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www.shamansociety.org 35 aspects of what at first appear to be myth but that in fact represent im- portant healing and wisdom practices derived from the lineage of the Yew. Remarkably the lineage of the Yew involved techniques that sought to emulate the early stages of human development which hold the power of healing and development in a fluid and unfixed state. Ultimately this has led me to the study of human embryology from an occult perspective as a language that can support these discoveries. Occult embryology refers to a method of ap- proaching early embryological develop- ment from an experiential and spiritual perspective. This method was practiced in ancient India and China and it is re- ferred to in Rosicrucian and Theosophi- cal writings. The language of occult embryology is the closest language to my experiences of healing and initiation under the yew. The second body the Spiritual Organism can be discovered and worked with as healing force in oneself and with others through training consciousness to free itself from its at- tachment to the sensory nervous system. The healing practices that I learned from the Yew can be viewed as three streamsBlood Origin and Sensing. The stream of Blood refers to the vital presence of the Tree of Life within and beyond our metabolic ocean which I referred to earlier as the Tree in the Sea. This stream involves a series of deep perceptual practices where we learn to access the living blood-breath of the Tree of Life as a force of self-healing. Here we meet our most ancient consciousness or Spiritual Organism as it breathes in the present as a force of healing and as an absolutely necessary bridge to the spirit world. The second stream refers to our spiritual Origin and involves direct mirroring work a form of meditation through the use of specific initiatory gestures given by the Yew. It enables us to coach our consciousness out of its de- pendence on the unstable rhythms of the autonomic and central nervous systems. The third stream Sensing involves the direct use of our enhanced percep- tion as it relates to ways we can train our hands for healing work. Each stream takes time to master but gradually they merge into what I call a single shamanic sense organ. There are many benefits to this work. For example it trains our perception as well as the perception of our clients if we are practitioners to reconstitute itself around realms of consciousness that are not locked into a human nervous system that is becoming increasingly overspecial- ized fearful and brittle. I have witnessed various inflammatory and sclerotic con- ditions resolve or greatly stabilize as well as a reduction in seizure activity and even the overnight disappearance of a serious brain hemorrhage in an infant. Learning to work with the metabolic ocean of the Tree in the Sea and with the ancient intelligence of the Spiritual Organism reclaims a bridge to the spirit world that enhances our ability to sup- port healing and journey work without having to rely on or default to a nervous system that surreptitiously needs to be in control. By coupling our consciousness to the wisdom of the Spiritual Organism that is directly involved in our incarna- tion and embryological development our souls become free to respond to impulses that illuminate the way forward in our personal and hopefully collective spiritual evolution. Suggested Further Reading The God Tree by Janis Fry Soul Companions by Karen Sawyer in- cludes a further account of Michaels initiatory experiences under the Yew The Sacred Yew by Anand Chetan and Diana Brueton Yew A History by Fred Hageneder About the Author Michael Dunning is the founder of the Sacred Yew Institute which offers professional training in Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy. He teaches and lectures on Yewshamanism and Occult Embryology. He lives in rural western Massachusetts. www.yewshamanism.com