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16 A Journal of Contemporary Shamanism VOLUME 6 ISSUE 2 FALL 2013 The greatest protection against becoming negatively af- fected and in extreme cases possessed by the evil aspects of the eepawetiko virus is to be in touch with our intrinsic whole- ness. In other words we must be self-possessedin posses- sion of the part of ourselves that is not possess-able by another which is the Self the wholeness of our being. Being in touch with our true nature acts as a sacred amulet or talisman shield- ing and protecting us from evils pernicious effects. We defeat evil not by fighting against it in which case by playing its game weve already lost but by getting in touch with the part of us that is invulnerable to its effects. The value of bringing our attention to putting our awareness on and contemplating the multi-faceted ways that the eepawetiko virus deviates the psyche is that in so doing we can discover and directly experi- ence the part of ourselves that is incorruptible. It is from this place in ourselves that we can bring real and lasting change to our world. Testers of humanity these nonlocal vampiric forces are guardians of the threshold of our conscious evolution. In illuminating the darkness we need to rely on a higher power a strength in us that is greater than and transcendent to our own ego. This higher power is the Self our intrin- sic wholeness. Paradoxically we would not have connected with the wholeness of the Self without the eepawetiko viruss intervention. Without a break in its symmetry the higher order and true nature of our Being would have no way to encounter and become aware of itself. If the obstacles presented by the eepawetiko virus didnt exist we would have to invent them intentionally because it is by overcoming obstacles that we de- velop the higher qualities that we need in order to unleash our untapped potential. Interestingly another meaning of the word Satan is one who creates obstacles. Instead of a typical virus mutating so as to become resistant to our attempts to heal from it the shape-shifting and mercurial eepawetiko virus forces us to mutate and evolve relative to it. In a very real sense the eepawetiko virus cures us of our wrong attitude towards both it as well as ourselves. It is as though the evil of the eepawetiko virus is itself the instrument of a higher intelligence designed to connect us to a sacred creative source within ourselves. The eepawetiko virus literally demands that we step into our power and become immune to its oppression such that we discover how to step out of bondage and become free. Although it is the source of humanitys inhumanity to itself the eepawetiko bug is the greatest catalytic force of evolution ever known as well as not known to humanity. It confronts us with a stark option evolve or self-destruct. Though it seems opposed to our true nature when seen from this more expanded point of view the eepawetiko virus introduces us to and is itself the disguised expression of our true nature. Once this is realized the question arises Is the eepawetiko virus the darkest evil Or given that it is introduc- ing us to the greater unity and perfection within ourselves of which we were previously unaware is it an instrument of the highest good This point of view within ourselves in which the www.shamansociety.org 15 we can do this by remembering the four Ss in a full seidr Song Staff Seat and Spirits. Finally to honor seidr it is important that we respect that the craft and songs are froei demanding skill and we must take our time to learn them well. It is worth it to make the effort to do our best with each seidr knowing that the steps we take today create the tradition of tomorrow. About thE Author Annette Hst based in Copenhagen Denmark has studied practiced and taught shamanism internationally for over two decades. Her 25 years of research and teaching of old Scandinavian shamanic traditions include lecturing on seir at the National Museum of Denmark. She is co-founder of Scandinavian Center for Shamanic Studies with Jonathan Horwitz. For more about her work on shamanism and other articles on seir see www.shamanism.dk. _______________________________ Left Annette Hst.