Sky Shamans of Mongolia by Kevin Turner

Author:Kevin Turner [Turner, Kevin]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: OCC036030 Body, Mind & Spirit / Shamanism
Publisher: North Atlantic Books
Published: 2016-02-15T16:00:00+00:00

SHONA: A KHALKH HEALING SESSION

Chimge and I arrived some days later at Shona’s modern family home. Locals began filing in, requesting healing and divination, and were sent upstairs to the altar room. Shona’s sister announced to us with formality that we would not be able to take any photos or video, or ask any questions during the ceremony, and that “the spirits may even ask us to leave early, or perhaps not allow us to enter at all. We cannot know in advance, so don’t ask.” I inwardly rolled my eyes and wondered, in my impatience, Oh, another waste of time? This time, though, I caught myself, and simply asked my helping spirits for assistance. We silently snacked on biscuits and salty tea in the modern living room, and waited.

Shona reappeared. “My spirits have just asked me to have you film and photograph this evening’s event, as your intention is sincere.”

His sister was startled, and seemed to double- and triple-check with him. She informed us, “This is the first time any non-Mongolian has been allowed to film here. National Geographic was here some months ago, but the spirits would not let them film or photograph anything.”

I was very honored. But the pressure was on now—I can’t let the spirits down!

The wide altar covered the entire northern side of the room. Wolf was an obvious theme, expressed in wolf-painted drums, wolf skins, and three shamanic costumes on the left that contained partial or entire wolf skins. A great stuffed eagle and a ram’s skull filled the right corner of the room. The central altar was covered with ongon statuettes and ritual implements of every kind, as well as bottles of vodka, feathers, a triangular drum for working with fierce spirits, and a bronze avgaldai mask with a bushy mustache—an effigy of one of his ancestral helping spirits—mala prayer beads, a dragon cane, more toli mirrors, and two large swords that hung to the left of the central altar table.

We waited patiently. Shona entered with his assistants, and made offerings before the altar, then dressed in one of the three costumes. The costume was enormously heavy, and he dressed only with the help of his assistants. The eagle feathers of his headdress nearly reached the ceiling when his tall frame stood erect.

Shona then sat before the altar, drumming and mumbling invocations. His fringed eye-curtain hid his eyes from our view. The drumbeat was monotonous and very familiar—the famous shamanic four-beats-per-second corresponding to the Theta-brainwave state. This is a state visited by all of us in our sleep every night, but one in which the average person loses conscious awareness. With the help of a monotonous four-hertz drumbeat, the shaman enters this brainwave state with full awareness and intention.

“Oh, Eternal Blue Sky, my blanket, come to me,” he sang. “Sky of the Wolf, please help me. Many in need have come. Tenger (Great Sky), please come here.” The drumming then changed to a loping or galloping rhythm. Shona suddenly dropped the drum (henggereg or tuur), and jerked his neck back, now apparently merged with one of his helping spirits.

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