Birth of a Shaman

He travels between the worlds of the living and the dead in search of answers. Once fully human now partly spirit he enters where no other dares to look where those few before him have gone. His soul heavy and empty he prepares the way to what he hopes is his self discovery, his salvation.

His life has been a journey of hardship and discovery preparing him for this moment. Always considered different by his people. His senses are sharp and his perceptions clear. He sees through people to their hearts and intensions and is keenly aware of all that transpires around him.

As a child this set him apart, this made him “other”. Loved and feared by his people he was not an outsider but not wholly one of their own either. A creature unto himself his abilities to discern the truth of a situation as well as the understanding of the lower beasts grew with him. It was at this time in his life that the spirits started speaking to him. Whispers at first, faint sounds on the wind. He would stop and listen, straining his hearing hoping to catch a word a meaning.

Young and lonely and beset by the confusion of his condition he began to look for answers. Slowly the whispers began to form meaning and direction, and were applied to his mind and body. His body grew in strength, honed in silent footsteps, he became cunning and cautious. He discovered the arcane arts through the magic of the twilight forest aided by the spirits of the animals. His senses opened he became aware of all the worlds around him.

So the boy grew into a man of cleverness and magic and his people learned not to fear him. Rather a trust in his knowledge grew within the community and though still apart from them he was given a place of honor and named Menarash, he who is one with the spirits. And a Shaman was born.

 

Virtue of Integrity

Integrity is that quality of character within a person who lives by their principals and personal ethics.  To have Integrity is to be complete within yourself, understanding and accepting your nature and then acting on it.  Most of all what this says to me is “Be true to yourself”.

Each of us has a dynamic personality with both positive and negative traits.  We strive daily to bring forth that which is good within us and suppress that which we perceive as bad.  Sometimes this can go as far as trying to deny the dark or less pleasing parts of our egos.  This outlook, rather than being beneficial, can be harmful to the Integrity of our psyches.  While it is praiseworthy to always try to be and act our best we must not ignore the many different faucets of our personalities, for to do so is to deny the complete person.

To have Integrity is to actively stand for what you believe in.  This does not mean we need to be aggressive in our principals but we do need to be steadfast.  Sometimes standing up for what you believe to be right can be a very difficult thing.  We often worry about the judgement and possible condemnation of others and as a result our voices are never heard.  But there comes a time for all people when taking a stand is the only right thing they can do, weather in silent protest or vocal outrage.

Each of us has our own set of ethics and virtues.  If we can take the time to examine them, and not take for granted that they are there, but really think about them then we can learn where our own Integrity really is.  Our Integrity lies in our evolving understanding of ourselves and our determination to be true to our beliefs.

 

Thoughts on Creation

NGC 5866

Within the infinite the one is many, and the many are one.  The creation epic is played over and over again in the existence of all beings.  Our DNA, our molecular structure contains the blueprints for this creation. Within each cell is contained the mystery of beginning.

Creation, the one singular event that sparked all future events to come. Creation, the point of universal connection we all share.  No matter our seeming differences, our implied individualities, we all share the history of creation, a structure of expanding awareness.  This one point shines within us all, and it not only leads us back to the beginning but forges us ahead into the future.