The Underworld

[RiverSnake]

Was recently going back and reading an old book that got me into Shamanism and was a very powerful text for me. Personally I have been having a lot of inner conflict with the underworld and ancestral work...and have been looking for more clarity on this topic and trying to rewrite all of the internalized bad programs I picked up that have become part of our culture.

 

I found this excerpt quite useful for me and perhaps may be illuminating for others whom face the same internal blockages. Was going to originally put it in my Ancestral Work thread but I thought it deserved its own separate focus. Enjoy.

 

------------------------------------------------------------

 

"The Underworld is the powerhouse of the three worlds. Here we draw upon our draw upon our deeper resources, our traditional inheritance, our memory. Look at the diagram on pg.49, which shows the three worlds connected by the great centre tree (picture attached). This Illustrates the way that the Underworld can be envisaged as the rich loam into which the trees roots go down. In addition, all trees have a tap root which searches out the nearest source of water, whose nurture it then channels to the rest of the tree.

 

When we enter the Underworld, we put down our tap root and draw upon nourishment. The Underworld has a bad press in the West, since in both Classical and Christian cosmology it has been dualist ally understood as Hell. In shamanism the tree worlds are primal worlds of possibility without such dualist in connotations. The Underworld is a place of foundations and beginnings, of joy and creativity, not a place of fear and terror.

 

For many religions, the Underworld has become a kind of toxic-waste dumping ground where the spiritual evils of the world are thought to lie ready to recrudesce. Scenarios of unending hell-fire and fantastic terror have been set up in our imagination to guard the gates of the underworld from unauthorized intrusion. Our communion with the underworld has been lost or severed by fearful religious dogmas which would prefer us to imagine a region of demons and searing flame, rather than a place of restoration and reconnective joy.

 

The Underworld is a place of mirror images, reversal and complementarities where we perceive the physical reality of our daily lives thrown into startling subtle relief. Imagine the separation of realities as a gauze veil hanging from floor to ceiling: if you push your hand into the gauze, you cause it to push inwards away from your side: anyone standing on the other side of the gauze veil will see your hand push the gauze outwards towards them.

 

If we bear this in mind, we will begin to understand why the Underworld journey has been discouraged by non-shamanic cultures: for here the threshold guardians assume tiny or gigantic size, here we meet the spirits that compliment realities we have neglected or ignored. Without strong and willing allies, such encounters can confuse and terrify - many genuine mystics have gone thither without preparation or ally, returning to report strange sights. Without the correct cosmological information and without a non dual framework to trace from, religions have barred the doors that lead between the worlds.

 

The wise traditions of the primal earth drew continually upon the Underworld and are fed by it and many people now deeply regret that we have lost communion with these rich indigenous traditions. Although we may feel that such treasures can never be ours, our hearts are still gripped by the many myths and stories of the Underworld journeys of those whose seek the treasures and wisdom: the descent of Inanna to take the initiation of mortality and gain wisdom, the descent of Aeneas to meet and consult his dead father, Orpheus's descent to retrieve Eurydice, the initiatory descent of Christian Rosenkreutz into the vault, the descent of Persephone which triggers the coming agricultural wisdoms of the earth, the descent of King Arthur to bring home the Cauldron, the prototype of the Grail. All these myths speak of initiation into wisdom and the winning of empowering treasures, gained through endurance, perseverance and courage.

 

Such heroic descents can be ours through the shamanic Underworld journey. Reconnection with the Underworld restores communication with the voices of our wise ancestors, with traditions which hallow earth, with the deep empowering teachings and treasures which remain eternally available.

 

The beings encountered in the Underworld include ancestral teachers, clan totems, deities who initiate and empower, dwarfs, dragons and other subterranean or watery guardians of power. You may encounter ancestral councils or assemblies here. The genius of the Underworld often appears as a Lord or King of the Underworld and is sometimes horned or antlered, like the Celtic Cernunnos or the Hindu Pasupati, surrounded by many beasts. Many primal Underworld deities have the horns of power: such beings have been demonized by Christians, but they simply preserve their original non dual functions as gatekeepers and initiators.

 

Each land has its own native Underworld guardians. Awakening and communicating with these native powers is important work. During the early 1980s with other walkers between the world, I visited many parts of Britain, specifically to effect such awakenings. As a result of our work, certain powers have become more widely available and contactable.

 

The work of awakening the sleep is important, not to evoke atavistic and inappropriate energies, but to 'clear the ways' between our own world and the deep power of the Underworld after so many centuries of neglect and misunderstanding, so that primal wisdom of the ancestral traditions may once more flow as a corrective to our over-urban and increasingly fragmented lives." Singing the Soul Back Home, by Caitlin Mathews

 

A Note: i have edited out some portions of the section do to length. The book itself is pretty awesome and well worth purchasing.

 

http://www.amazon.com/Singing-Soul-Back-Home-Shamanic/dp/1859061036/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1382754073&sr=1-1&keywords=singing+the+soul+back+home

Edited February 4, 2021 by RiverSnake

[SonOfTheGods]

Psychopomps can help you if you explore further than the confines of fleshy and carnal limitations

 

Some will say Anubis,

Some will say Hermes, can guide you

 

Just make sure you pay the ferry man, so you get back

 

Sandalphon will tell you the same

 

Happy trails

[Apech]

Psychopomps can help you if you explore further than the confines of fleshy and carnal limitations

 

Some will say Anubis,

Some will say Hermes, can guide you

 

Just make sure you pay the ferry man, so you get back

 

Sandalphon will tell you the same

 

Happy trails

 

 

I love that word psychopomp ... I don't know why but I keep repeating it to myself its so delicious.

 

You can of course have a combined god Hermanubis ... if you so choose.

 

The Duat is a fascinating place ... have a look at the Amduat for more information.

[RiverSnake]

Hmmm.....added a new word to my vocabulary never understood what psychopomp was....is that a term that originated from Chaos Magic?

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited October 28, 2013 by OldChi

[Apech]

Hmmm.....added a new word to my vocabulary never understood what psychopomp was....is that a term that originated from Chaos Magic?

 

My 2 cents, Peace

 

No its Greek ... ancient word for guides to the underworld.

[RiverSnake]

No its Greek ... ancient word for guides to the underworld.

 

Lol, don't think i could've been farther of the mark their.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited October 28, 2013 by OldChi

[Apech]

Lol, don't think i could've been farther of the mark their.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopomp

 

this seems more or less accurate (for wiki )

[9th]

new is the new new
atomic fission splits god from man
zero relevance to big bang origin story
floating zero point field hands
steering clans bound to wheel in sands
turning foundries into boundaries
sound and fury signify phantom autograph
steel cut phonograph recordings from atlantic
broadband spell casting crystal decoder ring
ghost writers uncover sleeping prophecies
coursing through veins of mineral reciprocity
criminal ore city melting point field transit
hybridized vehicles drive honeycomb fissures
fertilized with stone carved pesticide
vanishing drones of homeless queen
screen door combustion cone finally
spiral into grid displacement conclusion
quantum fusion crypts inter buzzwords
towards endless fuel exhaustion
boats slip stream to stream and shore to shore
charon installed as ferryman application
requiring one-time low low payment
your money or your life

[9th]

The name "Wednesday" is derived from Old English Wōdnesdæg and Middle English Wednesdei, "day of Wodanaz", ultimately a calque of dies Mercurii "day of Mercury".

Odin (/ˈoʊdɨn/; from Old Norse Óðinn) is a major god in Norse mythology, the Allfather of the gods, and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Old English "Wōden", the Old Saxon "Wôdan" and the Old High German "Wôtan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz". "Odin" is generally accepted as the modern English form of the name, although, in some cases, older forms may be used or preferred. His name is related to ōðr, meaning "fury, excitation", besides "mind", or "poetry". His role, like that of many of the Norse gods, is complex. Odin is a principal member of the Aesir* (the major group of the Norse pantheon) and is associated with war, battle, victory and death, but also wisdom, Shamanism, magic, poetry, prophecy, and the hunt. Odin has many sons, the most famous of whom is the thunder god Thor.

Worship of Odin may date to Proto-Germanic paganism. The Roman historian Tacitus may refer to Odin when he talks of Mercury. The reason is that, like Mercury, Odin was regarded as a Psychopomp, "guide of souls".

As Odin is closely connected with a horse called Sleipnir, a spear called Gungnir, and transformation/shape shifting into animal shapes, an alternative theory of origin contends that Odin, or at least some of his key characteristics, may have arisen just prior to the 6th century as a nightmarish horse god (Echwaz), later signified by the eight-legged Sleipnir. Some support for Odin as a latecomer to the Scandinavian Norse pantheon can be found in the Sagas where, for example, at one time he is thrown out of Asgard by the other gods—a seemingly unlikely tale for a well-established "all father". However, it could also mean Odin represented an older cult of proto-Germanic hunter-gatherers, his association with being a wanderer and having shamanic qualities, and this story might on the contrary mean the Odin-cult was taken over by newer sedentary cults. Scholars who have linked Odin with the "Death God" template include E. A. Ebbinghaus, Jan de Vries and Thor Templin. The later two also link Loki and Odin as being one-and-the-same until the early Norse Period.

Scandinavian Óðinn emerged from Proto-Norse Wōdin during the Migration period, artwork of this time (on gold bracteates) depicting the earliest scenes that can be aligned with the High Medieval Norse mythological texts. The context of the new elites emerging in this period aligns with Snorri's tale of the indigenous Vanir who were eventually replaced by the Æsir, intruders from the Continent.

Parallels between Odin and Celtic Lugus have often been pointed out. Both are intellectual gods, commanding magic and poetry. Both have ravens and a spear as their attributes. Julius Caesar (de bello Gallico, 6.17.1) mentions Mercury as the chief god of Celtic religion. A likely context of the diffusion of elements of Celtic ritual into Germanic culture is that of the Chatti, who lived at the Celtic-Germanic boundary in Hesse during the final centuries before the Common Era. (It should be remembered that many Indo-Europeanists hypothesize that Odin in his Proto-Germanic form was not the chief god, but that he only gradually replaced Týr during the Migration period.)

*Æsir is the plural of áss, óss "god" (gen. āsir) which is attested in other Germanic languages, e.g., Old English ōs (gen. pl. ēsa) and Gothic (as reported by Jordanes) anses "half-gods". These all stem from Proto-Germanic *ansis ~ ansuz, which itself comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énsus (gen. h₂n̥sóus) "life force" (cf. Avestan aŋhū "lord; lifetime", ahura "godhood", Sanskrit ásu "life force", ásura "god" (< *h₂n̥suró)). It is widely accepted that this word is further related to *h₂ens- "to engender" (cf. Hittite hass- "to procreate, give birth", Tocharian B ās- "to produce").

[tumoessence]

http://www.amazon.com/Underworld-Initiation-journey-towards-transformation/dp/1892137038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383159977&sr=1-1&keywords=underworld+initiation

 

This is a good one too. I had some powerful experiences after reading it.

[RiverSnake]

From what I hear Halloween is a good day for hanging out with the dead.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited October 31, 2013 by OldChi

[Nungali]

It is the time of year when barrier between the worlds is 'thinnest' , hence ; Halloween, Samhain, The Feast of the Dead, All Saints Day, All Souls Day, etc. Its association with death and communication with the otherworld (divination) was considered most important in tribal non-equatorial/temperate cultures; coming into winter one has to discern how harsh this winter is going to be and , accordingly, how much of the herd breeding stock is to be killed and eaten and how much is taken over to re-breed in spring.

 

This was usually done by the Shaman, in trance and communion with the ancestors (divination) and was a time of death (animal slaughter and preservation of food). Getting the winter intensity insight wrong and messing up the numbers could mean the death of the tribe in winter or a missed opportunity to get ahead next spring with a larger herd.

 

{And we all know the best way to 'butter up the relatives is to ply them with food, drink and praise ... hence the feast of the dead ... well, there is also genuine acknowledgement and appreciation as well .}

[RiverSnake]

Interesting stuff Nungali. Thanks, made my first offerings last night.

 

My 2 cents, Peace

Edited November 1, 2013 by OldChi

[9th]

[rex]

This looks a good one :

 

http://www.rjstewart.net/the-arch-of-heaven.htm

 

[9th]

[RiverSnake]

http://www.amazon.com/Underworld-Initiation-journey-towards-transformation/dp/1892137038/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1383159977&sr=1-1&keywords=underworld+initiation

 

This is a good one too. I had some powerful experiences after reading it.

This looks a good one :

 

http://www.rjstewart.net/the-arch-of-heaven.htm

 

Always felt a pretty strong vibe for R.J Stewarts work. He seems like one of this old school adepts that never really got as well known as other authors. His book Living Magical Arts seems like it has some depth to it: http://www.amazon.com/Living-Magical-Arts-R-J-Stewart/dp/1870450612

 

My 2 cents, Peace

[rex]

Always felt a pretty strong vibe for R.J Stewarts work. He seems like one of this old school adepts that never really got as well known as other authors. His book Living Magical Arts seems like it has some depth to it: http://www.amazon.com/Living-Magical-Arts-R-J-Stewart/dp/1870450612 My 2 cents, Peace

I value all of R.J Stewarts work. His book on the Spirit Cord has an instructive chapter on purifying the imagination so it can be employed usefully for inner work. This could be a topic for another thread sometime ...

[LeoViridis]

Since you mention Odin, I've heard of a certain group that call themselves the "Odin's Brotherhood". They apparently do not worship Odin or any of these deities, since they say that worshipping and kneeling is for weak slaves, but they percieve themselves as equals to these deities, and their place is sitting and feasting with them at Valhalla. Apparently they don't really meet-up and you cannot be manualy initiated by another member - initiation is supposed to be spontaneus and intense (much like shamanic initiations are said to be), the initiatee having to perform a certain ritual and live in the wild for some time. Afterwards he is a fullfledged member. They allegedly recognize each other by the fiercness in their eyes, and showing weakness is the greatest taboo - members of this group will even in the greatest crisis not ask or accept help and they'd rather steal than to do so. Not really related to the topic, just something I remembered reading about some time back.

 

 

 

The name "Wednesday" is derived from Old English Wōdnesdæg and Middle English Wednesdei, "day of Wodanaz", ultimately a calque of dies Mercurii "day of Mercury".

Odin (/ˈoʊdɨn/; from Old Norse Óðinn) is a major god in Norse mythology, the Allfather of the gods, and the ruler of Asgard. Homologous with the Old English "Wōden", the Old Saxon "Wôdan" and the Old High German "Wôtan", the name is descended from Proto-Germanic "*Wodanaz" or "*Wōđanaz". "Odin" is generally accepted as the modern English form of the name, although, in some cases, older forms may be used or preferred. His name is related to ōðr, meaning "fury, excitation", besides "mind", or "poetry". His role, like that of many of the Norse gods, is complex. Odin is a principal member of the Aesir* (the major group of the Norse pantheon) and is associated with war, battle, victory and death, but also wisdom, Shamanism, magic, poetry, prophecy, and the hunt. Odin has many sons, the most famous of whom is the thunder god Thor.

Worship of Odin may date to Proto-Germanic paganism. The Roman historian Tacitus may refer to Odin when he talks of Mercury. The reason is that, like Mercury, Odin was regarded as a Psychopomp, "guide of souls".

As Odin is closely connected with a horse called Sleipnir, a spear called Gungnir, and transformation/shape shifting into animal shapes, an alternative theory of origin contends that Odin, or at least some of his key characteristics, may have arisen just prior to the 6th century as a nightmarish horse god (Echwaz), later signified by the eight-legged Sleipnir. Some support for Odin as a latecomer to the Scandinavian Norse pantheon can be found in the Sagas where, for example, at one time he is thrown out of Asgard by the other gods—a seemingly unlikely tale for a well-established "all father". However, it could also mean Odin represented an older cult of proto-Germanic hunter-gatherers, his association with being a wanderer and having shamanic qualities, and this story might on the contrary mean the Odin-cult was taken over by newer sedentary cults. Scholars who have linked Odin with the "Death God" template include E. A. Ebbinghaus, Jan de Vries and Thor Templin. The later two also link Loki and Odin as being one-and-the-same until the early Norse Period.

Scandinavian Óðinn emerged from Proto-Norse Wōdin during the Migration period, artwork of this time (on gold bracteates) depicting the earliest scenes that can be aligned with the High Medieval Norse mythological texts. The context of the new elites emerging in this period aligns with Snorri's tale of the indigenous Vanir who were eventually replaced by the Æsir, intruders from the Continent.

Parallels between Odin and Celtic Lugus have often been pointed out. Both are intellectual gods, commanding magic and poetry. Both have ravens and a spear as their attributes. Julius Caesar (de bello Gallico, 6.17.1) mentions Mercury as the chief god of Celtic religion. A likely context of the diffusion of elements of Celtic ritual into Germanic culture is that of the Chatti, who lived at the Celtic-Germanic boundary in Hesse during the final centuries before the Common Era. (It should be remembered that many Indo-Europeanists hypothesize that Odin in his Proto-Germanic form was not the chief god, but that he only gradually replaced Týr during the Migration period.)

*Æsir is the plural of áss, óss "god" (gen. āsir) which is attested in other Germanic languages, e.g., Old English ōs (gen. pl. ēsa) and Gothic (as reported by Jordanes) anses "half-gods". These all stem from Proto-Germanic *ansis ~ ansuz, which itself comes from Proto-Indo-European *h₂énsus (gen. h₂n̥sóus) "life force" (cf. Avestan aŋhū "lord; lifetime", ahura "godhood", Sanskrit ásu "life force", ásura "god" (< *h₂n̥suró)). It is widely accepted that this word is further related to *h₂ens- "to engender" (cf. Hittite hass- "to procreate, give birth", Tocharian B ās- "to produce").

Edited November 14, 2013 by LeoViridis

[rex]

Review of book mentioned below:

 

The Arch of Heaven

 

This looks a good one :

 

http://www.rjstewart.net/the-arch-of-heaven.htm