Sunday 26 January 2014

A Medicine dream


 A restless night with dreams of Porcupine quills and bright feathers in my hair had me waking an October morning – to a compulsion. To walk, what is new you might ask? Well this was a different feeling, not just a walk but a need to walk further and leave the dogs behind. After a hearty breakfast, I packed my little bag with water and wine gums and set off. At first I thought that I would walk to Misty cliffs, but as I got there, it came to me to walk to Kommetjie, a 9km walk one direction. I wondered I was prepared enough, but I went on anyway.

As I walked, I decided to retell my life story as from this point forward. I imagined Grandchildren sitting in front of me, my daughters and my Beloved beside me. I told of this walk that I was doing and all the richness and wonder that followed. A fine tale was weaved. My shoes I realised in between all this weaving were not exactly fit for use anymore, but I walked on. Now the scenery between Scarborough and Kommetjie sea route is one of the most astoundingly beautiful in the world. Still relatively wild, the ocean below crashing and moving as I walked and talked. Ravens flew up high cawing, encouraging me I hoped and by the time I got to Kommetjie I was rather foot sore. I popped into a local  pub and had an ice cold beer and headed back home.

As I trudged up the first portion of steep hill out of Kommetjie, I saw something that stopped me in my tracks. Heart beat in throat, I bent down to pick dozens of Porcupine Quills I gathered them up, and as I did so I fell into a vision of me having a Nguni cow hide being placed on my shoulders and the porcupine quills in a white headband… a few months later a random incident (not so random though) had someone out of the blue gifting me with a Nguni skin covered notebook with a  Porcupine Quill as the place holder holding it closed…

I understand that I need to know the plant medicines of Africa – this is my path with Africa and the Porcupine being my Power Animal here…

Last week while walking, and while pondering over the fact that there is NOTHING that wants me to be a Sangoma in the African tradition, a quiet voice came to me as I spoke to the plants and thanked them for their beauty. 

Tass – stop your struggle. You are a Medicine Woman…

I felt lame as I saw the Feathers from my dream making sense (I keep getting gifted with feathers in my path, Raven, Robin  never mind the random porcupine quills I even find in the streets)

A medicine journey this last weekend had me journeying to meet my inner Serpent… I jumped through an Apple tree into the underworld… and met my Serpent in a cave of brilliant white crystals. The Serpent had two heads – the one I fed a Large Red apple (and the other head I fed Spirits (not sure if it was wine?) Well I puzzled over this but knew if I let it alone the meaning would become evident.

On the same day I spoke to a dear friend Gerri and asked her who she knew that could assist in formalising my Shamanic studies… and Robin Youngbloods name came up again…

Well the puzzle fell into place while making my bed on Sunday night (no surprises there it’s a no mind state event!) I am to follow the two paths. One African Medicinal Plants and the Red Path. I looked at Robin Youngblood’s book too, read the opening chapters and knew that it is her that I needed to speak to… How doors fly open when the time is right. I have met an amazing teacher, whose teachings sing in my blood!

How wonderful that I now know where to go… this is my path, this is the consolidation that I seek – and I invite all who wish to answer their call to being Shamans and formalising their teachings to sign up now…



Ministerial Training: Preparation for Ordination as a Shamanic Minister of Church of the Earth

Robins plea and wisdom - 

"Upon graduation, you will become an ordained minister of Church of the Earth, which is a certification you can register with your government in order to perform weddings, etc. legally. As well, this training is a way to unify many different healing modalities rooted in Shamanic History, through one lineage, in order to provide one with authority and authenticity. As we all know, there are far too many people offering ceremonies who have not received the Initiations and Rites to do so. This is actually dangerous to participants, and, from watching this, I've decided to take responsibility for passing on what I've learned from the Elders, in order to ensure that the body of students who work with me are providing safe, secure, sacred space for whatever they do, in service to the greater good."

This course is  Two years, on skype and email, including two five-day sessions at NuWotiWalela or in one of Church of the Earth’s International Centers, $4,900

Subjects Covered:

Philosophy: Tenets; Beliefs & Practices; Shamanic History and Perspectives; Understanding the Shamanic Path; Using the Medicine Wheel

Personal Preparation: Clearing Obstacles; Connecting to All Our Relations; Identifying Masks & Mirrors; Aligning with Father Sky & Mother Earth; Setting Intention; Identifying & Activating Your Gifts; Awakening Passionate Purpose; Living in Authenticity & Balance

Spiritual Counseling: Clearing; Becoming a Hollow Bone; Checks & Balances; Aura Cleansing; Chakra Balancing; Spiritual Touch; DNA Activation; Understanding the Medicine Wheel: A Compass for Life; MW Constellation for Individuals and Groups; Shamanic Journeying; Extraction & Depossession; Soul Retrieval

Ceremonial Training: Clearing Space; Creating Sacred Space; Providing Protection; Preparation & Facilitation; Designing Individual & Group Ceremonies and Rituals; Holding Intention; Manifestation; Following the Ceremonial Calendar

Teaching: Designing Workshops; Preparation; Organization & Facilitation; Transformational Processes; On-Going Support

Community: Creating & Maintaining Community; MW Relationship Training; Community Outreach; Community Visioning; Community Projects: Design, Preparation, Co-Creation & Process

Missions: WorldWeavers Outreach Projects; Creating Sustainable Venues and Facilities ~ Viral and Land-Based Villages; Fundraising; Social Networking; International Communications; Global Co-Creation

This is a two year course, via bi-weekly skype sessions and email, and including two five-day retreats at the beautiful NuWotiWalela Sanctuary on Church of the Earth’s land in Washington state. Students will work in groups of four-seven individuals, with assignments from Reverend Youngblood, reports and sharing in each skype session, with individual email sessions between. Retreats will give on-hands experiential training between students, as well as offering group sessions on building a ministry and community. This course is a contractual COMMITMENT: once accepted, students are expected to continue through graduation and ordination.
Like us on Facebook: Church of the Earth, Indigenous Institute of Holistic HealthQuestions, Schedule, Comments & Registration: Rev. Robin Youngblood

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Sunday 5 January 2014

I Am but a breath, a glimpse of life and death in an instant, I am only watching a replay of what has already been. I Am the Constant…

The year was in and out just as the tide comes and goes. A breath on the wind of the dunes that I see build grow, blow. What lessons did I glean in the transition from one life into another?

That the void is one of the most fruitful places you can be in, and that the end of something can be the beginning of the same thing but with more depth you ever thought before. I reincarnated last year. It has become more and more evident as I grow older, that we undergo life reincarnations in this brief time that we perceive this life. If we truly seek what is real, and the basis of All, is really Love, that THIS moves us between lives within One Life...

I look at myself in the mirror, hair growing a bit longer, wild tousled curls… and the extra lines I have on my face. I feel a 100 years older in one year. This is by no means coming from only a place of what would traditionally would be called “bad times”… I turned my head and heart round that concept and turned all that came my way into “I Am All possibilities”. Life is suffering, the road to enlightenment does not have it all roses. This is such a misconception that if any realisation should come you way that it automatically “makes things better”. 

The only thing that gets better is your perception of what comes your way. 

I Am not the THING that glares at me, I am not the fear that lies in my belly. I Am not anything that I see.


I Am but a breath, a glimpse of life and death in an instant, I am only watching a replay of what has already been. I Am the Constant…