Gathering of Thirteen Shamans

Thirteen Gods and Thirteen Shamans

As it sometimes happens with big events, comprehension of what happened on August 13th, 2003 on the Olkhon Island at Lake Baikal in Siberia came to me some time later. The significance and importance of the ONGON shamanic ceremony, which took place that afternoon on the island, grew bigger with time and distance. I had to fly back home to America and sit quietly for a few days in my mountain cabin before a complete and clear picture of the Siberian event came back to me. It became obvious that we couldn't overestimate the significance of the event: the first time after 80 years of Soviet oppression, a new generation of Siberian shamans performed an ancient ONGON ceremony on Olkhon - the Shaman's Island. The broken link between their ancestors and the thirteen gods of Lake Baikal was restored.

According to the shamans' belief, there are superior gods and local gods "hati" who reside in particular areas. In Siberian legend, thirteen gods - "hatov"(hati) had chosen Lake Baikal as the place of their residence. This August, thirteen Siberian and Native American shamans came to Lake Baikal to pay respect to the thirteen gods and goddesses of the sacred lake. The shamans came to Olkhon Island to ask gods for a simple wisdom of how to help people and the planet in time of despair.

The island, which appeared as beautiful as it was peaceful, was waiting for us. The mountains and the water greeted us with a clear and a crispy breath, but our hearts ached while observing the sacred land trashed with garbage. Our eyes filled with tears when we approached the sacred Shaman's Rock desecrated by the crowds of noisy tourists. Eighty years under the rule of communists left a noticeable mark on the sacred land. The sacredness of the island was ignored and the local shamans destroyed. The land and the people were mistreated and humiliated. At that time, the thirteen gods left their residence and sadly watched people and their deeds from above.

We came to the island with respect and hope to restore communication with the gods. The next day after our arrival, the island's air grew thick with Siberian legends. An old professor of history from the Ulan-Ude University filled the sacred space with stories: "Nobody knows when the thirteen gods chose Lake Baikal to be the place of their residence. At that time, people were aware and respectful. The water of the lake was clear as tears, healing as medicine, and the people named their lake - Baikal, which means "a sacred sea". One of the gods, Khan Khato Babeya descended from the sky to Olkhon Island. He appeared to the people in the shape of a white eagle. When the eagle landed on the golden island's cliff, the people immediately recognized him as the son of god."

We were listening to the ancient stories nearby the golden cliff. A long time ago it was the god's palace. That is why in those times only shamans were allowed to enter the sacred space. People named the cliff Shaman's Rock. The ancient shamans paid respect to the god by performing ceremonies in his honor and sacrificing for Khan Khato Babeya their best sheep. He in return watched over the land and the people.

On August 13th, three shamans, two men and a woman were chosen to communicate with the gods, and other shamans were to assist with the ceremony. Birch trees which are usually picked for the shamanic ceremonies because of their purity, were planted on the designated area. The trees formed a sacred grove, which would become the welcome place for the gods. A black male sheep was purchased from a local shepherd and the assisting shamans prepared the sheep for the sacred sacrifice. The new generation of shamans, who were bright and educated young people, precisely followed the procedure of their ancestors - their grandmother and grandfather shamans.

Everything was ready for the ceremony. The trees of the sacred grove were adorned with silver and golden ribbons, the sheep was sacrificed and placed on the altar, and instructions were given to the rest of us on how to behave in the presence of gods. And then it began... A deep rhythmic sound of the shamans' drums split the island's air. Shamans' songs like an echo from their ancient homeland Mongolia, gained power and arose to the sky. The shamans were calling for the gods' attention; they were praising the gods and asking their forgiveness for human's ignorance.

The wind, which was blowing the day before and in the beginning of the ceremony, had died. The island got quiet, listening. The shamans were drumming and singing tirelessly inside the yurt, inviting their ancestors to come and take part in our celebration. Their songs were awakening the spirits of the land. Minutes and hours passed by; and now only one shaman, Bair, was singing. Suddenly, his voice changed to much lower tones and became unrecognizable. The first drop of rain touched the ground and in the next few minutes it started to pour. An image of the white eagle flew before my eyes. And in the next moment, Bator, the assisting shaman ran out of the yurt with a quiet scream: "He is here! The god!"

"Which one?" I asked Bator in a whisper. "Himself," he answered. "Khan Khato Babeya." A few minutes later, Bair showed up from the yurt and with the power and grace of a god, walked around the sacred grove. We dropped on our knees, and as instructed before the ceremony, we covered our faces with the hands, looking at the god through the spread fingers. The shamans were watching for the god's slightest gesture while listening carefully to his speech. A chair was brought, and Bair lowered himself down.

In the tradition of Siberian shamanism, shamans play a role of mediators between gods, nature spirits and people. The shamans offer their bodies to gods and spirits for their temporary residence. From the moment a god resides in the body of a shaman, the shaman himself falls into a state of deep trance. He doesn't belong to himself any longer. The god and only the god speaks through the lips of the shaman, looks through the shaman's eyes and walks with the shaman's feet. This metamorphosis is a highly mystical and absolutely amazing event in the so called ONGON ceremony.

Later in the process of the ceremony, three more gods honored the shamans with their visits. Khan Dalai Khatun, the goddess of Lake Baikal and also the wife of Khan Khato Babeya sang in a bird's voice through the woman shaman Bairma. The god of the Northern lands of Lake Baikal, Ergel Sagan Noiona, appeared through the shaman Bator. Big, with a striking appearance and with the power of a thunderstorm, he drained the shaman with his presence. So powerful was the god's presence that when he left, Bator a strong and big man himself, almost collapsed to the ground. Towards the end of the ceremony, as a reminder that something important has to be accomplished at the other sacred place, the god of the Alhanai Mountains visited us briefly.

Two years ago, when I was guided by the spirits to the Alhanai Mountains in Southern Siberia, I learned about the legend of the thirty three shamans. A local healer brought me to the place where the shamans used to perform their ceremonies. I found that the place was the gate to the parallel world and that the gate was closed. To reopen the gate, thirty three shaman healers had to come to Alhanai and join their hands in the powerful ceremony by the gate. The legend said that the energy of the ceremony would bring peace to the planet. Thirteen gods of Lake Baikal used to perform their ceremonies by the gate to the parallel world. There was a direct connection between Olkhon Island and Alhanai.

The ceremony ended late at night. An important message was received from the gods: "A "white road" will be opened for the ceremony of the thirty three shamans when nine cleansing ceremonies have been performed on both the island and at the Alhanai Mountains." Another important message was for me: the next year, I was to bring the Great Eagle's shamanic staff to Olkhon Island. Two and a half years ago, the Great Eagle's staff initiated me as a shaman and revealed for me my Siberian mission. The staff has to travel a great distance from the Big Island of Hawaii to the Olkhon Island of Lake Baikal. The next year, two Eagles will meet by the Shaman's Rock in Siberia. One of them is the Great Eagle of the Indians and the other one - a Siberian White Eagle, the son of god.

After my arrival in the United States, one of my friends asked me a question, if our work would bring world peace. "Yes, eventually it will," I responded. "Our shamans' work is a drop in the bucket of peace which has to be filled with many more drops."

Hopefully, our work will eventually wake up people who are ignorant and disrespectful of the will of gods. Good changes always start with the rise of awareness, and we can expect that there will be more and more of us joining hands in the ceremonies of peace and respect. Siberians and Native Americans, and many other nations together will be cleaning the lands, planting trees and protecting waters and forests. Together we will be growing strong to stop the wars and the destruction of our planet. Together...

Appreciation

I want to express my gratitude to my friends and to those of my clients who felt important to support my Siberian expedition. Without their help the Gathering of Shamans on Olkhon Island at Lake Baikal would not take place.

My big thanks is to:

• Debra Varner
• Natalia Stavinsky
• George Stricker
• Doug and Ann Marie Andelon
• Ellen Faryna
• Erick Clothier
• Duane Smith
• Kay Kugler
• David and Chloe Cook
• Sophia Levin
• David Neaves
• Kate Vaughan

Galina Vladi