The Path of the Apprentice
Pictured above, elders from around the world.
Written by Jerry Buie
The Path of the Apprentice
When Bruce and I started our walk with Indigenous technologies and traditions we had little understanding of what we were stepping into. For myself it started when a medicine pipe came into my hands as an honoring to how I had helped someone. I respected the honor but had no idea of what to do with this beautiful pipe. I had lived among the Lakota people, and I knew that something very important had come into my life and felt the most respectful thing to do with this pipe was to give it to a Native person who would know what to do with it. A few months later I was told a Native gentleman who was known to be an elder/medicine person was interested in talking to me about this pipe. My intention was to pass this pipe to him, but he ended up sending it home with me with instructions for its care. This started my path in the journey of learning how to carry medicine as this man brought myself and Bruce on as “apprentices.” Bruce and I have had the privilege of working with many indigenous elders, shamans, and medicine carriers here in the United States, Mongolia, a respected elder from Burkina Faso, as well as the Amazon and Andes of Peru. Our process has taken 27 years and is still unfolding.
In modern day culture in the United States, in our domesticated ways of being, it’s habit to be dismissive of the traditional ways that relate to ritual, earth and nature. We discredit the technologies of our indigenous communities as superstitious and privilege only what we can conceptualize. When I observe what's happened to our culture in the United States, I lament with many of my elders the problems in our society. I often can trace the issues to our disconnected relationship with the earth, the environment and our ancestors. We treat the ritualistic ways as if they are fairy tales as opposed to literal inter-connections with the dimensions that coexists with us.
When Bruce and I facilitate a retreat and introduce ritual there is an immediate reverence that presents itself with the participants. Even though they don’t understand what’s happening they stand back and become immersed in the ritual and the sacredness of the connections that take place. When we facilitate a ritual where this might be a participant’s first introduction to this form of communion with the spirit world they have a profound experience in ceremony, and suddenly they realize the untapped potential available in the development of their own peace of mind.
I recall through my years of training being in the place of utter amazement at what I was witnessing from my Elders. I had seen healings of extraordinary dimensions and deep communions with Spirit that were tangible and powerful to witness. People say they would like to learn what we have learned and yet I don't think they truly understand the process of being the apprentice or that it’s a lifelong journey of doing your own work. We live in a society of academic accomplishments and seek degrees believing it confirms authority. I’ve yet to meet the “shaman” who took a class and learned what they did in a ten week series of lessons, rather it’s a lifelong commitment.
I often remind people that although we work powerful medicine, I acknowledge that I’m still the apprentice and still in deep relationship with my elders, although they trust me and have utilized our medicines, I still turn to them and listen carefully to their advice.
When one makes a deep commitment to these medicine ways the root core of your existence will be profoundly challenged. You cannot enter the path of medicine with the privileges that you've enjoyed in domesticated society. Being the apprentice is often the dismantling of who you are as the individual and the re-assembling by spirit. This process metaphorically is a form of shadowboxing, constantly looking at that place of your shadow in your own consciousness and the ability to release and to let go so that the manifestations of spirit are without the complications of ego. To serve the people is the challenge to constantly be engaged in your own work. To be the “guru” is a contrived concept full of ego and barriers to ancestral knowledge. What happens is spirit works through us as we learn to step aside and let that power flow.
This process is challenging, it's meant to root out aspects of the self that may clog the system of self. It’s about deep humility that you are not the solution but the conduit. Shamans of many traditions go through initiatory processes which are usually at the accumulation of having let go and stepping into the perspective of spirit. It’s not an easy path. When one seeks to be the apprentice, they must be prepared to look at the multiple layers of who they are.
Soon our website will include many retreats that will take us throughout the rest of 2022 and the early months of 2023. These retreats are invitations to come and engage in rituals for the benefit of self-improvement and self-awareness. To the raising of the consciousness so that one is not living in reaction to life but living by deliberate intention and creation of their manifested dreams. Learning how to be in relationship with the other world, to be in relationship with the ancestors, to be in deep relationship with self. These retreats are beautiful, powerful, and intimate moments with self and spirit in a community container of love and nurturance.
Please join us and come and find that recommitment and reconnection that will manifest beauty into your life. (See Coming Up tab)