Shamanic Journey & Healing Workshop : Creating Sacred Spaces Conference

~Shamanic Journey & Healing Workshop~
Creating Sacred Spaces Conference
With Jodie Cara Lindley, RMT, Reiki Master, Shamanic Healer

www.earthskyjourneys.org
www.newmarkettherapy.com
What is Shamanism?
• Shamanism is believed to be one of the oldest forms of
spirituality, dating back tens of thousands of years.
• It was originally thought to be a religious phenomena or form
of magic. But more realistically it is a philosophy or viewpoint, a mysticism/spirituality,
and encompasses a system of healing practices.
• Shamanism is a term referring to philosophies and practices in regards to communication
with the spiritual world. (Spiritual being the energy behind everything).
• The main viewpoint being the concept of Animism: that everything that exists is alive and
has a spirit. This is the shamanic view of life = interconnectedness.
The Shaman: defining features
1. Shamans are those in a tribe or society that are the experts or specialists in the “human soul”.
That they know the form and destiny of the soul, and they know how to heal it. That is how they
approach healing is from the spiritual or energetic perspective.
2. Shamans are known for going into trance state (shamanic trance), via a drum-beat or substance
like ayahuasca, peyote, or mescaline, and “journeying” or traveling in spirit and soul to other
dimensions of reality. It is in this trance state that shamans do their healing and divining work.
3. Shamans are the “intermediaries” or “messengers” between the spiritual and material worlds,
and interact directly with spirits to find spiritual reasons for illness, restore the soul, acquire
information, help spirits of deceased cross over and perform ceremony for community,
communicate with nature.
Healing From the Shamanic Perspective:

• Traditionally, people would visit shamans for healing.
• Shamanic cultures believe that all illness stems from some spiritual reason therefore that is
how they approach the healing of disease.
• The shaman heals disease and illness through healing the soul and the energy body.
• There is this concept that we can become “dis-spirited” – losing one’s personal guardian or
soul. Shamans assist with this, retrieving the guardian or removing errant energies.
• In Shamanism, the maintenance of one’s personal power is fundamental to wellbeing and
health under all life’s conditions. Therefore if you become ill, you have lost some power.
• Shamans feel that the power of the guardian spirit makes one resistant to illness – it
provides a powerful body that resists intrusions of external forces (disease).
• In the shamanic view of illness – there is no room in a power-filled body for the entrance of
intrusive and harmful energies in ordinary reality, as disease.
• The shamanic concept of disease sees disease as coming from: disharmony, soul loss and
fear.
• Disharmony: if life loses meaning and one forgets the feeling of belonging and connection.
• A chronic sense of fear can cause a person to lose love, joy and trust – these are basic
foundations of health. Without these, the life force of the body seems to withdraw.
• Soul loss is a basic concept in shamanism, and a major cause of illness and even death –
injury to the core of the person’s essence.
How do people become ill?

• There are 3 common causes of illness in the shamanic view: loss of power, soul loss and
spiritual blockage or negative energies taken on due to loss of power and soul.
• The shaman’s role as healer: was to bring back essence and soul of person, restore a lost
guardian and remove intrusions.
• In Shamanism the real healers are the spirits not the humans – they merely are the physical
vessel, conduit or channel through which techniques are carried out.
The Shamanic Universe/Cosmos: The Three Worlds

• Shamanic cultures have a special viewpoint of the Universe: that there are many spiritual
dimension and realities that we can visit and communicate with spirits.
• There are three worlds that exist in the invisible or non-ordinary realms, beyond our
physical world: Lower World, Middle World and Upper World. These worlds are where we
journey to, to contact spirit and receive guidance and healing.
Power Animals:
• Power animals are also known as “guardian spirits”, “guiding spirits” and traditionally are
the shaman’s main helping spirits.
• When we are born it is said that at least 1 or 2 animals volunteers to be our guardian spirit
and power animal(s).
• Why animals? Animals are much more powerful than humans: ancient people saw them as
forms of deities and were sacred, possessing knowledge and power, and were teachers,
companions and guides through life’s mysteries.
• So this term “power” is really a spiritual power and animals share this with us.
• For the Shaman: power animals are often considered an “alter ego” or another identity,
because they offer power and protect the shaman.
• A shaman consults, sees, uses and travels with power animals. He/she ultimately uses the
animals’ power to help others.
Shamanic Journeying
• Shamanic journeying allows us to travel to non-ordinary reality to commune with the
spirits. It is a process of connecting to the energetics behind all of life, and the soul.
• In order to journey, consciousness needs to be altered in some form: this is called the
“Shamanic State of Consciousness” (SSC).
• In the West, we typically use the Drum: changes the Central Nervous System and affects the
electrical activity of the brain. Its frequency is low. We also use the rattle, which stimulates
higher frequencies in the brain.
• In Journeying, it is said that you see “shamanically”: you visualize, imagine, and can feel,
know or see things from an alive and animistic perspective.
Recommended Reading:
Sandra Ingerman – Shamanic Journeying
Michael Harner – The Way of the Shaman
Jeannette M. Gagan – Journeying: Where Shamanism & Psychology Meet
Christa Mackinnon – Shamanism and Spirituality in Therapeutic Practice: An Introduction

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~Shamanic Journey & Healing Workshop~

Creating Sacred Spaces Conference

With Jodie Cara Lindley, RMT, Reiki Master, Shamanic Healer

The Shaman: defining features

Healing From the Shamanic Perspective:

How do people become ill?

The Shamanic Universe/Cosmos: The Three Worlds

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