At the very foundation of Shamanism is the inherent understanding that the entire Earth is alive and interconnected. Not just alive in terms of individual life forms like humans, animals and plants; but alive in terms of the collective consciousness that exists within the Web of Life. This collective consciousness exists on multiple levels. For example, there is an individual consciousness that belongs to each individual (be it plant, animal or person) and there is also the consciousness of an entire species such as Bear Consciousness, Eagle Consciousness, Aspen Tree Consciousness, etc. Through the use of Shamanic Journeying, we have the ability to merge our awareness with and understand the perspective and consciousness of the other life forms with which we share this planet.
We can tune into a specific individual plant or animal. We can also merge our awareness with the broader consciousness of the species as a whole; and we can merge with the consciousness of a particular place in which multiple species resides. For example, we can connect with the awareness of a river mouth where myriad birds, fish plants and other animals reside, and also with the entire river itself. We can narrow our focus down to a particular pool or waterfall or bird nesting on that river to learn its wisdom and hear its messages, and we can also expand our awareness to listen to the teachings of an entire watershed, lake, ocean, continent and even the planet as a whole. Every place, animal, plant and life form has its own voice; its own consciousness and its own wisdom to share.
Some people refer to this broader consciousness as the life force of Gaia, the Mother Being who is our Planet Earth that is alive and functioning as a cohesive system. Others call it the Spirit That Moves Through All Things because we all share in the collective life force energy of creation. All living things share a collective awareness (in addition to their personal awareness), we all speak a common language and share the ability to connect with the broader consciousness of the planet, and to listen to the Spirit That Moves Through All Things.
Modern science might call it instinct, the force that allows a migrating bird, whale or seal to return to the same place over and over again, year after year, to birth their young. From a Shamanic perspective, it is the Spirit That Moves Through All Things that guides all animals on their migrations and day to day survival; determines the cycles of nature and the timing of when the trees blossom, bear fruit and drop their leaves; and was the guiding force in the lives of most ancient humans who were intimately connected with the Web of Life. “Instinct” is more than a simple animal phenomenon; it is tuning in to the larger consciousness of the Web of Life and the Spirit That Moves Through All Things.
Traditionally, people and communities who wished to live in harmony with the land for survival tuned into the consciousness of the place where they resided and traveled and acted as custodians and guardians of the land and water so that it continued to provide for future generations. They did not take for granted their survival; nor the bounty that they harvested from the land and upon which their survival depended. They kept things in balance by tuning into the consciousness of the place, the Spirit of the Land; and understanding Right Relationship such as how much can be harvested sustainably and how much must be left to reproduce for the future. This is a lesson that our modern society, with all its technological advances and amazing tools, still must learn.
When taking an animal, making a kill, they thanked the Spirit of the animal for its sacrifice, for giving its life so that the members of the community could live. Hunting and harvesting were done in a way that would make the herd stronger and ensure the ongoing health of the land. If an animal was taken, it was the weaker member of the herd; if timber was needed for shelter, only what was needed was taken, and it was taken in a mindful manner which prioritized the continued health of the forest; to tend the forest and make it stronger. The guidance of exactly when, how and what to harvest was received by connecting with the Spirit of the place, the Spirit of the land. If one was traveling in a foreign place where they were unfamiliar with the plants around them, it was by sitting with the plants and listening to the communications from their spirits that one learned what could be eaten and what could not, as well as the medicinal uses of each plant. It is this practice of communing with the Spiritual awareness of places, plants and animals that forms the underlying basis of most herbal medicine, traditional healing modalities, and ceremonial practices.
Today, we can apply this method of communing with the Spirit of Place to bring the Web of Life back into balance by asking for guidance about what is right action. Too many times in modern human history, well-meaning people have tried to solve a perceived problem and caused a bigger imbalance in the process. For example people have attempted to address the overabundance of a specific animal by bringing in a predator, only to discover that the predator wiped out native bird species instead of the “pest”; and have mismanaged forests by over suppressing fires so that too much underbrush is left standing and when a fire does start it becomes a giant conflagration. These are just two of myriad examples of how well intentioned people who are disconnected from the cycles of nature and the Spirit of the Land have caused so much unintentional damage. Disastrous effects have been generated by well-meaning people who are so narrowly focused on scientific method that they look at the cycle of life only with their minds and forget the necessity to also work with and ask for the guidance and blessing of the world of Spirit.
It is all too easy for those of us who feel the pain of the land and see the destruction caused by these mistakes to lose sight of the fact that many times these people have acted from a place of ignorance and not malice. The solution is to educate, not repudiate or invalidate the efforts of others. In order to make balanced decisions, it is essential to communicate and work with the Spirit of the Land and Water and to help bring the awareness of these healing practices into the mainstream so that we can work together to solve our environmental issues hand in hand with science; using both the spiritual and mental perspectives to return health and right balance to the Web of Life. If we are want to mitigate an environmental problem, inquire about proper use management of a specific location or gain insight into nurturing the well-being of an ecosystem; one of the first steps we can make is to undertake a Shamanic Journey to the Spirit of the Place. In this journey, we will ask to be introduced to the Spiritual Custodians of Land; the Protecting Ancestor Spirits who guard and care for the place. Often times, there are both Cultural Ancestors and Ancestors of the Land residing within the same location, therefore it is also necessary to seek the permission from the cultural ancestors as well and to be mindful that environmental and cultural preservation are often only possible when done together.
Raising the awareness not just of the environmental issues at hand but that the land itself has a consciousness that can and should be communicated with is imperative to creating a sustainable and harmonious future. It is mutually beneficial to the land and humans when we communicate with the Guardian Spirits of the Land. This work benefits not only us; but the entire Web of Life. Humans receive great healing and guidance from the Spirits. And when more people become aware of this method of communication and live it as a part of their daily life; people will show increasingly greater amounts of respect and care for the Earth as a living, conscious life form.
At its core, the cause underneath all of our environmental problems, is an issue of consciousness; a consciousness of separation rather than unity, a belief that we as humans are somehow separate from the land and the Web of Life itself rather than a part of it. Unity is a fundamental aspect of Shamanism; and it is unity with the world of Spirit that allows us the ability to communicate effectively with non-human forms of consciousness. When we feel in our blood and our bones this unity and kinship, this oneness with the land and knowing that we are a part of a larger whole, it is easy to care rightly for the Web of Life and preserve it for future generations. When we recognize that the entire world is one Web and that when we vibrate one strand, the whole Web vibrates, that whatever happens to one of us (plant, animal, human rock or river) happens to all of us; it becomes easy to tune in, listen and know what is right action. Once we have arrived at this place of conscious awareness we can then apply the technological advances of the modern world and the tools of scientific research in the most effective, positive and helpful way for ourselves, our planet and future generations.