Learning Shamanism

 So, is Druidry the same as Celtic Shamanism? This is a question that prompted me to explore the ins and outs of Druidry over the past few weeks. And the answer? Well, yes and no. Druidry is certainly not the same as Core Shamanism but I have discovered that Druidry is a very broad "church" indeed.  Druidry as it is practised today is a very modern "religion" or way of relating to the world and our place in it. It also means many different things to many different "Druids". Druids can be Animist, Pagan, Polytheist, Atheist, Buddhist, Yogis, even Christian! Where Druidry and Celtic Shamanism blend together is in the love and respect for the Natural World - for the Earth, the environment, the wild creatures, the forests and the Spirits of Nature. I find that the Shamanism that I practice with The Way of The Buzzard is more informal and easy going than most of the schools of Druidry I have researched. Having said that, the Hedge Druid or the Feral Druid is ba...

I love this article from The Druid Network site. There is No Separation – an article by Damh the Bard Druidry reveals the illusion of separation that humans have built between themselves and the natural world – an illusion that is silk-thin, yet sometimes seems impenetrable, a wall between us. We can see the trees, the hills, caves, rocks, ocean waves, animals and birds, but somehow cannot reach them through the concrete, noise of television, cars, and general hustle and bustle of our modern lives.  But take the hand of the Druid, and step through, and the air becomes clear, the noise fades away into the distance, and you can not only hear your footsteps on the fallen leaves, you can feel them under your feet. You begin to understand the relationship between the oak, ash, hazel, and the animals of the woodlands. And through that understanding you begin to rediscover your own relationship with them; a relationship that reveals how the earth sustains us, and after she has spoken to...

 This is a recent journey I shared with members of The Way of The Buzzard Mystery School members. We were encouraged to journey to the Lower World and to seek out Awe. Finding awe in ones life is a way to find happiness in what can be a depressing mundane world. It is something I struggle with most of the time - I have to be away from people and in Nature to find Awe in the "real" world. "Just done the Awe seeking journey. I normally don't find much awe in the mundane human world but my Otherworld journeys can be pretty Awesome. In my normal life I have to be away from people in Nature to experience real awe so this journey was a good excuse for a little escapism. I journeyed to the lower world with my usual companions, Wolf and Crow. When we emerged, a pure white Mare was waiting for me. She introduced herself as Epona and invited me to climb aboard. (Awesome!). The four of us sped through a beautiful forest until we came to a tall waterfall that crashed into a sma...

This is a shamanic journey that I have previously shared on The Way of The Buzzard private Mystery School page on Facebook. This was a guided journey we did on 18/07/2026 - the intention being to meet my Spirit Teacher in the Upper World and to ask for guidance. Just caught up with the July Journey to the Upper World. Not a place I visit often as I much prefer the Lower World. But I went with it and entered a desert landscape that reminded me of New Mexico (never been there but I'm a Breaking Bad fan ).  Crow was with me all the way from my Axis Mundi and was guiding me through the Cactus and scrubland towards a well constructed wooden house. A man came to meet me as I approached. He was short, wore jeans, shirt and a leather hat. He seemed familiar in some way. At this point Crow sat on my shoulder and sqawked into my right ear "Listen!". Strange as Crow doesn't usually use language as such. I greeted the man and thought I recognised him as Carlos Castaneda - (I was...

This was my experience of a guided shamanic journey I did on 4/7/2026 with Jason from The Way of The Buzzard Mystery School. I have previously shared this on TWOTB Mystery School private Facebook page. The subject of the journey was Grief - the intention being to discover how grief has affected me. I wasn't sure whether to share this or not as I don't usually share my journey experiences, but, as others have shared their experiences from the July journey circle, I thought i would give my experience. Firstly, I have to say I have never been a fan of "guided" journeys but as grief was a subject I would never normally explore, I gave it a go. I chose to journey from my regular Axis Mundi - an ancient hollow Yew tree in the village where I spent the first 8 years of my life. From there I travelled with my Animal guide to a nearby stream with a man made waterfall where the stream splits into two before powering a disused watermill. As I sat in the meadow on the bank of t...

 On August 12th 2026, the day of the new moon and an almost total eclipse of the sun around 7pm in the UK, I decided to perform my Initiation into the Druid of The Birch Grove. This is the first FREE course in Druidry offered by the Isle of Wight Druid Order . As stated in my last post, I drove to the physical setting of my Axis Mundi in a small South Oxfordshire village. The temperature was 34C (the UK has been experiencing unusual heatwaves this summer) so the first thing I did was immerse myself in the waterfall that cascades into the village millpond. There was nobody about so I indulged myself in naked wildness - the water crashed into my body and cleansed my soul, preparing me for the Initiation. Next, I walked to the ancient Yew (approx 1600 years old) in the village graveyard. The invading christians build a church on this sacred spot about a thousand years ago and at least three of my ancestors are buried there. Unusually, there were some people visiting the graveyard, so ...

 I have been looking into Druidry as a spiritual path that can complement my Animist beliefs and my shamanic practice. Having found the Isle of Wight Druids offer FREE courses in Druidry, I have decided to follow this path for a while and see where it leads. The first course the IOWD offers is called Druid of The Birch Grove and it is conducted by email and is based around the 13 moons of the year. So it lasts about 14 months. The next 2 courses are Druid of The Yew Grove and Druid of The Oak Grove - both lasting for a similar period of time. I may and may not live long enough to finish this training programme, and, of course, I may just give it up if I feel it isn't right for me. Anyway, I am prepared to dive into the work and see what happens. There is an Initiation Ritual that one conducts alone with the Spirits of Nature. I decided to conduct this ritual on August 12th 2026, the day of a new moon and a partial solar eclipse. The UK has been experiencing an unusual and prolonge...

So, what is Druidry? Here is a great explanation from a blogger called Woodlarking Modern Druidry is a nature centred spiritual path inspired by the cultures, traditions and landscapes of the ancient Celtic world. While it takes inspiration from history, folklore and mythology, it is a modern religion that has developed over the past few centuries rather than a direct continuation of the priesthood described by classical writers. Many druids seek to deepen their relationship with nature through observing the seasons, spending time in wild places, celebrating seasonal festivals and cultivating a sense of reverence for the land. Creativity, poetry, music, storytelling and the pursuit of knowledge also hold an important place in many druid traditions, reflecting the role of wisdom and learning associated with the ancient Druids. There is no single authority or set of beliefs that defines Druidry. Some druids honour Celtic deities, while others follow a more animistic, pantheistic or phil...

 It's been a while since I have added anything to this little blog but life has been gifting me with new directions and old reflections concerning my spiritual path. In June this year of 2026 as I reached my 74th birthday I decided to rejoin The Way of The Buzzard Mystery School as I felt a need to belong to a "Tribe" - not having anything in common with the many thousands of "normies" that surround me in my mundane world. While getting back into the Buzzard teachings and talking to other Buzzards, I found that the teachings were not only based on Core Shamanism (as seemed the case back in 2020) but were also heavily influenced by Celtic Shamanism - with striking similarities to Druidry! I also discovered that some of the other Buzzards were also Druids. This led me to do more research on the various Druid organisations in the UK. I had previously dismissed Druidry as a bunch of nutters who liked to dress up in white robes and dance around stone circles - but i...

After experiencing a recent NDE, I have come to realise that it really doesn't matter which "spiritual" path you decide to take - or even if you have zero interest in so called "spirituality". The only thing that matters is that we try to develop unconditional compassion (which includes respect and unemotional "love") - firstly for ourselves , for our fellow humans (I often struggle with this one), the animals, birds, reptiles and insects. For the beautiful planet we live on - the forests, rivers, streams, wild plants, mountains and meadows. This is our only job, may we do it to the best of our ability. If you want my opinion (and advice) on the ways of the world or if you don't, fine, here it is anyway. First, never believe any politician, no matter who or what he or she claims to represent. They are all, without exception, professional LIARS. We don't need a "government". No matter who you vote for in any so called "democracy...

 Here's the thing - "Shamanism" is just one word but it can mean all kinds of different things to different people. I have just started doing the First Steps course with Paul Francis and the Three Ravens College of Therapeutic Shamanism - more as a refresher for myself than an attempt to learn something new. (I have read all Pauls' books, so I am very familiar with his take on Core Shamanism).  Paul is a great teacher but there is one thing he is very dogmatic about (an unshamanic trait) and that is his insistence that the "Lower World" is a pristine environment as would have been experienced by hunter gatherer humans living in what we call the "Stone Age".  I am not saying he is wrong but this is not a universal belief among shamanic people. There most likely was a "Blueprint" for planet Earth that was pure, natural, beautiful and unpolluted by modern human greed, ignorance and mental illness - but is this our Prime Reality or not? Whet...

In my last post I implied that talking to yourself is a form of madness and that a state of "no mind" is a goal to aim at. Well, I still stand by that, but I will acknowledge that words do have a certain "power" and there can be a place for talking to yourself. Many shamanic teachers refer to "words of power" because sorcerers and witches rely heavily on the psychological impact of a word or series of words to gain influence and power over other people. The same techniques can work when trying to influence or gain power over one's own mind. In mantra yoga, words, or more correctly, sounds, are used to control and master the mind. Some mantras are claimed to have "magical" properties such as enabling levitation or telepathy. I practice a form of mantra meditation myself; the so hum (soham) meditation technique mentioned in my last post. Soham actually has a meaning - I am that - but it is the sound that is important. It is the sound of the bre...

When I was a boy I used to hear this phrase a lot - "Talking to yourself is the first sign of madness". Probably not PC or "woke" to say that in these strange times that we are living in but I believe it is a statement worthy of consideration. Those who know me personally will be thinking to themselves "Well he should know" - not because they respect my knowledge or because I spent many years working for a Community Mental Health Service - but because most folk seem to think that I am a bit mad. Maybe they are right, it's not for me to say. Obviously, most of us have witnessed the blatantly crazy person talking loudly on the street and having an animated conversation with him or her self (by the way, it is usually a male). But in these days of mobile phones and "bluetooth" technology it is no longer considered strange to see somebody walking down the street apparently talking to themselves. In fact, it has become the norm. But, technology apa...

 Here is a story that some may find amusing. The Ram in the title is not the Hindu god of that name but a particularly stroppy little git of the sheep variety. Here's how the day went.... As I have decided to start journeying again, I decided to visit my "Axis Mundi" - the place where I begin my journeys to the other worlds. It had been a year since I had visited this place physically and I was more than a little disappointed when I got there. It was completely overgrown with nettles and somehow the magic of the place had gone.... Then I heard a strange grunting noise coming from under a bush. At first I couldn't discern where it was coming from and then I thought it might be an animal in trouble, caught up somewhere. Suddenly from the bushes came a rather handsome jet black ram and he was walking slowly towards me. Now, I pride myself on being able to communicate with most non human people (not so much with humans lol), so I crouched down on my haunches and beckoned ...

 It has been a while since I have delved into the wonderful world of Shamanism. I have been following a yogic path, which while it is satisfying in a lot of ways, just doesn't have the same buzz as a shamanic journey. So I am back on the broomstick, so to speak. I will be adding more content over the next few months as I relearn old lessons and discover new ones. The picture may give a clue as to which direction I will be taking......or does it? Next post - Ram Versus Man

It has a been a while since my last post (October 2021) and the reason for this is that I have been experimenting with a new (to me) form of Shamanic practice known as The Lyceum (previously known as The Way of The Bee). This is very different to "Core Shamanism". I discovered a wonderful teacher who is English but based in France called Sarita Cameron - she is known online as Sarita Sol. Sarita was trained in the gynacentric shamanic practises of The Lyceum while with The Sacred Trust in Devon UK. She has her own website - SolHenge Sarita also teaches what she calls Quantum Meditation which takes you deep into the true nature of Your Self. I have been using these meditations which are freely available on YouTube and can absolutely recommend them. (Google and YouTube regularly delete Saritas' work because she exposes their nefarious AI agenda). She can also be found on Patreon .  In my last post I said I would say how I got on with my Samhain journey into the Otherworl...

 I thought I would do a post to celebrate Samhain (pronounced Sow-ein) as I am now committed to studying Celtic Shamanism. As a novice in this work I will give you some wisdom from one far more knowledgeable than myself - Glennie Kindred . The following information on Samhain is drawn from her books - The Earths Cycle of Celebration and The Sacred Tree. The references to Halloween are from various sources. Samhain has no truly fixed date, unlike the modern (Christian) festival of Halloween or All Hallows Eve, Samhain is celebrated on the second new moon after the Autumn equinox. This is both the ending and the beginning of the Celtic year and it falls around the end of October and the beginning of November. (In 2021 it falls on November 4th). Samhain is a festival that celebrates the affirming of rebirth in the midst of death and darkness. Samhain is a magical time when the veil between the seen world of matter and the unseen world of Spirit becomes thin, especially at dawn and dus...

I have been part of The Buzzard Tribe for a while now and am really learning a lot. I have revisited Journeying through one of the Foundation Courses and am learning from other peoples experiences on the Coaching Calls and the Facebook Group - As I am journeying with more regularity now I thought I would share a recent one - this is a journey I shared on the Buzzard Tribe Facebook group last week. "I would like to share a recent journey - it is quite long though. It involves my first experience of "shape shifting". I have been visiting the lower world for over 2 years now and I know some of the characters in this journey fairly well. They are Rabbit, my Power Animal, a wolf family, male, female and their 2 one year old cubs and a human family - Mog the hunter, his partner Mag and their 2 year old son, Rog. I have been feeling very under the weather with flu like symptoms for a couple of days so decided to journey and ask for some healing. I started with Rabbit at my Axis...

  This will probably be my last blog post for a while as I am focusing on developing my practise and moving deeper into the realm of Spirit. I will be adding useful links and book reviews from time to time but the actual spiritual transformation I am embarking on is a very personal journey which may not mean much to the casual reader. My journeys into the Otherworld will stay personal unless I decide there may be some benefit in sharing them. My last three posts have all concerned my search for the "right" teacher or teachers. Well, I believe I have found my spiritual home and my "sat gurus" - Jason and Nicola Smalley and The Way of The Buzzard Mystery School. For many years I have tried hard to convince myself that I could achieve what Carlos Castaneda achieved in his long apprenticeship with don Juan and I have come to realise that that will never be the case. Having spent hours and months working with the techniques of don Carlos and Victor Sanchez, I now accep...

 In my previous two posts you will have seen that I was in a dilemma about which path to take and which teacher to follow. As I write today, I believe Spirit has guided me to the right path for me at this time - I will go into how this came about and what this path is in my next blog post. Today I would like to clarify my journey and my gratitude to the various teachers who have helped me to understand the Shamanic Path and in doing so, have helped me to understand myself. I have approached Shamanism from many different directions - which is probably why I managed to confuse myself. My main teachers (in book form and from the internet) have either come from North America or from the UK. When I was younger I believed Shamanism to be the sole property of the First Nation peoples of the North American continent - USA, Mexico and Canada. I have since learned that Shamanism has been practised all over Mother Earth for hundreds of thousands of years - only ending with the advent of organ...