First, to those of you who keep checking out BLOG and finding that we’ve been out of touch for almost two months, we apologize. Life has been extremely busy. Gary’s wonderful 90 year-old mom took ill and we spent many days away from home assisting his sister and brother-in-law with her care. We were caring for her around the clock in her home as she stood at the doorway of death and decided it was not her time to pass through. It has been a tiring but enlightening time for us.But, this brings us to the subject of today’s BLOG – Shamanism, Death and Rebirth. Continue reading
Author Archives: Debbie
Sumdging Ceremony Part II – Sacred Herbs
In my last BLOG we discussed in detail the smudging ceremony.
Smudging is used by all indigenous cultures and in many metaphysical practices. Today, we have a wide variety of herbs readily available to us from around the world. But, before the time of mass transportation, each culture and locale used the sacred plants that were readily available to them. Today I’ve listed some of the plants that are commonly used for smudging along with their spiritual properties. Continue reading
Smudging Ceremonies – Part 1
Throughout our blog, we will explain some of the tools we commonly use as we live in connection with “All Our Relations”, walking a Shamanic path.
One of the very common ceremonies we (and many others in the metaphysical practices) use is smudging.
Smudging is a simple ceremony used to cleanse a person, place or an object. The smudging ceremony involves the burning of sacred plants and herbal resins, then, either fanning the smoke around a person or place or passing an object through the smoke. The smoke from the sacred plants, then cleanses the person, place or object of unwanted energies, spirits or influences. Pretty simple, huh?
Smudging is like taking a shower for your energy system. Just like in the physical, we get dirty in our energy bodies too. Smudging cleans out all the junk we pick up as we move through our day. Just like the air, the energy in the world is polluted and simply collects on us and in our space. Not good or bad. It just IS. But, I shower routinely, on the physical and energetic levels! Continue reading
Birthing the Sacred Drum
This Sunday was the eighth month of a shamanic study group that Gary and I are facilitating. We were really looking forward to this segment of the class as we get to be “midwives” again to the birth of new drum spirits for our “shaman’s in training”. This is a powerfully spiritual and healing experience for all involved.
Follow us in the creation process and see if it doesn’t make you want to give birth to your own drum. If you are not near Phoenix, AZ, we will travel to do drum birthing classes. Please feel free to contact us.
We were all born with a drum – our heartbeat. We hear the heartbeat of our mother in her womb, and the drum is the heartbeat of our Earth Mother and our Ancestors. Making contact with a drum awakens our sacred, awakens our soul.
The drum is a powerful tool for a Shaman. The Shaman uses the drum beat to access an altered state of consciousness to perform journeys for self, others and the earth and universe. We follow the drum beat to other dimensions and other worlds, travelling where no time and space exist. The drum beat also acts like bread crumbs being left along the trail that we can follow to return home to this reality. Continue reading
A Little About Gary & Debbie Gent & Shamanic Connection
Gary and Debbie Gent a.k.a. Shamanic Connection are Shamanic Facilitators from Phoenix, Arizona. Their mission to help people to reconnect with themselves, Spirit and Mother Earth through Shamanic and other healing practices. They view their role as two-fold — to assist our clients in re-acquiring the tools for their growth and then to hold a safe space for them to do their work. It is by using these new tools that growth and healing happen.
Gary and Debbie came together as life partners almost three decades ago, neither seeing the journey on which they had embarked.
Gary Gent is a traditionally trained Shaman of Cherokee/Irish descent. Gary began his shamanic training at the age of six. His father was one-quarter Eastern Cherokee of the Wolf Clan and what Gary calls a “Closet Shaman”. As is typical with traditional training, Gary’s training began without explanation spending many hours on focus and concentration exercises, as well learning to work with Spirit, animals, and nature. After experiencing “life” for a time, Gary was called to finish his training. Continue reading