by Shaman Mother Sha-Riah
an open letter.
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Dear Seekers,
What a gift to commune with you all in this way; thank you.
We want to talk to you about weather, what weather means symbolically for the shaman, how to read its meaning into the larger picture of life, and what weather can tell us about humans’ energetic relationship to the planet. We will be talking about these things briefly. This is not the forum for the details the topic requires, but we are confident you will be in the picture.
First, the symbolism of weather. It would be easy for us to tell you what the seasons represent symbolically:
WINTER: dying, in preparation for new growth, sleeping and resting to allow for the growth energy to build up, time for thought
SPRING: new life, bursting to tell the news of what has gone on in the winter and how successful the ministrations of interested parties have been
SUMMER: abundance, laziness, busy-ness, clear thought, freedom, exploration, discovery
AUTUMN: changing energy, harvesting what you have previously sown, preparing for survival, nervousness that you may not have done enough, and slowing down in preparation for the dark.
But you already know that… so now we are interested in the symbolism of weather phenomena, such as storms, hurricanes, floods, fires, etc.
The symbolism of weather phenomena is, of course, aligned with the four elements of water, air, fire, and earth and their symbolism. Water is a nourisher and a cleanser, and represents movement. Air is a life-giver and a clearer, and represents freedom. Fire is a cleanser and a healer, and represents work. Earth is an anchor and a rejuvenator and represents survival. Now, apply this to some of the weather phenomena.
A storm. The wind howls and rips through the atmosphere; you can almost see the air. It clears and cleans the atmosphere, leaving a freshness that is a delight to breathe in and a sense of freedom in each breath. The rain falls out of the sky, battering the earth with its large penetrating drops. It fills the earth with its nourishing energy and helps energy move through time and space in its cleansing way. The lightning bursts like flames in the sky, gathering angry energy together. Working out this energy, it expresses itself, fearfully, cleansing and healing. The thunder sounds like the planet itself is being torn apart. The noise makes humans fumble. But there is the earth, strong and stable, that anchor to which we attach ourselves, on which our survival depends, and we are stronger, we are rejuvenated.
A storm isn’t just wind, rain, lightning, and thunder; it is how we understand ourselves, rate ourselves, and live in the world. The air that clears and gives life is the same air for everybody. Every breath you take is a breath that someone else has taken. Sometimes, the air becomes stale, polluted, and poisoned; if you keep breathing that air, you and others will die. What if we changed the word air to knowledge? Suppose the knowledge that you absorb is stale, outdated, or polluted by prejudice and complacency, or poisoned by hate and misconceptions. In that case, the knowledge that you are breathing will slowly kill you and others. Perhaps not right away, maybe others before you, or maybe not for many generations, but it will have a detrimental effect. The point is that if the air is not cleared, there is no life-giving and no freedom of thought or action. When the wind comes, ask yourself why. What do we need to be cleared? What freedom do we need to create?
You might be saying that weather phenomena, such as hurricanes, cyclones, and typhoons, happen because of the way the planet moves, the heat, the movement of the oceans, and so on, and that this is born out by the locations and times of these weather events nearly always being the same. And you would be right, but those locations are changing, as is the weather. Perhaps it is climate change, and perhaps that is due to pollution, but this is not the first time that all of this has happened; this has been a recurring pattern all throughout human time. Just for a minute, think of these wind storms as occurring because something in these places needs to be cleared. A new kind of life needs to be birthed. Freedom is required from what? Now look at the locations, and who else it affects, and ask yourself the previous questions. You might be surprised by the answer.
As a shaman, or one who is interested in the shamanic tradition and way of life, it is vital that you look at all of nature and try to glean its message. Try to connect and commune with all that is around you, animate and inanimate. Ask yourself why that village was flooded and not the one next door. Why did that boulder become loose and crash down the cliffside into that house? There is a message in everything that nature gives us, but the important message for the shaman is, “why did the people or person commune with nature to create this weather event?” As a shaman, if you can answer that, then you will be using your gift productively and compassionately.
Of course, for many people in these modern times, this kind of message-seeking would be considered superstition or ignorance because science has explained these phenomena to us. However, we would suggest that they just explain the events’ mechanics. If you drive a car then you will understand that the conscious and deliberate design of the car is sometimes more important than the mechanics driving the car. Reading the meaning behind any weather pattern or event can give a clear insight into an individual or group of humans’ energetic relationship to the Earth Mother. It is not superstition or ignorance. It is not science. It is love. Love of humankind – past, present and future, love of nature, the planet, the cosmos, the universe, and the development and expansion of the universal consciousness. Start with yourself, and find your meaning in the weather around you and the meaning of the weather for you.
May the sun shine on your upturned face,
the breeze pass gently over your skin,
the earth beneath you support you when you stumble,
and the soft rain falling on your head clear your mind.
Many blessings,
Shaman Mother Sha-Riah
(c) Copyright Brad and Caroline Dunn 2016-2023