sources could be buried or hidden in an area in which case they would have to be dug and sought for. Oftentimes shamans are guided and intuitively led to the whereabouts of the remains of animals who were hosts to these pearls. Through spirit guidance shamans are informed of the pearls available in an area, the approximate amount, their organic origin, and what types they are–the knowledge of these are conveyed via telepathic means and through psychic visions.
Occasionally, during the ritual of retrieval, pearls are manifested directly before the shamans from the etheric planes through teleportation or from whence they were hidden in the physical realm–this type of acquisitions are typically accompanied by long inner-struggles with the spirit guardians of the pearls and often the presiding shaman is tested in various ways of his courage, purity and worthiness. With the possibility of such a prospect shamans are always psychologically and physically prepared beforehand. If a shaman has spirits (khodams) working for him, his task is made much easier with their assistance. To facilitate the magickal retrieval process, offerings and certain empowered oils and incenses are employed in the magickal rituals as gifts to the fairy-spirits, and pragmatically, to release sufficient psychic energies so that spirit guidance or direct manifestations may occur; these oils and incenses can be quite costly and pearls acquired in this manner are not given away for a cheap “mas kawin,” or “dowry.” When all the tools and implements are set, the shaman would commence chanting the secret mantras of invocation, conjuration, communication and/or manifestation–this step alone could take hours to complete. Occasionally, of course, spirit guidance and