Shamanism is the path to knowledge which is gained through experience of many aspects of life, such as rituals, ceremonies, prayer and meditation, trials and tests. It is the practice, or discipline of interconnectedness and unlimited potential; which can create a total transformation of self. shamanicjourney.com
I found an apt experience by another fan of his art, "Last Samhain my wife and I were trying to come up with a song to sing near the end of our Samhain Ritual...After some thought and search through our music collections we both arrived at the same conclusion: “How about Dave Carter’s Gentle Soldier of My Soul?” As soon as we said it we knew it was the right choice, and indeed it worked perfectly. We needed a song about loss, redemption, triumph, love, and all with a few allusions to the natural world, and there it was." Jason Mankey
Dave's performing partner, Tracy Grammer has this to say about Dave, "Part of his academic background was in transpersonal psychology, and he was actually trained in mining the dream realm, so he really knew how to go down that route almost like it was a shamanic journey."
These two wild and wonderful 'journeys' filled my soul with happiness. I re-experienced a few past lives, journeyed to the heavens, flew across the ocean and descended through several layers of underworlds. I even commissioned the lovely artist, Katzinn, to interpret these visions and incorporate them as part of my first cd cover. The visuals and concepts amazed and frightened me, but continue to inspire me in my current work as a Spirit Doll artist
These Spirit Dolls that I'm creating have been one of the ways I've been able to make my reality meaningful. Each one reflects a different facet of my personality and experiences. For instance, these two dolls were born from my Shamanic Journeys. In fact, other dolls have their genesis in those journeys, too. Now that I think about it, I'm sure all my dolls are informed from those two exceptional and unforgettable experiences.
But the main reason I create Spirit Dolls is because they can be very healing for both the maker and receiver. The spirit manifests how it wants to. It's not about perfection but intention. I can do that. I have a strong determination to help my fellow humans from suffering and each doll contains the intention to bring a little light into someone's life.
That's where the magic comes in, allowing someone else to hold that intention and light in their hands and create a relationship with a new facet of their own life, tapping into their own power and determination.
That's what my Shamanic Journeys helped me to do, as well as, make Spirit Dolls. I loved discovering Shamanic Journeys and I strongly encourage you to experience one for yourself, as well as, experiencing the haunting music of the late Dave Carter. Here are 3 of my favorite songs of his. This first song, The Mountain was performed by Joan Baez for the Dalai Lama and I also covered it on my debut album.