A Shamanic Experience

It has always been my experience that everything is alive, everything. I didn't think too much about it as I grew up and was allowed to experience my life this way by my parents, even though most people in the United States in the 1950s saw everything as "dead" even beings that are alive like cows, pigs, turkeys etc. I always found this very strange.

So, I guess you would have to say that my experience of life would be as an animist but then I was raised as a mystical Christian. You might not see these two beliefs as compatible but it worked for me.

I didn't name any of this until I took a course in Cultural Anthropology in college when I was about 22 and recognized myself to be a natural shaman. The definition of a natural shaman is someone who has psychologically died but whose body is still here on earth alive and because of this is able to communicate both with the living and the dead on the other side. Since this also was my experience I naturally identified with it.

The above was just an introduction which I felt I owed you before I began.

I have always chosen to live (whenever possible) in or near forests or ocean. For the last 15 years I have done both which I find very peaceful(ocean) and internally integrating(forests). Since I like being a peace and internally integrated I prefer living in nature like this.

Lately, I have noticed a difference in forests and in the ocean. But since I live on land I notice it mostly among plants. Simply put, I have noticed that plants though they still tend to see humans who have yards as (water Gods who bring water) as having screwed things up and more and more plants and all creatures have been losing faith in people in general.

Now, you might think this doesn't matter but it does. Let me give you an example. What if all your kids when they turned 6 or 8 divorced you as parents and got weapons and tried to trip you up or actually harm you. This I am beginning to experience from plants and animals more and more.

Now, all this depends more or less on how the plants or animals have been treated by humans. But it appears a consensus has been reached among both plants and animals in general worldwide that humans are not good caretakers of earth in general and have majorly screwed things up. So, there is a slow progression of turning against humans.

Now, if you are not shamanically gifted then you might miss this.

However, how you will see this manifest is how people get more and more ill from extreme pollen worldwide, how plants don't do what they normally do. And you will notice this in strange behavior primarily in wild animals. Your pets are less likely to cause you discomfort or harm simply because, "One doesn't bite the hand that feeds them", and survive for very long.

However, I'm witnessing all of this to you. This doesn't mean that you can't help make this better by your relationship with plants and animals. Treating plants and animals with kindness and respect may help keep your descendants alive in the future.