I have been reading Michael Harner’s books The Way of the Shaman and Cave and Cosmos. I have recently taken two trips to the Lower World by following the instructions in Way of the Shaman. My second time journeying was definitely eye opening.
When I came out of the tunnel, I could have sworn I was in the Amazon but it was night and everything was very dark. I could hear birds and water. I started to doubt what I was seeing; then I saw a white bird coming towards me that I thought was an owl until it got closer and I realized it was actually a white hawk (I had no idea they existed.) It was looking at me and moving its head. We flew together to what I thought at first was above the forest outside my window just outside St. Petersburg, Russia. However, there were mountains and I came to think it may actually have been Tuva, Altai, where I flew with the hawk. While we were there, I felt my body get cold. We then went somewhere else really fast through a tunnel. I’m not sure where it was but there was an elephant and it was waving at me with its trunk.
As soon as my journey finished, I went to look up white hawks to confirm that’s what I saw, and this is when I knew everything I saw was truly real. To my surprise the white hawk I saw does exist and they are from the Amazon. This was my first confirmation. My second confirmation was when I wanted to find out more about white hawks on YouTube and one of the first videos that came up talked about them as an omen and specifically a great shamanic sign to see. This blew my mind.
Thank you so much for all the work you all have done and I am so excited to continue my spiritual journey through shamanism.
Jay C., beginning journeyer
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FSS Core Shamanism Chronicles features brief personal shamanic healing accounts and practical applications of shamanism in daily life. By sharing our inspiring stories with each other, we hope to reveal the power, effectiveness, and beauty of shamanic practice.
If you have a core shamanic practice story to share, please send as an email attachment to INFO@SHAMANISM.ORG and put “Chronicles” in the subject line. Submission guidelines: No more than one page is recommended. Accounts should offer a specific personal example of healing or applying core shamanism methods in everyday life. As always, keep in mind ethical standards of confidentiality and permission: Ask your clients for permission before sharing and do not reveal their names. If your submission is selected for inclusion in the Chronicles, you may use your name or choose to be listed as anonymous.