Kindling the Native Spirit: Sacred Practices for Everyday Life - Denise Linn 2015

Spirit Songs: Voices in the Wind
The Deepening: Communing with Spirit

In cultures with an oral history, there’s a long tradition of spirit songs. These kinds of songs were used to give thanksgiving to the earth, unite with the forces of nature, call Spirit, and activate healing. In a number of cultures there are spirit songs that tell the story of specific people or events. For example, the shamans of Siberia each have their own song to remind them of their identity. The songs tell of their birthplace, ancestors, and special experiences. A shaman’s spirit song is a way to announce himself to the spirits. Generally, the song stays the same through life with events added in as they occur, and typically the song is accompanied by drumming.

It’s been suggested that drumming, rattling, singing, and chanting were used as forms of prayer because the sound resonated inside of one’s body, and then served as a kind of dance between inner and outer realms. Sometimes songs were made up of sounds that had a particular feeling rather than actual words; other times, animal sounds were incorporated into the songs; and sometimes, meaningful words were woven into the songs. Just like a spirit name, spirit songs often come during a vision quest, in a dream, or as a result of being in a semi-altered trance state.

FINDING YOUR SPIRIT SONG

You don’t need to be a good singer to find your spirit song. It’s the feeling and the energy that’s most important. And you don’t need to have just one song. You can have different songs at different times in your life. As a suggestion, go out into nature and find a place to be completely still, away from any distraction. Choose a place where you feel comfortable using your voice. When you feel present in your environment, begin by making sounds. Don’t think about making good sounds or harmonious sounds. Just allow sounds to flow through you. If you have a drum, rattle, or click sticks, you might consider accompanying your sounds with a rhythmic beat.

In the beginning, it’s often better to use sounds rather than words because the energy can flow more freely. Continue to breathe and sing until a kind of rhythm begins to build. You will know when you’ve found your song because your body will feel strong when you sing it.