Meeting your guides and journeying through the 3 worlds
One of the most beautiful and empowering aspects of shamanic healing is shamanic journeying- a critical component of shamanism which sets it apart from other similar spiritual practices. It is the process of allowing your soul to take flight, travelling through the unseen realms to receive knowledge from guides, ancestors, spirits and elders. Through journeying, you are attempting to reach an altered state of consciousness which allows your higher self to come forth and commune with Spirit, helping you see things clearly, receive knowledge, and shift trapped and negative energies. You are leaving the ego behind and entering a pure state of mind- being fully open to receiving.
When I am helping clients to journey there are a number of key things I focus on, which any of us can learn over time, and if you are truly open in your heart to connecting in to the universe. I actually often use the phrase 'connecting' to describe the experience I feel when I'm fully tuned into Spirit. Others refer to it as sourcing, which denotes returning to the our source.
Setting intentions
Before journeying it's important to have a purpose in mind. Think about something you're seeking an answer to, or wish to have clarity on, or a challenge you're trying to solve. Make you're intention clear by either stating it out loud or in your mind.
Making an offering & preparing the space
A key component of shamanism is reciprocity- giving something in exchange for receiving. With Spirit we are giving our hearts and minds rather than anything material, however, to help with calling in Spirit and making a strong connection, I always make an offering before embarking on a journey. This can take many different forms such as burning herbs, saying a prayer, chanting or singing. This activity usually goes hand-in-hand with preparing the space, which always involves burning sage to cleanse the physical space (i.e. the room, or external location) within which the journey will take place. I often also bring in objects that I've charged with positive energy and that I wish to invite into the space to support the healing process such as healing crystals. It's important to cleanse the space before you begin, and to perform some meditative grounding to help you drop out of the mind and into the body through focusing on your physical self and letting go of any tension.
Inviting Spirit
Next we need to invite Spirit in, and this can take on many different formats and will be highly dependent on the individual's beliefs, the surroundings and the purpose of the healing and journeying. Calling in is literally as it sounds- verbally speaking out and inviting Spirit to come closer. I say come closer since we are all already connected to the universal oneness and spirit, we are simply strengthening the connection and making a purposeful intention to seek healing and guidance. For me I always call on the Fae at this point, the 4 directions, Pacha Mama, my guides and ancestors, and may others from the unseen realms to be near. It's also an opportunity to demonstrate love and respect for Spirit and the beings residing in the other worlds. When inviting Spirit in it's also a good idea to state that any being not of the the highest form of positive energy and love is not welcome, since on occasion unwanted energy can also be drawn to a strong connection space. Music and chanting is also a must-have to some degree- I always call in with my drum and crystal bowl. Sound energy is one of the most powerful tools we have when we're looking to tune into a different level of consciousness.
Journeying & returning
The shamanic journey itself is then what follows. Journeying should always be done with the eyes closed or covered to avoid distractions of the present, physical world. I always lie down, but some can journey sitting up. Psychotropic substances are sometimes employed to help when very deep journeying is required, however, these should not be used unless guided by someone who is fully capable of advising as to dosage and physical wellbeing. I always complete 10-15mins of deep, circular breathing to begin with to move blocked energy around the body and open up the connection to higher-self. You want to be moving into a highly relaxed yet aware state of mind- relaxed and open to receive without the distractions of daily thought patterns, but aware and tuned into messages and sensations. Most journeying takes place with guides- the shamanic practitioner guiding the journey, as well as Spirit guides or animals whom one may meet on the journey into the other realms. My animal guide is a white horse named Sophina. She came to me during one of my earliest journeying experiences and I always call on her now to accompany me for all or part of any journey. She is almost like a different version of me. She guides and protects my power and resonates at the same vibrational energy as me. A shamanic journey can be likened to a deep meditation, but one where we're expanding the mind and opening up our scope of awareness. It involves travelling in the three worlds of the unseen realms, or the cosmic web as it is often described- the lower world, the middle world, or the upper world- each with their own characteristics and purpose in terms of why we would visit one over the other. The middle world is also known as the mother place- the place from which our experience of the other worlds begins and where we are when fully present in our physical bodies. The middle world is both where our five senses reside as well as where a subtle spiritual reality is also experienced, each is intertwined with the other. The lower world, or underworld is associated with our ancestry and memory, and although some classical and western literature has associated the underworld as being a place of fear and death, it is in fact a place of creation, power and joy. The upper world is strongly associated with vision, inspiration and space for the new. Whichever journey we choose to embark on, we are lead by our shamanic guide as well as our spirit guides, and the journey can be as wild and wonderful and beautiful and often non-sensical as we can imagine! It is not bound by anything and there is always a message to receive!
Journeying can be a very emotional and deep experience, leaving the individual with much to contemplate, having shifted many old energies and emotions. It's therefore important to return from the journey in a grounded way, shifting consciousness back to the present physical space.
Thanking spirit
Closing the space properly and thanking Spirit and all your guides for being present is a crucial part of any journeying ceremony. Gratitude is our greatest form of joy, and showing gratitude to the cosmic web of our life and experience of it makes the healing journey all the more powerful.
Shamanic journeying is a powerful experience, allowing you to release old, unwanted energy, making space for new knowledge and personal growth. Please contact me if you'd like to learn more, or to book a session :-)
Love & light to you x
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