Why do so many white Westerners feel the need to appropriate some other culture than their own? Why do we travel the world looking for something else? What are we missing that drives us to learn about anything else but our own heritage?
Well, I guess, from my point of view, its not so easy to answer but what I’m getting at is that here in Europe we have a rich and valid spiritual heritage which has not been totally lost to Christianity. In fact, when we look at Christianity closely we see a belief system which rocks, unsteadily on top of ancient Pagan rites. Even the sites of our old churches were often appropriated from more ancient pagan sites. Norman Iles, the author of ‘The Pagan Carols Restored’, writes:
Christianity has no customs. How would anyone know how to celebrate the return of the sun, the coming of Spring flowers, or the gathering of harvest, from the New Testament? So the Yule customs were taken over, with the explanation of the changed. St Nicholas and Odin have become the same person . . . Customs were taken over, rather than destroyed, because of the difficulty of destroying human nature. Joy that the days are going to get longer, and warmer; that Spring will eventually come, is a very deep-rooted.
This is just in the UK of course, and I can only speak from the perspective of a UK citizen but our heritage, though difficult to see clearly is still there and just as valid, if not more so, than looking to the horizon for inspiration. The very land we live upon speaks to us if we listen, the plants and animals are close to us and our roots are here, in this soil.
Should we learn about other cultures and from them? Of course, lets all know about one another, be guided by common similarities and know that G_d, Jehova, Great Spirit, the Divine or whatever your culture calls the creator, is with and part of us all, no matter who or where we are. But to connect deeply, don’t we need to be understood by our community? If we introduce a culturally specific ritual to a group who do not understand the significance - will they get anything from the ritual? I think we have to ask ourselves WHY we have to move afar in order to find ourselves?
Just as Christianity now finds itself with some heavy explaining to do with regard to appropriating older, Pagan, celebrations and rituals, the future generations may well experience the same sorts of confusion if we mix up and mish-mash culturally specific rituals which don’t seem to belong to our land and history.
There is a BIG difference between feeling the need to set ones self up as an ‘exotic’ teacher and sensing the sacredness of a place, of a culture or of a person and gaining something, personally. When I have travelled to Brazil, I was met with amazing synchronicities and a feeling of deep acceptance that ‘Mama Brazil’ has for all those living there but although beautiful Brazil taught me a lot, she did not require me to learn or bring back culturally specific teachings to the UK. She did show me that many people from different countries and beliefs can get along together just fine with acceptance and respect.
When I travel to Slovenia, the land speaks to me in a different way, I respect the sacredness of all places in the world and learn so much from the spirits there but here is home. Here is where my community is and where I understand the culture.
If you are searching for meaning and discovering who you are, it’s good to learn. It’s appropriate to know about and respect other cultures, their mythology and history but you don’t have to become anything other than YOU. If you feel drawn to another culture, perhaps there is a connection for you to discover or something that you need to learn from that culture which will answer questions in your life but to claim that you are of that culture seems to cause more problems than it solves. Can we not show respect for and be indebted to a different belief system for our own personal growth without having to appropriate it as something we own or have rights to? Isn’t that just another form of cultural theft or spiritual consumerism? Don’t we already have enough consumerism in the world and what has it brought us?
I honestly feel that we can all learn from one another without having to make claims that we are of this tribe or that clan when we are not. I, personally, have learned SO MUCH from several 1st nation healers but their culture is not mine so I learn from the commonalities and trust my spirit teachers to guide me.
If Shamanism or animism is calling you to serve your community and your guides are prompting you to consider a traditional way of working then please consider your own heritage. It may not be as easily visible as Mongolian, South African or North American Indian spiritual healing practices but it is just as valid. Spirits are with us no matter where we are in the world!
How do you learn? Ask your guide to show you and in true shamanic style, get yourself out of the way first so that you understand the answer.
I can’t account for why some of us seem to find ourselves with exotic animal guides, memories from cultures other than our own or knowledge of foreign, archaic languages. It could be any of a number of reasons but for the most part it doesn’t require that we claim heritage which is not ours here and now.
Think clearly, do your homework on on a teacher or group before handing over your cash and never be beguiled into having to pay large sums of money in order to ‘belong’. Its simply not necessary. Use your intuition and ask your guides. Yes you should pay for healing, there is nothing wrong with paying for something of value and we live in a world where money is necessary to live so if you would not work for free yourself, then don’t expect a healer to work for you for free either. Other than that, learning comes in many forms, workshops being a tiny part of that.
When you are ready, the teacher will be there.
As of yet, I don’t offer specific teaching classes or healing, if you feel that you want to talk to me, I would be honoured to talk and lets take things from there.
Much love - Jules