120 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
120 lines
6.5 KiB
Plaintext
The 12 steps and Shamanism
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by Matrika co-sysop of PAN - the Psychic Awareness Network at
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1-703-362-1139 copyright by PAN and Harvest ( a pagan newsletter at box
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228 S. Framinham MA 01701 - $13. per year)
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Author's note - this article was first published by me under the name JUKNO
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in Harvest's Yule edition, 1989.
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Recently a local charecter in Alcoholics Anonymous here in the Worcester
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MA. area died. His name was "John the Indian" (he identified himself this
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way) and he was well-known as an AA speaker all over the world, although he
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lived near central Massechusetts. John had about thirty years of sobriety
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and was a great power of example to many people including Betty Ford who
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told him she had listened to tapes of his talks while she was in detox.
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John's story intrigued many people. An Indian who had been orphaned on the
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reservation when Tuberculosis wiped out his familly, he had ended up on
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skid row after serving in the Canadian army during World War II as a
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dishwasher. He came to AA in his mid-twenties, an illiterate wine. ( my
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note - this is NOT to imply that most alcoholics are on skid row. In fact
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most of them are people with nice famillies, a place to live, a car or even
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two, a job, etc. etc. etc. Less that 2% of the alcoholics in this country
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are on skid row) He ended up owning his own construction business after
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learning to read (from a elderly woman in AA who was a school teacher) and
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marrying a lady in AA with whom he raised a lovely familly.
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Because John had inspired me and so affected my life with his gift of
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simplicity, I was inspired to do a shamanic-style rite in his memory. I
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had always felt sorry for John because, in the process of his recovery, he
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seemed to have lost touch with the beauty of this heritage. Then it hit
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me; John WAS a shaman and anyone who truly worked a 12-step program was
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one too.
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In BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN by Cynthia Bend and Tayja Wiger (Llewelyn
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Publication box 64383, St. Paul MN. 1988 ) it states
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" A shaman is hard to define. There are no two alike..... what
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happens, a shaman goes through a catastrophe or a string of
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catastrophes that enhance certain abilities within him ( or her! )
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.....Most often the Shaman has to go through a severe trauma, a severe
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illness or a severe psychosis and recover from it before he learns the
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recovery process that he can use."
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The authors are quoting Tsonkawa, Tayja's teacher on the Shamanic path. (
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a Native American Medicine person)
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Many other authors on Shamanism; Sunbear, Lynn Andrews, Amber Wolfe and
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Micheal Harner, to name a few: echo this truth. A shaman is a person who
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goes through great suffering, usually in the form of a mental or physical
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illness, and then goes on to heal himself or herself. They are then able
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to use that same process to heal others.
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This is what happens in a twelve-step fellowship. Through the process of
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healing ourselves, we come to the point where we can help others hy
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"carrying the message" after having had a "spiritual awakening" as the
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result of taking the first eleven steps.
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Here are some books that can help any Pagan, Shaman, Druid, Witch,
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Practitioner of Feminist Spirituality, or other Magickal folk as they walk
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the steps in the process of recovering, while retaining their own unique
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spiritual path.
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TRUTH OR DARE by Starhawk (San Francisco, Harper and Row, 1987) This
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contains many references to the 12-step programs, especially Alcoholics
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Anonymous and Adult Children of Alcoholics, in a work on Wicca by a
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well-known priestess of the Craft who is also a psychotherapist.
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CRYSTAL CLEAR by Connie Church (Bew York, Willard books 1987) It
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contains a good section on how to use quartz crystals to help in relieving
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yourself of bad habits, compulsions, and obsessions, specifically for use
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with the various twelve-step programs. (note - amethyst is traditionally
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said to help in all these areas)
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BIRTH OF A MODERN SHAMAN, mentioned above, tells the story of a blind
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Native American woman who was a survivor of Child abuse and had been
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Psycotic as well as Alcoholic. This is the story of her complete recovery,
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including her eyesight, (documented by doctors) and the discovery of her
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Psychic gifts with her Native roots. Her healing occured through a process
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that began for her in Alcoholics Anonymous.
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THE TWELVE STEPS FOR EVERYONE published by Compcare (Minneapolis MN.) this
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is a non-sexist book on the steps by a grateful recovering member of
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Emotional Health Anonymous written in non-sexist language. The author
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draws heavily on the Eastern traditions of spirituality as well as the
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traditional Western monotheistic ones.
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EVERYDAY A NEW BEGINNING Published by Hazelden corp. (Also in Minneapolis,
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MN. I believe) This is a daily meditation guide BY women in Anonymous
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fellowships and FOR women in these same self-help groups. Unlike the
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TWENTY-FOUR HOURS A DAY book (published by the same company and widely used
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in AA) it doesn't use quotes from the Bible. Instead it uses quotes from
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various women authors. Many men also claim to have benefitted from it due
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to it's non-religious approach.
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PAGANS IN RECOVERY a networking newsletter for Magickal folk, Shamans,
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Druids, Feminist Priestesses, Witches, Pagans, Pantheists, etc. who are in
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recovery via a 12-step fellowship of any type. It has contacts, reviews,
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articles, recovery techniques and more. It is a great source of support
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and inspiration to any Pagan in any of the Anonymous support groups. It is
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$8.00 a year and the address is P.I.R. c/o Bekki 6500 S.R. 356
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New Marshfield, OHIO 45766
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ADDITION TO READING LIST
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REFLECTIONS IN THE LIGHT by Shakti Gawain, published by New World Library,
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San Rafael, California 1978. While not ONLY for the 12-step programs this
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book does go into the problems of addictions in light of the New-Age,
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Psychic Awareness as well as many other subjects. It provides a
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inspirational message and/or a creative visualization exercise with a
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non-sectarian affirmation for each day. The book is neither sexist nor
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sectarian and is truly a beautiful aid to anyone seeking to work the
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program of recovery. It is also a great way to share what you are doing
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with friends who share your spirituality but not your program, as it makes
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no direct references to the 12-step groups at all. It is very useful to
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those of us who prefer a daily meditation to the "prayer" people in the
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monotheistic Churches and Synagogues tend to use in their application of
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the program to their lives.
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