The THREE WORLDS

The Three Worlds
A brief overview

An Oraite and Oraiyjek are generally accomplished at letting their soul or souls travel to places known to neopagans and shamans as the 'otherworlds.' I will use that term, since it is more familiar. These otherworlds are realms that exist without us, and therefore cannot be visited by visualisation alone. The Oraite and Oraiyjek visit these places in order to heal and work with their guides and gods. The otherworlds are split into 'realms':

1. The Upperworld (So'uslaijka)
2. The Middleworld (Ur'a)
3. The Lowerworld / Underworld (Y'czm)

Depending on your chosen beliefs or paths, you may believe that there are more worlds than this. You may also believe that the 'middleworld' is simply our material earth. In Vilturj, the middleworld is another realm separate to the earth itself.

Each of the worlds can be thought of as having fantastic features not found in ordinary reality. However, they can be distinguished from the Disneyland of visualisation by the presence of strict rules and natural laws that occur. In most places in the otherworlds there is gravity, for example. In the otherworlds it is not usually possible to just immediately transport yourself from one location to another. Oraite and Oraiyjek must travel either through their own locomotion, or by riding or flying on the backs of animals, spirit helpers, gods etc.

These worlds are entered through the technique and skill of journeying or ju-ouczyrt. This is different to visualisation, which is what we do when we imagine something. We may 'imagine' going through a doorway into what we 'imagine' are the otherworlds, but this is not the same as a literal journey to the otherworlds themselves.

The Oraite and Oraiyjek can enter a trance state through techniques such as drumming, dancing or chanting, or they may know how to 'look' for doorways in this world without such modalities, depending on their training. These doorways, which might be better known as 'portals' in contemporary times, generally lead to the middleworld. From there, we may find other doorways to the upper or underworld.

The Middleworld (Ur'a)

The middleworld is where deities of the 'earth' reside, and by that I mean deities of earthly landmarks such as the forest, the ocean, the swamps etc. This is also the place where many totems, vili (wights such as lskowicz - elves), rock and plant spirits and other earth-based creatures are thought to reside. It is the most common entry-place into the other worlds. It is also the place that people most commonly begin 'shamanic' training.

We may find the middleworld through our dreams, and sometimes will wake up from dreams that are particularly vivid, where we have seen, felt, touched and smelt another place that we may have never visited before. In Vilturj, we consider these dreams to be important, though they can be dangerous too as they expose the sleeper to harm from demons and other malicious or mischievous entities.

The Upperworld (So'uslaijka)

Doorways or paths to the upperworld are often found by climbing a tree or ladder, by climbing a cliff-face or swimming up-stream. Generally there must be 'upward' motion in order to locate the upperworld.

This is the place where the sky deities reside, and tends to be a more remote and inaccessible place than the underworld and middleworld. Few animals can travel to the upperworld, and few are found there. However birds like the eagle, vulture and raven can travel to the upperworld. We may also meet some of our ancestors in the upperworld, and those of the dead who have been favoured by sky deities, such as deceased Ilkara'te (sky shamans).

The upperworld can seem disorienting and overwhelming, and it is here that time is most transient. Certain physical laws do not always apply here, such as the law of gravity. It is also a place where doorways can be found to interstellar locations, and it is said in stories that there are worlds beyond the upperworld that can be located if we find the right doorway.

The Underworld (Y'czm)

Doorways or paths to the underworld are often found by descending ladders and stairs, by crawling downwards through caves, by literally moving into the earth or underwater, or any other means that follows a 'downward' motion.

The underworld is the most dangerous for the inexperienced, though all the worlds are not without their dangers. It is here where the Izyr'te (demons) reside. However it is also in the underworld where you are most likely to locate damaged and lost soul fragments. They may be stolen by entities there, or they may have fled there. It is also in the underworld that you are most likely to be possessed or injured if you do not have a healthy relationship with your spirit helpers.

The underworld always has gravity, and many encounters with demons can be navigated by following what we consider to be basic rules of etiquette. Rudeness in the underworld is rarely tolerated. Many Oraite broker bargains with Izyr'te here. Not all animals are able to travel to the underworld, though there may be 'variations' of earth animals in the underworld. There is usually something off about them, such as a stag possessing cat eyes, or a robin with teeth, etc. The underworld is generally considered more dangerous than the upper and middleworld because of the heightened presence of demons and malicious entities.