mangoSheen

Transpersonalism and the Psychology of Shamanism: Final Footnotes

It’s been real, but I finished “Perspectives on the New Age” (edited by James R. Lewis and J. Gordon Melton) yesterday on the train. I am wrapping up my self-taught class called “Transpersonalism and the Psychology of Shamanism,” despite not having finished the other two books I wanted to. It’s time to move on…this is a topic that interests me to no end, so I will always be reading up on it. I will get to those other two books…eventually.

I learned and accomplished so much over these past few months.

• I learned that I am very comfortable with using the word “magic” (or “magick,” whatever) to describe the practice of shifting energy in order to produce a desired outcome. I learned that the use of magic is common to all cultures and has never actually gone away…even if its no longer called that by many adherents.

• I learned that the words “shaman,” “witch,” “magician,” etc…might very well be describing the same type of person. And that right now, as I’m still soaking up information and finding my footing, holding a particular label isn’t very important to me.

• I learned that some of the oldest magick and witchcraft traditions date back to Kemet, and are also found all up and through Yoruba systems. (More info here)

• And last but not least, my good friend Joyce and I decided to become spiritual partners to one another…to support each other on this journey of magic working, earth grounding and ascension. We have been mirroring and inspiring each other on the spiritual path at least since college, when we had a mutual interest in Buddhism. We both came to the realization that while we valued meditation as an important foundational practice, we wanted/needed something more…we have been super inspired by other women of color walking the road less traveled (shout out to Trae and Dynasty), by life events, and by the ascent of the Goddess energy on the planet. We have had some fun times, some funny times, and some truly mind expanding times. We’ve felt supported by our foundational Buddhist knowledge as we’ve been sifting through different people, energies, ideas, practices…as mindfulness practice truly allows one to see beneath what often masquerades as unshakeable reality. To peer beneath the veil.

I’ve Got Wiggle Room in the Form of Years…

…before I turn 30. 4, to be almost exact.

I haven’t written a personal update on my blog in a looonnnnnnggggggg time. Since Pluto is turning direct after being retrograde since April, now might be the appropriate time.

In my self-guided studies that I have entitled Afro Futuristic Feminism, I am wrapping up the course called “Transpersonalism and the Psychology of Shamanism.” This course started May 15th.  I had an ambitious list of books that I wanted to read, mostly on magick, shamanism, Jungian psychology, and historic and contemporary witchcraft. As time went on, I only added books to the list. I read a lot, but not everything I originally intended. I am at peace with this, because I realize that this is truly a topic that I intend to study and experience my entire life. This was just the “101.”

My goals for this course included the following:

• To study the psychology of psychic phenomena
• To explore my own intuitive and psychic abilities
• To become acquainted with Jungian ideas of transpersonal psychology
• To develop ideas for manifesting Shamanic wisdom in my personal life
• To begin manifesting a more aligned life (in mind, body, soul, and spirit)

The books I wanted to read were (and I’ve crossed out the ones I actually got to read):

• The Undiscovered Self by Carl Jung
• Brain Magick by Philip A. Farber
• Consult Your Inner Psychic by Carole Lynne
• The Power of Silence by Carlos Castaneda
• The Earth Path by Stawhawk
• Teachings of the Hindu Mystics edited by Andrew Harvey
• Daughters of Isis by Joyce Tyldesley
• Riding the Nightmare by Selma R. Williams
• Synchronicity by Carl Jung
• Aspects of the Feminine by Carl Jung
• Silent Power by Stuart Wilde

❤ I wasn’t super impressed by “Consult Your Inner Psychic” but then again, I didn’t exactly follow the author’s suggestions to develop my intuition. I guess to me, it was a bit too formulaic. ❤

❤ I WAS impressed by Starhawk, her vision, and her seamless melding of spirituality and activism. She has become a role model for me, and someone to watch. There is so much to unpack from “The Earth Path.” ❤

❤ And Jung is Jung. Brilliant, but at times a little over my head. I’ve already written about that though. ❤

In addition to the above list, I added new books. Here’s that list and what I finished:

• Old World Witchcraft by Raven Grimassi
• Cultivating Female Sexual Energy by Mantak Chia
• Black Feminist Criticism by Barbara Christian
• No Turning Back: The History of Feminism and the Future of Women by Estelle B. Freedman
• Bearing Life: Women’s Writings on Childlessness edited by Rochelle Ratner (like the above two books, TOTALLY unrelated…but I chose to digress…)
• Magic: A Very Short Introduction by Owen Davies
• The Human Side of Human Beings by Harvey Jackins
• Infinite Self: 33 Steps to Reclaiming Your Inner Power by Stuart Wilde

By far, the Stuart Wilde book was my favorite. It had what I consider to be exceptional teachings on letting go of ego and building physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual discipline. I plan on purchasing a copy and reading it a few times a year.

The books I’m working through (why don’t I break up the text by adding photos of them):

Once I finish these books (some time this month, for sure), I will move onto the next course. This time, I will hold myself accountable to 5-7 books…but if I read more, yippee!!

Jung, Witches and Mantak

I finished reading “The Undiscovered Self” by Carl Jung about a week ago. Now, I’m simultaneously reading “Synchronicity: An Acausal Connecting Principle” by Jung and “Old World Witchcraft: Ancient Ways for Modern Days” by Raven Grimassi. I don’t usually like reading more than one book at a time but I placed this witchcraft book on hold a few weeks ago and couldn’t help but open it up when it was finally ready at the library. I am seeking to trace the root of the “witch” in word and concept…I am seeking to distinguish witchcraft from shamanism and other traditional energy healing systems, if there is a difference. I want to untangle its essence, separate it from Wicca and Euro-inspired Neopagan traditions, if that can be done. 

My thoughts on Jung, so far: a brilliant mind. But I find myself rereading some passages because I don’t always follow his train of thought immediately. I wouldn’t call his writing “dense” in the academic sense…but some of it did go over my head. I will probably need to read his work more than once and read as much of him as I can to get used to his style.

A passage from “The Undiscovered Self:”

As can easily be seen, “community” is an indispensable aid in the organization of masses and therefore is a two-edged weapon. Just as the addition of however many zeroes will never make a unit, so the value of a community depends on the spiritual and moral stature of the individuals composing it. For this reason one cannot expect from the community any effect that would outweigh the suggestive influence of the environment - that is, a real and fundamental change in individuals, whether for good or for bad. Such changes can only come from the personal encounter between man and man, but not from communistic or Christian baptisms en masse, which do not touch the inner man. {page 29}

(I typed more passages but my computer froze and I had to reboot. Tumblr only managed to save the above passage.)

My next probable read:

I just attended a really good event with Mantak Chia and got this book signed.

Self-Guided Studies: Afro Futuristic Feminism

Afro Futuristic Feminism.

I’m delving into a new topic this month in my self-guided studies. In November of last year, I decided that I wanted to immerse myself in a variety of topics over the next few years, and especially in time for my Saturn Return.

I made a list of things I definitely wanted to become more knowledgeable about, including:

• Black Feminism and Basic Feminist Theory, 
• Ecofeminism and Other Third Wave Feminisms, 
• Narratives of Queer Black Men, 
• Reading the Jim Crow South,
• Community Organizing, Anarchism and Basic Political Theory, 
• Slavery in the Diaspora, 
• Healing Emotional Trauma and Codependency, 
• The Creation of America as Concept and Place, 
• Native American Resistance Past and Present,
• Queering Femininity, 
• Biology, Botany and Herbology, 
• Astronomy and Physics, 
• Nazi Germany and the Roots of Whiteness, 
• Poetry, 
• World Mythology, 
• Astrology and Planetary Symbols, 
• Afro Futurism, 
• Classic Black Literature, 
• Classic Western Literature, 
• Music, 
• Women in Ancient Africa,

…and more. These are some of the actual names that I used to describe what I want to study.

I then ordered the list and called my entire self-guided program “Afro Futuristic Feminism.” :-) I am literally visioning the topics I am studying as courses and Afro Futuristic Feminism (or AFF for short) as the name of my major. At first, I literally thought that I would be able to read fast enough to go over one topic in 1-3 months. But since November, I was able to complete two courses, which I labeled Spiritual Activism and The Pre-Patriarchal Matriarchy and the Divine Feminine.

• In Spiritual Activism, I became centered in the idea that relationship restoration is my personal focus in any activist work I might feel inclined to do. Creating pathways for humans to be in “right relationship” with one another, animals, plants, and other beings is very important to me.

• In The Pre-Patriarchal Matriarchy and the Divine Feminine, I learned that what came before patriarchy probably wasn’t matriarchy, but it was almost certainly a much more balanced state of affairs where Goddess was a central player.

I decided that my next course would not be one directly delving into feminism, like I originally planned, but that I instead would continue reading more (and watching films, attending events, etc.) about the human psyche and spirit. I also decided that I would relax about the amount of time it ultimately takes me to read the books I want to read.

I’m calling this next course Transpersonalism and the Psychology of Shamanism.

Right now, I’m reading “The Undiscovered Self: The Dilemma of the Individual in Modern Society” by Carl Jung.

I also plan to read:

• Brain Magick by Philip A. Farber
• Consult Your Inner Psychic by Carole Lynne
• The Power of Silence by Carlos Castaneda
• The Earth Path by Stawhawk
• Teachings of the Hindu Mystics edited by Andrew Harvey
• Daughters of Isis by Joyce Tyldesley
• Riding the Nightmare by Selma R. Williams
• Synchronicity by Carl Jung
• Aspects of the Feminine by Carl Jung
• Silent Power by Stuart Wilde

As inspiration for choosing to educate myself in this way, I cite my experience as a homeschooled child, my friend Akeema, and especially, this post on the blog 1TBM entitled “Coming Out as a Homeschooled Adult.”