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October 2009 
Running With Wolves - Soul Rider
Posted on Nov 29th, 2008
by 
a.k.a. Biff Cummings
a.k.a. Biff Cummings
So, what does a dad do while his son and his son's friend do a sleep-over on a Saturday night? Listening as the boys can't contain their giddy laughter as they purposefully and repeatedly crash into each other on video racing games on a 41" high-def campfire? Flipping endos and airborne pirouettes, planting shiny-side down landings, or reaping road signs with their cars like would a combine mow corn?
Does the dad watch a movie or invite a girlfriend over to watch it with him? Does he plan for new clients or a new radio show? Does he wistfully watch TiVos of the just-ended racing season?
No, he sits down to blog about reincarnation of souls, of course. Duh! Wouldn't you do the same? After all, it's 11 PM and too late at night to do creative work without drinking some unhealthy form of caffeine and suffering it's hangover the following morning. So, instead this dad recounts an amazing experience he wanted to convey ever since he had it. Reporting words and symbols I can easily do, even in my sleep. Every time I think about it I'm amazed.
And it's not the only one I've had this powerful, but different in many respects because of it's tableu and meaning. Thank you, God. The experience was this:
In coaching me on things spiritual, Dr. Minh Vo guided me into a supine meditation. Also seeing what I saw, as smokey images coaslesced before my closed eyes, he asked if I recognized the seated American woodlands Indian woman facing me. We were in a beautiful pine forest in a little ceremony, She had neck-length grey hair, was of an age that would pass for mid 60s these days, and she instantly seemed very familiar to me. She was dressed in a shawl, in neutral Earth-tones, but with accents of clay-red, morning-yellow and black. Sitting on the ground, cross-legged, her soft face was tilted down in meditation, in recognition of my presence.
I recognized her and it felt like a soul homecoming to someone I've been very close with. At first I thought she was my teacher. She was also thinking about and honoring me. Then washed over me that I knew her in a more special way. She's not in a body in our time, but she felt and recognized me as I watched her and communicated with her. I felt tears well-up in my eyes as I Knew her and even as I'm writing this now.
Minh's a fabulous coach and asked me to ask her name. It took me a while but I feel like I've got it. It resembles a Navajo word for beauty. At first I grappled with the idea of analytical overlay, having the experience of knowing other words which my ego would automatically confuse. As I saw her it came to me that she was sitting in a ceremony honoring my death, with other members of our clan.
I "talked" back to her, explaining in soul language that although I would miss her greatly, I would always be with her. She felt me talking to her, and the feelings between us were indeed gentle, sweet and strong. Much deeper than would be found between a teacher and student. Minh gave me his impression of why she has appeared for me.
Finally, as I came out of the trance, it took a little courage and presence to recognize who she had really been to me. She wasn't a teacher; she had been my wife. We were saying goodbye to each other in a ceremony to honor the passing of our tribe's shaman. Me. She was my life's partner in medicine. I cried deeply and briefly from the sweet sadness of recognizing her.
One would think that would be enough for one session, eh? Nope. There was more. I'd just cracked open my soul like an orange-golden ripe squash.
Next, after I composed myself, I again laid down and Minh put some headphones on me from his iPod. He offered some very fast Indian drumming of mid-range notes which quickly put me, as he said, "on the other side." Wow. In a few minutes I was again back into trance with lots of fast imagery flashing before my eyes.
At first I didn't believe what I saw because it seemed so preposterous. I figure God showed it to me again because I needed a reminder about who I can be. It was simultaneously humbling and empowering, like the first time you realize you could be good at something you do.
But the first thing I saw and felt was me running with a wolf-pack. Wild ones. Live. And they were strangely accepting of me. The energy was amazing and I felt feral and wild. They weren't trying to eat me. I wasn't one of them, but they somehow accepted me as a part of their experience and let me run with them. And, Holy-Sweet-Pick-Your-Deity-to-Take-in-Vain, was it intensely real! I was an adult, American Indian man dressed like would be a woodlands Indian and running as fast as I bloody could to keep up with them. On a vision-quest, as part of becoming a shaman.
Now, I know the possibilities are limitless to shoot holes in such an experience or recollection. But no one's ever gonna do that for me. This was mine. For me it's unassailable and I was there. It felt almost as real as when, in this life, I've held live rattlesnakes, or danced across the tarmac of a road course at 140 M.P.H.
Wow. Wolves. No wonder I wanna dive to the ground, tussle and chew on whatever dog I meet. Or that I could easily hold space with a big coyote, as my son, two little dogs and me came face-to-face with him less than a month ago on a 10 PM walk. The coyote eyed the 12 lb dog like an appetizer and the 22 lb. one like an entree. Standing silently, less than 15 feet away from us, the coyote was actually considering what he could get away with. I had to holler, wave my arms and advance toward him to back him down before he'd leave. Wolfman Mike! Hah!
Sudden thought; so what's the lifelong thing I've had about hawks, falcons and eagles? I've got two red-shouldered hawk feathers above my front door. Well, that'd have to be another story. The boys are quiet now and it's time to sleep. Perchance, to dream.
Does the dad watch a movie or invite a girlfriend over to watch it with him? Does he plan for new clients or a new radio show? Does he wistfully watch TiVos of the just-ended racing season?
No, he sits down to blog about reincarnation of souls, of course. Duh! Wouldn't you do the same? After all, it's 11 PM and too late at night to do creative work without drinking some unhealthy form of caffeine and suffering it's hangover the following morning. So, instead this dad recounts an amazing experience he wanted to convey ever since he had it. Reporting words and symbols I can easily do, even in my sleep. Every time I think about it I'm amazed.
And it's not the only one I've had this powerful, but different in many respects because of it's tableu and meaning. Thank you, God. The experience was this:
In coaching me on things spiritual, Dr. Minh Vo guided me into a supine meditation. Also seeing what I saw, as smokey images coaslesced before my closed eyes, he asked if I recognized the seated American woodlands Indian woman facing me. We were in a beautiful pine forest in a little ceremony, She had neck-length grey hair, was of an age that would pass for mid 60s these days, and she instantly seemed very familiar to me. She was dressed in a shawl, in neutral Earth-tones, but with accents of clay-red, morning-yellow and black. Sitting on the ground, cross-legged, her soft face was tilted down in meditation, in recognition of my presence.
I recognized her and it felt like a soul homecoming to someone I've been very close with. At first I thought she was my teacher. She was also thinking about and honoring me. Then washed over me that I knew her in a more special way. She's not in a body in our time, but she felt and recognized me as I watched her and communicated with her. I felt tears well-up in my eyes as I Knew her and even as I'm writing this now.
Minh's a fabulous coach and asked me to ask her name. It took me a while but I feel like I've got it. It resembles a Navajo word for beauty. At first I grappled with the idea of analytical overlay, having the experience of knowing other words which my ego would automatically confuse. As I saw her it came to me that she was sitting in a ceremony honoring my death, with other members of our clan.
I "talked" back to her, explaining in soul language that although I would miss her greatly, I would always be with her. She felt me talking to her, and the feelings between us were indeed gentle, sweet and strong. Much deeper than would be found between a teacher and student. Minh gave me his impression of why she has appeared for me.
Finally, as I came out of the trance, it took a little courage and presence to recognize who she had really been to me. She wasn't a teacher; she had been my wife. We were saying goodbye to each other in a ceremony to honor the passing of our tribe's shaman. Me. She was my life's partner in medicine. I cried deeply and briefly from the sweet sadness of recognizing her.
One would think that would be enough for one session, eh? Nope. There was more. I'd just cracked open my soul like an orange-golden ripe squash.
Next, after I composed myself, I again laid down and Minh put some headphones on me from his iPod. He offered some very fast Indian drumming of mid-range notes which quickly put me, as he said, "on the other side." Wow. In a few minutes I was again back into trance with lots of fast imagery flashing before my eyes.
At first I didn't believe what I saw because it seemed so preposterous. I figure God showed it to me again because I needed a reminder about who I can be. It was simultaneously humbling and empowering, like the first time you realize you could be good at something you do.
But the first thing I saw and felt was me running with a wolf-pack. Wild ones. Live. And they were strangely accepting of me. The energy was amazing and I felt feral and wild. They weren't trying to eat me. I wasn't one of them, but they somehow accepted me as a part of their experience and let me run with them. And, Holy-Sweet-Pick-Your-Deity-to-Take-in-Vain, was it intensely real! I was an adult, American Indian man dressed like would be a woodlands Indian and running as fast as I bloody could to keep up with them. On a vision-quest, as part of becoming a shaman.
Now, I know the possibilities are limitless to shoot holes in such an experience or recollection. But no one's ever gonna do that for me. This was mine. For me it's unassailable and I was there. It felt almost as real as when, in this life, I've held live rattlesnakes, or danced across the tarmac of a road course at 140 M.P.H.
Wow. Wolves. No wonder I wanna dive to the ground, tussle and chew on whatever dog I meet. Or that I could easily hold space with a big coyote, as my son, two little dogs and me came face-to-face with him less than a month ago on a 10 PM walk. The coyote eyed the 12 lb dog like an appetizer and the 22 lb. one like an entree. Standing silently, less than 15 feet away from us, the coyote was actually considering what he could get away with. I had to holler, wave my arms and advance toward him to back him down before he'd leave. Wolfman Mike! Hah!
Sudden thought; so what's the lifelong thing I've had about hawks, falcons and eagles? I've got two red-shouldered hawk feathers above my front door. Well, that'd have to be another story. The boys are quiet now and it's time to sleep. Perchance, to dream.
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