shamanism
The Magic Of The Plant Kingdom
I recently enrolled in a course to become professional herbalist. Herbs are something I’ve always been interested in. I wouldn’t say I have a green thumb for growing plants and gardening, but I certainly do love immersing myself with the herbs. I love combining them with oils, making tinctures and herbal remedies, and doing all of this in a magical setting with candles and other healing modalities.
One of my herbalist instructors said something that stands out for me. She said that you don’t need to be a great gardener, farmer, or botanist to be an herbalist. She went on to say that many of her greatest students and graduates have been urban dwellers who live in big cities. Rather than growing and harvesting their own herbs, they purchase them from trusted suppliers, both locally and online.
Power And Protection From Your Ancestors
I come from a long line of female herbalists of European origins on my mother’s side of the family. They were seers, healers, and prophets who combined their psychic gifts with ancient healing practices. Today, they still come to me during meditation, to offer wisdom.
The family’s mainly Germanic connection is one I’ve researched for many years, but more recently I discovered that my ancestors crossed into Scandinavian and Norse territories too, which suggests a bloodline of fierce women who were warriors of their time. It’s really not surprising to me, as even my own mother today, who is 84 years old, can still kick anyone’s butt who crosses her path in an unkind way! I always knew she was strong when I was little, and I always admired her power and independence.
Dolphin – The Magical Marine Mammal
At one time in the distant past all of us came from the sea. Our bodies are still about 70% percent water and we have a natural connection with it. Is it any wonder then that humans and dolphins, one of the most intelligent and intuitive animal species, have such an ancient and powerful connection?
In myths from around the world, there are stories of dolphins assisting, healing, and guiding humans at sea. With their kind eye, perpetually ‘smiling’ face and use of language, they are in many ways like us. Scientists observe that dolphins are among the few animal species who have their own ‘dialects’ depending on their location. Some evidence even suggests that dolphins may be telepathic!
Shamanic Healing For Chronic Illness
When treating chronic illnesses, such as depression or pain, we too often look only at the symptoms, and not the root cause. The fact is, most if not all of these conditions have at their foundation some form of loss: the loss of sensation, loss of control, or the fear of loss. For this reason shamanic medicine can be quite effective as a form of treatment.
Shamanism, the connection between the physical world and the spirit realms, is all about connections. As we look closer at chronic illness, we find that much of it is caused by a lack of connection: to our authentic selves, to our spirit guides, to nature, and to our intuition. This is whey shamanic healing can be of great value.
For thousands of years, before the emergence of modern medical practices, shamans were the healers and diviners of the community. Fortunately, their practice is as strong today as it was then.
A trained shaman is able to determine which type of healing we may need: soul loss or retrieval (often through past-life work), spiritual retrieval (a power animal, angel, or other spirit guide), or reconnection to the earth and spiritual realms. There are shamans with different specialties, just as we have physicians with different areas of practice. Continue reading
Spiritual Rituals Provide Sacred Space
Spiritual ceremonies, where humans gather together in a circle, are especially potent. An energetic hoop gathers over the circle to assist in the endeavor for the gathering, whether it be for the purpose of celebrating a new birth, honoring a solstice, or to express anything of importance to humanity, as individuals, or as a group.
Altars are also powerful. They are a gathering place for spirits to provide protection and shielding, to aid in a calling or, perhaps, to provide a sacred place for the energy of one who has crossed to another dimension to gather and connect. Or, we might choose to build an altar dedicated to providing an anchor for our business when we are away, the same as when we are present. Continue reading
My First Lesson In Karma
When we are young and inundated with life, wrapped up in the goings on of early adulthood, we sometimes miss important moments. But fortunately we can sometimes go back and touch on those things with our mind that we didn’t take the time for during those early years.
For example, I was thinking recently about a friend I used to go visit a lot when I was younger. She was from another country and her parents were much older than most who had a 15-year-old child.
We used to have sleepovers. One memory that stands out is waking up at her house one particular morning and looking out her bedroom window. It was late fall and I remember seeing her father sitting on a chair in their backyard, near the edge of the woods. He was playing a musical instrument which was some sort of Native American flute. Continue reading