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Glossary
Chakra
- a Sanskrit word meaning wheel. Chakras are energy centers in our body.
We have seven main chakras running from the base of our spine to the crown
of
our heads, but there are many more. The condition of these chakras -
speed, direction, color, shape - can determine our state of health.
Extraction - Disease, ill
will from others or ourselves, stress, and many other things can bring
in or place energy into our bodies that can harm us. An extraction is the
process of removing unwanted, possibly harmful energy and replacing it
with positive energy.
Helper Spirits - also known as
compassionate spirits. These are the spirits, in whatever form they may
take (animal, human, mythical, mix, or indescribable), who help us in our
lives and spiritual work. Their main interest is our spiritual growth, and
they want us to do what we need to evolve spiritually. They are benign beings,
but they have no qualms about utilizing what Westerners refer to as "tough
love".
Intrusion - energy in the body
that is not supposed to be there. An intrusion is not necessarily negative
energy, but because it is in the wrong place, not being conducive to its
environment, it can harm the body, causing mental, emotional, or physic
al
ailments. It needs to be extracted to return the body to health. See extraction.
Intuitive Healing - a form of
healing work involving many different techniques. These may include energy
work, extraction, reiki, chakra work, laying on of stones, or any other
techniques the healer practices.
Journey - also referred to as
a "shamanic journey". A journey entails traveling to one of the Otherworlds
in trance to gain answers to questions, to find a lost soul part, to perform
a Power Animal retrieval, to do a long distance or close up healing, and
many other undertakings.
Lower World - one of the three
Otherworlds. The Lower World is accessed by traveling down an opening in
the earth, such as a hole in the ground, a spring where the water comes to
the surface, through caves or tree roots. The Lower World is the place where
most animal helper spirits are found, including Power Animals. Even though
it is called the Lower World, it is a complete landscape and can look much
like our everyday world with ground and sky, grass and trees.
Middle World - one of the three
Otherworlds. The Middle World is what we view as our world, our reality,
but it is the spiritual parallel. This is where one would see the spirits
of trees, lakes, animals, etc., of our Ordinary Reality.
Non -Ordinary Reality - also referred
to as NOR. This is the powerful spiritual reality that exists alongside
what ordinary people can see, touch, and measure. This is the realm where
the shaman works when on a journey to answer a question, heal a person, find
something lost, etc. NOR is also known as the Otherworld.
Ordinary Reality - also referred
to as OR. Ordinary Reality is the mundane side of NOR. This is the reality
most Westerners refer to as "real". It contains our physical reality, the
things we can see and touch, and prove scientifically.
Otherworld - the non -physical, non -ordinary realm where the
spirits dwell. It ‚can look just like our ordinary world,
or be quite fantastic. It can contain humans and animals we are used to
seeing in our real
ity, and it can contain mythical magical creatures, animal
-human combinations, strange plants and buildings, or anything else outside
of our ordinary range of experiences. In many shamanic traditions there
are three levels to the Otherworld; Lower World, Middle World, and Upper
World. The Otherworld is also referred to as Non -Ordinary Reality.
Power Animal - one of many types
of compassionate spirits. A Power Animal takes the form of an animal and
helps one in their work and in their life. Every shaman and shamanic practitioner
has a Power Animal or similar helper. Few journey without them, as the Otherworlds
can be dangerous, and the Power Animal acts as a guide and protector.
Psychopomp - Greek for "conductor of souls," one who guides
the souls of those who have died to the Afterworld.
Shaman - a man or woman who, with the aid of their helper spirits,
travels into the Otherworlds (NOR) to heal, answer questions, and do whatever
spiritual work the people in their communities need. Most people in the
Western world trained to do shamanic work refer to themselves as shamanic
practitioners, although some call themselves
shamans.
Shamanic Journey - see "journey"
Soul Loss - to survive a traumatic
event, parts of the soul leave the body. Soul loss can be the result of
abuse, an accident, loss of a loved one, surgery, etc. People with soul loss
often report feelings of disconnection or depression, or a feeling of not
being complete, even gaps in their memory. Sometimes the soul parts will
return on their own, but there are times when they don't. In this case a
soul retrieval is needed.
Soul Retrieval - bringing
back soul parts that have fled due to trauma of one kind or another by
journeying to the Otherworld to find them. After a soul retrieval many
people report feeling lighter, having more energy, greater happiness, lessened
desire towards addictive behaviors, and countless other benefits.
Trance - an altered state of consciousness that is entered into
before Otherworld travel. The trance is often attained by use of drum beat
or rattle, or anything else which creates a monotonous beat that alters
the brain waves from Beta to Alpha or Theta. Other
methods used to go into
trance (not recommended without a teacher's guidance) are fasting, ecstatic
dance, sensory deprivation, and sacred substances.
Upper World - one of the three
Otherworlds. The Upper World is accessed by entering a hole in the sky,
by climbing a tree or tall building, sitting on a cloud that takes one to
the sky, or by other uplifting routes. The Upper World is generally where
our human spirit helpers can be found, such as ancestors, gods and goddesses,
or angels.
(c) Lorelle Parker 2003
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