Language can really complicate simple matters. A few years ago I had a wonderful opportunity to spend time with three long time students of Jungian ideology, and analysis. We went to meet a Jungian analyst specializing in Alchemy.

Sounds interesting, and it was… what was even more interesting to me was the fact that we spent a good deal of the two hours we had together trying to come up with a common language to understand each others experiences and thoughts. No simple task, but a very interesting one.

Language: When I first started to study shamanism there were few books published regarding the practices of shamans. I looked high and low for how-to books but they did not exist. The books that I did find are considerably different than the books I read today. The basic language of shamanism speaks of the three worlds, Upper, Lower and Middle. The Lower World is where you meet your Power Animal. [Read more…]