Category Archives: shamanism

Computers, Hypnosis and Shamanism

Sorry it’s been so long since the last post. Sometimes the shaman gets redirected to the real world of work. I have been revamping our website and expect to have our new shopping cart active by the end of this coming week. The shopping cart had a major trauma and lost several soul pieces that the programmers could not retrieve. Even the shaman we called in threw up her hands and said “No way!” So, we had to start from scratch with a new program and it has been taking a very large amount of my time over the last month or so. You know programs never work the way they tell you they will. (Now that’s a perfect segway into today’s topic.)

Since we’re talking about computers… let’s talk about yours. Continue reading →

Just Smile and Nod

Wow! This is all I’m able to say or express at the conclusion of doing a Five Day Shamanic Individual Retreat with a client. I have performed shamanic journeys for others for years and am still amazed by the results….but what is gained and accomplished by an individual in this Five Day Retreat takes the shamanic journey several orders of magnitude deeper or higher or just …WOW! (It’s the only descriptive term I have left!)Client’s responses ranged from; “This is the first time in my life that I have and feel freedom; this is way more than I expected.” (repeated through out the five days) to “Way cool”, as well as several other attempts at expressing. But a stutter effect just took over and we both just smiled and nodded, as language simply could not describe what was experienced.

The focus of the Five Day Shamanic Intensive-Individual Retreat is to identify and resolve fears, blocks and resistances. Continue reading →

The Popcorn and M&Ms Ceremony

We are often reminded that “It’s all sacred” and this small but very powerful ceremony certainly gave credence to that statement recently.

For several weeks I had been doing some energetic housecleaning and was working (yes, in the truest sense) at releasing some of the limitations I’ve been carrying around for over half a century. I was getting tired of bouncing off the same force fields time and time again. It was time to let this junk go!

Now, it’s not like I haven’t tried before. We all know what that’s like. We release one thing and it just shows back up in a slightly different form – so we rationalize that we’ve let one go and this is a new road block. So, I informed my guides that I wanted these gone for once and for all. And, I asked for help. Continue reading →

Our Ritual Journey to Sage Canyon

This weekend we headed for California for our bi-annual sage gathering expedition. It was a fun trip and I remembered to bring the camera to share some photos.If you check out our blogs from June of 2007, I discussed smudging ceremonies and sacred herbs. Everyone finds the herb(s) that is the most pleasing and effective for them for cleaning and purifying. Our personal “herb of choice” is White Sage (Salvia apiana). We lovingly call it “California White” (sounds like pot doesn’t it… smells somewhat like it too). White sage is the preference of many due to sweeter aroma it has and that it burns well. We also like the fact that it will go out when its job is complete.

Over the years on our treks to Southern California, we have found that white sage grows wild in the south side of the mountains there. As we have sought it out, we found a lovely canyon where we return every couple of years to gather what we need for ceremonial purposes. Continue reading →

Drum making from Tales from Echo Canyon

Welcome to the Shaman’s Blog.

Back in April, we facilitated another drum making playshop. This time Gary’s sister, Eileen, was in attendance. Besides being our shamanic teacher, she is also a writer, photographer, homeopath and astorloger. Yes — she wears many hats 🙂

So, besides birthing her drum, she took many pictures and added this wonderful blog to her blog at Tales from Echo Canyon. You may want to check out some of her photography – lots of great nature pics! Continue reading →

Celebrate Mother Earth

I know it’s been a while since I posted. Sometimes life happens and sometimes I run out of ideas of something relevant to post. Believe me, you don’t want to hear my mind’s ramblings 🙂 If you have something you would like to hear about, please feel free to drop me any email at mailto:debbie@shamanicconnection.com.

It’s been a busy few weeks here in Phoenix, and life is good. The weather is warming up and we hit 98 Monday. We should be cooling back to the 80’s tomorrow. I know, many of you are just beginning to see the snow melt. But, summer in Phoenix, is like winter in the colder climates. We are not as active outdoors during the heat, and spend more time indoors during the intense days of monsoon season when we hit over 110. So, it’s not much different than the winter cold, except we don’t have any white stuff to shovel and the intense heat only lasts about 4 weeks!!

Today I want to chat about Earth Day coming up on Tuesday, April 22. Continue reading →

Spring and The Sacred Garden

Well, we are a week into the spring and here in Arizona the temps are beginning to rise and the world (and allergies) is in full bloom. For many of you in the colder climes, the snow is beginning to melt and the earth is starting to warm up and even begins to show the beauty that has been hidden all winter. It is a time of excitement and anticipation as the days grow longer and we welcome the return to all the activities we enjoy in the warmer days. I am keenly aware of coming out of hibernation. It feels good to feel the spring sun on my body as I work in my sacred gardens in my back yard as well as my spiritual Sacred Garden.

In the Celtic traditions, your Sacred Garden is a place in the spirit realm that “belongs” to you. It is a place to rest, recharge, store shamanic gifts, meet with Spiritual Guides and Teachers, etc. Only those who you invite can enter your Sacred Garden. Your Sacred Garden is an inner representation of what you choose to create in your outer reality. Continue reading →

Shaman as Deathwalkers – Part II

As promised, we’ll continue where we left off before we were so rudely interrupted by Life. We were discussing the role of the shaman as a “Deathwalker” assisting those who are preparing to make their transition to Spirit or those who have already transitioned.

Sometimes when a death occurs, the Soul is caught unprepared. Sometimes the Soul may not understand what happened or that they are dead. This Soul’s natural journey back to its spiritual home, is then interrupted. The Soul needs help, it cannot continue the journey on its own. This is where a shaman can assist the Soul to continue it’s journey home. Continue reading →

Shaman as Deathwalkers – Part I.

To follow up on our topic of a shamanic view of death and dying, we move on to the role of the shaman as a “Deathwalker” or “Psychopomp” (from the Greek word psychopompos, literally meaning the “guide of souls”).

As a shaman, we may be called to assist those who are making their spiritual transitions or those who have already left the physical body that need help completing their transition and returning to their spiritual home.

The shaman may wait with and comfort the soul of a person who is dying and guide them across at the moment of death. Or they can also be with a person who is dying, when they lose consciousness and communicate with them. This is the time when the person who is about to leave the dying body is mostly on the spiritual side but is still anchored to the body. The shaman can ask the soul where it wants to go, then show them where this place is, so they have an idea about which way to go after death. Continue reading →

Shamanism, Death and Rebirth

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 →