Shaman Sham's Blog

Solstice Blessings

2011-12-21T18:40:00.008Z

Hi all

I just wanted to wish all my friends many blessings on Solstice or for Yule or Christmas ... whatever you personally are celebrating may your celebrations be wonderful!

There seems to be something interesting going on here with a pile of food and presents appearing. I wonder which one is for me? I do so love this time of year!

Many blessings to all Indie Shaman subscribers and customers; to all Indie Shaman Facebook friends and my personal Facebook friends.

Many blessings also and many thanks to all at Minuteman Press Bristol for looking after me so well during my visit and to everyone else I have visited over the past year.

And last but most certainly not least Many Blessings to all my friends who are reading this because they follow my blog.

As you can see I intend to take it easy over the holidays. I found a lovely little cot (it rocks you know!) that was made by June's Dad for her daughter's dolls when she was a little girl. So I have my own space all set up now with a bed as well as my chair - both are really comfy!

This evening we have candles lit all around the room for Solstice to help bring the light back. Not much light out there at the moment so maybe I should fetch a few more.

Happy Solstice everybody! And many bright blessings for the Coming Year!

Ezekiel
aka Shaman Sham the Wandering Hedgehog
(who is currently all wrapped up in the warm planning next year's adventures!)

Printing the magazine and protecting the environment

2011-11-26T16:28:00.010Z

Now I’ve learned all about printing the Indie Shaman magazine with many thanks to everyone at Minuteman Press Bristol. It’s been fascinating watching their expertise at work and as I’m very nearly an expert now too I look forward to being able to advise June, the editor, when I get back home.

Here I am doing a post-press spot check of colours and print. All in order so on to the next stage.

When the print run is complete it’s time to collate, staple, fold and trim the edges.

All done! Just time to box the magazines. Oh, and what a great image on the front of this particular edition!

Just time for a chat with Peter about Minuteman Press’s all important environmental policy. Like Indie Shaman, Minuteman Press Bristol recognises that there is a great responsibility in printing magazines so they use only FSC (Forestry Stewardship Council) certified paper. This means the paper is sourced from sustainable forests. A sustainable forest is one where felled trees are replaced by new trees. It will contain trees of all ages and care is also taken to ensure the safety of any wildlife there.

All the paper used by Minuteman Press Bristol is EU sourced as well as FSC certificated. Sourcing things as locally as possible helps carbon emissions – June told me that was important. Carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere when people (I nearly said ‘we’ then but to be honest its people that do it not hedgehogs) burn fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are used in transporting things to different places so it’s much better if you can source things locally or from as least far away as possible. In nature’s cycle carbon dioxide is absorbed by plants and trees, which is one reason sustainable forestry is so important. But the trees can’t keep up with the amount of carbon dioxide people produce which is why it’s equally important to think of the ‘carbon footprint’ of everything you do.

Peter told me that the inks they use for printing are vegetable based too. We then had an interesting talk about plastic bags because Minuteman won’t accept orders to print them and Indie Shaman don’t stock them. I don’t like plastic bags either as my cousin hedgehogs in the wild can get stuck in them when they are discarded as litter and suffocate or starve.

As a hedgehog it’s always good to know that some people care about things like the environment and plastic bags. Maybe one day all people will but possibly all people aren’t as wise as hedgehogs yet. Well we do pass down our wisdom through the generations and we are quite ancient animals having been around for about 15 million years!

Visiting Minuteman Press Bristol to find out how our Indie Shaman magazine is made

2011-11-05T12:54:00.011Z

Hi everyone

I was very happy to hear that Peter Wise, Director of Minuteman Press Bristol, had said to June Kent on Twitter that they would be happy to have me visit them to learn all about printing magazines and to give a hand with printing the Indie Shaman Shamanic Lifestyle Magazine. Peter said they had a desk and seat and cardboard box with straw all ready for me!

Having written a couple of articles for the magazine about my adventures I was very excited to get the opportunity to learn all about how the magazine is produced. June, who is the editor of the magazine, says she likes Minuteman Press because they are local, helpful, friendly and very efficient. In fact I have heard her say that without their help there wouldn’t be an Indie Shaman Magazine as ‘she hadn’t a clue when she started’ and that would have be a great pity as the shamanic lifestyle magazine is pretty popular now! She also likes their ‘environmental policy’ as things like that are very important to Indie Shaman so I am hoping to talk to Peter about what this is and learn a bit more about it.

In the first photo above I am helping one of the graphic design team make sure that the latest edition of Indie Shaman looks crisp and clear and that the colours are as they should be.

After a final few adjustments and a paw to the start button the press roars into life. Yes I started the latest Indie Shaman print-run!

Hot off the press the latest run of Indie Shaman is expertly (following intensive training) supervised by me.

Here I am having a well earned lunch break shared with Tom, Peter’s son and Minuteman Press’s youngest employee. Peter said I do eat a lot of worms but I was happy to share Tom’s food too.

Its pretty tiring learning all about printing but I’ve been having great fun. Next I’m learning about post production checks, bindery and despatch so I’ll be back to blog about them and the all very important environmental policy soon.

In the meantime I've had a telephone call from June who said that she has been learning about Seidr Shamanism which sounds pretty interesting. If you would like to learn more about Seidr June is interviewing Runic John for the next edition of the magazine so send her any questions you have and she could include them in the interview! June can be contacted via Indie Shaman or I don't mind if you post any questions in the comments on here.

With many blessings

(and not very inky paws thanks to all at Minuteman Press!)

Ezekiel

Pagan Federation 40th Anniversary Event

2011-10-13T14:15:00.015+01:00

Merry meet and bright blessings.

What a wonderful atmosphere there was at the Pagan Federation 40^th Anniversary Event last Saturday and what lovely people there were there. I met lots of new friends who all seemed very happy to meet me and hear about my travels.

I got my chair set up on the Indie Shaman stall straight away as I wanted to get a good position where I could see everyone. The stall was very busy with people being especially interested in the Magazine. We also sold out of some of the large Fair Trade shamanic drums so June has to get more soon! It was also lovely to meet a new member, Graeme, in person who joined up on the day.

Getting a hug from Mike

I was very pleased to get the opportunity to meet Mike Stygal and get a manly hug which was great after knowing him online for so long. It’s difficult to sum up all of Mike’s work in few words but he was there as one of the Pagan Federation’s event organizers and is also an interfaith champion extraordinaire, running among other things the Pagan Moot Forum. I don’t know how he fits it all in! Mike congratulated me on all my ‘ologies and said I must be a very wise hedgehog now. Made me blush to the end of my snout but I don’t think he noticed!

Our stall was opposite Rev. Rebecca D’arcy who runs an Interfaith Ministry and Spiritual Counselling service including Sacred Ceremonies. Judith spent quite a bit of time chatting to Rebecca about Egypt as Rebecca also runs off the beaten track tours with ‘A Passion for Egypt’. I told Rebecca that I would really like to go to Egypt and that I am a very experienced and well behaved traveller. Her partner Agi Angliolini came to talk to me so I told her as well. I have my paws firmly crossed!

Sitting with Neil's Hedgewitch

We were also fortunate enough to be opposite the very talented Neil Geddes-Ward’s stall. I rather liked the young lady in the painting I am sat by ‘Hedgewitch’ but June and Simon fell in love with the sketch of the woman with the sword on the wall behind me and had to bring a small print of her home.

Geraldine Beskin from Atlantis Bookshops came over to say hello to June. Judith brought a book from their stall which June wished she had brought too. June also fell in love with a bracelet from Runesmith which she had to buy so she could take it home. Just as well the Indie Shaman stall kept her busy for most of the time or she would have been bringing most of the contents of everyone else’s stall home!

A hug from Carrie

Then the very lovely Carrie Kirkpatrick came over to speak to me and asked if I would like to visit her and Liz on the Goddess Enchantment Stall. Lucky me because I got a hug from her too.

Very lucky me all round because I had a wonderful time, received lots of hugs and learned lots of interesting things from many interesting people. Many thanks to all involved for organising the event. I believe a lot of them went onto further celebrations on the Sunday but we had to travel back home. Maybe we can go to one again another year and next time I’ll get someone to take me to some of all the great sounding workshops and talks I missed!

Many blessings

Ezekiel

Stonehenge by Moonlight

2011-08-31T19:09:00.022+01:00

Hi everyone

As you can see I now have a new chair especially for me to sit on. This is because I am going to the Pagan Federation 40th Anniversary Event on 8th October and, as I told June, Simon and Judith I'm not helping out with the Indie Shaman stall if I can't rest my legs occasionally. It sounds like it's going to be a great day so if you can get along to London do come and say 'hi' if you see me.

A couple of weekends ago on 13th August I was lucky enough to go on a David Rowan Tour of Avebury and Stonehenge. Here I am at the start of the 'Stonehenge by Moonlight' Tour sat having a quiet drink outside the Red Lion at Avebury. June's walking stick turned out to be just a little bit big for me to use so she used it instead and carried me in my Indie Shaman bag to save my legs.

All the other people who were doing the tour were very nice to me. I was especially pleased to get to meet one of Secret World Wildlife Rescue's volunteers who told me all about the hedgehog she had rescued.

photo courtesy of © David Rowan

David gave a very interesting illustrated talk about the history and astronomy of Avebury and Stonehenge which I learned are both much more than just the impressive stones you can see. I was too busy listening to take notes so Judith took all the notes as she is writing an article about the tour for the Indie Shaman magazine. David very kindly said we could use some of his photos as well as our own.

Then we were off on our walking lecture tour. David has a masters degree in Cultural Astronomy and Astrology. He is a fascinating speaker and really helped bring this magical landscape to life as we walked round. Of the two stones above the one on the right is said to represent the male and the one on the left the female. Everyone seemed to know what David meant by that but I had to wait to ask June when I got home.

This magnificent stone is called the 'Devil's Chair'. It is said that sitting in the chair results in pregnancy. Judith, Simon and June insisted I sit in it immediately although I did point out to them that I am a boy hedgehog!

Then as the sun was setting on the temple of the Moon at Avebury we set off in convoy following a ley line to ...

photo courtesy of © David Rowan

... see the Moon rise over the temple of the Sun at Stonehenge.

It was so peaceful and beautiful to explore and sit in the stone circle itself and felt such an intimate experience among such a small party of like minded people. It was impossible not to be touched by a sense of wonder and by the magic that surrounded us as the dramatic clouds parted to allow us to see the moon rise over the stones.

photo courtesy of © David Rowan

David drew up an astrological chart for the moment we were there.

Then we all had some quiet time to meditate or send healing before setting off back to our cars for a short drive to a local hotel for a quick drink and chat before setting off back home.

If you would like the opportunity to go into the circle at Stonehenge as we did I highly recommend contacting David Rowan. If you do we might even meet because if I get the chance to go again next year I will!

Many blessings to all my friends
Ezekiel

p.s. Many thanks to David Rowan for sharing his photos. For more photos and information about the Stonehenge by Moonlight tour, Stonehenge and Avebury, see Judith's article in the Autumn edition of the Indie Shaman magazine.

2011-07-13T14:22:00.012+01:00

Hi everyone. I'm now back home with Indie Shaman having a good rest before my next adventures. I meant to write some more to my blog before leaving Ross and Sarah but I just didn't seem to manage to fit it in between all the learning and having fun. The photo above is one of my favourites showing the shamanic art class and tatuajes (tattoos). I didn't have a tattoo painted on my face as it may have ended up more permanent than intended!

I had a great flight back to England as Ross travelled with me which was a far more interesting experience than travelling alone as I usually do.

I must admit, even for a modest hedgehog such as I am, I feel I can safely say I know quite a bit now. Here is a photo of me teaching about banisteriopsis caapi (used to prepare Ayahuasca).

I also learned:
Lower, middle and upper world journeying
Mapping the shaman's cosmology
Power retrieval
Soul retrieval
Spirit extraction
Mapping the energy body
Energy balancing
Pre-birth, conception and family work
Ancestral healing
Earth healing
Community healing
Plant spirit shamanism
Making allies in nature
How to make 'magic potions' (pusangas, seguros and perfumes)
Floral baths
How to diet plants (and he's dieted rosa blanca and ortega and poppy)
How to conduct a salvia ceremony, san pedro ceremony and ayahuasca ceremony.

Unfortunately talking human is still not a strong point but everyone on the course seemed to have no problem communicating with me (and my writing is, as you can see, quite fine as long as someone else does any typing - paws weren't meant for typing!)

Sarah is well impressed with my wisdom as you can see.

Sarah knows quite a bit too of course although I helped by keeping an eye on her when she sang a song and led a journey ... just in case she wanted any help from a hedgehog. I will miss both Sarah and Ross a lot.

As I said earlier I'm currently back home having a bit of a rest. Although June did ask me to finish off my article for the Indie Shaman magazine which wasn't much hardship as Ross had sent most of it to June already. Indie Shaman has a particularly good cover on the Summer edition if I say so myself. Looks like June has been keeping busy while I've been away - she showed me the new Shamanic Lifestyle Shop she has been working on which is now online. Apparently if you are Facebook friend you can get a discount. That reminds me I haven't checked my Facebook page for ages so I must finish blogging and let my friends know I am back in the UK.

Speak to you all again soon
Ezekiel

Serpent and Condor - baths, bottles and ballyhoo

2011-06-21T20:05:00.009+01:00

Many many Solstice Blessings to all my friends around the world.

I am still with Ross Heaven in Spain, assisting in ceremonies and generally being as helpful as I can.

Here is our St Peter's Day celebration, earlier in June, where I started the ceremony with a simple mesa for healing.

And here I am below with some Embruho juice all ready for a day of magic

Hope you are enjoying the photos as much as I am enjoying sharing them. I have some more to share before I leave Ross and Sarah in Spain and return to the UK where I am looking forward to seeing Stonehenge at Moonlight on a David Rowan tour in August and later on in the year going to the Pagan Federation 40th Anniversary Event in London!

Have a wonderful Solstice
Ezekiel aka Shaman Sham the Wandering Hedgehog
Indie Shaman

Ezekiel the Shaman

2011-06-06T19:47:00.013+01:00

Hola! I have been preparing for the new plant workshop which began on June 1st and where I was once again in ceremony with the vine of souls and with the cactus of vision, two plants I learned a lot from during my time with with Ross Heaven in Peru and I was keen to explore again in case I had any lingering unresolved issues. Now I have my Shamanic Practitioner and Shamanic Healer diplomas I feel it's important for a shaman to continually work on his own self-development and the release of personal blocks so he can be a more effective healer for others.

The other day I was thrilled to discover that Ross and Sarah have toe (pronounced to-HAY) growing naturally in the garden here. Nobody planted it so it's a mystery where it came from but I was excited because the ancient shamans of Peru used to mix it with San Pedro to perform profound healings for their people and Ross was about to begin a diet with San Pedro but thought it best to diet toe first so I could get to know that plant and its arrangements and interactions with San Pedro.

Toe is the strongest visionary plant and teacher in the known universe - a tea made from the flower that I am holding here is enough to produce a 3-day out-of-body experience where the shaman will meet a whole team of ancestral and universal spirits who will teach him about reality. I had been sniffing the toe flower all night and felt a little trippy himself.

I've really enjoying my work with plants and Shaman Sarah (who also has an 'ology) made me my own romero and salvia smudge stick. Rosemary (romero) and salvia (sage) grow naturally in Ross and Sarah's garden and Sarah dries them and mixes them to produce the smudge bundle which is then lit and the smoke used for purification and cleansing. On the Shamanic Practitioner diploma course they also teach how to diagnose illness with smoke and a smudge stick is very useful for that too. I am going to show you everyone how to do it when I gets home. If you would like order your own smudge stick send Sarah a message via Facebook.

That's all for now but will blog again soon before I come back to the UK.
Many blessings
Ezekiel
Indie Shaman

2011-05-25T19:07:00.006+01:00

I have now been to 2 new aya ceremonies. On the first I was very sick, purging out all the stress and illness I had accumulated again since my time with Ross in Peru. I had a difficult journey but Sarah and Ross sang our ayahuasca songs to me and made me better.

Then they gave me a floral bath and I was well. My second ceremony was much better and I realised I am God and the universe is inside me and so I am very powerful indeed.

On the course I also learned to talk to plants and sing their songs, understand the core principles of all shamanic herbalism so now I can prescribe plants effectively for any client, and I followed a shamanic diet with White Rose so had her as an ally (or at least I did until 7.31pm that night when my diet ended providing I didn't have sex, drink alcohol or eat sausages until then).

Back again soon with pictures of my Soul Retrieval and Shamanic Healing Course certificate. With many thanks to Ross and Sarah - I passed!

Ezekiel
Indie Shaman

2011-05-13T19:23:00.010+01:00

How time flies! I'm soon to attend Ross' Soul Retrieval and Shamanic Healing course so here's some more first about my experiences earning my Shamanic Practitioner Diploma.

My favourite part of the course was the plant spirit work: listening to the whispers of the plants divulging their secrets to me. This spirit to spirit communication feels very natural and I’m looking forward to working more with plant spirits on my shamanic path and singing more songs of nature. Creating plant perfumes in the rain was more fun than I anticipated and I thought my own concoction (for love, if you must know) looked particularly pleasing to the eye in one of Ross’ hand-painted bottles.

Mesa work and the medicine wheel

I was feeling a little sad when the course was almost at an end – we had learned so much that I couldn’t possibly blog it all but I feel brand new and by the looks on the faces of the other course participants, they shared this feeling I have inside ...

... and I must have done OK on the course as at the end I was awarded my certificate!

Here are a couple of my new friends all with our certificates

It's so exciting me getting my first ever 'ology and now having a Diploma in Shamanic Studies I think you might want to see a close up so here it is :-)

As I said at the start of today's blog I'm staying with Ross and Sarah in Spain a bit longer so I can join in with the next course too. So do catch up with my blog again soon!

Many hedgehog blessings
Ezekiel
Indie Shaman

A Very Shamanic Hedgehog

2011-05-03T20:01:00.009+01:00

Hi again to all my friends. I'm back with some more tales about my exciting and educational experiences on Ross Heaven's Course in Shamanic Healing in Spain.

We made many drum journeys to explore the spiritual realms available to us and afterwards we sat and discussed our experiences. I enjoyed the sharing of our journeying stories and these were some of my favourite moments. It’s funny how themes started to emerge within the group and it was already starting to feel like we’ve all been brought together at the perfect time.

This was a big drum for a small hedgehog but I managed to make a big noise, providing I remembered to keep my nose out of the way.

Power and soul retrieval were challenging for me: old fears and beliefs arose in us as we learned to work with the techniques, but we were such a close knit group by then that we worked together to heal and support each other as these issues came to light. I feel like I’ve made so many good friends here!

With Teresa in the workroom

We learned methods of shamanic counselling – guiding people to find their own power and retrieve lost parts of themselves appeals to me as it’s so empowering for the person you’re working with. I personally found the blessing ceremonies wonderful to take part in and afterward felt energised and, funnily enough, blessed!

Gold and Shadow Counselling

"King Ezekiel awaits counselling from the Merlins"

Well I felt like a King! That's all for now. Back again soon with the rest of my blog from Ross' course.

Yours, blessed and passing on the blessings
Ezekiel
(aka Shaman Sham, Indie Shaman)

Viva España

2011-04-27T19:26:00.016+01:00

Here I am when I landed safe and sound in Montefrio, but a bit green around the gills. I'm still not used to airmail! As Ross said it's a good job that hedgehogs are well known for their ability to breath plastic. Although of course he meant only very special hedgehogs like me. Plastic is very dangerous for ordinary hedgehogs who can't breath through it at all.

Here I am with Sarah who showed me around the workroom. I was a bit nervous at first to meet all the new people who were also taking the practitioner course but soon after meeting them we were all chatting away like family. Everyone was excited at the prospect of Ross' course in shamanic healing and I was looking forward to using some of the skills I've picked up on my travels.

Ross explained the medicine wheel, the cosmology of the shaman and how we traverse these different worlds to seek information and allies with whom we work in partnership to facilitate healing.

We learned how to diagnose energetic imbalances in each other using sage smoke and pendulums, agua de florida and jungle tobacco. I found the gazing techniques more difficult but was assured that I will improve with practice.

Here I am dowsing Boris for energy imbalances. I discovered that Boris, while very pretty, is quite depleted in energy due to being dead.

Feathers can be used to realign energies and I have become fond of using a white duck feather to move energy within a client’s body. We learn how to rebalance the energy body and clear the chakras, so that any further healing work will flow freely through the client. Then Ross demonstrated extraction techniques during a spontaneous healing need that arises in the group! This leads us on rather appropriately to the methods used by shamans to extract unwanted energies from them.

I'll be back next week to tell you more so do visit me again soon. I'm on Facebook too at facebook.com/shaman.sham

Many blessings
Your friend
Ezekiel (aka Shaman Sham)

2011-03-15T19:19:00.002Z

Hi all

I hadn't been back home with Indie Shaman very long when my good friend Ross Heaven invited me to attend his Shamanic workshop in Spain. I'm going to learn how to become a shamanic practitioner and healer! This is a unique 14 day course at at the Hummingbird Retreat Centre in Spain from 9 - 22nd April. I think there may be a very few places left so if you want to book one and join me contact Ross soon.

So as soon as I've had a good rest and caught up on my jet lag I'm off again to Spain. I had started packing but June said I wouldn't need any of the things I had borrowed so I put them back. I can't decide which amulet to wear though so I may wear both of them.

I may not be able to blog for a while until I've arrived in Spain and I believe Indie Shaman is closing for a week at the beginning of April too. Something to do with June and Simon needing a holiday. The Indie Shaman forum will still be open though under the very capable hands of Cathy.

So until I'm back on here again here are a few hedgehog facts for you courtesy of Secret World Wildlife Rescue (p.s. If you want to adopt a hedgehog, or an owl, fox, badger or otter ... but hedgehogs are best honest .... just click on the link).

* Hedgehogs have poor eyesight, but our hearing and sense of smell is very sharp
* Hedgehogs are born blind and our vision starts to develop two days after birth
* Hoglets leave their mother and their nest when they are 4-5 weeks old
* We used to live under hedges, but now, due to modern farming methods, we are almost reliant on gardens
* The biggest dangers hedgehogs face are: road traffic, garden chemicals, drowning (in pools and ponds when we fall in and can't climb back out steep sides), bonfires, cattle grids and garden machinery

So if you have a garden please think of my friends and family and make it hedgehog friendly.

Many blessings
Sham

Bye Bye to Texas, Hello Home and Happy Birthday

2011-03-09T19:23:00.009Z

Ooops sorry I hadn't realised it had been so long since I last posted my blog! I had got rather sidetracked by setting up my new Facebook page . Do join me there as well. I can't write as much on there as I can on here but its good for keeping in touch with all my friends and for making new friends.

Yesterday I arrived back at home in the UK just in time for my birthday, today. I really had a wonderful time in Texas. The photo shows how Spring is coming already there - the peach tree is already in full bloom! Unlike the apple tree pictured below who still has her winter coat on but that will soon change; as you can see she has a few buds out.

You can probably also tell that I like sitting in trees. Unusual for a hedgehog I think! I'm always very careful getting up though so the trees don't mind and its a good place to sit and listen to them.

I helped with some more gardening before I left Texas. Here are some lettuces I helped plant. I also said goodbye to all my chicken friends. They have all grown a lot while I have been here and are now all laying eggs. I shall miss them very much.

A very big thank you to Sherry and her family for letting me stay plus a special big thank you to my new friend Jessica for the amulet she gave me. I hope you can see it in the photographs above. Its a fish she painted for me so very special to me as well as very lovely. As you may remember from earlier blogs I discovered my real name was Ezekiel the Fish during my ayahuasca journeys in Peru with Ross Heaven and Tracy Thornbury last August.

It's lovely also to be back home at Indie Shaman for my birthday. Indi said hello and didn't try to eat me at all so she must remember me a bit even though she has grown a lot since I last saw her. I will have to give a hand with the garden here as well as she seems to have dug it all up and it is now mostly mud and big holes!

Many thanks to everyone who has sent me birthday greetings on Facebook and promise to blog again soon.

Happy Winter Solstice and Christmas

2010-12-21T19:45:00.006Z

Hi everyone

Just a quick blog to wish you all a Very Happy Winter Solstice (or Summer Solstice if you are on the other side of the world from me!). I've been chatting to my friend Indi who live with Indie Shaman in England and thought you might like to see the card she sent me. She wishes everyone a very Happy Solstice too.

I have the best present ever. Not only am I getting to stay with my new friend's in Texas over the festive period but I now have my own Facebook page, Shaman Sham. Do join me there. I will be posting all the pictures on there from all the lovely places I have stayed and all the lovely people I have met on my travels.

Talk to you all in the New Year. I am looking for new people and places to visit in 2011 so if you are interested in having me to stay do let me know. I am now quite a mature hedgehog (about 30 in human years) so a fully house trained guest and very well behaved, I promise!

You can contact me via Indie Shaman or my Facebook page. I usually only visit Indie Shaman members but if we know you and you are doing something interesting do send me a message.

In the meantime I wish everyone a Very Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas and a wonderful 2011!

Many blessings to one and all.
Shaman Sham x

2010-11-27T10:41:00.008Z

A big hi to y'all from Texas.

Here I am sitting having a rest in one of the old oak trees in the pasture. There are lots of wonderfully wise trees here who have lived a lot longer than me so know much more than I do.

Not that you get much time for a rest round here. Sherry sure is busy! I've been helping and I thought I'd make a start by sorting out her work bench. It needed a lot of sorting - I think Sherry is too busy to be tidy.

This is Taj Chicken. There are lots of chickens and they were sharing a home with the horses but everyone will be much happier with their own homes so Sherry has been busy building them one.

This is a photo of the chicken beds I helped Sherry build. They don't look that comfy as beds but apparently chickens like them. I think I've got a bit spoiled by all the human beds I've 'borrowed'. Humans like their beds well padded!

Here I am telling the chickens all about their new home and how I helped. They found me very interesting as you can see. There were rather a lot of them so I'm afraid I can't remember who was who. I do know there are a lot of Debbie's who are all Buff Orpingtons. There was also a Penelope but now he's grown he's changed his name to Pete. I don't blame him - Penelope doesn't seem quite right for a rooster of his size!

Talk to ya all again soon

2010-11-16T19:32:00.008Z

Hi everyone

Oooo I didn’t realise how long it had been since I last posted on my blog. Very sorry! It was such a long way to Texas so when I first got here I had a good rest. Here I am sitting on the back porch of my new home-for-a-while. I needed quite a long rest because its a long way to the United States of America and I got a bit over excited because I've never been here before.

This is a picture of what I was looking at. What a wonderful view to have from your back porch!

I am staying with Sherry and she is always pretty busy. She's very good at building things and said I can help her. I'm sure I'll be good at building things too when I've learned how. She also likes taking photos so I should have plenty to share with you. Here I am sat on a wall they built for the flower beds. I'm glad this job was finished because those bricks look a bit heavy for me.

There is plenty of space here for me to stretch my legs so I have been exploring. Here is a new friend I found in the garden. I tried talking to him but I think he was too busy to talk back.

I found these enormous piles of ... something ... too. It took me ages to climb to the top. I asked Sherry about them and she said they were food for the horses. Those horses must be pretty big! I wasn't at all sure I wanted to meet them after that!

While Sherry was brushing the hay from me she explained that the horses didn't eat all the hay bales in one go. It was an easy mistake for a hedgehog to make I think. So we went to meet the horses.Niessa (on the left) and Heidi were very nice. In fact I liked them so much I climbed back onto some hay and as you can see they didn't even try to eat me. Hay makes a very comfy seat but I don't like the taste much.

I promise not to leave it so long before my next blog! June always posts on the Indie Shaman Facebook page when I update my blog so do join us there if you want to know when to visit me again.

p.s. Are you an Indie Shaman member living in the US? If so I would love to stay with you if you would like me to visit? Contact details can be found at indieshaman.co.uk. Thanks :)

Oh I do like to be beside the seaside

2010-10-04T18:19:00.010+01:00

Hi again!

Here I am at Barmouth. Its a very lovely beach with lots of dunes and then a large stretch of sand down to the sea. Indi got very excited as she has never seen the sea before. I have, of course, but I didn't ruin her fun by telling her. It was more enjoyable to watch her running here and there and in and out of the water. Then we had to go back to the car because she got overtired and cried for a sleep. Puppies are so sweet at that age. I can remember when I was only a hoglet and used to need a sleep when I got over excited as well.

Isn't this lovely? Its Llangollen. There is lots you can do at Llangollen including a steam train and a horse drawn boat down the canal. It was very busy when we visited as it was a Saturday so we just went for a walk around the town and spent most of our time by the river. This is the River Dee and you can get right down to the edge of it to. I had read that salmon go down this river so this was a good opportunity to have a look for the Wise Salmon!

First though a photo opportunity as you could get right down onto the rocks. There were some young lads down there and June was giggling when they asked Simon 'why are you taking photos of that teddy?' Maybe they couldn't see me that well as I think its quite obvious I'm a rather handsome specimen of hedgehog. Simon told them I had a blog on the internet. Actually Simon and I had quite an audience of people watching him take the photos, which I'm sure he enjoyed as much as I did.

Indi saw some ducks and said she would go and ask them if they had seen any salmon. They wouldn't speak to her. I think it might have helped communication if she had put her tongue away and stopped licking her lips!

So I decided to have a look for myself. The ducks seemed to let me closer than they let Indi. I could see some very small fish so I sat very still and waited until some came close enough to talk to. They were all swimming about in and out of each other. I asked them where I could find Wisdom. They answered as a shoal. Their reply was:

"Wisdom
....................... is
................................. in
...looking"

I thanked them for their answer and thought about it all the way back to the caravan. The next day was time to go home ... and I've had the chance to continue looking ...

I'm off to Texas in the U.S. Yee Haw!!

Rhaeadr Ddu

2010-09-21T20:01:00.007+01:00

Here I am at the amazing Rhaeadr Ddu (Black Waterfalls) at Ganllwyd. These waterfalls are surrounded by beautiful woodlands which we walked through to get to where I am sitting here. This is one of June's most favourite places. She found it when she was driving down the road last year and recalled a childhood memory from when she was a child. The memory was of someone picking her up to look at the double waterfall you can see from the road's edge so she must have been a very small child indeed because she's a bit big to pick up now (but don't say I told you that!).

I'd heard that salmon can jump up waterfalls so this seemed to be a very good place to look for the Wise Salmon because if I were him I would want to live here. This photo doesn't really do the Rhaeadr Ddu justice as it was taken from the bottom. It looks much bigger from the top but June didn't want to climb up there and wouldn't let me do it either in case I ended up falling in again and being swept away. So we sent Simon up instead but he said he couldn't see any salmon from the top.

He did spot an amazing seat in the rock though a bit further down which was the perfect size for a hedgehog to sit in and look into the river. So I sat down to rest for a while and looked into the river. It was very beautiful and peaceful so I think if the Salmon was there he may have been having a little sleep. Not that I had a little sleep ... I just rested my eyes while I was resting my paws after I had been looking for a while.

June and Simon then said it was time for them to rest their paws as well over a cup of coffee. So just before we went June and Indi helped me have one last look into the river for salmon.

Still no salmon but it wasn't the end of our holiday yet so I still have one more story to tell of my time in Wales so do visit my blog again soon.

The Search for Salmon

2010-09-14T20:21:00.010+01:00

When we got to Wales I was very happy to learn that there was a river on the site we were staying at. So I got to work straight away looking for the Wise Salmon. June said she wasn't sure there were salmon in that river but nothing ventured nothing gained I say. As you can see its a very pretty river with lots of stones and things you can stand on. Its called the River Twrch. Did you know the Welsh for river is Afon (pronounced Avon with the 'a' like in apple)? So the River Avon (the 'a' is pronounced like in bay) which starts near where Indie Shaman is based must be the river River!

We were staying at the campsite at Bwch yn Uchaf, which is in Llanuwchllyn, Bala. This is in the Snowdonia National Park at the foot of the Aran and Arenig mountain range and about a mile from Bala Lake. Its very beautiful round here. There is even a little steam engine which runs near the site so you can watch that as well or go on it for a trip into Bala.

Indi is my friend now. She mostly just licks me on the nose which is much better than trying to bite my nose off. We discovered we have a lot in common as we both come from rescues. She comes from Four Paws Animal Rescue who helped her mum so Indi had lovely foster homes to be born in and live in until June and Simon found her. I of course come from Secret World Wildlife Rescue and was adopted with the help of all the Indie Shaman members and customers.

Indi was helping me look for salmon and said she might have found something near this rock. She didn't know if it was salmon or not because she is still too young to know what a salmon is yet. This was her first adventure so she isn't quite as experienced a traveller as me.

I decided to get down onto a rock to look for myself. I couldn't see any salmon so I peered a little closer and that was when .... I fell in! Luckily as you can see the water was shallow so I only got my back wet and Simon fished me out quickly before I floated away down the river.

It was a bit of a shock though and I was a bit exhausted after all that excitement so June gave me a lift on the walk back to the caravan. June and Simon promised to take me to look in another river another day after I'd had a chance to get warm and dry again so I wasn't too disappointed. I'll blog about that adventure soon.

Starting the Search for Salmon

2010-09-03T11:13:00.005+01:00

I’m back at home with Indie Shaman. June said I needed a little rest after my travels around the UK, Ireland, Greece and Peru so that’s what I’ve been doing. Everyone was very interested to hear about my experiences in Peru. I learned so much and had a great time with Ross Heaven and hope to visit him again one day in Spain. And as you can see he gave me a wonderful wooden pendant to take home with me.

Unfortunately I haven’t been able to carry out my new cosmic purpose yet as no-one has any shrimp. I’ve talked a lot about my new cosmic purpose, all the important shaman I met and all the important ceremonies and blessings I took part in. June said I could do with a little grounding as well as a rest. I think I got the grounding when I met Indi, the new puppy, as she seemed to think I was a new ‘Mr Squeaky’! A ‘Mr Squeaky’ apparently being a cuddly toy belonging to Indi and I’ve seen what’s left of her cuddly toys!!

There have been some questions about what to call me now since my discovery that I am Ezekiel the Fish. I’ve decided not to change my name officially as I’m quite well known and Sham is the name by which everyone knows me. So you can call me by whichever name you prefer and I'll answer to both!

While I’ve been resting I’ve been looking up more about fish and have been learning about the Salmon of Wisdom. The oldest and wisest of these Salmon is the Salmon of Llyn Llyw who apparently can be found in the estuary of Afon Hafren (the River Severn). Afon Hafren starts in the Cambrian Mountains and makes its way to the sea between Wales and England. Where I am now isn’t very far from this at all and when I heard June and Si were going to Wales I got very excited and asked if I could go as well because I want to look for this Salmon!

However they are not going to mid Wales but to North Wales. At first I was disappointed but then I found out about the Welsh Dee Salmon. These swim across the Atlantic, go up the Wirral estuary marches, past Chester, Overton and Erbistock, then past the racecourse at Bangor, through the vale of Llangollen, across Corwen and Bala to swim in the pools and falls of Snowdonia. And Si and June are going to be staying at Bala and walking in Snowdonia! So I’m going too to look for these wise Welsh Salmon. In fact it might be easier to talk to one of the Dee Salmon rather than the Salmon of Llyn Llyw given as there is only one of him and he sounds incredibly old and clever so is probably very busy.

The only thing of slight concern is Indi is going too, but I’m sure we will have sorted out our slight misunderstanding by then …

p.s. June asked me to add that Indie Shaman will be closed from today until Sunday 12th September, apart from the forum which will be open as usual. Will talk to you all again when we get back!

Ezekiel the Fish in Peru

2010-08-07T11:07:00.014+01:00

Well, my time in Peru is nearly up and Tracie says she’s going to pack me up and send me home next week. I’ve had a lovely time here at Ross’ ayahuasca healing centre.

I’ve been to lots of ayahuasca ceremonies led by about five different shamans. One of them learned my real name (Ezekiel) and I’m thinking about changing it permanently now.

Another one blessed me and Ross gave me a floral bath to bring me power and luck.

I’ve also been to San Pedro ceremonies with Ross and other shamans and, of course, I spoke at the Amazonian Shamanism Conference and was quite riveting.

In my ayahuasca journeys I saw that I am a fish not a hedgehog and that my cosmic purpose is to eat shrimp. I shall get to work on that as soon as I am home.

Ross has another healing centre in Spain (

www.thehummingbird.org) and I really hope I’ll be allowed to visit there next April when Ross gets back from Peru to run his shamanic courses.

Bye for now,Ezekiel the Fish

2010-07-16T11:47:00.011+01:00

Sham, Ross Heaven & La Gringa in Karma Cafe Iquitos

Hola everyone! (that's Spanish for hello)

I've been having a fantastic time in Iquitos Peru hanging out with Ross & Tracie at the Hummingbird Healing Centre

I am finding out who I really am and at times begin to wonder if I am truly a hedgehog or perhaps some reincarnation of an ancient jungle shaman. In fact a shaman here has discovered my true name, Iziekel, but you can still call me Sham if you want.

So far I've been to 2 San Pedro ceremonies and 2 Ayahuasca ceremonies, where I learnt a lovely icaro which I shall sing for everyone at Indie Shaman when I come home.

About coming home...I miss all my friends in England but I feel very drawn to the jungle and I'm having a flirtation with a sloth called Finn.

Ross & Tracie took me to the 6th Annual Amazonian Shaman Conference, but I got very tired as it went late in to the night and I had my photo taken with all types of people who wanted to cuddle me and it was all a bit too much for a small hedgehog (if I am in fact a hedgehog). On the way home from the conference our motocaro tipped over, but don't worry, no one was hurt, some burly men tipped us right side up and we continued home.

I have also made friends with 2 lovely dogs, Felis Compleanos (a small headed, big bodied creature who isn't very bright) and Moon Vomit, who is really still only a pup and a bit silly.

Ross introduced me to a giant dung beetle called Michael at the Anaconda market and I wasn't even scared even though he tried to roll me like a peice of dung. There's to be a retreat at the centre next week and Tracie has asked me to help with the flower baths so when I come home I can show everyone how to make them.

lotsa love to everyone
Izekiel (Sham)

Going to stay with Ross Heaven in Peru!

2010-06-25T10:19:00.013+01:00

Hi everyone. Here I am back in England at Indie Shaman. It was a pretty exciting journey back from Greece which started out with me travelling on the back of a motorbike through the streets of Athens! Here are some photos from my last look around Athens.

Here is a wonderful photo of ancient Greece in Modern Athens - The Acropolis. I will miss Cathy and her family very much and had a lovely time while I was staying with them.

Here are some apartments like the one I was staying in. Look at those lovely balconies.

Biscuit was waiting to greet me when I got back to Indie Shaman after my long journey. She told me the sad news that my dear friend Cara, the black Labrador, had passed on to the Otherworld last Friday.

She also told me something about the secret surprise. Apparently she overheard June saying something to Simon about the best way to send a hedgehog to Peru!

So after there had been cuddles all round I asked June and ...

Today I am going to start my journey again as I AM GOING TO STAY WITH ROSS HEAVEN IN PERU! (sorry about the shouting ... June said I have to calm down before I go so I may have to practice my deep breaths and meditating).

June says its a very long journey and I can't go in my box because of my weight and that stuff humans use called money. I'm not sure what's wrong with my weight although admittedly I'm quite a healthy round hedgehog. June said if I was brave enough they will wrap me up well in a bag I can sleep in for the journey. Of course I'm brave enough so I'm off today!

There may be a gap in my blogs while I travel to Peru but do check back for updates. June will also let you know when I have a new blog on our Facebook page

I am so looking forward to meeting Ross Heaven and his friends in Peru. Plus ... I'm going to be blessed by a Shipibo shaman! I must be the luckiest hedgehog in the world!

Here in Greece but where next?

2010-06-17T09:58:00.007+01:00

Ο εξαιρετικός περιπλανόμενος σκατζόχειρος σαμάνος Σαμ
( o exeretikos periplanomenos skanjoheros samanos Sam)

Shaman the extraordinary wandering hedgehog

I think my Greek has improved .... don't you?

Cathy and June from Indie Shaman have been plotting a secret surprise. I'm not sure what is going on other than I have to start packing again as I'm going back home to Indie Shaman. But apparently I won't have time to unpack as then I'm on my way to a secret destination. Will tell you all about it as soon as I know. It's all very exciting and very mysterious.

Before I packed I got out and about to take a look at some of Athens which is the capital of Greece. I'll post some more about that soon before I go. Its got very hot here, mid 30's C (90's F) so it will be quite nice to be somewhere a bit cooler for a while .... I'm not really designed for this heat.

While it was so hot I took the opportunity to look at some of Cathy's artwork. I'm sure she won't mind. Here's the Baron and a pretty lady. I've met him and he's quite the gentleman.

Cathy takes commissions on these wonderful Spirit Guide Portraits and you can see more of them if you click on the link. I had been hoping to paint a little something myself as I have a small talent of my own you know. But I somehow never managed to get the time so I think it will have to wait until another visit.

Humm ... I think we have the same chin. How great is this painting?! Cathy also takes Portrait and Pet Portrait commissions. Incidentally don't my glasses look cool? I think someone should paint my portrait as apparently I'm pretty memorable.

Got to go now as I'm going for a last look at Athens and have some more packing to do. I'm so curious as to where I'm going next. I'm going to see if I can get Cathy to tell me. Will let you all know as soon as I do!

Shaman Sham meets Mr Yucca Tree

2010-06-07T18:45:00.009+01:00

I’ve taken a nice long rest since my arrival in Athens. The journey had been a bit bumpy and I seemed to have caught a slight chill but Cathy had been looking after me well with plenty of bowls of hot snail soup.

But today as I opened my eyes I felt much more as a strapping young hedgehog should feel.

”Kali mera Athina!” (Good morning Athens) I said stretching my arms wide and yawning. Yes, Josephinaki the cat has become a good friend during my stay and has been teaching me a little Greek.

Through the balcony doors I could see the large yucca tree waving its leaves in welcome. So with a little hop I slipped from beneath the covers and padded out onto the balcony. As a very polite little hedgehog I had greeted the giant yucca on arrival but hadn’t yet had time to form a closer acquaintance with the illustrious green being and Dilbert the Dragon of the pot.

“Hello young fellow.” said the tree in a benevolent tone.

“Hello Mr. Yucca tree sir” I said, rather bravely I think, as I stared up at the awesome being. Slowly the great old yucca lowered its fronds to stroke me on my head.

“Oh that’s very touching.” Came a voice from the pot. “I suppose no one thought to say hello to me!”

And there sure enough was a rather grumpy looking dragon guarding not only the pot but some marbles of which he appeared to be very fond, seeing them as some kind of exotic jewel. Being a rather wise little hedgehog I decided not to enlighten him on the matter.

Instead I gave a quick little bow in the Dragon’s direction and hoped he wasn’t partial to a nice bit of hedgehog pie.

“Don’t worry about Dilbert,” said the old yucca reassuringly. He’s always a bit grumpy till he’s had a drop of dragon’s dew. “How about you climb up on my branches before I getting a crick in my neck.

“Here “said the Jessie weed, “take this golden flower it will help you to fly.”

So I clicked his heels together 3 times and holding the golden flower ever so tightly set off on my journey up the giant yucca. I spent many an hour listening to the tales of long ago and what it was like when trees walked the earth. I could see Dilbert the Dragon sitting at the bottom pretending he wasn’t listening as he polished his marbles and watered Jessie the weed.

I slept very happily in the tree that night as the large green being sang me to sleep deep into the night.

From Athens with love

2010-05-04T19:46:00.009+01:00

It was sad to part from Oldrock and Pebbles but once I was safely tucked up in my box I soon became caught up with the excitement of the journey before me.

I was on my way to Athens. home to the gods of ancient Greece, and the thought of being able to breathe the same air and tread with my little paws where they had trod was more than a little thrilling. I wondered if Zeus would be there to meet me and hoped he wouldn’t prod me with his thunderbolt ...but then decided from what I’d heard he would probably be off somewhere chasing a nymph or two.

I slept for most of the journey and munched on my supply of wormy things ,(which I just happened to have about my person).

Even though I was inside my box it was easy to tell that I was in Greece. The air seemed warmer and I had the curious feeling that the postman danced rather than walked. There was a lot of chatter but I found I couldn’t understand what was being said. It was as they say “all Greek to me.” Fortunately one of the worms I had with me was bilingual and could translate. So I decided that in recognition of his `Outstanding Service to Hedgehogdom’ I would make him a free worm and not eat him.

Once in Athens I slept the night in the post office just up the road from where Cathy lives. The parcel department was pretty full. Now and then I was awakened by the clink of glasses and heard the sounds of ”Ooopa ... Oooopa..” and the distinctive tone of bouzouki music as the occupants of the other parcels danced and sang into the night. Being a very young hedgehog I knew I needed my rest but it was fun to peep through a hole in my box at the goings on around me.

The next day Cathy came to collect me from the post office.

Josephinaki the cat was there to greet me when she opened the box.

I think we’re going to be great friends as she could hardly wait to get into my box and was nice enough to let me sit on her back.

I’m looking forward to exploring the giant yucca. I’ve heard there may be a dragon and some fairies living in it so I’ll let you know if I find any.

Back soon with more exciting news of the Adventures of Shaman Sham.

Help Save the Welsh Badgers!

2010-04-05T11:53:00.004+01:00

Hi everyone. As you all know my name is Shaman Sham the Wandering Hedgehog and I was born when Indie Shaman members adopted a hedgehog from Secret World Wildlife Rescue.

I’m getting ready to hit the road again, or rather to go for another trip in an aeroplane. It’s very exciting! This time I’m off to Greece so look out for me blogging from there soon. I’ll be staying with the very talented artist Cathy Leigh-Tsoukalas who also runs the Indie Shaman Forum.

While I was packing I was browsing the Indie Shaman Facebook page and noticed that my friends the badgers are still at risk in Wales! So I just had to take the time to tell you all about it and ask if you would like to support helping the badgers. I’m not going to talk about the scientific evidence in my blog as you can read it here. However I have been studying it and culling badgers has been proved to have no part to play in the control of Bovine TB in cattle so why is the Welsh Assembly carrying on with the murder of badgers?

Please help save my friends, the Welsh badgers, by signing the petition or taking part in an event. You will find more information on the Secret World Wildlife Rescue website or on the Facebook page ‘No to Pembrokeshire Badger Cull'.

Many thanks
Talk to you all again soon
Sham

Learning photography in Tralee

2010-03-22T17:43:00.011Z

I've been on a trip to Tralee with Oldrock and Pebbles so I've been learning all about it. Here's a photo I took of Pebbles by the famous statue of the Rose of Tralee. Yes, Oldrock has been teaching me to use the camera!

Tralee is in County Kerry and famous for the 'Rose of Tralee', one of the country's biggest festivals. The festival was inspired by a ballad about a woman called Mary. She was very beautiful and that is why she was called the Rose of Tralee.

"The pale moon was rising above the green mountain
The sun was declining beneath the blue sea
When I strayed with my love to the pure crystal fountain
That stands in beautiful vale of Tralee.

She was lovely and fair as the rose of the summer
Yet, 'twas not her beauty alone that won me
Oh no! 'Twas the the truth in her eye ever beaming
That made me love Mary, the Rose of Tralee..."

The words are credited to C. Mordaunt Spencer and the music that goes with them is by Charles W. Glover. The song was made in the nineteenth century which is a long time ago.

Here's another photo I took of Pebbles on the play slide in the park. I was going to have a go but it was too high for me to slide down and I was frightened of getting stuck on my own needles. It would have been embarrassing to ask Oldrock and Pebbles to extract them from me so I stuck to taking photos instead.

We also visited a Saint Patricks day parade in Tralee but it was awkward for Oldrock to get pictures as he had his hands full minding me and Pebbles. He had to hold onto us both because there were lots of people there and neither of us wanted to get lost. I couldn't take photos either because I had my hands full holding onto Oldrock.

Afterwards we went for a walk, so on with the wellies for Pebbles as he enjoy splashing in puddles. I think I took a very nice photo of Pebbles and his Mom during the walk.

Oldrock said he had the massage table ready for treatments back at home if they were needed. Me and Pebbles didn't need a massage though because we had a nice relaxing sleep on the way back.

When I woke up I managed to get a hug from Pebbles mum too .... well she is very pretty ....

Aberdeen surprise

2010-02-25T20:49:00.014Z

What a surprise Oldrock had for me! He was visiting his daughter in Scotland and he took me with him. I got to fly on a plane properly. I've been on a plane before of course when I came to Ireland but I didn't see much of it because I was in my travelling box that time. It was so much better flying with Oldrock.

So we went to Aberdeen. We flew from Cork to Dublin and then to Aberdeen where we stayed with Oldrock's eldest daughter. She gave a funny look to Oldrock when I was taken out of his backpack. I can't think why ...

While I was there I was taught how to swim in the North Sea. I was very safe because Oldrock put something on my arms so I wouldn't sink even if I didn't kick hard enough. Ohhhhh it was cold and afterwards I had to dry myself warm again quickly.

We also visited Duthie Park which was a fantasic place with lots of plants and trees. I felt really at home there.

I even sat on a cactus plant. I don't recommend that ... my spikes didn't protect me so I'm sure it would be even worse for people without spikes. Ouch! I learned lots of cactus aren't called cactuses. I also learned to treat cacti with respect and not to get so close to them in future.

At one stage I got so tired Oldrock's daughter carried me. I like her a lot because it was very nice of her to notice my legs were wearing out.

To finish the day I practiced my swimming and went skinny dipping in a pond I found in the tropical part of the Park. Luckily no-one was around to see.

Shaman Sham goes to University

2010-02-13T11:59:00.012Z

I had a treatment from Oldrock who is a Neuromuscular Therapist. He did explain what this means and its something to do with using static pressure points. The treatment was absolute heaven. You would have thought he would have been nervous about giving a treatment to a hedgehog but he wasn't and amazingingly my spikes did not stick into him at all.

I have booked in to get more treatments before I leave here. It helps no end when you have to travel in a very small travelling compartment which can leave you a bit achey even if you are a very young hedgehog like I am.

So on to the university where I saw where Oldrock works. I think he has a easy life here because I sat on his desk while he "worked" and look - is that the Indie Shaman site on his computer? He took some photos of me for my blog while we were there then the battery failed in the camera so we will get more pictures later.

I wanted to give a lecture in a lecture hall that has had the same seating for the last 120 years but unfortunately no students turned up. I'm sure I would have been very good though if they had and the lecture hall was very big and impressive.

So instead I had a sit down and let Oldrock have his say instead. I had a lovely day at the university and I'm sure I soaked up lots of learning from just being in the building as well as from listening to Oldrock.

Oldrock tells me he has a surprise for me later this week. Watch this space and I will let you know as soon as he tells me.

Meeting Old Rock and Pebbles

2010-02-04T20:51:00.011Z

Butterflywings told me there would be a surprise for my last night staying with her so I was really excited last Friday evening. It always makes me happy sad when I hit the road again - happy to be on the move and meeting more friends and sad to be leaving my old friends.

The surprise was a drumming session with my Indie Shaman friends and some new friends as well. We all had a wonderful time and I think a drumming session is a very good idea for a Shaman's move-on party. Actually I have a sneaking suspicion that Butterflywings may hold these full moon drumming sessions once a month anyway but it was still a wonderful gathering for my last evening so it doesn't matter does it? After the drumming I said a sad bye bye to Butterflywings and a happy hello to Old Rock.

Old Rock then took me to his home and let me light a night light at his alter to bring in the new day.

Then on Saturday he introduced me to some more new friends so I won't be lonely when he goes to work and we relaxed and sat around the fire.

On Sunday, Old Rock took me to Kerry to meet his daughter and grandson. I got on very well with Pebbles. We both fell asleep in the car when we went out. Well there would be lots to see and do, so I wanted to make some more energy and you do that when you are asleep.

We did lots of exploring and visited Listowel and Tralee. Luckily Pebbles has short legs like me so we didn't have to walk very fast. I also like to have a rest now and again and this was a very comfy hedge to rest on. I like to listen to the song of the river and this was the perfect seat to do that.

We even did some tree climbing and I was very brave and had a go too. Old Rock had to give me a bit of a hand though as hedgehogs aren't really designed for climbing trees.

Look out for my next blog because Old Rock said I'm going to university soon! I wasn't sure what a university was but he explained its a place where people go to learn so it sounds just my type of place.

Exploring Kilbrittain

2010-01-28T20:18:00.010Z

Today we went out to explore around where Butterflywings lives. First we went to the beach at Harbour View. The tide was out and we had to walk a long way to get to the water. I had to sit down on the way as my legs were aching from walking in the sand. Fortunately Mr Butterflywings had a plastic bag in his pocket and he let me sit on it so I didn't get my bottom wet.

I think they took pity on me then as they let me sit up on the breakwater and rest for a while. It was a bit green and slimy but I had a good view from there. A great big white bird, which I learnt was a seagull, seemed to want to sit next to me so I got down then. Well it was a lot bigger than me.

Then I found worms! I was really excited about this as I didn't know you could get worms on the beach. I was hoping that I would be left alone so I could have a snack ...

From one part of the beach I could see a big house in the distance. Butterflywings explained that this was Coolmain Castle which belongs to the Disney family, the same family that makes all the films like Mickey Mouse and Cinderella. She also told me that this wasn't the only castle in Kilbrittain and so on the way home we stopped to see the other one.
You can actually see Kilbrittain castle from Butterflywings garden but it looks much bigger close up. She told me that it is the oldest inhabited castle in Ireland. I bet it's full of all kinds of spirits whooo, whooo, whooo.

After this we went to Kilbrittain woods. The woods are quite big and just as you go in there is a river which goes down to the sea. We stopped on a little wooden bridge over the river. Butterflywings had to hold onto me as she was worried I would fall in when I climbed up to sit on the bridge.

The stone bridge is called Deasy's Bridge and the other side of it is the estuary, then the sea. I learnt that lots of birds migrate here in the winter and live in the estuary for a while.

Visiting the stone circle at Drombeg

2010-01-24T10:36:00.012Z

The floods, ice and snow have all gone and the sun was shining so we all went out for the day to visit the stone circle at Drombeg. I wasn't sure what to expect but the stone circle was quite big, or maybe I'm just a bit small. It was good as I got to sit up on one of the stones. I did ask the stones for permission first and they said yes, I think that's because I'm a Shaman as Butterflywings and Mr Butterflywings didn't sit up on them.

I learnt that Drombeg is probably Ireland's most famous stone circle. Drombeg means Druid's Altar and the circle has seventeen pillar stones made of local sandstone.

Butterflywings said I should sit on the flat stone in the centre I think she said something about a sacrifice but I must have misheard her as there were lots of things on the stone that looked like offerings. At least I didn't have to sit in the water or I'd have got a bit wet.

I also went to look at the Fulacht fiadh which is a communal cooking pit with a hearth. Hot stones were taken from the fire and dropped into the water trough, I learnt that these stones could boil seventy gallons of water in about fifteen minutes.

The people who lived there had two huts made of stone and you can still see where they were. This is me sat in the doorway that joined them.

Mr Butterflywings took a photo of me with Butterflywings. Its good she had a nice bright coat on so I couldn't lose her. The stone circle looks quite good behind us doesn't it.
Just before we left I asked the stones if I could sit tight up on one of the largest ones. We had a bit of trouble as most of them sloped but this one was really comfy. I just wanted to sit and soak up the energy for a while before we left.

Learning about the Sidhe

2010-01-14T09:56:00.006Z

I see a tall dark, handsome stranger.....no wait, that's me. I really must get the hang of this scrying. Maybe the light's too bright or something, now let me see............no just me in there, good job I am so handsome.

I've been practicing some more of my shamanic skills too. I have had a go at dowsing for flower essences and using the flower essence cards to select them. These are some of the ones I liked the look of all I have to do now is work out what they are for. Maybe I can journey to find out.

I've been reading the Nature Speak cards too. I like these and I've borrowed some glasses so I can see them more clearly. Don't I look distinguished in them.

Butterflywings says that if I'm in Ireland I really should learn about the Sidhe. She gave me this book to read. So far I've found out that 'The Sidhe' can mean people of the mounds or the lordly ones or the good people. It's really another name for fairies.

It says the Sidhe settled in Ireland millennia ago and after a battle retreated to a different dimension of time and space. It is said they live underground in mounds, fairy raths and cairns. My book also says that the Sidhe are tall and handsome, dress richly and that their halls are richly decorated with sumptuous foods and drinks.Oohh maybe I'm a Sidhe, that sounds just like me.

The Sidhe protect trees and mounds and can curse any mortal who destroys or damages them. Good job I'm Shaman Sham and would never do anything like that or I think they'd scare me a little.

I'm going to keep a look out for them or rather an ear out for my book says that whenever the Sidhe appear there is a strange sound like the humming of thousands of bees and also a whirlwind is caused.

Shaman Sham learns all about snow

2010-01-11T15:13:00.010Z

Wow, so that's what snow is, I've been reading about other Indie Shaman having snow and have seen some of their pictures but I didn't really understand what it was. I was so excited that Butterflywings found me a hat and scarf so I didn't get cold and then she let me go outside in the snow. Mr Butterflywings said I looked like Paddington Bear but I don't know who that is so I'm not sure if that's a good thing or not.

Butterflywings said I could help feed the birds and so she helped me climb up onto the bird table. I had a look into the container to see if there was anything I might like. All I can say is the birds must be very hungry if that's what they eat.

I was a bit damp after I climbed back down so I went and hid under the bamboo for a while as it wasn't snowing so much there. I didn't realise that snow was wet. It doesn't look it does it. Ohh there's always so much to learn.

I found a new friend in the garden and decided to hang out with him for a bit. His name is Buddha and he was sheltering from the snow too. He doesn't say much though, very quiet and inscrutable.

Mr Butterflywings said that if I was staying outside I might like to play in the snow. He told me about snowballs and building snowmen and I was quite excited about having a go but then he told me that there wasn't enough snow and we'd have to wait until there was. He's very kind though because he made me a sledge and pushed me around the garden on it until he go too tired and said he had to go back indoors.

Then I found some footprints in the snow. I think they belong to the Sidhe. I'm sure they like playing in the snow too so it must be them.

Butterflywings said that as there were no cars around I could go and sit on the wall so I could see the snow across the crossroads and down the valley.

After that I really was getting a bit cold so when I got back in the house we put my scarf and hat on the radiator to dry and I went and sat by the fire so I could get nice and warm again.

Happy New Year from Shaman Sham

2010-01-03T10:19:00.024Z

Happy New Year! I've been learning all about New Year which is the first day on the Gregorian calender. That means people who use that calender get to have the day off work and set off fireworks. I think fireworks are scary but Butterflywings told me I was quite safe in the house and kept me company so I was very brave and hardly scared at all once she had got me out from under the bed.

At new year people make resolutions. I don't know why. Butterflywings explained that a resolution is when you promise to yourself to do something. Most people make resolutions to give up smoking, stop drinking, eat healthily or get fit. But I don't smoke or drink and I'm sure I am fit and eat healthily. So I resolved to learn lots like a Shaman should do.

So I've been being nosey, sorry I mean inquisitive, and have been exploring the Haven on my own. Well it's important that I know where everything is and what it does. That's what Shaman do isn't it, and anyway, if Butterflywings is busy maybe I can work with her tools for her. She tells me she makes her own tools and so far I've found one of her rattles and her wand.

I think I'll have to squeeze these in as well when I go. Well if she makes her own then she can make some more, she'll hardly miss these will she.

I also found this big bowl of crystals. I don't think Butterflywings really works with these with other people but she uses them in her healing tools. She also told me they make good presents for people. I think food would make a better present though. I think I'll suggest it to her, just in case she'd like to give me anything.

Oooh I've seen feathers like these before when I stayed with Nelly. The smudge feathers were made by Nelly and the wolf is called Teltunuk. The other feathers are from eagles. I don't know where Butterflywings got them though, I've seen robins, sparrows, chaffinches, magpies and crows here but no eagles. I think if I saw one I'd hide though, just in case it wanted to eat me.

There are feathers in these prayer feathers too. Butterflywings told me they are supposed to be outside in the earth but she keeps hers inside instead. I hope I get to make some of my own.

I also found two of Butterflywings auragraphs. I think they are a type of reading and tell you about yourself. Maybe if I ask her nicely she'd do one for me. I wonder if it would have snails, ants, flies or worms in it. I'm sure these are some of my guides, they are very important to me. I'm not sure you are supposed to eat your guides though are you?

Decorating the tree

2009-12-20T12:11:00.010Z

I've just been learning a bit about Christmas trees, Butterflywings doesn't have a real one as Harrie would only try and climb it but she does have quite a nice 'pretend' one. I thought I'd see what tree climbing was like...phew made half way up anyway, this is hard work, don't know how Harrie does it, I've seen her out in the garden when she thinks no-one is looking.

What's that? If I stay here I have to be the fairy? I'd better get down quickly then. I've been reading about sidhe which is what Irish fairies are called and I'm not sure they'd want to sit on top of a Christmas tree. If they wouldn't do it I'm sure a Shaman wouldn't want to either.

I found these in a box. I think they go on the tree or something, don't tell me I'll have to climb all the way up again.

Oooh look, more stuff. Don't you think they suit me? These crackers are just Sham size and they sound great when you rattle them I think there is something inside them. All I need now is someone to pull them with me.

Great here's Harrie, maybe she'll help me pull the crackers.

Oops it wasn't me, it was her. It really was all nice and tidy until Harrie arrived. I hope I don't have to clear it all up.

Well that's the tree finished. Harrie and I are quite pleased with it really, it's not bad for our first attempt.

Making Christmas Cake

2009-12-13T11:17:00.004Z

I've been really busy the last few days, I've learnt to make a Christmas cake. I didn't know what one was, this is my first Christmas after all, but Butterflywings told me its a special cake that you only have at Christmas, whatever that is, I expect I'll find out soon.

First I helped mix all the ingredients together. We put in stuff that looked like ants and flies but I was told they were currants and raisins. I hope they taste as good as ants and flies.

The cake went into an oven to be cooked which is strange, I don't cook my food. This is what it looked like when it came out again. It smelt ok I suppose but not as good as snails.

We took the cake out of the tin and I got a good look at it. I wanted to taste it but I was told I had to wait. I'm not sure what I have to wait for though.

Today Butterflywings cut some off the cake to make it flat. I got to eat it. It's quite good really. I'll have to be careful I don't end up as fat as Snowball a hedgehog in England who kept eating dog food. I've tried Harrie's but she has biscuits and they're quite hard so the Christmas cake is better.

This was great, I got to make myself some worms from something called marzipan. Don't suppose they're as good as real ones but I'm going to eat them now and find out.

2009-12-07T19:48:00.008Z

Today was brilliant, I found lots of shiny things in The Haven that June has in the Indie Shaman shop. I didn't ask June if I could play with hers because she said they were for sale, but I did manage to get hold of Butterflywings ones and boy do they make a lot of noise, sorry I mean beautiful sounds :)

Really I saw these the other day when I was using the labyrinth but I didn't get chance to play them then, I think they are called desk chimes. I've been waiting for a chance to climb back onto the desk and have a go and today I made it. It's easy really, all you have to do is touch them and they play themselves. I don't know why humans make so much fuss about playing instruments.

As I was having so much fun, Butterflywings got the Aura Chimes down from the window sill as she thought I'd fall off if I tried to climb up to them. I like these as when I hit them with the stick, I think it's called a beater, I got shivers all through me. It felt really nice. I think I'd like to keep these. I hope my suitcase is big enough. Maybe if I ask real nice I could have a new suitcase. I think there are lots of things I'd like to keep and I still need space for my food........
I think these are called singing bowls. One of them was a bit big for me but it made a nice deep sound, like the Earth humming. Butterflywings says she got this one from the Indie Shaman shop. I think it's a good size for humans but not for hedgehogs. The little one was perfect for me and I managed to hold onto it even when I ran the beater round the outside. I think I played too much and the sound got too high or something as Harrie the cat ran away and even the spider hid. I asked Butterflywings about it and she told me it's the singing bowl she uses for healing and that the sound changes when you play it, sometimes it's very high but sometimes its low. If I hold onto this I can keep practicing, maybe I'll try while the others are asleep.

Exploring the Haven

2009-12-05T11:32:00.010Z

Ireland is nice but it's very wet and it keeps raining. Butterflywings says that the garden is too soggy for me to go in as I forgot to bring my wellies, so she's letting me explore The Haven instead.

I like The Haven as it's where Butterflywings works and its full of brilliant stuff. She doesn't have anything to eat in there except for a spider I found but I don't like the taste of them much. I have found loads of books though. My favourite shelf is one with lots of books on Shamanism and I even found Jim PathFinder Ewing's book. Jim is going to be in the next Indie Shaman Magazine and I've held one of his books, maybe I can pretend I read it too. I really was thinking about it but then I saw...

...the labyrinth. Butterflywings says she has a really big one in the garden and we can go there when it's dry. She let me sit on her desk so I could work with this one though and my paws are just the right size.

When she wasn't looking I climbed into the willow and sat inside with all her pendulums.

This is my favourite one. Its a blue tourmaline and Butterflywings says it's a Shaman's stone so I think I'm going to see if she will let me keep it, after all I am Shaman Sham.

After all the exploring I was tired so I had to have a lie down on the treatment table. I must say it is really snuggly here so I think I'll just have a bit of a snooze.

Arriving in Ireland

2009-11-26T18:38:00.007Z

Phew, I'm glad Winter packed me so well in such a warm box and remembered to include some tasty snails and worms. It seemed a very long way to Ireland and I had to go in a van again and then across some water and then when I got to Ireland they had floods so I was stuck in Winter's box for days and days. Some nice people in An Post took care of me though and made sure I didn't get wet but I was very glad when I reached Butterflywing's house and she freed me.

After I met Butterflywings she introduced me to Mr BW and Harrie the cat. As you can see Harrie and I got on really well and she wanted to hear all about my adventures - so of course I had to tell her! I asked Harrie about the Sidhe and where they lived but she said they were a secret and I'd have to be very clever if I was to find them. Of course as I am clever I'm bound to find them while I'm here.
After Harrie and I had had a nice chat Mr BW made me a nice cup of tea in his brand new mug. I felt really welcome especially as he then gave me a can of something called Murphys which he said I'd enjoy.

Butterflywings was going on and on about my being under age and took it away from me so I'm not really sure what Murphys is but it smelt good though. Maybe Mr BW will give me some more when she's not around.

The Hunt Continues

2009-11-13T16:19:00.010Z

Here is a photo of me with Whitby Abbey in the background. When you've gone up all the steps it is a good idea to visit Whitby Abbey on the same day as St Mary's Church. There is a lift up from the visitor's centre though for those who can't travel up in a bag like I did. Whitby Abbey was once a Benedictine Monastery until the Vikings came. It was refounded in 1078 and lasted until the reign of Henry V111 in 1540 when he got rid of all the monasteries.

Apparently Whitby Abbey was a big inspiration for Dracula. I'm not sure why as he doesn't sound the type of chap to hang around with monks. I think we visited it a bit late as it appeared to have fallen down.

Still time to explore Whitby though and see if Dracula is hanging about anywhere else. From this spot I had a nice view over the harbour. I can see the sea and it looks pretty big! I wonder if Dracula got on a boat and went on his holidays while I am on mine?

It's pretty tiring exploring so here I am having another little rest. I'm not sure why but I'd only just got comfy when Winter came rushing up shouting something about reading signposts and grabbed me off my nice perch. It looks like its time to go back to Winter's home and I never did find Dracula. Never mind, I had a lovely time anyway and made lots of new friends. Thank you very much Winter for letting me stay with you and for taking me to Whitby.

Winter said I am off to Ireland next! That's where the Sidhe live! Ooh ... I can feel another adventure beginning ...

The Hunt for Dracula

2009-11-08T14:22:00.005Z

Once we got to Whitby my hunt for Dracula began. I wasn't sure exactly where he lives so started at St Mary's Church. St Mary's Church is on the cliff top near the Abbey. You have to climb a lot of steps to get there. There were far too many steps for my little legs so I got carried which was nice. The oldest parts of the church are Norman. Norman must have been very old as apparently he is dated around 1110, so he doesn't live there anymore.

Dracula was seen in the church around 1897 so I may be a bit late to find him there. It's worth a try though.
Here I am again looking round the graveyard. No sign of Dracula here either. I wonder if it would have been better if I had come round at night?

Looking for Dracula is hard work so I sat down to have a little rest. This is a tombstone apparently so after a brief snail snack I got off it and carried on with my search.

Here I am near the stained glass window of the whale bones in Whitby. As you can see it looks as if there is a bat in the sky. I wonder if it is Dracula?

I had no luck finding him this time. Back soon with more adventures from Whitby.

Visiting Winter

2009-11-02T18:51:00.011Z

Here I am again to tell you all about when I stayed at Winter's house and went on a very exciting holiday to Whitby. As you can see the first thing I did was make some new friends. But when I got to go on holiday unfortunately they couldn't all come too. Not all animals are as well travelled as I am you know.
Winter tried to teach me how to read my own personal oracle with some angel cards.

Some of the words were a bit difficult to read but I'm getting better at reading and the pictures were very helpful.

Whitby is apparently where Dracula lives. Dracula is a Vampire which means he drinks blood and turns into a bat. I don't know why you would want to turn into a bat. Surely its much nicer to turn into a hedgehog? Well apart from his black cloak would get stuck on his prickles if he did...

Anyway I was looking forward to my holiday and to meeting Dracula. Apparently he likes graveyards and doesn't like steaks. I agree with him about the steaks ....... snails are much nicer.

Will post more about my holiday with Winter soon.

2009-10-03T15:47:00.010+01:00

After housesitting for Bluebell, I helped out with the wallpapering, I thought the paper was very nice, with lots of trees on it, but did get my fingers covered in paste but Bluebell soon cleaned me up!

Then Bluebell took me into her workroom where I helped out making the flower orders. I really liked it in there as it was full of beautiful smells from the flowers and kept Bluebell company while she worked.

Bluebell loves her garden and I was honoured to be able to plant some lovely little violas in in the pots just outside her front door.

When we went into the back garden I met some other little helpers Bluebell has, including The Oak man who looks after all the trees and couldnt resist giving him a big hug.

Finally after an exhausting few days, i sat back with Bluebell in the garden with a refreshing glass of Elderberry wine watching an amazing sunset!!

I have enjoyed my time here, but i must get off on my travels again........lots more to see and do! I am really looking forward to seeing Winter. Bluebell said she will wrap me up for a safe journey and hope the postman don't delay in getting me there with any more strikes!

Shaman Sham arrives in Middlesex

2009-09-02T21:27:00.002+01:00

I arrived safely at Bluebells, who was very pleased to see me and gave me lots of compliments and cuddles!

I have met 2 cats, one that purred at me very loudly, and 2 dogs, one that wanted to give me lots of kisses!

I have been taking things easy after my long trip. Bluebell has given me a lovely seat looking out onto the garden where I have been watching the birds feeding and feeling the lovely sunshine today.

Farewell to Kent

2009-08-19T09:04:00.002+01:00

Today I am off on my travels again, I am leaving Kent behind to go and stay with Bluebell and family. Since returning from Dorset I have been resting aside from keeping Moonflower’s garden slug and snail free, I have a sneaking suspicion that is why she has kept me here so long!

I have had a great time here and I am sorry to leave my new friends behind, but they wouldn’t let me go without a big group hug, which made us all feel much better.

I wonder what exciting things lay ahead, Bluebell sounds very nice and I am looking forward to meeting her very soon.

Anyway I cannot delay as my lift into town is waiting. I do hope the ride won’t be too bumpy!

I will write again once I am settled. Bye for now Sham x

Sham Finds Fossils in Jurassic Dorset and Dips his Toe into Devon

2009-07-22T19:40:00.012+01:00

I expect you are all eager to know what I did on holiday with Moonflower and family in Charmouth, Dorset along the Jurassic coastline.

On Saturday we arrived in Dorset after a very long drive, I had been pulled from my snug little bed while it was still dark to start the journey, but it was worth it as I saw lots of beautiful countryside along the way and passed so many places that I may one day travel to.

As everyone was a bit tired, I just rested mostly for the day to regain my energy. I had been given my own sleeping area in the ‘van’, as it affectionately called by Moonflower, and very cosy it was as well.

On Sunday I met friends of my hosts who were our neighbours on the caravan site and very nice they were too; a jolly chap and his charming wife. They drove around in a very odd vehicle called a Q Pod, which drew much interest from others, When no-one else was around I couldn’t resist sitting behind the wheel of it myself, and trying it for size.

During the week we all took a walk to the local beach at Charmouth to search for things called fossils. Apparently they are the remains of little creatures and plants, millions of years old that have been preserved in rocks and suchlike. As it would have been a long way for my little legs I was kindly carried in what was to be my travelling bag whenever we ventured out.

It was a lovely sunny day and I sat on the ancient rocks to examine some smaller stones for any sign of a fossil.

Moonflower discovered a few on some rather large rocks, too big to bring home with us, but Mr Moonflower took some nice photos of them. Fortunately I discovered some smaller ones myself. I don’t know what all the fuss was about really, while everyone else was frantically digging among the pebbles, I wandered a short way off and found a whole load of fossils just sitting there in a tub outside a shop!!!

There was much walking up hill and down dale throughout the week with spectacular views that I witnessed from the safety and warmth of my travelling bag; well it did get a bit windy on some of those clifftops!

On the last day we decided to go over the county line into Devon and travelled by bus to a place called Beer. Unfortunately I spent most of the time there securely zipped up in my bag as the weather that day was as wet as the town’s namesake! Luckily though I picked up a postcard in Beer, just before we boarded the bus back, to prove I had actually been there.

Then all too soon it seemed it was time to return to Kent, all aboard the van again for another long journey back. I had a lovely time in Dorset and have enjoyed my stay in Kent too, but I am sure it won’t be long before I’m off on my travels again.

A Visit to the Castle and Ready for the Off

2009-07-03T22:23:00.013+01:00

I just about have enough time before I venture to Dorset to bring you all up to date.

As promised last week if I was good, and I am a very well behaved house guest, we took a short trip to Leeds Castle.

We didn’t go inside as we had Scruffy the dog with us, but we had a good long walk around the grounds and stopped by the lake to see the ducks, swans and geese.

There were lots of different trees and flowers, and plants for me to forage under for a snack to keep me going along the way. I had a good time although I did find it rather tiring. I do only have small legs you know. I managed to have a good long rest for most of the week, which is just as well as for the past couple days I have been very busy.

Moonflower has been rushing around, packing all manner of things into the motor home ready for our trip. I was a little concerned that she may overlook some essential items, so thought that I had better help.

Well with everything almost ready now, all that is left for me to do is have a good meal of slugs and snails and then get an early night as we are setting off very early in the morning. I hope I won’t be too excited to sleep, thinking about the adventures that await me in Dorset.
I will see you all when I return with many tales to tell I hope.
Goodbye for now……Sham xxx

Sham arrives in Kent and goes all fuzzy in the pub!

2009-06-27T15:47:00.006+01:00

I said a fond farewell to Neyeli and my friends and travelled overnight to stay with Moonflower and family in the beautiful Kent countryside. I was here bright and early on Saturday 20th June and greeted with lots of hugs. It seems Moonflower was pleased to see me!

I was introduced to Scruffy the dog, Mac the cat and Mr Moonflower of course, then shown to my room…yes I have my very own room here too. After leaving my friends behind at Neyeli’s I had wondered whether I might get a bit lonely….but I needn’t have worried because as you can see above there were new friends here waiting to meet me.

Moonflower showed me some of her special things and the healing feathers reminded me of my previous lodgings. I was also given my own drum to use during my stay to help with meditations and journeying.

On Saturday evening we visited the local pub where they always have a warm welcome for visitors. I met some of Moonflower’s family and friends and made another new one of my own. He is called George after the pub. I’m afraid we both look a little fuzzy in the photo as we had sampled some of the local ale.

It may be a while before I have something more to write as Moonflower is busy preparing for a holiday in Dorset in two weeks time, and guess what? They have asked me to go along too. In the meantime I will have a chance to rest and patrol the garden for lots of slugs and snails. I have been told that if I am very good I may have an outing next weekend. Apparently there is a big castle nearby - ooh sounds exciting.

Sham hits the road again

2009-06-19T20:30:00.001+01:00

Today I am leaving Neyeli's house and am on my way to stay with Moonflower.
I have spent the morning eating slugs and snails so my belly is full for the journey and have had a group hug with Pandy and Jacko.

I've really enjoyed my time here by the sea but now I look forward to seeing Moonflower and wonder what exciting things I will be getting up to.
Bye for now and I'll write when I have arrived at my next destination

Love Sham

2009-06-16T18:31:00.002+01:00

I’ve really enjoyed my stay with Neyeli and her family and I’ve learned lots of new skills. Neyeli has shown me how to paint on feathers and how to clean them when the birds give them as a gift. I even helped her parcel up a couple of things for posting but I wasn’t very good at that as the sticky clear stuff kept sticking to my fur.

While I’ve been here we have been to some nice places. I played in the sand at the beach and did some sun bathing but I didn’t like those big white birds that shouted all the time. I think Neyeli called them gulls.

We also went to the pine woods and I hoped I would make friends with a red squirrel but we didn’t see any. The nice ranger at the woods says they have all gone which is very sad. We had a picnic and I said hello to some big black crows and one of them gave me a feather as a gift.

Today I am spending the day in the garden, resting and eating lots of slugs and snails ready for my next journey.

Learning to make dreamcatchers

2009-05-30T11:24:00.007+01:00

The last few days with Neyeli and her family have been fun. Neyeli taught me how to make dream catchers so now I have another new skill although the weaving was very small so I had to borrow Neyeli’s glasses to see them properly.

My favourite job here is keeping guard over the strawberries from the snails, so lots of yummy snacks for me. I have also been keeping the little pots stocked up with food for the feathered friends that visit throughout the day and sneaking some of those yummy brown things called sultanas for myself when Neyeli isn’t looking.

Neyeli says I will get fat if I keep on snacking so I have been helping with the housework. I found a little yellow duster which is just the right size for me.
This week we are going to the pine forest to visit the red squirrels so hopefully I will make even more new friends, will keep you posted

Bye for now

A quick journey to new friends

2009-05-28T21:16:00.002+01:00

This morning I arrived at Neyeli’s house so after 2 days of hibernating in my box it was nice to stretch my legs.

Neyeli showed me around the house and garden and then to my room which I will be sharing with some new friends, Pandy and Jacko the monkey. Even Lewis her spotty dog came to greet me with a big wet kiss.

Neyeli is very busy with work today but she promised later that I could help her make a dream catcher so I’m looking forward to that.

For now I will get to know my new friends and have a wander around the garden in search for some suitable snails for lunch.

Sham goes North

2009-05-28T09:10:00.001+01:00

“All my bags are packed, I’m ready to go.
I’m standing here outside your door
I hate to wake you up to say goodbye .“

Well the postman’s blowing his horn and the time has come for me to move on to gardens new. Get ready Neyeli, I am on my way! (Or I will be just as soon as I finish this blog entry and climb in my box – I hope Ygraine has packed a rather large picnic basket).

I have had a lovely time but I am SO looking forward to meeting Neyeli and helping her make things. Country life is good but time for more adventures.

So I may be away for a while but I will be back to update you – I hope Royal Mail take good care of me – I only have so much padding.

Bye for now – hedgehog blessings on you all. xxx

Shaman Sham goes quad biking

2009-05-20T18:10:00.002+01:00

Well life is good down on the farm ooh arr. I have been riding horses and walking a lot so I am very fit and trim. Good for the appetite mind you, just as well there is a good supply of earthworms now the rain has come.

We had a bit of excitement yesterday. Ygraine had to move some electric fencing for the horses so we went down on the quad bike. It was hard work in the wind but we managed to get the job done. We then stopped for a little something to eat (well a boy has to keep up his stamina and energy for all this work).

The really, really fun thing was that Ygraine taught me how to drive the quad and I had such fun – even though Y had to do the pedals for me. I think I look quite cool on the bike. I really should have had a crash helmet but it was an impromptu session so we just had to be careful.

Right, I am off to do some drumming so that’s all for now. I believe I am about to go on my travels again soon. I can’t wait – I believe there are lots of arts and crafts to do in my new home so watch this space.

Sham Goes Riding

2009-05-02T17:48:00.004+01:00

Ooh what a day – I thought I would quickly blog before going for a little nap. I have been SO busy.

After breakfast Ygraine asked if I would like to try riding a horse. I was so excited I was bouncing up and down.

My horse was huuuuge but I was very brave and we went for miles and miles, all around Ygraine’s farm, and I thought of all my great-great-great … Grandfathers who had ridden from place to place in search of food. I felt really connected to them.

When I started to wilt a little we stopped for a picnic among the bluebells. Ah what bliss. They smelt divine and I had the words of that poem about bluebells going through my mind. You know the one:

“But when I looked upon the bank
My wandering glances fell
Upon a little trembling flower,
A single sweet bluebell. “

Anne Bronte

Ygraine had packed a lovely lunch and when I had eaten until I was fit to burst I washed it down with earthworm and honey mead. Yum. I picked some little hedgerow flowers to give Ygraine to say thank you. I didn’t pick any bluebells though because they are protected and far too pretty to spoil by picking.

I had a little nap curled up under the hedge while Muffin, my horse, grazed on the lush grass.

Once refreshed we made our way home bathed in sunshine. What a perfect day.

Now I am off for a little zzzzzzzzz before dinner. A chap could get used to this.

Shaman Sham goes South East

2009-04-28T20:23:00.001+01:00

June kindly gave me a lift to sunny Sussex and Ygraine’s house. It was a LONG journey but still preferable to bouncing around in the mail and we did get to stop for refreshments, though snails were sadly lacking from the menu.

June and Ygraine set off to meet Moonflower and Jasper Lee on Saturday so I had a much needed rest and kept Mr Ygraine company, helping him keep those dogs under control.

Sunday we had breakfast with June and then waved bye-bye to her. We spent the rest of the day chatting and having a walk around the land. I found a lovely little pond which had many snails hiding in the long grass – yum!

Monday I was supposed to be having a pony ride but it poured with rain all day so we had to amuse ourselves indoors again. We read the Indie Shaman forum for a while and then Ygraine told me all about what had gone on at the PAT with Jasper.

She was explaining the importance of ancestors and how human beans were losing their way and losing sight of how important nature is. I am not sure I understand that because what else is there but nature and the wisdom of our ancestors (apart from slugs and snails and earthworms and … )?

I remember fondly when I was just a little hoglet we would curl up under the hedgerow to sleep and Grandfather Hedgepig would tell us all the tales from The Ancestors which contained all the lore we needed to know to keep us safe and help us grow wise and be useful tribe members. Maybe human beans still have to learn all that we already know..

Anyway, the sun is out today so maybe I will get that pony ride and I can pretend I am Warrior Hedgepig like my great-great-great Grandfather was. I will let you know how it goes.

2009-04-24T09:21:00.004+01:00

Oooo I'm nearly on my way to Ygraine's! So just a quick blog post from me to say bye bye to Simon and June until I see them again and thanks for letting me play with all their drums. Also thanks to Ygraine for offering to let me stay with her which I am looking forward to very much.

After I've posted this I'm going to sit in my travelling box on top of June's bag so she doesn't forget to take me with her this afternoon.

Hedgehog tips

2009-04-22T18:36:00.013+01:00

Shake those maracas for joy! Apparently I am actually getting out of the house on Friday! June is taking me down to Sussex in the car to visit Ygraine. June will be staying with Ygraine so she can attend Jasper Lee's workshop on the Saturday. Ygraine and another June are going to the workshop as well so I will meet all of them. I wonder if I will meet Jasper as well? I'm a bit big to hide in your handbag!

After the workship June is interviewing Jasper for the new Indie Shaman magazine which is coming out later this year. Then she is going home on Sunday but I am staying at Ygraine's. I have read that Ygraine is already herding snails for me so she sounds very nice.

I thought before I go I should post some tips on hedgehogs in your garden. We are very helpful you know in gardens ..... especially with clearing up pests like snails!

Have steps or a gently sloping side in your pond, like June has in her container pond, so if I or my friends fall in we can get back out.

We like to hide our beds. Take care when clearing overgrown garden patches and long grass as we might be in there. Especially if you use a strimmer as they can kill! Don't leave open bin bags on the floor and if you do please check inside first before tying it up and putting it in the dustbin/leaving for the refuse collectors. Composting is good but please check there is no-one in there before sticking a fork in it! Check anywhere else we may be hiding as well such as under sheds if you are going to do work on them. If you find a nest please don't disturb it.

If you've made a garden bonfire please move it or check there is no-one hiding in it before you light it.

Please don't move us out if we are in your garden as we are good for it and there aren't as many of us as there once was.

If you want to encourage hedgehogs into your garden we like cat food and somewhere nice to make a nest like a pile of leaves. Please don't move one of my family from the wild though into your garden as we might have a family of little hoglets that will die if we aren't there to look after them.

Shaman Sham - Rock Hero!

2009-04-20T20:46:00.007+01:00

Everyone thought they would take a weekend off on Saturday and Sunday which meant the wallpapering remains unfinished. A fair bit of housework seems to go on at weekends though. Although I noticed June also sneeked off to the shops as she said she needed some new pumps because the weather is getting warmer and she's going to Sussex next weekend for a 'Reviving Our Ancestral Past' workshop with Patrick Jasper Lee. I don't know why humans wear stuff on their paws as I manage perfectly well without.

Sunday seemed to be the day all the games got dragged out which apparently is the only way to stop June working when she's in the house. Simon was playing something called City of Heroes and June was playing Sims. As you can see I decided to do something a bit louder and play Rock Guitar. You just have to press the buttons which is much easier with paws than strumming a real guitar. After an hour or so of it I got quite good but no-one could hear me by then as they all had their own headphones on for some strange reason.

I overheard Simon mention something about the pond being full of snails so I popped out to investigate. I think that type of snail is a bit wet though and June said I'm not allowed to get dirty. I think she might have a good point as I wouldn't look quite so much like a rock star if my spines were all mucky.

Shaman Sham finds a staff

2009-04-17T16:11:00.006+01:00

We have had 2 days without an internet connection but I'm sure that is no excuse for being quite this far behind with my blog. I must have caught something from June as she is always complaining about being behind with everything!

Apparently Monday was a bank holiday which meant all the humans didn't have to go to work or school. Although come to think of it the tall-young human hasn't been to school for a while now. Anyway as it was a bank holiday June decided what Simon really wanted to do was finish wallpapering the bedroom. He didn't seem quite so sure.

After a half hour or so of hearing colourful language from upstairs I decided to get some peace in the garden as it was a lovely sunny day. I helped around the garden for a bit clearing up the snails. Before June and Simon started decorating I found this very handy Shaman Sham size staff which I took out with me. So when I was full ........ I mean the snails were cleared up ............ I did a little thank you ritual among the heather and forget-me-nots by the 'standing stone'.

I've added another photo of my new staff. According to June it was actually her wand which she made during an OBOD course with some things Nelly Moon gave her. She says she wants it back before I go off on my travels.

A little bit of bother with a Dalek

2009-04-11T12:15:00.000+01:00

Last night was the Online Circle Healing Session at the Indie Shaman Forum so I thought I had better get some healing practice in yesterday afternoon.

Tried a few methods but really like focussing my thoughts with this chakra wand I found. Apparently it belongs to June but she hasn't used it for a while as she prefers to mess about with a candle and setting fire to pieces of paper.

Went to my usual spot on top of the set of drawers in the bedroom. Safely out of the way I thought. Then I heard 'Exterminate'!

'Seek ....... locate ....... destroy' .......... I could see something moving across the room then suddenly he flew to the top of the cupboard. How it did that I don't know as I couldn't see any wings and it didn't look like one of the little people.

'You are an enemy of the Daleks'

I tried sending Mr Dalek some positive vibes but he wasn't having any of it.

'We are the supreme beings'

Who did he think he is kidding? Enough was enough and I found his remote. That put a stop to it :)

Don't bang the drum!

2009-04-09T16:27:00.000+01:00

Sorry I've not been blogging recently. To be honest someone, mentioning no names, thinks I've been stuck in a box all the time. I did ask June when we were going to do something exciting, as promised, but she just replied with something about her having been busy because it was the end of the year. Which is nonsense as I told her because it's April. I may be very young but even I've learned already that the year starts with January and ends with December. She then mumbled something about accounts and taxes and "believe me I was better off not knowing". It all sounds very dark and mysterious!

I did manage to creep out of my box though occasionally when everyone else was occupied. While the cats are away the hoglet will play ...... and I found this lovely bodhran hidden away in a box just like I was. So I've freed it. June did say something about it being Indie Shaman shop stock but its mine now.

As you can see its quite a big bodhran for me so I've had a few problems playing it as my paws don't fit round it properly. However I have worked out my own special technique banging it with one end of the tipper. Apparently I'll come in very useful if the house ever needs a dinner gong!

Introducing Myself

2009-03-26T23:37:00.000Z

My name is Shaman Sham the Wandering Hedgehog. I was born when Indie Shaman members adopted a hedgehog from Secret World Wildlife Rescue.

I have very itchy paws and like to travel and meet new people. Indie Shaman members very kindly said they would let me visit them so I've started a blog to write about my travels.

At the moment I am staying with Indie Shaman founders June and Simon. I have also met new friends Cara, a black labrador, and Biscuit, a cat, who says she is the boss. There is another cat here also but he is avoiding me and won't tell me his name. Two other humans live in the house as well which is bit confusing as they are supposed to be young humans but one of them is taller than the older humans.