| Dear beloved,
As I reflect on my growth cycles over the past two years, it is difficult to pinpoint the moment I recognized I would be ok, my family would be ok and we are all being called to transform.
I certainly didn’t get this message by reading or listening to the news or was it gleaned from any social media outlet. This comfort and reassurance came from the natural world. The river I swim in, the trees I share my land with, and the mama deer nursing her new offspring have shown up, again and again with the same message. Hey, you’re doing great. You will figure this out, you already have the tools you need.
Over time I came to terms with the fact that physical, emotional, spiritual, and even financial challenges were there for my transformation and there was no need to be fearful. I can adapt, we can adapt to the changing environment despite the loud, constant, aggressive fear-mongering narrative that is shared by the “experts.”
My increased ease and confidence didn’t occur overnight but rather in cycles. Working with personal obstacles taught me that pain, emotional, physical, or spiritual can teach compassion. Pain has a purpose and it’s not to inflict suffering. Pain encourages growth.
I believe my ability to accept and hold space for the personal and collective challenges we face has been greatly supported by shifting my focus to a shamanic lens. When my eyes were able to adjust to this new way of seeing, so arrived a new way of being. This new way of being has led me to find meaning even in the face of heart-wrenching and in some regions life-threatening polarization that this orchestrated storyline of fear has caused.
So what would draw this Catholic educated, Irish woman to shamanism? And isn’t shamanism a bit dark or woo-woo? Totally relevant questions and certainly ones I also asked myself. Delving into the topic I was first struck by the fact that Shamanism is not a religion, like Buddhism it’s a philosophy. Shamanism is a way of seeing ourselves in harmony with the natural world. It has been practiced globally by all indigenous cultures to which we are all connected. My lineage is Celtic and shamanism was widely practiced by my ancestors.
As my explorations expanded and my practice deepened the teacher in me longed to pass along my learnings. And in a similar fashion to my Polyvagal Theory explorations, I have begun a new podcast series, Shamanism, Metaphysics, and Grace with my mentor Jyoti Wind. Discovering for myself the wealth of wisdom within Jyoti, I was compelled to capture and share what I could. The interview process has been a wonderful way to continue my growth and encourage others who might ordinarily pass on an invitation to study shamanism.
I’d love to demystify Shamanic practices for you. Have a look at our first two episodes on my YouTube channel and see if this could be a useful lens to apply as you navigate the dominant culture of fear in our current time. In the first episode Shamanism and Inner Tools you will find an accessible and clear introduction to the topic. And weaving in a bit of timely Astrology the second episode addresses Mercury in Retrograde and the Inner Child. If you prefer to listen to the podcast version you will find Shamanism, Metaphysics and Grace on Apple Podcasts, and Spotify. Be sure to subscribe to keep up with this series.
Until next week,
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