Jose ATID LENA STEVENS 31they do whatever works. The good ones don't waste their
time with empty ritual. If you are able to concentrate well,
you, like the shamans, can certainly learn to journey without
the aid of drumming.
In order for the journey to work for you, you need only to
follow the steps and be willing to take what comes. If you put
too much effort into it, bully yourself, make judgments
about yourself or what you are about to do, or are impatient,
you will only get in your own way. Hopefully your experience
with the previous exercises will help you override these
habits, the most common blocks for beginners. Imagine that
you are going to talk to a very old wise man or woman; you'll
want to be calm, patient, respectful, and receptive to every-
thing he or she has to say. Shamanically speaking, your spirit
self is that very old wise being. Remember to approach your-
self the same way.
Retrieving information for ruthless personal gain or for
winning an advantage over another is seldom fruitful. To
want to deprive another of what they have or to defeat them
is contradictory to the basic laws of harmony in the spirit
world. You will therefore find yourself blocked because your
process is based on inappropriate intention. If the subject
you're focusing on does involve other people, take a win-win
attitude—that is, you want everyone to benefit from your
strategy. This attitude supports the notion of harmony and
balance in all of nature and will strengthen your access to this
universal information.
During your journey you may be given advice or informa-
tion that you do not want to hear. If you are not willing for
this to happen, don't consult shamanic advice. Unless you
are open to wherever your journey may take you, you are
only wasting your time. If you journey, be prepared for what-
ever insights you may receive, whether you like them or not.
Usually, you will be pleasantly surprised by the images and
messages you discover. If, however, you are in the habit of
lying to yourself, you may find that you have some uncom-
fortable truths to face.
Occasionally you may be given a symbolic gift or present
during your journey. Feathers, gemstones, lights, and books
are all typical of these types of gifts. Always accept them and
bring them back with you in an imaginative form. This is
where your visioning skills will come in handy. Receiving a
gift is always important. It makes the journey real and is a
sign that you are on the right track.
You might notice judgments and mental commentary
coming up as you journey. This part of your mind has to have