Friday, December 4, 2015


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?

                                               Retrieved from www.vivapartnership.com

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