Imagine stepping back into the rhythm of the past… into the days of vast forests, sacred groves and fires at twilight… of circles of three… women, priestesses, druids, healers… drumming and drawing stories of wisdom from the Otherworld to bless and heal the community. See yourself gathered around the sacred flame, see the faces of Maiden, Mother and Crone, and hearing their stories of wisdom and healing for the earth, the community and you…
As some of you know, my explorations of shamanism have brought me to a deep connection with Celtic shamanism, which is my heritage and spiritual connection through many, many lifetimes. It is through this connection that I have had the honor and opportunity to be a part of this circle of healing this past year. It has been a phenomenal healing and growth experience.
We came together as a circle of four women, to build on the idea of returning this tradition of story telling and healing to the community, to once again,hear the ancestors speak and share their wisdom. Our journey began to bring this ceremony to the community as a form of shamanic theater, to larger groups in a theatrical setting. But, our director was directed elsewhere as often happens with Spirit. So we were left with three. As we noted the power of three, we also noted that we each of us represented a different face of the Goddess. We truly represented the Triple Goddess as maiden, mother and crone!
Over the months we had come together to sit in circle to develop our rhythm,as well as offering healing to the earth and community at large as the stories were told to us through our shamanic journeys. The stories came forth from the depths of our souls, with the voices of the Ancestors, the Earth and the Elements. And one day we heard the voice that said we were ready to take the ceremony out to the community.
So, last month we invited family and friends to join us as a circle of community,around a circle of three, around a circle of fire to listen to the wisdom offered by the Ancestors. Last night, we opened the circle to the community and had a wonderfully full group, ready to experience this ancient ceremony.
Just imagine walking into a darkened room where only candles flickered, dancing along the walls. An in the center, around a sacred flame, sit three women as Maiden, Mother and Crone, ready to begin an ancient ceremony. You are immediately transported back to the “Time of Magic”, when we gathered around the fire as a community to listen to the wisdom of the Ancestors, offered through shamanic ceremony to our heal hearts, souls and community.
After setting a sacred circle, we begin with all three of us women drumming a rhythmic beat to begin to take us into a shamanic trance state, feeling the energy of the Ancestors and the community, waiting to be shown what healing needs to take place this night, what story needs to be heard. Then in turn,we each stop drumming, enter altered state to journey, and return to tell the story that is gifted through us. One by one, we journey and tell the stories,some pin pointed to an individual in the community that needs a certain piece of wisdom (although we don’t know who that may be) and some to the community as a whole and some stories are offered for the global community and the Earth. When the last story has ended the drum moves into a rhythm to call us back from our journeys to return to a waking state of consciousness.
Once back in our reality, the community joins hands in a circle, around the circle of three, around the circle of fire. Thanks and blessings are offered to the Ancestors, other spirits present and the elements and the circle is closed.
The circle is closed, but the stories still reverberate in the souls of each person who gathered, rekindling that spark of magic that whispers … “Remember”.
Each circle leaves me deeply moved and awestruck (even after all these years of shamanic journeying), and humbled to be chosen as a tool for Spirit.
If you would like to know more about the circle, you can contact me at debbie@shamanicconnection.com. We are beginning to discuss the idea of traveling to other communities, so we may possibly be able to bring this powerful healing experience to your community.
Until next time…
Mitakuye Oyasin ( A Lakota prayer as a reminder that we are all related),
Debbie