I have ruffled my own feathers over this topic for years, as well as some of my students (and my husband!) - but as we deepen into this healing and transformative portalway from old paradigm to new, it is time to welcome the opening of our minds to form wider (and therefore less divisive) perspectives, and capacity to accept & revel in nuance.
And to recognise where a huge proportion of teachings still around today are forms of (mostly unintentional) indoctrination, rather than the earthy rich soils of inquiry, connection & devotion that are more supportive for true learning and initiatory experiences.
This is not to say that knowledge is redundant and lineage teachings aren’t incredibly beautiful. There is space for it all - I’m simply speaking about the importance of encouraging self-discovery & personal relationships with our internal & external world, including the unseen realms - which feels especially important within Spiritual healing work.
Hear me out with some examples to support understanding...
Over the past 12 years of training, learning and growing as a Medicine Woman, I have been introduced to 3 shamanic medicine wheels within different lineages & cultures - each with different elements (fire, water, earth, air) connected to different directions (north, south, east, west), as well as differing perspectives on energies & attributes.
For a while, I felt confused, and resistant to “use” any of them in my work because I thought,
“If one teacher/medicine wheel tells me the element of Air is connected with the east, and another tells me Air is connected with the North, then which is right? Which do I trust?
… How could they be different?!”
My mind found its way to short-circuit & so I closed off to the wisdom of the 4 directions & the multiple medicine wheels I had been introduced to for a while, as I navigated the limits of my own perception.
I say introduced rather than initiated into because through deep excavation, external and internal journeying I have found my way to understand that true initiation (and thus, true learning) comes through deep connection, devotion and tending to a relationship with whatever we seek to learn about.
The whole point of learning about the directions is to know when, how & why to call upon them to support healing journeys, ceremonies & rituals.
And so, true learning (IMO) requires developing a personal relationship with the Spirit of each direction, to learn from them & through them - rather than simply & self-dismissingly taking on the perspective of another.
This takes time and continued devotion - Getting to know the directions as our ancestors would have, slowly piecing things together - but mostly, it requires staying open to guidance in each moment.
No matter how rich another’s perspective may be, if you take it on rather than forming your own through personal experience, then it will always remain limited & confining to the wisdom that can (and wants to) come through YOU - & your unique channel and outlet. It may even lead you to form rigidity around the topic, which can lead to confusion or division (when someone comes along with a different school of thought).
Studying different spiritual traditions within different lineages and cultures has been incredible (& I would do it all again). It has led me to understand there are many ways to do something, and there are multiple perspectives/ways of seeing something.
There are always many differences between lineages and usually an equal amount of similarities.
And while one could easily get lost in confusion (as I did for a while) around what/which is right - eventually the truth reveals itself, that there is no one right way of thinking or doing & there is no better or worse.
Another example a fellow medicine person reminded me of recently, is the differences between South American tribes sharing the same plant medicine. The Shipibo, Q’ero and Yawanawa all have different perspectives on how an ayahuasca ceremony should be served. One invites laying down in the dark, one sitting upright & one dancing with rattles.
Having sat with only one of the lineages myself (multiple times), I can barely imagine the other two and have formed a natural bias - but I’m sure the other ways are just as powerful - just different.
Naturally, as a medicine person grows into their gifts (and therefore self-trust) it is common to leave behind some teachings and ways and follow their own path.
Most of my teachers encouraged this.
However, sometimes veering from a lineage path is condemned or negativised by teachers, and may cause one to be outcast. This feels a little concerning for me, as it feels to be teetering on the edge of dogma.
I feel veering from a path well trodden is to be celebrated. I wholly encourage my students to go their own way, even if that leads them away from me as a teacher or space holder.
Ultimately, what we do needs to feel right and aligned - otherwise what/who are we doing it for?
I also feel this way of learning is deeply supportive for connecting to one’s own cultural & soul roots - and therefore forgotten or lost wisdom from our ancestors & the unique medicine of our star family (where we come from beyond our lifetimes on Earth) - which we came here to share. If we focus on sharing the medicine ways of other cultures we can unintentionally confine our own unique medicine.
There is so much to this path of “becoming” that is so far from understood - and I am only able to share from this level of understanding after devoting myself entirely to my path & this work for 12+ years & many lifetimes before.
We are entering an era where lineage & tradition is to be celebrated, honoured & appreciated, rather than followed precisely.
We are entering an era where we learn through connection & devotion rather than being told and being shown.
And as a new mama, I am doing my best to lead this way with my daughter - who is the freest spirit I’ve ever met & I am committed to refraining from overly conditioning her in any way 🤞🏼
I have been teaching my students in this ^ way of empowerment for 5+ years now, yet I do not look down on the teacher I was before when I taught as I was taught! Rather, I choose gratitude for all that has assisted me to this point, and pride to be a pioneer to support our collective remembering of the ancient and innate wisdom that lives within and around us.
(While humbling myself often as I know I may feel differently again one day!)
I see this way of learning as the way of our ancient ancestors (who had no choice but to learn through deep connection) & the divine feminine (delving into the unknown to become known), which are both the core of my soul offerings and my intention is to support us back to right relationship and inner-authority.
If this piece speaks to you, I may be the teacher / mentor / space holder for you.
I am opening up spaces for 1-2-1 mentoring this Autumn, with options for IN-PERSON journeying. Please email hello@ookushana.com to be added to the waitlist.
A closing note: this is not a suggestion that learning a tradition or lineage would be a negative experience - undoubtedly it will be incredible in many ways, as it has been for me - but rather, a suggestion to keep your mind open always, and to remember there is no one right way, & to allow yourself to walk your own path…
It also feels important to add that if following a tradition or lineage feels aligned to your soul, then trust that!
It did once for me… & may do again one day 💫
With all my love, Felicity x
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