Climb the Spiral Ladder One Step at a Time

The Shaman’s Celestial Journey

There is no direct route to enlightenment. The cycles must be experienced and internalized one at a time.

The painting of the Shaman’s Celestial Journey is set in Suriname. It is about the stages of preparation a boy must go through to become a shaman of this tribe. Many are trained, but few pass the initiations. The purpose of the vision quest is to speak with the spirits and return with information needed for the tribe. First, a sacred space must be created. The master teacher will then appear and instruct him about the spirit world. The initiate climbs up the spiral ladder into the sky, going higher and higher as mastery progresses. When his psychic ability is acute and developed enough, Grandfather Vulture will act as an intermediary for the great Grandfather Spirit or Creator. Spirals were often used in the temples of many ancient cultures as teaching tools representing the spirit world. In recent times, they have been found to be useful in going in and out of lucid dreams.