Shaman Drum

Shaman Drum

The drum is the heartbeat of the spirit, the leader of the people, and its vibrations connect people to each other and to every living thing, backward and forward in time, and out into the universe.

During one of my training sessions last year I was told I needed a shaman drum. As I started looking into it someone told me that when it comes to the shaman drums sometimes it's not the person who chooses the drum but it's the drum who chooses the person.

As I was doing my research on the drums a workshop came up and I decided to participate. When I attended a drum making workshop last year I met this little guy. As nervous as I was the moment this deer hide was placed in front of me my level of nervousness spiked. Not only we're we the youngest one there but there's this indescribable connection between us. As my eyes were glued to the hide, I felt a bit of shyness coming from it.

As the workshop continued I noticed out of the six of us, workshop attendees, I was the only one having issues cutting my piece of deer hide. The cutting process of everyone else went smoothly. I thought my scissors were the problem and even borrowed theirs only to face the same issue.

Then it crossed my head that I should try talking to it. Once I started talking to the little guy and introduced myself to it the hide became easier and easier to cut through.

When I got home I cleansed the drum, burnt some incense sticks and joss paper to the spirit, and introduced it to my team.

When I attended the workshop I didn't think much of it. I thought everything would be fine since creating shaman drums are a normal practice and there probably was ritual done before as the individual was preparing the hides for drum making but through this experience I learned that regardless if a ritual was done prior or not, a mini ritual still need to be done when the new person welcome the spirit to their new home.

When we officially bridged with our guides we went to get them from their original shelter, cleansed them and then welcomed them home. When we purchased a blessed item or an item with a Spirit to it we cleansed it and welcomed it into our home. It becomes a part of our family. The situation with this little guy is the same.

This situation reminded me why it's important to be mindful and why doing such rituals is important as it helps keep the home and everyone in it safe, and remind everyone of their roles.

Yes, even when we think certain things aren't alive and aware they still are. Life continues even after death. Their existence matters and their emotions are still valid for they are a life.