Everything Under the Moon

What really is shapeshifting? Does it hurt? How does one do such a thing?

If you take the studies done by anthropologists like Carlo Ginsburg, as referenced in his "Night Battles" book, shape shifting is projection of the spiritual vital fluids, or etheric body, or what we commonly today think of as astral projection. The individual's astral energy is seen either as different shapes interpreted as resembling mice, rabbits, wolves, or people, or as actual defined shapes. The records of witchcraft trials of the late 1300-1700s were his source. The one danger repeatedly mentioned was to not let the physical body roll onto it's stomach, or the traveler could not get back inside.

If the astral body, or shape-shift received an injury while out and about, the same wounds would appear on the physical body. I don't know if this is true or not. I haven't experienced it.

How it's done varies, but usually is a matter of focused intent of the will, a strong desire or the need to be elsewhere. Astral projection is a study in itself. Assuming a specific shape that the mind identifies with is again, a matter of will, making up the mind to do it. Some people imagine they stand in front of their physical body then transfer their consciousness, their awareness, to the image. Most people naturally project at night in our sleep and aren't even aware of it. But if you have ever been startled awake suddenly and felt muzzy headed, that's because your astral and physical bodies aren't lined up & in sinc. A few steadying breaths, a cuppa coffe, sets us right.

In occult studies, the astral body is believed to be attached to the physical body by a "silver" or luminous cord. If it is broken, then the soul has permanently separated from the body, and Elvis has left the building for good. People supposedly have a physical body, an emotional body, an etheric energy body, a mental body...depending on the source and culture, from 3-7 layers. Please someone correct me if I have that garbled.

Another form of shape shifting is mask wearing, in which a person puts on an animal mask and literally identifies with the shared spirit of something like fox. The mask wearer isn't a specific fox, but the essence of all foxes. From what I've read of this experience, it brings the qualities of this intelligence to the mask wearer, and raises consciousness of the inter-connection of life and a cunning survival instinct. One hence forth honors the connection for the wisdom it has given.

And yeh, sometimes these forms of comsciousness and identity shifts are physically demanding to the point of extreme discomfort, but usually not so much.

Shapeshifting can sometimes be similar to a glamour spell. The Native Americans of the southwest also have stories of skinwalkers.

Snow

Oh, I thought of something else... Riding the broomstick is a metaphor for OOBE...out of body experience...astral projection. The broom is the staff of the shaman. It is a sign of authority. It stands for the sacred tree, the tree of life, the cosmic principles of above/heavenly, middle/ mundane, and below/ under world. The staff as the tree connects the worlds and the witch climbs the staff, or rides the broom, between worlds, and travels OOB.

And being reminded of Native American, the lodge pole, the teepee support, is also the tree, and the wiseman or woman might climb the pole, ride their steed, like a witch would ride the broom in flight. I may be over simplifying the journeying, but the basic idea is there.

It is often a practice of Healer's to astrally view the energy body of the patient for diagnosis and subsequent adjustments that result then in physical changes, or healing. Sometimes rather than astral diagnosis, what is viewed is the aura, the color bands of the energy body some people can physically see. Changes are made to the aura and energy shifted here and there, blockages cleared, and physical health results after. Again, it's another study in and of itself.

SpiritTalker wrote: If the astral body, or shape-shift received an injury while out and about, the same wounds would appear on the physical body. I don't know if this is true or not. I haven't experienced it.

I haven't experienced this either, but I'm currently working under the impression that the Astral and mental body would be damaged emotionally and psychically by the experience; likewise the physical body is injured if the experience happens on the etheric plane (the division between the physical and astral)

SpiritTalker wrote:If the astral body, or shape-shift received an injury while out and about, the same wounds would appear on the physical body. I don't know if this is true or not. I haven't experienced it.

This happened to me while sleeping a few times. I go to sleep just fine, dream about being in a fight of some sort, and wake up with a black eye, bruises, scratches or a broken tooth

Do tell more about this shape shifting thing, please!

Benandanti (good walkers) were an agrarian cult in 16th century, Northern Italy who fought astral battles at certain annual periods or "ember days" for the outcome of the harvest. In "Night Battles" Ginzburg suggests these astral meetings were the actual witches sabbaths. When not engaged in battles, the Benandanti were Healer's. They were said to have been born with a caul.

I should start some research on that. I recently tried to do Astral projection healing, which seems to work but not long term (she only feels better for a few days. Afterwards, I have to repeat.)

Just a suggestion, and you might already be doing it, but my thought is to get the patient's astral self involved so they agree to heal/improve themselves to a level that they find acceptable. Make positive affirmations that they repeat. Reinforce the affirmations when awake.

Maybe memorize a couple favorites and repeat them to yourself as you go out of body, or as you are going to sleep, however you work it.

Talking about it openly is definitely not an option, but asking her to repeat affirmations could work. Thanks for the idea!
I do it both ways. The conscious Astral projection is for healing and the other one, well.....for adventurous dreams and new scratches.