Picture the elder hovering over the sick body, rattle in hand, chanting incantations of profound wisdom and alliance with the medicine realms and its many allies.  Imagine the buffalo dancers embodying the spirit of their totems, as the drummers and singers invoke the ancestors and medicine clans.  Medicine cultures the world over incorporate profound understanding of the integral use of voice, sound instruments, awareness, and intention, to create their healing methodologies. Cultures have utilized sound, throughout human history, coupled with explicit states of consciousness, or awareness & intent, for healing, for connecting to, aligning with, for channeling, and embodying, that which they hold as Sacred, or Divine, as well as to use sound in direct healing incantations, to journey into other worlds, to awaken ecstatic states of awareness and innate well-being, to illuminate one’s authentic essence, and empower one’s inner knowing. 

The modern concepts of shamanism understand these principals, but often do not encompass the broad use of sound & awareness which ancient and contemporary medicine peoples of most traditional indigenous societies always have utilized.  This, of course, includes the connection of self to the other worlds, as a Divine Art, and, as a part of it, the Living Cosmos. But, also, to become an intermediary, through voice and intention, often with drum, rattle, or bell, etc., coupled with other-world awareness, to draw through, or bridge to, the 'other side' of intelligent life, which resides in the subtle worlds, or 'other world' realities, in higher states of realized being.  The voice has an exquisite ability to couple awareness of the other worlds with our subtle intents, and to create an extraordinary catalyst for healing, transformation, and visionary experiences.  In most cultures, it is understood that the coupling of human consciousness and feeling states, when voiced, is the most powerful tool of creation we possess.  “Because I say it, it is so,” is a mantra known worldwide in the mystical traditions, from the Americas, to India, to the Aramaic cultures, who phrased it in a way we all have played with, “Abra Cadabra!”  (Literally, Aramaic for ‘because I say it, it is so.’)

The Tibetans, whose culture is steeply based in the shamanic Bon traditions, still utilize the ancient tools of instruments, voice, and awareness drawn from their Bon heritage.  They later blended the Bon understanding with Buddhism, and daily call upon at least one aspect of the 'other worlds,' the Sambhogakaya, for which one interpretation is, "the Pure Realms of Light and Sound, where the Holy Beings dwell."   Here, in those ‘upper worlds,’ we might meet those holy guides and teachers residing there, to engage in “Self Generation” practices for self realization, a high tantric medicine tool.  This is, also, is a ‘dimensional state,’ where an aspect of our realized being resides.  This is where we discover our “Rainbow Body” in its full luminous form, and easily experienced through simple sound and awareness practices.  These are not unlike the practices to engage our luminous body taught by the great prophet, “the Pale One,” of our Cherokee lineages.  Traditional peoples of the Americas, Mongolia, and most regions of the world, equally utilize sound as a catalyst to enter or enhance these ‘pure’ altered states, peer into those other worlds, ally with their medicine powers, and so much more.  The elder uses not just a drum or rattle, but his or her voice is integral to their approach to the Medicine, coupled with intent knowing of the Other Worlds, and a relationship with the Allies in those realms, as well as his or her inner way of seeing what is, and what needs to be done for the healing of the people.

 It is through access of these sacred states of consciousness, and the "pure realms," in relation to his or her own awakened states, that the shaman draws his or her magic and power.  It is in connection to the Divine nature of All Life, in relation to one's own waking or realized self, one’s inherent wisdom and knowing, that we develop and integrate this authentic power.  By recognizing this wisdom and power, which resides not just in our self, but in All Life, and arises from the source of Creation, we realize we each are a part, and feel the wholeness of life, and can more easily enter relationship with the living consciousness of all things.  The Q’ero, high wisdom keepers of Peru, state that it is through entering harmonious relationship with the Living Consciousness of all things, that will be the catalyst for our collective awakening in this prophesied time of “Taripay Pacha,”, or, “The Time of Meeting Ourselves Again!”

The elemental and ancestral worlds of our medicine allies are yet another aspect of these subtle planes of existence where we gain our knowing, as we understand, and enter alignment with the fundamental Original Instructions, embedded within us, and all Living Things, as well as the way of the Rhythm of Giving and Taking, in Harmony with All Life (known as “Ayni” by the Q’ero, but known by most indigenous cultures as he way of life.)   It is this Rhythm that syncopates us with the fundamental essence, and resonance, of the universal nature of All Creation.  It is the undulating rhythm which animates, drives, supports, and sustains All Life, the Mother of All Life.  Here, we discover that we are, indeed, supported in our life and work by the Universe, just as deeply as we are able, ready, and willing to abide within the Rhythm of its syncopated nature.  It is where we do not understand, or abide within, this universal Rhythm of Giving and Taking, that we lose our essence, our creativity, our support.  But, by joining with it, here, again, we discover our power, and remember our self, and our relationship with the Greater Whole.  
 
Many blessings,
Zacciah
_____________________________________ http://www.TheCenterOfLight.net Zacciah Blackburn, PhD, is a gifted intuitive, teacher, and sound healer, trained in classical healing and shamanic traditions, and sacred sound cultures.  He teaches internationally, and practices in Vermont, USA, at the Center of Light Institute of Sound Healing and Shamanic Studies.  Zacciah shares authentic trainings in the nature of human consciousness, explorations into the Shamanic worlds of Earth Energies & awareness, and teachings on the nature of sound, and sacred sound practices, as a therapeutic healing modality.  His in depth understanding provides life transforming experiences into the authentic nature, being, and wellness of who we are as spiritual beings.  He is Director of Education at the International Sound Healing Network, & co-founder & Director of the World Sound Healing and All One Now Network of organizations working for global peace.

His summer retreat into the nature of sound, healing, and consciousness, from a shamanic perspective, is deeply enriching, personally healing and empowering, and will develop a keen sense of how to use therapeutic sound practices in one's personal or professional life.  See info here:  

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Sacred Sounds, Sacred Earth
The Sounds of the SHAMAN
A 5 Day Shamanic Sacred Sound Retreat 
July, 2015
Therapeutic/Shamanic Sound practices, Sacred Ceremony for Healing the Earth and Each Other,
Accessing Ancient Sitesand Earth Wisdom

In Sacred Sounds, Sacred Earth, Songs of the Shaman, we will focus on how to use sound to enhance our private and professional lives.  Then, we shall, also, stretch out into nature, to work with the elements and ancient sites.  And, we shall learn to enter ceremonial states, for the benefit of the Earth, with the Great Grandfather drum(s) we use in our practices.

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Watch for 2016 dates on this program:

AUGUST 16-23, 2014
In LIONSGATE:  Awakening the Dragon, we shall enter pristine natural and ancient ceremonial sites every day, bathe in exquisite mountain lakes, and waterfalls, and, hike the high peaks of Vermont and New Hampshire, which form a perfect Star Tetrahedron.  Don’t be too concerned, we do not do so much climbing, and really, not that much hiking, see our itinerary and logistics for explanations of such things.)  We pamper ourselves in the evenings with great lodging and meals in prestigious retreats and inns, wherever possible.  And, we ‘seed’ the potential of ‘heaven on earth’ into a living prayer wheel created through our work, in collaboration with the elemental forces of nature, and the high holy beings guiding our work.  It is a journey of great personal discovery, empowerment, rejuvenation, and healing which we experience, followed by an act of incredible service to the planet, as called upon, by these elemental beings, drawing upon the dragon currents of living energies which carry the power of our work from all dimensional spaces we have worked in, for the entire week, into the womb of the Mother, through one of the ceremonial chambers, to gestate these seeds of potential, for the benefit of All.

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And, our my upcoming School of Sound Healing, a year long training beginning in September, you may enter very heightened states of awareness and experience, learning to work with therapeutic and ceremonial sound healing methods, for self realization and healing, and/or for developing or furthering a healing practice for others, utilizing all principals of understanding, of the use of instruments, voice, intention and awareness, with awakened states of guided intuition.  I pray you may join us.
 
Ongoing, in Depth Experiential Trainings into the use of 
Therapeutic Sound Healing
For Personal and Professional Development
Take One or All trainings; 
New programs Every Quarter
Level I, Sept, Nov, Jan, April 
  Level II, Sept-June

Watch for SCHOOL YEAR  2016 dates
And, I look forward to sharing more about all of this with you, in the future~!
Many blessings
Zacciah
You may, also, see prior articles, and meditative practices, with the Power of Illumination, Light, and the Solar Principle, here. (Scroll all articles to see add'l articles with meditative practices.)