We all are beachcombers on this path - we search for fragments of a long repressed culture in
history books, in archeological record, in fairy tales and legend. We each stitch these
fragments into the fabric of what we 'feel' to be right about our relationship to our tribe
and our land and our culture. And this we fold around ourselves like a cloak as protection
against the cold winds of 'logic', 'Christianity', 'science' and all their untold, unspoken,
deep rooted prejudices against our 'primitive' past. Yet one thing we know, that a great part
of the shaman's path as our ancestors walked it is to study under, and pay service to, a master
of the craft. We truly do stand on the shoulders of giants.
My part in this is to study where I was called, in the Faery Shaman's Apprenticeship Program
of the Society of Celtic Shamans:
www.faeryshaman.org.
It is a decision that has asked much from me in terms of energy, discipline, time and
transformation, and yet it returns still more. For me, paying for the course is essential, it
is part of the sacred covenant between mentor and student. In the past, students would sweep
floors, stir cauldrons and sit at the feet of a wise one for years in exchange for their
teaching. We are lucky in these times to have to pay so little in comparison. Many years ago,
I had an awesome therapist. She made me pay for every single session, no matter how little
money I had...and I see it this way: if I hadn't paid her at the time, how could I ever repay her?
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