The Shamanic Drum - Two Healing Drums created with Pride...

A healing journey through two special drums...

Over a year ago or so, i created and birthed two 22-inch shamanic drums specifically for a curated art show locally where i live... of which i've been very proud to have been chosen... both were birthed on the same day... it had to be that way and wow!  ...what a process it was - one i'll cherish forever.

Part of my spiritual path as an artist and musician is that i’m also a drum-maker. I make drums – spirit art drums - when i am called to...

The drum has been a part of me since i can remember... i have always played drums, i perform with drums and the drum is very much a part of my healing practice both personally and professionally.

Every drum i create is unique and teaches me so much - they always challenge me and move me to grow on many levels - every time... each drum holds it's own unique spirit and it seems... it's own challenges and deep teachings... it's always an honouring and very humbling process for me... i also find the process a very physical one as well... each drum shares and teaches it's own unique journey (through the process) and it's sacred medicine...

And... it was a very powerful and humbling experience to create two sacred drums from my own personal healing journey...

Both shamanic drums are very playable 22-inch frame drums made out of wood and natural rawhide each a painted design in acrylics. These two drums went together as one piece/submission for the art show entitled "Healing Ourselves - Drumming Pride".

Two shamanic drums and healing drums – one that symbolically comes from a “wounded past” named “Labrys Shield Protection Drum”; and the other named “Visioning Celebration Drum” symbolically resides in “present-time visioning”. 

Spiritually, every part of a drum has meaning and holds spirit – from the spirit of the tree from which the steam-bent wooden frame is formed to the living spirit of the hide of the animal it came from. Both drum frames are made of maplewood that offers energy of promise, practicality and independence of mind.

When i make drums i always create them within sacred space honouring with prayers and offerings of gratitude to the spirits and helper-guides.

Both these drums hold much energy and power... and they play beautifully...


Healing Ourselves - Drumming Pride

The first drum: A Labrys Shield Protection Drum... (info re the 2nd drum below...)

On this drum is the symbol of a red Labrys. The Labrys has many historical and powerful meanings. The word “Labyrinth” comes from the word "Labrys", referring to a double bladed axe. Its representation had religious and most likely magical significance.

The Labrys was used throughout the Mycenaean world as an apotropaic symbol (meaning “to ward off”); that is, the presence of the symbol on an object would prevent it from being “killed.”

Also, historically, women were known as the “first drummers” and they often painted their drums red which held many meanings such as representing the sacred earth mother, the blood of life, fertility and birth and more. The colour red also denotes the action of “stop!” – a symbol we all know so well as our familiar traffic stop sign and intersection lights.

The hide on this drum is from the spirit of Goat. Goat teaches us how to create a solid foundation on which to stand and helps us develop confidence as we move towards new heights and aspirations.


It can also indicate a need to let go of the "security of our insecurity" and undertake new endeavours pertinent to our growth.

Reversed out on the Labrys blades are my two hands displaying a time in my life when i experienced being bashed by a homophobic neighbour who threatened to kill me, my partner and 14-year-old daughter when we lived in a housing co-operative a few years ago. Never have i ever experienced that kind of fear - ever... and will never forget it...

Amazingly, we survived that frightening incident but many of our brothers and sisters HAVE NOT survived the bashing, harassment and the invisibility.

We were lucky on one level where, the young man who had so viciously threatened our lives eventually, (after many, many months) receieved a criminial record (as a hate crime) for his actions...  However, the co-op where we had lived (for eight years) never once ever asked him to leave or demand any consequence for his actions.

I still ask the question to this day as to why we were able to deem this incident as a Hate Crime (even tho' it was!) when, Aaron Webster's case and so many others who have been brutally murdered for being gay, lesbian, trans-gendered or of colour or race or religion, have not.

 It just baffles my head and whole being to no end! It was also my partner (now past) who never gave up with her tenacity working consistently and tirelessly with the only lone RCMP Hate Crimes officer (assigned to the whole lower mainland for all hate crimes) and the Prosecutor's office and the amazing luck that we happened to receieve a Judge who chose to "think about" our case for a week before making his decision. I also believe that prayer and honouring who we were as women had a lot to do with as well...

Our neighbour had consistently harrassed us for a number of years prior to that incident and never did the co-op ever do anything to stop it or deal with it. They kept wanting us to just turn a blind eye and forget about it... where, even at one point, suggested that we were instigating "the problem"... and "poking the bear" - blame the victim! We were good co-op members that always participated on numerous committees and engaged with our community as we were asked - more than most members in that co-op.

What was so terrifying and most disturbing while the incident happened that night was, that not one of our neighbours came out or did anything to help us. That really told us a lot about what kind of community we were really living in. When we initially chose to live there, we were led to believe and were ensured that we were moving into a caring, safe and diverse community that welcomed us - wrong!

This sacred drum represents our wounded-ness and fear of our past – the old way(s). Before healing can begin, i feel we must first acknowledge our wounds and our fears – giving them a face and a name – to "drum" them out in the open. The sacred drum can assist us to “clear the way”... and it does so without judgement... the sacred drum simply reveals the present moment...

Not long after the incident at the co-op, as part of my healing process, ceremonially, i went back (where the incident had happened) to my front door with my sacred drum as shield and protector and energetically and mindfully “drummed” my fear back out through that door and without judgement, gave all the fear, the trauma and the hate back to my perpetrator – thus letting go of all that which was not mine.

In that very moment, i re-stood my ground and reclaimed my power.

The second drum: A Visioning Celebration Drum - A Pride Drum

At the center of this Pride drum is the “heart”, a red circle representing the heart of our community - of all.

What do i envision for my own community? What is my dreaming?  What is our dreaming as a whole?

The hide of this drum is from the spirit of the deer. 

Deer teaches us the power of gentleness... of keen observation and sensitivity. Deer are in tune with nature and all she holds. They are sacred carriers of peace and show those with this totem how to open their hearts and love unconditionally.


Watching the deer and her young is a reminder to honour the child like innocence within your own self to move with gentleness with an open heart. It also suggests that you stand strong on your path and not allow yourself to get distracted by outside influences.

Within the community heart represented by the four coloured dots are the four sacred directions: East, South, West and North representing the four aspects of all life – the four races (all), the four winds, the four seasons, the four stages of life, the four elements, etc.

Radiating out from the heart and the sacred directions is our community – the rainbow, the dots and the four arrows of spirit guiding our path – all of that which represents the colourful diversity of all of who we are.

From one heart beat of love and compassion of who we truly are, we can choose to let go of the consciousness of the “i” and... “me” also... "us" and... "them" ...to embrace a vision of ourselves as a community - as "ayllu" – and realize that together we can reclaim our power "as one" to dream our dreams into being as if they are happening right now in the moment and celebrate the fruition and gifts of our vision created together for our future.

The sacred drum can teach us about community pulse, about entrainment, about wholeness, healing and pride!

...If you would like to see more of and hear how the "pride" drum sounds, i welcome you to view the short video below - enjoy!  weaver (((o)))

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Note: Both these sacred drums are available for sale to whomever is called to care-take them and work with them shamanically/spiritually... if you or someone you know is interested, please feel free to contact weaver directly to discuss logistics and pricing... (Update Note:  The first drum, "A Labrys Shield Protection Drum" has now been sold... more info on how that came to be here on this page >>


Though, the "Visioning Celebration Pride Drum" is still available for sale... if you are interested in purchasing this sacred drum, please contact weaver directly by email here >>

Weaver is also available to create a custom sacred shamanic medicine drum for you or anyone called... again, please contact her via www.drumweaver.com.