On Shamans and Stories

At a recent shamanic training I attended I was quite surprised to hear the teacher state that we were not supposed to tell our “clients” in class the story we received in accessing spiritual information for them.  We were only to tell our clients what the message was for them in our journey.  (Journeying is a shamanic technique that is employed in accessing spiritual information for self and others).  When myself and others questioned this, we were told that current shamanic training is moving toward just sharing the message, as the “story” of the journey may be upsetting to the client.

This change in practicing shamanic healing has been unsettling to me since I first heard it.  It has been sitting within me, mulling around, searching for a way to tell me why this just doesn’t seem right.  I finally realized today that the answer lies in the story itself.  The story creates images and an experience and feelings for the client that go beyond the mere word message.  It taps into the heart and the collective unconscious, into the mythic realm that joins us all.  A shaman without a story???  That’s just not right!  In Celtic Shamanism the shaman/poet was  most highly regarded as it was believed they received their inspiration from the “otherworld” and brought that wisdom into this world, connecting us through the images they created to our own hearts and the wisdom of the otherworld.  The images and metaphors in a story are much more multi-dimensional than merely the informational words of a message.

I’ll try and give an example that will show you the difference between the message and the story from my perspective.  Let’s say I go on a journey for a client and three hawks appear, they gently lead the client to a flowing river and bathe her body in the rushing waters, cleansing pain from the body.  They then place river stones within her belly to keep the spirit of the river flowing within the body.  The three hawks tend the body with deep respect and healing.  After awhile the hawks help the client walk out of the river, and tell the client she needs to work with the trees.  The client merges with a tree, feeling the strength/energy of the tree moving through her body.  Tree tells her that she  can call upon the spirit of the tree whenever she feels she may be faltering.  The tree states that its branches along with the wind spirits will gently guide and protect her as she moves through this difficult time of her life.  The tree wraps its branches around the client and its roots dig down deeper into the earth. It holds the client in its embrace for several minutes.  The client smiles and seems refreshed.  As the three hawks leave, they each drop a feather for the client. She picks up the feathers and places them in her heart.

Okay, that’s the story.  I think its message is clear but it also paints a picture of healing that carries us deeper into our connection with nature.  If I just share the message, I might say something like, “This is a time for cleansing for you.  You may want to hold images of cleansing while you’re in the shower.  When you need stability, stand tall like a tree.  And Listen to your heart, it will have messages for you.”  While this may all be good information, to me it is flat and one dimensional.  There’s no “experience” here (other than standing tall like a tree).  In the story, you’re with the hawks, you see, hear and feel the flow of the river, you feel the strength and power of the tree, etc.  You are connected to the experience and wisdom of the story, not just the information.  Nature’s images are powerful and healing.  Jung was said to have stated that  he wished he had called the archetypes “spirits” instead.  Spirit indicates something that is alive and within us.  In shamanism, everything is believed to have a spirit.  So why would we NOT acknowledge the spirit of the story and its multi-dimensional layers.   Would the image of hawks tending to you really upset you?  Would talking with a tree be upsetting to you?  Have we really disconnected ourselves so much from the natural world that hearing how nature heals us and communicates with us would be upsetting to us?  When did we become so afraid of nature?

I know that this is one shamanic practitioner who will continue to tell the stories.

May your story be filled with the beauty of nature, the joy of the flowers, the laughter of the waters,

Jeanne Marie

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