|
I have designed the basic shell of this work around a core
of shamanic practice: the shamanic journey and various tools
and methods of healing and divination which are rooted in
numerous ancient societies across the globe. I work from
the premise that physical illness and emotional pain are
rooted in spiritual imbalance, wounded places where you have
become separated from the real soul of yourself. The intent
of my work is to provide clarity and direction, to help you
heal your wounds, and to restore a sense of balance and wholeness
to your everyday life.
I offer both individual healing sessions and workshops on a variety of topics:
Soul Archetype Reading
If you think of yourself as a work
of art—an original creation—then the soul archetype
is the blueprint or initial design of that creation. It is
no more than a construct, really, but a very useful one which
informs who you are and why you are here in this life. From
your archetype, I will draw an explanation of your true path,
history, talents, gifts, belief system or creed, and life purpose.
This reading can be quite useful if you suffer from a general
confusion about your life, feelings of being lost or stuck,
of not knowing what you should be doing, why you feel so unfulfilled
or what “you want to be when you grow up.” I use
the archetype to orient myself in identifying places of imbalance,
their cause and resolution. This reading can explain why a
certain pattern has taken hold or why a dream is not being
realized.
Back to the top
Soul Retrieval
The places in which you become disconnected
from your true self are the same places in which you experience
physical and emotional distress. You might experience it
as pain or confusion, but in shamanic terms you are suffering
from a loss of your power or a loss of soul. Soul and personal
power are never truly lost but can simply become disconnected
from you. You may lose complete cognizance or identification
with these parts of yourself because they have been lost
for so long, because it does not feel safe to identify with
them or because other adopted behaviors and beliefs block
the path of their return.
The process of soul retrieval restores the use and ownership
of these parts. For instance, you may have come into the world
with a gift of second sight or clairvoyance. But when you tried
to use this power as a child, it frightened and upset your
caretakers. So you disconnected from your second sight in order
to please your elders and get along better in the world. To
compensate for the loss, you adopted the belief that psychic
work is silly or bad. The purpose of this belief is to prevent
you from ever reclaiming your gift.
Soul loss is viewed by shamans as a natural and healthy process,
whereby the soul part preserves itself from destruction by
dissociating from the world reality where it is being threatened.
Back to the top
Power Animal Retrieval
Shamans believe in the powerful, spiritual
essence of all things. They also believe in the interconnectedness
of spirit and the innate generosity of all nature. It is
therefore understood that animals and all aspects of the
natural world will more than willingly extend power to us
as needed. It is believed that certain animal spirits will
even devote themselves to the betterment of our lives, becoming
helpmates, guides and power sources.
Sometimes when you are faced with what feels like a particularly
difficult or dangerous time in your life, a power animal retrieval
can provide a gentle and reassuring lifeline. The presence
of the power animal in your life imbues you with all the strengths
and talents of the animal itself, which might include craftiness,
camouflage, physical strength, navigation and so on. The power
animal will offer you its protection, wisdom and strength at
times when you may otherwise feel completely alone and overwhelmed.
Power animals are also adept at helping you to integrate lost
soul parts.
Back to the top
Transmutation of Wounds
The essence and purpose of this healing
work is to bring you to a place where your wounds can begin
to work for you by becoming a source of inner wisdom and
power. When you are wounded—and this can be anything
from the harshest experiences of war and sexual abuse to
the simplest loss or humiliation—it is difficult for
you to accept the fact that you will never again return to
the place you were before that wounding occurred. The wound
profoundly changes you and your experience in the world,
your vision of yourself. It takes on an unwarranted sort
of power and reality of its own. Its existence explains and
reinforces certain untruths or core beliefs you come to believe
about yourself. (For example: I am a coward; I have nothing
to offer the world; I cannot be trusted, etc.) The core belief
which resides inside the wound influences every choice you
make, much like a computer virus may begin to commandeer
the workings of your computer.
To transmute is to alter the form or energetic disposition
of something from one thing to another. This transmutation
work involves journeying to the center of the experience where
the wound occurred. It involves identification of the untruth
or core belief inside the wound and transmuting it to the truth
of who you really are. It often is reinforced by the creation
of a kind of effigy of the wounded part and a ritual burning
of the effigy in order to ceremonially demonstrate the end
of this passage in your life.
Back to the top
Extraction Healing
The purpose of extraction is to remove
any intrusions or displaced energy from the body. You may experience
an intrusion as pain, discomfort or an energy block in your
body. In shamanic terms, this is caused by energy that is interfering
with your power or process. Extraction healing removes the
displaced energy—by clearing the energy field which surrounds
the body—and returns it to the earth where it can be
transmuted into useful energy.
Back to the top
Soul Integration
This work generally follows a soul retrieval
and enables you to get the full benefit of the retrieval
work. It is often hard to relate to parts of your true nature
that have been missing for a number of years. How exactly
do you once again become who you really are?
Soul integration involves a sort of reprogramming, a prescription
of curative behaviors designed to put you back into your own
head, reconnect you with the strengths and assets which traumatic
experience (your wounds) have separated you from. It can involve
ceremony, ritual, mantras or creative exercises, just to name
a few.
Back to the top
Ancestral Healing
Occasionally, you may experience an area of persistent emotional or physical imbalance in your life that is part of your family’s legacy or history. Examples might include: alcoholism, abuse, cancer, obesity, depression, financial ruin, abandonment or suicide. Full healing or understanding of this legacy is sought through a journey to your ancestors. Typically, a few representatives from your family’s past present themselves and reveal the part each played in the creation of this legacy. I consult with them to gain a better understanding of the origins of the imbalance—which is oftentimes made more powerful by the secrecy and shame that surround it. This process culminates in the creation of a ceremonial offering—a symbolic representation of the issue—that enables the imbalance to be transmuted and cleared. (The healing can also positively impact other family members.)
Back to the top
Workshops
In the past I have led workshops that utilize visual art, writing, guided meditation or shamanic journey and ritual as pathways to healing and greater self-understanding. I am always willing to design a course around your group’s particular needs and interests. Here are some recently and currently offered:
Becoming Whole through Shamanism—this is a workshop on how the principles of this ancient healing and spiritual practice can be tapped in order to improve the quality of your life. This course teaches the rudiments of journeying, a shamanic tool for seeking counsel and guidance from the spirit world. It restores communication with your power animals and spirit guides, emphasizes the importance of ritual and ceremony in your daily life, and brings you to a better understanding of who you are. Offered in both a four or eight-week format, the longer format investigates soul and power loss in more depth, allows for more emphasis on ceremony and ritual, and investigates the power of gratitude and prayer.
Taking Back your Soul: A Program of Recovery from PTSD—this is a workshop designed for veterans and any victims of abuse or trauma who suffer the effects of post traumatic stress disorder. In shamanic terms, PTSD is simply an indication of soul loss, a natural (not aberrant) process by which individuals in life-threatening situations aim to protect and preserve themselves from pending harm. As a participant, you are introduced to a variety of centering and self-empowering techniques to help you cope with the effects of your PTSD. You are taught how to journey and to seek counsel, protection and aid from your helping spirits. You also spend time on a variety of healing ceremonies and rituals and lay the groundwork for the return of your lost soul parts. An individual soul retrieval session is scheduled at the completion of the workshop.
Painted Poetry—this workshop combines collage, poetry and the shamanic journey into a powerful healing process. Poetry was an art form used by Celtic Shamans to achieve trance state or a “place of insight and understanding.” The writing and recitation of poetic verse was itself believed to have transmutative powers. Here, you journey into the depths of an unresolved emotional wound and bring back poetic verse and visual imagery. A collage of words and images is then created to form a talisman—a power object that marks your passage through this experience. (Materials are provided.)
Back to the top
|
