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Around Us
One of the key components in shamanism is learning to see patterns in the world around us and draw parallels between those moments and our own spiritual and personal growth.
All Around Us
ListeningJanuary 5, 2008
"Raindrops" - photographed in Salem, Oregon (February 14, 2007)
I recently faced a difficult portion of my path. A choice had to be made. Depending on the direction that I chose to go, I would either be stepping out in complete faith or spending months in careful preparation. The fork in the road would, quite literally, change my life. Both choices were equally viable, yet the approach to each couldn't have been more different.
Entrusting the decision to the spirit world is often easier said than done. Given the potential of months of preparation, I felt my stress level begin to climb as the deadline that I'd set for making a decision came and passed without an ounce of additional clarity being offered to me. What was a pagan to do?
And then the answer came in a dream.
"Listen for the sound of the rain."
The message came in the middle of a stormy night where the wind rocked the house as it thundered passed. And while it may sound like an obscure answer to someone else, it actually made sense to me.
The storm wasn't important. The wind wasn't what was important. It was merely noise; a distraction; the byproduct of the coming rain. What was important was the rain. It would quench the thirst of the land. How it got there was unimportant. Al I had to do was listen beyond the sound of the wind and hear the rain, not the storm that brought it.
So I stopped and looked at the situation before me. What was the core of the path before me? Which choice would nourish my path, which one would add to who I am? Because that's what's important. The stress, the challenges? Everything else was just the sound of the wind.
Remember, listen for the sound of the rain. That's where you'll find your answers.