It's time to talk about the facts of life, the spirits and bees... let's talk about marrying, getting tangled up with, and falling in love. With spirits.

This episode covers what many are taking for granted as a love and light situation, where you end up with the godly spouse of your dreams. But the truth is, this ancient tradition isn't all it seems and you should beware. I know. I've been dealing with it longer than I want to.

Tune in, stay a while.

Walking the traditional shamanistic path created a bit of a conflict for me: Wodan, Frigg, and others aren't in that lore. Or are they? How to reconcile walking a path that does not venerate the spirits that called me to it?

By going back to the beginning of course.

So welcome back to the campfire! This episode is me trying to outline how I came to a reconciliation on how to walk one path while not believing in things the way others do brings me to the oldest path of all.

The dream is real. It starts there.

Okay, the wyrm did go away I'll give it that. I shouldn't be surprised where it might have gone, but I was... and that prompted me to think about animism, the corruption of the concept, and then ultimately I started to think about those sexy angels.

Take a trip with me from hell to heaven and how science backs it all up.

In this episode, Spearcarrier opens up about a tumultuous return to—and swift departure from—a commercial shaman school. After feeling "poked off the dragonfly branch" and losing connection to the spirits, a moment of intervention from the spirit world itself turns everything around.

We explore the differences between the expensive, "cookie-cutter" Western shamanic training and the more traditional Ulchi belief that spirits, not schools, select and train the shaman. Spearcarrier discusses the dangers of the commercialized path, the importance of finding a listening elder rather than a guru, and what it means to be a "small shaman" healing in a quiet house.

Topics Covered:

• The decision to leave a shamanic school after less than 24 hours.
• How a spirit blocked my sight to get my attention (and how I got it back).
• Discovering the Ulchi path and its parallels to my own upbringing.
• The problem with "spiritual humvees" and pay-to-play shamanism in the West.
• Healing from spiritual wounds and the value of taking it one day at a time.

Do you remember what a wyrm is? I remember. I know.

Spearcarrier here—computer fan screamin’, space-heater roastin’ my toes, pizza waitin’ in the wings. Complete with swear words. In this one I sit down with Many Cats and chew over:

• the Tale of the Moldy Ham Sandwich (yes, it’s still in the fridge)

• how a real-deal fairy ring sucked me into an eight-hour daily dance marathon

• “Fairy Hitler” and his soul-siphonin’, gem-bedazzled cicada self

• hitting Level Zero burnout and the ritual that brought my soul piece home

• lessons learned: grounding, energetic hygiene

• shout-out to Dragon Shaman (link on the blog) for legit cleanup help - thedragonshaman.net

Grab a mug of chamomile brew, park yourself somewhere comfy, and let’s ramble through myth, magic, and mayhem together. Blog posts, recipes, and extra snark live over at TheRiverShaman.com.

Thanks for listening, and remember: we took care of those thorns.

I wanted to share what I've learned the hard way about identifying and protecting ourselves from parasitic entities, specifically goblins. Oh yes, I learned the hard way that they're very real. We'll go over red flags and discuss how these beings operate. I'll share those traditional protection charms, along with their history and translations. This is really just me sharing my research and experiences in the hopes it might help someone else who's going through something similar. I'd be interested to hear what y'all think and what methods you use for your own spiritual protection.

Primary Source Figure: Jacob Grimm, Deutsche Mythologie (Teutonic Mythology), first published in 1835.

They say the gods are so harsh to those they call, they could be considered abusive. The result is an underlying acceptance that suffering is some sort of penance you pay for the honor of being chosen. Those who must endure the negativity are often shunted aside when they complain about how they're being treated. But there are times the complaints are valid. The complacency over certain forms of outright abuse in the name of the gods is being used as a shield by astral predators, and the chosen pay the price.

I break down how that is and offer up some clues on how to tell if you are being eaten alive.