Shamanism is the oldest form of spirituality and healing known to humanity.
What is Irish (Celtic) Shamanism?
Shamanic healing is a form of Spiritual healing, in that there is contact with and guidance from our Spirit Guides and Allies. These Guides could be in the form of- animal guides, power animals, ancestors, people close to us who have passed, Deity or Ascended Masters, members of the Angelic or Fairy realms or elemental beings to name but a few!
It is the oldest spiritual knowledge and direct practice of healing known to humanity, dating back over 50,000 years. It restores harmony and balance by addressing the origin of imbalance and illness in the mind, body, soul and environment. Shamanism recognises that Spirit communicates with us continually, and that all life is implicitly connected and sacred by working closely with nature and the elements.
The practice of Shamanism is becoming increasingly more popular in this day and age; many are recognising the ancient wisdoms it holds, and its time- tested ability to bring about profound healing. Reconnecting the mind, body, and spirit to fully embrace being human and living a life enriched by the deeper knowledge of one’s own authentic self and spirit
What is a Shamanic Practitioner or Therapist?
The word ‘Shaman’ comes from the Tungus language of Siberia, it is used generically today (wrongly, though it is a word most people recognise!) to describe an individual known in the community as ‘someone who ‘sees’’ or ‘someone who’ knows’’ that which others do not, and are known as technicians of the sacred, masters of consciousness, and Walkers between two worlds.
Different cultures across the world will have their own name for the ’shamans’ in their mist such as Medicine Woman / Man, Wise Woman / Man or Cunning Woman / Man. Often simply know as the Village or Tribal Healer, in more recent times the word Witch has come to have a different unfortunate meaning and been greatly twisted and distorted, but was originally the name of the person (usually female) who healed, helped and counselled people, in Irish the term Bean or Fear Feasa might have been used.
Practitioners are themselves individuals who have had to learn how to heal themselves from the debilitating effects of their own personal wounds, and they are known for their ability to successfully and regularly bring healing to others with the help of their Guides.
In the Irish tradition the clan Healer was likely known as the Bean Feasa or Fear Feasa (Wise Woman/Man).
What does a Shamanic Practitioner do?
Simply put a Shamanic Practitioner regularly journeys, taking ‘soul flight ‘ to communicate with Guides, Ancestors and Spirit Helpers, accessing information, wisdom and healing and bringing back this information, wisdom or healing for an individual, community, or for themselves.
A Shamanic Practitioner also brings healing to the land, helps souls move on to where they should be instead of being lost in this world, and assists people who are dying to prepare for their journey.
In the shamanic perspective, true healing cannot be done on a physical level. Healing means to return to wholeness, and returning to wholeness is purely an inside job. Spiritual healing addresses the root — the spiritual — problems that cause dis-ease.
Shamanism comes with a great responsibility. Alongside simply accessing Spirit, they must possess the ability to transform what they have learned and experienced into a concrete change in the physical world.
This capacity to apply wisdom from the spirit realm in order to heal and transform the physical realm is what differentiates Shamanic Practitioners from other “spiritual travelers.” For example, a medium can access these realms, but they lack the physical action while there.
How do Shamanic Therapists perceive illness?
With life, there is suffering in the form of illness, both mental and physical. Modern medicine believes that is it microbes, viruses, bacteria, and injuries that cause our physical bodies illness. In the same respect, that it is primarily an imbalance of brain chemistry and/or circumstance that causes mental and emotional illness, such as depression, addiction, and so on.
Shamanic Therapists, on the other hand, perceive these as the effects. They believe that, for true healing, one cannot simply mask and suppress these effects, or symptoms, with medication — they believe that we must address the root cause. The root cause is something far beyond viruses, bacteria, and brain chemistry; the root cause comes from the internal, non-physical realm: imbalance of the spirit.
The 3 Causes of illness
From a shamanistic perspective, there are 3 classic causes of mental, emotional, and physical illness:
Disharmony (or Power Loss)
Disharmony, or power loss, usually occurs when someone has lost an important connection to life, or when life seems to lose it’s meaning. This can happen either subtly or catastrophically; either way, we experience a loss of vitality and meaning, and experience disempowerment in the process. This loss of will, or life power, strongly and directly affects our energetic matrix, and can cause us to become quite vulnerable to illness.
A common, yet tragic, example of this is when there is an elderly couple who have spent most of their lives together and one of them dies. The survivor oftentimes goes into a life crisis upon the loss and, shortly after, incurs an illness (such as cancer) and dies — that’s disharmony.
Fear
Fear is the most common cause of illness. Fear is responsible for emotions such as anxiety, stress, anger, jealousy, etc. Scientists and researchers also heavily agree that when these stress-producing hormones are present, they quickly begin to disintegrate the protective mantle of the body’s immune system, as well as it’s overall energetic matrix. Illness, as a result, is inevitable.
Half a century ago, the Renaissance physician, Paracelsus, honorably noted that “the fear of disease is more dangerous than the disease itself.” Shaman’s would surely agree with Paracelsus’ findings.
Soul Loss
Soul loss is the most extreme — yet, sadly, still common — cause of illness; in fact, it is the most serious diagnosis and a major cause of severe illness and even premature death.
Soul loss is most often experienced after a traumatic experience takes place, such as fighting in a war (an all-too-common trigger of PTSD), a bitter divorce, or intense bullying. In some cases, these experiences can be so shattering that one’s soul can begin to fragment and dissociate in order for survival. In the most extreme and overwhelming cases, these soul parts get too far lost and fail to return.
Who or what are Spirit Guides?
Spirit Guides can come in various forms but are generally Power Animals or animal Guides, Ancestors, loved ones who have passed over, Deity or Ascended Masters, members of the Angelic or Faery Realms and other elementals to name but a few!
Who is Shamanic healing for?
Shamanic healing is for all walks of life, beliefs and faiths…. all that is required is an open mind and heart! People come for shamanic healing for a wide variety of reasons and conditions, they may be suffering from; chronic physical conditions, depression, addictions, phobias, bereavement, mental and emotional turmoil from life’s challenges, relationship problems, or aware that something is missing, and feel disassociated from life and a sense of who they are. They may be looking to find a way of reconnecting with life and themselves.
Shamanic Healing – What does it involve?
Shamanic healing recognises and treats the internal causes of imbalance and illness.
The healing work would involve power retrieval, soul retrieval, power animal retrieval or extraction work or it may be a combination of them. Some people may only require two or three sessions, for others more sessions are required for the healing and integration work to take place.
A Shamanic practitioner works in partnership with Spirit Guides, who are able to see and work on a deeper level to address and bring healing to the internal origin of the illness and suffering experienced by an individual. Although two people may medically be suffering from the same thing, the deeper origin may be totally different and the healing received is individually tailored.
Shamanic Counselling
Shamanic counselling brings together ancient healing methods with modern technology, where the Shamanic practitioner counsels the client on how to work with what are known as the true counsellors: their Spirit Guides.
Over the course of as many sessions needed, facilitated and supported by the Shamanic Counsellor the client learns to journey safely and begins to understand how Spirit communicates with him/her, builds on his/her own relationship and guidance from spirit, that results in understanding and trusting the wisdom revealed.
Who is Shamanic Counselling for?
Shamanic counselling is great for individuals who want to receive, healing, direction and wisdom from their own Guides, and honour the guidance, wisdom and healing received –by incorporating it in their life, which returns to an individual a personal deeper connection with Spirit.
If you are considering Shamanic counselling you need to ask yourself if you are really committed and open to change.
Power Retrieval
From the Shamanic point of view, people who are not spiritually ‘power-filled’ are prone to illness, accidents, and misfortune. Anyone who has had a traumatic experience can feel power loss- loss of their energy, vitality or spiritual essence. There are also other reasons this may occur such as illness (mental and physical), abuse or simply not fulfilling your true potential.
If this occurs an individual will generally feel powerless, indecisive, disconnected, discontented listless and unmotivated in life.
With Power loss individuals are prone to experiencing many crises and misfortune, finding it difficult to navigate their way through life, and are susceptible to- manipulation from others, suffering from fatigue, low energy, depression, unfulfilling and/or abusive relationships and chronic illnesses (amongst other things) which can be fatal if the loss is very significant and ongoing.
Power retrieval works so that the client is once again spiritually power-filled and connected leading to greater health and well-being.
Power Animal Retrieval
We are all born with the power and protection of our own Power Animal(s), which can leave us any point in life for various reasons such as Power or Soul loss.
If Power Animal loss is diagnosed, the Practitioner journeys and retrieves your power animal which returns with healing and protection. You can then start to build a new connection and deeper relationship with your Power Animal with the help of your Practitioner.
Soul Retrieval
When we enter this world we arrive as powerful, whole, complete individuals full of potential. Through experiencing trauma during life, parts of ourselves can fragment off and leave. This is known as soul loss. Trauma can be anything that you have personally experienced as traumatic for you. If soul loss has occurred a person does not feel like their self any longer. The most common symptoms of soul loss are disassociation, depression, a sense that something is missing or a part of them has died.
Soul loss can also happen through an act of soul theft, which is a common occurrence in the western world and is often done unconsciously; this may be by family members, partners, work colleges, or friends. Reasons for soul theft whether conscious or not are varied, examples are out of jealousy, anger, control or perceived as an act of love.
A soul retrieval journey is undertaken to return your soul essence to you, with an understanding of what, when, and how, the soul loss has occurred. And what is returned with the soul part. This allows you to re-integrate your soul essence and function from a place of wisdom.
Negative Entities, Attachments, Intrusions etc
Energy intrusions are formed by highly charged negative thought forms directed from one person to another. This energetic thought form may enter the energetic field and cause physical, emotional or psychological problems for that individual. An energetic intrusion can occur if an individual already has loss of power through either, soul loss or power animal loss. Extraction work involves removing intrusions from an individual’s energetic field, replaced typically with the healing energy of a power animal.
Extraction Work
Energy intrusions are formed by highly charged negative thought forms directed from one person to another. This energetic thought form may enter the energetic field and cause physical, emotional or psychological problems for that individual.
An energetic intrusion can occur if an individual already has loss of power through either, soul loss or power animal loss. Extraction work involves removing intrusions from an individual’s energetic field, replaced typically with the healing energy of a power animal.
Irish Shamanism, Soul Clinic 