Tarot Reading for December 2015
AND
Blog #51: What Is Shamanic Healing?
Legacy of the Divine Tarot
STRENGTH: Let your inner courage shine this month by
stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something different or a little
challenging. It could be going somewhere
you have never been before, doing something on your own by yourself (especially
when you feel more comfortable when with someone else), or taking a class that
may require you to stretch and really think.
Whatever it might be, consider taking a risk and see where it leads.
7 OF COINS: With the new year approaching, now is a good
time to just start thinking about what you would like the year to be for you.
It is not necessary to set formal goals or get really serious now, but just
start thinking of one or two things you would like to accomplish. Perhaps you
set goals last year that you did not achieve, or you find yourself going in a
new direction and realize brand-new activities are called for. Some of your future goals may take time and
patience, so get ready to make a difference in your life by thinking of them
now and preparing to act on them later.
8 OF SWORDS:
If you have been feeling trapped or indecisive, tell yourself that you are no
longer going to put up with this. Ask for help to get out of whatever bind you
find yourself in, if that is what your intuition is telling you. Asking for help is different from expecting
to be rescued, so remember that you have all that you need within. It is
just a matter of tapping into your own resources and having belief in
yourself. Stop doubting yourself and
your ability to make things happen. Our negative
thoughts can hold us back if we let them take hold, and it then becomes more
difficult to get out of the self-imposed prison. Now is the time for action.
6 OF WANDS:
You will find success this month, so stay in a positive frame of mind and wait
for your achievements to bear fruit. If you have worked hard and done your
best, then know that your efforts will be paying off. Look for any kind of
success—large or small—during the month, and give yourself a pat on the back
for any progress that you have made. You are on the right track so keep going.
Let the year end with joyous thanks for all that you have accomplished, and
remember that you deserve to be proud of yourself for any hurdles you have
succeeded in mastering.
MONTHLY TRENDS:
This month will be promising in many ways, so start feeling the energy of
becoming stronger and more courageous. You are stepping into your own power in
many ways, and you are on the threshold of numerous wonderful things that may
be taking shape in the new year. You will find ways to clear away doubt,
confusion, or indecision by being willing to take risks, and you may even scare
and amaze yourself by doing something you thought you would never have the
courage to do. There is a great
possibility that you will be successful in these endeavors, so start the month
by knowing that the rewards you so rightly deserve are right around the corner.
Blog #51: What Is Shamanic
Healing?
Shamanism, which is the basis for shamanic healing, is an
ancient form of spiritual, energetic, and holistic healing which goes back
30,000-40,000 years. It is a
spiritual practice (not a religion) consisting of activities and experiences
shared by shamans from all parts of the world.
The shaman journeys into the spiritual world to retrieve information
that will be helpful in the healing process.
The term shaman
refers to “a healer who moves into an altered state of consciousness to access
a hidden reality in the spirit world for purposes of bringing back healing,
power, and information.” (http://www.sacredshamanichealing.com/10-Shamanism.html). The root of
the word is Siberian and means “one who sees in the dark”; it includes healers in various cultures called a
variety of names, such as medicine women/men, healers, or seers.
Shamans believe that spiritual
imbalance in the physical, emotional, spiritual, and/or mental bodies is the
cause of problems. Therefore, a key
component to the shamanic healing process involves the shaman restoring balance
and wholeness to the patient by identifying and addressing the root cause of
the problem, not just the symptoms.
Another important aspect of this
healing is that the shaman works with spiritual guides who provide information
about what is needed to restore the patient to health. One shaman expresses his work like this: “. .
. I tell clients this is not my work, but rather Spirit working through
me. My goal is always to be a clear and
open channel for God’s healing, wisdom, and love to flow through me for the
healing of the client.” (http://www.sacredshamanichealing.com/10-Shamanism.html).
Just as in ancient times, people in
our society seek out the help of shamans for solutions to a wide array of
problems, such as illness, challenges related to work or home life, or even
resolving issues that may have an ancestral root cause. Shamans may be consulted after a person is
not seeing satisfactory results from conventional medical approaches.
How does a shaman work?
Shamans must first get permission
from the client before starting the healing process and do not guarantee the
outcome, because it is the spirits healing the person, not the shamans by
themselves.
They work in the spiritual realm,
recognizing that the physical reality is not the only one that exists—there are
other invisible realms to which shamans travel to get information.
Shamans “journey”
into this spiritual world by going into a meditative state accompanied by the
sounds of drumming or shaking rattles.
They then ask for the help of spirits in these other realities to heal
clients by restoring the wholeness of the client’s spiritual energy. They see physical illness as a “disruption of
spiritual energy” and help heal various types of spiritual illness (such as
loss of a part of the soul due to trauma or addiction; this healing is called
soul retrieval).
Shamans typically
start the session by asking their healing spirits what the person needs, and
then do what they are directed to do.
One shaman says, “I’m not doing the healing; I’m the connection.” (http://www.prevention.com/mind-body/emotional-health/how-shamanic-healing-works)
There
is more to health and healing than just dealing with the physical body. As one author so aptly puts it: “Our modern
medical practices focus on the physical, our culture is obsessed with the
mental, and psychotherapy addresses the emotional, but the fourth of these
aspects, the spiritual, is mostly ignored if not invalidated all together.” (http://www.findyourpathhome.com/ps_main.html)
One
shaman explains the process clearly:
“My job, as a shamanic practitioner, is to go into non-ordinary reality
by means of the journey trance. What is
that? Simply put, a journey trance is a form of meditation using repetitive
sound (drumming or rattling) to help the practitioner enter an altered state of
consciousness whereby he or she can access the unconscious of another. . . . This access allows us to find where the
person had disconnected from himself or his power and by drawing attention and
understanding to it enables him to reconnect.” (http://www.findyourpathhome.com/ps_main.html)
Here
is how another shaman describes his work:
“. . . the shaman enters a shamanic state of consciousness through
listening to rhythmic percussion. He or she then journeys to the world of
spirits and connects with spirit allies for healing work. These spirits are available to help everyone,
and the shaman’s role is often to reconnnect clients with their helping
spirits, restoring their personal power.” (http://www.spirithealer.com/about/shamanism/)
The
second part of the healing process includes instructions for further
healing. For example, the shaman may
tell the client to use certain herbal essences, make changes to his/her diet,
or seek out massage therapy, aromatherapy, or energy healing such as reiki.
If
you feel that shamanic healing may be helpful for you and would possibly be a
different route for you to try in your healing process, get referrals or seek
out information on shamans in your area.
Sources
http://www.takingcharge.csh.umn.edu/explore-healing-practices/shamanism
