Have you ever heard of the shamanic idea of the 3 Worlds? If this concept is new for you, here’s a quick explanation. Our realities exist in three different worlds: celestial, middle and underworld. We may or may not be aware of these worlds, but our experiences often live in one or more of them. Thinking about the 3 Worlds and trying to stay grounded in all three has really helped me navigate the pandemic and now the undeniable demand for antiracism.
Shamanic Astrology’s focus on these 3 worlds is part of what makes it shamanic (a question I get all the time). I liken the the worlds to a ferris wheel ride. If I keep riding the wheel through all three worlds, I do fine. If I stop, or worse get off, at any one world, that’s where I start to get weird. My motto is don’t let my ferris wheel stop. Don’t get stuck in any one world for too long.
What are the Shamanic Astrology 3 Worlds?
I’ll explain from the top down, but no one world is better or worse than another. There’s no hierarchy to the worlds.
The celestial world is the place where we get that “God” perspective, up high in the sky. It’s the eagle’s view, that looks down from a distance. It has perspective and sees the forest, not just the tree. Detached from the day to day grind, we know from this vantage point that ultimately everything is just fine. It’s spiritually all good from up here and everything is unfolding exactly as it should.
The middle world is what we consider the “real” world. It’s where we physically live, grocery shop, run errands, do laundry, eat, sleep and work. That may seem mundane, but it is the place where we spend the majority of our energy. It’s not lacking in importance! The middle world is where our bodies live and make our life experience possible.
Finally, the underworld, just like it sounds, is under the surface. Hidden in the shadow, it’s where we keep our deepest fears and feelings. Our subconscious baggage hangs out here. You might wonder, why would I ever want to go there? This is where the juiciness of life gets its energy. When we go here and feel our darkest feelings and fears, we release the energy it takes to stay in denial. We let go and immediately begin to ride on the eagle’s wings back up to the celestial world.
So, how are the 3 Worlds helping me with stay sane?
Danial Giamario, Shamanic Astrology’s founder, taught me the importance of keeping my feet firmly planted in each of the worlds, especially now in this time of so much rapid change, uncertainty, and anxiety. I make sure to keep my ferris wheel circling. I don’t let it get stuck in any one world for too long.
If I get stuck at the top and soar into thoughts that everything’s all good. It’s all going to be fine. I may feel temporary relief from the fear and anxiety, but I may also stop washing my hands or stop following my area’s COVID rules. Or, I could get stuck in white privilege and become detached from the intense fight for antiracism that’s happening right now in the middle world. I would be light polarized and deny the challenges many people are facing and lack empathy. It is the truth, from the ultimate spiritual perspective, that everything is going to be ok, so it’s important to keep this world’s view in mind, especially if I’m getting really scared, anxious or overwhelmed about COVID, money or what can I really do to change the world.
If I let my ferris wheel get stuck in the middle world, I could start obsessively washing my hands and every single thing that enters my house. I might become the coronavirus police and start telling others what they are doing wrong, in my mind. I might go beyond simply taking care of myself and start wanting to control everyone else. I might get obsessed with the news and everything that is messed up in our world. I might stop showing up for work in order to protest and then not be able to take care of myself financially. It’s really important to keep a foot firmly grounded in the middle world too, but not get stuck here either. It’s this world where I make sure I take the necessary precautions to keep myself healthy. Afterall, it’s the middle world where I could actually catch the virus. It’s also the place where the action is taken to stop the police killing black women and men and where the protests are creating such a shift in our collective consciousness around racism.
Getting stuck in the underworld
If I get stuck in the underworld, I’m filled with fear and paranoia around the virus. I feel helpless to make a difference in how black people and other people of color are brutalized by our system. I sink into depression that it’s all out of my control. This is where I want to curl up in the fetal position, binge watch Netflix, and try to push my shadow further down through distraction. While it’s true my fears around getting sick or making a difference are real, the key here is to surrender and let go. I can’t control the virus, nor the rules around what I can’t do right now. I’m unable to control the world or what happens, but I can address my own ingrained racist ideas and stop sticking my head in the sand of white privilege. The underworld is where I feel my feelings, take an honest look at what I’ve been in denial of and then surrender. That’s where the power starts to come back to me, in the letting go.
I must stay on the circling ferris wheel. Surrendering always brings me right back up to the eagle’s view from the celestial world, where everything is truly going to be ok, no matter what. As long as I keep my ferris wheel moving, and don’t get off at the wrong stop, I’m literally good and doing the best I can. The key is to keep riding the wheel and keep a foot firmly planted in each world because all three are equally important and create a balanced wholeness to our lives and experiences.
I originally wrote this article for The Shamanic Astrology Mystery School’s website, but so much has changed in several weeks that I had to update it for my blog today. You can read the original article here.
Essential oils for Worlds
If you find yourself getting stuck in one of the worlds too long, join the club. It isn’t easy to stay grounded in all 3 worlds simultaneously, or heck even stay grounded at all these days. You know me… I really like taking a spiritual approach to aromatherapy. Using essential oils to remind me of what I’m working on is a very powerful tool. The essences remind me and push me in the directions I’m seeking to go. For example, if I’m spinning out in the middle and underworlds, watching the news 24/7, feeling powerless and anxious, using an essence like Frankincense to help ground me and open me up to the celestial world is extremely helpful. Adding in a Black Pine, will support me in going into the shadow driving that anxiety and feelings of powerlessness. Black Pine will energetically encourage me to feel my fears and denied emotions, such as where I’m still racist or where I was detached from my part in the fight for black lives matter. Using essences in spiritual and conscious manners brings my awareness into the areas I’m lacking and literally raises my vibration towards where I want to be, in my authentic Self.