Shamanic Journey Intro
by Sundance Metelsky

Core Shamanism

There are multiple ways to do a shamanic journey. The method that I was trained in was developed by Michael Harner, an anthropologist who was trained by shamans in the Amazon and who went on to found the Foundation for Shamanic Studies. He developed a method called Core Shamanism that identified the core principles of shamanic practice from various shamanic cultures around the world. His book, The Way of the Shaman, describes these methods in detail.

Ordinary/Non-ordinary Reality

Michael Harner coined the terms, Ordinary Reality and Non-ordinary Reality, to make a distinction between the reality that we live in most of the time (Ordinary Reality) and the reality that we engage with in journeys, dreams, active imagination, etc. (Non-Ordinary Reality).  

Three Worlds

In this shamanic worldview, there are three realms or worlds. The Middle World is where we all live, the here and now world around us. There's also the worlds we go to when we journey to find compassionate helping spirits: the Lower World and the Upper World.

The Lower World tends to have earth-like landscapes, such as forests, deserts, mountains, and so on. This is where many Power Animals are found and tends to be easier to journey to when a person is starting out. The first journey intention is to find a Power Animal so the invitation is to journey to the Lower World to find a Power Animal. The Upper World tends to have more of an ethereal type of landscape (or skyskape) and tends to have other types of teachers besides Power Animals, such as human-type teachers or spirit teachers. That said, Power Animals can be found in the Upper World and spirit teachers can be found in the Lower World. 

Drumming is the Driver

This form of shamanic journey uses the sound of a steady drum beat to drive the journey. The repetitive sound can induce a shamanic state of consciousness that facilitates journeying. I’ll demonstrate the steady drumbeat along with the four drum rolls that are used to signal the time to return from the journey. The return drumbeat is also steady but is much more rapid to facilitate the return. During the journey, if you lose track of where you were, just focus on the drumming and pick up where you left off. 

Power Animals

In the shamanic worldview, we all have helping spirits who support us throughout our lives. In many indigenous cultures there is a belief that each person has a Power Animal helping spirit who guides them and looks out for them over the course of their lives. In core shamanism, it is important to have a compassionate helping spirit who will be your guide into shamanic landscapes and journeys. So the first journey’s intention is to find your Power Animal who will act as this guide in future journeys. 

Entryway to the Lower World

The first journey is to journey to the Lower World to find your Power Animal. Begin by visualizing an entryway into the Lower World that has existed at some point in Ordinary Reality and that will lead you down into the Lower World. This could be an entryway in nature, such as a hole in a tree, a natural spring, a cave, an animal hole in the ground, and so on. But it can also be something made by humans, such as the Dupont Circle subway escalator down into the earth. Your entryway should be a place that you feel good about and that goes down into the earth.

Journey to the Lower World

Visualize your entryway into the Lower World and repeat your intention to yourself, “I’m journeying to find my Power Animal.” As the drumming starts, step into your entryway and follow the tunnel downward so that you are descending into the earth. If it's dark and you want more light, you can ask for more light. If you feel like you're hitting a block, you can ask for the block to be removed. If you don’t seem to be getting anywhere, you can come back up and try a different entryway. 

Once you are moving downward, keep following the tunnel downward until you come into a landscape. Step into the landscape and start looking for your Power Animal. When you see an animal, ask, “Are you my Power Animal?” Notice how the animal responds to you. They may answer with gestures, sounds, or words. If you're not sure what the answer means, you can ask again, “Are you my Power Animal?” If the answer does not seem like a yes, ask the animal to take you to your Power Animal. 

Once you have met your Power Animal, you can spend the rest of your journey with your Power Animal.  This is an opportunity to get to know your Power Animal, a compassionate helping spirit who brings power and support to you over the course of your lifetime and who will be your guide in shamanic journeys. They might have things to share with you or a place to take you to. You can ask them for guidance about your life.

NOTE: Your journey may be mainly visual, or mainly auditory, or mainly kinesthetic. If you get sidetracked during the journey, listen to the sound of the drumming and pick up where you left off.

Return

When it’s time to return from the journey, there will be four drum rolls followed by a rapid drumbeat. When you hear the four drum rolls, you’ll know it’s time to return, so thank your Power Animal and then follow the rapid drumbeat to come back the way you came - through the landscape, back to the tunnel, and all the way up the tunnel. Step fully out of the tunnel, returning completely to your body. Before you open your eyes, review your journey in your mind. When you’re ready, open your eyes and take notes. Even if you did not experience a journey, write down what you did experience or sense. Because the journey can be fleeting, it’s important to take notes. 

Sharing

After the journey, there will be space for people to share if they’d like to. The journey is a sacred experience and it’s good to be mindful when sharing. Sharing is optional, trust your guidance. In some traditions, people do not share about their Power Animal with anyone; in others, they share with trusted friends. What you share outside of the circle, share about your own experience and do not share another person’s journey or Power Animal. If you have questions after the circle, you can reach out to me and/or to others who have journey experience. Often, the questions can lead to more journeys as our helping spirits are the best guides for us!