Comments on: A Note On My Work With Totems http://therioshamanism.com/2009/03/03/a-note-on-my-work-with-totems/ In the silence of the wild, we find the home we lost in the city. --John Muir Fri, 27 Jan 2012 16:01:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: robert http://therioshamanism.com/2009/03/03/a-note-on-my-work-with-totems/#comment-936 Thu, 09 Apr 2009 21:27:01 +0000 http://therioshamanism.com/?p=239#comment-936 Having just stumbled on your ideas I am finding a wonderful resonance with many of the thoughts that have been bumping about in my own life.

Specifically regarding the importance of play: wow. Thank you for solidifying the concepts into language. Obviously there are times for serious, even grave workings but it’s always seemed so lopsided not to have play-centric rites.

Not everything has to be so grim all the time! Joy belongs to us as well!

I don’t think that working with energy should be undertaken lightly. Far from it! But I do believe that there is room for play and humor. There is a difference between a flip attitude and a play attitude.

]]> By: pastelmoon http://therioshamanism.com/2009/03/03/a-note-on-my-work-with-totems/#comment-894 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 10:34:34 +0000 http://therioshamanism.com/?p=239#comment-894 Very nice post. I’ve recently been reading about the Sangoma’s (shamans) in Africa and their practices. If you’re studying Shamanism you might find it interesting :)

]]> By: Riverwolf http://therioshamanism.com/2009/03/03/a-note-on-my-work-with-totems/#comment-893 Mon, 09 Mar 2009 01:20:14 +0000 http://therioshamanism.com/?p=239#comment-893 You make a great point about fun or play. To be honest, that is a major factor that led me to this shamanic path. I hope that doesn’t sound flip, and it doesn’t mean that I don’t take this all seriously. But the rituals and practices allow me a way to jump out of my usual, serious, responsible way of life. Christianity had become just as dull and serious as anything else. THere was no fun, no play–no enchantment. I don’t claim to understand fully all my motivations, and in some ways I still feel “play-deficient.” Ultimately, I hope I don’t wring all the fun and play out of this current path. I think it’s a balance, between being serious when necessary and knowing when to relax. This path seems to offer that option, at least, whereas others do not.

]]> By: Sarenth http://therioshamanism.com/2009/03/03/a-note-on-my-work-with-totems/#comment-877 Tue, 03 Mar 2009 20:02:44 +0000 http://therioshamanism.com/?p=239#comment-877 After reading the book Never Cry Wolf, and in my own views before this, I think I’d agree with you. From the author’s description, wolf adults would let loose and have fun, playing with the pups or just laying about after bringing down a kill or bringing home food otherwise, i.e. regurgitating rats for the pups. After so many hours of sheer exhausting work, who would not want a break?

It doesn’t mean that the relationship is somehow lessened by play with your totems, even in the midst of a serious working, but I think it’s enhanced because of the level of trust that is shown to you in that act. Good post; I found myself unconsciously nodding at several points as I read it.

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