ALUNA TEMPLE MAGAZINE Edition No3 'INITIATIONS' | Page 25

BECOMING THUNDER BEAR WOMAN with TANNA JAKUBOWICZ-MOUNT (Warsaw, Poland) [email protected] www.mandala.waw.pl My shamanic path begun in 1994 when my Eko-OKo Center hosted The Gathering of Holistic Centers from all over the world.We invited over 5o people to medieval town Kazimierz on Vistula River. Every morning there was an opening day ceremony led by leaders of one of the centers. One morning we came down for the ceremony, we were completely surprised by the couple from Seattle Mattie Davis-Wolfe and David Thomson in full shamanic regalia. That was my first encounter with such phenomenon. The ceremony was the Circle Sun Salutation Dance and they started drumming making suggestion for us to feel energy of some animal in our body. Before I knew what’s happening I felt standing on the back legs with arms opened to the skies feeling like a big bear calling the souls of my ancestors and all wondering souls of people and animals to my huge and opened heart. My heart felt like a shrine for all souls. I was in altered state possessed by the bear for quite a time, while Mattie and David were using rattle, sage and tobacco smoke to bring me back. Since that time our team started to invite them to Poland every year to lead shamanic workshops based on indigenous traditions of the Wolf Clan. Mattie and David were teaching us how to regain our relationship with Mother Earth and all elements through various ceremonies like the Medicine Wheel, Sweat lodge, Spirits Dance, Vision Quests and many more. In the meantime another medicine woman Danuta Ogaoeno Mette the successor of Grandmother Twylah Nitsch made an oracle for me and become clear that the bear is my power animal dwelling in my heart. After many years of learning and working on me Mattie and David, they decided to celebrate my 52 years birthday with Initiation to the Crone – a Grandmother for the Community. It was a wonderful celebration first with women only, when Mattie put me on her place and said: ‘’you are becoming the Elder for the circle of women and this is great responsibility.’’ I really took her message to my heart! 25