Pagan

[foxyshaman]

ahhhh sometimes I get confused when trying to get all fancy in a message... it takes this old fox time to learn new things. Gone are the days of the simple hen house and the chicken wire fence... now we got lights and electricity and alarms and fancy whatnots....

okay unrelated to anything but I had to get that out there.

Now Miss Bit you asked what is Aspecting. I learnt Aspecting from the Reclaimers in my area. And then I shamanized it I know but true. Anyway, in this particular ritual we use cloths or bandannas or whatever the aspector is drawn to. Aspecting is akin to being a conduit. Aspecting is when the seeker makes a conscious choice to step aside and make space. It is a conscious intention to open yourself to allow this spirit (in this case the Spirit of the Dark) to cohabitate with you for awhile. We are a physical extension of spirit and moving with guidance, spiritual movement, whether that be physical, verbal or experiential – this is an interactive dance between the Spirit of the Dark and the body. We can use Ballroom dancing as an analogy in that the dance is a constant non verbal communication.

The cloth is used to facilitate the entry of the spirit helper it is a physical symbol of transcendence. As the curtain parts, or the cloth comes down, one world gives way to another. We are not using masks because we are not engendering a specific form or entity. The Spirit of the Dark is an ambiguous, formless spirit. The Aspectors sit inside the circle of joikers and drummers, so a very intense place to be. It is just fascinating to watch. You can tell who is in and who is out quite easily. It takes a lot to step aside and dance with another spirit. This is not the same as possession as is practiced say by Yoruba dancers or Voodoo priestesses. This is much more subtle and gentle. Usually the aspectors are left with an amazing sense of joy, upliftment and well they are quite high.

Now joiking is from the Saami people of northern Scandinavia who have a unique unaccompanied vocal style called joik. Thank you Bit for posting those videos. Joiking is chanting visions. It is an improvised style of singing that is less about actual words than melody and vocal textures. Our ancestors could joik about a hunt, a frozen stream or the birth of a baby, however what makes it unique is that there are no fixed rules and the fluid songs are not considered to be about a subject. The joik, and by extension the joiker, are said to actually become the subject. So when our voices are calling out to the Spirit of the Dark our joik returns the very response we seek. Joiking is the place betwixt and between when the singer sings the song and the song returns to sing the singer. The joik is the summoning of the unconscious or a wordless connection with the deepest archetype of song itself.

In this ritual the intention of the Joikers is to sing back the sun; the aspectors are becoming the Dark and returning with messages from the 'outgoing' darkness. The drummers are situated in each corner of the room and they are the energetic backbone of the ceremony. The drums are the energy elixer for the joikers. There is often a lead joiker and drummer, keeping the singers and drummers in sacred space. It is quite easy to lose yourself as a drummer or a joiker. The reason for this is because when you joik, aspect or drum it is your inention to go off on your own. However... that being said there has to be strong singer and drummer to ensure everyone gets back okay. All three roles within the ritual are open to move between the worlds... which is all well and good, but there has to be someone available to ensure they all come back intact and without hangers-on. And there are times when it can take work to bring someone back and work to clear the space after. This is an intense ritual and is only open to people who are very familair with altered states work. We meet for a practice so that people can see what each role is like and they are welcome to change it at the time of ritual.

Anyway... Did that answer your question and then some?? I can get a bit long winded at times.