Gatekeepers and Shamanic Androgyny

Now is the time for the awakening of the Gatekeepers. Many are gathered at this portal, which exists between the World of Form and the Multiverse. There was a time when this one gate was two. It was "fragmented" into an "upper world" and a "lower world." As of now, that conceptual model has been superceded.

Indeed, the assignment of "upper" and "lower" to the unseen worlds is just another manifestation of judgment---applied to a passageway of consciousness which has no reason to be judged. It is there, and it is time that we knew about it.

The term "Berdache" is a French European application of an ancient tradition which spans many reality contexts. It is a GIFT, an ability that has become an entire state of consciousness. In a nutshell, these dear people have the capacity---usually from birth--- to feel into both sides of the human polarity spectrum. Therefore, if you are a Berdache male, you would have all the physical/mental faculties and predispositions that accompany that gender assignment plus you would be able to access all of the emotions, thought patterns, and subconscious imagery that a female has as well. The same is true (in reverse) of Berdache females.

The "Berdache" are also known as llahamana, adonisgi, gatekeepers, nadle, mexago, winkte, yirka- la ul, and i-wa-wisp. They are those individuals who, because of their essential energetic androgyny, have the power to enter the Otherworld. This is NOT a sexual orientation. It is spiritual. Some Berdache are gay, but that is more a choice of action, a preference, than it is a mandate for the usage of this gift.

The indigenous thought about the Other World, the realm of the Gods, is that it is a realm of ONENESS. The Gods or spirits are both masculine and feminine in one. Though a certain spirit might manifest before a human in either a masculine or feminine character, it is---at it's core---BOTH genders.

The Berdache are special in the fact that they carry this androgynous energy---the energy of the Gods. It is what makes them able to exist both in physical form and also "journey" into the other realms as well. Hermes Trismegastrus and the Egyptian God THOTH were both examples of this propensity for androgyny. In fact, the term "hermaphrodite" (Hermes+ Aphrodite) refers to the marriage of the archetypal male and female (these two were the children of Zeus). This important predisposition is seen clearly in the African culture. In childbirth, the spirit of the fetus is exhorted through the voice of the mother. It is at this time that the "energy" of it's soul is examined by the village Shaman. Certain souls who possess this androgyny are seen to be "blessed from birth." They are called "the holy ones." It is in this African tradition that the name of "Gatekeeper" is given to the child. Many preparations are made to welcome it into the community, including the giving of an appropriate name to "harmonize" with it's sacred purpose.

The Berdache are the highest shamans, healers, teachers, diviners, dreamers, prophets, and guardians of the Gateway. To them, sexuality is nothing more than an extension of their spiritual being. If their energy was not used for this purpose, there would develop a blockage or build-up that would seek expression. Quite often, that expression would end up being sexual, since touching another human always causes this energy to flow.

The priestesses in the Temples of the Goddess were often Berdache. Though they often lived "normal" lives---having husbands and families---they would choose, at key times to go and live at the Temple, devoting many hours,
days, weeks to worship of the Goddess.

In this "Temple-system" of worship, people from the city would come and pay homage to the particular face or version of the Goddess for which the Temple was built. Most noted were the Temples for Diana, Artemis, Isis, and Hecate---though there were/are many more faces of the ONE Goddess. The "homage" would often consist of money or physical goods---which would be utilized for the upkeep of the Temple as well as the support of the Priestesses.

Temple worship was often sexual in nature. Many times, children were born of the connections made there. These children were raised in the Temple and were called "Children of the Goddess." Those less sympathetic with this religious system, who wrote about these "rites," would refer to these Priestesses as "Temple Prostitutes." They looked upon them with scorn, and later sought to overthrow the whole system.

Many of these Priestesses were Berdache. In the evening time, after sacrifices were through, they would often express their love and commitment sexually with each other. These interactions were not necessarily "gay." They were not necessarily
ANYTHING, other than an "in-the-moment" expression of spiritual truth.

Also in the Native American and African traditions, there were certain forms of Berdache expression which were called WARRIOR-SHAMANS or SHAMAN-CHIEFS. They could commune with the other world but could not journey there---unless their souls left their bodies---an activity which is called "soul traveling." These Shaman types, although heterosexual in orientation, would often take on the skirt of a woman during their period of initiation (and often afterwards, as a sign of their "office.") They wished to honor their feminine "side" even though they were heterosexual in practice.

In many cultures, the warriors of the tribe would have a Berdache attending to them. This was considered a badge of honor, and a necessary element if they were to be successful in battle. Often this "attending" would involve sexual joining. In Celtic cultures, this was particularly true. One Roman writer shook his head, when writing of these practices. He said: "....the Celtic women are not BAD LOOKING. One would wonder why their men, so often, will resort to fondling each other!"

In truth, to explore connection with a Berdache is to invoke power into one's being. It is a way of altering ones polarity---aligning it more with ONENESS---and opening up psychic and mystical powers within the soul. In these religious and ethnic traditions, this willingness to "explore" was/is not considered a perversion at all. Rather, it is a reaching into the realms of the unknown in order that the soul might grow.

The Berdache, as has been shared, typically become the medicine men, the dreamers, the healers, and the prophets. One didn't have to be Berdache to follow these callings, but typically they were. Today, as we are approaching the greatest AWAKENING OF SPIRITUAL KNOWLEDGE and ACCESSIBILITY that the world has ever known, the Gatekeepers are---once again---being called into service.

All over the world they are "awakening" and becoming aware of their giftedness. It is said, within the Fundamentalist Judeo-Christian traditions, that the sign of the "end-times" is when homosexuality proliferates. This situation, which existed in the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah, was considered a blasphemy to the Male Godhead. This judgment was the cause of the destruction of those famous cities, as well as the leveling of many Temples of the Goddess.

The predictions of destruction and catastrophe that have been attached to this coming time of Transformation are expressions of POLARIZED MALE fear about acceptance and outward acknowledgement of the internal feminine side. The Multiverse will be full of alternative realities where mountains have to crumble and valleys have to crack open as the Archetypal Male resists the mandate to deal with His "significant otherness."

The universe of Oneness will unite in peace and understanding. Those who are Gatekeepers will arise, each in his or her appointed time, to show the way for integrating these magical powers into the normal flow of human experience. Then, and only then, will the God and Goddess stand together, side- by-side, and rule the way we've always wished they would.

http://www.reconnections.net/androgyny2.htm

NEO-SHAMANS OF THE NEW MILLENIUM

My Dear Friends,


Everything is in a state of change. Life is moving at such a velocity that you, as physical beings, are straining to keep pace with all the "new" ideas and energies that present themselves for your knowledge and experience.

The Spirituality of the Nineties was a hybrid creature. It was a mixture of knowledge and traditions that are as new as last Monday, and as old as the trees and stoney guardians that stand along the coastline and commune with the sea. In the same way that the United States has become a "melting pot" for the Earth, gathering together a vast number of beings---diverse in race, creed, and national origin---so the faith that ushers in this New Era has become a kind of "soup" that is made up of the best and most flavorful portions of nearly every religious and philosophical tradition that has come before, plus some new elements that are just now making their entrance into physical life and reality.

With a banner of Universal Oneness flying from it's tallest tower, this new creation, which could probably best be called "Millennial Spirituality," is coming into view from behind the smoke of dissention, and the religio-imperialism that has so characterized the last 2000 years.

From the gunshots and angry cries of the Protestant/Catholic uprisings in Belfast, Northern Ireland, to the "Holy Wars" of the Middle East, past the shouts and the complaints of the Humanistic Political Activists, the calls for separation that come from the Aryan Brotherhood, or over threats of hellfire and brimstone from the Religious Right, comes a soft and gentle song that promises to unite instead of divide, and bring healing where once
there was injury.

This is the Spirit that will carry Planet Earth through the "Eye of the Needle," and into the Fourth Dimension. Many voices will cry out, citing reason after reason to cling to the "old ways" of the sword. Still, when the smoke clears away (as it surely will), the vision remaining will be one of peace, tolerance, inner exploration (rather than outer expansion), and goodwill toward men! Yesterday was the "promise." Soon will come the fulfillment.

A NEW KIND OF LEADERSHIP

As leadership for this "new" experience, we can surely accept nothing less than the BEST of what has come before. Whether one visualizes them as resurrected, born again, the result of reincarnation, or simply Gods and Goddesses come down to mix with mortals---there will appear shortly, upon the face of the Earth, a race of priests and rulers---the souls of ancient and beloved Shamans and Druids, come back to experience the final "act" of this play.

Indeed, they live and breathe upon the planet as we speak. Many of them have purposefully "forgotten" who and what they are. They wake up to normal jobs, as did Richard Bach's "reluctant Messiah," yet they surely are not "normal." They sit beside you at the diner, shop in your grocery stores, and lie on beaches reading books and magazines.

These are the Children of Oneness, aged and seasoned to meet the need which shall surely soon present itself! Though they were born "from the old ways" and steeped in ancient customs and bygone disciplines, they return today to stand beneath the Tree of Life. As thunder rolls and temporary chaos shakes the Tree, these wise and wondrous beings shall catch the ripe fruit, precisely where it falls.

A VIOLENT END, A NEW BEGINNING

Your world systems, your planetary alignments, your modes of thought and manner of living, are soon to transform. Crafty forces within your governments, angry citizens without---rush at each other.....O! So silently ............neither one comprehending the storehouse of terrors that each has directed against the other.

The Armies of Light gather atop some distant hill, poised to quell the Forces of Darkness. Each one believes that HIS way is the "answer," yet each one forgets exactly what the questions were. The Guardian Spirit, installed in the late 80s, has kept the battle equal and free from dominance, and will continue to do so. This universe is now an irresistible force that runs headlong into an immovable object.

The Heart of Polarity is to be broken at last! It's template thrown hard against a granite wall, and shattered into a million shards. Each "piece" is a universe unto itself. You have, no doubt, heard the prophetic utterances concerning the ends of the Earth. There are to be earthquakes, and plagues, thundering, and gnashing of teeth. The armies of the East will face the battalions of the West---mirroring Northern and Southern brethren from the now distant Civil War.

Each prophecy shall surely come to pass. In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, the prism of this density will shatter and divide---each separate faith and expectation shall claim it's followers and set out upon it's chosen path. All that will remain of this universe of transformation, which we have called "The Grand Central Station of Transformation," will be the broken chains of limitation and the torn ticket stubs of karmic choosing---recent reminders to the Children of Oneness, of the throngs of individuals whose trains have long departed.

THE BETWIXT AND THE BETWEEN

To "abstain" from taking a position "against" someone or something, in a highly polarized environment, is to become functionally invisible. Indeed, it is our resistance against someone or something that landed us in physical form in the first place! To unravel, bit by bit, each strand of judgment and condemnation--to begin to embrace all others as reflections of oneself---is to merge with a new vibration, a "homing beacon" of grace and peace for a new world.

To learn how to "hide" in this maelstrom of worry, hostility, aggression, and separation is to begin to live "between the cracks" of society. When you are lost in the crowd and looking for comfort, it often feels as though you are the only one left with any sense of softness, any desire for freedom from the din of hostility. Then suddenly, an invisible hand reaches out---from behind a lamp post---and pulls you into a hiding place where Spirit can teach you how to look at life from an entirely new angle.

The Spirit of Oneness calls forth it's leaders by peeling away their Veil of Forgetfulness, like layers of an onion. As in days of old, the leader will not seek this post---but rather, each simply acquiesces to his assigned duty through finding that he can literally do nothing else!

At this present time, the hours and days before the Grand Acceleration, the heat through the ozone is systematically melting away the conformity of these dear people to the ways of a world that is dying, or has died. The Neo-Shaman, slowly coming to himself, is often confused and wincing in emotional pain.

The budding leader's fundamentally social nature has instilled within his personality a deep desire to belong and to make a positive contribution to the local community. However, his energy patterns and shifting rate of vibration make it nearly impossible for him to remain in close proximity to another individual or a group for long at a time. This anomaly, which we will now discuss at length, while being his true salvation, also feels like his greatest curse.

KEEPERS OF THE GATE

You will often hear, in our explanations to you, an expression that describes a matrix of focused energy which, in the Neo-Shaman, nestles right below the sternum. The "Cinderbox" is an etheric gateway that is commonly utilized by a transitional consciousness, both to enter into the Unseen Realms or to introduce into the World of Form those various "spirit travelers" who desire to visit here.

The heat that is often generated in this area is symbolic of the passion and excitement that characterizes this place called "The Betwixt and Between." You see, when a person dwells here, he has access to the two prime motivational forces in the Multiverse. Please let us explain!

Living in the World of Form, a being is committed to the business of achieving, experiencing, or creating a symbolic representation of some idea or truth that exists within the Mind of All That Is. It is FOCUSED existence. There are boundaries, limitations, rules, and designs for what he may or may not do. While this condition automatically creates a sense of security and purpose, it can also cause an innate sense of restlessness as well.

This is why people, in the World of Form, are constantly talking about or fighting for freedom. Their memories of life in spirit teach them that limitation is not their natural state. Therefore, though they are comfortably fitted into a nice "game format," here in the physical world, they will forever be searching for ways to get out!

The Etheric Realms are just the opposite. The beings who live there know nothing but freedom! They have no walls, no responsibilities, no jobs to perform, no mountains to climb. They wander, endlessly searching for a meaning to their random existence. To physical beings, these spirits are tiny faces, pressed against the window of the World of Form, earnestly desiring to get in.

These two "passions," the urge to be free and the desperate need for a life purpose, are the primal source of energy for the "Betwixt and Between." Each force, within it's context is equal to the original driving push that brings a baby into this world! It cannot be long denied. The Neo-Shaman is like a midwife for both sides of the Veil.

The Shamans of Old were called "Gatekeepers," because they were nearer to the Gate than anyone else in the village. In a sense, they were like travel agents, booking "flights" into the Unseen Realms. Or, for those who were too timid to travel, they were simply news commentators, describing the sights that exist on the "other side."

The Neo-Shaman is more than a "Gatekeeper." He or she is actually The Gate, itself. As was said by Jesus, one of the chief Neo-Shamans of this New Age: "I am the Door; by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved, and shall go in and out, and find pasture."

GUARDING YOUR GATE

Because the Gateway is actually a decompression chamber that exists between two different densities of existence, it is often an accumulation site for energies that represent both sides of the Veil. The inner qualities of innocence or joy, for example, can create a strong attraction for beings from the Unseen Realms. This is why you will often hear of faeries, elves, and leprechauns coming to play with children. These "Little People" are naturally attracted to other "little" people!

On the other hand, the qualities of nobility, courage, and desire for adventure (which are all spiritual in nature) are really prime motivations toward exploration for people who exist in the World of Form. The mere possibility that he could experience the thrills of discovery that accompany a journey into the unknown sent Columbus and his crew off the "edge" of their known reality---into a whole new state of existence!

The Neo-Shaman will possess all of these highly attractive, highly intoxicating elements. They are the "white hot cinders" which fill his "Cinderbox." He (or she) will have a "presence" that surrounds him. Beings, from both sides of the Veil will be drawn in. That can become a problem! Not all beings who smell the "scent" of adventure are ready to sail off the edges of the Earth! And, conversely, not all faeries who appreciate innocence are capable of "playing nice" with a physical child.

It is the job of a Neo-Shaman to modulate the energies and protect the integrity of his or her Etheric Gateway! The energetic residue which tends to collect there is, for all practical purposes, radioactive. It tends to illuminate spirits or physical bodies with whom it comes in contact.

The usual effect of this "radioactivity" is the appearance of passion. Whether we are observing bodies in Form or conceptions of Spirit, the Neo-Shaman will tend to attract them to himself---creating in them the desire to MERGE with him or her! Therefore, it is not unusual to find that a sleeping Neo-Shaman will be surrounded (both in spirit and in body) by throngs of interested people, all wanting a "piece" of who and what he is.

TO REVEAL, NOT JUST "UNRAVEL"

Hidden, deep within the heart of a Neo-Shaman is the inner motivation to give assistance, not to possess or dominate. Since he (or she) is a hybrid being (half human and half divine), his role within any universal context would be the same as your popular "Starship Enterprise" in the Popular TV series "Star Trek." He would seek to offer assistance, to learn about and explore each universe, so long as his actions do not interfere with the life itinerary of the individuals with whom he comes in contact.

Etheric "radioactivity" has a way of making people crazy. If a human, casually interacting with a Neo-Shaman, becomes temporarily enamored with him (we call it being "infected"), the results can sometimes be disastrous. He might become "willing" to make explorations for which he (the curious human) is not prepared. In a way, this relationship could be a lot like experimenting with psychadelic drugs. If you're not ready to take them, they can really mess you up.

Neo-Shamans will know, instinctively, when their "partners" in the World of Form---be they friends, relatives, or lovers---have had enough of them. Usually, this sense of "knowing" will have been installed through a distinct memory (be it current life or past life context) of what it looks like to "unravel" the consciousness of someone who is not quite ready for transformation. The picture is not a pretty one!

ALONE AGAIN, NATURALLY........

The path of the Neo-Shaman is not an easy one. The conflicts within him (or her) are manifold. This is because each "side" of the Neo-Shaman is an EXACT OPPOSITE of the other! As we have said, he will ALWAYS have within his heart a desire to belong and to merge with those around him. Neo-Shamans are quite social beings at heart.

Still, innately knowing the effects that can be produced by the smoldering of his "white hot cinders," each of these leaders will often elect to live, for long periods of time, in solitary fashion. He will be "in the world" but not "of it." Until he fully awakens to discover and admit to himself (or herself) what he/she truly is, this sense of "separateness" will cause the Neo-Shaman to feel somewhat like an alien..

In truth, there is a WORLD OF DIFFERENCE between being "alone" and being "all one." The former expression is a contracted version of the latter--a purposeful shying away from that power that flows from knowing you are one with all. To merge with everything and everyone is the final "path" of the Neo-Shaman. This physical life he lives (in focused separation) is truly his final life of that kind. He will, therefore, make sure it contains all the best of who he is and who he was.

When his task is completed, and he departs, the Neo-Shaman will turn to his "followers" (those other Neo-Shamans who must now do the work) and say: "Lo! I am with you always.......

But for now, as the New Leadership awakens, there will only be felt a sense of restlessness---a nagging feeling of "purpose" that is, as yet, undiscovered. In future transmissions, we will discuss in more detail the information that will be needed by these Shepherds for a New Society. For purposes of illustration, we have called them "Shamans," as this term now carries with it a charge of respect and dignity. Another term for these beings could be Neo-Druids. The picture is the same.

When the time comes for society to throw off the chains of oppressive laws and limitations and cast their trust upon a life of personal intuition and inner knowing---they will turn around to see if someone, anyone, has the necessary wisdom and spiritual "connections" that can assist them in moving forward into that wondrous vibration. At that moment, THE NEO-SHAMANS OF THE NEW MILLENNIUM will arise and quietly take their place of leadership---the place they were born to occupy, since the very beginning of time.

http://www.reconnections.net/neo_shamans.htm

Androgyny!

Can the spelling be corrected post-post?

Nevermind. Fixed it. lol

I have the 3rd edition of the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible. In I Corinthians, 6:9, the word "homosexual" was replaced with "male prostitute" and "sodomites". Now I see another layer of meaning behind the letters to the church in Corinth.

Amazing. Much better than a horoscope

Nailed it!

FYI - articles like this find me simply by visual divination: I am drawn to an image that takes me down a new path of knowledge.

PEACE and LOVE to all of you.

HigherLove wrote:the word "homosexual" was replaced with "male prostitute" and "sodomites". Now I see another layer of meaning behind the letters to the church in Corinth.

Of course - The Clergy had to find a way to connect or link Homosexuality to that of traffic with the Devil and what better way than to transpose Homosexual with the Mentalisms of Prostitute or Sodomite...

X = Y and so on...

Ei Yei Yei...

It's great to see you showing more and more of your true Self here in the Mists Troy. And thank you for revealing that great website for us here too. Really interesting.

SiriArc wrote:

click

Thanks to all for the feedback.

SiriArc- What an amazing thread. I really appreciate it.

In no time I started the comparison game of what my gifts might be. That was before I saw the words "empath dreamer shaman". Then I remembered that I am not what I do. That is, I am not defined by what I do. As Wayne Dyer has said, if we are what we do, then when we don't, we are not.

The label of empath dreamer shaman sits well with me. My thoughts shifted immediately as I realized that it describes who I am and what I do.

I am a bit intimidated, I must say (running with the "big boys" is scary). I am 45. I need to get up to speed, but perhaps healing myself first is the key.

I shall have my vision quest, yet.

Blessed be.

Oh: The dragon pics are gorgeous. Some reading here early on led me to believe that I may have to give up my love for dragons and "retract" my energies from them. But hey, I am also a Wood Snake in Chinese astrology, so I feel a kinship.

I have so much to do and be this weekend. Well, in this moment, right now.

With great love to my brothers and sisters

PLEASE STAND BY...

just kidding...this is a private matter...
_____________________________________

Mercuriel wrote:

HigherLove wrote:the word "homosexual" was replaced with "male prostitute" and "sodomites". Now I see another layer of meaning behind the letters to the church in Corinth.

Of course - The Clergy had to find a way to connect or link Homosexuality to that of traffic with the Devil and what better way than to transpose Homosexual with the Mentalisms of Prostitute or Sodomite...

X = Y and so on...

Ei Yei Yei...

I am being generous, so to their credit, they did not have a word for homosexual back then (that we know of). The word was added to the King James' version in the 1940s, I believe.


And what was up with Paul and Barnabas? Me thinks Paul protesteth too much. If the thorn in his side was not related to Barnabas, then my next guess would be kidney stones. :op

HigherLove wrote:PLEASE STAND BY...

just kidding...this is a private matter...
_____________________________________

I need to slow down and be more careful. It clearly states at the top of the page that the forum is now closed.

FROM THE WORK IN SPANISH BY:
JOSE MARIA POVEDA

AND PRESENTED IN ENGLISH BY:
the Wanderling

"If we are victorious in any way we don't have anyone to whisper in our ear that our victories are fleeting. Shaman-sorcerers, however, do have the upper hand; as beings on their way to dying, they have someone whispering in their ear that everything is ephemeral. The whisperer is Death, the infallible advisor, the only one who won't ever tell you a lie."

Don Juan Matus to Carlos Castaneda, "The Active Side of Infinity"

WHAT IS A SHAMAN?

The Shaman is a survivor, he has passed in one way or another through Pain, Disease and Death.

One of the qualities that makes the Shamanic phenomenon admirable is its generalized presence among all the groups that make up our predecessors. His practices, though they evolve in the actual moment, work with elements, basic references, archaic symbols and emotions already present since the origin of humankind. When the geographical distribution of Shaman practices are studied the presence of analogous activities in the five continents stands out.

The map of the world the Shaman operates in can be understood from what is psychologically called "modified states of consciousness" (understanding as consciousness the capacity of "noticing", from the Latin cum-scire, "knowing with"). These states, which usually are accessed through a period of transition, are sometimes identified as trance or journey. The modified states ordinarily evolve as:

1. Transition from the usual state

2. The modified state

3. Transition to the usual state

Not only the healer is in these states, but also the attended person and many times the other participants.

Many strategies exist in order to modify the state of consciousness, most of which do not include the use of psychoactive substances. As experience is acquired it is easier to enter in them. A similar experience develops with relaxation techniques.

Natural changes of the state of consciousness happen during the day. During the period of sleep, modifications of the different characteristics in the level of consciousness and its content occur. One of the hypothesis for explaining them, is the possibility of passing from a usual consciousness to that of the world of the dreams without first passing through the relaxing phases at the beginning of sleep.

ORIGIN OF THE WORD "SHAMAN"

The term "Shaman" wears a halo of mystery and can evoke diverse and even contradictory realities. This isn’t strange because for us, it refers to something of ancestral origin, and the creation of culture has separated us from its methods, often archaic and extreme.

The word shaman, used internationally, has its origin in manchú-tangu and has reached the ethnologic vocabulary through Russian. The word originated from saman (xaman), derived from the verb scha-, "to know", so shaman means someone who knows, is wise, a sage. Further ethnologic investigations shows that the true origin for the word Shaman can be tracked from the Sanskrit initially, then through Chinese-Buddhist mediation to the manchú-tangu, indicating a much deeper but now overlooked connection between early Buddhism and Shamanism generally. In Pali it is schamana, in Sanskrit Sramana translated to something like "buddhist monk, ascetic." The intermediate Chinese term is scha-men. The Siberian and Central Asian peoples also had local terms for the Shaman. In alataic Turkish it was kam, in Yacuto, ojon (and the female shaman was the udujan), in the Butirates, böo, and in Central Asia, bakshi, for the Samoans, tadibe, Lapps, moita, Finnish, tieöjö and Hungarians, táltos (see pp.411 and ff.). See as well SIDDHIS: Supernormal Perceptual States.

This knowledge or wisdom, in the Tungu languages, implies in one way or the other mastery of the "spirits", whose powers can be introduced by the Shaman into himself at will, using them in his own interest, especially in order to help others who suffer because of spirits.

Shamanic activities are considered in relationship to the actual world as belonging to far-off marginal geographical areas or border groups conceptually diffused.

For many investigators, the Shaman acts in an area of reality often shared by mystics and doctors (H.E. Sigerist, 1987; M. Harner, 1987; S. Kakar, 1993; S. Krippner and P. Welch, 1992; F. De Oleza, 1996).

The Shaman includes in his activities what would be proper for a prehistoric psychiatrist or psychotherapist. Especially, if one considers the "prehistory is a way for the expansion of consciousness. It is a activity in the development of our real life, with which we help ourselves and others in order to awake from the stupor of unconsciousness and ignorance knowing who we really are." (D. Shainberg, 1993)


DEFINITIONS OF "SHAMAN"

Many definitions of "Shaman" exist:


"Indigenous healer who deliberately alters his consciousness in order to obtain knowledge and power from the world of the spirits in order to help and cure the members of his tribe" (S. Krippner, 1990)

Among the Ojibway, speaking of the Midewiwin, a Secret Ojibwa Medicine Society: "It is the person, man or woman, who experiences, absorbs, and communicates a special form of support, of healing power" (A. Grimm, 1987)

"He who knows the archaic techniques of ecstasy" (M. Eliade, 1972)

"A person to whom special powers are attributed for communicating with the spirits and influence them dissociating his soul from his body. The spirits help him do his chores which include discovering the cause of sickness, hunger and any disgrace, and prescribing an appropriate cure. They are found among the Siberians and other Asiatic people; his activity also evolves among many other religions and with other names." (The Cambridge Encyclopedia, 1990)

"A person prepared to confront the greatest fears and shadows of the physical world." And depending on the results: "A healer who has experienced the world of darkness and who has fearlessly confronted his own shadow as much as the diabolic of others, and who can successfully work with the powers of darkness and light." (J. Sams, 1988)

"A guide, a healer, a source of social connection, a maintainer of the group’s myths and concept of the world." (R. N. Walsh, 1990). It also serves for referring to someone who is "hyperactive, excited or in movement", or who is "capable of warming himself and practicing austerities." (R. N. Walsh, 1990)

"Archetypal technician of the sacred. His profession evolves in the space that united mythical imagination and ordinary consciousness." (S. Larsen, 1976)

"Person of any sex who has a special contact with the spirits (understood as forces not easily put into evidence) and capable of using their ability in order to act upon those affected by the same spirits." (M. Harner, 1989)

"Great wizard and priest of certain primitive peoples, especially from North Asia. The shamans of Siberia are among the most famous." (Diccionario de las CO; El manual moderno, 1985)

"The eternal art of living in harmony with creation." (J. Matthews, 1991)

There are three key elements for defining Shamans:

They can voluntarily enter altered states of consciousness

In these states they can feel themselves "travel".

"They use these journeys as a method of acquiring knowledge or power and for helping the people of their community." (R. N. Walsch, 1990)


More: http://sped2work.tripod.com/shaman.html

3rd edition of the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible

You said replaced in the 3rd Edition...

Of course back in Antiquity - That Word was not in use but My statement is relevant to the Clergy of THIS Time just as It would have been back then with whatever vernacular They may have used. It was made releative to now though or at least the period of the 3rd Edition You've spoken of...

Mercuriel wrote:

3rd edition of the New Oxford Annotated Study Bible

You said replaced in the 3rd Edition...

Of course back in Antiquity - That Word was not in use but My statement is relevant to the Clergy of THIS Time just as It would have been back then with whatever vernacular They may have used. It was made releative to now though or at least the period of the 3rd Edition You've spoken of...

I get what you are saying. As per usual, your logic and reasoning are solid.
Mercury is (or just was) in retrograde, so my communications could be like this for a bit. It really throws me off (even when I do not know about it and find out later).
Sigh -- the band in my head. lol

Even posting has glitches, at the moment. The edit feature shows translated images. :op

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At 20:50 UT (Universal Time) Wednesday, March 30th, 2011, Mercury the wise communicator—and universal trickster—turns retrograde at 24°19' Aries in the sign of the Ram, sending communications, travel, appointments, mail and the www into a general snarlup! The retro period begins some days before the actual turning point (as Mercury slows) and lasts for three weeks or so, until April 23, 2011, when the Winged Messenger reaches his direct station. At this time he halts and begins his return to direct motion through the [color:ee05=#009600 !important][color:ee05=#009600 !important]zodiac.

http://www.astrologycom.com/mercret.html

SiriArc wrote:

In memory of the future

A Healer

Functions

ON Both Sides

Of The Equation

What does Ad Vo Zin mean?

Awen's Light Grove
A Grove of the Order of Bards Ovates and Druids – Raleigh/Durham USA

http://algnc.org/druid-beliefs-and-values/

Druid Beliefs and Values

One of the most striking characteristics of Druidism is the degree to which it is free of dogma and any fixed set of beliefs or practices. In this way it manages to offer a spiritual path, and a way of being in the world that avoids many of the problems of intolerance and sectarianism that the established religions have encountered.

There is no ‘sacred text’ or the equivalent of a bible in Druidism and there is no universally agreed set of beliefs amongst Druids. Despite this, there are a number of ideas and beliefs that most Druids hold in common, and that help to define the nature of Druidism today:

Theology
Since Druidry is a spiritual path – a religion to some, a way of life to others – Druids share a belief in the fundamentally spiritual nature of life. Some will favour a particular way of understanding the source of this spiritual nature, and may feel themselves to be animists, pantheists, polytheists, monotheists or duotheists. Others will avoid choosing any one conception of Deity, believing that by its very nature this is unknowable by the mind.

Monotheistic druids believe there is one Deity: either a Goddess or God, or a Being who is better named Spirit or Great Spirit, to remove misleading associations to gender. But other druids are duotheists, believing that Deity exists as a pair of forces or beings, which they often characterise as the God and Goddess.

Polytheistic Druids believe that many gods and goddesses exist, while animists and pantheists believe that Deity does not exist as one or more personal gods, but is instead present in all things, and is everything.

Whether they have chosen to adopt a particular viewpoint or not, the greatest characteristic of most modern-day Druids lies in their tolerance of diversity: a Druid gathering can bring together people who have widely varying views about deity, or none, and they will happily participate in ceremonies together, celebrate the seasons, and enjoy each others’ company – realising that none of us has the monopoly on truth, and that diversity is both healthy and natural.

Nature forms such an important focus of their reverence, that whatever beliefs they hold about Deity, all Druids sense Nature as divine or sacred. Every part of nature is sensed as part of the great web of life, with no one creature or aspect of it having supremacy over any other. Unlike religions that are anthropocentric, believing humanity occupies a central role in the scheme of life, this conception is systemic and holistic, and sees humankind as just one part of the wider family of life.

The Otherworld
Although Druids love Nature, and draw inspiration and spiritual nourishment from it, they also believe that the world we see is not the only one that exists. A cornerstone of Druid belief is in the existence of the Otherworld – a realm or realms which exist beyond the reach of the physical senses, but which are nevertheless real.

This Otherworld is seen as the place we travel to when we die. But we can also visit it during our lifetime in dreams, in meditation, under hypnosis, or in ‘journeying’, when in a shamanic trance.

Different Druids will have different views on the nature of this Otherworld, but it is a universally held belief for three reasons. Firstly, all religions or spiritualities hold the view that another reality exists beyond the physical world, rather than agreeing with Materialism, that holds that only matter exists and is real. Secondly, Celtic mythology, which inspires so much of Druidism, is replete with descriptions of this Otherworld. Thirdly, the existence of the Otherworld is implicit in ‘the greatest belief’ of the ancient Druids, since classical writers stated that the Druids believed in a process that has been described as reincarnation or metempsychosis (in which a soul lives in a succession of forms, including both human and animal). In between each life in human or animal form the soul rests in the Otherworld.

Death and Rebirth
While a Christian Druid may believe that the soul is only born once on Earth, most Druids adopt the belief of their ancient forebears that the soul undergoes a process of successive reincarnations – either always in human form, or in a variety of forms that might include trees and even rocks as well as animals.

Many Druids share the view reported by Philostratus of Tyana in the second century that the Celts believed that to be born in this world, we have to die in the Otherworld, and conversely, that when we die here, we are born into the Otherworld. For this reason, Druid funerals try to focus on the idea that the soul is experiencing a time of birth, even though we are experiencing that as their death to us.

The Three Goals of the Druid
A clue as to the purpose behind the process of successive rebirths can be found if we look at the goals of the Druid. Druids seek above all the cultivation of wisdom, creativity and love. A number of lives on earth, rather than just one, gives us the opportunity to fully develop these qualities within us.

MORE: http://algnc.org/druid-beliefs-and-values/