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www.shamansociety.org35SHAMANICPRACTICEBackyardSpiritHousebyJaimeMeyerImnervousaboutthishealingceremony.Afewdaysagothespiritstoldmewhatwasneededforthisyoungmanwasashakingouthealingandthathemayverywellhavealoudandflailingexperience.Itworriesme.ItseveningearlyautumnweareintheHouseofSpiritMedicineadomedstructuremadeofbentwillowbranchescrisscrossedandtiedtogetherwithstripsofwillowbark.Eventhoughthehouseiscoveredonlyincanvaswhenweareinsidethereisaprofoundfeelingofotherworldlyseparationandprivacy.Itsacosmicwombandeachtimeweworkinthishousewearemadenewagaininsomemysteriousyetpalpableway.ButIstillworryaboutonething.Ivedoneallthepreparationprayersofpermissiongrati-tudeandprotectiontothelandsurroundingtheHousetothetreesthecrowsthefiretheancestorsthewindstotheoldmothersandfatherstomyhumanteachersandmyotherworldhelpers.IsangandrattledinsidethehouseforanhourbeforetheyoungmanandmytwoassistantsarrivedtomakesurethehousewaswarmedandfilledwiththepowerofyearningforabetterlifeandtoshowtheninewillowsisterswhoinhabittheHousemydedicationtotheworkIwasabouttodo.NowaswebegintheceremonyIfeelsolidmyconstantinsecuritieshavebeensuccessfullyputasideIminthezonetodothework.Ionlyhaveoneworry.Theyoungmanislyingswaddledunderseveralblanketsinabetween-the-worldsstateofconsciousnessaftermytwoassistantsandIhavesungoverhimfortwentyminutesorso.Ibendcloseandwhispertohimthatthetwowomenwillbegintoscrapehimwiththedeerribbonesthatweharvestedfromthedeergraveyardinthewoodsnearbyandthatwhateverhap-pensinhimwhateverbeginstobereleasedfeelfreeandsafetoletithappen.IfeelalittlepanickygivinghimthatpermissionandImhopinglikemadthathewilljustliequiet.Buthedoesnt.Soonheisshakingcoughingshoutingmoaning.Thespritswererightheneedsthis.Itellthewomentokeepbreathingdeeplykeepsingingthesongsteadilyandkeepscrapingandflingingthescraped-offenergiesintothefire.Theycanseetheenergiestheyaregoodatthiswork.Irattleandholdthespacewatchforunwel-comevisitorsfromtheotherworldandtrytoquellthatoneworrythatthistimetheneighborsoneithersideorrightbehindusaregoingtocall9-1-1.TheSpiritHouseisinmybackyardinamiddleclassurbanneighborhoodofMinneapolis.WhenwebuiltitthatMayafternoontwoyearsagowehadnoideathelessonsitwouldcontinuallyteachusandwhatitwoulddemandofmeasitskeeper.IntwoyearsIveonlyreceivedonemildcomplaintfromneighborsafterthesummersolsticehealingceremonyinwhichthetwelveofusintheSpirithousedrummedforfourhoursstraightandmadethatHBOmoviehardtopayattentionto.WithoutadoubtthehardestchallengeiswhenIneedtostepoutsidethehouseduringaceremonytosingtothespirits.Myformerin-lawsliverightbehindmeandittakesamightyefforttoputawaytheimagesofthemclickingtheirtonguesandmutteringhowtheyneverknewIwasquitethisweird.TheHousebeganasasimpleefforttotakeseriouslywhatitmeanstodourbanshamanismtohaveawildspaceaspacededicatedtospritandownedbyitseparatefromthehousethatthehumanslivein.Somepeoplecanbuyaspotoflandoutsidethecitybuildtheperfectyurtonitandinvitepeopletodrivethereforspecialandprofoundexperiences.Imnotthatperson.ForreasonseconomicandtheologicalIfeltcalledtomakeaspacethatmypeoplecouldgettoquicklyanddidntrequirealongdriveawayfromthecity.AplacethatproclaimsthecoreofshamanictheologyasIunderstanditthesacredisrighthererightnownotsomewhereelsesomewhere