastery of the underworld than we can ever achieve, and this makes them powerful allies in our journeying work. When a tree spirit wishes to work with a person, it will subdivide, in a kind of fission form, like an amoeba, so that a separate spirit can live in a single branch. This spirit is not like a child, but has all the wisdom and experience of the original tree spirit. It then calls the shaman to cut that branch from the tree and use it. The size of the branch can vary. To produce a wooden bead wearable around the neck, or to make a full sized staff both require different amounts of wood. Tree spirits are not limited to space, a large spirit can be within a very small branch. A shaman usually has a number of tree spirits carried on their person, and communicates with them continually while working. They help to guide the SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

Talking to the Dragons Peter Aziz introduces the tradition of Tethatu a little known European shamanic art from Hungary PAGE 15

shaman when he visits other worlds on a shamanic journey, also each species of tree has particular specialities in the kind of healing they give. These traditions work with thirteen different trees : Birch, Rowan, Ash, Alder, Willow, Whitethorn, Oak, Holly, Hazel, Apple, Blackthorn, Elder, and Yew. These thirteen trees represent our growth from conception, to birth, infancy, adolescence, adulthood, and finally death. The second bridge we cross is the bridge of chaos . This is so called because we have to go beyond logic and reason and stop trying to make sense of the universe. There is a great deal in the universe that is not logical or rational, and if we demand things make sense, we cannot enter the next realm; the imaginal realm. This realm does not fit anywhere in our picture of the three shamanic worlds; the lower, middle and upper world; rather it is a place of ‘wild unharnessed creativity’. Here imagination imagines itself. When you enter this realm, you will find your vision is clearer than ever before, with everything in brilliant technicolour. This is because it is not you who is imagining, but imagination it’s self communicating with you. When we give healing from this level, we are no longer concerned with the past, but with the future, because we can see that the cause lies in the future. In the normal creation process, we first decide the effect, and then go back in time to add the cause. We tend to forget that we created the cause, because of the consensus belief that cause is in the past. Once we are outside of time, we can see through the illusion of this belief. Intent is the most powerful creative force here. It is intent that makes us hold on to the causes. We are what we are now, not because of the past, but because of the future we are becoming. This perception is agreed with by quantum physics, which sees every experience as a double quantum wave between here and the future . If something did not have a future we could not experience it. Healing consists of weeding and cultivating futures. We can see many possible futures effecting a person, all competing for attention. All forms compete for food so they can grow, futures exist as astral forms that feed on the mental energy of the PAGE 16

attention you give them. Whatever forms get your attention, feed of your mental energy.The ones that win grow stronger until they manifest physically, while other futures die and never manifest. The healers work here is to destroy negative futures, redirecting the energy to the positive futures, and helping them grow. The effect of this is felt immediately as it effects who you are now. Our allies at this level are herb and flower spirits. These spirits live outside of linear time and therefore move in touch with future causality. Like tree

‘We are what we are now, not because of the past, but because of the future we are becoming’ spirits, the healer allows the herbs and flowers to call to them, so that when he takes them they still contain the spirit. The healer then dries the plant and wraps it in small pieces of cloth with a mark drawn on it to remind him of which plant it is. He can then carry the herbal charm bags, ready to use in his healing work. The third bridge is call the bridge of belief. This is because nothing here can ever be proven, and only the strength of our belief can carry us on. All the helpers here are entirely non-physical and unprovable. Traditionally they would be Elves, Fairies, and Dragons. Many people who learn this system without the limitation of it’s original tradition find other non-physical helpers such as Angles, Devas and the gods of various religions, Dragons rule the primeval forces of creation and destruction, and protect the divine plan of evolution. Fairies provide joy, pleasure and sensitivity and give our lives more depth. The two

balance each other, providing a well balanced happy life, with emotional as well as spiritual well being. These beings influence our lives without us knowing it and becoming aware of it enables us to enhance our experience of life. The realm this bridge leads us to is called the Ginnungagap, or magically charged void. It is hard to describe but contains all potential and all form. From this plane we see all beings as simply patterns of energy, and by working with the Fairies and Dragons, we can destroy negative patterns and rebuild the light matrix of a persons soul, re-weaving patterns that seem to be faulty or distorted. When working in this way, the healer often does not see the physical body of his patient, as he is in a trance seeing only the changing energy patterns. Observes who are present however sometimes comment on impressive physical changes in the patient, such as large lumps of calcification quickly dissolving or hernias drawing back in place and healing. This work also produces subtle changes in the patients personality, but its real value is more mystical: it puts people in touch with their true will and purpose. Peter Aziz is a hereditary healer from a Hungarian bloodline, but was born in England. The tradition was passed to him by his maternal Grandmother. He has also studied North American Pueblo Indian and Kahuna Shamanism, as well as homeopathy, accupunture, kinesinology and Iridology. He also has a degree in physics. He lives in Devon, where he practices as a healer, and runs courses in shamanism. Notes 1 See Coming Home - the shamans work with soul-loss by Jonathan Horwitz (Sacred Hoop Issue 13) for more information on the Shamanic concept of the loss of the soul and it’s recovery.

SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

The thirteen trees of the Tethatu tradition. 1 : B i r c h Represents conception, and provides new ideas and creativity. When a soul experiences difficulties with conception, it tends to have difficulties conceiving anything new. Birch can help provide this quality if it is lacking. 2 : R o w a n Is the tree of quickening and provides the drive to follow any idea through. 3 : A s h Is linked to parenting, and provides intuition and the courage to follow that intuition. 4 : A l d e r Represents birth, and provides discrimination and trust in nature to support you. 5 : W i l l o w Gives the child the ability to dream. 6 : W h i t e t h o r n Protects the innocent against any harm. 7 : O a k Gives self confidence while controlling ego, enabling one to interact efficiently with the outside world. 8 : H o l l y Gives a true sense of sacrifice, going beyond a picture of one’s selfish needs, to encompass a larger more complex picture; a picture which meets other needs as well as one’s own. 9 : H a z e l Provides the flexibility and endurance to meet the challenge of the extra needs. 1 0 : A p p l e Provides the ability to give and receive. 1 1 : B l a c k t h o r n Puts one in touch with one’s power (not illustrated). 1 2 : E l d e r Provides wisdom to use that power well. 1 3 : Y e w Helps us let go of the physical illusion of life to encompass a greater reality.

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Few of us today have the chance to live in close contact with woodland. Trees are a deep part of this land’s sacred being.

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EETING THE GREENWOOD

JAN WOOD explores how to make deeper connection with our tree relatives

bout 5,000 years ago the wild wood that covered this land began to change irrevocably under the effect of increasing human farming activity. By the time of the Domesday Book only a sixth of the wildwood remained. Further losses ensued as timber became a prime source of fuel, for industry and for ship building. By 1980 only about 7% of Britain remained wooded. It is very easy to see the logical sense of re-forestation, with the mind: but to feel with the woodland is a different matter. In shamanic spirituality worldwide, this sense of heart-felt connection is passed on through an attitude, a daily sense of kinship and inter-dependence. In such communities tree names often refer to the people’s relationship with the tree: ‘the one that soothes,’ ‘winter fuel-giver,’ and so on. In searching back to find out where my own deep love of trees came from, I was surprised to find it was my father who passed this on to me in a very simple way. He was not a countryman himself, although he loved and respected all things in creation. We climbed trees. I remember walks with him in a patch of woodland as yet untouched by developers at the edge of our raw new post-war housing estate. He taught me how to plan routes that would take me up - and more to the point - back down the tree. How to look for trees where the way they branched would make an easy climb; how to assess the weight-bearing capabilities of branches. And once in the tree, I would sit quiet, gently rocked in the arms of the living being, listening to sounds around, feeling the texture of the tree’s bark and leaves, enjoying the sense of camouflage if other people passed by. I encountered the many creatures for whom the tree was home ground, their webs and holes. I imagined that I was a bird, a brigand, a branch. The trees themselves taught me by physical contact, without my realising,

about the greenwood, its diversity, its community. Nine-year-old me - I was just having a good time. I suggest below some starting points, some ideas to help deepen contact with the tree people. They are not aimed at increasing factual knowledge, although you may be curious to find out more about the new beings and situations you meet. They are aimed at pleasuring the child within, who knows its rightful place in the greenwood, for we are of this land. I hope you enjoy them, expand and improvise, and meet with wonder and fun that will be unforgettable even in the most un-green situations. STILL HUNT Find a place in natural surroundings where you feel welcome, comfortable. Sit there as motionless and silent as possible - not even turning your head. Become part of the place. This can last for a few minutes or an hour or two. It creates a real stillness and serenity; even the most restless can enjoy it, as one’s attention should be engaged all the time to note the sounds, colours, smells going on around us. A group may choose to still hunt in an area at the same time and then share their experiences afterwards. SILENT WALKING Walk (single file if others are with you) through woodland and see how little noise you can make. Start as slowly as you need, you will get quicker as you get into your own rhythm. It is easier if you put the weight on the outside of each foot as it first comes into contact with the ground - a stalker's trick. You will have to observe carefully where your feet are planted and plan a route that avoids branches that may rustle. Ask the animals that stalk prey to show you their skills, or pretend to be one and see how your perception changes. CARETAKING This is done on a regular basis. Select a tree or small area of land that you can visit regularly, at least once a week. ‘Adopt’ it and if you wish you can make a formal pledge to the spirit of the place. At least ask that spirit’s permission first and explain that you wish to protect it and give it care. SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

Bring it gifts of water, compost, song, dance, prayer. Take a bag with you to carry away any litter. Who knows what gifts these may turn out to be for you remember the Wombles? I heard of someone who, retrieving a screwed-up piece of paper from her ‘patch’ found it to be a fiver! You can caretake any piece of land, a road or car park verge or a tree in the park. After a short while a real sense of connection and dialogue develops with your special place, and over a year you will see all the minute changes that weather and season bring. BOWER BUILDING Take a walk with the express purpose of celebration and collect decorative items feathers, stones, sheep's wool, fallen bark, bones or weathered wood. This is ‘in-shore sandcastle making’! Call to a place which wants your bower, in celebration of life, the day, Mother Earth, a friend’s birthday - the reason may come to you as you walk. Create simple patterns and shapes on the ground; introduce hand-formed clay shapes; hand-spin or twist wool or plant fibres; use different colours from local chalk or ochre, leaves or berries. Honour and respect the homes of those who live in the place and keep the bower small and

discrete, so that it blends with the environment. Explain to younger builders that the forest dwellers will also make their mark on the bower when you have gone. It is often very interesting to revisit at intervals and see just what gets carried away. GARLANDS A variation on daisy chains which has a very ancient flavour. Take a walk and gather a few lengths of pliable foliage, such as ivy or honeysuckle. Twist them together so that ends are staggered and form a circle about the size of a large dinner plate that will fit on your head. Once the base ‘crown’ is firm you can easily decorate it with feathers, blossoms ferns and berries. Wear it as you continue your walk or still-hunt. Hang it in a tree as a beauty offering to the place as you leave, or wear it home and keep as a remembrance of the place. MEETING A TREE This is done in pairs, in a place where there are quite a few trees. One person is blindfolded and led a short, but roundabout way to a tree. The leading partner then encourages the one blindfolded to make a minute exploration of the tree by asking such questions as ‘Is this tree alive?’ ‘What does it smell and feel like?’ ‘What shapes do the roots make as they enter the ground?’ ‘What patterns and textures can you feel on the bark?’ ‘How tall do you think the tree is?’ ‘Is there a warm side where the sun is falling?’ ‘What sounds can you hear?’ and so on. They are then led back to the starting place, (maybe by another route), the blindfold is removed and they are asked to find ‘their’ tree. Once they are re-united it is time for the partner to be blindfolded and meet their own tree.

Jan Wood is a painter and shamanic counsellor. She leads groups exploring creative connection with shamanic reality and works with individuals one-to-one and by correspondence. She is founder and coordinator of the Flowering Tree Federation, a network for connecting individuals and circles for celebration and personal development. She can be contacted on (01386) 446552. Photos © Nicholas Wood 1997. PAGE 19

Tibetan art is populated by strange beings. In the first part of this feature

Ngak’chang Rinpoche explains these ‘visionary identities’ who show us how to reach our own enlightened state.

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e are all symbols of ourselves; we are not the real thing. That is to say: we do not experience ourselves to be the enlightened beings we actually are. Rather, we experience confusion and a variety of problems. So how can we relate to our innate enlightenment - our non-dual state? Let begin with ‘the banal’. In everyday life, people dress in certain ways in order to accomplish certain ends. If they lack confidence in the business world they ‘power dress’ - if they lack sexual confidence, they might present themselves provoca-tively. Banal as these dress codes may be, there is a link with the Tantric method of yidam1 or awareness being. A yidam is a visual description of our own enlightened state, as well as a method of reaching, under-standing and experience that state. A yidam arises as a method to reach enlightenment, in the ‘heart-mind’ of an enlightened yogi or yogini. Because they have realised their own enlightened nature, and reached this level of awareness, they can manifest at the level of vision, compassionate methods, through which others can also arrive at the enlightened state. This is, perhaps, similar to a shamanic vision, in which the whole tribe ceremonially acts out the shaman’s vision. However, there is a distinction I should make. In Tibetan Buddhist tradition these methods arise in the visionary practices of enlightened masters for the purpose of entering the non-dual state. There are very few such masters. With regard to shamanism, it is my impression that the shaman may, or may not be, enlightened in the Buddhist sense; and that the visions he or she receives may not be directed toward the realisation of nonduality. USING YIDAMS WITHIN TANTRA There are many different methods of working with yidams within Tantra. It might be helpful, as an inadequate analogy, to make a parallel with developmental psychology. SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

WEARING THE BODY OF

VISIONS

To an infant, Mother is God. She is everything. ‘I and mother are one’, or, ‘I am one with God’. After this stage there comes a time where I am separate from God, ‘I have lost God.’ As the child grows older, so the parents diminish in their godlike form, until hopefully at some point parent and child are equal, and the child becomes a parent. One level of practice, kryra tantra is where the yidam is seen as an external god, a deity, from whom we receive wisdom. One prays to the god, one makes offerings, one performs ritual activities which might actually be quite familiar to people in the West. At this level, when one approaches the yidam, one has to be in a pure state. This is because krya tantra views the practitioner as defiled: the dualistic state is somehow regarded as ‘filthy’. So in order to make contact with the yidam, one needs to be pure. Because of this, in this form of tantra there is great emphasis on cleanliness and reverence. For Western people the whole concept of external deities can be problematic. One either believes in them, or disbelieves. Both beliefs have problems. The level at which Khandro Dèchen and I teach Tantra is called Anu yoga. At this level one identifies oneself with the yidam. One spontaneously self arises as the Yidam, this is known as ‘wearing the Body of Visions’. THE NATURE OF A YIDAM A yidam is not an archetype. There have been a number of Western people who have who started describing yidams in this way, but it is neither accurate nor helpful. An archetype arises out of the human psyche, whereas a yidam arises from the primordial emptiness of mind. Yidams do not arise from concept consciousness - no matter how extraordinary that consciousness may be. However some yidams were living enlightened beings who took form in the world, but who have since moved into other dimensions. Padmasambhava and his spiritual wife Yeshè Tsogyel are examples PAGE 21

of this form of yidam. Yidam, in this sense, refers to the many facets of compassionate activity which the person displayed. In a small way, we are all used to having many facets of personality within our lives. One is a mother or father, a son or daughter or policeman, contract killer, cook, cowboy, artist, rock star, etc. But a rock star is not just a rock star, he or she is everything else too - maybe not a contract killer, but possibly a daughter, a wife, a mother, a cow-girl etc. Take John Lennon for example. There is the ‘longhaired bearded’ yidam form, and the ‘short-haired-boilersuited’ yidam form. You could look at his styles throughout his whole career, and see that they were different versions of the same thing. But theses images can come to have a life of their own in terms of how we relate to them. I could decide to buy a white suit, grow my hair long and wear round glasses - I could try to be ‘that’ John Lennon, but I would not be the whole person, I would just be myself manifesting what Lennon reflected at that moment in his life. The difference between such hero or heroine worship and Tantra is that John Lennon is not necessarily a visionary reflection of one enlightened nature. With yidams like Padmasambhava, there are many manifestations, each reflecting one of his many facets, but each one also reflecting his entire being in terms of the non-dual state. Each manifestation reflects a method according to the enlightenment which he has displayed of different people at different times. As I have said, Padmasambhava was an historical person, and so some of the methods were those he displayed during his human life; whereas others were displayed after he left the world. These others visionary forms would have arisen as ‘compassionate appearances’ to an enlightened master, who would have PAGE 22

realised them as manifestations of Padmasambhava. Not all yidams have had incarnation as people, but some people are considered manifest-ations of Yidams. Such a person is the Dalai Lama who is considered to be a manifestation of Chenrèzig. To say that someone is a manifestation of Chenrèzig, simply means that they manifest the quality of unquenchable compassion of everyone and everything every-where. These are the qualities of the yidam called Chenrèzig. This is obviously a very different idea to that of the ‘God King’ -

“For Western people the whole concept of external deities can be problematic. One either believes in them, or disbelieves. Both beliefs have problems”

embodiment of a deity on earth. THE THREE FORMS OF YIDAMS In the middle of the so called ‘Tibetan Wheel of Life’, more accurately known as the ‘Wheel of Cyclic Experience’, we see a circle within which is a rooster, a pig, and snake. The rooster signifies attraction, the snake signifies aversion, and the pig represents indifference. These three states generates the energy which power dualism. Dualism is the habit of attempting to divide ‘that which is indivisible’, and then relating to a part of the whole as if it were the whole. The twin aspects of reality could be called by many names: emptiness and form, chaos and pattern, intuition and logic, intangible and tangible, lateral and linear. Dualism is the illusion that it is possible to relate to form rather than the non-dual play of emptiness and form. Or to put it another way, ‘this’ substantiates my perception of being ‘solid, permanent, separate, continues and defined’, ‘that’ threatens my perception of being ‘solid, permanent, separate, continues and defined’, and the ‘other’ is neither here nor there. The peaceful, joyous, and wrathful awareness beings equate with these three states. Peaceful yidams transform indifference, joyous yidams transform attraction, and wrathful yidams transform aversion. PEACEFUL AND JOYOUS YIDAMS Peaceful yidams can be male or female; they sit calmly and smile serenely. Examples of these are the Buddha, Tara, Chenrèzig and Dzambala. Joyous yidams can be seen in several forms. There is the dancing dakini form, such as Vajra yogini, who is always solitary and female. There is also the yab-yum or ‘father-mother’ form, where the male and female SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

yidams are in sexual union. Joyous male awareness beings are never seen on their own. If I was being ever so slightly facetious, I could say men are not joyous without women, but women can be joyous by themselves. But when I say that males are not joyous by themselves, this is not a statement about human beings, but rather a statement about the nature of emptiness and form. In Tibetan Tantric traditions, maleness is seen as ‘form’ and femaleness is seen as ‘emptiness’. When you see a female yidam on her own, she is emptiness because she is female; but, you can also see her - so she has form. Because of this tantric view, femaleness is always both emptiness and form; and, for that reason, is seen as being complete in herself. In Tantra, as I have said, maleness is seen as form. A male yidam then is form, so we have to describe his emptiness in some other way, because of this he is shown in sexual union with his consort; and in that way his emptiness is also depicted. WRATHFUL YIDAMS The Devil might well be a great figure in Tibetan Tantra, because he could easily be seen as a wrathful yidam. Wrathful yidams can be male or female, solitary or in sexual union. A wrathful yidam is simply a description of everything horrific one could ever imagine. This is a demonstration of the fact that no matter how evil I am, no matter how vile or unpleasant, or vicious, I might be these distortions are still connected to the SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

“The Devil might well be a great figure in Tibetan Tantra, because he could easily be seen as a wrathful yidam” enlightened state. Tantra proclaims that everything can be transformed - it is impossible to be too bad or too good. This is an enormously powerful stance, because if such a practice can even transform the Devil, then it can transform anything - even this wretched Ngakpa Chögyam. Wrathful Yidams all hold weapons and sometimes scorpions who have their own weapon. The scorpion is a beautiful wrathful example. It is said to be the only animal who will kill itself, or anything else for that matter - on immediate impulse. The weapons held by wrathful yidams destroy the illusion

of dualism. There are swords, lances, axes, spears, flaying knives, daggers a vast array. It is not that dualism has to be destroyed in all these different ways, simply that we all need different ways to destroy our own illusions of duality. Our illusions take many different forms; so, paradoxically, many illusory methods are needed to destroy illusion. At the ultimate level, the weapons held by wrathful yidams all perform the same ultimate function; whether it is a spear, a lance, or a dagger - duality is murdered. Maybe if a Western Tantric master realised a yidam now, one of the weapons might be called ‘nuclear overkill’. Such a ferocious method of transformation might also be armed with machine guns, revolvers, rifles, land-mines, and all manner of implements of death. But remember, this would not be a human creation, the yidam would arise out of the vision of an enlightened yogi spontaneously. I am not a gTèrtön2, so I will never give rise to such a vision. But one day there may be a Western gTèrtön; so it is not out of the question. W r a t h f u l imagery describes a high level of energy. Tantra is intrinsically shocking. Shock was the major theme of Tantra in the context of ancient India, where Tantra was juxtaposed against the dominant Brahmin culture. Tantikas 3 had low cast sexual consorts, they gambled, drank alcohol, and - they were not vegetarian. This was horrendous to a Brahmin. Maybe it is still horrendous PAGE 23

to a new-age Buddhist type who make a codified moral stance out of vegetarianism. It may be useful to consider that Tantra is not influenced by concepts of political correctness. Perhaps today we think of swords as romantic, and inoffensive, but it is important to understand that Tantra is not merely a methodology dredged up from some ancient world. It might be offensive to the P.C. among us to encounter a wrathful yidams replete with a machine gun, chain-saw, and the freshly flayed skin of a baby. But somehow, even though ‘that’ might not be considered ‘spiritual’, it might point to something far kinder in essence than the tightly structured ‘goodness’ which cannot tolerate human diversity. In the next issue of Sacred Hoop, Ngak’chang Rinpoche will describe how, by working with a yidam, we can make the change in our lives which ultimately leads to enlightenment.

This article was taken from the transcript of a recorded conversation between Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Nicholas Wood in Dec 1996. Ngak’chang Rinpoche is a lama of the Nyingma school of Tibetan Buddhism. He is a Ngakpa, a non monastic Lama. He was born and educated

in the West and currently lives in Wales. He is the incarnation of Aro Yeshè, the son of an early 20th century female gTèrtön called Khyungchen Aro Lingma. Together with his sang- yum (spiritual wife) Khandro Dèchen he is the current holder of the Aro gTèr lineage. For further details of retreats and Tantric empowerments given by Ngak’chang Rinpoche and Khandro Dèchen contact: Sang-ngak-chö-dzong. Po box 2318, Bridport, Dorset. DT6 5YP. UK NOTES 1: Yidam is a Tibetan word meaning ‘oath-bound mind’ 2: Before Padmasambhava left this world, he hid various spiritual treasures to be found at a later times. These treasures known as gTèrma are in the form of sacred objects, texts and yidam practices. A gTèrtön is a person who finds these hidden gTèrma. ILLUSTRATIONS : Page 20 ~ Top : Yamantanka - the Lord of Death. Brass statue H 475mm. Bottom : Yeshè Tsogyel painting (Thangka), paint on cotton cloth. Page 21 ~ Padmasambhava, the Tantric Buddha. Page 22 ~ Tröma Na’kmo. Page 23 ~ Yab-Yum (mother-father) couple in sexual union. The couple are Padmasambhava (appearing as the Medicine Buddha Ögyen Menlha) and Yeshè Tsogyel. Page 24 : Senge Dradog, a wrathful Yidam wrapped in swirling flames. All line drawings by Khandro Dèchen.

I

sit on the floor at the front of the lecture theatre in Cambridge. Perhaps fifty people are sitting behind me on the tiered wooden seating, but I feel utterly alone - there seems no-one else there except for Jo and the two people on the low stage in front of us. One of them, an older man with black hair and piercing eyes is sitting on the floor on a fur rug whilst the other: a young woman, unpacks the skin and canvas bag beside him. From the bag come wonders - skin boots, heavily embroidered with beads, and a long reindeer skin coat much hung with fur tassels, ribbons, metal mirrors and bells. And the drum, oval, covered in skin, alive. Slowly with dignity the woman takes off the older man's shoes and replaces them with the boots, helps him into the coat and places a fringed mask over his eyes. Even as she dresses him, already he is setting his feet on the path that leads to the world of the spirits. He yawns, begins to hum and mutter a wordless song. Deep within I feel the urge to sing too, to join him in calling to the spirits. I feel a drawing, a thickening of the air the same feeling I have when my own teacher calls his spirit helpers into the room. The woman and a younger man - a Yakut anthropologist are warming the drum over a barbecue. Strange incongruities - the drum, the barbecue, the shaman, the lecture theatre. Already the shaman is ready, his helpers are calling him onwards. The plan to drape the fire detectors with plastic and to open the windows is suddenly abandoned. The plan to smudge the room with herbs is dropped. For the shaman is rapidly moving into trance. His assistant lights a cigarette, and hands it to him. Still singing the shaman begins to smoke with his spirit helpers. Gradually his assistant takes up the song until they're singing together. The song seems familiar and it speaks to me of a far land, of a cold and icey wind, of a bird flying above a harsh landscape. Between the strands of his fringed mask, the shaman's eyes gleam in the low light. Fierce, animal like. He is looking between the worlds, into the land of the spirits. And still he sings, still he is calling

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SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

THE

BLESSING OF THE REINDEER CAMPS

UPON MEETING A YAKUT SHAMAN.

BY KAREN KELLY

them here, to the room, to this place far, far from the reindeer camps of his home. It comes to me that I should call my own helpers. And silently I call them, call out to my spirit kin, to the spirits of Cambridge, this old, old city. And they come. He's staring at me now, at me and Jo beside me. His eyes piercing, bright and he sees through us, beyond.... Deep in trance now. Still sitting there. Singing. And he turns the cigarette, offers it in our direction. And our spiritkin breathe the smoke. Now he's taking up the drum and the spoon shaped beater and he begins to drum. Flat sound from the unheated drum, but not dead, never dead... And he's moving further and further from this lecture hall reality. Flying. Suddenly he rises and begins to dance and spin. Whirling the metal ornaments and mirrors clash and sing. An unearthly accompaniment to the drum. On and on he dances until all at once the assistant offers him a cup of water, begins to talk into his ear. Calling him home. And she takes up the coat, pulls it

gently from him, pulls the drum from his trembling fingers into her own. She leaps up and begins to dance and the coat is singing with her. And the shaman slumps to the floor by her feet. As he falls quite suddenly I hear my Grand-mother's voice in my ear telling me to offer the shaman something - a gift from the spirits of this land. And I finger the pierced flint I wear around my neck - the Raven-stone. And I shiver. Now the assistant pulls off the coat and she almost throws it to the anthropologist and turns to the slumped shaman. Whispering, whispering. And the drum urgent calling him homewards. Now the coat is pulled in turn from the anthropologist and they call for a local. Quickly, quickly. And a young woman rises from the front row. Puts on the coat. Drums and dances. At last the drumming falters to a close. The assistant and the anthropologist whisper more with the slumped shaman. The young

anthropologist takes up the coat, heavy with ribbons and fur and ornaments, heavy with power. He walks to the front row of seating. Drags the coat over us. The ornaments, the fur are waterfalls of power. I sit and the power is poured over me. I am blessed. And I give the Raven-stone to Piers who organised the day, to give to the shaman. Not a gift from me, but a gift from the spirits. And carrying the blessing I walk home. Karen Kelly is the editor of Spirit Talk, a Core shamanic news letter. This account is based upon a Yakut shamans ceremony she took part in that was arranged by the anthropologist Piers Vitebsky at Cambridge University in the summer of 1997.

the

Staff Song & the

The old Nordic form of shamanism called seidr was practiced mostly by women called Volvas. They used ecstatic song as a means for journeying to the otherworld. Part one of this article focused on the seidr tradition’s magic chanting, then and now.

Part two ~ reawakening the ancient tradition by Annette Høst

o let the seidr reveal its secrets and inherent qualities, we have started out with only the necessary background information. This is to avoid shaping the result and experience. However two main conditions have seemed indispensable in practising the craft of seidr. There are many missing pieces in the old written information about seidr from the Edda and the sagas. But a basic physical framework for a seidr seance is consistently mentioned in the literature, that is : the song, the highseat, the staff and the circle of singers. In my experiential work with different groups of people I have found that this unique ceremonial form is indispensable for practising

T

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the craft of seidr. It seems to strongly influence the quality and flow of power, for example it seems to facilitate embodyment of spirit helpers. From the sources it is clear that seidr is a shamanic practice, and so I have emphasised that it is done in a shamanic way. Both the volva and the singers have a clear mission. The volva lets the song transport her into a shamanic state of awareness and close contact with her spirit helpers, and then she journeys in trust. When we begin a seidr seance

today, the volva steps out of the old myths and into this reality. Modern women take their place on the seat and they change in front of our very eyes. They sit, with a glow, with the authority of a mountain. And as the song grows in power it does happen that the volva experience embodiment, she merges with the spirit source of her knowledge, she becomes her spirit helper. When the song dies out the volva is still between worlds, in a state to prophesy and answer questions, and she talks to us with a voice as from far away, or with the licence of an irreverent old hag. 1 THE STAFF The staff must be part of the core of SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

seidr, as it has given the volva her name: She who carries the magic staff, or just staff carrier. But we are never told how this magic wand is used. In the account of Thorbiörg Lillvolva 2, her staff is adorned with stones and metal. That is on the outside, but what is inside? What is the staff for? When the people I have worked with have chosen or cut their staffs, their guidance has been this scanty information plus spirit instruction or intuition. It is peculiar, how most of the staffs turn out being the same length. Off they go on the journey, holding onto their staffs. What do they tell upon returning? That the staff is a power antenna, it is a lightningrod, it grows hot, it comes alive and vibrates, it moves like a snake in the hands, it keeps the focus and direction of flight clear, at the same time as it grounds. It is the tree of life, connecting the lower world and the sky world, power flowing through it. 3 THE SPIRITUAL ROOTS OF THE SEIDR The seidr had its roots in the fertility cults around the goddess Freya. Frey and Freya were members of a clan of gods and spirits called the Vanir. The earth centred Vanir-religion is a spirituality of peace and plenty, including sexuality and magic in the sacred realm. It is much closer to animism and non-duality 4 than the later Viking gods. The Aesir, most well known are Odin, Thor, Balder. The Vanir goddesses and gods of fertility are inseparable from a vast omnipresent population of nature spirits, elves and gnomes powers of fruitfulness, and elemental forces. People of that time were always aware of these beings. They were in daily communication and exchanged help with their spirit neighbours, to ensure that the land, the spirits and the humans would prosper 5. This is the spiritual foundation of the seidr, and obviously the volva works in an intimate relationship with nature: it is from there she draws her power. Thus the volva represent the world view of this (older) fertility and earth oriented spirituality, and this shows in her seidr. The saga accounts often depict a conflict between the old volva and a young man representing the newer militant Viking culture. The written sources testify that the men of the Viking SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

age, even before Christianity, experienced more and more difficulty with the value system personified by the volva, in fact it provoked them and enraged them. Whereas women were the keepers of the old cult and spirituality, since it allowed them more power and freedom. It is tempting to read this conflict exclusively as ‘male verses female’ values, or men verses women, but if we do we are likely to miss the point. The heart of this conflict is the choice between staying in harmony with nature, or trying to conquer and dominate it. It was a vital choice then, it is a vital choice today, and it will show in our shamanic work. SEIDR TODAY? One of the questions that arises for a modern practitioner of shamanism or earth

modern Women

‘Modern women take their place on the seat and they change in front of our very eyes. They sit, with a glow, with the authority of a mountain’ modern Women spirituality is: How much of the ancient seidr is inseparable from its specific time and place? What aspects can we use of the seidr tradition today in a genuine way without becoming wanna-be-Vikings? The key here is to take inspiration, from the content of the seidr, rather than imitate the form of the ceremonial details. This is closely connected to another issue. How much knowledge does it take to do a complete seidr ritual respectfully and safely? In this introductory article there are still many important elements of the craft of seidr not touched upon. I think it is sound advice that you read the literature on seidr, are familiar with its spiritual roots, and have a firm basis of practical shamanic experience before jumping into the deep water of a full seidr ritual. But the heart or the essential lore the seidr tradition is a heritage for all of us, to

take inspiration from, and start using here and now. This heart of seidr shows first of all, that song has an incredible potential for healing and empowering, in our daily life and spiritual practice in so many ways. For example, you can sing yourself or a partner on a journey instead of using a drum, or a circle of people can bathe someone in the centre with healing song. Also, the seidr tradition teaches us as do native shamanic traditions from other parts of the world, the importance of staying in harmony, in good relationship with the land and its spirits - the source of power. Finally the story of the volva makes a female shamanic tradition visible, adding more depth and colour to our knowledge of North European shamanism. Hearing her story, and maybe even picking up her work, helps us build up a native shamanic identity and a spiritual sense of belonging.

We stand more firmly planted on our soil now, the song flowing through us with voices we didn't know we had. The song changes us, it touches and heals and changes the world around us - as it has always done. NOTES 1: The volva's oracular or prophetic soothsaying is a long story in itself to be told another time. However it has strong links to the Celtic prophetic tradition. See Matthews in Sacred Hoop issue 15 and 16. and Davidsson: "Myths and Symbols in Pagan Europe" 2: See Brian Bates decription of the seance of Thorbiörg Lillvolva in Sacred Hoop Issue 15. 3: See also Karen Kelly: The World Tree. Sacred. Hoop. Issue 12. 4: See also Jonathan Horwitz on Animism Sacred Hoop Issue 12 5: Therefore there are so many specified names for nature spirits, both in my land and in yours, see fairy lore in Sacred Hoop Issue 15. Annette Høst has practiced and studied shamanism for more than ten years with a special focus on Nordic shamanic tradition and the power of Natures cycles. She and her partner Jonathan Horwitz run Scandinavian Centre for Shamanic Studies in Copenhagen. They teach workshops in shamanism and frequently visit UK. October 3-5 Annette will teach a course in London on shamanic singing. For details of this and other workshops contact Kathy Fried, 29 Chamber Lane, London NW10 2JR. Tel : (0181) 459 3028 Illustration © Jan Wood 1997

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C R A F T F E A T U R E

A PERSONAL MEDICINE BAG Wearing a medicine bag containing symbols of who you are is a good way of keeping the sacred with you all the time. Bags can be worn around the neck or tied onto belt loops or other parts of clothing.

Nicholas Wood describes their construction and gives instruction on how they can be decorated with glass beads

S

ince I started being involved in these traditions, I have had a number of personal medicine bags. The first one simply wore out, the second went ‘walk about’, and now for the last five or six years, I have had one which I wear at times around my neck, and when not worn, I hang it up above my bed. To have a bag like this is a way I can feel connected to my medicine when I need to. It is not ‘magic’, it doesn’t make me bullet proof, but when I wear it, I know I am trying to live in a sacred manner. There is no right way to make a bag, this is just one simple method. It is not tied to any one Native tribal tradition; it’s just a bag. MATERIALS Soft leather: thin buckskin or chamois. Strong sewing thread. Glass seed beads for decoration. Two large holed glass beads for the drawstring. Bead and leather needles. Scissors. Pen for marking leather.

CONSTRUCTION Begin by cutting a strip of leather wide enough for the bag and long enough so that when it is folded in two it is tall enough to make the bag’s front and back (fig 1) The bag will be sewn up inside out, so decide which surface of the leather you wish to show ( surface a ), and make sure it is folded as shown in the illustration (fig 1). Using the pen, mark with a series of dots the curved shape of the finished bag. This will be your sowing line (fig 2). Sow up the bag. The bag is now finished and can be turned inside out (to make the right side out). THE DRAWSTRING To complete the description of the bag’s construction, I will here explain the drawstring, but when you come to make your bag remember it is best to leave this part of the bag’s construction until you have done the bead work. The draw string closes the bag and also makes a cord for you to wear it PAGE 28

SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

around your neck. If you do not want to wear the bag, it does not need to be so long. The drawstring can be one single piece of leather or plaited (fig 3). Once it is made, cut six holes in the front of your bag (a hole punch is useful here), and six holes in the back (fig 4). The drawstring is threaded as shown. Remember to put the two large glass beads on the drawstring before you tie its two ends together behind your neck. THE BEADWORK There are several ways to decorate the bag you have just made. The simplest way is to put a line of beadwork down the length of the seam. This can be one colour or a series of colours. Begin at the top of the bag. Using a beading needle thread a few (6-8) beads and lay them down onto the bag so that they will be in the position that you wish them to end up in. At the point where they end, stick the needle into the leather, but not right through it, and bring it out somewhere about the midpoint of your beads (fig 5). Then carefully pass the point of the needle back through all the beads ahead of this point and out through the

SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

last bead. Once this is done, repeat the process, and keep on repeating it until the whole of the seam is covered in beads. The second beadwork method begins with this line of beads as its starting point. Once you have the line of beads, other beads can then be hung in tassels from it. This can produce a very pretty bag. Begin inside at the top of the bag, pass a needle and long thread through the seam, and also through the top bead in the line. Once done, thread on the beads you want to make up the tassel, including a few which will make a loop at the end, then pass the needle back along the beads beyond the loop, and all the way down to the line of beads at the seam (fig 6). Take the needle inside the bead line, and out four beads down and repeat the whole procedure, and keep on repeating it until you have tassels hanging from the bead line all the way round the bag. The third method is to cover the bag’s seam with a line of lazy stitch. To do this thread the needle and pass it through the leather from the

back to the front. Seven beads are strung upon the thread. Let the beads lie flat along the leather at 900 to the seam. Where they end, pass the needle back through the top layer of the leather. The thread is now pulled tight, fixing the beads in place. The needle should come out beside the first row of beads, so you can thread the same number of beads again and sew them down parallel to the previous row (fig 7). By repeating this action, eventually a whole band of rows of beads will be stitched to the leather. Beads can vary in size; reject any which are much larger or smaller, as they will spoil the evenness of the finished work. Smaller variations can be compensated for by increasing or decreasing the number of beads if necessary - your eye will be the best judge of this. It also helps to use quite small beads as irregular spacing is less noticeable. Lazy stitch is basically quite a simple stitch practiced by many Native American tribes. Don't be put off if your first attempts are a little uneven, as the spacing and technique quickly comes with practice and the beadwork will become neater the more you do.

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r eek legend records sweat houses amongst the 'Hyperborei' and, historically, the ‘sweat house’ was known in Ireland until the end of the 19th Century. There is evidence that similar sweat houses were known throughout Celtic lands and the Römisch-lrische Bad (Roman-lrish Bath), believed to be the continuation of these, is still part of German sauna culture. These are rooms with stone benches, usually of marble with a central fountain producing steam, scented by herbal extracts. Further corroboration comes from ancient sites on the Orkneys where a number of holes filled with burnt stones and surrounded by the archaeological remains of light wooden frames, set out in line with the cardinal points of the compass, have been found. These resemble, in astounding parallel, the Sweat lodges of the plains tribes of north America. Finally there is the well known Sauna of Finland, though not strictly Celtic, research shows parallels between it and the historic fragments of the Celtic sweat house. We in the west, being the remnants of long denied cultures, find ourselves in a paradoxical position. On the one hand, it becomes daily ever more evident that we must, in order to survive recover our lost ancient knowledge. Yet on the other hand we cannot recreate the past, with all its intricacies and nuances. This leaves us with the uphill struggle to dig out of anecdote, conjecture and experimentation the strands of the 'truth that liberates’. Taking all of the above into account, I make the following suggestion for a reconstruction of the Téach An Alais, the Celtic sweat house. Those familiar with Native American Sweat lodges will be aware of similarities.

G

The lodge may be built either of stone or timber, similar to a modern sauna, or of a hazel frame covered with a natural material. Hazel is the tree of knowledge in Celtic tradition, bringing wisdom through stillness and meditation. The door faces east, as this is the direction of the sunrise. The fire would be placed in the south, the direction associated with fire in the celtic traditions. An altar may be built in the house PAGE 30

TA

ÉACH A N LAIS

THE BY

CELTIC SWEAT HOUSE

ADRIAN REID-WOLFE

The use of the sweat house to cleanse the spirit, mind and body is ancient, and its reintroduction to western Europe could help heal both man and nature. When SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

opposite the door in the west, the direction of guardianship. As to the actual ceremony, I have drawn heavily on the Finnish sauna tradition as it is the only remaining truly European sweat house and still contains enough ritual to deduce a sacred origin. For this reason I have included in brackets the appropriate Finnish names. My research shows three main types of ceremony, a shamanic sweat to enable soul travel, various forms of healing or health sweats and a religious or celebratory sweat. The following is a suggestion for a celebratory sweat. Experimentation will show if it is effective, however it is important to show proper respect at all times! The structure used is first physically cleaned. If it is a stone or timber building it can be washed down. Then smoking herbs are used to psychically cleanse the area. Appropriate herbs are frankincense, myrrh, meadowsweet, lavender, sage or pine. The fire is built using wood and its products only. In a sauna type fire made in a box within the sweat house, the stones (Koti Maa) are placed on top of the fire box, alternatively they are placed outside in a sacred fire until they contain enough heat to be transferred to a pit in the floor of the sweat house. In this tradition all implements used in the house must be of wood or horn the only permitted exception would be a copper ladle (no iron or steel or plastic is permitted). The Téach An Alais is an ‘entering into the earth’ so combining all the elements, the life giving powers of the Earth, the Air, the Water and the Fire (Sun). The atmosphere created in the ceremony should be humourous, earthy, soft, sacred, clean and cleansing, full of spirit and compassion, happy, warm and joyous. This is a living and life giving ceremony. When everything is ready the participants remove their clothes and are smoked clean with sacred herb smoke. They then line up. The leader ( Loylyn Heittaja ) is first and any who suffer from heat or claustrophobia are at the end of the line as they will be the nearest to the door during the ceremony. They are followed by the door keeper. Then the presence of the Eagle SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

( lolair) is invoked in a simple circle dance around the sweat house. Iolair represents the renewal of wisdom. The leader begins the entry to the sweat house by stepping to the door and, taking the ladle (Kauha) in both hands, welcomes the spirit of the sweat ( Saunahenki or Saunapukki ). They then show honour to the

“The Téach an Alais is an ‘entering into the earth’ so combining all the elements, the life giving powers of the Earth, the Air, the Water and the ancestors, all beings, the elements and spirits of the earth. Handing the ladle to the next person they in turn welcome the spirit before going in, and so forth until the last person is in the sweat house. The door keeper remains outside and having placed the implements needed into the lodge before the ceremony, now closes the door. In the case of a pit in the sweat house for the stones the leader now calls the doorkeeper to bring as many hot rocks as the leader feels are needed. Then invoking the Otter (Belgair), the healing protector, begins the first round. The first of the four parts of the ceremony (normally known as rounds)

THE FOLLOWING ASPECTS ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE FOUR ROUNDS. FIRST ROUND ~ THE EAST,

The Path of opening the way. The Otter (Balgair) protection and healing. State of Passing Within.

SECOND ROUND ~ THE SOUTH

The Path of coming into being, the Hawk ( Aracos ) companion on the inner journey. State of Inner Fire.

THIRD ROUND ~ THE WEST

The Path of passing within. The Stag ( Abhach ) guide to the Otherworld. State of Guardianship.

FORTH ROUND ~ THE NORTH,

The Path of finding wisdom. The Salmon

is an entering into the spirit of the sweat. No water is used as it would disturb the total silence which is kept in this hot time. The participants contemplate the reasons for being there. The round ends when the leader asks for the door to be opened at which time all leave to either shower or bathe with cold water or cool down outside. If you do have a cold bath or shower, remember it is very important to start with your feet; in this way your blood circulation will be stabilised, and their will be no shock on your body When called by the leader all again enter the sweat house, touching the ladle to show respect. This starts the second round. Bundles of twigs of birch, pine, rowan or juniper ( Vihta ) have already been placed, by the doorkeeper, in a bucket of warm water by the leaders place. When all are settled again, the leader hands a vihta to each participant, then begins telling sacred stories. During these stories at times indicated by the pouring of water on the stones, the participants all rub themselves vigorously with the twigs which themselves have an envigourating and healing effect. This round is a time of deepening one’s contact to the energies and cleansing. Again this ends with the opening of the door and the chance to cool down. The vihta are replaced in the water and removed by the doorkeeper, who hangs them up to dry. The third round is one of chanting. The wealth of both traditional and and new-age chants and sacred songs makes this a matter of personal choice. Following the same pattern the fourth round is one of prayers of thanks. At the end of this round the leader reminds all present that wisdom dreams during or after the sweat are of special portent. This is followed by the final exit and a period of cool down. Adrian Reid Wolfe has run workshops all over Britain and Europe on Earth awareness and survival skills. He is a member of the white horse circle (See the Earth Talk page (Page 9) this issue), and has worked for many years with native teachers. He is an experienced Sweatlodge leader. Currently he is setting up ITACOR, a charity to further the work of conflict resolution world wide. For further information as well as information on his workshops in the uk, send an sae to: Adrian Reid Wolfe 28 Oberon Wood Beddgelert Gwynedd LL55 4YW Tel (01766) 890454 Illustration by Jan Wood ©1997 PAGE 31

Reviews . . . . . . . . . . GIG NA GIG Global Seventh Wave GLISS CD003 68.17 mins. CD: (Full price) Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

friends and hey presto you have an album well worth hearing. On the new age side, but with more than enough heart soul and backbone to work. Sound wise it is superb and creative. One track in particular (seventh Heaven) gives me goose bumps. Available from High Street record shops

If you are a regular Sacred Hoop reader, you will know by now we like Seventh wave music. We like them because they are fun people, and perhaps more importantly we like them because they are bloody good, fresh and interesting musicians. This is globals third dance music album, and for the six musicians who make up the band it is their strongest album by far. Driving rhythms, Sythersisors, guitars, drums, didj and Carolyn Hillyers beautiful vocals come together in a heady mix. The track ‘Small Stone’, a song extolling the virtues of a medicine stone is superb. Release it as a single, I want to see the video on my TV! Available from Seventh Wave Music, and see our special readers offer on Page ?????

DREAM CATCHER David Lowe Mango Music CIDM 1118/524 311 - 2 53.37 mins. CD: (Full price) Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

tunes, and these have the atmosphere of some of the warrior dances played on wailing bagpipes (first catch your goat), from Macedonia. Men’s music. Both CD’s are equally superb, perhaps the Celestial Harmonies wins a few points as it is longer, but big deal, so what! Buy one or if you can both. Available from High Street record shops

FREE RADICALS Michael Askill Black Sun Music 15027 - 2 56.58 mins. CD: (Full price) Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

Music composed for the Sydney Dance Company. A mixture of percussion, voice, bells, and didjeredoo. Can’t say why I like it, but I do. You could dance to it; you could paint to it, write to it, or even listen to it. It’s interesting, it’s good and it’s very different. A kind of Gaberiel Roth out of Kodo Drummers out of Stockhousen out of traditional Aboriginal. Available from High Street record shops

SPIRIT OF THE MORNING WIND Trio Livdvig Garibian Oreade Music ORW 5207 - 2 61.19 mins. CD: (Full price)

YATRA David Parsons Fortuna Records 18072 - 2 123.43 mins. Double CD: (Full price) Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

Ambient music composed as a journey through India and into Tibet (Yatra is Sanskrit for journey). Original street sounds and musical snippets have been sampled by Parsons and added to with a bank of synthesisers. He uses the samples of Indian percussion instruments to very good effect, they are employed in several pieces to give a foundation. This is not mushy newagemuzak, it is thoughtful, highly creative music reminiscent of the ambient work of Brian Eno, but perhaps with more structure and direction. The work begins with a looped sample of street sellers in an Indian railway station and ends with a piece inspired by Tibet’s Mount Kailash: quite a journey indeed. Available from High Street record shops

DIYE David Lowe the composer is a BBC sound engineer and got to visit exotic people in exciting places all over the world. So, this album was recorded in amongst other places, Kenya, South Africa, India, Thailand, Tibet, China, Australia, Russia, France, the USA and Malvern! Perhaps there is a growing fashion to take a DAT sound recorder on holiday rather than a camera. When you come back you don’t bore your friends with holiday pics, you put the sounds in another sort of album. Possibly even more boring. What a relief! David is not just a sonic tourist. He has combined sounds and instruments with the help of a few PAGE 32 SACRED HOOP

MUSIC OF ARMENIA VOL 3 Celestial Harmonies 13117 - 2 71.35 mins. CD: (Full price) Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

For me this music is a song of the deep Earth. Both recordings are music of the Duduk, a traditional Armenian folk oboe. The duduk is accompanied on drones (other duduk) and occasional drums. I cannot easily describe the sound of this music, it is haunting, sad, intense, passionate, proud, gentle, melodic and quite quite unique. Some of the pieces are dance

Takadja Black Sun Music 15025 - 2 53.47 mins. CD: (Full price) Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

West African trad pop fusion at it’s best. Lots of drums, Kora, traditional flutes, superb vocals and the odd bit of guitar. Good time music, some of it robust and gutsy, some of it so etheric that it makes you glide and soar. Beautiful stuff. Available from High Street record shops

ISSUE 18 1997

. . . . . . . . . . Reviews THE ILLUSTRATED ENCYCLOPEDIA OF

DIVINATION Stephen Karcher Element Books HB 256 pages ISBN Number 1-85230-876-1 £18.99 Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

What a beautiful book! Every page illustrated in full colour, and a decent size too, not a pocket encyclopedia this one. The book spans the world’s divinatory systems, a subject of which I am no expert, but if you want to Tarot, Mo (Tibet), Runes, I Ching (China), Ifa (Nigeria) and many others as well this is the book for you. The hundreds of illustrations clearly show the methods and even encourage a hands on approach where possible, the text not only describes the major divinatory methods, it covers such areas as dream incubation, reading signs and omens in natural phenomena, spirit possession and trance, and is very shamanically friendly. Available from good new age book and High Street bookshops.

BLESSING POWER OF THE BUDDHAS Norma Levine Element Books PB 156 pages ISBN Number 1-85230-305-0 £8.99 Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

I have read this book about four times since it arrived in the Hoop office a few years ago. I love it. The author Norma Levine has travelled extensively in the Tibetan Buddhist countries around Tibet, and is an expert on Tibetan objects, in fact she runs her own company ‘Wind Horse’ in Hay on Wye which import objects. This is a fascinating book, devoted in the main to the miracles of gTèrma; the SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

teaching and objects left by Padmasabhava when he left this world. Tibetan traditions are full of miracle happenings; cliffs which have natural sculptures of a yidam in them, tiny statues of yidams discovered inside the bones of great yogis when they have died and the discovery of magical objects and teachings left as gTèrma by ‘the lotus born one’. This book is so clearly written and accessible I would recommend it to anyone remotely interested in Tibetan traditions or to anyone interested in the wondrous things that slip through the cracks in the worlds and appear as miracles in this one. Available from good new age book and High Street bookshops.

TWILIGHT OF THE CELTIC GODS David Clark with Andy Roberts Cassell Books HB 176 pages ISBN Number 1-7137-2522-2 £16.99 Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

I have to say I got annoyed with the writing style of this book as it does tend to repeat itself a lot. Now having got that out off my chest, I can turn to the book itself which I found quite fascinating. The authors have, so they claim made contact with living ancient pagan traditions (most often in Derbyshire), and have spoken to living ‘guardians’ of the traditions who have explained some of the traditions to them. It is a well researched book, covering such subjects as the ‘cult of the head’, the painting of stones, bane fires and many other examples of the ancient traditions of these lands, all of which the authors demonstrate are still happening today, and not as any new age revival. There is a wonderful section about a glen in Scotland where three stones have been used for hundreds of years as a shrine to the triple goddess, and who have a house in which they spend the winter to be brought out in the

spring. The authors relate how even though the glen is now not lived in, the roof of the house is re thatched every year, and the stones moved to and from the house. This is just one example from the book, which really is full of the most fascinating stories and instances, and despite its writing style, a book well worth a read. Available from good new age book and High Street bookshops.

WHITE EAGLE MEDICINE WHEEL Wa-Na-Nee-Che & Eliana Harvey Connections Books Cards & Book (PB) ISBN Number 1-85906-008-0 £17.99 Reviewer: Julie Pembridge

Compared to the other cards sets that I have looked at and used, this one differs in the way that it is visually presented. Most tarot or medicine cards have a painted picture to represent a symbol or concept; these cards have stunning photographs of medicine objects in an appropriate background. This in itself is a treat for the eyes, as not many people get the chance to see the beauty, craftsmanship and variety of these objects. The authors of this pack are Ojibwa/Lakota teacher Wa-Na-NeeChe and therapist, writer and workshop leader, Eliana Harvey. Their combined wisdom and teachings are presented in the beautifully detailed accompanying book. The cards are split into three parts: Animal, Grandmother and Grandfather, and Totem, each corresponding respectively to the levels of Apprentice, Student and Elder. The teachings in the book take the pupil through the levels one by one, so the learning of the cards and the spreads is an on-going and accumulative process. The sincerity and learnedness of the authors is undeniable. In using these cards I found myself absorbed by their beauty. Generally, this pack is well PAGE 33

Reviews . . . . . . . . . . thought out and well presented. A good buy, as long as you have the patience to proceed through the levels as the authors intend. Available from good new age book and High Street bookshops. See also our competition on page 5, we have 10 sets to give away as prizes.

THE HOPI SURVIVAL KIT Thomas E Mails TOUCH THE EARTH FOUNDATION HB 376 pp ISBN Number 1-55670-517-4 £12.95 Reviewer: Adrian Reid-Wolfe

Techqua Ikachi , ‘blend with the land and celebrate life’. These words are the central message of this amazing book, if we accept what is written in it as true then there is NO option but to act, to act swiftly and to act by following the detailed instructions contained therein! The author is an American Lutheran pastor, with a string of acclaimed books on Native American individuals and cultures to his name. This one is different in that it is written by him for all peoples of the Earth because of what he discovered in writing the previous Hotevilla, Hopi Shrine of the Covenant, Microcosm of the World. Although Survival Kit is written with the express blessing of Chief Dan Evehema, Spiritual Leader of the Greasewood Clan of the Hopi at Hotevilla and includes requests for our help for the Traditional Hopi way, it is actually an appeal to us all to return to the original teachings of how to live properly on this our Earth Mother. Here the very clear instructions are as given to the Hopi a thousand years ago by one they know as Maasaw, however if you have read ‘The Findhorn Garden’ by The Findhorn Community you will find the most astonishing parallels in PAGE 34

the instructions that they record. Upon occasion there are identical words! To a British reader Mails style and Americanisms sometimes grate, he also tends to haul out a bit wide (though he does explain why) and yet I believe no one could have written a better book given his vast knowledge of Native America. If you are concerned about our future and the way the most dangerous animal on the planet is treating the Earth Mother then you should read this book. Meanwhile please excuse me I’m off to pray and to sing to my garden. Available from the Sacred Trust. Tel: (01225) 852615

A MAGICAL JOURNEY WITH CARLOS CASTANEDA Margaret Runyan Castaneda Millenia Press PB 186 pages ISBN Number 0-9696960-1-9 £12.95 Reviewer: Nicholas Wood

I have done the unusual thing of only including a tiny part of the whole book cover with this review, because I thought you might like to see the face of the man who launched a thousand legends - Carlos himself (taken in 1964). A very interesting book, written by his exwife. A real insight into the man himself, how he writes his first few books, managed to get them published, became a celebrity and spun a web of stories and counter stories around himself. Are the beans spilt, is the illusion shattered, is the truth upheld - read the book, you won’t regret it ... I must stop writing this review now, a big black crow has just come and sat on my window sill and is looking at me in a funny way!

Carolyn Hillyer Seventh Wave PB 128 pages £13.00 Reviewer: Jan Wood

This book is a double treat of words and images, beautifully produced in spiral bound A5 format. The pages are sturdy and the colours of the t h i r t e e n ‘grandmother’ images glowing and clear. There is a section for each grandmother archetype with their own ‘story’ and song. The book holds a strong presence both of Carolyn, her responses to the natural world of her beloved Dartmoor, and of the archetypes themselves. The language is both poetical and gutsy and Carolyn skillfully communicates the experiences so that we see through her eyes, hear through her ears, share her senses and process. It had me on the edge of my seat, sitting right there on the moor, feeling the weather, seeing the figures as they reveal their forms, each a with a distinct quality and purpose. This is the dreamtime, the threshold where ordinary reality and the spirit world meet. Through this book you really meet these archetypes. A beautiful gift to give yourself, your daughters, friends. And if you get the tape too (‘Grandmother Turtle’) you will have a real treasure, a sacred landscape to immerse your senses in. Available from Seventh Wave Music, Po Box 1 Totnes, Devon TQ9 6UQ. See also our special offer on page 5, we have copies of this book for sale at only £10.50 including P&P.

A CIRCLE OF THIRTEEN SACRED HOOP ISSUE 18 1997

Sept 21

- Dec SEPT 19 - 21 (Dartmoor) THE HERON HOUSE A weekend journey for women, to meet our ancient foremothers of this land who travelled close into its rhythms and secrets. With Carolyn Hillyer. Contact 01822 880301. SEPT 19 - 21 (Dorset) EQUINOX DRUM DANCE A residential weekend of drumming, 5 rhythms dancing and sweatlodge With Chris Southall. Contact 01297 560342. SEPT 20 (East Sussex) THE SACRED LANDSCAPE An indepth coverage of ley lines and power points, history, folklore and magic. With Philip Carr-Gomm. Contact 01273 473388. SEPT 20 - 21 (Glastonbury) HEALING OUR WOUNDS AWAKENING OUR MAGICAL CHILD A weekend for women. Contact 01458 833933 SEPT 20 -21 (London) JOURNEY TO PERU A weekend inspired by Andean teachings to explore our shamanic creative potential through myth, ritual and sound. With Peter Cloudsley. Contact 0181 8064916. SEPT 20 - 21 (Derbyshire) DANCING THE STORMS 5 rhythms dancing, sharing and ritual at the autumn equinox. With Cora Greenfield. Contact 01433 630759. SEPT 23 (London W8) SHAMANIC DANCE No need to book just come. Dance the 4 elements, power animals and the allies and enemies of a warrior of the spirit. With Leo Rutherford & the N’Goma Kundi Drummers. Contact 0171 435 8174. SEPT 27 - 28 (Exeter) WOMEN’S MYSTERIES

An experiential weekend working in the sacred circle. With Pamela Woods, Annie Aris, and Eleonor Lind. Contact 0181 8064916. SEPT 27 - OCT 4 (Italy) FIRE EARTH AND SPIRIT A week long retreat for men in a wonderful location. With Chris Southall. Contact 01638 741280. SEPT 28 (Glastonbury) RITES OF PASSAGE - MENOPAUSE With Lesley Kenton. Contact 01458 833933 OCT 3 -5 (Glastonbury) NATIVE AMERICAN WEEKEND With Blue Spruce Standing Deer. Contact 01458 83393 OCT 3 - 4 (Derbyshire) SACRED DANCE IN SACRED SPACE 5 rhythms dancing and movement indoors and outdoors, exploring sacred connections between body, breath, earth and ancestry. With Cora Greenfield. Contact 01433 630759. OCT 3 - 5 (London) SPIRIT VOICE - SHAMANIC SINGING Magic chanting and song as tools and as sources of power and transformation. With Annette Høst. Contact 0181 459 3028. OCT 4 - 5 (Lake District) SOUL RETRIEVAL Advanced workshop. With Howard G Charing. Contact 0181 5674061 OCT 5 (North Yorks) BASIC SHAMANISM (Part 1) Learn how to use drumming and dancing to enter shamanic consciousness. With Jane Shutt and Christine Mark. Contact 01751 417795 OCT 6 (East Sussex) FENG SHUI COURSE

IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR PEOPLE ON THE PATH LISTINGS Sacred Hoop can no longer continue this as a completely free service. From the next issue (issue 19 - Dec 1997) POP will only be free to all those who advertise in that issue with a standard box or larger. For non advertisers there will be a charge of £10.00 per entry. Please send cheques made out to SACRED HOOP when you send in your your details (address above) PAGE 36

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ISSUE 18 1997

Please send your

People on the Path entries to:

Celia Wearing, 47 Pamington Fields, Fitzhamon Park, Ashchurch, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 8LH Tel: (01684) 299982 Start of a weekly course. With Jane Buttler-Biggs. Contact 01273 473388 OCT 9 (London W8) SHAMANIC DANCE No need to book just come. With Leo Rutherford & the N’Goma Kundi Drummers. Contact 0171 4358174. OCT 10 (St Albans) PATHS OF WISDOM Evening talk. With Howard G Charing. Contact 01727 843 733. OCT 10 - 12 (Glastonbury) NATIVE AMERICAN WEEKEND With Blue Spruce Standing Deer. Contact 01458 83393. OCT 10 - 12 (Fife - Scotland) ED Mc GAA WORKSHOP A rare chance to work with this respected Lakota teacher. With Ed Mc Gaa Eagle Man. Contact 01592 644060 OCT 12 (London) HEALING WITH ANGELS Practical ways of calling on this help to heal and clear away old patterns. With Diana Cooper. Contact 0171 287 6711. OCT 17 - 19 (Teddington London) ED Mc GAA WORKSHOP With Ed Mc Gaa Eagle Man. Contact 01923 219199 OCT 17 - 19 (Glastonbury) NATIVE AMERICAN WEEKEND With Blue Spruce Standing Deer. Contact 01458 83393 OCT 18 - 19 (London) PRINCIPLES OF SHAMANISM An introductory exploration into the worlds of the shaman and the teachings of the medicine wheel. With Leo Rutherford and Howard G Charing. Contact 0171 603 6843 OCT 21 (London W8) SHAMANIC DANCE

PLEASE NOTE: Whilst it is hoped that organisers and leaders of events shown in People on the Path practise according to the ethics of respect and right relationship with all aspects of creation, inclusion in the listing does not imply endorsement by SACRED HOOP or its editors. ISSUE 18 1997

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PAGE 37

No need to book just come. With Leo Rutherford & the N’Goma Kundi Drummers. Contact 0171 4358174. OCT 24 - 26 (Dorset) THE SHAMANS DREAM BODY An experiential introductory weekend into altered states of perception. With Howard G Charing. Contact 0297 560 342 OCT 25 - 26 (St Albans) WISDOM OF THE CRONE Goddess healing workshop. With Gill Holland. Contact 01442 246407 OCT 25 (Hitching) TURNING ENEMIES INTO ALLIES Day workshop on medicine wheel teachings. With Leo Rutherford. Contact 01462 459 020 OCT 31 - NOV 2 (Glastonbury) MENOPAUSE MYSTERIES Journeying through the change. With Tina Redpath and Kathy Jones. Contact 01458 83393 NOV 1997 - JULY 98 (London & Wales) SHAMANIC HEALING COURSE Intermediate and advanced shamanic healing and soul retrieval course. With Leo Rutherford and Howard G Charing. Contact 0171 435 8174 or 0181 537 9312. NOV 1 (York) BASIC WORKSHOP IN SHAMANISM Learn how to use drumming and dancing to enter shamanic consciousness. With Jane Shutt and Christine Mark. Contact 01751 417795 NOV 1 (Kent) FOR ALL MY RELATIONS Story telling, Dream walking, through the medicine wheel, rattling and make a dance feather. With Lin Rowden Allen. Contact 01474 568780. NOV 1 - 2 (Dorset) BEAST AND BELOVED Weekend for men, dedicated to naming clearly what it is to be a man. With Malcolm Stern. Contact 0171 287 6711. NOV 1 - 3 (London) SHAMANIC TRANCE POSTURES A weekend to explore shamanic trance postures for healing, divination, shape shifting, celebration and other ecstatic experiences. With Howard G Charing and Juni Pankhurst. Contact 0181 567 4061. NOV 6 - 8 (Lake District) THE SHAMANS DREAM BODY Experiential introductory weekend into altered states of perception. With Howard G Charing. Contact 016973 20966 NOV 7 (London) JUPITER TRUST With Leo Rutherford. Contact 01865 407490. NOV 8 (London W6) 14TH ANNUAL BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION Liberate the magical child - no need to PAGE 38

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ISSUE 18 1997

book - just come! With Leo Rutherford. Contact 0171 435 8174. NOV 8 - 9 (London) TRANCE DANCES OF THE CANDOMBLE Stuck in therapy/spiritual unfolding? Trance dance can take you through the blocks. Fun not Struggle. With Leo Rutherford & the N’Goma Kundi Drummers. Contact 0171603 6843. NOV 7 - 9 (Buckinghamshire) THE FACES OF WINTER A chance to make new masks and to work with existing ones, using drama, dance, music and ceremony to explore winter with traditional imagery and new ideas. With Gordon MacLellan. Contact 0161 226 8127. NOV 13 (London W8) SHAMANIC DANCE No need to book just come. With Leo Rutherford & the N’Goma Kundi Drummers. Contact 0171 4358174. NOV 13 - 16 (Gloucestershire) SOUL RETRIEVAL TRAINING A thorough experiential introduction to the heart and practice of shamanic soul retrieval. With Jonathan Horwitz. Contact 0181 459 3028. NOV 17 (Eastbourne) MEDICINE WHEEL WORKSHOP With Leo Rutherford. Contact 01323 643819 NOV 20 (Kent) HEAVEN ON EARTH Evening of music and clairvoyance All proceeds to ‘Children in need’. With Lin Rowden Allen. Contact 01474 568780 NOV 21 (East Sussex) URBAN SHAMANISM Evening talk on the medicine wheel teachings. With Leo Rutherford. Contact 01273 473388. NOV 21 - 23 (Glastonbury) CREATIVE PARENTING FOR MEN With Helena Eastwood. Contact 01458 83393 NOV 21 - 23 (London Kew) THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY Experiential introduction to the shamanism universe, techniques and spirituality through shamanic journeying, drumming and dancing. With Jonathan Horwitz. Contact 0181 459 3028. NOV 22 - 23 (Bedford) WORLD-A-GENDER Explore the power of Gender. A workshop for men and women. With Val and Lawrence Randle. Contact (01234) 309636 NOV 22 - 23 (East Sussex) INTUITION : AWAKENING TO YOUR OWN INNER TRUTH A workshop to enhance creative intuition to gain the very best from life. With Dr Christine Page. Contact 01273 473 388. NOV 22 - 23 (East Sussex) URBAN SHAMANISM A weekend of medicine wheel teachings, ceremony, dancing, chanting, drumming and playing. With Leo Rutherford. Contact 01273 473388 ISSUE 18 1997

NOV 25 (London W8) SHAMANIC DANCE No need to book just come. With Leo Rutherford & the N’Goma Kundi Drummers. Contact 0171 4358174. NOV 28 - 30 (Glastonbury) INTRODUCTION TO TANTRA With Helena Eastwood. Contact 01458 83393 NOV 30 (East Sussex) SELF HEALING & SELF CHANGE A day to help heal emotional pain, overcome fear and blossom into our full potential. With Celia Crawford. Contact 01273 473388 DEC 1 (Kent) SPIRITUAL TEACHING CIRCLE Start of a 12 week awareness course with award holding spiritual medium: clairvoyance, colour, trance etc. With Lin Rowden Allen. Contact 01474 568780 DEC 3 (Guildford) THE MEDICINE WHEEL Evening Talk. With Leo Rutherford. Contact 0483 810843 DEC 6 (North Yorks) BASIC SHAMANISM (Part 2) A follow up day for those who attended the last basic day. With Jane Shutt and Christine Mark. Contact 01751 417795 DEC 17 - 21 (Milton Keynes) CREATIVE WINTER SOLSTICE RETREAT Drumming, dancing, art, mask making, ritual drama and letting our hair down. With Chris Southall. Contact 01638 741280 DEC 20 (London WC1) SACRED HOOP MAGAZINE SOLSTICE PARTY A day of wonder, fun and much more besides. Come and support your favorite shamanic magazine. With lots of amazing people doing lots of amazing things. Contact 0171 435 8174. Full details on 3 and on page 6. DEC 23 (London) WOMENS FULL MOON WRITING CIRCLE With Zannie Volpe. Contact (0171) 706 7421 DEC 29 - JAN 3 (Devon) AWAKENING THE DREAM BODY This workshop will include gazing, walks of attention, trance dance, journeys, sweatlodge, stalking and dreaming. With Leo Rutherford and Howard G Charing. Contact 01822 615261

People on the Path Issue 19 COPY deadline : NOV 1st

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Ongoing

Groups ABERDEENSHIRE Laura Davison - % (01224) 593305. AVON Jo Protero - % (01225) 723622. Alex - % (01272) 557220. Simbana Please - % (01225) 859860. Drum Doctors - % (01373) 831171. Annie Wildwood - % (0117) 941 1557. BEDFORDSHIRE Val Randle - % (01234) 309636. Anne Sears - % (01223) 242577. BERKSHIRE Sue Nennemann - % (01734) 791818 CAMBRIDGESHIRE Eileen Haines - % (01733) 204102. Sean Wright - % (01553) 840806 CORNWALL Roger Croxson - % (01822) 832653. Lynn Lane - % (01736) 793285. Marjorianne Rowland - % (01209) 843194 DERBYSHIRE Cora Greenhill - % (01433) 630759. DEVON Sue Jamieson - % (01803) 868057. Tribal Mind - % (01288) 356676. Eleonore Lind - % (01884) 881229. Bethlehem Taylor - % (01884) 881467. Roland - % (01803) 762255. DORSET Eliana Harvey - % (01963) 23468 . Michael - % (01297) 60342. Willy Lone Bear - % (01202) 481333. DURHAM Liz - % (0191) 373 5109. ESSEX Paulette & Rolf Johnson - % (01279) 433 247 Gary Davidge - % (01279) 863 160 GLAMORGANSHIRE Mary - % (01639) 730052. GLOUCESTERSHIRE Linda - % (01242) 674937. Ama - % (01453) 751858. Nick Twilley - % (01453) 763713. Ade Borrelli - % (01452) 383759. Carolyn Finlay - % (01242) 528363. GWYNEDD Ashera - % (01766) 762462. Andy & Sue - % (01341) 280255. HAMPSHIRE Steve & Carrie Hounsome - % (01962)

864022. HEREFORDSHIRE Keith Brocklehurst - % (01531) 670477. Peter Terry - % (01885) 400352 HERTFORDSHIRE Christine Owen - % (01923) 261464. Sheena Barnes - % (01923) 220426 KENT Alawn Tickhill - % (01304) 381614. LONDON Heather Campbell - % (0181) 399 8156. Michael Berman - % (0171) 328 7827. Leo Rutherford - % (0171) 435 8174. Trisha Mulholland - % (0171) 609 4956. Howard Charing - % (0181) 567 4061 Kathryn Player - % (0171) 236 6268. MIDDLESEX Earthsong Drumming - % (0181) 977 4282 Circle of Sound - % (0181) 898 2877 NORFOLK Michèle Brown - % (01328) 711168. (01553) Sean & Trisha Wright - % 840806 OXFORD Steven Cartwright - % (01865) 511851. POWYS Sharon Forrest - % (01686) 412328. SOMERSET Dee Robertson - % (01460) 52924. SURREY Terry Wilkes - % (0181) 773 0827. SUSSEX Paddy Mooney - % (01424) 433035. TAYSIDE Suzy - % (01764) 679525. WEST MIDLANDS Eve Lung - % (0121) 449 0877. YORKSHIRE Carol Youngson - % (0114) 274 7522 Ron Pyatt - % (01274) 499910. WARWICKSHIRE Frances Ommanney - % (01926) 881772 WORCESTERSHIRE Nick & Jan Wood - % (01386) 49680.

MOTHER

EARTH Two special workshop with

Ed Mc Gaa Eagle Ma n & Jennifer Lynn Cline Follow the Rainbow

Mother Earth Spirituality The Natural Way Scotland ~ The Xenon Centre : Kirkcaldy : Fife 01592 644060 England ~ The Avenue : Teddington : Middx PAGE 40

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ISSUE 18 1997

Fine Shamanic Tools & Medicine Objects Commissions by Nicholas Wood

Gourd & Rawhide Rattles Shamanic Drums Medicine Bags Feather fans and a fantastic range of

Beads and Other Craft Materials Full details send A5 SAE to