62 SECRETS OF SHAMANISMDeveloping Neutrality
One of the best sources of protection is your ability to
find a neutral position. When you are not neutral about an
event or situation, you make yourself vulnerable because you
put yourself under its power or influence. If people call you
stupid and that upsets you, then you are immediately under
their spell because at some level you believe them. If you
resist them and defend yourself, you are probably worried
about being stupid and you don't want anybody to know. If
you realize you are not stupid, you may regard them with
curiosity, wondering what truly troubles them so much that
they would be so offensive. Neutrality, then, is the position
of power.
This is not to say that you should never take a position on
anything or that you should be an emotionless robot. Sha-
mans have feelings, but they do protect themselves when
there is a real threat. So should you. Most events, however,
are not literally threatening and are best handled by neutral-
ity. Truly great shamans are ones who can retain their neu-
trality even in the face of a crisis. That takes practice.
The shaman and Coyote were engaged in one of their
favorite sports. They were taking turns insulting each
other to see who could gain mastery over the other. Who-
ever lost would get hurled off the cliff. It would take them
a month to climb back out. "Hey, Coyote!" the shaman
sneered. "Your coat is so mangy that even your fleas get
sick when they hear your name." Coyote laughed and
countered, "Hey, Shaman, I hear all the people laugh at
you when they see your drum, it's so full of holes that you
can t even hold dung in it." And so it went, back and forth,
each one trying to get a rise out of the other until finally
Coyote said, "Hey, Shaman, remember that old man that
died during the full moon of deep snow. Even with all your
shamanizing, you couldn't save him. He took all your
power away when you irritated him with your poison
smoke." Now, Coyote knew that the old man who had
died was really the shaman's mentor. He was banking on
the fact that the shaman was afraid he wouldn't be as
powerful when the old man died. Sure enough, the sha-
man gasped and struggled to regain his composure.
Coyote grabbed him and hurled him off the cliff. "Another
shaman down." Coyote grinned as he trotted off into the
forest.