The Lore of the Dreamtime

The legend and Lore of the Australian Aboriginal Dreamtime is a mystery often, even to today’s descendants of those ancient tribes. Colonization of the continent of Australia, which began just over two hundred years ago has seen the loss of much of what was Aboriginal Lore as an ancient people were drawn into a culture which imposed its own ideals in a world of contemporary religion, commerce, industry and the development of an all encompassing social structure and the society that makes up our cities and towns, which they became a part of.

Finding little in common with many religions I spent years looking for its purpose, and looking at the results of religious passion or faith. I saw little that was encouraging until I began to examine Australian Aboriginal Lore many years ago. After realizing I had my own respect and connection to my land and the country of my birth this continuing curiosity and study has since been an interest of mine for much of my adult life.

I recognized my innate faith deeply when I was left watching the timeless flicker of the campfire with the dark horizon beyond that… this was my land, my place and this is why I identify this image as representative of my storytelling.

I should mention that I have found no religion or faith that is not adulterated or abused in some way however as Aboriginal Lore is purely a spiritual faith with no physical plane, you are here left with teachings that are within storytelling and those nurtured within culture. These are lessons and a spirituality that is your own to follow and apply to your life within the guidelines of your own Lore or way of living. It is a deeply personal faith where your temples or places of worship are the land, your country and the skies above. Where the Shadows are the people and the Spirits are anything from mischievous minions, ancestral ghost on to Creator beings. Indeed, the Wandjina, seen as the oldest of the Dreamtime Lore, one older than even Baiame, both of which are much older than any contemporary religions of today.

The Wandjina are never drawn with a mouth for reason. Legend tells us this is because you are expected to learn the Lore within the bounds of your spirituality and community. The Wandjina chooses not to lecture you about it but leaves the lessons to the spirit within you, or the Holy Spirit as known by another name. The legend or story of the Wandjina is told in Book 2, Sky Song,  the storyline of the books can be found on my web site.

In interpreting Aboriginal legend, story and Lore I have come to a place of insight over many years of research and my want to gift this valuable insight to my own kids and grandkids has led to the writing of ‘The Dreaming Series’ of stories. There are four books in the Dreaming Series and to properly tell of what I have learnt about ancient Australian tribal Lore I found I needed to tell the stories, as they have been told since the Dreamtime, this in storytelling. The stories within the books are of four Shaman and the telling is woven within a fictional tale which opens the door to an ancient spiritual world. There are three ways I have found for men and women to become leaders or Shaman of the Dreamtime Lore and each is insightful, each is personal and each is a choice. My writing tells in some part the story of this passage into spirituality.

The many mobs, or tribal families of Aboriginal society generally had no elected leaders, they had instead groups of Elders who were respected as those with knowledge of the Lore, the ability to survive as well as be able to provide for and nurture their families. The leaders and Elders were followed for their wisdom and knowledge alone and they generally lived normal lives, un-exalted in their day-to-day living. This is reflected in Book 1, Shadow Dreaming where Taipan is a Karadji, a spiritual leader amongst his community and the effect it has on his life in today’s world.

The Karadji was a leader chosen by the Elders generally to lead the young Shaman by example. Within everyone is the ability to be a Shaman or a ‘Clever Man’. Indeed a Shaman is merely a spiritual person each with different individual abilities, which are generally respected with a regard that is earned. They were known by many names, but they were taught the knowledge of the Lore and undertake initiations into the Lore throughout their lives if they choose too.

Taipan’s struggle to find his way in life is a personal struggle, which you are invited to step with him through. Shadow Dreaming is also an introduction into a hidden world where you can learn something of the ancient Aboriginal Lore, that of the Rainbow Serpent and the influence of the Spirit over the land and people even today. The story steps you into the hidden world of Australia’s past and that of an ancient people who hide in plain sight and others found deep within the Queensland Outback and Tropical Rainforests.

Sky Song, Book 2 of the series reveals how that which concerns Taipan is not the only story happening within the pages and you are invited to read between the lines of a story you have already visited but not seen. It is the story of Sean who is Taipan’s younger brother and he lives within the shadow of his older, seemingly more powerful sibling. He has however different strengths and is torn in many different ways, bound by threads of traditional Lore while he struggles to deal with the love he has for a woman who is denied him under his Lore. His problems are very different to his siblings and he has stronger links with the ancient spiritual world, which increasingly governs his life. Those strengths which he must bring under control or he will loose his place in his world.

Having met some of the Dreaming Spirits and creatures of the Dreamtime by the time you reach for Book 3, Spirits of the Rock, I find my readers have an empathy with one or both of the brothers. Andrew is the third Shaman of the series and is a friend of Sean’s whom you have met although it soon becomes apparent that his path is very different. Like all Shaman, his talents are also very different and in Book 3 I have drawn once more on Aboriginal Legend, that of the Min Min lights of the Earth. You are drawn into a different community as you visit history with his story and you are shown different ways.

In your introduction to these communities, which live within an ancient landscape you are told something of the secrets in the different Lore’s as with the Mimi people of the central deserts. You are also drawn into the sacred knowledge of the Caverns, the source of Lore and introduced to some of the ancient secrets of the caverns. You learn of the ancient Featherfoot and are introduced into their mystic world as well as that of the ancient Kadaitcha.

Caverns of the Dreamtime, book 4, is Tom’s story. You meet Tom in Shadow Dreaming as a youngster struggling with two worlds, that of modern Sydney and the pull of an ancient world hidden within the community where his family comes from. Tom’s story moves throughout the entire series but it isn’t until the final book of the series that you realize the impact of his presence. Toms struggle with life is a struggle many young men will deal with today as well as one that steps him back into the Dreaming. There are a number of problems and tasks that he must face, those of a young man and those that keep drawing him back into the past.

It is with Tom’s story that you begin to understand the Lore of the Kadaitcha, an ancient and secretive lore in which you will explore the world of the Serpents. The Lore of the Serpent is a powerful Lore, which is even a part of our world today in ways we are blind too, even though it is still part of your own experience in many religions.

It is an epic tale of struggle, adventure, love and passion and conflict, all told within the bounds of a secretive world, which slowly reveals itself to the reader. Each of the four books of the series stands on it’s own as a story as should any series. They are available in both e-book and print. If you would like to explore the ancient Lore of the Australian tribal people I invite you to pop over to my webpage and take advantage of the discounts available there. You are also welcome to become part of the journey into discovery on the Facebook page, dedicated to discovering what is an ancient world. Come and join me in this research, I invite you to become part of the story.

This is a story like none other you have ever read, I promise you.

Happy reading everyone

Jan Hawkins

To read more travel tales, or explore the world of the Australian Aboriginal Shaman told in a fictional tale and to discover other works on traveling around Aus. visit my web at http://janhawkins.com.au and check out the discounts available for my readers and friends on ‘Where to find Jans Books’.

Author on Amazon.com & Amazon.co.uk Books available in e-book and print

The Dreaming Series is also available in e-books from $3.99-$5.99 at Amazon.com in .mobi and at Smashwords.com in other multi formats for e-books. Or buy the print copy at Amazon.com. Check out the discounts on print at my web page.

Author on Facebook: Keep up with my travels and projects on Facebook. Become a ‘friend’ and join in my journey.

The Official Facebook page for The Dreaming Series  is where you can discover the research behind the stories and meet others with similar interests and become part of discovering an Ancient world.

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