Preparing for New Beginnings in the New Year

This podcast is about a YouTube video of Shaman Jon Rasmussen conducting a New Year shamanic ritual.. Rasmussen, a shaman trained in Andean traditions, guides participants on a spiritual journey to release negativity and envision new beginnings for the coming year. The ritual involves using sticks to symbolically release old burdens and receive new visions, mirroring natural cycles of death and rebirth. Participants are encouraged to connect with nature's rhythms and access inner wisdom. The ceremony concludes with suggestions for integrating the experience into daily life through personal rituals.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome in, everybody. It's just a few days before the winter solstice.

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2024.

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2024. That's right. A great time for new beginnings.

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And we're going to be exploring new beginnings with a unique twist.

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Yeah, shamanism.

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Shamanism. We're diving into a YouTube video with a shamanic ritual and journey.

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Specifically for the winter solstice.

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Yeah. And it's fascinating.

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So we're tapping into that energy of renewal.

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Mm-hmm. Okay. So the shaman starts by talking about cycles, which is a big concept in shamanism, right?

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Yeah, huge. And what he emphasizes is when we start new cycles, we have to do it with intention.

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Okay.

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Because he suggests that those intentions impact not just us, but the people and the events we encounter.

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Almost like our intentions have a butterfly effect.

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Absolutely. And the winter solstice, with its symbolism of darkness giving way to light, it's a really potent time to be setting those intentions.

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So thinking about this upcoming winter solstice, what are you ready to let go of? What do you want to plant for the year ahead?

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This shamanic journey invites us to really get specific with our desires and to trust in the power of the cycles to bring them into being. And he uses the phrase, dream your world into being.

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It's so beautiful.

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It is. It's evocative. Yeah. Okay, so let's talk about the shamanic journey.

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Yeah.

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So he guides viewers through this visualization where you blow what you want to release and what you want to manifest into a stick.

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Yeah. It's a very tactile way to engage with this process of letting go and calling in. And in many traditions, breath is seen as the carrier of energy and intention.

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Okay.

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So by blowing into that stick, you're imbuing it with those desires.

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Now this part really struck me.

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Okay.

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He talks about Siberian shamans feeding red and white mushrooms to reindeer and then drinking their pea.

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Now, before anyone gets any ideas, we're certainly not endorsing that practice, but it's important to understand the historical context.

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Yeah.

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The use of what are called entheogens.

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Entheogens.

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Substances that induce altered states of consciousness.

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Okay.

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This has a long history in shamanic practices across cultures.

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Aaron Ross Powell So what role did those shamanic practitioners play in their communities?

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Aaron Ross Powell They often served multiple roles. They might have been healers, spiritual guides, storytellers, even mediators between the community and the spirit world.

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Aaron Ross Powell So this whole reindeer mushroom pea thing was about accessing higher wisdom.

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Aaron Ross Powell Exactly. And the red and white color scheme of those mushrooms actually connects to shamanic symbolism that we see in other cultures as well. Right. The red and white rose petals and the despacho ceremony, which he also mentions.

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Hold on, what's a despacho?

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So a despacho is a traditional Andean ceremony that involves wrapping offerings in paper and burning them to release prayers and intentions.

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So there's this emphasis on the physical, tangible aspects of these rituals.

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Absolutely. Shamanism really recognizes that interconnectedness of all things, the physical and the spiritual.

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Okay.

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So these rituals often involve objects, actions, elements from nature to kind of bridge that gap.

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It's not just about meditating or visualizing, it's about engaging all of your senses.

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It's very embodied.

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I like that. Okay, so the shaman also emphasizes that the journey is not about achieving some perfect blissful state.

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Yeah. He actually says there's no wrong way. There's no other way we have to do this.

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What do you think he means by that?

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I think he's highlighting the importance of showing up authentically, embracing the messiness of it all. Yeah. It's about the willingness to engage, even if it's uncomfortable. Yeah. The journey is the destination, so to speak.

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And he also emphasizes these gifts that you receive from the journey, right?

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Yes. Not just letting go, but welcoming in.

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So it's about balancing that release with receptivity.

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Making space for new possibilities.

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He talks about bringing back gifts from the journey, not just for yourself, but for the village.

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Exactly. Family, friends, community.

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So your personal transformation can ripple outward?

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It all comes back to that interconnectedness.

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Yeah. That reminds me, he says, how does your village live within you? Ooh, that's a good one.

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What do you make of that?

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It's a beautiful invitation to consider how interconnected our lives are.

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It's a reminder that we're not isolated.

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Makes you think about the legacy you want to leave behind, right?

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It really does. It's a question worth pondering.

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Well, this has been a fascinating start to our deep dive, and I'm already feeling inspired.

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I know, me too.

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We'll be back in the next part to explore even more about how we can apply these concepts to our own lives.

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Can't wait.

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Stay tuned.

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Welcome back.

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Okay, so we were talking about our village living within us and how we can use shamanic practices for a fresh start with this winter solstice.

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Yeah, and you know, the shaman in this video does such a good job at like making these ancient traditions relevant.

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Totally.

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Like when he talks about mulching our heavy energies.

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What a great way to put it.

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Yeah. It's like processing those difficult experiences.

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Yeah.

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He's basically describing composting, taking what might seem negative or even toxic, and transforming it into something fertile.

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Yeah.

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Life-giving.

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It's a powerful metaphor.

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It is.

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And you know, it makes those challenges feel less like burdens and more like fertilizer.

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Yes, exactly. And if we connect that to the bigger picture, the winter solstice itself embodies that. It's that period of darkness and dormancy that allows for renewal and rebirth.

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Aaron Powell Okay. I have to ask about the sticks.

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Aaron Powell The sticks, yes.

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Everyone's blowing into them during the shamanic journey. Yes. What's the significance there?

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Aaron Ross Powell So they act as this physical focal point for our intentions. Okay. Like vessels carrying our desires out into the universe. And they're actually made of grapevines.

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Oh wow.

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Which symbolize growth and interconnectedness.

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Aaron Ross Powell It's interesting how these physical objects can help us connect to something larger than ourselves.

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Yeah.

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And we actually get to take them home and add to them later. Yes. Which creates this kind of extended ritual.

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Exactly. It really emphasizes the ongoing nature of transformation.

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Yeah.

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It's not just a one-time event, it's a process of growth and evolution.

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Aaron Powell The Shaman stresses that the journey isn't about achieving some perfect blissful state. He says, there's no wrong way. There's no other way we have to do this. What do you think he means by that?

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He's highlighting the importance of showing up authentically, embracing the messiness. It's about the willingness to engage with the process, even if it's uncomfortable or challenging. The journey itself is the destination, so to speak.

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And he also emphasizes these gifts that you receive from the journey.

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Not just letting go, but welcoming in what the universe has to offer.

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So it's about balancing that release with receptivity, making space for new possibilities. And he talks about these gifts not necessarily being material things.

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No, not at all.

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They could be anything from insights to ideas to even new relationships.

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Absolutely.

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He encourages us to be open to receiving guidance and inspiration in whatever form it takes.

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It reminds me of that saying when the student is ready, the teacher appears. We have to be receptive to those lessons and opportunities.

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And those gifts are meant to be shared with our village.

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Family, friends, community.

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It's like that ripple effect again. It is. Our personal transformation can impact those around us.

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Absolutely. It all goes back to that interconnectedness.

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The shaman's description of the despacho ceremony really brings this to life. It does. He talks about wrapping all the most important things in your life into this bundle.

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Yes. Sugar, seeds, raisins, rainbow threads, you name it.

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And offering it to the earth.

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It's such a beautiful way to express gratitude, to release what no longer serves us, and to call in our deepest desires.

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And he even encourages adding personal touches like crystals or herbs or written words.

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It's about making it your own. Infusing it with your own energy.

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This raises a question for me, for our listeners.

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Yeah.

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How can we create our own rituals?

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It's a good question.

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That are both meaningful and effective.

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It starts with intentionality.

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Okay.

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What do you want to achieve through this ritual? What symbols or elements hold significance for you? It's about tapping into your own intuition.

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So you don't need to follow a strict script.

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No, not at all.

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Or copy what other people are doing.

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Find what resonates with you.

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Aaron Powell The most powerful rituals are the ones that come from your own heart.

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Absolutely.

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And it doesn't have to be complicated.

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Yeah.

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Even a simple act like lighting a candle and setting an intention can be transformative.

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The key is approaching it with reverence, presence, and an open heart.

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It reminds me of something else he said.

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Okay.

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He mentioned the symbolism of red and white.

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Oh yeah.

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The colors of the mushrooms, the rose petals and the despacho, even Santa Claus.

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It's everywhere.

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What's up with those colors?

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Those colors have deep symbolic meaning in many cultures. Okay. Red often representing the earth, vitality, the physical realm, and white symbolizing spirit, purity, the celestial realm.

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Aaron Powell It's fascinating how those colors appear in so many different contexts. It is yet carry similar meanings.

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It speaks to the interconnectedness of it all.

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Aaron Ross Powell So as we approach this winter solstice, what stands out to you from all of this?

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I'm really struck by the shaman's emphasis on the cyclical nature of life. The idea that endings are also beginnings, that even challenging experiences can be transformed into fertile ground for growth.

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It's like that compost pile again.

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Exactly. We have the power to shape our reality, not just through our actions, but our intentions and beliefs.

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I also love how he weaves together personal and collective transformation. Yeah. This idea that our individual journeys are intertwined.

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Trevor Burrus With the well-being of our community.

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Yeah.

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The world at large.

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It's a call to action.

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It is.

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Okay, so key takeaway, I think, from all of this. Yes. We don't have to journey to Siberia or drink reindeer pee.

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No, we don't.

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To tap into the transformative power of shamanic practices.

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We can find it right here.

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Yeah. It's about finding what resonates with us.

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Exactly.

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Creating our own rituals and practices.

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And you know, who knows? We might just discover some hidden gifts along the way.

SPEAKER_00 10:16

Ooh, I like that. Okay, so before we move on to the final part of our deep dive, I want to circle back to something you said about the despacho ceremony. Okay. It sounds like a really powerful way to release old energy and call in new blessings. It is. But where do we even begin?

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Aaron Ross Powell It can be a very personal and intuitive process.

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Yeah.

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There are some traditional elements.

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Okay.

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But you can tailor it to your own specific needs and intentions.

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So what are some of those traditional elements? We were talking about those traditional elements of a despacho. Where do we start?

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Well, traditionally, it involves gathering symbolic offerings that represent different aspects of life.

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Okay.

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Things like sugar for sweetness, seeds for potential, colorful threads for connection, you know, things like that.

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It's almost like you're creating a miniature world.

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Aaron Powell Exactly. A miniature world that you want to manifest.

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Yeah.

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And you wrap these offerings in a cloth or paper, often forming a bundle. And then this is offered to the earth, usually through burning. That's powerful. It is.

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Yes.

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It's releasing those prayers and intentions, allowing them to be transformed.

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And you can personalize it.

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Oh, absolutely. You can add in elements that have a special meaning for you.

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Yeah.

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Crystals, herbs, written prayers, anything that resonates with your heart.

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So no right or wrong way to do it.

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No, it's about tapping into your intuition.

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It's amazing how these ancient shamanic practices can feel so relevant now.

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I think it speaks to our human need for ritual, for connection to nature, for a sense of meaning.

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The winter solstice is such a potent time for these practices.

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It is. It's like a cosmic reset.

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A chance to let go of the old and embrace the new.

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And the shaman's message of embracing that messiness of the journey, of finding that wisdom in the darkness, it feels so relevant.

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It reminds us that transformation isn't always easy, but it's through those challenges that we grow.

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That we discover our resilience and our potential.

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So as we approach this winter solstice, what can our listeners do right now to connect with this energy?

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That's a great question. What intentions can you set for yourself? What do you want to let go of?

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We've explored a lot in this deep dive.

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We have, from the cycles of life to intention setting, to the power of ritual.

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The interconnectedness of it all.

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It's amazing how shamanism offers a framework for navigating change and finding meaning.

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And how even small acts of kindness can ripple outward.

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So as we approach the longest night of the year, take time to reflect on what you want to release.

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Yeah.

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Embrace the darkness, welcome the light, and trust in those cycles.

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This deep dive has been incredible, and I hope it's inspired you all to create your own rituals for renewal.

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You have the power to shape your reality, to heal yourself, and to make the world a more beautiful place.

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Thank you all for joining us on this exploration.

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And may your winter solstice be filled with magic.

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Happy winter solstice, everyone.