Page 15 - ARUBA TODAY

A15
LOCAL Tuesday 18 February 2020

Ancient power tools: the Shamans stick and staff Episode 57- LVII

Continued from Page 14

The staff may serve as a larger replacement for a stick or may be a
separate tool to be used alongside it, depending on tradition. In many
systems the staff serves as a magical earthling or stabilizing device or as a
concentrator or reservoir for magical power. Alternatively they may serve
to maintain a spell which would normally take the Shaman’s own effort
to prolong. In most traditions they can also serve as an extension of the
Shaman`s body, delivering workings that would normally require him to
touch the subject.
Staves are traditionally made of wood. It may also be possible to make
a staff from bone, metal or even minerals such as or composites. The
materials of construction may vary depending on the type of magic the
staff is to specialize in, and shaping and ornamentation may be vital
magic.

Like most magical tools, your stick or staff should be “keyed” or
personalized to your own energies. Keying aligns the flow of the base to
tip, and ensures that only you will be able to use it. If you’re a beginning
practitioner, the stick is an excellent first tool, allowing you to practice
the major techniques of sweeping, pulling, flowing and flaring without
endangering yourself or others..q

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Pic 4. Artistic interpretation of a Shamans staff