A noisy cardinal was calling while I was musing...

Callings happen every day. Is responding harmlessly always tricky?

This mission now, continuing:

Religious believing might be hardwired into human nature, according to some neuroscientists, alongside related notions, such as immortality and various methods of surviving physical death. But, looking back on history and watching current events for years, I long ago began fearing that spiritual leaders, organizations and dogmas underlie at least half of everyone's and the world's troubles. And so, I suppose, humanity would do well to evolve beyond believing, as soon as possible.

Yet, since early childhood, my brain has kept insisted that I am "called" as a soul to ongoing prayer, even though I stopped believing in supernatural agencies of any kind, imminent or eminent. Shamanic experiences persist anyway; whether this is a neurological quirk or not, I keep practicing because it's fun for me.

But throughout pre-history and history, I've learned, shamanic experiences have tended to evolve into warring religions--some huge, many local--most rife with strife over oppressive complications. I've long wondered if that process could be bypassed; perhaps shamanic ways could satisfy a human brain's predisposition towards spirituality, without generating hierarchies and tyrannies.

Still, I've noticed over the years, even the small circles and larger groups I joined temporarily quickly developed leaders, followers and dogmas, even while their evolving teachings were suggesting--even insisting--otherwise. Hidden agendas thrived. Power plays undermined. Fun deteriorated.

Now, instead of ordinary circles (but not "anti-" because I acknowledge everyone's experience is different and I the motto "live and let live" inspires me), I envision a worldwide rainbow of loose, interconnecting, overlapping flexible circles of individualistic shamanizers, acting informally and unofficially at their various locations and distances, each in their singular, innovative ways, generating a cycling dancing coil of shapeshifting constellations of purposeful prayer-shifting: aiming to transform life for the better gradually, mysteriously (well, OK...possibly...but certainly doing no harm) through every one's inner guidance (imaginary, psychological, genetically predisposed or neurologically hardwired...or whatever), intentionally shifting reality beneficially from behind everyday situations.

Brief ad hoc meetings might happen, when beneficial, but mostly within cyber- and non-ordinary realities.

Update before a long-delayed posting--that Birch has budding leaves by now: I'm researching new blogging platforms, re-writing many of Companions Circle's old webpages (for eventual publication on pages here) and traveling frequently to assist some elder members as needed, so I'm less and less available for sessions or ceremonies (or even consultations by phone or email), but the ongoing prayer-shifting mission with the widespread circle continues through cyber- and non-ordinary realities. Now, without further ado...Post it and quest on!

Circling behind the scenes, schemes, seams & screams of ordinary life

Snow-hidden lines...?

Update...

This ministry today: I receive emails through the contact form requesting shamanizing or counseling over challenges and troubles. Then, I pass the reality-shift requests to several shamanic companions who journey or dream or meditate (or whatever they are inner-guided to do, each their own ways, as we activate our widespread, ongoing circle).

Then usually, care-fully, often taking a while at it, I email the best answers and suggestions I can gather as an advisory consultation, disclaiming (informally through vocabulary and phrasing) that the reply is my opinion only, probably in disagreement with many other practitioners' and cannot take the place of appropriate licensed professionals' interventions and one's own wiser inner-guidance. (The disclaimers posted in the footers of the church's websites that apply to all interactions state it boringly, formally.) Of course, I realize I cannot know if the questioner has inquired in earnest, or for a college project or as a prank.

Because I and this circle live by modern, ever-emerging understandings of shamanic ways and original, innovative, ever-adapting practices, our approach(es) seem atheistic and out of sync with other contemporary practitioners' responses, I'm told often enough. None of our circle--those known to one another, so far, I mean--really fits into organized atheism or lives as any defined type of atheist or even universist or even hylozoist.

Longstanding favorite mottoes among us are: "Don't believe, be LIVE!" and "Wonder on, for wonders never cease."

Anyway, avoiding excessive defining, allowing mystery, entertaining chaos, seeking paradox and keeping fun variously, we aim to shift self and ALL for the better behind the "seems" of everyday Earth, too.

Internet connecting--still present, but: For a long while, my and the church-circle's social media feeds have posted mostly links and occasional quotes, always connected to shamanism somehow, in my view, but often barely tangentially (and way down deep between the deeper lines that span between even deeper lines). Only rarely do I add cryptic commenting. Often, for me, science discoveries, technological innovations and odd news point to shamanic themes or induce consciousness-shifting wonder.

"Question and quest on" is an overall theme. The social networking "holding pattern" began in cringing reaction to a trend I continue to struggle to find clever terms for, and haltingly (temporarily) call: "the deadpanly pandemic" or the "irony-deficient (chronic over-reacting) dis-ease" (but whatever it is, it's continuing to go viral Net-wide).

So the social accounts went on retreat a while ago, then continued to clam-up on purpose, to avoid providing even scraps of more sustenance for hateful thoughts and raging emotions. This stance may change during 2014, I dream. Perhaps soon (or later) I'll resume personal posts. Our quietly courageous helper clam may be joined, for more boisterous fun, by...a louder fearless ally, still shrouded in snow, ice and mystery today.

The persistent tree-ness of once-evergreen utility poles called out

While I exercise-walked yesterday I purposely paused to relate to wilderness sparks trapped anywhere -- for example, tarred inside wooden utility poles, once growing evergreens. But distilled, antiseptic, preserving creosote, like all that is, has its wild side, too.

I won't take up spacetime lamenting this situation, but ignite celebrating through imagining, visioning waking-up and releasing spark-spirits and wood-spirits to play, lightening-up my (and so then everyone's) today.

Spiderweb on a yew near the doorway

A natural juxtaposition -- a spiderweb on a yew tree near my door -- captured my attention!

Allowing myself to get caught up in nature at any moment wherever I'm encamped along this earth-journey, I always receive singular messages, lessons and signs, meant just for me, then and there. And new questions often arise for my continuing entertainment and education.

This is a simple yet powerful waking-trance technique that shifts ALL "by just that much" (maybe by only mustard-seed's or butterfly-wing's worth), just by shifting me ever-so slightly. Within city or wilderness, this is healing FUN shamans and children live every day, before and after any community rituals.

Today I noticed the spiderweb on the yew hedge next to the apartment building doorway had survived another down-pouring thunderstorm overnight. I attended this reality with with all my senses, stirring emotions and connotations for a while, generating awe. Then I moved along when my attention shifted again, wondering where the spider -- and my inner creative weaver -- might be hiding.

Was it foolishness that I experienced the whole day nudging towards better-than-expected outcomes?