Soul Journeys
$136.50/90 min *In person and Distant sessions available*
Experience the ancient healing techniques used by cultures all over the world to bring about harmony to the body, mind and soul!
What Is A Shaman?
The word Shaman is actually Siberian in origin and means “one who sees in the dark.” Shamans are considered healers, seers and visionaries who work with spirit to treat illness or disease within the body. They are believers in the peace and balance of all things and honor the deep connectedness between all things. They move healing energy within or around the body with the help of spirit in order to promote wholeness and balance within the body.
One of the ways in which a Shaman can heal is through ‘mending the soul’ during what is known as a soul retrieval. The idea behind this is that when one goes through a particular trauma or life altering event a piece of pure essence, or soul, breaks away from the body unwilling to go through the ordeal. This may leave an individual feeling disconnected, lost, depressed or unable to regain their way of life before the incident occurred.
A Shaman will travel between world to communicate with spirits guides in order to bring information and even soul pieces back to the individual requiring healing. It is because of the ability to communicate with spirit that many consider Shamans mediators between worlds. Once a soul piece is collected by a shaman it is then returned and reintegrated back into the individuals essence by way of energy healing. This helps to restore the body, mind and soul to a place of wholeness and balance. Shamans are also able to remove entities or negative energy that may have attached itself to an individual or particular space as well as find the Power Animal or Totem of an individual.
A shaman will typically use instruments such as drums or rattles to bring them into what could be considered a trance, or deep meditative state where they will then be able to travel through spiritual realms and receive visions. In tribes all over the world these healers have been highly regarded and an integral part of the community.
What Do I Offer?
Each shamanic session is a minimum of 90 minutes and includes a diagnostic journey followed by a discussion and energy healing. The sessions may include finding a power animal, soul retrieval and extraction (the removal of blocked energy).
Why Drum To Find Your Animal Totem?
An animal totem, also knows as a character animal or power animal, is with you from the moment of conception until the moment of death. Much like a guide your totem can relay information to you, assist you during difficult times and protect you when needed. The difference however between a guide and your totem animal is that you will share characteristics or personality traits with your totem because that animal is essentially your very essence!
Often people discuss the importance of "standing in your power" and learning to really own who you are. Well what if you don't know who you are or you don't have any tangible steps on how to clearly embrace your power? This is where knowing your totem animal can really help. Because you are one with your totem and share the same essence, knowing the characteristics and behavioural tendencies of your particular animal can help you to understand yourself on a deeper level and even provide you with the information you need in order to find and maintain balance for you personally. There are three important pieces of information to research once you find out your power animal. The first is behavioural tendencies. For example is this animal a group creature or does the animal tend to be more independent? Is the animal a fighter or a runner? Will it face challenges or try to avoid conflict?
The second piece of information you will need to know about your animal is their energetic patterns. Is your animal most active during the day or night? Does it hibernate or have seasons of high or low activity? Does the animal require a lot of rest or is it constantly active? What is the general energy of your animal like?
The third piece of information you will want to find out is the eating habits of your animal. Is your animal a carnivore, herbivore, or omnivore?
Once you have all of this information you will begin to see why your natural tendency is to act a certain way and perhaps why you have felt so imbalanced for so long. The more you align yourself (and your lifestyle) to the behaviours and traits of your animal the more you will embrace your true essence and really stand within your power. So for example if you are a owl it is important to find a job that allows you to be more active late at night or early in the morning so that you can rest more during the day. If you are a bear be sure to get plenty of rest during the winter as you will feel very unproductive and tired due to the desire to hibernate! If you are a rabbit it is important to graze (eat often) and increase your vegetables and fruits and decrease the amount of meat you eat. Perhaps you could even try try a meat free diet.
Knowing your totem animal can help you not only on a personal level but on a social as well. If you and your partner, friends and/or co-workers know one another's totem animals, you will better understand how to work together and how best to approach each individual in certain situations.
What Does A Typical Session Look Like?
For each session I will ask that the recipient sit or lay beside me in a comfortable and relaxed mannor. I will then discuss what it is that I will be doing and what role the individual will play. Typically once we are both comfortable I will begin drumming and go into an altered state to attain or receive the information I am looking for. During this time I simply ask that the recipient close their eyes and relax, thus entering a meditative state. It is important to note that during soul retrievals the individual does not need to disclose any information about the trauma they experienced or relive it in any way!
Once the information I require is received and the drumming comes to an end I will “bring back” the individual, taking them out of their relaxed state and then describe all of the visions that came to me. I will provide the individual with time to write down any of the messages I received, or anything they may have felt or seen themselves during the session. At this point if soul retrieval or finding a power animal were conducted I will then take the individual over to the massage table where I will then proceed to integrate these energies into their body.
What Can It Do For Me?
Can provide you with important information about your current path and messages from guides and other loving spirits.
Can align you with the power of your totem animal, thus bringing about a general sense of empowerment.
Can encourage a sense of wholeness and balance within the body.
Can bring healing to past events and traumas.
Can remove blockages or dense energy that is preventing one from optimal health.
How Often Should I Come For A Session?
The answer to this question greatly depends upon each individual. Once you know your power animal, which is with you for life, you will not have to drum for a power animal again, however you may wish to find helper animals or guides that are working with you at the moment. Journeying for information can happen as often as an individual feels need for it and soul retrieval regarding a certain trauma is typically done in one session. If there are other traumas that require a soul retrieval it is recommended that the sessions be spaced out over the course of a few months, as time in needed for each soul piece to fully integrate back into the body.
Does Shamanism Follow A Specific Religion?
No. Shamanism is not a religious practice as it does not worship or follow any particular god or deity. It is the belief of a shaman that everything in existence has a purpose and is composed of energy, and that the energy simply has a spiritual, rather than material source. It is because of this belief that these healers work with spirit in order to create change on the physical plane of this life and promote a state of ‘wholeness’ within the body, mind and soul.
A Brief Look At The History
Shamanic practices date as far back as the stone age, predating all organized religions. It is one of the oldest ways in which humanity sought to connect with spirit. Evidence of its use has been found throughout many cultures all over the world; from Siberia to Lapland to parts of Asia, Africa, Australia and Native North and South America. Shamanic Burial sites in Israel have been discovered which easily date back an estimated12,000 years.
The practice of Shamanism has been, and continues to, be greatly declining around the world due to many factors. Starting in Eurpoe around 400 CE with the collapse of the Greek and Roman religions, Christianity began to spread throughout the world, virtually wiping out the shamanic practices of many cultures. These practices were considered witchcraft and during the catholic inquisition many campaigns were held against “witches” and their craft. As a result much of the original traditions and ways were lost, however some did survive. Shamanism is still seen and practiced among some cultures around the world, however the numbers are dwindaling and sadly much of the knowledge of these past healers is being lost.