For me a drum is a spiritual companion, a sacred voice that accompanies me on my soul's progress through many realities. A drum is also an oracle; the strength and flow of its voice brings me messages, intuitions and warnings about the energies I am working with. But especially for me a drum is a story; a story whose hearing is like reading what cannot be written. Its physical story tells of the deer and trees that lived within the dappled sun and slanting rain of our northern forests. Its spiritual story tells of its purpose as a guide and oracle in the other realms. Its paintings tell the stories of the creatures or forces whose characteristics or energies are coming through the drum as vibration. Sometimes I draw a Journy Oracle card to help a client choose a drum, noting that the image or text on the oracle card will help her make a felt connection to one of my shaman's drums. But mostly I tell the story of the drum. This drum is named "Pushkin" and was painted with the portrait of a rabbit that I sometimes bunny-sit when his humans are traveling. Of course most of us think of rabbits as soft, timid creatures--good at hiding and for petting. But clearly Pushkin does not think of himself in these terms. When I gazed into the drum, asking to be shown how Pushkin wanted to be seen, this fierce and powerful creature was staring back at me. The woman who purchased this drum for her daughter made the connection between this not so timid bunny and her quiet but not timid daughter. In art and life, it is the stories we tell ourselves that give meaning to our choices.
