My personal road

You may have noticed, I don't write here often about shamanism. Although my intent when starting this blog was to create a personal journal about things I've learned, things I've remembered and things I know. It hasn't worked out that way. It has instead become a mind-dump for whatever I'm feeling at the moment. This has become my rant-site. I occasionally put shamanism related notes here, because it is the major part of my life. I'm not ready to be a teacher, so I haven't created a third blog for teaching shamanism. There are so many paths, so many traditions, and none of them are my own. As much as I would like to have a teacher to guide me, sitting in a hut, receiving one on one teaching until I've "graduated", it's not going to happen. It is not my path.
I learn from everyone. Every living thing has a story and a lesson. I drift from story to story, finding magic everywhere.

What started this particular post, is that I've been playing around with the Google Directory. Today (among other things) I looked at some of the shamanism sites listed there.
When I read a shaman site, I'm not looking for teaching so much as I'm looking for hints. There's a lovely site called "the Star Lodge", it's about the Metis path. I am not Metis. I have the standard confused American bloodline. Yet there are things on the intro page that ring bells for me. Probably because (1) there are huge similarities between paths, and (2) neat stories spread and traditions get swiped all the time.
The author repeatedly mentions "the passing of the bundle", a graduation ritual. Years ago, a woman was given a bundle containing a piece of granite and sage. It was given to her by a true medicine man. He told her that it was hers, and one day she would know it was time to pass it on. He told her she would know without a doubt. My hubby and I met this woman the day before our handfasting. She told us she had met us before in dreams. The next night, she brought the bundle to our handfasting and gave it to us. We have since passed it on to another, and I expect she will pass it along in about 3 years. So, although I have been passed a bundle, I don't think that made me *poof* suddenly shaman.
It would be nice to have some stranger select me in a crowd and say, "You're a real shaman now, go out into the world and do stuff" or some such. And it's not going to happen. I'd like the validation, and I don't need it. I do what I do. I've never wanted notoriety. I've never wanted "power". I have more than I use, most days. I don't want more.
I don't want to be the President. I just want to live, love and learn joyfully throughout this life. Well, ok, I also want to -somehow- through my actions, bring others to a place where they live joyfully, too.