The Indian in the Bathroom
by Glenn Key

 

Ryan’s parents did not believe in spirit guides, imaginary friends or anything Granny believed.

When my grandson Ryan was three years old, he and his parents came to visit me. His uncle, my older son, Kendall, and his wife, Elaine, were living with me at the time, but were out of town. Ryan and I were sleeping in his uncle and aunt’s bed and I was reading him a story. Being a restless Gemini, Ryan preferred to play with some Native American wampum (Indian money) on the headboard that Kendall had found in an old burial ground. Suddenly, Ryan became very still and snuggled up to me. “Granny, there’s an Indian in the bathroom,” he whispered. I asked if the Indian was smiling and he shook his head, “No, he’s not.” I explained that the Indian was Aunt Elaine’s guide who had been with her since she was a little girl about his age. Ryan snuggled close in my arms and finally went to sleep.

The next morning, Ryan awakened me with his restlessness. The moment he saw my eyelids flicker, he began to shake me. “Granny,” he said, “the Indian can stay. He is a good Indian.” By his statement, I knew that Ryan’s guides had communicated with him during his sleep.

Every time Ryan visited me for many years thereafter, he asked to “see the Indian again.” I explained that the Indian was not there anymore since his aunt and uncle had moved to their own home. Ryan even asked his Aunt Elaine at their new house to let him see the Indian again, but when his father (my younger son) heard him, we knew the Indian experience would be squelched. Ryan’s parents did not believe in spirit guides, imaginary friends or anything Granny believed.

In numerology, Ryan has a Life Path of 22. He is an old soul, as is his father and grandfather. At some point in his life he will come back to Granny and want to know more about his experience. It does seem sad, however, that he was blocked from becoming more aware of his own guides and helpers throughout his young life.

My first experience of entities that not everyone sees came from my first spiritual guru. He had taught in South Carolina at a state school for young children who had never spoken and were presumed to be deaf. He communicated with these kids with non-verbal communication, and the experiences he shared astounded me. He told stories of sending telepathic messages to the children to pick up a specific color chair and bring it to him and then sit in the chair. He also told me how as a young child he would play outdoors and talk to the Deva kingdom. He said that when he saw devas, spirits, fairies (or whatever you want to call them) very much like the figures in the movie Fantasia, he would go in the house and tell his grandmother who supported him in his activities.

Several years ago, a client asked about an experience she had with her four-year-old girl. The child came into the house from playing in the back yard and began to tell the mother and grandmother what “Clyde” told her to tell them. When they asked who Clyde was, she answered, “The man I’ve been playing with.” Naturally, they rushed outdoors to see what strange man was in the yard. They saw no one, but the child continued to talk to him and relay messages to her mother and grandmother. Suddenly, one of the women realized that Clyde was the little girl’s grandfather who had died shortly before she was born. I assured the mother that he would hang around her as long as he felt she needed him.

Young children have their own spirit guides, deva playmates and imaginary friends (if you desire to call them that). The sad part, however, is that some unenlightened older people are so afraid that they want to destroy these playmates or “send them away.” Of course, there are some like “Aunt Elaine” who are blessed to have kept their guides close and to benefit from their help and direction through the growing pains of childhood. Aunt Elaine’s daughter, Solara, became aware of her friends after her other grandmother’s death. I remember her telling me about “Butterfly,” her new playmate, and how they talked about things when she was alone in her playhouse. Fortunately, Solara has the guidance from her parents to know with whom to share her experiences.

Most of the babies born today are old souls. They are reincarnating with the knowledge that they are here for specific purposes to make a difference on our planet. My prayer is that all parents will come to understand their evolved little ones and help guide them to reach their potential.

Dr. Glenn Key is a Metaphysical Spiritual Counselor who uses astrology and numerology.  Contact: 646-4214, toll-free 877-729-0342; glennkey@alaska.com; http://www.glennkey.com

The Power of a Child's Invisible Friend
by Bob Martin

 

Shamans believe that the instant we are born a helping spirit enters our lives to watch over us.

"This is my special friend. She's invisible!"

Did you ever overhear one child saying that to another? You probably saw the parents roll their eyes and grin at you knowingly at their youngster's foolish beliefs.

But imagine for a minute that what the child sees is real. What if this unseen friend is in that young person's life as a protector, guarding him or her with the same ferocity and selflessness as any loving caretaker?

From a shamanic perspective, this is exactly what is happening. Shamans believe that the instant we are born a helping spirit enters our lives to watch over us. As the Jivaro Indians of Ecuador claim, without the aid of these guardian spirits, we would not have the protective power necessary to achieve adulthood.

There are many names for these helping spirits – power animals, spirit guides, guardians, totems and even angels. While they are most often perceived as non-domesticated animals, they can also be mythological figures and occasionally humanoid.

Societies with shamanic roots believe that we are spiritual beings who have taken human form. As newcomers into this reality, children have a stronger connection to the spirit world and see more clearly through the veil separating the two. Because of this, they can perceive helping spirits with more clarity than adults.

In our culture, however, we tend to believe only those things that our limited five senses tell us are real. Since we are out of touch with the spirit world, we tell our children (as we were told ourselves) that their "invisible friends" do not exist and they should stop this fantasy. After a while, our insistence and shaming closes off young people to a truly precious gift from the universe. As in any relationship where one party is constantly ignored, the unwanted spirit helper may leave.

In many cultures, children are encouraged to seek out their helper. Once that relationship is established, young people are taught to sustain this friendship by finding ways to honor their helper. This can include singing songs, creating dances, constructing fetishes and making a special effort to acknowledge the animal if encountered in the wild.

In addition to protecting children, spirit helpers bestow their young charges with special strengths, talents and abilities. These gifts might include enhanced tracking skills, artistic abilities or leadership qualities. As young people grow and contribute to this alliance, so does their personal power grow, increasing their success and status within the community.

Shamanic cultures believe that children who have lost their spirit helper can become ill and may perish. Symptoms of this dis-ease often include a series of unexplained accidents or misfortunes. Frequently, the remedy for this is a healing called a spirit helper retrieval (sometimes called a "power animal retrieval") in which the shaman journeys into the spirit world, finds a spirit guide willing to help, brings it back and unites it with the child.

After the healing, the child is asked to establish communication with the new helper. This may be achieved by sitting quietly in a place in nature, by meditating or by taking a shamanic "journey." The goal is to open his or her heart to the helper, find its voice and begin a dialogue.

This early discussion will often involve the child asking the helper how it can be honored. He or she may be told to make a small altar, say a daily prayer of thanks, hike into the wilderness (or zoo) to observe the spirit's animal form, or go to the library to research its history, habitat and traits.

The child should also ask what talents or strengths his or her helper brings to the relationship. The helpers always have mankind's "greater good" in mind and their gifts will reflect that which is needed for the child to achieve growth as a spiritual being.

So, the next time you hear a child talking about an "invisible friend," make the effort to create a safe place to discuss this friend. It may just be a whimsical creation born from a child's fertile imagination, but it could also be one of the most powerful and inspirational forces in a young person's life.

Bob Martin is a shamanic practitioner living in Anchorage, Alaska. He is available for shamanic healings on both children and adults and can be reached at 907-694-9555 or rdmartin@alaska.net.