What is a shaman?

            The shaman in tribal cultures is the person who sees into the sacred world. The shaman brings their sacred visions of ancient spirits and power animals out as ritual. By this ritual process, most similar to prayer, imagery, and art, the shaman heals themselves, others, and the earth. By having visions of healing, and doing sacred ritual, the shaman makes the visions come true. The shaman manifests reality in the outer world, from the visionary world. That is the same way the world was created from Her vision. We are all Her vision on earth, we are.
 

What is a vision quest?

            A vision quest is a quest for the visions in anyone’s life that will heal them and make them whole. In traditional first nations cultures young people were sent into nature to listen to the voices of the living earth.  The elders taught them to do this to find their path in life and to find their power animal helpers. The person on the vision quest spent days in caves, on mountain tops, on rivers, in the desert, waiting, and inviting the voices to come to them. When they heard the voices and saw their vision, they would return to their people and know who they were and what they were to do.
 

Who are the ancient spirits?

            The ancient spirits are the embodiment of the ancient peoples of the earth. Ancient spirits speak in the collective voices of ancient peoples. They are the spirit guides, the inner voices of the earth. Ancient spirits are archetypal visions given form. They appear to the shaman in visions to give them messages from the earth. They come you with the intention to communicate with you. They come to you to help you heal. Initially you see them from afar. They make themselves known to you. When it is clear that you invite them, their voices become clearer. Ancient spirits need to have a relationship cultivated to stay visible. They bring you back into forest. They coax you deeper into nature. They take you on their ancient paths. When you follow an ancient spirit, that is when you discover the feather and understand its meaning. The ancient ones take you on The Medicine Path. The ancient ones tell us the story of The Medicine Path.