PAN International 87
PAN INTERNATIONAL, Issue 87
Editorial Director:
© 2008
Here we are spinning through the threshold of the Winter Solstice once again. This year it takes place at
The Solstice is a glorious celebration of the mystery of polarities, the ongoing relationship between light and darkness, heat and cold, bestowing the awareness that all aspects of life are part of the same whole. This is why all human cultures have always found a way to celebrate this moment.
The Winter Solstice, and the week that follows, is the ideal time for acknowledging the cycles of the Earth, for slowing down and gaining awareness of what is happening in our life, where we come from, where we are going to, where we are and what truly matters on this journey.
In 2008 we have all read or heard extensively about global financial crisis, environmental issues and other major planetary grievances. It seems as if our planet is likely to encounter massive upheavals in the coming years. Yet, as I see it, the only way to face the problem, whether it is a real problem or not, is to learn who we truly are. This will also lead us to find out what we are doing here and what the real issue is. There is no point in dealing with an issue unless I know who is dealing with the issue and what this issue is. And since the issue here seems to be that we do not know who we are, this is where to start from, before doing anything else.
The long nights around the Winter Solstice are most soothing and healing times. They lay across as gentle blankets, dispensing the gift of tenderly coming together with our beloved ones, and also of remaining alone (all-one) in the company of all our inner parts. Joining to celebrate, either alone, with others, or both, being close and dreaming. Dreaming about what is good, what we wish for ourselves, for our brothers and sisters, and the world. Yet, this is also a time, when soaring dreams can be launched and grounded on Earth, when we can decide to sow the seeds of our highest aspirations and then commit to cultivate them, serving ourselves and the world.
This time of the year is perfect for recapitulation, one of the most healing shamanic practices. Recapitulation involves experientially reviewing one’s life and liberating unconsciousness and grievances trapped in the past. These grieving and unconscious elements are persistently recycled into our personal history from the collective planetary memory. They are the cause of all recurring emotional conflicts and unmentionable feelings. They are what keep us enmeshed in a separate reality, draining the vital energy we need in order to access our true nature and rise again into the multidimensional realms. These grievances continue to instigate an ongoing state of emotional captivity, until they are thoroughly identified, processed and finally liberated into the flow of the universe.
There are many techniques that can be employed for recapitulation, including established practices traditionally used during this holiday time. Although some of them do not necessarily display overt shamanic connotations, they are most powerful when practiced with integrity and purpose (see below the article “The Twelve Days of Christmas”).
During this time of the year many of us are likely to receive and send copious holiday greetings letters and cards. I am not a champion of this type of correspondence, yet I am pleased to receive it. Above all, what I truly like to receive at Christmas is a letter of holiday greetings from myself. This is a letter only for me, which I do not share with anyone else in this world. Yet, although the content of the letter is classified in the ordinary world, it is public in other realms. This letter is directed only to me on this planet, and yet it is an open letter throughout the multidimensional realms and up to God him/herself.
In this letter I acknowledge all the gifts I have received during the year, telling about the episodes of joy, beauty, success and love, including wishes, hopes, and aspirations. I write about people and places I feel grateful for, lessons I have grasped, making sure that some obvious things, which I tend to discount or take for granted, are also fully honoured. In the letter I express my intentions for the New Year, and the beautiful things I wish to experience and create for myself, my beloved ones and the planet at large.
In the letter I write about my disappointments, fears, sadness and other grievances. I speak of situations where I have felt confused, stuck and unable to cope. I mention the pain, misery and whatever in my perception causes sufferance in me and the world. I ask for healing, true understanding and release of all this. Here I do my best to be direct and honest, acknowledging accidents and tensions with people, especially what still appears to be unresolved. I include also refer to extreme areas of darkness, grief and helplessness.
In this letter I allow each part within me to express, all my chakras from top to bottom, and the features of my astrological chart, no matter how good or bad, contradictory and paradoxical they may seem. In all I write I can be very open for I know that the reader truly understands what I mean. This is a holiday greetings letter from and to someone who knows me very well. It is a letter addressed to me, and to God, who in the end includes everyone and everything, which means that this letter also saves the time of having to write so many greeting cards and alike.
If you wish, you can also write yourself a similar letter, which I regard as the best letter that can be received at Christmas. In this part of the year also many children write letters. They write to Father Christmas, or Santa Claus. Traditionally they used to put the letters into the back of the fireplace, so that the draught could carry them up the chimney to Father Christmas. The aim of writing such letters mainly involves receiving gifts and toys. As a child, I cannot remember anything more exciting than Christmas Eve, which is when at my home Father Christmas used to deliver his gifts. Most children would get their gifts on Christmas morning, yet since my parents had made special arrangements, I would receive an earlier delivery.
Well, in the end what counts is to receive the gifts, no matter whether it is in the evening or in the morning. There are many gifts circulating in this holiday season, and since this is an astroshamanic newsletter my invitation is to welcome and enjoy the physical gifts, while also detecting and grabbing the multidimensional gifts. These are the only gifts devoid of date of expiry, those which stay with us no matter where and when we go.
In this last PAN of the year, I wish to express my gratitude to you for being a reader. If you have taken part in workshops, sessions or other events in 2008 or later years, I also wish to thank you. Having had the opportunity of meeting you is one of the most luminous gifts I am happy to acknowledge at the sunset of the year. This for me is both a physical and a multidimensional gift, and I want you to be aware of it. Thank you so much!
You are always most welcome if you choose to attend further events, sessions or courses (see Calendar below). Also I am at your disposal if you wish simply to connect to share about your experience and whatever is relevant for you now. For this purpose you can contact me by e-mail or phone.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all! May you experience your loving and radiant self throughout these festive days, and may you generously share it with others at all levels.
Franco
Opening image by Pierre Cendors (www.cendors.com)
The Twelve Days of Christmas by Franco Santoro
As mentioned in the editorial, the Winter Solstice, and the time when the Sun is in Capricorn, is ideal for recapitulation and other similar practices. Besides reviewing one’s life and memories, releasing grievances and blocked emotions, these practices serve the purpose of allowing previously trapped energies to become available so as to implement desired results and objectives. Hence, recapitulation can then be followed by practices aimed at defining one’s intentions, and budgeting, organising and programming the year ahead.
A traditional technique is called the Heart of the Year, the Twelve Holy Days, or the Twelve Days of Christmas. This involves employing an established astrological and Christian framework, yet based upon a deep esoteric and astroshamanic foundation. These 12 days are also found in Vedic, Chinese, Pagan and many other traditions. Although the practice is used with several variations in calendar and customs, the most typical structure involves referring to the 12 days from 26 December to 6 January. In a more traditional version, in line with ancient Celtic and Christian customs, each of the 12 days starts on the previous evening, i.e. the first day goes from the evening of 25 December to the evening of 26 December, and so on.
The
During each of the 12 days you devote some time to review or recapitulate a portion of the past year according to the distribution of the signs of the zodiac. The first day (26 December) is associated with Aries and involves the review of the time from 21 March to 21 April 2008, the second day (27 December) is Taurus and deals with the period from 21 April to 22 May 2008, and so on according to the table below. The twelfth day is the Epiphany (6 January) and is associated with Pisces and the period from 19 February to
The Epiphany, following the Twelfth Night (the eve of Epiphany), concludes the Twelve Days of Christmas, exemplifying the complete retrieval of the 12 Sectors and their alignment with the Core Multidimensional Identity. It is believed that on the day of the Epiphany the feminine consciousness of the Virgin gave birth to the messianic power of the Christ. The Epiphany was once the original date of birth of the Christ and is still celebrated as such by the Eastern Christian Church. This second birth of the Christ esoterically relates with his multidimensional body and is associated with the Baptism, which is the exemplification of multidimensional birth, as opposed to physical birth.
For other 12 days, from 7 January (or the evening of 6 January) to 18 January, another possibility is to budget and programme the year ahead as regards all that you want to achieve. Here you can devote some time each day to explore your intent, wishes, projects and programmes for each zodiac sign, and part of the New Year, starting from Aries (21 March to 21 April 2009) up to Pisces (19 February – 21 March 2009).
| Date of review | Zodiac Sign | Review Time | Body Part | Sector | Date of budget |
| 26 Dec | Aries | 21 Mar–21 Apr | Head | 1 | 7 Jan |
| 27 Dec | Taurus | 21 Apr–22 May | Throat | 2 | 8 Jan |
| 28 Dec | Gemini | 22 May–22 Jun | Hand, arms | 3 | 9 Jan |
| 29 Dec | Cancer | 22 Jun–23 Jul | Solar plexus | 4 | 10 Jan |
| 30 Dec | Leo | 23 Jul–24 Aug | Heart | 5 | 11 Jan |
| 31 Dec | Virgo | 24 Aug–23 Sep | Intestine | 6 | 12 Jan |
| 1 Jan | Libra | 23 Sep–24 Oct | Adrenal glands | 7 | 13 Jan |
| 2 Jan | Scorpio | 24 Oct-23 Nov | Genital organs | 8 | 14 Jan |
| 3 Jan | Sagittarius | 23 Nov-22 Dec | Sacral plexus | 9 | 15 Jan |
| 4 Jan | Capricorn | 22 Dec-20 Jan | Knees | 10 | 16 Jan |
| 5 Jan | Aquarius | 20 Jan-19 Feb | Lower limbs | 11 | 17 Jan |
| 6 Jan | Pisces | 19 Feb-21 Mar | Feet | 12 | 18 Jan |
I Prefer Still Water by Franco Santoro
The following is a short excerpt from a workshop Franco gave in autumn 2004 at
Shamanism is based on the experiential understanding that there are multiple realities and identities, which are part of a larger multidimensional whole. In contrast our human consensus reality is founded on the acknowledgment of one sole identity, which is defined through separate physical forms. These forms are determined and detectable within the vibration of a prearranged frequency, acknowledged as the exclusive reality by those who consciously accept to dwell therein. The separated perception of this frequency and the related physical forms constitute the dominant belief system on this planet. Through shamanic experience it is possible to explore alternative frequencies and realize that the restricted third-dimensional bodies which define our identity in the current ordinary reality are solely one among infinite possibilities.
A prevalent understanding of shamans and spiritual seekers is that ordinary human awareness is a most fragmented perception set in a vast multidimensional consciousness, which our ordinary mind is unable to grasp. Although it is possible for human beings to experience glimpses or random perceptions of this larger consciousness, its established access appears to be only available to those willing to go through a most committed, solitary and controversial path. General human consensus strictly excludes, denies or mystifies any alternative reality, and this poses a major challenge to whoever is drawn to move beyond ordinary perception. This challenge implies learning to come to terms with the mechanics of consensus separated reality, which here I call Human Arbitrary Configuration (HAC).
Arbitrary comes from the Latin arbitrarius, further derived from arbiter, who is “someone with the power of judging, determining, or ordaining, without control or limitation”. The term arbitrary is generally employed to indicate conditions created not according to the truth, but in line with the intentions of those who have decided to create them. In legal language an arbitrary decision is made at the discretion of the judge, not according to the law or the evidence. The term arbitrary does not necessarily imply negative connotations. Arbitrary decisions can be helpful in situations of emergency, when it is vital to make choices and not get stuck in a space of uncertainty. Yet these decisions can also be the result of oppressive and predatory intentions. An arbitrary configuration is a strategic settings based on an intention. This means that in order to understand the configuration I need to unveil the strategic intention behind it, including what is my intention within the configuration itself, or in other terms, “what is this and what the hell am I doing here?”
Since most human beings are not in touch both with their intention and the strategic implications of this configuration, fatal misunderstandings occur, which are indeed the primary cause of all major grievances experienced in our human life. A major misunderstanding involves the confusion between the perception of the physical body and that of his/her/its apparent owner. This is tantamount to taking the clothing for the wearer, the container for the content, and the menu for the meal.
Let us take for example this bottle of sparkling mineral water that I often carry with me. The mark on the label, whose name I do not reveal to avoid undue advertisement, identifies a specific brand of water. Yet this bottle, although it originally contained fizzy water, is currently filled with still water from the kitchen tap at
As a matter of fact I have never liked fizzy water and I have not drunk any for more than 30 years. When I was a child I did like home-made fizzy water. This was produced by adding bicarbonate and tartaric acid powder from a mythical brand of soda bags, whose name is impressed in the unconscious of most Italian folks of my age. When my parents poured the powder into the bottle, I was enthralled by the transmutation of plain water into fizzy water, with all its superb effervescent bubbling detonations. This powder gradually fell into disuse and industrial carbonated water, which I never liked from the start, prevailed.
I bought this bottle of sparkling water only because I needed a glass bottle, and the cheapest glass bottles I found at the local supermarket contained fizzy water. I did not drink the fizzy water, which I immediately threw away. Since then I have always filled this bottle with still tap water. Perhaps you thought it was fizzy water, as the label reads. Yet, a bottle is a container and can contain anything. It could also be used for other liquids such as gin, vodka, grappa and other drinks which have the same colour of water. Yet, this could still lead you to believe that it is the same bottle of fizzy water. A similar situation applies to human beings.
One day I meet somebody with whom I feel a lot of love and other pleasant emotions. Then, after one week, when I meet the same person, I notice that my perception is totally different. This time I feel a lot of anger, and other unpleasant emotions. The container, that is the physical body, or bottle, is the same, yet the content has changed. At first it appears as the same person, bottle, I saw one week before. This is what the physical eyes show me. Yet at an emotional level I perceive things differently.
If I merely employ my immediate perception I cannot see the difference between fizzy and still water, and I will be decoyed by the label that reads “carbonated water”. Yet, if I go beyond the bottle and label, and deal with the content by actually tasting the water, I will surely be able to perceive the difference. However, if I do not trust my direct experience and continue to regard the label on the bottle as the absolute truth, I will repress my feelings and still go with what is written on the bottle. This is indeed what I believe most people on this planet do. They are so afraid to question all the labels that tell them how things are in life, what to do or not do, that they become unable even to be aware of what they experience. Their feelings, emotions and thoughts need to fit with the label, no matter what kind of absurdities the label reads.
A basic trait of shamanism is to privilege experience at the expense of appearance, to question beliefs and get first-hand know-how. The priority of shamanic attention is first toward the content, rather than the container. This does not mean that the container is irrelevant. On the contrary it plays a major role, as it allows the content to be contained. And here I need to be aware of who has decided to put a specific content in a given container. I have chosen to employ a bottle of sparkling water in order to contain still water, yet that does not mean that bottles of sparkling water contain still water. I am the one who has decided to perceive anger in someone in whom I once felt love…
If a belief system implies the denial of other dimensions, my perception will fit accordingly. Before moving into unknown dimensions it is essential that I become totally aware about what is familiar to me. This is the departing point of any shamanic enterprise as well as the returning point. The invitation is therefore that of first honouring the ordinary perception. Whatever I feel right now represents the departing point. I start from the immediate and most obvious perception, which is that of my ordinary physical body. From there I move onward to the awareness of other physical phenomena….
If you bring forth that which is within your selves, what you bring forth will save you. If you do not bring forth what is within you, what you do not bring forth will kill you. (The Gospel of Thomas, saying 70)
Restoring the Fragmented God: A Healing Voyage into Christian Shamanism - Report on the workshop at the Findhorn Foundation by Astrid Gude
The aim of the workshop that took place in the time of Advent was to provide space to participants to experientially restore and deepen their connection with God, maybe heal wounds that arose in their early religious education.
The framework was partly provided by liturgical and seasonal events, mainly within the Catholic tradition, partly through practises that allowed a direct connection to happen regardless of whatever particular religious path was followed. Methodologically we often started with references to the sacred that is officially acknowledged, experienced it in our own multi-dimensional world and, in a third step, took it beyond all this.
We began the journey with the energy of the Annunciation, connecting with moments in our lives when we received strong information about our own highest potential, the time when a seed emerged. On Monday, the day of the Immaculate Conception, we were able to attend the mass at the nearby Benedictine Abbey of Pluscarden.
Throughout the week we worked with allies or protectors from the Tarot of Saints. A very appreciated movie (The Reluctant Saint), shown on Monday night on the life of Saint Joseph of Cupertino, the levitating saint, impressed through the lightness and innocence of its main character. St. Francis of
In a more traditional way we did the prayers and practices of the rosary and dealt with the mysteries, devoting one day to the passion and the sorrowful mysteries, the energy of release in astroshamanism, going through the agony of the crucifixion before moving into the third stage of Grace.
A group project on Wednesday in the Sanctuary, the spiritual heart of Cluny Hill College, allowed us to practice letting love and light flow through our hands, blessing what we touch, work as love in action in the tradition of the Findhorn community. After connecting with the energy of the Virgin and the Madonna at the beginning of the week, Tuesday and Wednesday were more dedicated to the Christ. A movie on Wednesday evening, "7 km from Jerusalem" a modern parable, showed the transformation of a cynical, unbelieving 21st century "yuppie" into a modern "saint" who through his compassion and love embodies Christ's message on earth.
From the reading of Genesis, which took place in Monday's mass and in the workshop, we moved into an experiential session, inviting us to write our own story of creation and breathing in the energy that originates from the power of the universe.
Thursday, traditionally the day of expansion into the community, finished with a public Trance Dance in which bread (baked by Franco himself!) and "wine" were shared ritually.
The completion showed that those taking part in the workshop were able to make a deep connection with their spiritual/religious roots, received a deeper experiential understanding of some of the teachings, rituals and mysteries and healed wounds of the past.
Astroshamanic Experiences and Encounters by Dave Mountjoy
It was nearing the end of my participation in Experience Week when I first officially encountered Astroshamanism. A close friend had brought my attention to this system of healing, having himself had the opportunity to taste and digest a scent of its multiple flavours.
Since my late teenage years, I had developed an interest in shamanic healing, which during certain periods became a fascination and actual obsession. As I was moved through the eddies and currents of my life-flow, this awareness of the continuing presence of shamanic practices itself ebbed and flowed in the realm of my ordinary consciousness. However much I occupied myself, whatever schemes and dreams I plunged into and pursued, there always remained, even as sometimes the slightest spring-like trickle, a sense deep down in my bedrock that somehow, all things were connected, that really there is no ‘difference’ and that ultimately, I was free to come and go.
An individual session with Franco was therefore booked and though I had no conscious awareness of what was to follow, the subsequent meeting quite simply, in the most gentle of ways, changed my life. An appropriate quote may be: “And the rest, they say, is history”, yet for me it is a history that remains constantly alive, available and a source of loving inspiration.
Participation in a series of Astroshamanic workshops followed this initial meeting and most definitely not slowly but surely, several structures of my life at that point quite literally disintegrated and fell away. Relationships, employment and the very approach to everyday life went up in inner flames. Stag-like, a leap of quantum proportions had been made. The next step [though not one necessarily born of logic] was to align myself to the Operative Training in Astroshamanism, which began shortly before the Summer Solstice and peak of the period of light. Something was calling me in, whispering and cajoling, serenading and softly singing “Come closer and closer”. All manner of devices and tactics were employed by an aspect of myself that wished to remain bogged down and wallowing in the mud of separation. At times I hated the fact that I had ever met Franco or made the first journey to Findhorn and yet...well, these very words you are now reading tell of the choices I made and continually make with the in and out of every breath I am breathed by.
And so the journey continues. Why? In truth, I have no single reason. I know not why I follow this course and in turn am followed by the course itself. I don’t know what I’m doing nor where I’m going. I might even already be dead. This could be just a dream or figment of someone else’s imagination. I have nothing to fall back on or cling to. Yet in love, I most desperately am. And in this desperation I find guidance and invitation: to risk all and receive nothing; to let go and land nowhere. This is the offer.
The choice is mine to act or ignore the opportunities with which I am presented – the presents that bring me into The Presence. What counts for me is that once a decision has been made, I make the completeness of my whole self available for the project with which I am concerned. I struggle with such commitment, yet increasingly find such support as I never dreamed of, when commitment has indeed been made.
Such a project is the forthcoming Astroshamanic Basic Mid Winter Seminar in Malvern, near my hometown of
To offer myself completely in trust to something that has risk and potential pit-falls and discover in the midst of my doubt that love holds my hand every step of the way is inspirational beyond my ability to communicate with words. The joy and healing I have received even in anticipation of this forthcoming event is a song of celebration. The prospect of sowing luminous astroshamanic seeds in a physical landscape I experience to be richly fertile and one which harbours a barely hidden undercurrent of hobbit-like magic and wonder is in danger of causing a short-circuit and total orgasmic overload.
To not risk is no risk at all
But to open to tumble or fall
Brings a magnetic force that attracts its own course
And hears in its heart its own call.
The Devil - Capricorn: An Astroshamanic Voyage into the Tarot by
Please be aware that the articles in this series are merely an introductory overview on the topic. More plausible implications of the astroshamanic voyage through the Tarot are provided with individual experiential sessions or specific training.
In most traditional decks Capricorn is associated with the Devil, the fifteenth trump of the Major Arcana.. In the Rider Waite Tarot the Devil is depicted squatting on a small altar where two naked demons, male and female, are held in chain. He keeps his right hand raised, with his palm depicting the astrological glyph for Saturn, the ruling planet of Capricorn. In his left hand he holds a flaming torch. His forehead features a reversed pentagram, which is a symbol of matter triumphing over spirit. The pentacle is also a representation of the human body, and when it is reversed the genitals are above the head, indicating sexual desire or reproduction prevailing over higher consciousness.
Although the Devil is conventionally regarded as antagonistic or opposed to God, its etymology discloses a striking and controversial affinity. The term “devil” derives from the Indo-European deva, which is the Sanskrit word for "god, deity". As a result, many languages directly descended from Sanskrit, such as the Gypsy language, use the term devil as the name of God. Also in many other cultures the name used for God in ancient times became the term employed to identify the devil and also vice versa. For the Gnostics the Old Testament god, Yahweh, is indeed regarded as a demonic and evil being, as opposed to the true God. The Devil is here a lower god, a flawed consciousness, a Demiurge, the creator of the physical world where we live and the author of the realm of separation (kenoma), or Human Arbitrary Configuration (HAC).
The most common meaning of the Devil relates to its capacity to generate illusions and arbitrary limitations. The main of such illusions is the perception of a separated reality, and the lack of awareness of whatever exists beyond the physical world. In general, the Devil is a card of bondage and addiction, which may range from one’s entire experience of life or to just a specific area. It can therefore refer to my whole perception of reality, when this is based on rigid belief systems that exclude and deny whatever does not belong to them. It can also relate to one particular aspects of life, such as eating, smoking, or drinking where I may be enslaved or also have preconceived ideas. The Devil applies to addictions as well as to attitudes of excessive control and rigidity, which are still forms of bondage.
The trump can traditionally indicate a situation where the individual is blocked, dominated by his narrow mind or by strong obsessions, vices, sexual urge or other things that are usually regarded as abominable or unacceptable. It may indicate a binding attraction towards people, behaviours or situations that the individual hates, and yet he is unable to stop either because the urge is too strong or due to fear of consequences. It can be an invitation to being aware of such obsessions and urges, not allowing them to spread unconsciously or taking some action so that they are safely released or transformed. The Devil may also denote an invitation to take it easy in a certain situation and accept to be a bit mischievous, not getting too serious, controlled or rigid, letting go of shyness and fear.
Yet, there is a deeper element in the Devil, which constitutes the arcane essence of this trump. In this respect it stands for an awesome resource of power, which the seeker needs to master in order to move on the path. This power is a most terrifying element, something generally regarded as wicked or sinful, which may be seen as such simply as a result of deeply rooted conditioning and denials. Here the Devil relates with the crucial use of sexual energy, in all its expressions, and its capacity to raise our multidimensional awareness and liberate us from the bondage of separation, or to cause obsession, addiction and violence. The awakening of our multidimensional nature is a most ecstatic experience with radical effects on every aspect of our perception, especially the physical body. Yet there are very close links between these ecstatic experiences and addictive, violent or weird behaviours. The neural activity our brain produces whenever facing any extreme, shocking and risky situation, no matter whether this is a shamanic experience or a criminal act, is basically the same, and this can lead to a lot of confusion. The borderline between enlightenment and insanity, ecstasy and perversion is very thin, which is what makes the shamanic path a most controversial and often perilous one.
The Devil is a most stirring and devious initiatory card, a major test on the way of healing, which can unveil its original nature as Pan, the traditional horned god of pastoral life and vegetation. The Devil, as Pan, is the keeper of the so called bona fide horny bit, the climax of libido, and the guardian of the threshold between HAC and non-HAC.
Pan is an all-embracing god comprising all aspects of life. His name means “all”, and was given to him by the gods to acknowledge the libido drive as the all-inclusive feature of the entire universe. Hence Pan is the god of everything and everyone, HAC and non-HAC, good and evil, representing the Great Whole at all levels, from the most intense physical sensuality to the peaks of transcendental asceticism. To the people of ancient times Pan represented the complete spirit of unity, blending the apparent polarities of the third-dimensional world, life and death, day and night, light and darkness. Pan was once the most popular god in the western world and his horned statues could be found more abundantly than those of any other god. Yet, since Pan was the god of unity and multidimensionality, when the current HAC took over, there was no place for Pan anymore and the emerging HAC cultures began to demonise him. Hence, soon Pan became the Devil.
Pan is mythically located in the constellation of Capricorn and is the representation of Saturn, and the original inspirer of the Saturnalia. Shamans and healers of ancient times would embody the spirit of Pan especially on the Winter Solstice, in order to preserve the balance between polarities and the alignment to the vertical axis, or Core Multidimensional Identity. The ancient Pagan custom to gather around an evergreen tree, revived with the current Christmas Tree, is connected with another obvious feature of Pan: i.e. Father Christmas or Santa Claus. Santa and Pan are alter egos, sharing the same nature in different contexts. Just move the n of Santa to the end and you get Satan! There is a legend that Pan died at the exact moment of Jesus’ crucifixion. Pan’s alleged death was supposed to represent the end of Paganism or, more pragmatically, the separation from our Core Multidimensional Identity and the castration of our human original ecstatic nature. The legend about Pan dying at the same moment as Jesus, may obliquely imply that Pan is also born, like Jesus, at Christmas. Hence, watch out!
Featured Member of the Sacred
Every issue of PAN will now feature a long term member of the
We continue this series with Elaine Silverfire.
For information about becoming a member of the
Name: Elaine Silverfire
Sun Sign: Gemini
Moon Sign: Aries
Ascendant: Cancer
Astroshamanic Trinity System: 3:1:4
Other relevant features in your astrological chart: Chiron conjunct the MC, Pluto conjunct the IC
Location: Forres,
Where are you originally from?
Tell us about yourself and your interests. I don't know what to say. I have changed so much since I became involved with Astroshamanism and I feel that I could shapeshift again at any moment. Who I am doesn't seem important any more, which is a huge change. I suppose I could say that I am interested in finding out why I am here and what I am here for and how I can serve the planet and I am exploring all of these questions through studying Astroshamanism but I have gained most of my insights through working in the beautiful Cluny Garden and working with the Sacred Circle there.
How did you first connect with astroshamanic work? I first met Franco in
Why are you involved with astroshamanic work? It is my life. This is why I am here, though I am not sure yet exactly what I am here to do.
What sort of things inspire you in astroshamanism? I have found most inspiration from being in nature and working with the cycles of nature.
How long have you been involved with astroshamanism and other forms of spiritual healing or energy work? I have been involved with spiritual healing since 1999 when I started training to be a Reiki Practitioner. I worked as Reiki Practitioner for 3 years, becoming a Reiki Master/Teacher in 2005. Immediately afterwards I decided to begin training in Astroshamanism, feeling that this was the next step, that the Reiki initiation had opened me to something wider than working with people individually or in groups, that I had some role to play in healing the planet. Since this time I have also learned to work with energy through practicing Qi Gong (and attempting to learn Kung Fu) and I have recently started doing Kundalini Yoga.
What types of astroshamanic activities, training and work do you take part in? I have just finished the second year of the Operative Training in Astroshamanism and I have also been involved with the Astroshamanic Practitioner Training, gaining practical experience through assisting at Trance Dance and at workshops.
What are your favourite astroshamanic practices and experiences? My favourite workshop is the Original Quest, which I have attended 3 times, once as a participant and twice as an assistant, and I love working with the
Why are they your favourites? I like to delve into the roots, digging down deep to find what is hidden there and unearthing it. For me release is the most important part of the work.
What is your current intent? To finish the Operative Training in Astroshamanism, working with the vision I had recently, which I feel holds the clue to what I am here to do.
Do you offer any astroshamanic or other healing services, sessions or events? If yes, what are they? I am planning to continue to be involved in rituals in
What advice would you give anyone who was thinking of training or going deeper with astroshamanic work? All I can say is that the work has been meaningful for me but everyone is different and the work can be tailored to suit the individual so don't be afraid to ask for what you want.
Anything else you'd like to say to the group: I canna but thank ye.
Contact Information: elaine_silverfire@hotmail.co.uk
The Astroshamanic Mentoring Service
Since 1988 Franco Santoro has worked extensively with thousands of people from all walks of life and from more than 100 countries, offering them regular support and guidance in the search for their life purpose. Franco is particularly successful in assisting individuals to gain clarity about their highest intentions and develop pragmatic means to fully achieve them. The connection with the inner guide, or multidimensional self, and the enhancement of shamanic healing gifts also plays a significant role.
As from 2009 the Provisional Astroshamanic Network (PAN) is pleased to provide the opportunity to extend this experienced assistance through a new exclusive Astroshamanic Mentoring Service (
The Astroshamanic Mentoring Service involves a regular direct connection with Franco Santoro or other qualified mentors aimed at the following:
· Setting, implementing and manifesting short, medium and long-term intentions
· Deeply and regularly connecting with one’s inner guide, core identity and other deep expressions of the multidimensional self.
· Releasing and transforming grievances, blocks and other aspects of separation.
· Integrating spiritual, multidimensional and visionary experiences with everyday life, including family, relationships, creativity and work.
· Retrieving lost parts of the soul and spirit medicines.
· Intimately engaging with the seasonal cycles and the energy dynamics of one’s astrological chart
· Unveiling, supporting and developing hidden potentials and gifts.
· Assisting in devising and applying practices and healing remedies, including a full programme aimed at supporting the above processes.
· Providing opportunities for further training and refinement of skills, together with the integration of various forms of astroshamanic tuition, such as Operative Training in Astroshamanism, Astroshamanic Practitioner Training or one-year courses, and of other modalities of teaching.
The Astroshamanic Mentoring Service is extremely flexible and can be adapted to all types of situations and needs. We will work with each person individually for a minimum of three months, and with pricing options starting from £19 per month. The service is offered by phone or via Skype, and also through face-to-face sessions, if required.
If you would like to receive further information about this service, including costs and format, please contact
Donations to PAN: PAN is available free to anyone who has attended astroshamanic events/sessions, or simply wishes to receive it. If you find PAN useful, or if you value astroshamanic work, why not become a supporter of the Provisional Astroshamanic Network (PAN)? We rely on donations to bring in enough to cover a small part of the expenditures. And we do need donations to expand the work and activate various healing projects. Any donation (very small, small, medium, big or very big) would be greatly appreciated. Donations will encourage us to continue on this path. Also other forms of contribution are much appreciated.
You can also support PAN by contributing to our Bursary Fund which allows people who do not have enough money the chance to participate in astroshamanic long term programmes, such as the Operative Training in Astroshamanism, the Astroshamanic Practitioner Training and the One-Year Courses. There are various talented people who need this support, and some of them are often forced to limit or defer their training because they are unable to cover the expenditures involved in travel, accommodation and tuition. Your help may be decisive here. For more details please contact pan@astroshamanism.org.
If you wish to offer a donation for PAN the easiest way is to send a UK £ Sterling cheque payable to Franco Santoro, Cluny Hill College, Forres IV36 2RD, Moray, United Kingdom. For information regarding money orders, payment in Euro or other forms of payment, please contact pan@astroshamanism.org.
If you would like to sponsor specific astroshamanic projects, please contact us to discuss your proposal.
The Provisional Astroshamanic Cards
The Provisional Astroshamanic Cards are a simple and powerful tool that efficiently condenses the essence of astroshamanic cosmology and astrological language. The main purpose of the cards, created by Letizia Mocchegiani and
While designated primarily for shamanic healing work and experiential astrology, the cards can also be used for divination, readings and motivational purposes. This deck is also aimed at promoting a deeper understanding of astrology and one’s inner world, supporting intuitional and experiential learning through a direct interaction with symbols, colours and keywords. The cards constitute a most valuable accompanying tool to
The Provisional Astroshamanic Cards are available for order in the
Forthcoming Astroshamanic Events: 2008-2009
Please be aware that new events may be added with short notice, especially with regards to Jesi (
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, 28 December 2008 – 2 January 2009, The New Year Spiritual Healing Retreat (with Franco Santoro & 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…
Jesi, (Ancona , Italy 23 January 2009 , Astroshamanic Practitioner Training
Jesi (Ancona , Italy Sacred Circle
Info: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 or 3489231998 or zone25@tele2.it.
Worcester (England 1 February 2009 , Astroshamanic Midwinter Basic Seminar with Franco Santoro assisted by Dave Mountjoy
A classic introductory two-day seminar aimed at providing a direct experience of astroshamanism according to the midwinter seasonal cycles. During this experiential workshop, participants will work with core astroshamanic practices aimed at widening their perception so as to become more open to their inner guidance or multidimensional self. Particular attention is given to the shamanic voyage, the connection with the spirit guide or core multidimensional identity, and the integration of the air and earth elements. The programme includes shamanic voyages, trance dance, drumming, chanting, postures, elements of shamanic astrology and cartography of non-ordinary states of consciousness, ceremonial sharing and the healing Basic Ritual of the Sacred Cone Circle
Cost: on a sliding scale based on income (£119 – 99 - 79). For information and bookings: Dave Mountjoy, davemountjoy@yahoo.co.uk or +44 07532 356703.
Click here for more details.
During this seminar participants are initiated into basic astroshamanic healing touch. The programme includes a complete experiential introduction to the three stages of shamanic healing and aims at defining and deepening the relationship with one’s inner core and its connection with the outer reality. This is the first introductory seminar of the One-Year Course in Astroshamanic Healing Touch & Energy Work. It is possible to take part also if you are not attending the Course. Cost: on a sliding scale based on income (£119 – 99 - 79).
About the One Year Course in Astroshamanic Healing Touch & Energy Work: Astrology and shamanism demonstrate that our reality is a smaller scale duplication of a vaster universe, from which we appear to have separated themselves. Astroshamanic Touch is an energetic bodywork application of astroshamanism meant as a tool for bridging the physical with our multidimensional nature. During the Course we will discover ways of employing the physical body to foster expanded states of consciousness, retrieve soul parts, reawaken healing talents and integrate them in everyday life. Through healing practices derived from various traditions we will receive visions and insights to deepen the work. We will also explore the multidimensional features of relationships, sharing ways to release intense feelings, promoting forgiveness, transformation and unconditional love. The Course consists of five week-end workshops. Each workshop deals with a particular aspect of astroshamanic healing touch as applied to the elements and the astrological wheel.
Bookings: Foundation for Planetary Healing,
Findhorn Foundation, 21 February–6 March 2009, FOUNDATION TRAINING in ASTROSHAMANISM:
With Franco Santoro, Astrid Gude & Sacred Cone Circle members
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
Findhorn Foundation, 14-20 March 2009, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden (with Sverre Koxvold & Franco)
Findhorn Foundation, 11-17 April 2009, Flowering of Life – A Spring Retreat (with Franco & Astrid Gude)
Findhorn Foundation, 2-9 May 2009, Restoring the Fragmented Heart: The Way of Sacred Relationships
Findhorn Foundation, 20-27 June 2009, The Original Quest: An Astroshamanic Journey into Space and Time (with Franco & Sverre Koxvold)
Information: Letizia Mocchegiani +39 0731206687 or 3489231998 or zone25@tele2.it.
Findhorn Foundation, 1-8 August 2009, Astroshamanic Trance Dance, Drumming and Chanting
Findhorn Foundation, 7-14 November 2009, Being with the Spirit of Cluny Garden in Autumn (with Sverre Koxvold & Franco)
Findhorn Foundation, 28 November 2009 - 5 December 2009 , The Blessed Way of Passion: Astroshamanic Healing and Touch.
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@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, or at info@astroshamanism.org
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
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.
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.
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