Shamanic Healing
Shamanic healing is a collaboration between the shamanic practitioner, the client and their combined helping spirits that is predicated upon the following principles:
- Everyone has spirit guides and anyone can learn how to contact them through shamanic journeying in order to receive guidance and healing.
- The helping spirits want to partner with us! They hold us with immeasurable love and tenderness, and want to help us become healed and potentiated.
- According to shamanism, imbalances and illnesses originate on a soul level before manifesting as discrete symptoms, which is a phenomenon known as spiritual illness. Shamanic healing techniques therefore address the root causes of illness by restoring wholeness on a soul level.
- Soul-level healing is accomplished by the removal of energy that doesn’t belong, the restoration of energy that has become fragmented or inaccessible, and the re-purposing of energy that has become stuck or frozen..
- Shamanic healing involves four steps: the spiritual diagnosis, the cure, integration and prevention.
- In shamanic healing, the diagnosis is provided by the helping spirits and the shamanic practitioner works in collaboration with them to administer the shamanic cure, facilitate the process of integration and apply preventative measures. The client’s role is to take responsibility for their overall healing journey, which includes further integration and after-care following a shamanic healing ritual, as well as their on-going self-care physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
- Shamanic healing is not intended as a replacement for other forms of healing support, such as therapy, bodywork, psychiatry, medicine, etc., but rather, as a complimentary modality emphasizing the subtle dimensions of healing.
- Shamanic practitioners tend to the living, the dying and the dead. From a shamanic perspective, a physical death may constitute a healing, rather than death being seen as a failure, which is the pervasive view in conventional medicine.
- Shamanism is alive, dynamic, evolving and unbounded. It is not static. Therefore, a shamanic means for addressing issues of nearly every variety either exists or can be developed in consort with compassionate spirits.
The role of the shamanic practitioner is to conduct specific rituals for the purposes of accessing information and generating healing on behalf of their client. Below is a detailed explanation of the different healing rituals that Julie incorporates into her sessions and intensives.
Cord Cutting
Energetic cords become established between us and others when we harbor unresolved anger and resentments; when we have unfinished business; when we are enmeshed or codependent; and when we are burdened by unfulfilled agreements or expectations that became established during our current lifetime or even during a prior lifetime. They are funded by our vital essence, which means that as long as they remain in place, they diminish our vitality. In addition to depletion, the symptoms that may indicate the presence of energetic cords include obsessive thinking, lack of closure, difficulty knowing where you end and others begin, fragmentation, and the experience of being emotionally and energetically intertwined with others. Cord cutting is the shamanic ritual for dissolving energetic cords in order to create clear energetic boundaries and restore energetic autonomy.
Imagine the energy field of a healthy adult as a well-defined egg-shaped bubble, equidistant from the surface of their body in all directions. In contrast, when a child is born, their energy field is neither fully developed nor as clearly defined. They therefore become enveloped within the protective field of their parent(s) or caregiver(s), and will remain thus until adolescence or early adulthood, depending on their circumstances. As the young person matures emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually, their own field correspondingly strengthens. Accordingly, they will naturally begin to separate energetically from their parent(s). During the process of becoming increasingly self-sufficient, their own bubble continues to strengthen around them to the extent that eventually, only energetic tendrils may remain that connect them to their parents.
However, if those tendrils are not intentionally severed, such as by means of a coming of age ceremony or ritual, for example, they may remain as energetic cords binding them to their parents. In those instances, energetic enmeshment may become the model for closeness that they replicate in their subsequent adult relationships, whereupon they become unknowingly corded with co-workers, friends and lovers in order to experience connection and intimacy.
The remedy for the presence of energetic cords is cord cutting: the ritual for dissolving the cords with the support of helping spirits. Cord cutting involves five simple steps; identifying the existence and location of the cords and the people to whom they connect; uncovering the underlying issues that generated the cords; transforming those dynamics so that the cords essentially become de-activated; dissolving what remains of the cords and restoring the vital essence belonging to each person; and creating protection and boundaries to prevent further cords from becoming established. Generally, this work is undertaken within the context of a guided journey so that the client can fully participate in the process.
While it is commonplace to both discuss and expect overt signs of individuation (such as going away to college, becoming financially independent, perhaps marrying and starting a family, etc.), the process of becoming autonomous energetically is neither well understood nor widely practiced in our culture. Energetic cords are generally unconsciously established and maintained, rather than being intentionally and deliberately so. Cord-cutting work is therefore undertaken with gentleness and compassion, with the aspiration of bringing awareness and resolution to the presence of the cords, rather than assigning blame for their existence.
Depossession or Spirit Releasing
There are a number of impediments that can prevent a soul from crossing over successfully at the time of death- including fear, confusion, attachments, the circumstances surrounding the death itself (such as a violent or unexpected death), and the pull of family members or loved ones who are unable to let the deceased person go. When a person or animal undergoes a physical death and their soul fails to cross over, they may become lost or stuck in the Middle World, which is the spiritual dimension of the physical world.
These beings are pervasive in the Middle World and co-exist with us in countless contexts: in homes and buildings, in cars, in neighborhoods, on land, or in a state of aimless wandering. Often, they don’t realize they’re dead and don’t know precisely where they are or what’s happening; their life force gradually diminishes with the passage of time, which can limit their awareness of their surroundings and circumstances. The fear and confusion associated with being lost or stuck causes some to gravitate toward a living person, who may feel warm, familiar, comforting or revitalizing. In shamanism, we refer to the souls who take refuge in a living human’s body or energy field as “suffering beings.” Often, suffering beings are not aware that they’re no longer in their own bodies and, likewise, their “host” may not be aware of them. The presence of one or more suffering beings constitutes a possession, the remedy for which is depossession or spirit releasing.
The symptoms of possession are myriad, and can include but are not limited to negative self-talk, hearing voices, the worsening of existing self-destructive behaviors (such as drug, alcohol or sex addiction), paranoia, anxiety, the feeling of being overshadowed by something or someone other than you and chronic pain. The means by which a suffering being is distinguished from a disowned aspect of the client is the answer to the question, “Does this voice, energy or pain originate with you or did it come from somewhere else?” If the answer is that it originated elsewhere, a suffering being may be present.
Depossession is a healing technique that benefits the living and the dead, or, the host and the suffering being. As long as the suffering being remains in the Middle World, they are unable to continue their spiritual journey of evolution and transformation. For the host, the impact of a suffering being can vary widely. Some may have little or no felt impact, while others can cause significant dissonance. For example, if a male suffering being who is attracted to women has taken up residency within the body of a woman who is in relationship with a man, she may experience confusing feelings and attractions that are quite simply not her own.
From a shamanic point of view, there is a direct relationship between power loss (the departure of a power animal) and soul loss, and the presence of foreign energy (either in the form of intrusions or possessions). The vacancy left by power and/or soul loss creates a vacuum that can become filled with foreign energy, which means that those most compromised by trauma and loss are most susceptible to intrusions and possessions. Individuals who are placed under a general anesthesia, as well as those who consume drugs or alcohol in excessive quantities, are also vulnerable to possession. Furthermore, people with mediumistic abilities who neither have adequate training nor protection may also be susceptible to possession.
The steps for addressing the presence of a suffering being include diagnosing the presence of one or more possessing spirits; assisting them in becoming dislodged and exiting the host; conducting them to a portal through which they can cross over successfully; and helping the client become filled up with light, so that there essentially isn’t any space for anyone but themselves (using such techniques as power animal retrieval, soul retrieval, the true self visualization and essence remembering). As with all shamanic healing techniques, each step is undertaken through the agency of compassionate spirits.
Depossession can occur within the context of a journey, with the shamanic practitioner actively collaborating with the helping spirits to support the suffering being in departing, while the host remains passive. Another approach is for the host to allow the suffering being to speak through them, in order to facilitate a direct dialogue between the practitioner and the suffering being. Using this approach, the shamanic practitioner seeks to explain to the suffering being where they are and what’s happening, and to help them understand the importance of going toward the light and finally crossing over. The suffering being is thus able to continue on its evolutionary trajectory, and the person who had been harboring them is restored as the sole occupant of their body and energy field, which is the intention of shamanic healing.
Divination
The spirits can initiate contact with us using a variety of means, including signs, omens, our dreams, our imagination, déjà vu, prescience or precognition, synchronicities, our intuition, etc. Conversely, we can initiate contact with the helping spirits. We can do this through the use of shamanic journeying, where we send our awareness into non-ordinary to contact them directly in order to receive information and guidance. We can also use rituals of divination that involve inviting the spirits to communicate through a physical tool, such as divining for water using a diving rod; casting runes, bones or stones; or throwing the I Ching in order to receive guidance; and scrying, or receiving a vision from gazing into water, fire, a mirror, glass, smoke or a crystal.
Divination lies at the heart of all shamanic rituals, ceremonies and activities. Successful divination enables the shamanic practitioner to receive accurate guidance, insights, suggestions, directions, instructions and diagnoses directly from helping spirits, which allows the practitioner to work effectively and efficiently on behalf of their clients.
Extraction
From a shamanic point of view there are two kinds of foreign energy: intrusions and possessions. Intrusions are the energetic formations of negative thoughts that originate with us, others or in the collective. Intrusions can cause a number of symptoms, including localized pain or localized disease. The remedy for intrusions is the ritual of extraction.
Extraction involves partnering with helping spirits to diagnose the existence and location of the intrusions, and removing and neutralizing them. As with all forms of shamanic healing, the intention is not for the energy to be destroyed. Intrusions are therefore not cast off (which may create the possibility of them becoming imbedded elsewhere) but rather transmuted through the agency of the helping spirits. Oftentimes, the ritual of transmutation occurs with the help of allies in the natural world, such as the spirit of water, who agrees to absorb and neutralize the intrusion to ensure that it doesn’t cause further harm. To prevent the client from either causing or receiving further intrusions, it is important to educate them about the difference between feeling and sending emotions and thoughts.
Another powerful means for prevention and protection from intrusions is to become filled up with their own vital essence, by way of power animal retrieval, soul retrieval, the true self visualization and essence remembering.
Guided Journeying
Guided journeys are shamanic journeys undertaken by the client themselves, with support and structure provided by Julie. A guided journey enables a client to have a direct experience of their own helping spirits, and to learn tools and processes for collaborating with them in a variety of ways.
During a guided journey, the client is lying down with Julie seated beside them, while a CD of shamanic drumming plays through the stereo speakers. The client describes out loud what they’re experiencing while it’s unfolding, and Julie leads the client through whatever steps or processes are necessary in order to fulfill the intention for the journey.
Mediumship
A medium is someone who acts as an intermediary between the spirit world and the human world. There are two kinds of mediums: physical and mental.
Physical mediums voluntarily become “incorporated’ by spirits. Meaning, they learn how to step aside in order to create the space for a trusted spirit to enter into their bodies and speak and move through them. Physical mediums will often exhibit visible alterations associated with becoming incorporated, such as changes in eye color, mannerisms, gestures, tone of voice, language or accent, etc. Some physical mediums have no recollection of what occurred while they were incorporated, while others do remember what unfolded.
Mental mediumship involves meeting the consciousness or awareness of a non-physical being and receiving a transmission from them. Physical mediumship includes mental mediumship, but mental mediumship does not include physical mediumship. Shamanic journeying is a form of mental mediumship, as the shamanic journeyer meets the awareness of the helping spirits and receives a transmission from them, which they then relay to their client.
Power Animal Retrieval or the Restoration of Lost Power
In many shamanic cultures, it is believed that when we are born, the spirit of at least one animal volunteers to protect and guide us until the end of our life. These benevolent beings are known as power animals, totems, animal guides or animal familiars. A power animal represents the power of the entire species in spirit form, not only the power of an individual animal spirit. Power animals can be the spirits of mythological creatures such as unicorns; animals that at one time lived on planet earth but have become extinct, such as dinosaurs; animals currently residing in physical form on planet earth; or composite creatures, such as a spirit with the head of an owl and the body of a bear.
From a shamanic point of view, all power animals are created equally. There is no animal spirit that is more powerful than another. While we may have preconceived notions about certain animals being more powerful, that is not the case in non-ordinary reality.
Power loss is a shamanic illness caused by the departure of a power animal, which may have left because it did not feel honored, or for evolutionary reasons (meaning, their work with their human counterpart is complete). The symptoms of power loss include chronic illness, depression, loss of energy, loss of a sense of direction, and/or a series of misfortunes. The remedy for lost power is power animal retrieval, during which the power animal who did not feel honored is retrieved and restored to the client, or a new power animal is retrieved to replace the one that left for evolutionary reasons.
Psychopomp
The Greek word “psychopomp” means conductor or conveyor of souls, referring to the process of assisting souls to cross over, either at the actual time of death or thereafter.
A psychopomp works in a variety of capacities. They may help a person in the dying process prepare for their passing by leading them on a series of guided journeys intended to introduce them to the benevolent spirits who will appear and guide them at the time of their death.
Furthermore, a psychopomp may assist the soul to shed its physical form at the time of death, and to begin making its transition toward the light.
Finally, a psychopomp may assist souls that have become lost or stuck in the Middle World (and who are not attached to a living person) because they didn’t cross over successfully initially.
Soul Retrieval
Soul loss is an adaptive response to the anticipation of a trauma that is about to occur on a physical, emotional or energetic level. Prior to the impact of the trauma, the part of the soul that is threatened by the event about to take place fragments and goes into non-ordinary reality in order to preserve itself. The result is that the soul part that leaves does not experience the trauma, although it remains inaccessible in non-ordinary reality unless it is restored by way of soul retrieval.
Soul loss may occur in anticipation of a surgery, an accident, the trauma of war, being in a natural disaster, family trauma, etc. Soul loss can also result from an incident that appears to be less objectively threatening, although it may be perceived as a subjective “threat” by the person who experiences it.
Soul parts that separate and take refuge in non-ordinary reality carry and preserve abilities, skills, gifts and memories that remain perfectly intact.
The symptoms of soul loss include disassociation; post-traumatic stress syndrome; depression; addiction; prolonged grief or coma; having a hard time keeping oneself and one’s life together; suicidal urges; loss of physical sensation or numbness in the body; emotional disconnect; and chronic illness (especially immune deficiency illnesses such as AIDS, fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue). From the shamanic view, the repression of memory is actually soul loss. The memories are truly gone, in the sense that they are in non-ordinary reality and inaccessible to our conscious awareness, rather than being repressed.
The phenomenon of soul loss is viewed as an intelligent strategy for self-preservation on the part of the soul. When restored, the soul part is perfectly intact, which is why this healing is so powerful. The remedy for soul loss is soul retrieval, during which the shamanic practitioner journeys to locate and retrieve lost soul parts in non-ordinary reality and to restore them to the client.
