Living in Shamanic Consciousness Part Three: Head, Heart and Womb Wisdom

Published in Sibyl Magazine, March 2018

​Living in Shamanic Consciousness means we pay attention to the signs.  Often, this means we notice what appears in our external environment.  We learn to notice the eagle flying overhead or the deer standing by the side of the road.  Or we pull a medicine card from our favorite oracle deck.  We may look up the meaning of the animal or card in a book and think about how it relates to our current situation.  But that is just the beginning.

​We are magnificent beings who have a variety of avenues to access wisdom through our own bodies.  Three types of knowing that we can tune into are those that come from our head, our heart and our womb. We can ask each of these parts of ourselves to share their particular wisdom about the meaning of eagle, the deer, the oracle card, or any other question we have.  And, we can use this knowing to help us in decision-making.
 
As a Western woman who spent much of her younger years in academia, going to my head is often the first way that I begin to make a decision.  Perhaps I am going through email and see an opportunity for a class that looks interesting.  I scan the email looking for information about where and when it is taking place, who is leading it, and what their background is.
 
If my brain is still interested after gleaning the details, I move on to my heart.  I sit quietly and take a few centering breaths.  I ground to the Earth through my feet and the Sky through the top of my head.  Then, I bring my attention to my heart and allow gratitude to blossom.  From this grounded place of gratitude, I bring the gathering to mind and notice what happens in my heart.  If my heart seems to swell or expand or even leap, I know it is a yes.  If I notice my heart not responding or even contracting, I recognize that as a no.
 
Recently, I’ve also been tuning into my womb to hear what she has to say.  It is important to note that even if you do not have a physical womb, perhaps through a hysterectomy, you do have an energetic womb.  And, those born in a male body also have an energetic womb.  A man’s hara is the energetic equivalent to a woman’s womb.
 
Accessing the womb’s wisdom is similar to accessing that of the heart.  Sit quietly, take a few centering breaths and connect to Earth and Sky, and allow gratitude to well up.  Then, bring your question into your awareness and notice how your womb responds.  Notice if it similar to or different from your heart and how that influences your decision or understanding.
 
Living in Shamanic consciousness means that we pay attention and read the signs.  While some signs may appear in our environment, our bodies also have many ways to deepen our understanding.  We only need to tune in and listen.