July of 2020 — Shamanism and the Wild Times of Uncertainty

This article was originally written on July 24, 2020 and has been slightly revised

July of 2020 was a profoundly uncertain time—a month marked by a global pandemic of epic proportions, racial justice protests, and political unrest. 

Looking back, we were facing great upheaval and transformation in the U.S. as well as throughout the world.

That month a tsunami of colliding pieces were in motion, setting America in chaos: 

COVID-19 Pandemic

🔥 Surge in Cases: The U.S. surpassed 3 million confirmed cases by July 7 and 4 million by July 24, with a record 75,600 new cases reported in a single day on July 16.

🔥 Public Health Measures: States like California, Texas, and Florida saw significant spikes in cases, leading to the postponement or reversal of reopening plans. The Trump administration mandated new data reporting protocols for hospitals, bypassing the CDC.

🔥 Scientific Developments: Over 200 scientists urged the WHO to acknowledge airborne transmission of the virus. Moderna and AstraZeneca reported promising results from their vaccine trials.

🔥 Economic Impact: New jobless claims rose that month for the first time since March of 2020, reflecting the pandemic's ongoing economic toll.

Social Unrest and Protests

🔥 The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement and other protests continued to shape the social landscape:

🔥 BLM Protests: Protests against police brutality and systemic racism persisted across the country, with significant events in Portland, Seattle, and Austin. These protests sometimes led to violent clashes and arrests.

🔥 Legislative Responses: Massachusetts declared Juneteenth an official state holiday, reflecting the broader push for racial justice reforms.

Societal and Political Developments

🔥 Ghislaine Maxwell's Arrest: On July 2, Ghislaine Maxwell was arrested for her alleged involvement in Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes, drawing significant media attention.

🔥 Trump Administration Actions: President Trump canceled the Jacksonville segment of the Republican National Convention due to COVID-19 concerns. The administration also took steps to withdraw from the WHO, citing dissatisfaction with its pandemic response.

🔥 International Relations: Tensions with China escalated as the U.S. ordered the closure of the Chinese consulate in Houston, prompting China to close the U.S. consulate in Chengdu.

Miscellaneous Events

🔥 Gun Violence: Shootings surged in cities like Chicago, contributing to the ongoing debate about gun control and public safety.

🔥 Natural Disasters: Hurricane Douglas approached Hawaii, intensifying concerns about natural disaster preparedness during the pandemic.

July 2020 was marked by a confluence of health crises, social upheaval, and political maneuvers, reflecting a period of significant turmoil and transformation in the United States.

To remain grounded, I turned within for guidance while honoring the importance of staying awake to emerging development in the outer world. This daunting balancing act was filled with thought-provoking lessons and scary scenarios.

During this month I read "The Wisdom of the Shamans: What the Ancient Masters Can Teach Us about Love and Life by Toltec shaman and master storyteller don Jose Ruiz. In this prolific read he explores the jagged terrain of life, punctuated by an unending series of metaphorical stories and oral traditions.

The son of don Miguel Ruiz, author of the widely acclaimed bestselling book "The Four Agreements," don Jose offers his own version of Toltec wisdom, translating it into pragmatic concepts that everyday people can use to navigate through life’s inevitable transitions. He is the coauthor, with his father, of "The Fifth Agreement," which I read later that year. 

A shaman, according to don Jose Ruiz, is “one who is awakened to the realization that all beings are life force energy, and that humans are dreaming all the time.” 

In asking the question, “Who can be a shaman?” he responds: “Anyone who has the desire to awaken from the dream and find his or her own personal freedom.”

I’ll raise my hand for that!

For eons, Toltec (which means artist) shamans have offered their wisdom to laymen through stories meant to enhance one’s sacred knowledge, which in turn becomes the seed for a better life.

It seems like a lifetime ago when I was pursuing my undergraduate degree at The Ohio State University. As part of a foreign language class during my sophomore year, we were required to write a book report on a Spanish literary figure of our choosing. In my naivety, I selected a book written by Carlos Castaneda, the title of which I don’t recall.

What I do remember is feeling like I was in a mystical trance while reading it, kind of like an out-of-body experience. It was the most challenging book review I’ve written to this day. 

Years later, I learned that Castaneda’s book was a deep dive into shamanism and divination, seeking knowledge of the future or the unknown through the supernatural.

In Jose Ruiz’s book, I was excited to discover that in Mexico, Shamans are referred to as jaguars or “awakened ones” These animals reflect life force energy, the divinity within each of us.

He says: 

“The point of the shamanic path is to have the experience of awakening, which involves something beyond the thinking mind or intellectual knowledge.” 

Being in my head is something that hinders me mightily. Given that I’m intellectually wired, I am prone to overthink things. But when I allow things to flow without being mentally attached to whatever peculiar notion I have about the way things should work, life just flows effortlessly. 

Continues Jose Ruiz: 

“On a global scale, shamanism refers to the spiritual tradition or religion of native cultures around the world. These spiritual traditions are said to have certain things in common: respect for nature, a respect for all life, and a respect for their ancestors. While this is all true, this is only the barest of beginnings of what it means to practice shamanism.” 

The next point of his really struck me: 

“The truth is that any story of your life is just that, a story and its collapse is a beautiful thing, because when it collapses you find out who you really are; you discover that you are really life itself. — Haven’t known who I really am until about a year ago. I am the most prolific storyteller of all time. “Is that true or is that such a story.” 

So try this out. The next time you encounter a friend or family member spouting off about this or that drama, ask them a simple question:

“Is what you’re saying really true or is that a story?”  

That question was posed to me earlier this year as our nation had fallen into a state of racial upheaval.  I had fallen into a place where I began to truly identify with the victimization tied to being black. 

At one point, a persistent voice kept going off in my head telling me, “With all of this racism in America, if you are black you have no chance at meaningful success in life.”

It was at that point that my alter ego chimed in with: 

“Is that really true or is this a story tied to an excuse that you just made up?” 

What I discovered from this is that life is indeed one big story including the ones I personally concoct. In other words, I hold the freedom to choose the story of my life within the larger story of life. 

Embracing The Jaguar Part of Me

According to Jose Ruiz, in Mexico, Shamans are referred to as jaguars or “awakened ones.” They reflect life force energy, the divinity we have inside of each of us. 

Finding this fascinating, I did a deeper dive into the shamanistic significance of jaguars, Here’s what I learned: 

Jaguars are closely tied to Black Panthers, a Native American word that means “he who kills with one blow.” Jaguars symbolize power, ferocity, and valor — the true essence of aggressiveness. They also signify the power to embrace one’s fears or engage one’s enemies. 

They are known for their exquisite vision with the ability to see at night and peer at the dark parts of a human heart. They are prescient, possessing the foresight to see what’s ahead. 

These are attributes that I will continue to employ in the world as I strive to transcend fear and bring the best version of myself to the world every day. 

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