Sunday, December 7, 2008

Legitimacy



The Washington Post Sunday Magazine this week features a story about a guy who is a financial planner as well as a a shaman.

He looks so goofy in his weird outfits, playing his medicine drum, doing ambitious things like blowing fear and greed away from Wall Street. (Keep blowing, brother!)

The website video is very sweet. He admits that he travels between the worlds, but then he says, "But what's real? I mean, what is a credit default swap anyway? Is that real?" Good question!

Listening to him helped me feel slightly less embarrassed about all the shamanic work I did on Civil War battlefields a few years ago. In my own way I was doing just what he's doing. He's trying to blow fear and greed away from Wall Street. Is that less ambitious than trying to help dead soldiers move on to a place of healing and renewal?

I tend to think of my calling as completely at odds with American East Coast culture. Odd or not, though, people continually ask me to put my shamanic spin on the issues they're dealing with. During the past month, I've channeled a dead person for his family, taken two clients back in time to connect with the birth of their souls. Tuesday I'm doing a past life regression for a client. My shamanism dovetails gracefully into the bodywork. I don't talk about it much, but it's there.

Nice for me to know that this guy is banging on his drum, doing his healing in New York City. He's not embarrassed about his calling. Maybe I should stop making fun of myself. Hmmmmm.

10 comments:

tam said...

beautiful kitty, and the lines like lines on a page. I don't think you should make fun of yourself at all. In africa shamans are highly respected and any bits of mockery only originate from colonial misperceptions and fears. I love the idea of a shamanic finance person. I'd go to him. We need more holistic lawyers too. I've just started reading a book about a surgeon who became a sangoma / shaman. Will let you know what its like.

LadrĂ³n de Basura (a.k.a. Junk Thief) said...

Wonderful tree-cat shot!

A Concerned Citizen said...

I for one am very glad to have you here on the east coast. The east coast needs you, my Reya -- you provide a needed contrast to all the negative and closed minds that tend to live here. Don't ever make fun or yourself or call yourself a nut, because in truth you are much wiser and more intellectually advanced than most people who live in this swamp we call Washington, DC.

Gorgeous cat photo.

Squirrel said...

Very cool cat pic.

You channeled a dead person? I don't understand how channeling works, but it sounds interesting, to be able to communicate with someone who is no longer with us in a way --it would make several interesting posts if you could explain it.

Anonymous said...

Keep up the good work Reya.It's all fascinating, yet demanding,so good for you (and necessary)to step back and look at it from whatever perspective.Yours is delightful, informative, astute and entertaining.The shamanistic world seems to be indiscriminate,involving all types of people. What wierd and wonderful things happen.Your cat photo is beautiful.

Reya Mellicker said...

The cat was sitting in a car. Those lines are the defrost thingies in the back window. I worried about the cat because it was so cold Saturday (when I took the pic). I knocked on a few doors until I found the people whose cat it was. They said it was OK, but after I asked after it, they took the cat indoors.

It is a nice pic, though.

ArtSparker said...

Sounds like you have a constantly changing field to work in - a very dynamic way to engage different but related energies. I'm glad the people took the cat in.

Lynne said...

Why would they leave the cat in the car? Love the photo! It looks so other-wordly! Great reflection!

It must feel wonderful to be able to help people heal the way you do. Keep up the good work!

mouse (aka kimy) said...

good for you to track down the people associated with the cat - it's a gorgeous photo, but first thought after 'what a nice pic' was oh that cat looks cold!!

Steve Reed said...

I was amazed to see a cat loose in a car like that. My cat never travels anywhere with me unless she's in her cage. She gets freaked out otherwise.

Good for you for tracking down the owners! Next time, maybe they'll think twice before they leave their pet in an unoccupied car.

I often don't understand Shamanic energy, but I do appreciate its presence. Especially on Wall Street, where it's badly needed to counter our lesser human instincts!