h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Hi Kazzikins! I have been learning about shamanism for the last four years, ever since my No1 best mate was killed in a bike accident. I have never been what you would call a "religious" person, but after my mates death I felt there had to be more to life ( and death ). As a result I studied various forms of spirituality and found that the way of the shaman answered my questions best. It seemed to me that the shaman was the ancestor of all of the myriad "religions" that abound in the world today. The shaman deals with the raw spirit or energies that permeate the fabric of our ordinary reality, and is probably more in touch with Life, the Universe, and Everything than any priest or clergyman could ever be. July 7th 1997 changed my life utterly. At first it was devastating, but over time I have come to realise exactly what this tragedy has done for me. I now know who I am, not just as a person but to my very core. This was quite an intense "revalation" and I feel I have become a better person for it.
I "know" I will see my mate again somewhere, somewhen, and that makes things a lot easier to cope with. I still think of him as my brother, as we knew each other for nearly twenty years and used to ride together and drink together. It still hurts, but the pain is easier to deal with now because in "spirit" he is all around me in everything. We are all intimately linked to everything else in the entire universe through the energies that hold the fabric of space and time together. As the native Americans say " For all my relations" Otter.

Hi Otter
sorry you had to suffer such a loss, but you seem to have dealt with it very well, to bring something so positive out of it, is brilliant.

It seems to me that shamanism is the underlying belief is most countries. Native American, Australian Aboriginal, Shinto in Japan, Bon in Tibet and all of our pagan paths are also shamanistic at heart.

It sounds as though you discovered your shamanism from within your heart, if you know what I mean?! That feels a very honest and real way of discovering your beliefs. I love reading and learning, but the only real truth is that which you discover within.

I would love to hear more, about how you see the world

Sorry I haven't been back to you sooner, but other stuff has been demanding attention lately. However, now I'm back I would like to try to answer your last query. How do I see the world? Sadly I see the world as a victim of mankind's arrogance and greed. The way the western world shamelessly exploits the planet and the less fortunate peoples of the planet is a crime against the universe itsself. Everything is supposed to be in harmony and balance with everything else, but there is dischord and conflict everywhere. In my own small way I like to think that eventually people are going to realise that this cannot continue indefinitely, and they will start to say "NO" to the big corporate entities that seem to actually be running the show.
We have become so detatched from the world around us, that we no longer seem to care about the bad things that are happening to it.
I'm not usually so doomy and gloomy, but recent events have made me despair for the future of mankind and this beautiful planet that is our home. I hope for the sake of the generations to come that man will open his eyes and see what is happening in time to actually do something before it is too late.
I know there are a lot of people out there who feel the same as me, it's just a case of getting the other people in control to listen and take notice of what is being said instead of their being blinded by greed and the obsession with money.
Hope that goes some way to answering your question, check ya soon. Otter.

The sad thing is, I completely agree with you.

A lot of people I knew got quite fired up by 'The Celestine Prophecy', do you know it. Not a perfect book by any stretch of the imagination, but it did make some people think.

I'm afraid I haven't read that one. One of my freinds did and tried to explain it to me ( unsuccessfully ). If you want an excellent insight into shamanism and native American beliefs, I would suggest reading the Earth Quest series of books by Kenneth meadows. They are probably the most concise books on the subject I have ever read, and I would be interested in your response to them. The first book is titled "Earth Medicine", book two is "The Medicine Way", book three is "Shamanic Experience", and book four is "Where Eagles Fly". I hope you get the chance to check them out as they are very thought provoking and well written. Check ya soon Otter.