Shamanism
Restlessness Is A Spiritual Growth Opportunity
When I was a teenager, one of my more ‘vocal’ cousins said to me, “You don’t seem to stay in one place for very long… just five minutes and, poof, you’re off again!”
At that time of my life I could put this down to my musician father’s wanderlust. He was a Sagittarius, and we not only often moved towns and countries, but frequently continents too. Such an unsettling way of life is usually not ideal for a Cancer like myself, but I seem to have inherited my father’s restless genes.
Today, my husband and I are in a tranquil setting since our international relocation over two years ago from a more volatile environment. Still, the restlessness persists. My menagerie of pets – five dogs and three cats – at least keep me relatively at peace.
I do know that actions provoked by restlessness can involve inevitable stresses, as was the case with our most recent big move. Unlike the days when I was still doing things solo, or when I was still living with my parents, this time I had the many pets to consider. Their well-being moving from one continent to another was one of the biggest stresses I have ever experienced. Continue reading
Raccoon Medicine For Thanksgiving
When you see a raccoon, be it live or in a picture, what comes to mind? Is he cute and innocent looking, or does he remind you of a little outlaw? Or do you fear the creature you see?
Raccoons are indeed considered to be night varmints and scavengers. They can destroy property and be a real nuisance. However, spiritually the raccoon has a much more constructive significance and they are the perfect animal totem for Thanksgiving.
Traditionally, the raccoon, when it comes into your life, is referred to as “the one who carries the medicine of the protector of the underdog” and “the one who provides for the young, infirm and the elderly.” Because of its mask-like features, it is often unfairly referred to as The Masked Bandit, but when a raccoon comes into your space, you are being asked to contact your inner warrior, to become a protector and generous provider for those in need. Continue reading
Past Lives With Dolphins
Whilst clearing out some papers yesterday, I came across a magazine containing an fascinating article on dolphins, which literally jumped out at me. I had only just been thinking about my framed dolphin pictures, dolphin ornaments, and other dolphin memorabilia – all packed away until we get a bigger home, there isn’t anywhere to display them.
According to the magazine article dolphins were worshiped in ancient Greece. The temple at Delphi was actually dedicated to a Dolphin God. Recently we have been rediscovering that dolphins are sentient souls with large, evolved brains. Although they cannot speak as such, they really do communicate. Continue reading
Soul Rescue Versus Soul Retrieval
Sometimes soul rescue and soul retrieval are intertwined as being the same thing. There is a subtle, but key difference in my view.
In the case of soul retrieval we are finding an aspect of self and returning it back. Soul rescue refers to being of service to a spirit or soul that is temporarily lost, or needs guidance to continue its journey in non-ordinary reality, in the realm of Spirit, having left the physical plane.
In the shamanic community there is a technique known as soul retrieval which represents the fragmented self. The fragmented self is a part of us that becomes temporarily ‘disconnected’ from our etheric soul, from the context of associative memories of a time in our life. Continue reading
The Sins Of The Forefathers
Ancestor worship is a wide-spread belief system, in both primitive and sophisticated cultures. Ancestral healing unfortunately gets very little attention these days, even though some of our patterns and energy imbalances may well stem from our genetic pool.
My first exposure to the concept of communicating with our Ancestors occurred many years ago, during initiation into the Southern African culture of divining and healing. During my training to become a Sangoma*, in a remote area in Southern Africa, time was always put aside for offering prayers to, and for consulting with the Ancestors. My mentor taught me how the Ancestor energies affected their still living relatives, and how, in most African cultures, they are seen as being our link to the spirit world. Continue reading
Talking To The Animals
I am often contacted for psychic readings about animals: missing cats, dogs present and past, sick horses and, even that brutal question as to whether it would be kinder to end an ailing animal’s suffering. Today, just such a request came in from a long-standing client, asking me to communicate with her little doggie, Patches.
She needed to know if Patches wanted to continue, or whether he preferred to be released from his physical discomfort and allowed to cross over the Rainbow Bridge. She knew he wasn’t feeling well, and yet, the veterinarians have been unable to diagnose his problem. It’s one of the most heart-wrenching requests I have been faced with in some time.
I sat quietly and envisioned Patches in my mind’s eye. He kept showing me the number 12. Before going further, I contacted Patches’ owner, and asked her the meaning of the 12. He is twelve years old, my client responded. Although the ultimate decision will be my client’s, I felt this was a subliminal message from Patches – his planned life span was to be here for 12 years. Continue reading
Astragalomancy – Divination With Dice
A bone throwing reading I did for a client recently prompted me to go back to some of my old notes on using dice as a divination tool. Using dice to divine is known as Astragalomancy.
Many of my clients are fascinated by some of the unusual items to be found in my bone-throwing divination pouch. I have some interesting pieces, from the original animal bones I was given during my training in this shamanic art, to crystals and other trinkets which all have a special personal meaning to me. Because of the special meaning attached to each item, it often adds extra depth to an interpretation. I also use different types of dice, which I combine with the bone throwing, including the more familiar dice with numbers to some I have with African wildlife images carved into them. Continue reading