Shamanic dance

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nightshroud
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Shamanic dance

Post by nightshroud »

Hey, it's me Nightshroud
I was wondering on the idea of including dancing into my shamanic practices.
But having trouble planning it out. Any suggestions?
The darkness is my friend for I am Nightshroud the darklord.
GroundedDancer
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by GroundedDancer »

I know nothing about using dance in Shamanistic rituals, but I am a dancer and have seen dance used in Shamanistic rituals in places like Korea. For lack of better advice, dance (to me) is very personal and can carry whatever intention you want to bring into the world. So, in that way, no matter how you dance, as long as you put your intent into it and envision what it is you want to manifest or offer up, it should work out.

Maybe not of much use, but I figure it's worth voicing.
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corvidus
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by corvidus »

You both should look into “Star Stepping”

It’s the art of moving In accordance with Macrocosmic principles.
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by SnowCat »

I've heard of dance being used in various rituals. I think I will research Star Stepping. I feel the need to add something to my practice.

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nightshroud
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by nightshroud »

corvidus wrote:You both should look into “Star Stepping”

It’s the art of moving In accordance with Macrocosmic principles.
sounds interesting
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by Firebird »

Do you like rock and roll?
I would say some of the times I have felt a real connection to God is when I would dance without regard to the style or form, you know letting it all hang out. And this was really before I was following my path, yet the connection by trancing out within the dance was pretty enlightening and probably some of the closest to leaving my body astrally before I knew what that was. Kind of like Grounded dancer was saying let the music move you. Take your favorite bands (Mine is Led Zeppelin and the Doors) yet a nice pagan band would be good and get in the groove.
Actually this one, Iyansa by Faun, I feel is a good representation of sending a cone of power. Listen to the way it builds and builds to a frenzy then releases. You'll see it kind of works in three levels, one; to get the body slowly moving around then, two; step it up to build the energy and focus on the chant then three; at about 3:15 on the counter there is a pause, it feels like you interject the object of your cone here (maybe peace in my heart for instance), and now the energy really builds until you release it. By the way the chant means nothing just a conglomeration of words.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8kW7bTCNlw
Remember the one in the movie the Secret Garden where the kids raise a cone to get the boys Dad to come home?, cool chant meaningless words used to raise energy. Tried to find a clip but I guess the only way is to pay to see the movie. I have it on VHS now if I could only find a player that worked, LoL
BB, Firebird
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nightshroud
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by nightshroud »

hmm interesting thanks for the advice firebird
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Firebird
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by Firebird »

Have you seen that movie nightshroud?
“There are things known and things unknown and in between are the Doors.”
― Jim Morrison
“All I have seen teaches me to trust the Creator for all I have not seen.”
― RWEmerson
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nightshroud
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by nightshroud »

once but that was a long time ago
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by SpiritTalker »

In one of the versions of The Secret Garden movie didn't the healed boy Collin act as the leader, making statements like "the magic is in me", "the magic is in you" and "the magic is here" as they danced around the fire? Then he just repeated that his dad would come home, and they all repeated it going faster and faster and louder until it swelled and they ran towards the fire & let it go with a yell & arms raised.

Otherwise, in some dances I've understood the intent is to unite with one's animal-spirit guide by mimicking that animal's behavior in a circle-dance, & wearing an animal mask or the cured pelt or feather cape which is just not practical in modern city living. A cloth face mask can be adapted & adorned to suggest the desired animal & consecrated to represent them. The dancer can wear it & focus inward & dance for as long as they can, until the shift of consciousness comes. Muscle fatigue and exhaustion play a part in shutting off the logical thinking mind.
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nightshroud
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by nightshroud »

Thanks for the advice Spirit i'll have to look into it.
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by Corbin »

Ever heard of the "whirling dervishes"?

The Sufi mystics, the order of the Mevlana Dervishes turn to manifest universe into being. By their progressive whirling ecstacy, their turn ritualises the spirits of the dervishes spiraling up through cosmic orbits to Union with the divine, the milling away of their illusionary existence and the ascension of their spirits. Each symbolic movement represents a stage (I can list them if you wish).

However outside the specifics of culture of Sufi mysticism this kind of transcendental change / divine ecstacy can be practiced and emulated (courted really... It is not a conscious manifestation on our part, we are blessed and it happens) within any dance or repetition you (referring to the manifest material you; the ego or illusion) become lost in and 'release/surrender' to (move from doing to being), be it braiding, performing a "tree" / connective universe meditation / energetic conduit, becoming 'taken' with music, drumming, automatic writing or even a martial arts kata. It would suspect (though I don't practice it) also like tantra.

I use a stave (more correctly a stang) in leu of a wand to draw up energy in bo kata between exercise and stretching.
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Re: Shamanic dance

Post by Xiao Rong »

I've also become very interested in shamanic/ecstatic dance (I've been doing a lot of belly dance & Middle Easter dance recently). Here's a very cool example:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMW73DfVWkw

This is a theatrical performance of the Zaar ritual in North Africa; it is a women's dance meant to and purify the self and exorcise evil spirits, which are said to cling to the ends of the hair. There are plenty of criticisms to be made of this particular performance, in that it doesn't capture the way in which Zaar rituals are meant to be performed in a community and as a social gathering, and the interaction between the dancer and the band (this performance uses pre-recorded music). Nevertheless, I've borrowed elements of it for dancing around the fire circle, making a cone of power, and for banishment/cleansing.

More resources on the Zaar:
An American belly dancer's perspective
Descriptions of the ceremony
An Egyptian practitioner's experience

(In a sacred belly dance workshop I attended a few years ago, I was taught that Iraqi hair dancing also produces a similar ecstatic effect, though not used in the same ritual context as the Zaar)
~ Xiao Rong ~ 小蓉 ~ Little Lotus ~
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