Page 1
Page 2
Page 3
Page 4
Page 5
Page 6
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Page 10
Page 11
Page 12
Page 13
Page 14
Page 15
Page 16
Page 17
Page 18
Page 19
Page 20
Page 21
Page 22
Page 23
Page 24
Page 25
Page 26
Page 27
Page 28
Page 29
Page 30
Page 31
Page 32
Page 33
Page 34
Page 35
Page 36
Page 37
Page 38
Page 39
Page 40
Page 41
Page 42
Page 43
Page 44
Page 45
Page 46
Page 47
Page 48
www.shamansociety.org 37 by their religious teachers. When these ordinary sources do not reveal the source of their problems they turn to shamanic healing as the last resort. From a shamanic perspective as I un- derstand it there are symptoms of spirit possession and bad energies that can be detected in individuals and can also be found on a larger scale in political par- ties corporations and even in the spirit of an entire nation. In individuals evil or bad spirit possession sometimes mani- fests in physical emotional and spiritual forms with symptom such as an inabil- ity to take charge of your life feeling shackled by unseen forces uncontrollable body shaking dribbling mouths opaque eyes sweaty sticky palm speaking in tongues paranoia hysteria reality distor- tions fainting with no apparent reason sudden radical behavior changes addic- tive behavior soul loss luck of empathy scarcity lack of reverence for universal oneness and unity and disrespect for the well being of the earth. I dont mean to imply that these are always evidence of possession but I do nd one or more of these symptoms in my clients who are possessed. How to Detect Evil Spirits I asked the late Ipupiara Makun- aiman the Brazilian shaman which Ive studied with for twelve years about the nature of evil. He looked me straight in the eye with his wise brown eyes and said. It is hard to detect negative energy when it is not showing its real face which often it does not because of its deceiving and shape-shifting nature. Many times it appears in forms of a force for good love and light. But evil or negative energy promotes suffering in others which sometimes they accept in return for temporary gain of money and power. It thrives on igniting fear unleashing anger creating separation and division and calling for revenge. It creates helplessness and depression men- tally and economically. This heavy energy wants to slow things down and bring life to a stop. If not cleared it seeps through our clothing and skin into our mind organs and bones resulting in sickness or even death. On the other hand positive energy or light energy is easier to recognize because the forces of good tend not to harm anyone. They treat all beings with love and equality and they show a rever- ence for Mother Earth. It is our role as shamans to remove negative energies and replace them with positive energies that restore health and balance to our clients lives. But Ipupiara I asked him why do some people do evil things to others Ipupiara explained Some people do bad things not because they were born bad no one is but because of the negative en- ergy of outside forces they cant control. My First Akura Sighting A petite young woman in her late twenties with a short fashionable haircut walked into my healing room for her rst shamanic healing ceremony. I am an ac- tress and a playwright but my creativity is blocked and I dont know why I need help I dont know what to do she said in despair. I followed a diagnostic technique I learned from my Quechua teacher that is often used by shamans in the Andes to perceive the dark cloud of bad energy. I asked her to brush a candle all over her body. Then I lit it and proceeded to read the candles ame Fear and trauma I made a mental note. Looking at her palm I thought Still nothing out of the or- dinary. I asked her to stand facing me to start the limpia cleansing ceremony. I took a mouthful of trago sugar cane rum and inhaled a big breath. Then just as I was closing my eyes and getting ready to spray the energy-cleansing solu- tion I noticed a wicked-looking black furry creature high above her descending fast in her direction. I couldnt believe my minds eye as I watched it attempt to clutch her in its sharp long-nailed claws huge monkey eyes popping out while it screamed through a crooked eagle-like beak. What in the world is that I thought to myself and more urgently What in the world should I do My intuition told me I had to nd the warrior within ght this creature and remove it even though my training never prepared me for such a battle. But could I I doubted myself. Improvising I called my spirit guides for courage and protec- tion and quickly used all the cleansing techniques in my arsenal re smoke rum swords spears prayers and threats. Finally after what felt like a long time I was able to kick most of it out through the crack under the door. When the ceremony was over my clients posture had completely changed. She was now calm relaxed and ground- edeven smiling. How do you feel I asked. Fine lighter and more energized she answered happily. I on the other hand was exhausted and a bit in shock. We sat down and I shared what I had just seen and experienced. I asked if she would grant me permis- sion to consult with my shaman mentor about what had happened. She readily agreed and after she closed the door behind her I called Brazil. Ipupiaras mobile phone rang. Ol my late mentor answered. Ipu I need your help I said desperately. He was in a canoe on the Rio Negro along with by coincidence master shaman Shor from the Kannamarie tribe. Whats the matter Itzhak he asked concerned. I described what had just happened. Oh dont you know That would be Akura Everyone knows that he said dismis- sively in his Portuguese accent. Everyone I asked in disbe- lief. Akura You never mentioned that in all of the six years weve known one another. He went on to explain that Akura means evil spirit in Tukano. He paused Hold on. I could hear him speaking with Shor in the back-