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6AJournalofContemporaryShamanismVOLUME7ISSUE2FALL2014otherrealmsromordinaryrealitytoanon-ordinaryreality.HarnerdesignatestheseasanOrdinaryStateoConscious-nessOSCandaShamanicStateoConsciousnessSSC.TeOSCisthehereandnowthisworldotheairwebreathetheoorwearestandingonthemembersoouramilyetc.TeSSCistheplaceshamansgotodotheirworktoimplementhealingTeSSCnotonlyinvolvesatranceoratranscendentstateoawarenessbutalsoalearnedawarenessoshamanicmethodsandassumptionswhileinsuchanalteredstate.2Havinglearnedawarenessisavitalkeytoventureintothesestatesoconsciousnesscarelesslycanleadtoanunsuccessulhealingendeavor.WehavetobecomeourownshamansproclaimsDanielPinchbeckco-ounderoEvolverWeneedthecouragetoconrontwhatliesbehindtheopendoorsoourownminds.3PinchbeckencouragesasocietyoreeexplorationintothepsychedelicSSCrealms.Whatisalarminginhisandothersneo-shamanicphilosophyisthelackoinormationorpromotionotheprimecurrencyotheSSCritual.RitualasexplainedbyoneotheoremostmysticsothetwentiethcenturyDionFortuneisatechnicalmethodinthepsychologyosuper-consciousness.4Itisacoordinatedwaythroughtheuseospecializedsymbolsandgestureinwhichoneisabletocommuneandinteractwiththenaturalpowersotheworld.RitualestablishesarhythmoparticipationbetweenSelandOthersothatrelationshipcanensue.PeruviancuranderodonOscarMiro-QuesadaexplainsthisnaturalsystemotheUniverseclearly.Ritualactionbegetsrelationshipandthisrightactionhealseventhedeepestwounds.5Inthisworldwhereonecanattendaclassonhowtohealyourtraumathroughexpandingyourconsciousnessitiseasilyorgottenthathealingdoesnotworkinasilo.Healingisapartoandinactdependentuponritualizedcommunionwiththenaturalworld.TePeruvianshamanicpeoplescallthisaynisacredre-lationship.Ineveryundertakingitistheseminaloperativeprincipleobehaviorandobeingwhichoperateswithinamoralandpersonalcodeoconduct.6oengageinahealingenterpriseandnothonorthissacredcommunionwiththenaturalorderishubris.Disintegra-tionothemindaccordingtoesotericscholarW.E.Butlerresultsromthehabitualuncontrolledevocationothesubconscious.7Teproblemistherearemanysel-describedshamanichealersoutthereoeringservicebuthavelittletonoknowledgeothesacredreciprocityrequiredincommunion.RitualbeingtheprimecurrencyotheShamanicStateoConsciousnessguidestheexperi-enceoneencounterswhenengaginginhealingworkinnon-ordinaryreality.AsDagaramedicinemanMalidomaSomesaysritualisakindolanguagethatisinterpretedbythesupernaturalworldasacalltointerveneinastabilizingwayinaparticularlie.8BeingalanguageitprovidesaninteraceoexperiencebetweentheSelandthenaturalpowersoUnseenRealms.Itallowscontextorasituationthewakingconsciousnessothemindisnormallyunabletoprocessandaccountor.Asthisrameworkisbuiltupandnurturedarapportisgainedbetweentheoneenactingtheritualandtheorceswhicharebeingharnessed.Withrapportcomesrelationshipthuscommunionlikeanyrelationshiptrustisearnedonbothsides.Ritualascom-munionensurespurposeandoutcomethusacilitatessuccess.THEWORKChippewamedicinemanSunBearsaysOtenpeoplewhocometoworkshopslookingorpowerareactuallysouvenircollectors.TeysayWellthisweekImgoingtoseeSunBearnextweekImgoingtoseeGuruChiChi.Teygetnothingromanyworkshopbecausetheydontknowhowtodiscrim-inateandfndtheirownpath.9Weliveinacultureascinatedwiththeprospectoinstantenlightenment.Tenewspiritualcountercultureisamarketplacewheresel-proclaimedhealersandmediumspromisetohelpyoureleasepainovercomeobstaclesandmaniestthelieoyourdreams.Somepreachthatallyouhavetodoisthinkpositiveandyouwillgetyourseloutoliessham.Inactsomeothelatestdevelopmentscomingoutontothespiri-tuallyalternativesceneisthatyoudonthavetodoanythingtobetteryourselatallotherthanattendthisseminar...youareperectlyfnejustasyouare.WesternersDionFortunesaysotencomeseekinginitiationatastageospiritualdevelopmentwhichanEasternguruwouldconsiderexceedinglyimmature.10EventhoughwemaybeabletowatchanymoviewewantonourphoneswhichcanftinourpocketswearegettingaheadoourselveswhenitcomestoknowingtheGreatMysteryotheUniverse.Agreeingwithaphilosophythatyouvereadonaseriesointernetmemesdoesntmakeyouspiritual.Healingaccordingtotheshamanicdefnitionhappensthroughcommu-nionaninteractionoreciprocalrespectwiththenaturalpowersotheUniverse.Tisisaspiritualeortnotaadorculturalmeme.Spiritualityisnotawork-shopseries.Itisnotaclassoraretreattoaar-oland.Itisdefnitelynotapill.Spiritualityisawayolie.Likemarriageparentingoranyotherrelationship.Teserelationshipsareacommunionthatwedonotgetawaywithignoringorslackingo.Teserelationshipsareaconsistentdailyhourlymeditationonsel-improvementandhumility.Andthatiswhatcommu-nionintheshamanicsenseis.WhetherweconsidertheOthertobeGodtheDivineNatureoreventherelationshipsaroundyouaspirituallieisacontinualcommunionbetweenSelandOtherwhichneedstobenurtureddevelopedimprovedandtendedtoalways.TisrelationshipiswhatWesternmysticshavecalledTeGreatWork.Itisatwenty-ourhoursadaysevendaysaweekbusinessasitisortheEasternguru.11TeydontcallitTeGreatRe-treatorTeGreatRelie...itiscalledTeWorkanditindeedtakesgreatworktohaveanauthenticcommunionwithintegrity.AgainDionFortuneexplainsthepersonwhotriestodispenseotheceremonialritualcommunioniswork-ingatagreatdisadvantage.DevelopmentbymeditationaloneisaslowprocessintheWestbecausethemind-stuuponwhichithastoworkandthementalatmosphereinwhichtheworkhastobedoneareveryresistant.12Itisawonderulthingtobecalledtotheserviceohealing.Terearemanygreatheartsouttherestrivingtosupport