Letting Go of the Now
It seems to me that, as Americans, we want everything NOW. Shamanism, however, has taught me patience and the investment in learning is paying off with big returns. True, I knew that from the start my path in Shamanism would be that of slow and steady growth. I had to get accustomed to the gradual process of learning but I genuinely appreciate both the grounding and visionary aspects of the steady growth. Brant has taught me to go up with my energy; to the upper world. The steady process of growth — with my heart guiding me upwards — has made me a happier and wiser man. I don’t think wisdom comes easily, no doubt, there is work involved. It has occurred to me that it would be nice and lazy-like to simply enjoy the comforts of material wealth and the fruits of modern society without seeking higher learning. Sure, I wouldn’t need to make an effort… but I’m not sure if I would feel fulfilled as an individual. More than that, sheer intellectual curiosity drives me towards the answers to questions about the nature of this world and the upper world.
Maybe one of the greatest rewards of Shamanism is clarity. Modern life allows us financial, practical, psychological, physiological, theological, phenomenological, epistemological, and other philosophical perspectives on our lives. Yet, Shamanism provides its own way of viewing and living reality — one that I find is the most primordial and presuppositionless of any that I have found. The old Shaman in the Huichol villages have such incredible depth and mental clarity…. the nonverbal communication is incredible. Brant has shown me this world and opened the doors to levels of understanding I would not have otherwise had access to.