44 SECRETS OF SHAMANISM
In the everyday work world people tend to hide negative
states because they want to appear successful and appealing.
They wear clothes, makeup, and put on a happy face. The
spirit body, however, always tells the truth about how people
feel and think, no matter what the physical disguise. Inciden-
tally, your own spirit body does the same for you. People
that buy into appearances lose out in the long run, because
they are not looking at the information that counts. People
that read the spirit body are a step ahead because they know
where to find real power and they have learned as well to see
where power is missing.
Even those unacquainted with the realm of spirit are only
somewhat fooled by outward appearances and words. React-
ing also to a person's spirit body, they are not conscious of
why they hired Mary over Sue, even though Sue was more
experienced, qualified, and better dressed. They simply liked
Mary better and felt she would do a great job.
Thus, one of the keys to success today is being aware of
your spirit self: its change, and states. This is an awareness, a
knowledge that to a certain degree can give you control over
how others perceive you. Wouldn't it be useful if you could
use a few simple shamanic techniques to make changes in
your spirit body that would aid you in attaining a balanced
and healthy state? If you learn to be sensitive to your ener-
getic fluctuations and to those of others, you have gained
power in the situation: remember that knowledge is power
where shamanic advising is concerned.
Red Hawk had been dreading the meeting with his
father that would decide whether or not he would be able
to join in the Great Hunt. The party was leaving the fol-
lowing day and if Red Hawk was not with them, he would
have to wait an entire year until the next summer solstice
moon, the only time the tribe initiated a new hunter. He
knew that his coming of age for the Great Hunt was theo-
retically not for three more moons, but Silver Fox had
gone last year underaged and Red Hawk knew he had at
least as much strength and stamina as Silver Fox had
then. But there was the question of his father, whose per-
mission he needed and who would be hard to convince.
The wise one had taught Red Hawk much in the ways
of the spirit world, arid he now sat down on his favorite
rock and closed his eyes. Turning his thoughts inward, he
noticed that his anticipation of confronting his father cou-
pled with his fear of being left behind had weakened his
spirit self in places. He drew from the spirit of rock, and