Author Archives: Debbie

A Coyote’s Tale

My deepest apologies to those who follow our blog. Hopefully some of our readers have not quit checking in thinking we’d abandon everyone. Like each of you, sometimes life gets really crazy. Shamans are not exempt for the worldly chaos. We reside physically in this plane and experience it to it’s fullest – ups and downs.

Over a year ago, we decided we would be returning to Oregon soon. Well, soon is rapidly arriving and there is a lot to be done here to make that transition. We are finishing some much needed upgrades in our house to prepare it for renting, and that always takes a lot longer than we plan. So, if ever we’re away for a long period, you will likely find us under a pile of sawdust or covered in paint 🙂

A couple of blogs ago, I told you the story of the coyote’s tail and promised to fill you in on the coyote’s “tale”. It wasn’t a very big or exciting story, but here is the Coyote’s Tale. Continue reading →

Announcing the Fall Harvest Give Away

The Give Away

The Give Away ceremony is a Native American Tradition. In Native American cultures, the give away ceremony is the ultimate act of selfless giving. Rather than expect the community to shower a person with gifts on a special occasion, the reverse occurs: the honored individual presents everyone else with something special. Another underlying value of the give away held over from the nomadic days is keeping one’s belongings to a minimum and sharing abundance with all those around. Once something is given away, all strings to that gift are broken and the gift is given with no expectations. There is a high value placed on giving away and sharing what is ours. We all know the saying “It is better to give than receive”. This is the give away ceremony. Continue reading →

A Coyote’s Tail

Back at the beginning of the month, I required a “mental health weekend”. I was nearing a point of completion with a shamanic death and restructuring process that began with the full moon and lunar eclipse in July and was due for the final integration at the full moon and lunar eclipse in August. This was a intensely deep process that completely picked my bones clean, disintegrated me down to my DNA and slowly began the process of recreating me. Needless to say, this certainly rattled my cage and shifted many things in and around me, much to the dismay of some people and situations that no longer fit into the new me. But, that’s another story. Verging on the point of explosion, I called for a “mental health weekend”.

Often I’ll tell Gary “I need a vacation” and we both agree and that’s where it gets left. Not this time. Immediately after I made my declaration, I returned and asked just where we were going camping. I needed to spend time with Mother Earth and the Elementals. So, we packed up the Taj Mahal (our roomy tent), air mattress and the rest of our camping gear and headed toward north eastern Arizona.

We found a lovely primitive place to camp, amidst the noise of several families with little ones. And, in spite of the screaming babies, we reveled in the cooler weather, journeyed to the moon and stars, danced with the fire spirits and played with the Elementals and ravens that happened by, and just sat and did NOTHING! Continue reading →

Stepping into the Medicine Wheel – The South Gate

I just got our summer newsletter published and am finally getting the info into this blog as well… only 3 weeks into summer! I’m beginning to think that being behind is my normal state of affairs as I move through this mid portion of my life. One of these days I’ll move into those elder years and being behind won’t matter 🙂

Here is Phoenix, we are entering the “belly of the monssons” as of weather guesser put it last night. So, we are fully in the throws of summer here. It’s time for indoor activities or slow roasting outdoors. So, maybe I’m not so behind as I thought to discuss the south gate of the medicine wheel. (Hey, we can rationalize anything… right?)

In the winter we began our journey around the medicine wheel. You can read this information in the introduction to the medicine wheel in our spring newseltter. Although we usually enter the medicine wheel from the east gate you can enter anywhere that feels appropriate. So I invite you to begin your explorations here in the south gate.

The South Gate – Transformation and Passion Continue reading →

Moving from the bottom of “The List”

Over the years, working at a deeply personal level with clients, we have become acutely aware of how much people undervalue themselves. During our debriefing after a soul retrieval, we discuss the soul pieces that have returned to be integrated and how they may shift and change a person’s life. One of the toughest changes for most people to embrace is when they are challenged to take time or do something for themselves on a routine basis. Continue reading →

Sedona and a Hopi Blessing

After over eleven years of living in Arizona and many trips to Sedona, Gary and I decided it was high time to take one of the vortex tours in Sedona. I have started work on a new set of guided journey CDs and am collecting medicine wheel photos to use for cover art. So we decided that a medicine wheel and vortex tour would be fun.

A good friend recommended Earth Wisdom Tours (www.earthwisdomtours.com) to us, so I called and arranged the tour. Gary and I made an overnight trip and spent Friday evening enjoying some quiet time together and window shopping in Sedona (town closes down between 5 and 6 pm). Continue reading →

When Children Won’t Sleep – The Monster Under the Bed

It’s bedtime, Mom and Dad are exhausted, and little Billy refuses to go to sleep. He throws this huge tantrum each and every night, giving you all sorts of excuses as to why he can’t go to sleep. “There’s a monster under my bed”, “I’m scared”, “There’s something in my room”… Every parent has been through this at least a few times in their parenting career. Sometimes it is simply an excuse for Billy to stay up and play longer, but what about when this goes on night after night after night?

From the shamanic perspective, there may truly be an interloper in Billy’s room or in his dreams. Children are more open to experiencing the energies that surround them and have clear connections to their spiritual guides. As parents we see them talking to their “imaginary friends” and tease about the Boogey Man, but to the children, they are very real. The younger the child, the more closely they are still connected to the spiritual realm. Continue reading →

Spirit Timing

Have you ever had one of those projects where you get going great guns and then boom, every step you take forward you take three back or come to a complete halt? When this happens to me, I call it “Spirit Timing”. There is something going on out of my sight that just isn’t ready for what I think I’m ready for. Usually it’s just a few days and all is in rhythm again.

Well, I told you a few blogs back about the DVD we were working on putting together called The Healing Ways of the Shaman – Shamanism and Soul Recovery. Well, now that it’s complete, I can look back and “smile and nod” as Gary would say, at the process, but at times it felt like we were mating llamas (it takes a lot of patience and they are what’s called “forced breeders” – they don’t just naturally “hook up”. But that’s another l-o-n-g story from our past).

The longer I walk the shamanic path, the more closely I find myself living in balance with the natural cycles of the seasons and the energy that it manifests. This is all part of my “Spirit Timing”. Continue reading →

Holiday Survival

Now is a great time to introduce you to flower essences. They are wonderful little tools I have in my tool box and that each of you can use as well. In fact some should be in your bathroom cabinet for year round use.

We all look forward to the holiday season with varying emotions. We can swing from the innocent excitement of childhood to the absolute dread of the upcoming family gathering on a moment’s notice. Add to that all the push from advertisers to buy more than we feel comfortable with and the flurry of social obligations at this time of year, and it’s not a wonder we often end up anxious, depressed and stuffing our faces with food (and stuffing those emotions). This year, let flower essences come to your rescue. Continue reading →