“Underworld Passage”

“Thousands of years ago a shaman walking among the great trees and marveling at nature’s wondrous architecture of rock, came upon an area teeming with spiritual energies. Awash with feelings of peace and harmony, and slightly pricked by fear, he continued on, like a leaf floating downstream and coming to rest in a slow, turning eddy. His spirit helpers revealed to him the power of this holy place, where spiritual energies seemed to flow into this world, like a clear mountain spring trickles from a facture in the rock.
In ancient times a shaman knew creating sacred symbols, shapes, and figures upon the rock surface could enhance the spiritual powers of this mystical place. Creating these sacred images was just one of the many functions of a shaman. The cracks and crevices in these rocks inspired these ghostly figures and symbols. A shaman would have known these openings as the door to the underworld, the passage to the realm of the earth spirits. This idea appears evident because of the ghostly figures and hands reaching out from the opening in the rock. Also the placement of images such as lizards, snakes, and ground-dwelling insects like the centipede enforce this theory. All of these creatures are spirit messengers who enter our world through the cracks and crevices of Mother Earth. The spiritual powers of these images aided ancient shamans in their need to bridge the void between our world and the spirit world. A shaman entered the netherworld of spirits in a trance-like state, brought on by dancing, chanting, fasting, or hallucinogenic herbs. While in this twilight realm, he could obtain information and wisdom to help his people. He was the only emissary and guardian between his people and the dangerous, frightening, and mysterious forces of their world.”