This morning as I slowly awoke, I became aware of my cat Mollie pressed against my hip, gently purring. Her tail was draped across my arm, and I felt the pulse of her heartbeat on my skin.
Everything else faded away. For those minutes, we were just lying together in each other’s presence. I allowed myself to enjoy this moment of perfect connection and contentment.
One of the hallmarks of shamanism is the belief that everything has spirit and energy – not just people but also animals, trees, land, and sky. Shamanic cultures acknowledge and honor the natural world around them.
The technical word for this is animism. It’s a recognition that the same life force that animates humans also exists in everything in the universe.
When we realize that everything has soul and energy, we are kinder to the environment because we understand that humans are not above other forms of life. We are just one part of the whole, interwoven and interacting with all of creation.
By traveling into the spirit realms on a shamanic journey, we can communicate with these other beings to receive messages and explore their wisdom. This morning in my half-awake state, my cat and I met in the Middle World and connected soul to soul, experiencing each other’s energy.
This work is real, and it matters.
August 17, 2021