Conscious Choice: On the Shaman's Path

June 1999

On the Shaman's Path

by Sally Cromwell

In recent years my spiritual path has led me to a deep respect for nature and the interconnectedness of life on earth. I hoped to expand on this by taking the Four Wind Society’s "Medicine Wheel" training. Led by author and medical anthropologist Alberto Villoldo, it is a series of four long weekends that engage participants in the practices of the indigenous people of Peru.

It is difficult in words to explain the wonder and magic of the experience. I expect it is somewhat different for everyone, depending on their background and goals. (Our group included doctors, lawyers, housewives, therapists, healers, and others who simply hoped to grow spiritually.) But I can tell you that as a result of the training, I am able to more fully connect with the spiritual core of my being.

I owe this new awareness to the ancient rituals, meditations, and initiations that brought me into harmony with the lineage of the Inka Medicine people.

The first weekend helped me come to grips with my past and explore the psychological issues that shaped my experience of the world. Connecting with the metaphor of the serpent, I began the process of shedding old, non-useful perceptions, as the snake sheds its skin. I also began to learn the shaman’s way of connecting with animal spirits.

The next week, we explored the world of the jaguar, which represents death. The weekend immersed me and my fellow participants in various aspects of death. Ultimately, it helped me come to grips with my own fears of mortality. In doing so, I was able to embrace the powerful concept of rebirth.

The third weekend helped me focus on the roles I play and the manner in which I perform them. I came to know the concept of impeccability, of living your life with ultimate integrity. During the weekend, we paid honor to our ancestors and the power that their experience still offers us. We worked with the spirit of the hummingbird, a complicated symbol of beauty and grace.

We completed the medicine wheel by focusing on the future, both for ourselves and for the planet. We connected with the spirit of the great condor and learned of the prophecy of the condor and eagle flying together. Through much of that last weekend, I worked on exercises to develop my inner vision. And I learned meditative states that are useful tools in my spiritual practice.

Ultimately this work facilitated a better understanding of my relationship to my family, my friends, my work, and my god. I can clearly say that it gave me a much stronger sense of my destiny and my ability to effect positive change. I am grateful for this gift.

This and other shamanic work is clearly not for everybody, but it can be a great spiritual tool for people with an open mind and a willingness to experience an alternative path. It was a grand experience.

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