All About Shamanism

All About Shamanism and Other Terms

The following post is an updated reprint from a blog I published many years ago. Since I have a lot of new followers and clients, I thought it may answer some questions people may have about my journey with Shamanism and how I became familiar with the practice.

What is shamanism and how did I become involved in it?

Shamanism is a belief system related to indigenous cultures, who were very connected with the earth, but they also had a working knowledge of the Higher Power, which Christianity calls God, and other religions call by various names. It is the belief in the consciousness of all things, whether that be a Divine Presence above us or the individual blades of grass that soften our walk through the earth realm. It is believed in Shamanism that we can access the wisdom of any bit of that consciousness through going into an altered state of consciousness and merging with the consciousness of that which is "other" than us. In Shamanism we gain information and perform healing or divination while in partnership with our spirit helpers. Everything that we see while in the "other" worlds is symbolic and it requires skill to interpret the information and bring it back to the waking world.

My journey began in Christianity. I won't elaborate here, but you can read a detailed description of how I came to walk this path HERE. Suffice it to say I had a dark night experience, which was truly an awakening to the life I live now. I began to explore different belief systems, and through some synchronistic experiences, was introduced to Shamanism. I found I had a natural ability to go into altered states of consciousness, which served me well in my practice of Shamanism.

In my years of walking with Spirit, I have explored and practiced various belief systems. I don't label myself as anything in particular. I like Shamanism because it seems to fit with my energy and the practice works for me. I use the term shamanic practitioner, but my individual style is to connect with Spirit and just wait and see who shows up. I have a team of Spirit Healers, a team of Spirit Communicators, and a larger team of a variety of Presences from various belief systems. Some are not associated with any particular belief system as far as I can tell. Sometimes in my meditations they will all be sitting in a semicircle together, and I will be sitting in front of them, feeling their individual energies but knowing that they are all loving and kind Masters, whose purpose is to bring us all closer to a Higher way of being. When I work with individual clients, I like to get connected with their own energy field and their own individual needs. Sometimes their loved ones on the other side show up, but not always. The practice of shamanism has enhanced my Spiritual path immensely, allowing me to easily travel between the worlds, and while on my travels into the nonphysical realms, I very often come into contact with Guides, Angels, Gods and Goddesses with whom I must have had previous lifetime connections with, since they feel so familiar to me and communication with them comes to me so naturally. No, I don't call myself a Shaman, since I am not connected with any particular tribe and I have not spent years training with an elder. My connections with Spirit are in the form of shamanism, but could easily also be termed something completely different. Shamanism to me is just a term just like some may call themselves Baptist or Catholic or Hindu or Buddhist. But we are all connected to the same source and the inspiration comes from the same place inside of us, the place where we are connected.

Shamanic Terms and Explanations

I will start with some basic terms in shamanism.

I call myself a shamanic practitioner but I would like to add that I am not really fond of labels. There are many different beliefs within a particular label and sometimes those beliefs can be interchangeable. I believe that whatever belief system you feel most comfortable associating with, as long as it fulfills you and does not hurt people or animals, then you should stick with that, until it no longer works for you.

Let’s talk about some common terms within the shamanic practice, how they are similar to other terms we are more familiar with, and how I use them in my practice. What is "journeying?" Journeying is a term in shamanism for the ritual of going into an altered state of consciousness and taking travels into the world of spirit. It is not unlike my experiences in my former belief system of Christianity in which I would have extended periods of prayer in which I would receive guidance and messages from the Holy Spirit. In Christianity, I would reach this level of consciousness through the use of worship music and in the sect I was in, through movement and dance (yes, I guess you could say I was a holy roller), and in shamanism we achieve this state through drumming. It is also not unlike the experience of meditation, in which this state of consciousness is reached through meditation music. As I have stated before, the means by which we achieve this state is different, the terms or labels are different, the end result is basically the same. We achieve connection with our Higher Source through whatever means we are comfortable and familiar with. What is a "soul retrieval?" During our lifetimes, we separate from pieces of our "energy" or "soul" in time periods and places where there was a high degree of emotion attached to an event or place. Many times, when there is a traumatic event, we experience a rush of emotion and a piece of our "soul" or " life force" or "energy" gets stuck. A shaman or, as I call myself, a shamanic practitioner, will go into a "journey" for their client and go into the past or into the place where the pieces of their client's energy has gotten stuck and retrieve those pieces and bring them back to their client. While in the altered state of consciousness, the shamanic practitioner will receive images or indications of where the pieces of the client’s soul have been lost and, with the help of their Spirit Guides, bring those pieces back to the client. What about good and evil? Are you ever worried that you will run into an evil spirit or that you are connecting with Spirits that are not of the light? In my former belief system, I was taught that whatever was not in line with the belief in Jesus was from the devil and that we could only access God through Jesus. This has not been my experience since I left that belief system. I will say that whatever is from "God" or our Higher Source will make us feel better, and whatever is not in our best interests will make us feel bad. I have experienced nothing but joy from being released from the bondage of thinking that everyone else was wrong except for me and my particular beliefs. My current belief is that if I feel good, my emotional guidance system is telling me that I am connected with God or the Higher Source or Higher Power. Being connected with our Highest Power will always make us feel good. I still connect with Jesus and He still gives me messages. He is not mad at me for accessing other Dieties. Sometimes when I connect to Him He is in the company of some of these other Dieties. He has come to me while in a shamanic journey and while meditating. Belief systems do not have to be exclusive. Yes, I believe that there is evil in the world. However, my life has only improved since releasing myself from the belief that every other belief system was wrong or evil. I do believe in dark energy, and I have had success in releasing my clients from the dark energy that keeps them from their highest good. However, I don't go looking for dark spirits behind every tree. Let me say that if your belief system makes you happy and fulfilled and serves to help you be a better person, then by all means, continue on your current path. I stayed on one path for the first thirty-five years of my life, until it ceased to fulfill me. When I began to be discontented and depressed, then I knew it was time to find out why and correct my path. Always use your internal guidance system as your compass to help you find your way through this life. If you are happy and fulfilled, then there is no reason to change course. When you cease to be happy, then it is time to make a course correction.

In my newest book, Whispers From Another Room, I explore the various "rooms" in Spirit world. I offer a bit more detail and some cool stories of my adventures into the "other" worlds. You can check it out HERE.

If you believe you may benefit from a soul retrieval or what I have decided to rename "Soul Healing" since the general public may find that easier to swallow, you can contact me to set up a session. You do not have to be in my physical presence to benefit. I have done many by phone and Zoom, especially in these days of social distancing.

Normally a soul retrieval or a soul healing costs a bit more than a reading, but, if in the midst of a reading, I see that a part of your energy field needs to be healed, I will ask you if you want it healed. I am not going to stop in the middle and say, oh that's another $20 please. I am not that kind of healer. I will discuss the hush hush subject of money and payment for healing services in a future blog.

I believe when we leave our physical body experience and to to the other side, we will not be judged for what belief system we clung to, how much money we gave to a cause or belief system, or other incidental but sometimes loudly touted examples of piety, but how much good did we do? Were we kind to others? Did we attempt to do the best we could? It is not about a particular belief system. It is about love. How much love is in your heart?

Soul retrieval is a means to living a life of joy. When we are able to rejoin pieces of our soul which we have lost or given away, the result is a feeling of well-being and joy. We experience a life with more awareness, more presence. We are always given the opportunity to go back to the way we were living before, but why would we want to?

If you have had this experience with me and would be willing to share your story, I would love to hear it and share in the testimonials sections of my website. I will only share your name if you feel comfortable with that. You can contact me HERE to share your experience. If I receive enough great stories, I may publish a future blog containing the stories of those who were able to move forward in their life after a time of loss. I share a few stories in my latest book, but I am always looking for more!

Soul retrieval is not the only way to access joy and move forward in your life, but it is a great tool for doing so. It is important you find the tool that is right for you.

Let us all be open to the many different ways of connecting with our highest good and living a life of joy and well-being. Shamanism can be one of those ways.