Customer Reviews

Amazon Drumming To Journey By

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3 star:		(1)
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"When I first heard the drumming sounds on the "Amazon Drumming To Journey By" CD by Kay Cordell Whitaker, I was quite surprised... I was accustomed to rapid drumming, and here was a very interesting sound produced by a much slower rhythm.

I have Spirit Journeyed for 13 years. Not a world record by any stretch, but long enough to develop and recognize patterns, and to have a fairly strong faith in the predictability of my effectiveness. I was also entrenched in a known modality - meaning I had used the same rhythm for most of that time. It would vary slightly when done with "live" drums or rattles, but it was still "that fast rhythm". I recently sat at the Stick Games during a Native American Pow Wow in Montana, experiencing that same rapid tempo. I was flying all over the universe, while the games were going on.

I am a Music Intuitive and Composer and as I listened carefully to Whitaker's CD, the questions in my head became answers, and I could ascertain the source of the magic I was hearing. The slower rhythm allows a resonance and reverberation (a kind of gentle echo) to be heard, in between the drumbeats, which in the faster rhythms is masked by the sound of the beat. With the addition of a subtle rattle, and an ancient chant, there is a final sound generated that is hard to surpass for its effectiveness. I create music that allows and encourages exponential spiritual growth (www.stephenpike.com) by holding the doors open... Kay's CD does the same thing for the shamanic journey. I had a more profound journey in my office chair with this CD than I have had doing a full ritual with my old CD... I had phosphenes, I had a tingling paralysis in my hands and forearms, and I spontaneously went to places that I had not experienced in my years of journey work.

Your personal mileage may vary, but if you are serious about Spirit Journeying, I would suggest trying any and every tool that presents itself. As one of those tools, this recording has brought attention to new possibilities on my map of the other worlds, and I highly recommend it." Stephen Pike, Ashland, OR

The composition is lovely but after trying to journey twice for the first time using this cd, I could not enter any sort of light trance and therefore I was not able to achieve any sort of journey. I think it is the slow pace of the drumming. It is the steady beat like a heart beat, but the sound of it is more like "blunk, blunk, blunk, blunk" instead of the usual driving sonic boom,boom,boom I have heard from other cd samples. I found this type of drumming sound distracting and hard, which made it difficult for me to hold my visualization to begin any journey or lose myself in it so the journey could take flight on its own. I've had better luck in mediations and in my dream state, but I want to journey, not simply meditate. I even tried to give this cd another chance by using it when I was sleepy hoping it would help me achieve that state of trance you get just before actually going to sleep. But the blunk, blunk sound didn't work for me. It may appeal to other experienced journeyers though who want to try a different drumming style. I found the cd relaxing though. According to Harner (referenced in Tom Cowan's Shamanism book) the drum beat should be about 205 to 220 beats per minute. Amazon Drumming to Journey drum beat is much slower than the recommended.

There are good things I did like about this cd though. The low chanting on the cd I didn't find a distraction and was kind of nice. It gave it a spiritual quality to it. The deer toe rattle was nice too, but I had to turn the volume up on my cd player very high (and I had head phones on) in order to hear it effectively. What I did love about this cd was the choice in journey lengths with call back at the end of each. That was the main reason I decided on this cd. I wish I had heard a sound sample first. There is no sound sample on Kay's website either. Michael Harner's site had a few different drumming cd's and even some tibetan bowls and chanting cds to use for journeying. Some of the drumming cds are double drumming, some are single drumming. It just shows that everyone's preference to achieve altered states varies. I hope I'll be able to return to this cd down the road. However in the meantime I'm going to look into the classic mode of shamanistic drumming that employs a faster beat and see if that makes a difference.

Right off the bat, this CD is different than other Drumming CDs I have heard. The pace of the drumming isn't the fast pace I've used most often. It is slower and uses what I know of as the heartbeat of the Earth. This might not be the Amazon meaning, but it helps me: for me the first beat is stronger and I feel the Mother Earth; in the second, softer beat I feel all the beings on the Earth. A low-voiced chanting and a gentle deer-toe rattle can be heard throughout the CD.

This drumming CD brought clarity to my journeys. I normally get repeated phrases when I journey. With this CD, those phrases become an exciting real dialogue where I can be fully interactive and get more complete answers to my questions. I think the slower pace gets me to slow down and be able to listen better. I find the rattle very soothing and the chanting brings a strong feeling of support to my journeys.

I'm very grateful for the diversity in drumming style and experience that "Amazon Drumming To Journey By" provides.

Amazon Drumming to Journey By is a great tool for journeying into the beyond. The rhythm matches the heartbeat and allows the body to rest and be cocooned in a safe environment. Safety is a key feeling with this CD. It allowed me to leave the body behind and journey into the unknown, knowing my body was well taken care of. I also felt safe to journey knowing I would be called back at the right time. One can choose how long to journey from 10 to 70 minutes in 10 and 15 minutes increments. This is great for a modern shaman who must fit their journeys into a busy life. I can really fall into the beat of this CD. Other drumming CD's kept me mentally aware and this CD helps you fall into the feeling of the events that are unfolding. It tends to open the heart chakra to augment the third eye.

With Amazon Drumming to Journey By, Kay Cordell Whitaker has now given me an added dimension for my spiritual journeys, explorations and personal quests. Employing a slower, heartbeat drum rhythm than the previous Drumming to Journey By CD, Amazon Drumming is the option I often choose for introspective journeying. It draws me into a stillpoint where I can convene conferences between my etheric self and those of other spirits with greater ease.

I've recently begun experimenting with journeying for visual information on healing mandalas for myself and my animal friends; on my return to normal consciousness, I attempt to draw the images I've seen. Amazon Drumming To Journey By is facilitating this process extraordinarily well.

One way that people have used music and sounds is to create an environment where a particular kind of event can take place. The selection of certain tones and rhythms produces a congruent atmosphere for the senses, which links the internal landscape with the external happenings. This allows for a certain efficiency and effectiveness that might not be available otherwise. The Amazon Drumming to Journey By CD does exactly this for the very personal event of Spirit Journeying, or any kind of meditation, and it does it extraordinarily well.

The style of drumming on this CD is different than anything I have heard before. It is a calming, continuous rhythm. On the surface it sounds like a simple beat, but closer listening reveals a vast array of complexities within the piece. The sounds are unobtrusive and reassuring, producing relaxation and heightened awareness. When I used the CD for Spirit Journeying, it was easy to forget that I was listening to anything at all.

In addition, there are two features that made the CD even easier for me to use. First, the booklet gave much helpful advice. It outlines the basic precautions that one should observe when going on a Journey, so as to have a safe and effective experience. Second, the CD is designed so that you can choose the length of time you wish to Journey, in increments between 10 and 71 minutes.

For those individuals who wish to learn more about journeying, I would recommend the earlier CDs by this artist. The Dance of the Earth Fire Serpent CD, which is a life energy opening ceremony like no other, gives specific instructions on how to create a circle stone altar space for ceremony. The Power Animal Journey CD gives specific instructions on Journeying and offers a guided Journey to the land of the Animal Spirits! I also highly recommend Kay Whitaker's books, The Reluctant Shaman, and Sacred Link, for those who desire to learn about the origins of this ancient tradition and to live in peace and harmony. Visit Kay Whitaker's website for amazing information about many different aspects of her work.

A very very effective drumming CD to journey by! I prefer it both for my own journeys and in guiding others on their journeys into the non-linear and spirit realms. This CD offers a shamanically orchestrated symphony of sounds that stimulate a most appealing altered state of consciousness. The drumming has a powerfully rich and full sound, and it's unique inviting cadence first stimulates and then pulls one deeper and and deeper into the experience of journeying. The rain-like sounds of the deer toe rattle combined with a gentle steady mantra-like male chant creates otherworldly feeling tones to assist the journeyer. Additionally, there are subtle tonal movements of sound that float and dance in the background which increases the effect. This shamanic CD is ideal for ceremony too. I am grateful to be able to use this CD and highly recommend it.

Buy this CD!

The first time I listened to this CD I was struck by how the spacing between the drumbeats created a clear connection for me with my own vastness and continues to do so. The voices in the background act as a gentle, firm reminder for me to return to my intention. I want to journey more now that I have the help of this CD. I journey more clearly, hear more deeply and find it easier to stay focused. I also listen to this CD while doing distance healing. Again my focus and contact are stronger.

I'm so grateful to have such accessible technology to support my spiritual path.

It takes a powerful and yet comforting influence to take me out of the days concerns and allow my mind to travel beyond this dimension to find answers to my many questions.

Kay Whitaker's Amazon Drumming to Journey By delightfully served as my vehicle and companion. The rich, deep drumming tones anchored me well to the Earth, while the deer toe rattles seem to stimulate and expand my awareness. The faint mumble-chanting is absolutely intriguing and seemed to beckon and pull me more deeply into the world of my spirit journey.

After years of only using a tape of some fairly rapid drum beats that did not seem to quite resonate with my own pace, this CD was a delightful surprise and provided the perfect tempo for my heart to feel secure and allow my mind to transcend the business of the day and reach into the infinite.

It is also wonderful to have a choice of 8 different times for journeying. This came in handy when my schedule did not allow for a long session.

This particular drumming pattern takes me right to the heart of Mother Earth! When I am stressed,frustrated, or have lots on my mind,I listen to this cd at home or in my office, and my whole being starts calming down. I love to go to sleep with this drumming softly in the background. I feel as if I immediately contact Mother Earth for renewal and wisdom. Meditating and journeying to this Amazon drum pattern has helped me quickly to attain the alpha state and then away I go! There is a sense of both grouding and soaring at the same time as I relax into the drum pattern. This is an incredibly powerful drumming cd!!