owls and following the shamanic process

David Weatherly - Shaman

I just re-listened (and transcribed) a section of the audio interview I did with David Weatherly. I am including it here because I thought it was relevant to the raven posting from August 22nd.

Here is a little preface to the noteworthy back-and-forth dialog we had on the recent podcast.

Since childhood, David has studied Shamanic and magical traditions with elders from numerous cultures including Tibet, Native America, Europe and Africa. During the interview he said he had had a Near Death Expedience in his youth, hearing that a bell went off in my head, and I blurted out, "Wait, are you a shaman?"

Without any hesitation, he answered: “Yes, I am.”

Barred Owl

_______________________________________________________

Here is a slightly edited excerpt from the audio interview:

Mike: So here's my final question, if I had to ask a shaman any question - this would be the question: What is the meaning of all the owls? I see a lot of owls, I mean, more than other people, and at prescient moments. And I don't think they are UFO screen memories, I think these are real owls.
David: So what you are saying is you do NOT feel like they are a screen memory. 

Mike: No, they are real owls. 

David: When you look at totem animals, you'll find slightly different interpretations depending on the cultural background, but you also find some commonalities. Now, the owl in a lot of north American mythologies is symbolic of death and all the things associated with that, lie the other-wold and the spirit world.

It's a very feminine energy, and it's often associated with people who have psychic or mediumship abilities. It's a night totem, so it's associated with the moon and lunar energy. I'm just talking in generalities, there are differences when you look at more western cultures.

What's your cultural heritage? 

Mike: My father was Scottish, both my grandparents on his side were born in Scotland. And the linage is Scottish as far as we can trace it back. My mother was born in Denmark, and all her ancestry, as far as anyone can figure out is all Danish. 

David: Oh, now that's cool. The owl in shamanic definition is pretty interesting. If you take the owl or the crow, you'll find very similar definitions and interpretations in America and in Europe. The same is true for other animals like the deer.

But the owl is curious, the interpretations are very different on the two continents. Things that are associated with it in North America are a bit more ominous. A lot of native American tribes think it's a bad omen if you see an owl, meaning someone is going to die.

Some of the native mythology, for instance in the south western tribes like the Apache have a whole owl-man monster that exists in their creation myth.

But if you go to Europe and look a the owl it's a bit more noble and it's often associated with the Goddess of wisdom, and it's more associated with the ability to be clairvoyant. And it's often symbolic of being aware of you surroundings. So I would say that with your background the owls would fall into that category for you.

Now you can take all these things that I've said and sit with it and derive your own interpretation with it. But I would certainly say that anytime you see one, you really need to pay attention on multiple levels.

Mike: (laughing) Sorry, I didn't mean to laugh.

David: And Pay attention to what's going on at moment when you spot it, what's happening that day. But also what's going on in your life at the time.

Mike: That's funny you siad that, because you said 'pay attention' and I was litterally getting ready to reply, and I had written down 'pay attention' on this peice of paper in front of me.

 David: (laughs)

Mike: So that's what I've come away with. I don't have a good answer, the only answer I do have is PAY ATTENTION.

Then, I go on to tell of a mystical experience (from 2009) of seeing five owls all at one time. I wrote about it HERE. After listening to my long-winded story, David replied.

David: Those kind of things make it very clear that this is a very defined and connected totem for you ... and that is what you need to look at and be conscious of in those moments. Chronicle those things because they are valuable, you'll see patterns emerge and you'll see greater levels of understanding develop from those experiences.

Mike: When you say chronicle them, that's interesting you say that, because I have been and it's been in the form of this blog. And I really take the blog seriously, it's not hidden away in a diary - I am publicly declaring it - and it gives them a different resonance ... It feels like I am doing an experiment, I have to take this seriously and I am trying to be as honest as I can be on this blog.

David: (Laughing) You are following the shamanic process. It's sort of akin to the shaman sitting down and telling the village stories.

________________________________________________

Part of the reason that I re-listened to this audio interview because I had clearly remembered him saying: "Sounds like a shamanic initiation" but my memory was wrong, what he actually said was: "You are following the shamanic process."

________________________________________________