Who We Really Are

Hello my friends and clients,

I’m interested in creating community with you by sharing with you the gifts and knowledge of an ancient spiritual tradition that I have studied since 1994. I’ll be writing briefly about different topics that I enjoy then giving you the perspective of that topic from the Ka Ta See tradition. Ka Ta See means setting the world in balance. This tradition is known to be at least 30,000 years old. Their view of the world is quite different from ours. I find it intriguing and hopeful. Please feel free to share these emails with friends.


Who we really are:

Since 1994 I’ve studied an Ancient Peruvian spiritual tradition. This tradition is known to be at least 30,000 years old. Their view of the world is quite different from ours. This tradition has given me truths and experiences that are invaluable to me. Ka Ta See means setting the world in balance. One foundation of the Ka Ta See philosophy is their understanding of self. Self in this tradition is the sensation that we experience when we are feeling passionate about being alive, joyful, excited, and adventurous, doing something we love. In this tradition Self is a feeling, a body sensation, not our thoughts not our emotions but our own unique vibration – a feeling in our body. And everything else we hold in our field is not the truth about ourselves, but data or recordings and patterns that we’ve used to replace our passion for living. Our thoughts they say are tools that we use to create with – thoughts and words of our own choosing. Most of us live as if our thoughts are the “master and the center, and we spend our lives trapped in their movements and patterns. Hooked like a big fish.”*

The Ka Ta See children are taught to trust this feeling – their Song as they poetically call it. In this sensation, this feeling, is held all the knowledge of the gifts that you were born with, the path that you have come to walk , the desire and will of your spirit, the piece of creator that you are and your doorway to communicating with all that is.

To seek one’s song will without fail knock you off your web, take you outside your box, and stretch you toward your vastness. This is a story from the Reluctant Shaman about Kay Cordell Whitaker’s Peruvian teacher, Domano’s first falling off his web.

This story is best read slowly.

“We were in my village. It’s a small village. Only sixty-five people. Well, maybe I count a dog or two, too. We were preparing for a happy day. A special joy for all my people. One of our women chose a big happy man from the Zictato people downriver. They will be companions. And they chose our village to live. And have many children. They make a great joy in our village to bring the laughter of children for all. Everyone is happy. Everyone is very excited. There are not that many people, so there are not that many –‘weddings’-as you say. We don’t have a word like that. Taking a companion for life is a different way with my people.

“Among my people it is believed that all animals and plants are smart. They can be a friend if you are good. Some people believe rocks and dirt and mountains and rivers are smart, too. And will make very good friends. When I was young I had animal friends. And some plant friends, too. I was a pretty good guy. I didn’t think so sure about rocks being smart, though. I thought maybe those people got hit in the head with a rock.

“My teachers said nothing. They just watch me and wait for a perfect time to show me. To lead me to the edge of my web.

“People are busy with this and busy with that. They make fancy grass-bark skirts and capes. And make paintings on their houses, carve special magic, fix lots of food and prepare for the ceremonies. Everyone runs around. They practice songs and dances. Some men go into the jungle and cut large poles, branches, reeds. They bring them to the women, who build a new house for our young couple. The young woman’s grandfather catches a pig for a gift to the young man. All is working very well for the village. Everyone is having lots of fun.

“My teachers had asked me what I thought about rocks and things being alive. Smart,” he said, tapping his chest. “I said they didn’t seem to be. They never talked to me like the animals did. They were brothers on this world to me, but they didn’t seem to be like that.” My teachers say, ‘Hmmmmmmmm. Hmmmmmmmmm.’”

“So how did your teachers lead you to the edge of you web, Domano?” I asked.

“Oh. That was not hard. My web was very small when I was young. I sure didn’t have to go far. Your web is much bigger than mine was.”

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“That the world you have built your web to be reaches farther, includes more. Weaves together with far more other webs. It is very complex. Mine was simple. It was very easy for me to fall off the edge,” and he made a sudden and precise movement with his body, appearing to fall and tumble completely off the bench, flailing his arms and legs, giving the illusion that he had a far greater length to fall than one foot. Then he giggled. I felt as if the bottom had fallen out from under me. I was dizzy and disoriented. My stomach felt as if it had been dropped from an airplane, and I was becoming nauseated.

His “falling” was so sudden and so perfectly mimed, it took me completely by surprise. I believed in his oldness and doddering, and in one second he tore that image and belief apart. In that moment his movements were the studied movements of a twenty-year-old acrobat. And then, just as quickly, he was up on the bench and back to his feeble self. I laughed. I had difficulty formulating thoughts and justifying to myself how such a doddering old man could also be so ominous, fearsome, youthfully agile, and comical.

“The other men in the tribe hunted wild pig for the feast,” he just continued on with his story, his eyes flickering. “They were going to roast several in a big hole that was lined with fire, and many sweet leaves and fruit. Pigs like that taste very good.” I had a hard time listening or concentrating. I felt as if my brain and stomach had been left back on the floor with Domano’s fall.

“What did you say the pigs were roasted with?” I interrupted.

The pigs were fired up with many sweet leaves.” He grinned. “And fruit. It is very special. Very sacred. Only for the best ceremonies,” he said giggling. “Just watch my lips. You will be okay.

“Our celebration was getting a big momentum. It was the day before the ceremony and my teachers come to me with the young woman’s father. They want me to be the singer of the sacred joining song. This was a great honor. I was very surprised they wanted me.”

By now I was completely captivated by the story, imagining the jungle village around me with all the sights and sounds and excitement.

“Usually this is asked of a much older person. This song has to be brand new for each ceremony. There was not much time. I wasn’t so sure, but my teachers said to the father, ‘Oh, yes. Oh, sure. He can do it. He’s good. There is plenty of time for him. Have no worries. Damono will provide your family with a most special song.’

“This worried me a whole lot. I have never made a song like that before. I never was even a very good singer. My teachers send him on his way to gather herbs to burn while I go make the song.

“I say to my teachers, ‘Wait. I’m scared. I’m scared I can’t do this special job. You better get an older person.’ They pat my back, and look understanding and concerned. One hands me some meats and fruits. They say to go out and find the song. I did not know what that was. How does somebody ‘find’ a song? They tell me quietly, so no one else hears, to go the giant rock not far from the little waterfall at the opening of snake’s cave. Put my head close to the rock and ask for the sacred song that belongs to the woman’s family. Then listen. The rock will tell me the song. I must remember perfectly and bring it back. This is the secret of sacred songs. They make me say not to tell the secret.

“So I go to the rock. I do not think this is a good idea. I spend lots of time wondering if a snake is coming out of the hole. I watch and watch and watch. I do not have my head close to rock. That is too close to snake’s hole. I am pretty scared. After a while I see that it is getting much later, and I have no song. I haven’t even listened! So I worry about that too. I think that if I don’t bring back the song, maybe I better not go back at all. I t would be a big disgrace. I feel very ashamed. But not enough shame for me to do such a silly foolish thing as listening to a rock and putting my head close to a snake’s house. The later it gets the more disgrace and silly I feel. It is a bad place to have one’s self in.

“So the sun is getting kind of low. Now I think to myself, I better put my head to the stone and try. I bend my body in a very unstable place to keep as much as me as possible away from the snake’s home. And set my head on the rock near the top so I can still see the hole and keep watch.

“I am all bent funny like this when out of the hole comes a very huge snake. Then I try to pull back as fast as possible. I am very full of fear. I cannot think. I jerk back, forgetting how unbalanced I put my body. Oh! I slipped very good. And get myself wedged between the giant rock and some little rocks next to it. I cannot move easily. And quick as breath, the big snake comes over the top of the rock and hisses at me. We are very close, about one arm’s length. This snake I know could tell how much fear I have. I decide to not move a hair. So we stare at each other for a pretty long time. Then I notice my head is against the giant rock. I think maybe this is a good time to listen to the rock, while standing off the snake. So I sit there, stuck and shaking, staring at the snake, trying to listen to the rock.

“Oh! I hope real hard that no one comes by and sees me I think I look very foolish, and I am scared half to death! This is what happens, I speak to myself, when a youth is sent to do an old one’s job. Tears begin to roll down my check. I feel so sorry for myself.

“Then I think I hear sounds inside the rock. I hold my breath. Snake hisses and moves its head a little closer. I hear more sounds. And more. I try to hold myself still from shaking so I can hear the rock. That does not work so good, but the sound gets louder, and I can hear it better. I cannot believe this. The rock is really singing to me! So I listen, hard, and remember the song real good. Perfect. I sing it out loud to the rock, forgetting about the snake still arched in front of me. The rock likes my singing a lot. I sing several times and notice that snake likes the song too. It smiles at me, and moves away back into its hole.

“This is such a very exciting time for me. I have succeeded I make myself very happy. Very proud. I think I am pretty hot stuff. When the snake is out of sight I pull myself loose and thank the rock. I leave a present of my necklace for the rock. It is not much of a gift for what the rock gave, but it is the most special thing I have. The rock is happy. I am happy. Snake is happy. I run all the way back home, singing the song. I make a great presentation at the ceremony. Everyone is happy.” He stopped talking and looked at me gently. The Reluctant Shaman by Kay Cordell Whitaker pg 15-19. * from The Reluctant Shaman pg 24.


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