Embarking On The Journey, A not so personal journal Options

Greetings everyone!

I have been lurking here for quite a while now, but I feel that this is a good time for me to become a bit more active. I had planned on reprogramming my mind (again) for a while before starting on a new spiritual path. However, the coming of teopiltzin has spiked my interest in shamanism, a path I know next to nothing about. Although I usually don't rush into these things, I feel that it might be interesting to follow a path that I am not biased to in any way. While little foreknowledge might be a problem in most magickal disciplines I don't think it will be in this case, since Goibniu said shamanism is a path that requires less human teaching than others and because of the fact that it is the oldest form of religion and therefore probably the most intuitive. It is because of my intuition that I am following through with this, but I might need some guidance. I'm planning on posting my questions and my advancement in the path in this thread, so other beginning shamans might perhaps benefit from it someday.

Something I would like to avoid are complicated rituals and material requirements. I prefer to practise any magickal art empty-handed. Apart from that I'm also not very fond of serving any particular god. I started my path as a christian and I've had enough of devotion to a deity for a while, though I have learned a great deal and generally agree with Jesus' teachings (but no so much with christianity anymore). I would instead prefer to work with spirits as my friends, counsellors and mentors. I hope that this will be possible with shamanism.

As I understand, my first step is to make a shamanic journey to find my power animal. I have felt a strong connection with ravens before, so I suspect I might have already had some guidance. Any advice you can give me before I begin this journey? A first question that springs to mind is: how will I know for sure I am really in a shamanic journey and not just daydreaming? Unless that it's fine if this is daydreaming since the power animal is really just a subconscious part of myself and the journey is just a means to connect with that part?

Peace be with you,

Mir

Before you embark on your journey, be sure to have a talisman handy for the protection of your spirit while its off wandering in the spirit world. Also, practice a banishing ritual before you go on any journey. This will center you for the magickal work that lays before you. It also banishes any negative entities, spirits, or negative vibrations that may be in the sacred space one is about to work in. I'd recommend you learn the Lesser Banshing Ritual of the Pentagram. You could google that.

Once you have your banishing ritual down, then you could move on to making sacred space in the area you are about to work in. Burn a smudge bundle in order to cleanse yourself before you go on to more important work. Now you're about ready for retrieving your power animal. When you go down the tunnel into the lowerworld, you will see before you an infinite paradise of miraculous landscapes and fabulous beings. You will know your guardian spirit when you see it as you begin to explore the hidden universe of the shamanic journey.

Your power animal will appear to you at least three times before you uncover its identity as your guardian spirit. Once you have a guardian spirit, you will embark on the even bigger task of acquiring hundreds if not thousands of helping spirits throughout your life. The collective powers of your helping spirits matches that of your guardian spirit. Learn to interact with your power animal by asking it questions and have it do divinations for you or do the much more difficult soul retrieval on behalf of a patient. That's all for now.

A first question that springs to mind is: how will I know for sure I am really in a shamanic journey and not just daydreaming? Unless that it's fine if this is daydreaming since the power animal is really just a subconscious part of myself and the journey is just a means to connect with that part?

Remember, spirits don't always communicate with us as phantoms. Coming in with a form or creature that's there on moment and gone the next. More often than not they will use subtle mundane methods, like animals to help guide us. Pay attention to what comes in around you and don't dismiss what you encounter as odd coincidence. If a squirrel is suddenly going to the branch by your windowsill and calling could very well be a sign that a spirit is trying to communicate a message. Might want to ask the spirit whats it's telling you and interpret what the squirrel means.