Shamanism in Today's World  4 – 2004

Finding your Animal Totem / Power Animal    11 - 2004

Exploration of Your Relationship with Power Animal and Nature Spirits   6 - 2005

Calling in the Directions for the Medicine Wheel   1 – 2006

Shamanism & Shamanic Medicine Pieces   2 - 2007  

Shaman Teaching of Honorable Closure    6 - 2007

Burden Basket Teaching   1 - 2008

Be Still in the Aweakening - Body Mind Connection  2-2008

Shamanism In Today's World

Many questions come to mind when someone firsts start to explore Shamanism. What is Shamanism? Is there a difference between being a Shaman and living a shamanic, earth-based spiritual path? Is this available to ALL people, of every race, ethnic background and religion?  How can you use this ancient healing art to bring balance into your life on an emotional, physical and spiritual level?  How important is the concept of belonging to a community or of becoming centered enough to experience the wondrous lessons that are given to you each day? Can the Shamanic journey to the drum become a tool you can use for greater insight and awareness? I will share from a core shamanic perspective about the causes of dis-eases and will discuss the use of ceremony and ritual to heal ourselves whole in body, mind and spirit. Specific issues of soul retrieval, extraction, your connection to your Power Animals, how you can cord to others and the draining away of your life force energy will be discussed. You should expect to walk away with fresh ideas and things you can do to bring more balance and release unwanted patterns in your life.

Illness … Spiritual Dis-ease Shamanic Healing.. The common or core shamanic belief world wide is that all illness is caused by Spiritual Dis-ease (physical, emotional & mental). Think of it in this manner; all illness comes from the Three T’s; Thoughts, Traumas and Toxins.  Our life force energy can become splintered or damaged by not only what we have experienced, witnessed, heard, thought or believed, but also by the beliefs held within our communities and cultures. Anthropologists, in their study of Shamanism, find that this form of healing is found around the world and dates back thousands of years.  Core Shamanism are those practices and beliefs that are virtually the same throughout the world and across many cultures. A Shaman is a man or woman who uses the shamanic journey, entering an altered state via some type of percussion (drum, rattle, singing bowl, chanting, etc.) to diagnose and treat. In interacting with the spirit world, the shaman uses various skills; divination, soul retrieval, aura clearing, extraction and psycho pomp (assisting the soul to cross over to the other world) and more. 

Shamanic Living and Healing

Questions to ask yourself ~ Keys to healing:

* Faith is the key ~ where are you spiritually?  
 
* Where are you with these other elements ~ family, foods, thoughts, social interaction, work situations, leisure, connection with nature, etc?
 
* All these affect your health ~ mental, physical, emotional and spiritual health.
 
* Where are you in your relationship to service to others?
 
* How do you view your work? 
 
* What is your family background, your culture and how does that affect this generation? 
 
* Whose stuff do you carry and what of your own old stuff do you still carry? 
 
* Is your body sacred? 
 
* Are you going for Long Term pleasure OR Short Term pleasure?  You can judge for yourself by the choices you make each day.
 

To heal:   1st you need to want to heal. 
 
               2nd what is there that needs healing?
 
               3rd what are you willing to do to heal?
 

Your body is the greatest barometer as to what is really going on in your outer life. Whatever physical, emotional and mental symptoms you have are the result of damage to the energy body on some level.

Teachings of the Shamans and Curanderismo:

1st and most important … go out in Nature ~ sit, watch, listen, breath and just be! Let the earth mother heal you. We must take the time to remove ourselves from the toxic environment that we commonly live in within this modern world.  When I speak of toxic environment, I’m referring to toxic on many levels:  chemicals in our environment including our homes, toxins in our food chain, toxic relationships and toxic thoughts. It is suggested to alternate heat and cold for maintaining health. The sweat lodge or temazcalli are done the world over not just for healing but to maintain health. Native people often will do healing rituals in very cold rivers. Both of these healing ceremonies or rituals should only be practiced with experienced teachers and if your health permits. You must remember you are alive ~ live with gusto.  Bring colors, flowers, plants, music, and laughter and have a purpose in life, a mission.  Be of service to yourself, your community and others.  A life without service can feel meaningless. You must learn to ask for what you want! There are spiritual solutions to all healing, economic and social problems. Also consider, what are we leaving for the next generation?
Native People talk about making decisions and taking action considering the concept of “unto the 7th generation”.  Is what you are doing going to be good and worthy for those that will follow us, or will it harm them?  For example:  If we had used this concept when considering atomic energy; we would not have gone forward knowing we had no safe way to store the toxins or protect ourselves from disaster.   I invite you to use this principle for making decisions this month.  It is a concept that can change your approach to living and interacting with others in profound ways.

A Shamanic Practitioner confronts what doesn’t work and supports what does.  They are there to empower you and guide you into ways you can heal yourself.

When people come to me for guidance and healing its an honor and a trust.  For me it is a humbling experience and a responsibility.  I have a responsibly to be honest in what I see or sense.  Yes, I work with my education and life experiences but always listen for spiritual guidance from the guides and spirits.

Shamans can lose their power and abilities to do the work if we mismanage our personal power.  For example:

* Do they overcharge? Having a fair exchange is necessary from an energy spiritual perspective. 
 
* Does the Shaman work and give to the poor? 
 
* Healers must constantly be healing themselves on all levels. We need to being doing our own work to be effective in working with others. 
 
* It is essential to have healthy physical boundaries, for ourselves and for our clients. 
 
* It is crucial to never think of one’s self as all powerful or a guru type.  Be always humble of this gift. 
 
* We must clear and clean ourselves, our minds and the locations we work in  … fasting, meditation, prayer, clean in our acts and person,

            sexually appropriate with others. 
 

Conditions:

Crown  (Perdida de Tonaol) (where we receive spirit, light and knowledge) This is a very soft area and the crown of a child can be easily injured.  Finding an imbalance here is often in children but also for mental disease.  Spirit can separate not only from the body but from the mind.  The mind is the hardest part to work on as most of us have very set ideas and beliefs. And we often are unwilling to do the personal work necessary to make the shift.  Key:  Your mind can work on its own without the your being conscious of it; it can control your life, body, family, how you respond to life situations and health.

Impacted (enoacho) Normally occurs when something is eaten that doesn’t work for a person, doesn’t digest or pass easily.  This can be affected by physical, type of foods or mental/emotional distress. Other causes … coldness or strange objects in the body. ***Massage the back, stomach, legs and hands ***Eating should be a CEREMONY so that it is healing

Envy and Jealousy (mal de ojo) We as humans can give or receive jealousy.  We are not always conscious of this. Learn to manage your wishes and desires.

Soul Loss  (Susto – Espanto) (two types) – I prefer the term Life Force Energy Loss Sudden experience … Frightened by something we see and experience (accident, rape, violence, etc), by things not seen (fear, anger, shame, anxiety, sadness, envy, arrogance, stubbornness, etc.) Immune system decreases.  Children can be especially affected and it can last a life time.  Drugs, especially alcohol, cause this illness and it effects our population greatly.

Another Way of Looking at these Illnesses:

Power animal goes away and a new one does not come.  Our power animal protects us emotionally as well as physically.  Symptoms:  chronic physical problems - colds /flues, fatigue, chronic emotional or suicidal issues, depression and chronic misfortune.
Intrusion - the presence of something in a person that does not belong to him or her. Symptoms:  localized pain or illness, chronic illness, anger and misplaced energy or entities.

Soul Loss - (Loss of the essence or life force that keeps us alive). In today’s world, soul loss is a psychological phenomenon in the everyday lives of most people. Soul loss comes from emotional or physical trauma, when a part of our life force left as a survival mechanism.  The types of traumas are endless:  abuse, war, drugs, alcohol abuse, illness, accidents, death, surgery, anesthesia, natural disasters, fright & shock, alarm clocks.  Symptoms - A sudden onset of apathy and listlessness. Dissociation:  A person might say they don’t feel like they are in their body, like they are watching a TV or movie, “I’ve never been the same since …” , they don’t feel fully present in body, chronic physical problems (especially immune deficiency syndrome, chronic depression, people who can’t get over death or divorce, etc.). The joy is not felt in one’s life, initiative is curtailed, and life feels pointless. There are three levels of soul loss. Most people have some soul loss and are yet functional at various levels. Their lives are affected through their health and sense of well-being. Others can become psychotic.  Then there is the area of coma, life threatening illnesses & trauma.

The term soul-stealing refers to someone, most often unknowingly, of taking a portion of someone else’s life force and holding it.  This depletes that person who has lost life force energy and also burdens those that hold it. The shaman, through a journey state, works with the spirits to bring healing to both parties. Causes of soul stealing could include: Psychic Warfare (rare in our country),  jealousy  - when someone wants to take power from another, parent depression and their unknowingly pulling life force from a child, co-dependence, divorce or separation, if not settled amiably; mutual hanging on; death of loved one; or with mental, verbal, physical, emotional or sexual abuse.

The shaman approaches healing through soul retrieval and, if necessary, extraction, ritual and ceremonies. But it is the work following this that is of real importance.  Individuals having had a soul retrieval will usually report a sense of well-being, of being more aware and focused.  Some can have life altering effects in health, mental and physical, as well as the way they now approach living, their relationship with self and others. 

After having had soul retrieval and/or extraction healing, people who have taken part in this type of healing will have freed up tremendous amounts of energy. We, at this point, can choose to use that freed up energy to create further illness, traumas and dramas in our lives; or we can choose to use this energy to create positive, life enriching situations.  Illness and behaviors that do not serve us are habits.  The first step is to make a conscious decision to change those habits that limit us. Working individually or in small groups with people having had a soul retrieval, the following journeys can be experienced and some ceremonial work completed: full integration, soul remembering (finding your true essence), learning to use your spiritual creativity to increase your passion in life, learning what are the “core” attitudes and belief system that block you from your creative energy (often a belief imprinted form early years that we are not even aware of), creating personal sacred space, becoming aware of personal physical needs and learning how to honor them, gifts and strengths carried from your ancestral lineage, habit breaking rituals, etc. Group support through this time can be extremely healing.
Healing can be a passionate process of transformation. We are born pure spirit and the Creator, the Sweet Mystery wants us to reach for the stars.                              Tana Hamiter   4-1-2004

Finding your Animal Totem / Power Animal 

  
“So important are animals in our spiritual lives that we do not merely use animal imagery to embody religious themes; rather, we discover spiritual values through animals.”                     Christopher Manes ~ Other Creations, p. 15

One thing to understand is that neither animal totems, nor the animal they represent, were actually worshiped.  They are teachers, messengers and helpers that assist us in understanding the invisible realm.  Our interactions do not happen so much as an intellectual process but rather through the intuitive senses.    

We look to the physical characteristics of the animals to give us insight to ourselves.  Often if an animal is showing itself to you, it is indicating some trait that you are lacking. These physical traits bring spiritual lessons. 

To find your power animal:

Option #1  Shamanic Journey (my preferred method) If you are not well trained on how to use the shamanic journey, contact me for more information. tana@onwingsoflight.com

Option #2   Dream Time 

Supplies needed:  journal and pen

Call for a dream each night for three nights (or more if needed).  Before going to bed, smudge yourself and the bed area.  Stand by your bed and call out:  “I call for my primary power animal to come to me in my dream”.  Repeat 3 times.  Get into bed, do a relaxing meditation and drift off to sleep.  NO TV or conversation. Each morning, when you awaken, journal your dream, watching for the symbols. Repeat if needed to be sure. Once you are clear this is your totem, you should start to see manifestations in this physical world that reconfirm the dream. 

Option #3 Animal Cards Supplies needed:  Deck of Animal Cards  Follow the directions in the book.

Option #4 Temple of the Mind If you are not well trained on how to use the shamanic journey, contact me for more information. tana@onwingsoflight.com            Tana Hamiter  11 - 2004 

Exploration of Your Relationship with Power Animals and Nature Spirits

Several things need to be developed to work with animal and nature spirits effectively.  You need knowledge of the divine within you to know that you are connected and receptive to the Creator, the Sweet Mystery and a realization of the sacredness of nature.  We are but a strand in the Web of Life.

The Medicine Way calls for Caring, love and empathy for all living things needs to be a part of who you are.  You demonstrate that by how you interrelate with animals and plants. Are you nurturing and mindful? Another attribute is PATIENCE – it takes time to develop a relationship with these beings, just as it takes time to develop and maintain a good friendship.

When you are mindful you will be aware of the spirits of animals and the plant people, as well as the elements of air, fire, water and earth.  Be in a rush, out of your body and somewhere else with your mind, and you will miss these subtle communications altogether. Send conscious wishes for these spirits to visit you and then pay attention.  While outside, be observant. Those that live in cities will find this more challenging; however, it is my experience that they will find you anyway.

Another requirement is for you to honor them and help them.  You might leave offerings or help care for their habitat.  Possibly join with those who rescue and rehabilitate injured animals.  Subscribe to a magazine that promotes animal welfare, put bird feeders outside your window to draw them to you, spend time outside alone and in silence.  Choose a tree as it chooses you, then care for it. Visit it throughout the year.  If you expand your willingness to appreciate your brothers and sisters, this will lead to service and action.  The spirits watch you for sometime before they decide you are sincere and ready to listen.

Remember:  All Animals carry great medicine!

Once I drove to an area that called to me and went for a spirit walk into the woods. Then, as always, I asked permission of the land spirit for me to walk this land in peace and harmony and started working my way up the hilly area through the underbrush that is common in the North Cascade forest.  Even though I know better, in my heart I hoped to encounter some wonderful big animal and experience the honor of learning and witnessing them. Perhaps I would see a deer, elk, owl  -or possibly even a bear.  Well, off I went for a day alone to see what would show up.   I felt the land and the dappled light as it filtered through the trees.  The earth was pungent with the decay of leaves and underbrush returning and becoming earth.  Finally I found a tree that beckoned for me to sit and stay a while.   Getting comfortable, I breathed in deeply, drinking in the rich smells and stillness of this place.

Readying myself for the great adventure of the day to come, I sat with expectation, when I noticed that between my feet was a slug. YES, a lowly slug.  Humph … now what did this mean? 

Actually I spent the whole day, until dusk called me to leave, with my new friend and teacher. Once home, I wrote in my journal the lessons and realized how perfect that encounter was for me.  To sit silently all day, not moving or rushing to and fro, to observe the path that was left by my new teacher.  This path is often associated as a form of divination and considered sacred.  Am I willing to look at opening to a higher vision?  Can I slow myself enough to “be here now” to embody mindfulness in my daily walk?  Slugs move slowly, deliberately and steadily. This was a reminder … there are no shortcuts, no fast route from here to there on the spiritual trail of life.

When you work with Animal or Nature Spirits pay attention:

* To animals, birds, insects showing up in your life now. 
 
* To animals, birds, insects have been showing up the last few months. 
 
* To those animals that have been reappearing or prominent during your lifetime.
 

Sense what each might be teaching you.  Do this through meditation, dream work and research including Animal Speak by Ted Andrews and experiencing the shamanic journey. Journal your experience, messages and teaching received.      Tana Hamiter  6 - 2005 

Calling In the Directions for the Medicine Wheel

When calling the directions, stand normally and face each direction.  Always turn in a clock wise motion (if above the equator).  Approach and call to the spirits with the utmost of respect and humility.  There are several options below to help you get started.  In time you will find your own way to call the directions.

I first ground myself with the Earth Mother & then with the Creator. I smudge myself and the area or medicine wheel where I’m preparing to create sacred space.  In each direction I rattle & whistle. -

Oh Spirits of the East - Grandmothers, Grandfathers, I Invite to you to be with me. I call to the  Spirit of Eagle and Hawk,  to the Spirit of Air and all the Winged Ones, to the  Spirit of the Morning Sun and to the gift of  Illumination; live - breathe and be of my being!

Oh Spirits of the South - Grandmothers, Grandfathers, I welcome you. And I call to the Spirit of Coyote, Mouse and Raven, to the Spirit of the Midday Sun, of Fire, Passion and child like play, and to the gift of  Trust and Innocence, live - breathe and be of my being!

Oh Spirits of the West - Grandmothers, Grandfathers,  I invite you to this circle. I call to the Spirit of Grandmother Bear and Puma, of Dolphin and Whale.  I call to the Spirit of Water; the river, the rain and the tear, I call to the Spirit of the Twilight Time and to the gift Introspection, live - breathe and be of my being!

Oh Spirits of the North - Grandmothers, Grandfathers, I respectfully summon you. I call to the Spirit of White Buffalo, of my brother the Wolf and Owl, to the Spirit of Earth and Snow. I call to  Spirit of the Midnight Moon and the gift of Ancient Wisdom, live - breathe and be of my being!

Oh Spirits of the Sky Nation above, Grandfather Sun and Grandmother Moon, the Angelic ones,  I call to you and ask that you look down upon me and encircle me, teach me, live - breathe and be of my being!

Oh Spirit of Mother Earth … I lay my hands upon you and give thanks.  I ask for you to be present and hold me.   You give grounding to this work and I am grateful.  You hold and cradle the Standing People, the Plants and Rock People, the Four Legged and Creepy Crawlies, all that live in the waters.  You embrace the elements of Fire, Air, Water and Earth, live - breathe and be of my being!

Oh Spirit of the Center - Lord - God - Creator - Sweet Mystery.  Spirit of the Tree of Life, Father Sky and Mother Earth, and all that lives within,  live - breathe and be of my being!

O our Father, the Sky, hear us and make us strong.

O our Mother the Earth, hear us and give us support

O Spirit of the East, send us your Wisdom

O Spirit of the South, may we tread your path of life.

O Spirit of the West, may we always be ready for the long journey.

O Spirit of the North, purify us with your cleansing winds.                             

                                    Sioux Prayer                                                         

                                   Tana Hamiter   1 - 206 

Shamanism & Shamanic Medicine Pieces

As you explore and walk a Shamanic path, certain Medicine Tools will come to you. Often the drum or rattle will be the first. How will you gather medicine tools? Some groups or cultures believe that your most important and powerful shamanic medicine pieces will be gifted to you either by an elder or perhaps a shaman. Other cultures have the tradition that you can make your own (with clear intent), find them in nature or purchase them. The Spirits of Nature can call to you, drawing your attention. When a stone, a piece of distinctive driftwood on the ocean beach, a feather in the grass, an egg dropped from a nest calls to you ~ STOP! Slow down and pay attention.

Connect with the spirit that is calling to you. Ask the spirit of the stone for example, if it is to come back with you, to be used in your shamanic practice OR are you to connect with it there, learning something about a lesson that is up for you. If you are called to take it home with you then gift before taking it from its home. (Tobacco, cornmeal, herb, plant a crystal, sprinkle bird seed, hair from your head, offer a prayer, etc.)

It is also appropriate to gift before or after working with a spirits in nature with gratitude, staying in spiritual balance. When working with the stone people, be mindful and someday return them to their home, where you found them. The longer you walk a shamanic path the more opportunities you will have to learn from the spirits. I use the word Spirit in three ways. First there is an OVER SPIRIT of say, the Stone People, yet each stone has its own spirit. The medicine of the Cypress trees will teach you with a common theme, while an individual piece of Cypress wood made into a talking stick might teach you other things as well or come to you for a reason that is obscure at first glance.

Go deeper, create a relationship and be wiling to learn. The other use of the word Spirit refers to the Great Spirit, Creator, God, Lord, Sweet Mystery, etc. Human kind has used many words for concept of Creator. Becoming Dependent In traditional cultures, their personal or communal medicine pieces are considered Sacred. They have been consecrated or charged for a shamanic use and will be used for a specific purpose: healing, calling, protection, clearing, divination, etc. The shamanic medicine pieces you receive can help you, however if you become dependent upon them your abilities are decaying, even to the point of addiction.

Perhaps you have a ‘calling rattle’ which increases your focus and power. But if you feel awkward or unable to ‘call’ with out your rattle then you have become dependent.

Several years ago I had been traveling in Mexico. While there, as coincidence would have it, a Hispanic women was referred to me requesting healing. The women who brought her spoke English and Spanish which proved helpful as my Spanish at that time was rather limited. All I knew about the women was that she spent many hours each day in the cathedral praying for forgiveness and that she supported an extended family. She was despondent, holding responsibility for every family personas needs, manifested illnesses and was well past the point of exhaustion. I agreed to work with her expecting that a shamanic journey, extraction, de-cording and soul retrieval would be helpful.

Suddenly I realized I didn’t have any of my Medicine Tools with me. No special prayer blanket, medicine bag, rattle or drum, ochre, healing bundle, certain herbs and such. What I did have was FAITH that if a healing was to occur, Creator would work through me.

At first I felt almost ‘naked’ without my familiar medicine pieces. Yet with improving and trusting the process we proceeded with the healing ritual. During the journey one thing I saw was her as a young girl looking out the window. A small boy had climbed into a tree, out onto a branch and fell to the ground as she watched. At the end of the Soul Retrieval I shared with her the various things I saw and felt. When she was told about the boy falling and her watching, she began to cry and hug me. She explained that when she was quite young she was responsible for watching over her younger brother. He had climbed a tree and fell permanently severely disabling himself.

She and the family had always blamed her for his injury and life long disability. She had taken on the dark energy of this belief and it had effected her all of her life. We talked about how it was not her fault, how she was just a small girl who was there when a terrible accident occurred. This healing work started her onto a path of reclaiming her life.

I heard the next year that she was doing very well and her health had returned. Fortunately for both of us, I was not ‘dependent’ on my medicine tools.

Care of Shamanic Medicine Pieces Often people start collecting or making various medicine pieces. I’ve seen rooms with lovely crystals, rattles, drums, staffs and wands, feathers and fans, totem statues, etc. placed as if on display around the room. Or alters pilled high with both medicine pieces and gifts ~ dust and clutter all around. Not only is this disrespectful but it causes a loss of power or charged intent of the medicine piece.

If you have an alter keep it clean and have each piece on it there for a purpose ~ not just a dust catching storage area. Some things need to be kept covered or wrapped but there is no 100 % rule on this. I keep covered our community mother drum with a special blanket, the buffalo skull is carefully wrapped and kept on bed of fresh cedar, my medicine bundle is kept in a special place and a special medicine necklace is kept wrapped in red cloth.

Some pieces ~ drums for example can be covered or not. Some of my drums hang on the wall, while my Healing drum and Personal drum are covered and kept separate from the others. These are not to be used by other people. Keeping them wrapped not only protects them, shows respect but keeps them from being improperly handled. Pay attention as you develop relationships with your medicine pieces. Then you will instinctively know how to care for them.                                                     -By Tana Hamiter   2 - 2007 

This teaching was brought to me by a number of teachers both in the native and non-native teachers in the U.S. as well as my travels around the world. Certainly it is not something practiced actively in our standard American culture. Yet give it some though and see how it could apply in your life, making your spiritual path, your growth stronger in integrity.We all belong to groups of various kinds, i.e. Medicine circles, drumming groups, clans & communities, service organizations, churches, social or other kinds of groups. We have many types of teachers, mentors, healers (including doctors in white coats), friends and family. What happens when it is time to leave?  Perhaps you are moving to another town or job change that affects your time availability. Other times people find another class that conflicts in time with a circle or class you’ve been attending. This is where the Medicine Teaching of “HONORABLE CLOSURE” comes into play. 

When we have been a part of a group, clan or ongoing class; we have created relations with these people and with the leader of the group.  To just disappear is to walk away without honor and it leads to leaving the equivalent ‘stone’ in your belly, an attachment that was not dealt with in a good way. This has a strong energy affect on you and can have one as well on the group.The honorable way to handle this is to make the time to go to the last circle/meeting you would be attending and have ‘honorable closure’. Let people know you are moving on, or perhaps will just be gone for say 4 months while you attend some other commitment or family necessity. It gives a chance for the circle to embrace you and support you in your spirit walk and does not leave a tear in the energy of the circle. Try to let the leader know in advance as they may do something special for you on that night.

Other times we move on because we have had a falling out with the leader or no longer feel comfortable within the group.  Part of our Spiritual Maturation is to face our issues (not just duck out and hide … there goes that stone in the belly again).  If it is with the leader request a private meeting and talk through what has been uncomfortable with you. Sometimes it feels like this step might take a lot of personal strength but that is what growing is all about.  This way you can leave your relationship with your teacher/mentor in a ‘good way’ or as I’ve found, often these riffs where great lessons and it made our relationship stronger because I faced the challenge.

Once I had a teacher/mentor who I had worked with for many years and she often had me doing things that stretched me ,,, I mean really stretched me.  Once though she gave me a task that really went against my personal values (I was what I refer to a ‘young one’ at the time). We discussed it but she was strong, very strong in her saying that this was the way to handle a very difficult situation.  Finally I went and did as she taught me and wow,,,, major bad fall out! I felt awful as well as it was really against my personal values as to how to handle very difficult problems. It was hurtful to me and the person I was dealing with.  Well, I did not go back for honorable closure. I carried that rock in my belly for many years unit l I grew enough to realize that it was still there, as well as the cording that went with it.  Thus I called and asked to meet with her and we had a ‘sit down’.It was then during the discussion that she said it was about time I’d learned the lesson to never go against my personal moral values. Though the discussion we eventually ended up laughing at how difficult I’d made that lesson for myself and how long I’d chosen to carry the stone in my belly.  Now we are on best of relations and I truly honor her as a strong teacher and friend.

So, I suggest if you need to get ‘clean’ with a teacher/mentor, do so!  It is a lesson for both of you and as we all know, lessons not faced return, return and return again until we learn from them.  Then go to the group/clan if there is one and have ‘honorable closure’ there.  It will leave everyone with a rich and growing experience and leave you energetically free.  – By Tana Hamiter  6 - 20087