Thoughts, A Beginning
Thoughts II
Thoughts III: Creating the Container An Interview With
One White Horse Standing
(Herb Stevenson)
Can you give us some background about yourself
and where you were raised?
I was born and raised in a rural town of 2800 people called Covington,
Ohio, approximately 15 miles east of Greenville, Ohio, In historical
terms, Greenville is where Mad Anthony Wayne signed the treaty of Greenville
after defeating Tecumseh. Covington was originally named Fort Rowdy because
many half breeds, traders, and “rowdy” people lived there.
When Mad Anthony Wayne came through, the local story was that he didn’t
like the rowdiness and marched onto Greenville to build a fort more to
his status and needs. The town has a lot of old families that have been
in the area for multiple generations.
I was raised as part of the melting pot of the evolving white culture. The family story is that we claim to be a mix of German, Irish, and Dutch, with a drop of Scottish blue blood. I tend to think more in terms of tribes, so it has more meaning for me to say that we have Germanic and Celtic bloodlines. Nonetheless, most everyone in my family knew in their hearts that we had Native American Indian bloodlines, but no one talked about it. One grandmother prohibited such talk, even though her father had been taught by his mother how to find and mix different herbs for medicine. In fact, before the town was able to attract a doctor, he had been the town’s healer.
You say that everyone knew that Native American
Indian bloodlines existed but no one talked about it. How is that possible?
While growing up, both of my grandmothers and my father would do healing
for burns by “blowing the fire out.” For example, when I
was a teenager, I was deep-frying shrimp for lunch. Someone called my
name while I was dropping the shrimp into the boiling grease. When I
turned to see who had called my name, the fingers on my right hand went
into the grease. Besides yelling and jumping around, I ran to my father
and showed him what I had done. Blisters were forming and my fingers
were swelling as he looked at my hand. He laughed and called me “dumb-ass”,
and then he began to pray and gently blow on my fingers. In front of
my eyes, the swelling went away and the blisters dried up. Five minutes
later, I was back cooking my lunch with no pain or burns. This was normal
for my family, even though no one talked about it. As I got older, I
began to realize that other people’s fathers did not “blow
the fire out” of burns. Like both of my grandmothers, Pop would
help anyone who asked for help with burns; otherwise, he minded his own
business. In terms of heritage, “blowing the fire out” is
not traditional, euro-centric medicine
Like myself, my mother had always believed that we were Indian. As I got older and began to question the family, she told me a story about her childhood. She was about five years old. Her mother had taken her to Chicago to see the family. Mom walked around all the people and blurted out to her mother that they looked like a bunch of Indians. Her mother smacked her upside the head and made it clear that she was never to say that again. As I grew up, the entire family got the message from my grandmother.
Historically, the “don’t ask, don’t tell” philosophy of the United States government started with the American Indians. A lot of families were mixed relations when President Grant decided that the official policy would be to isolate or annihilate the native peoples. The fact that most mixed marriages had children created a tremendous moral dilemma. My family, like many other families in the area, chose to become part of the white culture and preserve the immediate family by not going to the reservation. We acted white, dressed white, and talked white. After a few decades, we were part of the white culture in all ways but spirit.
Instead of herbs for healing, you have gravitated
to the use of rocks and crystals as your healing tools. How did this
come about?
Actually, I do use vitamins and various herbs for healing. Generally,
if there is a natural remedy, I will use it over more modern remedies.
If the malady persists, I will go to the doctor and get antibiotics or
whatever else is needed. The same applies to my whole family. We all
use a mix of old and new ways for healing.
In terms of rocks and crystals, my father has been a rock-hound for the last thirty years. Not fully knowing how the stones healed, he would listen to internal guidance (spirit) and give people stones to carry in their pockets. Up till about ten years ago, I pretty much ignored my father’s attempts to get me interested in the stones. I was very busy trying to get my piece of the great American dream. In my late thirties and after about ten years of working seven days a week, I woke up one day and realized I was in deep trouble. My love of trees and flowers was gone. I had always felt deeply connected to the plant and animal kingdom. In most cases, I found the plants and animals were preferable to many humans. To get myself centered, I would always walk outside and sit amongst the trees and flowers. I had between five and seven thousand flower bulbs in the ground so that I could enjoy the sweet smells and vibrant colors. When the disconnect occurred, I could barely stand to be outside. It felt empty, which is what had happened to me. I was spiritually depleted.
As this feeling persisted, a lot of crazy things began to happen. It was like I was living in two worlds at once. In the way of being a white, male business person, I became almost incapable of working. I began to experience flashbacks from some childhood traumas that included tremendous physical and emotional upheavals. Simultaneously, my father’s stones began to look different in some way that I had never experienced. It was like they had come alive with a vibrancy and beauty I had never seen. I suddenly found myself admiring the different stones for hours on end. I particularly enjoyed a game with my parents (and sometimes with my sisters) of finding symbols in the stones. We would dump a bag of rocks Pop had tumbled. Each of us would take turns to find symbols in the stones and show them to the others. We would do this for hours. The trick is not to find a symbol, but a symbol that others could also see.
During this same time, it seemed natural that I should hold stones while taking my daily nap. Actually, for about twenty years, I had been doing a daily ritual of lying down for 15 to 30 minutes to rest. Instead of falling asleep, I would watch the “movies” on my eyelids. When I added the use of crystals to these daily sojourns, I found that the colors got more vivid and the movies became interactive. I was directly involved with the movie, so to speak. For example, while holding Moldavite during one of these sessions, I experienced an actual merging with the energy or spirit of the stones. (See “Moldavite” Poem)
At this time, a series of compulsive events occurred that really changed my life and introduced the use of crystals for healing. I came across an advertisement for healing crystals, picked up the phone, and ordered a catalog from Heaven and Earth, the largest dealer in the United States in spiritual healing stones and crystals. This was the beginning of what would become my large collection of rocks and crystals from around the world. The same day, I came across an advertisement for a Shamanic workshop in Cleveland, Ohio, and another advertisement for a Native American “Gathering” in Morrow, Ohio. I called and signed up for both. I felt torn between total trepidation and compulsion.
At the Shamanic workshop, I discovered that what I called “watching the movies” was actually known as journeying in non-ordinary reality. I already knew that my experiences were as real in the dream state as it was in day-to-day waking life, now I had a name for it that incorporated my native heritage. At the “Gathering,” I was drawn to my first sweat lodge with absolute fear. Not knowing why I needed to “do the lodge”, I followed the compulsion. For what seemed like two or three eternities, I lay on the ground praying not only that I would make it through the lodge, but that I would literally survive. Upon coming out of the lodge, I floated around in a state of euphoria. Everyone else was tired and went to bed, so I stayed outside and tried to write some journal notes. As I stood in the dim light of a small night light, I heard a sound like an animal rustling in the leaves and underbrush of the woods. Suddenly, my entire body filled with terror as I felt the energy of a bobcat, yet my eyes could not see a thing in the darkness. As I tracked the sound, I realized that this bobcat was not in physical form. It had run more than 100 yards to the next sleeping quarters, around the building, and was heading directly toward me, all in a split second. With my eyes straining as hard as possible to see the animal, there was none to be seen. Nonetheless, as I sensed it was within striking distance, I dove through the door of the building. The next day, I told the lodge leader. He congratulated me and said that the bobcat was a good teacher. Not quite native or red enough to understand his comments, I walked away in bewilderment. Click here for more information on the Bobcat.
The combination of these events was the beginning of a complete transformation. I began to read about the healing powers of rocks and crystals as well as Native American rituals and ceremonies. Suddenly, I was completely absorbed in learning about a different way of being in the world. The more I learned about the ancient use of stones and crystals in healing, the more I realized that I had already known at some level. This process continues, as I have now worked with rocks and crystals on a daily basis for nearly ten years. Each day, I am shown different places and things while journeying or I am experiencing the difference in energies from one stone to the next. I am constantly amazed at how each stone is so uniquely different in its beauty as well as its atonement with me.
You say that you work with the stones every day.
How do you work with them to learn and do healing work?
I’ve learned that the stones can be used in several ways.
First, they can be used to amplify a healing journey. Second, they can
be used to increase the energy when doing long-distance healing. Third,
the rocks and crystals can be placed on the person needing some kind
of healing work. Fourth, the stones can be used to create a field of
energy, something I call a cocoon from which healing can occur.
How do rocks and crystals amplify a shamanic journey?
Just as drums create a sonic driver to shift a person from waking reality
to non-ordinary reality, rock and crystals have the effect of energetically
merging with the person in a way that seems to speed up the transition
to non-ordinary reality. In shamanic terms, it would be called merging
with the spirit of the stones. Regardless, Jackie, my wife, and I have
been doing shamanic drumming circles for the last two years, where
we’ve incorporated rocks and crystals into the journeys. The
consensus of 40 to 50 people who have experienced it on a fairly regular
basis is that the journeys are stronger, clearer, and more profound
in their effect on the person.
You mention long-distance healing and that rocks and crystals increase the energy when doing it. What is long-distance healing, how does it work, and how does the use of the rocks and crystals increase the energy in this type of healing?
Long-distance healing can be done in three forms. As a shamanic journey, the intent is to travel in spirit form to the designated person and assess the dis-ease from a spiritual or energetic perspective. In some cases, a healing is performed on the spot. For example, I was asked to assess and possibly perform some healing for a man with both brain and lung cancer. He was receiving standard medical treatment at the time in the form of chemotherapy and radiation treatments. Upon traveling to the man, a prayer for healing was performed for the brain cancer. Immediately several red flashes of light occurred in and around his brain, then bolted off into the distance. The same was performed for the lung cancer. Nothing occurred. Upon returning from the journey, I called the people and reported that he no longer had brain cancer; however, the lung cancer was not accepting treatment. The next day, brain scans were performed at the hospital. No evidence of cancer was revealed. He later died of the complications from the lung cancer.
Another form of long-distance healing is to increase the energy within the healer’s body such that it feels like ten thousand tiny needles prickling the skin. Once this is attained, the energy is released through the solar plexus and breath. The energy is directed to the person requesting healing. This form of healing tends to work best for colds, headaches, etc.
Rocks and crystals are used during these healings to increase the energetic vibration and therefore the strength of the life-force while traveling in the non-ordinary reality. Typically, I will hold the rocks or crystals in my hands. However, I place them on my body as directed by spirit.
A third form of long distance healing is like an extended ritual. In this form of healing, use an animal skull, typically, bear, bobcat , wolf, or a cougar. Over the course of three to four weeks, I work every day for two to three hours a day. During the work, I go into a focused state of deep concentration and begin to decorate the skull with gemstones. Each stone chip is attached one piece at a time with a toothpick and glue. Each chip is a prayer for the healing of the person in question. Typically, there are one or two thousand chips on smaller skulls and many more on larger skulls. The healing work is completed when the skull is full decorated. For example, I was asked to assist in the healing of a tumor located in the sinus cavity. Over the course of three weeks, a bobcat skull was decorated with several types of stones. Besides the healing power of the spirit of the bobcat, the healing powers of the various gemstones were encasing his head and working to sooth the dis-ease that was causing the tumor. See picture. Explain how you place rocks and crystals on people’s bodies to bring about some forms of healing.
Many ancient traditions, including the Christians, have used sacred gemstones. The Bible talks about the placement of different stones in ceremonial breastplates, as do the ancient Egyptian and Mayan texts that preceded Christianity by thousands of years. These ceremonial devices were designed to alter the energetic vibration of the body and therefore alter the consciousness of the person performing the ceremony. In short, it moved the person into a form of non-ordinary reality.
The placement of the rocks and crystals on the body in Egyptian traditions was for the purpose of opening and clearing the seven energy centers of the body, often called the chakra system. In basic terms, we know that the human body is electromagnetic, as are rocks and crystals. In terms of humans, these fields are often called our auras. When two electromagnetic fields come together, both are affected. By placing specific stones on different parts of the body, the focus is to change the energy so that there is a smooth and continuous flow of energy throughout the entire body. When there is a continuous flow of energy throughout the body, the body can generally begin to heal itself. Furthermore, the person soliciting the healing typically lies in a prone position. In this position with stones on the body, the most common description of the experience is being placed into a delicious altered state that feels like being under a load of quilts in the middle of Winter while a snowstorm is blowing outside and there’s no heat in the upstairs bedrooms. I call this experience the state of grace, where all healing can occur. It is a consistent experience by most people.
What is a healing cocoon as you described it
and how does it work?
A cocoon evolved from my work with stone layouts. I found that I could
build energetic fields or sacred spaces by arranging stones in some surrounding
pattern, such as an oval or circle or rectangle, around myself or the
person for whom healing was being done. The energy level within the sacred
space is different and generally much higher than outside it. If we accept
that auras exist, it becomes quite easy to realize that the energetic
field of the sacred space is amplifying that of the person within it.
Hence, it dramatically increases the speed with which a person can enter
into the state of grace.
Another thing that evolved over time was the realization that the cocoon is a sacred space. People always feel totally safe as if psychic attacks or people’s negative thoughts of them cannot penetrate the field. I, therefore, always create a cocoon when working with people.
Say more about the state of grace.
The state of grace is the zero point, the place of no mind, the absolute
point of being totally present with one self without all the voices
of society and family telling a person who they should be or how they
should act or what they should believe. It is a place of being totally
receptive to the voice of spirit and of becoming more aware of the
great mystery of life on earth.
What occurs, or what do you do once the person
gets into this state of grace?
In basic terms, the healing begins at an energetic or spiritual level,
which means below the cellular level. This is possible because at the
zero point, or in the state of grace, the person is fully embodied with
spirit, their own unique spirit. The original blueprint or matrix of
that person in their own perfection is brought fully into the body. For
some people, I don’t do anything but set up the space, hold the
energy, and allow them to bask in their own essence. For others, deep
emotional healing can occur by helping direct the person’s attention
to issues that need to be healed in some way. Because spirit is fully
embodied in this state of grace, people are able to communicate directly
with family members or friends that have passed over to the other side
and are now in spirit form. A lot of unfinished business is completed
in this way.
How do you direct your clients to be able to communicate
with people in the spirit world?
First, so as not to influence the clients, I don’t suggest
that we “speak to the dead.” Instead, I suggest that we see
what develops during the session, especially if they have been referred
by a psychotherapist for trauma-related work or if the client has come
on their own for deep emotional healing. In these cases, I join the field
more directly by entering the cocoon and the client’s personal
field (aura) by lightly touching the person’s head. Using guided
imagery, I direct the person to a spiritual medicine wheel. I guide the
person to each of the four directions to meet someone or something that
has something to tell them or show them. I never suggest who or what
it might be.
Interestingly, I never discuss the medicine wheel or the four directions and the spiritual meaning. Yet, the impact is always amazing. I say amazing because every time I think I have a hunch about who might show up or should show up, I’m incorrect. Often the client tells me afterwards that they had expected someone other than the one who appeared. Furthermore, I find that these experiences are deeply healing and very private. Many do not share the details except to say that something has left or shifted or changed. The deeply relaxed look on their faces confirms their words.
You mention that psychotherapists refer people
to you for trauma-related work. Can you describe in more detail the
trauma-related work you are performing?
The trauma-related work— in particular, childhood abuse
of a violent nature— evolved from my own history. The more I was
working in traditional psychotherapy while simultaneously working non-traditionally,
it became clear that I was moving ahead faster than others. It also became
clear that I understood the trauma triggers in a different way than most
of the others. I understood it personally as in emotionally and physically
as well as energetically or spiritually.
In terms of personal understanding, it takes the client about two seconds to know that I can appreciate their pain. They also know that I am not interested in creating any more pain for them. To further solidify this sense of safety, I recommend that the spouse and/or psychotherapist be present during the session. In terms of spiritual understanding, as we get close to the trauma, I move into the field energetically or spiritually and release the trauma energy. This leaves a newly discovered memory that can be worked through until integrated.
When a couple of clients moved past a major emotional blockage without being overwhelmed, the psychotherapists began to pay attention. Now, four psychotherapists refer people to me when an emotional blockage develops or emotional overwhelm becomes too difficult to get close enough to the memories.
When you talk about overwhelm for trauma, you
refer to the healing as energetic and/or spiritual. How does this fit
into your shamanic practices?
From a shamanic perspective, I see overwhelm as a mass of energy
that was compressed into the cellular memory of the body. This energy
can be quite powerful. For example, one client had been involved in ritual,
sexual abuse by a satanic cult as a child. The energy surrounding this
set of memories felt like a putrid, black molasses. To clear such energy,
I always use a fire as the vehicle to burn it away as a form of purification.
In this particular case, my wife Jackie and I were working together.
We had agreed at the beginning that we needed a large fire.
As we proceeded into non-ordinary reality, images of how religious objects had been used during the abuse appeared. As the energy release approached, we asked the client to make sure she wanted to let go of the painful emotions, etc. She screamed “yes” and all of the energy was directed out of her body and into the fire. The fire immediately went out. No smoke. No flames. To say the least, this experience got our attention. Subsequently, the client has moved on in life.
It seems that you lean toward the more dramatic—or
should I say traumatic—work. Have there been more difficult experiences?
Even though I do quite a bit of work with trauma-related situations,
the majority are not so dramatic or traumatic. However, there was one
case that helped me to understand that the great spirit was still in
control of my healing work as part of the great mystery. Jackie and I
were drumming for some journey work for a couple of people. Halfway into
the designated 15 minute journey, I suddenly grew very weak and had to
set the drum down and lean against the wall. I was pulled into non-ordinary
reality like a flash of lightning. I could see that one of the people
who was journeying was trying to use the journey as a bridge to break
to the other side before her time. Her determination was so strong that
I caught her at the edge of the light. Quickly, I brought her back to
her body. Once she was anchored, I returned to ordinary reality, picked
up my drum, and finished the session.
I told my wife Jackie, but I did not tell the woman what I had experienced. However, she explained that during the ceremony she had tried as hard as she could to cross over to be with her husband who had died a few weeks ago. Just as she was at the end of the tunnel, she had heard a voice say it was not her time. As she tried to protest, something or someone had grabbed her and whisked her back to her body. As she told her story, loud sobs poured from her body. Her mourning process had begun.
You create healing wands and ceremonial scepters
from rocks and crystals. What are they?
A couple of years ago, while in non-ordinary reality, I felt the
urge to start attaching different stones and crystals to a selenite wand.
I used an arrow head and a few other stones. It felt balanced and directed
much like a cutting tool for shamanic healing. When I came out of non-ordinary
reality, I suddenly became very afraid of what I had created. I had no
explanation for the fear. Yet, it persisted. So, I gave the wand to a
friend as a healing tool. He appreciated it and uses it to this day.
Six months later, I went into non-ordinary reality and created eight healing wands for myself. When I finished, it was clear that these tools were for my healing and learning. As I began to use these tools, it became clear that the use of selenite rods as the base for most of the healing wands was critical. Selenite does not hold dark energy and therefore cannot be used to direct negative intentions toward another. Rather, it converts dark intentions into light. Furthermore, selenite amplifies the energy of any other rock, crystal, or mineral with which it comes into contact. Combined, selenite wands could be used for personal and client healing as well as for personal protection during shamanic journeys. Click here to read more about selenite.
After a few more months, I made a set for my wife in almost the same way as I made my set. One day, I sat down and two or three days later, I had developed a set of eight wands for her. Like myself, she experimented with them as part of her own learning. She began showing them to others, and a couple of people asked me to make a wand for them.
I discovered that when commissioned to create a healing wand for someone, I let go of the process and wait for spirit to direct. Doing so has proven to be interesting. Each particle of the different rocks and crystals is placed on the selenite with glue and a toothpick. Until it’s finished, I am not certain what is being created. However, when it’s done, I sense it and suddenly see the wand as a whole energetic tool.
How are they used by the people who commission
them?
Once the wand is commissioned, I’ve found that several things occur.
First, every person has received a healing upon first sight of their
wand. A physical shift in their body can be seen as if an energetic connection
has been made between it and them. Second, another healing seems to occur
when they hold it for the first time. In many ways, it seems like picking
up a newborn baby for the first time, wherein a deep energetic connection
is made on the physical level. Third, the wand becomes very personal
in its uses. For example, one wand is used exclusively in healing work
with cancer patients. That particular selenite wand has an abundance
of red and orange zincite crystals to keep the energy levels high. It
is not used personally at all. Other wands are used for both personal
healing and client healing.
In terms of more traditional uses of the wands, several experienced shamanic practitioners use their wands for extraction of disembodied spirits, spirit fragments, and thought-forms or implants. A few have noted that they have used their wands for soul retrieval work, wherein the retrieved soul is brought back into the light/spirit of the wand to be returned to the person’s body.
You also create ceremonial scepters. What are
these and how are they used?
Ceremonial scepters were introduced in much the same way as the
wands. One weekend, I got six selenite rods twice the length and diameter
used for healing wands and began to work on them until completed. I was
baffled, as I had no idea what I was to do with them. On Monday, I received
a message from Myron Eshowsky, my shamanic teacher and friend. He noted
that we had been invited to a Cheyenne sacred site that is believed to
be a star gate. I was being invited because the star gate had been made
from stones. My job would be to work with Myron to awaken the stones.
A little stunned, I realized why the ceremonial scepters had been created.
A week later, we were on the site. From the anchor stone of the sacred
site, the alignment of the sun during the equinoxes and the two solstices
created three lines of travel. The six scepters placed in groups of twos
aligned with the stones of this site. We did a ceremony for a vision
and were shown that the site was used during these periods not only to
celebrate the change of seasons, but as a window to other worlds.
Shamans most likely helped this tribe’s people to complete their journeys, if for some reason they were having difficulty. It seemed that the windows were also used to get information that was pertinent to the tribe’s survival in the coming months and years. Interestingly, Myron and I got the same message that the power of the site emanated from a large red stone that was buried under the site. Later, we were told that beneath the site was a large vein or source of red rock.
You have a unique collection of stones and crystals from around the world, such as the large red zincite clusters from Poland, the crystallized rams head from Australia, and the shiva linghams from India. What is the story behind how they came to you and how you use them in your work?
When I relented and let go of my resistance to using the stones for healing, in many ways, the different stones showed up at times that I could afford them. For example, the red zincite is from a mine in Poland. The mine had been a zinc mine that had caught fire 50 to 100 years ago. Like many mines in the old days, it was closed and sealed so that it could burn itself out. After five years, some people went into the mine and discovered that the walls had crystallized from the intense heat. Instead of the orange granite appearance of zincite in its typical form, all impurities were burned out of the ore.
These clusters were brought from Poland to a Tucson, Arizona rock show. Bob Simmons from Heaven and Earth in Vermont called me. He knew that I specialized in rock and crystal healing. He told me that there was nothing like these anywhere else in the world. As you can see, he was correct. (See photographs.)
In terms of healing properties, zincite is being used as a shamanic tool for cancer treatments. Some use it as a journey tool, others are using it for layouts. Regardless of how it is used, most agree it is an intense energy.
Like the zincite, the Rams skull from Australia arrived following the Tucson rock show about two years ago. It is crystallized with thousands of selenite crystals. I was drawn to it for the healing properties of the selenite. It holds the energy of the room, especially for intense journey work. I have the least experience with it. Typically, it takes me a few years to get used to the energy of new stones and to begin to use them on a regular basis. Click here for more information on Rams.
The Shiva Lingam comes from Ken Harsh at Karma Crystal in Columbus, Ohio and Gary Wallace from Mahalo in Baltimore, Maryland. Besides being an ancient religious symbol, energetically, it combines earth and water energies. The rock supposedly breaks loose in the mountains and tumbles in the river to a basin formed by a meteorite where the rock is tumbled into its egg-like shape. Once a year, the stones are harvested in a sacred ceremony. Click here to read more about Shiva Lingham.
Another stone I keep close by me at all times is granite. Though a common stone that can be found in most rivers or gravel pits, it grounds a person, which is another way of saying that the person is more fully embodying their soul or spirit. Granite is a stone that connects the heavens to earth. To heal, we need to bring forth the energies of the heavens while staying in our bodies. I often suggest people put a granite under their beds for more restful sleep. Click here to read more about stone healing.
I notice you have twenty or more large quartz
crystals. How do you use them?
Quartz crystals have always been a sacred stone. Placing quartz on or
about a person can double the size of a person’s aura or energetic
field. During some healing work, raising this field enhances the person’s
ability to move into a state of grace much more quickly.
The large twin quartz crystal is used for soul retrieval work, wherein the crystal is place on the person’s chest. The lost soul travels into one of the two crystals and reunites at the base. Once reunited, the united soul moves back into the body at the navel.
What do you see as the next step for you?
There are several plans. In terms of training, I will continue to learn
more about my Native American roots. For example, on my forty-eighth
birthday in October, I hope to complete a sweat lodge initiation. I
hope to travel to South American, Siberia, and Australia someday to
study with the shamans in these parts of the world. This Fall, I start
a Master’s program in cross cultural diversity at Cleveland State
University.
Meanwhile, I am deeply involved in understanding how the deeds of the present generation will affect the next seven generations. There has been some work with ancestral wounds that require going back to the point of the original misdeed to heal them. I used this approach to uncover the ancestral fear and shame that occurred when my family buried our native heritage. I believe that the deeds and misdeeds stay in the field of the family for at least seven generations, as foretold by the elders.
Adam Crabtree in “Multiple Man” has written about this phenomenon in terms of a family or “group” mind. He describes how Shamus, the spirit of one member of a Celtic family, carried the family misdeed from generation to generation. As his host died, he would join another family member until his or her death, and so on. The family did not remember the misdeed, but it was commonly known that the family had been cursed for centuries. When Shamus was brought out of the spirit world (family field or group mind), he told the story of the misdeed. Once told, Shamus mourned the pain and suffering caused by the misdeed, at which point the curse was lifted and the family healing began.
Using the same frame of reference as the intention during a personal journey to discover ancestral wounds for a family that was experiencing a significant amount of premarital pregnancy, it was discovered through the family lore, stories that have survived time and have become thematic to the family’s collective unconscious, that an illegal abortion had occurred that led to the untimely death of the second wife of the great, great-grandfather. She had been advised by her doctor that any pregnancy would be fatal to her and the child. When she discovered that she had become pregnant, her husband, the great, great-grandfather forbade her from aborting the fetus. He told her that she and all of her heirs would be cursed, if she had an abortion performed. Ignoring his order, she went ahead with the abortion and subsequently bled to death from the procedure. The great, great-grandfather, with his two children, both girls from his prior marriage, moved from the city to a rural community. In subsequent years, he did not remarry. However, he castigated both of his children and all of their children about being untrustworthy. Often, he would cruelly accuse them of having sexual relations with their dates and the female grandchildren of being pregnant. Extremely cruel and vulgar language was used as part of the name calling. In the subsequent generations, little was said about him or pregnancy or sexual relations. However, premarital pregnancy surfaced in the third generation and increased in the fourth generation.
In journeying back to the source of the spirit wound of the family, the (step) great, great-grandmother appeared and revealed deep remorse from having gotten the abortion and subsequently dying from the procedure—the exact event that she was seeking to prevent. She was deeply pained by the accusations and name-calling by her husband up to the day of the abortion. As she told her story, she began to relax and fade away. Immediately, the journey switched to the great, great-grandfather. He was still mourning the loss of his wife. He noted how he had deeply regretted attacking his wife with cruel accusations prior to her death. He added that he also regretted that he had projected his shame about his treatment toward his wife onto his children and his children’s children. Like his wife, in telling his story, his face began to relax and he faded away.
In subsequent days, the family noticed a shift in how they viewed each other. The young mothers of the fourth generation seemed to be more accepting of themselves and of their children. The parents from the third generation reported feeling as if some burden had been lifted from them.
I believe that many families suffer from some type of ancestral malady, as do many countries. At some level, the atrocities committed by this country in trying to exterminate the native peoples is trapped in a large spirit wound, or, if you prefer, a collective unconscious. Within this collective unconscious or national spirit wound, are hundreds, possibly thousands, of families who have been plagued with this wound as part of the family field. Assuming this to be true, it seems that finding this wound and releasing it would initiate a new way of being in the world for these families. Furthermore, instead of committing ecological suicide as a nation, we might become conscious of the consequences of our actions and reverse the deleterious direction we have set for ourselves.
Similarly, I wonder about the spiritual wound of the native peoples at different levels, such as a nation, a tribe, a clan, and now, a family. If there are such wounds amongst the native peoples, then calling out the spirit of these wounds could lead to a tremendous healing that might lead to a new way of being in the world while maintaining the beloved traditions.
In terms of starting another chapter of life, I’ve already written the first of a series of five novellas that humorously track the trials and tribulations of my spiritual journey. A lot of information about crystal healing will be included. I hope to complete the editing and find a publisher by the beginning of the new millennium. In many ways, it is the story I need to tell for my own healing. I hope it will help others as well.
Footnotes
Bobcat
(Silence and Secrets)
The bobcat is a solitary animal. Coming to terms with being alone without being lonely is part of the teachings. Due to the loner-ness, friends often share secrets. Maintaining confidences is important to these friendships. The tail has a strong symbolic connection to sexual energies and kundalini. The tail or end is the seat of the life force. The tip of the tail is black and white, representing the ability to turn on and off the creative forces as needed. This is part of the medicine of the bobcat. It ties the bobcat to some forms of sexual magic and mysticism. Using the cloak of darkness and secrecy, it can teach how to project and utilize the life force in silent but powerful ways. Its magic is always most powerful when others do not know of it. Speaking of it dissipates its power. Learning when to speak, how much, and to whom is essential. Bobcats must be cautious about what they share with others. Things will have a tendency to be distorted or blown out of proportion. What may be white to the bobcat can be mistakenly perceived as black and vice versa.
The bobcat's keen eyesight, sensitive whiskers, and tufted ears make it a superb nighttime hunter. The bobcat will be most effective at night. These characteristics have ties to most of the predominant psychic arts. Bobcat’s eyes will enable them to see what others may try to hide or cloak. Their sensitive whiskers give them the ability of a form of psychometry; holding an object against the face will enable the individual to pick up impressions. The tufted ears also have connections to clairaudience and to hearing what is not being said.
The bobcat may find others uncomfortable around them. They will know that you can see what they are not showing and hear what they are not saying. This ability can make someone a dynamic counselor or a dynamic manipulator. If a bobcat has shown up in your life, look for that which is hidden. Not all is as it appears. Trust your own senses. If it doesn't feel right, trust it—even if there is no logical reason to think otherwise.
The bobcat can see very well in the dark, and its hearing is acute. Oftentimes, bobcats choose to be solitary because they hear, see, and feel so much hidden garbage about people around them that they begin to believe all humans are like this. Bobcats should never become completely reclusive. Meditation on the Hermit card in the tarot deck will help you to know when to be alone and when to be social. It will help you to attune to the energies of this animal. Although not very fast, it can leap six to eight feet. Its primary food is rabbits and woodchucks. The significance of these should be studied as well to fully understand the power of the bobcat.
The young are born in the spring and there may be up to four kittens in a litter. For those to whom the bobcat comes, expect some new learning, either formal or informal. In either case, within 7-10 months you will have what you need. Bobcats usually learn quickly and thoroughly. If the bobcat has entered your life, ask yourself the following: Are you being too solitary? Do you need to look for new learning opportunities? Are you or those around you being indiscreet? Are you not trusting your inner senses? Are you allowing others’ outside appearances to sway you? Whenever a bobcat is around, it will teach you that there is true power and strength through silence.
Source: Ted Andrews, Animal-Speak, 1994, pp. 255-257.
Selenite
Selenite is a form of gypsum. It provides for clarity of mind, expanding one's awareness of the self and of one’s surroundings. It can be used for past lives as well as future lives being those which are probable at this time, if ones physical life proceeds in the direction in which it is now going. This access is provided by rubbing the crystalline structure with a finger or thumb; during this activation process, when the meditative state is attained, visual images will begin to appear. It should be noted that the access to the future also corresponds to this life—one will be presented with situations which are very likely to occur during this life on this plane dependent upon the course of progress one chooses during one's lifetime.
Selenite has been used to decrease reticence and to assist one in the acquisition of materialistic pursuits related to business. It can also assist one in issues of judgment and provide the required insight and ameliorative energies to promote justice during adjudication of disputes. It has been used as a sharp sword of awareness, cutting through unconscious assumptions and promoting the re-connection between the conscious self and the mystic which lives within the super consciousness.
It can be used to provide both flexibility to one’s nature and strength to one’s decisions. It allows one to see the inner workings of any situation and to understand the superficial and the deeper meanings inherent in same. It also allows one to access the interior of the physical body in order to understand existing disorders, providing information with respect to the "fix."
Selenite has been used to align the spinal column; allowing the selenite to traverse the spinal column from the base to the back of the head seems to remove energy blockages, while traversing in the opposite direction seems to smooth the flow of energy. It can also promote flexibility within the muscular structure.
It has be used to provide amelioration of disorders associated with poisoning due to metal fillings of the teeth. It can be used to facilitate cellular regeneration and to rebuild the protective membrane surrounding cells; hence providing a tool to both prevent and to overcome damage caused by well-known free radicals' examples include cancer, age spots, wrinkles and light sensitivity. it can also be used to correct disorders and deformities of the skeletal system, and to stabilize epileptic disorders. It has been used to extend the life span.
Source: Melody, Love is In the Earth: A Kaleidoscope of Crystals, Update, 1995, 594-955..
Selenite promotes intellectual clarity and competency, assists in the digestion and absorption of minerals, and balances scholars.
Cleaning Crystals: After being used for a while, a gemstone or mineral can be drained of its energy or soak up undesirable energies. Selenite can be used to clean and recharge other gemstones and minerals. Cleaning can be done when one places gemstones or minerals on top of the round, mushroomy type of selenite. With selenite that occurs in long crystals or spears, the stones can be placed on top in a row; or by placing the selenite point towards a quartz crystal and the quartz crystal towards the rock or mineral to be cleaned. This combination of selenite and quartz function as a focusing energy and will super-clean any stone, usually within 15 seconds.
Another method is to put the stone in distilled water and place the container in the sunlight. Intention that the stones be cleansed empties them. The water absorbs the negative energy and does not release the energy into the immediate environment. This is especially helpful for healing stones.
Charging Crystals: Selenite can be used in various ways to "charge" a stone. Such charging makes a stone more powerful in this energetic impact. A simple way to increase a stone's potency is to point a spear- shaped selenite at a mineral for a few minutes. Also, stones left sitting on a selenite spear or cluster for longer than it takes to clean them, get highly charged and project their qualities out to easily fill not just an entire room, but even a large hall or warehouse as well.
Selenite spears can be used to imprint the metaphysical properties of one gemstone onto another. This is done by placing the imprinting mineral behind a selenite spear and the other mineral in front. In a few moments, the mineral in front of the selenite spear will be imprinted with the property of the mineral behind. The imprinted mineral will now carry the metaphysical properties of both stones for at least three days. This method is particularly useful when the mineral you own is too large, too delicate, or too inconvenient to carry with you. Charge an easy-to-carry stone and have both energies available as a pocket companion
Source: Judithann H. David and JP Van Hulle, Michael's Gemstone Dictionary, 1990, 20-21.
Rams (Bighorn Sheep)
Seeking New Beginnings in Late Fall and Early Spring
The ram has long been a symbol in many societies. For many it was a symbol of sacrifice. It was killed in ritualistic traditions for a variety of purposes. This is found often in biblical lore. Moses initiated Passover with the sacrifice of a lamb. The ram symbolized the quest for great rewards, as seen in the Greek heroic tale of Jason and the quest for the golden fleece. It is also a symbol of great force and power. Battering rams were used in many societies to knock down doors and gates of enemies.
If the ram has shown up in your life, prepare to seek out new beginnings in some area of your life. The ram is the symbol for the astrological sign of Aries, the first month of the astrological year. It falls in the spring, a time of new beginnings. The ram tells us to assert our selves in new areas. In real life, rams embody many of the characteristics associated with them in mythology and lore. Their power and strength are often depicted in nature films where they are seen butting heads in duels of strength.
Rams and ewes of the bighorn sheep family live above the timberline. They eat tender grasses and the flowers of certain herbs. Throughout the spring and summer they build up layers of fat and a thick coat that enables them to survive in the winters.
The horns are a predominant feature of the ram. In individuals with this totem, they stimulate great mental activity. There is curiosity and an active imagination that must be constantly fueled and that gets stronger with each passing year, just as the horns of the ram grow larger with each passing year.
The horns of the ram are weapons, a form of defense and a status symbol. They grow throughout the life of the animal, eventually forming a full curl or spiral. The spiral is a symbol of great creativity, and because it is associated with the head in the case of the ram, it has even more significance. For those with this totem, there will occur a new stimulation of mental faculties, imagination, and inspiration—along with the energy to act upon it.
Young rams often play a form of “king of the mountain”, testing strength and new positions. This is most evident in the autumn, when the pecking order becomes more focused, and they begin challenging for the right to mate with the ewes. The rams spin and lunge through the air, and heads crash, horns knocking together. This continues until one admits defeat. For those with this totem, autumn may bring a time for you to assert your strength and move to new challenges.
A ram can live to about 14 years of age, but the life expectancy decreases with the size of the horns. The larger the horns, the more frequent the duels. The rings of the horns actually mark the age of the ram.
Bighorn sheep, like mountain goats, have toes that pinch. The hooves are covered with an elastic material that helps absorb shock and aid the grip. The joints of the sheep act as miniature shock absorbers when they make their great leaps downward. The bighorn sheep only need a two-inch bit of rock to get a foothold. This is very important for those with this totem. It is a reminder that the openings for new beginnings may be small, but if acted upon, they can be secured. Those with this totem must learn to trust in their ability to land safely on their feet as they make new moves and new beginnings.
If the ram has come into your life, do some examination—but don’t take too long with it. It is usually an indication of a time to make some new beginnings, to initiate new endeavors—rather than just think about them. Are you taking advantage of opportunities that are presenting themselves? Are you staying balanced as you make new leaps and climbs? Are you initiating things appropriately? Are you acting on your ideas, or just talking about them? When the ram shows up, it will teach you to bring forth the powers of the mind and imagination and use them to seek out new heights and new adventures.
Source: Ted Andrews, Animal-Speak, 1994, pp. 307-308.
Shiva Lingam
The shiva lingham is the sacred stone of the East, a container for the duality of God's holy spirit and an embodiment of the creation. A vessel for God's energies. The best stone for balancing male and female energies, in fact, all energies, in today's world.(Source: Ken Harsh, Karma Crystal Guides to Stones, 1995.)
The word “lingam” means sign, but it should be noted that its root is the same as that of the langala (plough), a root common to the words for spade and phallus. Thus, the lingam is very definitely a phallus and symbol of procreation. Yet, it should be stressed that it is totally devoid of erotic overtones. The subtle shape known as the lingam-sharira is always distinguished from the gross shape, the sthula-sharira. The lingam is the sign of the wellspring of life.
The base of the of the lingam, which is concealed within its plinth, is square; the central section is octagonal, and the upper part cylindrical. These sections correspond respectively to Brahman (the creator), Vishnu (the preserver), and Rudra, as well as to Earth, the intermediate world, and Heaven. In its entirety, the lingam is not an attribute of Shiva (the destroyer), but is Shiva. However, the lingam, by itself, is part of the realm of the unformed, of the non-manifest. It is only its duality with the yoni, a representation of the female sexual organ, which allows the lingam to pass from principle to manifestation. The yoni or womb is the altar or basin surrounding the lingam, the receptacle for semen.
Fertilization of the Earth ideally finds expression in natural lingams with their own existence as standing stones on mountain peaks, such as the lingaparvarta of Funan and Champa. These most forcefully conjure up Jacob's Bethel or Beith-el, the House of God, which the patriarch anointed with oil in the same way as lingams are anointed with water. The symbolic kinship between the egg and the lingam is demonstrated, furthermore, by the fact that the swayambhuva-lingam is none other than the omphalos or navel of the world which contains within itself every potential manifestation. In Japan, stone carvings or pottery models of miniature phalli are buried to ensure fruitful harvests.
The lingam is both a central and an axial symbol. The lingam of light, which Shiva made manifest and of which Brahman-as-boar sought the base and Vishnu-as-goose sought the tip, corresponds to the World axis, and this is why Vishnu and Brahma are regarded as the guardians of the zenith and nadir, respectively. In many temples built in the shape of a mandala, some of the best examples being found at Angkor, the central lingam is surrounded by eight minor lingams corresponding to the eight essences of Shiva, to the four cardinal and their intermediary points of the compass, and to the eight graha round the Sun. This is not the only instance in which Shiva, generally associated with the moon, plays a solar part.
In yoga, the lingam is an axial symbol. Standing in the middle of the root-center which corresponds to the yoni (womb), it is pictured as a light lingam around which is entwined the kundalini-serpent. This lingam is the power of knowledge, knowledge being born from the union of lingam and yoni. In the course of the yogic experience, the column of light rises to the crown of the head and passes beyond it. It is identified with Shiva's flaming lingam.
In Indian alchemy, the lingam is composed of mercury. This is because alchemy derived from Shiva and, as mercury corresponds to the moon, it consequently corresponds to Shiva.
It may also be noted that the lingam symbol seems to subsist in the Cambodian popil ceremony of circumambulation during which a tray (yoni) surmounted by a lighted candle (lingam) is carried processionally.
It is very likely that among those who adore the lingam of Shiva, a great many see it only as an archetype of the generative organs; but there are others who look to it as a sign, an image of the rhythmic creation and destruction of the universe which expresses itself in forms and periodically returns to its primal, pre-formal unity before being born.
Source: Jean Chevalier and Alain Gheerbrant as translated by John Buchanan-Brown, A Dictionary of Symbols, 1969
Healing Energy of Stones and Crystals
History
Stones and crystals have been used and treasured since the dawn of civilization.
Spiritual and healing ceremonies were performed by Mayan, Native American,
Aztec, Inca, African, and Celtic cultures. The Bible refers to quartz
crystals more than 200 times within its text.
Chakra Opening and Alignment
One form of general healing is called a chakra alignment. Various stones
and crystals are used to clear the energy blockages and align the chakras.
The body includes seven wheels of energy called chakras. Each chakra
is an intersection of vital energy represented by certain colors of
the rainbow that correspond with specific areas of the body. By placing
stones and crystals of corresponding colors on or near the chakras,
the chakras can be cleared and/or opened to allow a freer flowing of
the natural energy (life-force) system.
Base Chakra—Vitality
The first or base chakra is located near the base of the spine. It is
considered to be the source of vitality, physical energy, and self-preservation.
It directly affects the kidneys, suprarenal glands, and spine. Most
often, it is referred to as the grounding chakra. The colors and stones
associated with this chakra are red, as found in rubies, garnets, and
red calcite, and black, as found in black tourmaline, black obsidian,
Apache tears, and smokey quartz.
Sacral Chakra—Desire & Emotion
The second or sacral chakra is located about two inches below the navel.
It is thought to be the source of desire, emotion, creativity, sexuality,
and intuition. It affects the health of the digestive system and reproductive
organs. The color associated with the second chakra is orange, as found
in carnelian, joaquinite, and orange calcite.
Solar Plexus—Power & Intellect
The third or solar plexus chakra is in the area of the solar plexus,
below the breastbone. It is considered to be the source for personal
power, ambition, intellect, astral force, desire, and emotions based
on intellect, and touch. It affects the stomach, liver, gall bladder,
sympathetic nervous system, pancreas, and adrenal glands. The color
associated with the third chakra is yellow, as found in citrine, diaspore,
and yellow calcite.
Heart—Sound of Love
The fourth or heart chakra is located at the center of the chest. It
is believed to be the source for compassion, love, group consciousness,
and spirituality. It affects the heart, thymus, circulatory system,
blood, cellular structure, and involuntary muscles. The colors associated
with the heart chakra are pink, as found in rose quartz, pink tourmaline,
pink calcite, and pecos diamonds, and green, as found in apophyllite,
dioptase, green calcite, seraphinite, peridot, prehnite, and wavellite.
Throat—Voice of Truth
The fifth or throat chakra is located at the base of the throat and at
the top of the collarbone. It is thought to be the source of communication,
sound, and expression of creativity for thought, speaking, and writing.
It affects the thyroid gland, throat, jaws, alimentary canal, lungs,
vocal cords, and the breath. The color blue is associated with the
throat chakra, as in celestite, blue tourmaline, blue calcite, azurite,
albite, apatite, and benitoite.
Brow—Mind's Eye
The sixth or brow chakra is located between and slightly above the eyebrows.
It is believed to be the source of psychic powers, such as precognition,
higher intuition (a sense of knowing), the energies of the spirit,
magnetic forces, and light. It affects the cerebellum, nose, central
nervous system, pituitary gland, and the left eye. Indigo is the color
associated with this chakra. Typical stones and crystals are amethyst,
clear quartz, lepidolite, and tanzanite.
Crown—Love & Light
The seventh or crown chakra is located at the top (crown) of the head.
It is considered to be the fountainhead for spirituality, enlightenment,
dynamic thought, and energy. It affects the cerebrum, right eye, and
pineal glands. Violet, as in amethyst, tanzanite, and purpurite, and
golden white, as in clear quartz, phenocite, danburite, amblygonite,
diamonds, and herkimer diamonds, are the colors associated with the
crown chakra.
Summary
In short, stones and crystals have energy that vibrates according to
their God-given color, texture, composition, and electromagnetic energy.
By placing the stones and crystals on or near the chakras, each chakra
can be aligned and opened. When this is done, the life force of the
person can flow more freely and unencumbered by the stresses created
by emotional trauma, work, and other afflictions.