shaman
The Healing Energies Of Plant Spirits
Here in Latin America there is a rich tradition of herbalism and ceremonial, shamanic spiritual medicine. There has also been in recent times a global revival of plant medicine and natural healing practices, as well as a renewed interest in related indigenous wisdom traditions found in many cultures all over the world.
As a result of modern science, we have largely abandoned and forgotten the fountain of knowledge the aborigines had regarding healing and natural harmony. It took us several centuries to realize what we have lost and overlooked in the process.
Herbalism is however not only about natural medicine potentially having fewer side effects than modern pharmaceuticals. It is also about the innate energetic qualities we share with a particular plant. This approach to healin stems from a worldview that fully integrates man and nature.
In local tradition, near the Andes, the timing is just as important as the type of plant used for healing purposes. Depending on the season, or the phase of moon, for instance, the plant’s properties will vary, and its effectiveness less than optimal if used at the inappropriate time.
Both the healer and their patient’s attitude towards the plant itself is also an important factor in the healing process, as the respect and gratitude shown to the plant will determine its healing ability.
In shamanic herbalist practices it vital to understand that all entities are considered to have elemental energy, including plants and humans. This is the metaphysical premise of all plant medicine and magic. In fact, for the traditional herbalist all plants have spirits. And each one has specific faculties and properties at different levels or frequencies that can heal us in mind, body and soul.
Overcoming Addiction To Work For Spirit
A recent talk I gave about my addiction recovery journey and my calling to work for spirit, became a wonderful full circle moment for me. It was very empowering to look back, reflect on my experiences and see how far I have ultimately come.
It also brought up early memories of moments in the past when the writing had already been clearly on the wall, so to speak. In retrospect, is it was very clear early on that overcoming addiction was going to be one of my major life lessons and a significant part of my spiritual path in this lifetime
I remember, for example, I had my astrological natal chart done by a gifted astrologer, who later became a mentor to me. I also had my first experiences of past life regression with him.
After carefully analyzing my chart, he told me that my calling was to do spiritual work and be a guide and healer. He then added that I would first have to rise above the challenges of addiction before I could fully immerse myself into working with spirit. How right he was!
I did not understand his prediction at the time. I was still sober at the time and my social use of alcohol was something I considered to be my ‘guilty little pleasure.’ In time, I even started calling it the ‘devil on my shoulder,’ but in no way did I feel I had a problem with alcohol, much less consider myself an addict.
I would often read tarot cards for myself in those days and, sure enough, no matter how many times I shuffled the deck and no matter how many different decks of Tarot I consulted, the Devil card would consistently appear. The true significance of this would become more evident as time went on.
The Psychic Power Of Crystals
I’ve been surrounded by crystals, both in my personal healing and psychic work, since I can remember. I wouldn’t call myself an expert on the subject, but I do know that these beautiful stones are aesthetically pleasing, and powerful to have around.
Many crystals have been given to me as gifts, and it’s as if the giver always knows exactly what I need in terms of what the gemstones or crystals can help me with.
When choosing crystals and stones for psychic work or energy healing, I simply allow them to ‘speak’ to me. The vibration of the ideal ones for every purpose always resonates with me. I simply allow them to ‘speak’ to me, trusting that their vibrations will call me. The actual color of the crystal or stone can have quite a profound effect on the mind. For example, medical patients are known to respond to the color blue, when it is used decoratively in a recuperative environment, and criminals are known to be calmer in a cell painted in very pale pink.
I also own a small collection of crystal balls, and it’s as if an image materializes in my mind when gazing into my crystal ball, as opposed to what I see in the actual crystal itself. You might say it is a third eye opener!
I surround myself with amethyst for the calm it brings, rose quartz to bring in loving energy, pyrite for psychic protection and various quartz crystals to assist me energetically, and just because I find them beautiful to behold.
My bone-throwing divination kit consists of a large collection of stones, each representing a token or a symbol. Each stone has its own story and can represent a significant meaning, person, animal or place to me.
The Good Old Days Of Tribal Service
Someone once asked me the question: why do you do what you do? Most psychics might say that they do it because they love helping people. I gave it careful some thought and realized my answer would be the same, but under different terms. That isn’t to say that I don’t love helping others, but there would be different boundaries, if I was free to choose.
I work in the New Age ways, as well as in the indigenous traditions, and I pride myself on the knowledge I have gained in order to truly blend the East with the West. If I had a choice, I would work in the indigenous tradition of my ancestors, especially regarding how one is remunerated for your service.
In the indigenous way, each village had a spiritual person that they called by various names, including Medicine Man, Shaman, Healer, Guru, Oracle, Soothsayer. It was the way in those cultures to take care of the spiritual leaders of the tribe, in terms of their material needs. They shared equally whatever they had with their spiritual leader.
As a result, the spiritual leader didn’t have to focus any of his time on meeting his material needs, such as keeping a roof over his head, or thinking in terms of where his next meal would come from. Instead, he could devote all of his time and energy to spiritual matters.
His payment for his gifts didn’t include whatever the tribe used for money or barter, or if it did, it was not thought of in the same context. In other words, anyone in his tribe could come to him at anytime, with any kind of spiritual issue, and he could address it however he deemed necessary, according to his own sense of direction and spirit guidance. He didn’t have to consider time, energy, and money. He didn’t have to require payment in terms of the time he spent or what was required, because he was so esteemed by his people that they took care of his worldly needs, so he could devote himself to their spiritual needs completely. What a concept! Right?
Our Totems And Spirit Animals
It is my belief that we all have animal spirit guides that guide and support us along our life journey.
Each spirit animal represents a different aspect of life. Some show up when we need their particular energy or receive their symbolic message, while others show up consistently throughout our lifetime. These animals, birds, mammals, reptiles, and even fish, are like our personal totems.
I have three main spirit totems: the eagle, the red tail hawk, and the owl. Each has shown up consistently in my life, especially when there is a time of adversity, grief, or crisis occurring.
I was made of aware of these three totems early in my life, when I consulted with an indigenous elder. He gave me my spiritual name: Soaring Free. I instantly loved my name. It represents the proud eagle that soars on high, the red tail hawk that soars in broad circles high in the air, and the owl that is wise and roams free.
The Eagle
After my parents passed away, I was cleaning their house. Not only was I grieving at the time, I was also very distraught, having to decide whether to sell their home or not. I was not at all sure if it would be the right thing to do.
Then, I asked my angels to give me a sign. Moments later, as I looked down towards the lake, there were two beautiful bald eagles sitting on the edge of a tree branch.
The Divine Magic Of Manifesting
We cannot always control our environment, but we can be an active force in how things play out in our own lives. Through our actions and choices we impact our personal universe, even without any occult practice.
However, this changes once we become aware of our metaphysical ability to manifest, and we realize we have already been doing it our entire life as spiritual beings in human form. And once we become aware of our innate power to manifest we simply need to improve it and have a deeper conversation with the many layers of reality.
Our minds and, in particular, our expectations already influence the world around us. We do this unconsciously every day, and without direction. Sometimes we let our fears run wild and then we create dark mirages that end up taking shape in our material world. Yes, indeed, these are mishaps of our own creation.
We all want to guide, foresee, and control life, but for some of us this possibility has always eluded us. There seems to be too many variables and our judgments appear to lack the clout required to guide even our own most basic wants. Maybe reality is simply too complicated? Perhaps we just need more resolve? Or maybe ‘magic’ may teach us something about that.
The magic of manifesting is a technique or method, as well as a spiritual path. It is a tool for self-discovery, since it rearranges our perceptions of reality and it is a path because it leads us to personal revelations and inner realizations. Furthermore, it assists us in seeing how malleable our life really is, which is unquestionably the first step toward personal transformation.
Magic as an occult tradition has a bad reputation. It may appear that anything related to so-called magic is supposed to be dark and dangerous, even evil, but this is not the case at all. Instead, the magic of manifesting brings our true desires into reality. It is a continuous process that teaches us a lot about our minds. We actually become more aware of our most difficult personal aspects by engaging with the things we desire. In the pursuit of magic we often discover how we are sometimes our own worst enemy.
Haunting Tales From The Condo Complex
There is a condo building with a paranormal reputation in my area that has been around since the early 70’s. It was originally a rental apartment complex, which meant occupants constantly came and went. As a result much negative energy has been imprinted in the walls over the years.
For almost three decades this complex would often attract unsavory inhabitants, including drug dealers, criminals, and all sorts of disreputable individuals. Local law enforcement often had to intervene and escort many of them out with court orders and arrest warrants.
There have been many reports of a prevalence of dark, negative energies over the years, especially in the front of the building. Several people also died here and the earthbound souls of some still haunt the complex. I have been asked a few times to do some shamanic work to help release these restless souls and clear the unwanted energy there.
For example, a woman was brutally murdered in one of the units in the early 90’s, before her lifeless body was transferred to a car in the parking lot of a nearby local business. Some residents had seen her standing near their beds on the night she was murdered, asking for help.
I was subsequently asked to perform a cleansing on the building, and since then her spirit has not been seen again. I felt she had been released and have since moved on to the Other Side. The thing I heard her say clairaudiently at the time was, “I will choose my company better in the next life.” The man who murdered her had asked her out at a local chain restaurant that she would frequent, and she thought he was attractive. She regrettably said yes.
Frank, an 80-year-old gentleman who lived in the front of the building used to be a ‘busy body’ who felt it his duty to enforce the rules of the building. He would religiously be outside in the parking lot, instructing those who drove through which area was not meant to be used as part of the road, since it ended in a cul-de-sac. But some would stubbornly continue to use this area as a shortcut through the parking lot to get to the main road, which was not allowed.