Traditional Shamanism

Traditional Shamanism uses techniques of mind and spirit developed by humans all over the world through tens of thousands of years for dealing with diseases and life problems. Shamans work in an altered state of consciousness to seek knowledge dealing with diseases and life problems, journeying to hidden worlds otherwise mainly known through myth, dream, and near-death experiences. In the shamanic model these worlds are called “spirit worlds.” 

In addition to the traditional healing methods, shamans often receive guidance and assistance from the spirits for new ways of changing the spiritual patterns that govern illness and other types of suffering specifically tailored for the patient’s situation at that time and place.

A good shaman consults the spirits in non ordinary reality before beginning any shamanic work to ask for this guidance and help in determining the most appropriate work to be done, which may be different from what the patient or the shaman may have originally thought while in their ordinary reality consciousness.

Classical Shamanic Services

◆ POWER ANIMAL RETRIEVAL: Difficult life situations, or even slow erosion by the constant, low-grade stress of modern life. Warning signs include chronic problems such as recurrent upper respiratory infections, depression, and persistent misfortune. The shamanic practitioner journeys to hidden worlds in non-ordinary reality to recover a spiritual ally for you, such as a spirit animal, friend, or teacher, as a source of power and protection.

◆ EXTRACTION: Misplaced energy intrusions can lodge in the body and cause localized problems such as ulcer, pain in individual organs or limbs, and cancer. The shamanic practitioner removes the intrusion from the body and neutralizes it.

◆ SOUL RETRIEVAL: Soul loss can occur at times of intense emotional or physical trauma, causing a portion of your soul to split off and hide in the spirit worlds to survive the pain. It can happen as a result of painful medical treatments such as surgery or chemotherapy, loss of a loved one, or abuse. You may experience depression, hopelessness, low vitality, and feel that since the traumatic event, you’ve “never been the same.” Soul loss can lead to dissociative disorders, addictions, and post-traumatic stress disorder. In a soul retrieval the shaman journeys to the spirit worlds to locate the missing soul portion and persuade it to come back, if it is willing. The shaman also provides you with guidance in welcoming and caring for the recovered soul part.

◆ DEPOSSESSION: People can be afflicted by spirit entities in and around their body that negatively influence their behavior, for example by promoting addictions to alcohol, drugs, overeating or other self-destructive behaviors. The possessing spirit may be using the person’s body to enjoy the addictions it was used to when it was alive in a body. Spirit possession can also cause illness, accidents, depression, emotional suffering, energy drain and sudden personality changes. The possessing spirit is usually the soul of someone who has passed on but is stuck here in the middle world, not even aware that it has died. The shaman treats these spirits compassionately, recognizing them as suffering beings who are not happy here but don’t know how, or are afraid to leave the middle world and helps them understand that the body they are in is not their own. The shaman helps free them from their suffering by accompanying them to the upper or lower world where they are met by their own loved ones who have passed on or by angels or other compassionate spirits who guide them to go on with their own spiritual destinies. Usually once the possessing spirit has left, a person will also need a power retrieval or a soul retrieval to make sure they are strong enough to resist spirit possession in the future. After a depossession, and being filled with their own power, most people find it much easier to control any self-destructive tendencies.

◆ AID IN DEATH AND DYING: Shamans can help terminal patients prepare for their passing. Shamans acting as psychopomps can accompany and assist the spirit of a dying or dead person trapped on earth to move forward into welcoming worlds of spirit.

◆ DIVINATION: Shamans have numerous divination techniques to bring information from the spirit worlds to guide you in dealing with difficult life situations such as problems in relationships with family, friends, bosses or co-workers, and uncertainties in making important decisions about life changes for example, moving, taking a new job, or entering into a new relationship.

◆ SPIRITUAL CLEANSING OF HOMES AND LAND: Spiritually sensitive persons can be adversely affected by negative thought forms and vibrations that remain as energetic residues of negative and violent emotions previously unleashed in a building or outdoor area. “Hungry ghosts” and suffering souls who have lost their way and become stuck in the middle world after death can also inhabit these places and cause unexplained feelings of despair, anger, and grief to those able to sense their presence. Shamans contact these spirits and send them on to more compassionate realms using prayers, blessings and rituals to clear unwanted energies from homes and land.

Psycho-spiritual Development and Mental Health Mentoring

Working together with the client, we enlist the aid of compassionate helping spirits to deal with blocks to spiritual development, including anxieties, fears, karmic effects, obsessive thoughts, emotional control issues, habits and other life problems. Shamanic healing methods combined with ongoing guidance in working out coping strategies can help ameliorate psychic and energetic blockages and interferences that keep you from evolving spiritually and living a healthy, harmonious, useful life. The shamanic perspective is also a useful approach for treatment of patients diagnosed with a mental illness, including symptoms such as hearing hostile voices, seeing frightening visions, or feeling unwanted touching that disrupt thoughts and memories.*