In Part 1 of this 5-part series, I discussed the history of the Djinn. Part 2, related a bit about about demons (the Shayāṭīn), why Djinn fear wolves and the ancient Egyptian god, Set. In Part 3, I talked about my first encounter with a Djinn in the desert. Now, in Part 4, I’ll tell you about the battle. In Part 5, I’ll discuss an encounter with Set.
Part 4: The Battle
Morning
On the morning of the battle, I did not know what the entity I encountered had been but I presumed that it was some sort of evil spirit. I wonder, if I had known it was a Djinn, if I would have proceeded any differently?
If I were in Saudi Arabia, I could have been put to death, since communing with a Djinn is regarded as sorcery and punishable by beheading! I have just realised that, having written about the encounter in this blog, I must never visit that particular Kingdom.
I already had some trepidation about going into the desert alone. My partner was having a tough morning, stressing about getting ready, whilst my fellow travellers, waiting in the hot jeeps, were not in the mood for any procrastination. When we finally emerged from our tent, we were divided into separate jeeps and none of us spoke to each other, as we were spending the day in silence. Instead, we began to focus upon our own thoughts.
Preparation
We arrived at a secluded area – I think it was near or within the Wadi Hitan National Park. Fearing how the battle would play out, I walked quickly away from the others, I knew that I wanted to go as far out into the desert as possible.
After walking for some time, I found a monolithic rock to provide some shelter from the sun. My vigil began with me drawing a huge spiral of protection in the sand with my power staff. I had been guided to my staff by an Ayahuasca vision in Peru. It is an elaborately carved llama femur, topped with a carved panther and with a quartz crystal shard forming a point at its base.
I plunged the crystal spear tip into the centre of the spiral, so that the panther looked out defensively across the desert. I opened my wirracocha over myself, then over the defensive spiral. Next, I opened my mesa, the bundle of healing stones which I have carried since undertaking the Incan medicine wheel training.
It was a curious experience to just be left with my own thoughts. How often in this busy world do we disconnect from all our electronic devices and take the time to contemplate our own existence? There was some distraction to be had in observing the unusual landscape of rock and sand, stretching out as far as I could see. But there was also ample time to consider the things that were important.
Dagaz Arrives
I was a bit preoccupied, primarily with thoughts about my relationship, when, suddenly, there was a tall swirl of sand. At first, it seemed like any other squall but it grew subtly in intensity.
‘Dagaz!’
The sand became a human figure and it rasped, ‘Are you prepared for the battle?’
‘For what?’ I asked.
‘The battle. Are you ready to die?’
‘No. I’m not ready for that,’ I admitted.
‘As a shaman, you should be,’ Dagaz laughed.
‘I’m not a very good shaman,’ I confessed.
‘What? The Great Chacaruna?’ he mocked.
‘I’ve only taken a few steps on that journey and I still struggle with my mortality’.
‘You mean your ego. Do not worry, I still struggle with that and I am ancient. Oh, so very ancient,’ he stated wearily.
‘You’re not immortal, then?’ I asked.
‘Oh, no. Even my bright fire can turn permanently to smoke. Where’s your dog?’ Dagaz asked.
I was aware that my animal spirit, Wolf, had not materialised and I called to him.
The Djinn laughed.
‘Why do you think I brought you here? This cursed bit of sand has been ours since ancient times. Your mutt will never find his way from the Lower World to this desolate place. Meantime, I will enter you, as smoke. Maybe I won’t poison your blood, or stop your heart, as I could. Perhaps I’ll just possess you? I’ve done that thousands of times before. You will be no different’.
The Battle
The Djinn shifted into a swirl of smoke but appeared to hit an invisible barrier at the edge of the spiral I had drawn – the edge of my protective wirracocha. The swirl became a flock of smoke birds, which had no greater luck in penetrating the shield. The Djinn reformed into his human shape.
‘What is this?’ the Djinn hissed.
‘Old magic. I might not have Wolf but I am still protected’.
‘You cannot stay in your bubble forever’.
He was right, of course, and I began to panic. Before too long, Louise would start to drum a recall and we would all be expected to return.
I wondered what on earth I could do – I did not even know what the creature was. The only time I had come across something that seemed malevolent was the spirit of an old man, whom I had encountered on a house cleansing course.
Even though the old man had screamed abuse at me, I had followed my instinct, stayed calm and listened to what the old man had to say. My shaman tutor told me later that it was absolutely the right thing to have done. Sometimes, my tutor advised, restless spirits manifest as angry or ‘evil’ simply because they are desperate for their story to be told. So, I had listened to the sad tale of his life.
Then, I had used my training as a Psychopomp (literally meaning ‘guide of souls’ – that is, a shaman who has trained in escorting souls to the afterlife) to open a portal of light to the Upper World. Next, I asked if the old man was ready to move on. It turned out he was. He left peacefully and I have heard that the poltergeist disturbances in the room subsequently diminished.
I wondered if I could do the same for Dagaz. However, if he were evil, did I have the right to show him the way to the light? I reasoned that if he was not meant to pass over, he would not. Ultimately, I decided that I did not have a choice. I had to try something.
Going Home
I grabbed my power staff, foregoing its additional protection for a moment, and used the crystal at its base to open a gateway to the light.
Surging forward, the Djinn sneered, ‘What is this?’
Yet, suddenly, as he looked up at the light he became transfixed. I sensed an extraordinary calm come over him. His intense anger dissipated in one miraculous, beautiful moment.
‘Are you ready to go home?’ I asked.
The shadowy Djinn nodded, enraptured by the beauty of the Upper World. Dagaz slowly became flames, then a column of light, which rose into the gateway I had created. Once he had passed through, I sealed the breach behind him.
In the sand, where the Djinn had stood, a rune blazed in fire for a brief moment. Then, it vanished, leaving only sand.
At that point, I thought it was all over.
Then, a god descended.