A Shamanic Death

Newsletter - 3rd August 2011

“A shaman is someone who is already dead and thus has no fear of death or life.”

Peruvian shaman Don Eduardo Calderon

The weeks have slipped by and my monthly newsletters have become innocent victims of the apparent speeding up of time - caused by the increase in consciousness of course – and my own unconsciousness.

Let me explain!

Making Prayer Ties while on a Vision Quest

“ You've been doing a type of Vision Quest right here in our home!” Ronnie said.

It was my ever-wise wife who first realized what had happened. And she was right. For the better part of 3 months I had been “shutting down” from everything around me. I sat around doing nothing most of the time; I put on weight; the expensive advertising I had placed wasn't working; I had physical aches and pains all over my body; I didn’t even switch on my computer, let alone answer emails for weeks at a time; and I actually wondered if I was dying.

“See England and Die!” I paraphrased with an inner giggle.

(With apologies to the Italians!)

And in a way I was dying.

But it wasn’t a physical death – it was a type of Shamanic Death.

So what do I mean by a Shamanic Death? I understand it as a formal or informal rite of passage wherein one confronts one’s shadow side - the dark within – and then moves into a place of complete emptiness and receptivity. In so doing you leave behind your old personal identity and way of life. It is a rebirthing of the spirit.

A ritual death was, and still is, one of the rites that an initiate goes through on his or her way to becoming a healer or Shaman. These rituals have taken many forms over the centuries, and some were even quite brutal – designed as they were to break down the ego and the individual’s previous idea of “self”. Teasing, humiliating and spitting at the novice were common practices, as were various forms of sensory deprivation. For example, Wicca’s of old used something called a Witches Cradle - a custom made garment which covered the entire head and body. The initiate was suspended from a wooden beam for a time in this “body bag”.

Another more drastic ritual involved the novice digging his own grave in a remote area of countryside, and then having to lay in the hole overnight covered only with a blanket. The initiate’s deepest fears were brought to the fore as he lay in the darkness with wild animals and creepy-crawlies all around. An even more extreme version involved the initiate actually being covered with sand – except for a thin pipe through which he could breathe.

It may have been safer from prowling animals, but was certainly not for the claustrophobic!

One of the Shamans most important tools is “journeying”, wherein he travels to an alternate reality while in a trance, which is usually created by the repetitive beating of a drum. The Shamanic Death experience can also play out in this reality, where the initiate experiences himself being “dismembered” by the spirits. Wild animals may then arrive to eat his body parts and entrails – again symbolizing the “death” of the physical altered ego personality.

Shamanic tribes in North East China and many other cultures across the globe place great significant on the role illnesses, such as epilepsy, play in the calling of a Shaman. Others believe that when a child experiences a coma, it also marks the arrival of a new Shaman. Even in our modern Western culture we sometimes see people change dramatically after a life threatening illness. More striking transformations can occur when someone has a Near Death Experience, and there are loads of books now available which document these experiences from all over the world.

Preparing for A Vision Quest and Sweat Lodge

Less life threatening rituals that can be used for creating these Shamanic Death experiences are the Sweat Lodge (or Sweat Hut) and the Vision Quest (or Solo). The Vision Quest is basically spending time alone in a remote area, within a confined circle and without any food or water, for a period ranging from 24 hours to 4 days. The traditional Native American Vision Quest is usually 4 days – honouring the 4 directions of the Medicine wheel – but that is far too long for most of us Western weaklings! We usually do one or two days in the bush, allow water, and even an acceptable activity – such as making prayer ties. It is sometimes surprising to see how difficult it is for people to sit by themselves even from sunrise to sunset – so accustomed are we to the business of the modern world.

However long the Solo, its objective remains the same as many of the rituals mentioned above – to go inward and explore our darker nature and our own mortality. There is an enormous fear of death in our Western society – it is often seen as something dark, or even undesirable. Many ancient cultures did not regard “Death” as the enemy, but developed ways of making it an ally. I believe it is only by facing one’s shadow and overcoming one’s fear of death that one can live fearlessly.

Perhaps this is what Christ was doing when he went “solo” in the desert for 40 days and 40 nights and came up against “Satan”.

The Sweat Lodge is an even more challenging ritual for many. The Lodge is usually a low dome, in which a group of people sit shoulder to shoulder in total darkness while water is poured onto hot coals to create steam. It symbolically recreates a womb on the earth, and the opportunity for a physical, emotional and spiritual cleansing. It is a ceremony that has been practiced for hundreds, maybe even thousands of years, all over the world. The Native American version, and in particular that of the Lakota tradition, has enjoyed a surge in popularity in recent decades. The adoption of this very sacred ceremony by the White Tribe, and particularly its abuse by some, has caused much pain for the indigenous people of Turtle Island (USA).

Preparing to enter the Sweat Lodge

Because so many of our religious constructs have traditionally made someone outside of ourselves the “authority”, many people are still drawn to teachers and spiritual leaders. But the ultimate authority can only be found within - and one way of doing that is by passing through the “threshold” experiences described earlier, so that we as novices can be “resurrected”.

A life threatening crisis is sometimes what calls a person to the way of the Shaman, but we don’t have to wait for some sort of threat – we can do it more elegantly! Perhaps the starting point is to recognise that we are in the midst of life and death all the time. Plants and animals are sacrificing their life force for us so that we can eat; we kill insects and bugs in our own homes, gardens and farms all the time; and even the cells within our own bodies are constantly dying or transforming. We also experience the death of family members, friends and our pet animals, and our very existence is a continuous process of life moving towards death. While we all know this to be a truth, we most often choose to ignore it - and we certainly don’t want to confront it if we possibly can. Death is usually hidden from sight in our Western world and the terminally ill are tucked away to avoid us any discomfort.

But for the Shaman death is a teacher the teacher of life and to know Life you must know Death. The Shaman is the mediator between the world of ordinary reality (which we call Life); alternate reality (which we call Death); the spaces between Life and Death and the unseen worlds that lie beyond our everyday awareness, yet are all around us! To the Shaman all these worlds are merely constructs because, because he or she is able to between the Land of the Living and the Land of the Dead. In the Shaman’s reality they are both “alive”.

Going through a Shamanic Death enables one to return to the world with an altered view and understanding of reality, and often with an expanded ability to communicate and interact with non physical beings in a more direct way.

But back to my story!

During the months that I spent “hovering” between life and death, I found the only thing I really felt like doing was meditation. I started meditating every morning for at least an hour, then it went to 2hours, then 3 hours, and one day even 6 hours. It was insane! After all those years of trying different meditations with various levels of success – and a very irregular meditation regime – now I couldn’t get enough of it. Most of the time I used drumming CDs because they “knock out” the monkey-mind.

During this time I also reacquainted myself with the Angels. As my friend and colleague Kats Swanepoel will attest to, I was not a big fan of these discarnate helpers in my “past life”. I discovered this was because of an old hangover from when I rejected the Catholic Church in which I had been raised.

Somewhere deep within I must have believed that “if the Catholics have to go, so to do the Angels!”

The only time I really came alive was when we traveled, so Ronnie and I took every opportunity to jump into the car and head somewhere new – which means we’ve seen quite a bit of England in these few short months. But we still remained largely confused as to why we had actually been called to come to the UK. We had different types of readings with several people, and did plenty of our own. The message was consistent: Be patient; wait; something expanded is on its way! Finally one day I drew a card that said simply, “Surrender” – and I did exactly that. So I continued sitting and meditating; contemplating and “dying”; day after day in my little cave of a room.

And talking about caves, reminds me of bats!

Bat medicine actually symbolizes the shamanic death and has been a symbol of rebirth in Mesoamerica for centuries. Like the Hanged Man in the tarot, the bat hangs upside down – symbolic of literally “turning your life upside down” as a means for transformation.

Now being in the Northern Hemisphere as opposed to the Southern Hemisphere, I registered this at a very physical level and was totally disorientated. The Sun seemed to be coming up in the wrong place; it was far too low in the sky; and my normally excellent sense of direction was nowhere to be found. This added to my overall feelings of uncertainty and alienation.

But just as bats do come out of the cave, I too came out of mine. It was only then that I realized what had been happening – this had all been a ritualistic death in which I had been invited to let go of old beliefs and patterns. I couldn't believe how many new insights I had actually had, and was finally ready to embrace my destiny and start becoming my future – even if I wasn't yet sure what that was going to look like.

What was clearer, was how this all related to my Family Constellations and Ancestral work, and I have started developing an approach which is more integrated with Shamanic Ritual – which I have been drawn too for a long time. Next month I attend the UK Shamanic Gathering where I will meet and work with Shamans and Shamanic practitioners from all over the

UK and other parts of the world. After that I will be going to Tintagel (legendary birth place of King Arthur) to learn about using Shamanic singing to heal ourselves and the land.

Death is the only wise adviser that we have. Whenever you feel, as you always do, that everything is going wrong and you're about to be annihilated, turn to your death and ask if that is so. Your death will tell you that you're wrong; that nothing really matters outside its touch. Your death will tell you, “I haven't touched you yet.”

- Carlos Castaneda

New Shamanic Experiences

Newsletter - 26 April 2011

Today it is exactly four months since we left South Africa, so I find myself musing about the journey so far.

One concern I had before leaving for the UK was that I would not have the opportunity to partake in some of the shamanic rituals that have been so much a part of my life over the years. I couldn't see vision quests, drumming circles, sweat lodges and billowing smudge sticks being an integral part of our lives, due to close proximity in which people live here in the UK. I also wondered how one could get totally away from everyone and out into nature, the way it is so easy to do in Africa. Here it feels like every piece of land has already been walked on, and humanity is never far away, however far you walk out into the fields.

But to my surprise I have had great many shamanic connections – although of a somewhat different kind. The first thing which occurred to me was how aware one becomes of the weather and of changes in

climate. It is an old joke – and is still very much the case I must say – that all English conversations kick off by talking about the weather. But here one is definitely more acutely aware of the fluctuating climatic conditions and the changing seasons – something I was far less aware of in the relatively constant climate in Johannesburg. It becomes much easier to understand why our forefathers so conscientiously celebrated the solstices, equinoxes, and harvest times.

We are also particularly blessed because we live in a fairly high part of Cheltenham. This means we can see the sunrise over one set of hills from the main bedroom, and the sunset over the opposite hills from our guest room. That is, when the sun shines of course – which I must admit has been fairly regularly in the past few weeks.

Ronnie and I have always been very aware of Animal Medicine and our Ted Andrews “bibles” Animal-Speak and Animal-Wise are constant companions whenever we travel. We have encountered regular and timely messages from butterflies, bees, ladybirds, robins, blackbirds, crows, squirrels and even worms. So while there is no shortage of small wildlife around us, I do miss the more personal love we had with our dogs. And the dogs here never bark! I must find out if they cut their vocal chords or something, but their silence seems quite eerie to me – especially on rubbish collecting day!

And we do have our giraffe at the front door! He may only be made of wood, but he does remind us of our African roots, and of the attributes associated with Giraffe Medicine. The long neck symbolises a bridge between the upper and lower realms, and hence the ability to cross over into new territories and new perceptions. This, combined with giraffe’s exceptional eyesight makes it a totem representing far-sightedness and the ability to see ahead towards new horizons. Quite appropriate, given what we are currently doing in our lives and possibly one reason why we were so adamant that Giraffe should come with us from Africa!

The Milema Dilemma

Newsletter - April 2010

(This is an old newsletter which I am posting so that I can remove it from my website.)

I have long been tempted to share the information contained in the numerology of Julius Malema’s birth date. Up until now I have chosen not to do so as I really did not want to connect with this man’s energy. Malema is, however, very much “in our faces” at the moment, so I would like to resolve my personal dilemma and share a couple of ideas about his chart that may be helpful in our understanding of him.

Julius Malema was born on 3 March 1981.

This means that his personality vibration is a “3” which is associated with the element of fire, and makes him potentially able to charm anyone with his warm charisma. This number can also exude an enormous amount of passion and enthusiasm, and is able to “stir people” into action. Winston Churchill is a good example of a “3” personality who was able to use rhetoric in a positive manner, and who can forget, “We’ll fight them on the beaches…..”

It was no surprise to see Malema visit Robert Mugabe and identify so strongly with him, as Mugabe is also a “3” personality. Like Churchill, he too displayed great drive and zeal in order to win the hearts and minds of his countrymen - and gain power. And there is little that a male “3” personality likes more than “a good fight”, as it has a strongly militaristic leaning. Churchill and Mugabe both had legitimate enemies to fight – Julius does not – so he has to provoke as many people as he possibly can, in order to create some enemies. This is very important for us to understand, because if we don’t “fight back” he doesn't have an enemy, and he looses his power. This is why Robert Mugabe still has to rant and rave about the Imperialistic British Empire. No enemy… means no war…means a very unhappy “3”.

Very few people can match the level of resolve that a “3” personality exhibits, and if you want something to be proficiently executed, then call on one of them. This is all good and well if the “3” in question is operating from the positive side of their chart, if not, they tend to dig their heels in and have a tenacious “My way or the highway!” attitude that is anything but flexible. I often refer to this dogmatic type of “3” as the Sergeant Major archetype – you argue with them at your peril!

For you guys who have been to the army, you will remember the unspoken power that the Regimental Sergeant Major often had - even though his rank was that of a Non-Commissioned Officer, many Officers would be quite fearful of him. It is the same with Julius – he holds a lowly rank in politics, and yet more senior politicians and statesmen have seemed hesitant or fearful of confronting him.

The inherent creativity in the “3” energy gives them the potential to motivate and inspire others through words, performance skills or sheer dedication, and Malema has certainly done that. At one stage he was often the first item on the evening news – whether getting involved in the University of the Free State controversy or the Standerton service delivery riots – and a visitor to this country could well have assumed that Julius was the country’s actual President by the amount of exposure the media was giving him. It took Zuma’s spin doctors a while, but they eventually caught up and started creating “sound bite” opportunities for the real President.

When we add Julius’s month of birth, we get another “3” in his chart, which gives him a “double tot” of this energy. This intensifies all the attributes already mentioned – whether on the positive side, or the negative side of the personality. You might be interested to know that the Russian dictator Josef Stalin, who was responsible for the death of millions of his countrymen, was also a “double 3”. This makes Malema quite different from Mugabe at one level, as the Zimbabwean President has a “2” in this second position. Whatever your feelings about Robert Mugabe, I can assure you that he has a vulnerable and caring side to him, to which I am sure many of his family and friends can attest. Not so Julius!

Malema has a “1” vibration in his social or career position which, at its best is a benevolent and enthusiastic leader who will stand by those for whom they are responsible. On the other side of that coin, it can have dictatorial tendencies, and suffers from an inability to listen to the opinions, let alone the criticism of others. Malema is clearly on the negative side of this energy. We can see this by virtue of the way he was publicly rude about or to Mongosuthu Buthelezi; Sam Shilowa; Mvume Dandala; Patricia de Lillle; Helen Zille and one unfortunate British journalist, amongst many others, yet gets his knickers in a knot because President Zuma criticizes him publicly for conduct that is grossly out of line.

A person with a “1” in this position feels that they have to be the “boss”, so rest assured, Mr. Malema has his eye on the Top Job.

A person with a “7” Life Path number - like Julius - will be very individualistic, with high ideals, firm goals, and a deep desire for personal success along the way. So make no mistake – Julius Malema is serious about what he wants to achieve! I personally can understand why he is threatening nationalization of the mines, because much of this country’s wealth has been stolen by Cecil John Rhodes and the many greedy white men that have followed in his footsteps. In Family and Constellations and Systems Theory we call this pattern “ill-gotten gains.”

Ill-gotten gains is a pattern that occurs in a family; group; country or any other system where one person or group have “gained” at the expense of another or others. In a family we see this when an inheritance that is due to a child is “stolen” by a sibling or another family member. It creates an imbalance in that system for which a later family member will invariably have to pay the price.

In the South African system, a relatively small number of mainly British, white, males became extremely wealthy at the expense many thousands of mainly black South African males. This has left us with an imbalance in the Soul of our country that has to be brought into balance – that is what we know from Systemic Theory, and whether we deny it or not; like it or not; it will seek to redress that imbalance. Whether through Malema or someone else!

Many commentators have noted that Malema was only 13 when South Africa became a democracy, and that he has therefore been a “free man” for the greater part of his life. Why then should he still be so angry with “the Boers”? Here again, the Systems Theory we use in Family Constellations can be very helpful.

In all likelihood, Julius Malema is carrying the anger from his father or grandfather - or even some other family member - from a previous generation. This is one of the most common patterns we see in our work: someone from a later generation will “carry” – out of a subconscious love and loyalty to the family system – the unexpressed anger, trauma or pain from an earlier ancestor. So Julius himself probably doesn’t even realize why he is so angry. I could offer him a free constellation but I suspect that, being a white male, I am firmly in the “enemy” camp.

And it is my opinion that Julius Malema is only one of many thousands, maybe even millions of young South African men who still carry trauma on behalf of their family systems – he is their voice, because he is fearless.

If we put all of the birth numbers contained in this particular birth chart together “3”; “3”; “1” and “7” we get a cluster of energies that has the potential to be the most incredible leader, or the most frightening of dictators.

Which way do you think Julius Malema will go?

I leave you with this famous quote to ponder.

"Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." Lord Acton - 1887

It Is All About Trust!

Newsletter - November 2010

(This is an old newsletter which I am posting so that I can remove it from my website.)

Don't you just love it when Great Spirit gives you an almighty kick up the butt? I do - but usually only some time after the encounter - when the bruising has subsided!

There's a bit of a fun technique we use in Family Constellations when we have a decision to make and are not sure which of our options is the best choice. We tap into the wisdom of the Morphic Field by writing the different options onto pieces of paper and then place them under mats or cushions on the floor. We then stand on each of the mats or cushions to see which one "feels" the best. The differences can be quite dramatic, with people maybe feeling nauseous/wobbly/irritated/drained on one mat and happy/light/joyful on another mat. It can give one a very quick and clear indication of the best choice to make.

We first put our house on the market on Valentine's Day in February and had a good offer within weeks. Unfortunately the sale fell through and our estate agent slowly lost the plot, so we took our house off the market during winter and the World Cup and decided to put it on the market again in spring. Given that my last three encounters with estate agents had all been very unpleasant experiences, I wanted to make sure that we made the right choice this time around. So Ronnie and I decided to check out our options using the mats in the Knowing Field, as it is sometimes known.

The options I wrote down (and which I didn't reveal to Ronnie beforehand) were: Don't Sell the House; Use Our Last Estate Agent; Use New Estate Agent; and Use Private Property website - which we'd heard good reports about. Obviously we folded the papers and shuffled them so that we didn't know which option was under which mat and, because this was a decision which affected both of us, we took turns to stand on the mats and then wrote down what we each felt independently.

When we compared notes afterwards, we had both experienced very similar things: We felt wobbly and uncomfortable on the Don't Sell option; we both found it difficult to stand on the one which said Use Last Estate Agent; we felt okay on the Use New Estate Agent; but both felt the strongest and most comfortable on the Use Private Property option.

Now having facilitated and witnessed hundreds of Family Constellations there is no doubt in my mind that, with the right intention from client and facilitator, the Knowing Field is always accurate. I often tell my clients and students that they can "Trust the Field", and in fact I firmly believe that Trust is a vital component of this work. So I signed up with Private Property for R1000 and put some nice pictures and a flowery editorial about Earth Walk onto their site.

After two weeks there had been dozens of hits on the site, but no enquiries, and Ronnie and I started to second-guess the answer we had been given by the Field. It was starting to feel like we had been in Limbo for months and friends who, at the beginning of the year were saying things like, "We are really going to miss you!" were now starting to say, "When the hell are you guys going?" So we decided to give the new estate agent a call!

Yes, I know you probably know what’s coming, but stay and squirm with me one more time.

The estate agent, of course, insisted on a sole mandate which included any leads that might come through my listing on Private Property. So I signed the sole mandate! Kick! Kick!

It was two or three days after signing the mandate that I got an enquiry via Private Property, which I passed on to the new estate agent. Two quick private viewings that week and I received an offer to purchase at my bottom-line price - and our house was sold. And for that the estate agent will receive about R150 000. How is that for expensive schools fees?

Naturally I was intensely annoyed with myself, not so much for the sizeable amount of cash I now had to hand over, but more because I didn’t listen to the advise I so readily dispense to others, when I tell them to TRUST THE FIELD.

It’s not all bad of course, because there are always beautiful little gems tucked away in the dung of even the stinkiest lesson. The sale was a clean cash deal which will help it to go through quickly; we can start making firm plans after eight months in Limbo; a really appreciative woman will be living in and working from our beautiful former home; and a (hopefully) appreciative estate agent should be able to really spoil her family this Christmas!

What’s with this 1:1:1:1 phenomenon?

Newsletter - 29 July 2010

(This is an old newsletter which I am posting so that I can remove it from my website.)

Recently Ronnie and I, while returning home from delivering one of her paintings, were discussing her future plans as an artist and what shape they might take. My attention was suddenly drawn to look at the clock in the car which read 11:11.

I drew Ronnie’s attention to this fact, whereupon she pointed out the number plate of the car traveling in front of us, which was 111.

Like many people on the planet, this has been happening for us quite regularly over the last few years and so we have naturally been inquisitive as to its significance – if any. What we noticed was that this series of digits always seems to appear when we are discussing or thinking about our vocations and how we might better serve our clients and friends. For us, the 1:1:1:1 sequence always seems to be a “confirmation” of some kind and has a very positive “feel” about it. As a Family Constellations facilitator I would read it as being in synchronicity with what Dr Rupert Sheldrake termed the Morphogenic Field, or that collective intelligence which Carl Jung referred to as a Digital Database.

Although it is not a concept with which I fully resonate, many people believe that guidance from Angels plays a major role in their lives, and are behind 1111.

While browsing in Estoril Bookstore this morning I noticed that the greatest number of new titles were in the Dreams and the Angels sections. The experiences of friends and the abundance of literature on the subject of the angels’ influences in our lives are certainly quite compelling. One of the most famous names associated with this subject is author and spiritual teacher Doreen Virtue. Here is a short extract from one of her books:

Whenever you see the sequence 111 or 1111 show up, it is a great sign of a golden opportunity. Both sequences mean that a "doorway" has opened up in which your intentions and goals will manifest extremely quickly. The Angels have taught me to focus my thoughts and intentions whenever I see 111 or 1111, almost like making a wish when a cake with candles is presented to you.

The angels seek to give us answers and guidance in so many ways, and when they call our attention to number sequences, it is a true sign of their love and power. The more you notice these signs, the more frequently they will show up in your life. Once you understand the signs' meaning, and once you accept that they are not coincidences, but purposeful events, you will enjoy even closer communications with your angels.

You can find out more about Doreen at: www.angeltherapy.com

You might also like to check out: www.angelscribe.com where you can read about many other peoples’ experiences with 1111.

Uri Geller also reports that he has been experiencing this phenomenon for many years:

I started experiencing this rather bizarre occurrence when I was forty years old, at first I thought they were coincidences, I would stand with my back to a digital clock and something made me turn around and I would notice that the time would be 11:11. These incidents intensified I would be checked into hotel rooms on floor 11 room 1111. I started noticing these digits on computers, microwave ovens, cars, documents, etc. I decided to write about it on my website. I was immediately inundated by hundreds of emails from all around the world. Individuals were telling me their own 11:11 stories, almost always saying “I thought it only happened to me”. It is difficult for me to decipher what this is all about but my intuition tells me its positive.

You can read the rest of Uri’s article on the subject at: www.uri-geller.com

On his websight Uri also quotes the psychic channeler Solara’s observations:

The endless reoccurrence of these hours 11:11, 11:01, 11:10, 10:01, 10:11, 10:10, 1:01, 1:11 represents a positive connection and a gateway to the mysteries of the universe and beyond. A trigger of remembrance

11:11 is a pre-encoded trigger placed into our cellular memory banks prior to our descent into matter which, when activated, signifies that our time of completion is near. This refers to the completion of duality. When the 11:11 appears to you, it is your wake-up call. A direct channel opens up between you and the Invisible. When this happens, it is time to reflect on whatever you are doing for a moment and Look Larger. A transfer is in position. You can enter the Greater Reality if you wish, pray or meditate and seed your future and also, you can be seeded by the Invisible. You can ask for help in some specific area of your life or simply listen quietly and receive a revelation. The appearance of 11:11 is an always beneficial act of Divine Intervention telling you that it is time to take a good look around you and see what is really happening. It’s time to pierce the veils of illusion that keep us bound to an unreal world. You have been chosen, because you are ready, to step into the Greater Reality. To lead the way for others into a new way of living, into a Greater Love. To ascend from duality into Oneness.

Solara is originally from Cape Town and moved to the UK in1987. You can find out more about her at www.solara.org.uk

Of course, as a numerologist, I understand that the vibration of “1” is related to new ideas; new beginnings; a pioneering spirit and a unique new vision. And as a “1” personality, have to admit to being skewed in partiality towards the vibration. We also know that the master numbers, including 11, indicate intensification of that vibration’s attributes - and in individuals carrying that vibration, is often sensed as having a “higher purpose”. I frequently say to people who have a repeated digit in their numerology chart that they have a “double tot” of that energy. So if more and more of us are seeing 1111 regularly, we might say that we receiving a “quadruple tot” of some New Beginning energy – and this might mean one hell-of-a party!

Dolphins in the Spotlight

Newsletter - 31 March 2010

(This is an old newsletter which I am posting so that I can remove it from my website.)

It is an experience I will treasure for the rest of my life!

Earlier this month I travelled to Malongane in Mozambique to co-facilitate a weekend workshop with Courtney Ward from Halo Gaia.

Sharing some Ancestral and Family Constellation concepts with the small but conscientious group in the energy field of the dolphins was a hugely expanding experience, but the real highlight for me occurred on the second morning.

Our boat outing on day one hadn't yielded any successful sightings of dolphins, but the clear and calm waters of day two boded well for us. Our group had done a Buddhist walking meditation as well as a heart-opening meditation prior to the launch, and we all felt confident that “today was the day”.

And indeed it was! It didn't take long for us to find a pod of about sixty bottlenose dolphins moving slowly up the coast, and we slipped gently into the water to join them. One reads about these beautiful mammals and their special healing powers, but to experience them up close and in their natural environment is something quite remarkable. Gazing into their beautiful and loving eyes as they glided parallel to me was quite hypnotic and intoxicating. I felt particularly blessed as two dolphins leapt with effortless choreography directly over me, and then a third brushed ever-so-lightly against my left side.

Then a mother with her five-month-old calf who had just slipped silently past me, turned and swam directly towards me. When they were about two meters ahead of me it felt like the baby dolphin “zapped” me in some way, because I felt a massive wave of what I can only describe as “unconditional love” hit my heart. It literally took my breath away as I immediately choked up and took in a huge gulp of sea water.

I had to surface briefly to get my breath and then immediately looked down again because I didn’t want to miss a second of this unbelievable encounter. The mother and calf had started diving below me but the baby looked back towards me as if to say, "Are you alright?”

And that was it – the tears just flowed.

What made this meeting so profoundly healing was that we had watched a movie called “The Cove” the night before. The film, which won this year’s Oscar in the Best Documentary Feature category exposes the annual slaughter of 23,000 dolphins and porpoises in the coastal town of Taiji, Japan.

At first appearance the town seems to be devoted to the wonders and mysteries of these sleek and playful mammals that swim off its coast. But in a remote cove, surrounded by barbed wire and "Keep Out" signs, lies a very different and dark reality. It is here, under cover of night, that the fishermen of Taiji, driven by a multi-billion dollar dolphin entertainment industry and an underhanded market for dolphin meat, engage in their secret massacres. They will go to great lengths to halt anyone from witnessing these slaughters, or of discovering how their meat, containing toxic levels of mercury, is sold as “whale meat” in Japan and elsewhere.

“The Cove” has been making waves since it premiered last year. Critical praise and audience awards worldwide have focused international attention on Taiji and the annual dolphin drives off the coast of Japan. Under intense pressure, Taiji called for a temporary ban on killing bottlenose dolphins. The film, which was originally rejected, was shown at the Tokyo Film Festival due to public outcry. Residents in Taiji are now being tested for mercury poisoning, and for the first time Japanese media are covering the issue.

The driving force behind this documentary was Ric O'Barry who, in the 1960’s captured and trained dolphins for use in the "Flipper" television series. O’Barry eventually realized how much these sensitive, intelligent and self-aware creatures suffered when subjected to human captivity and became a warrior for their freedom. He joined forces with filmmaker Louis Psihoyos and the Ocean Preservation Society in order to expose what has been going on unchecked in Taiji. With the local Police Chief keeping constant surveillance and strong-armed fishermen obstructing them at every turn, Ric recruits an “Oceans Eleven-style” team of underwater sound and camera experts, special effects artists, marine explorers, adrenaline junkies and world-class free divers. Their mission: to carry out an undercover operation and photograph the off-limits cove, while playing a cloak-and-dagger game with those who would like to have them thrown in jail. The result is a provocative mix of investigative journalism, eco-adventure and arresting imagery that adds up to an urgent plea for hope, which has grabbed the attention of the world.

Please make sure you get to see it!

Avatar and Family Systems

Newsletter - 2 February 2010

(This is an old newsletter which I am posting so that I can remove it from my website.)

Sci-Fi stories are like Brussels sprouts!

You either love them or you hate ‘em!

I love Brussels sprouts – I hate Sci-Fi.

For me the human specimens on this planet are far more intriguing to explore than the flights of fancy - and probably chemically enhanced – mental constructs of some aging hippy hack. After all – what better way to avoid facing reality, than to waft off into some fantasy world where the characters have to take responsibility for their actions, but you don’t! Anyway, that’s what I thought!

And then along came Avatar!

First of all – and for the record – I absolutely loved Avatar from first frame to last! I believe it is a landmark production on multiple levels, and a credit to the creative genius and vision of writer/director James Cameron.

Sure, there have been the dissenters and Sci-Fi Snobs who criticize the simplicity and familiarity of Avatar’s storyline, but the box office numbers and fan club websites prove that they are by far in the minority. It always amazes me that someone who probably can’t take a shot of his family with an automatic digital camera without cutting off someone’s head or feet feels qualified to criticize something the caliber of Avatar.

Ah….don’t you just love freedom of speech sometimes!

As a Family Constellations facilitator with an interest in Shamanic tradition and ritual, I found some beautiful concepts woven into the fabric of this en grossing fantasy.

Another concept in Avatar that really grabbed my fancy was how the Na’vi would connect their tails to those of a horse or dragon that they wanted to ride. The life force would flow between humanoid and animal and they would literally “become one”. This reminds me very much of how we connect in Family Constellations work. Participants in a works to heal traumas. Merely through their intention to be part of the healing process for another person, the representative can begin to register the feelings, hopes, fears and even fate of the person “in whose shoes they are standing”.

The first scene to really grab my attention was when the lead character Jake, in his avatar form, is separated from his research group and has to spend the night alone in a forest on Pandora. He comes under attack from a pack of hideous looking wild dogs but is rescued by Neytiri, a female of the native Na'vi tribe. Her skillful use of a bow and arrows quickly sends a number of the dogs off to “the happy hunting ground”, but she clearly does not relish being their executioner. When Jake tries to thank Neytiri she tells him in no uncertain terms that the taking of these lives is not something for which one should be grateful and which, but for his stupidity, would have been unnecessary. Neytiri then ritually honors the spirit of one of the dogs who has been left wounded, as she ends his life.

Indigenous people living in sync with nature and the other species on our planet have a long tradition of honoring the spirits of animals killed when hunting. Prayers of gratitude for the sacrifice made in order to sustain the lives of others, is as natural to them as praying for a sick friend in hospital would be for some of us. But we no longer offer up prayers for the billions of cows, sheep, pigs and chicken that are processed in our factories.

Hell, most of us don’t even bother to say grace before our meals anymore!

The massacre of the dogs brings home to us the sacredness of all life and reminded me of that horrendous buffalo slaughter scene in Dances with Wolves. The image of hundreds of skinned carcasses littering the prairie still haunts me today, as I ponder how masterful our species has become at killing other life forms unconsciously. Other commentators on Avatar have also referred to Kevin Costner’s masterpiece and claim that Avatar is merely rehashing some of the same themes. I would like to point out that Costner took to the saddle 20 years ago for that epic, so a massive percentage of Avatar’s target market weren't even born then! It’s as silly an argument as saying you can’t write another song about “love” because it has been done before, or refusing to go and see a Shakespeare play because you know how it ends.

One of the basic tenants of Family Constellations work is that “every family member has the equal right to belong in the system”. The Na’vi seem to understand this. When you put aside all the stories and opinions, and connect in the energy field that links family members, you get insight from the very level of the Soul. Then all judgments and myopic points-of-view start to melt away. Then the idea that ultimately “we are all one” and come from the same source, becomes more than simply a concept.

The source of all life and the focus of worship for the Na’vi is Eywa, similar to our concept of a Mother Goddess or Lady Gaia. The Goddess was the focus of worship for humans many millennia ago and we are returning to her bosom after a rather hectic time with her male counterpart – particularly during the last 6 thousand years. Cameron captures the contrast between these great polarities as Colonel Miles Quaritch and his brain-washed militias blow the Na’vi’s habitat Hometree to smithereens and almost succeed in doing the same to their sacred place of worship, the Tree of Souls.

The use of the term “shock and awe” in one part of the dialogue leaves us in no doubt that writer and director James Cameron is critical of America’s involvement in the War in Iraq. He is quoted as having said, "We know what it feels like to launch the missiles.

We don't know what it feels like for them to land on our home soil in America." Well, the destruction of the Hometree scene sure gives one some sense of what it might be like to be in Baghdad; Gaza or anywhere else when these bullyboys test out their latest war toys on ones family and friends. The image that is most indelibly stamped on my mind is the “shock and horror” on Neytiri’s face as one of her beloved horses runs past engulfed in flames during the onslaught.

Cameron is also quoted as saying that, “Avatar is definitely not anti-American." Well, he would have to say that, wouldn’t he – if he wanted to get bums onto seats? But he is probably quite right because this drama is more about anti-imperialism, and while it uses images which are as familiar to us as those on an Evening News Report, it also dredges up much more from our collective unconscious. It revives memories of the exploitation by European colonists of indigenous tribes and natural resources in Africa, South America, North America, Australia, and elsewhere in the world, which are well and truly still alive in our family systems today. If you don’t believe me, then join us for a Family Constellations workshop, and witness the far reaching tentacles of the “sins of the father”.

One of the most intriguing reports about Avatar was how many people began suffering from depression after seeing the film. Apparently the sheer beauty of Pandora on screen had many registering their own realities as being far too drab by comparison.

This, for me, opens up very exciting possibilities!

Could it mean that many more people are waking up to the fact that we are creating a veritable shit hole on this planet and that it might be time to start visualizing a new alternative?

Avatar is far more than a rip-roaring, action-packed, CGI dominated adventure yarn. It carries within its fantastical imagery the dream of creating a new world and a golden age – a place where our species can lives in sync with the other species around us, and in harmony with Mother Nature herself.

Those of you who were able to move out of your heads and into your hearts when watching Avatar, know what I mean!