The shamanic practitioner travels through three worlds: the upper, lower and middle world. In many cultures these are represented as the axis mundi, the world tree.
The Middle World
This is the magical aspect of this world; here you find what relates to soulful and spiritual aspects. Here you find nature beings, spiritual representations of nature. This is the place to find information, or to work with souls that exist on this plane. In many traditions it also represents the present. We are closest to it at dusk, just before sunrise, when we daydream, see spirits, or sense and feel things. The middle world is near us when we feel close to nature. The middle world is the river's song and the wind's whisper. To know the middle world is to understand that Nature is our mother. The Earth's true face is to be found in the middle world. The middle world is the home of totem and animal guides. You also meet the spirits here.
The Upper World
Here we find the divine; the spirits here operate on a different dimension. We travel here if we need help. It is characterized by being light, airy, ethereal and vast. In many traditions it also represents the future. Here you find your life's purpose. It is the place to travel to in order to find answers, or when we do not understand.
The Lower World
Here we often find helpers such as power animals, but also trees, stones, ancestors and guides. Memories and traumas are also found here. In many traditions it also represents the past.
Here you can draw on the power of the ancestors and find your roots. The power of transformation is also found here. All growth and creativity belong to the lower world. The underworld is the realm of plants and minerals. Here you also find all your fears and what you have suppressed.
