The Ladies all met up this weekend for some shamanic journey work.  We are soon to be entering a phase where power animals, totem animals and spirit guides may be particularly important and useful. Only some of us already had met their power animals, and I wasn't one of them and so in preparation for the months ahead we wanted to make sure everyone had had the chance to find their particular power animal. We planned to travel down to the Lower Realms through a recent portal we have done a tiny bit of work with before.

Although I have done a little shamanic work, a long time ago I had never experienced a full trip in to the lower realms to meet with power animals and it was a very powerful journey.  I do find drumming is a very easy way to start altering your conscious state and this session was no exception. However, in the past, the drum beat has been a fairly slow steady rhythm which lulls the senses.  This was very different.  Fast drumming is used to accompany the trip into the other world and back out again and this created a completely different sense of consciousness.  I do not remember the slow steady drumming which happened whilst we were in the lower realm but I do have a vivid and urgent memory of the drum beat on the journey in and out.  It was fast, and almost frantic and it was so easy to envisage myself travelling down through the earth, roots, worms and stones in both directions of the journey as a result.

I have long thought that (despite some declarations to the contrary) what hypnotherapists do is NOT shamanic journey-work.  Certainly my experience of this trip into the lower realms was a very different experience to the hypnotherapy I have undergone throughout the years. This was a far more visceral experience than the hypnosis I have experienced, with a far greater connectivity between body and mind whilst in the lower realm. I would certainly be open to using this technique again and going on more journeys in this way.

Now for the nitty gritty... 

Was I tempted stay in the Lower Realm when the call came to return? 

Yes, but I have a pretty strong will and it isn't the first time I have had to tell someone down there that I cannot stay with them. My advice would always be stand firm and make a clear decision.  This type of work involves an altered state of consciousness it does not mean that you lose your ability to make decisions.

Was I surprised by my power animal?

Yes. There was no elegant deer, regal eagle or powerful tiger for me.  I met a black hare with an American accent who insisted on referring to me as "Kiddo".

Was I disappointed by my power animal?

Strangely no. I hope that means it worked!