[foxyshaman]

Originally Posted by SoNotHer

Yes to sage, and I did not realize it was considered feminine. Objects and buildings can hold feelings and spirits. I experienced this very vividly this summer going through a hotel where I was shown a crime of passion. circa late 1930s.

I was introduced to this idea when I was living in a boarding house in Houston. The landlord collected antiques, most of which he kept in the living room with the fireplace. No one used the living room and in fact no one even liked to go in or past the living room.

A very intuitive friend from the radio station I was volunteering at came by and went past the living room and stopped and backed up, saying, "Whoa. Don't you all feel that?" She went on to describe the heaviness in the room as stuck energy mixed with sadness and in-completion. And I guess we had noticed it without articulating it as such.

She suggested I clear the room with sage, which I did, talking to the spirits as I went and letting them know it was OK to move on. The room felt remarkably lighter the next day, and we started sitting in it and using the fireplace.

Yeah Sage!! I love that stuff. My Grandfather taught me that Sage and Sweetgrass were feminine spirits and Cedar and Tobacco were masculine. I am sure others see it differently, but that is the way I was taught. I love making smudge adding different ingredients like myhrr, frankincense, mugwort, deers tongue, copal, paolo santo... to name a few.

I have always had a good dollup of intuition. I can understand your quandry Laneydoll about not wanting to develop it. I have seen things I would much rather never have seen. And sensed things that I would rather not. There are some things I have encountered and experienced that if I did not experience them I would never believe they would have been possible. Ya know those stories where you think "yeah okay...next". But being this way has not really given me much credibility amongst the normals. <shrug> Sometimes I envy people who have no abilities, or very little. Some days I wonder what it would be like to not have a radio dial constantly tuning-in inside your head. How peaceful that must be.

I had an exceptional opportunity to meet and travel with Sogyal Rinpoche. He referred to Canada as being the super highway of dead spirits. We (and I could include the US in this, but I can't for certain) do not do ceremonies for our dead. Hell we are barely encouraged to cry at funerals, let alone wail. The dead are often confused with where they go and how they get there. Some are so secular that when they do encounter "one from the other side" to help them cross, they do not recognize them. So, they remain attached to what they know... family, houses, the place they died....etc. I have worked with some incredible shamans and learnt different skills to sense and aid the dead to cross over. I also have done despossession work (which is a whole other coffee topic) and have found that to be by far some of the most heart opening, compassionate work I have ever had the pleasure of being involved with.

Anyway.... I am writing a book that does not seem to be going anywhere - except the way of the ramble. So... I shall stop here.