City Magick: Urban Rituals, Spells and Shamanism - Christopher Penczak 2001

Journeying
Metropolitan Spirits

A primary method of communicating with unseen spirits and energies is to “meet” on a spiritual plane. Astral travel is a technique in which you send out your consciousness, your perceptions-what many call the astral body-to a common ground between you and the spirits, a place some call the astral plane. Your spirit feels as if it is rising out of your body and entering a new reality.

In our efforts to walk the magical path of the urban shaman, we explored shamanic journeying techniques that employ sound and movement in the previous chapter. The shamanic journey is a form of projection, the path and tunnel a type of astral plane. Discussion of the shamanic worlds, or views of the astral and many other planes of existence, will be forthcoming as we explore the urban mythos. Shamanistic techniques, whether traditional or modern, are a great place to start such spirit work. The following exercise builds upon earlier material to aid you in your quest for a city totem.

EXERCISE 7 -TOTEM JOURNEY

Start with an intention to meet your city totem animal. Do not think about what it could be, or what you hope it will be. Just affirm out loud or to yourself that you intend to know your city totem.

Start Exercise 5 (see page 32). Before you feel yourself enter a tunnel or step on a long and winding road, ask and intend that your city totem be at the end of the pathway.

When you reach the end, your totem will appear in your inner vision. Let it come easily. The animal may speak to you, or may be silent, communicating through actions, intuition, or by leading you to something you need to see. The meeting is often simple and brief, or it may lead to a journey. Follow the spirit vision quest and let your unconscious mind take over. You will go from a point of visualizing your creature to letting go of preconceived notions. Go with the flow. Let the adventure lead you where it may.

When the journey feels complete, ask your totem to guide you back through the path or tunnel and return your perceptions to the physical. If you feel light-headed upon return, make sure to ground yourself.

Through your intent and this exercise, you will, hopefully, connect to your totem. Success comes at many levels. Those with shamanic experience or good visualization skills can have vivid breathtaking experiences. Others get a glimpse of the totem, or “hear” its name in their minds. Once ending the meditation, you may have psychically seen nothing, but the next animal you encounter may be the totem you asked to meet. You will know. At the core of magick is intuition and instinct. You could even have a strange event or a problem with an animal immediately after your meditation, to tell you, without a doubt, it is your power animal. Please listen to such messages, because nothing is coincidence.

Repeat this exercise many times, working with a single guide, until a new one shows its head. If you have not experienced some form of journey with your totem, hold off on exploring other shamanic exercises in this book until you do. As you continue your adventures with your totem, it acts as guide and protector on your journey, possibly the first of many such spirit helpers to come your way.