Wahya Circle
Tuesday Travels
Initiations of the Anuk
A vision quest is a rite of passage in some First Nationer cultures of the Americas. During this time, the young person prays and cries out to the Spirits requesting that they may have a vision, one that will help them find their purpose in life, their role in a community, and how they may best serve the People.
We are there now as Practitioners. Walking this Circle with 3CMM, we are honing our abilities to meditate, to communicate with Higher Self, our Divinity. We are working on Healing Shadow and checking our Ego. The further we Journey, the more we will begin to See. For some, this will not be much as it is directly correlated to how much of themselves they give for their Highest Benefit. What Work are they willing to do, what changes are they willing to accept to become the BEST THAT THEY CAN BE for this Manifestation or, Experience in Matter?
Everything we are participating in is to enhance our Medicinal and Magickal “rite of passage” on a personal level.
Beginning in the North, the Anuk, Ainu cousins, cross into the land we now call Alaska. At the same time, and perhaps in response to the warmer climate and greater extent of open water, other peoples began to expand into the country of the Dorset, who settled there first, as well. Indian groups reclaimed Newfoundland and the forested coasts of Labrador. The Norse established colonies in Greenland and paid occasional visits to the Eastern Arctic. From the west, ancestral Inuit moved from Alaska into the heart of the Dorset homeland.
DORSET HISTORY
Who were the Dorset? The Dorset were a Paleo-Inuit culture, lasting from 500 BCE to between CE 1000 and 1500, that followed the Pre-Dorset and preceded the Inuit in the Arctic of North America. The Dorset people are known only by what they have left behind, including primitive stone tools and beautiful wooden and ivory figurines.
DNA analysis suggests that their ancestors came to Arctic Canada and Greenland from Siberia about 4,500 years ago, and lived in frozen isolation for more than 3,000 of those years.
When the Inuit came, they brought with them the tools and weapons of a slightly more sophisticated maritime hunting culture that had developed in the rich waters of the Bering Sea. Capable of hunting animals as large as the bow-head whale, the largest creature in the Arctic seas, they had grown quite adept in the harsh environment.
The Inuit could support much larger communities than was possible for the Dorset people. These communities were extremely mobile, traveling during the summer in large skin-covered boats ten meters or more in length, and in winter by sleds pulled by teams of dogs. The Inuit had little trouble expanding rapidly throughout the Arctic world. Over time, the Dorset way of life was erased by time.
The Dorset people vanish almost completely from the archaeological record at some time between approx 1200 and 1500 CE. Their disappearance is best explained in the historical traditions of the Inuit, whose Ancestors observed the final generations of the Paleo-Inuit fade.
"The Tunit were strong people, but timid and easily put to flight. Nothing is told of a lust to take life."
Netsilik Inuit, 1923
"The Tunit were a strong people, and yet they were driven from their villages by others who were more numerous, by many people of great Ancestors; but so greatly did they love their country, that when they were leaving Uglit, there was a man who, out of desperate love for his village, harpooned the rocks and made the stones fly about like bits of ice."
Ivaluardjuk, Igloolik, 1922
RITE OF PASSAGE
For thousands of years the indigenous of the world have been participating in a culturally and sometimes mentally valuable transitory experience between two states of being. Crossing through that liminal space is called a “rite of passage”.
By definition, it is a ritual, event, or Experience that marks or constitutes a major milestone or change in a person's life. Rites of passage celebrate the social movement of individuals into and out of groups or into or out of statuses of critical importance to the individual and to the community.
Although much time has passed since any regular practice of the Rite of Passage for pubescent males or females amongst Western Society, we know the story from tribal Elders in this region. As we understand it, there are generally three stages to both Rites that are accepted.
SEPARATION
The ‘first’ stage is “separation”. The child, or individual, is removed from what they know and understand of their tribal life. This has deep animalistic ties as a bird to fly or deer to walk. It was imperative, and remains so to some extent, as we are still a part of the animal kingdom – yet, we have forgotten how to survive or provide for ourselves. We teach our children to walk, potty train, tie their shoes and send them off to school or “grow up” with little to no input from the caregivers, simply “go work”, buy, consume.
No longer do we teach how to grow or find food, stay warm, find clean water, etc. For many, that ignorance of Self growth and Knowledge is being restored.
TRANSITION
The ‘second’ stage, “transition”, Is where they “prove” their worth with survival and supporting a family. For males it revolves around hunting and learning to survive in the arctic snow. For females, it was/is facial tattooing once menstruation started and she could prove her ability to care for a family. Typically this was in the form of “chin stripes”.
INCORPORATION
Upon “proving” oneself, “incorporation” then occurs, or welcoming the child, now adult, back into the village. Neither of these Rites were easy, as we can imagine. It had quite an effect on the youth of many ancient people. Regardless, the power of the Spirit was often called upon to see each through their liminal state and back to their living space.
(This lesson takes approximately 10 minutes to read.)
Psychic Preparation
It Is common thought amongst all Practitioners that preparation must be advised BEFORE Initiation into any Path occurs, even one where only the Universe teaches you.
To understand this deeper, we will look at a “big book religion” first, Hinduism, as an example. According to their scriptural injunction, anyone approaching a guru, or Great Teacher (remember that word in the day of the week?) for initiation must have certain qualifications.
For instance, a Sage went to a Great Teacher for initiation. The Teacher stated, "Tell me first what you know. Then I shall decide what should be taught." The Sage gave a detailed list of what they had studied, and none of the principal scriptures were left out. Yet, in spite of so much learning, the Sage said to the Great Teacher, "I am not at peace, neither am I satisfied. I still feel discontent."
"Well, Sage," said the Teacher, "I understand that you have studied quite a lot. But what you know are only some words.
You have become a master of words, but you do not know your Self.
Only a Knower of the Self overcomes grief."
Then the Sage humbly requested: "Great Teacher, kindly impart to me that Knowledge by which I may get rid of all misery."
What does this story signify?
Well, it signifies one thing for Hindus, and another for Practitioners of the Arcane Arts.
But for BOTH, it signifies a great necessity for preparing the ground of one's mind before initiation. (You can replace the pronouns with those from any Path and have virtually the same story.)
Many desire to have a spiritual initiation.
Before any initiation can occur, there must be preparation of Self. Are you prepared? Is your mind ready for what is ahead? How about your Spirit, or Higher Self?
Those who are not prepared in Self are usually advised to wait before venturing the Path of evolution. Being prepared helps one to proceed most beneficially on the Path of their choosing. This process is like preparing soil before planting seeds. The soil must be tilled and sometimes nutrient boosters must be spread first, ash from a fire place, manure from a field. If the seed is sown after that, it grows well.
One must prepare in a similar fashion before receiving mantra diksha, or spiritual initiation from any Path, even to work with Universal Energy and to be taught Divinely. One must prepare their mind as they truly desire the seeds of that Knowledge to take. To sprout. This preparedness is conducive to success. And most humbly, know this as well, there is no end to this preparation.
One Initiates repeatedly, Practices, Grows, Prepares, goes to the next level and they evolve by Involution each time, over and over.
Know the Self.
Unless the mind is ready with both Shadow and Ego in check, the magickal Path or Craftwork may not be very effective. The mind can be made stronger through the practice of remaining “clean, clear and curious” throughout all that is learned. (Recall the video on Shadow for ITB?)
It also helps to have humility and true yearning, not comparing one’s Work to that of other Practitioners. Only then will the Magick from Spirit, like a seed, sprout and flourish into a full-grown tree, bearing the flowers and fruits of manifestation.
We must repeat that preparedness before evolving each time, ages and stages, going into Involution of Self at every stage of magickal practice. Very little is achieved without this basic component of strengthening Self, no matter how long we have been practicing. The highest benefit is allowing the evolution and involution cycle to take place.
The moment of initiation is an invaluable one. We are wise to receive Divine Uncondition in our heart with devotion to our Self first. Only then can we fully interact with a Divine, or our chosen Path. We would be wise to concentrate our mind upon it. If we can dive deep into our Being and remain engrossed in it, a most valuable gem will take shape within.
Once the field of the mind has been made ready, the Practitioner can begin to develop true Uncondition for their Experiences. It's like establishing a Deity in a temple. Before the Deity moves in, the structure and the surrounding area is made suitable, or prepared in their requested way. It is then that we consider the Ceremony to bring that Deity in. Receiving Initiation symbolizes installation of Divinity, whatever that is to us, in our lives.
There is another aspect to be considered in this context. Our daily conduct is best in tune with our state of being Initiated. What we claim is how we act, or, we are not being true to OURSELVES.
Explore that.
Once Initiated, it is essentially a door opening for us to begin, or go deeper within, the Self Journey. Answer what one is called to, especially if it continually appears. Ask to begin seeing the Medicine and Magick in every day life, it will be there.
If the mind is ready, it will begin to be seen with more and more regularity.
“You have two eyes to look, but one to See.”
Use it. The Experience is yours.
(This lesson takes approximately 10 minutes to read.)
Cleansing - Clearing - Grounding
There are many ways to practice all of these methods. We can do them mentally with psychic exercises or physically with Stone and Plant Allies. Take a moment and peruse our previous Lessons for a method that was liked, or feel free to use a personal method. In order to achieve the highest benefit, it is understood that we each are in a grounded, clean, state upon entry into, or onto our chosen Path of learning.
ALLY LIST
Phenakite (So Below II)
Selenite Spiritual Rejuvenation, cleans and clears all energies
Quartzite (Energy Work V)
We may also “smudge” or “sain” or whichever method of “smoke cleanse” we choose to use in our practice to symbolically clease our vision of the path forward.
Tuesday WJ1
General - Journal - Book of Shadows
SUBMISSION: WJ1 TUE CHOSEN CCG
(Due by Sunday)
Please take a moment to answer the questions below in regards to your chosen methods of “cleanse, clear, ground”.
What is your chosen method to cleanse, clear and ground for every day practice? (Is it different for other personal practices?)
Why did you choose these methods?
Are these methods in tune with you on a spiritual level or something you “picked up” from a book, learned or other source?
Are these chosen methods in tune with the environment in which you live?
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