Transmutation News January 2018 Download printable version
It is remarkable how fast time is accelerating as we once again join our spiritual heartbeat together to wish our community a healthy and more balanced and harmonious New Year!
A teacher and healer I so respect shared with me, that using numerology, in 2018 we move into the tarot archetype of the High Priestess. What an image and feeling to hold, knowing the divine feminine will be stepping in to hold us and also to guide us in making changes. As most of us know the divine feminine can manifest in so many ways holding us in compassionate love, but can also be a fierce teacher in helping navigate the times we are facing.
I am going to address the issues that people sent in. But I can say most of the issues people have been sending me have to do with the issue of losing hope.
I have been writing the Transmutation News since 2000 and have been addressing this issue over 18 years. But what I am finding is that so many people are to trying focus on how we can think our way through the challenges we are now facing.
As you know I work with the Egyptian goddess Isis for guidance on designing my workshops and also for what seeds to plant in my writing. She has been very strong over the years of asking us not to make long term predictions for our future is based on our present. As we change our present we change the future. Due to the strength of this message I typically start every January Transmutation News off with Isis’ message as New Year’s is when many people seek out predictions for the year.
Recently Isis’ message has changed. And through my dreams I am being introduced to new compassionate spirits.
Isis and the new very ancient compassionate spirits, I am now meeting, are sharing the same message with me. They are telling me that due to the planetary initiation we are ALL going through together it is important to teach people how to strengthen their spirit.
Living a healthy life means integrating practices that nurture and strengthen all aspects of body, mind, and spirit. But in the Western world more focus is put on strengthening the body and mind. We are allowing ourselves to be distracted by nurturing our rational minds by reading, watching videos, reading Facebook posts, etc. I know I do encourage you to read books, sign up for workshops, and summits.
But the key is what do you do with this information. Do you just nurture your mind with it and feel like you are healing and evolving because you now have more information? Or are you finding ways to incorporate spiritual practices in your life that move this information from a rational understanding into your body and cells to wake up the fire, passion, innate wisdom, and strength of inner spirit? Are you taking new inspirations of what you learn to the deepest level possible? Are you allowing the destabilizing energies and forces right now to shift you into a new evolution of consciousness?
The spiritual practices we engage in help us to surrender to the natural flow and process of death and rebirth. They are not separate processes and they are a flow. Life is a flow.
The initiation we are going through is a classic shamanic initiation where one cannot “think” their way through or “power through” with big physical muscles. People in shamanic initiations who tried to think their way through or power through died.
Initiations are so dangerous and put us in so much peril we cannot think our way out. And physical strength does not help either. Initiations wear you down to a place where your mind gives up in complete despair with no road map out of the challenge you are facing. Your body gives in too as you are too worn down to continue. Next the initiate now has the opportunity to let their inner fire awaken and surrender to the true strength of inner spiritual power that knows no obstacles, pain, suffering on any level.
It is the key to moving through planetary challenges before humans destroy what is left to life on this great Earth.
I do not publicly broadcast all the initiations I have been through. I write about my Near Death Experiences but frankly they pale to the true initiations that I have been through where everything my mind and ego thinks is important for my survival dissolves leaving me on my knees without a roadmap, a light, but just lost in the darkness. So far in my 65 years of initiations my inner spirit has carried me even when it looked like I could not muster enough strength to make it through.
So I am not writing from a place of inexperience. All the challenges spiritual teachers and practitioners are going through today are intentionally being created by the divine within and without to awaken our inner spirit. We can do this. But it is not easy. It will not take a minute, because it involves a deepening. Your spiritual muscles only grow strong by swimming in the deepest and darkest waters of your inner shadow.
If you want to be in true service, if you have lost hope, if you are despair, if you are worn down that is the point of the exercise. Go deeper!! Find your spiritual strength. By doing this you will not have to find inspiration from outside sources, or ask about how to find hope, or how you can be in service. And don’t try too hard. Swimming in the deep dark waters is more of a passive swimming process that trying to muster all your mental and physical strength. I know this sounds counterintuitive, but if you try too hard you are staying in shallow waters instead of being courageous enough to sink to the depths that propel you back into the light.
One way shamans work with the issues we are facing is by performing ceremonial work. Of course bringing the sacred into every moment of your life is the true key to discovering the true power of this ancient practice that was gifted to humans by the compassionate spirits tens of thousands of years ago to help us survive.
The way many are practicing shamanism and other spiritual practices today will not bring us to closer to the divine, health, or the light as we still resist sinking into the darkest waters possible. So as I said inner and outer forces are forcing us to do so.
Ceremonial work opens a doorway into both the shadow/dark and light places that reflect back our nature so we can see and transform the dark spaces within which translates to creating a healthier life. This work is crucial as it creates a detoxification process that leads to a cleansing leaving us reborn, filled with spiritual power, and light. It is how we attune to our nature and how we grow, evolve, transform and heal.
There are no rational solutions that will solve our planetary issues. Go deeper! Write the words down on a piece of paper – Go deeper. Put this phrase up everywhere you can see it. Don’t try to go deeper, set your intention, don’t resist the deep dark waters, don’t resist the dissolution, learn to ride the waves and flow. And most of all know we are doing this together. No one can save another, but we can cheer each other on, hold the space, and pray.
If you are wondering what to do and have lost hope – go deeper with your spiritual work. And when you feel you have reached the deepest depths possible there are always deeper depths to go through. Trust yourself!! Don’t give your trust or authority away to others. Trust yourself. And as I wrote in the December 2017 Transmutation News explore deeper ways to love yourself and care for yourself. For as you do this you will go deeper.
Here is a guided journey/meditation I have been leading to deepen your cellular experience with the organism we call the web of life. If you want to be in service but don’t have the ability to go out and be a social activist, be a spiritual activist by watching and feeling the vibration of every word, thought, and daydream that you are feeding our organism the web of life.
Imagine traveling into your body and experiencing a shimmering web connecting your cells, organs, and body parts. The silk like threads of the web are so finely tuned like those on an exquisite string instrument. Let the frequency of your favorite words vibrate throughout this inner web. Notice how it feels. Let a joyful thought vibrate through this web and observe how it impacts your cells.
Now feel, notice, tune in with your spiritual heart to how every word you utter, thought, daydream impacts your own cells, organs, and body parts.
Expand your practice and include every microscopic to enormous living being that we share this Earth with. They are part of this one organism we call the web of life.
If you are confused about what action to take to be in service perform this exercise every day, and you will have no question about what action to take to be a light of hope and positive change maker in the world. You will have no questions about the discordant energy in the world.
Katharine wrote in to let me know we will experience 2 supermoons in January, 2018. Katharine shared that The Moon is linked with the number 18. In the Tarot the 18th archetypal card is the Moon Card. And this card is known to be part of moving through an initiation or test by being presented with choices. The test is to make new healthier choices instead of repeating old unhealthy patterns and ways of dealing with conflict. There are guardians guarding the gates to deeper mysteries preventing entrance to those not ready due to continuing to make unhealthy decisions and choices.
We start the 18th year of the 21st century with a Super Full Moon on the 1st day of January, the 2nd in a set of 3 Super Moons. And we end the month with a Super Blue Moon and lunar eclipse on January 31.
Katharine asked me to share the opportunities we have to let our imaginations take seriously the mythic importance of the signs of the times we are in and how to wisely use the energy of The Moon to draw us in the direction of our highest reason for existence.
She asked me write about how to connect with The Moon using its nature to move water thus moving ourselves and the world in a good way.
What I can say is we are water beings living on a water planet. The moon’s power impacts both our inner and outer tides. For me the issue is all about flow. Flow is the new word I am focusing for my own healing.
I do all my physical and spiritual exercises while gently letting my body rock as I sink into nature’s flow- whether it is the flow of water, flow of air, flow of sunlight, flow of death and rebirth as part of the nature’s cycles. I flow like the trees that do not resist the winds of change. The moon moves us in ways that are beyond words. Words have become a distraction preventing us from going deeper. As I shared they tend to bring us up to the surface waves.
So my advice is to journey or meditate on spiritual practices to bring into your life that which cellularly attunes to the flow of your inner elements and how your ebb and flow is impacted by the changing phases of the moon.
As we are dealing with these powerful full moons please GO DEEP with your spiritual work before connecting into the pristine collective that we have been creating with our full moon ceremony. Do the work that shamans have done for thousands of years. They do not see with their tangible eyes. They use their non-ordinary eyes to gaze into the unseen to reweave disharmonious energies. Travel within, experience your inner divine light, and let it shine. Our radiant light flows within our circle and then with the power of the full moon, as our partner, our light and loving energies become exponential nurturing all of life. Let’s transfigure as if our life depended on it because it does! Open all your ordinary and non-ordinary senses and dream a good dream for all of life. Again, our survival depends on the work you are doing!
If you are a new reader of the Transmutation News please read: “Creating a Human Web of Light” on the homepage.
I know many of you do not read the announcements, and I understand this. I write the Transmutation News as a way to keep you all inspired to keep going deeper. The announcements are for those who are looking for books, summits, and workshops to plant seeds that they can now nourish their inner landscape inspiring us to raise our consciousness and GO DEEPER. For those of you who do not read the announcements scroll through to the last announcement from Damini Celebre. She has created a brilliant project we can all can participate in to welcome in the New Year!
May welcoming in the New Year inspire you to strengthen and deepen your spiritual practices so that all life might live!
Announcements:
To order my books Walking in Light: The Everyday Empowerment of Shamanic Life, Speaking with Nature: Awakening to the Deep Wisdom of the Earth (co-written with Llyn Roberts), my CD “Shamanic Visioning Music: Taiko Drum Journeys”, “The Spirit of Healing” or any of my other books and CD programs, the Transmutation App (now available for both Apple and Android devices) please visit: http://www.sandraingerman.com/bookscds.html
Nanouk and Crow are brilliant shamanic practitioners who are traveling the world working with shamans. They have created a new organization Shamanic Voyages where they will be creating some wonderful adventures to different shamanic cultures.
Their next trip will be to work with the powerful shaman Bhola Banstola. Bhola is a good friend of mine, and everyone who works with him is so deeply impacted by his loving presence and powerful work. He was initiated into the practice through his own family line of shamans. I have known Bhola for over 10 years. He is pure radiant light, a wonderful healer, shaman, and brings joy and healing to everyone who steps into his presence. Check out the link for the Nepal program to learn more about the adventure to Nepal.
https://shamanicvoyages.com/
and the link to the Nepal trip with Bhola :
https://shamanicvoyages.com/nepal-program
Over the years I have been announcing books that might inspire you. But now I am introducing you to two filmmakers who have created films on shamanism that show what the practice of shamanism is TRULY about. They do not mince words, and they have filmed authentic shamans who do not mince words either. They share about the raw power of shamanism and how it a path that leads to a full death and rebirth.
One filmmaker is Nick Polizzi who directed the film “The Sacred Science”. Check out Nick’s work on www.thesacredscience.com. Nick just wrote a book that Hay House is publishing. I love the book and the film and give gratitude to Nick for all he is sharing.
Recently I was filmed by David Paquin for a new documentary on shamanism. David has made two documentaries before where he follows the work of shamans in a variety of cultures. I loved being filmed by David as he is so serious and passionate about teaching a wide audience about the power of shamanism.
https://www.chamanismes.com/
Renee Barbeau’s remarkable book, and I mean really REMARKABLE BOOK is now available. The title is Winds of Spirit. I promise you it will not disappoint. I cannot tell you how much I loved this book, as wind is one of my allies. It will become one of yours too after being inspired by the cross-cultural stories Renee shares about the spiritual power of the wind. It is published by Hay House.
There is a powerful list of international teachers trained by me to teach shamanic journeying, ceremonial practices, and walking the path of shamanism as a way of life. What I love about the teachers on the list is that they continue to evolve and develop unique exercises, practices, and workshops that really speak to the times we are living in. I love the innovative work they bring to the practice empowering the work to create positive changes on personal and global levels. If you are looking for a brilliant teacher to teach you shamanic journeying please visit: www.shamanicteachers.com.
And remember I have online courses that you can register for and participate in during your own time from anywhere in the world. Just click on the “Training & Announcements” section of the homepage to see the list of online courses you can take. One is a workshop on shamanic journeying I taught that was filmed by Sounds True. And two are teleconferencing audio courses I taught through the Shift Network.
I also wanted to let you know about an introductory talk Hank Wesselman, shamanic teacher and author, is giving on shamanic journeying. Hank and I wrote such a wonderful book together titled Awakening to the Spirit World and of course Hank has written his own brilliant books. I love how Hank is evolving his work and sharing new perspectives that we don’t always learn from others. He is teaching a new course in January. But you need to click on the link for his introductory lecture to sign up.
What if you could journey to the Lower, Middle, and Upper Worlds... and connect with your spirit teachers?
Time-tested shamanic practices can open you to receive clarity and wisdom from your personal guides — to heal yourself and others, transform your work life and relationships, and fulfill your life’s mission.
You can register here: https://shiftnetwork.isrefer.com/go/sjstSI/ingerman/
Damini Celebre is listed on www.shamanicteachers.com. She is a brilliant teacher and author.
She has started an exciting project and one you might find yourself interested in for welcoming in the New Year. Here is how Damini describes her project:
“Spirit speaks to each of us differently: sometimes, in rich metaphors that we experience in a journey, sometimes with a flash of clarity and knowing during our waking day, and sometimes in dream state. During the summer, I had a dream where I saw myself ceremonially placing seed pods in a hole on a hilly, open landscape. The seed pods contained prayers for healing the Planet.
Since that dream-vision, I have been bringing the ceremony into form, by creating clay seed pods. The pods are made of local clay, and each contain a prayer for the Earth, that is written on paper and placed in the pod’s opening.
In a series of Prayer Pod ceremonies, the 108 Prayer Pods will be placed on the Earth. Over the seasons, the Elements will dissolve them into the earth. This First Prayer Pod ceremony will be in Pennsylvania.
I am also taking this opportunity to share this project with the public via social media. Hoping that this project will invite folks to reflect on some key themes: The preciousness of all life, that nothing lasts forever (impermanence), and to bring awareness that our beautiful Planet is a Living Being that needs respect, love, and healing — right now. I will photograph the Prayer Pods daily, as they merge with Earth, and will post these images on social media. Sharing the idea that Earth needs our love and prayers with the wider community, so we can all share the common intention of holding healing prayers for the Planet, in our minds and hearts. Lastly, we will share the experience of how a simple, intentional ceremony can create healing for the Planet and All Beings.
The next step I am guided to with this ceremony, is to make smaller Prayer Pods and leave them in urban areas. These prayers will either merge with the Land or get taken home— both ways are perfect!
I am going to document the ceremony and keep an online journal here> http://www.daminicelebre.com/prayer-pods
I am super-excited to have the Pod Love:: Earth Healing Ceremony message be spread around. Knowing that these pods are a whisper, while deeply understanding the phrase “A whisper is better than a shout”.
Do you have a prayer-intention-wish for healing the Planet? If so, I would like to include your prayer in a seed pod. Please email me your prayer at b.shiny(at)me.com and I will place your prayer in a seed pod."
Thank You!
Blessings for All Beings,
Damini Celebre
Copyright 2018 Sandra Ingerman. All rights reserved.