22/ln the Shadow of the Shaman

This is pure, beyond sensory and imagery, and relates

to Spirit.
Messages from the Spiritual Plane are often not recognized until
later, when we have acted on them. Messages from the Spiritual
Plane come without form and communicate as pure thought or ideas.
Rarely are we aware of the process; we simply "know" something.
Many times we have abundantly "spiritual" images to accompany
our totem messages. These are still images.
The energies of totems that deliver messages in imagery inhabit
the level of abstract form. Our imagination creates images that bring
the messages into concrete form. Understanding this doesn't make
the message any less sacred, magical, or "spiritual" in the popular use
of the word. Understanding this makes it easier to get there. Remember,
the shaman is a mapmaker.
Starting with the concrete or physical way to receive messages,
we find totems in our environment. To interpret their messages for us,
we begin by examining them.

What shape is the totem?

What color?
What texture?
What kind of smell or taste does it have?
Does it make a sound?
What are the physical characteristics of the totem?

Be like a new mother who unwraps the baby and counts its
fingers and toes.
Each totem has unique properties and messages for you. Treat
each totem as though you had never experienced anything like it
before. That way you'll open those channels of discovery and shamanic
consciousness that reflect your inquisitive child self.
On the concrete level, you may have specific reactions to the
color, size, shape, texture, smell, or taste of a totem. These reactions
may be a message in themselves. If you aren't certain of your reactions,
but you're certain there is something to the physical characteristics of
a totem, you can use traditional systems to help decode the message.
In this chapter I have included two systems that I find very helpful.
The first, Nature Color Messages, is adapted from several color
systems. I find that a color is very helpful to many people. Perhaps a
color has a strong personal meaning to you that is different from any
meaning you find in a system. As always, please use your personal