Jose AIID LENA STEVENS 85focus on. By adding spirit communication to your store of
(sometimes questionable) scientific knowledge, you can pro-
duce results that can be of great service to humanity. Unlike
deciduous scientific knowledge that can be completely invali-
dated overnight by a new discovery, direct shamanic knowl-
edge tends to be perennial. When wind tells you that, to stay
healthy, you must avoid the hot winds of early fall and seek
out the fresh breezes of late spring, you can count on it.
Einstein is a good example of a man with latent shamanic
powers. His greatest discoveries occurred not in the labora-
tory but in flashes of direct intuition. A shaman would say
that he knew how to contact the spirit world for hidden
knowledge. He must have had powerful natural allies. So it
has been with many of the truly great discoverers, inventors,
and pioneers.
We will give you an exercise designed to open up your
communication channels with the spirit of the elements. It is
a simple feeling exercise that you can do anywhere and at
any time. The exercise is most effective when you are actu-
ally in the presence of the element you are working with. For
instance, if it is windy outside, work with wind; if you are
near a creek or you are swimming, work with water. Notice
how much the exercise resembles child's play. This is not
accidental.
Exercise #6: Knowing the Elements
Choose an element that you can physically hear, see,
smell, taste, or feel at the time. Now focus intently on how
that element looks, feels, or sounds to you. Close your eyes
and, without losing touch with the sense of the element, ask
yourself what qualities you would have if you were that ele-
ment. For example, water would be fluid, wet, powerful in a
flood, and perhaps warm or cold. Wind could feel light, free,
cold, hot, formless, caressing, threatening, and so on.
Try on each of the qualities you come up with. Take a
Exercise #6: The Steps
- Choose an element currently present.
- Sense the qualities of the element.
- Close your eyes. Ask how those qualities translate
to you. - Try them on for size.
- Thank the element. Open your eyes.