Satinka's Workshop Experience.....  Episode 1*  
Knoxville Basic Workshop-  May 5-6, 1990 
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I was asked to relate some of the journey experiences 
I had while participating in the Foundation for Shamanic 
Studies Basic Workshop in Knoxville this month (May).  
For those not familiar with journeying in general, I 
suggest reading Michael Harner's "The Way of the Shaman." 
 
The first day was devoted to Lower World journeys.  There 
are actually two different journeys here - taken within 
about 40 minutes of each other during the first morning 
of the workshop.   
----------------------------------------- 
After a bit of getting acquainted, singing in a circle, 
drumming, and "calling the beasts" we were given 
instructions for our first journey.  We were to enter a 
hole or cave and go down a tunnel into the lower world.  
We were not to do anything in particular, simply go, look 
over the landscape, and return.  Although I have done 
this lowerworld journey many times, I had never attempted 
it in a group setting, and my trials were far from 
consistent in results.  I was interested to see if I 
could, in fact get anywhere in this environment. 
 
I went into my usual cave, feeling Bear nearby.  I could 
hear the drip of water, and it seemed very dark - moreso 
than usual.  I asked him if he wanted to join me, and he 
agreed.  Draping my left arm over his neck (he always 
walks on my left for some reason), we rose slightly and 
began to fly although I had no sensation of movement  - 
 more that the tunnel was moving and there was a wind 
blowing from below.  I could still hear the water 
dripping, and felt that we had not moved.  But there must 
have been water at both ends of the tunnel, that I could 
hear the entire trip through - I could still hear it as 
I overshot the tunnel end and was flying over a mist- 
covered landscape that was patchwork like a farm seen 
from up high on a mountain.  There were no buildings in 
sight.   
 
The colors of the landscape were varied (yellow, reddish, 
brown, green), but muted and dull looking.  The sky was 
very murky looking, and the mist or fog seemed to gather 
into clouds, and then melt away - all between me and the 
landscape below.  I flew around a bit, then went back to 
the lip of the tunnel - I found a ledge there that leads 
of to the left as a path.  A few feet away is a cut in 
the stone (on my side) opening out into a grassy hilly 
area on the other side, with a stream down the middle.  
Looking out over the landscape, I noticed above me quite 
a ways was a circle of black birds.  They were flying 
almost beak to tail, in a perfect circle.  They seemed 
to be very large birds.  
I tried several times to count them, but was unsuccessful.  I
walked on down the ledge then, following Bear, to the ridge above
the stream. 
 
Three otter people came to me while I stood there above 
the water.  They were grey-brown, about 5 feet tall (just 
a tad shorter than I am).  They wore woven sashes (of 
reeds or grass) with fringes decorated with small shells.  
The center otter - the tallest - wore a necklace that had 
small shells on the sides, and a big pendant of a large, 
flat shell - similar to an oyster shell - in the center.  
They were carrying freshwater clams or muscles - with 
blue shells, that looked something like oyster shells - 
 and they gave them to me with some solemn ceremonial 
gestures.  I opened the buckskin pouch I was wearing at 
my waist (See note on dress) and offered them each an 
oyster "from their cousins on the coast," which they 
greatfully accepted.  They got friendlier after that, 
and touched me with their little hands, feeling my skin, 
my clothing, and most of all, touching and sniffing my 
hair.  They had very expressive faces.  Bear sat by 
through all of this, looking rather bored, and the otters 
totally ignored him.   
 
When the signal came to return, I said goodbye to the 
otter people, regretfully.  They said I could come visit 
again, and I promised I would.  I put the clams in my 
pouch, draped my arm over Bear again, and we flew back 
up the tunnel.  At the mouth of the tunnel, he dropped 
me off and disappeared. 
 
All the participants talked about experiences for a while 
after this journey, but I declined to share mine.  I 
really felt it might be a bit overwhelming for the 
others, since most of them had really NEVER journeyed 
before, and I didn't want to say too much.  Several 
people mentioned journeys that appeared to be involving 
them in their own (past?) funeral ceremonies or other 
things that might have been a form of initiation.  
Several others had first journeys that equalled my own 
in depth and visual experience, and Dana seemed pleased 
that everyone was progressing so quickly. 
 
***** 
 
Journey to find a power animal - lower world 
 
The directions for the next journey were more detailed.  
We were to go to the lowerworld with the intention of 
finding a power animal.  When we found one, we were to 
ask the question that our partner wanted answered.  My 
partner in this exercise was a man from Knoxville, and 
he wanted to know how he could get more joy in his life. 
 
Bear (See note on power animals) met me in the 
tunnel, and we went the same way as before.  The otters 
were waiting for me.  "Are you my power animal?" I asked 
them, and the otter with the necklace said he was.   
 
"On behalf of my partner, I want to ask you a question," 
I told him.  He nodded.   
 
"What can he do to get more joy in his life?" 
 
The words formed in my mind, as if the translation of 
either language or concept from Otter to human was rather 
difficult: Creative play shared with others. 
 
"Can you clarify that for me?" I asked.   
 
Immediately, the three otters began to wrestle and fall 
into the water, sliding down the rocks.  Barking and 
jumping, they tussled goodnaturedly for a few moments.  
Then they came up the bank again, dripping water (I could 
feel it on my feet!), and they, and BEAR, joined hands 
and began to dance in a ring to some absolutely beautiful 
flute music. (I never saw the source of the music.) They 
went on for a short time, until I got the call-back 
signal.  They broke the ring then, and I gave them each 
an oyster from my (evidently overflowing) buckskin pouch.  
 
The otter who is my power animal gave me his shell 
necklace.*   
 
We flew back up the tunnel again, and Bear disappeared.  
When I came back to OSC, I told my partner what they 
said.  He said it did make sense to him, but was 
reluctant to elaborate.  (He later missed half of the 
second day to work at his job - I get the impression he 
needs - and knows he needs! - to spend more time in 
social recreation!). 
 
Shortly after this, we broke for lunch, and were told we 
would do a Spirit Canoe journey after lunch.  That will 
be the subject of "Episode 2." 
----------------------------------------- 
*An interesting aside from this.  Our group was meeting 
in a renovated warehouse (sometimes used as an aerobics 
studio) behind a Mrs. Winner's restaurant.  There were 
no major restaurants or groceries nearby to account for 
this happening.  Sunday morning I arrived early, and the 
door was still locked.  Deciding to take a short walk, 
I walked around the warehouse building (the front 2/3 is 
a gym, the back "room" is our classroom).  There was no 
path from the other side, but it wasn't too wet, so I 
walked up the grass under the pine tree there.  On the 
ground, imbedded in the mud, was one lonely oyster shell.  
 
I brought it back and cleaned it up.  Dana was not sure
what to make of it (although he thought it was positive 
and very interesting), but I consider it a "gift" from 
my Otter, and will drill it for a necklace - a physical 
representation of the one I was given, and wear in the 
SSC! 
_______________________________________________________ 
 
Note on Power Animals:  There is a lot of discussion 
about how many power animals you can have at one time.  
My own theory - based solely on my own experience - is 
that you can have several, if they are complimentary, and 
maybe only one or two if they are at opposite poles.  
I'll get into this in another text, but evidently I have 
at least 2 at any given time (plus add-ons like the two 
"attendant" otters), and sometimes 3.  This should not 
be confused with allies that you request aid from for a 
specific reason, and who normally are not a "part" of you 
- some animal spirits do this for me, but they are not 
power animals, they are allies. 
 
Note on dress:  I've heard a number of people report that 
they find themselves dressed or looking differently in 
the SSC than the OSC.  Although it's not a particularly 
important detail, it does make for interesting journeys.  
Regardless of what I'm wearing in the OSC world, I've 
found most frequently when I cross over I am dressed in 
a loose cloth skirt and blouse, or leather leggings and 
a leather tunic.  Either way, I tend to have things with 
me that I carry only there - the buckskin pouch is a good 
example.  I own no such item in the OSC world, but it is 
full of all kinds of interesting and useful items in the 
SSC world!   
 
After my journeys, some of the gifts I have received have 
cropped up in the OSC as well.  The oyster shell is a 
good example of that - I was given the necklace in the 
SSC world (and I always wear it there, no matter what 
else I'm wearing), and because I found the shell, the 
necklace I make from it in the OSC world will be similar 
to the one the otter gave me.  This is a frequent 
translation problem: it is easy for an outsider or a 
beginner in this area to confuse the OSC world version 
with the SSC world version, and to think the actual 
object that you can lay your hand on in this world is the 
one with the power in it.  The shaman knows the 
difference.  It is simply that the physical object 
represents the actual object, which resides in the world 
perceived while in SSC.  All forms of magick use physical 
representations of the "other" reality - and the fact 
that it is so prevalent among magickal systems makes it 
more likely to be a universal phenomenon. 
 
Well, I hope this elaboration on the basic journey 
technique is helpful to you.  Even without a lot of other 
reading, you should now understand basically the process 
by which shaman from all cultures and times have entered 
another state of consciousness for the good of their 
people. But as a venerable being once said - every 
journey begins with a single step.  Just reading about 
it won't do anything for you.  Journeying will - both now 
and for the rest of your life in this world.  
  
-=Balance and Blessings=-          /  
                                   -  atinka  
                                   /  
 
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From: "The Shaman's Rattle"  
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Copyright (c) 1990 By Satinka Istari.  This document may 
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