There is something special about being able to deeply connect to the divine, to the spirit world.

In both Zen Buddhism and Shamanism, there’s a belief in the unseen. You only have to look just one layer removed from everyday awareness to find the real of the spirits, devas and djinn, greater and lesser entities that share our world, touching on the margins and sometimes crossing over to deliver messages. In October, for Wiccans and neo-pagans, the veil between the two realms thins, becoming practically transparent on Samhain (better known as Halloween). Because both Zen Buddhism and Shamanism are less organized religions and more ways of looking at the world, there aren’t specific holy days to be recognized; this leaves the door open for the individual to indulge in extemporaneous improvisation.

For myself, contact with the divine and the realm of the spirits comes in a variety of shapes.

Zen teaches that to sit zazen is to seek that stillness and then enlightenment. But shamanic practices hold meditation and guided visualization in a different light; one can use the ability of the mind to deeply visualize to create magic as well as to travel to other realms. I want to stress that for beginner travelers, this can be rather dangerous. Please don’t just play around with spirit traveling, or walking the planes, as you can do yourself great harm without meaning to, and be injured by what you find in the planes of existence.

Shamanism in particular places out of body travel in an elevated and revered position. The ability to journey to other worlds and then return, often with knowledge and new insights, is the hallmark of a shaman. Shamanic trance states are not difficult to reach, although they can require that one know exactly what one is doing. Bumbling about without a very clear expectation of what you’re doing and what you expect can lead to a really terrible trip and deep injury to the sense of self and psychic body.

If you’re dead set on learning to journey and travel, I can provide resources to help you, and could teach you. However, because energy is energy, and what I know is hard fought for, and to make certain you freaking value the words I have for you, you’re going to pay money up front as a sign that you take this seriously and will honor my warnings as your teacher. You want the lessons, I have them, and I can teach you. You’re gonna need to pay for it, though.

In addition to spirit travels, the spirit world can be accessed through intermediaries.

In shamanism, divination is a common practice. Throwing bones or stones and shells, tossing runes, using tarot cards, pendulums, reading tea leaves… all of these are methods that shamans use to divine and speak to the spirit world. Each of these are far less dangerous than spirit travel, and can be easily learned by those curious. Because these practices are so common and easy to learn, I usually only provide the books that I first learned from, and let novices practice self led education.

I do provide my services in divination through tarot.

While I can read runes, and use a pendulum, I prefer tarot for minor intercessions in the spirit realm. Runes are very blunt and elemental, and the pendulum is too imprecise for my taste. Tarot, with its 78 cards, 156 with reversals, is broad enough to encompass all of human endeavor, while also gentle enough to leave room for kindness and compassion. If you’re interested in a reading with me, I accept paypal, and will happily read the cards for you.

I also have experience with clairsentience.

I know, it sounds hokey as heck, but clairvoyance and clairsentience are skills that some people do possess. Is it cold reading, knowing human nature, or something more? Depends on what you think about the whole thing. I believe that some people can see and hear and simply know things that are outside their possible knowledge. Sometimes I look at a person and I simply ~know~. Guides, spirits whispering to me, or just a connection to the deeper well within each of us; a heady mix of all of the above, or some other unseen force. Tarot and runes can be learnt, spirit travel can be taught, but clairsentience is an inborn ability that you either have or you don’t. I don’t use mine much, because I prefer not to freak people out.

Buddhism has a wide panoply of spirits and demons, entities that can curse or bless a household. Shamanism allows for all sorts of entities and spirits, of all levels of ability and knowledge, as well as a range from benevolent to malevolent. Do you believe in the unseen? Do you have to? Does it matter, on a day to day basis?

There are things that are unseen in the world, and energies that move between all that is.

It’s up to you to decide if and how you want to interact with that energy.