Wild and Free
Wednesday 10/12/22
I’m aware that many of my readers will not have had the blessing of experiencing one of my favorite forms of indigenous spiritual practice: shamanic journeying.
And I’m grateful for the blessing and privilege of taking a variety of classes with interfaith minister, Rev. Dr. Stephanie Rutt (these days over Zoom) who respects and honors ALL of the world’s spiritual practices. And what makes me feel especially ecstatic is how much Stephanie loves dancing too. Dancing can just be so freeing. 🌼🌺☀️🌿🧚🏻🤸😎💃🕺
In our class of dancing, singing mantra, and shamanic journeying on Monday night, we were instructed to ask our spirit animal, “How can I better connect with my wild oneness to be wild and free.” Now my dear reader, if you know me, you know I love feeling wild and free. Perhaps one of my many favorite things about living in New Hampshire is that the state mottos is, Live Free or Die!
“I want to dance with you in my dreams and with the stars and the moon,” Rev. Stephanie said. “Have fun with your spirit animal and ask for information. You don’t need anything from them, but you can be interested in what they have to share with you.”
Rev. Stephanie put on some music, and after my body moved in a wild and free dance, I sat in mediation pose 🧘 listening to the music of Brother Sun and Sister Moon, then lay on a thin mattress on my floor for a shamanic journey to the sound of a beating drum. The spirit animal that came to me was Praying Mantis. And he wanted us to have tea.
Telling this story makes me smile—I’m so grateful I’ve learned to hold my ego as a beloved pet and laugh at it when it tries to run the show, as I get to be endlessly amused.
But I loved what this Praying Mantis shared with me. He told me:
BE HAPPY BEING HAPPY.
EVEN WHEN OTHERS MAY NOT BE HAPPY, YOU’RE STILL ALLOWED TO BE HAPPY.
He told me that I’m here on this earth to shine my light brightly and not to be dimmed by others.
I have compassion for the suffering of others, and my intention in writing this Substack is to help ease the suffering of others, and the Praying Mantis told me that the best way to do this is by being happy in myself first. And when I’m happy in myself first, I maintain my equanimity and I can be of best service in the world.
I know. My rational brain tells me that shamanic journeying is all made up and is a figment of my imagination. But you know what, WHO CARES? If it’s the placebo effect—it still works! It’s always baffled me why allopathic medical doctors don’t pay more attention to the placebo effect as it’s so effective. But, of course no money can be made from the placebo effect, which brings me to the corrosive effects of greed in big pharma. But that’s another story.
In today’s iteration of The Rising of the Divine Feminine I want to offer support to all human beings who may not feel you have a right to feel happy. You do.
As it says in the early 1900s sacred text, The Desiderata:
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.