Have you ever had questions about Shamanism? Shamanism is a concept that is sometimes misunderstood, and I often get questions about it as a shamanic healer. This blog post will act as an introduction to the basics of shamanism, which will help you become more familiar with the core tenets of shamanism so you can better understand the specific shamanic healing techniques that future blog posts will discuss.
Shamanism is an ancient spiritual practice that allows for a deeper connection with our own spirituality and the spiritual world around us. Shamanism was practiced around the world and predates organized religion. There are several concepts, beliefs, and ideas that are central to the practice of shamanism. These beliefs include:
1. The Spirit World
The belief in a spirit world is a belief central to all of shamanism. The spirit world as a whole is composed of three smaller segments: the lower, middle, and upper worlds. The lower world is the realm of mother earth, power animals, and ancestors. The middle world is the spirit realm of the physical world we inhabit. It is the home of nature and animal spirits. The upper world is the realm of higher consciousness and divinity where ascended masters and other divine beings reside.
2. The Spirit & Universal Energy
Shamans believe in the concept of animism, which is the belief that all things, living and non-living, have a spirit. These beings also share a universal energy. This energy flows through all and allows for communication and interaction between beings in both the physical and spirit worlds.
3. Communication & Journeying
Beings such as power animals, spirit guides, and nature spirits reside in the spirit world, and shamans will often communicate with them and may ask for their assistance or advice in healing sessions. A shamanic journey is one of the ways shamans communicate with beings in the spirit world. Journeys occur when shamans enter a trance-like state in which they travel to one of the spirit world’s three levels.
Hopefully this post has helped in giving you a basic understanding of some of shamanism’s central concepts and beliefs. Future posts will further explore specific shamanic healing techniques as well as other shamanic topics, so stay tuned for more shaman knowledge!
Get in Touch
We hope you found this article helpful! If You’re interested in booking a shamanic healing session, you can schedule an appointment online.
Hello, everyone!
Lighthouse Healing Massage Therapy is having a holiday promotion.
Here are the details …
Runs from December 1 – December 31st 2020
All tickets will be entered into a daily drawing. 31 prizes will be given away. Prizes must be picked up from Lighthouse Healing Massage Therapy, LLC by January 31st, 2021. No shipping or delivery. Contactless pick up can be arranged. Unlimited amount of tickets. One prize per person. Prizes given out on a first come/first serve basis. All winners will be contacted by email on January 2nd. If I do not have your email address, I cannot contact you if you are a winner. I will also post FB winners on the Lighthouse Healing FB page.
Thanks for visiting Lighthouse Healing Massage Therapy, and stay well …
On Sunday, March 31st at 5PM, I will be hosting our very first Drum Circle.
Drumming is a part of our ancestral heritage. Cultures all over the world have used the drum in their everyday lives. The call of the drum is unmistakable and awakens something ancient and ancestral within us. It quiets the thinking brain and makes room for experiencing what exists outside of us. The drum beat is the pulse, the heart of the universe and helps us connect with and understand the mystery and power and the Spirit in all things. The drum produces a highly concentrated focus, causing the brain to slow down into a trance-like state.
During Spirit drumming sessions, the focus will be on the experience of listening and feeling the vibrations of the drums. The beat of the drum is used to create states of altered consciousness using a repetitive sound ranging from 180-220 bpm. This state of consciousness is relaxing and meditative.
I will be holding space and drumming for you. If you already have a practice using the sound of the drums you can do that. For others this may be a first experience with something like this. It is not necessary to have any experience at all to join. Some ideas of what you can do while I drum for you:
What to expect for our time together:
Some suggestions of what to bring with you (or just bring yourself – that’s fine too!):
WHEN: March 31st. Start time 5PM.
WHERE: 6441 Enterprise Ln., Ste 212, Madison WI
COST: $20 per person — cash only
When I do shamanic healing with a client for the very first time, I like to start with power animal retrieval. Why do I start there? Everyone needs an ally when they first start to navigate working with Spirit. Power animals are usually very eager to help and love connecting with “their humans.”
The first kind are the ones that have been with you since birth. Ones that are part of your personality and make up the core values of who you are. The others are situational. They show up and offer their wisdom when you are in a situation where you are feeling stuck or is causing you stress.
How do you know the difference between the two?
Do you have a gazillion chatchkis of a particular animal? Every time you go on vacation, you find a souvenir to bring home that is of the same animal? Is your Christmas tree covered with ornaments with that same animal? For me, it’s penguins. Before I ever knew what a power animal was, I had (and still have) a healthy collection of penguin paraphernalia. At my wedding I had a penguin wedding cake topper, threw beanie baby penguins instead of my wedding bouquet and even had mechanical penguins dancing on the dance floor. Yeah, you could say that Penguin is a power animal of mine!
The situational ones, present themselves, when there is a situation you are in and you start to notice them. Say every night for a week straight, you hear an owl hooting outside your window – where you never heard them before. For the past 3 mornings, a crow seems to fly above your car on the way to work? Or in my case, I walked out my front door one morning and was greeted by a dead baby skunk in my walkway. Spirit was definitely trying to tell me something.
Why are they important?
When first starting to work with Spirit, it is helpful to have a guide with you. Your power animal can be that guide. If you have never meditated or “connected with Spirit” before you might feel more comfortable taking a guide with you. They will be by your side offering guidance and support and helping you listen to messages from Spirit.
If you’re interested, you can schedule a shamanic journey online.
6441 Enterprise Ln., Ste. 212
Madison, WI 53719
Kara@lighthousehealing.com