ROCK-READING SHAMANIC EXERCISE Set-up Shamanic Rock Reading Earlier in the day: (NOTE: at times of year when it gets

dark early, you may have to set this up in the afternoon, so that they have light to look for their rocks) This is a process that cultural anthropologist and shamanic teacher Michael Harner teacheshe says that some version of this shamanic exercise appears in nearly all shamanic cultures around the world. He has adapted it so that it works with people who have little shamanic experience. Process: Come up with a question that you would like some guidance on, some input different from what your mind gives to you in its normal processes. It should be a big, open-ended question. Examples: What guidance do you have for me about______? What skills do I need in order to fulfill my role as __________? With your question in mind, go out in a meditative way, quietly walking in Nature, and look for a rock, about grapefruit sized, one that has a pattern or variegated color to it, so that it can operate kind of like a Rorschach test, letting forms emerge out of the patterns of the rock. Dont just take any rockwait for the one that you have the definite feeling, Yes, this is the rock for me. Keep your question in mind as you make this decision. Note: anything from Nature with patterns of different colors and shapes in it will doa piece of bark, a dried leaf. It should be something from Nature. After dinner, come back into the room quietlyprepare yourself to do an internal process. In the evening (some degree of darkness is preferable than bright daylight): Have them pair up with someone, then sit on floor or in chairs and go inside for a few minutes, staying quiet. Then each person has about five minutes to discuss the question they want to ask with the otheropen ended, not a yes or no answer, one that is exactly what you want to know (the spirits will answer you literally!) Finding the exact phrasing is important. Give them a warning bell when five minutes is up for A and A should begin the process. Once the first rock reader (A) has settled on their question, B (the scribe) writes it down, then asks A to ask his rock the question. A repeats it to the rock exactly, saying it out loud. Then A looks for images to emerge into his sight from the patterns on the rock, like a Rorschach test (the psychological test that asks someone to look at random ink blots and see if images or patterns dont pop out to him/her). As each image emerges from the color variation in the rock for him/her, he states it aloud to B, who writes it down. A does his best to

remember where on the rock that image appears. Write down three images tha come to A. Could be things like a mushroom, the face of an angry man, or a flying birdor anything else. Trust the images that emerge, as long as they are clear. Note where they appear on the rock, so you can return to themand if you forget, it is not essential. Once three images in the patterns of the rock are recorded, B tells A, Now, ask [state what the first image was] [state question]. A asks the first image the question, out loud. Usually, A will experience words coming into his/her consciousness in a fed waythey are his, but, at the same time, clearly coming from beyond his normal thought processes. And they usually approach the question in an unusual way. Even if one word comes to you, say it out loud, and the others will usually follow. As A speaks the responses, B writes everything down for As benefit, so A can just focus on channeling. A continues to channel until that image is through speakingit is often good to say, [Name of the image], is that all the advice you have for me about [repeat the question]?. Then A asks the second image the same question, while B records the answers, and so on for the third image as well. When A has gotten answers from all 3 images, thanks all the images for their guidance. Then A and B can discuss what was given for a few minutes. Then B becomes the rock reader and A the scribe. Important to note: the words could be coming from some spiritual source outside you, or they could be coming from your own subconscious. It doesnt matterthe information is valuable regardless. And from the standpoint of shamanic or indigenous spirituality, there is no difference between those two! Another note: It may be helpful to role play how it works, in a summary way. This helps people get it. This takes about 50 minutes for the two people. Some will take less than this, some will take more. Just give them plenty of warning as their time is up , and warn them when the first 25 minutes is ending, as well.