The Wisdom of the Shamans Read online

  A friend of mine once asked my father how he did these things, and my father replied, “I cannot tell you, and not because it's a secret, but because there are no words to describe how it is done.”

  Despite the great interest in these miraculous occurrences, my father has never let these phenomena distract from the primary message of shamanism and his teachings: find your own personal freedom, heal yourself from the addiction to suffering, be of service to others.

  You may also have noticed that each of the items in the bag was symbolic for inner work. In other words, the sticks, rocks, and feather were outer symbols of inner agreements we were making with ourselves. These items are outward symbols to remind us of our inner commitments.

  In the shamanic tradition we call items that serve in this capacity power objects. A power object, or what could also be called a totem, is a sacred object or symbol that a shaman forms a relationship with, which enables her to call upon the power of whatever the object represents. By itself, this object is only an object. However, when the shaman puts her intent, or her personal power, into the object, she begins a relationship with it and can use it to focus and grow her power.

  Almost any natural object can be a power object, if it has a resonance with the shaman's energies. What's important is the relationship between the shaman and the object and the shaman's beliefs on the nature of the object, more so than the object itself. Rock, feathers, herbs, and many other natural items can all be power objects. Because your personal connection is what's important, I think it's a good idea to find your own power objects when walking in nature.

  Again, what is central to a power object is the intent that you put into it. It does not really matter how you put your intent into a power object. Instead, what matters is what intent you put into your power object. To this end, a ritual might be a good idea to dedicate your power object or to help you be very clear about what intent you want to give it. To get clear about your intent, you can perform a small ceremony or ritual by meditating on your power object and seeing the intent flowing into it like a river of light. I have included a ritual to create a power object in the exercises at the end of this chapter.

  Animal Totems

  My father's miraculous feat that day with the rattlesnakes also shows that the shaman's connection to nature and the animal world is a powerful one. Because of this, no book about shamanism would be complete without a discussion of one of the most well-known aspects of the connection between shamanism, the animal world, and the power of ritual and initiation: animal totems.

  As you have probably noticed, the stories shamans tell often have animals as symbols, which is not surprising given the respect shamanism has for the other inhabitants of this beautiful planet.

  In many ways the animal mind is much clearer than the human mind since they don't have the storytelling tendencies and addiction to suffering the human mind contends with. Animals live in complete awareness of the present moment without mitote or the parasite, and therefore they have direct access to silent wisdom.

  For instance, in the catastrophic tsunami that took so many lives in Thailand in 2004, very few animal bodies were left in the destruction, and there were dozens of reports of animals fleeing to higher ground as the ocean waters receded in advance of the great wave. Dogs and cats have long been known to sense when an earthquake is about to occur and have been noted to act strangely in the days before a disastrous event.

  Unlike humans, who allow their thinking minds to bypass their natural intuition, animals are still tapped into that deep innate wisdom that runs through the connection between all things. Even Western science and medicine are beginning to catch up as doctors now utilize the power in a dog's sense of smell to detect certain types of cancers and recognize when a diabetic's blood sugar is too high or too low.

  In my own Toltec tradition, we recognize animals as symbols of many powerful forces, ones that we can all relate to. If I tell you that there is a snake in the room, you will likely feel fear or doubt or wariness. It doesn't matter if the snake is real or not, this is the power in the symbol of that animal.

  Animal totems in our tradition work the same way. They are symbols that allow us to embody the power of that animal. It is even said that ancient shamans were able to transform their physical bodies into those of the animals they connected with, a process called shape-shifting—although for our purposes it is the symbolic, rather than the physical transformation, that is important.

  Many Toltec shamans choose three animal totems picked at different points in their lives. These animals become the spirit guides that they can call on specifically when they encounter difficult situations or painful events.

  In my own life, I have chosen the bat, the rattlesnake, and the jaguar as my spirit animals. The bat came to me when I was learning how to be in the world after being temporarily blinded due to a physical illness. Without the benefit of sight, I had to learn how to interact in the world. This showed me that I also needed to learn how to bypass my mind and follow my heart and intuition instead—this was the gift I received from the bat and something I still call on to this day when I feel lost. The bat has given me a way to hone in on my own inner guidance while being blind to the outside knowledge that would distract or tempt me.

  I am also the rattlesnake. As babies, rattlesnakes cannot control their venom, and at one time I also was that way with my emotional venom. When I was upset, I would bite whoever came near me, no matter what their intentions, and I would release all my venom because I had no control over it. But I matured as a rattlesnake does; I became aware of my venom and learned to control it. Now it is my choice when I release my venom, on whom and in what levels. Whatever I choose, I have awareness and I have control over that venom and whether I decide to use it or not.

  My third totem animal is the jaguar. The jaguar is the stalker, the one that is in action in the moment. The jaguar has intent and force and power. I call on the spirit of the jaguar when I need to move forward in action, when my doubts and fears would rather keep me locked in the jungle. The jaguar is the king of the jungle, and when I call on the jaguar, it is a reminder to myself that I am powerful with my intent, that I can create whatever I like if I take action. I use this feeling of power to propel me into manifesting my desires.

  My family members also have unique animals. For example, to me my brother don Miguel Ruiz Jr. is a bear—he embodies the bear because he is always taking care of those around him; he is always putting himself in front of others to protect them. He is a family man, and this is a gift from the bear.

  My father, don Miguel Ruiz Sr., is a big cat, like me, but one of his totem animals is the tiger. The tiger is similar to the jaguar as a symbol of power and intent and action, but my father has a lineage in a dream that originated in Asia and the tiger pays respect to that origin and those ancestors as well.

  The characteristics of our animal totems are also aspects that we can take with us into the personal dream to use as tools as we create our lives. At any time, we can be as strategic as the eagle, as cunning as the fox, as powerful as the jaguar. This is in part why the shamans used animals in their storytelling, because they also have attributes that we can use as tools with which we can create our own dream.

  Exercises

  Totem Animals

  On a piece of paper, write down all the animals you can think of, and all the qualities those animals represent. In addition to the animals I mentioned earlier, I'll give you a couple more examples to get you started. Remember that these examples illustrate what these animals represent to me, but what's important here is what the list of animals represents to you. As I have been driving home throughout this book, the path of the shaman is about following your own truth, and yours will be different from mine.

  Animal Quality

  Dog Loyalty, friendliness

  Tortoise Determination, steadiness

  Cat Independent, calculating

  Eagle Strategy, leadership

  Bat Awareness, looking beyond sight

  Jaguar Power of intent, action

  Bear Protector, defender, provider

  Tiger Strength of action, intent

  Snake Cunning, emotional power

  After you've made your list, contemplate each animal and its attributes, and then pick three that have attributes you currently see or want to cultivate within yourself. They might be animals local to you or ones from other traditions that you have practiced or have an origin in.

  Start calling in your totem animals when you need their powers in your day. After a month or two of regularly calling on your totem animal, return to your list and write down any new qualities you have discovered in your time working with your totem animal.

  Power Objects

  Power objects are most often natural objects, so to find yours I suggest going for a walk in the woods, through a field, by a creek, or someplace else in nature. If possible, combine this with the walking meditation Reconnect with Nature from the previous chapter to strengthen your awareness.

  When—or if, as it may not happen the first or every time you walk in nature—you feel the pull of a nearby object, stop and pick it up. It may be a rock, a stick, an acorn, or any other gift of nature. Once you have selected an object, see if you can tune in to its energy. Does holding the object make you feel good? Do you feel connected to the object somehow?

  Next, put the object down and walk away. If, as you walk away, you feel that you are still drawn to the object, go back and get it. If you don't feel drawn back to it, then simply resume your search.

  When you return home, find a quiet place where you can be alone for a few minutes, and think of the intent you want to bestow on your power object. Is this an object that will help you focus your awareness? Your imagination and creativity? Your inner wisdom? Keeping that intent firmly in mind, close your eyes and visualize your intent flowing from your body into the power object. Imagine that your intent for that object takes a firm hold, like roots in rich, fertile soil. Close your visualization with a statement of gratitude to nature for providing you with the power object to help you focus your intent. Now you can hold or think about your object when you need to call on the power you have bestowed on it.

  2Excerpted from the book don Miguel Ruiz's Little Book of Wisdom (Hierophant Publishing 2017), by don Miguel Ruiz Jr.

  CHAPTER 6

  THE DEVIL'S CAVE

  Embracing the Shadow Self

  One of the principal aims of shamanism is to dispel the false idea that we are not enough. The story of the Devil's Cave shows how deeply this idea lodges in the human psyche.

  There was once a young Toltec man who dreamed that he was walking in the desert on a hot summer day. As the sun shown down on him, off in the distance he could see a line of young men standing just outside a dark and foreboding cave. They were waiting to go inside, and as he looked closer, he noticed that he couldn't see their faces clearly; it was as if they were obscured, but the energy they emitted was that of fear and remorse.

  Seeing this, the young man looked up at the sun, which he recognized as the source of all life, and he knew what he must do, “I want all these young men to be free to go into the sun. I will enter the cave in their place.” He ran toward the front of the line, and the other men stepped back to make room for him.

  When he entered the cave, it was very dark, and suddenly he began to hear many faint voices, all telling different stories. No matter which voice he turned to, every one of them told a story of suffering, and every story seemed familiar to him. As he groped his way in the dark, the voices grew louder and louder. Finally the young man covered his ears, dropped to his knees, and yelled, “Enough! Who's in charge here? I want to see you right now.”

  All of a sudden the cave went deadly silent. The young man opened his eyes and there in front of him was a big demonic-looking creature, with long black hair, black obsidian eyes, red skin, and horns. He began to yell in anger at the young man with a deep voice. “How dare you! How dare you take the souls I feed upon and take them to the sun! Those souls are mine.”

  The young man was full of fear, but somehow he found the courage to stand his ground. He responded, “No! They belong to the sun, to the light! They don't belong to you!”

  In that moment the demon began laughing in mockery. “Who are you? You are weak! You are not worthy to challenge me.” Then the demon reached out and grabbed the man by the back of his neck and began to pull the man toward him. He raised his other hand back to strike, but the young man knew what he had to do. He stepped in and began hugging the demon. He hugged it tightly, and he said with all the love in his heart, “I forgive you.”

  Almost every culture on the planet tells a myth of creation that includes the idea that humans are fundamentally flawed. In most cases, this flaw is related to something that occurred prior to our birth. We find this idea in the Abrahamic religions, where the original sin of humans is due to Adam and Eve's fall from the Garden of Eden. Hinduism and Buddhism have the concepts of karma and rebirth, where our sins from past lives are paid for in the current one. This idea is also found in the Toltec tradition, in the story of Quetzalcoatl as we saw earlier.

  Even the current myth of human origins, what science calls the “big bang,” contains a subtle idea of human unworthiness. In the big bang myth, the powerful life force that exists inside us all, the nagual, is somehow the result of a cosmic “accident.”

  While it's impossible to say for sure when the idea that we are all “unworthy” was first introduced into human consciousness, to me it is another manifestation of the mind's addiction to suffering. In other words, anytime you believe you are unworthy, undeserving, or otherwise not enough, you are suffering in that moment.

  In the Toltec tradition, we teach a radical antidote to the idea that you are flawed: we say that you are perfect just the way you are right now. This is an idea that can be difficult to accept at first, largely because you have been domesticated so thoroughly to believe the opposite. For instance, if I were to say, “Everything God makes is perfect,” you would likely nod your head in agreement, but somehow you still don't think this applies to you.

  The belief that we are unworthy manifests itself in many forms, such as when we berate ourselves for making a simple mistake, or when we refuse to forgive ourselves for our past actions, or when we don't pursue our heart's desire because we think we aren't good enough. The truth is that many of us have treated ourselves in ways we would never treat anyone else.

  In order to see the beauty of our perfection, we often have to look back at those painful memories in our past with a spirit of love and forgiveness, witness these memories anew, and release any emotional poison we are still carrying. This is how we can reclaim our power and begin to see ourselves as perfect.

  Until you forgive yourself for your past actions, you will stay stuck in the cave of your mind, where the voice of the mitote will constantly try to pull you down with guilt and shame. As my father says, justice is paying for something once, but we humans pay for the same thing over and over by continuously replaying the same painful memories.

  Every time you use a memory of your past actions or inactions to hurt yourself, you are feeding the demon inside of you; you are sacrificing yourself to the demon rather than taking your place in the sun where you belong. The young man's actions in the story are especially powerful, as he chose to love the demon or the parts of himself that once made him feel guilty and ashamed.

  Only you can free yourself from the demon in the cave. When you love the demon inside of you, the voice that keeps trying to belittle you, you learn to love yourself, and you free yourself of its influence. The demon is the voice of your parasite, and when you love and forgive yourself completely, you transform the parasite into an ally.

  The ally is another powerful symbol in the Toltec tradition, and it represents the voice of wisdom in your mind. The ally sees you and your past actions from a place of love and is the voice that encourages you instead of punishing you. The ally comes into full power when you defeat the parasite, when you can look back at your past mistakes with love, knowing that you were doing the best you could at the time.

  The ally recognizes that the parasite and mitote are a part of the mind's addiction to suffering, and so the ally gently guides you back to your center, reminding you that you are the nagual.

  Understanding Your Shadow

  When it comes to understanding and forgiving ourselves for our past actions, we often need to look deeply at what is called our “shadow.”

  Many people and traditions have referenced the shadow side of our personalities (most notably the famous psychoanalyst of the twentieth century, Carl Jung). However, the way I use the term shadow is a little different from how others define it.

  Anytime we dismiss certain characteristics or personality traits within ourselves because we don't like them or we don't want to admit to ourselves that they are present within us, we are relegating this portion of ourselves to our shadow. As you can imagine, without awareness and investigation of these characteristics, they don't stay hidden in our shadow for very long.

  For instance, when you react emotionally with anger or even violence, or when you say or do something that you think is “out of character” for yourself, that is an example of your shadow self coming forward. Other examples include those things that we consciously believe we shouldn't do, yet we find that sometimes we do them anyway.

  Your shadow is often in effect when you notice a trait in someone else that really bothers you, such as arrogance, rudeness, etc. What you may not realize is that you easily notice that trait in another because you have the same characteristic in yourself and dislike it in yourself. This is what is meant by the phrase, “other people are my mirror.”