The Art of Shapeshifting
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
“I feel the wind flowing around my wing feathers as I float in the air suspended by the invisible breeze. I look down and see the forest below me, then briefly toward the horizon. I flap my wings a few times, moving into the flow of air and soar even higher! My human body is somewhere, but I pay it no mind right now. My consciousness is here, now, in this other physical being. I am Hawk!”
We hear folk tales and fairy tales that describe how men and women transform into animals or vice-versa. The Frog Prince comes to mind, as does the Irish tale of the Selkie (as in the movie, The Secret of Roan Inish) where a seal comes to the land and shape-shifts into a woman. A young man falls in love with her, hides the sealskin so she won’t be able to return to the sea, and they marry. Yet she pines to return to the sea and eventually finds the hidden skin, puts it around her like a cloak and immediately shape-shifts back to being a seal. Other tales abound of humans who become wolves or other animals, such as werewolves or weretigers—a recent comical version being the Nick Parks movie, Wallace and Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit.
Children playing will spontaneously growl like a bear, spread their arms as if in flight, or crawl along on the ground lizard-like. As adults we often smile and take delight in observing children in these games, and if we tap into our own inner child we may even join them. We’ll tend to write off this kind of play as childhood imagination. In doing so, however, we denigrate the incredible power of imagination and how it can open up realms that are beyond the usual senses. Consider imagination as extending beyond our immediate physical self and consciousness into the energy field of the world around us and different dimensions and possibilities become available, ones in which we can extend our “self” into.
There are many stories of shamans who have mastered this ability to shift their form and consciousness into animal-beings because they have not limited their imaginative capacity to the degree that those of us in modern civilization have been conditioned. Indigenous peoples not only lived in the natural world but were of it and intimately connected to the earth-beings both physically and spiritually.
Shamans had a particular gift of being able to transit across the usual boundaries of the self by sending their soul (or consciousness) via the shamanic journey into non-ordinary reality. There they would contact various spirit guides, including spirit animals, that assisted them with sustaining their tribe or community by helping them with healing, finding food sources, weather magic, and various other kinds of guidance.
Shamans had a specialized relationship with an animal spirit guide that was their power animal (they often had more than one) that served to guide and protect them in both ordinary and especially non-ordinary reality. They were known to shift their consciousness into the body and being of that animal, sometimes actually becoming the animal while still retaining their primary human consciousness. They would also commonly allow their power animal to cohabit their human form so their power animal could experience what it was like to be human for a while. This mutual arrangement was a way of honoring their power animal and deepening that relationship. The art of shapeshifting was a fact, not merely a theory or fantasy.
With the increasing interest and practice of shamanism in the past few years, more people are learning how to journey and are discovering their power animals. Yet you don’t have to be an expert at shamanic practices to get a sense of what shapeshifing is all about. You just have to be willing to open your mind, heart, and allow your imagination to lead the way.
One simple exercise to try is to call on any animal spirit guide with whom you have an affinity (doesn’t have to be a power animal), sit or lie down, close your eyes, take a couple of deep breaths, and invite this animal spirit to come into your body and consciousness. Notice how you feel. Can you feel the fur, feathers, or skin of the animal? Can you see with their eyes? Hear with their eyes? Any emotions come up? Just simply observe all of this for just a few minutes, then thank the spirit animal and release them.
The power of imagination is limitless and is what will help us remember our forgotten intimacy with all of life here on earth. Shapeshifting to any degree is one way to help us rediscover that memory at a very profound level
Articles on Shamanism and Healing
ILLUSION AND DIS-ILLUSIONMENT
Jaden and Santa Claus
About a month before Christmas I was speaking with my youngest daughter Catherine about her five-year-old son Jaden (my grandson), asking her about her plans for Christmas. She smiled and recalled how last year, he had told her, “You don’t like Christmas, do you Mom?” said innocently and without accusation. He was merely making an observation based on what he observed in her behavior and attitude the previous holiday season. Wasn’t upset about it. Just making a comment
You see, my daughter is one…
What is a Power Animal?
Power animals are spirit guides in animal form, valuable allies who can help you navigate through life’s challenges and transitions. You can turn to these perceptive and trustworthy oracles for advice and counsel on any questions or concerns, for they’re exceptional teachers who will help you learn about both the spirit and the natural world. Working with them on a regular basis will enhance your personal life and expand your spiritual capacities immensely.
Power animals can appear in meditations, visions, dreams, shamanic journeys, or on the earth in their physical…
Tis The Season
Many…
Another look at Halloween
Samhain/Halloween (October 31-November 1)
This is the time of year when the veil between the world of the living and the world of the dead is at its thinnest, the night when the dead return to visit us, to feast, and communicate with us. The seeds from the dying plants fall to the Earth, and there they wait until the proper mixture of heat and light once again stirs the life within. Samhain (pronounced SOW-en) is the most important, but also the least understood of the ancient Celtic festivals.…
Oatmeal and Soul Retrieval
Soul Calling
What’s oatmeal got to do with soul retrieval? Well, I found out in a very personal way recently.
In my shamanic work, one of the more common treatments is called soul retrieval or soul recovery. It’s based on the idea that as we go along in life we may lose pieces of our soul. There can be a few causes but one of the most common is due to an unresolved traumatic experience. The dissociated soul fragment stays away until it is safe, but if the…
Whose Business Is This Anyway?: Or Why Do I Want to Have a “Spiritual Business?”
Once in awhile someone tells me how they’re unhappy with their present job and they want to pursue work that is more spiritual so I usually offer some suggestions gleaned from my own experience in an attempt to be helpful. One of the main pieces of advice I offer is that if it is a calling from Spirit, then the path will open up toward a defined mission. Once you’ve asked your spirit guides for help, then all you need to do is get your ego out of the way…
Passion, Purpose, and Mission
PASSION, PURPOSE, AND MISSION
In a recent phone consultation with someone a woman I’ll call Paula (not her real name), she was telling me how she’d been a horse woman her entire life, but now, with 68 years on the planet, she felt she was getting too old to ride. Her body just wouldn’t take it any more. I could hear in her voice the sadness and the longing to continue working with horses in some way, but she just wasn’t sure how she could do so.
…
New Age Gurus, Cults, and Fundamentalism
New Age Gurus, Cults, and Fundamentalism
By Dr. Steven Farmer
Recently I was pondering the various new age and metaphysical groups, practices, and in particular the various leaders and the styles of leadership they provide. While there are many fine teachers and healers in this broad category we call new age, there are some I’ve seen or been around that trigger an uneasy feeling in my gut.
Instinct and observation tells me to be wary of these particular people. Not only do I question their tactics, but also the…
Love Found, Love Lost
By Dr. Steven Farmer
Ah! The joys inherent in loving another human being! Our hearts leap as we step into the welcoming space of another, one who returns that affection in kind. The bliss, the obsessive thoughts, the racing heart, the warm feelings—all packaged under the term “falling in love.” In some ways it’s unfortunate that the term falling is used to describe that tumultuous, giddy feeling that describes a growing attraction to someone else. Usually falling implies something that we instinctually fear.
Personal Spiritual Authority
(Excerpted from Earth Magic: Ancient Shamanic Wisdom for Healing Yourself, Others, and the Planet)
At this time in human history, we’re seeing an evolution in consciousness, particularly as to how it affects our spiritual and religious philosophies and practices. It seems that an increasing number of people have developed a more individualized and experiential approach to the questions that traditional religions have attempted to answer. For the last few decades, we’ve been able to more easily access other religious and spiritual traditions, giving us the advantage of being exposed…
A Shamanic Healing Ceremony and Post-Traumatic Stress Response
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
Bill and Amy (not their real names), some friends who live in Laguna Beach, had just returned from a grueling journey to Brazil, exhausted from having traveled nearly 24 hours. They arrived at home late one evening, put their luggage down, cleaned up, and went straight to bed for what they hoped would be a long night’s rest and recuperation. Instead, at 5AM they heard a loud voice through a bullhorn outside on the street shouting, “RESIDENTS! EVACUATE NOW!” repeatedly and with a great…
The Technological Vortex
(Excerpted from Earth Magic: Ancient Shamanic Wisdom for Healing Yourself, Others, and the Planet)
MYTH: All of the industrial and technological innovations are absolutely necessary for our survival in today’s world.
Every major human innovation that has been adopted almost universally not only requires us to change, but also eventually becomes a massive operating system for most of the civilized world. The products of such innovations—such as the printing press and electric lights—gradually infiltrated our consciousness and our lifestyles,…
Singing Out in Mother's Market
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
Being a former shy person I can empathize with anyone who has inhibitions about expressing themselves in public—especially singing. When asked, many people would admit to singing in the shower, but few would claim the courage to sing in front of anyone else. Most people would say they’re afraid of other people’s judgments if they were to do such a thing, even if they did it well. Yet it’s more the case of our own judgment of ourselves that interferes with the kind of…
Walking on the Earth
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
I recall when I was in my early twenties, I was having dinner with my family and my nephew Danny, who was 14, had joined us. My father had just given a bit of grandfatherly advice to Danny, then quickly followed by saying, “But it probably doesn’t matter what I say.” Not in a way of trying to get reassurance from any of us at the table, but a sincere comment that betrayed how he thought about himself, that who he was had no…
Aumakua, Familiars and Spirit Animals . . . Oh My!!
Animals and Spirit Animals From the Rainbow Serpent of the Aborigines of Australia that birthed the land and its inhabitants, to the “Cowardly” Lion that accompanied Dorothy to Oz, to the tale you tell of the hummingbird that hovered for several seconds two feet from your nose, cultural and personal stories and mythologies (or mythos) are rampant with animals and spirit animals. These stories and experiences resonate with our instinctual connection to the animal kingdom, as well as conveying an innate kinship with this vast realm…
Aumakua, Familiars and Spirit Animals . . . Oh My!!
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
Animals and Spirit AnimalsFrom the Rainbow Serpent of the Aborigines of Australia that birthed the land and its inhabitants, to the “Cowardly” Lion that accompanied Dorothy to Oz, to the tale you tell of the hummingbird that hovered for several seconds two feet from your nose, cultural and personal stories and mythologies (or mythos) are rampant with animals and spirit animals. These stories and experiences resonate with our instinctual connection to the animal kingdom, as well as conveying…
The Grasshopper Sings, "Let The Song Find You"
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
“I got my first guitar when I was 16 and took some lessons that summer. The teacher taught me some chords, finger picking, and in spite of my shyness and resistance, made me sing. Learned some tunes by Dylan, Neil Young, James Taylor and others, plus a smattering of folk songs. Moved on from there to an electric Gretsch, with a muscular amp that would make it howl like a coyote in the spring, much to the chagrin of my parents. When I was 19,…
Father's Day 2009
FATHER'S DAY 2009
Had the family over for Father's Day. Lots of nieces, nephews, one of my two daughters (Catherine—the other, Nicole, lives in Seattle), and one grandson, Jaden. We had a great day together. Talking, catching up. Went to the beach and took lots of walks along the sand. My niece Debbie has three wonderful girls, 13 year old Jordan, 10 year old Sydney, and 7 year old Paris. Names came from two major cities and a country. Their father has not been in contact much over the course…
Our Kinship With Animals
By Steven D. Farmer, PhD
Malidoma Patrice Somé is a healer, teacher, and elder of the Dagara peoples in the small West African nation of Burkina Faso in West Africa. He travels extensively giving classes and workshops, and in one of his teachings, he describes how the Dagara believe there are three levels of intelligence on Earth. Plants are considered to be the most intelligent beings, animals second, while humans capture the ribbon for third place. It’s a different way of looking at life and our relationship with plants…
Behind the Veil
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
“You need to love more and show your love more readily, especially to those your closest to,” the Voice said very clearly. I sensed a shadowy figure of another me, another lifetime ago. Then a hazy image came to me as I closed my eyes while showering (some of my best inspirations happen while I’m showering) and the let the warmth of the water and the residual deep relaxation of the massage I just received open my ears, eyes, and heart. I perceived someone, an ancient…
The Artist and the Snake
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
You either love them or hate/fear them, but what can’t be denied is that snakes are embedded deeply in our consciousness, a powerful spiritual reality and symbol of major transformation. People that have never seen a snake will dream of them. In some traditions if you’re bitten by a highly poisonous snake and survive, you’re considered to be a powerful healer. The American Medical Association has two intertwined snakes as part of their caduceus, and Hermes carried a snake as a symbol. Kundalini yoga works…
The Art of Shapeshifting
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
“I feel the wind flowing around my wing feathers as I float in the air suspended by the invisible breeze. I look down and see the forest below me, then briefly toward the horizon. I flap my wings a few times, moving into the flow of air and soar even higher! My human body is somewhere, but I pay it no mind right now. My consciousness is here, now, in this other physical being. I am Hawk!”
We hear folk tales and fairy…
Animal Spirit Guides and Scuba Diving
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
(additional contributions by Elephant, Beaver and Whale)Scuba diving was always something that other people did, so I never gave it much thought until my wife, Doreen, gradually and unexpectedly became an avid diver. At one point about a year ago while on a cruise through the islands of Tahiti, I decided to give it a go in the warm waters of Bora Bora. I must confess that one of the reasons was to be able to say my first dive…
If You Talk with the Animals...
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
Joanne is talking with a friend in her back yard and a hummingbird flies up to her and hovers about half a meter in front of her face for several seconds and looks right into her eyes. Talking with her friend about the experience she realizes that Hummingbird was telling her to lighten up and not take life so seriously . . .
After a lengthy illness, Alicia’s father died. She and her fiancé take a walk on the beach later that same morning and…
Jasper the Hawk Pays a Visit
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
The day before Christmas Doreen and I were saying our morning prayers, a sacred ritual we do every morning before we get up and get going into the day, when I caught the flutter of wings out of the corner of my eye and watched as all of the birds that had been feeding outside our bedroom window scattered. It’s not unusual to see doves and a smattering of other birds on our deck and in the tree just outside, as…
A Sunset, A Whisper, AND A SHOUT
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
I had just come home running some errands that included a trip to the gym for a short but very enlivening workout, had put away the groceries, threw the day’s mail on the usual spot amidst the organized clutter that covered my desk, and sat down, prepared to do some work on the computer when my friend Chris appeared. Chris is a brother by a different set of parents, and I welcomed him. He also is our general contractor, supervising and doing much of the…
Animal Spirit Guides and Imagination
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
How many times have you heard, “Oh, it's just your imagination!” implying that it's merely some delusional artifice that holds no bearing on reality, reserved for the likes of children, artists, or writers of fiction? Useful in some instances, but limited. There's even a song by The Temptations called, “Just My Imagination,” where a guy sings about his dream girl, the punch line being that he realizes he can never really have her because “it's just (his) imagination running away with (him).”
Yet our…
Power Animals: Connecting with Your Animal Spirit Guide
What Are Power Animals?
Power animals are spirit guides in animal form, valuable allies who can help you navigate through life's challenges and transitions. Perceptive and trustworthy oracles, you can turn to them for advice and counsel on any questions or concerns. They're exceptional teachers who'll help you learn about both the spirit world and the natural world. Working with them on a regular basis will enhance your personal life and expand your spiritual capacities immensely.
Power animals…
Men, Spirituality, and Power Animals
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D
Men can’t help but be spiritual. The fact of being alive is a spiritual experience, yet many have lost their conscious awareness of this fundamental truth. Gradually over the past several centuries, the rational, logical mind has usurped the creative wisdom of Spirit and the deeper awareness of the inter connectivity of all life. Civilization has further eroded men’s intimate association with the natural world, and instead, earth and all its non-human inhabitants—plant, animal, and mineral—have been viewed solely as resources for the sustenance of…
Why Did the Tortoise Cross the Road?
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D
The RoadMy wife Doreen and I had journeyed across the country from Los Angeles to upstate New York to present a workshop at the Omega Institute about connecting with the spirit world. After our five hour flight and two and a half hour drive, we parked ourselves in the B&B to unload our luggage and rest for a few moments, then hopped in the car and drove the few miles to the nearby town of Rhinebeck. We wanted to gather some supplies for our…
Coping With Crazy Schedules
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
Doreen and I took our two daughters (Nicole and Catherine), eight-year-old grandson (Jaden), and one of our sons (Grant) for a shopping trip recently. Not that I'm that keen on shopping—I'm good for 20 minutes before I start getting restless, unless I'd brought along a good book to read or find a bookstore nearby.This time, I figured Grant and I could hang out and catch up on what's going on in each others' lives. Plus there was an Apple store in this particular mall,…
What Did the Animals Know?: Instinct, Survival, and the Tsunami
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
Even though in the recent tsunami there was a tremendous loss of human life, many beings survived, both human and animal whether by fortune, circumstances, or innate intelligence. We savor such stories, such as the man that was adrift for days in the ocean, clinging to a floating tree. What also caught my eye were the stories about the animals. Amongst the countless bodies of humans, not one dead animal was found. Most if not all of the animals that were near the coast had…
The "Power" in Power Animals: How Your Animal Spirit Guide Can Teach, Guide, and Heal You
By Steven D. Farmer Ph.D.
July, 2004Ravens, Crows, and Messages
I was having lunch outdoors with my wife, Doreen, telling her that I was going to write our publisher and let him know the subject of my next book. I was excited about the proposal and thought that e-mailing him would give him time to think about it. She commented that it would be better to pitch it to him in person, and reminded me that we'd have an opportunity to do so in a couple of weeks.…
Beltane Blessings
By Steven D. Farmer Ph.D.
May, 2004
Here I am with my wife, Doreen, in Glastonbury, England, a magical, mystical land, where legends and lore abound. We're here for a few days on a break from our tour of the U.K., and also to celebrate her birthday. There's a crystal shop on nearly every corner, vegetarian cafes sprinkled here and there, and other shops filled with artifacts to fulfill various new age tastes. Or should I say old age, as many of the metaphysical arts that are supported and honored…
Shamanism and the Shamanic Journey
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
January 12, 2003
In the past few years you've undoubtedly heard or read about shamanism, and perhaps have even explored this unique and ancient spiritual discipline to some degree. The word itself (pronounced SHAH-maan) comes from the language of the Tungus people of Siberia, and has become such an integral part of the vocabulary of many of us exploring new age spirituality that the meaning and intent of shamanism and shamanic practice may be diluted and misunderstood.Often shamanism is associated with Native American practices, and…
Rhythm for Life and Health
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
In the Beginning, There Was the Beat
When you came into this life, your first felt experience was the sensation of rhythm. Not the sound, but the sensation of rhythm. Before you could hear, see, or think, you were unadulterated physicality-pure instinctual and primal substance, animated by the spark of life that foretold of a human being. You sensed your being as only slightly distinct from your mother's body, intimately connected to her physical and emotional rhythms, yet very gradually emerging into a sense…
Animals, Spirit Animals, and Omens
By Steven D. Farmer Ph.D.
July, 2004
I was getting ready to go meet a friend for coffee, feeling a bit wary about the get-together as I had to discuss something unpleasant with him. There was a rumor that he'd made some disparaging remarks about a good friend of mine and I wanted to get the straight scoop from him rather than relying on gossip. I needed to look him in the eye and have a conversation about these allegations, to hear his side of the story. I don't…
Pismo and the Carpet Cleaner
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
October, 2004Pismo is a beautiful Colombian Red-Tailed Boa, six years old and about six feet long. I inherited her about three years ago from my daughter, Catherine, as she wasn't able to care for her once she'd moved away from home. I'd already grown quite fond of her by then, and our relationship and mutual respect grew from there.
Snake had already come to me many years prior as an animal spirit guide, so it's no accident that I was given stewardship of…
Trick or Treat!: Welcoming Our Ancestors for Halloween
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
August 9 , 2003
Halloween conjures up any number of images and associations, including spooks, hobgoblins, jack o’ lanterns, bobbing for apples (for anyone over 35!), and especially children knocking at the door, shouting “trick or treat!” You open the door and there they are, dressed up in costumes, some scary, some amusing, yet all bringing a smile to your face as they hold out their bags for the expected treat. Once they get their goodies, off they go into the night until the next…
Men, Sex, and Intimacy
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
(From JOURNEYMEN magazine, Spring 1993)I just talked with my friend Bruce on the telephone and mentioned that the theme of this column was going to be men's sexuality, a topic near and dear to his heart and mine—as well as other parts of our anatomy. Bruce and I agreed that in fact, our hearts were the part of our anatomy that had been much neglected when it came to our sexuality. Most of our focus when it came to sex had been centered on…
Some simple facts about Anger
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
(excerpted from The Wounded Male by Steven Farmer)ANGER IS A FEELING— There is a difference between feelings and actions. As a man, you have learned to emphasize action over feelings. In order to deal more effectively with your anger, you must separate the emotion of anger from feeling like you have to act it out in any way, on others or on yourself. Although I will give you some ideas on how to focus and discharge your anger, there really is no need…
Managing Stress in Modern Times
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
We are in an ever-accelerating “hurry up” culture, one in which human beings are required to make remarkable adaptations to increasingly technologically driven lifestyles and consumer-oriented pressures. This spiraling pace requires us to move so quickly that we tend to override and become desensitized to our bodily sensations and our feelings. In this anesthetized state we ironically require more stimulation— bigger, better, newer, louder, faster— just to grab and hold our attention. We become so saturated with excessive stimulation and cumulative tension that we may…
Four Steps to Healing an Overwhelming Experience
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
The tragic events of 9/11 instilled in most of us a deep sense of pain, anger, and helplessness, which are the typical symptoms associated with trauma. Whether directly involved in any such event or simply witnessing it, as many of us did over and over again through the media representation, our emotions and our nervous system can become overwhelmed. When this happens, we can become so fixated on these images and feelings we become blocked in our healing and recovery from such traumatic events.
Compassionate Listening
By Steven D. Farmer, Ph.D.
Too often we think of listening as waiting for the other person to stop talking so we can get our opinion, feelings, or thoughts expressed. Although this is a common habit, with your willingness and steady practice you can develop the very fundamental skill of listening into a true art form, one that conveys compassion for the other. Here I offer three simple steps to work with: Hearing, Absorbing, and Reflecting.
HEARING— Did you ever notice what happens when your attention is drawn to…