WHAT I AM, and AM NOT

This list has been composed to straighten a few things out. Lately a few people have assumed that I am Native American, that I am an elder, or that I am a few things which I just don't believe I am. So here it is, the 'I ams' and 'I am nots' that are relevant to my spirituality.

I Am Not:

- I am NOT a Native American Indian, an Inuit, a Russian citizen etc. I am a mongrel of Russian, English and Dutch cultures, I am an Australian citizen.

- I am not a Native anything. I am Australian. I practice a spirituality that was and remains heavily influenced by an Indigenous Russian spirituality. I live in Australia, and not Russia, and so my practices must by necessity be quite eclective. Not only that, but I appreciate and desire innovation.

- I am not a pipe carrier, dreamwalker, shaman etc. I am just me. I'm young, immature, trying to find my way, and on the way, trying to help a few others.

- The sweat-lodge, pipe, 'Grandmother Spider', dream-catchers and many other Native American ceremonies and teachings have absolutely nothing to do with my path. If you ask me about it and I say 'I don't know, seriously, I'm not a Native American', I mean it.

- I am NOT an elder. I am in my mid-20s. Think about it.

- You want to call me a shaman, that's up to you, but quite frankly I still have some time to go before I could even come close. I might practice a spirituality that worships the earth, animals and attempts to be harmonious with the world and Spirit, but this is a long and ongoing process.

- I am not particularly wanting people to believe what I believe unless they think they will get something out of it. Find your own path, listen to spirit and respect the local and global cultures in the process, to the best of your ability. I place what I have learnt online in the hopes that it will be valuable to others, I do not take on 'students', I am not a qualified teacher. I do however, address emails and queries as honestly and compassionately as I am able. I will consider working with you in real life if you happen to live in Western Australia.

I Am:

- I have been blessed by, taught by and met people whom I would consider elders of their Indigenous cultural paths, but I neither appropriate their beliefs nor claim to practice what they do. I cannot, as I have not been raised within their culture.

- I am aware that terms like 'shaman', 'totem' etc. are very generic terms that don't always accurately reflect what I'm trying to say. I use these words for convenience, well aware that many people have different beliefs on what a totem, familiar, guide, power animal is etc.

- I am imperfect and flawed. Some things I may be practicing out of ignorance, but hey, that's what education and learning is for.

- I am going to keep on practicing on this path, it nourishes me, it has helped me through illness and difficulty, has forced me to confront very harsh things about myself, and in turn, has helped me to help others.

- I am nothing more than a vessel for the Spirit. Call it what you will. When I act too heavily through my ego, I am distanced from my spirituality. I strive to be more connected to Spirit, but there you have it.

- I am only human. I am beautiful, and I am always learning.

Also

- I have a fairly decent online presence on some bulletin boards. I have said stupid things. These days I try and think about what I say before I say it, and its appropriateness. But yeah, there is certainly idiocy by myself out there on the web.

- I would ask you to remember that 'shamanism' isn't one religion. There are hundreds and hundreds of individual cultures out there that practice animistic or totemistic beliefs and work in close harmony with their local land. Learn about them, respect them, and remember that diversity is important and necessary.