The Beauty Way: Ceremonial Shamanism

Copyright © 2015 Laura and Michael Anderson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

Balboa Press

A Division of Hay House

1663 Liberty Drive

Bloomington, IN 47403

www.balboapress.com

1 (877) 407-4847

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4525-2257-9 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-2256-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-2258-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014916972

Balboa Press rev. date: 2/9/2015

CONTENTS

Chapter 1 The Beauty Way

Chapter 2 Before The Ceremony

Chapter 3 We Are Made Of Elements

Chapter 4 You Are More Than Your Physical Body!

Chapter 5 Power Animals, Allies And Guides

Chapter 6 Becoming The Seer

Chapter 7 Looking At The Mesa, The Sacred Altar

Chapter 8 Triangle Of Disempowerment

Chapter 9 Working With Energy

Chapter 10 Imagery, Blessing And Shamanic Poetry

Chapter 11 The Vast Expansion Of Creation

Chapter 12 The Despacho, Ceremony Of Ayni Or Reciprocity

Chapter 13 Andean Metaphysical Cosmology

Chapter 14 Journey - A Shaman’s Greatest Tool!

Chapter 15 Appendix – Important Extras

ALSO BY THE ANDERSONS

Changing the Dream – A Pilgrimage to Machu Picchu

Walking the Beauty Way – Musical CD

This work is

dedicated to the Spirit of Pachakuti

who made it our purpose to share the

teaching of The Beauty Way.

To my husband Michael, who encouraged, supported, and assisted me every step of the way. And to our children and grandchildren, you are our legacy.

To my friends, especially Cassie Measures who supported and assisted me with editing and aspects of comprehension, and Dee Prigmore, Neutrina Spirit Walker whose contemplation and discussion with me on the elements has been invaluable.

INTRODUCTION

Shamanism as a spiritual practice does not require any specific religious beliefs, but rather encourages practitioners to discover animalism, an ancient world view of our ancestors. This belief is that all created things: human, animal, plant, landscapes, elements, and seasons have an intelligent, communicative life force or spirit. As children, most of us have had spontaneous Shamanic experiences, accompanied by a strong sense of oneness with the Universe. These are what we call mystical experiences. Most children have an inner knowing that energy, or life force resides in all things. They start out as potential Shaman.

At the heart of all Shamanism are also controlled visionary experiences that connects the practitioner with spirit beings who guide, guard, instruct, and bless life. These spirit beings include Power Animals, or Spirit Guides.

Actually, all energy techniques are Shamanic in nature. Reiki, Feng Shui, Yoga, T’ai Chi/Chi Kung and many forms of Divination are based on the belief in a life force energy that can be worked with and channeled. Yet the difference in just working with energy and being a Shamanic Practitioner is in the action taken. A Shaman actively shifts, transmutes, removes and recovers energy for themselves or a client. They mediate for their ‘tribe’. They actively work to shift the dream of society through ceremony and meditation for the betterment of humanity. Anyone with an interest in and dedication to Shamanic wisdom can become a Shamanic practitioner, someone who searches through the darkness of life for a personal spiritual path that that is creative, life affirming and joyful.

Michael and I have been doing Ceremony in various forms and styles since the early 1990’s. Our personal spiritual quests have led us to understand that it is through Ceremony we connect to the Divine, not abstract knowledge. That is why the Beauty Way is called Ceremonial Shamanism. Our action toward connecting to the Divine, and shifting energy is done through ceremony. We love teaching, lecturing and talking about various spiritual truths but now have internalized the knowing that it is through ceremony humanity connects to the Source within, and that has made all the difference.

This book was compiled from our lectures, notes, and the information we share during the Peruvian Shaman classes we began teaching after we returned from our pilgrimage to Peru in 2011. With each series of classes we taught, we would add, reorganize, or let go of information in an attempt to make the ideas easier and quicker to grasp. I soon realized that the revelations we received from this information are for every healer or seeker, not just those that are taking energetic connective ceremonies or Shamanic Rites. Most of the book revolves around information I use with the various energetic ceremonies of the Munay-Ki in order to help my students get a deeper understanding of that modality. However, I believe the information presented will be life changing in its own right, with or without the energetic ceremonies. For those that practice Shamanism, the exercises and information make it easier to stay connected to the Beauty Way.

(5-17-11)

(From my journal - Laura Anderson)

I had to push away the daily thoughts during the ceremony reminding myself that this was sacred and important. I felt the enveloping of Michael’s energy as he began the ceremony of the first Rite. Then during the ceremony I saw Machu Picchu in Peru, growing larger and larger, and I was looking out towards it. I reminded myself the journey is about me now, and when Michael blew into my hands to activate the healer, I felt the wind at Machu Picchu surrounding me. I remembered that the crow is with me and I am a shape shifter now. During the journey I was in the lap of Pachamama, the great Mother at Machu Picchu, Peru. I was the observer and the observed. My journey, or walk was to the tree in the center courtyard and I had to fight the mind a couple of times to let go of the day and stay there. While there, I saw the healers of the ancient world, the sacred tree of life, yet I continued to be both the observer and the observed. It was unique to me to be both simultaneously. I knew then, this would be life changing.

CHAPTER 1

The Beauty Way

We are many nodes in a sacred space, forwarded from the Ancestors, into the Golden Age of Dreaming.

- Michael Anderson

The Beauty Way is a way of approaching life that empowers and uplifts us by giving us the chance to choose our reality instead of continuing to live with what we have created from a place of disempowerment. It is a practice where we notice, then comment on those things that are beautiful around us, and in doing so create a life of beauty. We create a life of peace and prosperity by first seeing them, then embodying them.

All things are possible and present before us, both those things that cause disharmony as well as those things that are lovely. Both the rose and the thorn are on the bush. Which do we notice first? And which do we comment on and point out to others? Our free will or choice is our greatest gift, and our choice creates our experiences. So many people in our world are trapped in the disempowering story of the human race consciousness, programmed to live a life of disempowerment due to that programming. The Beauty Way teaches us how to break free of that programming. It gives us the understanding and tools to live a life of Beauty. This is the Beauty Way, a way of choice and self-empowerment.

Let us begin by stating that Shamanism is the oldest form of Spirituality known to man. A Shaman is a man or woman of power who calls on the forces of nature for assistance in gaining information and healing for both physical and emotional wounds. They act as intermediaries between the physical and non-physical world to help both themselves and others regain lost power and remove excessive or intrusive energy. Their work includes assistance through soul retrieval, energy extractions or energy clearing. They take action for their clients and the world at large.

The Shaman’s path is the way of light and energy. They work to overcome their own self-limiting ideas and to be free of the opinions of others so that they can assist themselves and others without judgment. The Beauty Way teaches the Shaman is to be alert at all times to synchronicity, to listen to messages from nature, and strive to create harmony between their thoughts, things, and events. Acknowledging the wholeness of being that is the Earth, they learn to sense the interconnectedness of the visible and invisible Universe.

A Shaman recognizes that everything is alive and that objects have the ability to retain information that can be accessed to help them with their goals. They work with energy. A true Shaman will tailor their techniques to individual needs. They work with and know many healing modalities and are open to using the one that works best at the specific time. The main way they access the spirit world for information or assistance is through journey. It is similar to a guided meditation. In the past they were chosen to be Shaman. The elders of their tribe would choose them, and at the appropriate time put them through difficult initiations. Often, they were considered chosen by the Universe after experiencing a traumatic event like being struck by lightning or having a near death experience. Some would be born cross eyed, or with a physical disability that were considered signs of Shamanic ability. In today’s world, with education and through Ceremonial Initiation or Rites, people can choose to become a Shaman and work with energy.

It seems that most people on a spiritual path find themselves in a constant struggle believing that the struggle is the spiritual path, but it is not. Through Ceremonial Shamanic initiations we gain powerful assistance by connecting to a lineage of Earth Keepers, healers and energy workers that came before us, or will come after us. Through this connection these Earth Keepers will begin to assist us in our personal healing making our spiritual path one of ease, one of beauty.

There are many valid Shamanic traditions. I consider Reiki a Shamanic modality as it also connects us to a lineage. However, this book focuses mostly on the Beauty Way, Ceremonial Peruvian Shamanism. It is based on what we learned through the Munay-Ki Rites, the Andean Mountain Shamanic initiations or energy connections. It was the style we had studied prior to and began teaching when we returned from Machu Picchu, Peru. The most powerful lesson I learned from this modality was that most of our personal struggle comes from our own personal wounds. That we must learn how to clear them if we want to live the Beauty Way. Healing others is a very noble profession, but until we heal ourselves, our dream, our reality, will not change. It is from a healed place that we are able to manifest our dreams and desires, that we are better able to assist others on their healing journey.

"The Munay - Ki Rites are the Initiation Rites of the Medicine people of the Americas. They are a nine step process for healing the wounds of our past childhood and the wounds of our ancestors; both the genetic and karmic inheritance that we were born into this life with. It is a fast track to enlightenment. Receiving the Munay-Ki Rites will also clear the energy centers, allowing you to begin to acquire a luminous rainbow body. The later initiations alter your DNA and allow you to create a new body that heals or ages differently, becoming a Homo Luminous being.

Paraphrased from Healing the Luminous Body - Alberto Villoldo, Ph.D.

When performing the Munay-Ki Rites, many teachers use a Pi stone, a round stone with a hole in the center that represents the Luminous Energy Field around each of us. This Energy Field surrounds and informs us. It is a blueprint for our physical, emotional and spiritual self. Many modalities call it the aura. When we change, reprogram and clear this energy field, we change our world, our personal dream. The Pi stone also represents the hyper dimensional gateway that gives a Shaman access to the invisible realms during journey. Various modalities use different ways to ceremonially connect a student to the lineage of their tradition when energetically connecting them to a specific lineage. The Shaman of the Muany-Ki use a Pi stone.

Pi stones can be found in museums, antique shops, trade days, and many other places all around the Americas. Few Archeologists know what they were used for, but Peruvian Shamanism teaches they are representations of an access point to the matrix of creation. After completing the Munay-Ki Rites the Shaman becomes this portal represented by the stone. The stone then becomes a reminder that they are always, as Shaman, able to access this matrix of creation. This access allows them to dream the world into being by choice, to change their current dream, no longer having to settle for a life that is the effect of their past programing. They are able to create a life or dream from choice as a result of future possibilities. This makes their destiny always available to them.

The Pi stone can also become an object of power for them. If given by a teacher, this stone also connects the owner to the place where the teacher received Shamanic Rites of passage, or became a medicine person. It will connect them to their teacher’s power to assist them as well. Any object of power gifted to a Shamanic Practitioner, to anyone for that matter, holds a connection to the presenter’s power.

In the Andean tradition, the Pi stone becomes an organizing principle in the Shaman’s mesa or traveling altar and begins to organize their relationship to knowledge or power. It becomes a key stone or the center of a personal mesa, or traveling altar.

During the Ceremonial Energetic Connection, or nine Rites of the Munay-Ki, seeds of possibility are placed in the student’s personal Energy Field. They then become responsible for growing them, into corn, or fruit bearing trees. This is where, in my mind, the information in the following chapters has so much value. The information or knowledge helps their understanding or seeds to grow. It helps clear energetic wounds so these ‘seeds of possibility’ can be used to the student’s advantage resulting in a change of their personal reality.

The Andean Culture is one of agriculture, so the concept of planting seeds is the image presented with this Shamanic Rite modality. This form has Nine Rites. Four Rites or Ceremonies they consider fundamental or foundational rights. Four lineage Rites or Ceremonies that connect to a lineage of past and future luminous beings. The last Rite or Ceremony allows the receiver to become an access point to the matrix of creation, giving them the ability to create their own dream. In our class series, we include a manifestation ceremony from South America called the Despacho, a ceremony of appreciation. Since we know it is through gratitude that we manifest, it seems appropriate to include how to do this ceremony in our class series.

A short explanation or definition of the Initiation Rites of the Munay-Ki are in the appendix chapter which may be helpful if you are interested in them. However, the information in this book will serve any seeker on the spiritual path, with or without taking the Munay-ki Rites.

What we