PAN International 82
PAN - Provisional Astroshamanic News
Ezine of the Sacred
Editorial Director:
© 2008
Warm blessings on each of you in the Leo’s climax of Summer!
This is the time of the year when many people would be entirely content to peacefully sit in a deck-chair under a beach umbrella, licking an ice-cream cone and listening to the buzzing of the cicadas, now and then playfully cuddling and stretching like lion cubs and… enjoying doing absolutely nothing else.
If this is what you genuinely pine for, “seek no further” and go for it without ado, regardless of where you physically appear to be. Yes, for this is a most precious opportunity to claim your multidimensional body, placing your power of imagination in charge and experiencing our unconditional birthright: Peace!
I have recently swung from 35° to 13° C, which is another way of saying that I have returned to
I am delighted by the recent opportunity of exploring various Italian sacred places in Umbria, Marche and Emilia-Romagna, together with exquisite food and weather, all filled with superb sainthood. As I settle again in my Scottish abode, I am once more struck by this land of wonder. Throughout my return trip from Edinburgh to Forres I was mesmerised by the radiant greenness of the fields and the chilly, fantastic blue of the sea and rivers, under a theatrical multicoloured sky, all inferring an eerie magical realm right behind the smokescreen of physical reality. It is obvious to understand how the
Sainthood, similarly to the climax of the Sun, is in truth like a rucksack, which goes with us wherever we go, no matter whether we are aware of it or not. Sainthood is the peaceful treasure concealed behind the tedious façade of everyday reality. Hence to ask for sainthood is to solicit what we already have. And yet, in times of forgetfulness, this asking is vital. Hence, firmly address your request and, in doing so, you can only succeed!
Sainthood was one of the main themes during the Astroshamanic Summer Gathering held in Assisi. Here I mean the quest for liberation and unity we pursue throughout life, our own path of sainthood, rather than of famous saints’. Official saints are purely signposts aimed at cherishing the glorious awareness of our informal sainthood, what the ordinary world is unable to grant for it is beyond such world. And yet this world needs it so desperately. There is nothing else for us to retrieve apart from this veritable sainthood. Unless we seek for misery and pain, there is nothing else for us to find.
The interesting thing about saints is that they are recognized as such only after long investigations and always once they are dead. Many of them are even persecuted and ostracised during their life time, ending up in confinement and solitude. And yet, once they are canonised, all their life becomes virtuous and holy, no matter what they did or what was done to them.
Whenever I meet fellow seekers on the path I am so touched by the sacredness of their path, by their exquisite sainthood. What I most desire is that we all become aware of how holy and blessed we are. We have all been honoured by moments of revelation, experiences of absolute intimacy with the Divine, events of indescribable love and beauty. This is what we are called to share and be, for this is who we are, the sole veritable nature we have. There are many saints on this planet today. Any of us may be blessed as one of them, if we become aware of the healing purpose of this world. Sainthood appears to take place in glamorous and simple ways, and yet its miraculous nature is always the same. “Miracles as such do not matter. The only thing that matters is their Source, which is far beyond evaluation.” (ACIM, T1.1:2)
Blessings on your climax of Summer!
The next astroshamanic workshop at the Findhorn Foundation will be the Astroshamanic Trance Dance and Drumming week from 2 to
The following, most unprecedented, workshop will be Restoring the Fragmented God: A Healing Voyage into Christian Shamanism, from 6 to
In
In
IN THIS 82nd ISSUE
by
If You Want Your Dreams to Be - Gathing at the Stars –
The Astroshamanic Travel Column:
Astroshamanic Trance Dance: The Path of Ecstasy and Surrender by Astrid Gude
The Quest Perilous or How I Nearly Became a Human Sacrifice by Elaine Silverfire
The Strength - Leo: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by Franco Santoro
Upcoming Astroshamanic Events
There is no peace except the peace of God,
And I am glad and thankful it is so
(ACIM, W200.11:8)
Pax et Bonum.
Pax et Bonum (Peace and All Good), the traditional Franciscan salutation, was one of the leitmotifs of the astroshamanic summer gathering that took place from 4 to 8 July in Assisi, the town of St. Francis and host of the interfaith annual International Peace Festival. Many of the local houses have ceramic tiles on the walls depicting that motto. It also welcomed us outside the door of our amazingly beautiful venue, Casa Faustina, an agriturismo in the mountains of
"Distil, You Heavens, from Above!" (Isaiah 45:8) was the title that Franco gave in his invitation for this event. Well, for somebody like me, at the moment just about surviving the cold, rainy summer in Scotland, the sun over Italy sharing its splendour from an immaculate blue sky day after day, alternating with the moon rising as an orange sliver into a sparkling sky, illuminating warm nights, full of fireflies and the nocturnal sounds of the South, were a blessing in itself. I represented the energy of Scorpio during the workshop, but my Taurean nature (my Sun sign) rejoiced when being exposed to the caress of the warm wind, while hearing the humming of the bees in the lavender and rose bushes around the pool, and during the balmy star- filled nights, not to mention the abundance of healthy and very tasty food.
We did our work inside and outside the official workshop hours, making also meal-times sacred, ritual time. We operated indoors and outdoors, taking the themes related to the Christian tradition of the place together with the astroshamanic circle into the environment on our two outings that took us to the basilicas of St. Francis and St. Claire, representing the solar and the lunar energy, the "Higher World" of the Eremo delle Carceri on Mount Subasio and the "Lower World" of the basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli below Assisi that contains the minuscule church of the Porziuncola. We worked with the power of the conjunction, the opposition as well as with the square, the trine, the sextile and the directions, interweaving and exploring the energetic connection. Recurrent features were a daily silent meditation of 20 minutes inviting the presence of the Divine and the celebration of the Basic Ritual of the Sacred Cone.
Music linked us with the life and work of St. Francis, like his famous Canticle of Creatures and the guidance to build God's house "stone by stone", after Donovan’s song If You Want Your Dream to Be (see below), emphasising the patience and determination required on this path.
The three stages so characteristic of astroshamanic work were taken to unusual locations. Of particular beauty and relevance for me was the work we did with the sky during the time of transition between day and night. While seated very comfortably in deckchairs around the swimming pool we were asked to identify one place in the sky that represented something familiar, observe it during a longer period of time and then move to another one which represents something new. For me these turned out to be two parts of myself that are both wise and compassionate, feeling loved by the universe, being aware that nothing remains in the world of phenomena (like the clouds constantly shifting their shape, emerging and disappearing), shining from within, yet the one being just a bit too detached and the other just a bit too needy. The third polarity came in the form of a star, that one after the other started to light up the sky, and the empowerment through the interconnection of heaven and earth, eventually finding its material expression in the circle of Letizia Mocheggiani's astroshamanic zodiacal cards laid out under the olive trees. I spent the night in quite an agitated battle between the two first polarities, reaching an opening of the heart towards the morning that took me by surprise.
The vision I received a few hours later was on the theme of flying, a continuation of a familiar energetic state. Often I perceive myself as the lonely bird in the sky - free - but if I explore it a bit deeper it is often a freedom from rather than a freedom to. This time it was different. I was not alone in that universe. There were other birds, sometimes dropping things on me from above. There were storms causing turmoil and confusion. I wanted to land on rocks that were already populated. And in spite of diversions, nuisances, distractions there was a pull in a certain direction, like an in innate compass. I would call that destiny and this vision gave me an enormous peace. Flying came up later in the workshop for the whole group when we listened to the song Il Volo (Flight) by Zucchero (click here to listen to the song and see a video, for the lyrics in English click here), and Fly by Hilary Duff (click here to listen to the song and see a video, for the lyrics click here) also aimed as a reference to FLY-Volo the astroshamanic Google group originated in Italy.
I completed my last day in
If You Want Your Dream To Be
(San Damiano Song) Lyrics and music by Donovan
If you wish to hear the song and see the portion of Franco Zeffirelli’s movie (Brother Sun, Sister Moon) where it is used then click here
If you want your dream to be
Build it slow and surely.
Small beginnings, greater ends.
Heartfelt work grows purely.
If you want to live life free,
Take your time, go slowly.
Do few things, but do them well.
Simple joys are holy.
Day by day, stone by stone,
Build your secret slowly.
Day by day, you'll grow, too,
You'll know heaven's glory.
By the way, last night I had a dream in which Donovan told me that he is not the author of the above song. Yet in the dream Donovan was both himself and Anthony Hopkins, and it is perhaps the latter who told me he is not the author. (F.)
Gazing at the Stars:
During the Astroshamanic Summer Gathering in
The previous evenings in our agriturismo (Casa Faustina), as a group, we were also involved in gazing at the stars, allowing them to drop down from above and reach our hearts and those of all our beloved ones. “Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it.” (Isaiah 45:8).
At the Eremo dei Frati Bianchi in Cupramontana, the previous week, during the Astroshamanic Touch of the Earth workshop, we also spent long time gazing at the stars, yet in a more dynamic and celebrating way, dancing and drumming in the fantastic monastery cloister under a spectacular starry sky. (F.)
Terra, Terra by Letizia Mocheggiani: and inspired report on the Astroshamanic Summer Gathering in
A Pilgrimage to Assisi by Christine Dreifus: an account of Christine’s adventures on her way to
The Summer Cloister – Il Cortile Estivo dell’Eremo by Luciana Samaritani. A touching report on the night dances held in the cloister of the Eremo dei Frati Bianchi (in Italian). Click here
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The ASTROSHAMANIC Travel Column
“There is only the voyage. If we are not in the voyage we are not anywhere.”
This column in PAN is an open space for astroshamanic seekers and associates who wish to share about their sacred travel adventures on planet Earth. A sacred travel is regarded as any physical journey that offers significant shamanic and spiritual experiences. A sacred travel does not necessarily involve visiting a traditional sacred site or holy land. A sacred travel is sanctified by God’s presence (please see the endnote [i] for a clarification about what we mean by God) and by our direct spiritual experience. This is what makes a journey truly sacred no matter when or where it takes place. Please send articles to pan@astroshamanism.org
The following are excerpts from the report written by Celia as part of her completion of the Intermediate First Level of the Operative Training in Astroshamanism.
I write this surrounded by mist at the edge of a vertical cliff; one side of an ancient tree-filled valley that falls down sharply to the
“Out of obscurity we come”: words from a particularly powerful, yet half-forgotten shamanic journey. I re-read my journal as though reading a new book by an unfamiliar author. I have forgotten so much. If I have an experience, receive a medicine, then forget…do I still have it? I think the answer is “yes” but I may forget in the same way that I forget to connect with my Guide. But it is all there and waiting for me to Remember.
During the journey through the three worlds I frequently got stuck and would descend into despair. Sometimes I felt very separated; so apart that I forgot about unity all together and it sometimes took a long time to connect to the centre again and ask for support. And at other times I wanted to take my time; to read more and explore more. And so it has taken two years to complete this level: as long as was necessary.
The focus throughout was on the energy; the signature and the function to transmit this and strengthen the flow towards unity, pulling all in its wake. I see this process vividly in journeys. As I started, I felt drawn to cast aside all that was physical and seen and work only with the underlying energetic forms. I felt tired of all HAC reality and struggled to reach through it all. I started to see people through the energies they transmitted. Everything becomes a swirling motion of energy and when I work with people shamanically or otherwise, I seek ways of trying to facilitate the flow towards the source. […]
I come to a deeper realisation of the myths and processes of separation. All stories are the same. And we locate our pain in our personal histories, for these histories are all ones of separation and we need to have a reason and these reasons, these recent accessible events, are there to remind us, to pull us gently or brutally into awareness, depending on our needs. There is only one journey, one destination that can heal.
The training was a time of integration, of finding a way of operating in HAC that included as much congruence with my shamanic work as possible. I still move between separate realities, but to a lesser degree. I try to hold the awareness in simultaneous consciousness as often as I can and stay open and receptive. At least until I am distracted again and forget. More people are aware of my involvement with this work. At first I felt very exposed but now feel I can breathe easier and deeper; becoming more myself now, wherever I am or whatever role I am called on to perform. I was guided to accept all invitations, all requests for my services, as these were opportunities to connect Intent to Function. And so I travelled to
I spent a lot of time exploring how I create my realities and how I utilise people to reflect the unexplored/disowned areas of myself. And worked on acknowledging, witnessing and releasing this whenever I was aware of it. And I also came to a clearer awareness of how I, in turn, may be used by others as their mirror and learned a little to sidestep the “pulls” that result from this, even when they seemed pleasant ones. I feel a little less like a cork on an ocean.
I revisited my childhood experiences of organised religion and have worked to heal the separation I experienced at a young age, the apparent betrayal by God the Father through the mortal medium of the Catholic Church. I “came of age”, releasing the old feelings of guilt and unworthiness and embracing the essence of that faith, recalling the authentic connection with spirit I once experienced as a young child.
And so I complete my journey through the three worlds and through the 12 sectors at their planetary level and through the cycles of the moon and their work with the sun. My major challenge is still not to get lost. Not to forget. I do this very easily. But I notice that I ask for support much more now. I remember to stay connected, to ask with my head, even if I do not feel connected in my heart. It is the Intent that contains the power. If I say it is so and believe this and commit to this, then it shall be. I picked up a large local woman on the road in
I have gone on a physical journey, choosing my time in
There is little air, no ventilation in the cave system and we have been feeling it for some time. This is
Higher World: I continue on my journey and am presented the next day with an opportunity to ascend into the canopy of the rainforest and journey from the top of one tree to the next on aerial slides, set on the trees with respect for their well-being. No nails, nothing has been done to damage the trees themselves. Some are 250 year old. I go last and spend time connecting with each tree, thanking it for its work and for allowing me to be here in its branches. I see many brightly coloured birds and hear them call to one another. At the top of one I am able to lean back fully supported by two arms of the tree and I feel like I am being held by my Guide. I relax totally and look out across the canopy. But the slides require concentration; it is necessary to brake hard with a leather-gloved hand at the right moment to arrive safely at the next tree. And balanced, conscious awareness to launch in a stable manner so as not to turn uncontrollably mid-flight, but arrive feet first on the platform rushing towards us. After minor mishaps, I realise that I must return fully to HAC awareness to stay safe and do so, releasing my desires to connect with the devas of this forest and settling for the simple pleasures of flight; the rush of air on my body and the flashes of green as I fly through the air.
And then to the Middle World or Middle Earth as this place is known. Said to have inspired Tolkien, although some say he never actually saw it. But it could have done if he had. A truly magical, beautiful place. I am staying at a place called the “The Edge” in a cottage called Thunderstone, four meters from the edge of a cliff, with the mountains rising above me on the other side. And here I light a fire and create my sacred space and call the 7 Directions and the 12 Sectors. As the sun sets and the air cools, the mist rises up the valley from the sea and obscures the landscape until dawn. And for that time, there is only this place, for all else is in obscurity, Forgotten, although I retain the memory and know that all else is still there and all I need do is connect with it. And when I listen, I can hear creatures calling to one another. Birds, insects, frogs and monkeys.
And there is a large labyrinth and tonight I walk this in the mist, asking for Guidance for the next steps. On the way in, I review the past two years, the beginnings; moments of doubt, anguish, the delays. And then the decision to just do it; to move forward and complete every month; to prioritise the tasks. And in the act of the prioritisation I usually found time to complete everything. I review key moments: the step into the unknown in
And later, I walk back through the mist and the darkness and come again to the labyrinth and I dance across it in the obscurity. I cut across the paths, going where I please in the spirit of Aquarius. But it occurs to me that this randomness and rebellion and power and anarchy can also be another way of Forgetfulness and so I return once more to the Centre before leaving on my own unique path.
Astroshamanic Trance Dance - The Path of Ecstasy and Surrender by Astrid Gude
"Let them praise his name with dancing and make music to him with tambourine and harp." (Psalm 149:3)
Since ancient times in cultures all over the world trance and dance have been used as pathways to connect with the Divine and as tools for healing through Spirit. Trance (from the Latin 'transire': to cross over, pass over) opens the gate into non-ordinary reality and dance involves the body and aligns it with the soul, taking the dancer into a state of ecstasy (from Ancient Greek, meaning: to be or stand outside oneself, a removal to elsewhere), of abandon and surrender.
Our modern western culture has largely forgotten or suppressed the connection with non-ordinary realities. We find trance elements within the Christian tradition only with the rather marginal Pentecostals and remnants of trance dance in Europe in the ecstatic Tarantella healing dances of southern Italy, whereas in parts of the world that have not cut off to such an extent from ancestral and spiritual traditions we find powerful ritual containers that allow people to collectively enter into a state that provides a direct experience of the Divine through trance and also specifically through dance (for the latter see the movie/
In the Findhorn Foundation, where I live, Trance Dance events and yearly Trance Dance workshops have been a recurring element of our communal life and workshop programme since the early 2000s when Franco started to offer Astroshamanic Trance Dance work. Astroshamanism introduces specific elements, like reference to the current constellation of the planets, the zodiacal cycle, the invocation of helping spirits related to this tradition, a unique way of using of sounds and music (often a mixture of recorded and live music) and an underlying structure in three stages that characterizes astroshamanic work on the whole.
Before a trance dance a team of assistants prepares and cleanses the space, usually Cluny Ballroom, by smudging it with sage and throughout the dance holds the energy and makes sure that participants, who have the eyes closed while dancing, do not harm themselves or others. Franco, as the leader of the event, may wear ceremonial clothes to signal that with this dance we find ourselves in a ritual context and will cross the threshold that separates ordinary reality from other dimensions.
At the beginning, people hold hands around a centrepiece with a candle to connect and attune, as we do in Findhorn. Their everyday identity is acknowledged by everybody speaking their names out aloud, and after a short introduction the sacred space is opened by calling upon the directions, the helping spirits and by connecting with the vertical axis of the three worlds. The music at the beginning is invocative, inviting the dancers to connect with their Intent, their guides, step into the sacred space and open up to the unknown, to the mystery. After a while, new elements of music come in, sometimes dark, threatening, destructive, chaotic, announcing the stage of release, often three layers of music overlapping, at this point forcing the mind to give up control and providing different types of stimuli. Live drumming, coming in later, often brings this stage to a climax. Participants release whatever needs to be released, empty out and open up to receive the new, which happens in the third stage with only gentle, acoustic instruments, full of overtones, like the gong or the Jew's harp, a very ancient shamanic instrument. This leads into a period of complete silence, devoid of any kind of input or further stimulation, so that the inner connection is direct and undisturbed and everybody can pursue their own path and complete their own experience. The completion as a group follows afterwards when participants gather again in a circle around the light, connecting horizontally by passing a sacred tool around and collectively emanating love and light into the world by placing that tool in the centre.
For me as a participant Astroshamanic Trance Dances have been an important part of my healing journey over the past six years, teaching me about the power of Intent, opening the field to all kinds of expression that want to arise within a ritually held and protected environment, by-passing the mind, allowing me to move over the years from disentangling stuck inner personal dynamics into entering more consciously into a connection with archetypal forces and the various manifestations of the Divine, becoming the dancer and the dance, re-enacting myths, penetrating the mystery and experiencing sublime moments of oneness with all that is.
As a frequent assistant since 2004 in evening Astroshamanic Trance Dances and week-long workshops I never fail to be deeply impressed, sometimes in awe, by the healing power that I perceive. During some parts of the dance participants may seem to be in agony, like undergoing torture, fighting all kinds of demons, finding themselves in a frozen state or just awaking from it, may go into a form of expression that may seem bizarre or even mad, socially unacceptable, in our every-day world - and yet, when the dance comes to a close, after all the apparent chaos, confusion, sometimes strong emotional upheaval, there is a peace, a radiance, a purity within and around them that was buried before, masks having been dropped, defensive layers shed, lost parts retrieved and blocks removed that prevented them from entering this realm of pure energy - now their true light-filled nature shining through.
The Quest Perilous or How I Nearly Became a Human Sacrifice by Elaine Silverfire
It is the Gemini miracle of speech that enables human societies to come together, people talking and listening to each other. We have a ‘twin brain’ thought to have been joined at one time by a communicating gland (the pineal gland). Our two brains (the right and left) are thought to perform different functions, the right governing our imaginative-intuitive mind and the left governing our rational-logical mind. The dual principle running through creation is the process of transformation, of duality from unity, of diversity held within oneness. (Paraphrased from Symbols For Women by Sheila Farrant)
Symbols For Women: A Matrilineal Zodiac lists a female ruler for each Zodiac sign. The ruler for Gemini is Eurynome, the Dove Goddess.
The Original Quest took place in the time of Gemini and there were several ‘twin’ themes running through the workshop. Franco, Keeper of the Inner Mystery, held the inner aspect of the workshop and Sverre Koxvold, Keeper of Cluny Garden, held the outer aspect. We alternated between working outside in the fresh air in the
Running through the workshop were the themes of being together in a group and being alone, sound and silence, talking and listening.
We all chose to work with one Zodiac Sector of Cluny Garden and I chose to work in the Leo Sector of the territory and I was startled on my first visit to the Sector by the sound of two birds fighting in the tree I had chosen to work with. I stood under the tree looking up at the commotion and saw two doves fighting so hard that their feathers were flying and I caught one of the feathers as it fell onto me.
There were two group projects, one for seeking resolution from a past situation and the other for seeking a new direction for the future. The first project involved working collectively with the
The twin themes built up during the week, climaxing on the Thursday during the day with a wilderness walk with Sverre across the Dava Moor in the icy rain of a Scottish summer’s day, followed by a second climax at night during a very hot and sweaty trance dance with some inspired drumming by Franco.
We completed the week by entering the multi-dimensional chamber of the Bodhi Room, crossing the threshold of the inner sanctum in silence one by one and then erupting noisily outside into the garden for a magnificent Midsummer bonfire. Everyone except me jumped over the bonfire for luck. As the bonfire suddenly took light a finger of flame leapt down my cleavage and set my bra on fire and I didn’t want to risk any more burning. I had been much preoccupied during the week by tales of witches being burned on Cluny Hill and had gone to visit the Witches’ Stone, the site of one such burning. Many of these women who were burned would have been healers, herbalists, midwives.
My Intent for the workshop was to find out how I could be of service on a multi-dimensional level. So what was the result of my Quest? How can I be of service? On recapitulating all that happened during what seemed to be a very long week the most powerful moment for me stood out clearly. While doing partner work with another Elaine, for there were two Elaines in the workshop, I had the experience of being midwife to a midwife. This gives me a clue as to how I can be of service. As someone who has gone through the Quest myself I can act as midwife for others on their Quest.
I am a teenager, growing up fast, reaching for the Sun.
My sister plant is lusher and greener than me, contented.
I don’t want contentment.
Don’t put me in a shadier place like my sister.
I want to fly to the Sun like Icarus.
Let the Sun scorch me.
Let the Sun melt my wings.
Let me crash and burn. (Communication from the Leo Sector)
Educational Opportunities Protected by Angels: The Times Educational Supplement (TES), published on 4 July 2008, features an article titled “Protected by Angel” about the Findhorn Foundation and its educational opportunities. “The Findhorn Foundation near Forres is a spiritual community, eco-village and international centre for holistic education. It is known around the globe for its sustainable living and its legendary vegetable gardens….” Click here to read the entire article.
Strength - Leo: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by
Following the Emperor, the Hierophant, the Lovers and The Chariot this introductory voyage through the Major Arcana reaches Strength, which according to the esoteric system of the Golden Dawn is associated with the sign of Leo.
In the Rider Waite Tarot the trump of Strength shows a blond woman, with the symbol of infinity hovering over her head, in the act of taming a lion by gently, almost playfully, yet firmly, closing its jaws. She also uses a chain of flowers as a yoke to lead the lion, which further adds to the overall lightness and power of the card, suggesting Jesus’ words in Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened, and I will give you rest. Shoulder my yoke and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Yes, my yoke is easy and my burden light.”
This trump is a gateway into the esoteric nature of Strength. Most human beings appear to burden themselves with futile expressions of potency. They rely on their own strength, caring for the volume of their muscles, wealth and prestige, and strenuously competing in pursuit of power and security. So they live on the brink of the grave, struggling to ignore their unalterable date of expiry, which will inevitably wipe away all their tokens of strength. And it is this subtle awareness of impermanence that brings all the unceasing tension and anxiety that characterises our reality. “If you are trusting in your own strength, you have every reason to be apprehensive, anxious and fearful. What can you predict or control? What is there in you that can be counted on? (ACIM, W47.1). In a blink of an eye all our resources and comforts can fall apart. “In a moment everything can change” sings Hilary Duff in Fly.
The Strength described by this trump is the true call of the Gospel, the invitation not to labour in vain and to receive Christ’s gift of loving peace and rest which is available whenever we choose to let go of our strive for personal strength. “The Lord is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation.” (Exodus 15:2) What underlies this choice stands as the gateway to the mystery of Strength, a fortitude stemming from a true surrender to God’s will and the capacity to accept It as one’s sole source of refuge. “My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.” (Psalms 73:26) Yet this is not viable through our rational mind and can only be accessed if we are willing to face our unconscious fears and desires. True strength is not the result of repression and denial, nor is it based on control over threats to individual security, as well as to collective ideas and spiritual beliefs. The admission to the mystery is granted when we let go of the arbitrary strength of this separated world and decide to face the unknown strength of our multidimensional nature.
The Lion represents all the energies, emotions and feelings that have been expelled from our Human Arbitrary Configuration (HAC) in order to produce the separated ego, with which most human beings identify. The first step for moving beyond this bogus identity involves the decision “to shoulder Christ’s yoke” and address one’s veritable source of Strength. This is tantamount to connecting with the Spirit Guide or, as in the first stage of the Basic Ritual of the Sacred Cone, aligning with one’s Intent connected with the Function. The resolution that “God is the strength in which I trust” (ACIM, W47) is the first step, which allows a second and most fundamental stride to emerge.
With this stride, as with the second stage of the Basic Ritual, the ego identity crumbles like a Pandora box and all previously suppressed energies are released. This shatters any forlorn attachment to our human arbitrary configuration, while also providing the required force that allows moving beyond. This unveils the goal of our original intention, which emerges in the third stage. Situations of fear and anxiety are unveiled, so as to be dismissed one by one, as we slide past each of them, reaching down to our place of real strength. “You will recognize that you have reached it if you feel a sense of deep peace, however briefly. Let go all the trivial things that churn and bubble on the surface of your mind, and reach down and below them to the
In the final stage separation is released, disclosing our nature as holy multidimensional beings and leaving our previous self as a clean channel through which the strength of God can replace all the absurdities that were there before. “God is indeed your strength, and what He gives is truly given. This means that you can receive it any time and anywhere, wherever you are, and in whatever circumstance you find yourself. Your passage through time and space is not at random. You cannot but be in the right place at the right time. Such is the strength of God. Such are His gifts.” (ACIM, W42.2-5)
The third step is the result of the joyous implementation of the preceding two stages, exemplified by the peaceful and gentle interaction between the woman and the lion. Here Strength is not based upon the capacity to endure sacrifice and sufferance. It is not a tug of war between higher and lower self, good and evil, purity and sin. It is not a crucifixion, martyrdom or any other cruel markers of the desolate madness induced by the Human Arbitrary Configuration. Strength is a peaceful and graceful process, and can never be attained unless we embrace the unbiased spirit of innocent childhood. Letting go of stubborn self-righteousness and joyfully opening up to God’s wonder are the doorway into the mystery of veritable strength. “‘I bless you, Father, Lord of heaven and of earth, for hiding these things from the learned and the clever and revealing them to mere children. Yes, Father, for that is what it pleased you to do. Everything has been entrusted to me by my Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father, just as no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:25-30)
Here there are some questions I propose to your awareness:
How do you feel when you read about things being hidden from the learned and the clever and revealed to mere children? Do you immediately see yourself as one of those clever and rational ones? Do you see yourself instead as one of those children to whom hidden things have been revealed? Or do you perhaps see yourself as both, forgetting or giving up the inner knowing of your heart, embracing other people’s ideas and begging for guidance, and then, from time to time, remembering your true source of wisdom and opening up to your Strength? What things have been revealed to you since you were a child, and whenever you have allowed yourself to be a child? Where does your true Strength lie? What do you have to say about all this? And what does your Strength have to say?
The Lion traditionally shines as the major emblem of regal power and of alchemical gold. It depicts the qualities of the Sun, yet this is not the bogus sun that comes and goes, drastically changing its effects on human beings according to seasonal or daily shifts. It is the Christ, the radiant power of God and the Light of the World. The true Sun bestows generous gifts at all times. It belongs to a world of which our human arbitrary is merely the palest and most depleted imitation, preceded by many other realms. These domains, though still separate, stand out as far more real than our mock world. Their gifts are attainable only by those who have eyes to see beyond the shadowlands of human ordinary experience. And yet these realms also exist within our human arbitrary configuration itself. Although this configuration is based on separation it is still the by-product of other realities and cannot exist without them, just as shadows owe their survival to objects lying between their surface and a light source.
What we perceive as reality is merely a shadowy copy of other worlds soon to emerge if we can let go of our victim’s attachment to consensus reality. The integrity of the spiritual seeker is based upon attaining a direct encounter with God, finding the truth no matter where or what it is, and despite all collective fears and prejudices regarding such truth. Here Strength is not the capacity to succeed in our competitive world and to prove one’s superiority over others. It is the power to fully embrace our adventurous spirit and joyfully engage with God as innocently as playful children. “For God's foolishness is wiser than human wisdom, and God's weakness is stronger than human strength.” (1 Cor
It is during their games that the four children in The Chronicles of Narnia move out of ordinary reality and reach a world where they finally encounter Aslan, the Great Lion. As their adventures expand they uncover more worlds within worlds. “The further up and further in you go, the bigger everything gets. The inside is larger than the outside” Mr Tumnus (the faun) explains to Lucy Pevensie (the youngest of the four children) in the seventh and final Narnia book The Last Battle. Lucy begins to see more and more clearly. She realises that the garden is not a garden but an entire new world, with rivers and forests, mountains and waterfalls. And yet this is not at all weird, for she knew this already. “I see,” she says, “this is still Narnia, and more real and more beautiful than the Narnia down below, just as it was more real and more beautiful than the Narnia outside the Stable door. I see...world within world, Narnia within Narnia.” “Yes,” says Mr. Tumnus, “like an onion: except that as you continue to go in and in, each circle is larger than the last.” And Lucy comments “in our world, too, a Stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world.” Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 18:3)
In the Rider-Waite deck Strength is the eighth card of the Major Arcana. This is controversial since in later decks the same position is held by Justice, while Strength is number 11. Arthur Waite and other authors influenced by the esoteric Order of the Golden Dawn switched the two cards, placing Strength right after the Chariot. This emphasises the polarity between Cancer (Chariot) and Leo (Strength), Moon and Sun, yet in a way in which their conventional attributes appear to be reversed and Cancer stands for yoga, control, rationality, attack and the male, while Leo represents tantra, release, emotionality, surrender and the female. Number 7 also belongs to male magic, while 8 to female. “Esoteric theory considers sexual energy as a manifestation of the energy principles underlying the entire universe, male and female being similar to the positive and negative poles of electro-magnetism. Through manipulation of this bipolar energy, ‘magic’ power results. The occultists considers these principles a science, no more, and no less, mysterious than the modern scientist’s manipulation of atomic energy.” (Rachel Pollack, 78 Degrees of Wisdom, p. 68)
In Robert Places’ Tarot of the Saints, Strength is associated with St. Jerome, a 4th-century doctor of the Church traditionally depicted with a lion (see image), due to a legend described in Helen Waddell’s Beast and Saints. One evening
In the Alesteir Crowley’s deck Strength is restored to the eleventh stage, though it is renamed Lust. Here the emphasis is on the release and direction of the energy tied up in our strongest feelings, which is esoterically embodied by the mysteries of sacred sexuality.
Strength stands at a crucial cross-road on the path of initiation, heralding the emergence of a novel setting. This implies releasing our controlling attitude and embarking on the path of passion, tapping into the power of one’s deep desires, yet without succumbing to them. It is about letting go of the role played in stories set up by others and entering one’s authentic story, finally riding the Lion.
Forthcoming Astroshamanic Events
Please be aware that new events may be added with short notice. For further details or information please contact Franco info@astroshamanism.org or alternatively go to www.astroshamanism.org
To book Findhorn Foundation workshops, please contact bookings@findhorn.org or Bookings, The Park,
Findhorn Foundation, 2-9 August 2008, Astroshamanic Trance Dance and Drumming with Franco. Read more…
Cupramontana (
Jesi (
All those we meet in life are parts of a wholeness from which we have separated ourselves, and every single relationship is a path to that wholeness. Finding fulfilment through intimate love associations is one of the greatest desires of most human beings, yet this search can also cause conflicts and pain. In this workshop we explore relationships from a spiritual shamanic perspective, tracking and releasing blocks to our capacity to love, identifying the underlying issues that hamper relationships. promoting healing, fulfilment and blessings. The aim is to support and implement righteous close relationships aligned with our authentic soul purpose, encompassing both couples and celibates, the sexual and the chastity path. (in English/Italian).
Info: Letizia +39-0731206687 or zone25@tele2.it.
Income related price: Euro 537 (high), Euro 497 (medium), Euro 467 (low). Bursaries are available. The cost includes full-board, accommodation in two or three-bedded rooms with bathroom. The event starts at
Findhorn Foundation, 6-12 December 2008, Restoring the Fragmented God: A Healing Voyage into Shamanic Christianity This workshop aims at reviving our Christian shamanic heritage through an experiential exploration of some of its mysteries and wonders. The week is ideal for those wishing to heal, restore or deepen their relationship with God, including former Christians who intend to face unresolved grievances with their early religious roots. The workshop is a wide-ranging journey, encompassing a tapestry of shamanic practices from various Christian traditions, also with elements of esoteric astrology and A Course in Miracles. Read further…
Cupramontana (
Findhorn Foundation, 28 December 2008–2 January 2009, The New Year Spiritual Healing Retreat (with Franco & Astrid Gude) An opportunity to promote expanded awareness and healing through meditation and spiritual practices. We will alternate periods of silence and dialogue, stillness and movement, touch and contact, relaxation and activity, group and individual work, bringing careful attention to our inner and outer world. We will scan the past year, extracting blessings and releasing grievances, paving a luminous healing way for the New Year. Read more…
Findhorn Foundation, 21 February–6 March 2009, FOUNDATION TRAINING in ASTROSHAMANISM:
This programme introduces participants to astroshamanism in a practical and effective way. Participants will experience tools for opening, discovering and supporting the relationship with their core identity and essential Intent. They will also focus on releasing blocks and retrieving hidden potentials, learning to bring shamanic healing work in their life and relationship with others. Read more… The training consists of two workshops, which can also be attended independently
21-27 February 2009, A Journey into the Inner Universe.
28 February–6 March 2009, The Voyage through the Zodiac
14-20 March 2009, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden (with Franco & Sverre Koxvold)
11-17 April 2009, Flowering of Life – A Spring Retreat (with Franco & Astrid Gude)
Disclaimer: All information provided in PAN is presented solely for inspirational or recreational reading, and it is not meant to substitute the recipient’s direct experience and investigation. The information is also given to strategically exemplify the different features of astroshamanic cosmology and is not intended to reflect Franco’s opinion or astroshamanism in general. Franco does not necessarily endorse any of the ideas and views expressed in this literature, including his own.
PAN welcomes assistance with transcription of recent workshops in English and Italian. If you would like to help please contact pan@atroshamanism.org.
Astroshamanic Healing Sessions - How do they work and how to arrange them.
Sessions typically last 60 minutes and can be in-person or distant (over the phone). Distance sessions involve a preliminary telephone consultation, followed by a healing practice and a successive consultation aimed at examining what emerged during the practice. Each session is geared according to the issue and intent of the client. The aim is to focus on prominent issues, both from an ordinary and multidimensional perspective, releasing grievances, while uncovering authentic talents and finding empowering guidance. If the client finds it helpful, it is also possible to have additional sessions, or start a specific training programme. Fees for a distant session (60 minutes) are Euro 60 (£ 40). If you wish to arrange a distance session, please contact Franco to make an appointment at info@astroshamanism.org
Astroshamanism Book I: A Journey into the Inner Universe and Astroshamanism Book II: The Voyage Through the Zodiac feature the core teachings of astroshamanism. They are available, together with various drumming and trance dance CDs, from Franco and by mail order from the Phoenix Shop at store@findhorn.com or +44(0)1309-690954.
The Operative Training in Astroshamanism (OTA) is a certificate course in core astroshamanism which allows you to study at home as part of an ongoing interactive training. Participants will learn a wide range of techniques, exploring all aspects of their soul, individual and collective, as they are reflected in the astroshamanic cosmology of the 12 Sectors, the 4 Directions and the 3 Worlds. They will receive initiation into specific healing and ceremonial practices according to each zodiac sign, integrating shamanic experiences with information drawn from astrology and other esoteric sources. The OTA can ideally be integrated with the One Year Course in Astroshamanism and the Astroshamanic Practitioner Training. For information contact: info@astroshamanism.org
Donations for PAN and Astroshamanic Healing activities: PAN is available free to anyone who has attended astroshamanic events/sessions or simply wishes to receive it. If you find PAN useful, inspiring, appealing or perhaps even revealing, any donation (small, medium or big) would be greatly appreciated (for further details contact info@astroshamanism.org). Donations will encourage us to continue on this path. Also articles and other forms of contribution are much appreciated.
PAN on-line: You can find an abridged edition of the latest issues of PAN on-line at http://panissue.blogspot.com/. The abridged Italian edition is at http://panitalico.blogspot.com/, while the full edition is available on request. The abridged Spanish edition is at http://panhispano.blogspot.com/ and the full edition is available on request.
[i] God in PAN is always meant as Core Multidimensional Identity, Undivided Self and Unconditional Love, and does not denote identification with a specific creed or gender. What counts here is the experience of God, rather than the term we employ. Hence if the term God causes grievances, please feel free to substitute it with another word. Yet here I wish to stress that astroshamanism and any deep spiritual work, as I see it, will however confront us with all grievances we hold towards the term God with the aim of healing them.
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