Shamanic Art in the Twentieth Century.
Appendices
Shinju - First of all I
would like to thank you for agreeing to do this interview.
Richard - That's all right. It's an honour.
Shinju - OK. Shall we get started then?
Richard - Ok.
Shinju - Well lets start with who are you and what you do?
Richard - I'm Rich also known as Lilandrael online. I do all sorts
of things. Practically I do web sites, but that doesn't really cover it. I'm
kind of a community priest/magi.
Shinju - I understand you have been ordained, could you tell me by
whom, and how it came about (although I'm not entirely sure whether ordained
is the correct term)?
Richard - I was ordained via email, by the universal life church, when
I chose to live my life in the service of life light and love.
Shinju - Go on.
Richard - Though I also believe that the opportunity has been provided
for us by the universe in an effort to cover those in its service who are...
um... unorthodox.
Shinju - OK. Well let's get down to the nitty-gritty of what I would
like to talk to you about.
Richard - Ok.
Shinju - Tell me, in your opinion, what is a Shaman?
Richard - I think a shaman is simply someone who follows a path by
learning techniques of movement. Shamanism is really about these techniques
and not so much about belief, but that's just my opinion.
Shinju - Interesting.
Richard - They are kind of the rangers of the spiritual world.
Shinju - Could you expand a bit more about these techniques of movement,
I presume, from my own experience that you are talking about inner movement
of the consciousness (please feel free to take as much time as you wish to
answer).
Richard - It's not just about the inner movement of consciousness its
also about observing the world around you for the next sign, learning to recognise
and expand your experience. Whilst inner movement techniques are important,
one must also be able to choose the direction to head in.
Shinju - So do you consider yourself to be a shaman?
Richard - To be honest, I don't know...I
feel that I used to be. Now I think I am more just a wanderer than a path
follower, which I suppose is a path in itself.
Shinju - Could you tell me a bit about the type of tools a shaman
might use and the function that they hold?
Richard - Classically, shamen use meditation, turning inward to understand
the outer world. Psychedelics also play a very important part in the early
part of the journey until the individual learns how to broaden their perspective
and world without them. After that comes observation, reflection, and then
experimentation. In terms of tools...I can enchant objects so anything can
be used as a tool. I use this to pass gifts to others. Is it ok to talk
about psychedelics?
Shinju - Yes, absolutely.
Richard - When I started out on my journey, cannabis open the door,
its a very healing entity, also allows one to dissolve enough of the learned
(taught) patterns of behaviour so that we are open to all the possibilities
that the universe presents. I have also taken MDMA (the principle agent
in Ecstasy), kind of reminded me of touch and physical senses beyond my
body. LSD and Mushrooms (in my experience) change the reality you are in
little by little in accordance with the will and perception and being of
the person taking them. Now, I rarely take anything. I use these tools now
if they are needed, Cannabis and MDMA are for being able to sense and heal
Other, whilst LSD and Mushrooms are for very subtle issue work.
Shinju - So you feel that many of the substances taken into your
body can be used as tools?
Richard - Other tools I use are systems of divination, cards and
the like, though these also are unnecessary once one is attuned to intuition
and the psychic self within. They are more like friends now. They are each
good at different things but must be respected also, as friends.
Shinju - By changing what you consume, you change yourself?
Richard - Yes definitely, but also how I think about what I do as
well. Intention also changes who I am, and of course experience when it
is understood. In fact I think that the most important shamanistic tool
is open mindedness.
Shinju - OK, moving on a little, could you tell me how other people
fit into your life, as a shaman?
Richard - Other people form part of my experience and are the closest
of those entities in the external world to what I am (most of the time).
Each person has his or her own perspective and individual world (in which
they live). For me that means they can see things in myself which my own
world does not allow me to see. I
