Secrets of Shamanism

128 SECRETS OF SHAMANISM

out to dinner. The driver's feelings were crushed and the

dinner out was an awkward uncomfortable affair. They did

not part on the best of terms.

Only muchi later, in retrospect, did the wealthy Ameri-

can realize his egregious error. He had refused a gift of

the heart and mistakenly placed the emphasis on a mis-

guided consideration about means. He robbed the taxi

driver of an opportunity to increase his wealth and his

power by preparing a feast for a traveler that he liked.

Therefore, to increase your power and effectiveness—the
shaman's proverbial goal—you must develop the capacity to
receive with grace and humility. Never refuse a freely given
gift, no matter how lowly or how opulent. When you receive
another's gift, you honor them and you reinforce the har-
mony and balance between the spirit world and the ordinary
world. Of course, you must be able to distinguish between a
true gift and a bribe. Bribes are not gifts but an attempt to
control you or buy you out. They have hidden or obvious
strings attached and are conditional in nature. For example,
an apparent gift of money or property can be a bribe for your
"good behavior." Bribes need not be accepted because they
are not given to you unconditionally.
To refuse a gift because you cannot pay the person back in
kind is to miss the point. When the spirit world offers you a
gift of talent or free advice on a matter, it does not expect
repayment in kind. The spirit world expects you to use that
talent or that advice for the benefit of yourself and others.
That benefit spreads from person to person, creating more
power, making the spirit world more powerful in the long
run. In this manner, the spirit world keeps the ordinary
world in balance. If someone offers you a free service or a
gift of money and you refuse to accept it, you effectively stop
this flow of power through you. You create disharmony.
The other important consideration about receiving is the
style in which you receive. From a shamanic perspective,
everything in your life is a gift—whether it is the food you
eat, the clothes you wear, or the children you have been
given to raise and care for. Taking gifts for granted or believ-
ing that you are totally responsible for their creation is a
form of arrogance that ultimately reduces power. Minerals,
plants, and animals deserve special thanks for their many
gifts in the form of furniture, jewelry, building materials,
foods, clothing and many of the articles we rely on for every-
day living. Mealtimes are especially important times to re-
member the favors bestowed by the plants and animals for