Ritual art has always been the very core and center of Sacred Feminine Shamanism: singing, dancing, use of percussion instruments, stories and poems, as well as various forms of handcraft, such as weaving, sowing, painting, baking bread or cakes, fashioning ceramics and clay figurines, or decorations with flowers, fruit, beads and other nature objects.
But all this creativity was not merely meant to satisfy purely esthetic needs. It was a way of deeply honoring Life, an offering that demanded prolonged preparations, and often including performances based on repetition, and meditation.
The true meaning of Shamanism is not to be sought pursuing fantastic goals or superhuman powers, as a certain type of western and New Age approach would make us believe. Its keywords are rather gift, thanksgiving and celebration (1).
We can communicate with nature and “other” worlds undreamed of by the rational mind if and only if these concepts have been completely and truly understood and absorbed by our heart, our mind and our body. This is one of the reasons why all the seminars and workshops we propose require a certain amount of time dedicated to getting ready. They are not just about “taking the trip of the Shaman” or experiencing something different. Communication sets out quite before undertaking the “voyage”, and extends way beyond, provided that we have applied ourselves seriously.
The rituals that are performed respecting these principles are the very heart and core of a spiritual quest. Usually, they are shared, but otherwise, when undertaken individually, may create most intimate experiences of interior contact. In any case, on a personal level, they help us to get rid of excessive rational energy and of that incessant, extenuating mental labor that deprives us of our sense of reality. On a community level, they teach us to connect to and within a group, reaching a sense of collaboration that extends beyond words and political or religious belief.
(1) For further reading on this matter, see the paper given in occasion of the international meeting “Le Radici del Dono. The Roots of Gift Giving”. Click here to read.