Maxaman, Myth and The Power of Belief

As you might guess this entry is more about the "Power of Belief" than it will be about Maxaman. However, to report on what I experienced as the power and influence that the effigy of God or Holy Boy, Maxaman has on the collective consciousness of the Mayan population, perhaps particularly around Lake Atitlan, can be used to stress the point.

The point being, what we believe is less important than that we believe. In many ways this is just another example of The Law of Attraction.

One very profound aspect of the power of belief has to do with what it means to be human. We far too often underestimate the magnificence and wonder, the deliciousness of what it means to be human. To say that humans are awesome is a major understatement.

The intention of the Shaman who is the "carrier" and/or care-taker of Maxaman has to do with the ability to bring about significant change in reality by the strength and power of his belief. Having the effigy, Maxaman, and the cumulative history of the Mayan history and culture behind him greatly enhances the shaman Nicolas to visualize, believe and emote confidence in himself and the power of Maxaman. When the People believe congruent with the belief of the shaman and the beauty of the prayers and ritual then greatness happens.

The rituals I took part  in were beautiful, poignant with meaning and energy. I am reminded of Malidome Some's imperative that shrines must be so constructed as to bring wonder, fear and respect. Then they must be empowered with the strength of the conviction of the person or persons responsible. The Maxaman shrine was both beautiful and troubling. What was the meaning and significance of the candles of different colors, the effigy, the ties around the effigy, the several hats, the prone effigy of Maxaman behind the figure, and, behind that Jesus on the Cross, etc.

Saint with Ties

Maxaman Shrine

Interestingly, as the Christian belief system by way of the cross was behind Maxaman, Maxaman's influence appeared in one of the Churches we visited. The scarf's around the Church Saint (not sure if figure was male or female). And, we saw many examples of the blending of belief systems. A fail safe system? Just go along with the prevailing energy until it passes? Visual reminders of the power of Spirit and further strengthening belief?

Regardless, there was  a strong attendance and evidence of "belief." In doctor's offices clients are reassured by the certificates, diplomas, licenses and tools of the trade. The book, The Heroic Client, The Heroic Client: A Revolutionary Way to Improve Effectiveness Through Client-Directed, Outcome-Informed Therapy content analysis of many numerous studies of psychotherapy outcomes considering, therapist modality, diagnosis and medications came to the following conclusions. There are only three aspects that can predict positive change. These are: 1. The clients motivation to change, 2. The therapist's belief in his/her own skills and effectiveness; and, 3. The clients belief in the therapist.

It all comes back to Belief!

And, when we consider the effectiveness of clear intention this can become even stronger. If my intention is strong and I believe my intention will be honored by The Universe, then the right healing modality and/or healer will come along.

How will I know? Dreams and synchronistic events lead the way; after the clear intention. The Tao of Psychology, by Jean Shinoda Bolen documents how this work. And then there is Carlos Constaneda's
works where he talks about "omens" and "confirmation from the Universe." The Teachings of Don Juan: A Yaqui Way of Knowledge.  (Not certain it was in this, first book of Constaneda's work but know it is concept, attributed to Don Juan.)

Considering all of the above; doesn't it seem reasonable to assume that we are meant to evolve and the more we believe in the process of evolving, healing, trust and love and the beauty of our own being the more that is not only posible but even probable!

In some ways it is: Believe, put out a clear image or intention of what it is you desire . . . and then get out of the way and let it evolve.

Mayan Wisdom: Reflections after visiting Mayandom

The last week of March and the first of April, 2011 my extended family and I, ten of us, traveled with four others to El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Belize. Our guide, Carlos Vivar, a Mayan who grew up in the village closest to Tikal and that responsible for caring for the jungles around Tikal, very knowledgeable about the history of Mayadom, archaeological ruins, the culture modern and ancient, Mayan shamanism and so much more is my pick for a man of destiny. 

First Temple, Tikal

Carlos left his village against his families wishes to walk to Flores. It was on this walk that he first saw Tikal and at that time decided to study the world of the Mayans. In Flores, speaking only limited Spanish, he sat outside of a school until the instructor came to inquire what it was he wanted. "To learn Spanish." The teacher took him in to his classes, his home and his heart. Carlos rapidly learned Spanish and rudimentary English. 

He then went back to Tikal and worked for various tour groups as assistants to guides. After a short while he was knowledgeable and instructive of what tourists wanted to see in terms of plants, trees, wild-life and even the ruins, glyphs and history of the Mayans. He began to study English by freely or for donation guiding English speaking tourists through the ruins of Tikal.

Soon he was discovered and hired by a major touring group, Overseas Adventure Travels (OATs) to lead tours of Tikal. After only a few years he so impressed OATs that they invited him to high level studies and to lead tours throughout Mayadom. 

Carlos interpreting for Nicolas 

And so Carlo's story continues. 

Shaman Nicolas Empowering Holy Boy

Among other things Carlos comes from a long line of Shamans and is colleagues with some of Mayadom's leading shamans. He introduced us to Nicolas, shaman of Santiego de Atitlan and caretaker of the effigy representing God, Maxaman (Holy Boy, as he is spiritually regarded by the People*). We were fortunate to watch Nicolas lead several rituals, one involving a healing and empowering for myself. I was extremely honored and seem to have benefited strongly from the ritual.

Subsequent to this experience Carlos invited my wife, Joanne Witte and myself to attend the Mayan End of the Mayan Calendar event in Tikal, December 21st, 2012. We were both very honored and accepted the invitation to stay for the event with he and his family in his village.  He had informed us that already there were no accommodations anywhere else for many miles around. His statement, "All of Mayadom will be there."

From our travels and readings it is indicated that the Calendar records, accurately, 26 thousand years of Celestial events. The glyphs and scrolls of glyphs predicted the Spanish invasion and advised the people to not fight but that the Spanish would tire after finding no gold and leave. It took them several hundred years to do so.

One observation that really impressed me was how many small villages, while influenced strongly by modernization, still maintained the old costumes,

Women's Fabric at Market

customs and language. The people of Mayadom are very proud of who they are and not rapidly giving way to modernization. Perhaps they learned from their experience with the Spaniards. Perhaps the manuscripts and glyphs also tell of modernization coming . . . and going.

While there is no sense that "the world is going to end" with the advent of the new Mayan Calendar there is  definitely predictions of many upheavals in all ways. In general the belief is that the "eye" to the cosmos will be opened on 12/21/2012 and that a new age, an age of higher consciousness will come about. Interesting to me that this is congruent with "The Age of Aquarius."

I am not sure of exactly what is meant by the "eye" the cosmos but from what I glean on the 21st of December the sun rising will coincide with the rotation of our galaxy which will look like an eye. Apparently there is a spacious void that when the Milky Way rotates a certain way the void appears like an eye. It seems that the "photon beam" from beyond the Pleiades has a clear shot to earth at that time. This happened 26 thousand years ago and again 5125 years ago, perhaps in a lesser fashion. Unfortunately I do not remember when or how I read or heard about the above. For a more scientific explanation visit the following blog: http://mayanprophecy2012.blogspot.com/2009/07/galactic-alignment-2012-john-major.html In his blog the following description is elucidated: The Galactic Alignment of 2012 ... The Holy Cross of the Equinox Axis and the Milky Way Galaxy ... the Solstice Galaxy Alignment explained by John Major Jenkins ...

* Martin Prechtel, in Secrets of the Talking Jaguar writes of Holy Boy in his chapter White Metal, Yellow Metal: I Empty Out for Holy Boy.

From Fear and Anxiety to Trust and Love

Those who have visited this blog before know somewhat of what this entry is about. My great pleasure and joy in life is having learned to not spend much time in the "Pit of Fear"; instead moving from there into "The Field of Trust and Love."

Today this is most important as the news is full of fear and anxiety about the devastating tragedy in Japan and the ensuing nuclear fall-out that is possibly becoming a real threat to so much of life on Earth and of real concern to so many of us. There is lots of over-reaction to he news. Sensationalism. News casting . . . and we are the fish.

Use fear to motivate change.

Use it also to effectively pray and visualize the outcomes that can possibly come from this tragedy.

Move the realm to probably with active prayer, visualization and positive thinking (The Law of Attraction The Law of Attraction: The Basics of the Teachings of Abraham).

To this end I offer this prayer:

The Blessing/Curse Prayer for World Leaders

Great Father Above and Mother Below with great gratitude for all the blessings you bestow we ask for your further support and guidance.

We want and need your support in our helping to heal the wounds of Your Creations.

We appeal to the Four Winds and Seven Seas, to our Ancestors to guide us and strengthen us in our resolve to help to bring about healing.

May the eyes of our leaders be opened to the pain and suffering of the mothers, fathers and children of all of life on earth.

May their ears hear the wailing and curses of those who have suffered wounding and injustices at the hands of the unmerciful.

May their hearts be opened and filled with compassion for those wronged.

May their bellies be filled with such anxt that they cannot but own their part in the imbalances and wrong doings.

May their minds and thoughts become clear with resolve to right the wrongs.

May their words and deeds be of retribution and reparation.

May they escape the jaws of the abyss.

May their good fortunes be shared by all; and, may they come to be known in their own time as great men and women who brought about The Great Healing of the Fabric of The Universe. 


And that dear Gods and Goddesses will be truly delicious for All to feast upon.

Peace and Healing

Emotional Intimacy in Relationships

Creating Emotional Intimacy in Relationships
 
The relationships naturally changes over time. Emotional intimacy that was once passionate and exciting can diminish unless steps are taken to help maintain it. This entry may help understand why emotional intimacy in relationships often fades over time and what can be done to rekindle our passions.
 
Emotional intimacy in relationships tend to fade over time.
This happens for many reasons: After the initial romancing period the issues of our pasts begin to play more active roles in our relationships. Those issues are part of what attracts us to each other often on very deep unconscious levels. This phenomena is related to the repetition compulsion. We come to be together so that we will be “worked” to become more fully integrated. I think of this phenomena as The Relationship Cauldron (see my blog entry: SUNDAY, APRIL 25, 2010
The Relationship Cauldron: The gift of interpersonal conflicts!).

Without acknowledging this built in conflict and building a support system for doing our unique personal work in our relationship we will need to give each other more space: To move away from each other.
 
If we are attached to the “live happily ever-after model” of marriage then we compare our own stressed relationship with that model and find it wanting. However, thanking our partners for helping us access our profound sense of emptiness due to our wounded-ness can help us to build a more realistic and stable intimate basis. When couples see the going into an issue as “sacred” in the sense of visiting the temple of healing and not taking the others stuff personally then the marriage can be strengthened.
 
A common reason for this fading has to do with our having other affairs. “Affairs do not happen in a vacuum.” We become distracted from our own personal work by having children, becoming overly involved in our work, getting into drugs and/or alcohol, having extra-marital affairs, etc. When one person begins to move away the other will either push hard to reestablish the closeness or move away accordingly. Either tact can be damaging to the marriage. Ultimately, no matter what the affair, it is a distraction to keep us from feeling the discomfort or pain having to do with our personal and ancestral wounds.
 
We crave as a basic need emotional intimacy and will find it one way or another. As drifting apart happens other pursuits take precedence. We are all “Seeking Village” and will find the support we need to heal one way or another. Fairly often this happens in the late 30’s, 40’s or 50’s. It takes lots of living to get it that we need to make big movement towards doing our own personal growth work. None of us are immune from this.
 
Recognizing the drift away from the intimacy and talking about this is important. In my web-site (scottlsherman.com) under “Tools, Communication Basics” are some instructions on how to actively and reflectively listen to each other. Open, eye-leveling communications can rebuild intimacy.
 
Prescribing for self in my relationships and for my clients in theirs that sacred time be set aside for intimate relationship building: Dating one night a week, at least. Taking a weekend off once a month to get away from routine tasks and other possessive pursuits is critical. Getting away for a longer period of time at least once a year is also very beneficial.
 
Also paying attention to five critical times in a family’s day-to-day living is critical. The times most important to "see" each other; to hug, tell you love, and are there for them. These times are: 1. when we get up, 2. when we eat, 3. when we leave the home, 4. when we return; and, 5. when we go to bed.
 
The most significant time is coming home. We live in a toxic world and taking time to “get home” spiritually and to feel ourselves in our own home, in a grounded sense, allows for us to be open to re-connect with our loved ones. Going out into the world and returning is a mild form of jet-lag. Yet, it can be very taxing and include such common sensations as “road-rage”, boredom and frustration with work, financial stressors, job stressors, other frustrating relationships, etc. It is all too easy to not get home even when we are home. We tend to continue to process the day “out there” even though it is the past and we are “here.” Making a point of “being home” helps us to reconnect with our loved ones. This has to do with the concept of “quality time” versus “quantity time.”
 
A major task for all couples is to sort out whose stuff is whose. As it is estimated that 80 to 85 % of our relationship issues has to do with communications it is also estimated that only about 20% of our issues is with our partners or family members. The larger remaining portion has to do with our personal histories. This gets back to how by honoring the awareness that we are all striving in one way or another, intentionally or accidentally, to become fully integrated: To become highly spiritual beings. We are striving to come to grips with our own repetition compulsions and woundings.
 
Making time to sit down and actively hear each others understanding of the reality of the relationship is very important. What do they perceive, how does that affect their emotional well being, what sense do they make of that in terms of emotions and personal history; and, what do they want and need to help them move along on their path. The one not talking is to only register what has been said; and not in their mind arguing, reasoning, fixing, etc. Only remembering so that they can tell the one sharing what they heard. If they got it right (really right and not just 50% or so) then they can move on to the listener telling their side.
 
It is amazing to me, still, how this simple to do (although hard to learn without practice) can reduce tensions and re-establish intimacy. We all want and need to be honored or “seen.”
 
Thanks for viewing this entry and let me know how it works for you.

Corruption and Redemption

Believing that very few humans, less than one percent can be classified "without conscience;" what leads humans to repeatedly behave in ways to cheat, lie, steal, etc. 


Thinking on this, I remember two works from my early studies in Sociology and Criminology. The first by Edwin Sutherland's on white collar crimes White Collar Crime: The Uncut Version . As I remember the study it was reported that such crimes started out relatively innocently. Stealing a pencil from work or pocketing someone's loose change or the likes. Then an elaborate process of inner dialogue and repeated and progressively growing in seriousness moral lapses led to eventually getting caught. We read about such incidents in our daily news.


Sometimes the motivation is simply to get some food to eat. With white collar crime what goes on has been described by Sykes and Matza, 1957, as "techniques of neutralization," which leads to the second work I write about. http://www.criminology.fsu.edu/crimtheory/matza.htm. The techniques are rationalizations and justifications, internal arguments that often lead one into further mis-deeds and can eventually lead to more serious crimes. 


My interest in bringing this information to this blog has to do with another interest, fascination even, of mine  that of the "repetition compulsion" phenomena I write and speak about. 


Those who have visited my blog have no doubt read about the phenomena of people repeating traumatic events often over and over again and again. My belief is that it is a soul issue and has to do with "so they will remember" to heal.


Perhaps, along these lines, the corruption we are so aware of in this culture and in general, in mass society, has to do with people starting out simple enough, stealing, lying or cheating and then escalating in this behavior with an underlying compulsion to get caught! To get caught so that they will be compelled to working on deeper wounding issues.


What I know from my work is that when becoming aware of the phenomena one dips back into personal history and remembers where the original traumatic act or event occurred, deals with that loss with gratitude and forgiveness of self and/or other, then the wounded soul part can return and healing begins.


The wonderful Alcoholic Anonymous movement has as a basic tenant, one of the 12 Steps, the Fifth, I believe "To make a searching and fearless moral inventory of ourselves" and then to make things right where one may.


When I consider the great amount of grief that our world experiences because of corruption and some of the above considerations it occurs to me that those perpetrating the crimes are also caught up in the repetition compulsion and haven't a clue as to how to move out of that pattern.


Perhaps with radical forgiveness and a more grateful approach to life the dynamics can be reversed. This has been successfully practiced repeatedly. Most importantly by Nobel Peace recipient Desmond Tutu of South Africa. No Future Without Forgiveness


We have also seen in our world how "Radical Forgiveness" www.radicalforgiveness.com has brought peace between warring tribes or nations.


Practicing "Gratitude for All" (as no less than Elizabeth Kubler Ross suggests we adopt in even our most  grievious losses On Death and Dying (Scribner Classics)) can lead to the lessening of the need to rationalize and neutralize the extent of our internal dialogues about our illegal or immoral actions. It can open the doors to learn to stay present in the awesome eternal "Now" so that we can forgive ourselves and others and lead the way to Redemption.


It seems to me to be a need. Our anger and condemnation drives others to continue to be stuck in cycles of abuse. Our forgiveness at least offers an opportunity for healing.


What do you think?

Celebrating the New Year with Intention

Recently I was asked for a Chakra clearing exercise. Over the years I have experienced a number of such and believe that this time of the year, to end one and begin another, is an opportune time to perform this clearing with ritual. I recommend that some time be spent meditating and talking over with friends and loved ones what the intentions for the coming cycle would be. Remembering to address these intentions with "The Law of Attraction." Believe and move into Trust and Love and it shall be.

I offer in this entry two exercises that can be found on my web-site at the following URL. http://scottlsherman.com/frameset.html

The first piece has to do with our "Energy Anatomy"ADVANCED ENERGY ANATOMY as Carolyn Myss elucidates in her book by that name. My piece is named in my URL as "Know your Energy Centers." Our Chakra's or energy centers, our bio-computers can be cleared, empowered and linked to each other in such a way that our human magnificence can truly be realized.

The second in my web-site is labeled "The Healing Visualization." It has to do with both "intention" and our Chakras.

The ritual I intend to perform sometime on this day, 12/31/2010 is as follows:

• Spend some time reviewing the past year and talking about intentions for the future with friends and loved ones.
• Form the intentions with positive and probable affirmations. The Healing Visualization paper helps with this piece.
• Find a place and setting to meditate.
• Take several nice and easy breaths after exhaling all of the old stale air.
• Attend to being fully in the moment by focusing on being fully present with sensations.
• Focus intention on Crown Chakra, initially, and visualize clear light entering your anatomy via the far reaches of the Universe. As it enters your Crown Chakra (pineal gland) imagine the energy of the Universe energizing the center and moving the energy into a vortex. The vortex of flowing energy transforms old, stuck and blocked energy into beautiful color and form. The color is primarily heliotrope and it helps to visualize this color.
• Move through each Chakra in a descending fashion using web-site entry on Energy Centers for inspiration on color, location, etc.
• Then visualize the energy flowing through your whole body, a white light connecting the ends of the Universe through each of your Chakras and into the Earth.
• Next, connect through the Earth to the opposite ends of the Universe.
• The imagine and experience a flowing, washing exchange of energy from Heaven to Earth, into and through the Earth, to the opposite ends of the Universe and back again. As the wave sent with intention and visualization from you goes through the Earth (taking old stuff out of you) it gives love and life to the Earth and connects all of creation. Then as that energy bounces or flows returning through the Earth and back through your body and Chakras it also brings healing, beauty, magic, transformative realization, etc.
• Then, feeling this divine interconnectedness and at one with all of creation remember your clear and probable affirmation and remembering it visualize sending it throughout the Universe. 

Know then that each Energy Center has been tuned to your own individual prayer for healing, transformation for the New Year and that you have contributed greatly to "The Healing Story."

Thanks for visiting my blog and may each and every one of you and your loved ones find greater health, peace and interconnectedness with all of Creation. May you walk in Trust and Love and forever remember that the single most revolutionary act any of us can ever commit is to refuse to spend any unnecessary time in fear and anxiety.

Submitted with Great Gratitude,

Scott

The Mother Wound

The Mother Wound

The abandonment and betrayals of “fathers” has the corollary of “mothers” not protecting us or providing our nurturance. It is the mother not stepping in like a grizzly bear,  subduing the predator wanting to harm the cub. It is the mother who denies that her child has been abused by the father or father figure (betrayers). 

This wound is felt within one as a profound sense of unworthiness. “I must not be loved; how could something like that happen if I were truly loved?” 

“The trail of tears” has brought whole civilizations to this point. The Father-land abusing, the Great Mother, not protecting. Father go off to work or war and come home abused, corrupted, and toxically shamed. Our collective ignorance and our natural innate healing process (repetition compulsion) allowing no choice but to pass the wounding on . . . even to our own loved ones. Wives, lovers and children.

The story is told of the father who on leaving work in the morning is hugged and encouraged to have good luck when he asks for a raise at work. Times are hard!

Returning his family expectantly greet him at the door only to be met with a scowl and angry retort. The smell of beer for-warned that all did not go well. When asked how it went he angrily retorts that he not only didn’t get the raise; he was fired. Brushing her aside their son pulls on her skirt and she shooes him aside. The boy hits the girl who kicks the dog who chases the cat who knocks over the lamp: Bedlam!

Had the father not “nursed” his wounds with alcohol; instead coming straight home to the warmth and comfort of the hearth where the couple could have figured out their next move: Had the mother stopped him at the door and expected decorum and love the bedlam could have been avoided.

A tall order.

In the indigenous world there are transition stages for when one leaves and enters the village, for the world outside the village is problematically toxic. Our homes can have the same. And, to a strong degree they need to be even more intentional, lacking the extended family and social network. No sweat lodge or men’s or women’s lodge to detoxify.

The mother wound has its roots in the deeper sense of the “Wounds of the ancestors.” Our female ancestors had witnessed and experienced their own wounding. No structure or means for processing, the wounds went under-ground; soul parts splitting off. Enabling, paralysis, denial of one sort or another then creates the repetition compulsion process.

This leads to our setting each other up to once again experience a wounding. Most often this wounding is felt in the same area of our bodies and the scenes and actors are mirroring past wounds. Our over-soul hoping if not expecting that we will wake up! That we will do our own internal work and heal!

Perhaps the very world itself is actively setting us up to “remember.” Remember, ”We are all one.” Remember, “What goes around, comes around.” Remember, “To repeat the cycle is to perpetuate the cycle.” Until we wake up and take a different path.

HBO's special on War Torn from 1860-2010 is an incredibly painful awakening for us. It is estimated that 100 % of soldiers return with PTSD. And yet, we continue to pour most of our fortunes into war games, weapons and create awful damages and destruction. THE PAIN GOES ON.

Radical Forgiveness works and has worked. It can start with each one of us. Think of one who has wronged you. Feel the pain or discomfort in your body. Breathe into it with gratitude for it's positive intent to get you to do something different. Thank that feeling and the resulting loosening of the tightness. Release that pain into prayer for healing for all involved. Visualize the outcome that is collectively healing.

Beyond this there is a need to strengthen the social bonds and protections such that one can heal. Support groups, mens, women's and gender groups that intentionally indulge in deep grieving and release work. Where is the support for finding strength to not wound and to protect children and the helpless (animals, trees, fish, insects, the waters, the very soil, on-and-on) from being wounded again and again and again. 

Straying from the theme of mother wound, or have I? The succorance and nurturing of the home and hearth allow for our hearts to be open. And, the mother is not just in women, it is the Divine Feminine. 


A mature male is one who is clear, firm, and nurturing.