Topic: Shamanism, Individuation, and Evolution

[Matt Koeske]

I posted some poems and excerpts of poems that deal with the shamanic/alchemical experience of dismemberment and/or dissolution.  These are from my book, What the Road Can Afford, and were written in the late 90s.

I never thought of them in terms of shamanism before (although I was somewhat familiar with alchemy when I wrote them), but they definitely seem to fit into this conversation and may be of interest to anyone who either wants to better understand this "dismemberment" or who enjoys commiserating about it.

Go to the poems--> Poems of Shamanic Dismemberment and Dissolution

[Matt Koeske]

All the shamanism talk, and I didn't even realize that I have 4 pieces of shamanic art in my living room.

These are yarn paintings I purchased in Mexico from Huichol and Tepehuano folk artists depicting shamanic rituals and myths.  They had an instant appeal for me . . . and the sun/moon ones reminded me of alchemical symbolism.

[Matt Koeske]

Looks like I forgot to link this excerpt from Mysterium Coniunctionis about     
Dissolution and Dismemberment of the King in Alchemy.

I do love my layers upon layers sub-forum structure.  Sorry about that.  It's a mania for opening boxes that contain boxes that contain other boxes.

But the excerpt linked above is an excellent alchemical take on the dissolution and dismemberment that is also a part of the shaman's initiation.