{"collection":"bos","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/browse/bos/bos097.htm","path":"bos/bos097.htm","source_url":"https://sacred-texts.com/bos/bos097.htm","text":"Internet Book of Shadows, (Various Authors), [1999]\n \n \n STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS--LIFEWAY SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP \n \n By Usen's grace, Ho-dah.... \n \n 1.) PURPOSES: \n Thisis aneraofdecision.Dowe allowourselvestocutthe\n throatoftheMotherWhohasnourishedus asaspeciessince\n we \"came down from the trees\"? Or do we work to walk in \n Beauty and Harmony with Her, and cherish Her, and work to \n see Her healed? The resurgence of Shamanism, the primal \n Earth Religion of practically all of the Earth's \n pre-Agrarian cultures, is an important thing, foretold by \n the Paiute prophet Wovoka and in the Hopi Prophecies. It \n was said that both the Red Man would return to the Ways of \n the Old Ones and that the non-Native would also embrace the \n Lifeway.\n Therearenon-Nativeswho\n respectfullyhavechosen\n these Ways, and are carrying them on in a reverent way. If \n the Lifeway was only given for the Native peoples, it would \n die out within our lifetime. There are simply not enough \n traditional Elders left. \n \n Ithasbeenshown tosomeofus thatOurMotherThe Earthis\n not willing to die quietly. She has demonstrated this by \n the increase in natural disasters of the past decade, which \n continue day by day. The Hopi prophecies state that, when \n the \"bowl full of ashes\" (most interpret this as the \n Thermonuclear Bomb) is overturned, that Our Mother shall \n rise up in Her righteous anger and destroy humanity. This \n prophecy is coming true, although it may yet be reversible. \n Perhaps it is we who reverence the Ways and walk in harmony \n with Our Mother that may stay Her hand. \n \n The Lifeway Fellowship is here for those who wish to honor \n Our Mother and Our Father, Earth and Sky, and to honor The \n Giver Of Life, from whence all things flow in the Universe. \n Our world-view is primarily allied with that of the \n Navajo/Dineh, Apache/Teneh, and Hopi peoples. However we do \n not represent ourselves as the keepers of those ways. The \n secrets of those Nations are for them alone, unless Usen' \n wishes to reveal them to us. Our mission is to help heal \n OurMother,TheEarth,andtohelpeachotherwalk incloser\n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD \n \n \n 384\n \n harmony with Her. We also exist to provide a way for urban \n andsub-urbanpeopletolearnandpractice\n therootShamanic\n techniques that aid us in finding our True Vision and True \n Way of Power, and following that Vision and that Way. \n \n We identify ourselves as Pagan (Webster's New World \n Dictionary\"1.b)...apersonwhoisnota\n Christian,Moslem,\n orJew (byfaith);heathen.Paganspecificallyreferstoone\n of the ancient polytheistic (or pantheistic) peoples.\") and \n as unashamed Pantheists and Polytheists. The Lifeway \n is trulyareligious commitment. No-onecan makea \n commitmenttothe Lifewayandtothe worshipofLifeGiver, \n TheEarth Motherand TheSky Father andremain aworshiper \n of other Paradigms of the Deity,much as one cannot be a \n Christian and worship the Greco-Roman pantheon. However \n this does not imply the condemnation of other Paradigms, nor \n impel a duty to \"convert\" others. \n \n WestandbyotherPaganswhodonotshareour paradigms,IE.\n Wiccans,Asatruans, Hellenists,and otherShamanic \n traditions, (African and neo-African(Santeria & Voudoun), \n Australian, Siberian, Traditional Native American, and \n Polynesian, to name a few) and even though we may disagree \n with some or all of their practices and beliefs, they are \n Brothers, Sisters and Cousins, and in times of persecution \n as well as times of goodwill we must defend them. We may \n even share in their open rituals and allow them to share in \n our open ceremonials. But that which is ours must remain \n ours, just as that which is theirs must remain theirs. \n \n 2.) THE(A)OLOGY: \n \n AsourFellowshipisinherentlyreligious,\n wemustdeclarea\n The(a)ology. (The strange spelling refers to the fact that \n we acknowledge a Goddess as well as a God) \n This is summed up very easily. There are three main powers \n we worship, Usen' the Life Giver, The Earth Mother, and The \n Sky Father. The latter Two are emanations of the First, as \n all, including the God and the Goddess, are emanations from \n Usen', which is the primeval First Cause. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD \n \n \n 385\n \n \n Usen':OnecannotlookuponTheLifeGiveras eitherMaleor\n Female, for The Life Giver is beyond those distinctions. \n Usen', and The Life Giver, are names for this First Cause, \n this Force that pervades all and caused all to come into \n being. From Usen', the God, Sky Father, and the Goddess, \n Earth Mother, emanate, as the lesser Deities emanate from \n Them. \n \n The Earth Mother: We live and walk and are sustained from \n The Earth Mother, which is our Earth. She is alive, and we \n all exist within Her as part of Her structure. Science, \n through the Gala Hypothesis, has finally acknowledged Her \n existence, and some even have learnt the lesson that our \n duty in this life is to care for and honor Her. This is a \n lesson that all must learn, for as long as we despoil Her, \n we risk Her wrath. She is expressed through the faces of \n White Painted Woman, Who is The Woman Warrior, through Corn \n Mother, Who is The Nourishing Mother, and through Spider \n Woman,WhoisTheWiseWoman,TheAncientOne,TheCustodian\n of Wisdom. Women are acknowledged as being human represent- \n atives of The Earth Mother. \n \n The Sky Father: Just as among we Humans, there is both Man \n and Woman, so there is no Earth Mother without Sky Father. \n Sky Father is the air we breathe, the flame that gives us \n warmth and cooks our food, and brings forth the rain that \n fertilizes Our Mother and allows Her to provide us with \n the crops and animals that sustain us. Sky Father is also \n expressed as The Hunter, The Warrior, and First Shaman, and \n is also expressed in Killer Of Enemies and The Child Of \n Water. He is also present and acknowledged as being present \n in every Man. \n \n There are other spirits that exist in the Universe, some \n beneficent, some maleficent. But most important is Usen', \n EarthMother,andSkyFather.Bywalkinginharmonywiththe\n God(esse)s, one can tell the Good from the Evil, welcoming \n in Good, and protecting each other from Evil. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD \n \n \n 386\n \n \n 3.)ETHICS: \n \n We have our code of Ethics. It is neither lengthy nor \n overly restrictive. We do not include ancient taboos in \n this list, such as Mother-In-Law avoidance or the taboo \n against Fish, because they may not apply nowadays. If you \n wish to not eat fish or to avoid your Mother-In-Law for \n religious reasons, it is your prerogative. But it is not a \n requirement. \n \n 1.) If the action does not harm yourself, other people or \n intelligentbeings,orOurMotherTheEarth,youarefreeto\n do as you wish. \n \n 2.)Tochargeforhealings,sweatsorceremonials\n istotally\n wrong and extremely offensive. Also, to charge excessively \n for teaching is equally offensive, but a modest fee \n over expenses is allowable. Your conscience is the best \n guide, that and the Will of the Deities. \n \n 3.) Magick should be limited only to protection of Self and \n Loved Ones, and to healing and helping those in need, \n provided that permission is given by the patient and that \n help other than healing does not interfere with the Will of \n others. Magick that is used in a coercive (IE. Love spells) \n or destructive (harming or killing magick) way is patently \n wrong and is considered Black Magick. \n \n 4.) Contact of spirits by any means other than Shamanic \n journeyingor\n theVisionQuestisveryrisky,andPossession\n is a real possibility. The practice of mediumship, or \n \"channeling\" has no place in the Lifeway, and exposes not \n only Self but others to danger. \n \n 5.)Permissionmustalwaysbeaskedofthespiritsofplants\n and/or animals before taking them for either sustenance or \n for medicine. \n \n 6.) One's visions and one's personal ceremonies are one's \n own. Personal visions should not be spoken of, but shared \n visions are for all of the group. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD \n \n \n 387\n \n \n 7.) It is wrong to criticize another within the group or \n outside the group. Racism, sexism, xenophobia or general \n disrespect of others has no place in the Fellowship. \n Individual decisions about lifestyle and other ethical \n issues not covered here are an individual's own affair. \n \n 4.):GROUP STRUCTURE AND INITIATION PRACTICES \n \n There is only one Initiation, which is the Initiation that \n makes one Kin within the group and in the sight of The \n Deities.Itisgivenafterone hastakentheirfirstVision\n Quest, has found their Power Animal(s) and has met the \n Shaman Within. It can only be denied to those who have met \n theserequirements,isyoungerthanthe\n legalAgeOfConsent\n (in most places, 18 years) is not of sound mind, and/or is \n under suspicion of being a Law Enforcement Officer or other \n person antipathetic to Pagan and/or Shamanic belief \n who requests initiation for fraudulent purposes (usually to \n infiltrate to either sabotage or publicly discredit the \n Fellowship) Initiation must not be denied on account of \n physical disabilities, blindness, deafness, or sterility, \n nor on account of sex, race, nationality, political belief, \n or sexual preference. \n \n There are no set offices within the Fellowship. Ideally, \n leadership should be by consensus, with true leaders being \n temporaryandpurpose-oriented.\n Facilitation\n ofrituals\n may\n be done by any Initiate of the Fellowship. ANYONE WHO \n REPRESENTS THEMSELVES AS A HIGH PRIEST/ESS OF THE LIFEWAY \n SHAMANIC FELLOWSHIP IS A FRAUD, AND IS DOING SO CONTRARY TO \n THIS STATEMENT OF PRINCIPLES AND ETHICS. \n \n Support of the Fellowship is done on a purely voluntary and \n mutual basis. No tithe or dues should be assessed unless \n they have been agreed upon by all members, initiates and \n non-initiates alike. \n \n Membership is extended to all. But initiation is reserved \n for those who meet the criteria mentioned above. \n Non-initiates can participate in open ceremonials and in \n basic workshops, but may be denied participation in certain \n ceremonials and advanced workshops. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD \n \n \n 388\n \n \n 5.) THE QUESTION OF RECOGNIZING SHAMANS \n \n In traditional societies, the title Shaman was not just an \n honorific, or recognition of talents. Nor was it the \n highest initiatory level in a Shamanic society. The Shaman \n was,inmostcases,abovetheChiefin\n decision-makingpower\n and was judge, doctor, father-confessor, and intercessor \n withtheDeitiesforthetribe.SomeShamanicsocietiesare\n now providing their membership with \"Shaman training \n seminars\" and \"Shaman apprenticeships\" that can be had for \n an exorbitant price. This implies that the cost of being a \n Shaman can be paid in money and in a set amount of time. \n This is not the case. Many tribes believe that the office \n of Shaman is not one that is earned, but one that one is \n borninto.Certainly,theskillsareneversomethingoneis\n born with, and this is not merely hereditary. Rather, when \n achildisborn,thecurrentShamanwouldrecognizethatthe\n child had the POTENTIAL of being the next one, and the \n child'straining\n wouldbeginwhenthey\n wereconsideredready\n by theShaman.At adulthood,theywould betested. Ifthey\n passedthetest, theywould becomethenext Shaman.If they \n failed, usuallythe testwas suchthatthey wouldeither die \n outright, or they would go insane. Many \"heroic quest\" \n tales,andmostnotablytheArthurianlegendshave\n echoesof\n this practice within the ancient Shamanic traditions of \n Europe. \n \n But the point that is being made here is that we should not \n goback tothatsortofwayof doingthings,becauseinthis\n society it is nigh on impossible. The stand I am offering \n here is that recognition as a Shaman can be conferred only \n through shared vision, and signs from the Deities. It is \n not my place to say what the signs are...it will be obvious \n to the Fellowship. I am not Shaman myself, and will not \n brook anyone calling me that. This is something I place in \n the lap of the Deities to decide. I cannot do anything \n more. It is a mockery of those people that can truly be \n called Shamans, who are respected, powerful people of \n traditional tribes, to do anything less. In any event, to \n claim such a title is definitely not enough, and is \n punishableby\n withdrawingFellowshipfromthe\n onewhoclaims\n to be Shaman falsely. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD \n \n \n 389\n \n \n 6.) FESTIVALS AND WORSHIP DAYS \n \n The festivals are reckoned as they have been for centuries \n by most Southwestern tribes, by both the Sun and the Moon. \n Theseasonsbeginonthefirst fullmoonafteraSolsticeor\n an Equinox. The Solstices and Equinoxes themselves are \n times\n ofcelebrationaswell,andperhapstheperiodbetween\n the two (which usually works out to be no more than a week \n or so) could be considered a time of Holiday. Lesser \n ceremonialsareheldonNewMoonsandFullMoonsbetweenthe\n first Full Moons of the seasons. Optionally certain Pagan \n festivals could be celebrated in conjunction with other \n groups, but they are not to be adopted as official Lifeway \n Fellowship ceremonial days. \n \n There\n areotherceremonialsthatarepersonalinnature,and\n can be held at any time, although synchronizing them with \n the Festivals and the New and Full Moons is advisable. They \n are Naming, where a newborn child is named in the presence \n of the group and their Life-beads given; Coming Of Age, \n where the child's physical maturity is acknowledged, and \n where, for a short time, they become Child of the Water (if \n aboy)orWhitePaintedWoman(ifagirl);Initiation,where\n a person becomes a full-fledged member of the group, given \n after a person becomes a legal adult; Joining, where a man \n and a woman consent to be married; Unjoining, where a man \n and woman who are married consent to have the bond \n dissolved, which is to be done only after four reconcili- \n ation attempts fail or after evidence of marital infidelity \n or abuse is given before the group; the Moonlodge, which is \n a special sweat for women in their Moon-time; and Release, \n whereaceremonyforadead memberoftheFellowshipisdone\n to guide their soul Back Home. Other ceremonials that are \n dreamed or envisioned by a person or group are also \n encouraged. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD \n \n \n 390\n \n \n 7.) SUMMING UP \n \n A few quick ones: One can be either clothed or unclothed at \n ceremonies, but it should be known that none of the \n Southwestern tribes did ceremonies in the nude. However, \n one should disrobe for the sweat lodge, as clothes are not \n only uncomfortable within the sweat lodge, but interfere \n with the cleansing process of the lodge. \n \n This Statement can be accepted or rejected by individual \n groupsthat\n federatethemselves\n withLifeway\n Fellowship.But\n federation can be denied to those groups who stray too far \n fromsomeofthebasicguidelines,ordoanythingthatwould\n sully the reputation of the Fellowship in general. \n \n Hi-dicho...this is finished. \n May these proceeds please Life Giver Usen', and the Mother \n and the Father. \n ENJU! \n Chihacou White-Puma, 1988. \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n \n Last amended June 11, 1989 -- Page NEXTRECORD \n \n \n 391","title":"Internet Book of Shadows: Shamanic Lifeways Fellowship (M...","type":"page"}