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The Meaning of Shamanism as a Spiritual Practice: The Healer Role
- Fernando Albert
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What is shamanism? How it affects your life
Today, we talk about shamanism. Have you heard of it? I am sure you did. The goal today is to have an approach as a spiritual practice. In a way, it is what we are taking from our ancestors to implement in our lives today, because shamanism is not only about ancestors; it has evolved, the same way that the entire planet did. Let's explore what key elements define shamanic healing and how it can best help you. We will focus more on contemporary shamans versus the indigenous traditions.
Contemporary shamanism also honors the divine masculine and divine feminine energies as being always in equal balance, because when there is balance, there is healing. Take the chance to read about these two energies if you don't know much about them.
As I was sharing, we focus on it as a holistic, energy-based approach to work at a physical, mental, emotional, or spiritual level by connecting with the Spirits of Earth. The main goal here is to find harmony with yourself and with the world that surrounds you. For example, retrieving soul fragments lost during traumatic events (for survival mechanism reasons) is a powerful tool you can find with shamanic healing.
The healer who works with the spirits of the earth
One core meaning when talking about the "shamanism definition" is the capability of working with the spirits of the Earth. Here, the shaman (I personally prefer 'shamanic practitioner') will explore physical sub-planes, such as the lower, middle, and upper worlds. Here, by being guided by spirits and elemental beings, the spiritual healer shaman will be guided in how to distribute these energies for the right means.
There are many types of healers, but in shamanism, it takes hearing a calling (part of the 7 stages in shamanism). When some feelings are part of your personality, you can tell you incline toward working with Earth. If this is the case, you will feel that everything in existence has a soul/consciousness (including crystals, rocks, etc.). You will feel how interconnected everything is.
Restoration of energetic harmony is perhaps one of the significant goals in shamanism, because in the end, as with any form of healing, the goal is to reach wellness. Some people respond well to shamanic healing for various reasons, including how connected they feel with the planet and themselves, and also a preference for a more "physical" experience, or perhaps more energetic or mental. However, we are all connected with Gaia, and any form of healing with her will yield amazing results.
What is a shaman?
If you have been with me for a while, you probably know that I am not a big fan of labels, because in a way, they complicate things. These are important for classification and understanding purposes, but in the end, the actual practitioner doesn't care about labels but about the work they do. In fact, the word "shaman" means "healer," so in an ironic way, "shamanic healing" means "healing healing." So, the label is only good to differentiate the type of healing work you will receive, but otherwise, a common label for the shaman would be "healer."
To define a little more, though, a healer who works with Reiki alone, for example, technically is not a shaman because they do not work with the spirits of the earth. In the end, what perhaps makes a healer a "shaman" is hearing the calling from Earth to follow a specific path, working with elemental energies instead of working only with universal energies.
Something quite beautiful that one of my spirit guides told me is that a human being who follows the shamanic calling and, through a few significant events, 'becomes' a shamanic practitioner also becomes (honorably, of course!) a tree! As if you counted all trees and humans who practice shamanism as the complete account for trees on planet Earth.
You will feel your life and needs slightly changing or adjusting to your real nature. I personally believe that the "honorary tree" part also connects you deeper to Earth, having an even greater respect for life, whether they are plants, animals (including bugs), or even minerals and crystals.
Altered states of consciousness
Another specific aspect that could differentiate an energy healing with a shamanic healer is that, in most cases, the Reiki healer doesn't need to enter a trance to channel the energy. Or even a better example: a psychic medium doesn't need to go into a trance to tap the Akashic Records, for example. However, the shaman, even if they are not psychic, could still bring wisdom and answers.
How is this possible? This is thanks to how the "mechanics of shamanism" work. The shaman will go into a trance state to explore the elemental worlds. For example, in the Lower World, you can find Soul Fragments, as well as wisdom containing answers to your questions (the middle world is good for this), or visit the Upper World to channel profound healing.
These worlds are visited in a certain state of trance, generally using a drum or hearing drumming. I have been able to visit these worlds by drumming myself while standing up, meaning you don't need a full-body trance, but you will still experience an altered state of consciousness. You will naturally flow if you intend to explore these waters, especially if you feel the calling.
This is great, but tell me more about the healing
As with other healing modalities, shamanism offers a wide range of healing opportunities. Western medicine takes care of diagnosing and treating the illness physically; however, as multi-dimensional beings, we are, healing needs to happen also mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. I will mention a few:
- Finding the energetic root of illnesses. Here, by exploring the elemental lower world, the shaman can find answers to why this illness arrives or, even better, why the illness is not going away, even with an alleged medical success. Understanding the root cause starts healing at other necessary degrees and even provides the needed push to take action.
- Soul loss or energetic imbalances. I am sure you either said at some point or heard someone saying, "In that horrible moment, I lost a part of myself." This is so true, and while you won't lose parts of your body for a bad emotional situation, you lose a part of your soul (as a self-defense mechanism). The shamanic practitioner will venture into the Lower World to search and retrieve these fragments. A shamanism symbol or emblem is also something that you can find in these worlds, enabling more energy for your intended goals.
- Energy wellness and removal. This could be similar to the work done from an energetic point of view, for example, with angelic healing. However, the elemental worlds have a profound effect on the physical body. After all, despite being non-tangible sub-planes, they still count as the physical plane, meaning that your physical body can greatly nurture them. Furthermore, some energy blocks become tough to remove with energy; by working with the spirits of the earth, a clearing starts to result right away.
- Integrative work. Another "essence" of shamanism versus other forms of healing. In the physical plane, everything needs to settle for a bit (for example, if you build something, it might require some "resting time" for things to settle). Energy work is the same, especially when working with Earth's energies. After any shamanic ceremony, the practitioner, with the help of the spirits of the Earth, will move the energy in a way so that there is an actual physical reintegration of all these energies.
These are profound healing sessions, and I have seen a lot of amazing results with the people I worked with and myself, to the point of even surprising me when I first started. Sometimes, when it seems that "nothing is working," that is when you can consider shamanism as a way to receive healing and finally free yourself.
A few more benefits
To name a few more benefits, I can tell you that as an overall big benefit, you will consciously find some answers to "why" in most difficult situations. I also feel that shamanism is quite good at releasing hidden energy blocks, as well as using these energies for "deep tissue healing" on your body to promote work and energy flow at a cellular level.
Deep emotional restoration is also common because by finally seeing at least the beginning of the resolution of what's haunting you, you will experience a change to a much more optimistic outcome. You will see progress, and this is key during healing, too. Why don't you try an Upper World Ceremony yourself? I will give you a big push!
Ultimately, this will promote spiritual alignment, something that every single human being can and should experience. As spiritual beings having a human experience, we need to learn to be in tune with our energetic selves, and as grounding as shamanism can be, it will certainly and strongly restore your spirit, too.
Conclusion
Shamanism is a powerful way to provide and receive healing since, after all, we are physical beings and planet Earth is (in this lifetime) our home. Don't feel you need to rush into healing (or walking the shaman's path); instead, always observe how this calling feels exactly, and witness how everything keeps aligning you to it. It's not a matter of "simply learning" or "seeing how a session feels." It will feel more profound, and even if you are just curious, after experiencing any form of shamanic healing.
FAQ
Q: What is shamanic healing, and how does it work?
A: Shamanic healing is the practice of different techniques to bring restoration and wellness. You will journey to the shamanic elemental worlds and physical subplanes, and with the help of the spirits of earth, you will be guided.
Q: How do shamans enter altered states of consciousness?
A: The shaman will clear away their mind and emotions, inviting the energies of the Earth to guide them. From here, the shamanic practitioner enters a deep state of relaxation, projecting their consciousness where guided.
Q: What is the role of the spirit world in shamanism?
A: The spirit world is the cornerstone of shamanism, as without it, it couldn't happen. I take this as the network plus all the mechanics, so the shamanic practitioner can navigate and receive energy, wisdom, and all that is required.
Q: How is shamanic healing different from conventional medicine?
A: Shamanism is energy-based, while conventional medicine generally focuses on the physical body alone. In shamanism, you also work with the spirits of the Earth, enabling soul-based forms of healing that Western medicine won't cover at all.
Q: Can shamanic healing help with depression and anxiety?
A: Yes, because it will help you find and understand the root of the problem. It is likely that indeed "you lost a part of yourself," and it is through a soul retrieval that the shamanic practitioner can help very profoundly.
Q: What is soul retrieval in shamanic practice?
A: The shaman performs a ceremony and explores the Lower Elemental World in the name of the person who has lost soul fragments due to traumatic experiences. By doing this exploration, the spirits of the Earth will guide the shaman in finding said soul fragments and bringing them back.
Q: Is shamanic healing compatible with other therapies?
A: Yes, energy-based healing doesn't clash with one another. If you are very sensitive, or you heal something major, it is true you can overwhelm yourself a little if you don't allow resting and grounding times in the middle.
If you feel a calling to seek shamanism as a form of healing for yourself, it means that you will benefit greatly from it. You may even feel called to seek a path in shamanism, and when this comes from the heart, it is likely to be a real calling. If you felt something like this, reach out to me here!
Next week it's the Free Monthly Tarot Reading for April! On top, we will talk about the first Minor Arcana (Ace of Cups). You will find out all about it, and you will also be able to grab your "Ace of Cups Guided Meditation"! Stay tuned for next Wednesday!
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