Eclectic Core Shamanism

Shamanism is a range of ancient traditional beliefs and practices concerned with communication with the Spirit world.  Having worked for many years in the area of Shamanic healing within the context of Wicca, it has been a powerful experience to train in the Core Shamanic techniques that are taught through the Foundation for Shamanic Studies.
In my SoulCraft practice I have always taken an eclectic approach to Spiritual healing and counseling, and find that combining my preexisting knowledge and experience with 'Core' Shamanic techniques allows me to serve my community with increased confidence and effectiveness. Shamanism is a living evolving Spiritual technology and there are many variations of practice throughout the world, however the following beliefs are common within all forms.

Spirits exist, and they play important roles both in individual lives and in human society. Shamanism is based on the experience that the visible world is pervaded by invisible forces or spirits which affect the lives of the living. Connecting with our personal spirit guides, teachers, power animals and plant helpers can enrich our spiritual path and empower us to heal and be healed.

The Shamanic practitioner can communicate with the spirit world through an altered state of consciousness known as ‘Shamanic journeying ’ in order to consult the spirits that reside in the middle, upper and lower worlds. The Shaman can move between the worlds inhabiting both ordinary and ‘non ordinary’ reality, and is able to bring back information, and guidance from the helping spirits. The practitioner can also retrieve Power Animals, and ‘lost’ pieces of the Soul from these realms.

The Healing Spirit of Nature

Nature is imbued with spirit, every plant and stone and creature has a specific spiritual presence, and anything derived from nature embodies an aspect of that spirit also. In the Shamanic view, which includes Wicca, we consider all things to have spiritual energy, vibration and personality. Or relationship to nature can be one of the most healing relationships available to us. It allows us to transcend the illusion of separateness when we have those moments of intense presence that come when we are faced with the grandeur of the natural world. Developing a relationship with our Power Animals and Plant Spirit helpers helps remind us that we are never alone, and that we are part of all that is.

Spirit wants nothing more than for us to recognize this and to embrace and become fully conscious of our complete and connected spiritual truth. When we cooperate with nature and with Spirit for our healing there is opportunity for miraculous results on all levels of being. Spirit is what connects everything together. To be healed is to be whole, and when whole and complete, and unencumbered by inappropriate energies, we will simply heal ourselves naturally through our connection to Spirit.

Shamanic Counseling & Healing

Each person's needs must be treated individually, as no two life journeys will be the same. Part of my role is to listen carefully to the client's story with compassion and neutrality, while looking for patterns in their experiences. If necessary I may then perform a divinatory diagnostic journey to see what is needed for their healing, and how this can be best undertaken. 

With a background in European and core Shamanistic practice I offer a variety of services, and instruction, including  Extraction healing, Power Animal Retrieval, Divination, Journeywork, and personalized ceremonies and exercises, to aid transformation and Spiritual healing. 

In the Core Shamanic world view, there are three common spiritual causes of illness that can be addressed with Shamanic healing methods. Power Loss, Soul Loss and Spiritual Intrusions. 

Power Loss / Power Animal Retrieval

If there has been a loss of power, this may manifest as depression, chronic illness or a series of unfortunate events that seem like a run of bad luck. If this is the case then the Shamanic practitioner can restore that lost power, and may be able to discover a ceremony which will help guard against any further loss, or leakage of power. 

Power Animals are spiritual guides and protectors for our everyday lives which aid us in our Spiritual and magical work. Each of us have a small pantheon of these wonderful creatures that may come and go over the years. When we feel vulnerable or weak due to life circumstances or illness, it may be due in part to having lost cur connection with our Animal Spirit guides. We may gain healing and assistance through a Power Animal Retrieval which will reconnect us with our animal ally.  My skill and experience in shamanic journeying enables me to contact these Power Animals on your behalf and return them to your Spiritual energy field.

Pattern Collapse, and Curse removal.

Power loss may occur over a period of time, through prolonged or exhausting life circumstances, negative behaviors or self abuse. It can also happen suddenly or all at once due to a curse or projection, or through Soul Loss. It may also have ancestral or past life roots.

Curse unraveling and Pattern collapse may be used as part of the regaining of power. When there is a pattern or curse which we are investing energy into and the pattern is collapsed, the energy investment can be gathered up and returned to the source. 

It is also important to note that if we are consciously or unconsciously perpetuating a ‘curse’ or thought projection of whatever nature and investing energy into it, we will eventually be depleted. By recognizing our own tendency to project onto others, we can release and forgive, thus freeing that energy to return to us.

Soul Loss/ Soul Retrieval

If we think of the Soul as being like that flock of birds, we can see how the loss of parts of the whole, can weaken the system, making it more vulnerable to intrusion, or further power loss. Each time there is Soul Loss, a part of our vital life force becomes detached from the ‘flock’ and is unavailable. The strength of the original Soul essence we were born with is diminished, and early childhood Soul Loss can lead to a lifetime of feeling incomplete and disempowered. 

Soul loss can occur during emotional or physical trauma, such as accidents, abusive situations, sudden shocks to the system, surgery, disaster, divorce, or death of a loved one. It can manifest as post traumatic stress disorder, depression, dissociation, chronic illness, immune deficiency problems, prolonged and severe grief or, in extreme cases, coma. Sometimes a soul part has been taken, or kidnapped, or unconsciously placed with someone for safekeeping. 

Soul loss can make it very difficult to maintain healthy relationships, and may prevent us from living a fulfilled and satisfying life. If you feel like there is something essential missing in your life, or that you cannot access a particular state of being, or if you struggle with feelings of powerlessness or chronic depression, you may have Soul Loss. 

Soul loss can weaken our system and leaves us more vulnerable to illness and psychic attack, including the thought forms which we 'install' in ourselves through negative self projections. Compensatory mechanisms and habits may therefore be developed to make up for this loss of essential energy, and can often cause distress, or lead to further loss.

In order to return this essential life force to the client the Shamanic Practitioner performs a Soul Retrieval ceremony, to search for and track down the Soul parts that have been missing. A Shamanic Journey is undertaken in an altered state of consciousness, in which the Shaman meets with her power animals and guides, seeking their assistance in locating the Soul parts that are ready and willing to return to help the client. 

Each piece of the Soul essence is located, and communicated with in order to ascertain why it left and the nature of the vital life force it returns with. Each part is gathered and brought back through the "veil" between the worlds and gently blown back into the body through the heart and crown of the head.

Once the Soul Retrieval is complete, a process of integration and support for the retuned Soul parts begins, as the client continues the healing journey. Further journeys and ceremonies may be undertaken to assist in this process, such as Soul Remembering, & Soul Release work. Personal rituals and ceremonies may be revealed through the Spirit guides that will help to transform old habits, and empower us to create lives filled with joy and love. 

Spiritual Intrusions / Shamanic Extraction Healing

Another cause of illness from a shamanic perspective is that of intrusions of inappropriate or negative energies that have taken up residence in the body and have created spiritual blockages. These intrusions, sometimes come via conscious or unconscious thought projections. Like “Curses” or Psychic attack they can have a strong negative effect on the spiritual body, but they can just as easily be self created thought forms. 

They are more able to take hold when there has been loss of power or if the Soul is fragmented and depleted through Soul Loss. These spiritual energy blocks also cause illness, or pain, often of an inflammatory nature, usually in localized areas of the body, although they may move from place to place. It is the role of the Shaman  to extract and remove these harmful energies from the body by performing an Extraction Healing Ceremony.

In Extraction Healing, the Shaman enters an altered state of consciousness and invites her Power Animal or other healing Spirits to merge with her and perform the healing work through her body. The Shaman must use her “strong eye” to see the intrusions and there are a variety of methods that can be used to perform the extraction. Any energy that is extracted is disposed of and neutralized. 

Ancestral healing and Psychopomp work.

A Shaman is able to heal both the living and the deceased. In healing those who died, the shaman may perform a psychopomp ceremony to help the Soul of the deceased cross over to a welcoming and peaceful place, often to be reunited with predeceased loved ones. 

Ancestral healing can also be useful if there is a long standing pattern that has existed for generations, causing distress, illness or disfunction. By traveling back to the origin of the issue and doing transformational healing work, there is a domino effect of healing that flows through to the present day.

The possibilities of Shamanic healing work are vast, these are just a few of the applications of Core Shamanic healing techniques, although they are among the most powerful. Shamanic divination and counseling methods can assist in the many ways, and learning to journey can be a powerful and versatile tool for self counsel and empowerment