Non-Ordinary

By Glyndŵr the Druid

"This book aims to persuade you to understand and act on one simple fact: you – yes, you! – have the innate capacity to access so-called "non-ordinary" realities and the help that resides there through the act of what is often referred to as shamanic journeying.  

 

This book is not written to teach you how to do this work, but to aid in understanding what one may expect from this work if taken up. 

Resources for learning are in the back of this book. 

 

The act of accessing this help is often termed "Shamanic Journeying." 

 

You have the ability to seek help when all feels lost – when you have no idea what to do in your life, when you feel dead inside, when you feel like giving up due to complications, or even when your car breaks down, or your mother gets sick... you may enlist the help of compassionate guiding spirits. 

 

You may not be very good at it at first, but remember: this is a practice." 

 

- from the Preface 

• Language: English
• Publisher: Glyndŵr the Druid
• Release date: May 9, 2022
• ISBN: 9798201295158

Glyndŵr the Druid

One of my favourite things is teaching people about working with life-force energy as a Quantum-Touch Instructor. Born in Edmonton, Alberta, I grew up in Mill Woods with my three sisters, raised by my parents and extended family. Eventually we moved to Abbotsford, finding it more comfortable with the trees, fresh air, and mountains. Having less toxic lead in the water-pipes was a positive too. Being transgender was a weird phenomenon to accept as a kid, so naturally I repressed a lot of myself while growing up. I am thankful I have the ability to learn through non-ordinary means to heal. I write a lot, whether books, poems, new ideas, hip-hop music, or endless to-do lists. My home is filled with loose papers due to this and my kitchen table is a perpetual, low-key disaster. Life is fun, though! You can find me training Taijiquan & Zhan Zhuang at the park amongst the trees or eating langar and prasad at the Gurdwara. Sometimes, just sometimes, you can hear me rapping, beatboxing, or throat-singing as I saunter through the neighbourhood. Tarot is a love of mine as well, especially paired with a triple-shot Americano (strong coffee), so please don’t hesitate to reach out if you would like to book a Tarot reading with me. See the Soundcloud link below to contact me. I live on unceded territory of the Matsqui First Nation and Sumas First Nation, in a city which colonizers have named Abbotsford, British Columbia. I encourage all non-indigenous people to learn more deeply about colonization, the Indian Act, Residential schools, and about the effects these things have had (and continue to have) on indigenous people. What exactly is cultural genocide? Do you know? What fun questions. If you would like to learn more about Quantum-Touch and about booking a private workshop for yourself and others, please contact me at: quantumtouch.com/en/instructor/glyndwr-merriman All new music I release can be found on Soundcloud. We can set up a Tarot reading through Soundcloud too – feel free to send me a message, though I may take a few days (or longer) to reply. soundcloud.com/druidtunes

Book preview

Cover Art & Design by

EMBER MUNINN

Find more of Ember's artwork

& commission your own at:

instagram.com/embermuninnart/

MORE BOOKS BY GLYNDŴR THE DRUID

Inspiring Multiplicity

Volumes 1 & 2:

Haikus About Life

Love Your Life:

A Meditation

Co-Authored with

Ember Muninn

COMING SOON:

Finding Equanimity, Forge Yourself,

Mantras, and many more.

Keep up to date with Glyndŵr's

new books at:

books2read.com/glyndwr-the-druid/

DEDICATION

THIS BOOK IS DEDICATED to those beings who are looking for more depth throughout their lives, no matter where they choose to look, no matter where their curiosities are leading them, whether out into the world or internally into themselves.

This book is dedicated to those beings who are open to allowing themselves to change – to transform – which, by consequence, allows the world to change around them, affecting everything in profound ways. Changing the internal allows us to witness and experience a change in the external. Everything is connected.

This book is dedicated to those who are looking for something new, perhaps a new path to follow, and also to those who feel deeply, inexplicably stuck in their lives. 

Thank you for reading this book, for sitting with me, for hearing my voice in your heart as you take these words in, and for listening to my out-of-the-ordinary stories from "non-ordinary reality."

Undoubtedly, some of these tales will sound quite strange. Remember, though, there is often a surprising amount of profundity which joins an interesting tale.

Thank you for coming on this ride with me.

Let us begin!

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

THANK YOU TO MY FAMILY and friends! Thank you to every single individual who has encouraged me. I would also like to extend gratitude to few people specifically...

Katina O’Neil & weaver, for showing me the Shamanic Journey and holding space for learning. Thank you both. Find Katina @ katinaoneil.com/ & Find weaver @ https://linktr.ee/drumweaver

Dr. Vincent Medici, for instilling within me the mindset and energy/vibration to dig deeper, to constantly challenge what I think I know, and to continue learning as much as I possibly can. Thank you! Find Dr. Medici and his radio show @ straighttalk.cc/

Paul & Kathie Scott, for showing me the in's and out's of energy work through the lens of Quantum-Touch. As I explore the combination of Shamanic Journeying and Energy Healing, I am thankful to have this foundation from Quantum-Touch. You both are great teachers. Find Paul & Kathie @ quantumlife.ca/

Lindsay Rose Kaur Saggu, for your gracious editing, feedback, and advice. What an adventure this book has been! Thank you... the book now feels good. Like a polished stone, a sharpened blade. Find Lindsay @ hellorozsa.com/

The Polly Fox Bakery & Bistro, for your immensely kind baristas and delicious refillable maple-syrup infused coffees while I worked on this book!

...and to my loving partner, Ember, for believing in me! For bringing peace into my home. Thank you! Oh, and to my spirit guides... Oh, and the trees!... and Gaia, and... ... ...

FOREWORD

by Katina O'Neil

SHAMANIC JOURNEYING or walking between worlds means being aware of and engaging in realities that are not necessarily part of consensual reality.  Consensual reality is the reality of this world – that which we all, to some degree, agree upon.  It is a consensual understanding of what constitutes our world.  In the shaman’s world, however, there are many realities that most people do not sense or engage.  Another way to look at this is levels of consciousness and awareness.  The shaman has developed an ability to expand their consciousness and is aware of other states of consciousness.   

THE SHAMANIC JOURNEY

The shamanic journey is usually facilitated by a drum but didgeridoos, rattles, singing bowls, click sticks and the noises encountered in nature can also be used for journeying. The reason for using musical instruments to induce the journeying state lies in the physiology of human awareness and brain functions. A monotonous drumming beat or rattling changes the brainwave patterns to dreamlike patterns of the alpha state. At this point the brainwaves run at about 8 to 12 cycles per seconds or hertz. This compares with the 'normal' state of 13-25 hertz which is called the beta state. The beta state is that of most of our waking moments as we go about our daily lives. The sound of the instrument blends out disturbing noises too.  

While staying firmly grounded in this reality, the shaman’s conscious awareness travels to places on the earth, or may go within the earth, or above it.  In certain societies there are destinations that are peculiar to the culture.  There are also destinations that appear to be the same for many different cultures despite the separation of these cultures by nature and geographic location.  The map of these common destinations is referred to as cosmology.  Terms such as upper, lower and middle world are used to divide the cosmology.  This travelling is called a shamanic journey.  The shamanic journey should not be confused with a trance state as the journeyer is always aware of consensual reality while simultaneously aware of other realities.  Over time, the shaman learns to balance many realities at once and is able to navigate in multiple realities and easily find their way back to our consensual reality at the end of the journey. 

Journeying like meditation is a tool for spiritual growth.  It is also a tool that can be used for healing, obtaining information, and working through psychological issues.  When someone goes on a journey they are able to communicate on a spiritual level.  So they can go and visit guardian spirits, they can go and visit spirits of the land.  A journeyer can use a journey to examine the health of their body or another's body.  They can also discover things about the world.  

The journey differs from most dreams because the individual is able to direct the journey and because he or she learns unexpected things.  For instance in a dream, running like a deer you may experience speed.  But in a journey you will feel how the muscles of the deer's legs feel as it runs.  Running as a zebra you may realize with surprise how much of the animal's power is coming from its back legs.   

Psychologically some people use the journey to work through emotional issues.  They may confront a deceased or living relative about past abuse.  The journey provides a safe environment to express anger, or to work through grief.   

The journey also provides a tool for spiritual growth because the individual can seek out evolved spiritual teachers.  The messages given often have an unexpected depth of meaning.  Journeyers often report that their journeys add up to a deeper spiritual teaching because one journey has built on another.  Sometimes, going back to read a journal of your journeys you see that you were walking a path of deep learning. 

DESTINATION AND PURPOSE

The places one will journey to will vary.  Some will be much like the geography seen on earth, mountains, trees, valleys...  Some places are airy like the sky, or feel very energetic, or peaceful. A journey destination can be anything because the geography is not bound by rules of gravity but the rules of energy.  The purposes, and tasks of the shaman or shamanic journeyer will determine what places will be visited.  There is always a purpose to the shamanic journey.  Purpose combined with intention launches the shaman into the altered state of consciousness where the journeywork takes place.  The information received during the