I consider shamanic practice to be the purest spirituality as it is ubiquitous throughout world cultures, is rooted in nature, and is not part of any structured dogma or organized religion. The purpose of religion is to control the human spirit. The purpose of shamanism is to free it.

Shamanism has no ruling deities, no rulers or central figures of any kind, no creed, no dogma. This puts the practice, the power, the responsibility, all in the hands of the individual practitioner. Shamanism allows us to find our true and natural power within ourselves. It does not bid us prostrate ourselves before invented figureheads. Shamanism empowers the individual, and this is one of the main reasons why many would seek to malign and even eradicate it.

This has been the agenda that the church/state and organized religion has historically had against various pagan, animistic and shamanic practices. The pagan shaman has no need of confession, atonement, redemption, sacrament, baptism, repentance, forgiveness, nothing. This undermines the powers that be. The shamanic practitioner becomes the power that is.

Even Buddhism, much admired and emulated in the west, is not untainted by such socio-political agendas, having a long history of suppressing shamanism. This is a history that most Americans and other westerners are probably not familiar with, and one that I was surprised and saddened to discover.

Buddhism first arrived in Mongolia in the 13th century, primarily through Tibetan Buddhist missionaries. Over time, Buddhism became deeply integrated into Mongolian society, influencing various aspects of culture, politics, and spirituality.

Shamanism, on the other hand, had been the indigenous spiritual tradition of the Mongolian people for centuries prior to the arrival of Buddhism.

Initially, Buddhism and shamanism coexisted in Mongolia, often with elements of syncretism where practices from both traditions were incorporated into local belief systems. However, as Buddhism gained more institutional power and support from Mongolian rulers, tensions began to rise between the two belief systems.

From the 16th century onward, there were concerted efforts by Mongolian rulers, often with support from Tibetan Buddhist authorities, to suppress shamanism and promote Buddhism as the dominant religion. This was driven by various factors, including political consolidation, the desire for religious uniformity, and the perceived threat that shamanism posed to Buddhist authority.

At times, these efforts to suppress shamanism resulted in violent conflicts between Buddhist and shamanic practitioners. Temples and sacred sites associated with shamanism were sometimes destroyed, and shamans themselves were persecuted or forced to convert to Buddhism, or murdered.

Despite these efforts, shamanism survived in Mongolia and has even experienced a revival since the decline of communist influence. Shamanism itself has been flourishing around the world in the past thirty years.

Michael Harner created a “core shamanism”; a modern approach to shamanic practice that seeks to distill the essence of shamanic techniques from various indigenous cultures around the world into a cohesive and accessible system. Key features include universal techniques, shamanic journeying, power animals and spirit guides, healing and divination, and ecological awareness.

This system is the birthright of every human and no one race or culture holds a monopoly on it. We all have shamanic traditions in our ancestry, all of us, be it the Arctic shamanism of the Saami or the Amazonian shamanism of the Shipibo-Conibo. Therefore we can all benefit from returning to our shamanic roots.

Shamanic resurgence in the face of historical suppression underscores its enduring relevance and universal appeal, its essence transcends cultural boundaries, offering a pathway for all individuals to reclaim their inherent spiritual heritage. In embracing shamanic practice, we rediscover not only our own power but also our interconnection with all beings and the Earth itself—a timeless wisdom accessible to all who seek it, regardless of race, culture, or creed.

The Oracle of the Swamp brings messages of awareness, warning, transformation and hidden beauty but also hidden danger. It is intricate interconnection and a delicate balance of so many forms of life. The Swamp invites you to confront obstacles and to examine and hold space in the darker realms of your existence.

This may be a time for shadow work. Like the tangled, interwoven roots beneath the surface, we are often in turmoil that is hidden beneath our own surfaces and conscious minds. It can be unpleasant, but it might be time to submerge like a stealthy crocodile and confront and untangle the messes within.

Swamps are also places of unexpected and subtle beauty that may not be obvious at first. They are as crucial to the environment as our shadow sides are to our existence. They are part of us and cannot be ignored or toxic stagnation may ensue.

Physically, the Swamp represents awareness and adaptability. Its appearance may suggest that very real, day-to-day physical challenges are present or approaching, for instance health or money matters. Something unseen may be having a profound impact and must be addressed. If it’s been a while since a check-up or other health maintenance, a visit to the doctor may be in order.

For some time there was no real certainty as to what causes the otherwordly phenomenon of the aurora borealis. In 2021 scientists finally confirmed that the natural light show starts when disturbances on the sun pull on Earth’s magnetic field. This creates cosmic undulations known as Alfvén waves that launch electrons at high speeds into Earth’s atmosphere where they create the aurora.

Have you ever wondered what our ancestors must have thought and felt when they saw the northern lights? How magical and surreal it must have been for them, almost as much as it is for us even now, despite knowing the exact cause. The lack of mystery does not dampen the wondrous impact the aurora has on the imagination and the soul.

One especially interesting feature that has been discovered is that electrons essentially surf on the Alfvén waves. If they move with the right speed relative to the wave, they get picked up and accelerated much like surfers catch a building wave.

This brings at least one watery allegory into the mix. Yet the aurora and water are more closely related than you might think. All the water on Earth is of interstellar origins and the northern lights undulate in very watery waves and colors. As I often say, we are made of water and starlight, so the convergence of the aurora and of flowing water is not only perfectly harmonious, it creates a powerful visualization tool for grounding, protection, inspiration and manifestation. I call this the Aurora Cascade.

A long, purple and electric blue-green curtain of dancing aurora pours itself out of the sky in a cascade that becomes indistinguishable from a singing, rushing waterfall as it falls closer to the ground. Water and light meld and shimmer in the gentle torrent. Step into the glowing falls and feel it mingle with the waters and the energy in your cells. This is the source, this is what we are made of. It is renewing and it is an ongoing cosmic blessing.

Grounding

We are the center in between the above and below. When sitting or standing within the Aurora Cascade, you are the nexus in this liminal space, the point of origin. All work – meditating, journeying, spell work, manifestation or shamanic work – ideally begins with grounding; rooting and establishing a link, but not just to the below. To the medieval alchemists, water and light were in the same symbolic family, and indeed are two of the main and most essential components to almost all life. The grounding unfolds through a conscious integration of these elemental energies, rooting the individual firmly in the earth’s embrace but also providing a tether to higher cosmic realms.

Keywords: Clarity, Refreshment, Newness, Renewal, Fleeting Opportunity

Dew is a very fleeting form of water. While the morning heralds a new day and fresh opportunities, the dew declares that these opportunities are fleeting. Dew is frost’s warmer sister; when temperatures are low enough dew freezes to become frost. But on cool, misty mornings the dew is scattered like tiny diamonds across delicate spider webs and thin rose petals. It is nature’s tears of joy for another golden opportunity to begin again.

Dew represents a gentle rejuvenation of the body, like the refreshed feeling you have after a great night’s sleep. What could be better to wake up to than beautiful nature bedazzled by countless watery jewels? Just as dew is a gentle strength renewing the earth, embrace a renewed focus on your physical well-being. This might involve simple daily rituals to improve your overall health and vitality. Early morning could be the best time for you to have an invigorating walk to start your day right. Dew reminds that small, consistent efforts can lead to significant physical changes.

When it comes to the emotions, dew suggests a tender, peaceful renewal of the heart. Allow the drops of a clear, new day to cleanse and revitalize your heavy feelings. This is a time to release negative, burdensome feelings in order to refresh your relationships and personal perspective and well-being. Perhaps certain feelings have been muddled and confused, but now will be made clear in the pale morning light. There may also be current or approaching relationships and connections that are as brief as the morning dew, but they are no less profound.

Dew whispers of the quiet insights that come with a peaceful mind. Every new days starts us with a clean slate where we can choose to think better and more helpful thoughts. The water in our bodies is affected by the frequencies of our thoughts and words, so make sure you are kind and gentle with yourself as well as with others. Dew seeks to refresh and enlighten your thoughts and mental pursuits. Not only is a calm mind more clear and productive, but more able to embrace the happiness of starting over and dew reminds us that we get to start over every single day.

Spiritually, dew brings renewal and clear understanding just as it does to all the realms of our being. As dew forms through the union of air and earth, the seeker is encouraged to explore the subtle but powerful interplay between the material and spiritual aspects of existence. So many spiritual and magical experiences are very fleeting and brief, and this lends all the more importance to them.

Dew invites you to stillness and contemplation, and to purification. It also invites you to find the magic of spirit in small and unexpected places and things. The most profound spiritual insights and evolutions often come as quietly and go as swiftly as the dew. Be aware of the discreet, finer things that are all around you and can connect you to nature and your higher self. There may be much that you are overlooking and that is leading to beliefs that do not serve you.

Life is one of the Sacred four pillars of Atheopaganism. And it is often said of Pagans generally that we revere or even “worship” Nature.

The turning of the seasonal wheel
is a feast for the senses,
sometimes it seems
all I've done
is sit on the same swing
in the same place
while the wheel turns around me,
the tapestry of birds and leaves,
flowers and berries,
budding,
blooming,
peaking,
and dropping
as I sit and see,
bare branches spinning
into tips of green catching the sun,
spreading into great green umbrellas
and then fading to yellow.
White flowers blushed with pink
becoming tight knots of green berry
deepening to black
and then gone again
rusty red canes crowned
with thorns and patience.
Gray juncos to orange orioles,
to swift hummingbirds
to black capped chickadees
and back to gray juncos again,
a swirl of feathers,
and color
and song.
Watch carefully.
Remember to laugh.
Sit in the center as often as possible.
Feel how it all spins.

Your altar is your sacred work space, a place imbued with your personal pagan power. I recommend starting with a flat surface, at least two feet across each way for the four directions of the compass. Perhaps you have a favorite antique table, at once simple and ornate. I have set up my altar to face north, long believed to be the origin of primordial energy. North is the direction of midnight, and an altar oriented in this fashion promises potent magic. 

Find a pure white square of fabric to drape over your table, just touching the floor. Take two candles in matching holders and place them on the two farthest corners. Place your incense burner exactly in the middle. If you don’t have favorite incense yet, start with the ancient essence of frankincense. Select objects that appeal to you symbolically to place on your altar. I have a candlestick of purest amethyst crystal, my birthstone. When I gaze on the candle flame refracted through the beautiful purple gemstone, I feel the fire within me. This inculcates your altar with the magic that lives inside you, that lives inside all of us, and magnifies the ceremonial strength of your workspace. You should decorate your altar until it is utterly and completely pleasing to your eye. After you’ve been working spells for a bit, an energy field will radiate from your altar.