Referring to our “human situation,” ancient wisdom traditions have long said that we are unwitting residents of a “barnyard” – and, that along with having been co-opted as a resource for the benefit of the “Masters”, we have become complacent, compliant, and co-operative with our captors.
Representing the path of personal freedom, shamans have always placed their allegiance with nature, with the wild and free, rather than with the “safety” and well fed organization of the barnyard.
No matter how well cared for, barnyard creatures are still ultimately dinner for the master of the farm.
Perhaps this is why shamans have such a questionable reputation – we advise the creatures of the barnyard to jump the fence and run for it!
“Creatures of the barnyard” includes the vast majority of us who dwell in the barnyard of our current social, political and economic systems.
Shamans have long pointed out that the very same fence that we imagine is keeping us safe from predators keeps us imprisoned. And as far as the supposed security of regular feedings in the food trough, and of a barn roof over our heads: wild creatures do just fine with a combination of innate intelligence, connectedness with all of life, and the warm companionship of their brothers and sisters!
Look around. Is this description so far from the truth of what you see?
What’s important now is the next steps that you take.
You can always slip back into the barnyard to alert your loved ones that they too can escape the confinement of the “safety” that is offered by those whose actual intention is to co-opt people’s lives, and to use and abuse them for their own benefit. You can let your loved ones know that they too can live a life free of fear, domination, and servitude.
But you’ll have to find your personal freedom first!
So, getting down to the particulars of your situation: while it is true that the sum total of the choices you have made have determined the momentum of your life, it is always possible, even in this moment, to completely change the direction of your life, simply by making different choices.
It helps to have the fellowship of other wild creatures as you return to your authentic state of being. For example, a journey to a place of transformative potential – like Teotihuacan, Mexico – with a Toltec Spirit Guide – is one way to jump over the fence.
There, supported in a place of mysterious wild power, you learn to live in freedom, as you repeatedly chose to untangle yourself from the insanity of the trance induced by the domination and control systems that govern our world.
A wilderness trek to a place of wild natural beauty is another way to untangle from the artificiality of societal values – to untangle yourself from the induced values of consumerism.
Saturating yourself with wild beauty restores an essential feral wildness that does not compromise.
Whatever you do to get to this state of supple flexibility, you then begin spiraling deeper and deeper – and at the moment when you begin dancing the dream of the universe, you ignite – and experience the intense ecstasy of life illuminated by Divine Presence, no longer co-opted, no longer controlled and contained for your own safety.
This moment of ignition is the breaking of the spell of the trance – it is a moment of recognition and remembrance that we are energy beings, made of Light – light that has become manifest as the gift of our bodies, our lives.
Many shamanic traditions call this iridescent upwelling dazzling light being the rainbow body.
When we recognize that our essence is Light, and come home to the wild love of Creation – we begin living the dream of heaven on earth. Moving into alignment with the explosive original synergy of YES that animates our cosmos, we become magical beings – we easily shed the dark fabric of the trance, and we become love in action.
Jumping the fence and running for it is the first act of awakening, and reclaiming your wild heart is the foundation of creating a life worth living on your terms!
Blessings, and may Spirit guide you. Francis Rico.
Join Francis Rico on Friday, 6/10:
Experience Practical Magic:
An Evening of Illumination and Connection with the Heart of Creation
w/ Shaman Francis Rico
Dive deep into ancient wisdom traditions,shamanic practices, and living ceremonies that support your awakening in ways that might seem magical, but are actually the flowering of the gifts that we each bring to life.
This recovery of your well-being, of your own magic, is what it takes to transform life on earth: passion, joy, and a lot of energy.
This is exactly why we are gathering!
Friday, June 10, 7:30pm-9:30pm
suggested donation $10-$20
Songbird Community Healing Center
Musician, shaman, and author Francis Rico Hayhurst combines ancient and modern shamanic wisdom with a irrepressible advocacy for having fun and enjoying life – assisting his clients, students and fellow adventurers in awakening to the gift of their lives.
“The beauty of wild creation, within us and surrounding us, can help us heal, and can bring happiness and real magic into our lives – we can become joyful and free!”
Rico’s new book, A Shaman’s Guide To Deep Beauty, shares stories and lessons from over 30 years of dedication to the shamanic pathways and teachers of indigenous wisdom traditions -including his gratitude for the gifts of the Toltec legacy and the mysterious beauty of Teotihuacan.
As a guide to the world’s sacred sites, Rico brings insight, humor and music along on every journey, opening the doorways of perception to opportunities for transformation and connection to the radiant essence of revelation to occur.
His home lies in Northern California, where he shares the beauty of the wild coastal mesas, cliffs, and ocean in support of his shamanic teaching, healing and counseling practices. www.shamanzone.com
