Caring for shamanic drums in Houston can be tricky. Here are some tips:
1. Never leave a drum in a car in the heat!
Basically if it is too hot for pets or humans, it is too hot for your drum. The skin may tighten so much that it bursts. Or it may just warp the wooden hoop of the drum. And that in turn may make the skin too loose at normal temperatures.
If you need to, for example, you need to take your drum to work, so you can go straight from there to a group meeting, you have a couple of options. One is to park in an interior space of a parking garage where the sun cannot reach your car. Another is to find a deeply shady parking space under a tree and leave your windows open a crack for ventilation.
Parking under a tree is risky, though, because even a densely leafed tree may allow sun in from certain angles, and as the sun moves during the day, your car may be left in full sun. And leaving the windows open a crack leaves your car (and drum) vulnerable to sudden rainstorms.
Consider putting your drum in a case and taking it inside to work with you. You can usually buy large tote bags or beach bags at Walgreen's for a few bucks. If your drum is small, even one of those recycled shopping bags that sell for a dollar may be all you need.
No one needs to know what you have in the case. You just say casually, "stuff that I have to take somewhere after work," or "stuff that I didn't want to leave in the car," and most people will not ask any more.
In winter be sure your drum has enough humidity to keep from bursting. Central heating creates conditions that can be even drier than a desert. ]
2. Watch out for water!
Never leave your drum unprotected from rain or snow. At least keep it in a waterproof case when you are outdoors.
If your drum does get wet, allow it to dry naturally. That could take days. Make sure it gets lots of air on all sides during the drying process to prevent mold!
Do not play your drum until it is completely, naturally dry again. Doing so may weaken it, break it, or stretch the drum head.
If you try to hurry the process along with a hairdryer or campfire, you risk bursting the head and ruining the drum. Do not leave it in the sun either. Put it in a dry, shady place until it is completely dry, or until you can take it home and let it dry naturally.
Remember that the rawhide head is very delicate when wet. Depending on how wet it gets and how long it stays wet, rawhide can tear easily. So make sure your drum is well protected.
3. Store your drum carefully.
While you may want to get a sturdy, waterproof container for transporting your drum, that may not be the best place to store it. Many of us like to hang our drums on the wall between uses, and that can be a great way to keep your drum safe.
Just remember that it must be in a shady place. No sunlight should hit it. And it should not be in the direct path of central heating or air conditioning, which can dry it out too much.
Do not hang your drum next to a door or window that is sometimes left open.
Make sure that you do not hang your drum by the stringing. Some hoop drums simply can't be hung on the wall safely because of they way they are stretched. Hanging only works will if you can hang the wooden hoop directly on a peg or rounded plastic hook.
4. Take precautions when transporting your drum
If your drum is large, transporting it can be a worry. That large expanse of thinly stretched hide seems to invite scratches, dents and punctures. Even a scratch can weaken the hide enough to eventually rupture. And pressure on the drum head over a few hours (or less, depending on humidity) can stretch the hide enough to hurt the sound quality.
While theoretically you might be able to put the drum in a humid place for awhile (like in a steamy bathroom) and then let it dry naturally and hope it tightens up, the safest thing is to protect the drum so nothing can press on the drum head.
One thing I have found that is good for transporting a hoop drum safely is a plastic Christmas tree skirt box that I picked up at a discount store after the holidays. It slides into a large beach bag and protects my drum from most hazards.
5. Be aware of metaphysical influences.
Natural skin drums are vulnerable to all kinds of metaphysical influences. They absorb the vibes around them like a sponge. If you are serious about doing shamanic work, it is best to have one drum that you reserve just for that purpose.
If you like to go to drum circles and/or take your drum to parties, it is best to get an inexpensive synthetic-headed drum and reserve it for that purpose.
If someone steps on it in the dark or spills a drink on it, or if you get caught in the rain with it, you will feel a lot less disappointed than if you lost your main spiritual drum.
More important, your main journeying drum will not be exposed to drunken ridicule or other negative vibes.
6. Use the right kind of drum beaters
Never beat your drum with an unpadded stick. You may rupture the drum head. Even synthetic drum heads are vulnerable.
What you need is a firm, yet padded beater. If one did not come with your drum, you can buy one or make one. They are not hard to make.
Padded beaters often get lost. Some get broken. And some that come free with drums are too mushy to play well or make a good sound. Another time, I'll talk about how to make your own padded drum beater.
For more info:
See http://www.shamanista.com, a web site devoted to animism and shamanism.
For more information on classic shamanic practices, see the list of links to shamanism-related web sites near the lower right corner of this page.
White Cranes has been studying and teaching shamanic practices for 20 years. Follow her on Twitter at http://www.twitter.com/whitecranes and http://www.twitter.com/shamanista.
To learn to do shamanic practices in Houston, you are invited to join the Houston Shamanism Meetup group, http://www.meetup.com/houstonshamanism.
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