My Great Grandfather Was a Dowser!

So maybe these shaman skills run in the family! Which is something I've always wondered. It's probably more common than anyone realizes or recognizes or admits, but I think sometimes spirit will keep skipping around in a family until someone raises their hand and says, "Pick me!"

Some families have all sorts of stories about "wacky" relatives, but not mine. Until now! It isn't much, but I'll take what I can get. Over Easter/Ostara weekend, I wanted to go in search of the cemetery where my maternal grandmother's family is buried. Through online census records, I uncovered the location of the church and the names. So my mom, my partner and I set off in the car, with GPS activated.

We found the rural Methodist church and its small cemetery just south of the county line. Thank goodness we didn't have hundreds of graves to search! There were several stones bearing my maternal grandmother's family name, and within just a minute or so we had found her parents and her paternal grandparents (theirs was one of the oldest graves, so they must have founded the church in the 19th century).

My mom then tells me that she remembers her mother's parents, Arthur and Ida, but they were already quite elderly at the time. Specifically, she remembers Arthur taking her and her siblings out into a field to show them how he found water with a dowsing rod. She said she remembers the stick moving around (she didn't say if they actually found water), but it certainly made an impression on her--and of course, it caught my attention!

Stories about old Southerners using a dowsing rod aren't all that odd, actually. Sure, maybe people were more superstitious back then, or it could be they were more open to things before science (and religion) educated the wonder right out of us. I wonder if great-grandpa Arthur had to keep it a secret from his Methodist brethren? But in the countryside, these sort of things were often tolerated as long as it didn't attract too much attention. Sometimes the dowser didn't even consider his "skill" all that special but more something fun to play around with and impress the children (like my mother).

Just one little story, but it's something!

My Great Grandfather Was a Dowser!

So maybe these shaman skills run in the family! Which is something I've always wondered. It's probably more common than anyone realizes or recognizes or admits, but I think sometimes spirit will keep skipping around in a family until someone raises their hand and says, "Pick me!"

Some families have all sorts of stories about "wacky" relatives, but not mine. Until now! It isn't much, but I'll take what I can get. Over Easter/Ostara weekend, I wanted to go in search of the cemetery where my maternal grandmother's family is buried. Through online census records, I uncovered the location of the church and the names. So my mom, my partner and I set off in the car, with GPS activated.

We found the rural Methodist church and its small cemetery just south of the county line. Thank goodness we didn't have hundreds of graves to search! There were several stones bearing my maternal grandmother's family name, and within just a minute or so we had found her parents and her paternal grandparents (theirs was one of the oldest graves, so they must have founded the church in the 19th century).

My mom then tells me that she remembers her mother's parents, Arthur and Ida, but they were already quite elderly at the time. Specifically, she remembers Arthur taking her and her siblings out into a field to show them how he found water with a dowsing rod. She said she remembers the stick moving around (she didn't say if they actually found water), but it certainly made an impression on her--and of course, it caught my attention!

Stories about old Southerners using a dowsing rod aren't all that odd, actually. Sure, maybe people were more superstitious back then, or it could be they were more open to things before science (and religion) educated the wonder right out of us. I wonder if great-grandpa Arthur had to keep it a secret from his Methodist brethren? But in the countryside, these sort of things were often tolerated as long as it didn't attract too much attention. Sometimes the dowser didn't even consider his "skill" all that special but more something fun to play around with and impress the children (like my mother).

Just one little story, but it's something!

Galactic Gears in Motion

Have you ever felt energy shift--I mean, literally? Maybe this sounds crazy but I believe we all experience this--we just often ignore it.

We've all "felt" things, circumstances or whatever, click into place as if they were literal pieces of a puzzle? But this is even more than that. It isn't just having a good day. It's more like making a decision and then feeling the effects of that decision trigger giant, celestial gears into turning, as if an entire apparatus is now moving based on one small action, an apparatus that formerly had been poised, still, waiting for you to act.

That's how this week has been. I sense something's changed, something's moving again. It's a little of a relief, and it's a little scary, too, because other options have now been closed off.

What the hell am I talking about? I could write forever on this, but I'm not quite ready. I will say that I've decided to reunite with my partner. There are many reasons why. Mostly I looked at what kind of person I want to be, and I realized that there are many things I can still learn from him. And, ultimately, I love him.

And that decision has set these great gears into motion.

Galactic Gears in Motion

Have you ever felt energy shift--I mean, literally? Maybe this sounds crazy but I believe we all experience this--we just often ignore it.

We've all "felt" things, circumstances or whatever, click into place as if they were literal pieces of a puzzle? But this is even more than that. It isn't just having a good day. It's more like making a decision and then feeling the effects of that decision trigger giant, celestial gears into turning, as if an entire apparatus is now moving based on one small action, an apparatus that formerly had been poised, still, waiting for you to act.

That's how this week has been. I sense something's changed, something's moving again. It's a little of a relief, and it's a little scary, too, because other options have now been closed off.

What the hell am I talking about? I could write forever on this, but I'm not quite ready. I will say that I've decided to reunite with my partner. There are many reasons why. Mostly I looked at what kind of person I want to be, and I realized that there are many things I can still learn from him. And, ultimately, I love him.

And that decision has set these great gears into motion.

You're Blocking My Vibe Reception!

I'm a skeptic about lots of things. Maybe not as strong as some people, but I'm skeptical about more things than some would expect.

For example, when people say things like, "I'm sending you healing energy right now!" It feels exactly like a Christian prayer and, while there isn't anything wrong with that, it's just that I came to feel several years ago that prayer didn't work. And since "sending energy" feels the same, well, I'm skeptical.

But tonight while eating dinner at home, I got to thinking about this. I was seated at my small dining table, and several feet away sits a radio on top of a chest. The radio was on, and I was listening to some NPR news program. But then the signal suddenly faded until it was almost gone completely. I grumbled about the reception but didn't move to do anything. And then I sat back in my chair--and the signal come in loud and strong!

I realized that it was my own body that was interfering with the signal. Now, this may not be any grand revelation--but it got me to thinking. And I experimented. Whenever I would lean forward over my plate, the signal faded. When I sat back, the signal was loud and clear. So just that relatively small movement made a big difference. My body was interfering with the radio waves, interfering with invisible waves carrying sound over great distances and being attacted to my radio. I don't know why or how exactly, but that's obviously what was happening. I just sat there wondering about this in amazement that it was, one, even possible, and wondering about what other sorts of things are happening all around me that I can't see. Does my physical presence or my actions have more of an influence that I am willing to believe?

We all take radio waves for granted, even if we don't know exactly how they work. We can't see them or feel them. Only 1 of our senses is affected (hearing). It got me to thinkin that there's a helluva lot in this world that I don't understand, and there's a helluva lot going on that I can't sense in any tangible way--yet, something's there. What do you think?

You're Blocking My Vibe Reception!

I'm a skeptic about lots of things. Maybe not as strong as some people, but I'm skeptical about more things than some would expect.

For example, when people say things like, "I'm sending you healing energy right now!" It feels exactly like a Christian prayer and, while there isn't anything wrong with that, it's just that I came to feel several years ago that prayer didn't work. And since "sending energy" feels the same, well, I'm skeptical.

But tonight while eating dinner at home, I got to thinking about this. I was seated at my small dining table, and several feet away sits a radio on top of a chest. The radio was on, and I was listening to some NPR news program. But then the signal suddenly faded until it was almost gone completely. I grumbled about the reception but didn't move to do anything. And then I sat back in my chair--and the signal come in loud and strong!

I realized that it was my own body that was interfering with the signal. Now, this may not be any grand revelation--but it got me to thinking. And I experimented. Whenever I would lean forward over my plate, the signal faded. When I sat back, the signal was loud and clear. So just that relatively small movement made a big difference. My body was interfering with the radio waves, interfering with invisible waves carrying sound over great distances and being attacted to my radio. I don't know why or how exactly, but that's obviously what was happening. I just sat there wondering about this in amazement that it was, one, even possible, and wondering about what other sorts of things are happening all around me that I can't see. Does my physical presence or my actions have more of an influence that I am willing to believe?

We all take radio waves for granted, even if we don't know exactly how they work. We can't see them or feel them. Only 1 of our senses is affected (hearing). It got me to thinkin that there's a helluva lot in this world that I don't understand, and there's a helluva lot going on that I can't sense in any tangible way--yet, something's there. What do you think?

Mexico's Stunning Crystal Cave

Wow--I bet those things could balance your chakras in no time!

Have you heard about this place? Guess I've been out of the loop. It's a cave beneath Mexico's Chihuachua Desert, filled with giant crystals, some over 30 feet long. The cave was identified several years ago, but the crystals weren't uncovered until the water was pumped out and exploration began sometime in 2007. "National Geographic" ran a story , with excellent photos.

The giant crystals were formed as a result of essentially perfect conditions--mineral-rich water, a steady temp over 100 degrees and lots of gypsum (calcium sulfate).

Lately, I've been rediscovering and indulging my fascination with crystals, and these are stunning. Click here for even more amazing photographs. Fortunately, nature is prohibiting the cave's development as a tourist attraction. The intense heat keeps people away, and it isn't easy to reach, either. A steel door has been placed at the entrance to keep out the adventurous and stupid. Here's hoping this cave is seen only in photographs---you just know some crazy crystal hunter will start trying to chip off pieces for his magic wand!

Mexico's Stunning Crystal Cave

Wow--I bet those things could balance your chakras in no time!

Have you heard about this place? Guess I've been out of the loop. It's a cave beneath Mexico's Chihuachua Desert, filled with giant crystals, some over 30 feet long. The cave was identified several years ago, but the crystals weren't uncovered until the water was pumped out and exploration began sometime in 2007. "National Geographic" ran a story , with excellent photos.

The giant crystals were formed as a result of essentially perfect conditions--mineral-rich water, a steady temp over 100 degrees and lots of gypsum (calcium sulfate).

Lately, I've been rediscovering and indulging my fascination with crystals, and these are stunning. Click here for even more amazing photographs. Fortunately, nature is prohibiting the cave's development as a tourist attraction. The intense heat keeps people away, and it isn't easy to reach, either. A steel door has been placed at the entrance to keep out the adventurous and stupid. Here's hoping this cave is seen only in photographs---you just know some crazy crystal hunter will start trying to chip off pieces for his magic wand!

Post Shamanic Weekend Re-Entry Is a Bitch

I'm very fortunate--I just spent 2 full days with quasi-strangers who have become friends trying to figure out the deeper questions of life. We all have our opinions and quirks, but there's a deep respect and admiration for one another. Yeah, and it took me practically all weekend to realize that, to slough off the armor required to live in this culture and open myself up enough to experience the reality that truly is, the reality that can truly be.

And now it's over, and I'm left with paying bills, deadlines at work, traffic jams, boring TV shows and so on. It's almost as if my weekend was a dream. It felt so real and now, *poof*, it's gone. Makes me wonder, did any of that happen?

"Goddesses Gone Wild!"
We had fun with that line, speculating which of our activities might wind up on YouTube. But sorry to disappoint, we didn't actually get beyond a little dancing and some racy humor.

As a quick recap, I'm in this shamanic mystery school based on the 7 chakras. This past weekend, we focused on the heart chakra and goddess energy. Situated in the middle of the chakra system, the heart chakra is about balance, and we directed our energy toward a love-centered foundation for compassion and service to others. Here are a few highlights:

• Love is always unconditional. If it's conditional, it isn't love. Duh.

• Prior to the workshop, we each meditated on the moon and journeyed there. I've developed a strong spiritual connection to one other workshop participant. She showed up in both my meditation and my dream the first night of the workshop.

• We talked about male and female energy (I'm not convinced there's a difference, actually). But the facilitator had constructed this "cylinder" out of 2 hula hoops and ribbon that we could step into. Allegedly, male energy spins one way while female spins the other. Naturally, my hoop rocked back and forth! But while standing there, I totally had serious deja vu, a flashback to a dream or whatever---but I recall an image of me standing inside this thing, not knowing what it was but very curious. Took my breath away and gave me the willies!
  

• We listed 13 goddesses in our own lives and their lessons. Then we discussed various goddesses from different cultures. I pulled Artemis, and it read:

  "I am Artemis, the Greek Goddess of Selfhood. I am here to say that now is the time to pay attention to the whispering voices of your own needs. Now is the time to take yourself back and celebrate and strengthen who you are."

  Which is so appropriate it's scary, given the issues I'm having with my partner. Thank you, Artemis. I don't know how accurate that is historically, but it works for me!
  

• We also learned about cool, freaky stuff like the 13 Egyptian chakras and their harmonies/tones, how to do a crystal chakra layout for someone, huna energy balancing and healing, crystal grids and shamanic body journeying (which I'll briefly explain). We also participated in a heart chakra activation ceremony. And lots of drumming, shaking rattles and a little goddess dancing for those who felt so inclined.
  

My Goddess and Gender Issues
You probably know the pagan world is pretty much divided into goddess energy and god energy, and I get why all that's important. But for those of us like me who don't really fit in either world, it's a bit of a riddle. Where do we fit? I can appreciate feminine qualities and goddess perspectives, but I believe and know there is something beyond that. Gender is so limiting, whether you're male or female. We're so much more.

This came up during our shamanic body journey to the heart. I'll spare you the logistics since they're quite complicated. All that's important is this: I saw a beautiful and fierce sea goddess (and this photo is a pale imitation) whose hair was of seaweed and sea anemones, her limbs were undulating sea creatures, and she swayed with the ocean's currents. This was supposed to be my "goddess within." Most gay men have already found their inner goddess--ha, ha--but was this all?

Then a watery shock wave broke the sea goddess image; it became more androgynous, and then another shock wave made the figure disappear altogether, leaving nothing but pure formlessness and essence. This is it! THAT is me! THAT is all of us! We are not bound by what's between our legs--gods, how limiting! All I could see was water, representing pure energy and spirit. It brought tears to my eyes.

We were also to ask questions of the goddess, so I'll have to backtrack a bit. I asked, "What am I supposed to be doing?" Because I'm always unsure and seem to be going in various directions that never pan out. I initially heard, "Just be," which really bothered me because I'm totally Type A. But then, as I meditated on that image of formlessness (is there such a thing?), I distinctly heard: "I Am."

Whoa--for us former Christians, that smacks of heresy! But it isn't really. It isn't quite the same thing as the Christian god saying, "I am that I am." Sure, I'd still be burned at the stake if this were 1509 but whatever. What that meant to me, if I can even begin to put it into words, is that whatever I'm doing is good and fine and perfect. Whomever I am or become is good and fine and perfect. The same energy in me is the energy is each and every person in this world, past, present and future. And it's the same energy in the plants, the animals, the water, the sun and the stars themselves.

So the goddess in Riverwolf says, "I am. And it's all good, y'all."

Post Shamanic Weekend Re-Entry Is a Bitch

I'm very fortunate--I just spent 2 full days with quasi-strangers who have become friends trying to figure out the deeper questions of life. We all have our opinions and quirks, but there's a deep respect and admiration for one another. Yeah, and it took me practically all weekend to realize that, to slough off the armor required to live in this culture and open myself up enough to experience the reality that truly is, the reality that can truly be.

And now it's over, and I'm left with paying bills, deadlines at work, traffic jams, boring TV shows and so on. It's almost as if my weekend was a dream. It felt so real and now, *poof*, it's gone. Makes me wonder, did any of that happen?

"Goddesses Gone Wild!"
We had fun with that line, speculating which of our activities might wind up on YouTube. But sorry to disappoint, we didn't actually get beyond a little dancing and some racy humor.

As a quick recap, I'm in this shamanic mystery school based on the 7 chakras. This past weekend, we focused on the heart chakra and goddess energy. Situated in the middle of the chakra system, the heart chakra is about balance, and we directed our energy toward a love-centered foundation for compassion and service to others. Here are a few highlights:

• Love is always unconditional. If it's conditional, it isn't love. Duh.

• Prior to the workshop, we each meditated on the moon and journeyed there. I've developed a strong spiritual connection to one other workshop participant. She showed up in both my meditation and my dream the first night of the workshop.

• We talked about male and female energy (I'm not convinced there's a difference, actually). But the facilitator had constructed this "cylinder" out of 2 hula hoops and ribbon that we could step into. Allegedly, male energy spins one way while female spins the other. Naturally, my hoop rocked back and forth! But while standing there, I totally had serious deja vu, a flashback to a dream or whatever---but I recall an image of me standing inside this thing, not knowing what it was but very curious. Took my breath away and gave me the willies!
  

• We listed 13 goddesses in our own lives and their lessons. Then we discussed various goddesses from different cultures. I pulled Artemis, and it read:

  "I am Artemis, the Greek Goddess of Selfhood. I am here to say that now is the time to pay attention to the whispering voices of your own needs. Now is the time to take yourself back and celebrate and strengthen who you are."

  Which is so appropriate it's scary, given the issues I'm having with my partner. Thank you, Artemis. I don't know how accurate that is historically, but it works for me!
  

• We also learned about cool, freaky stuff like the 13 Egyptian chakras and their harmonies/tones, how to do a crystal chakra layout for someone, huna energy balancing and healing, crystal grids and shamanic body journeying (which I'll briefly explain). We also participated in a heart chakra activation ceremony. And lots of drumming, shaking rattles and a little goddess dancing for those who felt so inclined.
  

My Goddess and Gender Issues
You probably know the pagan world is pretty much divided into goddess energy and god energy, and I get why all that's important. But for those of us like me who don't really fit in either world, it's a bit of a riddle. Where do we fit? I can appreciate feminine qualities and goddess perspectives, but I believe and know there is something beyond that. Gender is so limiting, whether you're male or female. We're so much more.

This came up during our shamanic body journey to the heart. I'll spare you the logistics since they're quite complicated. All that's important is this: I saw a beautiful and fierce sea goddess (and this photo is a pale imitation) whose hair was of seaweed and sea anemones, her limbs were undulating sea creatures, and she swayed with the ocean's currents. This was supposed to be my "goddess within." Most gay men have already found their inner goddess--ha, ha--but was this all?

Then a watery shock wave broke the sea goddess image; it became more androgynous, and then another shock wave made the figure disappear altogether, leaving nothing but pure formlessness and essence. This is it! THAT is me! THAT is all of us! We are not bound by what's between our legs--gods, how limiting! All I could see was water, representing pure energy and spirit. It brought tears to my eyes.

We were also to ask questions of the goddess, so I'll have to backtrack a bit. I asked, "What am I supposed to be doing?" Because I'm always unsure and seem to be going in various directions that never pan out. I initially heard, "Just be," which really bothered me because I'm totally Type A. But then, as I meditated on that image of formlessness (is there such a thing?), I distinctly heard: "I Am."

Whoa--for us former Christians, that smacks of heresy! But it isn't really. It isn't quite the same thing as the Christian god saying, "I am that I am." Sure, I'd still be burned at the stake if this were 1509 but whatever. What that meant to me, if I can even begin to put it into words, is that whatever I'm doing is good and fine and perfect. Whomever I am or become is good and fine and perfect. The same energy in me is the energy is each and every person in this world, past, present and future. And it's the same energy in the plants, the animals, the water, the sun and the stars themselves.

So the goddess in Riverwolf says, "I am. And it's all good, y'all."

Want to Change the World? Join the Global Orgasm!

Some have a theory that we can change the world in one relatively simple way. If enough people experience an orgasm within the same time frame while projecting a conscious intention for peace and harmony, a surge of physical and spiritual positivity will infuse our planet's energy field and bring about positive change.

Check out the Global Orgasm site here.

Someone's even taking measurements of our global consciousness to see if it works!

So, come on, do your part!

Want to Change the World? Join the Global Orgasm!

Some have a theory that we can change the world in one relatively simple way. If enough people experience an orgasm within the same time frame while projecting a conscious intention for peace and harmony, a surge of physical and spiritual positivity will infuse our planet's energy field and bring about positive change.

Check out the Global Orgasm site here.

Someone's even taking measurements of our global consciousness to see if it works!

So, come on, do your part!

Costco Has Bad Mojo

Or is it just me? If there's a Costco store near you, do you shop there, and if you do, does it take over your soul and turn you into a raving lunatic?

My partner and I recently purchased a membership, and the store has some great prices--if you need a 50-gallon drum of lotion. Hey--I have dry skin!

But every time I go inside that place, I emerge ready to kill someone, plain and simple. If you've been to Costco, perhaps you understand. If not, let me paint the picture. Hordes of people pushing carts who amble along apparently dazzled into a stupor by the rows of stuff in giant boxes. People not looking where they are going, surrounded by 10-15 of their children who dart back and forth into your path. People who stop in the middle of the aisle for no other reason except perhaps to ask, "What is this place?" Others who flock to the end-cap food demo stations, grabbing for the morsels in the tiny, white paper cups, as if they haven't had a meal all day. Then they stand there, thoughtfully chewing and savoring that little bit of food as if they're some judge on "Iron Chef!"

And all I want is my damn laundry detergent! Get me out of here!

No one says excuse me. No one disciplines their children. No one seems to even see you. Maybe it's the ambiance, or lack of it. Honestly, what can I expect from what is basically a warehouse? People don't go to Costco to splurge or buy their dream gift. It's all about saving as much money as possible. It's all about insecurity, the fear of not having enough, the fear of running out of what you need.

Again, maybe it's me. Either way, Costco is a nexus of bad energy! It's the Hellmouth--run for your lives!

Costco Has Bad Mojo

Or is it just me? If there's a Costco store near you, do you shop there, and if you do, does it take over your soul and turn you into a raving lunatic?

My partner and I recently purchased a membership, and the store has some great prices--if you need a 50-gallon drum of lotion. Hey--I have dry skin!

But every time I go inside that place, I emerge ready to kill someone, plain and simple. If you've been to Costco, perhaps you understand. If not, let me paint the picture. Hordes of people pushing carts who amble along apparently dazzled into a stupor by the rows of stuff in giant boxes. People not looking where they are going, surrounded by 10-15 of their children who dart back and forth into your path. People who stop in the middle of the aisle for no other reason except perhaps to ask, "What is this place?" Others who flock to the end-cap food demo stations, grabbing for the morsels in the tiny, white paper cups, as if they haven't had a meal all day. Then they stand there, thoughtfully chewing and savoring that little bit of food as if they're some judge on "Iron Chef!"

And all I want is my damn laundry detergent! Get me out of here!

No one says excuse me. No one disciplines their children. No one seems to even see you. Maybe it's the ambiance, or lack of it. Honestly, what can I expect from what is basically a warehouse? People don't go to Costco to splurge or buy their dream gift. It's all about saving as much money as possible. It's all about insecurity, the fear of not having enough, the fear of running out of what you need.

Again, maybe it's me. Either way, Costco is a nexus of bad energy! It's the Hellmouth--run for your lives!

Latest Shamanic Weekend: Am I a Spiritual Warrior From Atlantis?

So my latest shamanic workshop was this past weekend. It was centered around the solar plexus chakra and focused on spiritual power or our tasks as spiritual warriors. We explored energy fields, qi gong and tai chi, as well as basic "warrior" skills, including self-defense, some martial arts and plan old body language. What I love about these workshops is the merging on ordinary, mundane things, like body language, and its application on a spiritual level. For example, instead of reading someone's body language to get ahead in the corporate world, as I was always taught, how about reading the signs to better understand someone and connect with them spiritually? Sounds good to me.

Oh yeah, and I totally broke a pine board with my foot! I've never had any martial arts training at all, and it was a piece of cake. Essentially, you focus your energy beyond the board--sort of like in "The Matrix" when Neo is told "there is no spoon." Couldn't break the concrete paver, however, but a few other folks did. I'll break it next time!

So I'm still skeptical about a lot of this stuff, but I will say this, after these workshops, I feel so much more centered, calm and authentically me than on any other day. Except maybe when I'm writing.

So What's This About Atlantis?
Oh yeah, I mentioned Atlantis. Here's where it gets really freaky. I promise I'm not on drugs! On the second day we sat outside in a semi-circle for our "journey to the sun" (the sun being associated with warrior energy as well as fire and the solar plexus chakra). Beyond that, I'm not really sure why we were going to the sun, but what the hell, sounds like fun.

The facilitator drums and leads us into the journey. I'll skip the details, but we basically travel into the center of the sun where there is located a transportation hub of sorts, something like an airport terminal. We were told there were portals to other worlds and dimensions here, and to select one to enter and travel. Now, let me say I've never attempted this type of journey before, and we weren't told to expect any specific kind of experience whatsoever. Yet what I did experience was quite surprising and emotional.

With my eyes closed and imagining myself in this terminal, I see one portal that stand out (nothing special about it visually, however). So I approach and enter, and suddenly find myself sucked into some sort of water tube, as if a giant Hawaiian wave has crashed over me and pulled me under, churning the surf all around. I come up in a great, blue ocean as far as the eye can see. Two beings like the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" appear carrying tridents, and I assume they were some sort of sentry for the portal. They don't speak but I somehow understand this.

Next, schools of dolphins and colorful fish swim up to me, as if they're a welcoming party. Without any hesitation, I dive under the water and begin to swim with them as if this were the most natural thing in the world. And I can breathe underwater!

Then come the very real emotions, which I was not prepared for. I felt like I was some place very familiar, a place I knew but hadn't seen in a long, long time. It all felt to right, so comforting--the swimming, the creatures, the water. I knew how to do it all and I "knew" I belonged there.

Before I describe more of what I saw, let me add a little backstory that makes this freakier.

• As a kid, swimming was one thing I loved the most, and I've never been afraid of water or the ocean.
• Breathing underwater was always the one "super power" I wanted.
• Aquaman, Sub Mariner were my favorite super heroes.
  
• I was obsessed with dolphins as a kid. I loved shows like "Flipper" and "The Man From Atlantis."
  
• I went to a college hundreds of miles away from my home where I knew no one--the campus was 15 minutes from the beach, located next to a river, and our mascot was a dolphin.
• I once dreamed of being a marine biologist and even wrote a fictional story about one. Also once considered being in the Coast Guard.
  
• A recurring dream from my childhood had me under water in some sort of vessel and surrounded by fantastic sea creatures.
  

Back to the journey. I'm swimming with the fishes, and then we pass over this reef. A giant underwater city appears and we approach. I'm amazed at how elegant all the structures are and how colorful everything is. We enter this corridor and then I'm led by 2 mermen through a building. I keep asking where we are but no one answers. When I finally ask, "Is this Atlantis?" they say, "It goes by many names."

I have no idea where they're taking me, but we soon enter this giant indoor stadium or great hall, ringed with people in seats. There's such a commotion, and I wonder what it's all about. One tall being approaches, dressed in elegant robes and carrying a sceptre. I can't tell if it's a man or a woman, very androgynous. Without speaking, I ask (telepathically?) what this celebration is all about. Without much explanation, the being smiles and says "welcome home."

A garland of sea grass or some other green underwater plant is placed around my neck and I'm given an object that appears silver or metal. It's carved or sculpted, but I don't recognize the design. It's small, just fits in my hand.

Then I realize it's time for me to return to Earth. I'm mostly surprised and perplexed by all this, still feeling the very real emotions of returning to a familiar place. I'm told I can return again any time, but it seems I have things to do on Earth right now. So I'm escorted back out of the hall by the mermen and then make my way back to the portal.

Seriously, as I experienced this, I almost broke out in tears. The facilitator didn't interpret our experiences, but others said it could be this place was my true homeworld or dimension. And yes, it could have been Atlantis. But come on--none of that is real! So why was I about to blubber over some imaginary dolphins? And why did I envision an underwater world as opposed to, say, a medieval kingdom on Earth? Why the ocean theme?

I can't explain any of it. If anyone reading this has had similar experiences or even heard about something like this, let me know. Maybe I just accessed some subconscious emotions or needs, and this is how they manifested. I promise you, no alcohol, drugs, not even caffeine, were involved in this experience! In the end, I'm not quite sure what to do with all this info. I probably need to email the workshop facilitator and get his input, and do some reading and online research. I'll keep you posted on any interesting findings!

Latest Shamanic Weekend: Am I a Spiritual Warrior From Atlantis?

So my latest shamanic workshop was this past weekend. It was centered around the solar plexus chakra and focused on spiritual power or our tasks as spiritual warriors. We explored energy fields, qi gong and tai chi, as well as basic "warrior" skills, including self-defense, some martial arts and plan old body language. What I love about these workshops is the merging on ordinary, mundane things, like body language, and its application on a spiritual level. For example, instead of reading someone's body language to get ahead in the corporate world, as I was always taught, how about reading the signs to better understand someone and connect with them spiritually? Sounds good to me.

Oh yeah, and I totally broke a pine board with my foot! I've never had any martial arts training at all, and it was a piece of cake. Essentially, you focus your energy beyond the board--sort of like in "The Matrix" when Neo is told "there is no spoon." Couldn't break the concrete paver, however, but a few other folks did. I'll break it next time!

So I'm still skeptical about a lot of this stuff, but I will say this, after these workshops, I feel so much more centered, calm and authentically me than on any other day. Except maybe when I'm writing.

So What's This About Atlantis?
Oh yeah, I mentioned Atlantis. Here's where it gets really freaky. I promise I'm not on drugs! On the second day we sat outside in a semi-circle for our "journey to the sun" (the sun being associated with warrior energy as well as fire and the solar plexus chakra). Beyond that, I'm not really sure why we were going to the sun, but what the hell, sounds like fun.

The facilitator drums and leads us into the journey. I'll skip the details, but we basically travel into the center of the sun where there is located a transportation hub of sorts, something like an airport terminal. We were told there were portals to other worlds and dimensions here, and to select one to enter and travel. Now, let me say I've never attempted this type of journey before, and we weren't told to expect any specific kind of experience whatsoever. Yet what I did experience was quite surprising and emotional.

With my eyes closed and imagining myself in this terminal, I see one portal that stand out (nothing special about it visually, however). So I approach and enter, and suddenly find myself sucked into some sort of water tube, as if a giant Hawaiian wave has crashed over me and pulled me under, churning the surf all around. I come up in a great, blue ocean as far as the eye can see. Two beings like the "Creature from the Black Lagoon" appear carrying tridents, and I assume they were some sort of sentry for the portal. They don't speak but I somehow understand this.

Next, schools of dolphins and colorful fish swim up to me, as if they're a welcoming party. Without any hesitation, I dive under the water and begin to swim with them as if this were the most natural thing in the world. And I can breathe underwater!

Then come the very real emotions, which I was not prepared for. I felt like I was some place very familiar, a place I knew but hadn't seen in a long, long time. It all felt to right, so comforting--the swimming, the creatures, the water. I knew how to do it all and I "knew" I belonged there.

Before I describe more of what I saw, let me add a little backstory that makes this freakier.

• As a kid, swimming was one thing I loved the most, and I've never been afraid of water or the ocean.
• Breathing underwater was always the one "super power" I wanted.
• Aquaman, Sub Mariner were my favorite super heroes.
  
• I was obsessed with dolphins as a kid. I loved shows like "Flipper" and "The Man From Atlantis."
  
• I went to a college hundreds of miles away from my home where I knew no one--the campus was 15 minutes from the beach, located next to a river, and our mascot was a dolphin.
• I once dreamed of being a marine biologist and even wrote a fictional story about one. Also once considered being in the Coast Guard.
  
• A recurring dream from my childhood had me under water in some sort of vessel and surrounded by fantastic sea creatures.
  

Back to the journey. I'm swimming with the fishes, and then we pass over this reef. A giant underwater city appears and we approach. I'm amazed at how elegant all the structures are and how colorful everything is. We enter this corridor and then I'm led by 2 mermen through a building. I keep asking where we are but no one answers. When I finally ask, "Is this Atlantis?" they say, "It goes by many names."

I have no idea where they're taking me, but we soon enter this giant indoor stadium or great hall, ringed with people in seats. There's such a commotion, and I wonder what it's all about. One tall being approaches, dressed in elegant robes and carrying a sceptre. I can't tell if it's a man or a woman, very androgynous. Without speaking, I ask (telepathically?) what this celebration is all about. Without much explanation, the being smiles and says "welcome home."

A garland of sea grass or some other green underwater plant is placed around my neck and I'm given an object that appears silver or metal. It's carved or sculpted, but I don't recognize the design. It's small, just fits in my hand.

Then I realize it's time for me to return to Earth. I'm mostly surprised and perplexed by all this, still feeling the very real emotions of returning to a familiar place. I'm told I can return again any time, but it seems I have things to do on Earth right now. So I'm escorted back out of the hall by the mermen and then make my way back to the portal.

Seriously, as I experienced this, I almost broke out in tears. The facilitator didn't interpret our experiences, but others said it could be this place was my true homeworld or dimension. And yes, it could have been Atlantis. But come on--none of that is real! So why was I about to blubber over some imaginary dolphins? And why did I envision an underwater world as opposed to, say, a medieval kingdom on Earth? Why the ocean theme?

I can't explain any of it. If anyone reading this has had similar experiences or even heard about something like this, let me know. Maybe I just accessed some subconscious emotions or needs, and this is how they manifested. I promise you, no alcohol, drugs, not even caffeine, were involved in this experience! In the end, I'm not quite sure what to do with all this info. I probably need to email the workshop facilitator and get his input, and do some reading and online research. I'll keep you posted on any interesting findings!

Sex, Money & Power Tools!--Reflections on the Latest Shamanic Workshop

Busy week and I'm late on posting about the shamanic workshop 2 weeks ago. I'll have to give you the short-and-sweet version! And here are some pics of our trip to a state park where we worked with elemental energy, the directions and blew our conch shells (very fun!).


This workshop focused on the navel chakra, which is associated with emotions and water. Wrapped up in all this is our perceptions, hang-ups and obsessions over complicated things like money, sex and power.

We talked about how money is simply just energy. Money is actually only worth something because we say it is. In fact, money is not "real." Our dollar bills are no different than shells once traded by Native Americans. But how we view money says much about us. I'm pretty responsible with it, but I guess that's because deep down I'm afraid others will judge what I do with my money. I also try to be generous and not take it too seriously (contradictions?), and that's all connected to family history.


Sex, well, that's an entire blog! Ask yourself: what is the purpose of sex? What are the "rules?" Is it ok to pleasure yourself? What is your earliest sexual memory? What does your religion teach about sex? Is sex outside marriage right or wrong? What about same-sex acts? Yes, I have my own hang-ups, and I'm working on releasing those....

Power is tricky. We all have our own power, whether we believe it or not. But how do you use it? And why do you deny your own power? What makes you feel powerful and why and when? If you were all-powerful/omnipotent, what would you do and why? I typically don't trust my own power and shy away from traditional expressions of power, such as at work or in my relationships. That may not be "bad," but I'd like to know more about why I do what I do. What does it bring me?

And in our workshop, we made some shaman tools or "mana" (spirit) tubes. We capped them with copper, and the idea is that the metal attracts energy while the wood contains it. In one tube we added sand and a quartz crystal. I don't know if I believe all this actually does anything, so I need to keep reading. Supposedly, these tools can tap into the earth's energy and you can direct it or use it. Oooooh--can I zap someone? We were encouraged to add some decorations, so when I get around to that, I'll add some pics to the blog.

Well, that's it. No deep insights this time. Just meditating on what we did and whether I find any of it worthwhile. I forgot to mention that we also experimented with geomancy and divination using metal shapes, stones and pendulums. Mostly it was just fun--and that's a good thing.

Sex, Money & Power Tools!--Reflections on the Latest Shamanic Workshop

Busy week and I'm late on posting about the shamanic workshop 2 weeks ago. I'll have to give you the short-and-sweet version! And here are some pics of our trip to a state park where we worked with elemental energy, the directions and blew our conch shells (very fun!).


This workshop focused on the navel chakra, which is associated with emotions and water. Wrapped up in all this is our perceptions, hang-ups and obsessions over complicated things like money, sex and power.

We talked about how money is simply just energy. Money is actually only worth something because we say it is. In fact, money is not "real." Our dollar bills are no different than shells once traded by Native Americans. But how we view money says much about us. I'm pretty responsible with it, but I guess that's because deep down I'm afraid others will judge what I do with my money. I also try to be generous and not take it too seriously (contradictions?), and that's all connected to family history.


Sex, well, that's an entire blog! Ask yourself: what is the purpose of sex? What are the "rules?" Is it ok to pleasure yourself? What is your earliest sexual memory? What does your religion teach about sex? Is sex outside marriage right or wrong? What about same-sex acts? Yes, I have my own hang-ups, and I'm working on releasing those....

Power is tricky. We all have our own power, whether we believe it or not. But how do you use it? And why do you deny your own power? What makes you feel powerful and why and when? If you were all-powerful/omnipotent, what would you do and why? I typically don't trust my own power and shy away from traditional expressions of power, such as at work or in my relationships. That may not be "bad," but I'd like to know more about why I do what I do. What does it bring me?

And in our workshop, we made some shaman tools or "mana" (spirit) tubes. We capped them with copper, and the idea is that the metal attracts energy while the wood contains it. In one tube we added sand and a quartz crystal. I don't know if I believe all this actually does anything, so I need to keep reading. Supposedly, these tools can tap into the earth's energy and you can direct it or use it. Oooooh--can I zap someone? We were encouraged to add some decorations, so when I get around to that, I'll add some pics to the blog.

Well, that's it. No deep insights this time. Just meditating on what we did and whether I find any of it worthwhile. I forgot to mention that we also experimented with geomancy and divination using metal shapes, stones and pendulums. Mostly it was just fun--and that's a good thing.