Neolithic Shamanism: Spirit Work in the Norse Tradition - Raven Kaldera 2012

The Beginning Place: Earth

Hail to the Earth, to the dark below,

Hail to the mountain and the grain of sand,

Hail to the standing stone in the fertile field,

Hail to the Mother who gives us life.

In every craft, in every discipline, there is a starting point, a place at which everyone must begin. This point becomes one’s foundation, the solid support upon which all other work will be built. In many respects, it is very much like building a house; the foundation must be carefully built and must be strong to support the rest of the structure. After that, the process of creating a home within that structure begins. This metaphor is particularly apt for Earth; the virtues of Earth include patience; discipline; structured, step-by-step work; and, above all else, consistency. Part of working within this world is learning to develop those habits within oneself. They then go on to inform the work that will be done in every other place within the Nine Worlds. These are important lessons, important pieces of power, and without them, excellence and true skill are impossible.

Earth is about fruition. It is about abundance and wealth, within oneself as well as without. This is the place where one enters into the long process of becoming a shaman or shamanic practitioner. Earth has a certain flow to it, but it’s the flow of allowing resources to flourish, of sharing them properly, and conserving them when necessary. There is a practicality inherent in Earth that might at first seem at odds with the idea of spiritual accomplishment, when in reality it lies at the heart of what we do.

We cannot overemphasize the importance of mastering the skills of Earth first and foremost, especially grounding, centering, and shielding. It always comes back to Earth: to the limits of our corporeality, the lessons of our skin and bone and blood, the wisdom acquired through patient toil, and the knowledge that everything, absolutely everything, is alive.

The exercises provided in this chapter are absolutely fundamental first steps toward becoming a competent shamanic practitioner in this tradition. If you do nothing else, learn these techniques. In fact, while the other chapters of the book can be dealt with in pretty much any order, this chapter should be attended to first. It’s not only impossible to progress properly without having mastered these techniques but also dangerous to try.