The Rubric of the Shamanesque

Rubric = Custom, Role/Function or practice- 'Spiritual Praxis').

Shamanesque = A word describing that which is ‘Shaman like’ or describing a person who is acting in the manner of an indigenous Shaman.

The roles of Prophet, Priest, and Shaman are specialised vocations and while many may desire to be ‘called’ to such roles, only a few are actually recognised by their community as being ‘chosen’ by Sacred Spirit to perform this work:

‘For many are called but few are chosen.’ – Lord Jesus.

The parable that this saying comes from,speaks of a wedding guest that isn’t wearing suitable clothing for the occasion and it teaches us, among other things, not to claim to be something or someone that we are not.

Though we may have to give up the notion of Priesthood or Shamanism as a career choice, this does not mean that we have to give up incorporating aspects of the ‘Shamanesque’ into our everyday personal spiritual practice.

Over the course of the next few post I'm going to be looking at some of the Shamanesque practices that can enrich your life. They are not for everyone and may only be suitable for people at certain times in their lives when the circumstances call for it, for example during periods of physical sickness or a mental breakdown, on retirement and during times of unemployment or under-employment whatever the cause.

Praxis

However, having said that, I have to begin this series of posts by saying that developing some kind of a personal spiritual practice, is something that we should all make time for, however hectic the pace of our lives might be, (saying you have no time is not a valid excuse - you can make time if you choose to). Spiritual praxis is the main antidote to the toxicity of being lost in the consensus trace- the media fuelled corporate hamster wheel that most of us spin on day after day. It is a main part of the process of moving from states of fear and hatred towards the consciousness of compassion and loving kindness.

The mainspring of any spiritual praxis has to be meditation, mindfulness, and prayer. Meditation prepares the soil from which the deep roots of a genuine spirituality grows.

How To Meditate

There are many methods of meditating, that have emerged from all the great religious traditions of the world. The method described here has its roots in the Coptic 'Abbas' and 'Ammas', (fathers and mothers) that took to dwelling in the deserts of the Middle East in the first few centuries of the common era. It is quite likely that they were influenced by Buddhist and Hindu monks that travelled the silk roads. The similarity to 'Transcendental Meditation' of the method described here would suggest so, and there is clear evidence of Buddhist monks being in in Alexandria at this time.

Sit down. Sit still with your back straight. Close your eyes lightly. Then interiorly, silently begin to recite a single word – a prayer word or mantra. The World Community for Christian Meditation (WCCM) recommend the ancient Christian Aramaic prayer-word "Maranatha" that means 'Come Lord Jesus/ the Lord is here'. This saying was commonly spoken among early Christians, and it is thought that Aramaic was the language that Jesus spoke.

Say it as four equal syllables. Breathe normally and give your full attention to the word as you say it, silently, gently, faithfully and - above all - simply. Many people like to say the prayer word along with their normal breathing rhythm – so breath in with ‘Ma’/ out with- ‘Ra’/ In with ‘Na’/out with ‘Tha’ or ‘Ta’.

The essence of meditation is simplicity. Stay with the same word during the whole meditation and in each meditation day to day. Don't visualise but listen to the word, as you say it. Let go of all thoughts (even good thoughts), images and other words. Don’t fight your distractions: let them go by saying your word faithfully, gently and attentively and returning to it as soon as you realise you have stopped saying or it or when your attention wanders.

It is important to realise that meditation is not about emptying your mind or stopping thinking. You can no more do this that stop clouds blowing by holding up your hand. The art of meditation is the rocking back and forth from being lost in thought to focusing on your word faithfully throughout your time in meditation.

Meditate twice a day, morning and evening, for between 20 and 30 minutes. This is the ideal you should be aiming for but any time spend in meditation, however short is never wasted. It may take a time to develop this discipline and the support of a tradition and community is always helpful.